PhysOrg Newsletter Friday, Jan 20

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Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for January 20, 2012:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Scientists design solar cells that exceed the conventional light-trapping limit
- Iridescence and superhydrophobicity combined on one surface
- Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why?
- Scientists turning to crowdsourcing to gather more information about earthquakes
- Congress puts online piracy bills on hold (Update 3)
- Part of Earth's mantle shown to be conductive under high pressure and temperatures
- Research team creates photoelectrowetting circuit
- Delay for space station's 1st private cargo run (Update)
- Global radio experts float new mobile phone standard
- Bird flu researchers agree to 60-day halt (Update 2)
- Researchers solve questions about Ethiopians' high-altitude adaptations
- Gold nanorods could improve radiation therapy of head and neck cancer
- In solar cells, tweaking the tiniest of parts yields big jump in efficiency
- I thought I saw A UFO! Mystery triangle on STEREO image explained...
- SDO helps measure magnetic fields on the sun's surface

Space & Earth news

Satellite observes spatiotemporal variations in mid-upper tropospheric methane over China
As a principal greenhouse gas, atmospheric methane is important to atmospheric chemical processes and climate change. In Vol. 56 of the Chinese Science Bulletin, a paper identified spatiotemporal variations of methane in the mid-upper troposphere over China using satellite observations.

Air Force launches military satellite into space
(AP) -- The Air Force has sent into space a satellite that is expected to improve communications with military drones in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Cruise ship threatens marine paradise
(AP) -- Stone fortresses and watchtowers which centuries ago stood guard against against marauding pirates loom above pristine waters threatened by a new and modern peril: fuel trapped within the capsized Costa Concordia luxury liner.

Vega rocket ready for first flight
Final checkout of Europe’s new Vega launcher was completed last Friday, marking another milestone towards its maiden flight from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Planets, planets everywhere: But researcher says finding life on these new discoveries is challenging
Recent discoveries have transformed scientific understanding of the galaxy, showing a Milky Way teeming with planets, some of them circling stars in bizarre configurations compared to the staid solar system, University of Toronto astronomer Ray Jayawardhana said Wednesday.

Three generations of rovers with crouching engineers
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two spacecraft engineers join a grouping of vehicles providing a comparison of three generations of Mars rovers developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The setting is JPL's Mars Yard testing area.

Thawing tundra a new climate threat
(PhysOrg.com) -- A significant source of greenhouse gases has started leaking into the Earth's atmosphere from an unlikely place. Above the Arctic Circle, land frozen for tens of thousands of years has begun to thaw for the first time. Current estimates indicate that perennially frozen ground, called permafrost, holds more than twice the amount of carbon present in today's atmosphere. As permafrost thaws, a huge amount of this stored carbon could be released as carbon dioxide or methane gas.

Curiosity rover will serve as terramechanics instrument in explortation of Martian soils
NASA has announced that Raymond E. Arvidson, PhD, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been selected to be a participating scientist on the Mars Science Laboratory, a mission to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars.

The chemistry of exploding stars
(PhysOrg.com) -- Fundamental chemical processes in predecessors of our solar system are now a bit better understood: An international team led by Peter Hoppe, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, has now examined dust inclusions of the 4.6 billion years old Murchison, meteorite, which had been already found in 1969, using a very sensitive method. The stardust grains originate from a supernova, and are older than our solar system. The scientists discovered chemical isotopes, which indicate that sulfur compounds such as silicon sulfide originate from the ejecta of exploding stars. Sulfur molecules are central to many processes and important for the emergence of life.

Scientists turning to crowdsourcing to gather more information about earthquakes
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the past, seismologists have had to rely on information provided by just a few sensors in the vicinity of an earthquake to get information about it, and then afterwards, on anecdotal evidence provided by people that had experienced the quake first hand.

Cliffhanging corals avoid trawler damage
Bottom trawling fishing boats have devastated many cold water coral reefs along the margin of the North East Atlantic Ocean. Now, researchers have found large cold water coral colonies clinging to the vertical and overhanging sides of submarine canyons 1350 metres below the surface of the Bay of Biscay.

