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Phys.org / How plants respond to changing environments for better reproductive success
Once a seed germinates, it is committed to one location. Plants are sessile—stuck where they started out—forced to cope with whatever conditions arrive next. The only way out of trouble is to rebuild themselves in place.
Phys.org / Caribbean heat waves intensify over five decades, study finds
A new study led by climatologists at the University at Albany has found that extreme heat waves across the Caribbean are becoming significantly more frequent, longer and severe. This study examined extreme summer heat waves ...
Phys.org / How dangling moss saves blue manakin eggs from hungry birds
If something exists in nature, there is most likely a very good reason for it. While there are exceptions, many features "selected" by evolution serve a purpose. Take the blue manakin, a small bird commonly found in southeastern ...
Phys.org / Collective intelligence: How to incentivize problem solving in groups
When a crowd gets something right, like guessing how many beans are in a jar, forecasting an election, or solving a difficult scientific problem, it's tempting to credit the sharpest individual in the room. But new research ...
Phys.org / Refractive-index microscope measures a sample's optical properties with pinpoint accuracy
By combining two fundamentally different microscopy techniques, researchers can now measure the optical properties of a sample with pinpoint accuracy. The original goal was to investigate biological samples on a molecular ...
Medical Xpress / Berberine shows no advantage over placebo for reducing liver and belly fat
A multicenter research effort in China conducted clinical trial testing of oral berberine for six months in diabetes-free adults with obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Visceral adipose ...
Phys.org / Male or female? How one frog gene 'hijacked' sex determination about 20 million years ago
Early in development, many animals pick a team—male or female—based on their genetics, and, with time, acquire the characteristics to match. New research from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) explores how one species ...
Phys.org / 'Jerk' volcano early warning method uses single seismometer to detect magma movement
Forecasting volcanic eruptions in time to alert authorities and populations remains a major global challenge. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers and engineers from the Institut de Physique du Globe ...
Medical Xpress / Discovery shines light on a cascade of events that occurs when toxic tau impacts synapses
A holistic inquiry into how toxic tau impacts synapses provides a new take on the processes that lead to neuronal dysfunction and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. A tool, developed in the Tracy lab, enables researchers ...
Phys.org / Programmable terahertz vortices enable dual electric and magnetic skyrmion modes
Researchers have created an optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns. These structured light vortices, known as skyrmions, are highly stable and resistant to disturbances, ...
Medical Xpress / Beyond the active site: A new way to regulate immune enzyme TREX1
The immune system must maintain a delicate balance to defend against harmful threats while avoiding excessive inflammation. When this balance is disrupted, immune responses can contribute to autoimmune diseases and cancer. ...
Phys.org / Warming may increase mangrove methane emissions—but these forests remain powerful carbon sinks
Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient ...