Researchers used a technique called spectro-astrometry to observe protoplanetary disks in great detail, distinguishing between gas and dust distributions. They discovered that hydrogen gas is incorporated into the star through accretion, which can occur violently or smoothly, depending on the star's magnetic field.
Researchers use radar and camera data to reconstruct the formation of two enigmatic features in Mars' northern ice cap: a massive canyon and spiral troughs. Wind erosion is found to be the primary force shaping these complex structures, revealing a detailed climate history.
Researchers used tree-ring data to reconstruct northwest Africa's climate history, finding frequent and severe droughts during the 13th-16th centuries and late 20th century. The region's 20th-century drying trend matches climate models' predictions, while regional drought patterns differ across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Researchers recommend decentralizing forces and forming alliances to counter threats, as seen in the natural world. By adopting these principles, security systems can become more adaptable and responsive to emerging threats.
A University of Arizona study found that the state's 2007 smoking ban led to a significant reduction in hospital admissions for conditions related to secondhand smoke, including acute myocardial infarction, stroke, asthma, and angina. The ban resulted in estimated savings of $16 million in hospital charges.
The lake's surface waters have warmed by 3 degrees F since 1900, driving a decline in productivity and impacting the fishery. The research provides a detailed record of temperature and its impacts on a tropical African ecosystem.
A University of Arizona study found that spaceflight alters gene expression in mice, potentially leading to increased cell death and compromised immune systems. The research suggests that long-duration space missions to destinations like Mars may require new strategies to mitigate these effects.
A rare opportunity to study how a critically endangered species copes with an earthquake- induced tsunami has been provided by researchers. The Devils Hole pupfish inhabit a small, shallow pool in the Mojave Desert, and the quake's impact on their habitat and behavior was documented on camera.
University of Arizona researchers presented new findings on improving hurricane predictions and understanding the effects of tropical cyclones on the U.S. Southwest. Cloud clusters with higher symmetry are more likely to become hurricanes, and tropical storms in the eastern Pacific are linked to the Caribbean Low-Level Jet.
Researchers discovered that aphids can produce carotenoids, essential nutrients crucial for vision, skin health, and bone growth. The yellowish-green aphid strain produced carotenoids by acquiring a fungal gene through lateral transfer, challenging conventional wisdom on animal nutrient production.
A binational team is monitoring the effect of the Yuma Desalting Plant on the cienega, which could affect endangered species and bird populations. The researchers are tracking water quality, water level, and vegetation to assess the impact of the plant's operation.
A team of researchers from the University of Arizona revisited evidence pointing to a cataclysmic event that wiped out North American megafauna, including mammoths and Dire wolves. The study found no conclusive link between an extraterrestrial impact and the extinction of these species.
Research by University of Arizona's Lan Nguyen Chaplin finds that supportive parents and peers decrease teen materialism. Teens with emotionally supported parents and peers are less materialistic.
Researchers found that fossil footprints made 3.6 million years ago show a human-like striding gait, indicating bipedalism among early hominins. The study suggests that humans' ancestors were more energetically efficient with their walking posture than previously thought.
Scientists reconstructed a 3,000-year fire history in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park using giant sequoia tree rings. The research found that the years from 800 to 1300 had the most frequent fires during this period, and that climate change may subject the trees to similar conditions again.
Astronomers have discovered two ancient supermassive black holes that provide insight into the universe's early evolution. The objects lack characteristic signatures of hot dust, suggesting they formed in a dust-free medium at the earliest stages of universe formation.
Researchers found that female moths outgrow their male counterparts by initiating a developmental change later in life, resulting in larger adult moths. This study provides insight into the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in moths, highlighting the importance of early developmental stages in determining adult body size.
A University of Arizona professor and graduate student found that Wikipedia's quality relies heavily on collaboration between contributors. They identified seven roles that contribute to high-quality entries: all-round contributors, starters, content justifiers, and copy editors.
Researchers found that daytime naps significantly aid infants' ability to generalize knowledge and recognize patterns in new information. The UA study revealed that napping within four hours after exposure to artificial language enhances abstract learning and sentence structure recognition in young children.
Astronomers have found that typical galaxies still hold sufficient quantities of gas and dust for star formation, but their efficiency has slowed down over cosmic time. This means that present-day galaxies form fewer stars due to a decrease in gas and dust supplies rather than a change in their ability to make stars.
Researchers linked Southwest winter precipitation to North Atlantic temperatures, finding abrupt climate changes occurred during the last Ice Age. The study used a stalagmite from an Arizona cave to reconstruct century-by-century climate records.
Research reveals global warming favors the growth of cold-hardy winter annuals in the Sonoran Desert, shifting climate change's impact on plant species. Cold-adapted species, such as popcorn flower and red filaree, are becoming more common due to the delayed onset of winter rains.
A new study by University of Arizona Professor Dale Kunkel finds that nearly three-quarters of foods advertised on TV to children are high in nutritional value, while healthy options are largely invisible. The report calls for Congress to regulate advertising to children.
A recent study by UA-led researchers documents the health consequences of endemic warfare in northern Kenya, focusing on nutrition and its impact on community health. The research highlights the disproportionate burden of violence on women and children, who face food insecurity and increased mortality rates.
Researchers from UA and collaborating institutions deciphered the complete genetic code of maize, providing a comprehensive foundation to systematically study maize biology. The achievement aims to breed higher yielding, disease-resistant, and drought-tolerant cultivars.
