Mouse model links alcohol intake to marijuana-like brain compounds
...cted," says Dr. Kunos, "the observed age-dependent decline in alcohol preference in mice parallels observations in humans, in that only some teenage binge drinkers become alcoholics as adults, and that the onset of alcoholism declines with age." The researchers found a possible explanation for this phenomeno......ainly on the basis of its population size, rate of decline and geographic range. But Alexander Harcourt and Sean Parks at the University of California, Davis, argue that this is not enough. They compare an endangered species to a house that has been left unlocked. The house is vulnerable to burglary, but it ...Rare Asian dolphin threatened by human activities
...st century," said WCS researcher Brian Smith. "The decline in their range and the low numbers observed indicate that this population is critically threatened." Irawaddy dolphins, which bear a resemblance to the more familiar beluga whale, are beloved by fishermen for their habit of working cooperatively to ...Stream erosion may contribute to decline of American eels
...ater streams could be a contributing factor in the decline in American eel populations recorded over the last two decades. The observations are a result of a project by the SRS Coldwater Streams and Trout Habitat unit in Blacksburg, VA, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the George W...Researchers tie worldwide biodiversity threats to growth in households
...e on average more energy and goods per person. The decline in household size, say the authors, is due to factors such as a rising number of divorces, and more "empty nesters" because kids are leaving home. They note that around the world, the proportion of multi-generational households is declining steadily...Peoples' household dynamics crucial to biodiversity
...asing number of households even where populations decline draws a strong link between the lifestyles of humans and the fates of animals such as pandas and crocodiles. Michigan State University scientist Jianguo (Jack) Liu and colleagues at Stanford University, in the Jan. 12 Advanced Online Publication (ww...Smaller households fuel global housing boom and threaten biodiversity, study finds
... higher per capita income, aging populations and a decline in multi-generational family units, the authors noted. ''Reduction in average household size takes a double toll on resource use and biodiversity,'' they wrote. ''First, more households means more housing units, thus generally increasing the amount o...Evidence for orangutan culture
...est origins of culture, but continue the dangerous decline in orangutan populations. In an article in the Jan. 3, 2003, Science, the scientists presented evidence for cultural transmission of 24 behaviors. These include: -- using leaves as protective gloves or napkins; -- using sticks to poke into tree h...Effects of global warming already being felt on plants and animals worldwide
...at global warming could contribute to a 50 percent decline in breeding waterfowl populations," Root noted. "One thing we might do now is to consider adjusting the bag limits for hunters so we don't add insult to injury in the coming years. Because anticipation of changes improves our capacity to manage, it b...'Scientific balancing act' dominates AAAS top ten list of science policy stories for 2002
...of final FY 2003 U.S. appropriations meant a sharp decline in congressionally-earmarked appropriations for R&D in the current year. However, it is anybody's guess what will happen in the late-night sessions when Congress reconvenes in January and is faced with the need to pass the '03 budget before the Presi...Shifts in rice farming practices in China reduce greenhouse gas methane
...o a decrease in methane emissions, and an observed decline in the rate that methane has entered the Earth's a...h of total global methane emissions. "The modeled decline in methane emissions in China is consistent with the slowing of the growth rate of atmospheric metha...Cat parasite killing otters; Michigan's perch pressured; HACCP for medicine
...rs Offering a partial explanation to a mysterious decline in Southern Sea Otter population, California Sea G...le the scientists are not certain how much of this decline can be attributed to the parasite infections, Miller's Sea Grant research suggests that about 60 per...Biologists raising baby loggerhead turtles for conservation find disturbing gender trend
...ose this northern subpopulation, which is still in decline despite all we've done, it has potential ramificat...And we have a northern population that is still in decline and isn't producing nearly the percentage of males as we thought it was."The results that we have se...Clinical trial shows timing of chemotherapy improves survival in breast cancer
... can result in a condition called neutropenia--the decline in the number of certain white blood cells--those on the dose-dense regimens received granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF or Filgrastim or Neupogen) to permit administration of the drugs every two-week rather than at the conventional three-w...Stung by success: Intensive farming may suppress pollinating bees
...ceton scientists found that native bee populations decline dramatically as agricultural intensity goes up. In...rom beekeepers. These rented bees, however, are in decline because of disease and heavy pesticide use. The study, to be published this week in an online editio...URI biologist to monitor salt marshes in national parks
... to the undisturbed marsh to track the progress or decline of the disturbed marsh. "Salt marshes are sensitive to natural and human-induced disturbances, such as nutrient enrichment, watershed development, tidal alteration, ditching, storms, sea level rise, oil spills, and climate change," said James-Pirri....Little yellow molecule comes up big
...eatment of stroke, heart attack and even cognitive decline following heart bypass surgery. "So potent an anti-oxidant is bilirubin that it displaces glutathione, the molecule believed for 80 years to be the most important cellular anti-oxidant," says Solomon Snyder, M.D., director of neuroscience at the Joh...Hatchery salmon may endanger wild cousins
...chs but the chinook do not. As salmon continue to decline in the Pacific Northwest, some hatcheries are shifting their goals from producing bulk quantities for commercial fisheries and sport fishermen to replenishing wild populations. "Conventional steelhead hatcheries clearly do not lower extinction risks ...Pesticides linked to amphibian declines
California is a hotspot of amphibian decline half of the state's frogs and toads are in trouble -- and new research suggests that agricultural pesticides may be one of the biggest reasons. "Declines of four...species were strongly associated with the amount of upwind agricultural land use, su......vides a compelling explanation for the bewildering decline of turtles in our environment, particularly the mobile land turtles and semi-aquatic species," says James Gibbs of the State University of New York in Syracuse, who presents this work with SUNY colleague Gregory Shriver in the December issue of Cons...