Category Archives: Science News

From Hot Springs To Rice Farms, Scientists Reveal New Insights Into The Secret Lives Of Archaea:

In the world of microbes, as in politics, some groups just can’t seem to shake the label ”extremist.”

Another Boost For Stem Cell Research:

In the wake of the Australian Senate’s decision to pass the human embryo cloning legislation, another Australian research breakthrough is likely to strengthen the case for embryonic stem cell research.

Microfluidic Device Used For Multigene Analysis Of Individual Environmental Bacteria:

When it comes to digestive ability, termites have few rivals due to the gut activities that allow them to literally digest a two-by-four. But they do not digest wood by themselves–they are dependent on the 200 or so diverse microbial species that call termite guts home and are found nowhere else in nature. Despite several successful attempts, the majority of these beneficial organisms have never been cultivated in the laboratory. This has made it difficult to determine precisely which species perform the numerous, varied functions relevant to converting woody plant biomass into a material that can be directly used as food and energy by their insect hosts.

Sleep Problems — Real And Perceived — Get In The Way Of Alcoholism Recovery:

The first few months of recovery from an alcohol problem are hard enough. But they’re often made worse by serious sleep problems, caused by the loss of alcohol’s sedative effects, and the long-term sleep-disrupting impact that alcohol dependence can have on the brain.

Solving Darwin’s Dilemma: Oxygen May Be The Clue To First Appearance Of Large Animals :

The sudden appearance of large animal fossils more than 500 million years ago — a problem that perplexed even Charles Darwin and is commonly known as “Darwin’s Dilemma” — may be due to a huge increase of oxygen in the world’s oceans, says Queen’s paleontologist Guy Narbonne, an expert in the early evolution of animals and their ecosystems.

Geobiologists Solve ‘Catch-22 Problem’ Concerning The Rise Of Atmospheric Oxygen:

Two and a half billion years ago, when our evolutionary ancestors were little more than a twinkle in a bacterium’s plasma membrane, the process known as photosynthesis suddenly gained the ability to release molecular oxygen into Earth’s atmosphere, causing one of the largest environmental changes in the history of our planet. The organisms assumed responsible were the cyanobacteria, which are known to have evolved the ability to turn water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight into oxygen and sugar, and are still around today as the blue-green algae and the chloroplasts in all green plants.

Riddle Of The Great Pyramids Of Giza: Professor Finds Some Building Blocks Were Concrete:

In partially solving a mystery that has baffled archeologists for centuries, a Drexel University professor has determined that the Great Pyramids of Giza were constructed with a combination of not only carved stones but the first blocks of limestone-based concrete cast by any civilization.

Brain Wave Changes In Adolescence Signal Reorganization Of The Brain:

Brain wave changes in adolescence are related to age, not sexual maturation, and may be associated with one of the brain’s major reorganization projects: synaptic pruning, a new study finds.

Sea Urchin Genome Suprisingly Similar To Man And May Hold Key To Cures:

Sea urchins are small and spiny, they have no eyes and they eat kelp and algae. Still, the sea creature’s genome is remarkably similar to humans’ and may hold the key to preventing and curing several human diseases, according to a University of Central Florida researcher and several colleagues.

Evolution Of The Penis Worm: Research Reveals Embryos More Than Half A Billion Years Old :

Images of the developmental stages of embryos more than half a billion years old were reported by a University of Bristol researcher.

From A Lowly Yeast, Researchers Divine A Clue To Human Disease:

Working with a common form of brewer’s yeast, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have uncovered novel functions of a key protein that allow it to act as a master regulatory switch — a control that determines gene activity and that, when malfunctioning in humans, may contribute to serious neurological disorders.

Stretch A DNA Loop, Turn Off Proteins:

It may look like mistletoe wrapped around a flexible candy cane. But a new molecular model shows how some proteins form loops in DNA when they chemically attach, or bind, at separate sites to the double-helical molecule that carries life’s genetic blueprint. Biologists have discovered that the physical manifestation of DNA loops are a consequence of many biochemical processes in the cell, such as the regulation of gene expression. In other words, these loops indicate the presence of enzymes or other proteins that are turned on. Now physicists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that stretching the DNA molecule can also turn off the proteins known to cause loops in DNA.

Study Looks At Effects Of National Trauma On Americans’ Health:

A study by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and the University of California, Irvine, has found that people’s gender and ethnicity predicted their immediate response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and their general state of health over the next two years.

Pendulums, Predators And Prey: The Ecology Of Coupled Oscillations:

Connect one pendulum to another with a spring, and in time the motions of the two swinging levers will become coordinated. This behavior of coupled oscillators—long a fascination of physicists and mathematicians—also can help biologists seeking to understand such questions as why some locations overflow with plants and animals while others are bereft, University of Michigan theoretical ecologist John Vandermeer maintains.

Why Do Some Queen Bees Eat Their Worker Bee’s Eggs?:

Worker bees, wasps and ants are often considered neuter. But in many species they are females with ovaries, who although unable to mate, can lay unfertilized eggs which turn into males if reared.

Found: The Apple Gene For Red:

CSIRO researchers have located the gene that controls the colour of apples — a discovery that may lead to bright new apple varieties.

Cats Can Succumb To Feline Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Shows:

Ageing cats can develop a feline form of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study reveals.

Learning During Sleep? Researchers Investigate Communication Between Memory Areas:

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg have been investigating how memories might be consolidated.

Low Self-esteem? Avoid Crime Novels With Surprise Endings:

Not everyone enjoys a murder mystery with a surprise ending, new research suggests.

Gendered Division Of Labor Gave Modern Humans Advantage Over Neanderthals:

Diversified social roles for men, women, and children may have given Homo sapiens an advantage over Neanderthals, says a new study in the December 2006 issue of Current Anthropology. The study argues that division of economic labor by sex and age emerged relatively recently in human evolutionary history and facilitated the spread of modern humans throughout Eurasia.

Peering Into The Shadow World Of RNA: Crosstalk May Control The Genome:

The popular view is that DNA and genes control everything of importance in biology. The genome rules all of life, it is thought. Increasingly, however, scientists are realizing that among the diverse forms of RNA, a kind of mirror molecule derived from DNA, many interact with each other and with genes directly to manage the genome from behind the scenes.

New Biosensors From The Blood Of Llamas :

An unusual protein found in the blood of llamas has enabled scientists to develop a quick, simple method for making antibodies that could be used in a new generation of biosensors.

How Mammals Fuel Milk Production May Have Implications For Cancer :

A new study in the December issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press, offers insight into the manner in which the mammary glands of mammals meet the incredible metabolic demands of milk production. As the normal pathways of breast development undoubtedly affect breast cancer, the findings may have therapeutic implications, the researchers said.

Newts Regrow Hearts: Scientists Reveal Molecular Details Of Regeneration In Amphibians:

When a newt loses a limb, the limb regrows. What is more, a newt can also completely repair damage to its heart.

Vanishing Beetle Horns Have Surprise Function:

The function of horned beetles’ wild protrusions has been a matter of some consternation for biologists. Digging seemed plausible; combat and mate selection, more likely. But, ….

Decaffeinated Coffee Plants? New Methods Permit Functional Gene Studies In Plants:

Decaffeinated coffee plants, pest-resistant cotton, and Vitamin A-producing rice varieties have all been developed by introducing genes into plants.

Ongoing Collapse Of Coral Reef Shark Populations:

Investigators have revealed that coral reef shark populations are in the midst of rapid decline, and that “no-take zones”–reefs where fishing is prohibited–do protect sharks, but only when compliance with no-take regulations is high. The findings, reported by William Robbins and colleagues at James Cook University and its ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, appear in the December 5th issue of Current Biology.

Cities Change The Songs Of Birds:

By studying the songs of a bird species that has succeeded in adapting to urban life, researchers have gained insight into the kinds of environmental pressures that influence where particular songbirds thrive, and the specific attributes of city birds that allow them to adjust to noisy urban environments.

New Clues To How Sex Evolves:

Sex is a boon to evolution; it allows genetic material from parents to recombine, giving rise to a unique new genome. But how did sex itself evolve” Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have found clues to one part of this complex question in ongoing studies of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

With Fruit Fly Sex, Researchers Find Mind-body Connection:

Male fruit flies are smaller and darker than female flies. The hair-like bristles on their forelegs are shorter, thicker. Their sexual equipment, of course, is different, too. “Doublesex” is the gene largely responsible for these body differences. Doublesex, new research shows, is responsible for behavior differences as well.

U.S. Teen Pregnancy Rates Decline As Result Of Improved Contraceptive Use:

Eighty-six percent of the recent decline in U.S. teen pregnancy rates is the result of improved contraceptive use, while a small proportion of the decline (14%) can be attributed to teens waiting longer to start having sex, according to a report by John Santelli, MD, MPH, department chair and professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health and published in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The scientific findings indicate that abstinence promotion, in itself, is insufficient to help adolescents prevent unintended pregnancies.

Daytime Sleepiness From Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Raise Risk For Cardiovascular Problems:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep related breathing disorder that causes your body to stop breathing during sleep, can disturb your sleep numerous times on any given night. As a result, you may experience daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness brought on by OSA may put you more at risk for cardiovascular problems, according to a study published in the December 1st issue of the journal SLEEP.

Scientists Identify Part Of Hummingbird’s Tiny Bird Brain That Helps It Hover:

University of Alberta researchers have pinpointed a section in the tiny hummingbird’s brain that may be responsible for its unique ability to stay stationary mid-air and hover.

Theory Of Oscillations May Explain Biological Mysteries:

New mathematical studies of the interactions between oscillating biological populations may shed light on some of the toughest questions in ecology, including the number and types of species in an ecosystem, according to an article in the December 2006 issue of BioScience.

Parental Genes Do What’s Best For Baby:

A molecular ‘battle of the sexes’ long considered the major driving force in a baby’s development is being challenged by a new genetic theory of parental teamwork.

