feed info

82 articles from PhysOrg

First record of a gall-forming aphid fighting off predator

A researcher reports evidence of a gall-forming aphid defending itself against predators, a first for the species, Mordwilkoja vagabunda. The insects inject saliva into leaf stalks, inducing the plant to form small growths called galls that the aphids live inside.

What's in your weed? You might be surprised

Labels like indica, sativa and hybrid—commonly used to distinguish one category of cannabis from another—tell consumers little about what's in their product, and could be confusing or misleading, suggests a new study of nearly 90,000 samples across six states.

Poll the audience: Using data from citizen science to keep wild birds in flight

Using the eyes and ears of public volunteers can stretch the reach of science, according to a new analysis from Erica Stuber from the Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center. Stuber and a team of researchers examined the accuracy of information produced by citizen science apps for monitoring bird populations. They compared publicly-produced data with officially tracked numbers from...

Policy and farm management help China mitigate climate change

Production of animal protein in China has increased by 800% over the past 40 years, driven by population growth, urbanization and higher worker wages. However, the amount of climate-warming nitrous oxide released from animal farming in the country has not risen as quickly, thanks to science-led policy and farm management interventions in the way animals are fed and their manure recycled.

A new idea for refining biocrude

The high content of nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs) in biocrude obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae is one of the most concerning issues on the applications and environment. The biocrude obtained by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) needs further refining optimization, and the high concentration of nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds such as quinoline, pyridine, etc., will...

Broadening the scope of epoxide ring opening reactions with zirconocene

Epoxides belong to a class of organic compounds called "cyclic ethers" that are characterized by a three-atom ring. They are readily available compounds found in medicinal and agrochemical agents, as well as natural products. Epoxides are a valuable industrial precursor as they allow the synthesis of a diverse range of important alcohols, functional polymers, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals...

Genetic predictability steadily erodes during evolution, new study shows

A critical goal in genetics and evolution is predicting the effects of mutations that may happen in the future and inferring the effects of those that happened in the past. To make these predictions, scientists generally assume that a mutation's effects tested in the present apply to past and future versions of the same gene.

Past events reveal how future warming could harm cold-water corals

How will future warming of the planet impact cold-water corals? A new analysis of ancient evidence from the last major global warming event identifies food and oxygen supply as key environmental factors that influence the vitality of cold-water corals in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos of the University of Bremen, Germany, and colleagues present...