Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 2, 2013:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Sodium-air battery offers rechargeable advantages compared to Li-air batteries- ALMA telescope shows how young star and planets grow simultaneously
- New study refutes accepted model of memory formation
- Researchers show new level of control over liquid crystals
- Our galaxy's 'geysers' are towers of power
- Record-setting p-type transistor demonstrated: New design boasts the highest 'carry mobility' yet measured
- Let crying babes lie: Study supports notion of leaving infants to cry themselves back to sleep
- Political action the biggest swing factor in meeting climate targets, research says
- Bonobos will share with strangers before acquaintances
- 3-D printing gives businesses a low-cost option for odd jobs
- Itchy wool sweaters explained: Scientists uncover itch-specific nerve cells in skin
- Study calls into doubt previous BPA research
- New research helps explain why girls do better in school
- People movement drives dengue virus transmission
- Curious cosmic choreography: Small galaxies locked in a strange dance around large galaxies
Space & Earth news
Groundwater research may be forest lifesaver
For the first time researchers have identified the point where removing groundwater will damage the health of a forest.
Toward reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the Internet and telecommunications
Amid growing concern over the surprisingly large amount of greenhouse gas produced by the Internet and other telecommunications activities, researchers are reporting new models of emissions and energy consumption that could help reduce their carbon footprint. Their report appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
The laws of global warming
With policymakers and political leaders increasingly unable to combat global climate change, more scientists are considering the use of manual manipulation of the environment to slow warming's damage to the planet.
US seeks to prevent spill from grounded oil rig
US Coast Guard vowed Wednesday to prevent fuel from leaking from a Shell oil rig that grounded in Alaska after breaking free from tugboats towing it in heavy seas.
A eulogy to Herschel
(Phys.org)—With its 2160 litres of liquid helium about to run out, the Herschel Space Observatory will, by the end of March, become just another piece of space junk.
NASA sees a struggling post-Tropical Storm Freda affecting New Caledonia
Tropical Storm Freda may no longer be a tropical storm, but as a low pressure area it is bringing rainfall and gusty winds to New Caledonia. Two NASA satellites captured two different looks at the storm.
US town bans bottled water
Water, water everywhere—just not in plastic bottles, says a town in the US state of Massachusetts.
Hubble sees a wanderer dancing the dance of stars and space
(Phys.org)—The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope provides us this week with a spectacular image of the bright star-forming ring that surrounds the heart of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1097. In this image, the larger-scale structure of the galaxy is barely visible: its comparatively dim spiral arms, which surround its heart in a loose embrace, reach out beyond the edges of this frame.
Stanford researchers develop acrobatic space rovers to explore moons, asteroids
(Phys.org)—Stanford researchers, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have designed a robotic platform that could take space exploration to new heights.
Political action the biggest swing factor in meeting climate targets, research says
The most important factor affecting the likelihood of limiting climate change to internationally agreed targets is when people start to do something about it, according new research from IIASA, ETH Zurich, and other institutions.
New study documents the natural relationship between CO2 concentrations and sea level
By comparing reconstructions of atmospheric CO2 concentrations and sea level over the past 40 million years, researchers based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton have found that greenhouse gas concentrations similar to the present (almost 400 parts per million) were systematically associated with sea levels at least nine metres above current levels.
Curious cosmic choreography: Small galaxies locked in a strange dance around large galaxies
(Phys.org)—A newly discovered form of circle dancing is perplexing astronomers; not due to its complex choreography, but because it's unclear why the dancers – dwarf galaxies – are dancing in a ring around the much larger Andromeda Galaxy.
ALMA telescope shows how young star and planets grow simultaneously
(Phys.org)—Astronomers have used the ALMA telescope to get their first glimpse of a fascinating stage of star formation in which planets forming around a young star are helping the star itself continue to grow, resolving a longstanding mystery. The young system, about 450 light-years from Earth, is revealing its complex gravitational dance to the ever-sharpening vision of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), scheduled for completion this year.
