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)
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Emotional expressions shape how help is received in the workplace
PULLMAN, Wash. – The way people express emotions while helping others can influence whether their assistance is welcomed, resented, or reciprocated, according to new research from Washington State University’s Carson College of Business.
The study, led by Stephen Lee, assistant professor of management, found that helpers who express emotions like gratitude and sympathy are more likely to be seen as having genuine motives and are more likely to foster trust and future collaboration. Conversely, when helpers display pride or contempt, their motives are often questioned, weakening relationships and reducing the likelihood of reciprocation.
“In the workplace, we often encourage helping behaviors, but not all help is perceived the same way,” Lee said. “It’s not just whether you help, but how you help—and the emotions you express—that shape how people respond.”
While past research often treated helping behavior as universally positive, the new findings suggest that recipients actively interpret emotional cues when deciding whether to trust and reciprocate help.
“Recipients are not passive; they pick up on emotional signals and use them to infer why someone is helping,” Lee said. “If they sense the helper is motivated by self-interest or obligation, it changes the way they perceive the help and whether they feel inclined to return the favor.”
The findings were based on three studies and a preliminary pilot study involving working adults and student participants. Participants were asked to either recall real-world helping experiences, take part in an interactive task in a behavioral lab, or respond to a vignette simulating interactions with a coworker.
Across all the studies, socially engaging emotions consistently led to perceptions of prosocial motives, stronger relationships, and greater willingness to reciprocate.
For leaders and managers, the study highlights the role of emotional expressions in shaping a culture of collaboration. Rather than encouraging helping behavior for its own sake, Lee recommends fostering a workplace environment where employees feel genuine gratitude for their colleagues and develop a natural sense of sympathy for others’ challenges.
“Helping that stems from gratitude or concern for others is more likely to create positive, lasting relationships,” Lee said. “If leaders can model those kinds of emotions in how they help their teams, it sets the tone for a more supportive and engaged workplace.”
At the individual level, employees can also benefit by reflecting on their own experiences of receiving help or by practicing perspective-taking—approaches that naturally foster more authentic emotions and social connections.
“When we express genuine gratitude or sympathy, we’re not just benefiting ourselves,” Lee said. “We’re strengthening our workplace relationships and building a more resilient culture of collaboration.”
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing issue in aquaculture.
Vaccines don’t work on fish larvae because they have no developed immune system, so alternatives are necessary.
Researchers in Denmark discovered that mixtures of bacteria from live-feed microalgae are capable of inhibiting fish pathogens.
Washington, D.C.—A new study by Danish researchers has demonstrated that it is possible to develop a consortium of bacteria that can inhibit bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. This could potentially reduce the use of antibiotics in aquaculture and possibly other applications. The study was published in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
In the new study, researchers set out to find and develop non-antibiotic biological disease control and prevention options for aquaculture. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-protein producing sector in the world and the carbon footprint is lower than that of many animal husbandry sectors. Aquaculture, like other intensive productions, is challenged by infectious disease outbreaks. Most commonly, these are caused by bacterial agents and can, to some extent, be treated with antibiotics. However, the alarming rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria calls for alternative treatments. While vaccines can be an excellent strategy, these do not work on fish larvae that have no developed immune system. Using beneficial bacteria or probiotics to combat pathogens is a strategy becoming widespread in both animal rearing and horticulture.
The researchers developed an in vitro assay to evaluate the anti-pathogen efficacy of mixed algal microbiomes from the live-feed microalgae Tetraselmis suecica and Isochrysis galbana. The scientists wanted to find combinations of beneficial bacteria, since they believe that the anti-pathogen effect is likely stronger in a combination. “To test if the pathogen could be inhibited by a mixture of other bacteria, we needed a measure of the growth (and growth inhibition of the pathogen), so we tagged the fish pathogen with a green fluorescent protein. By measuring this—and the reduction in fluorescence— we could identify bacterial communities that inhibited the pathogen,” said corresponding study author Lone Gram, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark.
The researchers found that mixtures of bacteria could inhibit Vibrio anguillarum, a fish pathogen, and subsequently isolated pure cultures of bacteria. They found that some of these bacteria only inhibited the fish pathogen when combined, not alone, demonstrating that some bacteria were stronger together.