A Giant Among Minnows: Giant Danio Can Keep Growing :

Two fish that share much in common genetically appear to have markedly different abilities to grow, a finding that could provide a new way to research such disparate areas as muscle wasting disease and fish farming, a new study shows.

Nobel Laureate Finds ‘Elegant’ Explanation For DNA Transcribing Enzyme’s High Fidelity:

Last month, Roger Kornberg of Stanford University won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his efforts to unravel the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription, in which enzymes give “voice” to DNA by copying it into the RNA molecules that serve as templates for protein in organisms from yeast to humans. Now, Kornberg and his colleagues report in the December 1, 2006 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press, new structures that reveal another critical piece of the puzzle: how the so-called polymerase II enzyme discriminates among potential RNA building blocks to ensure the characteristic accuracy of the process.

Living View In Animals Shows How Cells Decide To Make Proteins:

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have visualized in a living animal how cells use a critical biological process to dice and splice genetic material to create unique and varied proteins.

Infants Wheeze Less In Homes With Multiple Dogs:

Living in a home with multiple dogs may help reduce an infant’s risk for developing wheezing in the first year of life, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati.

Invasive Ants Territorial When Neighbors Are Not Kin:

A study led by UC San Diego biologists shows that invasive Argentine ants appear to use genetic differences to distinguish friend from foe, a finding that helps to explain why these ants form enormous colonies in California.

P(acman) Takes A Bite Out Of Deciphering Drosophila DNA:

P(acman) — a new method of introducing DNA into the genome of fruit flies or Drosophila — promises to transform the ability of scientists to study the structure and function of virtually all the fly’s genes, and the method may be applicable to other frequently studied organisms such as mice, said its Baylor College of Medicine developers in an article in the current issue of the journal Science.

Seagrass Ecosystems At A ‘Global Crisis’:

An international team of scientists is calling for a targeted global conservation effort to preserve seagrasses and their ecological services for the world’s coastal ecosystems.

What Is The Role Of Donor Breast Milk? :

More evidence is needed to determine whether donor breast milk is beneficial for babies in intensive care, argues a senior doctor in this week’s British Medical Journal.

Sodium, Prostaglandin May Be Keys To Successful Treatment For Some Bedwetters:

Children with a form of bedwetting that does not respond to a common medication have more sodium and urea in their nighttime urine, possibly because of an imbalance of prostaglandin, a hormone-like substance, a new study has found.

Save The Whales? Sure, But How Many?:

How many wildebeest should live in the Serengeti” How many grizzly bears should call Yellowstone home” Are there too few tigers in the world” Conservationist biologists grapple with the task of setting population targets for the species they are trying to protect — a decision steeped in politics, emotion, and sometimes, science.

Two Rapidly Evolving Genes Offer Geneticists Clues To Why Hybrids Are Sterile Or Do Not Survive:

While hybrids — the result of the mating of two different species — may offer interesting and beneficial traits, they are usually sterile or unable to survive. For example, a mule, the result of the mating of a horse and a donkey, is sterile.

World’s Oldest Ritual Discovered — Worshipped The Python 70,000 Years Ago:

A startling archaeological discovery this summer changes our understanding of human history. While, up until now, scholars have largely held that man’s first rituals were carried out over 40, 000 years ago in Europe, it now appears that they were wrong about both the time and place.

Extraordinary Life Found Around Deep-sea Gas Seeps:

An international team led by scientists from the United States and New Zealand have observed, for the first time, the bizarre deep-sea communities living around methane seeps off New Zealand’s east coast.

Ancient Predator Had Strongest Bite Of Any Fish, Rivaling Bite Of Large Alligators And T. Rex:

It could bite a shark in two. It might have been the first “king of the beasts.” And it could teach scientists a lot about humans, because it is in the sister group of all jawed vertebrates.

Detecting Explosives With Honeybees: Experts Develop Method To Train Air Force Of Bomb-sniffing Bees:

Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a method for training the common honey bee to detect the explosives used in bombs. Based on knowledge of bee biology, the new techniques could become a leading tool in the fight against the use of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, which present a critical vulnerability for American military troops abroad and is an emerging danger for civilians worldwide.

* Genes may help predict infidelity, study finds:
Could DNA tests tell you your risk of being cuckolded? Scientists think so.
* Ancient sky calculator awes scientists:
A 2,000-year-old computer could transform our view of the ancient world, according to researchers.
* Success may be a ‘family affair’:
A study has led researchers to speculate that career success may be partly genetic.
* Science teachers’ association accused of oil company influence:
After the top U.S. science teachers’ group spurned some free DVDs, a controversy erupted over a reason they gave for doing so.
* Backache? Sitting upright could be culprit:
“Dignified” might not always equal healthy, a study suggests.

Aching Back? Sitting Up Straight Could Be The Culprit:

Researchers are using a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show that sitting in an upright position places unnecessary strain on your back, leading to potentially chronic pain problems if you spend long hours sitting.

Sleep Problems In Overweight Children Appear Fairly Common:

One-fourth of overweight children may have sleep problems that regular physical activity can largely resolve, researchers say.

Synchrotron Reveals How Neanderthal Teeth Grew:

Scientists from the United Kingdom, France and Italy have studied teeth from Neanderthals with X-rays from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). They found that the dental development of Neanderthals is very similar to modern humans. Their results are published in Nature this week.

Serengeti Patrols Cut Poaching Of Buffalo, Elephants, Rhinos:

A technique used since the 1930s to estimate the abundance of fish has shown for the first time that enforcement patrols are effective at reducing poaching of elephants, African buffaloes and black rhinos.

Humpback Whales Have Brain Cells Also Found In Humans :

A new study compared a humpback whale brain with brains from several other cetacean species and found the presence of a certain type of neuron cell that is also found in humans.

Predicting Impact Of Climate Change On Organisms: Latitude’s Not Enough:

According to a recent study, predicting the impact of climate change on organisms is more complicated than simply looking at species northern and southern range limits.

Opposites Do Not Attract, Parrot Study Finds:

A study conducted at the University of California, Irvine, found that a female budgerigar prefers to mate with a male that sounds like her.

Dragonfly’s Metabolic Disease Provides Clues About Human Obesity:

Parasite-infected dragonflies suffer the same metabolic disorders that have led to an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.

Wild Gorillas Carriers Of A SIV Virus Close To The AIDS Virus:

A recent article in Nature reports the discovery of gorillas living in the wild in Central Africa infected with an HIV-1 related virus, called SIVgor, genetically close to an HIV-1 variant called O found in humans

‘Nymph Of The Sea’ Reveals Remarkable Brood :

Geologists from the United Kingdom and the United States have made an unusual discovery from over 425 million years ago … hard boiled eggs! The scientists discovered the mother complete with her brood of some 20 eggs and 2 possible juveniles inside, together with other details of her soft parts.

Pot may be good and bad, researchers propose:

The truth about marijuana might be more complex than either its opponents or its champions suggest, some scientists argue.

We’re more genetically diverse than thought:

Research has found that at least one in 10 human genes vary in the number of copies of certain DNA sequences.

A step toward quantum computers:

Physicists say they’ve taken a step toward making computers that work at blinding speeds thanks to the weird realities of quantum physics.

One cell makes almost any heart tissue, study finds:

New research could be a stride forward for therapy to rebuild hearts, but its use of embryonic cells may stir controversy.

Molecules may ‘anchor’ memories in brain:

Our brains nail down memories by using special proteins as anchors, a study suggests.

Extreme black hole pushes spin ‘limit’:

A black hole’s blindingly fast rotation could help explain some strange phenomena, physicists say.

Children’s Sleep Difficulties: Reports Differ From Children To Parents:

Elementary-school-aged children commonly experience sleep problems, but little research has addressed the reasons behind this phenomenon. A new study finds that children of this age say they have sleep difficulties much more often than their parents report such problems.

Sleep Apnea Patients At Higher Risk For Deadly Heart Disease; Arrhythmia Found To Increase During REM:

People with sleep apnea could also be at risk for a particular kind of deadly heart arrhythmia, finds Saint Louis University researchers. They presented the findings this week at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting in Chicago.

Sleep Apnea Treatment Curbs Aggression In Sex Offenders:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects up to 20% of men in western cultures, 5% of whom experience significant physical symptoms. A study published in Journal of Forensic Sciences finds that sex offenders who suffer from OSA experience more harmful psychological symptoms than do sex offenders with normal sleep patterns.

Does Natural Selection Drive The Evolution Of Cancer?:

The dynamics of evolution are fully in play within the environment of a tumor, just as they are in forests and meadows, oceans and streams. This is the view of researchers in an emerging cross-disciplinary field that brings the thinking of ecologists and evolutionary biologists to bear on cancer biology.

Pressured By Predators, Lizards See Rapid Shift In Natural Selection:

Countering the widespread view of evolution as a process played out over the course of eons, evolutionary biologists have shown that natural selection can turn on a dime — within months — as a population’s needs change. In a study of island lizards exposed to a new predator, the scientists found that natural selection dramatically changed direction over a very short time, within a single generation, favoring first longer and then shorter hind legs.

Money: It’s More Than An Incentive According To University Of Minnesota Researcher:

Why are some people more self-sufficient than others? Why are some people more willing to volunteer or help out than others? What makes some people seem stand-offish, while others move right in and help?

Young Children Don’t Believe Everything They Hear:

Childhood is a time when young minds receive a vast amount of new information. Until now, it’s been thought that children believe most of what they hear. New research sheds light on children’s abilities to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Scientists Regenerate Wing In Chick Embryo:

Chop off a salamander’s leg and a brand new one will sprout in no time. But most animals have lost the ability to replace missing limbs. Now, a research team at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has been able to regenerate a wing in a chick embryo — a species not known to be able to regrow limbs – suggesting that the potential for such regeneration exists innately in all vertebrates, including humans.