Our galaxy's 'geysers' are towers of power
"Monster" outflows of charged particles from the centre of our Galaxy, stretching more than halfway across the sky, have been detected and mapped with CSIRO's 64-m Parkes radio telescope. Corresponding to the "Fermi Bubbles" found in 2010, the outflows were detected by astronomers from Australia, the USA, Italy and The Netherlands. The finding is reported in today's issue of Nature.
Technology news
Google exec chairman to visit NKorea
Google's executive chairman is preparing to travel to one of the last frontiers of cyberspace: North Korea.
Miniaturized sensors hold up under pressure
Applications as diverse as oil-well drilling and robot-driven surgery are driving demand for improved micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensors. As they are made smaller, however, simultaneously achieving high sensor stability and sensitivity becomes progressively more difficult. A research team from Singapore and South Korea has now overcome this technical challenge by producing a miniaturized sensor that couples a key component—a stable diaphragm—with sensitive silicon nanowires.
Software detects and extracts text from within video frames, makes it searchable
As video recording technology improves in performance and falls in price, ever-more events are being captured within video files. If all of this footage could be searched effectively, it would represent an invaluable information repository. One option to help catalogue large video databases is to extract text, such as street signs or building names, from the background of each recording. Now, a method that automates this process has been developed by a research team at the National University of Singapore, which also included Shijian Lu at the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research.
Award-winning PV cell pushes efficiency higher
(Phys.org)—It takes outside-the-box thinking to outsmart the solar spectrum and set a world record for solar cell efficiency. The solar spectrum has boundaries and immutable rules. No matter how much solar cell manufacturers want to bend those rules, they can't.
Can your phone double up as your life-coach?
(Phys.org)—Researchers are developing a smartphone platform that enables careful monitoring of lifestyle to pinpoint and help avert triggers for stress and negative emotion.
Avis locks up Zipcar for $500 million
US car rental giant Avis announced plans Wednesday to buy the popular auto-sharing service Zipcar in a deal valued at $500 million.
Microsoft renews plea for crackdown on Google
Microsoft began the new year harping on a favorite theme: The software maker is arguing that government regulators need to crack down on Google to preserve fair competition in the Internet and smartphone markets.
Microsoft slams Google on 'proper' YouTube app
Microsoft stepped up its criticism of Google on antitrust grounds Wednesday, claiming the Internet giant refuses to allow Windows Phone users "proper access" to the YouTube video service.
Amazon fends off Apple claim to "Appstore" name
A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Apple's claim of false advertising for Amazon.com to refer to its online shop for mobile gadget applications as an "app store."
LG beats rivals in race to sell new OLED TVs (Update)
LG Electronics Inc. started taking pre-orders on Wednesday for the world's first big TVs that use an advanced display technology promising startlingly clear images on wafer-thin screens.
3-D printing gives businesses a low-cost option for odd jobs
What does a business do if the vintage aircraft part a customer needs hasn't been made in decades? For a solution, Airflow Systems of Capistrano Beach, Calif., turned to Rapid Tech at University of California-Irvine. Through the use of Rapid Tech's cutting-edge 3-D manufacturing technology, the aircraft parts manufacturer got what it needed in exchange for the cost of the materials required to do the work.
Report links Google, Yahoo to Internet piracy sites
Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., two Internet companies that have long cultivated relationships in Hollywood, are nevertheless placing ads on sites that feature pirated movies, TV shows and music, a new report says.
Record-setting p-type transistor demonstrated: New design boasts the highest 'carry mobility' yet measured
Almost all computer chips use two types of transistors: one called p-type, for positive, and one called n-type, for negative. Improving the performance of the chip as a whole requires parallel improvements in both types.
Medicine & Health news
Academic medicine has major economic impact on the state and the nation
A report released this week from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that its member medical schools, teaching hospitals and healthcare systems had a combined economic impact of more than $587 billion in the United States in 2011. The firm Tripp Umbach conducted the economic measurements and analysis.
Increased medical and social support needed to reduce black infant mortality
(Medical Xpress)—The mortality rate for black and white infants in Dane County was just about equal from 2004 until 2007. However, black infant deaths rose from 2008 to 2010 while the mortality rate for white babies remained steady.
