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Climate disasters increase risks of armed conflicts: New evidence

A recent study reveals that climate disasters increase the risk of armed conflicts in vulnerable countries, where large populations, political exclusion, and low development create instability. The research combines statistical analysis with regional case studies to demonstrate the link between disaster occurrence and conflict onsets.

SourcePotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)·JournalGlobal Environmental Change·DateApr 2, 2020

Diet quality of young people in US

The study analyzed national survey data to estimate overall diet quality among US children and teens from 1999 to 2016. Researchers found a significant improvement in dietary habits, with reduced consumption of unhealthy foods and increased intake of fruits and vegetables.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA·DateMar 24, 2020

Violence faced by sexual minority adolescents

A new study has quantified the risk of physical and sexual violence faced by LGBTQ+ high school students in the US. The research found a significant association between sexual minority status and increased rates of violence, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Pediatrics·DateMar 9, 2020

Atlantic and Pacific oscillations lost in the noise

A team of meteorologists found no consistent evidence for decadal oscillatory signals in global surface temperature observations. The researchers suggest that any apparent oscillation may be due to external influences like greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions. The study has implications for decade-scale climate predictability.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 3, 2020

The medieval Catholic church's influence on psychology of Western, industrialized societies

A study by Jonathan Schultz et al. reveals how the medieval Catholic Church's marriage policies replaced extended kin networks with nuclear households, contributing to increased individualism and less conformity in Western populations. The researchers controlled for variables such as education and income to support their findings.

AI learns to design

Researchers developed an AI framework that learns human design strategies through observation, enabling it to generate new designs without explicit goal information or bias. The AI performed better than humans on average, but its success came without the advantages humans have, such as specific goals and feedback.

Study examines first use of flavored tobacco products

A nationwide study of over 38,400 participants found a link between using flavored tobacco products for the first time and subsequent continued use. The findings suggest that flavored tobacco products may pose a significant public health risk, particularly among young adults.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateOct 23, 2019

Emerging frontiers in phenological research

This special issue of Applications in Plant Sciences presents cutting-edge methods to study plant phenology, including automated scoring from herbaria collections and standardized ontology for data integration. These innovations enable large-scale datasets to be generated, addressing the urgent need to understand ecosystem responses to...

SourceBotanical Society of America·JournalApplications in Plant Sciences·DateJun 6, 2019

Simultaneous heatwaves caused by anthropogenic climate change

A recent study by ETH researchers suggests that anthropogenic climate change is causing simultaneous heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere, affecting key agricultural regions and densely populated areas. The study found that such large-scale heatwaves first appeared in 2010 and have since become more frequent and widespread.

Is it ever too late for adults to benefit from physical activity?

A study of 315,000 US adults found that maintaining physical activity from adolescence into later adulthood and increasing leisure-time activity in adulthood were associated with lower risk of dying. Adults who had been less active before age 40 also saw benefits when they increased their physical activity between ages 41-60.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateMar 8, 2019

A new method to quickly identify outliers in air quality monitoring data

Researchers have developed a new method to identify outliers in air quality monitoring data, which can automatically flag erroneous data and improve forecasting accuracy. The method uses probability of residuals to discriminate outliers, allowing for simultaneous evaluation of spatial and temporal consistencies.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAdvances in Atmospheric Sciences·DateOct 29, 2018

Rising temperatures and human activity are increasing storm runoff and flash floods

A global analysis by Columbia Engineers reveals a significant increase in storm runoff extremes driven by both climate change and human-induced changes. The study suggests that projected responses of storm runoff extremes will dramatically increase, threatening ecosystem resilience and infrastructure systems.

Space-age tech offers timely crop data relief

The EcoProMIS project aims to provide commercially viable solutions for sustainable agriculture in Colombia by combining space data with smart sensors and real-time information. Farmers will benefit from increased productivity and reduced environmental footprints, thanks to a public-private partnership supported by the UK Space Agency.

SCAI releases consensus guidelines for PVD device selection

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has released new guidelines for selecting specific categories of devices in endovascular therapy. The guidelines provide device-focused recommendations based on a review of comparative effectiveness data, including safety and efficacy of femoral-popliteal devices.

SourceSociety for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions·JournalCatheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions·DateApr 25, 2018