* Monkeys using perfume? Study investigates:
Some wild spider monkeys dab on a chewed-leaf paste that may act as a sort of cologne, researchers say.
* Red wine ingredient found to boost endurance:
A substance earlier linked to long life in animals, also “re-programs” muscle to double endurance, a mouse study indicates.
* Neanderthal DNA partially sequenced:
Scientists have preliminarily mapped out when the stocky human cousins diverged from our species.
* ‘Dark energy’ an age-old phenomenon, study finds:
A weird force pushing our universe outward has existed since near the beginning, astrophysicists report
* Exotic new particles reported found:
Scientists have reported discovering two new subatomic particles, rare but important relatives of the common­place proton and neutron.

* Cleansing nuclear fallout from the body:
A U.S. government scientist envisions purging the body of fallout with a compound from crab shells.
* Gay men likelier to gamble addictively, study suggests:
A small study may fuel a charged debate over why homosexuals, as growing evidence suggests, suffer addictions unusually often.
* Saturn moon found to resemble Earth at life’s birth:
Hazy skies on early Earth, similar to those on Saturn’s moon Titan, could have provided the ingredients for life, chemists say.
* Mystery of sudden infant deaths may be solved:
“Sudden infant death syndrome” results from abnormalities in the brain stem, a primitive brain region, a study suggests.
* Testosterone levels dropping, research finds:
Scientists cited a “substantial,” unexplained drop in American men’s testosterone levels in the past two decades.

Microbes Compete With Animals For Food By Making It Stink:

Microbes may compete with large animal scavengers by producing repugnant chemicals that deter higher species from consuming valuable food resources, a new study suggests. Ecologists have long recognized microbes as decomposers and pathogens in ecological communities. But their role as classic consumers who produce chemicals to compete with larger animals could be an important and common interaction within many ecosystems, according to a paper published this week in the journal Ecology

Decoded Sea Urchin Genome Shows Surprising Relationship To Humans:

The Sea Urchin Genome Sequencing Project consortium, led by the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, announced today the decoding and analysis of the genome sequence of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

Social Exclusion Changes Brain Function And Can Lead To Poor Decision-making:

In new research, reported in the current online issue of the journal Social Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Georgia and San Diego State University report for the first time that social exclusion actually causes changes in a person’s brain function and can lead to poor decision-making and a diminished learning ability.

Tarantula Venom And Chili Peppers Target Same Pain Sensor:

Venom from a West Indian tarantula has been shown to cause pain by exciting the same nerve cells in mice that sense high temperatures and the hot, spicy ingredient in chili peppers, UCSF scientists have discovered.

Research Says Massage May Help Infants Sleep More, Cry Less And Be Less Stressed:

New research by a team at the University of Warwick says that massage may help infants aged under six months sleep better, cry less and be less stressed.

Two Nerve Cells In Direct Contact:

For the first time, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried near Munich have been able to show how two nerve cells communicate with each other from different hemispheres in the visual center. This astoundingly simple circuit diagram could at a later date provide a model for algorithms to be deployed in technical systems.

A Silent Pandemic: Industrial Chemicals Are Impairing Brain Development Of Children Worldwide:

Researchers found that 202 industrial chemicals have the capacity to damage the human brain, and they conclude that chemical pollution may have harmed the brains of millions of children worldwide.

Why Exercising Muscles Tire When Needed Most:

Fleeing animals, human athletes and non-athletes alike have experienced skeletal muscles giving out during those intense efforts when they are needed most, whether running for survival, the finish line or the bus. While the cause of muscle fatigue has interested to physiologists, engineers and medical experts for more than half a century, the phenomenon remains incompletely understood. A new study from Rice and Harvard universities links failing muscles to the source of the chemical energy util ized to fuel vigorous contractions in the body.

Scientists See With X-rays How Bones Resist Strain Thanks To Their Nano And Micro Structure:

Scientists from Max Planck Institute (Germany) and the ESRF have just discovered the way deformation at the nanoscale takes place in a bone by studying it with the synchrotron X-rays. This study explains the enormous stability and deformability of bones. The hierarchical structure of bones makes them able to sustain large strains without breaking, despite being made of essentially rigid units at the molecular level.

Odor Discrimination Linked To Timing At Which Neurons Fire:

Timing is everything. For a mouse trying to discriminate between the scent of a tasty treat and the scent of the neighborhood cat, timing could mean life or death. In a striking discovery, Carnegie Mellon University scientists have linked the timing of inhibitory neuron activity to the generation of odor-specific patterns in the brain’s olfactory bulb, the area of the brain responsible for distinguishing odors.

Spectacular Dinosaur Skull Comes Back To Alberta:

A “spectacular beast” is coming back to its original stomping grounds and making a new home at the University of Alberta — a coup that will allow its researchers to study the rare dinosaur skull up close.

Regular Exercise Plays A Consistent And Significant Role In Reducing Fatigue:

A new analysis by University of Georgia researchers finds overwhelming evidence that regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue.

Cold War Invisible Ink Secrets Unlocked:

Two Michigan State University researchers are the first to unlock the secrets of the invisible ink used by East Germany’s secret police force, the Stasi, and in the process have mixed a batch of chemistry, history and mystery to teach students.

Happy People Are Healthier, Psychologist Says:

Happiness and other positive emotions play an even more important role in health than previously thought, according to a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine by Carnegie Mellon University psychology Professor Sheldon Cohen.

Children Show Strong Preference For Lucky Individuals:

Children as young as five to seven years of age prefer lucky individuals over the less fortunate, according to new research by psychologists at Harvard University and Stanford University. This phenomenon, the researchers say, could clarify the origins of human attitudes toward differing social groups and help explain the persistence of social inequality.

Female Pronghorns Choose Vigorous Mates; Offspring More Likely To Survive:

When a female animal compares males to choose a mate, she can’t order a laboratory genetic screen for each suitor. Instead, she has to rely on external cues that may indicate genetic quality. Until now, biologists have focused on elaborate ornaments, such as the peacock’s tail, as cues that females might use.

Why Wolves Are Not Dispersing As Fast As Expected In Yellowstone:

The slow dispersal rate of wolves in Yellowstone National Park had stumped researchers across North America until a team of mathematical biologists at the University of Alberta recently solved the puzzle.

Fossil Is Missing Link In Elephant Lineage:

A pig-sized, tusked creature that roamed the earth some 27 million years ago represents a missing link between the oldest known relatives of elephants and the more recent group from which modern elephants descended, an international team that includes University of Michigan paleontologist William J. Sanders has found.

Saving Threatened Turtles In The Caribbean:

Ecology and conservation experts from the University of Exeter are urging international governments to work together to protect threatened Caribbean sea turtle populations. The Cayman Islands, a UK Overseas Territory, once supported one of the world’s largest sea turtle rookeries, which comprised some 6.5 million adult green and loggerhead turtles. These populations were driven into decline from the mid-1600s onwards, when massive harvesting of nesting turtles began. Only a few dozen individuals survive today.

More Human-Neandertal Mixing Evidence Uncovered:

A reexamination of ancient human bones from Romania reveals more evidence that humans and Neandertals interbred. Erik Trinkaus, Ph.D., Washington University Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor in Arts & Sciences, and colleagues radiocarbon-dated and analyzed the shapes of human bones from Romania’s Petera Muierii (Cave of the Old Woman). The fossils, discovered in 1952, add to the small number of early modern human remains from Europe known to be more than 28,000 years old.

Insect Wings Used To Pattern Nanoscale Structures:

A team of researchers led by Jin Zhang and Zhongfan Liu (Peking University) have used the wings of cicadas as stamps to pattern polymer films with nanometer-sized structures

Animal Testing Alternative Has Ticks Trembling At The Knees:

Scientists in Switzerland have developed a synthetic cowhide as a replacement for live animals when observing the effects of new anti-tick treatments. Traditional testing methods for these agents involve coating animals in harsh chemicals, and measuring how quickly ticks die. The new animal friendly method is also far more sensitive, and effects can be measured sooner by observing “leg trembling” — an early symptom of the pesticide blocking the tick’s central nervous system.

Novel Experiment Documents Evolution Of Genome In Near-real Time:

UCSD bioengineers report in the November issue of Nature Genetics rapid evolutionary changes in a bacterial genome, observed in near-real time over a few days. Scientists have previously published static “snapshots” of the genome sequences of more than 100 bacterial species, but this new report shows how these genomes are moving targets.

Study Questions Squeaky-clean Reputation Of Service Industries In Climate Change:

Service industries like banking, health care, and telecommunications may have a squeaky-clean reputation when it comes to industrial pollution, but they are responsible for amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that actually are comparable to those of traditional manufacturing industries, a new study has found.

Disappearing Nest Egg: Researcher Studying Declining Numbers Of Macaws:

One of the most colorful birds in the world may have a less-than-colorful future. Macaws, the largest members of the parrot family, have seen their numbers decline in recent decades, and that trend is continuing today.

Tiny Worm Provides Model For The Genetics Of Nicotine Dependence:

The unassuming C. elegans nematode worm, a 1-millimeter workhorse of the genetics lab, is quite similar to human beings in its genetic susceptibility to nicotine dependence, according to University of Michigan researchers.

Lighting The Way Toward Understanding Nitric Oxide’s Role Inside Living Cells:

Eavesdropping on the behavior of nitric oxide (NO) in parts of the body ranging from the penis to the brain is important to solving the mysteries of how this small molecule plays such a big role in conditions ranging from male sexual function to communication among nerves.

Biodiversity Controls Ecological ‘Services,’ Report Scientists In Comprehenisive Analysis:

Accelerating rates of species extinction pose problems for humanity, according to a comprehensive study headed by a biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara and published in the journal Nature this week. The groundbreaking statistical analysis demonstrates that the preservation of biodiversity — both the number and type of species — is needed to maintain ecological balance and “services.”

Fossils Of Ancient Sea Monster Found In Montana:

A complete skull of a long-necked plesiosaur has been discovered in Montana. The 70-million-year-old skull is one of the best specimens of its kind found in North America.

Snow Data Helps Maintain Nation’s Largest, Oldest Bison Herd:

NASA satellite data and computer modeling and US Department of Agriculture information are helping track the remnants of the once mighty bison herd in Yellowstone National Park as they migrate with the melting snowpack.

