Researchers find new technology that could prevent unexpected animal deaths — here's how it works
However, a French research team's groundbreaking development could be the key to reducing the number and severity of vehicle-wildlife collisions, with potential applications to numerous forms of transportation — even personal vehicles.
Researchers of the new study, published in the Nature Conservation journal, utilized ecological modeling software and camera trap networks to map collision hotspots where roe deer and wild boar crossed train tracks.
After the data was processed, researchers were able to determine the probable density of animals in every part of a region, using data collected from just a few points in the area. In other words, researchers could map the relative abundance of species and, therefore, the risk of vehicle-wildlife collision along railroad tracks.
The revelation has huge implications for transportation infrastructure, with the ability to significantly reduce the number of accidents between animals and humans.
Vehicle-wildlife collisions occur when animals cross transportation infrastructure unexpectedly, especially in habitat areas and when humans' visibility is limited or low. National crash databases estimate the total number of collisions between wildlife and vehicles at 300,000 per year, however, the United States Federal Highway Administration estimates the actual number is likely much closer to 1 or 2 million due to the fact that many crashes go unreported.
These collisions are dangerous to both humans and wildlife, with vehicle-wildlife collisions injuring more than 26,000 and killing over 200 people each year. Even more animals are at risk, with an estimated 10 million dying each year from such incidents.
Endangered wildlife species are the most threatened by vehicle-wildlife crashes. In FHWA's vehicle-wildlife collision reduction report to Congress, 21 federally listed threatened or endangered animal species in the U.S. were identified as having road mortality as one of the major threats to their survival.
In addition to the sheer number of injuries and loss of life in both humans and animals, vehicle and infrastructure destruction caused by these collisions is expensive. FHWA's study found that accidents involving vehicles and wildlife cost Americans approximately $8 billion in property damages every year.
Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?
Definitely
Only in some areas
No way
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
With any hope, developments like the camera trap method utilized in this study can prevent such damage caused by vehicle-wildlife collisions in the near future.
Although the method used in this study can be easily applied to any transportation infrastructure, more work is required to develop the performance of cameras in operative-like conditions and collect more data to better train the ecological modeling technology for mapping.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Serious liver disease is up among heavy drinkers, even without more drinking
Serious liver disease is becoming more common among Americans who drink heavily, according to a new study from Keck Medicine of USC. It's not that more people are partying with alcohol. And it's not that the drinkers are having more drinks. It's that more of the people who drink regularly are becoming sick. Over the last two decades, the share of heavy drinkers who have advanced liver scarring jumped from 1.8% to 4.3%. For women, more than 1.5 drinks per night, on average, is considered heavy drinking. For men, it's 2 drinks. 'The fact that the risk not only increased but that it more than doubled — almost tripled — is really astonishing,' said Dr. Brian P. Lee, a liver transplant specialist at Keck Medicine of USC and lead author on the study. It was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology on Wednesday. Lee said he thinks patients might dramatically change their thinking and behavior if they had this information. The increase in illness was seen especially in women, older people and those with conditions like obesity or diabetes. Three USC researchers analyzed national health data from more than 44,000 adults surveyed between 1999 and 2020 in a well-known national heath study known as NHANES. Of those, 2,474 were heavy drinkers according to the definition of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism — 20 grams of alcohol per day for women and 30 grams for men, roughly the equivalent of 1.5 and 2 drinks. They found a more than twofold increase over the two decades in significant liver fibrosis, a condition where healthy liver tissue is replaced by stiff, fibrous tissue — like a sponge hardening into leather. If left unchecked, this can eventually lead to liver failure or cancer. By comparison, non-heavy drinkers saw a much smaller increase, from 0.8% to 1.4% over the same period. This rise in liver damage is especially troubling because many people don't realize anything is wrong until the disease is advanced. 'Liver disease is silent,' Lee said. 'Most people won't, even if they have [advanced liver scarring], have any symptoms at all.' Drinking patterns did not change much over the study period. But the health profiles of heavy drinkers did. Rates of metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure — increased from 26% of people, to nearly 38%. Demographics shifted too: heavy drinkers became more likely to be women, people over the age of 45, and those living in poverty. 'We're showing with this study that the picture of the American drinker is changing dramatically,' Lee said. 'You have more women who are drinking heavily, more ethnic minorities who are drinking heavily, and these are groups that are known to have a higher sensitivity to alcohol in causing liver damage.' Other factors may also be at play, said Dr. Sammy Saab, medical director of the Pfleger Liver Institute at UCLA, who was not involved in the study. People could be consuming different types of drinks, or at different times. 'Have we moved away from beer, wine, to hard cocktails? Have we moved away from drinking with food, where the food absorbs some of the alcohol you consume, versus drinking without food where alcohol is better absorbed?' Saab asked. Then there are cultural changes, he said. 'In the old days, if you drank, you'd still have to drive home, but now we've got Uber, we have Lyft,' he said, which may remove some deterrents to heavy drinking. The current definition of heavy drinking in the U.S. may actually be too lenient, Lee said, especially compared to evolving global standards. Canada, for example, now advises no more than two drinks per week to minimize health risks. 'In the U.S. right now, we consider heavy drinking to be eight drinks or more per week for women and 15 or more for men — but that's quite high,' he said. 'We've shown in prior studies that you can develop liver disease at lower quantities than the U.S. threshold.' The study's findings highlight the need to rethink long-held assumptions about alcohol-related liver disease, and Lee hopes it can be used to develop more effective screening methods for early detection. The paper raises a lot of good questions, Saab said, serving as a call to action for researchers and clinicians to better understand this increase in alcohol-associated liver disease — and how to stop it.
