Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for August 24, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Robot NICO learning self awareness using mirrors- New satellite data on melting of Himalayan glaciers
- Almost half of Americans yawn over 4G LTE
- Dispatch software combines multiple internet connections into one
- Newly discovered genetic markers could signal colon cancer development
- Researchers describe new molecular interactions behind the inhibition of TGF beta-signaling
- Bigger creatures live longer, travel farther for a reason
- Researchers develop simplified approach for high-power, single-mode lasers
- Researchers develop superior fuel cell material
- Efficient catalysis on chiral surfaces
- Ultrathin wafer of silicon and gold focuses telecom wavelengths without distortion
- Cuckolded males sing louder
- New model gives hands-on help for learning the secrets of molecules
- ChemCam laser first analyses yield beautiful results
- Research pinpoints brain's 'Gullibility' center
Space & Earth news
Farmer-led irrigation schemes could alter food security in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia
As food prices escalate globally due to the failed monsoon season in Asia and the "super drought" in the US, a new study finds that small-scale irrigation schemes can protect millions of farmers from food insecurity and climate risks in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR consortium research center, released the paper ahead of Stockholm World Water Week.
XCOR to move operations near Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center is getting a new neighbor: XCOR Aerospace announced they intend to establish an operational base in Florida, and also hope to build a manufacturing and assembly center for the XCOR Lynx Mark II suborbital reusable launch vehicles.
Farming loved but misunderstood, survey shows
A survey exploring public opinion about the UK's agricultural sector has revealed that farming has a special place in most people's hearts, even though they know surprisingly little about it.
UN launches 'Heritage of Astronomy' portal
Observatories in Britain, France and the United States, a pharaonic temple in Egypt, a 3,000-year-old pillar in China and a 1920s tower in Berlin have been inscribed on a UN-backed heritage list for astronomy, unveiled on Friday.
Only two percent of Canadians deny climate change
Only two per cent of Canadians believe climate change is not occurring, a new important survey released today by IPAC-CO2 Research Inc. concluded.
Local irrigation systems provide better food security: study
Farmer-led irrigation schemes provide better food security, protect millions of farmers from climate risks and reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, a new study showed Friday.
Wind concentrates pollutants with unexpected order in an urban environment
Cities â€" with their concrete canyons, isolated greenery, and congested traffic â€" create seemingly chaotic and often powerful wind patterns known as urban flows. Carried on these winds are a variety of environmental hazards, including exhaust particles, diesel fumes, chemical residues, ozone, and the simple dust and dander produced by dense populations.
Seismometer tested for use on the Moon and Mars
(Phys.org)â€"Time and again, local quakes occur on the moon. Knowledge of their origin and intensity is required for the safe construction of moon bases for astronauts or for drawing conclusions with respect to the inner structure of the moon. To study moonquakes and the effects of gravitation accelerations, a set of several seismometers is planned to be installed on the surface of the moon during the SELENE2 Japanese moon mission.
SpaceX's next cargo run to space station in October
SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the International Space Station in October, 2012. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced Thursday at Kennedy Space Center that SpaceX is now fully certified to ferry cargo to the space station. While the company's Dragon capsule did bring cargo to the ISS during its initial flight in May, that was considered just a test flight. Now comes a series of 'real' cargo runs.
How planetary resource's asteroid search could help find exoplanets
Planetary Resources is the private company that wants to eventually mine asteroids for profit. But initially, the group will focus on developing Earth orbiting telescopes to scan for the best asteroids, and then later, create low-cost robotic spacecraft for surveying missions and then actual spacecraft to do the mining.
The Webb Telescope's 'Golden Spider'
What looks like a giant golden spider weaving a web of cables and cords, is actually ground support equipment, including the Optical Telescope Simulator (OSIM), for the James Webb Space Telescope. OSIM's job is to generate a beam of light just like the one that the real telescope optics will feed into the actual flight instruments. Because the real flight instruments will be used to test the real flight telescope, their alignment and performance first have to be verified by using the OSIM. Engineers are thoroughly checking out OSIM now in preparation for using it to test the flight science instruments later.
