ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

Can coffee reduce your risk of MS? Posted: 26 Feb 2015 01:32 PM PST Drinking coffee may be associated with a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study.

Economic models provide insights into global sustainability challenges Posted: 26 Feb 2015 12:46 PM PST Using models that blend global economics, geography, ecology and environmental sciences is essential to understanding how changes in trade and natural systems in one part of the world affect those in another, a review concludes.

Malaria transmission linked to mosquitoes' sexual biology Posted: 26 Feb 2015 12:46 PM PST Sexual biology may be the key to uncovering why Anopheles mosquitoes are unique in their ability to transmit malaria to humans, according to researchers. "Our study is the first to reveal the evolutionary dynamics between the sexes that are likely responsible for shaping the ability of Anopheles mosquitoes to transmit malaria to humans," said the study's senior author.

Role of specialized protein affirmed in assuring normal cell development Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:49 AM PST A specialized DNA-binding protein called CTCF is essential for the precise expression of genes that control the body plan of a developing embryo, scientists have demonstrated. The findings focus on mouse brain cells that work to manage an animal's movements. The results add important details to how so-called Hox genes help cells keep their positions straight and in the right positions back to front.

World's challenges demand science changes -- and fast, experts say Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:49 AM PST The world has little use -- and precious little time -- for detached experts. A group of scientists -- each of them experts -- makes a compelling case that the growing global challenges has rendered sharply segregated expertise obsolete. Disciplinary approaches to crises like air pollution, climate change, food insecurity, and energy and water shortages, are not only ineffective, but also making many of these crises worse.

Fighting Colorado potato beetle with RNA interference Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:48 AM PST Colorado potato beetles are a dreaded pest of potatoes. Since they do not have natural enemies in most regions, farmers try to control them with pesticides. However, this strategy is often ineffective because the pest has developed resistances against nearly all insecticides. Now, scientists have shown that potato plants can be protected from herbivory using RNA interference.

Living in genetic comfort zone: How to avoid influence of genetic variation Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:14 AM PST The phenotype of organisms is shaped by the interaction between environmental factors and their genetic constitution. A recent study by a team of population geneticists shows that fruit flies live in a sort of genetic comfort zone at a specific temperature. The scientists found that, despite their underlying genetic differences, two separate strains of flies had a very similar gene expression pattern at 18°C. This effect of 'canalization', which has also been described in humans, allows organisms to continue to grow and develop stable even in the face of genetic and environmental stress.

Asian Herb Holds Promise as Treatment for Ebola Virus Disease Posted: 26 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST New research focuses on the mechanism by which Ebola virus infects a cell and the discovery of a promising drug therapy candidate. A small molecule called Tetrandrine derived from an Asian herb has shown to be a potent small molecule inhibiting infection of human white blood cells in vitro or petri dish experiments and prevented Ebola virus disease in mice.

How mantis shrimp evolved many shapes with same powerful punch Posted: 26 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST The miniweight boxing title of the animal world belongs to the mantis shrimp, a cigar-sized crustacean whose front claws can deliver an explosive 60-mile-per-hour blow akin to a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun. A study of 80 million years of mantis shrimp evolution reveals how these fast weapons evolved their dizzying array of shapes -- from spiny and barbed spears to hatchets and hammers -- while still managing to pack their characteristic punch.

Bumblebees make false memories too Posted: 26 Feb 2015 10:19 AM PST It's well known that our human memory can fail us. People can be forgetful, and they can sometimes also 'remember' things incorrectly, with devastating consequences in the classroom, courtroom, and other areas of life. Now, researchers show for the first time that bumblebees can be unreliable witnesses too.

Amphibian chytrid fungus reaches Madagascar Posted: 26 Feb 2015 09:24 AM PST The chytrid fungus, which is fatal to amphibians, has been detected in Madagascar for the first time. This means that the chytridiomycosis pandemic has now reached a biodiversity hotspot. Researchers are therefore proposing an emergency plan. This includes monitoring the spread of the pathogenic fungus, building amphibian breeding stations and developing probiotic treatments, say the scientists.

Could squirmy livestock dent africa's protein deficit? Posted: 26 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST Two graduate students are working to introduce highly productive kits for farming mealworms to regions such as sub-Saharan Africa where eating insects is already culturally palatable. They are just practicing what they are beginning to preach: insects, and mealworms in particular, are an overlooked, healthful, economically viable and sustainable source of nutrition for people.

Combating bacteria via silver-dammar coating Posted: 26 Feb 2015 09:21 AM PST Natural resins obtained from plants to be used as a coating element to enhance durability and anti-rust properties. Coating systems are formulated using a mixture of dammar, silver and nanoclay in varied compositions.

The eyes have it: Cats put sight over smell in finding food Posted: 26 Feb 2015 08:04 AM PST Cats may prefer to use their eyes rather than follow their nose when it comes to finding the location of food, according to new research by leading animal behaviorists.

