Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for November 17, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Artificial ion channels created using DNA origami- UK telecoms regulator studies possibility of 5G
- Computer model shows strong magnetic fields may alter alignment of black hole accretion disks and plasma jets
- Antenna-on-a-chip rips the light fantastic
- Arthritis study reveals why gender bias is all in the genes
- What's behind the success of the soccer 'Knuckleball'
- Hepatitis C treatment's side effects can now be studied in the lab
- Basketball teams offer insights into building strategic networks
- Brazilian mediums shed light on brain activity during a trance state
- Study finds anxiety linked to chest pain in children
- New model reveals how huddling penguins share heat fairly
- Wandering minds associated with aging cells
- Mixing processes could increase the impact of biofuel spills on aquatic environments
- Gene distinguishes early birds from night owls and helps predict time of death
- Location, location, location: Membrane 'residence' gives proteases novel abilities
Space & Earth news
Indirect effects of climate change could alter landscapes
Studies of a northern hardwood forest in New England point to unexpected ecological trends resulting from documented changes in the climate over 50 years. Some of the changes now taking place can be expected to alter the composition of the forest and the wildlife present. The observations may have implications for other northern forests and suggest directions for future research and monitoring.
Statoil halts North Sea platform over corrosion risk
Norway's Statoil said Thursday that it had suspended production at a North Sea platform responsible for nearly a tenth of the country's daily oil output over corrosion concerns.
No success for REDD+ without understanding possible impacts on forest biodiversity and people
The world's rapidly dwindling forests should be valued as more than just "carbon warehouses" to mitigate climate change, according to a new report released today from the International Union of Forest Research Organizations(IUFRO), the world's largest network of forest scientists. In fact, biodiversity is found to be a critical determinant of a forest's ability to absorb greenhouse gases. The assessment also stresses that accounting for those who live in or near forests when implementing REDD+ increases the likelihood of achieving carbon and biodiversity goals.
Spacecraft capture solar eclipse's Earthly effect
A Japanese meteorology satellite captured the moving shadow from the total solar eclipse this week, and this animated series of images shows the shadow moving east-southeast across northeastern Australia and into the waters of the South Pacific Ocean. The images were taken by the MTSAT-1R in the 0.7 micrometer visible channel, as the Moon moved between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun's light.
How does groundwater pumping affect streamflow?
Groundwater provides drinking water for millions of Americans and is the primary source of water to irrigate cropland in many of the nations most productive agricultural settings. Although the benefits of groundwater development are many, groundwater pumping can reduce the flow of water in connected streams and rivers—a process called streamflow depletion by wells. The USGS has released a new report that summarizes the body of knowledge on streamflow depletion, highlights common misconceptions, and presents new concepts to help water managers and others understand the effects of groundwater pumping on surface water.
GOCE's second mission improving gravity map
(Phys.org)—ESA's GOCE gravity satellite has already delivered the most accurate gravity map of Earth, but its orbit is now being lowered in order to obtain even better results.
Crescent moon sets stage for brilliant Leonids meteor shower
(Phys.org)—The 2012 Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night/morning of Nov. 16-17. If forecasters are correct, the shower should produce a mild but pretty sprinkling of meteors over North America, followed by a more intense outburst over Asia. The new moon will set the stage for what could be one of the best Leonid showers in years.
NASA innovator hunts for extraterrestrial amino acids
The hunt for the organic molecules that create proteins and enzymes critical for life here on Earth has largely happened in sophisticated terrestrial laboratories equipped with high-tech gadgetry needed to tease out their presence in space rocks and other extraterrestrial samples.
Hunting for high life: What lives in Earth's stratosphere?
What lives at the edge of space? Other than high-flying jet aircraft pilots (and the occasional daredevil skydiver) you wouldn't expect to find many living things over 10 kilometers up—yet this is exactly where one NASA researcher is hunting for evidence of life.
