Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for November 29, 2010:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Study shows that blood stem cells are influenced by their offspring- Partial reversal of aging achieved in mice
- Neuroscience of instinct: How animals overcome fear to obtain food (w/ Video)
- Study suggests that being too clean can make people sick
- Court to review patent judgment against Microsoft
- Cinnamon can replace harmful chemicals used to create nanoparticles
- Sporadic breast cancers start with ineffective DNA repair systems, researchers find
- Blast from the past: Jack pine genetics support a coastal glacial refugium
- Tempest in a teapot: Scientists describe swirling natural phenomena
- A 'USB' for medical diagnosis? Universal microfluidics connector could find broad use
- Tiny RNA shown to cause multiple types of leukemia
- Hormone oxytocin bolsters childhood memories of mom's affections
- Contact with dads drops when women ovulate
- Marsupial embryo jumps ahead in development
- Tablets taking bite out of PC sales: Gartner
Space & Earth news
Nations again try to bridge rich-poor climate gap
(AP) -- World governments begin another attempt Monday to overcome the disconnect between rich and poor nations on fighting global warming, with evidence mounting that the Earth's climate already is changing in ways that will affect both sides of the wealth divide.
New online atlas shows how climate change will affect distribution patterns of forests
Researchers from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and CREAF have developed the Suitability Atlas of Woody Plants of the Iberian Peninsula, a series of digital maps available online which for the first time reveal the present and future degree of adaptation to climate conditions of the main plant species found in the forests throughout the Iberian Peninsula (south-western Europe). Data shows the tendency of forests to move higher in altitude and migrate towards the north.
Hylas-1 in orbit brings Europe broadband from space
A flawless launch has delivered Hylas-1, ESA’s first public–private partnership in a full satellite system, into space. The satellite was released today into its transfer orbit after a textbook launch by an Ariane 5 vehicle from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Fire forecast technology could help rescue teams save lives
Fires in homes and offices could be tackled more efficiently using technology that predicts how a blaze will spread.
Frustrations show as climate talks resume
(AP) -- Frustrated at past failures, climate negotiators began a critical two-week conference Monday with a call from Mexico's president to think beyond their nations' borders and consider all humanity as they bargain over an agreement to fight global warming.
CU-NASA research center to study Sun's effects on Earth's climate
(PhysOrg.com) -- The University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., today announced the formation of a new collaborative research center dedicated to the study of the sun's effect on Earth's climate.
The great Gulf oil spill: Stanford experts explain what went wrong
(PhysOrg.com) -- How could it happen? The details of the Deepwater Horizon disaster will be thrashed out in a public talk Tuesday evening by three Stanford experts: geophysicist Mark Zoback, Law School lecturer Meg Caldwell and energy engineer Roland Horne.
Image: Dark dune fields of proctor crater, Mars
The dark rippled dunes of Mars' Proctor Crater likely formed more recently than the lighter rock forms they appear to cover, and are thought to slowly shift in response to pervasive winds.
Some coral reefs less vulnerable to rising sea temperatures
New research highlighting coastal locations where coral can better withstand rising sea temperatures, a leading cause of stress to coral reefs, may guide efforts to conserve the largest living structures on Earth.
Research highlights the 'human face' of climate change
Five years of social science research in Canada's arctic has taught one University of Guelph geography professor a thing or two about climate change's "human face."
Astronomy without a telescope - black hole evolution
While only observable by inference, the existence of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the centre of most – if not all – galaxies remains a compelling theory supported by a range of indirect observational methods. Within these data sources, there exists a strong correlation between the mass of the galactic bulge of a galaxy and the mass of its central SMBH – meaning that smaller galaxies have smaller SMBHs and bigger galaxies have bigger SMBHs.
NASA compares rainfall of 2010 and 2005's Atlantic hurricane season
The year 2010 was accurately predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be an active one with 14-23 tropical cyclones and 8-14 hurricanes predicted. NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Fla. subsequently named 19 storms with 12 reaching hurricane strength.
California looks for a way to save the delta, quench residents' thirst
A drilling rig bit into the bed of California's biggest river, hauling up sage-green tubes of clay and sand the consistency of uncooked fudge.