Epic struggle between birds and pigs goes on with a Martian twist
NASA is helping pigs and birds explore the Martian terrain and shed light on the agency's missions to the Red Planet in the latest update to the game Angry Birds Space. Rovio Entertainment, creator of Angry Birds, announced the update Thursday, complete with a cast of agency rovers and landers.
New study maps Himalayan glacier behaviour
Glaciers are one of the largest reservoirs of freshwater on our planet, and their melting or growing is one of the best indicators of climate change. However, knowledge of glacier change has been hampered by lack of data, especially for understanding regional behaviour.  Measurements from satellites have recently provided the first overview mapping of thickness changes of Himalayan glaciers. In a study published in Nature today, scientists assembled new datasets from Earth-observing satellites and found that glaciers in the Hindu Kushâ€"Karakoramâ€"Himalaya region (HKKH) lost 12 gigatonnes per year over the period 2003â€"08, much faster than previously reported.
Good news from the bad drought: Gulf 'Dead Zone' smallest in years
The worst drought to hit the United States in at least 50 years does have one benefit: it has created the smallest "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico in years, says a Texas A&M University researcher who has just returned from gulf waters.
NASA launch of twin science satellites delayed
(AP)â€"NASA has delayed the launch of its newest science satellites.
Tropical Storm Tembin crossed over Taiwan, back over water
NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Tembin after it made a quick track across southern Taiwan and re-emerged over the open waters of the Philippine Sea.
Sri Lanka braces for oil slick
Sri Lanka mobilised 500 volunteers on Friday to prepare for an oil slick heading towards its coast after a cargo vessel sank off-shore due to bad weather, a disaster official said.
Greenpeace raids Russian Arctic oil platform
Greenpeace activists on Friday scaled the sides of an Arctic oil platform owned by Russian group Gazprom to draw attention to the dangers of drilling in one of the world's last pristine reserves.
NASA study provides new findings on protecting astronauts' bones through diet and exercise
(Phys.org)â€"Eating the right diet and exercising hard in space helps protect International Space Station astronauts' bones, a finding that may help solve one of the key problems facing future explorers heading beyond low Earth orbit.
Scientists explain scale of Japanese tsunami
Scientists at Cambridge University have developed a model that may show why some tsunamisâ€"including the one that devastated Japan in March 2011arâ€"e so much larger than expected. The Japanese tsunami baffled the world's experts as it was far bigger than might have been anticipated from what is known about the deep sea earthquakes that create long waves out in the ocean.
ChemCam laser first analyses yield beautiful results
Members of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover ChemCam team, including Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists, squeezed in a little extra target practice after zapping the first fist-sized rock that was placed in the laser's crosshairs last weekend.
New satellite data on melting of Himalayan glaciers
(Phys.org)â€"There is consensus among scientists that the glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet are shrinking, but there is disagreement on the extent of the shrinkage because of the difficulty in interpreting satellite data. In 2010 satellite data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite was analyzed and the researchers concluded the glaciers were losing around 50 billion tonnes of ice each year, but the same data was interpreted earlier this year by another team of researchers who concluded the annual loss of ice was around five billion tonnes.
Technology news
New Alliance helps you find 'needle in a haystack'
When was the last time you had that frustrating experience in a large supermarket, where you've been walking around in circles trying to find a small item?
Why 'legitimate' rape and other myths are alive and dangerous
(Medical Xpress)â€"When US Republican Todd Akin declared earlier this week that it is impossible or "really rare" for a woman to become pregnant as a result of a "legitimate rape" because "the female body has ways to try and shut the whole thing down" it wasn't just the feminist blogosphere that went on high alert.
Internet expert criticizes Indian cyber blockades
(AP)â€"The Indian government's attempts to block social media accounts and websites that it blames for spreading panic have been inept and possibly illegal, a top Internet expert said Friday.
SKorean court rules Samsung didn't copy iPhone
(AP)â€"South Korea's Samsung won a home court ruling in its global smartphone battle against Apple on Friday when judges in Seoul said the company didn't copy the look and feel of the U.S. company's iPhone, and that Apple infringed on Samsung's wireless technology.
