Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Weakened taboos put lemurs at risk
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Lemurs in Madagascar are under growing threat with the erosion of traditional cultural taboos against hunting, wildlife experts say.
Research looks at drug potential of plants
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have developed new data on the ways genes influence how plants produce medicinally important compounds.
Wild monkeys to detect radiation from Japan quake
Wild monkeys will help researchers at Fukushima University measure radiation in the forests surrounding a nuclear power plant crippled last March by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.
Ant Poison Paralyzes Prey From Afar
By ganging up on termites butt-first, a species of African ants is able to stop them in their tracks.
Scientists examine toxicity of medicinal plants in Peru
Many developing countries rely on traditional medicine as an accessible and affordable treatment option for human maladies. However, until now, scientific data has not existed to evaluate the potential toxicity...
Landscape architecture survey: Is plant knowledge passé?
MISSISSIPPI STATE, MISSISSIPPI -- Authors of a recent study examined an ongoing debate in the discipline of landscape architecture: exactly how much plant knowledge is required for professionals in...
Designer drugs 'are like ecstasy'
Scientists have confirmed that two stimulant drugs banned in the UK appear similar to ecstasy in their immediate effects on the brain.
Hairy limbs keep bed bugs at bay
Hairier skin may be the key to avoiding being bitten by bed bugs, claim Sheffield academics.
How exposure to irregular light affects plant circadian rhythms
A study of chrysanthemum investigated plants' circadian responses to interruptions in light cycles. Plants were exposed to irregular supplemental light breaks during the night; results showed a correlation between circadian-regulated...
A Neon Sign Of Climate Change
Squids are mercurial, unpredictable creatures of extremes.Call them abundant, call them quite rareIt depends on the climate--the sea and the airOne species expands, another contractsThese are the data, these are...
Rare robin breeding sites found
Scientists have recorded 14 rare robins in China, doubling the total number of sightings of the species in 125 years.
Chemical detection system a 'glowing' idea
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've developed a new way of visually detecting the presence of specific chemicals like toxins, disease markers, pathogens or explosives.
U.S. Exempts Species Classified as Endangered in the Rest of the World
In the last few months the Western black rhino and the South Florida Rainbow Snake have gone extinct, as far as official recordkeepers are concerned. Less than 3,200 tigers remain...
Twisting molecules by brute force: A top-down approach
Researchers have found they can use a macroscopic brute force to impose and induce a twist in an otherwise non-chiral molecule.
New eco-friendly foliar spray provides natural anti-freeze
A new, biodegradable foliar/floral spray that increases plant resistance to both cold damage and cold mortality has been introduced to the commercial market. The spray improved cold tolerance by approximately...
University of Virginia, National Fish and Wildlife Partner to Address Conservation Issues
The University of Virginia and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have established a unique partnership for collaborative, graduate-level training and research aimed at developing conservation professionals to tackle some...
Singing Whales Steal Spotlight From Earthquakes
Seismic records reveal seasonal swimming habits of fin whales
Complex sex life of goats could have implications for wildlife management
A new study of the mating habits of mountain goats reveals the vastly different strategies of males in different populations and could shed light on the unseen impacts of hunting. A...
1,000 hidden species revealed in Outback
The Australian Outback is hot, dry and desolate. But just under the surface it is teeming with life.
KS-herpesvirus induces reprogramming of lymphatic endothelial cells to invasive mesenchymal cells
Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is an etiological agent for Kaposi's sarcoma and two other rare lymphoproliferative malignancies, and it is the most common cancer in HIV-infected untreated individuals. Researchers at...
Stem cells: The cell division
Stem cells: The cell divisionNature 480, 310 14122011 doi: 10.1038/480310aAlison AbbottOliver Brüstle fought for more than a decade to pursue and patent human embryonic stem-cell research in Germany. Now his...
Unrequited Love? 16th-Century Erotic Poem Discovered
The poem was discovered inside a 1561 copy of Chaucer.
Researchers Mirror Human Response to Bacterial Infection and Resolution in Mice
"Human Immune System" mouse model closely mimics a person's specific response and resolution of a tick-borne infection known as relapsing fever
Researchers supply major results for understanding the thalamus, the 'relay center' of the brain
The thalamus is the central translator in the brain: Specialized nerve cells (neurons) receive information from the sensory organs, process it, and transmit it deep into the brain. Researchers from...
Three-dimensional technique on trial
Three-dimensional technique on trialNature 480, 303 14122011 doi: 10.1038/480303aEugenie Samuel ReichCritics take a hard look at ankylography, a proposed method for revealing molecular structures from single pictures.
Schizophrenia: Small Genetic Changes Pose Risk for Disease
Carrying single DNA letter changes from two different genes together may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, Johns Hopkins researchers reported in the November 16 issue of Neuron.
Wine grapevines and native plants make a fine blend, study shows
(PhysOrg.com) -- Grapevines and native plants are a fine blend for the environment, suggests a team of researchers led by a plant ecologist at the University of California, Davis.
Sierra Leone eyes bird-watchers
Sierra Leone hopes to overcome brutal image to attract bird tourists