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Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Environmental: General
Published Plants can distinguish when touch starts and stops, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Even without nerves, plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go, a study has found. In a set of experiments, individual plant cells responded to the touch of a very fine glass rod by sending slow waves of calcium signals to other plant cells, and when that pressure was released, they sent much more rapid waves. While scientists have known that plants can respond to touch, this study shows that plant cells send different signals when touch is initiated and ended.
Published Eat right, live longer: Could a moderate protein diet be the coveted elixir of youth?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Consuming nutritious food can improve metabolic health and delay aging. But what are the appropriate quantities of dietary macronutrients that can help achieve this? To answer this, researchers fed isocaloric diets with varying amounts of protein to young and middle-aged male mice. They found that the mice were metabolically healthier when fed moderate-protein diets. These findings could provide valuable insights into developing nutritional interventions and improving metabolic health in people.
Published Fairy tales offer accessible ways to communicate energy research in the social sciences to help tackle climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has been developing accessible and creative means of communicating sustainability research from the social sciences for policymakers and the wider public. Using fairy tale characters -- mermaids, vampires, and witches -- as metaphors, the team has sought to communicate typically complicated arguments in evocative and engaging terms.
Published Saved from extinction, Southern California's Channel Island Foxes now face new threat to survival
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Starting in the 1990s, Island Fox populations began to dwindle due to an outbreak of canine distemper and an increase in attacks by golden eagles. Some islands saw their population drop to as low as 15 individuals, but conservation efforts by the Federal government restored numbers by 2017. A new study reveals a worrying decrease in genetic diversity within the species, signaling a new threat to the Channel Islands foxes' survival. The decrease in genetic diversity reduces the foxes' ability to adapt to future challenges, such as climate change and introduced pathogens, putting their survival at risk once again. Although the foxes have low genetic diversity, they possess diverse gut microbiomes that could help them cope with environmental changes.
Published The clams that fell behind, and what they can tell us about evolution and extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study examined how bivalves -- the group that includes clams, mussels, scallops, and oysters -- evolved among many others in the period of rapid evolution known as the Cambrian Explosion. The team found that though many other lineages burst into action and quickly evolved a wide variety of forms and functions, the bivalves lagged behind. The study has implications for how we understand evolution and the impact of extinctions.
Published Genetic change increased bird flu severity during U.S. spread
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists found the virus strains that arrived in 2021 soon acquired genes from viruses in wild birds in North America. The resulting reassortant viruses have spread across the continent and caused more severe disease.
Published Researchers use 'natural' system to identify proteins most useful for developing an effective HIV vaccine
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have spent years trying to develop an effective HIV vaccine, but none have proven successful. Based on findings from a recently published study, a research team may have put science one step closer to that goal.
Published Light conveyed by the signal transmitting molecule sucrose controls growth of plant roots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers shows how information about the quantity of absorbed light passes from the leaves to the roots. Photosynthetic sucrose not only supplies roots with carbohydrates but also acts as a signal transmitter for light-dependent root architecture.
Published World leading health experts say aviation industry must act on cabin fumes as they launch new medical guidance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A group of world leading health and scientific experts are calling on the aviation industry to take action to protect passengers and aircrew from dangerous cabin fumes which they say have led to a new emerging disease. Led by former pilot and aviation health researcher, the specialists have released the first medical protocol of its kind to help treat those effected by contamination of the aircraft cabin breathing air supply and collect data on contamination events.
Published Mitigating climate change through restoration of coastal ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are proposing a novel pathway through which coastal ecosystem restoration can permanently capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seagrass and mangroves -- known as blue carbon ecosystems -- naturally capture carbon through photosynthesis, which converts carbon dioxide into living tissue.
Published New catalyst lowers cost for producing environmentally sustainable hydrogen from water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has developed a new catalyst composed of elements abundant in the Earth. It could make possible the low-cost and energy-efficient production of hydrogen for use in transportation and industrial applications.
Published Extreme precipitation in Northeast US to increase 52% by the end of the century
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With a warmer climate creating more humid conditions in the Northeast, extreme precipitation events -- defined as about 1.5 or more inches of heavy rainfall or melted snowfall in a day -- are projected to increase in the Northeast by 52% by the end of the century, according to a new study.
Published That's not nuts: Almond milk yogurt packs an overall greater nutritional punch than dairy-based
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a nutritional comparison of plant-based and dairy yogurts, almond milk yogurt came out on top, according to new research.
Published How insects track odors by navigating microscale winds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Insects use odor plumes -- which travel like smoke and form when the wind blows odor molecules from their source -- to track down sources such as flowers or pheromones. But wind tunnels are typically unable to replicate realistic outdoor wind conditions. Researchers decided to explore microscale wind conditions in various outdoor environments to better understand what flying insects might experience while tracking odor plumes.
Published Reusable packaging revolution is close
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A detailed plan to transform product packaging and significantly cut plastic production and pollution has been developed by researchers. The study comes as government representatives meet in Paris to negotiate a legally binding global plastics treaty with a mandate to end plastic pollution.
Published New DNA testing technology shows majority of wild dingoes are pure, not hybrids
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genetic analysis shows dingo populations have significantly less dog ancestry than previously thought.
Published Scientists unveil RNA-guided mechanisms driving cell fate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The early stages of embryonic development contain many of life's mysteries. Unlocking these mysteries can help us better understand early development and birth defects, and help develop new regenerative medicine treatments. Researchers have now characterized a critical time in mammalian embryonic development using powerful and innovative imaging techniques.
Published The next generation of solar energy collectors could be rocks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The next generation of sustainable energy technology might be built from some low-tech materials: rocks and the sun. Using a new approach known as concentrated solar power, heat from the sun is stored then used to dry foods or create electricity. A team has found that certain soapstone and granite samples from Tanzania are well suited for storing this solar heat, featuring high energy densities and stability even at high temperatures.
Published Hidden in plain sight: Windshield washer fluid is an unexpected emission source
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Exhaust fumes probably come to mind when considering vehicle emissions, but they aren't the only source of pollutants released by a daily commute. Researchers report that alcohols in windshield washer fluid account for a larger fraction of real-world vehicle emissions than previous estimates have suggested. Notably, the levels of these non-fuel-derived gases will likely remain unchanged, even as more drivers transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles.
Published Quarter-ton marsupial roamed long distances across Australia's arid interior
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source One of Australia's first long-distance walkers has been described after palaeontologists used advanced 3D scans and other technology to take a new look at the partial remains of a 3.5 million year old marsupial from central Australia. They have named a new genus of diprotodontid Ambulator, meaning walker or wanderer, because the locomotory adaptations of the legs and feet of this quarter-tonne animal would have made it well suited to roam long distances in search of food and water when compared to earlier relatives.