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Fossil shark scales provide a glimpse of reef predator populations before human impact

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Scientists recently made news by using fossil shark scales to reconstruct shark communities from millions of years ago. At the same time, an international team of researchers led by UC Santa Barbara ecologist Erin Dillon applied the technique to the more recent past.
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Male dragonflies lose their 'bling' in hotter climates

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
A study in PNAS led by Washington University in St. Louis finds that dragonfly males have consistently evolved less breeding coloration in regions with hotter climates. The research reveals that mating-related traits can be just as important to how organisms adapt to their climates as survival-related traits.
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How can 'shark dandruff' contribute to coral reef conservation?

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Microscopic scales covering a shark's body--dermal denticles--from fossil and modern reefs show how shark communities have changed since humans arrived on the scene.
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How fish got their spines

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Many fish species evolved parts of their fins into sharp, spiny, needle-like elements -- called fin spines -- that function to protect the fish against predators. Such spines have evolved independently in different lineages and are considered evolutionary drivers of fish diversity. In a study published in PNAS a research team based at the University of Konstanz now shows how fin spines arise from soft fin rays and how they could emerge independently in multiple fish groups.
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Study: constructed wetlands are best protection for agricultural runoff into waterways

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Amy Hansen of the University of Kansas and her co-authors found constructed wetlands are the most effective means to improve water quality, especially if the size and location are evaluated at the scale of a watershed -- an entire region that drains into a common waterway.
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The same neural pathways promote maternal and paternal behaviors in voles

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Like female voles, connections between oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus and dopamine neurons in reward areas drive parental behaviors in male voles, according to new research published in JNeurosci.
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Belowground microbial solutions to aboveground plant problems

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) have discovered that signaling occurring from the response of plant leaves to light, and plant roots to microbes, is integrated along a microbiota-root-shoot axis to boost plant growth when light conditions are suboptimal.
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Astronomers discover an oversized black hole population in the star cluster Palomar 5

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Palomar 5 is a unique star cluster. In a paper published today in Nature Astronomy, an international team of astrophysicists led by the University of Barcelona show that distinguishing features of Palomar 5 are likely the result of an oversized black hole population of more than 100 of them in the center of the cluster.
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Global BECCS potential is largely constrained by sustainable irrigation

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), a negative emission technology, has been considered inevitable to achieve the 2°C or 1.5°C climate goal. Although numerous studies have been conducted, the effect of irrigation remains largely unexplored when taking water use sustainability into consideration. A new study finds that although unlimited irrigation could increase the global BECCS potential by 60-71% by the end of this century, sustainably constrained irrigation would increase it only 5-6%.
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Psychedelic spurs growth of neural connections lost in depression

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
In a new study, Yale researchers show that a single dose of psilocybin given to mice prompted an immediate and long-lasting increase in connections between neurons. The findings are published July 5 in the journal Neuron.
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Being clean and hygienic need not impair childhood immunity

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
The theory that modern society is too clean, leading to defective immune systems in children, should be swept under the carpet, according to a new study by researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
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Hunting and hidden deaths led to 30% reduction in WI wolf population

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
About 100 additional wolves died over the winter in Wisconsin as a result of the delisting of grey wolves under the Endangered Species Act, alongside the 218 wolves killed by licensed hunters during Wisconsin's first public wolf hunt, according to new research. A majority of these additional, uncounted deaths are due to cryptic poaching, where poachers hide evidence of illegal killings.
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Structures discovered in brain cancer patients can help fight tumors

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Researchers at Uppsala University have discovered lymph node-like structures close to the tumour in brain cancer patients, where immune cells can be activated to attack the tumour. They also found that immunotherapy enhanced the formation of these structures in a mouse model. This discovery suggests new opportunities to regulate the anti-tumour response of the immune system.
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More filling? Tastes great? How flies, and maybe people, choose their food

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Flies have discriminating taste. Like a gourmet perusing a menu, they spend much of their time seeking sweet nutritious calories and avoiding bitter, potentially toxic food. But what happens in their brains when they make these food choices? Yale researchers discovered an interesting way to find out. They tricked them.
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Breakthrough in tissue engineering as 'shape memory' supports tissue growth

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Research published today has demonstrated the viability of 3D-printed tissue scaffolds that harmlessly degrade while promoting tissue regeneration following implantation.
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Oncotarget: Genome wide DNA methylation landscape reveals glioblastoma's influence

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
These Oncotarget results suggest that GBM might induce epigenetic alterations in tumor infiltrating CD4 T-cells
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Oncotarget: General anesthesia for pancreatic cancer surgery

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
The major finding of this Oncotarget study was perioperative tryptophan depletion and increased taurine synthesis.
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Oncotarget: Epithelial-mesenchymal transitions create endothelial cells and tumor growth

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
Cells that have undergone EMT can promote tumor growth and neovascularization either indirectly, by promoting endothelial transdifferentiation of carcinoma cells, or directly, by acquiring an endothelial phenotype, with FOXC2 playing key roles in these processes
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New online calculator can help predict death and end-of-life care needs for older adults

Eurekalert - Jul 05 2021 - 00:07
A new risk calculator can help predict how long an older adult will live, and support end-of-life planning. The method used to develop the tool is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.200022.
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Study of T cells from COVID-19 convalescents guides vaccine strategies?

Eurekalert - Jul 04 2021 - 00:07
A KAIST immunology research team found that most convalescent patients of COVID-19 develop and maintain T cell memory for over 10 months regardless of the severity of their symptoms. In addition, memory T cells proliferate rapidly after encountering their cognate antigen and accomplish their multifunctional roles. This study provides new insights for effective vaccine strategies against COVID-19, considering the self-renewal capacity and multipotency of memory T cells.
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