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PVC is a widely used plastic that poses harmful health hazards when burned. In this study, the authors ask whether or not burned PVC (PVC char) affects bacterial transformation.

Life requires many things, including a hospitable temperature, elements, and energy. Here the authors utilize Newton's laws of physics and information relating a star's luminosity and temperature to determine the minimum and maximum masses and luminosities of planets and stars that would support life as we know it. This work can be used to determine the likelihood of a planet being able to support life based on attributes we can measure from here on Earth.

This study investigates PFAS contamination in Santa Clarita groundwater, focusing on potential sources. The study employs statistical analysis to assess data quality and trends which allowed them to identified domestic waste, fire extinguisher materials, and food packaging as the most likely sources of contamination.

The authors looked at the difference in investing in stock vs. mutual funds.

The authors looked at the impact of different harvest and feeding treatments on Heterandria formosa over three generations as a model for changes in marine ecosystems.

This study explores auxin signaling in Chlorella vulgaris, a green alga with potential for sustainable biofuel and food production. Evidence from protoplast swelling experiments suggests that C. vulgaris secretes auxin and possesses auxin import proteins, highlighting previously uncharacterized signaling pathways. These findings could support more efficient cultivation and resource extraction strategies.

Here the authors explored the development of biodegradable bioplastic films derived from mango peels as a sustainable solution to plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from fruit waste. They optimized the film's mechanical properties and water resistance through adjusting processing conditions and incorporating plasticizers and a hydrophobic coating, ultimately demonstrating its potential as a bacteriostatic and biodegradable alternative to conventional plastic food wrap.

Here, seeking to explore new antimicrobial therapies, the authors investigated the antimicrobial activity of Maitake mushroom extract against Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common cause of antibiotic resistant hospital-acquired infections. They found that Maitake extract showed potent antimicrobial activity, with higher concentrations showing inhibition comparable to tetracycline.

Chronic wounds pose a serious threat to an individual’s health and quality of life. However, due to the severity and morbidity of such wounds, many pre-existing treatments are inefficient or costly. While the use of skin grafts and other such biological constructs in chronic wound healing has already been characterized, the use of umbilical cord tissue has only recently garnered interest, despite the cytokine-rich composition of Wharton’s jelly (cord component). Our current study aimed to characterize the use of an umbilical cord derived conditioned medium (UC-CM) to treat chronic wounds.

Pathogenic fungi such as Alternaria alternata (A. alternata) can decimate crop yields and severely limit food supplies when left untreated. Copper chitosan (CuCts) is a promising alternative fungicide for developing agricultural areas due to being inexpensive and nontoxic. We hypothesized that LMWc CuCts would exhibit greater fungal inhibition due to the beneficial properties of LMWc.