Phys.org news
Phys.org / Strawberry guava prevents natural forest generation in Madagascar, project reveals
Rice University biologist Amy Dunham has spent decades studying the mountainous rainforests of Madagascar's Ranomafana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was designated a national park in 1991. In a project ...
Phys.org / Fentanyl makeover: Core structural redesign could lead to safer pain medications
Fentanyl is one of the most effective drugs for managing severe pain, yet it carries substantial risks of addiction and respiratory depression, the dangerous and sometimes fatal slowed breathing. These safety concerns have ...
Phys.org / Noisy classroom? Study suggests engagement matters more than eliminating background noise
How well we pay attention while learning is influenced not only by external distractions like background noise but also by internal factors such as how interesting we find the material, according to a study recently published ...
Phys.org / How AI is distorting online research, from polls to public policy
Artificial intelligence is increasingly able to simulate human behavior and answer online surveys and political polls, putting the reliability of survey-based research at risk. Consequences can be serious, not only for science ...
Phys.org / mRNA fragments reveal a hidden process that protects cells from harmful mutations
Some genetic mutations that are expected to completely stop a gene from working surprisingly cause only mild or even no symptoms. Researchers in previous studies have discovered one reason why: cells can ramp up the activity ...
Phys.org / A DNA 'on-off' switch? Light and redox cues reversibly link strands for nanotech
DNA, the blueprint of life, is best known for its fundamental role as genetic material—storing and transmitting biological information through the precise sequence of its bases. For decades, this information-storage function ...
Phys.org / New perspectives on how physical instabilities drive embryonic development
Multicellularity is one of the most profound phenomena in biology, and relies on the ability of a single cell to reorganize itself into a complex organism. It underpins the diversity in the animal kingdom, from insects to ...
Phys.org / How plants balance woody xylem and fleshy tissues: Thermospermine targets methylated ribosomes
Scientists have identified a crucial mechanism that allows plants to shape their vascular systems, determining whether they grow soft edible storage organs or develop the rigid woody tissue characteristic of trees. Published ...
Phys.org / Mapping where local pollution and fishing suppress climate refugia for world's coral reefs
As ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, corals and other sensitive organisms survive where temperatures are less extreme. But a new study from researchers at Florida Tech, published this month in the journal Communications ...
Phys.org / Exploring how the Gulf Stream affects the climate system and the carbon cycle
It is well documented that the Gulf Stream plays a pivotal role in the climate system through its transfer of heat, which ultimately supplies warmth to northern latitudes in the North Atlantic. What remains less well understood ...
Phys.org / Temperature affects the quality of male frogs' mating calls: Females can hear the difference
A study from the University of California, Davis, found that temperature affects the sound and quality of male frogs' mating calls. In the colder, early weeks of spring, their songs start off sluggishly. In warmer weather, ...
Phys.org / How redox reactions drive bacteria's Na⁺-NQR sodium pump
The enzyme Na⁺-NQR is a sodium pump that drives the respiration of many marine and pathogenic bacteria. Using redox reactions, the process of exchanging electrons between materials, it powers the transportation of sodium ...
