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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
| Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT How stress is transmitted from one animal to another is the study topic of behavioral ecologists and collective behavior researchers. |
| How eating eggs can boost heart health Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT Researchers have shown how moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood. |
| Climate change on course to hit U.S. Corn Belt especially hard, study finds Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT Climate change will make the U.S. Corn Belt unsuitable for cultivating corn by 2100 without major technological advances in agricultural practices, a new study finds. |
| Living with dogs (but not cats) as a toddler might protect against Crohn's disease Posted: 24 May 2022 09:45 AM PDT Young children who grow up with a dog or in a large family may have some protection later in life from a common inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn's disease, according to a new study. |
| Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT Mustelids are the most ecologically and taxonomically diverse family within the order Carnivora. From the tayra in the neotropics to the wolverine in the subarctic, they inhabit a variety of ecological niches and developed corresponding species-specific traits related to their diet, reproductive strategy and morphology. An international team of scientists conducted a comparative analysis of whole genomes of several mustelids to obtain insights into the molecular basis of these adaptations. |
| Cystic fibrosis: Restoring airway integrity Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disease which can cause very serious symptoms. In particular, patients suffer from chronic bacterial infections that can lead to respiratory failure. It is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which regulates water movement across the cell membrane. Consequently, mucus quality is altered, it is no longer capable of capturing undesirable bacteria and expelling them. Using a model reproducing a respiratory epithelium -- a protective tissue composed of a monolayer of cells -- scientists have discovered that a simple film of liquid is sufficient to restore the airways' seal and reduce the risk of bacterial infection. |
| Human or seal? Who has the best underwater hearing? Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT We humans do better on land than under water -- also when it comes to our hearing. But now a new study shows that we actually have better underwater hearing than previously thought -- at certain frequencies we hear just as well as the seal. |
| Microbes can degrade the toughest PFAS Posted: 23 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Engineers now report selective breakdown of a particularly stubborn class of PFAS called fluorinated carboxylic acids (FCAs) by common microorganisms. Under anaerobic conditions, a carbon-carbon double bond is crucial for the shattering the ultra-strong carbon-fluorine bond by microbial communities. The resulting products could be relayed to other microorganisms for defluorination under in aerobic conditions. |
| Researchers have developed a potential super wheat for salty soils Posted: 23 May 2022 12:06 PM PDT Researchers have developed several new varieties of wheat that tolerate soils with higher salt concentrations. After having mutated a wheat variety from Bangladesh, they now have a wheat with seeds that weigh three times more and that germinate almost twice as often as the original variety. |
| Bacteria can live in snake and spider venoms Posted: 23 May 2022 10:50 AM PDT Newly published research shows that, contrary to what is commonly believed, the venom of snakes and spiders is actually populated with microbes, including bacteria that could cause infection in people who have suffered a bite. |
| Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Life-Threatening Bacterial Disease in Dogs Posted: 23 May 2022 10:50 AM PDT Veterinarians and researchers have developed a technique to predict leptospirosis in dogs through artificial intelligence. Leptospirosis is a life-threatening bacterial disease dogs can get from drinking contaminated water. |
| New CRISPR-combo boosts genome editing power in plants Posted: 23 May 2022 10:50 AM PDT Scientists have developed CRISPR-Combo, a method to edit multiple genes in plants while simultaneously changing the expression of other genes. This new tool will enable genetic engineering combinations that work together to boost functionality and improve breeding of new crops. |
| Gene-edited tomatoes could be a new source of vitamin D Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT Tomatoes gene-edited to produce vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, could be a simple and sustainable innovation to address a global health problem. |
| Skydiving salamanders live in world's tallest trees Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT Researchers have documented in a vertical wind tunnel the amazing ability of one species of salamander -- which spends its entire life in the tops of redwoods -- to parachute, glide and maneuver in mid-air. Ground-dwellers, on the other hand, freak out during free-fall. The salamander's skydiving skills are likely a way to steer back to a tree it has fallen or jumped from to avoid terrestrial predators. |
| Noisy jackdaw birds reach 'consensus' before taking off Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT On cold, dark winter mornings, small black crows known as jackdaws can be heard calling loudly to one another from their winter roosting spots in the U.K. before taking off simultaneously right around sunrise. Now, researchers who've studied their daily activities in unprecedented detail report evidence that these groups of hundreds of individuals rely on a 'democratic' decision-making process to coordinate with one another and take to the skies all at once. |
| Scientists find sea corals are source of sought-after 'anti-cancer' compound Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT The bottom of the ocean is full of mysteries but scientists have recently uncovered one of its best-kept secrets. For 25 years, drug hunters have been searching for the source of a natural chemical that had shown promise in initial studies for treating cancer. Now, researchers report that easy-to-find soft corals -- flexible corals that resemble underwater plants -- make the elusive compound. |
