Plant leaves come in many different shapes‚ sizes and complexities. Some leaves are large and smooth‚ while others are smaller and serrated. Some leaves grow in single pieces while others form multiple leaflets. These variations in leaf structure play a crucial role in how plants adapt—and survive—in different environments.

The Space Climate Research Group at the University of Oulu‚ Finland has been studying the effects of energetic particle precipitation from space‚ more commonly known as the aurora borealis or Northern Lights‚ on winter weather variations for quite some time. The aurora borealis is not only a beautiful light phenomenon‚ but also involves chemical changes that lead to ozone depletion high in the polar stratosphere in winter.

A trio of biologists at Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz‚ in Brazil‚ has verified that a tiny frog‚ Brachycephalus pulex‚ also known as the Brazilian flea toad‚ which is found only in southern Brazil‚ is not only the world's smallest amphibian‚ it is also the world's smallest vertebrate. Their paper is published in the journal Zoologica Scripta.

The color centers of diamond are the focus of an increasing number of research studies‚ due to their potential for developing quantum technologies. Some works have particularly explored the use of negatively-charged group-IV diamond defects‚ which exhibit an efficient spin-photon interface‚ as the nodes of quantum networks.

Researchers at the University of Nevada‚ Reno have completed one of the most extensive river resilience studies‚ examining how river ecosystems recover following floods. They developed a novel modeling approach that used data from oxygen sensors placed in rivers to estimate daily growth in aquatic plants and algae. The researchers then modeled the algal and plant biomass in 143 rivers across the contiguous U.S. to quantify what magnitude of flooding disturbs the biomass and how long the rivers take to recover from floods.

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease found worldwide‚ caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In humans‚ infection poses a particular risk to pregnant women‚ as it can lead to birth defects. Like the closely related malaria pathogen—Plasmodium falciparum—and other related species‚ T. gondii possesses special organelles‚ so-called rhoptries and micronemes‚ for infecting the host cell.

A dipole magnetic field‚ created by a ring current‚ is the most fundamental type of magnetic field that is found both in laboratories and in space. Planetary magnetospheres‚ such as Jupiter's‚ effectively confine plasma.

Bananas are one of the most popular and widely consumed fruits in the world. They are also the fourth most grown crop in the world‚ trailing only rice‚ wheat and corn. What could this tropical fruit have to do with fighting the ongoing plastic waste crisis?

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)‚ Harvard Department of Chemistry &; Chemical Biology‚ and Utrecht University have reported on a previously elusive way to improve the selectivity of catalytic reactions‚ adding a new method of increasing the efficacy of catalysts for a potentially wide range of applications in various industries including pharmaceuticals‚ cosmetics and much more.

The inside of underwater pipes and enclosed nuclear containers were inaccessible—until recently. Acoustics researchers in Penn State's College of Engineering have developed a way to convey energy and transmit communications through metal walls using ultrasound.