When major storms hit Houston last spring and summer, losing power was a nightmare for residents, but for many, the financial fallout was just as devastating. A new report finds that more than half of Houston-area workers lost income due to these storms, either because they couldn’t get to work or their jobs were forced to close.
ScienceDaily
Researchers develop method to identify dormant cells that carry HIV
Study findings provide a new gene pathway for potential treatment of the virus affecting millions.
Chocolate — with potential health benefits
Many people will soon load up Easter baskets with chocolate candy for children and adults to enjoy. On its own, dark chocolate has health benefits, such as antioxidants that neutralize damaging free radicals. And a new report suggests that packing the sweet treat with pre- and probiotics could make it more healthful. Flavoring agents, however, can affect many properties, including moisture level and protein content of the chocolate product.
US bird populations continue alarming decline
The 2025 U. S. State of the Birds Report, produced by a coalition of leading science and conservation organizations, reveals continued widespread declines in American bird populations across all mainland and marine habitats, with 229 species requiring urgent conservation action.
Dozens of 3-toed dinosaurs leave their mark in Australia
A researcher has confirmed a boulder at a regional school contains one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur footprints per square meter ever documented in Australia.
Routine asthma test more reliable in the morning and has seasonal effects, say doctors
A lung function test used to help diagnose asthma works better in the morning, becoming less reliable throughout the day, researchers have found. Using real world data from 1,600 patients, available through a database created for speeding up research and innovation, the team also found that its reliability differs significantly in winter compared to autumn.
Want to preserve biodiversity? Go big
Large, undisturbed forests are better for harboring biodiversity than fragmented landscapes, according to recent research. Ecologists agree that habitat loss and the fragmentation of forests reduces biodiversity in the remaining fragments. But ecologists don’t agree whether it’s better to focus on preserving many smaller, fragmented tracts of land or larger, continuous landscapes. The study comes to a clear conclusion.
Nature-inspired 3D-printing method shoots up faster than bamboo
Researchers created ‘growth printing,’ which mimics tree trunks’ outward expansion to print polymer parts quickly and efficiently without the molds and expensive equipment typically associated with 3D printing.
Scientists create a type of catalog, the ‘colocatome,’ of non-cancerous cells’ influence on cancer
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to better capture how healthy cells surrounding tumors influence cancer cell behavior and how those interactions can inform treatments.
Medical infusion bags can release microplastics
Microplastics have been found almost everywhere that scientists have looked for them. Now these bits of plastic — from 1 to 62 micrometers long — have been found in the filtered solutions used for medical intravenous (IV) infusions. The researchers estimate that thousands of plastic particles could be delivered directly to a person’s bloodstream from a single 8.4-ounce (250-milliliter) bag of infusion fluid.