A recent study found that ancient high-altitude bristlecone pines in the western US are experiencing unprecedented growth rates due to rising temperatures. Trees growing near treeline, typically at elevations above 11,000 feet, showed wider annual growth rings from 1951 to 2000 compared to previous centuries.
A team of researchers completed the first draft of the cassava genome, which contains an estimated 95% of cassava genes. The availability of this sequence enables the development of a genome variation database to aid farmers in improving cassava resistance to CBSD.
A recent study found that female water striders prefer non-aggressive males over highly sexually aggressive ones when it comes to mating. In contrast, groups of low-key male water striders mated with more females than did groups of highly aggressive males.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have performed experiments that show classical chaos exists in the quantum world, revealing new signatures of chaos and entanglement. The team manipulated individual laser-cooled cesium atoms to mimic a textbook example of chaos, demonstrating dynamic stability and erratic behavior.
Researchers using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have detected sub-surface water ice at high latitudes of Mars, with some areas showing ice purity of up to 99%. The ice is believed to be a relic of a more humid climate on Mars in the recent past and could provide insights into the planet's history.
Recent research on the Cohen Y chromosome reveals that the Jewish priesthood was established by several unrelated male lines. The study, conducted by Michael F. Hammer and colleagues, found that a common male ancestor lived in the Near East around 3,200 years ago, giving rise to distinct lineages among Cohanim Jews.
The University of Arizona has been awarded a $4.35 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a Critical Zone Observatory in the Southwest. The observatory will study the ecological, geological and hydrological components of the critical zone, which is the area between the treetops and the groundwater table. By com...
The University of Arizona is building a network of soil moisture probes to improve short-term and seasonal weather forecasting, with funding from the National Science Foundation. The project aims to provide more accurate forecasts by measuring low-energy neutrons produced when cosmic rays hit the soil.
Researchers found Arctic temperatures were cooler for 8,000 years before warming around 1900, reversing a natural cooling cycle. The study suggests human-caused climate change is the main cause of recent warming in the Arctic.
New research from the University of Arizona found that slowly moving faults, like the Alto Tiberina in Italy, can help prevent large earthquakes. The study used geodesy to measure rock movements and revealed that the fault is actively slipping at a rate of approximately one-tenth of an inch per year.
A team of researchers discovered that virus-infected bacteria in pea aphids can provide protection against parasitic wasps. In laboratory experiments, about 90% of aphids carrying infected bacteria survived wasp attacks, compared to nearly no survival for those without the infection.
Researchers found that early human hunters in central Israel between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago were skilled at big-game hunting like later stone-age hunters, but shared meat differently. The earlier humans were less efficient and specialized when it comes to carving flesh from their prey.
A research project aims to produce a computer model for water managers to reduce energy consumption while meeting increased demand for water. The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, will help address water scarcity issues in regions like Arizona, where population growth and drought are exacerbating the problem.
Researchers, led by Professor Neal Armstrong, are working to harness solar energy for utility-scale generation and portable devices, with potential breakthroughs in organic solar cells and interface science.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have successfully sequenced the genetic code of West African cultivated rice, a key step in breeding hardier Asian strains. This breakthrough could help address global issues such as food scarcity and climate change, with potential applications for other crops like wheat, corn, and sorghum.
The Phoenix Mars Mission provided new details about Mars' water history, including patterns in the ground near the landing site and surprising findings of perchlorate. Researchers discovered ice at varying depths and observed daily weather changes, revealing clues to Martian soil chemistry.
A new study by University of Arizona professor Alexandra Kalev shows that employee involvement programs can increase both quality and diversity at the same time. Self-directed work teams and cross-training programs are found to give women and minorities more opportunities for career advancement.
The new report emphasizes the urgent need for climate action, citing the Southwest as a region particularly susceptible to the effects of global warming. Rising temperatures and water scarcity are projected to exacerbate issues like wildfires, invasive species, and flooding, threatening agriculture, recreation, and urban areas.
A new species of pink-winged moth, Lithophane leeae, has been identified by University of Arizona biologist Bruce Walsh in the Chiricahua Mountains. The discovery highlights the region's vast biodiversity and suggests that more individuals may exist, considering the moth's habits.
A new report reveals that fire influences global warming more than previously thought, with human-caused fires contributing significantly to the greenhouse effect. The study estimates that deforestation due to burning by humans releases an amount of carbon dioxide equal to 50% of fossil fuel combustion.
Researchers have developed an almost year-by-year record of the last 3,000 years of West Africa's climate, revealing that catastrophic droughts occurred every 30 to 65 years. The new research suggests that global warming may exacerbate the normal climate pattern, producing even more severe and prolonged droughts.
Scientists found that temperatures alone can kill drought-stressed piñon pine trees 28% faster, leading to 5 times more frequent die-offs. Carbon starvation is the primary mechanism behind tree mortality, and understanding this relationship is key to predicting future patterns.
Researchers recorded moth brain activity as they smelled individual chemicals from sacred datura flowers. Only nine chemicals provoked a neural response, but all nine were necessary for the moths to fly to and feed on the flowers. This study provides insight into how insects process smells and may apply to human olfactory perception.
Researchers are developing a computer model to analyze the behavior and customs of political and cultural groups to predict potential conflicts and facilitate peaceful resolution. The model, known as ATRAP, uses three-dimensional maps to identify relationships and affiliations between groups, enabling analysts to compute equilibrium so...
Researchers discovered that ancestors of Volvox algae transitioned to multicellularity at least 200 million years ago. This finding provides insights into the evolution of complex life forms, highlighting the importance of cooperation among cells in overcoming conflicts that hinder collective growth and reproduction.