146 articles from TUESDAY 9.5.2023

Can lions coexist with cattle in Africa?

Protecting lions and the interests of cattle producers in Kenya is a difficult balancing act. In a recent Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution article, Dr. Laurence G Frank, a researcher at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, Kenya, explored how protecting livestock can help protect endangered lions.

Study: Spanish courts hand down milder sentences for rapes if they are committed by the victim's partner or ex-partner

Just four years ago, the Spanish Supreme Court pointed out in a ruling that there is no such thing as a "conjugal debt." In other words, a woman is not obliged to satisfy her husband's sexual needs. It may come as a surprise that this point still needs to be made, but the statistics speak for themselves. According to a national survey carried out in 2019, 7.5% of Spanish women over 16 years old...

Study: No need for a leaky mode at the picometer level for microtapers

The precision of obtaining abundant light-matter-interact information with a snapshot measurement makes optical spectroscopy indispensable for modern industries and scientific research. The miniaturization of traditionally bulky spectrometers has been strongly motivated by the vast applications, including bio/medical sensing, material analysis, optical communication, and light source...

The impact of thermal drawdown-induced alterations in rock thermal properties on heat recovery

Geothermal energy, found in subsurface hot dry rocks, is a viable option instead of fossil fuels. Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) enable us to use the plentiful amounts of energy in the hot rocks. The optimization and risk management of this process necessitate the accurate predictions of long-term thermal performance under different scenarios, which are usually done through numerical modeling.

Re‐examining the underground connections between trees

Fungal networks interconnecting trees in a forest is a key factor that determines the nature of forests and their response to climate change. These networks have also been viewed as a means for trees to help their offspring and other tree-friends, according to the increasingly popular "mother tree hypothesis." An international group of researchers re-examined the evidence for and against this...

LISA will be a remarkable gravitational-wave observatory, but there's a way to make it 100 times more powerful

The first-time detection of Gravitational Waves (GW) by researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2015 triggered a revolution in astronomy. This phenomenon consists of ripples in spacetime caused by the merger of massive objects and was predicted a century prior by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. In the coming years, this burgeoning field will...

Some of the first humans in the Americas came from China, study finds

New genetics study finds some of the first arrivals came during the last ice age, and shortly after, in two distinct migrationsSome of the first humans to arrive in the Americas included people from what is now China, who arrived in two distinct migrations during and after the last ice age, a new genetics study has found.“Our findings indicate that besides the previously indicated ancestral...

For better or worse, your dog's behaviors can impact your quality of life

I became interested in research about dogs because of my close connection with my first pet Pantro, a friendly and energetic cocker spaniel. Pantro was the perfect fit for me, for being great company for long walks while also being calm and independent when left alone. However, his behavioral issues were challenging on several occasions.

First UK baby with DNA from three people born after new IVF procedure

Exclusive: Mitochondrial donation treatment aims to prevent children from inheriting incurable diseasesThe first UK baby created with DNA from three people has been born after doctors performed a groundbreaking IVF procedure that aims to prevent children from inheriting incurable diseases.The technique, known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT), uses tissue from the eggs of healthy female...

Studies reveal educators' discretions may contribute to racial disparities in exclusionary discipline

Two recent studies indicate that school-level factors play a considerable role in racial disparities in school discipline. The first study, conducted primarily through a series of interviews, reveals disciplinary tensions between district leaders, school administrators, and teachers regarding disciplinary philosophy as well as discretion and accountability in the disciplinary referral process.