“We have shown that it is possible in microbiomes (in our case, the microbiome of algae used as live feed in aquaculture) to find mixtures of bacteria that can inhibit the pathogen,” Gram said, “thus paving the way for engineering microbiomes that can inhibit bacterial pathogens and reduce the need for use of antibiotics. We can then reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”
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The American Society for Microbiology is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of over 37,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to all audiences.
Journal
Microbiology Spectrum
Disclaimer: AAAS and Eurek
Wind-related hurricane losses for homeowners in the southeastern U.S. could be nearly 76 percent higher by 2060
New research finds that homeowners in Texas are predicted to be the hardest hit -- along with those in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
Herndon, VA, May 21, 2025 -- Hurricane winds are a major contributor to storm-related losses for people living in the southeastern coastal states. As the global temperature continues to rise, scientists predict that hurricanes will get more destructive -- packing higher winds and torrential rainfall. A new study, published in the journal Risk Analysis, projects that wind losses for homeowners in the Southeastern coastal states could be 76 percent higher by the year 2060 and 102 percent higher by 2100.
University of Illinois civil engineer Eun Jeong Cha and her colleague Chi-Ying Lin used machine learning to simulate the impact of future hurricanes on wooden single-family homes with concrete masonry in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Over the last decade, these states have been hit hard by destructive storms like Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Helene (2024). Helene’s estimated total costs -- which included damages from record-breaking flooding in western Carolina -- were $78.7 billion.
“These states experience the highest hurricane activity and associated wind-related losses in the U.S.,” says Cha. “They represent a critical region for understanding how climate change may alter hurricane risk, especially given their large coastal exposure and growing population centers.”
Worst-Case Scenario
Cha’s simulation of future losses from increasing hurricane winds and rainfall utilizes projections based on the worst-case scenario of global warming from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Known as RCP8.5, this scenario represents the highest possible greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of policies to combat climate change. It estimates that the earth’s average global surface temperature will be 2.0° C higher by 2065 and 3.7° C higher by 2100 (relative to the 1986-2005 baseline). “The worst-case scenario is widely used to explore high-impact possibilities for long-term planning and resilience studies,” says Cha. “We view it as a stress-test scenario for hurricane wind risk.”
Under this scenario, the simulation projected that, in the eight southeastern coastal states:
Losses from wind and rain-ingress (when water enters a building) will be 49-76% higher by 2060 and 71-102% higher by 2100.
Hurricane wind speeds in Texas will be 14 percent higher in the 2050s compared to present-day levels.
Texas will experience the highest increase in expected losses, followed by the region of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Some inland counties, such as Charleston, South Carolina, may experience a relatively large percentage increase in projected risk.
At the county level, Cha and her colleagues found variations of hurricane risk associated with climate change, along with differences in regional preparation for hurricane wind hazards. The increasing vulnerability of the county of Charleston, South Carolina, may stem from a combination of projected increases in hurricane intensity, low historical exposure, and infrastructure that has not been stress-tested under more extreme wind and rain conditions.
“Within a state, climate change impact varies from coastal to inland counties,” says Cha. “The discrepancies we found emphasize the necessity of vast regional risk assessment for federal- and state-level resource allocation and risk mitigation planning, considering the impact of climate change.”
Insurance Models Need to Account for Heavier Rainfall
Hurricane winds account for over 40 percent of storm-related losses in the residential sector, causing $14 billion in expected annual costs to the U.S. economy, according to a 2019 report from the Congressional Budget Office. Yet most hurricane models used by insurance companies fail to consider the impact of climate change. In particular, says Cha, “rain-ingresses are often overlooked in risk assessments.” This is why her study considered damages from both stronger winds and heavier rain from future hurricanes in the southeastern coastal states.
Another study recently published in Risk Analysis focuses on the connection between extreme rainfall and extreme insurance claims. Yue Shi, a PhD candidate at the Norwegian School of Economics conducted a study of how extreme rainfall and climate-related events affect home insurance claims. Like Cha, she found increasing risk over time and significant geographical differences -- pointing to a need for new insurance models as the climate gets wetter.
Accurately estimating hurricane hazards and resulting losses is essential, says Cha. “Our findings contribute significantly to our understanding of climate change impacts on hurricane risks, providing valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and the insurance industry.”
About Society for Risk Analysis
The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) is a multidisciplinary, global organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of risk analysis. Founded in 1980, SRA brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from diverse fields including engineering, public health, environmental science, economics, and decision theory. The Society fosters collaboration and communication on risk assessment, management, and communication to inform decision-making and protect public well-being. SRA supports a wide range of scholarly activities, publications, and conferences.nt Learn more at www.sra.org.