Kodak to sell imaging units, focus on printing
(AP)â€"Kodak says it will sell its document imaging and personalized imaging businesses to better focus on printing and business services as it works to emerge from bankruptcy protection.
RIM begins showing new BlackBerry's to carriers
(AP)â€"Canadian phone maker Research In Motion has begun showing its new BlackBerry smartphones to wireless carriers around the world, but the struggling company says it is still months away from starting to sell them.
US: Missile defense for NKorea threat, not China
(AP)â€"The United States is in discussions with close ally Japan about expanding a missile defense system in Asia, the top U.S. general said Thursday.
Can 'serious games' be an effective tool for workplace learning?
Researchers from UCL are analysing a serious game called TARGET to see if it could help workers develop skills such as negotiating and trust-building in the workplace.Â
New mobile app from NIH helps women learn about their health in 52 weeks
52 Weeks for Women's Health, a new app that offers women access to a year's worth of practical health information, highlighted week-by-week, is now available.
Getting serious about global gaming
(Phys.org)â€"Researchers at the University of Alberta have teamed up with colleagues in one of the world's leading centres on electronic gaming to form a network that will help close the gap between academia and the gaming industry.
Flexible electronics, self-folding structures and controlled photosynthesis on a grand scale
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced 15 Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) grants for fiscal year 2012, awarding nearly $30 million to 68 investigators at 26 institutions.
A new kind of pub crawl
WebÂsites like FaceÂbook, LinkedIn and other social-​​media netÂworks conÂtain masÂsive amounts of valuÂable public inforÂmaÂtion. AutoÂmated web tools called web crawlers sift through these sites, pulling out inforÂmaÂtion on milÂlions of people in order to tailor search results and create tarÂgeted ads or other marÂketable content.
Amazon expands streaming with NBCUniversal
Amazon and NBCUniversal on Friday announced they were expanding their alliance for streaming video to include "hundreds" of popular NBC television shows.
Citigroup, UBS slam Nasdaq payback plan in Facebook IPO
Citigroup has lined up against Nasdaq's plan to compensate brokerages that lost money in the Facebook IPO.
Analysts cut 2012 PC, chip shipment forecasts
(AP)â€"Research firms say that what looked like a good year for computers and chips has fizzled.
Boston subway system to be used to test new sensors for biological agents
The idea that disease and infection might be used as weapons is truly dreadful, but there is plenty of evidence showing that biological weapons have been around since ancient times.
Venezuelan election heats up via social media
With tweets, Facebook pages and YouTube videos, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and rival Henrique Capriles are waging an online battle ahead of the country's October 7 elections.
Scientists investigate using artificial intelligence for next-generation traffic control
(Phys.org)â€"Researchers at the University of Southampton are investigating the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for controlling traffic lights.
Researchers put a uranium trophy in the cabinet (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)â€"Researchers at the University of Nottingham have published findings in the leading journal Science that show it is possible to prepare terminal uranium nitride compound which is stable at room temperature and can be stored in jars in crystallized or powder form.
Making crowdsourcing easier
Crowdsourcing is a technique for farming out labor-intensive tasks over the Internet by splitting them into small chunks that dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people complete at their desks for a few cents each.
Why things fall apart
Chunks of concrete tumble from the Gardiner Expressway, the Algo Centre Mall collapses in Elliot Lake, shards of glass fall from Toronto condos, and a Radiohead stage gives way at Downsview Park.
Microwave ovens may help produce lower cost solar energy technology
(Phys.org)â€"The same type of microwave oven technology that most people use to heat up leftover food has found an important application in the solar energy industry, providing a new way to make thin-film photovoltaic products with less energy, expense and environmental concerns.