Scientists look deeper for coal ash hazards
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency weighs whether to define coal ash as hazardous waste, a Duke University study identifies new monitoring protocols and insights that can help investigators more accurately measure and predict the ecological impacts of coal ash contaminants.
Ancient wind held secret of life and death
(PhysOrg.com) -- The mystery of how an abundance of fossils have been marvellously preserved for nearly half a billion years in a remote region of Africa has been solved by a team of geologists from the University of Leicester’s Department of Geology.
A world warmed by 2 or 4 degrees Celsius poses many challenges
Oxford scientists have contributed to a series of research papers about the impacts of global warming to coincide with the opening of the Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico.
Air above Dead Sea contains very high levels of oxidized mercury
Measurements show that the sea's salt has profound effects on the chemistry of the air above its surface.
Rutgers scientists: Asteroids did kill the dinosaurs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sometimes, you just can’t trust the iridium. A silvery-white natural metal that’s a member of the platinum family, iridium is a key ingredient in the manufacture of spark plugs. Iridium is also an important piece of evidence in a mystery that scientists have debated for decades – why did dinosaurs disappear from the face of the earth?
Recent news on the debate over Pluto's planethood
Earlier this month, Eris -- the distant world first discovered by Caltech's Mike Brown and colleagues back in 2005, paving the way for the eventual demotion of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet -- passed fortuitously in front of a faint star in the constellation Cetus.
Technology news
US woman @theashes becomes Twitter celebrity
A US woman with the Twitter name @theashes who was bombarded by messages about cricket was offered a free flight to Australia and started selling her own commemorative T-shirt Monday.
Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake quit networking sites
Singers Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake are among the celebrities who have decided to temporarily exit social networking websites to help raise money for needy children, local media reported.
Experts say: Don't blame the operators for bank glitch
The National Australian Bank's widespread delays in processing payments and transactions have been blamed on a corrupted file, but sensible design of enterprise systems should be able to overcome this sort of problem, says an expert on transaction management at the University of Sydney.
Solar powered Kiwi bach on display
A solar powered Kiwi bach designed by Victoria University students for an international competition will be on public display on the Wellington waterfront next year.
China's Tencent to offer Facebook-like services: report
Chinese Internet firm Tencent plans to offer users links to third-party websites and access to externally developed applications, mirroring some features of Facebook, a report said Monday.
SOFC micro CHP plants to be climate-friendly power stations in homes
The generation of electricity and heat with no pollution and with considerably less emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 sounds too good to be true. However, it is possible with the so-called SOFC fuel cells, which Danish scientists have been conducting research into for over 20 years. The technology is now on its way to reach companies and consumers.
Innovative technology for wireless underground communication
In recent years, the tragic story of mine accidents has been retold many times in international headlines. But thanks to the work of Ryerson University researcher Xavier Fernando, countless miners' lives could be saved in the future with state-of-the-art technology that makes wireless communication possible deep within the Earth’s crust.
WikiLeaks says was denial-of-service attack victim
(AP) -- The online website WikiLeaks on Sunday blamed the temporary outage of its site on a denial-of-service attack by unknown hackers trying to prevent its release of hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. State Department documents.
Court rejects teen's appeal in Internet music case
(AP) -- The Supreme Court has turned down an appeal from a Texas teenager who got in trouble for downloading music without paying.
Lufthansa wants to test biofuels on German flights
Europe's leading airline, Lufthansa, said Monday that it will offer regular service between Frankfurt and Hamburg in April with a plane that can use biofuel in addition to jet fuel.
Hacker claims credit for WikiLeaks takedown
A computer hacker known as the "Jester" who calls himself a "hacktivist for good" is taking credit for temporarily taking down the WikiLeaks website.
From Koogle to Yideotube, efforts to provide a kosher Internet
From a drab office in this ultra-Orthodox Jewish stronghold, three devout young women hunch over computers and surf the Internet - looking for pornography, celebrity gossip and a laundry list of other items banned by their rabbis.
Wi-Fi lifeline reaches remote Himalayas
It used to take teacher Mahabir Pun more than two days to check his email from his home in the remote Himalayan village of Nagi in western Nepal.
