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Most Wars Occur In Earth's Richest Biological RegionsIn a startling result scientists find that more than 80 percent of the world's major armed conflicts from 1950-2000 occurred in regions identified as the most biologically diverse and threatened places on Earth.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Feb 2009 | 4:00 am Eosinophils As Markers For Asthma: Largest Scale Study So Far On Asthma Genetics Sheds Light On Disease MechanismsAsthma and allergic diseases are associated with a number of biological reactions. One of these reactions is an elevated blood count of eosinophils, multifunctional leukocytes that release highly active proteins primarily to combat parasites. In the largest study so far on asthma genetics, scientists used this immune reaction as an easily measurable marker to elucidate the underlying disease mechanisms.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Feb 2009 | 4:00 am New Treatment Approach Needed For Management Of Depression With Bipolar DisorderScientists have attempted to identify what factors make some people with bipolar depression more likely to experience treatment-emergent mania.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Feb 2009 | 4:00 am Seamounts May Serve As Refuges For Deep-sea Animals That Struggle To Survive ElsewhereOver the last two decades, marine biologists have discovered lush forests of deep-sea corals and sponges growing on seamounts (underwater mountains) offshore of the California coast. It has generally been assumed that many of these animals live only on seamounts, and are found nowhere else. However, two new research papers show that most seamount animals can also be found in other deep-sea areas. These findings may help coastal managers protect seamounts from damage by human activities.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Feb 2009 | 4:00 am New Reference Material Can Improve Testing Of Multivitamin TabletsNIST has developed a new certified reference material that can be an important quality assurance tool for measuring the amounts of vitamins, carotenoids and trace elements in dietary supplements.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Feb 2009 | 4:00 am New Therapy With Stem Cells To Treat Crohn's DiseaseScientists are exploring an innovative cellular therapy that uses stem cells to treat Crohn's disease, a chronic genetic disease which has considerable impact on the quality of life of the patients.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Feb 2009 | 4:00 am 'Normalizing' Tumor Vessels Leaves Cancer More BenignNew research suggests a counterintuitive new method to make cancer less likely to spread: by normalizing the shape of tumors' blood vessels to improve their oxygen supply. Such a treatment strategy might also boost the efficacy and reduce resistance to available anti-cancer drugs and so-called anti-angiogenic drugs that work by cutting off the growth of new blood vessels.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm New Obesity Staging System May Help Doctors Measure UpA new system proposed by Canadian and US obesity researchers may provide another weapon in the battle against obesity. Scientists have proposed a classification system to help doctors assess and treat overweight patients.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm Life Forms May Have Evolved In Ancient Hot Springs On MarsData from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggest the discovery of ancient springs in the Vernal Crater, sites where life forms may have evolved on Mars, according to a report in Astrobiology.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm Spread Of Rice Virus Could Be Reduce With TechnologyBuilding on plant virus research started more than 20 years ago, biologists have discovered a technology that reduces infection by the virus that causes Rice Tungro Disease, a limiting factor of rice production in Asia.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm Rare Jaguars Spotted in Arizona and MexicoTwo jaguars were spotted in exceedingly rare and unrelated events this month.Source: Livescience.com | 21 Feb 2009 | 4:16 pm Most Wars Occur in Biodiversity Hotspots (LiveScience.com)LiveScience.com - More than 80 percent of the world's major armed conflicts from 1950-2000 occurred in regions identified as the most biologically diverse and threatened places on Earth.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 3:05 pm Report: NKorea may be ready to test-fire missile (AP)AP - North Korea could be ready to test-fire a missile within days as satellite imagery has shown increased activity at a missile site over the past 48 hours, a respected defense publication reported.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 11:28 am The Nation's Weather (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 10:12 am Anti-whaling group: police seized video of clashes (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 7:32 am Nasa delays space shuttle launchThe US space agency delays the first space shuttle launch of 2009 for the fourth time because of safety concerns.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 21 Feb 2009 | 7:21 am NASA delays shuttle flight a fourth timeCAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA delayed its first space shuttle launch of the year for a fourth time on Friday after failing to resolve concerns about a potential problem with fuel pressurization valves.Source: Reuters: Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 5:05 am NASA delays space shuttle launch a fourth time (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Feb 2009 | 5:03 am Rare Comet Close-Up Coming to a Sky Near You
