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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for July 28, 2011:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- One third of those surveyed said they will buy iPhone 5- Funding for nonhuman primate research questioned
- REN21 renewable energy report shows healthy growth
- Memristors with a twist: Quasi-liquid soft matter foreshadows biocompatible electronics and flexible robots
- World population to surpass 7 billion in 2011
- Researchers develop mouse with 'off switch' in key brain cell population
- Gene gives clues to self-injurious behavior in rare disorder
- Chemists transform acids into bases
- The brain's connectome -- from branch to branch
- China cracks down on wi-fi in public spaces
- Elusive prey
- Humabs discovers the first antibody to neutralize both group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses
- Sea level rise less from Greenland, more from Antarctica, than expected during last interglacial
- Rainforest plant developed sonar dish to attract pollinating bats
- Scientists map attack tactics of plant pathogens
Space & Earth news
New uses for Space Station
For more than a decade, the International Space Station has been a busy orbiting research lab. But it could soon take on a new role as a testbed for ambitious missions deeper into space.
Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft mated to its rocket
NASA's Juno spacecraft completed its last significant terrestrial journey today, July 27, with a 15-mile (25-kilometer) trip from Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., to its launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The solar-powered, Jupiter-bound spacecraft was secured into place on top of its rocket at 10:42 a.m. EDT (7:42 a.m. PDT).
Scientists find gold in British bogs
The price tag of Britain’s bogs could be set to soar, making them just as valuable as prime farmland.
NASA identifies the areas of Tropical Storm Muifa's strength
The strongest thunderstorms that make up tropical storm Muifa are on the storm's eastern and southern sides, according to infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite. The northern side is being weakened by a nearby weather system.
NASA measures wildfire pollution pour over Niagara Falls
Water isn't the only thing pouring over Niagara Falls. Pollution from fires in Ontario, Canada is also making the one thousand mile trip, while being measured by NASA's Aqua satellite.
Deep-ocean sentinels on northern climate watch
Three deep-ocean moorings have become the foundation for a new drive to measure change in currents linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans through the Indonesia Archipelago – a key factor influencing Australia’s climate.
Lao forests feeding Vietnam industry, group says
(AP) -- Despite an export ban, Vietnamese companies are smuggling logs from the once rich forests of Laos to feed a billion-dollar wood industry that turns timber into furniture for export to the Europe and the United States, an environmental group said Thursday.
Mapping mangrove biomass
A comparison of three techniques to detect changes in mangrove forest areas suggests one gives more reliable results than the other two, and this finding will help researchers better understand growth and loss of this important habitat. The work is published in the Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology.
GOES-13 satellite movie shows formation of Tropical Storm Don
Tropical Storm Don formed at 5 p.m. EDT last night, July 27, in the southern Gulf of Mexico and appears to be a small storm on GOES-13 satellite imagery. NASA compiled two days of GOES-13 imagery in a 30 second movie that shows how and where Don formed.
Geographic analysis offers new insight into coral disease spread
In the last 30 years, more than 90 percent of the reef-building coral responsible for maintaining major marine habitats and providing a natural barrier against hurricanes in the Caribbean has disappeared because of a disease of unknown origin.
Earth is getting fatter
Like many of its inhabitants, the Earth is getting thicker around the middle -- that's what a new study out this week says. The increased bulge is due to the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
Chandra X-ray Telescope images gas flowing toward black hole
The flow of hot gas toward a black hole has been clearly imaged for the first time in X-rays. The observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, analyzed by University of Alabama astronomers, will help tackle two of the most fundamental problems in modern astrophysics: understanding how black holes grow and how matter behaves in their intense gravity.
Juno's Jupiter mission a quest to find 'recipe for planet-making'
Even for scientists versed in the grand scale of astronomy, it's never been easy to grasp the scope of Jupiter.
Sea level rise less from Greenland, more from Antarctica, than expected during last interglacial
During the last prolonged warm spell on Earth, the oceans were at least four meters – and possibly as much as 6.5 meters, or about 20 feet – higher than they are now.