Melt water on Mars could sustain life
Near surface water has shaped the landscape of Mars. Areas of the planet's northern and southern hemispheres have alternately thawed and frozen in recent geologic history and comprise striking similarities to the landscape of Svalbard. This suggests that water has played a more extensive role than previously envisioned, and that environments capable of sustaining life could exist, according to new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
New research could improve sustainability and cost effectiveness of wastewater treatment
University of Notre Dame researcher Robert Nerenberg can tell you many things you might not know about wastewater treatment plants, including their significant carbon footprint, energy demands and chemical costs. His past research has addressed ways to drastically improve the energy efficiency of wastewater treatment. He now is telling the wastewater treatment industry about his promising new line of research that has the capability of significantly decreasing chemical costs and carbon footprint.
Himalayan glaciers will shrink even if temperatures hold steady, study says
(Phys.org)—Come rain or shine, or even snow, some glaciers of the Himalayas will continue shrinking for many years to come.
Computer model shows strong magnetic fields may alter alignment of black hole accretion disks and plasma jets
(Phys.org)—Researchers from Stanford University and Princeton suggest in a paper they've had published in the journal Science that magnetic fields associated with some black holes may be strong enough to cause thick accretion disks to align with the spin of the black hole itself. Jonathan McKinney, Alexander Tchekhovskoy and Roger Blandford created three dimensional models based on relativistic magnetohydrodynamical simulations to show that strong magnetic field buildup in black holes may also explain why plasma jets fly out of some black holes along its spin of axis.
Technology news
'Journey' leads Spike Video Game Awards nominees
(AP)—The artsy downloadable game "Journey" leads the pack of nominees for this year's Spike Video Game Awards.
Taiwan's Hon Hai buys new factory site in Brazil
Taiwanese technology giant Hon Hai said Friday it has acquired a piece of land in Brazil for $12.6 million as part of its plans to expand its operation in the South American country.
Analytics technology to identify performance raising measures based on employee/customer behavior
Hitachi today announced the development of big data analytics technology to help identify effective measures to improve business performance based on behavioral data collected from employees and customers using badge style sensors and business performance data such as POS data. In a retail store pilot test, employees were re-positioned within the store based on an analysis of 10-days of POS data and employee/customer behavioral data. Results showed a 15% improvement in average sales per customer, confirming the effectiveness of the big data analytics technology in assisting business performance improvements.
Reduce energy consumption by 30 percent through ICT
According to a European research project, cities may be able to reduce their energy consumption by 30 % by leveraging information and communication technologies (ICTs). This breakthrough was made by the ENERSIP project, which is formed by 10 partners from 5 European countries, and has received EUR 3.99 million in funding from the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) under the theme for ICT support to energy-positive buildings and neighbourhoods. Their results were presented after analysis showed how to optimise the use of residential consumption and generation infrastructures.
DOCOMO develops world's first small-cell base station for 3G and LTE
NTT DOCOMO announced today that it has developed the world's first dual-mode small-cell base station, or femtocell, supporting 3G (W-CDMA) and LTE simultaneously for improved service coverage in indoor locations such as offices, shops and homes. The dual-mode femtocell will be commercially launched from December.
Do you trust the government with your computer?
Do you trust the federal government to keep your personal data safe? What about your business's records and trade secrets? If you answered "no," you have good reason - the federal government has had 13 breaches and failures of its own cyber-security just in the last six months.
Record sales for latest 'Call of Duty' game
The latest installment of the blockbuster video game "Call of Duty" raked in more than $500 million in the first 24 hours, making it "the biggest entertainment launch of the year," its publisher said Friday.
Ruckus Wireless shares fall in debut on NYSE (Update)
(AP)—Shares of Ruckus Wireless Inc. fell Friday after raising $126 million in an initial public offering of stock.
Man demoted for Facebook comments wins case (Update)
Britain's High Court ruled Friday that a Christian was unfairly demoted for posting his opposition to gay marriage on Facebook.
