How habanero peppers respond to stress
Like people, plants have to cope with stress. The impact on humans is well catalogued, but less is known about how stressors—including high salinity and lack of nutrients—affect plants such as habaneros. Now, researchers report in ACS Agricultura.....»»
Study reveals mallards" flight responses ineffective in preventing vehicle collisions
An article published in PeerJ Life & Environment has uncovered insights into how mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) respond to approaching vehicles, revealing that these common waterbirds are poorly equipped to avoid collisions, particularly at high speed.....»»
Study finds good nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides, viruses
In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tackled a thorny problem: How do nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides together influence honey bee survival? By looking at all three stressors toget.....»»
Feeding coral reefs can aid their recovery from bleaching events
Coral reefs will continue to experience severe heat stress as rising temperatures cause the oceans to become unbearably hot—but a new study shows that altering their feeding habits could allow local populations to avoid total extinction......»»
Saturday Citations: Football metaphors in physics; vets treat adorable baby rhino"s broken leg
This week, researchers reported an effective way to protect working dogs from heat stress: training them to dunk their heads in cool water. A new computational technique provided a breakthrough in understanding the so-called "pseudogap" in quantum ph.....»»
Double-edged STING: A new pathway involved in aging
A protein called STING, previously shown to control a pathway that contributes to antiviral signaling, also plays an important role in cellular stress clearance and cell survival, according to a new paper published in Molecular Cell......»»
Ford, Kia gain some traction in revamping China operations
Most global automakers, unable to match or catch up with China’s rapid shift to electrified vehicles, and losing market share, still seem to have no idea how to respond other than cutting production......»»
Antioxidant carbon dot nanozymes alleviate depression in rats by restoring the gut microbiome
Depression is a significant challenge to diagnose and treat. Among the factors influencing depression onset and severity, there is growing evidence for chemical imbalances that generate oxidative stress throughout the body. To address this problem, r.....»»
DNA origami and fluorescent probes can precisely release molecular cargo
In the world of nanotechnology, the development of dynamic systems that respond to molecular signals is becoming increasingly important. The DNA origami technique, whereby DNA is programmed so as to produce functional nanostructures, plays a key role.....»»
Readers Respond to the May 2024 Issue
Letters to the editors for the May 2024 issue of Scientific American.....»»
Image: Chili flowers bloom in International Space Station
In July 2021, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station started growing chili peppers in the Advanced Plant Habitat, as part of the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment......»»
Study: Managers can boost everyone"s productivity by praising successful workers in company-wide messaging
Workplace communications platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams are sometimes accused of reducing productivity by distracting workers with constant messages and the need to respond to them......»»
Societal factors can shape how companies best respond after customers misbehave
From rule breaking and theft to verbal abuse and foul language, one customer's behavior can negatively affect another customer's experience. How hospitality businesses can best respond to instances of customer misbehavior can depend on the strictness.....»»
Infrared thermal imaging enables reliable assessment of animal stress from distance
An international team of researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, and the University of Tours, France, aimed to validate the use of infrared thermal imaging as a non-invasive tool for assessing stress responses in reindeer. Their findings s.....»»
With AI, extreme microbe reveals how life"s building blocks adapt to high pressure
An assist from a Google Artificial Intelligence tool has helped scientists discover how the proteins of a heat-loving microbe respond to the crushing conditions of the planet's deepest ocean trenches, offering new insights into how these building blo.....»»
Research team designs efficient bioenergy crops that need less water to grow
Drought stress has long been a limiting factor for crop production around the world, a challenge exacerbated by climate change......»»
How stories can teach young people about life in a changing climate
Education is key to empowering young people to respond to climate change. It's something that will reach into every aspect of their lives in complex ways. However, the national curriculum largely confines climate change to a few subjects, meaning tea.....»»
Research uncovers new strategy for salt-resistant poplar
Salt stress disrupts plant growth by impairing ion balance and reducing water uptake, posing a significant challenge to agriculture and forestry. Maintaining sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) balance is particularly vital in woody plants like poplar, w.....»»
New school year offers chance to help teens manage stress
Looming college applications. Developing a more nuanced sense of self. Earlier wake-up times. Comparing themselves to peers. Difficult classes. Time management. Striving for independence from parents......»»
How stressed are you? Nanoparticles pave the way for home stress testing
Stress takes various shapes in our daily lives, from relentless work demands to the constant rush of the school run. But ignoring high stress levels can lead to serious health issues like depression and Alzheimer's disease. So what if checking your s.....»»
Nanoplastics put stress on trees and impair photosynthesis
It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they are able to enter living org.....»»