finds in Biological News

Comprehensive look at rare leukemia finds relatively few genetic changes launch disease

The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found only a few mistakes in the genetic blueprint, suggesting the cancer arises from just a handful of missteps, according to new findings from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The research appears i...

URI researcher sheds light on 'man-eating' squid; finds them timid, nonthreatening

KINGSTON, R.I. July 23, 2009 News reports last week about scuba divers off San Diego being menaced by large numbers of Humboldt's or jumbo squid have raised the ire of University of Rhode Island biologist Brad Seibel. As a leading expert on the species who has dived with them several times, he...

URI researcher sheds light on 'man-eating' squid; finds them timid, non-threatening

KINGSTON, R.I. July 23, 2009 News reports last week about scuba divers off San Diego being menaced by large numbers of Humboldt's or jumbo squid have raised the ire of University of Rhode Island biologist Brad Seibel. As a leading expert on the species who has dived with them several times, he...

New research finds possible genetic link to cause of pregnancy loss and disorders

KNOXVILLE -- Scientists at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have published new findings about a cause of a condition at the root of genetic disorders such as Down Syndrome, pregnancy loss and infertility. Called aneuploidy, the condition i...

Growing Demand for Rapid Screening and Detection Systems Pushes the European Maritime Security Market, Finds Frost & Sullivan

LONDON, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Delays in cargo screening significantly extend the time of goods at port. This process could be shortened with foolproof and rapid screening and detection systems. At the same time, increased illegal immigration and smuggling augment the need for efficient access con...

Study finds role for parasites in evolution of sex

What's so great about sex? From an evolutionary perspective, the answer is not as obvious as one might think. An article published in the July issue of the American Naturalist suggests that sex may have evolved in part as a defense against parasites. Despite its central role in biology, sex i...

Pitt team finds molecule that regulates heart size by using zebrafish screening model

PITTSBURGH, July 5 Using zebrafish, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have identified and described an enzyme inhibitor that allows them to increase the number of cardiac progenitor cells and therefore influence the size of the developing heart. The findings are described in the advance...

Study finds DNA barcoding requires caution without closer examination

The goal of DNA barcoding is to find a simple, cheap, and rapid DNA assay that can be converted to a readily accessible technical skill that bypasses the need to rely on highly trained taxonomic specialists for identifications of the world's biota. This is driven by a desire to open taxonomic iden...

Researcher finds Girl Scout meetings provide an opportunity to increase girls' physical activity

Girls typically are less physically active than boys, but a Kansas State University researcher has found that organizations like Girl Scouts provide an ideal setting to get girls moving early in life and to develop lifelong healthy habits. Richard Rosenkranz, assistant professor in human nutrit...

U of M study finds new insight on therapy for a devastating parasitic disease

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (June 23, 2009) University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have discovered an important new insight into how a commonly prescribed drug may work to treat those infected by a parasitic flatworm. The Schistosomasis parasite infects about 200 million ...

NOAA report finds threats to California's Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary

A new NOAA report on the health of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is fair to good, but identifies several emerging threats to sanctuary resources. "Global issues of concern such as marine debris, ocean acid...

U of Minnesota-led study finds that hunters are depleting lion and cougar populations

Sport hunters are depleting lion and cougar populations as managers respond to demands to control predators that threaten livestock and humans, according to a study published in the June 17 issue of PLoS ONE . The study was led by Craig Packer, a University of Minnesota professor and renowned aut...

IUPUI study finds living near fast food outlet not a weighty problem for kids

INDIANAPOLIS A new study by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) researchers contradicts the conventional wisdom that living near a fast food outlet increases weight in children and that living near supermarkets, which sell fresh fruit and vegetables as well as so called junk...

Study finds colorectal cancer rates increasing worldwide

ATLANTAJune 9, 2009A new study finds colorectal cancer incidence rates for both males and females increased in 27 of 51 countries worldwide between 1983 and 2002, and points to increasing Westernization as being a likely culprit. The rise was seen primarily in economically transitioning countries ...

MU study finds connection between evolution, classroom learning

COLUMBIA, Mo. Over thousands of years, humans have evolved to naturally understand things like facial expressions and social interactions. But a University of Missouri researcher has found there is an ever-widening gap between what humans can naturally learn and what they need to learn to be succ...

New study finds lowfat chocolate milk is effective post-exercise recovery aid for soccer players

JUNE 1, 2009, SEATTLE Soccer players and exercise enthusiasts now have another reason to reach for lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout, suggests a new study from James Madison University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting. Post-exercise consumption of lowf...