Astral still in talks with BCE about takeover deal
(AP)—Canadian broadcasting and advertising company Astral Media Inc. said Friday that it is still talking with BCE Inc. in the hopes of finding a way to have the friendly takeover offer by the telecom giant win regulatory approval.
Sail around the world on your sofa
Hundreds of thousands of internet gamers are currently up at all hours as they take part in a virtual version of the ultimate endurance sailing experience, the round-the-world single-handed yacht race the Vendee Globe.
IMF chief says SMS tax could help Philippines
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde urged the Philippines on Friday to tax mobile phone messages to shore up state funds in a country sometimes called the world's text message capital.
Twitter unveils email sharing
Twitter introduced a new feature to the globally popular one-to-many text messaging service—the ability to email "Tweets" directly from the message stream.
iPhone 5, Galaxy S3 added to US patent battle
A California judge granted motions to add Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 with the Jelly Bean operating system to a patent infringement suit between the mobile giants.
US firms drawing a line on after-hours email
Katey Klippel makes a point of keeping her smartphone in her bag when she returns home from a hard day at the management consulting firm where she works in Washington.
SHARP could slash nuclear reactor design costs
Back in the earliest days of nuclear energy, Argonne physicists and engineers used slide rules and their own basic knowledge of reactions and physics to design nuclear power plants. Then, beginning in the early 1960s, they enlisted computers to develop designs with data from experiments and actual reactor testing. Over this entire span, Argonne built over 85 experimental reactors to test its reactor designs and computer programs – each a costly and time-consuming endeavor.
Jumping to reduce vibrations
A pioneering use of mini-trampolines is allowing engineers to better understand effects of vibrations caused by human movement on floors and small bridges.
Tracking facial features to make driving safer and more comfortable
(Phys.org)—For those familiar with its language, the face reflects much about an individual's identity and emotional state. EPFL scientists are developing a tool that will be able to use facial information to make the cars of the future safer and more comfortable.
Google Fiber experiment draws would-be Web entrepreneurs
Mike Demarais, who is 20, arrived from Boston to the Kansas City area's first "fiberhood" with his MacBook, some clothes and an idea.
Tech companies eager to sate Wall Street appetite for IPOs
With Wall Street displaying a voracious appetite for enterprise software stocks, companies are lining up for IPOs.
For banks, cyberattacks lurk as constant threat
When denial-of-service cyberattacks were jamming up major bank websites in September, the public disruption made headlines.
College credit for online courses gains momentum
The American Council on Education, a nonprofit organization that represents most of the nation's college and university presidents, is preparing to weigh in on massive open online courses - MOOCs, for short - a new way of teaching and learning that has taken higher education by storm in recent months.
Beating the dark side of quantum computing
A future quantum computer will be able to carry out calculations billions of times faster than even today's most powerful machines by exploit the fact that the tiniest particles, molecules, atoms and subatomic particles can exist in more than one state simultaneously. Scientists and engineers are looking forward to working with such high-power machines but so too are cyber-criminals who will be able to exploit this power in cracking passwords and decrypting secret messages much faster than they can now.
DOE mines college students for energy
Between the lofty towers of basic research and the promised land of successful commercialization stretches a woeful chasm known in the tech biz as the Valley of Death. Therein lie the carcasses of brilliant ideas that perished for want of seed money and business know-how.
Musicians blast bill to trim Pandora royalties
A group of 125 leading musicians is calling on the US Congress to kill a bill backed by online broadcaster Pandora that would slash royalties on Internet radio.
Technology only a tool in search for solutions to poverty
Technology can serve as a tool to bridge the digital divide, but it is unlikely to be a complete solution in helping people find jobs and escape poverty, according to a Penn State researcher.
Artist's inspiration: How robot soccer led to a mirror that reflects your true face
When you look in a mirror, you see an image of yourself in reverse. But one odd mirror invented by mathematics professor Dr. R. Andrew Hicks at Drexel University shows your true face without reversing its image. That mirror is now on display as part of an art exhibition in New York City's Room East gallery by artist Robin Cameron, through December 9.
