Mycorrhizal fungi alter root exudation to cultivate a beneficial microbiome for plant growth – Functional Ecologists

In this blog post, Yunxian Xu discusses his study “Mycorrhizal fungi alter root exudation to cultivate a beneficial microbiome for plant growth“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2023…

Viewpoint: ‘Enemy of Science’ — Friends of the Earth renews its organic industry-funded campaign against GM crops

Bridging Motivation Gaps: LLMs and Health Behavior Change

Summary: A new study explores how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Llama 2 address different motivational states in health-related contexts, revealing a significant gap in their…

Immunotherapy Shows Promise as Alzheimer’s Treatment

Summary: Researchers unveiled a novel approach to combat Alzheimer’s disease by activating microglia, the brain’s immune cells, to devour amyloid beta plaques, a hallmark of the condition. This study highlights…

Fine-scale thermal heterogeneity drives summertime limpet distributions – Functional Ecologists

In this blog post, Spencer Virgin, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, discusses his study “Behavioural thermoregulation and food availability drive fine-scale seasonal habitat partitioning in…

Stress and Trauma Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s

Summary: Researchers linked midlife stress and childhood trauma to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and neuroinflammation. Analyzing 1,290 volunteers, researchers found that stressful life events, especially during midlife, correlate…

Eavesdropping on fish could help us keep better tabs on underwater worlds

Scientists are on a quest to log all the sounds of fish communication. The result could lead to better monitoring of ecosystems and fish behavior.

Keto Diet May Improve Mental Health Symptoms

Summary: A new pilot study presents a compelling case for the ketogenic diet as a dual-action treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, who often…

Here’s why roller pigeons do backflips

Atoosa Samani started learning about pigeon genetics at a young age. She grew up surrounded by pet pigeons in Isfahan, a city in central Iran famed for its pigeon towers.…

The Power of Music on Cognitive Arousal

Summary: A new study explores the influence of personalized music on cognitive arousal and performance, drawing on the Yerkes-Dodson law’s inverted-U theory. The study used participants’ physiological and behavioral signals…