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Researchers in the United States have found that hormonal changes in women during the menopause can cause so-called ‘good cholesterol’ to become dangerous to their health. EurActiv France reports. 

'Good cholesterol' usually protects the arteries by helping to transport 'bad cholesterol' to the liver to be processed. But recent research in the United States suggests that the risk of heart disease in women increases dramatically after the menopause, because even good cholesterol becomes harmful.

According to the ten-year study carried out on 1,054 American women by Karen Matthews, of the University of Pittsburgh, women's cholesterol levels tend spike after the menopause, placing them at greater risk of cardiovascular events.

A global ocean lies beneath the icy crust of Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus, according to new research using data from NASA's Cassini mission. 

Researchers found the magnitude of the moon's very slight wobble, as it orbits Saturn, can only be accounted for if its outer ice shell is not frozen solid to its interior, meaning a global ocean must be present. 

The finding implies the fine spray of water vapor, icy particles and simple organic molecules Cassini has observed coming from fractures near the moon's south pole is being fed by this vast liquid water reservoir. The research is presented in a paper published online this week in the journal Icarus.

The good news for Volkswagen is that it delivered almost 7.5 million vehicles to customers during the first three quarters of 2015. The bad news is that 8.5 million of VW’s cars will most likely be subject to a mandatory recall — and that’s just in Europe.

The fallout from the Volkswagen emissions scandal continues to reverberate, four weeks after revelations about the installation of “defeat device” software in diesel-powered cars slammed the newswires. Now, the world’s largest automaker is facing a global public relations crisis. This includes its home base: 2.8 million of the recalled vehicles were sold in Germany.

Un nuevo estudio ha encontrado que los vientos fuertes están removiendo grandes cantidades de nieve de la Antártida, lo que podría aumentar las estimaciones de lo que el continente podría contribuir a elevar el nivel del mar. Hasta ahora, los científicos habían pensado que la mayor parte de la nieve arrastrada por el viento era simplemente depositada en otras partes de la misma superficie. Sin embargo, el nuevo estudio muestra que en ciertas partes, llamadas zonas de socavación, casi el 90 %, aproximadamente 80 mil millones de toneladas por año son eliminadas en lugar de ser vaporizadas. El hallazgo significa que los científicos deben ajustar sus modelos de cuánta masa está perdiendo la Antártida, y lo mucho que puede perder en el futuro. El estudio aparece esta semana en la revista Geophysical Research Letters.

Los científicos han predicho que la aparición de crecimiento de las plantas de primavera se desplazará por una mediana de tres semanas antes, durante el próximo siglo, como resultado del aumento de las temperaturas globales.