When animals of two different species mate‚ their hybrid offspring can be unhealthy or sterile. Often‚ only one sex is affected.

In a study published in Nature Climate Change‚ researchers led by Prof. Zhu Jiaojun from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have reported a mycorrhizae-mediated trade-off between plant biomass and soil carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems under nitrogen deposition and warming conditions.

Venous malformations—tissues made up largely of abnormally shaped veins—are often difficult to treat‚ especially when located in sensitive areas like the eyes‚ face‚ and genitourinary organs. In the worst cases‚ the lesions are disfiguring and can crush or obstruct surrounding tissues‚ cause bleeding and clotting‚ interfere with breathing or vision‚ or impair circulation.

Worldwide‚ coastal river deltas are home to more than half a billion people‚ supporting fisheries‚ agriculture‚ cities‚ and fertile ecosystems. In a unique study covering 49 deltas globally‚ researchers from Lund University and Utrecht University have identified the most critical risks to deltas in the future. The research shows that deltas face multiple risks‚ and that population growth and poor environmental governance might pose bigger threats than climate change to the sustainability of Asian and African deltas‚ in particular.

Quantum scientists have discovered a rare phenomenon that could hold the key to creating a 'perfect switch' in quantum devices which flips between being an insulator and a superconductor.

The microbiome (the symbiotic community of microbial organisms of a host) is of existential importance for the functioning of every plant and animal‚ including human beings. A research team from Düsseldorf and Kiel headed by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has now used the example of the sea anemone Nematostella vectenis to investigate how the microbiome develops together with the host.

Since launching 16 months ago‚ the EMIT imaging spectrometer aboard the International Space Station has shown an ability to detect more than just surface minerals.

When winter comes to Japan‚ fishermen in the northern regions set out to capture one of the most anticipated seasonal delicacies: the horsehair crab. Known locally as "kegani" and bearing the scientific name Erimacrus isenbeckii‚ this species of crustacean is highly sought after throughout the country.

Biological materials are made of individual components‚ including tiny motors that convert fuel into motion. This creates patterns of movement‚ and the material shapes itself with coherent flows by constant consumption of energy. Such continuously driven materials are called active matter.

Archaeologists from University College Dublin‚ working with colleagues from Serbia and Slovenia‚ have uncovered a previously unknown network of massive sites in the heart of Europe that could explain the emergence of the continent's Bronze Age megaforts—the largest prehistoric constructions seen prior to the Iron Age.