Reduced Body Temperature Extends Lifespan, Study Finds:

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have found that reducing the core body temperature of mice extends their median lifespan by up to 20 percent. This is the first time that changes in body temperature have been shown to affect lifespan in warm-blooded animals.

New Phylum Sheds Light On Ancestor Of Animals, Humans:

Genetic analysis of an obscure, worm-like creature retrieved from the depths of the North Atlantic has led to the discovery of a new phylum, a rare event in an era when most organisms have already been grouped into major evolutionary categories.

Global Map Shows New Patterns Of Extinction Risk:

The most detailed world map of mammals, birds and amphibians ever produced shows that endangered species from these groups do not inhabit the same geographical areas, says new research.

Low Levels Of Neurotransmitter Serotonin May Perpetuate Child Abuse Across Generations :

Infant abuse may be perpetuated between generations by changes in the brain induced by early experience, research shows. A research team found that when baby rhesus monkeys endured high rates of maternal rejection and mild abuse in their first month of life, their brains often produced less serotonin, a chemical that transmits impulses in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and depression and impulsive aggression in both humans and monkeys.

Scientists Discover Molecular Basis For Dark Adaptation In Mice:

In poor light the eyes of mice react like some digital cameras: they reduce their resolution while at the same time increasing their sensitivity. Specialists in the retina focus the information of several light sensor cells for this purpose. Scientists from the University of Bonn and their colleagues from Oldenburg, Bochum and Kobe (Japan), have now discovered how all this works.

How To Mend A Broken Heart: Zebrafish Hold Key To Regeneration:

When a portion of a zebrafish’s heart is removed, the dynamic interplay between a mass of stem cells that forms in the wound and the protective cell layer that covers the wound spurs the regeneration of functional new heart tissue, Duke University Medical Center scientists have found.

Engineers Probe Spiders’ Polymer Art: Manufactured Silk Could Be Used For Artificial Tendons, Parachutes, More:

A team of MIT engineers has identified two key physical processes that lend spider silk its unrivaled strength and durability, bringing closer to reality the long-sought goal of spinning artificial spider silk.

Modeling Alien Invasions: Plasticity May Hold The Key To Prevention:

The ability of an organism to respond adaptively to environmental variation — phenotypic plasticity — can have profound and unexpected effects on species interactions and the probability that a species will invade.

New Research House To Guide Future Home Development:

The University of Nottingham is helping to battle climate change on the home front — with the construction of a new experimental house on campus that will cut “greenhouse gas” emissions by 60 per cent

Urban Sprawl Not Cause Of Human Sprawl: Study:

As health-spending on obesity-related illnesses continues to rise in the United States, many suggest that urban planning geared towards active and healthy living could be an important tool to curb obesity. But does urban sprawl really cause human sprawl? Not according to research conducted at the University of Toronto, the London School of Economics and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain.

Groups And Grumps: Study Identifies ‘Sociality’ Neurons:

A University of California, San Diego study has for the first time identified brain cells that influence whether birds of a feather will, or will not, flock together. The research demonstrates that vasotocin neurons in the medial extended amygdala — which are present in most animals, including humans — respond differently to social cues in birds that live in colonies compared to their more solitary cousins.

Evolutionary Oddity: Erectile Tissue Helps Flamingos Eat:

With their spindly legs, long necks and bright plumage, flamingos are a curiosity of nature. Now a new discovery by a team of Ohio University researchers reveals an anatomical oddity that helps flamingos eat: erectile tissue.

Study Challenges Belief That Tree Frogs Depress Metabolic Rate After ‘Waxing’ Themselves:

Researchers from the University of Florida explore wiping behaviours in a tree frog that waxes itself, and test whether these frogs become dormant to conserve energy during dehydration. Many amphibians have skin that offers little resistance to evaporative water loss. To compensate, these and some other arboreal frogs secrete lipids and then use an elaborate series of wiping motions to rub the waxy secretions over their entire bodies.

Remember This: Receptors Govern How Brain Cells Communicate:

An hour from now, will you remember reading this? It all depends on proteins in your brain called NMDA receptors, which allow your neurons to communicate with each other. University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered how different types of NMDA receptors perform varied functions. Their findings are published in the current issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Fruit Flies Tricked Into Thinking That Silkworm Moths Are Potential Mates:

It’s all about “the birds and the bees.” And now, “the silkworm moths and the fruit flies.” A chemical ecologist and a genetics researcher at the University of California, Davis, have joined forces to trick fruit flies into thinking that silkworm moths are potential mates. Groundbreaking research in the labs of chemical ecologist Walter Leal and genetics researcher Deborah Kimbrell shows that genetically engineered fruit flies responded to the silkworm moth scent of a female.

Women On Hormone Therapy Regain Emotion Response:

Older women on hormone therapy are more sensitive to negative events, confirming speculation that age-related estrogen loss affects the brain’s ability to process emotion, an Oregon Health & Science University study shows. Researchers found that hormone therapy appears to reverse the age-related loss of arousal to negative emotional events experienced by the elderly. It also points to specific changes in the brain’s arousal system, in the regions that process emotion, and intensification of negative emotions.

Trotting With Emus To Walk With Dinosaurs:

One way to make sense of 165-million-year-old dino tracks may be to hang out with emus, say paleontologists studying thousands of dinosaur footprints at the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite in northern Wyoming. Because they are about the same size, walk on two legs and have similar feet, emus turn out to be the best modern version of the enigmatic reptiles that once trotted along a long-lost coastline in the Middle Jurassic.

Grape Seed Extract Halts Cell Cycle, Checking Growth Of Colorectal Tumors In Mice:

Chemicals found in grape seeds significantly inhibited growth of colorectal tumors in both cell cultures and in mice, according to researchers who have already demonstrated the extract’s anti-cancer effects in other tumor types.

Hive Mentality: Researchers Create Buzz Over Social Behavior Genetics:

Though you may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, Arizona State University researchers have found that evolution may have taught old genes new tricks in the development of social behavior in honeybees. The genetic basis of social behavior is being deciphered through the efforts of ASU researchers and their work with the honeybee, Apis mellifera.

Social Amoebas’ Family Tree Reveals Evolutionary Clues:

The full family tree of the species known as social amoebas has been plotted for the first time — a breakthrough which will provide important clues to the evolution of life on earth.

Flight of the Bumblebee: Flower Choice Matters:

Bees play a vital role in the pollination of native wildflowers, and UWM researchers are studying how invasive species interfere with seed production in these native plants.

New Web-based System Leads To Better, More Timely Data:

After two years of work, an innovative project using web-based technologies to speed researcher access to a large body of new scientific data has demonstrated that not only access to but also the quality of the data has improved markedly. The data-entry process for the web-enabled ThermoML thermodynamics global data exchange catches and corrects data errors in roughly ten percent of journal articles entered in the system.

Global Warming And Your Health:

Global warming could do more to hurt your health than simply threaten summertime heat stroke, says a public health physician. Although heat-related illnesses and deaths will increase with the temperatures, climate change is expected to also attack human health with dirtier air and water, more flood-related accidents and injuries, threats to food supplies, hundreds of millions of environmental refugees, and stress on and possible collapse of many ecosystems that now purify air and water.

Let’s Divide: How Daughter Cells Get Their Share Of Genetic Material:

When cells divide, control mechanisms ensure that the genetic material, in other words the chromosomes, is correctly distributed to the daughter cells. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin have now explained the molecular principles of these control processes.

Brain Research Supports Drug Development From Jellyfish Protein:

With the research support from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a Wisconsin biotech company has found that a compound from a protein found in jellyfish is neuroprotective and may be effective in treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Michigan State Researcher Traces The Evolution Of Honey Bee Gender:

A first-of-its-kind evolutionary strategy discovered among invertebrate organisms — or honey bees — shows how a complex genetic mechanism determines gender and maximizes gene transmission to the next generation of several bee species.

Insights Into Honey Bee Sex Gene Could Bring Sweet Success In Breeding:

What makes a bee a he or a she? Three years ago, scientists pinpointed a gene called csd that determines gender in honey bees, and now a research team led by University of Michigan evolutionary biologist Jianzhi “George” Zhang has unraveled details of how the gene evolved. The new insights could prove useful in designing strategies for breeding honey bees, which are major pollinators of economically important crops–and notoriously tricky to breed.

Key Gene Controlling Eye Lens Development Identified:

Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered in mouse models that a gene called Six3 is one of the earliest critical regulators controlling lens development in the eye of the mammalian embryo.

Keep Your Eyes On The Puck: Hockey Goalies With The Quiet Eye Have A Better Chance Of Making Big Saves:

Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology may have found the secret to dazzling goaltending, after they discovered the exact spot a goalie needs to watch to be successful.

Honey Bee Chemoreceptors Found For Smell And Taste:

Honey bees have a much better sense of smell than fruit flies or mosquitoes, but a much worse sense of taste, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Out Of Africa: Scientists Uncover History Of Honey Bee:

“Every honey bee alive today had a common ancestor in Africa” is one conclusion drawn by a team of scientists that probed the origin of the species and the movements of introduced populations, including African “killer” bees in the New World.

New Genetic Analysis Forces Re-draw Of Insect Family Tree:

The family tree covering almost half the animal species on the planet has been re-drawn following a genetic analysis which has revealed new relationships between four major groups of insects.

Cougar Predation Key To Ecosystem Health:

The general disappearance of cougars from a portion of Zion National Park in the past 70 years has allowed deer populations to dramatically increase, leading to severe ecological damage, loss of cottonwood trees, eroding streambanks and declining biodiversity. Researchers are calling it a “trophic cascade” of environmental degradation.

Professor Analyzes Nuclear Receptors In Bee Genome:

Susan Fahrbach, a Wake Forest University biologist, is among the more than 170 researchers who helped decode the honey bee genome. She contributed to the article on the bee genome sequence that appears in the October 26 issue of Nature. Her piece of the puzzle — analyzing the nuclear hormone receptors found in the bee genome — also appears in the current issue of Insect Molecular Biology.

