PhysOrg Newsletter Monday, Sep 13

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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for September 13, 2010:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Children and adults see the world differently
- Comets may have brought life to Earth: new study
- First sighting of Halley's comet pushed back two centuries
- Dog park lit by dog poop
- Scientists glimpse dance of skeletons inside neurons
- Avoiding an asteroid collision: Researchers reveal a new dimension in the study of asteroid pairs
- Would a molecular horse trot, pace, or glide across a surface?
- Russia finds last-days log of famed 1912 Arctic expedition
- Lung cancer culprit could offer target for therapy, researchers say
- Biofuel from inedible plant material easier to produce following enzyme discovery
- Male maturity shaped by nutrition during first six months of life
- FCC to open up vacant TV airwaves for broadband
- New pathway identified in Parkinson's through brain imaging
- Scientists find link between arthritis pain reliever and cardiovascular events
- Repeated antibiotic use alters gut's composition of beneficial microbes, study shows

Space & Earth news

Taiwan turns plastic junk to 'green' gold
The mountains of used plastic bottles at a recycling station in Taipei emit a faint smell of garbage dump, but soon they will be turned into wigs and clothes that people will wear.

If the water looks and smells bad, it may be toxic
Earthy or musty odors, along with visual evidence of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, may serve as a warning that harmful cyanotoxins are present in lakes or reservoirs. In a newly published USGS study of cyanobacterial blooms in Midwest lakes, taste-and-odor compounds were found almost every time cyanotoxins were found, indicating odor may serve as a warning that harmful toxins are present.

Satellites reveal Russian fires worst in 14 years
(PhysOrg.com) -- More wildfires have burned around the Russian capital this year than in the last decade and a half, according to sensors aboard ESA's observation satellites. The forest and peat bog fires ignited this summer amid an unprecedented heat wave of up to 40C.

Where's the oil? On the Gulf floor, scientists say
(AP) -- Far beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, deeper than divers can go, scientists say they are finding oil from the busted BP well on the sea's muddy and mysterious bottom.

Igor now a Category 4 hurricane with icy cloud tops and heavy rainfall
NASA Satellites have noticed two distinct features in Igor that both indicate how powerful he has become, icy cold, high cloud tops and very heavy rainfall. NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites have provided that insight to forecasters who are predicting Igor's next move as a powerful Category 4 Hurricane.

NASA sees Tropical Storm Julia born with strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall
Tropical Depression 12 was born in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean yesterday, Sept. 12 and two NASA satellites saw factors that indicated she would later strengthen into Tropical Storm Julia. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed strong convection in its center that powered the storm into tropical storm status by 11 p.m. EDT. NASA's TRMM satellite indicated very heavy rainfall from that strong area of convection.

An astronaut field trip: NASA practices in the deserts of the Southwest
What's it like to be on an alien planet? According to NASA, it could be pretty similar to a trip to the Grand Canyon.

Hubble harvests distant solar system objects
Beyond the orbit of Neptune reside countless icy rocks known as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). One of the biggest, Pluto, is classified as a dwarf planet. The region also supplies us with comets such as famous Comet Halley. Most TNOs are small and receive little sunlight, making them faint and difficult to spot.

Freshwater toxins to blame for sea otter deaths
A potent toxin produced by bright-green blooms of freshwater bacteria has been flowing into the ocean and poisoning sea otters, according to a team of investigators led by scientists at the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Younger, hotter Earth still not understood
Plate tectonics may not have operated on a younger and hotter Earth according to new research from the University of Bristol carried out on preserved remnants of ancient continental crust in the Hudson Bay region of Canada.

Avoiding an asteroid collision: Researchers reveal a new dimension in the study of asteroid pairs
Though it was once believed that all asteroids are giant pieces of solid rock, later hypotheses have it that some are actually a collection of small gravel-sized rocks, held together by gravity. If one of these "rubble piles" spins fast enough, it's speculated that pieces could separate from it through centrifugal force and form a second collection -- in effect, a second asteroid.

First sighting of Halley's comet pushed back two centuries
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have modeled the likely path taken by Halley's comet in the 5th century BC and compared their findings to ancient Greek texts from the period. They now suggest the ancient Greeks saw the comet, which would make the sightings over two centuries earlier than previous known observations.

