My picks from ScienceDaily

Cougar Predation Key To Ecosystem Health:

The general disappearance of cougars from a portion of Zion National Park in the past 70 years has allowed deer populations to dramatically increase, leading to severe ecological damage, loss of cottonwood trees, eroding streambanks and declining biodiversity. Researchers are calling it a "trophic cascade" of environmental degradation.

Professor Analyzes Nuclear Receptors In Bee Genome:

Susan Fahrbach, a Wake Forest University biologist, is among the more than 170 researchers who helped decode the honey bee genome. She contributed to the article on the bee genome sequence that appears in the October 26 issue of Nature. Her piece of the puzzle -- analyzing the nuclear hormone receptors found in the bee genome -- also appears in the current issue of Insect Molecular Biology.

Secrets Revealed In Sequencing Of Honey Bee Genome:

What do fruit flies, mosquitoes, silk moths and honey bees have in common? First, they are all insects. Second, they have all had their genomes sequenced, a feat that will make it much easier to discern both similarities and differences.

Moderate Drinking May Boost Memory, Study Suggests:

In the long run, a drink or two a day may be good for the brain. Researchers found that moderate amounts of alcohol -- amounts equivalent to a couple of drinks a day for a human -- improved the memories of laboratory rats. Such a finding may have implications for serious neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.