Scientists have been puzzled about how bacteria come to prefer certain temperatures for growth. To shed light on this, they studied 64 bacteria from the Thermotogota phylum. They found that the last common ancestor of these bacteria was a thermophile, which means it loved high temperatures. However,
For years, researchers have been digging into the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, testing strategies from the famous Tit for Tat to advanced learning methods like neural networks. But, many studies use only a few strategies, making their findings questionable. In this work, scientists analyse 195 strat
Ever wondered how potassium affects rice? Researchers recently explored this question by testing different amounts of potassium fertilizer on two kinds of rice, Xiadao No. 1 and Shenliangyou 5814, across two years. They used five different rates: 0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg of potassium oxide per he
Ever wondered why some trees are more appealing to certain pests? Meet Casuarina equisetifolia, a coastal tree that's a favorite snack for the wood-boring pest Anoplophora chinensis. These pests love to munch on Casuarina trees, but scientists found something interesting: a molecular switch called C
Thrips are tiny but mighty pests that wreak havoc on cowpeas in Hainan, China. Traditional pesticide methods often miss the mark because thrips are small and like to hide. Researchers set out to improve pesticide effectiveness by tweaking how and when they're applied. They tested different times of
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are a cool way to carry genetic material to specific places in the body. They can be tweaked for better delivery or to cause a desired immune response. Currently, VLP production might need different purification methods, which complicates things. Researchers came up with
Scientists explored how fluorine atoms and piperazine rings affect the toxicity of norfloxacin (NOR) and its degradation products (NOR-DPs). They used UV light and hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) to break down NOR into eight smaller pieces (P1-P8). Interestingly, the toxicity levels against various cell
Scientists are always on the hunt for better materials to help grow new tissues. One recent study looked at how human cells from the periodontal ligament (the stuff that holds teeth in place) interact with thin sheets of bovine pericardium (basically, cow heart tissue). These sheets are thought to b
Did you know that deep beneath the surface of the Earth, there's a whole world of tiny creatures? The Eger Rift is one such place, known for its frequent earthquakes and high CO2 levels. Scientists drilled down 238 meters to study the rocks and sediments, finding a fascinating mix of microbes. They
Scientists wanted to understand how water shortages impact pepper plant growth. They ran experiments with different water levels (ranging from 45 to 85%) and exposure times (2 to 8 days). They tracked how quickly plants developed, how much they were affected by light and heat (TEP), and the total gr