Los Angeles Times
21 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
The fight to keep space shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
The Smithsonian Institution has faced pressure from President Trump since March when he issued his 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History' executive order, which demanded an end to federal funding for exhibitions and programs based on racial themes that 'divide Americans.' Amid Trump's headline-grabbing gambits to remake the landscape of American arts and culture into a more MAGA-friendly image, another challenge to the Smithsonian flew largely under the radar. In early April, Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz introduced the Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act, which proposed to move the space shuttle Discovery from the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to a spot near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The act was folded into President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which Trump signed into law on July 4. NASA gifted the Discovery to the Smithsonian in 2012 and it has been in Virginia ever since. Discovery launched on its maiden voyage in 1984 and flew 39 Earth-orbital missions — more than any other orbiter. The Smithsonian considers it a key part of its collection and issued a statement to Congress objecting to the proposed move. According to the Hill, the statement noted that 'the case against relocating the orbiter Discovery is both philosophical and practical … It would be unprecedented for Congress to remove an object from a Smithsonian collection and send it somewhere else.' In late June, the Houston Business Journal reported that the Smithsonian estimated the cost of moving Discovery to Texas would be between $300 and $400 million, far more than the $85 million cited by Cornyn and Cruz in Trump's massive reconciliation and spending package. Since the passage of of the bill, the fight over Discovery has heated up. Earlier this week, Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat from New York, introduced an amendment to keep Discovery at the Smithsonian. The Appropriations Committee agreed to the amendment, which now moves to the Rules Committee before going to the House floor for a vote. 'The forced removal and relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum is inappropriate, wasteful, and wrong. Neither the Smithsonian nor American taxpayers should be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this misguided effort. I am grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues on this amendment and hope we can continue working together throughout the remainder of the Appropriations process to keep a treasured Smithsonian artifact where it belongs,' Morelle said in a statement sent to The Times. The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment on the evolving situation, or its quest to keep the Discovery in its collection. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, hoping to orbit a positive news cycle someday soon. Here's your arts and culture roundup for this week. The Corpse FlowerThe infamously stinky plant, formally Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum), 'produces the largest unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom' and is known for its pungent aroma. 'Green Boy,' one of 43 corpse flowers in the Huntington's collection may have already blossomed by the time you read this, so be sure to check it out as the bloom lasts only 24-48 hours. 'It smells pretty bad,' Brandon Tam, the Huntington's associate curator of orchids,' told Times summer intern Aspen Anderson in her story on the event. But for those who prefer to avoid the full olfactory experience, there's a livestream.10 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Tuesday. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Father John MistyJosh Tillman, whose Misty persona was described in a 2017 profile by Times pop music critic Mikael Wood as 'a convivial (if polarizing) chronicler of society's growing absurdity,' is joined by Lucinda Williams and Hamilton Leithauser for an eclectic evening of indie rock and folk.7 p.m. Friday. Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave. Phasmagorica: The Room Between WorldsLimited to nine audiences members at a time, this 'experiential paranormal encounter' proudly boasts that it is not a performance and does not use actors. Instead, sacred geometry, occult methodology, immersive light phenomena and 13 speakers of Dolby Atmos sound produce 'a fully-contained, tactile installation designed to provoke contact.' Guests are guided through a séance featuring spirit communication via arcane instruments and trigger objects, fortune-telling and psychological thresholds.7:30 and 9:15 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St. Austin Powers triple feature Yeah, baby! The academy's 'Summer of Camp' series continues with the shagadelic trilogy of 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery' (1997), 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999) and 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' (2002). Director Jay Roach will be in attendance.2 p.m. Saturday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. Billy WoodberryThe MOCA Artist Film Series presents the L.A. Rebellion filmmaker's 2016 feature, 'And when I die, I won't stay dead,' a documentary on the life of Beat poet Bob Kaufman. Best known for 'Bless Their Little Hearts' (1983), Woodberry assembled archival footage and photos, interviews with Kaufman's contemporaries, and readings from Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis and others, plus a jazz soundtrack featuring Billie Holiday and Ornette Coleman.3 p.m. Saturday. Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Queens of SoulThe peacocks and peahens will not be the only ones strutting and preening at the L.A. County Arboretum when the Pasadena Pops performs this salute to such divas as Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Adele and others, featuring hit songs such as 'Respect,' 'Proud Mary, 'I'm Every Woman' and 'Rolling in the Deep.'7:30 p.m. Saturday. L.A. County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Black Pasifika: Deep Sea ProtocolsWriter, relational architect and guerrilla theorist Neema Githere hosts this program exploring the links between climate crisis and technology across Melanesia. Githere will provide context and discuss deep-sea protocols and the consequences of technological accelerationism on sea-stewarding peoples from the Swahili coast to Melanesia with their grandfather, Dr. Gilbert Githere, founder of the Mombasa-Honolulu Sister City society. The filmic essay 'AI: African Intelligence' by Manthia Diawara searches for a more humane and spiritual control of algorithms. Ahead of the program, from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., the time-based somatic works 'Oceanic Refractions' and 'Cries From the Moana' will be shown on monitors in LACMA's Smidt Welcome Plaza.6 p.m. Sunday. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. L.A. Phil at the Hollywood BowlIn a week of debuts, Italian conductor Daniele Rustioni, recently appointed principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic bow leading the orchestra through Mendelssohn's 'Violin Concerto' (with soloist Veronika Eberle), selections from Berlioz and Liszt, and Respighi's 'Pines of Rome.' Two nights later, former Dudamel Fellow and current Boston Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Anna Handler makes her first Bowl appearance, leading the Phil in the world premiere of Eunike Tanzil's 'Ode to the City of Dreams,' Mozart's 'Concerto for Flute and Harp' and Richard Strauss' 'Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30.' Mendelssohn, 8 p.m. Tuesday; Tanzil, Mozart and Strauss, 8 p.m. Thursday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. — Kevin Crust Times art critic Christopher Knight was thrilled to see the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's exhibit 'Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia.' Currently installed in the temporary exhibition spaces of the Resnick Pavilion, the show consists of roughly 180 objects that have been in storage for years after being boxed up in preparation for the demolition of the museum's original campus and the debut of the new David Geffen Galleries. Catch the exhibit now, before it gets stowed away again, writes Knight, adding that it 'includes some of the most splendid sculptures and paintings' in the museum's permanent collection. Times classical music critic Mark Swed hopped a plane to Austria and headed for the small town of Bregenz, where a major arts festival that attracts more than 250,000 visitors in July and August and boasts a $31-million budget is hosted. The biggest draw at the bustling festival is opera, and the biggest show is a production staged each year on the Seebühne — a massive stage built directly on Lake Constance with bleachers to accommodate an audience of 7,000. 'This year's 'Die Freischütz,' Carl Maria von Weber's early 19th century opera about a huntsman who makes a very bad deal with the devil for a magic bullet, opened last week and runs through Aug. 17,' writes Swed. 'All 27 performances are expected to sell out as usual for the kind of spectacle that exists nowhere else.' Read all about the world-famous technical and artistic extravaganza, here. Johanna Burton is leaving the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, to become the new director of the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania, ICA Philadelphia announced Thursday. Burton became MOCA's first female director in 2021 after its recently named Artistic Director Klaus Biesenbach unceremoniously left his position for a job in Berlin. Burton's departure makes her the fifth director to leave MOCA since 2008. Burton will fill the role at ICA Philadelphia left vacant by Zoë Ryan who exited the museum to take over leadership at the UCLA Hammer Museum in Westwood after its longtime director Ann Philbin retired. MOCA did not respond to a request for comment about Burton's departure. Architect Paul R. Williams' L.A. building, Founders Church of Religious Science, is among five structures across the country picked to receive funding through the Getty Foundation's Conserving Black Modernism Initiative. Announced earlier this week by the foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, the money will support preservation plans for the buildings and further train caretakers in maintenance best practices. Another overarching goal is to increase public awareness of the architects' legacies and the buildings they created. The other four buildings receiving Getty funds are the ITC Administration Building in Atlanta, designed by Edward C. Miller; First Church of Deliverance in Chicago, an adaptive reuse project redesigned by Walter T. Bailey; McKenzie Hall in Eugene, Ore., designed by DeNorval Unthank Jr.; and Vassar College's 2500 New Hackensack building in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., by Jeh Vincent Johnson. Artist Amy Sherald has canceled her upcoming solo show, 'American Sublime,' at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, citing censorship after she was told the museum wanted to exclude a painting featuring a transgender woman holding a torch in a pose meant to evoke the Statue of Liberty. Sherald was told that the museum did not want to provoke a reaction from President Trump, who has brought anti-trans ideals into the federal government. In a statement to the New York Times, Sherald wrote, 'It's clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role.' The Ebell of Los Angeles has named Camille Schenkkan its chief operating officer. The nonprofit organization, which dedicates itself to 'inspiring women and fostering community through arts, culture and education,' was founded in 1894 and occupies one of the city's most storied historic buildings — a campus and theater designed in 1927 by architect Sumner Hunt. Schenkkan arrives at the Ebell from Center Theatre Group, where she served as deputy managing director. Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee introduced a proposal earlier this week to rename the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington after the first lady, Melania Trump. — Jessica Gelt Marlee Matlin shared her favorite Sunday activities with The Times — including a stop for pizza in Eagle Rock (hint: it's a classic). See you there!
