Backyard
Nature's Direct Feed from |
Backyard
Nature's Direct Feed from |
Last updated on September 3rd, 2010
| Brainy worms: Scientists uncover counterpart of cerebral cortex in marine worms: Click here |
| Unexpectedly, scientists have now discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate, a marine worm. Their findings give an idea of what the most ancient higher brain centers looked like, and what our distant ancestors used them for. |
| Capsaicin can act as co-carcinogen, study finds; Chili pepper component linked to skin cancer: Click here |
| New research links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, the new research has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies. |
| Cranberry juice shows promise blocking Staph infections: Click here |
| Expanding their scope of study on the mechanisms of bacterial infection, researchers have reported the surprise finding from a small clinical study that cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus from beginning the process of infection. |
| Chemists develop simple technique to visualize atomic-scale structures: Click here |
| Researchers have devised a new technique -- using a sheet of carbon just one atom thick -- to visualize the structure of molecules. The technique, which was used to obtain the first direct images of how water coats surfaces at room temperature, can also be used to image a potentially unlimited number of other molecules, including antibodies and other biomolecules. |
| Scientists listen to faint sounds inside insects using atomic force microscopy: Click here |
| Scientists are using atomic force microscopy to record sounds emanating from inside living insects like flies, mosquitoes and ladybugs. |
| Serendipity contributes to MRSA susceptibility findings: Click here |
| Researchers have found two genes in mice which might help identify why some people are more susceptible than others to potentially deadly staph infections. |
| Molecules involved in 'touch' identified: Could lead to new treatments for pain, deafness and cardiac function: Click here |
| Scientists have identified two proteins with potential to be important targets for research into a wide range of health problems, including pain, deafness, and cardiac and kidney dysfunction. |
| How do organisms make dietary choices?: Click here |
| When given a choice, organisms will choose a diet that maintains a nutritional balance in tune with their needs. That choice, studied in fruit flies for the first time, is regulated by activity in a molecular pathway involved in aging, cancer and diabetes. Humans share the same molecular pathway. The study, the first to be done in a genetically tractable lab animal, could lead to treatments that would "reboot" metabolic pathways in individuals who are obese or suffer from diabetes. |
| Model for implantable artificial kidney to replace dialysis unveiled: Click here |
| Researchers have unveiled a prototype model of the first implantable artificial kidney, in a development that one day could eliminate the need for dialysis. |
| New type of anti-malarial compound discovered: Click here |
| Scientists have discovered a promising new drug candidate that represents a new class of drug to treat malaria. Clinical trials for the compound are planned for later this year. |
| Cuckoo chicks in Zebra finches: Eggs from other females can be found in every fifth nest: Click here |
| Some female zebra finches foist a part of their eggs on their neighbors. Scientists in Germany have discovered that in every fifth nest there is one egg that is not produced by its social parents. The female birds act in a very well-targeted way: eggs are being placed in “foster-care” shortly before the hosts commence their own egg laying. |
| Scientists develop new method to identify glycosylated proteins: Click here |
| Various processes in our body are controlled by subsequent changes of proteins. Therefore, the identification of such modifications is essential for the further exploration of the human organism. Now, scientists in Germany have made a crucial contribution to this: Using a new method, they have been able to identify more than 6,000 glycosylated protein sites in different tissues and have thus established an important basis for the better understanding of all life processes. |
| Edible nanostructures: Compounds made from renewable materials could be used for gas storage, food technologies: Click here |
| Sugar, salt, alcohol and a little serendipity led researchers to discover a new class of nanostructures that could be used for gas storage and food and medical technologies. And the compounds are edible. The porous crystals are the first known all-natural metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that are simple to make. Most other MOFs are made from petroleum-based ingredients, but the new MOFs you can pop into your mouth and eat, and the researchers have. |
| How the male common snipe 'flies the flag' to get the girl: Click here |
| A new study -- using high speed video and feathers bought on eBay -- shows that when the male snipe sticks out his outer tail feathers, they flutter like flags in the wind, producing a highly seductive drumming sound. The winged Lothario also dives to increase the speed and therefore raise the pitch of the call in a bid to impress the female of the species. |
| ‘Green wall’ technology could double the plant diversity of the River Thames through London: Click here |
| Only half the number of plant species that could blossom along the walls of the River Thames finds a suitable place to grow, yet this could potentially double with the introduction of ‘green wall’ technology, according to new research. |
| Antibacterial peptide could aid in treating soldiers' burn wound infections: Click here |
| An antibacterial peptide looks to be a highly effective therapy against infections in burn or blast wounds suffered by soldiers. |