Team approach boosts human and environmental wellbeing, researcher says Posted: 26 Feb 2015 07:16 AM PST Even seemingly intractable problems such as the antibiotic crisis and the obesity epidemic could be resolved by treating human health and society as an integral part of an ecosystem, researchers say. "The problem now faced is that ecosystems have been plundered in such an anthropocentric fashion that their sustainability is precarious and our health with it," one author states.

A taxi ride to starch granules Posted: 26 Feb 2015 07:16 AM PST Plant scientists have discovered a specific protein that significantly influences the formation of starch in plant cells. The findings may be useful in the food and packaging industries, they say.

'Blue-green algae' proliferating in lakes Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:49 AM PST The organisms commonly known as blue-green algae have proliferated much more rapidly than other algae in lakes across North America and Europe over the past two centuries -- and in many cases the rate of increase has sharply accelerated since the mid-20th century, according to an international team of researchers.

Optical features embedded in marine shells may help develop responsive, transparent displays Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:49 AM PST The blue-rayed limpet is a tiny mollusk that lives in kelp beds along the coasts of Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. These diminutive organisms -- as small as a fingernail -- might escape notice entirely, if not for a very conspicuous feature: bright blue dotted lines that run in parallel along the length of their translucent shells. Depending on the angle at which light hits, a limpet's shell can flash brilliantly even in murky water.

Aggressive plant fungus threatens wheat production Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:49 AM PST The spread of exotic and aggressive strains of a plant fungus is presenting a serious threat to wheat production in the UK, according to research. The research uses a new surveillance technique that could be applied internationally to respond to the spread of a wide variety of plant diseases.

Finland: Wheat harvest turned larger than oat for the first time in a century Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:48 AM PST On the average, the Finnish grain crop harvest has been over four billion kilograms every other year in the 2000s. In 2014, this figure was exceeded for the seventh time. For the first time in the over hundred years that crop statistics have been compiled in Finland, the wheat crop was slightly larger than that of oat. In recent years, barley, wheat and oat crops have been sufficient to enable exporting. The same does not apply to rye.

Research cracks code governing infections single-stranded RNA viruses Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:48 AM PST Researchers have cracked a code that governs infections caused by simple, single-stranded RNA viruses similar in many respects to viruses that cause the common cold, polio and the winter vomiting norovirus infections.

Suspended soils maintain rainforest ecosystems, says researcher Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:48 AM PST The bird’s nest fern, a plant commonly found in many of our homes, has a critical place in maintaining the biodiversity and the ecosystems of the world’s rainforests, researchers say.

One brain area, two planning strategies Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:48 AM PST Ready to strike, the spear fisherman holds his spear above the water surface. He aims at the fish. But he is misled by the view: Due to the refraction of light on the surface, he does not see the actual location of the fish. How must his brain now plan the arm movement? Do the brain cells (neurons) reflect the position where the fish was spotted, in other words, the visual target? Or do they plan the physical target, which is the actual direction in which the arm and spear should move in order to hit the fish? In new research, investigators tried to answer this question on the different aspects of planning a limb movement.

Forest tree seeds stored in the Svalbard seed vault Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:47 AM PST A new method for the conservation of the genetic diversity of forest trees will see its launch on 26 February 2015, as forest tree seeds are for the first time stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Spitsbergen Island, protected by permafrost. Conserving the genetic resources of forest trees is part of the mandate of the Natural Resources Institute Finland.

Sewage provides insight into human microbiome Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:01 PM PST Sewage is an effective means to sample the fecal bacteria from millions of people, a new study has indicated. Researchers say the information gleaned from the work provides a unique opportunity to monitor, through gut microbes, the public health of a large population without compromising the privacy of individuals.

Sharp rise in experimental animal research in US Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:59 PM PST The use of animals in experimental research has soared at leading US laboratories in recent years, finds new research. This is despite growing public opposition to animal experimentation, mounting evidence that animal studies often do not faithfully translate to people, and the development of new research technologies that supplant animal use.

Causes of Great Lakes smelt population decline are complex Posted: 25 Feb 2015 01:40 PM PST The reasons for the dwindling population of smelt prey fish in the Great Lakes to near historic lows are more complicated than previously believed, new research suggests. Although results of the 2014 study show that the number of smelt surviving their first few months actually has been rising since 2000, the increase in hatchlings isn't producing more adults. Whatever the cause, the loss of adult rainbow smelt is keeping the population on a downward trend even as offspring survival improves.

Climate-warmed leaves change lake ecosystems Posted: 25 Feb 2015 06:43 AM PST Rising soil temperatures significantly affect autumn leaves and consequently the food web, appearance and biochemical makeup of the lakes and ponds those leaves fall into, a new study finds.