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Journal
Risk Analysis
Article Title
Evaluating the impact of climate change on hurricane wind risk: A machine learning approach
Article Publication Date
21-May-2025
Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA: In new book, researchers announce breakthrough confirmation of Y chromosome shared by six living family descendants
Ancient Da Vinci family tomb: excavated remains undergo analysis
“Genìa Da Vinci,” by Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato, is published by Angelo Pontecorboli Editors with the support of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation and under the patronage of the Municipality of Vinci, as part of the “Leonardo DNA Project.”
VINCI. Italy — For over five centuries, Leonardo Da Vinci has been celebrated as a visionary artist, scientist, and inventor, known for his extraordinary talent and groundbreaking experiments. Today, an international collaboration known as the Leonardo DNA Project is closer than ever to uncovering the biological secrets of the greatest genius of the Renaissance.
In their new book “Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo’s DNA,” published by Angelo Pontecorboli Editore, experts Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association, Vinci, present findings from 30 years of genealogical research that have culminated in groundbreaking insights. Published with the support of the Municipality of Vinci, the book documents an elaborate family tree tracing back to 1331, spanning 21 generations and involving over 400 individuals. The work lays the groundwork for one of the most advanced historical-genetic investigations ever undertaken: the reconstruction of Leonardo’s genetic profile.
Through meticulous analysis of sources and archival documents — now published in the book — Vezzosi and Sabato successfully reconstructed branches of the family to which Leonardo belonged, including the identification of 15 direct male-line descendants related genealogically to both Leonardo’s father and to his half-brother, Domenico Benedetto.
This allowed David Caramelli, the Leonardo DNA Project’s coordinator for anthropological and molecular aspects, and Director of the Department of Biology at the University of Florence, along with forensic anthropologist Elena Pilli, to subject six of these descendants to DNA testing. Their analysis revealed that segments of the Y chromosome — used for individual identification — matched across these men, confirming the genetic continuity of the Da Vinci male line, at least since the 15th generation.
The authors also confirmed the existence of a Da Vinci family tomb in the Church of Santa Croce in Vinci, currently under archaeological excavation in collaboration with the University of Florence. This may be the burial site of Leonardo’s grandfather Antonio, uncle Francesco, and several half-brothers — Antonio, Pandolfo, and Giovanni.
The excavation leaders, University of Florence anthropologists Alessandro Riga and Luca Bachechi, recovered bone fragments, some of which have been radiocarbon dated. One specimen, consistent in age with Leonardo’s presumed relatives, has undergone paleogenomic analysis. Preliminary results from Caramelli and molecular anthropologist Martina Lari indicate the individual was male.
"Further detailed analyses are necessary to determine whether the DNA extracted is sufficiently preserved,” says Caramelli, who is also President of the University Museum System. “Based on the results, we can proceed with analysis of Y chromosome fragments for comparison with current descendants.”
If the Y chromosome of the living descendants is also found in the older remains in the Vinci church tombs, it would support the accuracy of paternity records, the historical reconstruction of the lineage established through death registers, and would allow for a more in-depth examination of the biological material attributed to Leonardo, as well as traces left on his original manuscripts or other works, potentially leading to the reconstruction of his DNA.
Launched in 2016 and coordinated from The Rockefeller University, New York, the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project involves the J. Craig Venter Institute of California, the University of Florence and other institutions, with support from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation (New York), the Richard Lounsbery Foundation (Washington, D.C.), and other public and private partners.
The team’s scientific starting point was a hypothesis as simple as it is crucial: to trace the Y chromosome, which is passed unchanged from father to son.
“Our goal in reconstructing the Da Vinci family’s lineage up to the present day, while also preserving and valuing the places connected to Leonardo, is to enable scientific research on his DNA,” says Vezzosi. “Through the recovery of Leonardo’s DNA, we hope to understand the biological roots of his extraordinary visual acuity, creativity, and possibly even aspects of his health and causes of death.”
”Even a tiny fingerprint on a page could contain cells to sequence,” says Jesse H. Ausubel of The Rockefeller University and director of the project. “21st-century biology is moving the boundary between the unknowable and the unknown. Soon we may gain information about Leonardo and other historical figures once believed lost forever.”
