Threatened species are characterized by declining and eventually small numbers of individuals. Once a population has been reduced below a certain level, its chances of recovery are slim.
This size is commonly referred to as a ‘minimum viable population’, or MVP. But is there one size that fits all species, or are MVPs more idiosyncratic?
Many have shown that the relative susceptibility of species to human-caused decline and extinction can be predicted by traits such as body size
Scientists at The University of Manchester have created a new type of ‘bio-gel’ which provides a pH neutral environment for culturing cells in 3D, as published in the journal Advanced Materials (March 2006).
The gel is the first pH neutral material made from combinations of dipeptides (pairs of amino acids) to provide an environment in which cells can be cultured under physiological conditions.
Uniquely, the gel mimics the properties of cell scaffolds which naturally occur
Scientists at UCL (University College London) have discovered the area of the brain linked to dyscalculia, a maths learning disability. The finding shows that there is a separate part of the brain used for counting that is essential for diagnosis and an understanding of why many people struggle with maths.
The paper, published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), explains that an area of the brain widely thought to be involved in processing number
The Tbilisi researchers J.B. Tkemaladze (Center for systems analysis of Georgia) and K.N. Chichinadze from the Beritashvili Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of Georgia, believe that centrioles – protein structures that participate in animal cell division – are responsible for age-related changes of cells in a multicellular organism. Animal cells can divide for a strictly defined number of times, after which they inevitably perish, and these are centrioles in particular that, in research
The thyroid gland is very sensitive to ionizing radiation. The number of patients with thyroid gland cancer is particularly high among those who endured the Chernobyl catastrophe in childhood. Ultrasonic scanning and bioptic tests investigations are usually used for early detection of thyroid gland cancer but researchers do not stop the search of more efficient methods.
They deal with molecular markers of cancer in order to discover mutation of the genes participating in carcinogenesis.
The hydrogen storage devices developed and patented by the scientists of the Academy of Advanced Technologies (Moscow) break all records. These are hydrogen accumulators based on microporous structures, first of all – microspheres and capillaries. Despite seeming elegance and fragility of its “filling”, the device strongly and safely retains a lot of hydrogen in a small volume. A lot of hydrogen means more than 45 grams per litre. By the way, this figure is planned by the US Department of Energ
In a simple world rivers would flow in straight lines, every airplane ride would be smooth, and we would know the daily weather 10 years into the future. But the world is not simple — it is turbulent.
That’s good news, since turbulence helps drive natural processes essential for life. Unfortunately it also means we are never 100 percent sure it won’t rain on Saturday.
“Turbulence is the last major unsolved problem of classical physics,” explains Eberhard Bod
Genomic “tags” quickly catalog species, distinguish pathogens from harmless relatives
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new, high-throughput technique for identifying the many species of microorganisms living in an unknown “microbial community.” The method, described in the March 2006 issue of Applied Environmental Microbiology, has many applications — from assessing the microbes present in environmental samples and iden
Researchers from BU’s Center for Remote Sensing locate crater using detailed satellite data
Researchers from Boston University have discovered the remnants of the largest crater of the Great Sahara of North Africa, which may have been formed by a meteorite impact tens of millions of years ago. Dr. Farouk El-Baz made the discovery while studying satellite images of the Western Desert of Egypt with his colleague, Dr. Eman Ghoneim, at BU’s Center for Remote Sensing.
The
Both nature and nurture — genetic makeup and the environment experienced through life — combine to influence health and well-being, Duke University Medical Center researchers and their colleagues have determined in four new studies. The researchers showed that people’s genes play a key role in how they respond both biologically and psychologically to stress in their environment.
The researchers presented four studies that examine genetics and the environment on Thursday, March 2, 20
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified key insights into how different types of infection-fighting T-cells survive and co-exist within the body’s immune system.
T-cells, or lymphocytes, are the body’s natural defense mechanism against infection, directly attacking foreign bodies such as bacteria and viruses. The body contains millions of different lymphocytes that fight specific infectious microbes. Research published in the March 3, 2006 issue of S
Having a set of extra genes gave fish on separate continents the ability to evolve electric organs, report researchers from The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Harold Zakon and colleagues, in a paper recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that African and South American groups of fish independently evolved electric organs by modifying sodium channel proteins typically used in muscle contraction.
Mutations in sodium channel protein
Johns Hopkins scientists report the discovery of a protein found only in cerebrospinal fluid that they say might be useful in identifying a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or identifying those at risk for the debilitating autoimmune disorder.
MS strikes over 10,000 Americans each year, most of whom are women, and causes weakness, numbness, a loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control. It is a disorder in which the immune system de
USGS releases new report about pesticide occurence
Today, the U.S. Geological Survey released a report describing the occurrence of pesticides in streams and ground water during 1992-2001. The report concludes that pesticides are typically present throughout the year in most streams in urban and agricultural areas of the Nation, but are less common in ground water. The report also concludes that pesticides are seldom at concentrations likely to affect humans. However in many strea
Research also confirms utility of patch testing to discover allergens and finds patients satisfied with testing, yet they recall only half of their allergens
A new Mayo Clinic study reveals the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation resulting in swollen, reddened and itchy skin due to direct contact with an allergen. Topping the list were: Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate) — metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or butt
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.
In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression,
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