More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early signs of leaf drop generally increased seed yield and consistently delivered the highest gross margin.
Tuberculosis bacteria released into the air from infected individuals dry out to form infectious particles that are second only to measles in contagiousness. Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have discovered specific mechanisms that enable the bacteria not only to survive drying but also to generate mutations linked to antibiotic resistance. This suggests that transmission involves more than the passive movement of bacteria between people and may be a period during which the pathogen evolves.
The physical, cognitive and emotional loads of running a household should be recognized when examining the health of a couple's relationship, new research has found. A University of Queensland study examined the "tri-load" of household labor—physical (traditional chores such as washing, cleaning and cooking); cognitive (planning shopping lists, scheduling appointments); and emotional (anticipating, caring, comforting, consoling).
What kind of society would you rather live in: an equal one where everyone is just about getting by? Or an unequal one where most people are doing substantially better, but a small group consistently falls behind? Now imagine having to choose that society before you were even born, but with no idea where you'll end up in it.
Welding plastic is a critically important part of everyday engineering—especially for preventing leaks in underground water and gas pipes. For decades, engineers have understood that a properly welded joint in polyethylene pipe can be just as strong as the pipe itself, if not stronger. However, the reason for this strength has remained a mystery.
In 1899, scientists began tracking avian migration by placing a small ring with an identifier around birds' ankles. Researchers then had to recapture the birds elsewhere, leaving the journey between those points a mystery. Today, GPS tags allow researchers to see every stage of bird migration. The tags are small, have long-lasting batteries and solar panels, and track dozens of metrics. Migration is no longer described as just a theoretical range but rather as an exact map. Despite this technological advancement, the routes of many species in their respective flyways remain undescribed.
Single-use paper cups used for takeout coffee and other beverages release millions of microplastic particles when exposed to hot liquid, University of Queensland researchers have found.
Children in the postmedieval Dutch workforce worked so hard that their spines became worn and deformed, with some children affected before they even had a chance to lose their baby teeth, a new study published in the International Journal of Paleopathology finds.