Researchers discover new way to patch holes in the 'cloud'
Researchers from North Carolina State University and IBM have invented a way to update computer systems packaged in virtual machines in a computer “cloud” – even when those programs are offline.
Court to review patent judgment against Microsoft
(AP) -- The Supreme Court agreed Monday to referee a $290 million dispute between Microsoft Corp. and a Canadian technology company over complaints that a tool used in the popular Microsoft Word program violated patent protections.
A 'USB' for medical diagnosis? Universal microfluidics connector could find broad use
Biomedical engineers at UC Davis have developed a plug-in interface for the microfluidic chips that will form the basis of the next generation of compact medical devices. They hope that the "fit to flow" interface will become as ubiquitous as the USB interface for computer peripherals.
Tablets taking bite out of PC sales: Gartner
Worldwide personal computer sales are on track to set a new record this year but tablets like Apple's iPad are taking a bite out of the sector, technology research firm Gartner said Monday.
Medicine & Health news
Emergency departments see substantial increase in CT exams
A new study reports that the use of computed tomography (CT) in the nation's emergency departments is growing exponentially. If the growth trend continues, by 2011, nearly 20 percent of all emergency department (ED) visits may involve a CT exam. The results of this study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and published online and in the journal Radiology.
Women with personal history of breast cancer should be screened with MRI
Women with a personal history of breast cancer should consider annual screening with MRI in addition to mammography, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Diagnosis uncertainty increases anxiety in patients
Have you ever felt uneasy sitting in a doctor's waiting room or climbed the walls waiting for your test results? That feeling of anxious uncertainty can be more stressful than knowing you have a serious illness, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Rising hospitals stays for eating disorders cited
(AP) -- A new report on eating disorders cites data showing a sharp increase in children's hospitalizations for such problems.
FDA would boost food inspections under Senate bill
The Food and Drug Administration would have to step up inspections of food plants under legislation the Senate is expected to pass this week.
New strategies for cancer drug development urgently needed
Millions of cancer patients worldwide may soon be able to receive more effective, personalized treatments for their disease thanks to developments in the understanding of cancer biology, experts will say at the Cancer Biology for Clinicians Symposium organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Nice this week.
Stem cell therapy -- a future treatment for lower back pain?
Lower back pain affects many people and may be caused by degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae. Treatment for the condition using stem cells may be an alternative to today's surgical procedures. This is the conclusion of a thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
A molecular switch for memory and addiction
Learning and memory formation are based on the creation of new connections between neurons in the brain. Also, behaviors such as nicotine addiction manifest themselves in long-term changes of neuronal connectivity and can – at least in this respect – be viewed as a form of learning. A team around Pierluigi Nicotera, scientific director of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and collaborating laboratories at the MRC, UK and University of Modena, Italy have now discovered a molecular switch that plays a crucial role in establishing addictive behavior and memory processes. These results may contribute to new strategies for preventing memory loss or treating addictive behavior. The study is published online in EMBO Journal on November 26th.
Severe asthma more prevalent than thought, related to pronounced nasal symptoms
People with multi-symptom asthma more often have night-time awakenings due to asthma-symptoms, a sign of severe asthma. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Respiratory Research have shown that asthma with multiple symptoms is more highly prevalent than previously suggested, comprising 20- 25% of all asthmatics.
Male reproductive problems may add to falling fertility rates
Reduced male fertility may be making it even harder for couples to conceive and be contributing to low birth rates in many countries, reveals a new European Science Foundation (ESF) report launching today.
Number of HIV/AIDS cases in sub-Saharan Africa expected to greatly outpace resources
The number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to far outstrip available resources for treatment by the end of the decade, forcing African nations to make difficult choices about how to allocate inadequate supplies of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART), says a new report by the Institute of Medicine. It calls for a renewed emphasis on reducing the rate of new infections, promoting more efficient models of care, and encouraging shared responsibility between African nations and the U.S. for treatment and prevention efforts, which could greatly improve prospects for 2020 and beyond.
Physical activity in the prevention and treatment of disease
Prescribing physical activity for the purpose of preventing and treating various conditions can now become a reality for healthcare professionals all over the world.
