Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Wild megalopolis: Study shows unexpected pockets of biodiversity pepper Los Angeles      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers, in partnership with the city of Los Angeles, have developed the urban association index to help identify how well or poorly individual wildlife species are doing in the city. The researchers found unexpected pockets of biodiversity deep in the city, but they say it will still be a challenge to elevate Los Angeles' overall level of biodiversity.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Research to uncover the impact of water use in the Colorado River Basin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Persistent overuse of water and long-term drought has depleted the Colorado River and highlighted the need for a comprehensive understanding of how waters are allocated and used to develop effective management strategies.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology
Published

Bird flu: Diverse range of vaccines platforms 'crucial' for enhancing human pandemic preparedness      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Review of research to-date suggests vaccination remains the most effective strategy for avian influenza prevention and control in humans, despite varying vaccine efficacy across strains.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Intermittent fasting shows promise in improving gut health, weight management      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Participants following an intermittent fasting and protein-pacing regimen, which involves evenly spaced protein intake throughout the day, saw better gut health, weight loss and metabolic responses. These benefits were notably greater than those seen with simple calorie restriction. The findings could advance our understanding of the relationship between the gut microbiome and metabolism and improve strategies for managing obesity.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient 'pixie' corn      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A widely found gene in plants has been newly identified as a key transporter of a hormone that influences the size of corn. The discovery offers plant breeders a new tool to develop desirable dwarf varieties that could enhance the crop's resilience and profitability.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Altering cancer treatment dosing could reduce climate impact, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Changing how often a popular cancer therapy is delivered would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental impact without decreasing cancer survival, according to a new analysis.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Developmental Biology: General
Published

New deep learning model is 'game changer' for measuring embryo development      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new deep learning model performs a task that biologists have struggled with for centuries -- how to measure the incredibly complex process of embryonic development. Scientists have shown that the AI model, known as Dev-ResNet, can identify what happens and when during embryonic development, from video. While used in pond snail embryos for this study, in future the technique could be used to help accelerate understanding on how climate change, and other external factors, affect humans and animals in the earliest stages of life.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General
Published

Smarter foragers do not forage smarter      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Why do primates have big brains? In the Panamanian rainforest, scientists pitted large-brained primates against smaller-brained mammals to find out who was the smartest forager.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General
Published

A unified account of Darwinism's varieties      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article examines the question of what Darwinism is and how its nonscientific uses relate to the scientific theory of evolution. The authors observe that while some people claim Darwinism's meaning should be limited to scientific content, others call for its abolition altogether. The authors propose a unified account of these varieties of Darwinism.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Bringing back an ancient bird      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using ancient DNA extracted from the toe bone of a museum specimen, biologists have sequenced the genome of an extinct, flightless bird called the little bush moa, shedding light into an unknown corner of avian genetic history. The work is the first complete genetic map of the turkey-sized bird whose distant living cousins include the ostrich, emu, and kiwi.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Mechanisms for selective multiple sclerosis treatment strategy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have demonstrated how B cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can contribute to a pathogenic, inflammatory phenotype that contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS); the group has also shown how these problematic B cells can be selectively targeted in a way that reduces the damaging autoimmune response of multiple sclerosis.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular
Published

'Cloaked' proteins deliver cancer-killing therapeutics into cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have designed a way to 'cloak' proteins in a generalized technique that could lead to repurposing things like antibodies for biological research and therapeutic applications.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Performance of eco-friendly cooling applications enhanced      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a sustainable and controllable strategy to manipulate interfacial heat transfer, paving the way for improving the performance of eco-friendly cooling in various applications such as electronics, buildings and solar panels.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Why do Dyeing poison frogs tap dance?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The toe tapping behavior of various amphibians has long attracted attention from researchers and pet owners. Despite being widely documented, the underlying functional role is poorly understood. In a new paper, researchers demonstrate that Dyeing poison frogs modulate their taps based on specific stimuli.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Improved refrigeration could save nearly half of the 1.3 billion tons of food wasted each year globally      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study concludes that nearly half of the food waste, about 620 million metric tons, could be eliminated by fully refrigerated food supply chains worldwide. At the same time, fully refrigerated supply chains, or 'cold chains,' could cut food waste-related emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases by 41% globally, according to a new study.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Prenatal exposure to air pollution associated with increased mental health risks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A baby's exposure to air pollution while in the womb is associated with the development of certain mental health problems once the infant reaches adolescence, new research has found. The study examined the long-term mental health impact of early-life exposure to air and noise pollution.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Scientists uncover a multibillion-year epic written into the chemistry of life      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Life evolved from simple geochemical processes present on the early Earth. However, the details of this transformation remain a mystery. In this study, researchers modeled the emergence of metabolic pathways from simple geochemical precursors and concluded that surprisingly few reactions in the history of metabolism may have been lost to time.

Biology: Biochemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Study suggests 'biodegradable' teabags don't readily deteriorate in the environment and can adversely affect terrestrial species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research looked at commonly available teabags made using three different compositions of polylactic acid (PLA), which is derived from sources such as corn starch or sugar cane. The teabags were buried in soil for seven months, and a range of techniques were then used to assess whether -- and to what extent -- they had deteriorated. The results showed that teabags made solely from PLA remained completely intact. However, the two types of teabags made from a combination of cellulose and PLA broke down into smaller pieces, losing between 60% and 80% of their overall mass and with the PLA component remaining.