Almost half of Americans yawn over 4G LTE
Who needs faster wireless networks? Nearly half of US consumers say they don't. A new survey finds that nearly half of U.S. consumers feel they just do not need 4G LTE. "Colossal power!" "Scorching speed!" "Take your office across the map!" Promotional slogans about 4G LTE devices from carriers and phone vendors about fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks apparently are not working. The survey from investment firm Piper Jaffray polled 3,000 individuals, results of which were released in a research note this week by analyst Christopher Larsen.
Dispatch software combines multiple internet connections into one
(Phys.org)â€"Imagine for a moment you're sitting at your computer at home, staring at the little bar noting the progress of a movie you've decided to download, from a legitimate site of course. You remember seeing all those other Wi-Fi connections your neighbors have going, most of them likely without password protection. If only there were a way to funnel them all together into one stream, giving you unprecedented download bandwidth. Notwithstanding the illegality of sucking bandwidth from your neighbors, it appears a solution is on the horizon.
Medicine & Health news
Bristol-Myers ends hepatitis C drug development
(AP)â€"Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has scrapped a potential hepatitis C treatment after a patient participating in a test of the drug died of heart failure.
6 dead in Quebec Legionnaire's disease outbreak
Legionnaire's disease, which hit Quebec in mid-July, has infected 65 people and killed six, health authorities of the French-speaking Canadian province said.
Australian court quashes Indian surgeon's convictions
An Australian court Friday quashed an Indian-born surgeon's manslaughter convictions over the deaths of three patients, saying there had been a miscarriage of justice in his trial.
Using virtual health care environments to achieve real-world results
(Medical Xpress)â€"On the surface, Parkinson's disease and lung cancer have little in common, except that both have a devastating effect on many people's lives.
Inconsistent consultant websites could try patients' patience
(Medical Xpress)â€"There is a lack of consistency in the amount of information available to patients to help them make informed choices about their healthcare, say researchers at Northumbria University.Â
Charity echoes Ofsted concerns on safeguarding disabled children
A report that warns that disabled children in England need better protection against neglect or abuse has been welcomed by a national charity.Â
Designing a new drug for chronic pain
(Medical Xpress)â€"Scientists at the University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital have been awarded £1.4 million to design a new drug for the treatment of chronic pain.
Brain cancer treatment options boosted with Gamma Knife
Until recently, Nanci Redd thought she would need brain surgery if she wanted to stay in Akron, Ohio, to treat uncontrolled dizziness caused by a non-cancerous growth in her head.
Mexico scrambles to beat egg shortage
(AP)â€"The Mexican government is battling an egg shortage and hoarding that have caused prices to spike in a country with the highest per-capita egg consumption on earth.
Study reveals optimal treatment for most common infection after organ transplantation
Waiting to treat the commonest viral infections in transplant recipients until they reach a certain threshold is better than prophylactically treating all recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Repairing cartilage with fat: Problems and potential solutions
Stem cells isolated from fat are being considered as an option for treating tissue damage and diseases because of their accessibility and lack of rejection. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy shows that this is not as straightforward as previously believed, and that fat-derived stem cells secrete VEGF and other factors, which can inhibit cartilage regeneration. However pre-treating the cells with antibodies against VEGF and growing them in nutrients specifically designed to promote chondrocytes can neutralize these effects.
Study: Moms can be stressed when certain children care for them
(Medical Xpress)â€" Older mothers are more likely to be stressed when they receive help from an adult child who is not their preferred caretaker, according to new research from Purdue University.
Code of practice needed for workplace bullying
(Medical Xpress)â€"Recent high profile cases of workplace bullying highlight New Zealand's legislative weaknesses in this area, say academics from Massey University and AUT.
A Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil may protect your bones
New research suggests that a key ingredient to keeping osteoporosis in check may be found in the traditional Mediterranean dietâ€"olive oil. Osteoporosis is a disease where the density and quality of bone is progressively reduced, it affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50, and it is estimated that the direct cost of osteoporosis in Europe is around EUR 32 billion a year. This disease is considered to be one of the most common, debilitating and costly chronic diseases in Europe. This is why the results of the Spanish research group are important. The results of their study are to be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM), in which they show that consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil for two years is associated with increased serum osteocalcin concentrations, suggesting a protective effect on bone.