Biological changes in suicidal patients
Depressed and suicidal individuals have low levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood and saliva. They also have substances in their spinal fluid that suggest there is increased inflammation in the brain. These findings could help to develop new methods for diagnosing and treating suicidal patients.
Broadening the base of publicly funded health care
Health care costs and expenditures are expected to rise over the next decade or two and governments need methods to publicly finance these costs, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Light exercise may prevent osteoarthritis
People at risk for osteoarthritis may be able to delay the onset of the disease or even prevent it with simple changes to their physical activity, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
New study reports effects of endurance running
Using a mobile MRI unit, researchers followed runners for two months along a 4,500-kilometer course to study how their bodies responded to the high-stress conditions of an ultra-long-distance race, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Walking slows progression of Alzheimer's
Walking may slow cognitive decline in adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in healthy adults, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Probiotics may have some benefits for kids
(AP) -- A leading medical group says there's some evidence that probiotics, or "good" bacteria, may have limited benefits for certain illnesses in children.
Foot-and-mouth disease confirmed in two S.Korean pig farms
South Korea Monday confirmed two cases of foot-and-mouth disease at pig farms, the first known outbreak in seven months.
China AIDS death toll up nearly 20,000 in a year: report
The total number of reported AIDS deaths in China has jumped by nearly 20,000 since an official estimate last year, state media said Monday.
New prostate cancer imaging shows real-time tumor metabolism
A UCSF research collaboration with GE Healthcare has produced the first results in humans of a new technology that promises to rapidly assess the presence and aggressiveness of prostate tumors in real time, by imaging the tumor's metabolism.
Superantigens could be behind several illnesses
Superantigens, the toxins produced by staphylococcus bacteria, are more complex than previously believed, reveals a team of researchers from the University of Gothenburg in an article published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Their discovery shows that the body's immune system can cause more illnesses than realised.
Up to 8 percent of Canadian children suffer from elevated blood pressure
"We blame kids for being fat, we blame kids for being inactive, we blame kids not eating right or the families for not feeding their kids right," says Terrance Wade, the Canada Research Chair in youth and wellness at Brock University. "But a lot of these things are not based on individual choices because your life choices and such are constrained by your life chances."
Crucial sex hormones re-routed by missing molecule
A hormone responsible for the onset of puberty can end up stuck in the wrong part of the body if the nerve pathways responsible for its transport to the brain fail to develop properly, according to research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Prescriptions for teens and young adults on the rise
Adolescents and young adults are most likely to abuse prescription medications. Yet prescription rates for controlled medications, or drugs the Drug Enforcement Administration deems as having the potential for abuse, have nearly doubled for those age groups in the past 14 years, according to a recent study published in Pediatrics. Overall, a controlled medication was prescribed for young adults at approximately one out of every six visits and for young adult by adolescents one out of every nine encounters.
Scientists identify gene linked to common birth defect in male genitalia
King's College London, in collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands, has discovered a new gene associated with Hypospadias, the congenital malformation of the male genitalia. The research was published today in Nature Genetics.
Forget Farmville, here's a game that drives genetic research
Playing online can mean more than killing time, thanks to a new game developed by a team of bioinformaticians at McGill University. Now, players can contribute in a fun way to genetic research.
Playing with building blocks of creativity help children with autism
In an attempt to help children with autism learn the building blocks of creativity, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) tapped a toy box staple for help – legos. By building lego structures in new and unique ways, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) learned to use creativity, an important skill that they had seen as very challenging prior to the study.
More lives saved with 24/7 enhanced staffing in medical ICU
In a first-of-its-kind study to measure the impact of the highest recommended specialist staffing levels in an intensive care unit, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that increased staffing by specially trained physicians and other health care professionals can enhance patient survival and enable patients to breathe sooner without assistance. The results of the study have been released online ahead of print in the journal Critical Care Medicine.
FDA reviews 2 new drugs to reduce prostate cancer
(AP) -- Health regulators said Monday that two drugs from GlaxoSmithKline and Merck reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men, though scientists questioned the drugs' overall benefit, since the tumors they prevent are usually not life-threatening.
Death toll from Haiti cholera rises to 1,721
At least 1,721 Haitians have died from a worsening cholera epidemic in the earthquake-devastated country, according to new figures released by the health ministry on Monday.