Judge leaning toward OK of $22.5M fine of Google (Update)
A proposed $22.5 million fine to penalize Google for an alleged privacy breach is on the verge of winning court approval, despite a consumer rights group's cry for tougher punishment.
Judge approves FTC's $22.5M fine of Google
A federal judge has approved a $22.5 million fine to penalize Google for an alleged privacy breach.
US adds eBay to accused firms in 'poaching' probe
US authorities sued online retail giant eBay Friday, claiming it was part of a conspiracy with software maker Intuit to refrain from hiring each other's employees to keep salaries under control.
UK telecoms regulator studies possibility of 5G
(Phys.org)—Minding the need for more and more mobile spectrum in a post-4G environment, Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, announced on Friday that it is preparing to support the release of spectrum for future mobile services, possibly 5G, when the spectrum becomes available. It's all about needed support for future mobile network capacity needs. Ofcom said it is looking into a way to avert the risk of a capacity crunch in mobile data as people consume more bandwidth on mobile devices, making sure that the mobile infrastructure in the UK can continue to support the growth in consumer demand.
Medicine & Health news
India's public health system has collapsed, minister says
India's rural development minister said Friday the country's public health system had "collapsed" in a blunt assessment of his government's failure to extend a social safety net for the poor.
US extends key deadline of Obama healthcare reform law
US states will be given additional time to decide whether to put in place a key aspect of President Barack Obama's health care reform program, the administration's top health policy official said Thursday.
Annual deaths from solvent abuse in the UK rise from 38 to 46
(Medical Xpress)—Deaths from solvent abuse rose to 46 in 2009 from 38 in 2008, according to a new report on the latest UK figures released today (Friday 16 November).
Physicians advise patients to get smart about antibiotics
It's cold and flu season. But taking antibiotics for cold and flu viruses won't make children and adults feel better or help them get back to school or work faster.
Migration officials say cholera in Haiti on rise
(AP)—The world's largest agency that deals with global migration says cholera is again on the rise in Haiti.
750,000 preterm babies die unnecessarily each year, UN reports
The lives of at least 750,000 premature babies could be saved every year by taking simple and inexpensive steps to limit preterm birth, the world's largest killer of newborns, UN health experts said Friday.
New patient-centric solution for the management of chronic respiratory insufficiency diseases
Philips Respironics today announces the availability of the new bi-level ventilator BiPAP A401 for the management of chronic respiratory insufficiency, a condition secondary to diseases such as obesity hypoventilation syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and neuromuscular disease for adult and pediatric patients (above 10 kg).
Into the magnetic resonance scanner with a cuddly toy
For the first time, Bochum clinicians have been able to show on the basis of a large sample, that it is possible to examine children's heads in the MRI scanner without general anaesthesia or other medical sedation. In many cases it was sufficient to prepare the young patients for the examination in an age-appropriate manner in order to take away their fear of the tube. And the results speak for themselves: of the 2461 image sequences recorded with 326 patients, the participating radiologists classified 97 percent as "diagnostically relevant".
Are we closer to understanding the cause of deadly sepsis?
Following an infection, dysregulation of the immune system can result in a systemic inflammatory response and an often fatal condition called severe sepsis or septic shock. Sepsis is not uncommon, yet its cause and underlying immune dysfunction remain poorly understood. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), a component of the immune system, now appear to have an important role in suppressing the immune response in advance of sepsis, and understanding this role may lead to new therapeutic strategies for improving patient outcomes, as described in a review article in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research.
New York doctors protest post-Sandy troubles
A group of doctors and nurses protested outside New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office Friday to ask for more help in rebuilding the city's healthcare system in the wake of superstorm Sandy.
Is the detection of early markers of Epstein Barr virus of diagnostic value?
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the cause of infectious mononucleosis and a risk for serious disease in liver transplant recipients. Molecular tests that can identify early protein markers produced by EBV may have value for diagnosing active infection. The benefits of this diagnostic approach in patients with mononucleosis and in EBV-infected transplant patients are evaluated in an article published in BioResearch Open Access.