SDO helps measure magnetic fields on the sun's surface
(PhysOrg.com) -- Science nuggets are a collection of early science results, new research techniques, and instrument updates that further our attempt to understand the sun and the dynamic space weather system that surrounds Earth.

I thought I saw A UFO! Mystery triangle on STEREO image explained...
The STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) is a two-year mission conducted by NASA. It employs nearly identical twin telescopes – one positioned ahead of Earth’s orbit and the other behind – designed to study the Sun’s activities spectroscopically. However, it can sometimes pick up some very unusual findings! On December 26, 2011, the STEREO Behind Observatory’s HI2 telescope captured an ambiguous triangle entering the field of view and moving from right to left just above the trapezoidal occulter as seen in the above movie. Just what is this “thing”?!

Delay for space station's 1st private cargo run (Update)
The first commercial cargo run to the International Space Station is off until spring.

Technology news

US shutdown of sharing site draws hacker retaliation
US authorities have shut down one of the largest file-sharing websites and charged seven people with copyright crimes, sparking a retaliatory cyber attack on the FBI and Justice Department websites.

India's Wipro quarterly profits, revenue outlook up
Wipro, India's third-largest software exporter, reported Friday a 10.3 percent rise in quarterly profit but said the global outlook remained uncertain for the nation's flagship outsourcing sector.

Photo industry mourns Kodak
Photographers, professionals and amateurs alike, are mourning the end of an era after Eastman Kodak, which produced the cameras and film many started hobbies and careers with, filed for bankruptcy.

Venture capital investments up 19 percent in 4Q
(AP) -- Funding for startups rose 19 percent in the fourth quarter as venture capitalists fueled money into more companies in the Internet, clean technology and other sectors.

Experts see tough road for Kodak to reinvent self
(AP) -- Even in bankruptcy, Kodak boasts some enviable strengths: a golden brand, technology firepower that includes a rich collection of photo patents, and more than $4 billion in annual sales of digital cameras, printers, and inks.

Treasure haul as N.Z. police raid Megaupload guru
New Zealand police on Friday seized a pink Cadillac and a sawn-off shotgun, and froze millions of dollars in cash, after a raid on the fortified mansion of an Internet guru accused of online piracy.

EU Internet czar tweets against SOPA
The European Union's Internet czar on Friday added her voice to resistance to the Stop Online Piracy Act, in an unusually open comment on pending U.S. legislation.

NZ police raid file-sharing site founder's mansion
New Zealand police raided several homes and businesses linked to the founder of Megaupload.com, a giant file-sharing site shut down by U.S. authorities, on Friday and seized guns, millions of dollars, and nearly $5 million in luxury cars, officials said.

Ericsson and ZTE bury patent hatchets
Swedish mobile network giant Ericsson and Chinese rival ZTE have settled their patent infringement disputes, Ericsson said in a statement on Friday.

Nielsen: 1.4 percent of those who recently bought smartphones chose Windows phone
Only 1.4 percent of U.S. consumers who said they bought a smartphone in the last three months chose Windows Phone, according to research from Nielsen.

At auto show, social media extend automakers' reach
As Andreas Schmid traipsed through the exhibits at the Detroit auto show recently, he did so with dozens of unseen followers.

The opposite of evil: Google named best place to work in America
Google has a new weapon in the intense war for engineering talent in Silicon Valley: The search giant on Thursday was named by Fortune magazine as the best place to work in America.

Kodak gets 2013 deadline to reorganize
(AP) -- Eastman Kodak Co. has obtained a bankruptcy judge's approval to borrow an initial $650 million from Citigroup Inc. to keep operations running while it peddles a trove of digital-imaging patents.

Anonymous, loose-knit group of 'hacktivists'
Anonymous, which briefly knocked the FBI and Justice Department websites offline in retaliation for the US shutdown of file-sharing site Megaupload, is a shadowy group of international hackers with no central hierarchy.