Understanding the human neurosystem: From the brain of a locust
In the human brain, mechanical stress -- the amount of pressure applied to a particular area -- requires a delicate balance. Just the right force keeps neurons together and functioning as a system within the body, and proper nerve function is dependent on this tension.
Motivation to end racism relies on 'yes we can' approach
If you're trying to end racism, it's not enough to get people to understand that racism is still a problem. You also have to make them feel like they can do something about it, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Abnormal blood vessel function found in women with broken heart syndrome
A team of Mayo Clinic researchers has found that patients with broken heart syndrome, also known as apical ballooning syndrome (ABS), have blood vessels that don't react normally to stress. These results offer clues to the cause of this rare syndrome and may help with efforts to identify patients who are more vulnerable to mental stress so that appropriate therapies can be developed. The study is published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of metabolic diseases
With the emergence of an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes (DM) throughout the world, the association of lifestyle habits that may affect the risk of metabolic diseases is especially important. Most prospective studies have shown that moderate drinkers tend to have about 30% lower risk of developing late onset diabetes than do non-drinkers, and moderate drinkers also tend to be at lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MS). A cross-sectional analysis of 6172 subjects age 35 -75 in Switzerland related varying levels of alcohol intake to the presence of DM, MS, and an index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).
Celecoxib may be effective in preventing non-melanoma skin cancers
Celecoxib may help prevent nonmelanoma skin cancers in patients with extensive actinic keratosis, which is often a precursor to these cancers, according to a randomized clinical trial published online November 29 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
How well is your doctor caring for people with Parkinson's disease? New AAN tool helps measure care
The American Academy of Neurology has developed a new tool to help doctors gauge how well they are caring for people with Parkinson's disease. The new quality measures are published in the November 30, 2010, issue of Neurology.
Doctors give different levels of pain meds for different people: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- If you should find yourself running from the police, watch your step. If you fall and break an ankle, chances are you’ll receive less pain medication when they take you to the ER for treatment.
The Medical Minute: How sweet it was...
Do you ever stop to wonder why it’s so easy to put on a little extra weight now that you’re no longer a teenager?
New approach may help dialysis patients fight anemia
A new drug called FG-2216 can stimulate production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in dialysis patients—possibly offering a new approach to treatment of kidney disease-related anemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Study suggests that being too clean can make people sick
Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A among adults may negatively influence the immune system, a new University of Michigan School of Public Health study suggests.
Paracetamol links to allergy/asthma in young children, study suggests
Links between early paracetamol use and the development of allergies and asthma in five and six year old children have been confirmed by health researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Scientists discover new mechanism for controlling blood sugar level
Medical scientists at the University of Leicester have identified for the first time a new way in which our body controls the levels of sugar in our blood following a meal.
Neurological protein may hold the key to new treatments for depression
Neuroscientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have developed a protein peptide that may be a novel type of highly targeted treatment for depression with a low side-effect profile. Depression affects one in ten Canadians at some time in their lives and is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
Color-changing 'blast badge' detects exposure to explosive shock waves
Mimicking the reflective iridescence of a butterfly's wing, investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a color-changing patch that could be worn on soldiers' helmets and uniforms to indicate the strength of exposure to blasts from explosives in the field. Future studies aim to calibrate the color change to the intensity of exposure to provide an immediate read on the potential harm to the brain and the subsequent need for medical intervention. The findings are described in the ahead-of-print online issue of NeuroImage.
Clarity in short-term memory shows no link with IQ
One person correctly remembers four of eight items just seen but is fuzzy on details. Another person recalls only two of the items but with amazingly precise clarity. So what ability translates to higher IQ?
Sporadic breast cancers start with ineffective DNA repair systems, researchers find
Breast cancers that arise sporadically, rather than through inheritance of certain genes, likely start with defects of DNA repair mechanisms that allow environmentally triggered mutations to accumulate, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. The findings, reported this week in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that potent chemotherapy drugs that target DNA in later-stage cancers could be an effective way to treat the earliest of breast tumors.
