Three Die After Untreatable "Superbug" Fungus Infections in Two Different Cities
"U.S. health officials said Thursday they now have evidence of an untreatable fungus spreading in two hospitals and a nursing home," reports the Associated Press: The "superbug" outbreaks were reported in a Washington, D.C, nursing home and at two D.....»»
Newly discovered bacterial defense system functions as self-destruct button
Wageningen researchers have discovered a molecular self-destruct mechanism in a bacterium living on seaweed. With this mechanism the bacteria sacrifice themselves when they are infected, thus protecting their brothers and sisters from infections. By.....»»
Georgia cities face tall task to meet new air pollution standard
Environmental regulators have decided to set a tighter standard for a tiny, but insidious class of air pollution particles linked to serious illnesses and thousands of premature deaths......»»
New study reveals four critical barriers to building healthier Canadian cities
Many streets around the globe are becoming increasingly inhospitable to children and the elderly due to compounding traffic and road safety concerns which deter these groups from active transport, like walking or cycling. The recent emphasis on desig.....»»
City Council Unwittingly Approves Pirate IPTV Scheme and Documents Everything
Mapleton, Utah, is one of the most idyllic cities imaginable. Its crime rate is 80% below average, and its council operates with complete transparency. Public meetings are streamed live on YouTube, and details of every meeting appear on the city's we.....»»
A Virus Found in Wastewater Beat Back a Woman’s ‘Zombie’ Bacteria
Viruses called phages are a promising treatment option for bacterial infections when antibiotics stop working, but they have limitations......»»
Pesticides to help protect seeds can adversely affect earthworms" health
While pesticides protect crops from hungry animals, pesky insects, or even microbial infections, they also impact other vital organisms, including bees and earthworms. Now, research published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters reveals that.....»»
French fungus as a biocontrol agent against sea spurge in Australia
Field trials have confirmed the successful establishment of Venturia paralias, a biocontrol agent for sea spurge. This line in the sand marks the first time the fungus has established at release sites. It has now begun to spread......»»
Boston"s approach to "problem properties" could help improve cities across the US, new research finds
Communities across the country have been trying to tackle "problem properties," centers for crime, violence and other public safety concerns. For the first time, research proves how effective these strategies can be......»»
University rankings are unscientific and bad for education: Experts point out the flaws
We rank almost everything. The top 10 restaurants in our vicinity, the best cities to visit, the best movies to watch. To understand whether the rankings were any good you'd want know who was doing the ranking. And what it was they were looking for......»»
Roads, farming threaten Ecuador "lost city" complex
Shielded by the jungle for hundreds of years, the remains of a massive 2,500-year-old network of Ecuadoran cities are being threatened by road and farm encroachment just as its long-held secrets are being revealed, researchers say......»»
Fungicide resistance: A threat to the health of humans, animals and plants
Fungi can cause disease in humans, animals and plants. Every year, 1.5 million people die from fungal infections, and fungal attacks in food crops threaten food production. To protect ourselves, we have developed chemical agents—in the form of medi.....»»
Ghana: Kumasi city"s unplanned boom is destroying two rivers—sewage, heavy metals and chemical pollution detected
Ghana's urban population has more than tripled in the past three decades, from 4 million to nearly 14 million people. Competition for land in cities has increased among various land uses. These trends have led to encroachment in ecologically sensitiv.....»»
The wetland model of urban sustainability
Writing in the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, a team from Japan explains that "wetlands play an important role in a sustainable urban future." They add that these environmental regions provide ecological services to the cities.....»»
Research team identifies new approach to tackling bacterial infections
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections. The findings are described in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology......»»
Protecting crops through nanotechnology in Southeast Asia
In a recent breakthrough, DNA sequencing technology has uncovered the culprit behind cassava witches' broom disease: the fungus genus Ceratobasidium. The cutting-edge nanopore technology used for this discovery was first developed to track the COVID-.....»»
How to avoid a "winner"s curse" for social programs
Back in the 1980s, researchers tested a job-training program called JOBSTART in 13 U.S. cities. In 12 locations, the program had a minimal benefit. But in San Jose, California, results were good: After a few years, workers earned about $6,500 more an.....»»
Sedimentary records of contaminant inputs in Frobisher Bay provide record of changes in contaminant levels over decades
Although contaminant levels in Arctic environments are often lower than those in temperate locations close to cities and industrial areas, contaminant studies in the Arctic remain important due to the potential for bioaccumulation and biomagnificatio.....»»
How the microbes in wastewater can make our cities more sustainable
COVID-19 showed us how useful monitoring wastewater can be. But the genetic material in our wastewater, namely DNA and RNA, is a treasure trove of other useful information. It reveals the presence of thousands of different types of weird and wonderfu.....»»
Synthetic antibacterial minerals combat topical infections
The development of new antibiotics has stalled—new strategies are needed as the world enters the age of antibiotic resistance. To combat this challenge, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have found that synthetic antibacteria.....»»
Study finds commensal gut bacteria develop resistance in response to antibacterial treatment
An international team of microbiologists and immunologists has found that commensal gut bacteria develop resistance to antibacterial therapies for infections. In their study, reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group monitored.....»»