IBM sees students' Facebook time as more than waste of time
College students need not feel guilty about spending hours each day on Facebook or other social networks. Turns out it might help them get a job.

Megaupload: a boon to users but a bane for copyright holders
The website Megaupload.com, which was shut down by US authorities over copyright violations, is among the world's most popular filesharing and streaming websites with a reported 50 million users a day.

Renowned attorney Bennett to represent Megaupload
(AP) -- One of the nation's most prominent defense lawyers will represent file-sharing website Megaupload on charges that the company used its popular site to orchestrate a massive piracy scheme that enabled millions of illegal downloads of movies and other content.

Zynga mulls online gambling market
(AP) -- Zynga, the social game company known for "FarmVille" and "Zynga Poker," is mulling a new market - online gambling.

A big leap toward lowering the power consumption of microprocessors
The first systematic power profiles of microprocessors could help lower the energy consumption of both small cell phones and giant data centers, report computer science professors from The University of Texas at Austin and the Australian National University.

Congress puts online piracy bills on hold (Update 3)
US congressional leaders put anti-online piracy legislation on hold Friday following a wave of protests led by Google and Wikipedia denouncing the bills as a threat to Internet freedom.

Global radio experts float new mobile phone standard
Global radio experts have approved radio standards that are to usher in a new mobile phone operating system to replace third generation or 3G technology, the International Telecommunication Union announced on Friday.

Medicine & Health news

Lithium treatment can cause weight-gain, hypothyroidism, and hyperparathoidism
Lithium is the most effective long-term therapy for bipolar disorder, protecting against both depression and mania and reducing the risk of suicide and short-term mortality. However, safety concerns have made its use controversial.

Accelerated infant growth increases risk of future asthma symptoms in children
Accelerated growth in the first three months of life, but not fetal growth, is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in young children, according to a new study from The Generation R Study Group at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Anti-infective drug shortages pose threat to public health and patient care
Shortages of key drugs used to fight infections represent a public health emergency and can put patients at risk, according to a review published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. Frequent anti-infective shortages can substantially alter clinical care and may lead to worse outcomes for patients, particularly as the development of new anti-infectives has slowed and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is increasing.

Duration of RBC storage does not affect short-term pulmonary, immunologic, or coagulation status
There is no difference in early measures of pulmonary function, immunologic status or coagulation status after fresh versus standard issue single-unit red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in awake, non-intubated patients may be an effective strategy for bridging patients to lung transplantation, according to a new study from Germany.

Indonesia reports second bird flu death this year
Indonesia on Friday reported its second human death from bird flu this year, with the death of a five-year-old girl who recently lost her relative to the deadly virus.

US Army suicides down, sex assaults up
The Pentagon said Thursday the number of suicides in the US Army fell last year for the first time since 2004, but that sexual assaults increased.

Mexico enacts rules against 'miracle cure' ads
(AP) -- Mexico enacted tough new rules Thursday to ban advertising of "miracle cures" for weight loss, sagging body parts and more serious illnesses like prostate ailments, chronic fatigue and even cancer.

LA hospital prepares to send tiny baby home
(AP) -- One of the world's smallest surviving babies is headed home.

Trying to eat healthy? Read those nutrition labels carefully
People who made New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier or lose weight might also want to brush up on their math skills.

What type of helmet is best for winter play?
It's not winter in Canada if children don't spend time speeding down the slopes! Canadian tobogganing is a tradition handed down from generation to generation. For a long time, it's been considered one of the safest winter activities.

Novartis drug investigated after 11 deaths
A multiple sclerosis drug made by industry giant Novartis is under investigation after at least 11 patients taking the medicine died.

FDA clears safety test to screen Tysabri patients
(AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new diagnostic test to help identify patients who have an increased risk of developing a rare brain infection while taking Biogen Idec's multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri.

