Bitter substances spoil the appetite of oak moth caterpillars
Trees have a huge arsenal of ways to keep the pests that attack them under control. In the course of evolution, for example, some English oaks (Quercus robur) have developed the ability to release volatile signaling substances when attacked by oak mo.....»»
Learning to better understand the language of algae
Can algae talk? "Well, although they don't have any mouth or ears, algae still communicate with their own kind and with other organisms in their surroundings. They do this with volatile organic substances they release into the water," says Dr. Patric.....»»
Plasticine models may underestimate predation bias
Predation (including parasitism) is an ecological process through which biodiversity is shaped and maintained. Sentinel plasticine prey has been increasingly used to estimate predation pressure. However, the use of plasticine caterpillars may bias th.....»»
"Forever chemicals" persist through wastewater treatment, may enter crops
PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of more than 4,700 fully synthetic compounds that are widely used in industrial and manufacturing processes and found in many consumer products, persist through wastewater treatment at levels that ma.....»»
Apple confirms USB-C is coming to iPhones, but it’s still bitter about it
Apple's Greg Joswiak has confirmed that iPhones are moving to the USB-C standard to comply with the EU mandate, but not without putting up a passionate defense......»»
Novel insecticides are bad news for bee health and their guts
Insecticides containing flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor can have devastating effects on honey bee health. The substances damage the insects' intestinal flora, especially when used in conjunction with a common fungicide, making them more susceptible t.....»»
UK lenders continue pursuit of new business through turbulent start to 2022
The latest Bayes UK Commercial Real Estate Mid–year 2022 report shows a new lending volume of £23.7 billion, indicating strong appetite for new business up until June 2022 before deal flow started to dry up. In a dramatically different interest ra.....»»
Meta grudgingly agrees to sell Giphy after admitting defeat in UK battle
Giphy is worried that GIFs becoming "cringe" will “dampen investor appetite.” Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto) Considering that Meta bought WhatsApp and Instagram without issue, it may come as a surprise.....»»
Drug discovery method identifies naturally occurring metabolite that converts "bad" fat to "good" fat
"Metabolism" describes the body's chemical changes that create the necessary materials for growth and overall health. Metabolites are the substances made and used during these metabolic processes—or, as a new discovery out of Scripps Research and i.....»»
Do we perceive colors differently depending on the language we speak?
When we open our eyes, a myriad of colors immediately appears before us. But they are not merely a decoration of our visual world: they enable us to identify objects, materials and substances in our environment. They also facilitate communication wit.....»»
Increasing network visibility is critical to improving security posture
IT leaders around the world share a ubiquitous appetite for greater network visibility. The findings of a Forrester Consulting study underscore a convergence in security with networking, which IT decision-makers now view as the missing strategy that.....»»
A non-target screening method for hazardous substances in the marine environment
Many anthropogenic chemicals eventually end up in the environment. Some of these can harm wildlife and can affect us humans. A major challenge is to identify these substances before they cause too much damage to the ecosystem and public health......»»
Pain relief without side effects and addiction
New substances that activate adrenalin receptors instead of opioid receptors have a similar pain relieving effect to opiates, but without the negative aspects such as respiratory depression and addiction......»»
Solar geoengineering might work, but local temperatures could keep rising for years
Imagine a future where, despite efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly, parts of the world have become unbearably hot. Some governments might decide to "geoengineer" the planet by spraying substances into the upper atmosphere to form fine.....»»
Moth Wings Are Beautiful in Infrared Light
Drab brown moths’ infrared glittering could be key to tracking different species through the night.....»»
Developing ultracold circuits: Physicists set a new low-temperature record
When materials are cooled down to extremely low temperatures, their behavior often differs strongly from that at room temperature. A well-known example is superconductivity: below a critical temperature some metals and other substances conduct electr.....»»
Little rodent, big appetite: Researchers identify the dietary impacts of invasive mice on the Farallon Islands
On an island 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco, a hoard of invasive house mice are packing an ecological wallop far larger than what their small statures would suggest. These are the conclusions of a study led by LSU Associate Professor of Ocea.....»»
Study finds high levels of PFAS in school uniforms
In yet another example of the prevalence of the hazardous chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in consumer products, industrial products and textiles, researchers have found notably high levels in school uniforms sold in Nort.....»»
Self-assembled liquid crystal architectures for soft matter photonics
"Soft matter" was first proposed by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes in his Nobel acceptance speech in 1991. The term describes materials between aqueous substances and ideal solids......»»
Scientists resolve the structure of the human bitter taste receptor TAS2R46
A team of scientists led by the iHuman Institute of ShanghaiTech University has determined and analyzed the cryo-electron microscopy structures of human bitter taste receptor TAS2R46 complexed with G protein, in both strychnine-bound and apo forms, p.....»»
Making and breaking of chemical bonds in single "nanoconfined" molecules
Researchers around the world are working to develop efficient materials to convert CO2 into usable chemical substances—work that is particularly pressing in view of global warming......»»