ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

River algae affecting mercury pollution at Superfund site, study shows Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:09 AM PDT Periphyton -- a community of algae, bacteria and other natural material living on submerged surfaces -- is helping to transform mercury pollution from a Superfund site along a New Hampshire river into a more toxic form of the metal, researchers have found.

How cannabis use affects people with Bipolar Disorder Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:08 AM PDT The first study to examine the use of cannabis in the context of daily life among people with Bipolar Disorder has shown how the drug is linked to increases in both manic and depressive symptoms.

Free will? Analysis of worm neurons suggest how a single stimulus can trigger different responses Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT Even worms have free will. If offered a delicious smell, for example, a roundworm will usually stop its wandering to investigate the source, but sometimes it won't. Just as with humans, the same stimulus does not always provoke the same response, even from the same individual.

Enhanced flu protection: Four beats three Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT New research findings parallel earlier results: Adding a strain of influenza B could improve effectiveness of an influenza vaccine. Findings from this study of flu vaccines delivered by a small needle intradermally parallel earlier results that found adding a strain of influenza B could improve the effectiveness of a flu vaccine nasal spray and a traditional intramuscular vaccine that is injected as a shot in the arm muscle. All studies showed the addition of the B strain improved the antibody response to that strain and didn't weaken the body's immune response to other flu strains in the vaccine.

Big toe's big foot holds evolutionary key Posted: 13 Mar 2015 07:18 AM PDT Our skeletons hold tell-tale signs that show that human bipedalism are unique to humans especially when compared to our closest living relatives, apes. Exactly when these signs first appear in our evolutionary history is one of the fundamental questions driving Palaeoanthropology studies today. Scientists have now combined visualization techniques, engineering principles, and statistical analysis into a powerful new way of analyzing the structure of long bones.

Atomic force microscopy developed for imaging nanoscale dynamics of neurons Posted: 13 Mar 2015 06:45 AM PDT Atomic force microscopy is a leading tool for imaging, measuring, and manipulating materials with atomic resolution. It has previously been applied to image solid materials, but has been difficult to apply for soft and large samples like eukaryotic cells and neurons without damaging the sample. Researchers have now developed an ATM system for imaging eukaryotic cells and neurons allowing for analysis of cell morphology changes with a spatial resolution ~20-100 fold better than that of a standard light microscope.

Why do cells rush to heal a wound? Mysteries of wound healing unlocked Posted: 13 Mar 2015 06:45 AM PDT A multidisciplinary research team has discovered how cells know to rush to a wound and heal it -- opening the door to new treatments for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The findings shed light on the mechanisms of cell migration, particularly in the wound-healing process. The results represent a major advancement for regenerative medicine, in which biomedical engineers and other researchers manipulate cells' form and function to create new tissues, and even organs, to repair, restore or replace those damaged by injury or disease.

Novel monitoring tools tackle chemical surface waters pollution Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT With the socio-economic developments of the last decades, new emerging compounds have been produced, released and discharged through different point and diffuse sources in European rivers, lakes, and marine-coastal and transitional waters. Treated municipal wastewaters contain a multitude of organic chemicals including pharmaceuticals, hormones, and personal care products, which are continuously introduced into aquatic ecosystems. Their possible effects on the environment and human health is often unknown.

Number of fungal species has been greatly overestimated Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT The most species-rich fungal communities are in tropical rainforests, new research confirms. The estimated global species richness of fungi, 1.5–5.1 million species, however, seems to be a vast overestimation, according to their data.

Scientists question tropical protected areas' role under climate change Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT New research highlights how poor connectivity of protected area (PA) networks in Southeast Asia may prevent lowland species from responding to climate change. Tropical species are shifting to higher elevations in response to rising temperatures, but there has been only limited research into the effectiveness of current protected area networks in facilitating such movements in the face of climate change.

Female mice do not avoid mating with unhealthy males Posted: 13 Mar 2015 05:34 AM PDT A male's attractiveness lies not only in his physical appearance. This is true for people as well as for animals. Scent plays an important role for many creatures when it comes to choosing a mating partner. Female mice show preferences for the scent of healthy males and yet surprisingly they choose unhealthy males just as often as mating partners, scientists report. Mating choice is therefore not based solely on odor.

Nine superfruits and super seeds to add to your diet Posted: 12 Mar 2015 02:35 PM PDT Although there is no universal standard definition of a super seed or superfruit, they are often described as providing a number of nutrients and health benefits all in one package. A new article describes nine seeds and superfruits that fit the bill for consumers’ desire for natural, minimally processed foods.

'Warhead' molecule to hunt down deadly bacteria Posted: 12 Mar 2015 05:29 AM PDT Chemists report they achieved selective modification of two common lipids, producing a new bio-chemical method to label deadly bacteria and potentially target them with antibiotics with reduced harm to healthy cells, according to a new report.

New computer vision system helps estimate compactness of bunches of grapes in vineyards objectively and non-invasively Posted: 11 Mar 2015 11:08 AM PDT A new computer vision system has been developed that helps to determine the compactness of bunches of grapes, a characteristic that strongly influences the quality of the grape and the wine.

Sea change for ocean resource management Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:44 AM PDT Ocean ecosystems around the world are threatened by overfishing, extensive shipping routes, energy exploration, pollution and other consequences of ocean-based industry. Data exist that could help protect these vulnerable ecosystems, but current management strategies often can't react quickly enough to new information. Experts now endorse a new approach called 'dynamic ocean management.'

Tracking sea turtles across hundreds of miles of open ocean Posted: 11 Mar 2015 09:44 AM PDT How sea turtles find their way across hundreds of miles of open ocean has been an enduring mystery of animal behavior. Reporting results of a study, a researcher says: 'Adult turtles can pinpoint specific nesting beaches even after being away many years.' Results of a new GPS tracking study now document their remarkable ability.