| New app shows 2-D structure of thousands of RNA molecules: Click here |
| For the first time, it's possible to experimentally capture a global snapshot of the conformation of thousands of RNA molecules in a cell. The finding is important because this scrappy little sister of DNA has recently been shown to be much more complex than previously thought. |
| Scientists unwrap DNA packaging to gain insight into cells: Click here |
| Scientists have built a clearer picture of how lengthy strands of DNA are concertinaed when our cells grow and divide, in a discovery could help explain how cell renewal can go wrong. |
| Ancient brew masters tapped antibiotic secrets: Click here |
| A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. The finding is the strongest evidence yet that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago. The study finds that it's likely this prehistoric population was using empirical evidence to develop therapeutic agents. |
| Getting a tail up on conservation? New method for measuring lizard weight from size: Click here |
| A researcher in Israel has developed an improved tool for translating lizard body lengths to weights. The new equations calculate this valuable morphological feature to estimate the weight of a lizard species in a variety of different ecosystems. |
| Too much aluminum in infant formulas, UK researchers find: Click here |
| The aluminum content of a range of the most popular brands of infant formulas remains high, researchers in the UK have found. |
| Commercial organic farms have better fruit and soil, lower environmental impact, study finds: Click here |
| Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier and more genetically diverse. The study is among the most comprehensive of its kind, analyzing 31 chemical and biological soil properties, soil DNA, and the taste, nutrition and quality of three strawberry varieties on more than two dozen commercial fields -- 13 conventional and 13 organic. |
| Probing for principles underlying animal flock patterns: A model system for group behavior of nanomachines: Click here |
| A team of physicists from Germany has developed a versatile biophysical model system that opens the door to studying phenomena such as the seemingly choreographed motion of hundreds or thousands of fish, birds, or insects, and probing their underlying principles. Using a combination of an experimental platform and theoretical models, more complex systems can now be described and their properties investigated. |
| Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists: Click here |
| Microbes could soon be used to convert metallic wastes into high-value catalysts for generating clean energy, say scientists. |
| Live imaging puts new light on stem cell division: Click here |
| A long-held assumption about asymmetrical division of stem cells has cracked. Researchers report that the mitotic spindle does not act alone -- that cortical proteins help to position a cleavage furrow in the right location. |
| Economic theory suggests symbiosis is driven by simple self-interest, not rewards or punishment: Click here |
| Applying employment contract theory to symbiosis, a new paper suggests mutually beneficial relationships are maintained by simple self-interest, with partners benefiting from healthy hosts much as employees benefit from robust employers. The new work discounts the theory that host species have evolved to promote symbiosis by promising rewards or threatening punishment. |
| Less waste with shelf-life indicator for food: Click here |
| Norwegian food retailers discard over 50,000 tonnes of food annually – much of it of perfectly good quality. New technology the TimeTemp company in cooperation with Norwegian research institutions could substantially reduce this wastefulness. TimeTemp has developed a new method of more precisely measuring the freshness of food items: a shelf-life indicator attached directly to the product. In addition to time, the company’s device also factors in the temperatures to which the item has been exposed. |
| Ants take on Goliath role in protecting trees in the savanna from elephants: Click here |
| Ants are not out of their weight class when defending trees from the appetite of nature's heavyweight, the African elephant, a new study finds. Columns of angered ants will crawl up into elephant trunks to repel the ravenous beasts from devouring tree cover throughout drought-plagued East African savannas, playing a potentially important role in regulating carbon sequestration in these ecosystems. |
| Mechanisms and function of a type of mysterious immune cell discovered: Click here |
| In two closely related studies, two teams of scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma and malignant tumors. |
| Test-tube calf embryos more likely to survive Texas summers: Click here |
| Researchers have found that embryo transfer can double dairy cow pregnancy rates during the summer and increase the number of heifers born as compared with conventional artificial insemination commonly used on dairy farms. They believe this method could save dairies in Texas and throughout the country considerable money. |
| You say, 'bio-math,' I say, 'math-bio': Crossing science education divide: Click here |
| The old joke is a joke no more. In new research, the adage that biology is for science students who don't do math is laid to rest forever. "Bio-math" or "math-bio" is the future for students of both disciplines, say the contributors of seven essays and 17 research articles on new ways to integrate mathematical thinking into biology education and vice versa. |
| Why fish oils work swimmingly against inflammation and diabetes: Click here |
| Researchers have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fatty acids so effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. |
