No defects found in reproductive ability of male mice returning from short stay in space

Male mice raised in space using specially developed cages were returned safely to Earth. The sperm production/fertilizing ability of the mice were normal and the reproduction ability of the offspring were not affected by their parents' stay in outer space. The findings on the effects of the environment in space on the male reproductive system will contribute to the accumulation of basic knowledge for humankind to expand the range of its activity to space.

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Candidate Ebola vaccine still effective when highly diluted, macaque study finds

A single dose of a highly diluted VSV-Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine — approximately one-millionth of what is in the vaccine being used to help control the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — remains fully protective against disease in experimentally infected monkeys, according to scientists. The investigators completed the dosage study using cynomolgus macaques and an updated vaccine component to match the EBOV Makona strain that circulated in West Africa from 2014-16.

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Bullies may come and go, but the 'molecular memory' of being a target lingers

Life at the bottom of the social ladder may have long-term health effects that even upward mobility can't undo, according to new research in monkeys. A team studied 45 rhesus macaques. They found that monkeys who move up in the hierarchy still show the effects of their once-lowly status at the cellular level, even after they rise in rank.

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Monkeys can also thank their body for vocal development, not only their brain

Development of vocal behavior during maturation is typically attributed to the brain. But the body itself is also capable of guiding this development. New experiments with marmoset monkeys show that we should not ignore the body's own amazing capabilities.

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Monkeys like alcohol at low concentrations, but probably not due to the calories

Fruit-eating monkeys show a preference for concentrations of alcohol found in fermenting fruit, but do not seem to use alcohol as a source of supplementary calories, according to a new study. The findings do not support the idea that human alcoholism originated from a predilection of primates for alcohol-containing overripe fruit.

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For baboons, a mother's history of hardship can have lasting effects on her kids too

Numerous studies show that children who had a rough start in life are more likely to have health problems later on. The pattern isn't unique to humans. But for baboons, the impacts aren't just borne by one generation — the next generation bears the brunt as well. A study finds that a baboon mother's early trauma is linked to shorter lifespans for her kids, even if they grew up more carefree than she did.

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