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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
| Invasive species and climate change impact coastal estuaries Posted: 05 May 2022 03:09 PM PDT Native species in California's estuaries are expected to experience greater declines as invasive species interact with climate change, according to a new study. |
| Recurrent UTIs linked to gut microbiome, chronic inflammation Posted: 05 May 2022 03:09 PM PDT A study suggests that women who get recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) may be caught in a vicious cycle in which antibiotics given to eradicate one infection predispose them to develop another. |
| Land-building marsh plants are champions of carbon capture Posted: 05 May 2022 03:09 PM PDT Human activities such as marsh draining for agriculture are increasingly eating away at saltwater and freshwater wetlands that cover only 1% of Earth's surface but store more than 20% of all carbon dioxide absorbed by ecosystems worldwide. A new study shows that it's not too late to reverse the losses if we use innovative restoration practices that replicate natural landscape-building processes that enhance the restored wetlands' carbon-storing potential. |
| Cell division in moss and animals more similar than previously thought Posted: 05 May 2022 12:03 PM PDT For a new plant to grow from a seed, cells need to divide numerous times. Daughter cells can each take on different tasks and sometimes vary in size. How plants determine the plane of cell division in this process, known as mitosis, is currently being researched. Working with Physcomitrella -- a moss plant, they have now identified how the mitotic apparatus is localized in the plant cell: "Using moss cells we were able to observe an unexpected process that is important for the position of the cell division site in plants. |
| Water scarcity predicted to worsen in more than 80% of croplands globally this century Posted: 05 May 2022 11:38 AM PDT Agricultural water scarcity is expected to increase in more than 80% of the world's croplands by 2050, according to a new study. |
| Cutting calories and eating at the right time of day leads to longer life in mice Posted: 05 May 2022 11:37 AM PDT In a study that followed hundreds of mice over their lifespans, calorie restriction combined with time-restricted eating boosted longevity. |
| Posted: 05 May 2022 11:37 AM PDT Whether it's making rash decisions or feeling grumpy, hunger can make us think and act differently -- 'hangry,' even. But little is known about how hunger signals in the gut communicate with the brain to change behavior. Now, scientists are using worms as a model to examine the molecular underpinnings and help explain how hunger makes an organism sacrifice comfort and make risky decisions to get a meal. |
| Only 10 vaquita porpoises survive, but species may not be doomed, scientists say Posted: 05 May 2022 11:32 AM PDT The world's smallest marine mammal -- the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, which lives only in Mexico's Sea of Cortez -- is believed to have only 10 living members, if that, of the species. The vaquita is widely thought to be on the verge of extinction, but a new scientific analysis by a team of biologists concludes the species remains relatively healthy and can survive -- if the illegal use of 'gillnet' fishing ceases promptly. |
| Understanding how sunscreens damage coral Posted: 05 May 2022 11:32 AM PDT Researchers reveal a mechanism by which oxybenzone, a common sunscreen component, damages corals. The surprising findings could help guide the development and marketing of effective, coral-safe sunscreens. |
| Small changes -- but essential! How peptides are recognized in receptors Posted: 05 May 2022 08:47 AM PDT The human body consists of trillions of cells that constantly communicate with each other. A central role in this communication process is played by receptor proteins on the cell surface. Since they often serve as drug targets, they have been the subject of intensive research. Often there are whole families of receptors. The signal messengers as well as the receptors are very similar to each other, so it is not clear how the signals are distinguished from each other at the molecular level. Now, scientists have succeeded in determining high-resolution structures for three related signalling complexes that occur naturally in the body for the neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptor family, thus shedding light on the 'small but essential differences'. |
| Global bird populations steadily declining Posted: 05 May 2022 08:46 AM PDT Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions. Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct overexploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines. |
| New discovery to improve malaria elimination strategies Posted: 05 May 2022 05:56 AM PDT Researchers have made a crucial discovery about how asymptomatic malaria infections impact the body, informing potential strategies to control transmission and improve treatment outcomes. |
| 'Lost' coral species resurrected Posted: 05 May 2022 05:56 AM PDT With about one-third of the world's corals currently under threat of extinction due to climate change, researchers have made the encouraging discovery of a 'lost' species of coral that had been hidden for more than 50 years. |
| Quantum mechanics could explain why DNA can spontaneously mutate Posted: 05 May 2022 05:56 AM PDT The molecules of life, DNA, replicate with astounding precision, yet this process is not immune to mistakes and can lead to mutations. Using sophisticated computer modelling, a team of physicists and chemist have shown that such errors in copying can arise due to the strange rules of the quantum world. |
| Baby corals are just as susceptible as adults to deadly reef disease Posted: 04 May 2022 02:08 PM PDT Baby corals are just as susceptible as adults to a deadly disease that has been spreading across Florida's reefs since 2014, according to a new study. The findings showed that stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) infects baby corals with similar severity and mortality that we see in adult colonies. This is the first study to show the impacts of any coral disease on baby corals. |
| A new 225-million-year-old reptile from Brazil Posted: 04 May 2022 10:08 AM PDT A reassessment of Faxinalipterus minimus, a purported Triassic pterosaur from southern Brazil resulted in the description of a new taxon -- researchers present Maehary bonapartei a small reptile that is considered to be the most basal of the evolutionary lineage that gave rise to pterosaurs. The study also demonstrates that Faxinalipterus minimus is not a winged reptile, contrary to what was previously supposed. |
| Correct dosage for ultraviolet disinfection against COVID Posted: 04 May 2022 08:04 AM PDT When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, ultraviolet radiation became one of the go-to methods for preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, along with facemasks, hand sanitizer and social distancing. The problem: There was little research showing what UV dosage kills the virus. In a new study, researchers lay the foundation for health standards about what offers true disinfection. |
| Posted: 04 May 2022 08:04 AM PDT Dormant herpesviruses induce their reactivation via a previously unknown cellular mechanism mediated by a viral microRNA. |
| Shielding children from food insecurity -- no protection from psychological problems Posted: 04 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT New research found that in families where adults sacrifice their own nutritional needs so that their offspring are fed first, the mental health of both groups is less severely affected, although it is nevertheless affected. |
| Taste of the future: Robot chef learns to 'taste as you go' Posted: 04 May 2022 05:26 AM PDT A robot 'chef' has been trained to taste food at different stages of the chewing process to assess whether it's sufficiently seasoned. |
| Studying wealth inequality in animals can reveal clues about how their societies evolved Posted: 03 May 2022 05:16 PM PDT A new review creates a framework for learning about animal societies by drawing inspiration from studies of inequality in humans. |
| New open-source software automates RNA analysis to speed up research and drug development Posted: 03 May 2022 04:02 PM PDT 'Pytheas' is an app created to identify and quantify modified RNA molecules more easily than ever. |
| How Acinetobacter baumannii survives without water on hospital surfaces Posted: 02 May 2022 02:09 PM PDT The pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii can survive on hospital surfaces -- without water -- for months, an ability that has helped it become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Now, a team of researchers has discovered a mechanism this bug uses to live in a dried-out state, a discovery that could help target it for elimination and that might be commercially translated into preservation strategies for probiotics. |
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