Algorithm-generated music recommendations may be least accurate for hard rock listeners

Listeners of high-energy music such as hard rock and hip-hop may be given less accurate music recommendations by music recommender systems than listeners of other non-mainstream music, according to research published in the open access journal EPJ Data Science.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-algorithm-generated-music-accurate-hard.html

Researchers discover how animals grow their pointy body parts

An interdisciplinary team at Monash University discovered a new universal rule of biological growth that explains surprising similarities in the shapes of sharp structures across the tree of life, including teeth, horns, claws, beaks, animal shells, and even the thorns and prickles of plants.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-animals-pointy-body.html

Algorithm-generated music recommendations may be least accurate for hard rock listeners

Listeners of high-energy music such as hard rock and hip-hop may be given less accurate music recommendations by music recommender systems than listeners of other non-mainstream music, according to research published in the open access journal EPJ Data Science.

Researchers discover how animals grow their pointy body parts

An interdisciplinary team at Monash University discovered a new universal rule of biological growth that explains surprising similarities in the shapes of sharp structures across the tree of life, including teeth, horns, claws, beaks, animal shells, and even the thorns and prickles of plants.

Racial diversity within a church is associated with higher average attendance over time

United Methodist churches—whether the congregation is white or not—have higher attendance when located within white neighborhoods. But racial diversity within a church is associated with higher average attendance over time, according to a new study.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-racial-diversity-church-higher-average.html

Carried with the wind: Mass migration of Larch Budmoth to the Russian High Arctic

Arctic habitats have fascinated biologists for centuries. Their species-poor insect faunas, however, provide little reward for entomologists—scientists who study insects—to justify spending several weeks or even months in the hostile environments of tundra or polar deserts. As a result, data on insects from the High Arctic islands are often based on occasional collecting and remain scarce.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-mass-migration-larch-budmoth-russian.html

Scientists identify virus-cell interaction that may explain COVID-19's high infection rate

Bioengineering researchers at Lehigh University have identified a previously unknown interaction between receptors in human cells and the spike, or "S," protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This new information could aid in the development of new strategies to block SARS-CoV-2 entry into human cells.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-virus-cell-interaction-covid-high.html

Forests on caffeine: coffee waste can boost forest recovery

A new study finds that coffee pulp, a waste product of coffee production, can be used to speed up tropical forest recovery on post agricultural land. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-forests-caffeine-coffee-boost-forest.html

'Premature' easing of COVID curbs boosts US cases, Fauci says

A recent plateau in new COVID-19 infections in the United States was likely linked to the "premature" easing of anti-virus efforts, top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci said Sunday.

England resumes outdoor gatherings as COVID lockdown eases

England enters the second phase of its lockdown easing on Monday thanks to a successful vaccination drive, but the government is urging vigilance as another wave of coronavirus sweeps Europe.

Chinese streaming site Bilibili sinks on Hong Kong debut after $2.6 bn IPO

Video streaming site Bilibili sank on its first day trading on Hong Kong's stock exchange on Monday as investors fret over a global sell-off in Chinese tech shares.

Snap lockdown ordered in Australia's Brisbane after virus outbreak

More than two million people in Brisbane were ordered into a three-day lockdown Monday after a cluster of coronavirus cases was detected in Australia's third-biggest city.

WHO report says animals likely source of COVID

A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is "extremely unlikely," according to a draft copy obtained by The Associated Press.

China cuts taxes to spur semiconductor development

China announced tax breaks Monday to spur growth of its semiconductor industry following U.S. sanctions that alarmed the ruling Communist Party by cutting off access to American processor chips for tech giant Huawei and some other companies.

SolarWinds hack got emails of top DHS officials

Suspected Russian hackers gained access to email accounts belonging to the Trump administration's head of the Department of Homeland Security and members of the department's cybersecurity staff whose jobs included hunting threats from foreign countries, The Associated Press has learned.

Merkel urges errant German states to stick to virus plan

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday pleaded with Germany's 16 federal states to stop straying from agreed pandemic measures, with her CDU party's ratings plummeting as the country stumbles in its virus response.

Vote count to begin in Amazon union drive

Votes are set to be counted Tuesday on whether to create the first Amazon union in the United States, at a warehouse in Alabama, after a historic, five months-long David vs Goliath campaign.

More exercise, fewer screens: New Australian guidelines for kids in OSHC

Groundbreaking research from the University of South Australia has delivered world-first national-level guidelines to better inform children's physical activity and screen time in Outside School Hours Care (OSHC).

Machine learning helps spot gait problems in individuals with multiple sclerosis

Monitoring the progression of multiple sclerosis-related gait issues can be challenging in adults over 50 years old, requiring a clinician to differentiate between problems related to MS and other age-related issues. To address this problem, researchers are integrating gait data and machine learning to advance the tools used to monitor and predict disease progression.

One in five Colorado high school students has access to firearms

Twenty percent of high school students have easy access to a handgun, according to a new study from the Colorado School of Public Health on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Noninfluenza viruses have rates of illness, death similar to flu

Noninfluenza respiratory viral infections (NIRV) are associated with illness and death rates similar to influenza in hospitalized adults, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Racial diversity within a church is associated with higher average attendance over time

United Methodist churches—whether the congregation is white or not—have higher attendance when located within white neighborhoods. But racial diversity within a church is associated with higher average attendance over time, according to a new study.

Carried with the wind: Mass migration of Larch Budmoth to the Russian High Arctic

Arctic habitats have fascinated biologists for centuries. Their species-poor insect faunas, however, provide little reward for entomologists—scientists who study insects—to justify spending several weeks or even months in the hostile environments of tundra or polar deserts. As a result, data on insects from the High Arctic islands are often based on occasional collecting and remain scarce.

The Latest Blog Post by Raman Kuppuswamy, the Content Creator

Raman Kuppuswamy, a content creator, says that he has released yet another post on his blog Career Ascension Ladder. The title of the post is "A Few Urgent Tips to Grow in Your Career." The content creator adds that he believes that the tips provided in his new post will help struggling employees who are not able to achieve the growth they have been aiming at. [PR.com]

Teen Eco-Influencer Samantha Torres Joins ABC News Radio to Discuss #MeatlessMonday

Teen eco-influencer Samantha Torres joined ABC News Radio’s Aaron Michael Sanchez to discuss the #MeatlessMonday movement that she and other global citizens are promoting to improve the health of our planet - one meatless meal at a time. The high school junior, who was named the 2020 Student Leader of the Year by global environmental nonprofit Grades of Green shared with listeners the importance of plant-based [PR.com]

Scientists identify virus-cell interaction that may explain COVID-19's high infection rate

Bioengineering researchers at Lehigh University have identified a previously unknown interaction between receptors in human cells and the spike, or "S," protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This new information could aid in the development of new strategies to block SARS-CoV-2 entry into human cells.

Forests on caffeine: coffee waste can boost forest recovery

A new study finds that coffee pulp, a waste product of coffee production, can be used to speed up tropical forest recovery on post agricultural land. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence.