ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

Newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise Posted: 03 Mar 2015 03:34 PM PST Scientists have discovered a new hormone that fights the weight gain caused by a high-fat Western diet and normalizes the metabolism -- effects commonly associated with exercising. When tested in mice, the hormone blocked the negative health effects of eating a high-fat diet.

Bird flu: New compound protects 100 percent of ferrets, mice, from H5N1 Posted: 03 Mar 2015 03:34 PM PST Medical researchers have developed an antibody which has proven 100 percent protective against the H5N1 virus in two species of animal models.

Highly sensitive detection of malaria parasites Posted: 03 Mar 2015 12:32 PM PST New assays can detect malaria parasites in human blood at very low levels and might be helpful in the campaign to eradicate malaria, reports a new study. An international team led by Ingrid Felger, took advantage of genes that have multiple copies in the parasite genome to reveal parasites present at concentrations that are 10 times lower than the detection limit of current standard assays.

Lasting severe weather impact found in feathers of young birds Posted: 03 Mar 2015 11:17 AM PST While studying a ground-nesting bird population near El Reno, Okla., a research team found that stress during a severe weather outbreak of May 31, 2013, had manifested itself into malformations in the growing feathers of the young birds. The team witnessed a phenomenon termed 'pallid bands' in a large proportion of fledgling Grasshopper Sparrows and found spikes in the chemical signatures of 'pallid bands,' which led to abnormalities in the new feathers.

3-D printed parts provide low-cost, custom alternatives for lab equipment Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PST The 3-D printing scene, a growing favorite of do-it-yourselfers, has spread to the study of plasma physics. With a series of experiments, researchers have found that 3-D printers can be an important tool in laboratory environments.

High-salt diet could protect against invading microbes Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:38 AM PST Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary salt could have a biological advantage: Defending the body against invading microbes. A high-salt diet increased sodium accumulation in the skin of mice, thereby boosting their immune response to a skin-infecting parasite.

Marijuana: The allergen you never knew existed Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:37 AM PST As marijuana’s legal status throughout the country continues to change, people should know it can cause allergic reactions.

Float like a mosquito: Mechanical logic may inspire aquatic robots, better boats Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:37 AM PST By examining the forces that the segments of mosquito legs generate against a water surface, researchers have unraveled the mechanical logic that allows the mosquitoes to walk on water, which may help in the design of biomimetic structures, such as aquatic robots and small boats.

Advisory about not feeding peanuts to infants and young children at risk for peanut allergy Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:36 AM PST Pediatric otolaryngologists and surgeons are concerned with parents getting the wrong message regarding the safety/desirability of letting babies and young children eat peanuts to prevent them from developing peanut allergies.

Gold standard management of the diabetic cat Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:59 AM PST An expert panel of veterinary clinicians and academics has been convened to produce practical guidance to help veterinary teams deliver optimal management for the increasing numbers of diabetic cats that are presenting to practices.

Step change for screening could boost biofuels Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:58 AM PST Researchers have developed a new way of rapidly screening yeasts that could help produce more sustainable biofuels. The new technique could also be a boon in the search for new ways of deriving valuable renewable chemicals from plant-based wastes, reducing our reliance on petrochemicals.

Plants detect bacterial endotoxin in similar process to mammals Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:57 AM PST Similar to humans and animals, plants possess an innate immune system that protects them from invading pathogens. Molecular structures that only occur in pathogens enable their recognition and trigger the immune response. Lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) is one such substance, occurring in the outer membrane of certain bacteria. A team of scientists has now described the first endotoxin immunosensor in plants.

Mystery solved: Why seashells' mineral forms differently in seawater Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:57 AM PST For almost a century, scientists have been puzzled by a process that is crucial to much of the life in Earth's oceans: Why does calcium carbonate, the tough material of seashells and corals, sometimes take the form of calcite, and at other times form a chemically identical form of the mineral, called aragonite, that is more soluble -- and therefore more vulnerable to ocean acidification?

Researchers monitor for next novel influenza strain Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:55 AM PST While flu season starts to die down, researchers are diligently monitoring for the next novel influenza virus by monitoring swine influenza viruses. The work is starting with swine in the field. Researchers are surveying for swine influenza viruses as part of a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Modeling chimp behavior? Try using laws that govern matter Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:55 AM PST To simulate chimp behavior, scientists created a computer model based on equations normally used to describe the movement of atoms and molecules in a confined space. An interdisciplinary research team has turned to the physical laws that govern matter to explore one facet of the question of climate change: how the animals will cluster and travel through their territory as the terrain they share with other members of their species shrinks.