Tiny RNA shown to cause multiple types of leukemia
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whitehead Institute researchers have shown in mouse models that overexpression of the microRNA 125b (miR-125b) can independently cause leukemia and accelerate the disease's progression. Their results are published in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Hormone oxytocin bolsters childhood memories of mom's affections
Researchers have found that the naturally-occurring hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin intensifies men's memories of their mother's affections during childhood. The study was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Contact with dads drops when women ovulate
(PhysOrg.com) -- Through an innovative use of cell phone records, researchers at UCLA, the University of Miami and Cal State, Fullerton, have found that women appear to avoid contact with their fathers during ovulation.
First blood test to determine cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease developed
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Udall Center for Parkinson's Research have developed the first blood-based biomarker test to predict cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease (PD). If results can be replicated and standardized in other Parkinson patients, by other investigators, the test could be a useful tool to use in selecting patients for the development of new drugs that can slow or prevent this complication of the disease.
Partial reversal of aging achieved in mice
(PhysOrg.com) -- Harvard scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute say they have for the first time partially reversed age-related degeneration in mice, resulting in new growth of the brain and testes, improved fertility, and the return of a lost cognitive function.
Neuroscience of instinct: How animals overcome fear to obtain food (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- When crossing a street, we look to the left and right for cars and stay put on the sidewalk if we see a car close enough and traveling fast enough to hit us before we're able to reach the other side. It's an almost automatic decision, as though we instinctively know how to keep ourselves safe.
Biology news
Managing nature reserves using ecological disturbances can easily go wrong
Ecological disturbances are not necessarily a bad thing – deliberate disturbances can actually be used to preserve or even increase biodiversity in a nature reserve. The outcome depends on countless different factors, but many mistakes are made by those working with ecological disturbances and biodiversity, claims a researcher from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden).
UWE professor shows how many bugs make light work
A professor from the University of the West of England will present her inaugural lecture on bioluminesence and give insight into how this natural phenomenon has been used to make biomarkers that are making exciting breakthroughs in several areas of health research.
Amazonian biodiversity much older than originally thought
Amazonia's huge biodiversity originated with the formation of the Andes and, as such, dates back further than previously realised, claims an article written by an international research group, headed by a researcher from the University of Gothenburg, published in the journal Science.
Sea noise adventures
In 1953, Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau published his groundbreaking book The Silent World, which has since sold five million copies and captured the imagination of generations of armchair adventurers. While breathtaking in its pioneering approach and imagery, it fell short on one minor detail: the underwater world is anything but silent.
Breeding potatoes with improved properties
It is possible to breed potatoes in such a way that they produce new types of starch for use as a new and improved plant-based raw material in the construction, paper, glue, fodder and food industries. These results are described in Xingfeng Huang’s PhD thesis, which he will defend on 29 November 2010 to obtain his doctoral degree at Wageningen University.
Bird-brained? Birds' personalities are correlated with their hormone levels
Individuals of Great Tit vary in their levels of curiosity, with distinctions being made between "fast" and "slow" explorers. Mareike Stowe from University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has now shown significant differences in the levels of glucocorticoids in fast and slow birds. Her results are published in issue 58 of the journal Hormones and Behavior.
Inexpensive, on-farm method controls invasive beetle
After 21 years of work, Cornell researchers are spreading the word about an on-farm biocontrol method to solve the problems caused by the destructive invasive species alfalfa snout beetle (ASB).
Scientists trick cells into switching identities
Suppose you could repair tissue damaged by a heart attack by magically turning other cells into heart muscle, so the organ could pump effectively again.
Blast from the past: Jack pine genetics support a coastal glacial refugium
Can a road-trip across eastern North America, ancient ice sheets, and DNA samples unlock the ancestral history of jack pine trees? Julie Godbout and colleagues from the Université Laval, Quebec, Canada, certainly hoped that driving across northeastern U.S. and Canada to collect samples from jack pine trees would shed some light on how glaciers may have impacted present-day pine genetics.
Marsupial embryo jumps ahead in development
Long a staple of nature documentaries, the somewhat bizarre development of a grub-like pink marsupial embryo outside the mother's womb is curious in another way.
Study shows that blood stem cells are influenced by their offspring
A new study by researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has shown that mature blood cells can communicate with, and influence the behaviour of, their stem cell 'parents'.
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