Technology news

Schwarzenegger checks out China's high-speed rail
(AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is engaging in a little window-shopping of China's new high-speed train lines while peddling Californian exports and tourism in the world's second-largest economy.

European partnership funds research toward robot aides for the elderly
A partnership among 20 European states, the European Union and a number of private enterprises has launched a three-year, 3.87-million-euro project to make robots capable of serving as adaptable, interactive, and above all safe assistants for elderly people. The research project, known as ALIAS, places special emphasis on maintaining social networks, warding off feelings of loneliness and isolation, and increasing activities that may protect and enhance cognitive capabilities. ALIAS is a project associated with the Cluster of Excellence CoTeSys (Cognition for Technical Systems) and will widen the competencies of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) in the area of social robotics.

Attack on SC prison guard renews phone-jam debate
(AP) -- South Carolina authorities who have helped push for permission to block cell phone signals inside prisons say an officer in charge of keeping out contraband was nearly killed at his home - in an attack planned with a smuggled phone.

'Halo: Reach' videogame invasion begins
The trigger fingers of "Halo" lovers worldwide are twitching ahead of the release Tuesday of the latest installment of the acclaimed science fiction shooter videogame.

Report: HP close to buying ArcSight for $1.5B
(AP) -- Computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. may be close to another major acquisition.

Mobile phone users enlisting YouMail 'digital secretary'
Ranks of mobile phone users are enlisting the services of a "digital secretary" that automatically snubs unwanted callers, transcribes messages, and gives loved ones special handling.

Hewlett-Packard buying ArcSight for $1.5 billion (Update)
(AP) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. wants to have the answer to all of its customers' technology problems. So it is buying network-security provider ArcSight Inc. to help them respond to the growing threat posed by hackers, computer viruses and digital fraud.

Wal-Mart introduces wireless plan under own brand (Update)
(AP) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday that it is introducing the first cell phone plan that uses the chain's own branding, further demonstrating its clout in getting special deals from wireless carriers.

Intel chief: Content-shifting key for chip-makers
(AP) -- The semiconductor industry hasn't fully cracked the challenge of making chips that help people move content seamlessly between their devices, Intel Corp. CEO Paul Otellini said Monday.

Chattanooga utility offering fast Internet service
(AP) -- Chattanooga's city-owned electrical utility has started offering an Internet service that is among the fastest in the world.

Microsoft condemns use of anti-piracy laws to stifle dissent
US software giant Microsoft expressed concern on Monday over a report that anti-software piracy laws were being used to stifle dissent in Russia and announced steps to try to halt the practice.

FCC to open up vacant TV airwaves for broadband
(AP) -- A new flavor of Wi-Fi, with longer range and wall-piercing power, could show up in wireless gadgets a year from now if the Federal Communications Commission works out the last details of new spectrum rules that have been long in the making.

Long expected, YouTube wades into live streaming
(AP) -- YouTube is making its long expected foray into live streaming by launching an experimental trial with four new media partners.

New high-sensitivity electronic skin can feel a butterfly's footsteps
Stanford researchers have developed an ultrasensitive, highly flexible, electronic sensor that can feel a touch as light as an alighting fly. Manufactured in large sheets, the sensors could be used in artificial electronic skin for prosthetic limbs, robots, touch-screen displays, automobile safety and a range of medical applications.

Google to launch e-book service in Japan in 2011
US Internet giant Google said Monday it would launch an electronic books service in Japan next year despite a chilly reception from major Japanese publishers.

Dog park lit by dog poop
(PhysOrg.com) -- A methane digester called "Park Spark" has been installed in a dog park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The device produces methane by bacterial digestion of the dog excrement, and the methane is used to light a gas-burning street lamp.

Medicine & Health news

Cancer deaths fall, but prevention still lags behind
Although overall mortality from cancer is decreasing in the European Union, its incidence increased by almost 20%, from 2.1 million new cases in 2002 to 2.5 million in 2008, says a special issue [1] of the European Journal of Cancer (the official journal of ECCO - the European CanCer Organisation) on cancer prevention, published today.

Early prostate cancer detection, screening: No benefit for men with low baseline PSA value
Men aged 55 to 74 years who have low baseline blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) are not likely to benefit from further screening and treatment. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The aim of the study is to help physicians and patients weigh the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening and early detection.

