A study in Science in One Health models the spread of the invasive freshwater snail Physella acuta (P. acuta) in China. Led by researchers from Sun Yat-sen University, it uses advanced modeling with data from GBIF and WorldClim, via MaxEnt and other tools. Since its discovery in Heilongjiang in 1993, P. acuta has rapidly spread, threatening ecosystems by altering food webs and degrading water quality, and posing public health risks. Four environmental factors, including precipitation and temperature, significantly influence its distribution, with the model showing high accuracy (AUC = 0.918). Currently, suitable habitats cover 10.22% of China. Climate change may reduce these habitats, especially in the south, while shifting the distribution slightly north, endangering new regions. These findings are vital for conservation and public health, offering a basis for enhanced monitoring and control strategies to safeguard ecosystems, economies, and public well-being from this invasive species.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Würzburg are investigating the interaction of major global change drivers on insects.

As the world grapples with climate change, the shift toward sustainable transportation has become imperative. Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the forefront of this transition, offering cleaner and more efficient alternatives to fossil fuel-powered cars. However, the widespread adoption of EVs faces challenges, particularly in charging infrastructure. Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology presents a promising solution, eliminating the need for physical connectors and enabling seamless charging. Among WPT methods, inductive power transfer (IPT) stands out due to its reliability and efficiency. This study focuses on optimizing circular coils with ferrite cores to enhance IPT efficiency for EVs, addressing critical limitations such as misalignment tolerance and electromagnetic field (EMF) dispersion. 

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from industry can be reduced by five per cent. But that requires companies and policy makers to take a holistic approach to energy efficiency and energy management and not solely focus on technological development. This is the conclusion of researchers, including from Linköping University, Sweden, in the journal Nature Communications.

Prof Eliane Candiani Arantes heads the Laboratory of Animal Toxins at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo (USP) where her group is working with toxins found in the venom of the Crotalus durissus terrificus rattlesnake and the Tityus serrulatus scorpion. They also study the venom of scorpions from the Amazon region, which are still not well understood.

Prof Manuela Berto Pucca heads the Laboratory of Immunology and Toxinology at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at São Paulo State University (UNESP). Her research focuses on venomous animals, the molecular complexity of their venoms, and the development of next generation antivenoms.

They are co-authors of a recently published Frontiers in Public Health article that focuses on the rising number of scorpion stings straining Brazil’s public health system. In this latest Frontier Scientist installment, they talk about their research and careers.

In Reddit posts about climate change, just 1 in 25 links are to scientific sources - versus mass media and social media sources - evidencing the lack of science-based debate. 

Scientists say human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States during the 15-year period ending in 2020.

Research led by climate scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) reveals that millions of today’s young people will live through unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves, crop  failures, river floods, droughts, wildfires and tropical storms under current climate policies. If  global temperatures rise by 3.5°C by 2100, 92% of children born in 2020 will experience unprecedented heatwave exposure over their lifetime, affecting 111 million children. Meeting the  Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target could protect 49 million children from this risk. This is only for one  birth year; when instead taking into account all children who are between 5 and 18 years old today, this adds up to 1.5 billion children affected under a 3.5°C scenario, and with 654 million  children that can be protected by remaining under the 1.5°C threshold. The study also highlights that children with high socioeconomic vulnerability face an even greater likelihood of  unprecedented exposure to climate extremes in their lifetime. Deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed to safeguard the lives of children all around the world.