The effect of microplastics on the speed, mortality rate, and swimming patterns of Daphnia Magna
In this study, the authors investigate the effects that microplastics (which pollute fresh and saltwater ecosystems) have on plankton species Daphnia Magna by measuring their movement and viability.
Read More...Transfer Learning for Small and Different Datasets: Fine-Tuning A Pre-Trained Model Affects Performance
In this study, the authors seek to improve a machine learning algorithm used for image classification: identifying male and female images. In addition to fine-tuning the classification model, they investigate how accuracy is affected by their changes (an important task when developing and updating algorithms). To determine accuracy, a set of images is used to train the model and then a separate set of images is used for validation. They found that the validation accuracy was close to the training accuracy. This study contributes to the expanding areas of machine learning and its applications to image identification.
Read More...Examining What Causes Perceived Dissonance in Musical Intervals and the Effect of Timbre on Dissonance
Music is an important part of the day for many of us, but what makes some combinations of sound more pleasant to the ear than others? In this article the authors investigate the role of some characteristics of sound on the perception of a pleasant vs harsh musical note.
Read More...Optimizing Arthrospira platensis growth for biofuel production via symbiosis between cyanobacteria strains
The authors test symbiotic relationships among cyanobacteria species to generate more robust cultures for potential biofuel production.
Read More...Sex differences in linear polyubiquitination in the entorhinal cortex during fear memory formation
The authors explore sex-specific differences in the formation of fear memories across several rat brain regions.
Read More...The external presence of running water influences the root growth of pea plants (Phaselous vulgaris)
Each year, invasive tree roots cause large amounts of damage to underground pipes. While this is usually due to leaks and cracks, tree roots can also invade pipes that are structurally sound. We are interested in investigating whether plant roots have an affinity towards flowing water, measured through mass, even when the running water is not in direct contact with soil. We tested this by creating a choice chamber with water running under one end and no stimulus on the other end. Overall, the masses of the roots growing towards flowing water were greater than the masses of the roots growing towards the end with no stimulus, showing that plant roots did have an affinity towards flowing water.
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