It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
New study sheds light on impact of stress on baby lizards
Bangor University
A Bangor University study has new shed light on the impact of stress on baby lizards.
Research led by Dr Kirsty Macleod from its School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, found that lizards whose mothers experienced stress during pregnancy grew more slowly and behaved differently.
Surprisingly, the paper, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology revealed that these stressed offspring were actually more social. They spent more time with other lizards, including their mother and siblings.
However, the research also found that unlike some other animals (including humans), baby lizards spending time with their mother after birth did not reduce the effects of the prenatal stress.
To conduct the study, the researchers looked at a type of Australian lizard called Liopholis whitii, which live in family groups, and tested how stress hormones given to mothers during pregnancy affected their offspring. The treatment is designed to mimic the short-term increase in hormones that an animal experiences when it encounters a predator or similar natural stressor.
Some baby lizards were raised with their mother for a few weeks, while others were raised alone, to see if being with their mother could help reduce the impact of prenatal stress.
These effects suggest that maternal stress is an important factor in how lizards behave socially and that it even overrides the influence of the social environment in the early period after birth. The findings have potential implications for understanding how social groups form in animals like lizards.
Dr Kirsty Macleod from Bangor University’s School of Environmental and Natural Sciences said, “Stress during pregnancy can affect how offspring grow and behave, including how they interact with others. In some animals, a supportive social environment after birth — like time spent with a parent — can reduce or ‘buffer’ the negative effects of early stress. However, scientists know less about how this works for simpler behaviours, such as whether a parent simply tolerates being near their young.
“This study shows that stress experienced by lizard mothers during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on their young, particularly on how social they are. It also suggests that, at least in these lizards, simply being near a parent after birth isn’t enough to undo the effects of prenatal stress. These findings help us better understand how social behaviour develops and how family groups might form in the wild.”
Illegitimate tasks refer to duties perceived as unnecessary or unreasonable in relation to one’s professional role. When such tasks accumulate, employees often experience the situation as unfair. Illegitimate tasks are also regarded as stressors that undermine one’s autonomous, or internal, motivation. Conversely, employees who encounter fewer illegitimate tasks are more likely to feel that their work is meaningful or consistent with their values, according to a recent study exploring the associations of illegitimate tasks with work motivation.
The study involved approximately 700 working adults who responded to three study questionnaires during one year. Among those who frequently encountered illegitimate tasks, motivation towards work declined during the follow-up. However, employees who viewed their work as interesting and valuable tended to experience a reduction in tasks perceived as illegitimate over time.
This suggests that the experience of illegitimate tasks and motivation may have reciprocal associations. It is also possible that the same factors which sustain autonomous motivation may help reduce the perception of tasks as illegitimate.
Supporting autonomous motivation in the workplace is key
Karkkola notes that in today’s ever-evolving world of work, it is essential to identify trends that may contribute to employees’ perception of tasks as illegitimate, especially when such tasks erode motivation.
“With AI and efficiency-driven reforms reshaping workplaces, further research is needed to understand what might protect employees against perceiving tasks as illegitimate. What actions can individuals take, and what role does the work community play?”
So far, research into what constitutes an illegitimate task across different professions, and how these perceptions arise, remains relatively scarce.
“Based on the findings of this study, I would argue that actions to support employees’ autonomous motivation, and the workplace atmosphere, are crucial. When these are in check, employees are more likely to integrate tasks that are potentially perceived as illegitimate into the broader context of their work.”
Illegitimate Tasks and Work Motivation: Examining the Full Continuum of Self-Determination
Article Publication Date
8-Sep-2025
How pre- and post-monsoon information can shape cyclone preparedness in the Bay of Bengal
This analysis of pre- and post-monsoon seasons and their effects on tropical cyclones can help shape the way we forecast and respond to this force of nature, to increase climate resilience and mitigate damage and loss in vulnerable regions
Graphical abstract depicts the contrasting upper-ocean responses to pre-monsoon (red tracks) and post-monsoon (blue tracks) cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. Pre-monsoon cyclones occur over slightly warmer waters (29–31 °C) and are linked to stronger freshwater inflow that lowers coastal salinity. Post-monsoon cyclones develop over slightly cooler waters (28–29 °C) and trigger elevated chlorophyll-a levels (9.9–14.4 mg/m³) along with heavier rainfall from intensified convection. Both cyclone types alter mixed layer depth and drive wind-induced nutrient upwelling through Ekman transport, resulting in distinct seasonal variations in oceanic physical and biological processes.
