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Categories: Biology: General, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Clarifying the cellular mechanisms underlying periodontitis with an improved animal model



Although periodontitis is an extremely prevalent disorder, it is challenging to conduct detailed and comprehensive analyses of its progression at the cellular level. Recently, researchers developed an improved periodontitis mouse model that simplifies the collection and analysis of multiple periodontal tissue types. Using this model, they clarified the role of an important signaling pathway in the inflammatory response of periodontal tissue, paving the way for better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for periodontitis.
Published A rise in sea urchins and related damage to kelp forests impacts Oregon's gray whales and their food



A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.
Published Genes provide hope for the survival of Arabia's last big cat



The release of captive bred animals carefully selected for their genes can make a significant contribution to the successful recovery of the dwindling wild population and avert the prospect of extinction. Despite revealing extremely low levels of genetic diversity in the wild leopard population in Oman, the research team discovered higher levels of genetic diversity in captive leopards across the region. This important genetic resource has the potential for a major role in successful recovery of the Arabian leopard.
Published The impacts of climate change on food production



A new study shows that climate change has led to decreased pollen production from plants and less pollen diversity than previously thought, which could have a significant impact on food production.
Published Digging up good news for microbial studies



Findings indicate that soil stored under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can still retain the needed information for understanding microbial community composition and structure for many years.
Published Evolutionary history of extinct duck revealed



The study's findings show mergansers arrived in the New Zealand region at least seven million years ago from the Northern Hemisphere, in a separate colonisation event to that which led to the Brazilian merganser.
Published Diverse headgear in hoofed mammals evolved from common ancestor



From the small ossicones on a giraffe to the gigantic antlers of a male moose -- which can grow as wide as a car -- the headgear of ruminant hooved mammals is extremely diverse, and new research suggests that despite the physical differences, fundamental aspects of these bony adaptations likely evolved from a common ancestor.
Published Cloudy waters causes African fish to develop bigger eyes



Variations in water quality can impact the development of the visual system of one species of African fish, suggests a new study.
Published Subduction zone splay faults compound hazards of great earthquakes



Groundbreaking research has provided new insight into the tectonic plate shifts that create some of the Earth's largest earthquakes and tsunamis.
Published Record low Antarctic sea ice 'extremely unlikely' without climate change



Scientists have found that the record-low levels of sea ice around Antarctica in 2023 were extremely unlikely to happen without the influence of climate change. This low was a one-in-a-2000-year event without climate change and four times more likely under its effects.
Published After hundreds of years, study confirms Bermuda now home to cownose rays



Using citizen science, photographs, on-water observations and the combination of morphological and genetic data, researchers have provided evidence that the Atlantic cownose ray has recently made a new home in Bermuda. Results show that after hundreds of years of natural history records, this is a novel migration of Atlantic cownose rays to Bermuda.
Published Modern plant enzyme partners with surprisingly ancient protein



Scientists have discovered that a protein responsible for the synthesis of a key plant material evolved much earlier than suspected. This new research explored the origin and evolution of the biochemical machinery that builds lignin, a structural component of plant cell walls with significant impacts on the clean energy industry.
Published Chronic wasting disease unlikely to move from animals to people



A new study of prion diseases, using a human cerebral organoid model, suggests there is a substantial species barrier preventing transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from cervids -- deer, elk and moose -- to people. The findings are consistent with decades of similar research in animal models.
Published Scale matters in determining vulnerability of freshwater fish to climate changes



A team explored the influence the spatial extent of research -- the geographical coverage of data collected -- has on evaluating the sensitivity of different fish species to climate change.
Published Sweet taste receptor affects how glucose is handled metabolically by humans



The sweet-taste receptor might be the first stop in a metabolic surveillance system for sugar. The receptor is also expressed in certain intestinal cells, where it may facilitate glucose absorption and assimilation, as part of this system. A team found that stimulation and inhibition of the sweet receptor helps regulate glucose metabolism in humans and may have implications for managing such metabolic disorders as diabetes.
Published Scientists discover mechanism of sugar signaling in plants



A paper describes how the moving parts of a particular plant protein control whether plants can grow and make energy-intensive products such as oil -- or instead put in place a series of steps to conserve precious resources. The study focuses specifically on how the molecular machinery is regulated by a molecule that rises and falls with the level of sugar -- plants' main energy source.
Published How heatwaves are affecting Arctic phytoplankton



The basis of the marine food web in the Arctic, the phytoplankton, responds to heatwaves much differently than to constantly elevated temperatures. This has been found by the first targeted experiments on the topic. The phytoplankton's behavior primarily depends on the cooling phases after or between heatwaves.
Published A long-term ketogenic diet accumulates aged cells in normal tissues, study finds



New research finds that a continuous, long-term ketogenic diet may induce senescence, or aged, cells in normal tissues, with particular implications for heart and kidney function. But planned breaks from the diet could help in prevention.
Published Can we revolutionize the chemical industry and create a circular economy? Yes, with the help of catalysts



A new commentary paper puts forth a transformative solution to the unsustainable reliance on fossil resources by the chemical industry: catalysis to leverage sustainable waste resources, ushering the industry from a linear to a circular economy.
Published Zombie cells in the sea: Viruses keep the most common marine bacteria in check



Marine microbes control the flux of matter and energy essential for life in the oceans. Among them, the bacterial group SAR11 accounts for about a third of all the bacteria found in surface ocean waters. A study now reveals that at times nearly 20% of SAR11 cells are infected by viruses, significantly reducing total cell numbers. The viruses can also transform these once thriving bacteria into zombies, a phenomenon observed for the first time and widespread in the oceans.