| Hip dysplasia susceptibility in dogs may be underreported: Click here |
| A study comparing a new method for evaluating a dog's susceptibility to hip dysplasia to the traditional American method has shown that 80 percent of dogs judged to be normal by the traditional method are actually at risk for developing osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia, according to the new method. |
| Chronic Lyme disease: How often is it diagnosed and treated?: Click here |
| The existence of chronic Lyme disease is an issue of sharp debate within the medical community. Many doctors are concerned with the potential dangers associated with the prolonged and intensive use of oral and intravenous antibiotics (the recommended treatment for chronic Lyme disease), such as blood clots and life threatening infections. A new study attempts to determine how often chronic Lyme disease is actually being diagnosed and treated. |
| 'Charitable' behavior found in bacteria: Click here |
| Researchers have discover "charitable" behavior in bacteria populations, where individuals with the highest antibiotic resistance sacrifice so the whole population can better fight off medication. |
| Capacity for exercise can be inherited: Finding suggests pharmaceutical drugs can be used to alter activity levels in humans: Click here |
| Biologists have found that voluntary activity, such as daily exercise, is a highly heritable trait that can be passed down genetically to successive generations. Working on mice in the lab, they found that activity level can be enhanced with selective breeding. Their experiments showed that mice that were bred to be high runners produced high-running offspring, indicating that the offspring had inherited the trait for activity. |
| Are wolves saving Yellowstone's aspen trees from elk?: Click here |
| Previous research has claimed that the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 is helping restore quaking aspen in risky areas where wolves prowl. But apparently elk hungry for winter food had a different idea. They did not know they were supposed to be responding to a "landscape of fear." |
| Nanobiotechnology advances point to medical applications: Click here |
| Scientists have demonstrated the synthesis of nanosize biological particles with the potential to fight cancer and other illnesses. The research introduces new approaches that are considered "green" nanobiotechnology because they use no artificial compounds. |
| Climate change implicated in decline of horseshoe crabs: Click here |
| A distinct decline in horseshoe crab numbers has occurred that parallels climate change associated with the end of the last Ice Age, according to a study that used genomics to assess historical trends in population sizes. |
| Researchers exploring 'fusion strategy' against E. coli: Click here |
| Researchers are exploring a "fusion strategy" for making improved vaccines to protect pigs and humans against some strains of E. coli. |
| Evolution rewritten, again and again: Click here |
| Palaeontologists are forever claiming that their latest fossil discovery will "rewrite evolutionary history." Is this just boasting or does our "knowledge" of evolution radically change every time we find a new fossil? |
| Mosquitoes use several different kinds of odor sensors to track human prey: Click here |
| The malaria mosquito needs more than one family of odor sensors to sniff out its human prey, new research suggests. New research provides striking new evidence that Anopheles gambiae -- the species of mosquito that spreads malaria that infects some 250 million and kills 900,000 people annually -- has a second set of olfactory sensors that are fundamentally different from the set of sensors that scientists have known about and have been studying for the last 10 years. |
| Researchers develop simulation to better understand the effects of sound on marine life: Click here |
| A combination of the biology of marine mammals, mechanical vibrations and acoustics has led to a breakthrough discovery allowing scientists to better understand the potential harmful effects of sound on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. |
| Lima beans domesticated twice: Click here |
| Lima beans were domesticated at least twice, according to a new genetic diversity study. Big seeded varieties known as "Big Lima" were domesticated in the Andean Mountains, while small seeded "Sieva" and "Potato" varieties originated in central-western Mexico. |
| Diverse diet of veggies may decrease lung cancer risk: Click here |
| Adding a variety of vegetables to one's diet may help decrease the chance of getting lung cancer, and adding a variety of fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of squamous cell lung cancer, especially among smokers. |
| Moderate coffee consumption improves aortic distensibility in hypertensive elderly individuals, study finds: Click here |
| A detailed study conducted by researchers on the Aegean island of Ikaria has demonstrated that moderate consumption of coffee by hypertensive elderly individuals can lead to improvements in aortic distensibility. |
| In drought-prone Sahel, scientists roll out innovative system for producing vegetables: Click here |
| With a major famine unfolding in Niger and other countries of West Africa's dry Sahelian region, an agricultural scientist reports new progress in disseminating an innovative system for irrigated vegetable production -- a valuable option in a region that is highly dependent on subsistence rainfed cropping. |
| Virus related to smallpox rising sharply in Africa: Click here |
| Researchers report that 30 years after mass smallpox vaccination campaigns ceased, the rates of a related virus called human monkeypox has dramatically increased in the rural Democratic Republic of Congo, with sporadic outbreaks in other African countries and even the United States. |