Credit: Chowdhury, S. U. M. B., Karmakar, A., Hoque, M. E., Hoque, M. M., Tahsin, T. H., & Chowdhury, S. (2025). Upper Ocean Response Mechanisms to Pre-Monsoon and Post-Monsoon Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research. https://doi.org/10.34133/olar.0105
Tropical cyclones (or hurricanes) are intense storms often featuring high winds, heavy rain and the potential for a lot of damage. Despite the wealth of information on cyclone impacts themselves, there has not been much learned about the impacts cyclones have on oceanic stability and recovery. The Bay of Bengal (BoB) is a hotspot for such activity, leading researchers to look into how the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons might shape the frequency and tenacity of tropical cyclones in this area. A team of researchers compared pre-monsoon and post-monsoon tropical cyclones of the same categories using the same key markers to find significant differences in oceanic conditions between the two seasons. The information found highlights the importance of seasonality in cyclone intensity and the ocean’s response pertaining not only to the Bay of Bengal but also to areas with similar conditions.
Researchers published their results in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research in August 2025.
“The Bay of Bengal responds differently to pre-monsoon and post-monsoon cyclones, creating unique seasonal patterns in sea surface temperature, salinity, mixed layer depth, and biological productivity,” said first author and scientific officer Siraj Uddin Md Babar Chowdhury.
Results demonstrated the importance of seasonality on cyclone conditions by measuring multiple factors during the pre-monsoon season (March to May) and post-monsoon season (October to December). Understanding these differences is paramount to the goal of predicting cyclone impacts.
For example, the sea surface temperature (SST) during the pre-monsoon season ranges from 29°C to 31°C, whereas for the post-monsoon season, there is less variability (28-29°C), indicating pre-monsoon cyclones might be more influenced by the higher ocean surface temperature and post-monsoon cyclones by the ocean’s structure.
Additionally, post-monsoon sea surface salinity (SSS) information indicates post-monsoon cyclones could be more driven by rainfall than the pre-monsoon cyclones, which appear to be primarily driven by drastic changes in salinity due to more freshwater availability. Sea level pressure (SLP) also appears to indicate stronger winds and lower pressures of a cyclone system in the post-monsoon season.
However, not all of these factors can instantly be measured. There is a time delay for some of the upper ocean responses, making ocean monitoring during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons critical for improving prediction accuracy. Some distinct differences between pre- and post-monsoon seasons have been observed, such as higher sea surface temperatures and coastal freshening (a noticeable decrease in the salinity of the water near the coast) seen in pre-monsoon cyclones, and cooler surface water temperatures and elevated chlorophyll-a (the predominant type of photosynthetic pigment found in algae) levels in the water for post-monsoon cyclones.
Even though there are some limitations to the study, such as the limited sample size and short time frame in which the comparative analysis was done, there is still promising information from which future plans can be built. Researchers hope to utilize high-resolution models and real-time ocean observations to continue their analyses and predictions on cyclone-driven ocean changes. Expanding upon the observations already made, the goal is to develop early warning tools and forecasts to protect regions that are vulnerable to cyclone damage and impacts, as well as inform adaptive mitigation strategies for damage that is inevitable when dealing with such forces of nature.
Siraj Uddin Md Babar Chowdhury of the Physical and Space Oceanography Division at the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Md Minarul Hoque of the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Showmitra Chowdhury of the Biological Oceanography Division at the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Anik Karmakar, Md Enamul Hoque and Tabassum Hossain Tahsin of the Department of Oceanography at the University of Chittagong contributed to this research.
No specific funding was received for this research.
Vertical farming offers a much-needed opportunity to secure food production in the face of climate change, but can it truly deliver a sustainable alternative to field-grown crops? A new study led by the University of Surrey has found that while vertical farms dramatically increase lettuce yields and use far less water, the carbon footprint still exceeds traditional lettuce farming – raising important questions about how the UK can balance food security with environmental responsibility.
The study, published in Food and Energy Security, is believed to be the first to fully account for soil emissions from field farming while comparing them to crops grown in a commercial vertical farm in the UK. Taking a cradle-to-store view of lettuce production, researchers analysed two UK farms – one on mineral soil and one on peat-based soil – and a farm in Spain, which together supply most of the UK’s lettuce. They then compared these with the vertical farm.
Results showed that vertical farms can deliver more than 20 times the yield of field farms – around 97 kilograms per square metre compared with just 3.3 kilograms. Water use is also around eight times lower compared to Spanish land farms, where irrigation demands are high (0.9 m³/kg lettuce in vertical farms compared with up to 7.3 m³/kg in Spain).
However, the greenhouse gas emissions remain higher with vertical farming. Even when powered by renewable electricity, vertically farmed lettuce produced about 0.93 kilograms of greenhouse gases for every kilogram grown, compared with 0.57 kilograms for UK field farms.
