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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
| Deciphering the biosynthetic gene cluster for potent freshwater toxin Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT Scientists discover the enzymes responsible for the production of one of the most toxic and fast-acting neurotoxins associated with freshwater harmful algal blooms in lakes and ponds. The discovery revealed that guanitoxin-producing cyanobacteria are more prevalent than originally known in the United States, opening the possibility for new molecular diagnostic testing to better inform and protect the public from this natural freshwater toxin. |
| Haywire T cells attack protein in 'bad' cholesterol Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT Detecting these T cells may lead to diagnostics to better detect heart disease--and disease severity--through a blood sample. The knowledge also brings researchers closer to developing a vaccine that dampens this dangerous immune cell activity to prevent atherosclerosis. |
| Light pollution can disorient monarch butterflies Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT Biologists say nighttime light pollution can interfere with the remarkable navigational abilities of monarchs, which travel as far as Canada to Mexico and back during their multi-generational migration. Researchers found that butterflies roosting at night near artificial illumination such as a porch or streetlight can become disoriented the next day because the light interferes with their circadian rhythms. Artificial light can impede the molecular processes responsible for the butterfly's remarkable navigational ability and trigger the butterfly to take wing when it should be resting. |
| Neuromorphic memory device simulates neurons and synapses Posted: 20 May 2022 10:29 AM PDT Researchers have reported a nano-sized neuromorphic memory device that emulates neurons and synapses simultaneously in a unit cell, another step toward completing the goal of neuromorphic computing designed to rigorously mimic the human brain with semiconductor devices. |
| Function follows form in plant immunity Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a novel biochemical mechanism explaining how immune proteins defend plants against invading microorganisms. |
| Killer T vs. memory -- DNA isn't destiny for T cells Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered how one type of T cell creates two genetically identical, but functionally different, daughter cells. |
| Satellites and drones can help save pollinators Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Satellites and drones can provide key information to protect pollinators. A new study examines new ways of using these technologies to track the availability of flowers, and says this could be combined with behavioral studies to see the world through the eyes of insects. |
| Snake trade in Indonesia is not sustainable enough -- but it could be Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT A substantial part of the trade in blood pythons in Indonesia is illegal and underreported, a new study has found. The study found no convincing evidence that the harvest of blood pythons in the area is sustainable. Even though the harvest and trade of the species are regulated by a quota system, misdeclared, underreported and illegal trade remain a serious challenge to its sustainable exploitation. |
| 'Traffic calming' boosts breeding on coral reefs Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Coral reef fish breed more successfully if motorboat noise is reduced, new research shows. |
| Two pathogens linked to salmon health and survival Posted: 19 May 2022 05:45 PM PDT Many wild salmon populations in B.C. have experienced substantial declines over the last three decades. New research can help chart a course towards better protection of wild salmon. |
| Dietary cholesterol worsens inflammation, sickness in mice with influenza Posted: 19 May 2022 01:48 PM PDT New research suggests high levels of dietary cholesterol make mice sicker when infected with influenza. This study links cholesterol in the diet with exacerbation of a viral infection. |
| Lost or extinct? Study finds the existence of more than 500 animal species remains uncertain Posted: 19 May 2022 12:01 PM PDT An international study provides the first global evaluation of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not been declared extinct and identifies more than 500 species considered to be 'lost'--those that haven't been seen by anyone in more than 50 years. |
| Repurposed antibiotic may be an effective therapeutic in COVID-19 infected mice Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT Repurposed drugs may have a speedier path to clinical use because they have already been shown to be safe in people. A new study suggests clofoctol may be an effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infections in mice. |
| Past events reveal how future warming could harm cold-water corals Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT How will future warming of the planet impact cold-water corals? A new analysis of ancient evidence from the last major global warming event identifies food and oxygen supply as key environmental factors that influence the vitality of cold-water corals in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. |
| Discovery of 'ghost' fossils reveals plankton resilience to past global warming events Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT The 'ghost' fossils are imprints of single-celled plankton called coccolithophores and their discovery is changing our understanding of how plankton in the oceans are affected by climate change. |
| Genetic underpinnings of severe staph infections Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT Scientists identified a mutated gene common to many patients with life-threatening infections, and found that people living with 5p- syndrome may be at similar risk. |
| Avian influenza: How it's spreading and what to know about this outbreak Posted: 19 May 2022 11:04 AM PDT A new study takes a data-driven look at influenza viruses circulating among different groups of birds and characterizes which types of birds are involved in spreading the virus. This paper publishes at a time when a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been spreading across North America. |
