In a new study, researchers found that antibiotics have sex-specific effects on the gut microbiome makeup of male and female laboratory rats. The findings could have implications for using the drugs in humans to treat or prevent bacterial infection.
Introducing a protocol for using robotic pets in memory care
Researchers have developed a protocol for using robotic pets with older adults with dementia. The protocol uses a low-cost robotic pet, establishes ideal session lengths, and identifies common participant responses to the 'pets' to aid in future research.
A History of Rye: How Early Farmers Made Plants Genetically Less Flexible
In their study, the team investigated various properties and the genetic material of 916 wild and domesticated rye plants from different regions in Europe and Asia.
Idea of Ice Age ‘Species Pump’ in the Philippines Boosted by New Way of Drawing Evolutionary Trees
Does the Philippines’ astonishing biodiversity result in part from rising and falling seas during the ice ages?
Plant study hints evolution may be predictable
Evolution has long been viewed as a rather random process, with the traits of species shaped by chance mutations and environmental events -- and therefore largely unpredictable. But an international team of scientists has found that a particular plant lineage independently evolved three similar leaf types over and over again...
Bioinspired whisker arrays can work as antennae to detect sources of flow disturbances under water or in the air
New research could form the basis of aviation innovation. Artificial whiskers, built as models of whiskers from sea lions, can work as an array of antennae to locate the source of hydrodynamic wakes, similar to the way sea lions use their whiskers.
Desert climate overtaking more of Central Asia
Rising annual temperatures and dwindling yearly precipitation across the mid-latitudes of Central Asia have extended its desert climate 60 miles northward since the 1980s, says a recent study.
New research shows 2/3 of species in global shark fin trade at risk of extinction
Researchers sampled nearly 10,000 shark fin trimmings from markets in Hong Kong -- one of the largest shark fin trade hubs in the world. With a little DNA detective work, they unraveled the mystery of what fin belonged to what species, and found that endangered or threatened species were disproportionately...
Marijuana use is much more common in US states that have legalized recreational cannabis use
A new study found that rates of cannabis use and daily cannabis use have increased across the U.S., and current cannabis use and daily use are substantially higher among individuals residing in states that have legalized recreational cannabis use. Rates of cannabis use are even higher among Americans 12 and...
Climate change and civil unrest among the ancient Maya
An extended period of turmoil in the prehistoric Maya city of Mayapan, in the Yucatan region of Mexico, was marked by population declines, political rivalries and civil conflict. Between 1441 and 1461 CE the strife reached an unfortunate crescendo -- the complete institutional collapse and abandonment of the city. This...