Secrets Revealed In Sequencing Of Honey Bee Genome:

What do fruit flies, mosquitoes, silk moths and honey bees have in common? First, they are all insects. Second, they have all had their genomes sequenced, a feat that will make it much easier to discern both similarities and differences.

Moderate Drinking May Boost Memory, Study Suggests:

In the long run, a drink or two a day may be good for the brain. Researchers found that moderate amounts of alcohol — amounts equivalent to a couple of drinks a day for a human — improved the memories of laboratory rats. Such a finding may have implications for serious neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Researchers Give Name To Ancient Mystery Creature:

For the first time, researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, have been able to put a name and a description to an ancient mammal that still defies classification.

Protein Important In Blood Clotting May Also Play A Role In Fertility:

A protein known to play a role in blood clotting and other cell functions is also critical for proper sperm formation in mice, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Computer Scientists Go Badger Spotting:

Although an unlikely subject for computer scientists to be researching, the badger population provides an ideal testing group for a new system of data storage from micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Recent advances in MEMS technology allow for the use of small radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices on the animals, whose behaviour can be monitored in detail with a sensor network.

New Dwarf Buffalo Discovered By Chance In The Philippines:

The fossil of a newly described species of extinct, dwarf water buffalo was found in the Philippine island of Cebu. While large domestic water buffalo stand six feet at the shoulder and weigh 2,000 pounds, B. cebuensis would have stood only two-and-one-half feet and weighed about 350 pounds. Bubalus cebuensis, which evolved from a large-sized continental ancestor to dwarf size, is the first well-supported example of ‘island dwarfing’ among cattle and their relatives.

Blue Eyes — A Clue To Paternity:

Before you request a paternity test, spend a few minutes looking at your child’s eye color. According to studies, published this week in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, the human eye color reflects a simple, predictable and reliable genetic pattern of inheritance. The researchers show that blue-eyed men find blue-eyed women most attractive. According to the researchers, it is because there could be an unconscious male adaptation for the detection of paternity, based on eye color.

Jonah, Shelley and Razib have more.
Our Vision Changes In The Blink Of An Eye:

A study by Scott Read of the QUT School of Optometry found the upper eyelid’s pressure and shape of its opening work to change the shape of our eyes throughout the day.

Far More Than A Meteor Killed Dinos, Evidence Suggests:

There’s growing evidence that the dinosaurs and most their contemporaries were not wiped out by the famed Chicxulub meteor impact, according to a paleontologist who says multiple meteor impacts, massive volcanism in India and climate changes culminated in the end of the Cretaceous Period.

High-fitness Males Produce Low-fitness Daughters, And High-fitness Mothers Produce Low-fitness Sons:

Hemiclonal analysis of Drosophila melanogaster reveals that high-fitness males produce low-fitness daughters and high-fitness mothers produce low-fitness sons, with implications for models of sexual selection.

Many Teens Lose Migraines As They Reach Adulthood:

There’s good news for kids and teens with migraines. Nearly 40 percent of kids and teens with migraine no longer had headaches 10 years later, and another 20 percent developed less severe headaches, according to a new study published in the Oct. 24, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

This may be due to getting their sleep back. Sleep deprivation is a cause of migraines, among else.
Anxiety Disorders Linked To Physical Conditions:

Anxiety disorders appear to be independently associated with several physical conditions, including thyroid disease, respiratory disease, arthritis and migraine headaches, according to a report in the Oct. 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This co-occurrence of disorders may significantly increase the risk of disability and negatively affect quality of life.

Circadian Gene Helps The Brain Predict Mealtime:

By investigating how animals can predict the timing of food availability, researchers have identified the first gene critical for anticipation of mealtime. This gene, called Period 2, is a key component of the circadian time-keeping system.

I wrote about this a couple of days ago – scroll down.

Vegetables, Not Fruit, Help Fight Memory Problems In Old Age:

Eating vegetables, not fruit, helps slow down the rate of cognitive change in older adults, according to a study published in the Oct. 24, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology

Honey Bee Genome Holds Clues To Social Behavior:

By studying the humble honey bee, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have come a step closer to understanding the molecular basis of social behavior in humans.

More links a couple of posts below.
Sunflower Speciation Highlights Roles For Transposable Elements In Evolution:

In a finding that furthers our understanding of how hybridization may contribute to genome changes and the evolution of new species, researchers have found that the genomes of three sunflower species that arose in evolution as hybrids of the same two parental types have undergone a massive proliferation of genetic entities known as transposable elements.

New Imaging Technique Discovers Differences In Brains Of People With Autism:

Using a new form of brain imaging known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), researchers in the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that the so-called white matter in the brains of people with autism has lower structural integrity than in the brains of normal individuals. This provides further evidence that the anatomical differences characterizing the brains of people with autism are related to the way those brains process information.

‘Fruit Fly Dating Game’ Provides Clues To Our Reproductive Prowess:

Queen’s University researchers have discovered that seeking out the most attractive mate may be unhealthy for any offspring. Using a “virtual fruit fly dating game”, Biology professor Adam Chippindale and graduate student Alison Pischedda have found that mating with a “fit” partner actually leads to dramatically lower rates of reproductive success in the next generation.

Tiny ‘Housekeeper’ Crabs Help Prevent Coral Death In South Pacific:

Tiny crabs that live in South Pacific coral help to prevent the coral from dying by providing regular cleaning “services” that may be critical to the life of coral reefs around the world, according to scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Evidence Of Gut Parasite Found In Dinosaur:

University of Colorado at Boulder researchers have discovered what appears to be the first evidence of parasites in the gut contents of a dinosaur, indicating even the giants that roamed Earth 75 million years ago were beset by stomach worms.

Steep Oxygen Decline Halted First Land Colonization By Earth’s Sea Creatures:

New research suggests a multimillion year gap in the colonization of Earth’s land by marine creatures might have been caused by a sharp drop in atmospheric oxygen.

Study Suggests Evolutionary Link Between Diet, Brain Size In Orangutans:

In a study of orangutans living on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, scientists from Duke University and the University of Zurich have found what they say is the first demonstration in primates of an evolutionary connection between available food supplies and brain size.

Diversity Promotes Cooperation Among Microbes:

Understanding how cooperation evolves and is maintained represents one of evolutionary biology’s thorniest problems. New research using the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens has identified a novel mechanism that thwarts the evolution of cheats and broadens our understanding of how cooperation might be maintained in nature and human societies.

Scientists Find A Key To Immune System’s Ability To Remember:

An international team of scientists has ferreted out an important clue to how the key cells of the immune system are able to remember old foes and quickly mount a response to hold them at bay.

Visual Imagery Technique Boosts Voting, Study Finds:

Registered voters who used a simple visual imagery technique the evening before the 2004 election were significantly more likely to vote the next day, a new study found. It was all a matter of the visual perspective people took when they imagined themselves voting.
It was all a matter of the visual perspective people took when they imagined themselves voting.
Researchers asked some Ohio college students to picture themselves voting the next day from a third-person perspective – as if they were observers viewing their own actions. Others were told to picture themselves voting in a first-person perspective, through their own eyes.
A full 90 percent of those who pictured themselves voting from a third-person visual perspective reported later that they did indeed vote, compared to only 72 percent who took the first-person viewpoint.
“When participants saw themselves as others would, they were more motivated to actually get out and vote,” said Lisa Libby, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
“They saw themselves as more likely to vote and that translated into action.
“The strength of the results were particularly noteworthy given that the experiment was conducted in Ohio during the 2004 election, when there were unprecedented efforts to mobilize voter turnout in a crucial swing state,” she said.

Why The Best Things Come To Those Who Wait:

Pushing to the front of the queue is not the best ploy for males who want to propagate their genes according to scientists from the University of Exeter. Dr. David Hodgson and Dr David Hosken from the University of Exeter’s School of Biosciences studied female mating with multiple males, especially species who mate with more than one partner in rapid succession, and discovered why the last male in line is most likely to impregnate the female.

Population Trends, Practices And Beliefs Could Have Adverse Effect On HIV Rates:

A review of research on the prevalence of HIV in the Middle East and North Africa has found that whilst cultural and religious practices may be behind a low prevalence of HIV in the region, they could potentially contribute to increasing the spread of HIV.

‘Drunk’ Fruit Flies Could Shed Light On Genetic Basis Of Human Alcohol Abuse:

Fruit flies get “drunk,” just like humans, when exposed to large amounts of alcohol and may in future help to explain why some people are genetically predisposed to alcohol abuse. Humans and fruit flies respond to alcohol in a very similar way at the gene level, according to a study published today in the open access journal Genome Biology.

Researchers Find Food-free Route To Obesity:

Can people get fat — and risk debilitating diabetes — without overeating? The answer may be yes, according to Timothy Kieffer, a University of British Columbia researcher, who has found that imbalance in the action of a hormone called leptin produces obesity and major disturbance in blood sugar levels, even when food intake is at normal levels.

Protective Jelly Layers And Hatching Early Help Amphibian Embryos Avoid Dangerous Molds:

Boston University (BU) scientists have discovered that several species of amphibians use defense mechanisms to protect themselves against deadly water molds found in vernal pools of New England. Using both field observations and laboratory experiments, Ivan Gomez-Mestre, a research associate in Professor Karen Warkentin’s laboratory in the Department of Biology at BU, describes the various methods used by the spotted salamander, wood frog, and American toad to help avoid and survive water mold infections. The results appear in the October issue of the journal Ecology.

Scientists Prove That Parts Of Cell Nuclei Are Not Arranged At Random:

The nucleus of a mammal cell is made up of component parts arranged in a pattern which can be predicted statistically, says new research. Scientists hope this discovery that parts of the inside of a cell nucleus are not arranged at random will give greater insight into how cells work and could eventually lead to a greater understanding of how they become dysfunctional in diseases like cancer.

