A systematic review of 301 academic articles on 'cultural ecosystem services' has enabled researchers to identify how these nonmaterial contributions from nature are linked to and significantly affect human well-being. They identified 227 unique pathways through which human interaction with nature positively or negatively affects well-being. These were then used...
Nutrition solution can help heat-stressed cows as US warms
Rising temperatures pose major challenges to the dairy industry -- a Holstein's milk production can decline 30 to 70% in warm weather -- but a new study has found a nutrition-based solution to restore milk production during heat-stress events, while also pinpointing the cause of the decline.
New study calculates retreat of glacier edges in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park
As glaciers worldwide retreat due to climate change, managers of national parks need to know what's on the horizon to prepare for the future. A new study has measured 38 years of change for glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park south of Anchorage and discovered that 13 of the 19...
Ragweed allergy: Aggressiveness of pollen is determined by its place of origin and by the environment
The different geographic and climatic regions from which ragweed pollen originates, as well as the degree of environmental pollution, may influence the severity of allergic reactions such as hay fever and asthma. Pollen from plants in different areas exhibit different levels of aggressiveness.
The value of seagrass to the planet’s future is far greater than appreciated
Experts at the forefront of efforts to restore the UK's coastal seagrass meadows say the remarkable plant's contribution to the UN Sustainable Development goals deserves to be reassessed. Conserving and restoring seagrass meadows actually contributes to achieving 16 out of the 17 goals.
Single-cell approaches and deep learning to map all stages of fruit fly embryo development
Using the fruit fly, scientists have constructed a complete and detailed single-cell map of embryo development. This research will also help scientists pursue questions like how mutations lead to different developmental defects and provides a path to understand the vast non-coding part of our genome that contains most disease-associated mutations.
These baboons borrowed a third of their genes from their cousins
Genetic analyses of baboons in Kenya reveals that most of them carry traces of hybridization in their DNA. As a result of interbreeding, about a third of their genetic makeup consists of genes from another, closely-related species. Fifty years of observations turned up no obvious signs that hybrids fare any...
Speeding up evolution at genome-level by alternative chromosome configuration
A research team has uncovered the profound effects of an atypical mode of chromosome arrangement on genome organization and evolution.
Sterile mice produce rat sperm
Researchers generated rat sperm cells inside sterile mice using a technique called blastocyst complementation.
Scientists engineer probiotic to prevent infection of large intestine
Scientists have created a probiotic to restore bile salt metabolism found in the gastrointestinal tract, to counter the onset and effects of Clostridium Difficile Infection (CDI).