Mechanism of breathing muscle 'paralysis' in dreaming sleep identified
A novel brain mechanism mediating the inhibition of the critical breathing muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been identified for the first time in a new study, offering the possibility of a new treatment target for sleep-related breathing problems.
Foetus suffers when mother lacks vitamin C
Maternal vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the foetal brain. And once brain damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed by vitamin C supplements after birth. This is shown through new research at the University of Copenhagen just published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
Meditation expertise changes experience of pain
(Medical Xpress)—Meditation can change the way a person experiences pain, according to a new study by UW–Madison neuroscientists.
1,092 genomes and counting
Focusing on fine features in order to see "the big picture" seems almost counterintuitive, but that is exactly what is happening in the field of genomics. Researchers are sequencing human genomes, cataloging the variation in people's genetic code – the As, Ts, Gs, and Cs of human DNA that serve as each individual's biological blueprint – to get a broader view of human health, a deeper knowledge of human genetic history, and a clearer understanding of why some people develop certain diseases while others do not.
Identification of mutations common to half of all liver cancers provides leads for new therapeutics
Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-associated deaths. Yet even for such a frequent and deadly disease, the pathogenesis of this cancer remains obscure. Now, a team of scientists in Japan has shown that genes involved in regulating how tightly DNA is wound into chromosomes are commonly mutated in liver tumors. The finding points to potential new and much-needed therapeutic strategies.
Don't let foodborne illness spoil the holidays
While the holidays are a time for surprises, one holiday surprise to be avoided at all costs is foodborne bacteria, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
Australians double their antidepressants
(Medical Xpress)—The use of antidepressants doubled in Australia between 2000 and 2011 and they now account for two out of every three psychotropic medications prescribed, a new study by the University of Sydney reveals.
Rare human parasite found in US horse for the first time, researchers report
(Medical Xpress)—A rare, potentially fatal species of parasite never before found in North America has been identified in a Florida horse.
Drug-eluting stent approved for peripheral arterial disease
(HealthDay)—The Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat peripheral arterial disease of the femoropopliteal artery.
Smartphone apps for health and fitness an exploding craze
When Jon Mead, a devoted cyclist, visits a new city, he goes right to his smartphone app Strava to find the best bike routes. In Sacramento, Calif., where he works at a Fleet Feet running-gear shop, the 24-year-old uses MapmyRide to track his course in an archive.
Textile pressure ulcer prevention: Improving quality of life for the bedridden
Immobile patients are in constant danger of developing pressure ulcers on the skin. Empa, Schoeller Medical and the Swiss Paraplegic Centre have worked together to develop a special sheet that is gentle on the skin and helps to make patients more comfortable.
EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot
Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.
Children who swim start smarter
(Medical Xpress)—Children who learn how to swim at a young age are reaching many developmental milestones earlier than the norm.
Reconsidering cancer's bad guy
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have found that a protein, known for causing cancer cells to spread around the body, is also one of the molecules that trigger repair processes in the brain. These findings are the subject of a paper, published this week in Nature Communications. They point the way to new avenues of research into degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's.
Fear of the dentist is passed on to children by their parents
Fear of visiting the dentist is a frequent problem in paediatric dentistry. A new study confirms the emotional transmission of dentist fear among family members and analyses the different roles that mothers and fathers might play.
Teenagers urged to exercise to ward off bone disease
An international team, including an expert from the University of Exeter, has found evidence that adolescents who spend long periods engaged in certain sedentary activities are more likely to have low bone mineral content in parts of the body where it can be an indicator of the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Poor sanitation kills 2.7 mn people a year, UN reports
Improving sanitation and building more toilets could save millions of lives around the world and would remove an important source of inequality, the UN said Friday ahead of World Toilet Day.
