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30 articles from ScienceDaily
Study reveals influence of krill availability on humpback whale pregnancies
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 21:15
Scientists show reduced krill supplies lead to fewer pregnancies in humpback whales -- a finding that could have major implications for industrial krill fishing. Data from Antarctica show more humpback whales get pregnant after years with abundant krill than after years when krill were less plentiful.
Virus plus microplastics equal double whammy for fish health
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 21:15
Microplastics -- tiny particles generated as plastics weather and fragment -- pose a growing threat to ecosystem and human health. A new laboratory study shows these threats extend beyond direct physical or chemical impacts, revealing that the presence of microplastics increases the severity of an important viral fish disease.
Click beetle-inspired robots jump using elastic energy
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 21:15
Researchers have made a significant leap forward in developing insect-sized jumping robots capable of performing tasks in the small spaces often found in mechanical, agricultural and search-and-rescue settings. A new study demonstrates a series of click beetle-sized robots small enough to fit into tight spaces, powerful enough to maneuver over obstacles and fast enough to match an insect's rapid...
Asteroid findings from specks of space dust could save the planet
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 21:15
New research into the durability and age of an ancient asteroid made of rocky rubble and dust, revealed significant findings that could contribute to potentially saving the planet if one ever hurtled toward Earth.
Can elephants save the planet?
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 21:15
Researchers report that elephants play a key role in creating forests which store more atmospheric carbon and maintaining the biodiversity of forests in Africa. If the already critically endangered elephants become extinct, rainforest of central and west Africa, the second largest rainforest on earth, would lose between six and nine percent of their ability to capture atmospheric carbon,...
The key to weathering rapid sea-level rise may lie in a Massachusetts salt marsh
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:49
Researchers recently announced that salt marshes, critical habitats threatened by rapid sea-level rise, may in fact thrive despite higher water levels. The key factor that determines whether salt marshes collapse or flourish involves not water, but sediment.
New soft robots poised to be more agile, controlled
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
One of the virtues of untethered soft robots is their ability to mechanically adapt to their surroundings and tasks. Now they are poised to become even more agile and controlled.
New tool uses ultrasound 'tornado' to break down blood clots
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
Researchers have developed a new tool and technique that uses 'vortex ultrasound' -- a sort of ultrasonic tornado -- to break down blood clots in the brain. The new approach worked more quickly than existing techniques to eliminate clots formed in an in vitro model of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).
Targeted test for antibiotic resistance in clinical Enterobacter species
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
Bacteria of the genus Enterobacter are among the most dangerous bacteria associated with hospital infections worldwide. Some of their representatives are highly resistant to commonly used antibiotics, so that the reserve antibiotic colistin is increasingly used as a last resort therapy option. To avoid unnecessary reliance on colistin and risk increasing resistance, bacteria are tested for...
The single oil spill that can disrupt the global energy supply
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
A maritime area three times the size of the city of London holds the highest risk for oil spills in the Gulf which can have devastating consequences locally and globally.
New discovery: Endangered Amami rabbit disperses seeds for non-photosynthetic plant
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
Seed dispersal is an essential process for the evolution and ecology of terrestrial plants, making discoveries of uncommon seed dispersal agents particularly interesting. Scientists now reveal that the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) is a major seed dispersal agent for the non-photosynthetic plant Balanophora yuwanensis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first known instance of rabbits...
Hypertension drug could be repurposed to delay aging, animal study suggests
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
Researchers have found that the drug rilmenidine can extend lifespan and slow aging.
Agriculture linked to changes in age-independent mortality in North America
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:33
The transition to agriculture from hunting and gathering in pre-colonial North America led to changes in age-independent mortality, or mortality caused by factors that are not associated with age, according to a new study. The team found that the intensification of crop use occurred in two phases, the first of which led to a decline in human age-independent mortality, while the second is...
Pheasants at risk on unfamiliar ground
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Pheasants are most likely to be killed by predators on unfamiliar ground, new research shows.
Our memory for objects might be better than we think
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
The next time you're struggling to remember exactly where you left your keys, parked your car or put down your glasses, don't necessarily give up on your memory completely. Previous research has shown that, if people are shown a large number of objects, they are very good at subsequently remembering which objects they have seen.
Sweet salvation -- how a sugar cane pathogen is gearing up a new era of antibiotic discovery
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
A potent plant toxin with a unique way of killing harmful bacteria has emerged as one of the strongest new antibiotic candidates in decades.
Structural insights reveal how SPOP protein contributes to cancer
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Scientists have captured the 3D structure of SPOP, revealing how mutations in previously unappreciated regions fuel cancer.
Darkest view ever of interstellar ices
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Astronomers used observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to achieve the darkest ever view of a dense interstellar cloud. These observations have revealed the composition of a virtual treasure chest of ices from the early universe, providing new insights into the chemical processes of one of the coldest, darkest places in the universe as well as the origins of the molecules that...
Using a seaweed sugar to trigger immune responses that suppress melanomas
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Researchers have identified a relatively natural way to increase the numbers and antitumor activities of TILs. A team demonstrates how L-fucose, a nontoxic dietary plant sugar that is enriched in red and brown seaweeds, can increase TILs, promote antitumor immunity and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy.
DNA sequencing method lifts 'veil' from genome black box
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Many life-saving drugs directly interact with DNA to treat diseases such as cancer, but scientists have struggled to detect how and why they work -- until now.
More effective protected areas needed to halt biodiversity loss
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Protected natural areas of the UK are struggling to halt declines in insects and spiders that have occurred over the past 30 years, according to a new study.
A soybean protein blocks LDL cholesterol production, reducing risks of metabolic diseases
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
Soybean varieties with greater proportions of the protein B-conglycinin reduce plasma cholesterol levels and promote liver homeostasis, showing potential for preventing fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis, according to research by food scientists.
From ground to air to space: Tillage estimates get tech boost
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 18:32
In a new study, scientists demonstrate a way to accurately map tilled land in real time by integrating ground, airborne, and satellite imagery.
Young chimpanzees and human teens share risk-taking behaviors
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 15:25
Adolescent chimpanzees share some of the same risk-taking behaviors as human teens, but they may be less impulsive than their human counterparts, according to new research. The study gets at age-old nature/nurture questions about why adolescents take more risks: because of environment or because of biological predispositions?
Childhood trauma linked to civic environmental engagement, green behavior
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/23 14:34
A new study based on survey data from hundreds of U.S. adults links experiencing childhood trauma to public environmental engagement later in life, such as writing letters to elected officials or donating time and resources to an organization.