Mount Sinai performs first tricuspid ring implantation
David H. Adams, MD, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Professor and Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, has performed the first implantation of the Medtronic Tri-Ad Semi-Flexible Tricuspid Annuloplasty Ring in the United States. Dr. Adams invented the ring, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Good long-term results for fusion surgery for high-grade spondylolisthesis
A group of children who underwent fusion surgery for spondylolisthesis in the lumbar spine 30 years ago showed a clear reduction in back pain when followed up seven years later. A new study of these patients as adults has found that the benefits have lasted, reveals research from the Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital presented this week at the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SICOT) annual international conference in Gothenburg.

Eye-witness identification may be attributed to bias
For the first time, eye-witness identifications are to be studied to determine if people avoid pointing the finger at someone they like in a police line-up.

Public handwashing takes a hike
Mom's advice about cleaning your hands may finally be starting to get through. In the latest observational study sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Cleaning Institute (formerly The Soap and Detergent Association), 85% of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77% in 2007.

Paper highlight: 'Hi-JAK-ing' cancer by inhibiting Jak2
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) comprise a family of blood cancers characterized by clonal expansion of a single blood cell type.

Paper highlight: Signaling hope for polycystic kidney disease
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is a common genetic disease that results in chronic kidney failure.

Early surgery after hip fractures reduces death
Performing early surgery on elderly hip fracture patients reduces the risk of death by 19%, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Blacks with muscular dystrophy die 10-12 years younger than whites: study
African Americans with muscular dystrophy die 10 to 12 years younger than their white counterparts, according to research published in the Sept. 14 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Enlarged hearts in women shrink faster than those in men after aortic valve replacement
Heart enlargement caused by narrowed aortic valves regresses faster in elderly women than in men after aortic valve replacement, according to research reported in a surgical supplement of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Protein-based biomarkers in blood serum could classify individuals with Alzheimer's disease
An initial analysis suggests that biomarkers in blood serum can be combined with clinical information to accurately classify patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Information patients use to pick physicians not always good predictor of quality, study finds
When looking for a new physician, patients are often encouraged to select those who are board certified or who have not made payments on malpractice claims. Yet these characteristics are not always a good predictor of which physicians will provide the highest quality medical care, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Pilot study demonstrates safety of diabetes medication for patients with Alzheimer's disease
A pilot study suggests the diabetes medication pioglitazone is generally well tolerated and may warrant further study as a treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the January 2011 print issue of Archives of Neurology.

Childhood cancer survivors show sustained benefit from common ADHD medication
A medicine widely used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also provides long-term relief from the attention and behavior changes that affect many childhood cancer survivors, according to a multicenter trial led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators.

Oncologists play key role in fight against smoking
(PhysOrg.com) -- Oncologists should consider it their professional duty to set a healthy example by not smoking and by advocating against tobacco use locally and internationally, two Emory faculty members argue in an article scheduled for publication in the September issue of The Oncologist.

Schizophrenia: what we know now
(PhysOrg.com) -- Emory psychologist Elaine Walker, who has studied the origins and precursors of psychosis for 30 years, edited a special issue of 'Current Directions in Psychological Science,' summarizing the recent research on every facet of schizophrenia.

China mass measles vaccination plan sparks outcry
(AP) -- China's plans to vaccinate 100 million children and come a step closer to eradicating measles has set off a popular outcry that highlights widening public distrust of the authoritarian government after repeated health scandals.

Scientists warn slowdown in research poses worldwide threat
A slowdown in research aimed at development of new and more effective antibiotics poses the threat of a return to a situation that existed in the world before the discovery of penicillin, scientists warned.

National study finds 70 percent increase in basketball-related traumatic brain injuries
A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital examined basketball-related injuries treated in emergency departments among children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 from 1997 to 2007. According to the study, more than 4 million basketball-related injuries were treated in emergency departments during the 11-year study. While the number of injuries decreased 22 percent over the course of the study, the average number of injuries per year (375,350) remained high.

Hong Kong man dies of rare flesh-eating disease
A Hong Kong man has died of a flesh-eating bug in the territory's second case of the rare disease in two months, the health department said Monday.

Breakthrough in drug trial offers hope for heart attack patients
New findings from a major drug trial have brought experts a step closer to developing a drug which could prevent thousands of British deaths from heart attacks.