| Watching corals breathe: Simultaneously measuring flow and oxygen Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT An international research team has developed tiny particles that measure the oxygen concentration in their surroundings. In this way, they can track fluid flow and oxygen content at the same time -- exciting prospects for many fields of research, from biology to physics. |
| Planets of binary stars as possible homes for alien life Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT Nearly half of Sun-size stars are binary. According to new research, planetary systems around binary stars may be very different from those around single stars. This points to new targets in the search for extraterrestrial life forms. |
| The limits of vision: Seeing shadows in the dark Posted: 23 May 2022 08:54 AM PDT A specific retinal pathway enables mice to detect incredibly dim shadows -- nearly reaching the limit of what's physically possible. The same circuit is in human eyes, which might enable researchers to probe visual diseases at unprecedented resolution. |
| A family of termites has been traversing the world's oceans for millions of years Posted: 23 May 2022 07:22 AM PDT A comprehensive family tree, based on DNA sequences, has revealed that drywood termites have made at least 40 oceanic journeys over the last 50 million years to reach far flung landmasses. |
| Monitoring the 'journey' of microplastics through the intestine of a living organism Posted: 23 May 2022 07:22 AM PDT A UAB research team has managed to track the behaviour of microplastics during their 'journey' through the intestinal tract of a living organism and illustrate what happens along the way. The study, carried out on Drosophila melanogaster using electron microscopy equipment developed by the researchers themselves, represents a significant step towards a more precise analysis of the health risks of being exposed to these pollutants. |
| New measurements from Northern Sweden show less methane emissions than feared Posted: 23 May 2022 07:22 AM PDT It is widely understood that thawing permafrost can lead to significant amounts of methane being released. However, new research shows that in some areas, this release of methane could be a tenth of the amount predicted from a thaw. A crucial, yet an open question is how much precipitation the future will bring. |
| What happens when plants have stress reactions to touch Posted: 23 May 2022 07:22 AM PDT A 30-year-old genetic mystery has been solved. It has previously been established that touch can trigger stress reactions in plants. However, the molecular models for explaining this process have been quite spartan so far. Now researchers have found genetic keys that explain how plants respond so strongly to mechanical stimuli. Cracking this code could help lead to higher yields and improved stress resistance in crops in the future. |
| Multiple habitats need protecting to save UK bumblebees, finds 10-year citizen science study Posted: 23 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT A study using 10 years of citizen science data has found that a variety of targeted conservation approaches are needed to protect UK bumblebee species. |
| Turning X chromosome 'off and on again' critical for oocyte development Posted: 23 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT Researchers have found that a carefully orchestrated act of X-chromosome 'yoyo' predicts the successful and efficient development of mammalian egg cells. The findings could pave the way for generating artificial oocytes in the laboratory, helping researchers study the causes and treatments of infertility disorders and test the impact of drugs and chemicals on women's reproduction. |
| California shellfish farmers adapt to climate change Posted: 23 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT Researchers interviewed California shellfish growers to find out how they perceive ocean acidification, and to learn what strategies they think will help their operations adapt to changing environmental conditions. |
| Organic farming or flower strips: Which is better for bees? Posted: 21 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT How effective environmental measures in agriculture are for biodiversity and wild bee populations depends on various factors and your perspective. This is shown by agroecologists. The research team found that when assessing the effectiveness of different measures, whether in the field (organic farming) or next to the field (flower strips in conventional farming), biodiversity benefits should be evaluated differently. Like-for-like comparisons of environmental measures could easily be misleading, according to the scientists. |
| Scientists smash lethal bacteria that acts like a hammer Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT New research could lead to better treatment options for a rare but very lethal type of bacterial infection. |
| 'Moth highways' could help resist climate change impact Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Real data gathered by volunteers was combined with new computer models for the first time to reveal which UK moth species are struggling to expand into new regions and the landscape barriers restricting their movement. Farmland and suburban moths were found to be struggling most, with hills or regions with variable temperatures acting as barriers. This has implications for British wildlife being forced to move to adapt to climate change, and habitat restoration in challenging areas could help wildlife movement. |
| Increasing urban greenery could have prevented at least 34,000 US deaths over two decades Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT A US nationwide study found that increasing green vegetation in large, metropolitan areas could have prevented between 34,000-38,000 deaths, based on data from 2000-2019. The study also showed that overall greenness in metro areas has increased in the past 20 years, by nearly 3 percent between 2000-2010 and 11 percent between 2010-2019. |
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