Bad air means bad news for seniors' brainpower
Living in areas of high air pollution can lead to decreased cognitive function in older adults, according to new research presented in San Diego at The Gerontological Society of America's 65th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Exercise benefits found for pregnancies with high blood pressure
Contrary to popular thought, regular exercise before and during pregnancy could have beneficial effects for women that develop high blood pressure during gestation, human physiology professor Jeff Gilbert said, summarizing a new study by his research team that appears in the December issue of Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Direct-to-consumer advertising found beneficial for certain meds
(HealthDay)—Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) used in the treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women correlates with an increase in the number of appropriate prescriptions, with no effect on the number of inappropriate prescriptions, according to a study published online Nov. 6 in Cancer.
Diltiazem relieves capecitabine-induced chest pain
(HealthDay)—Secondary prophylaxis with diltiazem may offer cancer patients relief from capecitabine-induced chest pain and dyspnea and allow them to tolerate capecitabine treatment, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
U-shaped link for BMI at diagnosis with mortality in T2DM
(HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), classification as normal weight or obese within a year of initial diabetes diagnosis correlates with significantly higher mortality, forming a U-shaped association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality, according to a study published online Nov. 8 in Diabetes Care.
Arthritis study reveals why gender bias is all in the genes
Researchers have pieced together new genetic clues to the arthritis puzzle in a study that brings potential treatments closer to reality and could also provide insights into why more women than men succumb to the disabling condition.
Study offers clues to cause of kids' brain tumors
(Medical Xpress)—Insights from a genetic condition that causes brain cancer are helping scientists better understand the most common type of brain tumor in children.
Brazilian mediums shed light on brain activity during a trance state
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil analyzed the cerebral blood flow (CBF) of Brazilian mediums during the practice of psychography, described as a form of writing whereby a deceased person or spirit is believed to write through the medium's hand. The new research revealed intriguing findings of decreased brain activity during mediumistic dissociative state which generated complex written content. Their findings will appear in the November 16th edition of the online journal PLOS ONE.
Gene distinguishes early birds from night owls and helps predict time of death
Many of the body's processes follow a natural daily rhythm or so-called circadian clock. There are certain times of the day when a person is most alert, when blood pressure is highest, and when the heart is most efficient. Several rare gene mutations have been found that can adjust this clock in humans, responsible for entire families in which people wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. and cannot stay up much after 8 at night. Now new research has, for the first time, identified a common gene variant that affects virtually the entire population, and which is responsible for up to an hour a day of your tendency to be an early riser or night owl.
Hepatitis C treatment's side effects can now be studied in the lab
(Medical Xpress)—The adverse side effects of certain hepatitis C medications can now be replicated and observed in Petri dishes and test tubes, thanks to a research team led by Craig Cameron, the Paul Berg Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University. "The new method not only will help us to understand the recent failures of hepatitis C antiviral drugs in some patients in clinical trials," said Cameron. "It also could help to identify medications that eliminate all adverse effects." The team's findings, published in the current issue of the journal PLOS Pathogens may help pave the way toward the development of safer and more-effective treatments for hepatitis C, as well as other pathogens such as SARS and West Nile virus.
Study finds anxiety linked to chest pain in children
(Medical Xpress)—Psychological factors can have as much—or more—impact on pediatric chest pain as physical ones, a University of Georgia study found recently. UGA psychologists discovered pediatric patients diagnosed with noncardiac chest pain have higher levels of anxiety and depression than patients diagnosed with innocent heart murmurs–the noise of normal turbulent blood flow in a structurally normal heart.
Wandering minds associated with aging cells
Scientific studies have suggested that a wandering mind indicates unhappiness, whereas a mind that is present in the moment indicates well-being. Now, a preliminary UCSF study suggests a possible link between mind wandering and aging, by looking at a biological measure of longevity.
DNA packaging discovery reveals principles by which CRC mutations may cause cancer
A new discovery from researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah concerning a fundamental understanding about how DNA works will produce a "180-degree change in focus" for researchers who study how gene packaging regulates gene activity, including genes that cause cancer and other diseases. The discovery, by Bradley R. Cairns, PhD, Senior Director of Basic Science at HCI and a professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences, is reported in this week's online issue of the journal Nature.
