Researchers find repeated gene duplications and genetic diversification in protein kinase R in mouse-eared bats
An international team of researchers has found evidence of repeated genomic duplications and genetic diversification in protein kinase R (PKR) in mouse-eared bats. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their genomic study of multiple species of mouse-eared bats and their sequencing of 15 of them.
1 in every 5 low-paid workers in Ireland are over 50, report finds
One in five of Ireland's 420,000 low paid workers are over 50 years old, according to a new report by UCD researchers.
What octopus and human brains have in common
Cephalopods like octopuses, squids and cuttlefish are highly intelligent animals with complex nervous systems. In Science Advances, a team led by Nikolaus Rajewsky of the Max Delbrück Center has now shown that their evolution is linked to a dramatic expansion of their microRNA repertoire.
Project aims to use concrete reefs to increase marine biodiversity off the Danish coast
When cycling across the Bryggebroen bridge at Fisketorvet, you see three concrete sculptures emerging from the water surface in the inner harbor of Copenhagen. But it is actually only when you get under water that the work of art really begins to come to life. Here you can see that the sculptures are filled with cracks that will eventually become a habitat for seaweed and fish.
Distribution pattern and environmental factors of belowground bud banks in large-scale environment transects
Dr. Ma Qun from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and his collaborators have investigated the spatial pattern of belowground bud banks along grasslands of northern China. The study was published in Land Degradation & Development.
Synchronizing chaos through a narrow slice of the spectrum
The abstract notion that the whole can be found in each part of something has for long fascinated thinkers engaged in all walks of philosophy and experimental science, from Immanuel Kant on the essence of time to David Bohm on the notion of order, and from the self-similarity of fractal structures to the defining properties of holograms.
King of rockets, NASA's SLS could soon be usurped by SpaceX's Starship
NASA's Space Launch System roared off the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center and into the record books, for now.
Research shows crowds hold the cards in referees' decisions
A team of university researchers have found that football crowds are influencing referees' behavior in the top four professional Leagues in England.
Developing a sensor to detect disease-transmitting mosquitoes
Mosquitoes inhabit various world regions, with more than 3,000 species already identified. Some of these are transmission vectors of several diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, or dengue. According to the World Health Organization, 627,000 people died of malaria in 2020.
'Good Night Oppy': Why this movie about a Martian robot will make you reach for your handkerchief
Get those Kleenex ready. You'll never again see robots as just lurching, whirring, beeping hunks of metal.
Single-use cardboard boxes or reusable plastic crates—which type of packaging is more sustainable?
Plastic or cardboard? Single-use or reusable? The question on which type of packaging is the more sustainable solution is not an easy one to answer.
Research aims to develop innovative recovery of valuable raw materials from 'red mud'
Waste slags from the metallurgy industries often contain valuable materials, but in very small concentrations. This means that large areas of valuable land are used to accommodate reservoirs filled with what is sometimes toxic waste. We now want to use hydrogen to convert this waste into a resource.
Study: Climate change is increasing the frequency and temperature of extreme heat waves
As California awakens to the worsening risk of extreme climate events, researchers are shedding new light on last year's anomalous and extreme Pacific Northwest heat wave. One study published this week said such heat waves could become 20 times more likely to occur if current carbon emissions continue unabated. Another said they may also be nearly 10 degrees hotter.
How COVID-19 school closures could affect inequalities in the decades to come
School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected learning to varying degrees in different countries. A new study sheds light on what this learning loss will mean for countries' human capital in the decades to come.
Land-use change for healthy New Zealanders and a healthy environment
Changing what we farm, and where, could provide all New Zealanders with a healthy diet with benefits to our water, climate, and the national economy, finds new research from two National Science Challenges.
What's the best mix of oceans to land for a habitable planet?
Earth is about 29% land and 71% oceans. How significant is that mix for habitability? What does it tell us about exoplanet habitability?
Wolves infected with a common parasite may be much more likely to become pack leaders
A team of researchers with the Yellowstone Wolf Project at the Yellowstone Center for Resources, in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, has found that wolves in the park who become infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite, are much more likely to become leaders of their pack. In their study, reported in the journal Communications Biology, the group analyzed data from studies of the...
Opinion: Working prisoners are entitled to employment and safety standards just like anybody else
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) recently ended its longstanding relationship with the meatpacking company, Wallace Beef.
A new instrument gives the Very Large Telescope an even sharper view of the cosmos
The Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Cerro Paranal in northern Chile, is undoubtedly one of the premier ground-based observatories. But a new infrared instrument recently installed on the telescope has made the VLT even better.
Examining previously unknown molecular mechanisms for environmental adaptation in plants
The Plant Physiology and Biochemistry research team at the University of Konstanz has discovered previously unknown molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt to their environment—important basic knowledge in times of climate change
Animals are key to restoring the world's forests, long-term data set reveals
As UN climate talks close in Egypt and biodiversity talks begin in Montreal, attention is on forest restoration as a solution to the twin issues roiling our planet. Forests soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide and simultaneously create habitat for organisms. So far, efforts to help forests bounce back from deforestation have typically focused on increasing one thing—trees—over anything else.
Double telescope study of zone where Wow! signal originated comes up empty
An international team of astronomers has conducted a double-telescopic study of the zone where the Wow! signal originated and failed to detect any signal. In their paper published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, the group describes their study and what they learned from it.
Exploring how totipotency pioneer factor Nr5a2 activates the genome in zygotes
Fertilization of an egg by sperm is the beginning of new life. The maternal and paternal genetic information, that collectively store the body plan of the living being, are combined after fertilization.
DNA sequence enhances our understanding of the origins of jaws
The vast majority of vertebrate species living today, including humans, belong to the jawed vertebrate group. The development of articulating jaws during vertebrate evolution was one of the most significant evolutionary transitions from jawless to jawed vertebrates, taking place at least 423 million years ago. The lower and upper jaws were initially connected by the primary jaw joint. However,...
Oyster reef restoration rapidly increases marine biodiversity: Study
Global assessments of historical oyster reef distribution have estimated that over 85% of oyster reefs have been lost to overfishing and coastal development. In recent decades, enormous effort has been put into developing and implementing different methods for restoring oyster reefs globally.