Spurring production of a sluggish enzyme for crop yields Posted: 03 Mar 2015 06:58 AM PST Scientists have found a way to improve production of the Rubisco enzyme, essential to plant growth. Important staple crops, such as wheat, cotton and rice stand to benefit.

Some tropical plants pick the best hummingbirds to pollinate flowers Posted: 03 Mar 2015 06:58 AM PST Rather than just waiting patiently for any pollinator that comes their way to start the next generation of seeds, some plants appear to recognize the best suitors and 'turn on' to increase the chance of success. These findings stem from the discovery that the showy red and yellow blooms of Heliconia tortuosa, an exotic tropical plant, recognize certain hummingbirds by the way the birds sip the flowers' nectar. The plants respond by allowing pollen to germinate, ultimately increasing the chances for successful seed formation.

In hot and cold water: The private lives of 'Hoff' crabs revealed Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:54 AM PST Researchers have shed light on the private life of a new species of deep-sea crab, previously nicknamed the 'Hoff' crab because of its hairy chest.

Towards dust-free wood combustion Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:53 AM PST About 15 million wood-fired stoves and combustion systems exist in Germany, including central-heating boilers for apartment houses. They are subject to strict clean air regulations. New wood-fired boilers exceeding emission limits for particles have to be equipped with precipitators since the beginning of 2015. Next week, scientists will present the Carola®-precipitator for boilers.

Gorilla origins of the last two AIDS virus lineages confirmed Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:49 AM PST Two of the four known groups of human AIDS viruses (HIV-1 groups O and P) have originated in western lowland gorillas, according to new research. The scientists conducted a comprehensive survey of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in African gorillas.

North/south genetic divide in Welsh Red Kite Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:49 AM PST A study of the modern Red Kite population in Wales has revealed a north/south genetic divide that runs along the Towy Valley. The Red Kite is a medium sized bird of prey with a reddish-brown body, angled wings and a forked tail.

Methane oxidation fuelled by algal oxygen production Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:49 AM PST Methane emissions are strongly reduced in lakes with anoxic bottom waters. But – contrary to what has previously been assumed – methane removal is not always due to archaea or anaerobic bacteria. A new study on Lake Cadagno in Canton Ticino shows that the microorganisms responsible are aerobic proteobacteria. The oxygen they require is produced in situ by photosynthetic algae.

New technique improves forecasts for Canada's prized salmon fishery Posted: 02 Mar 2015 03:25 PM PST A method for analyzing and predicting nature's dynamic and interconnected systems has improved forecasts of populations of Fraser River Sockeye Salmon, a highly prized fishery in British Columbia, has been developed by scientists.

Giant virus revealed in 3-D using X-ray laser Posted: 02 Mar 2015 03:17 PM PST For the first time, researchers have produced a 3-D image revealing part of the inner structure of an intact, infectious virus, using a unique X-ray laser. The virus, called Mimivirus, is in a curious class of “giant viruses” discovered just over a decade ago.

Parasite provides clues to evolution of plant diseases Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:33 AM PST A new study into the generalist parasite Albugo candida, cause of white rust of brassicas, has revealed key insights into the evolution of plant diseases to aid agriculture and global food security.

Unlocking key to immunological memory in bacteria Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:33 AM PST A powerful genome editing tool may soon become even more powerful. Researchers have unlocked the key to how bacteria are able to 'steal' genetic information from viruses and other foreign invaders for use in their own immunological memory system.

Family log of spring's arrival helps predict climate-driven change Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:33 AM PST Rare historic records of the changing seasons are helping scientists better understand how woodland trees and flowers are responding to climate change. Scientists used records -- compiled by one family over a 200-year period -- to show that higher autumn temperatures affect the leafing times of woodland plants in the following spring.

Sequencing the hookworm Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:32 AM PST The genome of the hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum has been sequenced by researchers. The genome of the nematode that, according to some estimates, infects as many as 400 million people worldwide will help researchers find genes active during infection and devise new drugs or vaccines that target these genes.

'Milk' protein that enables survival of the species discovered by researchers Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:32 AM PST The protein MCL-1 is critical for keeping milk-producing cells alive and sustaining milk production in the breast, researchers have discovered. Without milk production, offspring cannot survive, making MCL-1 essential for survival of mammalian species.

Scientists crack piece of neural code for learning, memory Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PST Researchers describe how postmortem brain slices can be 'read' to determine how a rat was trained to behave in response to specific sounds, a new article suggests. The work provides one of the first examples of how specific changes in the activity of individual neurons encode particular acts of learning and memory in the brain.