Technology news
NSF launches new cyberinfrastructure project to succeed TeraGrid
A partnership of 17 institutions last week announced a new project that allows researchers open access to the power of supercomputers, advanced computational tools and digital resources and services directly from their desktops.
Riding the design wave
Chris Fox’s first-hand experience of the risks associated with water sports led him to design a self-inflating life jacket, which has just won a coveted James Dyson Award.
National crowdsourcing project to better predict world events
If intelligence agencies could have accurately predicted the events of 9/11, imagine how world history would have changed.
Study: Iraq must overcome logistical, political challenges to become oil leader
Iraq's large oil-production potential could put it in a position to vie for leadership with Saudi Arabia in the world oil scene in the coming decades. But a new energy study released today by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy finds that in the near term, both Baghdad and Riyadh may have difficulty meeting rising demand for oil.
Study: 1/2 of Netflix users watch via game console
(AP) -- According to a new Nielsen survey, half of all Netflix users connect to the video streaming service via gaming console.
Regulators dig deeper into Google's Admeld deal
(AP) -- Federal regulators are seeking more information about Internet search leader Google's proposed purchase of digital advertising company Admeld.
Cable companies to give clues on Internet impact
(AP) -- Are people really cancelling cable to watch TV and movies from the Internet instead?
New study outlines prospects for electric vehicle market growth in the U.S.
The Obama administration has set a goal of getting one million electric cars on the road by 2015 to reduce air pollution and dependence on fossil fuels. These vehicles are becoming available, but will Americans buy them? The answer, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard Kennedy School, is yes – but only if the electric vehicles are competitive with conventional cars on cost, range and fueling convenience.
SKorea: Alleged hacking attack hits Internet users
(AP) -- The personal information of about 35 million Internet users in South Korea was stolen in an alleged hacking attack that originated in China, officials said Thursday.
Scientists to shake 5-story building in Japan
Landmark earthquake engineering tests this summer in Japan by the University of Nevada, Reno could open the door for earthquake-proofing technology applied to hospitals, nuclear power plants and emergency-response facilities to be more common in the United States, and confirm the capabilities for the technology used in Japan and the rest of the world.
Electronic tongue identifies cava wines
Researchers at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have developed an electronic tongue which can identify different types of cava wines, thanks to a combination of sensor systems and advanced mathematical procedures. The device automatically produces classifications similar to those of a sommelier.
Obama to announce new car efficiency standards
US President Barack Obama will later this week unveil new fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks for the 2017-2025 period, the White House said Wednesday.
Bridge destruction to reveal clues about 'fracture-critical' spans
A civil engineer at Purdue University is taking advantage of the demolition of a bridge spanning the Ohio River to learn more about how bridges collapse in efforts to reduce the annual cost of inspecting large spans.
Southampton engineers fly the world's first 'printed' aircraft
Engineers at the University of Southampton have designed and flown the world's first 'printed' aircraft, which could revolutionise the economics of aircraft design.
Tiny flying machines inspired by nature will revolutionize surveillance work
Tiny aerial vehicles are being developed with innovative flapping wings based on those of real-life insects.
China cracks down on wi-fi in public spaces
China has ordered public spaces offering wi-fi web access to install costly software to enable police to identify people using the service, state media said Thursday.
REN21 renewable energy report shows healthy growth
An annual report published by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) shows that despite a troublesome worldwide economy over the past year, international investment in renewable energy sources continues to be strong.
Medicine & Health news
Social media poised to drive disaster preparedness and response
Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare may be an important key to improving the public health system's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective" article from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania to be published this week. From earthquakes to oil spills or other industrial accidents to weather-related events like heat waves and flooding, the authors suggest that harnessing crowd-sourcing technologies and electronic communications tools will set the stage to handle emergencies in a quicker, more coordinated, effective way.
Treatment provides dramatic survival benefit for hard-to-match kidney transplant patients
Hard-to-match kidney transplant candidates who receive a treatment designed to make their bodies more accepting of incompatible organs are twice as likely to survive eight years after transplant surgery as those who stay on dialysis for years awaiting compatible organs, new Johns Hopkins research finds.