The image was taken as the comet was passing through the constellation Libra, 100 million miles from Earth and 115 million miles from the sun. It combines data from Swift's optical and ultraviolet telescope (the blue colors) and its X-ray telescope (red). The star-field background comes from a Digital Sky Survey image. Lulin's tail — grit and grains from the comet's rock-and-ice surface pushed off into space by solar radiation — extends to the right. Lulin is shedding 800 gallons of water every second, according to NASA astronomers. That's enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in less than 15 minutes. Solar radiation also breaks comet water down into hydroxyl particles, composed of one oxygen and one hydrogen atom. Swift determined that the hydroxyl cloud around Lulin is about 250,000 miles wide, slightly greater than the distance from the Earth to the moon. Lulin, discovered in July 2007, is now visible to the naked eye in dark, rural skies. But the view will get better: On the night of Feb. 23, Lulin will pass within 38 million miles of Earth, appearing about 2 degrees south-southwest of Saturn in the night sky. Stargazers with binoculars should get a good look. By mid-March, Lulin will have zoomed off into deep space and out of sight. See Also:
Image: NASA/Swift/Univ. of Leicester/DSS (STScl, AURUA)/Bodewits et al. Source: Wired: Wired Science | 20 Feb 2009 | 11:36 pm NASA spacecraft to seek out Earth-like planetsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. spacecraft toting the biggest camera ever sent into space will be launched next month to scour our region of the Milky Way galaxy for warm, rocky planets like Earth that may host life, NASA said on Thursday.Source: Reuters: Science News | 20 Feb 2009 | 11:19 pm Video: Leaping Lizard's Tail-Free Mid-Air Wipeout
The aerodynamic impact of tail loss on lizard leaps might not rank with curing disease and feeding the world on a list of scientific priorities, but it sure makes for great video. In a new study, biologists led by Gary Gillis of Mount Holyoke College answer a question that I'd certainly never asked, but now find utterly fascinating: after a lizard drops its tail, what happens when it jumps. "Several key performance metrics, including jump distance and takeoff velocity, were not affected," they write in the Journal of Experimental Biology article, but "in-air stability during jumping was greatly compromised during tail removal." If this sounds a bit dry, just watch the film. And in case you're worried about the lizards' plight, rest easy: A. carolineus, better known as the green anole, can drop its tail voluntarily when pursued — a behavior known as autotomy — and the tails eventually regenerate. Citation: "Losing stability: tail loss and jumping in the arboreal lizard Anolis carolinensis." By Gary B. Gillis, Lauren A. Bonvini and Duncan J. Irschick. Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 212 Issue 5, March 1, 2009. Video: Gary Gillis See Also: Brandon Keim's Twitter stream and Del.icio.us feed; Wired Science on Facebook. Source: Wired: Wired Science | 20 Feb 2009 | 10:29 pm Most Wars Occur in Biodiversity HotspotsMore than 80 percent of major armed conflicts occurred in regions identified as the most biologically diverse.Source: Livescience.com | 20 Feb 2009 | 9:52 pm Record-Breaking Space Blast SpottedFirst sighting for NASA's newest gamma-ray hunter shatters records.Source: Livescience.com | 20 Feb 2009 | 9:16 pm Cosmic Stage Set for Comet Lulin ShowA recently discovered comet is making its closest approach to Earth in the next few days.Source: Livescience.com | 20 Feb 2009 | 9:16 pm These Toes Were Made for Running
If you've ever wondered why humans don't have long, prehensile toes that would turn our feet into extra hands, here's an answer: stubby toes may be custom-made for running. Biomechanical analysis shows that long toes require more energy and generate more shock than short toes, making them one of many adaptations that may have helped our savannah-dwelling ancestors chase their prey. "Longer toes require muscles to do more work, and exert stronger forces to maintain stability, compared to shorter toes," said University of Calgary anthropologist Campbell Rolian. "So long as we were engaged in substantial amounts of running, natural selection would favor individuals with shorter toes." Most primates — including our closest relative, the chimpanzee — have proportionately longer