In Early Embryos, Cilia Get The Message Across:

How a perfectly symmetrical embryo settles on what’s right and what’s left has fascinated developmental biologists for a long time. The turning point came when the rotational beating of cilia, hair-like structures found on most cells, was identified as essential to the process. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies take a step back and illuminate the molecular process that regulates formation of cilia in early fish embryos.

Bacteria Use Radioactive Uranium To Convert Water Molecules To Useable Energy:

Researchers report in this week’s Science a self-sustaining community of bacteria that live in rocks 2.8 kilometers below Earth’s surface. Think that’s weird? The bacteria rely on radioactive uranium to convert water molecules to useable energy.

The Neurobiology Behind Why Eating Feels So Good:

The need to eat is triggered by the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is produced in the gut and triggers the brain to promote eating, but it remains to be determined precisely how ghrelin affects different parts of the brain. A new study shows that in mice and rats, ghrelin triggers the same neurons as delicious food, sexual experience, and many recreational drugs; that is, neurons that provide the sensation of pleasure and the expectation of reward.

Pleasure And Pain: Study Shows Brain’s ‘Pleasure Chemical’ Is Involved In Response To Pain Too:

For years, the brain chemical dopamine has been thought of as the brain’s “pleasure chemical,” and studies have linked the addictive properties of drugs like cocaine to their effects on the dopamine system. But now, a new study adds a new twist to dopamine’s fun-loving reputation: pain.

Childcare Tug-of-war Influences Shorebird Breeding Systems:

The battle over who cares for the kids has played a key evolutionary role in deciding whether different species of shorebird are monogamous or polygamous, according to new research in the journal BioScience.

Stress Fast Tracks Puberty, Researchers Say:

Stress, such as that brought on by parental separation and absentee fathers, fast tracks puberty, say researchers in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Popular Anti-aging Supplement Has No Beneficial Effects, Mayo Clinic Study Finds:

A widely used anti-aging supplement has no effect on aging markers such as muscle strength, peak endurance, muscle mass, fat mass and glucose tolerance in elderly men and women, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. The findings from their two-year study appear in the Oct. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Color Names: More Universal Than You Might Think:

From Abidji to English to Zapoteco, the perception and naming of color is remarkably consistent in the world’s languages. Across cultures, people tend to classify hundreds of different chromatic colors into eight distinct categories: red, green, yellow-or-orange, blue, purple, brown, pink and grue (green-or-blue), say researchers in this week’s online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Brain Changes In Patients With Migraine:

Researchers from Harvard Medical School have found increased thickness of two areas of the brain cortex in people with migraine when compared to healthy controls.

West Australian Fossil Find Rewrites Land Mammal Evolution:

A fossil fish discovered in the West Australian Kimberley has been identified as the missing clue in vertebrate evolution, rewriting a century-old theory on how the first land animals evolved.

Earliest Fungi May Have Found Multiple Solutions To Propagation On Land:

In the latest installment of a major international effort to probe the origins of species, a team of scientists has reconstructed the early evolution of fungi, the biological kingdom now believed to be animals’ closest relatives.

Temperament Linked To Onset Of Cancer And Early Death In Female Rats:

Female rats that are apprehensive of new experiences as infants maintain that temperament and die earlier from mammary and pituitary tumors than do their more adventuresome sisters, according to new research by a team based at the University of Chicago. The apprehensive rats were more likely to have irregular reproductive cycles than adventuresome rats, and that disruption could account for hormonal differences linked to the development of cancer earlier, the scholars found.

‘Ecstasy’ Linked To Survival Of Key Movement-related Cells In Brain:

New research from the University of Cincinnati suggests that the widely abused club drug “ecstasy,” or MDMA, can increase the survival of dopamine cells in the brain during fetal development. Because these cells are critical in the regulation of voluntary movement, the findings, the researchers say, may lead to better therapies for neurological diseases like Parkinson’s.

Latest Buzz: Marijuana May Slow Progression Of Alzheimer’s Disease:

New evidence in rats suggests that marijuana may contain compounds that slow the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Marijuana has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and many researchers believe that there is a compelling link between chronic inflammation and the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Synchronous Neuronal Firing May Underlie Parkinson’s Disease:

In a finding that contradicts current theories behind Parkinson’s disease, neuroscientists at Duke University Medical Center have discovered in mice that critical nerve cells fire all at the same time and thus overwhelm the brain’s ability to control the body’s movements.

Commercial Fishing Causes Dangerous Fluctuations In Fish Populations, Research Shows:

Commercial fishing causes serious fluctuations in fish populations leaving them in danger of total collapse, says new research published this week. These fluctuations mean current measures in place to control fish stocks may not be sufficient to ensure their sustainability.

How Ants Find Their Way:

Ever wondered how ants find their way straight to the uncovered food in your kitchen? Now scientists have discovered how the humble wood ant navigates over proportionally huge distances, using just very poor eyesight and confusing and changing natural landmarks. The research could have significant benefits in the development of autonomous robots and in furthering our understanding of basic animal learning processes.

Learning To Live With Oxygen On Early Earth:

Scientists at the Carnegie Institution and Penn State University have discovered evidence showing that microbes adapted to living with oxygen 2.72 billion years ago, at least 300 million years before the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere. The finding is the first concrete validation of a long-held hypothesis that oxygen was being produced and consumed by that time and that the transition to an oxygenated atmosphere was long term.

Have Traits, Will Travel: Some Butterflies Travel Farther, Reproduce Faster:

Researchers have uncovered physiological differences among female Glanville fritillary butterflies that allows some to move away from their birth place and establish new colonies. These venturesome butterflies are stronger fliers and reproduce more quickly compared to their less mobile female relatives. The study, to be presented at Comparative Physiology 2006, is a window to how genetic differences influence behavior and how the environment influences genetic change.

Organic Farming Has Little, If Any, Effect On Nutritional Content Of Wheat, Study Concludes:

Organically grown wheat may have different labeling and a higher price in stores, but it contains essentially the same profile of amino acids, sugars and other metabolic substances as wheat grown with conventional farming. That’s the conclusion of a German study, which produced perhaps the most comprehensive metabolic profile of wheat from organic and conventional agriculture.

Possible Evidence Of Cell Division, Differentiation Found In Oldest Known Embryo Fossils:

A group of 15 scientists from five countries has discovered evidence of cell differentiation in fossil embryos that are more than 550 million years old. They also report what appear to be cells about to divide. The discovery will be reported in the Oct. 13 issue of Science, in the article, “Cellular and Subcellular Structure of Neoproterozoic Animal Embryos.”

Giant Pandas See In Color:

They may be black and white, but new research at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Zoo Atlanta shows that giant pandas can see in color. Graduate researcher Angela Kelling tested the ability of two Zoo Atlanta pandas, Yang Yang and Lun Lun, to see color and found that both pandas were able to discriminate between colors and various shades of gray. The research is published in the journal Learning and Behavior, volume 34 issue 2.

Vax And Pax: Taking Turns To Build An Eye:

Opposing ball clubs don’t take the field at the same time, and neither do teams of proteins responsible for creating the eye. That’s why researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies were surprised to find the respective team captains — Vax2, a protein that along with Vax1 builds the optic nerve cord, and Pax6, a protein that drives retinal fate — playing on the same field.

Decaffeinated Coffee Is Not Caffeine-free, Experts Say:

People advised to avoid caffeine because of certain medical conditions like hypertension should be aware that even decaffeinated brew can come with a kick.

Marine Life Stirs Ocean Enough To Affect Climate, Study Says:

Oceanographers worldwide pay close attention to phytoplankton and with good reason. The microscopic plants that form the vast foundation of the marine food chain generate a staggering amount of power, and now a groundbreaking study led by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., has calculated just how much —- about five times the annual total power consumption of the human world.

So, it’s not fish that make waves…I see.
Brain Regions Do Not Communicate Efficiently In Adults With Autism:

A novel look at the brains of adults with autism has provided new evidence that various brain regions of people with the developmental disorder do not communicate with each other as efficiently as they do in other people.

Extreme Environment Changes Fish Appearance:

The world of the Devils Hole pupfish is a small place. The entire species lives in one rocky pool, 20 meters long and three meters wide, in a cave entrance in Death Valley, California. But their environment is not only cramped: it also has a profound effect on the fishes’ appearance, raising questions about how rare species can be protected from extinction.

Does Missing Gene Point To Nocturnal Existence For Early Mammals?:

A gene that makes cells in the eye receptive to light is missing in humans, researchers have discovered. They say that whereas some animals like birds, fish and amphibians have two versions of this photoreceptor, mammals, including humans, only have one.

Wow – this is so old. I wrote about this months ago.
First Direct Evidence That Human Activity Is Linked To Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapse:

The first direct evidence linking human activity to the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves is published this week in the Journal of Climate. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, the Center for Polar Observation and Modeling, University College London and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, reveal that stronger westerly winds in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, driven principally by human-induced climate change, are responsible for the marked regi onal summer warming that led to the retreat and collapse of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf.

Adolescent But Not Adult Hamsters Are More Aggressive On Low Dose Of Fluoxetine:

New research offers tantalizing clues as to why some teenagers taking common anti-depressants may become more aggressive or kill themselves. The research is published in the October Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Spring In Your Step Helps Avert Disastrous Stumbles, Scientists Say:

From graceful ballerinas to clumsy-looking birds, everyone occasionally loses their footing. New Harvard University research suggests that it could literally be the spring, or damper, in your step that helps you bounce back from a stumble.

Effects Of New Sleep Medication Appear Unlikely To Have Potential For Abuse Or Cognitive Impairment:

In a study of 14 adults with histories of sedative abuse, the newly approved sleep medication ramelteon does not appear to have effects that indicate potential for abuse or motor or cognitive impairment, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Mathematics Provides Answer To Airport Security Puzzle:

High flyers will enjoy faster and safer travel in the future, thanks to mathematicians at the University of Manchester and airport security specialists Rapiscan Systems.