Breast density tied to specific types of breast cancer
Women with breasts that appear dense on mammograms are at a higher risk of breast cancer and their tumors are more likely to have certain aggressive characteristics than women with less dense breasts, according to a study published online July 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
New therapy may help people with unexplained symptoms of pain, weakness and fatigue
A new type of therapy may help people with symptoms such as pain, weakness, or dizziness that can't be explained by an underlying disease, according to a study published in the July 27, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These symptoms, which can also include fatigue, tingling and numbness, are also known as functional or psychogenic symptoms.
Growing up on livestock farm linked to increased risk of blood cancers
Growing up on a livestock farm seems to be linked to an increased risk of developing blood cancers as an adult, indicates research published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Speed cameras in urban areas save millions in cash
The deployment of speed cameras in urban areas saves vast amounts of money as well as lives, reveals a two year financial analysis, published online in Injury Prevention.
Neuroscientists discover new estrogen activity in the brain
Research by University of Massachusetts Amherst neuroscientist Luke Remage-Healey and colleagues has for the first time provided direct evidence that estrogens are produced in the brain’s nerve cell terminals on demand, very quickly and precisely where needed. "This is an incredibly precise control mechanism and it solidifies a new role for estrogens in the brain," says Remage-Healey.
Lifestyle choices keep health all in the mind
Physical activity and being a volunteer assist mental wellbeing, a new ACT research report has found.
News reporting of physical activity sends socially skewed message
A new study of television news reporting reveals the media neglect key risks of inactivity and fail to focus attention on the responsibilities of employers and government to foster greater physical activity among Australians.
Post-traumatic stress disorder linked to smaller birth weight and shorter gestation
Women with post-traumatic stress disorder are likely to have smaller babies and deliver prematurely, a new University of Michigan study suggests.
Increased muscle mass may lower risk of pre-diabetes
A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that the greater an individual's total muscle mass, the lower the person's risk of having insulin resistance, the major precursor of type 2 diabetes.
New vaccine for hepatitis C virus
Murdoch University researchers have begun a study to develop a new and innovative vaccine for the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Words may predict treatment success for depression sufferers
Scientists at the University of Portsmouth have published the first study to provide a promising predictor of whether the most commonly prescribed therapy – guided self-help – will help a person recover.
Research finds veterinary medicine students experience higher depression levels than peers
Veterinary medicine students are more likely to struggle with depression than human medicine students, undergraduate students and the general population, according to several recent collaborative studies from Kansas State University researchers.
A heart-rate-reducing medication reduces the risk of heart failure and cardiac fibrosis
The findings of a Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) study published in the scientific journal Cardiology suggest that ivabradine, a heart rate reduction medication, is also effective in reducing the risk of diastolic heart failure (left ventricular insufficiency) and cardiac fibrosis.
Lawson researchers take control of cancer
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, one in four Canadians will die of cancer. This year alone, the disease will kill an estimated 75,000 people. With incidence rates on the rise, more cancer patients are facing grave prognoses. Fortunately, Lawson Health Research Institute's Dr. John Lewis, Dr. Ann Chambers, and colleagues have found new hope for survival. Their new study released today in Laboratory Investigation shows that maspin, a cellular protein, can reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells - but only when it is in the nucleus.
Prisoners need greater awareness of voluntary services, says research
New research from the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) highlights the need to make prisoners more aware of voluntary organisations that could help them towards resettlement. The report shows that despite the relatively high number of third sector organisations working within prisons, many are not known by prisoners.
Study shows bone fluoride levels not associated with osteosarcoma
The International and American Associations for Dental Research have released in its Journal of Dental Research a study that investigated bone fluoride levels in individuals with osteosarcoma, which is a rare, primary malignant bone tumor that is more prevalent in males. Since there has been controversy as to whether there is an association between fluoride and risk for osteosarcoma, the purpose of this study, titled "An Assessment of Bone Fluoride and Osteosarcoma," was to determine if bone fluoride levels were higher in individuals with osteosarcoma.
Trade practices key in deciding a trade's moral legitimacy
Los Angeles, CA (JULY 28, 2011) How goods are traded, not just what is traded, is a principal consideration when deciding the legitimacy of a particular industry, according to a study recently published in Administrative Science Quarterly, a SAGE journal.