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Tiny 'Flowers' Offer New Hope Against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Tiny, metallic, flower-shaped nanoparticles may offer fresh hope for patients with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This is the conclusion of researchers from Texas A&M University, who found that the so-called nanoflowers can protect and heal brain cells. The do this by promoting the health and turnover of mitochondria—the oft-dubbed "powerhouses of the cell" which are responsible for turning food into energy. While this process is essential for life, the mitochondria also produce waste in the process—including so-called "reactive oxygen species"—which can damage cells. The finding could pave the way for new treatments for neurological diseases that address the underlying root causes—in this case mitochondrial health and oxidative stress—instead of just managing symptoms. "We expect that our drug can reverse neuronal damage and consequently reverse neurodegeneration," study lead and biochemist professor Dmitry Kurouski told Newsweek. Alzheimer's is the most common neurodegenerative disease with Parkinson's coming in second—and promising new treatments are much sought after. In fact, more than seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, a figure projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Meanwhile, around 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson's, expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030, according to Parkinson's Foundation. Alongside potentially helping combat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Kurouski said, "it is important to mention that similar reversing effects could be expected in other pathologies including acute brain and spinal cord injuries." Doctor and older patient smile while looking at phone results, with inserted image of nanoflowers overlayed in corner. Doctor and older patient smile while looking at phone results, with inserted image of nanoflowers overlayed in corner. Lacheev / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Journal of Biological Chemistry In their study, Kurouski and colleagues explored—in a petri dish in the lab—how nanoflowers affect both the brain's nerve cells, or 'neurons', and the star-shaped 'astrocytes' that support them. Within 24 hours of treatment, the team saw a "dramatic" drop in the levels of ROS, accompanied by signs of improved mitochondrial function. "Even in healthy cells, some oxidative stress is expected. But the nanoflowers seem to fine-tune the performance of mitochondria, ultimately bringing the levels of their toxic byproducts down to almost nothing," Kurouski explained. Having assessed the effects on individual cells, the researchers next tested the impact of the nanoflowers on whole creatures—specifically a species of worm, C. elegans, which is commonly used as a model organism in neurological research. The team found that, on average, worms treated with one specific flavor of nanoflower survived for days longer than their untreated counterparts (which typically live for around 18 days) and were less likely to die during the early stages of their lives. "These nanoflowers look beautiful under a microscope, but what they do inside the cell is even more impressive," Kurouski said in a statement. "By improving the health of brain cells, they help address one of the key drivers of neurodegenerative diseases that have long resisted therapeutic breakthroughs." With more research needed before clinical trials could be conducted on humans, Kurouski says he plans to undertake further studies in more complex animal models. The team are also exploring practical concerns towards clinical applications. "We are currently working on finding the best way to administrate the drug. We anticipate that internasal spray will be the best solution," Kurouski said. The biochemist stressed that he is keen to make sure the nanoflowers are safe, effective and have clear mechanism of action—but, he concluded, he thinks they could be a "new class of therapeutics" with "incredible potential." Do you have a health story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about the study? Let us know via health@ Reference Mitchell, C. L., Matveyenka, M., & Kurouski, D. (2025). Neuroprotective properties of transition metal dichalcogenide nanoflowers alleviate acute and chronic neurological conditions linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 301(5).
