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Categories: Biology: General, Geoscience: Earthquakes
Published Does urbanization trigger plant evolution?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Urban environments have become hotspots for understanding how rapid evolution occurs in response to extreme environmental changes. These habitats exert selective pressures on resident organisms that impact their evolutionary trajectories. Recently, researchers investigated how the creeping woodsorrel plant might adapt in response to elevated temperatures that result from urbanization. Understanding these effects can help predict evolutionary traits to manage plant evolution in the face of shifting climatic conditions.
Published Moving muscle fibers with magnets 'programs' how they align within tissue
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Stimulating muscle fibers with magnets causes them to grow in the same direction, aligning muscle cells within tissue. The findings offer a simpler, less time-consuming way for medical researchers to program muscle cell alignment, which is strongly tied to healthy muscle function.
Published How cord-like aggregates of bacteria lead to tuberculosis infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), a serious respiratory infection, to form snake-like cords was first noted nearly 80 years ago. Investigators report the biophysical mechanisms by which these cords form and demonstrate how several generations of dividing bacteria hang together to create these structures that enable resistance to antibiotics.
Published What do new moms and roaches have in common?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are studying the dramatic physical transformation that some insects undergo to give birth to live young. This includes suppressing their immune systems to accommodate babies, which is something some insects and people have in common. Understanding how these systems work can help improve treatments for fibromyalgia and other immune disorders. An international team of researchers has examined the complex structural and physiological changes that take place in Hawaii's beetle-mimic cockroaches, which give birth to live young.
Published Generating clean electricity with chicken feathers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Turning unused waste from food production into clean energy: Researchers are using chicken feathers to make fuel cells more cost-effective and sustainable.
Published Can golden retrievers live longer?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found a gene associated with longevity in golden retrievers, one of the most popular breeds of dogs.
Published DNA shows where Washington culvert replacements helped spawning salmon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source University and federal scientists used genetic sleuthing to study how salmon were affected by two major culvert replacements near the city of Bellingham. One project, a major upgrade under Interstate-5, had a big impact, while the other old culvert may have been less of a barrier to fish. Authors from the UW and NOAA are studying the use of environmental DNA, or eDNA, in future environmental impact reporting.
Published Unearthing the ecological impacts of cicada emergences on North American forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research unveils the cascading effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest ecosystems ahead of an historic convergence of broods set to emerge spring of 2024.
Published You say genome editing, I say natural mutation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A plant geneticist and computational biologist teamed up to decipher the unpredictability of natural and engineered mutations in tomatoes. They discovered some combinations of mutations behave as expected while others are more erratic. Their work may help scientists find some order in the chaos of evolution and genome editing.
Published Heat waves harm bird reproduction on agricultural lands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The effects of extreme temperatures on avian reproduction can vary depending on the type of environment that birds call home. A new study found that extreme high temperatures significantly diminish bird reproductive success in agricultural landscapes.
Published Imprinted genes in the 'parenting hub' of the brain determine if mice are good parents
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Whether a mouse is a good or bad parent can be traced back to imprinted genes in key neurons in the 'parenting hub' in the brain, according to a new study.
Published Holy bat skull! Fossil adds vital piece to bat evolution puzzle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bats may have lived in caves and used soundwaves to navigate much earlier than first thought.
Published Physical theory improves protein folding prediction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Proteins are important molecules that perform a variety of functions essential to life. To function properly, many proteins must fold into specific structures. However, the way proteins fold into specific structures is still largely unknown. Researchers have developed a novel physical theory that can accurately predict how proteins fold. Their model can predict things previous models cannot. Improved knowledge of protein folding could offer huge benefits to medical research, as well as to various industrial processes.
Published Restoring the function of a human cell surface protein in yeast cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Yeast cells are widely used to study G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large group of cell surface proteins in humans. However, several of these proteins lose their function when introduced into yeast cells. To tackle this issue, researchers developed an innovative strategy to restore GPCR function in yeast cells by inducing random mutations. Their findings can help understand GPCRs better and could pave the way to therapeutic breakthroughs for many diseases.
Published Stolen genes allow parasitic control of behavior
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has discovered that parasites manipulate their hosts using stolen genes that they likely acquired through a phenomenon called horizontal gene transfer.
Published New 'subway map' of Lyme disease pathways identifies potential new treatment targets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a genome-scale metabolic model or 'subway map' of key metabolic activities of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Using this map, they have successfully identified two compounds that selectively target routes only used by Lyme disease to infect a host.
Published Soft optical fibers block pain while moving and stretching with the body
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New soft, implantable fibers can deliver light to major nerves through the body. They are an experimental tool for scientists to explore the causes and potential treatments for peripheral nerve disorders in animal models.
Published Pinpointing the emergence of muddy flavors in your fish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many people have experienced a muddy off-flavor in farmed fish. While the aquaculture industry has known about the problem for 20 years, it continues to impact the consumption of otherwise healthy and potentially sustainable fish. Now, researchers have been able to pinpoint exactly when the off-flavors emerge. And this can make it easier to deal with the compounds that turn people away from farmed fish.
Published California supervolcano is cooling off but may still cause quakes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New high-resolution images of the Long Valley Caldera indicate that the subsurface environment is cooling off, releasing gas and fluids that contribute to seismic activity.
Published Yeast speeds discovery of medicinal compounds in plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have harnessed the power of baker's yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.