Gladstone scientist converts human skin cells into functional brain cells
A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered a novel way to convert human skin cells into brain cells, advancing medicine and human health by offering new hope for regenerative medicine and personalized drug discovery and development.
Permeon reveals discovery of Intraphilins as new approach to intracellular biologic drugs
Permeon Biologics, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of intracellular protein biologics, today announced the discovery of an entirely new class of naturally occurring human supercharged proteins called Intraphilins™. The sequence and structure of these naturally supercharged human proteins enable biologic drugs to penetrate and function inside of mammalian cells. This new class of proteins is the foundation of Permeon Biologics' novel Intraphilin™ Technology Platform and provides an innovative approach to develop intracellular protein biologic drugs, such as intracellular monoclonal antibodies and enzyme replacement therapies. Intraphilins enable functional proteins to act inside cells to treat disease, impacting over 1,500 intracellular target proteins currently considered undruggable with available technologies.
Plastic surgeons should be aware of patients with 'excessive concern' about appearance
Moderate to severe symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) - excessive concern about appearance that interferes with daily life - are found in 33 percent of patients seeking plastic surgery to improve the appearance of their nose, reports a study in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Oral interferon may prevent and control avian influenza virus infection
Avian influenza virus is a threat to the commercial chicken industry and, with its recent rapid spread across China, has also shown the ability for transmission from chickens to humans and other mammals. In an article in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Chinese researchers report that oral chicken interferon-alpha may significantly reduce influenza virus levels when given either preventively or therapeutically.
Boomers worry about finances, health costs
(AP) -- The "golden years" may lose some luster for many baby boomers worried about the financial pressures that come with age
Convergence in head and neck cancer
Powerful new technologies that zoom in on the connections between human genes and diseases have illuminated the landscape of cancer, singling out changes in tumor DNA that drive the development of certain types of malignancies such as melanoma or ovarian cancer.
Johnson & Johnson cuts maximum Tylenol dose to prevent overdoses
(AP) -- Johnson & Johnson said Thursday that it's reducing the maximum daily dose of its Extra Strength Tylenol pain reliever to lower risk of accidental overdose from acetaminophen, its active ingredient and the top cause of liver failure.
Using a 'systems biology' approach to look under the hood of an aggressive form of breast cancer
Using a "systems biology" approach – which focuses on understanding the complex relationships between biological systems – to look under the hood of an aggressive form of breast cancer, researchers for the first time have identified a set of proteins in the blood that change in abundance long before the cancer is clinically detectable. The findings, by co-authors Christopher Kemp, Ph.D., and Samir Hanash, M.D., Ph.D., members of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Human Biology and Public Health Sciences divisions, respectively, are published online ahead of the Aug. 1 print issue of Cancer Research.
Researchers crack code of German E. Coli outbreak
A team led by University of Maryland School of Medicine Institute for Genome Sciences researchers has unraveled the genomic code of the E. coli bacterium that caused the ongoing deadly outbreak in Germany that began in May 2011. To date, 53 people have died in the outbreak that has sickened thousand in Germany, Sweden and the U.S. The paper, published July 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), describes how researchers around the globe worked together to use cutting edge technology to sequence and analyze the genomics of E. coli samples from the outbreak as well as closely related strains in a matter of days. They combined those findings with their knowledge of the biology and evolution of the bacteria to learn more about the outbreak. The analysis occurred rapidly enough to inform the physicians treating people who were infected, and assisted epidemiologists as they raced to trace the source of the pathogen.
Researchers identify gene variant in Proteus syndrome
A team of researchers has identified the genetic mutation that causes Proteus syndrome, a rare disorder in which tissue and bone grows massively out of proportion. The discovery, which has implications for potential drug therapies and even cancer, appears in the July 27, 2011, early online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The team was led by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
New research identifies GP and parental reluctance to address childhood obesity
One in five 11-year-old children is currently defined as obese, and the country faces a potentially huge burden of increased obesity-associated morbidity and early mortality. New research by the University of Bristol has found that despite the health implications of childhood obesity, many GPs remain reluctant to discuss the topic with parents or to refer overweight children to weight reduction services.
