Agriculture's impact on insect diversity is more severe than previously thought, according to a new study from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. It has long been known that agriculture contributes to the decline in insect biodiversity. The loss of host plants, frequent mowing, and pesticide use all deprive many species of their habitats.

To the point Complex communication: Researchers studying the social networks of monk parakeets in Spain uncovered a link between an animal-s social ties and the calls that it makes. Levels of sociality: They spent two years recording the social lives, as well as all screeches, squawks and whistles, of over 300 parrots-linking what individuals say to very specific levels of sociality.

A study by EPFL and the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has found that tire additives enter into and pass through the food chain. Further research is needed to establish the implications for human health. Traces of the additives typically used in tire manufacturing have been detected in all'of the most common types of fruits and vegetables eaten in Switzerland.

Breakthrough achieved by UC3M and Harvard scientists A team of scientists from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and Harvard University have experimentally demonstrated that it is possible to reprogram the mechanical and structural behaviour of innovative artificial materials with magnetic properties, known as metamaterials, without the need to modify their composition.

New property of graphene revealed by ultra-clean airless measurement Environment Graphene is a "miracle material": mechanically extremely strong and electrically highly conductive, ideal for related applications. Using a worldwide unique method physicists at the University of Vienna led by Jani Kotakoski have for the first time made graphene drastically more stretchable by rippling it like an accordion.

Results from a long-term field experiment shed new light on how grasslands can be restored for nature, the environment, and for farmers. From richer biodiversity and benefits for pollinators, to carbon storage in soils, while balancing hay yields for grazing livestock, the study published in Nature Communications by researchers at The University of Manchester and Lancaster University, in collaboration with the Universities of Yale and Bergen, shows that using combinations of different restoration techniques can markedly enhance the restoration of grasslands.

An international team of scientists led by the Medical University of Vienna has identified similarities in the mechanisms of diabetes and cancer: as the researchers show, the protein PPAR', which is central to the regulation of metabolic processes, can also influence the growth of prostate cancer cells.

A new website offers video capsules and popular texts to inform the general public about the scientifically recognized benefits of playing and listening to music You don't have to be a violin virtuoso or a guitarist of the calibre of Jimi Hendrix to enjoy the benefits of music. Every amateur musician benefits from playing an instrument, even if it's just a few notes or a wooden spoon.

Bonn researchers develop method for describing and predicting critical transitions in networked systems The global climate is in an imbalance. Potential "tipping elements " include the Greenland ice sheet, coral reefs, and the Amazon rainforest. Together they form a network that can collapse if just one individual component tips.

Alessandro Ingrosso, researcher at the Donders Institute for Neuroscience, has developed a new mathematical method in collaboration with colleagues in two Italian research institutions, which enables the prediction of the effectiveness of transfer learning in neural networks. T he problem of limited data AI systems are typically trained with large amounts of data.

In just 15 minutes, training with a simulator enabled professional field hockey players to significantly improve their perceptive skills in front of the opposing net. This new approach, developed by researchers at the University of Fribourg's Perception and Control Laboratory, enables players to better and more quickly identify the area of the goal least covered by the goalkeeper.

The use of animal manure in agriculture appears to be the best choice in terms of metal contamination of our soils Metals and hormone-disrupting substances such as oestrogens present a genuine risk to the sustainability of agriculture and water management in Europe. This is the conclusion of doctoral research conducted by Chinese environmental scientist Yuwei Jia at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

Adolescents with mental health conditions use social media differently than their peers, study suggests One of the first studies in this area to use clinical-level diagnoses reveals a range of differences between young people with and without mental health conditions when it comes to social media - from changes in mood to time spent on sites.

Characteristic depressive episodes are the most common mental disorders worldwide. One in five people will suffer from depression in their lifetime, with suicidal risk responsible for several thousand deaths a year in France.

An alloy of aluminum, magnesium and scandium is strong and does not become brittle even when exposed to relatively large amounts of hydrogen Aluminum alloys are known for their light weight and corrosion resistance - properties that make them ideal materials for a CO2-free economy. Whether in the lightweight construction of vehicles or as storage tanks for green hydrogen, the demand for aluminum will continue to increase with the transition to sustainable technologies.

A technical trick has been used to simulate a speed of light of only 2 m/s in the laboratory. This made it possible to reproduce the relativistic Terrell-Penrose effect for the first time. When an object moves extremely fast - close to the speed of light - certain basic assumptions that we take for granted no longer apply.

Treatment with gabapentinoids, a class of epilepsy and anxiety drug, is not directly associated with an increased risk of self-harm, finds a study led by UCL researchers. However, rates of self-harm were higher before and shortly after treatment, highlighting the need for close monitoring of patients throughout their treatment journey, say the authors of the new study.

Scientists from The University of Manchester have changed our understanding of how cells in living organisms divide, which could revise what students are taught at school. In a Wellcome funded study published today (01/05/25) in Science - one of the world's leading scientific journals - the researchers challenge conventional wisdom taught in schools for over 100 years.

The intensification of existing farmland can sometimes be more harmful to local biodiversity than expanding the area covered by agricultural land, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. They showed that neither expansion nor intensification is consistently better for biodiversity, as it varies by factors including region, crop type and local vegetation.

By adding a sound-mediated way to control light to the toolkit of light-based chips, University of Twente researchers have pushed the boundaries of the technology. This opens up the possibility of making atomic clocks small enough to fit in satellites and drones, helping them navigate without GPS. Imagine having to find your way with only a compass and the stars and being handed a GPS.