Surprising revelations
The book’s revelations extend beyond genetics. In 21 chapters, it takes readers on a rigorous and fascinating journey through genealogy, history, and geography to rediscover the environment that shaped Leonardo.
Through analysis of ancient land registries, the authors identified seven Da Vinci family homes in Vinci’s village and castle, as well as two properties owned by Leonardo himself, inherited from his uncle Francesco and contested in a long dispute with his half-brothers.
The authors devote special focus to two key figures in Leonardo's life: His paternal grandfather Antonio — not merely a farmer but a merchant who traveled between Catalan Spain and Morocco — and Leonardo’s mother, Caterina. Through careful examination of existing research, sources, and archives, a clearer, non-romanticized picture of Caterina emerges. Increasingly plausible is her identification as a slave in the service of wealthy banker Vanni di Niccolò di ser Vanni. A series of wills and donation records from 1449 onward document the relationship between Vanni and his executor, the young notary ser Piero, Leonardo's father.
A “Unicorn Dragon” ... by Leonardo?
Among the most intriguing revelations: The authors publish for the first time a study hypothesizing that a mysterious charcoal drawing of rare expressive intensity may be attributed to Leonardo. It was discovered on the fireplace mantle of an old building in Vinci (formerly the Bracci house), now owned by the Municipality.
The fantastical creature features several striking iconographic elements, though worn by time: A spiral horn on the head, elongated snout and curved beak, hooked teeth, flaming tongue, clawed limbs, pointed ears, pronounced scales on the back and neck, and a fan-like membranous wing with fingered extensions — anticipating Leonardo’s later studies of bird and bat flight — along with a serpentine tail.
Due to these features, Vezzosi and Sabato have named the work “Unicorn Dragon.” Particularly compelling is a comparison with a detail from Windsor sheet RL 12370, dated to the 1470s.
The attribution hypothesis is currently supported by Roberta Barsanti, Director of the Leonardian Museum and Library, and by Vinci’s Mayor, Daniele Vanni. The Municipality has planned scientific analysis and restoration of the large drawing (about 80x70 cm), under the supervision of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Florence and the provinces of Pistoia and Prato.
Leonardo: Epigenetics Pioneer?
The book suggests that Leonardo may have intuited concepts we now call “epigenetic.” In his writings on heredity, he reflects on the influence of diet, blood, and parental behavior on offspring — observations still relevant today.
“Leonardo questioned the origins of human life not only biologically: in his studies on generation, conception becomes a complex act where nature, emotion, and fate intertwine — anticipating themes now central to the genetics–epigenetics debate,” explains Agnese Sabato.
Towards a genetic portrait
The final chapter explores evocative similarities between some current descendants and Leonardo’s famed self-portrait, offered as a reflection. Nonetheless, the project’s scientific ambitions remain paramount. If enough DNA fragments can be sequenced, researchers could reveal new insights into Leonardo’s genetic heritage, physical traits, and perhaps even vulnerabilities that shaped his life and work.
“This is not just about the author of the world’s most famous painting,” concludes Ausubel. “It’s a challenge to redefine the limits of historical knowledge and cultural heritage.”
Reconstructing Leonardo’s genetic profile represents a milestone of international significance — for both science and the valourization of historical identity.
For the small Tuscan town of Vinci, which once welcomed a very special illegitimate child named Leonardo, the echo of his “genetic voice” across the centuries is now a source of deep pride and renewed wonder.
The historical research will also support an upcoming documentary and an international film production.
The book’s premiere presentation is scheduled for May 22, 2025, at the Vinci Theater.
And one thing is increasingly clear: our understanding of Leonardo Da Vinci is far from complete.