Gout prevalence swells in US over last 2 decades
A new study shows the prevalence of gout in the U.S. has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million (4%) Americans. Prevalence of increased uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) also rose, affecting 43.3 million (21%) adults in the U.S. Greater frequency of obesity and hypertension may be associated with the jump in prevalence rates according to the findings now available in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
New genetic mutations found for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency in British Columbia, Canada and their U.S. collaborators have identified a number of new genetic mutations involved in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or NHL.
Interrupted sleep takes toll on memory formation, study says
A new study seems to confirm what exhausted parents have long suspected but may have been too tired to articulate:
Fructose consumption increases risk factors for heart disease
A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that adults who consumed high fructose corn syrup for two weeks as 25 percent of their daily calorie requirement had increased blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which have been shown to be indicators of increased risk for heart disease.
Researchers trace early journey of modulating cells in brain
Key cells in the brain region known as the hippocampus are formed in the base of the brain late in fetal life and undertake a long journey before reaching their final destination in the center of the brain shortly after birth, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
New model predicts environmental effect of pharmaceutical products
Most synthetic chemical products used in consumer goods end up unchanged in the environment. Given the risks this could pose for the environment and human health, researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have developed a new tool to effectively predict what will happen to current and future pharmaceutical products.
In the pursuit of dangerous clumps
When normal proteins form protein clumps in the body, then alarm bells start ringing. Such clumps, called "amyloids," are closely associated with Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes. If doctors knew how these proteins form clumps, then they might be able to treat such diseases more efficiently. The physicist Adrian Keller and his colleagues at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the university in Aarhus, Denmark, have succeeded in taking a major step in that direction.
Low income, poor diet linked to accelerated aging
A new study of the DNA of people living in Glasgow suggests that earning less than the average wage and eating an unhealthy diet could accelerate the ageing process.
Mitochondrial genome mutates when reprogrammed
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are truly talented multi-taskers. They can reproduce almost all cell types and thus offer great hope in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. However, it would appear that their use is not entirely without risk: during the reprogramming of body cells into iPS cells, disease-causing mutations can creep into the genetic material. The genome of the mitochondria – the cell's protein factories – is particularly vulnerable to such changes.
Male circumcision lowers prevalence of penile precancerous lesions among African men
A University of North Carolina-led international study shows that among Kenyan men, circumcision is associated with a lower prevalence of human papillomavirus-associated precancerous lesions of the penis. Human papillomavirus - HPV - is a sexually transmitted virus that plays an important role in genital cancers in men and women, including cancers of the penis and cervix.
Researchers look to dogs to better understand intricacies of bone cancer
A new University of Minnesota discovery may help bone cancer patients fight their disease more effectively, according to new research published in the September issue of Bone.
Antioxidants of growing interest to address infertility, erectile dysfunction
A growing body of evidence suggests that antioxidants may have significant value in addressing infertility issues in both women and men, including erectile dysfunction, and researchers say that large, specific clinical studies are merited to determine how much they could help.
Education - a key determinant of population growth and human well-being
28 July 2011 -- Future trends in global population growth could be significantly affected by improvements in both the quality and quantity of education, particularly female education. Projections of future population trends that do not explicitly include education in their analysis may be flawed, according to research published in the journal Science.
Gene gives clues to self-injurious behavior in rare disorder
In humans, inherited mutations in a gene called HPRT1 lead to very specific self-destructive behavior. Boys with Lesch-Nyhan disease experience uncontrollable urges to bite their fingers, slam their arms into doorways and otherwise harm themselves.
DNA sequencing technology yields new insights into German E. coli pathogen
An international team of scientists has successfully employed single molecule, real-time (SMRT™) DNA sequencing technology from Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PACB) to provide valuable insights into the pathogenicity and evolutionary origins of the highly virulent bacterium responsible for the German E. coli outbreak. Published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results provide the most detailed genetic profile to date of the outbreak strain, including medically relevant information.
