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A new treefrog species was discovered during a two-week expedition to a remote tabletop mountain at Cordillera del Cóndor, a largely unexplored range in the eastern Andes. |
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Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, researchers have observed, for the first time, a warped disk around an infant protostar that formed just several tens of thousands of years ago. This implies that the misalignment of planetary orbits in many planetary systems, including our own, may be caused by distortions in the planet-forming disk early in their existence. |
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Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Biomedical Science Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil have found a molecule in pregnant mice that, when inhibited, causes a reduction in the effects of Zika virus on the nervous system of their offspring, including microcephaly. |
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As comet 46P/Wirtanen neared Earth on December 2, astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) took a remarkably close look at its innermost regions. ALMA imaged the comet when it was approximately 16.5 million kilometers from Earth. At its closet on December 16, the comet – one of the brightest in years — was approximately 11.4 million kilometers from Earth, or 30 times the distance from the Earth to the moon. |
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The sex of turtle hatchlings is determined by temperature, and at present about 52% of hatching green turtles - one of seven species of sea turtle - are female. But a study by the University of Exeter and the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (Portugal) shows that in warmer temperatures predicted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios, 76-93% of hatchlings would be female. |
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Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Biomedical Science Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil have found a molecule in pregnant mice that, when inhibited, causes a reduction in the effects of Zika virus on the nervous system of their offspring, including microcephaly. |
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Part of the ancient archaeological site of Tiwanaku, Bolivia, believed by Incans to be where the world was created has been reconstructed using 3D printed models of fragments of an ancient building. The results are presented in a study published in the open access journal Heritage Science. |
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Astronomers have already cataloged nearly 4,000 exoplanets in orbit around distant stars. Though we have learned much about these newfound worlds, there is still much we do not know about the steps of planet formation and the precise cosmic recipes that spawn the wide array of planetary bodies we have already uncovered, including so-called hot Jupiters, massive rocky worlds, icy dwarf planets, and – hopefully someday soon – distant analogs of Earth. |
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The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has taken part in a European research project named TBO-Met which has developed an algorithm that maximises the predictability of flights and reduces the risk of running into (potentially dangerous) storms. Thanks to this, safety can be improved, the abilities of air traffic can be increased and delays can be reduced. |
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Cacao farmers in Nicaragua lose their crop, the main ingredient for chocolate, to fungal blight and degrading soils. Yields drop in Vietnam’s rice paddies because of higher temperatures and increased salinity. Bean and maize growers in Uganda see their plants die during severe dry spells during what should be the rainy season. |
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By 2050, almost 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban environments, according to the United Nations. But as cities spread, wild animals will also have to adapt. In Nature Ecology and Evolution, researchers working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) report that male tungara frogs in Panama City put on sexier mating displays than frogs living in nearby tropical forests. |
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A new European innovation action under the H2020 Cibersecurity-PPP funding program is assisting micro enterprises, also known as MEnts, to comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which was launched in 2018 to enhance privacy protection for all European citizens. The SMOOTH project, in which IMDEA Networks Institute participates, aims to become the reference platform for MEnts transitioning to GDPR compliance, whilst safeguarding the interests of EU citizenry on data privacy and security. |
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Animal weapons such as antlers, tusks and limbs specialized for fighting require a large energy expenditure to produce and may cost even more to maintain. Because the leaf-footed bug sheds its large hind limbs, used as weapons in male-male battles, scientists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama could measure energy use of live bugs with and without hind legs to calculate the hidden energetic cost of weapons’ maintenance. |
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Humpback whales bear stark battle scars from violent encounters with orcas, also known as killer whales. Analysis of rake marks on more than 3000 humpback whale tails or flukes suggest that attacks on these undersea giants may be on the rise, according to a new study in 'Endangered Species Research'. |
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Research from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the University of Warwick and ETH Zurich has studied the effectiveness of micro-targeted political advertising on social media such as Facebook in the United States. The research concludes that it may have increased the number of Donald Trump voters by ten per cent in the 2016 presidential elections. |
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In collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, a research group from the UPV/EHU’s Plentzia Marine Station has studied the bivalves in the mangroves on both coasts of Nicaragua in order to analyse how they are affected by the pollution brought down by the rivers. That way, it will be possible to use them as sentinels or indicators of environmental changes. The research has been published by the journal Science of the Total Environment. |
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An international study led by University of Miami tropical biologists reveals that tropical trees are migrating upslope to escape climate change, but not fast enough. |
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The crisis of trust in Spanish political parties has transformed the political scene. 19.2% of Spaniards surveyed for the poll made by the Center for Sociological Research assure that political parties and politics in general represent one of the main problems that exist in Spain. In this context of distrust, transparency and promotion of citizen participation can transform political parties into more open institutions. |
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The historically over-exploited Giant South American Turtle is making a significant comeback on river beaches in the Brazilian Amazon thanks to local protection efforts, say researchers at the University of East Anglia. |
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In the Andean forests along the border of Chile and Argentina, there have long been speculations that the mouse-sized marsupial monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) climbs to lofty heights in the trees. Yet, due to the lack of knowledge about the region's biodiversity in the forest canopies, no previous records exist documenting such arboreal habits for this creature. |
