101 articles from MONDAY 20.6.2022

Novel enzyme-free strategy to detect organophosphorus pesticide residues

High usage and unreasonable methods have caused excessive residues of glyphosate in agricultural products, so it's necessary to find rapid and highly selective methods for detecting glyphosate residues. Laboratory instrument–based methods or enzyme-inhibition methods usually have harsh environmental requirements and complex operational problems. Therefore, the establishment of a highly selective...

Supporting teachers' mental health

La Trobe University research reveals an inexpensive "peer support" model used extensively by frontline health workers may be the solution to teacher burnout, which has left schools across the country unable to operate effectively.

Scientists conceptualize a species 'stock market' to put a price tag on actions posing risks to biodiversity

Species have intrinsic value, but also provide ecosystem services of major economic value, for example, bees that pollinate our crops. However, as such values are hard to translate into figures, currently, they remain easy to dismiss altogether. In a new study, a research team conceptualizes a species stock market for unified valuation of all species. By using digitized information from museums,...

Choosing the best seeds to help sessile oaks adapt to future climates

Planting forests is one way to mitigate climate change. The origin of seeds is crucial to optimize the success of planted trees and their ability to adapt to future climates. INRAE and ONF (French National Forest Office) ran a large-scale study for more than 30 years using a collection of about 100 populations of sessile oak from all over Europe. Spread over four experimental sites in France, they...

New effective combination therapy for pediatric T-acute leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer affecting children. The T-ALL form of leukemia that emerges from early T lineage cells has a poorer prognosis than B-lineage ALL. The prognosis for relapsed T-ALL is very poor and new therapies are sorely needed. Medical researchers have discovered a new combination of drugs that is effective against T-ALL.

Assessing the environmental impact of nuclear power generation

A growing concern for climate change and sustainable use of natural resources has led to the adoption of alternative forms of energy. Nuclear power is considered a panacea for the environmental degradation caused by fossil fuels. However, its environmental impact and natural resource use need to be assessed. Now, researchers have addressed this issue, revealing interesting findings in their...

New exfoliation technique 'recovers' biomaterial's piezoelectricity

Piezoelectric materials are applicable in the biomedical field, and if they can be biocompatible and degradable, it will be a big step towards real applications. Recently, a research team at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) developed a simple exfoliation method to prepare ultrathin films of small intestine tissues from sheep. This biological tissue has been considered to have no piezoelectric...

Gut microbiota of wild Assamese macaques become more unique with age

The bacteria in the gut are crucial for our health. They contribute to the development of an effective immune system and ward off pathogens. However, when harmful gut bacteria multiply or beneficial ones are lost, one develops health problems. But even in healthy people, the intestinal flora changes with old age. Anti-inflammatory bacteria become rarer, and species linked to inflammatory processes...

A massive galaxy supercluster in the early universe

The structure of the universe is often described as being a cosmic web of filaments, nodes, and voids, with the nodes being clusters of galaxies, the largest gravitationally bound objects known. These nodes are thought to have been seeded by small-amplitude density fluctuations like those observed in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) which grew until they collapsed into the structures seen...

Physicists shine light on solid way to extend excitons' life

Optics researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have shown for the first time that a new method for manufacturing ultrathin semiconductors yields material in which excitons survive up to 100 times longer than in materials created with previous methods.

Online dating fatigue: Why some people are turning to face-to-face apps first

For the last two-plus years, people hoping to meet their soulmate in person have had a rough time. Lockdowns and uncertainty about social gatherings have led many people to turn to dating apps. People who feel they have lost months or years of their dating life may be eager to avoid the perils of dating apps—ghosting, backburner relationships, or just wasting time chatting with the wrong people.