Climate change could turn oceans from friend to foe, UN report warns

Global warming and pollution caused by humanity's carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth's oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn.

US fines Hyundai $47 mn over dirty diesel engines

South Korean shipbuilding and industrial firm Hyundai Heavy Industries will pay a $47 million fine for illegally importing and selling dirty diesel engines in violation of American environmental rules, US authorities announced Thursday.

Sheet roofs: Puerto Rico reels 2 years after Hurricane Maria

Sixto Marrero shivers every time the skies open in Puerto Rico.

US fines Hyundai $47 mn over dirty diesel engines

South Korean shipbuilding and industrial firm Hyundai Heavy Industries will pay a $47 million fine for illegally importing and selling dirty diesel engines in violation of American environmental rules, US authorities announced Thursday.

Google green energy buys boost 'carbon-free' portfolio

Google on Thursday announced a record-high boost to its green electricity purchases, saying the deals will spur construction of millions of solar panels and hundreds of wind turbines.

FAA chief meets Boeing officials, tries out Max simulator

The chief of the Federal Aviation Administration tested the Boeing 737 Max in a flight simulator Thursday, but the FAA declined to say how its updated anti-stall software performed.

Scientists prepare for year-long expedition to Arctic center

Researchers from more than a dozen nations prepared Friday to launch the biggest and most complex expedition ever attempted in the central Arctic—a yearlong journey through the ice they hope will improve the scientific models that underpin our understanding of climate change.

Introducing 'mesh,' a memory-saving plug-in that could boost phone and computer performance

Applications like web browsers or smartphone apps often use a lot of memory. To address this, a research group co-led by Emery Berger, a professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has developed a system they call Mesh that can automatically reduce such memory demands. Berger is presenting this work today at Cppcon, the C++ conference in Aurora, Colorado.

Where to park your car, according to math

Just as mathematics reveals the motions of the stars and the rhythms of nature, it can also shed light on the more mundane decisions of everyday life. Where to park your car, for example, is the subject of a new look at a classic optimization problem by physicists Paul Krapivsky (Boston University) and Sidney Redner (Santa Fe Institute) published in this week's Journal of Statistical Mechanics.

The next agricultural revolution is here

As a growing population and climate change threaten food security, researchers around the world are working to overcome the challenges that threaten the dietary needs of humans and livestock. A pair of scientists is now making the case that the knowledge and tools exist to facilitate the next agricultural revolution we so desperately need.

New study questions value of fluoride varnish

Fluoride varnish has become a popular anti-cavity treatment for children, and it isn't hard to see why. It's relatively easy to apply, and not just for dentists or dental hygienists. Pediatricians can do it as well, with minimal instruction. The sticky varnish goes on with a brush and then dries in a few hours. There's little risk of children swallowing the fluoride, as they might with other topical treatments such as gels.

Smoking abstinence has little impact on the motivation for food

It's sometimes thought that smokers who can't light up are likely to reach for food in lieu of cigarettes. But new research from the University at Buffalo suggests that smoking abstinence doesn't greatly affect the motivation for food.

Pathway found for treatment-resistant lung cancer

A big way chemotherapy works is by prompting cancer cells to commit suicide, and scientists have found a pathway the most common lung cancer walks to avoid death.

Scientists identify a personality feature that could predict how often you exercise

Individuals who make concrete plans to meet their goals may engage in more physical activity, including visits to the gym, compared to those who don't plan quite so far ahead, research shows. These research findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggest that self-reported levels of a trait called 'planfulness' may translate into real world differences in behavior.

A bathroom scale could monitor millions with heart failure

Millions of heart failure patients are readmitted to hospitals every few months to adjust medications. It sends medical costs sky-high and patients suffer unnecessarily. A new bathroom scale could give clinicians the data they need to cut hospitalizations and treat patients remotely before they suffer too much.

Alzheimer's drug also treats parasitic Chagas disease

The drugs currently used to treat Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease, have serious side effects and limited use in those with chronic disease. Now, researchers have reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that memantine, a drug currently used to treat Alzheimer's disease, can diminish the number of parasites in mice with Chagas disease, and increase the survival rate of the animals.

Ketoacidosis and high-blood sugar comas in patients with type 1 diabetes linked to increased risk of suicide attempt

New research presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 September) shows that in patients with type 1 diabetes, hospitalization for either ketoacidosis or a hyperglycaemic (high blood sugar) coma are both linked to a subsequent increase in the risk of attempting suicide. The study is by Dr. Jean Michel Petit, CHU (University Hospital) Dijon, France, and colleagues.

New study reveals a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and increased mortality, especially diabetes-related deaths

New research presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 Sept) reveals that vitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to increased mortality, especially in younger and middle-aged people, and is particularly associated with diabetes-related deaths.

Both natural variation in ACE concentrations and lowering BP with ACE inhibitors associated with lower risk of T2D

New research presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 September) shows that usage of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to lower blood pressure, is associated with a 24% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) when compared with placebo.