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Categories: Ecology: Endangered Species, Physics: Optics
Published New discoveries about the nature of light could improve methods for heating fusion plasma



Scientists have made discoveries about light particles known as photons that could aid the quest for fusion energy.
Published Escaped GMO canola plants persist long-term, but may be losing their extra genes



Populations of canola plants genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicides can survive outside of farms, but may be gradually losing their engineered genes, reports a new study.
Published Scientists learn how to control muscles with light



Researchers developed a way to help people with amputation or paralysis regain limb control. Their optogenetic technique could offer more precise control over muscle contraction, along with a dramatic decrease in muscle fatigue.
Published Community science volunteers can set scientific world abuzz with new bumble bee sightings



Community science volunteers -- laypeople with an interest in bees and conservation -- significantly contribute to the scientific knowledge of native bumble bees across Canada and the United States. It's buzz worthy confirmation that community science programs can play an important role in monitoring the changing distributions of bumble bees and more.
Published Roots are a key to drought-tolerant maize



Maize can grow successfully in very different local conditions. An international study has now demonstrated the important role of the plant root system. The researchers analyzed more than 9,000 varieties in the study and were able to show that their roots varied considerably -- depending on how dry the location is where each variety was cultivated. They were also able to identify an important gene that plays a role in the plant's ability to adapt. This gene could be the key to developing varieties of maize that cope better with climate change.
Published Streamlined microcomb design provides control with the flip of a switch



Researchers describe new microcomb lasers they have developed that overcome previous limitations and feature a simple design that could open the door to a broad range of uses.
Published How plants 'mate' for life and repel other suitors



Researchers have used a unique microscopic technique to examine the dynamics of pollen tubes in the Arabidopsis plant. They were able to observe the mechanism of one-to-one pollen tube guidance, a process that ensures successful pollination of plants. This process is influenced by multi-step repelling and attracting signals. The results are important for the cultivation of crops, especially under unfavorable environmental conditions.
Published Improving statistical methods to protect wildlife populations



In human populations, it is relatively easy to calculate demographic trends and make projections of the future if data on basic processes such as births and immigration is known. The data, given by individuals, can be also death and emigration, which subtract. In the wild, on the other hand, understanding the processes that determine wildlife demographic patterns is a highly complex challenge for the scientific community. Although a wide range of methods are now available to estimate births and deaths in wildlife, quantifying emigration and immigration has historically been difficult or impossible in many populations of interest, particularly in the case of threatened species.
Published A rise in sea urchins and related damage to kelp forests impacts Oregon's gray whales and their food



A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.
Published Genes provide hope for the survival of Arabia's last big cat



The release of captive bred animals carefully selected for their genes can make a significant contribution to the successful recovery of the dwindling wild population and avert the prospect of extinction. Despite revealing extremely low levels of genetic diversity in the wild leopard population in Oman, the research team discovered higher levels of genetic diversity in captive leopards across the region. This important genetic resource has the potential for a major role in successful recovery of the Arabian leopard.
Published The impacts of climate change on food production



A new study shows that climate change has led to decreased pollen production from plants and less pollen diversity than previously thought, which could have a significant impact on food production.
Published Innovative 3D printing could revolutionize treatment for cataracts and other eye conditions



Rsearchers have developed the first 3D printable ocular resins, marking a significant breakthrough in manufacturing specialist lenses for implantation in the human eye.
Published Evolutionary history of extinct duck revealed



The study's findings show mergansers arrived in the New Zealand region at least seven million years ago from the Northern Hemisphere, in a separate colonisation event to that which led to the Brazilian merganser.
Published Modern plant enzyme partners with surprisingly ancient protein



Scientists have discovered that a protein responsible for the synthesis of a key plant material evolved much earlier than suspected. This new research explored the origin and evolution of the biochemical machinery that builds lignin, a structural component of plant cell walls with significant impacts on the clean energy industry.
Published Ion irradiation offers promise for 2D material probing



Two-dimensional materials such as graphene promise to form the basis of incredibly small and fast technologies, but this requires a detailed understanding of their electronic properties. New research demonstrates that fast electronic processes can be probed by irradiating the materials with ions first.
Published Scientists discover mechanism of sugar signaling in plants



A paper describes how the moving parts of a particular plant protein control whether plants can grow and make energy-intensive products such as oil -- or instead put in place a series of steps to conserve precious resources. The study focuses specifically on how the molecular machinery is regulated by a molecule that rises and falls with the level of sugar -- plants' main energy source.
Published Magnetic imprint on deconfined nuclear matter



Scientists have the first direct evidence that the powerful magnetic fields created in off-center collisions of atomic nuclei induce an electric current in 'deconfined' nuclear matter. The study used measurements of how charged particles are deflected when they emerge from the collisions. The study provides proof that the magnetic fields exist and offers a new way to measure electrical conductivity in quark-gluon plasma.
Published Diamond glitter: A play of colors with artificial DNA crystals



Using DNA origami, researchers have built a diamond lattice with a periodicity of hundreds of nanometers -- a new approach for manufacturing semiconductors for visible light.
Published Otters, especially females, use tools to survive a changing world



Sea otters are one of the few animals that use tools to access their food, and a new study has found that individual sea otters that use tools -- most of whom are female -- are able to eat larger prey and reduce tooth damage when their preferred prey becomes depleted.
Published How did sabre-toothed tigers acquire their long upper canine teeth?



In a groundbreaking study an international team of scientists has investigated the evolutionary patterns behind the development of sabre teeth, with some unexpected results along the way.