Minnesota and Michigan reseachers discover new insights for antibiotic drug development
...ugs that can have a positive impact on the growing threat of infectious diseases," says Robert Fecik, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and one of the lead authors of the study. "This type of research can help us make new antibiotic molec...Animal physiology conference sheds light on human physiology
...sticides as disrupters of amphibian hormones and a threat to their survival. Early on, he focused on a popular herbicide, Atrazine, which his research found increases the estrogen level of male frogs while decreasing their testosterone levels in essence, chemically castrating them, he said. His work has be...Protein folding physics, nanohandles, sunscreen for algae and classical quantum weirdness
...algae to live high in the water column without the threat of damage from UV rays, while giving them improved access to the light wavelengths that drive photosynthesis. The photonic plates join peacock feathers, beetle carapaces, and butterfly wings in the growing catalog of naturally occurring structures t...Dipstick test for meningitis culprits
...including vaccine selection, against the perennial threat of epidemic meningitis....New parks to protect animals seen as feasible
...f the gap locations did not feature high levels of threat from humans. Gorenflo and Brandon's analysis did point to potential difficulties in establishing protected areas in some parts of the world. Human presence seems to be a hindrance to conservation in gap locations situated near coasts, including isl...Landscape corridors promote plant diversity
...e loss and fragmentation of habitat is the largest threat to biodiversity globally, Damschen and Haddad say. In an effort to prevent species losses, conservation efforts have intuitively relied on corridors, which have become a dominant feature of conservation plans. However, there has been little scientifi...New anthrax inhibitor could combat antibiotic-resistant strains
...ly.The team's new approach could help address this threat by makinginhibitors that target the receptors where anthrax toxin attaches in thebody, rather than at the anthrax bacterium or toxin directly. Blocking "host receptors" is a better approach, Kane suggested. "Thinkabout how a virus-like HIV becomes re...Microscopic passengers to hitch ride on space shuttle
...des three levels of containment, they will pose no threat of exposure to the astronauts. A total of 12 GAPs will fly on the upcoming mission. "Spaceflight has been shown to induce key changes in both human and microbial cells that are directly relevant to infectious disease, including changes in immune s...Brave new world in life sciences
...American Future, argues that the nuclear terrorism threat has diminished, and that exaggerated fears of a nuclear 9/11 have prompted the United States to divert crucial resources toward failed policies. Related articles and opinion pieces debate specific aspects of post-9/11 security including the likeli...Rapid-fire jaws propel ants to safety
...f defensive propulsion was the escape jump. When a threat was too large, the ant would snap its jaws off the ground, launching itself up to 8 centimeters in the air. Though not as high vertically, the horizontal ranges of the bouncer defense jumps averaged seven times greater than escape jumps. "These p...Tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology
...robiology. Annual influenza outbreaks, and the threat of a pandemic as new strains continue to emerge and mutate, are of great worldwide concern. An estimated 36,000 people die from influenza-related illnesses each year in the United States alone and increased awareness has prompted international effor...Contagious cancer in dogs confirmed; origins traced to wolves centuries ago
...re to CTVT could theoretically create an immediate threat to the population's survival." It's also possible that the small population sizes of endangered species like the Tasmanian devil might leave them generally more prone to developing other forms of transmissible cancer. "It has not yet been checke...Dominant meerkats render rivals infertile
...subordinate female pregnancy rates will reduce the threat of infanticide. Dr Andrew Young, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, who led the research said, "The findings are particularly exciting as the consensus emerging from prior research on cooperative species was that dominants don't employ...Moving wildlife detrimental to oral rabies vaccination project
..."Translocation of wildlife continues to be a major threat to the success of the ORV program," reiterated Lowney. Translocation occurs most often by individuals or groups hoping to supplement existing wildlife populations (how the rabies virus initially was brought to Virginia) and by the capture and release......s soluble counterpart, a groundwater-contamination threat at nuclear waste sites. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that uranium contaminates more than 2,500 billion liters of groundwater nationwide; over the past decade, the agency has support research into the ability of naturally-occurring microb...Researchers appeal for new regulations to save coral reefs from live fish trade
...er controls on the live reef fish trade, a growing threat to coral reefs, in letters to the international jo...compromised by the live reef fish trade, a serious threat that has prompted scientists to call for tighter regulations on the exploitation of reef resources w...Innovative method for creating a human cytomegalovirus vaccine outlined
...years of age, but the virus generally poses little threat to them. The exceptions are AIDS patients, transplant recipients, and others with compromised immune systems are at risk for complications. The virus is a member of the herpes virus family, which includes the herpes simplex viruses, the viruses that ...Fish virus in Northeast spreading to other fish species
...and hemorrhaging in many fish species but poses no threat to humans or other animals. "The situation right now is that we still have fish dying in Lake Ontario," said Geoffrey Groocock, a postdoctoral associate at Cornell's Aquatic Animal Health Program. "We have detected the virus in other fish species ...DFG presents the 2006 MAK and BAT value list
...ounds which, in complying with MAK values, pose no threat to embryos (group C). After an inspection of the data, 2-butoxyethanol and sulphuric acid remain in this group. However, dust containing aluminium, aluminium oxide and aluminium hydroxide, methylcyclohexane, 4-methylpent-3-en-2-on, 1,1,1,2-Tetrachlor...Study supports 'urgent' need for worldwide ban on lead-based paint
...e irresponsible for us to ignore the public health threat for the citizens in the offending countries--as well as the countries they do business with." This study, Dr. Clark says, is believed to be the first to show that new paint in many unregulated Asian countries greatly exceeds U.S. safety levels. ...