Michael Gargaro, Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability and lead author of the study, said:
“Vertical farming has the potential to transform food security in the UK, particularly as climate change and seasonal drought place growing pressure on traditional agriculture. Our research shows that while the technology can bring far higher yields and reduce water use, it currently comes with a higher carbon cost. The challenge now is to make vertical farming more energy-efficient and better integrated with renewable systems, so that it can become a truly sustainable solution.”
Much of the carbon impact was linked to the high energy demands of vertical systems and jute fibre plugs – fibrous blocks made from jute stems that are used to support and grow the plants instead of soil. Researchers found that switching to alternative materials, such as coconut coir, could cut the land footprint of vertical farms by more than 95 per cent – underscoring clear opportunities to reduce their environmental cost.
Dr Zoe M Harris, Director of the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability, Co-Director of the Institute for Sustainability and co-author of the study, said:
“With around 95 per cent of lettuce imported from Spain during the winter months, advances in novel vertical farming technology have made it possible to secure a year-round supply of fresh produce while freeing up land for restoration, such as peatland and woodland. But to viably compete with field farming, vertical farms must cut their energy use and rethink the materials they rely on.”
The research highlights that while vertical farming is not yet the most sustainable option for lettuce production, innovations in energy and materials could make it a crucial part of future food security in the UK, particularly as climate change and water scarcity threaten traditional growing regions like Spain.
The study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Europe accounts for around 25 percent of global electric vehicle sales. Despite the high demand, only around 6.8 percent of the energy required for cell production is currently supplied in Europe. Most of the energy is imported in the form of materials and battery cells. A team led by Prof Simon Lux (University of Münster and Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production, Germany) has now analysed the future energy requirements associated with the European Union’s (EU) goal of strengthening European battery supply chains. In order to achieve self-sufficiency by 2050, the researchers predict the EU will have to meet an annual increase in energy demand for local battery cell production from the current level of around 3.5 terawatt hours (TWh) per year to 250 TWh annually. This would only be possible if a well-developed recycling infrastructure were in place by then. In addition, Europe would need 200 to 250 TWh to charge electric vehicles and compensate for efficiency losses when discharging batteries for electric vehicles and stationary storage systems. Nevertheless, the increasing energy demand for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries would be offset by 90 TWh of upstream fossil fuel energy.
“Strengthening local battery supply chains is crucial to reducing energy dependence,” emphasises Simon Lux. “However, it also requires the supply of significant amounts of energy in Europe.” Battery-based electricity demand is growing disproportionately compared to total electricity demand, which will require major investments in renewable electricity generation and the corresponding infrastructure.
It will also be crucial for Europe to maximise battery recycling rates and recycling efficiency to reduce import dependency and future energy demand. The researchers assume that there will be significant recycling capacity in Europe (approx. 800 gigawatt hours of battery capacity are expected to be recycled annually from 2050 onwards). This could reduce the energy required for battery production in Europe by 33 to 46 percent. However, the current recycling infrastructure is still in its early stages of development. The researchers therefore conclude that European policymakers need to implement effective regulations that enable companies to develop viable and sustainable recycling capabilities.
The study is based on a life-cycle assessment analysis utilising data from recent research studies and the ecoinvent database. In addition, the research team performed the energy demand analysis using a simulation model, developed by the Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Münster, which represents a simplified battery circular economy.
Simon Lux is a professor of applied electrochemical energy storage technology and business chemistry at the University of Münster and an institute director of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB.
Field trial at IPK Gatersleben. The photo shows the trial fields where four wheat lines with semi-dwarf, dwarf, and extremely dwarf variants were grown for comparison with tall wild-type wheat. Photo: IPK Leibniz Institute/ M. Schierenbeck
Wheat is one of the world's most important staple foods, especially in the form of bread. A joint study by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB) and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) now shows that extremely dwarf wheat has a less favorable gluten composition than semi-dwarf, dwarf, or tall wild type wheat, and therefore produces flour with poorer baking properties.
The introduction of so-called dwarfing genes (Reduced height-Rht genes) during the “Green Revolution” in the 1960s is considered a milestone in agriculture. These genes ensure that wheat plants are shorter and therefore less susceptible to wind damage (lodging). They can also invest more energy in grain filling, which has significantly increased yields. “Today, more than 70 percent of all wheat varieties grown worldwide carry at least one of these genes,” says co-author Andreas Börner, scientist of the Genebank Department at the IPK and co-author of the study.
