206 articles from MONDAY 11.5.2020
Multitasking in the workplace can lead to negative emotions
From writing papers to answering emails, it's common for office workers to juggle multiple tasks at once. But those constant interruptions can actually create sadness and fear and eventually, a tense working environment, according to a new study aimed at understanding what shapes the emotional culture of a workplace.
Solve invasive seaweed problem by turning it into biofuels and fertilisers
UK researchers have developed a cheap and simple way of creating biofuel and fertiliser from seaweed, whilst removing plastic from the oceans and cleaning up tourist beaches in the Caribbean and Central America.
Penn State and NAGP identify and reconstitute two lost Holstein lines
Artificial insemination (AI), breeding value estimation, and genomic selection have allowed substantial increases in milk and component yields for Holstein cows. However, their widespread use has also led to challenges including declining fertility, emergence of recessive genetic conditions, and a loss of genetic diversity—more than 99 percent of Holstein bulls born using AI in the last decade...
Scientists reveal solar system's oldest molecular fluids could hold the key to early life
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/11 21:49
Scientists have analyzed a meteorite atom by atom to reveal the chemistry and acidity of the earliest fluids in the solar system. By finding evidence of sodium-rich alkaline water in the Tagish Lake meteorite, this new study suggests amino acids could have formed rapidly on the parent asteroid, opening the door for the early evolution of microbial life.
Breaking down wood decomposition by fungi
Through a combination of lab and field experiments, researchers have developed a better understanding of the factors accounting for different wood decomposition rates among fungi. The new findings reveal how an understanding of fungal trait variation can improve the predictive ability of early and mid-stage wood decay, a critical driver of the global carbon cycle.
Bumble bee disease, reproduction shaped by flowering strip plants
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/11 21:48
Flowering strips -- plants used to augment bee foraging habitats -- can help increase bee reproduction but may also increase pathogen infection rates.
Multitasking in the workplace can lead to negative emotions
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/11 21:48
From writing papers to answering emails, it's common for office workers to juggle multiple tasks at once. But those constant interruptions can actually create sadness and fear and eventually, a tense working environment, according to a new study aimed at understanding what shapes the emotional culture of a workplace.
How to tune out common odors and focus on important ones
Quantitative biologists at CSHL have figured out how a fly brain learns to ignore overwhelmingly prevalent, mundane odors to focus on more important ones. It's an important step towards understanding how our senses work and how computer sensing could work better.
New dataset helps tomato growers reduce spread of bacterial canker
Bacterial canker of tomato is a disease that can lead to significant losses in greenhouse and field production systems. This disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis. The best way to control bacterial canker is by securing clean tomato seed and enforcing good sanitation practices.
Scientists reveal solar system's oldest molecular fluids could hold the key to early life
The oldest molecular fluids in the solar system could have supported the rapid formation and evolution of the building blocks of life, new research in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals.
Bumble bee disease, reproduction shaped by flowering strip plants
Flowering strips—pollinator-friendly rows of plants that increase foraging habitat for bees—can help offset pollinator decline but may also bring risks of higher pathogen infection rates for pollinators foraging in those strips.
How to boost plant biomass: Biologists uncover molecular link between nutrient availability, growth
Plant scientists have long known that crop yield is proportional to the dose of nitrogen fertilizer, but the increased use of fertilizers is costly and harmful to the environment. Until now, the underlying mechanisms by which plants adjust their growth according to the nitrogen dose has been unknown—a key finding that could help enhance plant growth and limit fertilizer use.
A close relative of SARS-CoV-2 found in bats offers more evidence it evolved naturally
There is ongoing debate among policymakers and the general public about where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, came from. While researchers consider bats the most likely natural hosts for SARS-CoV-2, the origins of the virus are still unclear. On May 10 in the journal Current Biology, researchers describe a recently identified bat coronavirus that is SARS-CoV-2's closest relative in...
Nearly 40% of Icelanders are using a covid app—and it hasn’t helped much
When Iceland got its first case of covid-19 on February 28, an entire apparatus sprang into action.
The country had already been testing some people at high risk of catching the virus, thanks to DeCode genetics, a local biotech company. Once the arrival of the disease was confirmed, it began rapidly rolling out public testing on a much wider scale. The government, meanwhile, quickly built...
Scientists model Mars climate to understand habitability
A Southwest Research Institute scientist modeled the atmosphere of Mars to help determine that salty pockets of water present on the Red Planet are likely not habitable by life as we know it on Earth. A team that also included scientists from Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and the University of Arkansas helped allay planetary protection concerns about contaminating potential...
Study suggests polymer composite could serve as lighter, non-toxic radiation shielding
A new study from researchers at North Carolina State University suggests that a material consisting of a polymer compound embedded with bismuth trioxide particles holds tremendous potential for replacing conventional radiation shielding materials, such as lead.
Emotional well-being while home gardening similar to other popular activities, study finds
As civic leaders and urban planners work to make cities more sustainable and livable by investing in outdoor spaces and recreational activities such as biking and walking, Princeton researchers have identified the benefit of an activity largely overlooked by policymakers—home gardening.
A close relative of SARS-CoV-2 found in bats offers more evidence it evolved naturally
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/11 20:22
Researchers describe a recently identified bat coronavirus that contains insertions of amino acids at the junction of the S1 and S2 subunits of the virus's spike protein in a manner similar to SAR-CoV-2. While it's not a direct evolutionary precursor of SARS-CoV-2, this new virus, RmYN02, suggests that these types of seemingly unusual insertion events can occur naturally in coronavirus evolution.
Are our brains hard-wired for longing?
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/11 20:22
A new brain imaging study of prairie voles -- which are among only about 5% of mammalian species besides humans who are monogamous -- found that when it comes to forming bonds, longing may be as important as being together. The study also sheds light on why it's so hard to social distance, and could lead to new therapies for conditions like autism and depression.
Children face risk for severe complications and death from COVID-19
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/11 20:21
Children, teens and young adults are at greater risk for severe complications from COVID-19 than previously thought and those with underlying health conditions are at even greater risk, according to a new study.