One in three children who survive meningitis will suffer after-effects
(Medical Xpress)â€"New research published online first in The Lancet Neurology highlights the long-term, often hidden, after-effects of meningitis in children. The study, led by Professor Russell Viner at the UCL Institute of Child Health, shows that 1 in 3 children who have experienced meningococcal group B disease (MenB), the most common type of bacterial meningitis in the UK, will be left with after-effects.
When fad diets failâ€"Lifestyle modification clinic proves successful
(Medical Xpress)â€"The Lifestyle Modification Clinic at the University of Connecticut Health Center offers patients an alternative to the typical weight loss programs or fad diets.
Experimental 'stapled peptide' drug blocks key cancer molecule
(Medical Xpress)â€"US scientists have developed an artificial molecule called a 'stapled peptide' that can shut down the cancer-fuelling effects of a molecule called Wnt.Â
Precautions against West Nile virus recommended
"Fight the bite!" was the advice Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby gave to Rice students, faculty and staff in an email Wednesday about precautions against the West Nile virus.
Precautions against West Nile virus recommended
"Fight the bite!" was the advice Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby gave to Rice students, faculty and staff in an email Wednesday about precautions against the West Nile virus.
High-tech, remote-controlled camera for neurosurgery
(Phys.org)â€"A small camera inserted into the body enables surgeons to perform many types of operations with minimal trauma. EU-funding enabled researchers to extend the use of such interventions to a variety of neurosurgical applications.
Auburn researchers to study links between urbanization and West Nile Virus
Two professors in Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences have been awarded a $240,000 research grant from the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program to study the links between urbanization and West Nile Virus.
West Nile's 'super spreader'â€"the American robin?
The 2012 outbreak of West Nile virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, promises to be the largest since the disease was first detected in the United States 13 years ago.
Astrocytes control the generation of new neurons from neural stem cells
Astrocytes are cells that have many functions in the central nervous system, such as the control of neuronal synapses, blood flow, or the brain's response to neurotrauma or stroke.
Modeling metastasis
Cancer metastasis, the escape and spread of primary tumor cells, is a common cause of cancer-related deaths. But metastasis remains poorly understood. Studies indicate that when a primary tumor breaks through a blood vessel wall, blood's "stickiness" tears off tumor cells the way a piece of tape tears wrapping paper.
Most mutations come from dad
Humans inherit more than three times as many mutations from their fathers as from their mothers, and mutation rates increase with the father's age but not the mother's, researchers have found in the largest study of human genetic mutations to date.
Lilly Alzheimer's drug trial yields promising sign
(AP)â€"Eli Lilly's potential Alzheimer's disease treatment failed to slow mental decline in two late-stage studies, but combined data from both trials showed promising results in patients with mild-to-moderate cases of the mind-robbing disease.
Survival statistics show hard fight when malignant brain tumors appear at multiple sites
LOS ANGELES (Embargoed until 10 a.m. EDT on Aug. 24, 2012) â€" When aggressive, malignant tumors appear in more than one location in the brain, patient survival tends to be significantly shorter than when the disease starts as a single tumor, even though patients in both groups undergo virtually identical treatments, according to research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute.
Court upholds block on graphic cigarette warnings
(AP)â€"An appeals court on Friday upheld a decision barring the U.S. government from requiring tobacco companies to put large graphic health warnings on cigarette packages to show that smoking can disfigure and even kill.
Experimental combo treatment worsens type 1 diabetes
(HealthDay)â€"A treatment regimen that is effective in preventing diabetes in a mouse model of the disease leads to worsening disease in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online June 20 in Diabetes.
Women with Alzheimer's deteriorate faster than men
(Medical Xpress)â€"Women with Alzheimer's show worse mental deterioration than men with the disease, even when at the same stage of the condition, according to researchers from the University of Hertfordshire.
Researchers discover new non-invasive method for diagnosing epilepsy
(Medical Xpress)â€"A team of University of Minnesota biomedical engineers and researchers from Mayo Clinic published a groundbreaking study today that outlines how a new type of non-invasive brain scan taken immediately after a seizure gives additional insight into possible causes and treatments for epilepsy patients. The new findings could specifically benefit millions of people who are unable to control their epilepsy with medication.
