Biodiversity hotspots identify conservation priorities
...egree of threat is determined by the percentage of remaining habitat, with each hotspot having lost at least 70 percent of its original natural habitat. Some of the hotspots have less than 10 percent of their original natural habitat. THE HOTSPOTS ARE: AMERICAS: Tropical Andes Tumbes-Choc-Magdalena (Panama,...Melatonin shrinks bird gonads. What does the popular supplement do in humans?
...tention at the time because it was one of the last remaining pieces of the brain's hormone system that controls reproduction. While most hormones produced by the brain have both agonists, called "releasing hormones," to switch them on and antagonists to switch them off, GnRH was missing an antagonist. GnIH see...In the migratory marathon, parasitized monarchs drop out early
...uggest that if migration is lost from this system, remaining populations will become heavily parasitized. More generally, this study demonstrated that seemingly small effects of parasites on their hosts could have a much larger impact when combined with the stresses of long-distance migration....Map of human genetic variation across populations may promise improved disease treatments
...hould "provide a tool for exploring many questions remaining regarding the causal role of common human DNA variation in complex human traits and for investigating the nature of genetic variation within and between human populations," the Science paper concludes. But, the findings, based on publicly accessibl...California researchers help map human genetic variation across populations
...earch provides a tool for exploring many questions remaining regarding the causal role of common human DNA variation in complex human traits and for investigating the nature of genetic variation within and between human populations," the Science paper concludes. Perlegen is also cooperating with the public-sec...Scientists find both damage and promise for renewal in devastated Iraqi marshlands
...rsions. However, the authors also wrote that the remaining marshland could serve as a source for revitalizati...the scientists observed on the Iranian side of the remaining intact marsh. That project will "significantly reduce" water inflow into Al-Hawizeh, they predicted ...TGen and Kronos initiate Alzheimer's disease study
...e excited about the possibility of discovering the remaining genes involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease," says the study's other principal investigator, Dr. Eric Reiman, Clinical Director of the Neurogenomics Division at TGen, Director of the Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Professor of P...Virginia Tech patents advance microprocessors, vaccines, vision, vibration control, more
...ials sensor, smaller antennas, and a book bag The remaining patents are for a range of products developed by researchers in the Colleges of Engineering, Science, and Architecture and Urban Studies. The "Active-Passive Absorber for Vibration and Sound Radiation Control (6,700,304)" was developed by Virginia Te...New pediatrics study shatters milk myth-news Conf. 3/07, noon EST, Natl. Press Club
...calcium intake and measures of bone health. In the remaining reports, the evidence was sketchy. In some, the effects on bone health were small, and in others, the results were confounded by vitamin D intake from milk fortified with vitamin D. To build strong bones and healthy bodies, children need exercise, s...Antioxidant blood levels key to MnSOD gene
...AA genotype, half carried the VA genotype, and the remaining quarter carried the VV genotype. The results indicated that the VA and VV men were at equivalent risk for developing prostate cancer across all levels of antioxidants in their blood. Compared to MnSOD VV or VA carriers with low selenium those men ...Institute for Medical Research scientists identify gene critical to type 1 diabetes
...ould halt the harmful immune process and leave the remaining beta cells intact and able to produce insulin. "While it's very likely that multiple genes are involved, our findings provide evidence that blocking this particular protein is a promising approach for fighting diabetes," Dr. Al-Abed added. The scient...NIH should take decisive steps to promote independence, originality
...ependent research position, awardees could use the remaining funds for the next three to four years to grow their projects and develop professionally, the report says. The award would have uniform requirements and conditions across all NIH institutes, and it would not be limited to in-house candidates or prev...Mitsubishi offsets carbon footprint through investment in Madagascar's rain forest
...imately 1,350 square miles), is one of the largest remaining patches of rain forest on the island. Within the forest, the level of species diversity is among the highest in the country including a number of critically endangered animals such as the Madagascar serpent eagle (Eutriorchis astur) and at least two ...South America's vast pantanal wetland may become next everglades, UNU experts warn
...ys a warming of 3 to 4C could eliminate 85% of all remaining wetlands in the world. It says wetlands hold roughly one-sixth of all carbon held in terrestrial sinks, most of it organic matter in soil which can be released when the soil is disturbed, for example through wetlands drainage and destruction. Alre...Octopuses occasionally stroll around on two arms, UC Berkeley biologists report
...topuses use to backpedal away from predators while remaining camouflaged. Octopuses camouflage themselves by changing both color and shape, but when startled and forced to move quickly, they have to give up their camouflage. Not so when walking. "This bipedal behavior allows them to get away and remain crypti...Protein protects kidneys from damage caused by chronic renal disease and injury
... could be an indication of increased stress on the remaining functional kidney, or an inflammatory response, but clearly KCP protected the control kidney in normal mice from damage." To evaluate the impact of KCP on animals after an acute toxic injury to the kidney, Lin and Sanjeevkumar Patel, M.D., a clinical...'Free-for-all' illegal logging of mahogany in Peruvian parks, says Duke-based monitoring group
...port added. "The Alto Purs harbors one of the last remaining stands of commercially viable mahogany in Peru and Bolivia, and tree density for mahogany in the Alto Purs is among the highest in Peru," the report said. "With mahogany still being the highest-valued tropical timber species on the international mark...Legendary Siberian tiger, Olga, killed by poachers
...re she lived. A survey to assess numbers of tigers remaining in the Russian Far East, coordinated by WCS and many other governmental and non-governmental agencies, including AMUR, an Anglo-Russian charity that raises money to pay for the urgent work in the Russian Far East, is just being completed. However, it...Chemical compounds present in diet increase risk of colon cancer
... found at a concentration double that found in the remaining patients. These substances belong to the PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls. They are toxic compounds coming from industrial processes, which are absorbed into the body through what we eat. At the same time, the team studied patients affected by colo...U. Iowa researchers improve Huntington's disease symptoms in mice
...ene in adult brain cells of HD models. Despite the remaining hurdles, Davidson is optimistic about the potential of RNAi to treat HD and similar neurodegenerative diseases. "If the benefit is confirmed in other mouse models of Huntington's disease, and it appears that we don't need to target the RNAi specifica...