The health-insurance markets of the (very near) future
With the recent launch of MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT News examines research with the potential to reshape medicine and health care through new scientific knowledge, novel treatments and products, better management of medical data, and improvements in health-care delivery.
Identifying the molecular causes of vision loss in demyelinating disease
Demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), are frequently associated with the progressive loss of vision. The retinal nerve damage is thought to be caused by immune system-mediated inflammation; however, other demyelinating disorders, such as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, do not involve the immune system, suggesting that there are other causes of retinal nerve damage.
Bacterial imbalance contributes to intestinal inflammation and carcinogenesis
Instability in the composition of gut bacterial communities (dysbiosis) has been linked to common human intestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer; however, it is unclear if dysbiosis can instigate disease or if it is a consequence of the underlying disorder.
PET/CT shows clear advantages over conventional staging for breast cancer patients
New research published in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine shows that 18F-fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging offers significant prognostic stratification information at initial staging for patients with locally advanced breast cancer. When compared to conventional imaging, 18F-FDG PET/CT more accurately showed lesions in the chest, abdomen and bones in a single session, changing management for more than 50 percent of the patients in the study.
House joins senate to avert Medicare cuts
(HealthDay)—The House of Representatives settled on an 11th-hour agreement late Tuesday night that has averted the widespread tax increases and spending cuts that would have gone into effect January 1. This agreement occurred 21 hours after the U.S. Senate did its part to steer the country clear of the "fiscal cliff."
In Ethiopia, HIV disclosure is low
In Ethiopia, where more than 1.2 million people are infected with HIV, disclosure of infection by patients is important in the fight against the disease. A new study led by a Brown sociology researcher investigates HIV-positive status disclosure rates among men and women in Africa's second most populous country.
Research focuses on the psychology of trust
(Medical Xpress)—Coming soon to a bookstore near you—a handbook on the science of reliance. Trust me.
Battling a bacterial threat
In 2002, a new kind of bacterial infection was detected in the United States. It was caused by a common bug, Staphylococcus aureus, but with a troubling new twist. It was resistant to the drug that typically offered the last line of treatment, when other remedies failed.
Wave of illness subsides on Caribbean cruise
The cruise line that operates the Queen Mary 2 says an apparent outbreak of gastrointestinal illness has subsided as the ship heads back to port.
Researchers identify an early predictor for glaucoma
A new study finds that certain changes in blood vessels in the eye's retina can be an early warning that a person is at increased risk for glaucoma, an eye disease that slowly robs people of their peripheral vision. Using diagnostic photos and other data from the Australian Blue Mountains Eye Study, the researchers showed that patients who had abnormally narrow retinal arteries when the study began were also those who were most likely to have glaucoma at its 10-year end point. If confirmed by future research, this finding could give ophthalmologists a new way to identify and treat those who are most vulnerable to vision loss from glaucoma. The study was recently published online by Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Docs often use social media on the job: survey
(HealthDay)—About one in four U.S. doctors uses social media daily to scan or explore medical information, according to a new study.
Change your salty ways in only 21 days
Sodium – the everyday meal offender that might make your face feel puffy and your jeans look, and feel, tighter. Did you know that by reducing your sodium intake during a three week period you can change your sodium palate and start enjoying foods with less sodium? On Jan. 7, step up to the plate, re-charge your taste buds and give your heart-health a boost with the new Sodium Swap Challenge from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Mitochondrial components are a possible trigger of auto-inflammatory illnesses
(Medical Xpress)—Many illnesses, including psoriasis, include inflammatory responses that occur without an apparent infection and worsen with stress. In a study using cultured human mast cells in vitro and in rats, researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University identified mitochondrial particles—secreted from live, activated mast cells—as a possible trigger of the inflammation that is common in such illnesses.
"Protecting" psychiatric medical records puts patients at risk of hospitalization
(Medical Xpress)—Medical centers that elect to keep psychiatric files private and separate from the rest of a person's medical record may be doing their patients a disservice, a Johns Hopkins study concludes.