How the brain assigns objects to categories
The human brain is adept at recognizing similar items and placing them into categories — for example, dog versus cat, or chair versus table. In a new study, MIT neuroscientists have identified the brain activity that appears to control this skill.
'Mirroring' might reflect badly on you
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but clueless copycatting comes at a cost.
The brain's connectome -- from branch to branch
The human brain is the most complex of all organs, containing billions of neurons with their corresponding projections, all woven together in a highly complex, three-dimensional web. To date, mapping this vast network posed a practically insurmountable challenge to scientists. Now, however, a research team from the Heidelberg-based Max Planck Institute for Medical Research has developed a method for tackling the mammoth task. Using two new computer programs, KNOSSOS and RESCOP, a group of over 70 students mapped a network of more than 100 neurons – and they did so faster and more accurately than with previous methods.
Researchers develop mouse with 'off switch' in key brain cell population
NIH-funded scientists have developed a strain of mice with a built-in off switch that can selectively shut down the animals' serotonin-producing cells, which make up a brain network controlling breathing, temperature regulation, and mood. The switch controls only the serotonin-producing cells, and does not affect any other cells in the animal's brains or bodies.
Humabs discovers the first antibody to neutralize both group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses
A paper published today in the scientific research journal Science, describes a novel, proprietary monoclonal antibody (FI6) discovered in a collaboration between Humabs BioMed SA, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine ("IRB") and the UK Medical Research Council (MRC). FI6 is the first neutralizing antibody that targets all 16 hemagglutinin subtypes of influenza A and represents an important development in the treatment of severe cases of flu, and in finding a universal flu vaccine. The paper also discusses Humabs' high throughput method of selecting rare antibodies from cultured plasma cells.
Biology news
Shaping the plants of the future
A hormone that determines the size and shape of crops could improve harvests, and help in the control of a vampire plant according to Queensland researchers presenting their work today at the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne, Australia.
How cotton was born
A coming together and genetic merging of an American plant with an African or Asian plant one or two million years ago produced the ancestor of the bush that now provides 90% of the world’s commercial cotton. And although the resulting plant has been domesticated and changed genetically by breeding over thousands of year, it retains a genetic structure and capacity which is conducive to further modification.
First study of South-West Ghana bird health
The first ever study of the impact of habitat loss on the health and condition of birds in South-West Ghana will be conducted by a PhD student from The University of Queensland's (UQ) School of Geography Planning and Environmental Management.
Researchers tap yeasts as source of 'green' surfactants
Surfactants, which are wetting agents that lower a liquid's surface tension, have a long list of uses, from detergents and cosmetics to paints and pesticides. Most surfactants are petroleum-based. But in Peoria, Ill., a team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists has focused their attention on sophorolipids, surfactant-like molecules produced by naturally occurring yeasts.
Researchers map long-range migrations and habitats of leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean
Endangered leatherback sea turtles migrate and forage across vast areas of the Pacific Ocean and Indo Pacific seas and require greater international collaboration for their protection, according to a recent study conducted by NOAA Fisheries Service and western Pacific research and conservation scientists. The study, published today in the journal Ecosphere, is based on data from 126 leatherbacks tracked by satellite and supports continuing research to improve conservation efforts for this endangered species by better understanding how oceanographic features influence their migration and foraging behavior.
Toucans wearing GPS backpacks help Smithsonian scientists study seed dispersal
Nutmeg-loving toucans wearing GPS transmitters recently helped a team of scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama address an age-old problem in plant ecology: accurately estimating seed dispersal. The tracking data revealed what scientists have long suspected: toucans are excellent seed dispersers, particularly in the morning. Also, for the first time, the data enabled researchers to create a map of the relative patterns and distances that toucans distribute the seeds of a nutmeg tree.
Ongoing global biodiversity loss unstoppable with protected areas alone
Continued reliance on a strategy of setting aside land and marine territories as "protected areas" is insufficient to stem global biodiversity loss, according to a comprehensive assessment published today in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.