Women Infected With Toxoplasmosis Are More Likely To Have Boys Than Girls:

Women infected with dormant toxoplasmosis are more likely to give birth to boys than women who are Toxoplasma negative, according to research published in Springer’s journal Naturwissenschaften this week. S. Kankova and colleagues from Charles University in the Czech Republic found that the presence of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in the mothers’ blood increased the likelihood that these women would give birth to a boy.

Internet Of Long-term Benefit For Depression:

Mental health researchers at the Australian National University have found that brief Internet-based interventions for depression are not only immediately effective, but have a significant positive long-term benefit that may be as effective as active psychotherapies.

Astronomers First To Measure Night And Day On Extrasolar Planet:

University of Central Florida Astronomy professor Joseph Harrington and University of California at Los Angeles professor Brad M. Hansen and their team have made the first direct observation of distinct day and night temperatures on a planet orbiting another star. UCF Professor Joseph Harrington says that studying planetary atmospheres under such exotic conditions puts terrestrial and solar-system meteorology into a universal context, which aids in our understanding of weather on all planets.

Was it summer or winter, and what was the duration of the day and what was the photoperiod/thermoperiod?
Early Family Experience Can Reverse The Effects Of Genes, Psychologists Report:

Early family experience can reverse the effect of a genetic variant linked to depression, UCLA researchers report in the current issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

As for the title…what’s new?
Rising Ocean Temperatures, Pollution Have Oysters In Hot Water:

Oysters exposed to high water temperatures and a common heavy metal are unable to obtain sufficient oxygen and convert it to cellular energy, according to a new study presented at the American Physiological Society conference, “Comparative Physiology 2006.” The study showed how cadmium reduces the oyster’s tolerance of warmer water temperatures and makes it more vulnerable during the summer when water temperatures rise.

Really cool stuff today:
Pheromone From Mother’s Milk May Rapidly Promote Learning In Newborn Mammals:

By studying the ability of newborn rabbit pups to learn the significance of new odors, researchers have found that a mammary pheromone secreted in mother’s milk may act as a chemical booster that facilitates the ability of pups to quickly associate environmental odors with the opportunity to nurse.

Vegetables, Like People, Urged To Live Up To Potential:

A major stress in a carrot’s life — like the slash of a kitchen knife — and the tapered tuber kicks in the juice and pumps up its phytochemicals. That’s the finding of Dr. Luis Cisneros, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station food scientist. He calls it abiotic stress — pushing the button, so to speak, on a crop after it has been harvested.

Seals Protect Brain, Conserve Oxygen By Turning Off Shivering Response On Icy Dives:

Seals shiver when exposed to cold air but not when diving in chilly water, a finding that researchers believe allows the diving seal to conserve oxygen and minimize brain damage that could result from long dives. This research into hypothermia and hypoxia is important to treating people who are hypothermic or who have suffered hypoxia following cardiac arrest, stroke, etc. Research was presented at the American Physiological Society conference, ” Comparative Physiology 2006: Integrating Diversity.”

Evolutionary Harmony For Stinkbugs And Their Gut Bacteria: A Perfect Match:

Evidence of host-symbiont cospeciation in an insect gut symbiont suggests that long-term vertical transmission and population structure are central forces driving the genomic changes characteristic of insect nutritional symbionts, according to a study published in PLoS Biology.

Evolutionary First: Parasite Reaches Beyond Host To Play Havoc With Others’ Sex Lives:

Scientists revealed today that a prolific parasite is helping shape the destiny of a species it does not even infect. The complex relationship between the parasite, its host and the unconnected species is the first known example of evolutionary pressure from such a remote source.

Stroke Symptoms Common Among General Population:

As many as 18 percent of adults who have no history of stroke report having had at least one symptom of stroke, according to results of a large national study published in the October 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Tiny genome may be melting away, study suggests:

Researchers have identified the smallest known genome, and say it may suffer a strange fate.

For ants, one playbook fits many situations:

Scientists are interested in the “algorithms,” or step-by-step rules, by which organisms make decisions.

Fitness, childhood IQ may affect old-age brain function:

Mental function in old age depends more on fitness than on childhood IQ, a study has found.

Strongest evidence yet that planets form from ‘disks’:

The philosopher Emmanuel Kant got it right 200 years ago, researchers proclaim.

Study Links Extinction Cycles to Changes in Earth’s Orbit and Tilt:

If rodents in Spain are any guide, periodic changes in Earth’s orbit may account for the apparent regularity with which new species of mammals emerge and then go extinct, scientists are reporting today.
It so happens, the paleontologists say, that variations in the course Earth travels around the Sun and in the tilt of its axis are associated with episodes of global cooling. Their new research on the fossil record shows that the cyclical pattern of these phenomena corresponds to species turnover in rodents and probably other mammal groups as well.
In a report appearing today in the journal Nature, Dutch and Spanish scientists led by Jan A. van Dam of Utrecht University in the Netherlands say the “astronomical hypothesis for species turnover provides a crucial missing piece in the puzzle of mammal species- and genus-level evolution.”
In addition, the researchers write, the hypothesis “offers a plausible explanation for the characteristic duration of more or less 2.5 million years of the mean species life span in mammals.”

New type of mouse discovered in Cyprus:

A previously unknown type of mouse has been discovered on the island of Cyprus, apparently the first new terrestrial mammal species discovered in Europe in decades.
The “living fossil” mouse has a bigger head, ears, eyes and teeth than other European mice and is found only on Cyprus, Thomas Cucchi, a research fellow at Durham University in northeast England, said Thursday. Genetic tests confirmed that the new mouse was a new species and it was named Mus cypriacus, or the Cypriot mouse, he said.
His findings appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa, an international journal for animal taxonomists.
The biodiversity of Europe has been combed through so extensively since Victorian times that new mammal species are rarely found there, and few scientists had expected new creatures as large as mice to be discovered on the continent.

No! Not another living fossil!

Hearts Or Tails? Genetics Of Multi-chambered Heart Evolution:

A new paper in the October 1 issue of G&D elucidates the genetics of heart formation in the sea squirt, and lends surprising new insight into the genetic changes that may have driven the evolution of the multi-chambered vertebrate heart.

New Bird Discovered On Unexplored Colombian Mountain:

A new bird to science was recently discovered on an unexplored mountain range in northern Columbia by a team supported by the BP Conservation Programme. It was named “Yariguies Brush-Finch,” with the scientific name Atlapetes latinuchus yariguierum.

More Than Meets The Eye:

With our eyes constantly darting back and forth, the brain is faced with the equivalent of the kind of shaky video stream produced by a hand-held camera. Not only does the brain find a way to compensate for our constantly flickering gaze, but researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that it actually turns the tables and relies on eye movements to recognize partially hidden or moving objects.

Robotic Whiskers Can Sense Three-dimensional Environment:

Two Northwestern University engineers have been studying the whisker system of rats to better understand how mechanical information from the whiskers gets transmitted to the brain. Now they have developed arrays of robotic whiskers that sense in two dimensions and that can sense information about both object shape and fluid flow. The arrays could find application on assembly lines, in pipelines or on land-based autonomous rovers or underwater vehicles.

New Study Explores Role Of Theater In Maya Political Organization:

Magnificent stone sculptures of Classic Maya culture (AD 250-900) have long fascinated archaeologists and the general public alike. But what did the scenes depicted in these monuments mean in their society? In an article to appear in the October 2006 issue Current Anthropology, Takeshi Inomata (University of Arizona) argues that these images commonly show acts of public performance conducted by rulers, revealing the prominent role which state theater played in Maya political organization.

New Insights Into Healthful Compounds In Native American Diets:

California’s role as a national “health food” trendsetter goes back farther than most people suspect — way back, in fact, when it comes to consumption of a food especially rich in healthy phytochemicals. In an advance toward understanding the early California Native American diet, food scientists have identified the full range of phytochemicals in tanoak acorns.

First Major Study Of Mammalian ‘Disorderly’ Proteins:

Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital turned up the heat on “disorderly” proteins and confirmed that most of these unruly molecules perform critical functions in the cell. The St. Jude team completed the first large-scale collection, investigation and classification of these so-called intrinsically unstructured proteins (IUPs), a large group of molecules that play vital roles in the daily activities of cells.

Spider Silk: Could ‘Webicillin’ Beat Infections?:

Could a dose of webicillin beat that stubborn infection? Could a cobweb bandage help soldiers and accident victims with bleeding wounds? Is a wrapping of spider silk the key to preventing the body from rejecting implants? A review of research on spider silk concludes that scientists have largely overlooked such possible medical applications of this extraordinary natural material, which is stronger than steel.

Fisheries Linked To Decline In Galapagos Waved Albatross Population:

Fishermen caught and killed about 1 percent of the world’s waved albatrosses in a year, according to a new study by Wake Forest University biologists. The research shows the waved albatrosses are unintentionally killed when caught in fishing nets or on fishing hooks, but are also intentionally harvested for human consumption.

New Wound Dressing May Lead To Maggot Therapy Without The Maggots:

Scientists in the United Kingdom have developed a new wound dressing that could bring the benefits of maggot therapy to patients without putting live Greenbottle fly (blowfly) larvae into non-healing wounds.

Rearing An Army Of Wasps To Save Wheat:

Montana State University entomologists seek ways to rear parasitic wasps, the natural enemies of the wheat stem sawfly. Sawfly larva tunnel the interior of developing wheat plants.

Red Is For Hummingbirds, Yellow For Moths:

Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that the future of red and yellow varieties of a San Diego wildflower may depend on the fates of two different animals. They report in the current issue of the Journal of Evolutionary Biology that monkeyflowers have two different animal pollinators. The red form, common along the coast, is strongly preferred by hummingbirds, while yellow monkeyflowers, found east of I-15, are favored by hawkmoths.

Study Suggests Earlier Crop Plantings Could Curb Future Yields:

In an ongoing bid to grow more corn, farmers in the U.S. Corn Belt are planting seeds much earlier today than they did 30 years ago, a new study has found. Earlier plantings — which mean longer growing seasons — have likely contributed to the increasing corn yields of recent decades. But a terrestrial ecologist at the UW-Madison’s Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment warns the trend can only continue for so long.