Study shows naloxone kits cost-effective in preventing overdose deaths
(Medical Xpress)—Giving heroin users kits with the overdose antidote naloxone is a cost-effective way to prevent overdose deaths and save lives, according to a study released this week in The Annals of Internal Medicine.
Surgery establishes penile sensation in men with spina bifida
(Medical Xpress)—A procedure to establish feeling in the penis for men with spina bifida was performed for the first time in the United States in Seattle.
Top ten tips to combat diabetes this New Year
(Medical Xpress)—Getting your family and friends to support you in being physically active and setting yourself physical activity goals are among the top ten tips scientifically proven to help combat Type 2 diabetes.
Smoking cessation expert offers tips for smokers trying to quit
(Medical Xpress)—With a New Year approaching and healthy lifestyle choices topping the list of personal resolutions, millions of smokers across New York State and more throughout the U.S. will attempt to quit smoking. Making an effort to stop smoking is an appropriate one given World Health Organization estimates that smoking contributes to five million deaths each year.
Zambia sees new cholera outbreak
Cholera has broken out in northern Zambia this week, with at least 30 cases recorded in the past three days, a health official said Wednesday.
Team finds molecule that polices TB lung infection, could lead to vaccine
The presence of a certain molecule allows the immune system to effectively police tuberculosis (TB) of the lungs and prevent it from turning into an active and deadly infection, according to a new study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings appear today in the online version of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Baby started to crawl? You might be up more at night
Infants who have started crawling wake up more often at night compared to the period before the crawling, reveals a new study by Dr. Dina Cohen of the University of Haifa's Department of Counseling and Human Development.
Smoking affects heart surgery outcome even a year after quitting
Smoking cessation even a year prior to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery does not fully normalize the changes smoking has made to the saphenous (leg) veins used for the surgery and may lead to later graft failure, according to a study published in the January 2013 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Extra pounds may be healthy—as long as its just a few
Turns out a few extra pounds may not be such a bad thing, according to a new analysis of nearly three million adults that showed people who are overweight or slightly obese may live longer.
Treating sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy may improve fetal health
A new study suggests that treatment of mild sleep-disordered breathing with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in pregnant women with preeclampsia improves fetal activity levels, a marker of fetal well-being.
Surgery consultation common after MRI of the spine
(HealthDay)—Almost half of patients whose primary care physicians recommend a lumbosacral or cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan go on to receive a surgical consultation, but few end up undergoing spinal surgery, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of Spine.
Administering chemo ups income for non-salaried oncologists
(HealthDay)—Non-salaried oncologists report the potential for increased salaries with the administration of chemotherapy or growth factors for lung or colorectal cancer patients, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Second hit leaves young football player in wheelchair
(HealthDay)—After taking a hard hit to the head during a football game, an Indiana high school student suffered severe headaches for the next three days. Following a head CT scan that was normal, his doctor told him to wait to go back on the field until he felt better.
AAP updates screening guide for retinopathy of prematurity
(HealthDay)—For the effective detection of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), at-risk infants should receive carefully timed retinal examinations (based on their gestational age) by an ophthalmologist experienced in the examination of preterm infants, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement published online Dec. 31 in Pediatrics.
AAP emphasizes importance of recess in schools
(HealthDay)—Recess in school serves a necessary and important role in the development of a child's academic, physical, and social well-being, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement published online Dec. 31 in Pediatrics.
AAP: Each school district should have a school physician
(HealthDay)—School physicians play an important role in promoting the biopsychosocial well-being of children in school settings, and every school district should have a school physician, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement published online Dec. 31 in Pediatrics.
Communication is key to medication adherence
(Medical Xpress)—Even the best medicines in the world can be rendered ineffective if they are not taken as prescribed. The problem known as medication "non-adherence" is a major health issue in the United States, contributing to worse outcomes for people who have diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Bisexual men on the 'down low' run risk for poor mental health
Bisexual men are less likely to disclose and more likely to conceal their sexual orientation than gay men. In the first study to look at the mental health of this population, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that greater concealment of homosexual behavior was associated with more symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Some men voice complaints of shortened penis following prostate cancer treatment
A small percentage of men in a prostate cancer study complained that their penis seemed shorter following treatment, with some saying that it interfered with intimate relationships and caused them to regret the type of treatment they chose.
