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Categories: Ecology: Nature, Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published Plankton researchers urge their colleagues to mix it up
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article encourages researchers to focus their attention on mixoplankton, providing a set of methodologies to help expand our understanding of this critically important component of the marine ecosystem.
Published Revealing the dynamic choreography inside multilayer vesicles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Our cells and the machinery inside them are engaged in a constant dance. This dance involves some surprisingly complicated choreography within the lipid bilayers that comprise cell membranes and vesicles -- structures that transport waste or food within cells. In a recent paper, researchers shed some light on how these vesicles self-assemble, knowledge that could help scientists design bio-inspired vesicles for drug-delivery or inspire them to create life-like synthetic materials.
Published Frog 'saunas' a lifeline for endangered frog populations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New biologist-designed shelters will help endangered frogs survive the devastating impacts of a deadly fungal disease by regulating their body temperature to fight off infections.
Published Non-stop flight: 4,200 km transatlantic flight of the Painted Lady butterfly mapped
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In October 2013 a researcher made a surprising discovery of Painted Lady Butterflies on the Atlantic beaches of French Guiana -- a species not typically found in South America. This unusual sighting prompted an international study to investigate the origin of these butterflies.
Published Fuel treatments reduce future wildfire severity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There is a common belief that prescribed burning, thinning trees, and clearing underbrush reduce risks of the severity of future fires. But is that true? A new project analyzing 40 studies where wildfire burned into different vegetation treatments, spanning 11 western states. Researchers found overwhelming evidence that in seasonally dry mixed conifer forests in the western U.S., reducing surface and ladder fuels and tree density through thinning, coupled with prescribed burning or pile burning, could reduce future wildfire severity by more than 60% relative to untreated areas.
Published New tomato, potato family tree shows that fruit color and size evolved together
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new family tree of the plant genus Solanum helps explain the striking diversity of their fruit color and size. This genus includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and other economically important plants.
Published Boosting biodiversity without hurting local economies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Protected areas, like nature reserves, can conserve biodiversity without harming local economic growth, countering a common belief that conservation restricts development. A new study outlines what is needed for conservation to benefit both nature and people.
Published Wild chimpanzees seek out medicinal plants to treat illness and injuries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chimpanzees appear to consume plants with medicinal properties to treat their ailments, according to a new study.
Published Newly discovered dinosaur boasts big, blade-like horns
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new dinosaur has been identified and named. The dinosaur's name, Lokiceratops rangiformis, translates roughly to 'Loki's horned face that looks like a caribou.'
Published Climate models underestimate carbon cycling through plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The carbon stored globally by plants is shorter-lived and more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought, according to a new study.
Published Hurricane changed 'rules of the game' in monkey society
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A devastating hurricane transformed a monkey society by changing the pros and cons of interacting with others, new research shows.
Published Non-native plants and animals expanding ranges 100 times faster than native species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists has recently found that non-native species are expanding their ranges many orders of magnitude faster than native ones, in large part due to inadvertent human help. Even seemingly sedentary non-native plants are moving at three times the speed of their native counterparts in a race where, because of the rapid pace of climate change and its effect on habitat, speed matters. To survive, plants and animals need to be shifting their ranges by 3.25 kilometers per year just to keep up with the increasing temperatures and associated climactic shifts -- a speed that native species cannot manage without human help.
Published Natural hazards threaten over three thousand species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Natural hazards can speed up the extinction process of land animals that have limited distribution and/or small populations. But there is hope to turn the negative development around, says researchers behind new study.
Published Restored rat-free islands could support hundreds of thousands more breeding seabirds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Archipelago case-study shows that removing invasive rats and restoring native vegetation could help bring back hundreds of thousands of breeding pairs of seabirds lost to tropical islands. Calculating that there are enough fish to sustain restored seabird populations should be an important consideration for restoration projects, scientists say. Restored seabird populations also provide huge boost to the health of surrounding coral reef ecosystems through restored nutrient cycles.
Published Researchers film energy materials as they form
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Shooting a movie in the lab requires special equipment. Especially when the actors are molecules -- invisible to the naked eye -- reacting with each other. 'Imagine trying to film tiny lava flows during a volcanic eruption. Your smartphone camera wouldn't be up to the job.
Published Novel method for measuring nano/microplastic concentrations in soil using spectroscopy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Current techniques for measuring nano/microplastic (N/MP) concentrations in soil require the soil organic matter content to be separated and have limited resolution for analyzing N/MPs sized <1 m. Therefore, researchers have developed a novel yet simple method to measure N/MP concentration in different soil types using spectroscopy at two wavelengths. This method does not require the soil to be separated in order to detect the N/MPs and can accurately quantify N/MPs regardless of their size.
Published Golden ball mills as green catalysts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A gold-coated milling vessel for ball mills proved to be a real marvel: without any solvents or environmentally harmful chemicals, the team was able to use it to convert alcohols into aldehydes. The catalytic reaction takes place at the gold surface and is mechanically driven. The vessel can be reused multiple times. 'This opens up new prospects for the use of gold in catalysis and shows how traditional materials can contribute to solving modern environmental problems in an innovative way,' says Borchardt.
Published 'Lost' birds list will aid in protecting species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A group of scientists has released the first comprehensive list of birds that haven't been documented with sound or video in more than a decade.
Published Research into structures of ape hearts provide insight into human evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered new insights into the human heart's structure, revealing its evolutionary history. This study enhances understanding of heart development and its implications for treating heart disease.
Published Nano-immunotherapy developed to improve lung cancer treatment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new nanomedicine therapy that delivers anticancer drugs to lung cancer cells and enhances the immune system's ability to fight cancer. The team showed promising results for the new therapy in cancer cells in the lab and in mouse lung tumor models, with potential applications for improving care and outcomes for patients with tumors that have failed to respond to traditional immunotherapy.