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Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Biology: Biochemistry
Published Sandalwood oil by-product prevents prostate cancer development in mice
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sandalwood oil has been used worldwide for centuries. Now, a study is the first to demonstrate in vivo the chemo-preventive properties of a by-product of the oil in a mouse model. Results show administering alpha-santalol reduced visible prostate tumors, protected the normal tissue, and delayed progression from a precancerous condition to a high-grade form of cancer. These findings are significant because mortality in prostate cancer patients is mainly attributable to advanced stages of the disease.
Published Nutrients direct intestinal stem cell function and affect aging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The capacity of intestinal stem cells to maintain cellular balance in the gut decreases upon aging. Researchers have discovered a new mechanism of action between the nutrient adaptation of intestinal stem cells and aging. The finding may make a difference when seeking ways to maintain the functional capacity of the aging gut.
Published How ancient sea creatures can inform soft robotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fossils of a marine animal that lived 500 million years ago, combined with computer simulations, informed the design of a new soft robot.
Published The Complete Library of Charles Darwin revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Charles Darwin -- arguably the most influential man of science in history, accumulated a vast personal library throughout his working life. Until now, 85 per cent of its contents were unknown or unpublished. This year, coinciding with Darwin's 215th birthday, The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, a scholarly project, has released an online 300-page catalogue detailing Darwin's complete personal library, with 7,400 titles across 13,000 volumes and items including books, pamphlets and journals.
Published Understanding chronic wasting disease in deer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new collaborative study analyzed fecal samples to shed light on how the fatal disease impacts the gut microbiome in deer, providing a promising tool for disease surveillance.
Published Surprisingly vibrant color of 12-million-year-old snail shells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Snail shells are often colorful and strikingly patterned. This is due to pigments that are produced in special cells of the snail and stored in the shell in varying concentrations. Fossil shells, on the other hand, are usually pale and inconspicuous because the pigments are very sensitive and have already decomposed. Residues of ancient color patterns are therefore very rare. This makes a new discovery all the more astonishing: researchers found pigments in twelve-million-year-old fossilized snail shells.
Published Surprising behavior in one of the least studied mammals in the world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Beaked whales are among the least studied mammals in the world. Now, a new study reveals surprising information about the Baird's beaked whale species.
Published Foul fumes pose pollinator problems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that nighttime air pollution -- coming primarily form car exhaust and power plant emissions -- is responsible for a major drop in nighttime pollinator activity. Nitrate radicals (NO3) in the air degrade the scent chemicals released by a common wildflower, drastically reducing the scent-based cues that its chief pollinators rely on to locate the flower. The findings show how nighttime pollution creates a chain of chemical reactions that degrades scent cues, leaving flowers undetectable by smell. The researchers also determined that pollution likely has worldwide impacts on pollination.
Published Scientists debunk role of 'junk cells' in fight against malaria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a previously unknown ability of a group of immune system cells, known as Atypical B cells (ABCs), to fight infectious diseases such as malaria. The scientists say ABCs could also be key to developing new treatments for chronic autoimmune conditions such as lupus.
Published Researchers uncover genetic factors for severe Lassa fever
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report the results of the first ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) virus. The team found two key human genetic factors that could help explain why some people develop severe Lassa fever, and a set of LARGE1 variants linked to a reduced chance of getting Lassa fever. The work could lay the foundation for better treatments for Lassa fever and other similar diseases. The scientists are already working on a similar genetics study of Ebola susceptibility.
Published Surprise discovery of tiny insect-killing worm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered a tiny worm species that infects and kills insects. These worms, called nematodes, could control crop pests in warm, humid places where other beneficial nematodes are currently unable to thrive.
Published How fruit flies control the brain's 'steering wheel'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly discovered neural circuit mediates between navigational brain cells, acting as a sort of mental steering wheel.
Published Friend or foe? Ancient partnership between moss and fungi
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shed new light on the ancient relationship between moss and fungi. They discovered that intricate moss-fungi interactions often depended on a third variable -- the presence of endobacteria within the fungi themselves.
Published Scientists reveal why blueberries are blue
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tiny external structures in the wax coating of blueberries give them their blue color, researchers reveal.
Published Researchers discover new cell that remembers allergies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery: a new cell that remembers allergies.
Published Replacing animal-based foods with alternative proteins would unlock land for carbon removal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that replacing 50% of animal products with alternative proteins by 2050 could free up enough agricultural land to generate renewable energy equivalent in volume to today's coal-generated power while simultaneously removing substantial CO2 from the atmosphere.
Published New research uncovers biological drivers of heart disease risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Over the past 15 years, researchers have identified hundreds of regions in the human genome associated with heart attack risk. However, researchers lack efficient ways to explore how these genetic variants are molecularly connected to cardiovascular disease, limiting efforts to develop therapeutics. To streamline analysis of hundreds of genetic variants associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), a team of researchers combined multiple sequencing and experimental techniques to map the relationship between known CAD variants and the biological pathways they impact.
Published Organic compound found in trees could prevent contact lens eye infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say hydroquinine could be an effective naturally occurring disinfecting solution for contact lenses and help combat keratitis infections.
Published Innovation in stone tool technology involved multiple stages at the time of modern human dispersals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study illuminates the cultural evolution that took place approximately 50,000 to 40,000 years ago, coinciding with the dispersals of Homo sapiens across Eurasia. The insights gleaned from their examination of stone tool technology challenge the widely held notion of a rapid cultural and technological 'revolution' that enabled anatomically modern humans to surpass Neanderthals and other archaic humans. Instead, the research suggests a nuanced evolutionary process, unfolding gradually over an extended period, with changes occurring at various times. These findings challenge the conventional theory on the timing and nature of cultural transitions during this pivotal period in human history.
Published New study sheds new light on forests' role in climate and water cycle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Forests, which cover a third of Earth's land surface, are pivotal in carbon storage and the water cycle, though the full scope of their impact remains to be fully understood. In a new study, researchers provide new insights into the complex role forests play in the climate system and water cycle.