toes than humans. Our own are comparatively dwarfish and two-dimensional, capable only of extending and flexing. Most animals that run, however, also have extremely short toes. Some species, such as cats and dogs, have paws composed almost entirely by palms. This led Rolian's team to wonder if our foot's physiology could be explained by running. The importance of running to early Homo is, of course, conjectural. But it does make sense: few other animals are capable of long-distance running, and none can do so under a blazing sun. (Wolves and hyenas, for example, require cold weather or nightfall for long-distance hunting; otherwise they overheat.) Endurance running might have set early humans apart from the pack. According to study co-author and Harvard University anthropologist Daniel Lieberman, many modern anatomical features make sense in the context of savannah marathons. Achilles tendons act as springs to store energy. Our hind limbs have extra-large joints. Our buttocks muscles are perfect for stabilization, as are regions of the brain uniquely sensitive to the physical pitching generated by the motion of running. Toes may belong to this class of adaptations. "Humans are well-adapted for endurance running. That's much of what makes the human body what it is," said Lieberman. "We're actually terrible sprinters, but the world's best long-distance runners." The long-runner hypothesis is not universally accepted. "Walking and running use the same body parts," said University of Wisconsin paleoanthropologist John Hawks, who was not involved in the study. "It's hard to argue that these are specifically crafted for running" — and, to be even more specific, for long-distance running. However, Rolian's study, published recently in the Journal of Experimental Biology, makes at least a plausible case for the importance of toes for running. During the moment of propulsion, when one foot is in the air and the other is on the ground, between one-half and three-quarters of a body's weight falls squarely on the forefoot. "When you're walking, before you push off to start the next step, your other foot has already hit the ground. You've transferred some of your body weight," said Rolian. "Your toes have to do much more work in running, to push you." When his team analyzed force exerted by fifteen test subjects running and walking on a pressure-sensitive surface, they found that increasing toe length by just 20 percent produced a doubling of motor force. This can be explained in terms known conversationally known from the action of a see-saw: levering force is magnified by the distance between pressure and a fulcrum. Rolian also observed that longer toes require an additional energy investment when "braking," or using them to guide the forward-falling motion that underlies both running and walking. The additional work required by long toes, and a resulting increase in muscle stress and damage, likely made them a victim of natural selection. The fossil record, though spotty, provides a fitting narrative: the toes of great apes are longer than those of Australopithecus — the first bipedal hominid — which in turn are longer than the toes of Homo, the genus to which modern humans belong. Hawks notes that long-distance running is now extremely rare, and "where it exists, it is supported by very sophisticated cultural adaptations, including tracking, water storage and staged transport of meat back to home bases. There is presently little or no evidence for these cultural adaptations in early Homo." But Lieberman points out that early Homo and its descendants clearly ate large game, though the projectile technologies ostensibly necessary to slay them were invented just several thousand years ago. "How did our ancestors, those weak little primates, kill big animals? The answer is that we chased them. We made them gallop. They can't pant and gallop at the same time," said Lieberman. "We can run down a gazelle not through speed, but through endurance." Of course, in the modern world of grocery stores and restaurants, long-distance running is a recreational activity, and hard-soled shoes absorb much of the shock felt by a bare foot. Freed from ancient evolutionary pressures, what will happen to our feet? It's too soon to tell, and nothing at all may happen, but "that's generally a question you could ask about many features of the human anatomy," said Rolian. Because it isn't required to push off, he said, "There's talk about whether the pinkie toe is eventually going to disappear." Citation: "Walking, running and the evolution of short toes in humans." By Campbell Rolian, Daniel E. Lieberman, Joseph Hamill, John W. Scott and William Werbel. Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 212, Issue 5. March 1, 2009. Image: Laurel Fan See Also:
Brandon Keim's Twitter stream and Del.icio.us feed; Wired Science on Facebook. Source: Wired: Wired Science | 20 Feb 2009 | 9:00 pm New Biomaterial Helps Bones HealA synthetic material encourages the body to create bone and heal fractures.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 20 Feb 2009 | 7:35 pm What's An Oscar Really Made Of?Oscar is only gold on the outside, inside, he's a mixture of metals.Source: Livescience.com | 20 Feb 2009 | 6:50 pm SLIDE SHOW: The Week's Top StoriesBrowse images from the week's top stories on Discovery News.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 20 Feb 2009 | 6:20 pm Government defends cancer screeningThe government today denied that its cancer screening programmes were putting young women at risk of dying, or undergoing unnecessary treatment. Cancer experts have criticised the government's 2003 decision to raise the age at which cervical screening begins in England from 20 to 25, amid the huge publicity surrounding terminally ill reality TV star Jade Goody. In a special briefing, cancer tsar Prof Mike Richards acknowledged there were warnings that the decision in 2003 to raise the age for screening would lead to a sharp decline in women being tested. He said there was "no evidence" that the change in policy lay behind the fall in women coming forward for screening, saying the numbers had been falling for at least a decade. The government believed there was a low risk of women under 25 getting cervical cancer. But figures from the national statistics office show that since 2003, at least 22 women under 25 have died from cervical cancer in England and Wales. Julietta Patnick, director of NHS cancer screening programmes, said the evidence was that screening women under 25 for cervical cancer did more harm than good. She said the screening programme was "very happy" to see women "shortly before their 25th birthday". But anyone else with symptoms below the age threshold should go to their GP and ask to be referred to a gynaecologist. Cervical cancer specialists have reported a rise in demand for screening due to the "Jade Goody effect" after she revealed last week that doctors had given her weeks to live after discovering that her cancer had spread. The number of women being tested for the disease has fallen from 83% to 79% over the past decade. The biggest drop has been among women aged 25-29, where the number being screened at least once in the past five years has dropped from 79% in 1998 to 66% in 2008. Richards said: "Until cases like Jade Goody come along women are far less likely to be aware of cases [of cervical cancer] in their friends because of the effectiveness of the programme." He said it was too early to say whether the Goody effect would lead to an increase in cervical cancer detection in England as official NHS statistics will not be published until October. Richards and Patnick also rejected research published in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal that claims the NHS leaflet on breast screening does not provide women with accurate information about the risks of the procedure. The study by Danish researchers criticised the leaflet for failing to mention that screening could lead to women undergoing "unnecessary treatment [for] harmless lesions" and misdiagnosis. Richards denied that the NHS leaflet was misleading, but said it was currently undergoing a "major review". Patnick added that the findings would be published in the autumn. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsSource: Evolution, genetics, medicine, physics & astronomy news | guardian.co.uk | 20 Feb 2009 | 5:51 pm Explorers' questAn Arctic team is set to measure sea ice thicknessSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 20 Feb 2009 | 5:50 pm China's Chery Auto unveils electric car: company (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 20 Feb 2009 | 5:48 pm Closing the netIllegal fishing bodes ill for land and sea in West AfricaSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 20 Feb 2009 | 5:43 pm In a swirlAstronomy project records rapid early online trafficSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 20 Feb 2009 | 5:33 pm New Da Vinci Portrait Reveals Artist in Middle AgeA newly found portrait of Leonardo da Vinci reveals the master when he was about 50.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 20 Feb 2009 | 5:08 pm New Butterfly Discovered with Mustache DisguiseA mustache on a butterfly has tipped off museum curators that a specimen in belongs to a new species.Source: Livescience.com | 20 Feb 2009 | 4:08 pm Shockwave of X-Ray Starquake Enthralls ScientistsIn late 2005, a neutron star's crust bulged out and its spin slowed down, thereby twisting gravity and resulting in a starquake.Source: Livescience.com | 20 Feb 2009 | 4:02 pm Mammoth skeleton found nearly intact in Los AngelesLOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The nearly complete skeleton of a massive Columbian mammoth who died during the last ice age has been dug out of a construction site near the La Brea Tar Pits in downtown Los Angeles, a remarkable find even in the fossil-rich area, scientists said Wednesday.Source: Reuters: Science News | 20 Feb 2009 | 3:54 pm Mammoth skeleton found nearly intact in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 20 Feb 2009 | 3:54 pm
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