UH Case Medical Center offers new therapy for gynecologic cancer patients
Patients with gynecologic cancer have new hope in a novel technology now offered at the Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center. A team of cancer specialists, led by Robert DeBernardo, MD, is among the first in the nation to launch a dedicated program using Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) to treat ovarian, endometrial and select other cancers.

Younger breast cancer patients have more adverse quality-of-life issues
Younger women with breast cancer experience a decrease in their health-related quality of life (QOL), associated with increased psychological distress, weight gain, a decline in their physical activity, infertility and early onset menopause, according to a study published January 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Many strategies to increase physical activity for kids lack injury prevention measures
A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documents a need for increased injury prevention efforts in many of the most popular activities for kids (walking, bicycling, swimming, sports and playground use) in the United States. Injury is the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S., yet many public health efforts to promote physical activity in kids do not consider the numerous available strategies to incorporate injury prevention. The report, published online in the journal Health and Place, outlines how injury prevention and child obesity professionals can work together to prevent injury while promoting active lifestyles in kids.

Paper highlights need to identify and treat insomnia early to reduce risk of developing other illnesses
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, but despite advances in diagnosis and management it often goes unrecognised and untreated. Left untreated, insomnia increases the risk of developing other illnesses including depression, diabetes, hypertension, and possibly even death in older adults. Therefore, much more needs to be done to identify and treat insomnia early, and to ensure that patients are treated according to clinical guidelines rather than with off-label drugs that have little evidence for their effectiveness, concludes a review of the evidence published Online First in The Lancet.

PCE in drinking water linked to an increased risk of mental illness
PCE in drinking water linked to an increased risk of mental illness

Exposure to chemical found in personal care products may contribute to childhood obesity
Researchers from the Children's Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children – including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

Tuna-eating teenagers less likely to suffer depression
(Medical Xpress) -- New research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol, which has been charting the health of 14,500 children since their birth in the early 1990s, shows that the link between low levels of vitamin D and depression is established in childhood and that ensuring children have a good intake of vitamin D could help reduce depression in adolescence and adulthood.

Sleep problems increase risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, study shows
(Medical Xpress) -- People who suffer from sleep disturbances are at major risk for obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.  For the first time in such a large and diverse sample, analyzing the data of over 130,000 people, the new research also indicates that general sleep disturbance (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or sleeping too much) may play a role in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The study is published online ahead of print in the Journal of Sleep Research.

Enhanced vision training boosts batters, research shows
Members of the University of Cincinnati (UC) baseball team significantly improved their batting performance with the help of an enhanced vision training program, according to research published in a scientific research journal.

Ongoing research analyzes formulas, mother's milk
Soy-based baby formula nourishes millions of America's infants. Now, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded scientist Jin-Ran Chen is taking a close look at the effects that soy formula, cow's-milk formula, and mother's milk have on bone development in infants.

Saturated fatty acids lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance
Excessive levels of certain saturated fatty acids cause mitochondria to fragment, leading to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, a precursor of type 2 diabetes, according to a paper in the January issue of the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology. This is the first time mitochondrial fragmentation has been implicated in insulin resistance, says corresponding author Yau-Sheng Tsai, of the College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Recommendations made for genetic testing for Trimethylaminuria
(Medical Xpress) -- Recommendations for genetic testing of an inherited disorder known as trimethylaminuria or ‘fish odor syndrome’ have been produced by researchers including Professor Ian Phillips from Queen Mary, University of London.

For diabetics not on insulin, self-monitoring blood sugar has no benefit
For type 2 diabetics who are not on insulin, monitoring their blood sugar does little to control blood sugar levels over time and may not be worth the effort or expense, according to a new evidence review.

Teens have fewer behavioral issues when parents stay involved
When parents of middle school students participate in school-based, family interventions, it can reduce problem behavior, according to new research released online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Single dose of antibiotic leaves mice highly vulnerable to intestinal infection
Yet another study adds to the growing evidence that antibiotics can disrupt the balance of the intestinal flora, with negative effects on health. A team of researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, has shown in mouse models that a single dose of the commonly used antibiotic, clindamycin, wiped out nearly 90 percent of bacterial taxa, leaving the mice unusually susceptible to infection by Clostridium difficile, a bacterial pathogen that is innocuous for most health people but that can cause severe diarrhea in individuals following antibiotic treatment.  Their research appears in the January issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.

