Over time, alkaline salts and other contaminants from the coal residue and crushed rocks in valley fills leach into nearby streams and rivers, degrading water quality and causing dramatic increases in salinity that are harmful to downstream ecosystems.

A lack of evidence that bats are key reservoirs of human disease has not prevented their vilification or efforts to exterminate bat colonies where threats are presumed to lurk. To better understand the dynamics of bats and potential threats to human health, researchers explored the relationship of an African forest bat, a novel virus and a parasite.

In the ever-changing context of communication networks, all roads converge towards the promise of 5G: higher data bandwidth, greater speed and lower latency. International scientists are competing to be the first to develop technical solutions that seek to unite and balance the set of existing technologies with those yet to come, and thus bring us closer to the ideal of seamless communications.

A total of 261 women aged 13-72 took part in an anonymous online survey about their online experiences, with 46 per cent reporting sexual victimization. The most frequent experience was being asked to share sexual images of themselves, followed by receiving unsolicited sexual images and requests to talk about sex.

A new approach for activating chemical reactions based on the element selenium has been tested by scientists. They demonstrated that selenium can form bonds similar to those of hydrogen bonds, resulting in accelerated reactions.

Children conceived using donor sperm have similar health and well-being to the general population, according to a new study.

Did some of our human features evolve while our ancestors were living in water? The aquatic ape theory has been disregarded by paleoanthropologists, but it deserves another chance, suggests experts.

Although Charles Darwin lived and worked in the 19th century, modern evolutionary biologists are far from exhausting all avenues of inquiry regarding birds and evolution. For example, in the 1990s, researchers began to explore a new question concerning the relationship between climate and the evolution of beak size.

Researchers are hoping to use nanotechnology to develop more targeted treatments for drug-resistant bugs.

The treatment of osteosarcoma, the most common tumor of bone, is challenging. A new study found a drug known as bone metastasis-targeting peptidomimetic (BMTP-11) has potential as a new therapeutic strategy for this devastating illness.

Maternal obesity and child neurodevelopmental problems have both increased in the US and scientists have suggested a possible link. A new study has found that the heavier mothers were when they entered pregnancy, the higher the risk of behavior problems for their sons. However, it did not show the same effects in girls.

When it comes to efficiency, sometimes it helps to look to Mother Nature for advice -- even in technology as advanced as printable, flexible electronics. Researchers have developed bio-inspired dynamic templates used to manufacture organic semiconductor materials that produce printable electronics. It uses a process similar to biomineralization -- the way that bones and teeth form.

A herpes virus has been detected in wild mountain gorillas that is very similar to the Epstein-Barr virus in humans.

Many women are turning to egg freezing to promote fertility, but what happens when it isn't an option because of special medical conditions? And, what option is there for women who want to preserve hormonal function, not just fertility? Ovarian tissue freezing can deliver these outcomes but has been considered experimental until now. According to a new study, nearly 4 out of 10 women who undergo the procedure are able to have children later on.

Rising temperatures due to global warming will make it harder for many aircraft around the world to take off in coming decades, says a new study. During the hottest parts of the day, 10 to 30 percent of fully loaded planes may have to remove some fuel, cargo or passengers, or else wait for cooler hours to fly, the study concludes.