Colugos glide to save time, not energy
Gripping tightly to a tree trunk, at first sight a colugo might be mistaken for a lemur. However, when this animal leaps it launches into a graceful glide, spreading wide the enormous membrane that spans its legs and tail to cover distances of up to 150m. So, when Greg Byrnes and his colleague Andrew Spence from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, were looking around for a mammal to carry the accelerometer/radio transmitter backpacks that the duo designed to track animals in the field, the colugo was an obvious choice.
Ravenous wolves colonise France, terrorise shepherds
A bloody, stinking sheep's carcass greets shepherd Yves Vignon as he walks to check on his flock on the foggy Alpine heights. It's the 17th of his ewes to be savaged in a month.
Africanized bees in Modesto likely an isolated case
The recent confirmation of Africanized honey bees in Modesto — the first confirmed case north of Madera County — is "probably an isolated case, and there probably aren't any more Africanized honey bee colonies in the northern San Joaquin Valley," Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology said today.
Arctic scientist under investigation
(AP) -- A federal wildlife biologist whose observation in 2004 of presumably drowned polar bears in the Arctic helped to galvanize the global warming movement has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated for scientific misconduct, possibly over the veracity of that article.
Bird massages reduce stress for both giver and taker
As anyone who's had one knows, a good massage does wonders for reducing tension. This isn't just the case for us; it's also true for apes, monkeys and even birds.
Speeding up evolution: Orchid epigenetics
Organisms adapt to their dynamic environment using various strategies. Ovidiu Paun, working at the Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, investigates how marsh orchids adjust to and diffuse in different habitats. Initial results have suggested that the future isn't as bleak as one would have expected: Variation in epigenetic information, recently detected as heritable signals outside the DNA, enables plants to adapt quickly to environmental changes.
Elusive prey
Escape responses are some of the most studied behaviors by neurobiologists who want to understand how the brain processes sensory information. The ability to evade predators plays a vital role in the process of natural selection. Animals explore their environment to find food, find mates and locate new habitats, and have developed distinct escape responses to avoid predators, thereby increasing their chances for survival. Yet there are few examples that illustrate a complete understanding of the basic biological mechanisms of behavior with its ecological relevance.
Scientists take a giant step for people -- with plants!
Science usually progresses in small steps, but on rare occasions, a new combination of research expertise and cutting-edge technology produces a 'great leap forward.' An international team of scientists, whose senior investigators include Salk Institute plant biologist Joseph Ecker, report one such leap in the July 29, 2011 issue of Science. They describe their mapping and early analyses of thousands of protein-to-protein interactions within the cells of Arabidopsis thaliana -a variety of mustard plant that is to plant biology what the lab mouse is to human biology.
How bats stay on target despite the clutter (w/ Video)
In a paper published this week in Science, researchers at Brown University and from the Republic of Georgia have learned how bats can home in on a target, while nearly instantaneously taking account of and dismissing other objects in their midst. The trick lies in their neurons: Bats can separate the cavalcade of echoes returning from their sonar pulses by distinguishing changes in amplitude — the intensity of the sound — between different parts of each echo within 1.5 decibels, to decide whether the object is a target or just background clutter.
1st large-scale map of a plant's protein network addresses evolution, disease process
The eon-spanning clock of evolution – the millions of years that generally pass before organisms acquire new traits – belies a constant ferment in the chambers and channels of cells, as changes in genes and proteins have subtle ripple effects throughout an organism. In a study in the July 29 issue of Science, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Systems Biology and an international team of colleagues capture the first evidence of the evolutionary process within networks of plant proteins.
Plant immunity discovery boosts chances of disease-resistant crops
Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have opened up the black box of plant immune system genetics, boosting our ability to produce disease- and pest-resistant crops in the future. The research is published this evening (28 July) in the journal Science.
Rainforest plant developed sonar dish to attract pollinating bats
The researchers discovered that a rainforest vine, pollinated by bats, has evolved dish-shaped leaves with such conspicuous echoes that nectar-feeding bats can find its flowers twice as fast by echolocation. The study is published today in Science.
Scientists map attack tactics of plant pathogens
Every year, plant diseases wipe out millions of tons of crops, lead to the waste of valuable water resources and cause farmers to spend tens of billions of dollars battling them.
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