Brain stimulation can help partially paralyzed stroke patients regain use of their muscles
Stroke patients who were left partially paralysed found that their condition improved after they received a simple and non-invasive method of brain stimulation, according to research in the September issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

Antibiotic appears safe for stroke patients and good companion for tPA
An antibiotic appears to be a safe treatment for stroke and a good companion therapy for tPA, the clot buster that is currently the only FDA-approved drug therapy, researchers report.

New insights provide promise for development of tools to protect damaged tissues
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have identified a novel structure in cells that serves as a control switch in the body's system for eliminating damaged cells and also offers new therapeutic potential.

Skin lesions in breast cancer patients could lead to tumor, more study needed
Physicians have long noticed that breast cancer patients who have had surgery or radiation therapy have an heightened risk of developing angiosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that originates in the lining of the blood vessels.

With Brain Positioning system, lost keys no longer an issue
Imagine if getting lost became a thing of the past. Even the common search for lost keys would no longer seem like a lost cause. Well, cognitive psychologist Amy Shelton of Johns Hopkins University is doing research that might help us keep track of ourselves, as well as our things. "What we're trying to study is when you get around in the world and in your day-to-day environments, how is it that you learn them," she explains. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Shelton is exploring some of the ins and outs of our brains' navigation system.

Recovery from autism
(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Connecticut expert says early intervention can help some children recover from autism.

Scientists find key pathway implicated in progression of childhood cancer
A protein crucial for the immune response appears to be a key player in the progression of a devastating form of childhood leukemia called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Suppressing the activity of the protein kills the leukemic cells, the study shows, opening a potential avenue to new drugs that could prevent progression of the disease.

A new target in polycystic kidney disease
In work suggesting a new approach to treating polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a leading cause of kidney failure, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston were able to block the formation of fluid-filled cysts, the hallmark of the disease, in a mouse model. Their findings, using a compound that inhibits a receptor known as c-Met, will be published in the September 13th online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Liquid nitrogen most effective at removing warts
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen is the most effective method to remove common warts, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Selective inhibition of BMK1 suppresses tumor growth
A study describing a newly developed pharmacological inhibitor is providing detailed insight into how an enzyme that has been implicated in multiple human malignancies regulates a known tumor suppressor. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 14th issue of the journal Cancer Cell, may have broad application for treating human cancers.

New insight into 'accelerated aging' disease
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS or progeria) is a rare genetic disease that causes young children to develop symptoms associated with advanced age, such as baldness, wrinkles, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Now, a study published by Cell Press in the September 14th issue of the journal Developmental Cell uses a mouse model to shed light on progeria, and perhaps also on the normal aging process.

CDC: Utah leads US for breast-feeding, 9 of 10 try
(AP) -- A new government report says Utah leads the nation in breast-feeding with 9 in 10 Utah mothers trying it and about 6 in 10 sticking with it for at least six months.

New study reconciles conflicting data on mental aging
A new look at tests of mental aging reveals a good news-bad news situation. The bad news is all mental abilities appear to decline with age, to varying degrees. The good news is the drops are not as steep as some research showed, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

First-of-its-kind study shows supervised injection facilities can help people quit drugs
A study led by researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) at St. Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia has found that supervised injection facilities such as Vancouver's Insite connect clients with addiction treatment, which in turn resulted in greater likelihood of stopping injection drug use for at least six months.

New drug-resistant superbugs found in 3 states
(AP) -- An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: A new gene that can turn many types of bacteria into superbugs resistant to nearly all antibiotics has sickened people in three states and is popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday.

Asthma medication may benefit patients with multiple sclerosis
Adding albuterol, a compound commonly used to treat asthma and other respiratory diseases, to an existing treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis appears to improve clinical outcomes, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Neurology.

New study: Serious gaps in medical journals' disclosure of physician relationships with industry
Nearly half the surgeons who made at least $1 million in payments from orthopedic device companies did not have that relationship published in their scientific articles, according to a study released today in the on-line edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study shows that readers are not being adequately informed about conflicts of interest even when the funds involved are significant.

New metabolic markers may predict preeclampsia in early pregnancy
An international team of scientists and physicians used a combination of sophisticated emerging technologies and data analysis to detect 14 simple metabolites with high accuracy to predict in early pregnancy which women are at risk of developing preeclampsia in later pregnancy, according to a study reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. Currently there is no predictive test for the condition and no cure other than delivery of the baby.

Antiviral therapy associated with fewer recurring eye problems from herpes simplex virus
Taking oral antiviral medications following infection with the herpes simplex virus may be associated with a reduced risk of recurring eye-related manifestations of the disease, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Smokeless tobacco products not a safe option, won't help smokers quit
Smokeless tobacco products should not be used as an alternative to cigarettes or for smoking cessation due to the risk of addiction and return to smoking, according to an American Heart Association policy statement.

Diet/exercise intervention for patients at risk for heart disease improves quality of life
A lifestyle intervention incorporating exercise training and diet counseling in primary health care settings appears to improve quality of life among adults at moderate to high risk for heart disease and appears cost-effective compared to standard care, according to a report in the September 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Do children understand irony?
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study reveals 4-year-old children understand and can even use certain types of irony. The study was published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology by Stephanie Alexander, a PhD student at the Université de Montréal Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, under the supervision of Professor Katherine Frohlich and in collaboration with Holly Recchia of Concordia University.

Using the structure of the epidermal growth factor receptor to fight cancer
(PhysOrg.com) -- The protein EGFR, which is the target of several cancer drugs, has a split personality at the cell surface, with two different classes (high-affinity and low-affinity), whose origins have been a mystery since the 1970s. Now, a new paper by Penn researchers published in Cell explains the difference between these two classes.

Targeted agent shows promise for chronic lymphoid leukemia
Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) have identified an experimental agent that targets chronic lymphocytic leukemia and perhaps other proliferative disorders of lymphocytes.

Swimming in chlorinated pools can lead to cancer: study
Swimming in chlorinated pools can cause an increased risk of cancer in bathers, Spanish researchers said on Monday.

Welsh scientists 'clone' human virus
A team of Welsh scientists have successfully cloned a human virus offering new hope for the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases.

Video games lead to faster decisions that are no less accurate
Cognitive scientists from the University of Rochester have discovered that playing action video games trains people to make the right decisions faster. The researchers found that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn't just make them better at playing video games, but improves a wide variety of general skills that can help with everyday activities like multitasking, driving, reading small print, keeping track of friends in a crowd, and navigating around town.

Lung cancer culprit could offer target for therapy, researchers say
A tiny molecule that spurs the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer could become a player in fighting the disease, say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who published a study on how the molecule behaves in mice in the Sept. 14 issue of Cancer Cell.

Scientists glimpse dance of skeletons inside neurons
Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have uncovered how a structural component inside neurons performs two coordinated dance moves when the connections between neurons are strengthened.

Male maturity shaped by nutrition during first six months of life
It seems the old nature versus nurture debate can't be won. But a new Northwestern University study of men in the Philippines makes a strong case for nurture's role in male to female differences -- suggesting that rapid weight gain in the first six months of life predicts earlier puberty for boys.

New pathway identified in Parkinson's through brain imaging
A new study led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center has identified a novel molecular pathway underlying Parkinson's disease and points to existing drugs which may be able to slow progression of the disease.

Scientists find link between arthritis pain reliever and cardiovascular events
A research team from the University of California, Davis and Peking University, China, has discovered a novel mechanism as to why the long-term, high-dosage use of the well-known arthritis pain medication, Vioxx, led to heart attacks and strokes. Their groundbreaking research may pave the way for a safer drug for millions of arthritis patients who suffer acute and chronic pain.

Repeated antibiotic use alters gut's composition of beneficial microbes, study shows
Repeated use of an antibiotic that is considered generally benign, because users seldom incur obvious side effects, induces cumulative and persistent changes in the composition of the beneficial microbial species inhabiting the human gut, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found.

How our brains get tripped up when we're anxious
A new University of Colorado at Boulder study sheds light on the brain mechanisms that allow us to make choices and ultimately could be helpful in improving treatments for the millions of people who suffer from the effects of anxiety disorders.

Smell of rotten fish detected faster than roses
(PhysOrg.com) -- Roses may smell better than rotten fish but the brain detects the latter faster and more accurately. This is according to a study published earlier this year in Biological Psychology by Johannes Frasnelli, a postdoctoral researcher at the Universite de Montreal Department of Psychology, along with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania.

Children and adults see the world differently
Unlike adults, children are able to keep information from their senses separate and may therefore perceive the visual world differently, according to research published today.

Biology news

Studying cell signaling using single-molecule imaging
The ability to observe individual proteins as they react and combine provides remarkable insights into the complex world of cell signaling

Releasing the brakes
Two regulators of protein filament assembly use dramatically different -- and competing -- methods to inhibit a common target.

Roadkill studies on the rise
(PhysOrg.com) -- Roadkill is the stuff of jokes and sometimes supper. But wild animals hit by vehicles are a serious concern of some ecologists, including UC Davis researcher Fraser Shilling, who just completed the first year of the largest-ever citizen-science survey of roadkill.

Logging spells danger for Europe's last primeval forest
Deep in the forest, along a dirt road off-limits to tourists, the trunks of centuries-old fir trees lie waiting to be hauled to a sawmill -- felled giants from Europe's last primeval forest.

Rare kiwi hatches in quake-hit N.Zealand
An endangered New Zealand kiwi that survived a buffeting in its egg during this month's Christchurch earthquake has hatched safely, in a boost to conservation efforts, officials said Monday.

Female marine snails trick amorous males
Sexual conflict is not only a human phenomenon. Swedish scientists at the University of Gothenburg have shown that females of the rough periwinkle conceal their gender identity in order to avoid excessive copulation.

Over-the-top grass control in sorghum on the horizon
Apply today's chemicals to a sorghum crop for grass control and the sorghum will be killed off also. But a solution could be only a few years away if Texas AgriLife Research plots are any indication.

New theory provides better basis for biodiversity conservation
A mathematical model that provides a more effective basis for biodiversity conservation than existing frameworks has been developed by a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Nature's gift for gardening may hold key to biodiversity
Gardeners are used to cross-breeding flowers to produce pretty petals or sweet scents - now scientists have shown the importance of nature's talent for producing new types of flowers.

Researchers find rare hourglass dolphin
A rare hourglass dolphin underwent a post-mortem on Friday at Massey's Coastal-Marine Pathology Unit at Albany. It is one of only a handful of carcasses of the species ever examined by scientists.

Exosomal release of beta-catenin may explain why CD82 and CD9 suppress tumor metastasis
Researchers reveal a new way in which cells restrain beta-catenin and potentially suppress tumor metastasis: the protein can be ejected from cells in small vesicles called exosomes. The study appears online on September 13 in the Journal of Cell Biology.

Manatee subspecies genetically confirmed, but diversity challenge looms
The first genetic study to compare nuclear DNA of endangered Antillean manatees in Belize with Florida manatees confirmed their designation as separate subspecies. Belize's manatees, however, were found to have extremely low genetic diversity, raising questions about their long-term genetic viability.

Making cookies that are good for your heart
Years of research has proven that saturated and trans fats clog arteries, make it tough for the heart to pump and are not valuable components of any diet. Unfortunately, they are contained in many foods. Now, a University of Missouri research team has developed a soybean which produces oil that is naturally low in saturated and trans fats.

Senator pushes bill legalizing stem cell research
(AP) -- Sen. Arlen Specter on Monday initiated a drive to legalize federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, superseding conflicting court decisions that he said are slowing critical work to find cures for crippling diseases.

Melting sea ice forces walruses ashore in Alaska
(AP) -- Tens of thousands of walruses have come ashore in northwest Alaska because the sea ice they normally rest on has melted.

Your body recycling itself -- captured on film (w/ Video)
Our bodies recycle proteins, the fundamental building blocks that enable cell growth and development. Proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids, and scientists have known since the 1980s that first one in the chain determines the lifetime of a protein. McGill researchers have finally discovered how the cell identifies this first amino acid - and caught it on camera.

Biofuel from inedible plant material easier to produce following enzyme discovery
Cambridge researchers have discovered key plant enzymes that normally make the energy stored in wood, straw, and other non-edible parts of plants difficult to extract. The findings, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, can be used to improve the viability of sustainable biofuels that do not adversely affect the food chain.

History of 'cuckoo bees' needs a rewrite, study says
(PhysOrg.com) -- The evolutionary history of the bee family Apidae -- which has the largest number of species and includes honeybees -- may need a major revision, according to a new Cornell study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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