Online health information finally clicks
It's not yet a perfect match, but the relationship between Internet users and online health information appears to be growing serious.
In diabetes, gastric emptying remains stable over time
(HealthDay)â€"Gastric emptying of solids and liquids and gastrointestinal symptoms remain stable over time in patients with long-term type 1 and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in Diabetes Care.
Procedure aids severe, rigid scoliosis in low-weight adults
(HealthDay)â€"For patients with severe and rigid scoliosis and low body weight, a two-stage vertebral column resection (VCR) procedure with posterior pedicle screw instrumentation can achieve good correction of scoliosis, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in The Spine Journal.
OASIS risk up for nulliparous women with vacuum delivery
(HealthDay)â€"For women whose infants are delivered by vacuum extraction, the risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) is significantly higher among nulliparous women than multiparous women, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Melanoma risk declines with self-exams plus doctor visit
(HealthDay)â€"Risk of deeper melanomas is reduced with self-examination of the skin one to 11 times a year, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Outcomes similar with partial, whole breast irradiation
(HealthDay)â€"Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) yields five-year clinical outcomes and patterns of failure similar to those achieved with whole breast irradiation (WBI), with excellent three-year survival for women who develop an ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Cancer.
Ancestral link places Mexican-Americans at greater risk for metabolic disease
(Phys.org)â€"Mexican-Americans with an ancestral link to Amerindian tribes were found to have higher insulin resistance levels, which is an indication of several chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, according to research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Researchers and colleagues identify PHF20, a regulator of gene P53
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have identified PHF20, a novel transcriptional factor, and clarified its role in maintaining the stability and transcription of p53, a gene that allows for both normal cell growth and tumor suppression. PHF20, the researchers found, plays a previously unknown and unique role in regulating p53.
Breath analysis workshop for biomedicine, security
(Medical Xpress)â€"The Laboratory, in collaboration with the University of California, Davis and the Canterbury Respiratory Research Group, will host the 2012 International Breath Analysis Meeting, Oct. 28-Nov. 1 at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn in Sonoma, Calif.
Newly discovered genetic markers could signal colon cancer development
University of Minnesota Medical School and Masonic Cancer Center researchers have partnered with geneticists from Genentech, Inc., to discover how some proteins may cause the development of some forms of colon cancers.
Researchers describe new molecular interactions behind the inhibition of TGF beta-signaling
(Phys.org)â€"Researchers headed by Maria Macias an ICREA researcher at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and Joan Massagué, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, have identified a new molecular mechanism that plays a crucial role in the control of the activation of certain genes associated with cancer.
Research pinpoints brain's 'Gullibility' center
(HealthDay)â€"Whether it's an email from an unknown gentleman on another continent pleading for money or a financial scammer selling a promising penny stock, the young and old tend to be more easily duped than middle-aged people.
Biology news
The end of an era? Branding horses does not enable them to be identified
There are many reasons why it is important to be able to identify farm animals, horses and small companion animals. Unique identification marks are essential for ensuring the correctness of breeding programmes, for preventing the spread of disease and for eliminating the possibility of deceit in competitions or when animals are sold. The traditional method of marking larger farm animals relies on branding with hot irons or on ear-tagging but this is deemed inappropriate for use on dogs and cats, which are identified by the implant of a microchip transponder. Until recently, horses were generally branded but following concerns that the practice is unnecessarily cruel there has been a gradual switch towards the use of microchips. Branding has essentially been discontinued in the European Union, although several countries still accept it and breed registries claim that this traditional method is perfectly satisfactory and obviates the need for costly equipment.
For juvenile moose, momma's boys and girls fare best
Based on ten years of fieldwork in the Tetons of Wyoming, WCS Conservation Biologist, University of Montana Professor and study author Dr. Joel Berger looked at whether body size of juvenile moose and maternal presence were related to survival of the young animals. In animals from elk to lizards and fish, size matters, and larger individuals enjoy a survival advantage. However, results of Berger's study showed that for juvenile moose, body mass had no significant effect on overwinter survival. Maternal presence did.