H5N1 virus targets pulmonary endothelial cells
The H5N1 virus has killed roughly 60 percent of humans infected, a mortality rate which is orders of magnitude higher than that of seasonal influenza virus. Many victims of the former fall heir to acute respiratory distress  syndrome—the inability to breathe. Now researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of South Alabama show that the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus, but not seasonal influenza viruses, can target the cells of human lung tissue, where they replicate fast and efficiently, and induce inflammation, which correlates with H5N1-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome that is observed in humans. The research is published in the January Journal of Virology.

Channeling into cell control
A research team from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Wako, Japan, has visualized and accurately modeled the molecular changes that open and close the internal membrane channels for calcium ions within cells. The ions moving through these channels act as intracellular messengers, relaying information that regulates the activity of the proteins that control many critical processes of life and death—from fertilization through to development, metabolism and, ultimately, death.

Poorest smokers face toughest odds for kicking the habit
Quitting smoking is never easy. However, when you're poor and uneducated, kicking the habit for good is doubly hard, according to a new study by a tobacco dependence researcher at The City College of New York (CCNY).

Report: Mental illness struck 1 in 5 US adults in 2010
One in five adults in the U.S. had a mental illness in 2010, with people ages 18 to 25 having the highest rates, according to a national survey.

A new way to stimulate the immune system and fight infection
A study carried out by Eric Vivier and Sophie Ugolini at the Marseille-Luminy Centre for Immunology has just reveal a gene in mice which, when mutated, can stimulate the immune system to help fight against tumors and viral infections. Whilst this gene was known to activate one of the body's first lines of defense (Natural Killer, or 'NK' cells), paradoxically, when deactivated it makes these NK cells hypersensitive to the warning signals sent out by diseased cells.

Three is the magic number: A chain reaction required to prevent tumor formation
Protein p53 is known for controlling the life and death of a cell and has a key role in cancer research. P53 is known to be inactive in 50 percent of cancer patients. If researchers succeed in re-establishing the presence of p53 in patients, they may hold the key to a promising avenue of research. However, p53 does not act alone.

N.Y. teens' mystery illness labeled 'conversion disorder'
It's a term used so rarely that most of us haven't heard of it. Even mental health professionals say they have read about it in textbooks rather than seen it up close.

Latest gadgets give diets, workouts a high-tech boost
The math formula for weight loss isn't hard to understand. There's calorie input and calorie output - what you eat and what you burn. When the energy input is less than the output, you lose weight. But as simple as it looks on paper, putting that formula into practice can be maddeningly complicated.

Fear gone viral
If you were paying attention to the flap over two recent flu experiments involving ferrets, you may have come away with the impression that scientists all but waved a red flag in front of terrorists and said, "Here's a perfect biological weapon - help yourselves."

Autism redefined: Yale researchers study impact of proposed diagnostic criteria
Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to preliminary data presented by Yale School of Medicine researchers at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association.

Notre Dame researchers report fundamental malaria discovery
A team of researchers led by Kasturi Haldar and Souvik Bhattacharjee of the University of Notre Dame's Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases has made a fundamental discovery in understanding how malaria parasites cause deadly disease.

Study showed oxaliplatin improved colon cancer patient survival
Stage III colon cancer patients in the general population who receive adjuvant treatment for the disease have an improved rate of survival when oxaliplatin is added to 5-fluorouracil (5FU), according to a study published Jan. 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

High levels of MRSA bacteria in retail meat products
Retail pork products in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research by the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

US confirms contraception without co-pay rule
US health authorities on Friday finalized a change that will force most insurance plans to cover contraception for women and other preventive health services at no extra cost.