Common data determinants of recurrent cancer are broken, mislead researchers
In order to study the effectiveness or cost effectiveness of treatments for recurrent cancer, you first have to discover the patients in medical databases who have recurrent cancer. Generally studies do this with billing or treatment codes – certain codes should identify who does and does not have recurrent cancer. A recent study published in the journal Medical Care shows that the commonly used data determinants of recurrent cancer may be misidentifying patients and potentially leading researchers astray.
Promising compound restores memory loss and reverses symptoms of Alzheimer's
A new ray of hope has broken through the clouded outcomes associated with Alzheimer's disease. A new research report published in January 2013 print issue of the FASEB Journal by scientists from the National Institutes of Health shows that when a molecule called TFP5 is injected into mice with disease that is the equivalent of human Alzheimer's, symptoms are reversed and memory is restored—without obvious toxic side effects.
For one woman, HPV vaccine was a 'no-brainer'
(HealthDay)—For Deb McAlister, it was a simple, obvious choice.
Beliefs on best way to lose weight can torpedo New Year's resolutions
(Medical Xpress)—People setting a goal to lose weight in 2013 may want to first ask themselves if diet or exercise is more important to success.
Physician review websites rely on few patient reviews
Millions of Americans read physician ratings on websites such as Healthgrades.com, but such ratings are based on scores from an average of only 2.4 patients, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.
For those short on time, aerobic, not resistance, exercise is best bet for weight, fat loss
A new study led by North Carolina researchers has found that when it comes to weight- and fat loss, aerobic training is better than resistance training. The study is believed to the largest randomized trial to directly compare changes in body composition induced by comparable amounts of time spent doing aerobic and resistant training, or both in combination, among previously inactive overweight or obese non-diabetic adults.
While in womb, babies begin learning language from their mothers
Babies only hours old are able to differentiate between sounds from their native language and a foreign language, scientists have discovered. The study indicates that babies begin absorbing language while still in the womb, earlier than previously thought.
Scientists use 'virtual experiments' to uncover missing cancer targets
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists have identified 46 previously overlooked but potentially 'druggable' cancer targets, using a powerful new online approach that allows researchers to carry out 'virtual experiments' to quickly prioritise which are the best targets for drug discovery. The findings are published in the journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery today.
Research opens up possibility of therapies to restore blood-brain barrier
(Medical Xpress)—Research led by Queen Mary, University of London, has opened up the possibility that drug therapies may one day be able to restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, potentially slowing or even reversing the progression of diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Electric stimulation of brain releases powerful, opiate-like painkiller
Researchers used electricity on certain regions in the brain of a patient with chronic, severe facial pain to release an opiate-like substance that's considered one of the body's most powerful painkillers.
Itchy wool sweaters explained: Scientists uncover itch-specific nerve cells in skin
Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered strong evidence that mice have a specific set of nerve cells that signal itch but not pain, a finding that may settle a decades-long debate about these sensations, and, if confirmed in humans, help in developing treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by life-saving medications.
Study calls into doubt previous BPA research
(Medical Xpress)—Yellow coat color mice in Cheryl Rosenfeld's lab are not fortunate sons and daughters.Conventional knowledge says these mice will likely live fatter, more diseased lives than their black, brown and mottled (tiger-striped) siblings.
People movement drives dengue virus transmission
(Medical Xpress)—To stop the transmission of dengue, a mosquito-borne virus that threatens some 4 billion people worldwide, it's crucial to focus on people movement, not just on the traditional mosquito control-and-prevention methods, say medical entomologists from the University of California, Davis in ground-breaking research published Dec. 31 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Let crying babes lie: Study supports notion of leaving infants to cry themselves back to sleep
Today, mothers of newborns find themselves confronting a common dilemma: Should they let their babies "cry it out" when they wake up at night? Or should they rush to comfort their crying little one?