Biology news
Calm cattle have a dark side
The findings of a recent study conducted by Murdoch University researchers has challenged the long held belief of the beef industry that flighty cattle are at a higher risk of producing dark, firm and dry meat.
Light-and-sound attacks used against Rome's starlings
Tired of bird droppings on the city's most famous monuments, local authorities in Rome are resorting to unusual measures to try and scare off a million starlings that migrate to the Eternal City every year.
Hong Kong customs seize over a tonne of smuggled ivory
Hong Kong customs officers have seized more than a tonne of unprocessed elephant tusks worth around $1.37 million on the Chinese ivory market, officials said on Friday.
Strategies to control crazy ants taking shape for researchers
(Phys.org)—Their name is comical, but when crazy ants infest a neighborhood it's no laughing matter.
Tests set for experimental drug for laminitis
(Phys.org)—Veterinarians at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine have announced plans to conduct the first clinical trial of an experimental drug that has shown promise in treating horses stricken with laminitis, an excruciatingly painful and often life-threatening foot-related disease.
Streetlight policies could cast a shadow over wildlife
(Phys.org)—Scientists have conducted the first study into the ecological effects of a variety of energy-saving options to reduce overnight street lighting. Among the findings, researchers discovered that introducing "whiter" LED lights would be likely to increase the environmental impact.
Hard to fish areas of the seabed may act as refuges for endangered skate
(Phys.org)—Marine scientists working in the Celtic Sea have discovered a natural refuge for the critically endangered flapper skate. Many elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates) are highly vulnerable to over-fishing, but a new paper in the open access journal PLOS ONE shows that small areas of the seabed that experience below-average fishing intensity can sustain greater populations of these species.
Researcher: The clocks are ticking and the climate is changing
Dartmouth plant biologist C. Robertson (Rob) McClung is not your typical clock-watcher. His clocks are internal, biological, and operate in circadian rhythms—cycles based on a 24-hour period. Living organisms depend upon these clocks to keep pace with the Earth's daily rotation and the recurring changes it imposes on the environment. These clocks allow the plant or animal to anticipate the changes and adapt to them by modifying its biology, behavior, and biochemistry.
New whale shark study used metabolomics to help understand shark and ray health
New research from Georgia Aquarium and Georgia Institute of Technology provides evidence that a suite of techniques called "metabolomics" can be used to determine the health status of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world's largest fish species. The study, led by Dr. Alistair Dove, Director of Research & Conservation at Georgia Aquarium and an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech, found that the major difference between healthy and unhealthy sharks was the concentration of homarine in their in serum—indicating that homarine is a useful biomarker of health status for the species.
Scientists study how the endangered Baird's tapir and farmers in Nicaragua can co-exist
A team of Michigan State University researchers will soon be heading into the rainforests of Nicaragua to help an endangered species known as a Baird's tapir co-exist with local farmers whose crops are being threatened by the animals.
DNA tests show Lonesome George may not have been last of his species
(Phys.org)—When the giant tortoise Lonesome George died this summer, conservationists from around the world mourned the extinction his species. However, a genetic analysis by Yale University researchers of tortoises living in a remote area of a Galapagos Island suggests individuals of the same tortoise species may still be alive—perhaps ancestors of tortoises thrown overboard by 19th century sailors.
30,000-year-old DNA preserved in poo a window into the past
(Phys.org)—Murdoch University DNA scientists have used 30,000-year-old faecal matter known as middens to ascertain which plants and animals existed at that time in the hot, arid Pilbara region of North Western Australia.
Location, location, location: Membrane 'residence' gives proteases novel abilities
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered a new mode of action for enzymes immersed in cellular membranes. Their experiments suggest that instead of recognizing and clipping proteins based on sequences of amino acids, these proteases' location within membranes gives them the unique ability to recognize and cut proteins with unstable structures.
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