Hearts Or Tails? Genetics Of Multi-chambered Heart Evolution:

A new paper in the October 1 issue of G&D elucidates the genetics of heart formation in the sea squirt, and lends surprising new insight into the genetic changes that may have driven the evolution of the multi-chambered vertebrate heart.

Alaska Study Offers Strategies To Mitigate Climate Warming:

Using Interior Alaska’s boreal forests as a case study, a team of scientists led by University of Alaska Fairbanks ecologist F. Stuart Chapin III recently offered four policy strategies for sustaining people and the environment as both face a dramatically warming climate.

Hail To The Hornworts: New Plant Family Tree Sheds Light On Evolution Of Life Cycles:

In the history of life on earth, one intriguing mystery is how plants made the transition from water to land and then went on to diversify into the array of vegetation we see today, from simple mosses and liverworts to towering redwoods.

‘Failed’ Experiment Yields A Biocontrol Agent That Doesn’t Trigger Antibiotic Resistance:

A failed experiment turned out to be anything but for bacteriologist Marcin Filutowicz. As he was puzzling out why what should have been a routine procedure wouldn’t work, he made a discovery that led to the creation of a new biological tool for destroying bacterial pathogens — one that doesn’t appear to trigger antibiotic resistance.

Fossils Pinpoint Tropics As Earth’s Most Fruitful Biodiversity Spawning Ground:

A team of scientists has completed a study that explains why the tropics are so much richer in biodiversity than higher latitudes. And they say that their work highlights the importance of preserving those species against extinction.

Model Homes Offer National Indoor Air Quality Impact Results:

Engineers at NIST have developed a database of U.S. residential housing to help conduct nationwide analyses of ventilation, air cleaning or moisture control strategies to reduce indoor air pollution. The new database of over 200 residential dwellings, representing 80 percent of the United States housing stock, can be combined with a computer simulation technique to determine the impacts of indoor air quality interventions.

Animals Resistant To Drunken Behavior Offer Clues To Alcoholism’s Roots:

Animals with a remarkable ability to hold their liquor may point the way toward the genetic underpinnings of alcohol addiction, two separate research teams reported in the October 6, 2006 issue of the journal Cell. Earlier studies have shown that people with a greater tolerance for alcohol have a greater risk of becoming alcoholics, according to the researchers.

What about natural species differences?
Home, Home On The Range: How Much Space Does An Animal Really Need?:

Instead of wandering around aimlessly, most animals tend to stay in a certain area — known as their home range. Understanding an animal’s home range has been a central focus of ecological research since Darwin’s time. But while explaining why different sized species need different amounts of space is relatively easy, a study from the October issue of the American Naturalist tackles a much more complex question: What determines differences in home range size among individu als of one species?

Consuming Cola May Up Osteoporosis Risk For Older Women, Study Suggests:

In an epidemiological study, researchers analyzed dietary questionnaires and bone mineral density measurements of more than 2,500 people in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study and found that cola consumption was associated with lower bone mineral density at three different hip sites of older women.

Revere has more…
Mathematical Simulation May Help Ease Airport Congestion:

Researchers at Purdue University have created a mathematical simulation that could be used in a new national strategy to ease airport congestion and improve the overall transportation system.

Live Oak Trees Struggle For Survival In Growth Areas:

The majestic live oak is losing its battle for survival to suburban sprawl and the encroachment of taller trees, a new University of Florida study finds. An icon in American history and literature, broad-crowned live oaks thrive in open savannas but are dying off as they are crowded and overshadowed by the encroachment of taller trees, said Francis Putz, a UF botanist and the study’s co-author.

Short Episodes Of Manic Symptoms May Indicate Bipolar Disorder In Some Youth:

Not all children with bipolar disorder may be getting properly identified because they fall just short of meeting diagnostic criteria for the disorder — criteria that is based on adult experiences — finds a study that examines the characteristics of children and adolescents who have symptoms of mania. The findings are from the first study of its kind to delineate the types of symptoms seen in children with bipolar spectrum disorders.

Williams Syndrome, The Brain And Music:

Children with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, just love music and will spend hours listening to or making music. A study by a multi-institutional collaboration of scientists, published in a forthcoming issue of NeuroImage, identified structural abnormalities in a certain brain area of people afflicted with Williams syndrome. This might explain their heightened interest in music and, in some cases, savant-like musical skill.

Scientist’s Persistence Sheds Light On Marine Science Riddle:

When he started compiling an online database of seashells 15 years ago, Dr. Gary Rosenberg did not envision that his meticulous record-keeping would eventually shed light on a 40-year-old evolutionary debate. The debate involves the mechanism underlying the island rule: that small animals isolated on islands evolve to be larger than their mainland relatives, and large animals evolve to be smaller.

If the name of Craig McClain – one of the authors of teh paper – rings the bell, it may be because you are reading his delightful blog Deep Sea News. More on the study by PZ and Mr R.
Hotel Guests With Colds Can Leave Their Germs Behind After Checkout:

A group of researchers led by a team from the University of Virginia Health System found that adults infected with rhinovirus, the cause of half of all colds, may contaminate many objects used in daily life, leaving an infectious gift for others who follow them. The results of their experiments, conducted in hotel rooms, will be shared at the 46th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, in San Francisco, California on Friday, September 29.

Revere has more on this story.
Parasitic Plants Sniff Out Hosts:

Parasitic plants do not haphazardly flail about looking for a host but sense volatile chemicals produced by other plants and identify potential hosts by their emissions, according to a team of Penn State chemical ecologists.

Fire Ant-attacking Fly Spreading Rapidly In Texas:

Parasitic flies introduced to control red imported fire ants have spread over four million acres in central and southeast Texas since the flies’ introduction in 1999, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered using new flytraps they developed.

Dinosaurs’ Climate Shifted Too, Reports Show:

Ancient rocks from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean suggest dramatic climate changes during the dinosaur-dominated Mesozoic Era, a time once thought to have been monotonously hot and humid.

Solved: The Mystery Of Flesh-eating Bacteria’s Relentless Attack:

A Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) international research scholar in Israel has discovered one reason why so-called “flesh-eating” bacteria are so hard to stop.

Multitasking Is No Problem, But Double Talk Overwhelms Us:

We can listen to a car radio and drive while keeping an eye on changing traffic conditions — separate complex tasks completed without much trouble. But if two people are talking to us at the same time, our perceptual frequencies get jammed.

Tarantulas Produce Silk From Their Feet:

Researchers have found for the first time that tarantulas can produce silk from their feet as well as their spinnerets, a discovery with profound implications for why spiders began to spin silk in the first place.

Dinosaurs’ Climate Shifted Too, Reports Show:

Ancient rocks from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean suggest dramatic climate changes during the dinosaur-dominated Mesozoic Era, a time once thought to have been monotonously hot and humid.

Solved: The Mystery Of Flesh-eating Bacteria’s Relentless Attack:

Emanuel Hanski, a microbiologist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and colleagues have found that the success of group A Streptococcus is due in part to a protein that blocks the immune system’s distress calls. The findings, published in the October 4, 2006, issue of the EMBO Journal, could lead to new strategies for treating necrotizing fasciitis and halting its rapid destruction of tissue. The paper was published in advance online.
The bacterium, group A Streptococcus, wreaks destruction on muscle and skin tissue in the form of necrotizing fasciitis, which kills roughly 30 percent of its victims and leaves the rest disfigured. Antibiotics and surgical interventions, the known treatments, often fail. Necrotizing fasciitis is a serious but rare infection of the skin and the tissues beneath it.

Abortion Notification, Consent Laws Reduce Risky Teen Sex, Study Says:

Laws that require minors to notify or get the consent of one or both parents before having an abortion reduce risky sexual behavior among teens, according to a Florida State University law professor in Tallahassee, Fla.
Jonathan Klick, the Jeffrey A. Stoops Professor of Law, and Thomas Stratmann, professor of economics at George Mason University, came to that conclusion after they looked at the rates of gonorrhea among teenage girls as a measure of risky sex in connection to the parental notification or consent laws that were in effect at the time.
The researchers found that teen gonorrhea rates dropped by an average of 20 percent for Hispanic girls and 12 percent for white girls in states where parental notification laws were in effect. The results were not statistically significant for black girls. The study will be published in an upcoming edition of The Journal of Law Economics and Organization.
“Incentives matter,” Klick said. “They matter even in activities as primal as sex, and they matter even among teenagers, who are conventionally thought to be short-sighted. If the expected costs of risky sex are raised, teens will substitute less risky activities such as protected sex or abstinence.”
In this case, the incentive for teens is to avoid having to tell their parents about a pregnancy by substituting less risky sex activities. In doing so, the researchers say, the rates of gonorrhea among girls under the age of 20 went down.
“This suggests that Hispanic and white teenage girls are forward looking in their sex decisions, and they systematically view informing their parents and obtaining parental consent as additional costs in obtaining an abortion, inducing them to engage in less risky sex when parental involvement laws are adopted,” Klick said. “Unfortunately, the data do not allow us to differentiate between the possibility that teens engage in less sex or they simply have the same amount of sex but are more fastidious in their condom use.”
The researchers ruled out the possibility that teens simply substitute risky sexual behaviors for which pregnancy is not a concern, such as oral or anal intercourse, because these activities still could transmit gonorrhea. The use of birth control pills also would not protect against the sexually transmitted disease.
The researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control to determine the rates of gonorrhea for women by age and race for the years 1981 through 1998. Gonorrhea rates for teenage girls were compared to those of women 20 and older whose behavior would not be affected by the notification and consent laws. Using the rate of gonorrhea among older women as a control, the researchers were able to ensure that the decline in incidence among the teens was not simply reflective of an overall decline of the disease in the state.
Forty-four states, including Florida, have adopted laws requiring minors to obtain consent or notify one or both parents prior to an abortion, but the laws have been blocked by the courts or otherwise not yet enforced in nine of those states, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.