New study refutes accepted model of memory formation
A study by Johns Hopkins researchers has shown that a widely accepted model of long-term memory formation—that it hinges on a single enzyme in the brain—is flawed. The new study, published in the Jan. 2 issue of Nature, found that mice lacking the enzyme that purportedly builds memory were in fact still able to form long-term memories as well as normal mice could.
Biology news
Scientists join forces to bring plant movement to light
Elementary school students often learn that plants grow toward the light. This seems straightforward, but in reality, the genes and pathways that allow plants to grow and move in response to their environment are not fully understood. Leading plant scientists explore one of the most fundamental processes in plant biology—plant movement in response to light, water, and gravity—in a January Special Issue of the American Journal of Botany.
Poland bans cultivation of GM maize, potatoes
Poland on Wednesday imposed new bans on the cultivation of certain genetically modified strains of maize and potatoes, a day after an EU required green light for GM crops took effect.
Treating stable flies in pastures
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are developing strategies to help livestock producers control stable flies, the most damaging arthropod pests of cattle in the United States.
The effect of stress on Atlantic salmon's congenital immunity to IPN
Stress affects the congenital immune defence system. New doctoral research has revealed how stress can lower the immunity of salmon and increase its susceptibility to viral infection.
New species of wasp named after Wright State entomologist
A strip of masking tape under his name on the office door identifies him as "Lord of the Flies." With a salt-and-pepper beard and countless jungle jaunts under his belt, he's become the Indiana Jones of insects at Wright State. And now, he has a wasp named after him.
The origins of a genetic switch
Cilia, microscopic whip-like organelles that protrude from the surface of many cell types, are almost ubiquitous. They are present in all eukaryotes—organisms whose cells have a nucleus—and have diversified to perform a huge variety of functions, from making cells mobile to sensing light. In vertebrates, nearly every cell in the body has some form of cilia. It has now been shown that the development of cilia—in even the most evolutionarily ancient animals—is controlled by the same gene, FoxJ1. The finding is the result of research from an international team led by Sudipto Roy of the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB).
Accelerating cellular assembly lines
The immune system generates antibodies to mark threats that need to be eliminated, and these protein complexes bind their targets with remarkable strength and selectivity. Scientists have learned how to generate cell lines that can produce large quantities of specific 'monoclonal' antibodies (mAbs) with desirable properties; these mAbs are powerful tools for diagnostics, medicine and biological research.
A new fish species from Lake Victoria named in honor of the author of Darwin's Dreampond
Two new species of cichlid fish from Lake Victoria are described by biologists from Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Research Department Marine Zoology) and the Institute of Biology Leiden (Section Integrative Zoology), the Netherlands. One of these species is named in honour of Tijs Goldschmidt, author of Darwin's Dreampond. This book, published in nine languages, describes the dramatic extinction of hundreds of cichlid species in Lake Victoria in the 1980s due to the introduced Nile perch and other human induced environmental changes.
Gray wolf takes to California but is unlikely to find a mate here
Like many out-of-state visitors, the lone gray wolf that trotted across the border from Oregon has taken a liking to California.
Bonobos will share with strangers before acquaintances
Bonobos, those notoriously frisky, ardently social great apes of the Congo, value social networking so much, they share food with a stranger before an acquaintance.
Researchers develop tool to evaluate genome sequencing method
Advances in bio-technologies and computer software have helped make genome sequencing much more common than in the past. But still in question are both the accuracy of different sequencing methods and the best ways to evaluate these efforts. Now, computer scientists have devised a tool to better measure the validity of genome sequencing.
Scientists discover that for Australia the long-beaked echidna may not be a thing of the past
The western long-beaked echidna, one of the world's five egg-laying species of mammal, became extinct in Australia thousands of years ago…or did it? Smithsonian scientists and colleagues have found evidence suggesting that not only did these animals survive in Australia far longer than previously thought, but that they may very well still exist in parts of the country today. The team's findings are published in the Dec. 28, 2012 issue of the journal ZooKeys.
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