| Male pheromones improve health of females' eggs Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT New study on roundworms finds that exposure to male pheromones slows down aging of female eggs. Pheromone exposure decreased offspring death and chromosomal abnormalities by twofold. |
| Poll the audience: Using data from citizen science to keep wild birds in flight Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT New research examines the accuracy of information produced by citizen science apps for monitoring bird populations and found that it could actually offer a lot of utility for researchers, with some caveats. |
| Researchers find another layer to the code of life Posted: 19 May 2022 09:57 AM PDT A new examination of the way different tissues read information from genes has discovered that the brain and testes appear to be extraordinarily open to the use of rare codons to produce a given protein. Testes of both fruit flies and humans seem to be enriched in protein products of these rarely-used pieces of genetic code, suggesting another layer of control in the genome. |
| Diet plays key role in ADHD symptoms in children Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT Here's another good reason for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to eat their fruits and vegetables: It may help reduce inattention issues, a new study suggests. |
| how one of the X chromosomes in female embryonic stem cells is silenced Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT In most mammals, females have two X chromosomes and males have one X and one Y chromosome in each of their cells. To avoid a double dose of X-linked genes in females, one of the Xs is silenced early in the developmental process. This silencing is critical, yet how it happens has been relatively mysterious. Two new studies reveal more about this silencing process and insights that could improve stem cell research. |
| Watch dolphins line up to self-medicate skin ailments at coral 'clinics' Posted: 19 May 2022 08:53 AM PDT If a human comes down with a rash, they might go to the doctor and come away with some ointment to put on it. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins get skin conditions, too, but they come about their medication by queuing up nose-to-tail to rub themselves against corals. Researchers now show that these corals have medicinal properties, suggesting that the dolphins are using the marine invertebrates to medicate skin conditions. |
| Unlocking the secrets of killer whale diets and their role in climate change Posted: 19 May 2022 07:38 AM PDT Researchers have discovered new clues to understand how killer whales impact their environment. |
| Why baby leatherback marine turtles can't 'see the sea' Posted: 19 May 2022 07:38 AM PDT For most sea turtles, the journey to find the ocean from their nests is pretty straightforward. However, leatherback hatchlings more often crawl around in circles trying to find the ocean. Circling delays their entry into the ocean, wastes energy, and places them at greater danger from natural predators. Under different moon phases: bright light during full moon and only starlight under new moon, researchers have a better understanding of why this circling behavior happens and why it is most commonly observed in leatherbacks. |
| How cranberries could improve memory and ward off dementia Posted: 19 May 2022 05:11 AM PDT Researchers have found that eating cranberries could improve memory, ward off dementia, and reduce 'bad' cholesterol. The research team studied the benefits of consuming the equivalent of a cup of cranberries a day among 50 to 80-year-olds. They hope that their findings could have implications for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. |
| Are people swapping their cats and goldfish for praying mantises? Posted: 19 May 2022 05:11 AM PDT Praying mantises have gained recent popularity as pets, sold at animal fairs and pet markets, but also collected in the wild by a fast-growing community of hobbyists and professional marketers. An overview of this market's dynamics reports on both problems and opportunities of the pet mantis market, like the absence of regulations, but also the potential of a stronger collaboration between hobbyists and scientists for biodiversity conservation. |
| Satellite monitoring of biodiversity moves within reach Posted: 19 May 2022 05:11 AM PDT Global biodiversity assessments require the collection of data on changes in plant biodiversity on an ongoing basis. Researchers have now shown that plant communities can be reliably monitored using imaging spectroscopy, which in the future will be possible via satellite. This paves the way for near real-time global biodiversity monitoring. |
| New strategies to save rice, the world's most indispensable grain Posted: 19 May 2022 05:10 AM PDT Plants — they’re just like us, with unique techniques for handling stress. To save one of the most important crops on Earth from extreme climate swings, scientists are mapping out plants’ own stress-busting strategies. Biologists have learned what happens to the roots of rice plants when they're confronted with two types of stressful scenarios: too much water, or too little. These observations form the basis of new protective strategies. |
| Caesarean births not linked to increased risk of food allergy during infancy Posted: 18 May 2022 07:17 AM PDT Caesarean births are not linked to an increased risk of food allergy during the first year of life, according to a new study. |
| United States' ocean conservation efforts have major gaps, analysis shows Posted: 18 May 2022 05:06 AM PDT More than 98 percent of U.S. waters outside the central Pacific Ocean are not part of a marine protected area, and the ones that are tend toward 'lightly' or 'minimally' protected from damaging human activity, research shows. |
| Dynamics of adaptive immunity in tuberculosis uncovered Posted: 17 May 2022 08:22 AM PDT A new study partially explains why tuberculosis infections easily take hold in the host's lungs and suggests that boosting T cell response is key to creating a therapy that can shut down the infection at its onset. |
| Scent dogs detect coronavirus reliably from skin swabs Posted: 17 May 2022 06:48 AM PDT A recent study confirmed that scent detection dogs can be taught to identify individuals with a coronavirus infection from skin swabs. In the experimental set-up at Finland's Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, the accuracy of the dogs in identifying the samples was 92 percent. |
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