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soi

How Si-Wu-Tang Helps the Liver Heal

January 1, 2025

Liver fibrosis is like a scar that forms when the liver tries to fix itself after repeated damage. It's a complicated process, and doctors don't have many good treatments for it. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are tiny cells in the liver that change and help control other cells during fi

science

How Wind and Frosty Soil Conspire to Disrupt Electricity

December 31, 2024

In the cold regions of Finland, high winds can wreak havoc on overhead power lines, causing frequent blackouts. Researchers have been studying the link between wind speed and soil frost to better understand these disruptions. By collecting data from five regions between 2008 and 2018, they've discov

environment

The Impact of Petroleum Mulch on Iran's Sand Dune Soils

December 29, 2024

You might think of petroleum as just something that fuels our cars. But in the Khuzestan province of Iran, it's also used to fight off the desert. Farmers cover their soil with petroleum to stop wind erosion, a process called mulching. This study found that while this method works, it also comes wit

science

Millet's Metal Advantage: Fighting Chromium with Zinc and Iron

December 29, 2024

You might know that chromium can cause trouble for plants like pearl millet, making it tough for them to grow well. But what if they had a secret weapon? Researchers discovered that when they added zinc and iron together, the plants got much stronger. They could tolerate more chromium and even absor

environment

Predicting Soil Temperature: A Machine Learning Battle

December 27, 2024

Soil temperature (ST) plays a crucial role in understanding environmental conditions and supporting crop growth. In a recent study, scientists used four machine learning methods to estimate daily ST at different depths (5 cm, 15 cm, and 30 cm) in Bathinda, India, between 2016 and 2019. The methods i

environment

Plastic Pieces in Soil: How They Slow Down Decomposition

December 25, 2024

Imagine tiny plastic particles, smaller than a grain of sand, scattered throughout the soil. These microplastics, or MPs, are becoming a big issue worldwide. Soil is like a long-term storage box for MPs because they find their way in through various routes and take a long time to break down. It's im

environment

Cleaning Up Lead: A New Way with Water and UCB Tech

December 22, 2024

Did you know that soil can be contaminated with lead, which is really harmful to humans? Scientists are testing a cool new method to clean this up. They've been mixing enzymes and charcoal, calling it UCB technology. How does it work? They set up a sand column filled with lead and let water flow thr

environment

Transforming Rice Waste into Stronger Soil

December 19, 2024

Imagine turning something as mundane as rice husk ash into something incredibly useful! Scientists have figured out a way to mix rice husk ash with polypropylene fibers and a special alkaline solution to create soil that can withstand more pressure and protect against erosion much better than regula

science

The Secret of Soil Antibiotic Resistance: Can We Farm Smarter?

December 17, 2024

You might think that stopping the use of antibiotics in farming would make the soil healthier. But a surprising study found that even without antibiotics, some harmful traits, called antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), can still stick around in the soil. These ARGs can make bacteria tougher to fight

environment

How Sludge Biochar Boosts Alkaline Soil Health

December 15, 2024

Ever thought about what happens when you mix sludge from anaerobic digestion with biochar and apply it to slightly alkaline soil? A recent study explored this exact idea. Researchers ran a field test for 180 days, focusing on how anaerobic digested sludge biochar (ADBC) affects alkaline soil. They c