Peru seizes 16,000 dried seahorses headed to Asia
More than 16,000 dried seahorses destined for illegal export to Asia, where the animal is sought for its supposed healing properties, were seized Thursday in Peru's capital Lima, authorities said.
Resistance evolution in weeds puts 2,4-D under the microscope
(Phys.org)â€"Researchers are investigating why a broadleaf herbicide used successfully to control weeds in agriculture for the past 60 years is now no longer effective against the crop weed, wild radish, in the Western Australian Wheatbelt.
Stanford's new surfing robot opens ocean to exploration
A few days ago, Stanford marine biologists were excited to detect a white shark swimming along the California coast north of San Francisco. Although the biologists routinely monitor sharks, this particular moment marked the first step toward a "wired ocean" full of mobile robotic receivers and moored listening stations that can detect ocean wildlife as it swims by.
Court: Gov't can fund embryonic stem cell research
(AP)â€"A U.S. appeals court on Friday refused to order the Obama administration to stop funding embryonic stem cell research, despite complaints the work relies on destroyed human embryos.
Cambodia creates safe zones for Mekong dolphins
The Cambodian government on Friday said it will limit fishing in a zone in the Mekong River to protect critically endangered freshwater dolphins.
Cuckolded males sing louder
The song of male songbirds is multifaceted and has two main functions: to repel rivals and to attract mates. Females often pay attention to certain features within a song, such as the presence of special syllables, to assess the quality of the singing male.
Never-before-seen plant metabolites discovered
(Medical Xpress)â€"Purdue University researchers have captured evolution in action through the discovery of a new set of metabolites synthesized by Arabidopsis plants, according to research findings published this week in the journal Science.
Lessons from herbicide tolerance
(Phys.org)â€"Polyamines are widespread and important organic compounds involved in multiple cellular processes in living organisms. Their levels are highly regulated through a combination of processes including synthesis, breakdown and transport. However, the mechanisms of polyamine transport are still largely unknown.
Left turn in speech researchâ€"Key insights in study of zebra finches
Baby songbirds learn to sing by imitation, just as human babies do. So researchers at Harvard and Utrecht University, in the Netherlands, have been studying the brains of zebra finchesâ€"red-beaked, white-breasted songbirdsâ€"for clues to how young birds and human infants learn vocalization on a neuronal level.
Biofuel from biomass one step closer to reality thanks to discovery to manipulate 'hot' microbes
(Phys.org)â€"The single most important barrier to the use of lignocellulosic biomass such as switchgrass, populous, sorghum and miscanthus for production of biofuels is the resistant nature of the biomass itself. The problem lies in the conversion or degradation of complex biomass to make products of interest.
Simplifying genetic codes to look back in time
(Phys.org)â€" Daisuke Kiga and co-workers at the Department of Computational Intelligence and Systems Science at Tokyo Institute of Technology, together with researchers across Japan, have shown that simpler versions of the universal genetic code, created by knocking out certain amino acids, can still function efficiently and accurately in protein synthesis. The researchers conducted experiments altering the genetic codein a test tube.
New model gives hands-on help for learning the secrets of molecules
For biology researchers, the complex world of molecular proteins â€" where tens of thousands of atoms can comprise a single protein â€" may be getting clearer with the help of a new soft, transparent, and squishy silicone model they can hold in their hands. Its advantage over traditional computer and solid models is that it is mostly transparent and easy to manipulate, which will help researchers more intuitively understand protein structures, positions, and interactions.
Bigger creatures live longer, travel farther for a reason
(Phys.org)â€"A biological mystery about the longer lifespans of bigger creatures may be explained by the application of a physical law called the Constructal Law.
Sunbathing helps these bugs stay healthy
Sunbathing may be healthy â€" at least for one group of North American insects that apparently uses the activity to fight off germs, Simon Fraser University scientists have found.
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