192 articles from WEDNESDAY 7.9.2022

What is the best way to group students?

Imagine you have a group of 30 children who want to play soccer. You would like to divide them into two teams, so they can practice their skills and learn from their coaches to become better players.

Magma and ice

Let's pretend it's the Late Cretaceous, roughly 66 to 100 million years ago. We've got dinosaurs roaming the land and odd-looking early species of birds, although the shark as we know it is already swimming in the prehistoric oceans -- which cover 82% of Earth. Redwood trees and other conifers are making their debut, as are roses and flowering plants, and with them come bees, termites and ants....

Aggression de-escalation gene identified in fruit flies

The brain mechanisms that cause aggressive behavior have been well studied. Far less understood are the processes that tell the body when it's time to stop fighting. Now, a new study identifies a gene and a group of cells in the brain that play a critical role in suppressing aggression in fruit flies. The findings have implications for disorders such as Parkinson's disease, which can sometimes...

Turning carbon dioxide into valuable products

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major contributor to climate change and a significant product of many human activities, notably industrial manufacturing. A major goal in the energy field has been to chemically convert emitted CO2 into valuable chemicals or fuels. But while CO2 is available in abundance, it has not yet been widely used to generate value-added products. Why not?

Microalgae purify water and produce valuable compounds

Chemists at Umeå University within the MicroBioRefine consortium show that Nordic microalgae that are allowed to grow in salt water both purify this water efficiently and produce valuable compounds, so-called carotenoids. The research results are published in the journal Bioresource Technology.

Study finds there is no silver bullet for strengthening regional propensity to start a business

Successful start-up ecosystems are characterized by good transport and telecommunications infrastructure, a high population density, a high proportion of foreign citizens, and numerous qualified employees. IfM Bonn researchers found this and published results in their study, "Start-up activity at the district level and in independent cities: What characterizes successful start-up ecosystems?"

Glaciers flowed on ancient Mars, but slowly

The weight and grinding movement of glaciers has carved distinctive valleys and fjords into Earth's surface. Because Mars lacks similar landscapes, researchers believed ancient ice masses on the Red Planet must have been frozen firmly to the ground. New research suggests they were not stuck in place, but just moved very slowly.

Examining how urbanization induces changes in invasive toad populations

Biodiversity is increasingly diminished by humanity's many impacts, one major aspect of which is urbanization. Although there are a lot of studies reporting that urbanization influences wildlife population sizes and distributions, we are only beginning to study urbanization as an evolutionary force. Urban environments are also hotspots for invasive species, which can cause significant economic and...

How does light impact kids in school?

Did you know that light is a factor that affects both learning and the psychological development in school children? The right kind of light can boost performance in reading, writing and math, and suppress restlessness and aggression.

Photo-induced ion displacement in mixed-halide perovskites for a battery directly chargeable by light

Lead halide perovskites (e.g., MAPbI3) are an emerging family of semiconductor materials with excellent optoelectronic properties ideally suited for photovoltaic and light-emitting applications. Significant ion migration has been reported in these materials and is one of the main mechanisms responsible for anomalous I-V hysteresis and poor stability in the perovskite solar cells.

Protein discovery on human eggs may shed light on unexplained infertility

The protein, named Maia after the Greek goddess of motherhood, appears to be involved in the fusion of sperm and eggsA fundamental step in human fertilisation has been discovered by researchers who say it may offer new insights into unexplained infertility.Experts have identified a new protein that is found on the surface of human eggs. Nicknamed Maia, after the Greek goddess of motherhood, the...

Morality plays a role in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and prevention behaviors

A new, international analysis links belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories to a lower tendency to support and participate in public health efforts to mitigate spread; however, people's sense of morality appears to weaken this link. Theofilos Gkinopoulos of the University of Crete, Greece, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on September 7, 2022.

Aggression de-escalation gene identified in fruit flies

The brain mechanisms that cause aggressive behavior have been well studied. Far less understood are the processes that tell the body when it's time to stop fighting. Now, a new study by Salk scientists identifies a gene and a group of cells in the brain that play a critical role in suppressing aggression in fruit flies.