Unclear influence on gluten
Until now, however, it was unclear whether the Rht genes not only alter the straw length but also the gluten composition in the grain. Wheat gluten consists of two storage protein groups: gliadins and glutenins. Gliadins make doughs stretchy and viscous and act as a softener. Glutenins give doughs elasticity and strength. A balanced gliadin-glutenin ratio is crucial for good baking quality. If gliadins predominate too much, the dough becomes too soft, the bread volume decreases, and the baking result is poor.
To clarify the influence of the Rht genes on gluten composition, the research team compared tall wild-type wheat with five nearly identical variants in four wheat lines that differed only in the Rht genes. All lines were grown over three growing seasons at the IPK in Gatersleben to obtain comparable sample material. The climatic conditions of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 harvest years varied greatly.
The team came to the following conclusions:
The dwarfism genes found in modern wheat varieties (Rht1, Rht2, and their combination) had little effect on gluten composition. However, genes that cause extreme dwarfism (Rht3 and the combination Rht2+3) reduced the gluten content and shifted the gliadin-glutenin ratio, with potentially negative consequences for baking properties. However, environmental conditions had an even greater impact on gluten composition than genes: warm and humid conditions in 2021 during the grain filling phase led to a particularly high and unfavorable gliadin-glutenin ratio.
“Our results show that the introduction of semi-dwarf and dwarf genes during the Green Revolution did not negatively affect the gluten composition of modern wheat varieties,” explains first author and principal investigator Sabrina Geisslitz from the LSB. She adds: “However, in the future, consideration should be given to whether genes that cause extreme dwarfism should be introduced into new breeds. Such genes could impair baking quality and also increase the immunoreactive potential, as both are associated with a high gliadin content.”
“The study highlights how complex wheat breeding is,” adds Katharina Scherf, head of the Food Biopolymer Chemistry research group at the LSB. "As we were able to demonstrate, it is not only genes but also environmental conditions that determine the gluten composition in wheat. In view of climate change, this poses further challenges in optimizing breeds in terms of their gluten composition."
Publication: Geisslitz, S., Schierenbeck, M., Börner, A., and Scherf, K.A. (2025). Semi-Dwarfing Reduced Height Genes Hardly Influenced Gluten Protein Composition While Extreme Dwarfing Genes Decreased Glutenins in Wheat. Food Sci Nutr 13, e70649. 10.1002/fsn3.70649. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70649
Funding: This study was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Dr. MatÃas Schierenbeck) and by core funding from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research. Open access funding was enabled and organized by Project DEAL.
More Information:
The “Green Revolution” refers to the worldwide introduction of modern agricultural technologies beginning in the 1960s. In addition to short-stature wheat, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, and mechanization contributed to a significant increase in yields, with ecological and social consequences that continue to this day.
Grain filling is the final growth phase of cereal plants, during which the pollinated ovaries develop into fully formed grains through the accumulation of starch and other nutrients from the plant's foliage. This process involves the transfer of carbohydrates and the accumulation of dry matter and water, which directly affects the final weight, size, and quality of the grains and thus the overall yield of the plant.
Gliadins and glutenins are two different groups of proteins that differ in their properties. Glutenins are giant macromolecules (polymers) consisting of many individual molecules that have aggregated. Glutenin polymers have molecular weights ranging from 500,000 to over 10 million and are among the largest naturally occurring proteins. In contrast, gliadins are single molecules (monomers) with a molecular weight between 28,000 and 55,000. Research at the LSB has not only led to a better understanding of the function of gliadins and glutenins in baking. It has also helped to elucidate the structure of immunoreactive sequences of gliadins, which cause celiac disease in some people due to their genetic predisposition.
Celiac disease is a chronic disease of the small intestine. Gluten intolerance is the main trigger of the disease, which occurs particularly in people with a genetic predisposition. The other co-factors that stimulate the onset of the disease are not yet fully understood.
Information About the Institute:
The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) comprises a new, unique research profile at the interface of Food Chemistry & Biology, Chemosensors & Technology, and Bioinformatics & Machine Learning. As this profile has grown far beyond the previous core discipline of classical food chemistry, the institute spearheads the development of a food systems biology. Its aim is to develop new approaches for the sustainable production of sufficient quantities of food whose biologically active effector molecule profiles are geared to health and nutritional needs, but also to the sensory preferences of consumers. To do so, the institute explores the complex networks of sensorically relevant effector molecules along the entire food production chain with a focus on making their effects systemically understandable and predictable in the long term.
A Member of the Leibniz Associatation
The Leibniz-LSB@TUM is a member of the Leibniz Association, which connects 96 independent research institutions. Their orientation ranges from the natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences through economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance.They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry and the general public.
Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 21,300 people, including 12,200 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2,2 billion euros.
