Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily

1. Flood prediction model developed
   The duration of floods can be determined by river flow, precipitation and atmospheric blocking. Now an international team of researchers is offering a novel physically based Bayesian network model for inference and prediction of flood duration. The model also accurately examines the timescales of flooding.

   
2. Effectiveness of using natural enemies to combat pests depends on surroundings
   A new study of cabbage crops in New York -- a state industry worth close to $60 million in 2017, according to the USDA -- reports for the first time that the effectiveness of releasing natural enemies to combat pests depends on the landscape surrounding the field.

   
3. Genetic study reveals metabolic origins of anorexia
   A global study suggests that anorexia nervosa is at least partly a metabolic disorder, and not purely psychiatric as previously thought.

   
4. Thirty years of unique data reveal what's really killing coral reefs
   Coral bleaching is not just due to a warming planet, but also a planet that is simultaneously being enriched with reactive nitrogen from sources like improperly treated sewage, and fertilizers. Nitrogen loading from the Florida Keys and greater Everglades ecosystem caused by humans is the primary driver of coral reef degradation in Looe Key. These coral reefs were dying off long before they were impacted by rising water temperatures. Elevated nitrogen levels cause phosphorus starvation in corals, reducing their temperature threshold for bleaching.

   
5. Dietary quality influences microbiome composition in human colonic mucosa
   Studying the association between diet quality and microbiome composition in human colonic mucosa revealed that a high-quality diet is linked to more potentially beneficial bacteria, while a low-quality diet is associated with an increase in potentially harmful bacteria.