Key Points:
Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project: The first scientific project aimed at reconstructing Leonardo’s genome, through indirect and comparative biological sources
Art meets genetics: DNA found on manuscripts or drawings could confirm artwork authenticity, and techniques developed through the project could revolutionize how contested works are verified
Forensic analysis: Leonardo’s genetic profile could reveal biological traits like left-handedness, visual perception, diet, possible health predispositions, and physical appearance
21 documented generations: The reconstructed family tree has been updated from 1331 to the present, including the documentation of extinct family lines
Rediscovered heritage: Over 400 individuals analyzed, including 219 Da Vinci/Vinci (119 males and 100 females)
15 male descendants identified belonging to the direct patrilineal line, crucial for the study of the Y chromosome
Y chromosome: 6 direct male-line descendants successfully involved in comparative DNA analyses
The “Unicorn Dragon”: The hypothesis that a large drawing in Leonardo’s hometown may be attributed to him
Archaeological excavation in Vinci: First effort to identify remains in a Da Vinci family tomb documented in the Church of Santa Croce
Digital Archive “GenìaDaVinci”: A genealogical and documentary database for scholars, genealogists, and enthusiasts, based on traceability and historical verification criteria
Residences of Leonardo’s family: A new map of Da Vinci homes in Vinci village and countryside, including two of Leonardo’s own properties
Maternal mystery: A historically updated reconstruction of the hypotheses about Leonardo’s mother’s identity
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Launched in 2016, the Leonardo DNA Project involves The Rockefeller University (New York), the J. Craig Venter Institute (California), the Department of Biology at the University of Florence, and other institutions, with support from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation (New York), the Richard Lounsbery Foundation (Washington, D.C.), and other public and private partners.
Credit
Leonardo DNA Project
In their new book “Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo’s DNA,” experts Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association, Vinci, present findings from 30 years of genealogical research that have culminated in groundbreaking insights.
Credit
Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association
Can plants hear their pollinators? #ASA188
Research suggests pollinator buzzing sounds lead plants to increase their nectar production.
NEW ORLEANS, May 21, 2025 – When pollinators visit flowers, they produce a variety of characteristic sounds, from wing flapping during hovering, to landing and takeoff. However, these sounds are extremely small compared to other vibrations and acoustics of insect life, causing researchers to overlook these insects’ acoustic signals often related to wing and body buzzing.
Francesca Barbero, a professor of zoology at the University of Turin, and her collaborators — an interdisciplinary mix of entomologists, sound engineers, and plant physiologists from Spain and Australia — studied these signals to develop noninvasive and efficient methods for monitoring pollinator communities and their influences on plant biology and ecology.
Barbero will present her findings and their impacts on Wednesday, May 21, at 9 a.m. CT as part of the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics, running May 18-23.
“Plant-pollinator coevolution has been studied primarily by assessing the production and perception of visual and olfactory cues, even though there is growing evidence that both insects and plants can sense and produce, or transmit, vibroacoustic signals,” said Barbero.
Barbero and her collaborators played recordings near growing snapdragons of the buzzing sounds produced by a Rhodanthidium sticticumbee (sometimes called a snail-shell bee) to monitor the flowers’ reactions. The researchers found that the sounds of bees, which are efficient snapdragon pollinators, led the snapdragons to increase their sugar and nectar volume, and even alter their gene expression that governs sugar transport and nectar production.
The flowers’ response may be a survival and coevolution strategy, especially if the plants can affect the time pollinators spend within their flowers to increase their fidelity.
“The ability to discriminate approaching pollinators based on their distinctive vibroacoustic signals could be an adaptive strategy for plants,” said Barbero. “By replying to their proper vibroacoustic signal — for instance, an efficient pollinator’s — plants could improve their reproductive success if their responses drive modifications in pollinator behavior.”
While it’s clear that buzzing sounds can trigger plants’ responses, it’s less clear whether plant acoustics can also influence insect behavior — for example, whether sounds from plants can draw in a suitable pollinator.
“If this response from insects is confirmed, sounds could be used to treat economically relevant plants and crops, and increase their pollinators’ attraction,” said Barbero.
The team is conducting ongoing analyses comparing snapdragon responses to other pollinators and nectar robbers.
“The multitude of ways plants can perceive both biotic factors — such as beneficial and harmful insects, other neighboring plants — and abiotic cues, like temperature, drought, and wind in their surroundings, is truly astonishing,” Barbero said.
The project, “Good Vibes: How do plants recognise and respond to pollinator vibroacoustic signals?” (grant RGP0003/2022), is funded by the Human Frontier Science Program and is a collaborative effort between the University of Turin, I²SysBio in Valencia, and the Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration at the University of Technology Sydney.
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ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.
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The purpose of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA) is to promote international development and collaboration in all fields of acoustics including research, development, education, and standardization. ICA’s mission is to be the reference point for the acoustic community, becoming more inclusive and proactive in our global outreach, increasing coordination and support for the growing international interest and activity in acoustics. Learn more at https://www.icacommission.org/.
