Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a serious disease of immune-compromised individuals and the most common invasive mold infection in humans. Although more than 250 different Aspergillus species are found in nature, and most contribute spores to the air we breathe, over 80% of human disease is caused by one particular culprit called Aspergillus fumigatus. A study published on October 15th in PLOS Pathogens explores what distinguishes this fungus from its relatives and likely makes it so dangerous.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences lost a great deal of respect when it published a study claiming female hurricane names were taken less seriously by the public. A new paper on racism in crosswalks won't add more credibility to the humanities and the social sciences about what is really happening in the world outside a p=.05 value. Luckily, PNAS did not publish this one, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior did.

Plotting on a grid just how a chicken walks may one day give farmers more insight into how best to protect their flock from non-airborne pathogens that can also hurt their profit.

Low-income housing residents who live in "green" buildings that are built with eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient features appear to have fewer "sick building" symptoms (SBS) than residents of traditionally constructed low-income housing, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Asthma outcomes--hospitalizations, attacks, and missed school days due to asthma--were also significantly lower for children living in the green buildings. 

A new paper in the Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry states next generation 'heated' tobacco devices - confusing to the public because heating nicotine vapor is the mechanism behind e-cigarette devices - produce side-stream emissions similar to secondhand cigarette smoke.

Horses need help when it comes to insect pests like flies but many horse owners are in the dark about how best to effectively manage it.

A new overview of equine fly management in the latest issue of the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, an open-access journal that is written for farmers, ranchers, and extension professionals.

One fly-management method that is gaining ground is the use of wasps that are parasitoids of fly pupae. The female wasp inserts an eggs into the fly puparium, and when the egg hatches, the wasp larva eats the fly pupa.

The authors conducted research on two wasp species that are sold commercially to see what type of manure they preferred.