A team has shown experimentally, that hoverflies migrating during the spring orientate north. In late spring earlier this year, a large-scale migration of insects arrived on the Isles of Scilly and mainland Cornwall. Species included many migratory butterflies and moths such as the Painted Lady and Hummingbird Hawkmoth, but the...
3D printing plant cells shows promise for studying cell function
Researchers take a big step in showing efficacy of bioprinting plant cells to study cellular communication and viability in a controlled environment.
How fluctuating oxygen levels may have accelerated animal evolution
Oxygen levels in the Earth's atmosphere are likely to have 'fluctuated wildly' one billion years ago, creating conditions that could have accelerated?the development of early animal life, according to new research.
Viral infections are less frequent but more severe in people with Down syndrome due to oscillating immune response
Individuals with Down syndrome have less-frequent viral infections, but when present, these infections lead to more severe disease. New findings show that this is caused by increased expression of an antiviral cytokine type I interferon (IFN-I), which is partially coded for by chromosome 21. Elevated IFN-I levels lead to hyperactivity...
Study Sheds light on leave traits, productivity of C4 bioenergy crops
Miscanthus and sorghum -- both C4 plant species -- occupy a distinct niche of the leaf economics spectrum (LES), with greater photosynthetic rates and nitrogen use efficiency than more common C3 plants.
Dietary fiber is good for you, except when it’s not
People who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease may soon have access to personalized dietary guidelines to keep them feeling well, thanks to new research on how dietary fiber affects the disease. The research team discovered that certain types of dietary fiber cause an inflammatory response in some patients, causing symptoms...
Can shifting social norms help mitigate climate change?
An interdisciplinary team of researchers reports on how social norms -- 'patterns of behaviors or values that depend on expectations about what others do and/or think should be done' -- can be harnessed to bring about collective climate action and policy change.
Seismic sensing reveals flood damage potential
Rapidly evolving floods are a major and growing hazard worldwide. Currently, their onset and evolution is hard to identify using existing systems. However, seismic sensors already in place to detect earthquakes could be a solution to this problem. Researchers show that a seismometer can sense a flood, such as the...
Flatworm-inspired medical adhesives stop blood loss
Every year around 2 million people die worldwide from hemorrhaging or blood loss. Uncontrolled hemorrhaging accounts for more than 30% of trauma deaths. To stop the bleeding, doctors often apply pressure to the wound and seal the site with medical glue. But what happens when applying pressure is difficult or...
Global hunger, carbon emissions could both spike if war limits grain exports
If Russia's war in Ukraine significantly reduces grain exports, surging prices could worsen food insecurity, with increases up to 4.6% for corn and 7.2% for wheat. That also would have an environmental impact, with carbon emissions rising as additional land is used to grow crops.