Category: 5. Biology
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Colorful primates don’t have better color vision, study finds
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Primate species with better color vision are not more likely to have red skin or fur coloration, as previously thought. The findings, titled “Primate coloration and color vision: a comparative approach,” are published this week in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, suggest that red skin and/or red-orange fur may…
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Researchers Discover New Mnemomic Networks in the Brain
By Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences September 21, 2023 The human medial temporal lobe (MTL), crucial for memory, varies significantly across individuals making its study challenging. A recent study used in-depth imaging on individual subjects to discover new cortical networks associated with the MTL, revealing insights into human memory and potential…
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Two Sisters’ Misfortune Leads to Unsettling Parkinson’s Discovery
A Northwestern Medicine study challenges conventional beliefs about Parkinson’s disease. Previously, the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons was thought to trigger the disease. This new research suggests that the real instigators are dysfunctions in the neuron’s synapses, which occur even before neuronal degradation. Such findings emphasize the need for therapies targeting the synapses before the disease’s…
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A Parasitic Lung Disease is Emerging in the Southeast US
Researchers have discovered that brown rats living near Atlanta, Georgia are carrying a parasite called rat lungworm, or Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The parasite can cause rat lungworm disease, which leads to inflammation in the brain (encephalitis) or the linings around the brain (meningoencephalitis) in humans and pets. The parasite first showed up in the United States…
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New electric blue tarantula species discovered in Thailand
Chilobrachys natanicharum . Credit: Yuranan Nanthaisong In an exciting discovery, a new species of tarantula with electric blue coloration was found in Thailand. “In 2022, the bamboo culm tarantula was discovered, marking the first known instance of a tarantula species living inside bamboo stalks. Thanks to this discovery, we were inspired to rejoin the team…
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Hundreds of weeds found illegally advertised online in Australia
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Hundreds of weeds have been found advertised on a public online marketplace in Australia. Cacti and pond plants were among the most frequently advertised illegal weed species. These weeds are prohibited in Australia due to their harmful impact on the country’s environment and agriculture. Despite this, a research team led by…
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Prioritizing Fun vs. Achievement Improves Wellbeing & Health
Stress and unhappiness can harm the heart by causing increased inflammation throughout the body and raising blood pressure. Long-term stress can also harm sleep, a key factor in heart and overall health. A new study published in the Journal of Personality has shown that choosing to prioritize fun and freedom over achievement and career goals may increase…
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Two new species of ancient primates resembling lemurs identified
Artist’s reconstruction of the two species described in the paper—Mytonius williamsae (L) and Diablomomys dalquesti (R)—in Big Bend country in West Texas 44 million years ago in the middle Eocene. The volcano on the skyline is a reminder of the active volcanism that was occurring in this part of Texas during the Eocene and Oligocene…
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Research team reveals crucial target proteins
ATS simultaneously interferes with ① redox homeostasis, ② lipid metabolism, and ③ protein synthesis in P. falciparum to exert antimalarial effects by targeting several essential proteins. DV: digestive vacuole; HZ: hemozoin; Mito: mitochondria. Credit: Peng Gao et al. Jigang Wang and colleagues have made significant progress in unraveling the antimalarial mechanisms of artemisinin (ART) and…
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We could sequester CO2 by ‘re-greening’ arid lands, plant scientists say
Reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere will take more than cutting emissions — we will also need to capture and store the excessive volumes of already-emitted carbon. In an opinion paper publishing in the journal Trends in Plant Science on September 21, a team of plant scientists argue that arid lands such as deserts could…