Meningitis B type vaccine available soon
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers in Chile have successfully tested a vaccine against meningococcus B, a strain of bacteria that causes meningococcal diseases, including one of the commonest forms of meningitis, a disease in which membranes covering the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. Meningitis can be caused by viruses or bacteria, but the bacterial forms, such as meningococcus B, are more severe and cause the deaths of many young children every year.

Study identifies a new way brain cells die in Alzheimer's disease
(Medical Xpress) -- A new study challenges conventional thinking about how brain cells die in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings demonstrate a previously unknown mechanism by which the cells die and will help lead researchers in new directions for treating the degenerative brain disease. The study by scientists at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute is published this week in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Scientists keep their eyes on peripheral vision
(Medical Xpress) -- Two USC scientists are bringing peripheral vision into focus, showing that the way the brain sharpens its attention while the eyes are in motion leads to false assumptions about how objects should look.

Researchers solve questions about Ethiopians' high-altitude adaptations
Over many generations, people living in the high-altitude regions of the Andes or on the Tibetan Plateau have adapted to life in low-oxygen conditions. Living with such a distinct and powerful selective pressure has made these populations a textbook example of evolution in action, but exactly how their genes convey a survival advantage remains an open question. Now, a University of Pennsylvania team has made new inroads to answering this question with the first genome-wide study of high-altitude adaptations within the third major population to possess them: the Amhara people of the Ethiopian Highlands.

Biology news

Article by Rochester team is the most viewed in Biotech Journal
A review article by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center for the journal BioTechniques was the journal’s most-viewed article in 2011.

Ecologists gain insight into the likely consequences of global warming
A new insight into the impact that warmer temperatures could have across the world has been uncovered by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London.

Elusive Z- DNA found on nucleosomes
New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Cell & Bioscience is the first to show that left-handed Z-DNA, normally only found at sites where DNA is being copied, can also form on nucleosomes.

Why bats, rats and cats store different amounts of fat
Animals differ in the amount of fat they carry around depending on their species, status and sex. However, the causes of much of this variation have been a mystery. The Bristol study shows that many differences can be understood by considering the strategies animals employ to avoid two causes of death: starvation and being killed by predators.

Chemical treatment for colony collapse disorder temporarily worsens viral infections in honeybees
(PhysOrg.com) -- Acaricide, a chemical used against Varroa mites that infect honeybees, appears to render bees more susceptible to deformed wing virus infections, according to research published in the January issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Like the mites, these viruses have been identified as potential causes of colony collapse disorder.

Designing wildlife corridors in the digital age
Development is squeezing animals into smaller pockets of land, and without sufficient planning and protection, individual animal populations could find themselves increasingly isolated.

Unraveling the Chinese cabbage genome
Clues into the evolutionary diversification of brassicas have emerged from the draft Chinese cabbage genome sequence. Brassica crops include many agriculturally important vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, pak choi, turnip, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, as well as various oilseed crops.

Multiple partners not the only way for corals to stay cool
Recent experiments conducted at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) produced striking results, showing for the first time that corals hosting a single type of "zooxanthellae" can have different levels of thermal tolerance – a feature that was only known previously for corals with a mix of zooxanthellae.

Scientists find new plant in Fiji
Scientists have discovered a new flowering plant belonging to the scarce Medinilla group on Fiji's Kadavu island, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said on Friday.

California condor still threatened by human activities
A recently released scientific paper authored by San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research scientists shows the leading causes of death of the endangered California condor in the wild are human influenced, with lead poisoning being the primary factor in juvenile and adult birds.

'Extinct' monkey rediscovered in Borneo by new expedition
An international team of scientists has found one of the rarest and least known primates in Borneo, Miller's Grizzled Langur, a species which was believed to be extinct or on the verge of extinction. The team's findings, published in the American Journal of Primatology, confirms the continued existence of this endangered monkey and reveals that it lives in an area where it was previously not known to exist.

Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Minuscule amounts of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, can more than double the life span of a tiny worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, which is used frequently as a model in aging studies, UCLA biochemists report. The scientists said they find their discovery difficult to explain.

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