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In Paris, districts with more vegetation have a lower risk of death during periods of high heat, while highly mineralized areas with few green spaces and a high potential for urban heat islands are the most exposed. This is the finding of an international study conducted by Inserm, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, published on January 27 in the journal npj Urban Sustainability, based on data collected over nearly ten years, from 2008 to 2017.

In a global study, researchers have discovered the conditions under which non-native plants thrive particularly well in the world's many arid regions and what inhibits their spread. Using data from 98 study areas in 25 countries on six continents, they showed that these plants usually grow faster than native species and are particularly successful where soils are heavily grazed and richer in nutrients.

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have shown that dung beetles suffer in canopy openings that have been deliberately created to promote biodiversity. Rising temperatures are significantly exacerbating the problem. To counteract species loss in Europe's often monotonous commercial forests, forestry and nature conservation are focusing on greater structural diversity.

Millions of thunderstorms have now been analysed, providing new insights into the development of extreme weather events. The key lies in the combination of soil moisture and wind. Thunderstorms are known to form preferentially on warm, humid days with unstable air. But predicting where exactly a thunderstorm will develop has so far remained extremely difficult.

Researchers at TU Wien and IASBS have shown that the way different quantum measurements influence one another can be captured in a surprisingly simple formula. One of the most striking features of quantum physics is that certain properties cannot be measured at the same time. Every measurement may inevitably affects the object's physical state being measured - and therefore also the outcome of any subsequent measurement.

People diagnosed with HIV in the Netherlands face a significantly lower probability of employment and a substantial loss of income for up to seven years following their diagnosis. This is the main conclusion of a new study by VU economists Wendy Janssens and Menno Pradhan conducted in collaboration with researchers from the UvA and Amsterdam UMC.

Together with a team in China a team at TU Wien extends the capabilities of quantum computers: Instead of combinations of 0s and 1s, the new technology uses four different states simultaneously.

A global study has revealed the conditions under which non-native plants thrive in the world's many dryland regions and the factors that limit their spread. Using data from 98 study sites across 25 countries on six continents, researchers found that non-native plants often grow faster than native species and are particularly successful in areas with intensive grazing and nutrient-rich soils.

Scientists at the University of Lausanne have identified a novel mechanism by which the immune system identifies endotoxin, a key molecule present in the membrane of certain bacteria. Published in the scientific journal Immunity, this discovery opens up promising prospects for the management of severe infections and the prevention of septic shock.

The study found higher concentrations of urine are most effective in powering microbial fuel cells, which simultaneously remove pollutants and produce electricity Researchers at McGill University have improved the efficiency of a method for converting human urine into clean energy. The method employs microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use bacteria to turn organic waste into electricity, providing a sustainable and low-cost means of treating wastewater while generating energy from an abundant source.

Extremely short, or tiny, fragments of RNA - working copies of our genetic code - play a critical role in keeping the immune system in check, preventing inflammation and the onset of autoimmune disease, according to an international team of researchers led by scientists from The Hudson Institute of Medical Research in collaboration with The Australian National University (ANU).

Researchers identify 255 insect species in grasses neglected by grassland management When it comes to biodiversity, researchers and the public tend to focus on large-scale patterns. This overlooks a hidden but precious diversity: small, inconspicuous wasps, midges, flies, beetles and other insects that live in plants.

Pressure to achieve at school at age 15 is linked to depressive symptoms and risk of self-harm, and the association appears to persist into adulthood, finds a study led by UCL researchers. The authors of the new study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health , say their findings suggest that reducing academic pressure in schools could reduce depression and self-harm among young people.

An international team of scientists has just demonstrated that major Himalayan earthquakes occur randomly over the long term, with no predictable pattern. Published in Science Advances, the study is based on the analysis of sediment cores taken from the bottom of Nepalese lakes, reconstructing 6,000 years of seismic activity.

Breakthrough could accelerate drug discovery, improve vaccine development and reduce costs and emissions in logistics and transportation, researchers say McGill and Queen's researchers have built an improved version of a computer that uses light to solve extremely hard problems more quickly and at larger scale than existing systems, without the need for cryogenic cooling.

Researchers identify a gene network linked to higher depression risk in women, a step toward finding biological markers for the disorder Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity present in some female survivors of childhood abuse that is associated with an elevated risk of depression.

Researchers have shown theoretically that, in highly ordered materials, heat can flow toward warmer regions without violating the laws of thermodynamics. Their work could help design electronics that minimize heat loss. To understand how heat normally flows, you could study the second law of thermodynamics - or wrap your hands around a hot mug of coffee.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College has uncovered how the way chickens are produced, traded and transported in northern Viet Nam can contribute to the spread of avian influenza viruses. As chickens move through farms, markets and slaughter points, they mix at multiple stages, creating hotspots for viral transmission.

Scientists from The University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust have discovered that the combination of two biomarkers can reliably identify sarcopenia, a serious condition of the muscle linked to higher mortality in chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The test, say the researchers, could identify individuals at risk of the condition which is typified by loss of muscle mass and strength as well as an overall poorer quality of life.

New method: Researchers at Oxford University and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in the Potsdam Science Park propose a new way to detect supermassive black hole binaries using gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing: Black holes act as natural telescopes, bending light with their gravity.