Schools are open during the coronavirus outbreak but should I voluntarily keep my kids home anyway, if I can? We asked 5 experts

We asked five experts to answer the question: schools are staying open but should I voluntarily keep my kids home anyway, if I can

Journal rankings ditched: the experts respond

The Australian government has dropped the contentious system of ranking academic journals. Sunanda Creagh has compiled experts\u27 responses at The Conversation. . Previously, journals were ranked either A*, A, B or C, and academics were assessed based on their ability to publish in the top-ranked publications. The decision was announced as part of a review of the way the next Excellence of Research in Australia (ERA) exercise would be conducted by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The ERA is the method by which academic units are assessed and helps informs which research projects receive funding. Here is a range of expert views on the changes: Read the full article Photo: diylibrarian/ flick

Who's top dog? New research sorts dominant and submissive canine poses

[Extract] In the first quantitative study on status behaviour in a stable group of domestic dogs, Dutch researchers have identified and categorised dog behaviours most consistently associated with dominance and submission.\ud \ud The new study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, adds some quantitative data to a debate usually infused with opinion.\ud \ud The researchers found that the concept of dominance does apply to domestic dogs and that certain behaviours, regardless of context, are good indicators of the dog's status.\ud \ud "The best indicator for status assessment in a pair of individuals, as well as for the position in the group (rank order), is submission, not aggression," said lead researcher, Joanne van der Borg, a behavioural biologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.\ud \ud "The best formal submission signal is body tail wag, often shown in combination with mouth lick. Lowering of posture is the best status indicator for most relationships. The tail position is the most informative body part of dogs for the assessment of status in relationships.