Declining bumblebee populations are at greater risk of inbreeding, which can trigger a downward spiral of further decline. Researchers have provided the first proof that inbreeding reduces colony fitness under natural conditions by increasing the production of reproductively inefficient ‘diploid’ males.
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The same mechanism that helps you detect bad-tasting and potentially poisonous foods may also play a role in protecting your airway from harmful substances, according to a new study. The findings could help explain why injured lungs are susceptible to further damage.
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Acoustic tags and numerical river models are two technologies that are helping improve salmon passage at the Columbia Basin’s hydroelectric dams. An average of 76 percent of juvenile Chinook salmon that pass through the lower 100 miles of the Snake River and its three hydroelectric dams survived the trek in the spring of 2008, according [...]
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Progressive resistance strength training not only helps older adults become stronger but also makes their everyday life easier, a new review suggests.
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Long before mammals, birds, and even dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the first four-legged creatures made their first steps onto land. These early land vertebrates varied considerably in size and shape.
A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. A new study finds that in order for a response to be effective, quick detection and treatment are essential, and any delay beyond three days would overwhelm hospitals with critically ill [...]
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The first detection of a magnetic field on the bright star Vega has been made. Astronomers clearly observe the magnetically-induced effect in the spectrum of Vega, thereby showing that the star possesses a magnetic field, something unknown so far.
A new report from the Institute of Medicine finds suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War is associated with an increased chance of developing ischemic heart disease and Parkinson’s disease for Vietnam veterans. The report is the latest in a congressionally mandated series by the [...]
Researchers are carrying out an assessment of the physical neuropsychological characteristics of children born before 32 weeks’ gestation or whose weight is lower than 1500 grams (3 lbs. 5oz.) — very premature. The results obtained so far reveal that the decisive variable for the existence of a reversible or irreversible brain damage is the baby’s [...]
Researchers have developed a computer model that medical doctors can use to determine the best time to begin using statin therapy in diabetes patients to help prevent heart disease and stroke.