IFAR contributes to study that finds genes that influence the start of menstruation

(Boston, Mass.)Two scientists at the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife are part of an international team of investigators that has identified genes that influence the start of menstruation, a milestone of female reproductive health that has lifelong influences on overall health. Th...

Research team finds important role for junk DNA

Scientists have called it "junk DNA." They have long been perplexed by these extensive strands of genetic material that dominate the genome but seem to lack specific functions. Why would nature force the genome to carry so much excess baggage? Now researchers from Princeton University and Indi...

Study finds genetic links to age of first menstrual period and menopause

Boston, MA -- Newly identified gene variants associated with the age at which females experience their first menstrual period and the onset of menopause may help shed light on the prevention of breast and endometrial cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. In a new study, researchers ...

Study finds link between individual stress and adolescent obesity

AMES, Iowa -- Stress may indeed be a direct contributor to childhood obesity. That's according to a new Iowa State University study finding that increased levels of stress in adolescents are associated with a greater likelihood of them being overweight or obese. The study of 1,011 adolescents (...

Study finds novel genetic risk factors for kidney disease

A team of researchers from the United States, the Netherlands and Iceland has identified three genes containing common mutations that are associated with altered kidney disease risk. One of the discovered genes, the UMOD gene, produces Tamm-Horsfall protein, the most common protein in the urine of...

Study finds homicidal poisoning rising, more likely in infants and elderly

Athens, Ga. Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the riseand infants are the most common victimsaccording to a new University of Georgia study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime. Greene Shepherd, clinical professor in the UGA College of Pharmacy, and recent graduate B...

Study finds children's activity levels not influenced by more PE time in school

Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Scheduling more physical education time in schools does not mean children will increase their activity levels, suggests new research that discovered those who got lots of timetabled exercise at school compensated by doing less at home while those who got little at schoo...

Study finds link between hot flashes and lower bone density in women

FINDINGS: UCLA researchers and colleagues analyzed data for 2,213 women between the ages of 42 and 52 who participated in the bone sub-study of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation to determine whether women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS) which include hot flashes and night sweats had l...

U of Minnesota study finds high school teachers influence student views of evolution & creationism

College students' views about evolution and creationism are often shaped by what they learned in their high school biology classes, according to a University of Minnesota study published in the May issue of BioScience , the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Co-authors R...

International team finds key gene that allows plants to survive drought

A team of scientists from Canada, Spain and the United States has identified a key gene that allows plants to defend themselves against environmental stresses like drought, freezing and heat. "Plants have stress hormones that they produce naturally and that signal adverse conditions and help t...

K-State researcher finds 1918 flu resulted in current lineage of H1N1 swine influenza viruses

In 1918 a human influenza virus known as the Spanish flu spread through the central United States while a swine respiratory disease occurred concurrently. A Kansas State University researcher has found that the virus causing the pandemic was able to infect and replicate in pigs, but did not kill t...

Analysis finds strong match between molecular, fossil data in evolutionary studies

During a seminar at another institution several years ago, University of Chicago paleontologist David Jablonski fielded a hostile question: Why bother classifying organisms according to their physical appearance, let alone analyze their evolutionary dynamics, when molecular techniques had already ...

Purdue study finds dairy better for bones than calcium carbonate

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University study shows dairy has an advantage over calcium carbonate in promoting bone growth and strength. Connie Weaver, distinguished professor and head of the food and nutrition department, found that the bones of rats fed nonfat dry milk were longer, wider, m...

LSUHSC public health researcher finds reason for weight gain

New Orleans, LA Liwei Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, is the lead author of a research paper showing that weight gain and obesity are more linked to an increase in liquid calories, particularly sugar-sweeten...

Study finds blood cells can be reprogrammed to act as embryonic stem cells

(WASHINGTON, April 20, 2009) - In a recent study, U.S. researchers have reprogrammed cells found in circulating blood into cells that are molecularly and functionally indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells, a revolutionary achievement that provides a readily accessible source of stem cells an...

Rutgers study finds many consumers ignore food product recalls

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. Rutgers' Food Policy Institute (FPI) released a study today showing that many Americans fail to check their homes for recalled food products. Only about 60 percent of the studied sample reported ever having looked for recalled food in their homes, and only 10 percent said they...

Study finds multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria high in long-term care

The prevalence of a certain form of drug-resistant bacteria, called multidrug-resistant gram-negative (MDRGN) organisms, far surpassed that of two other common antimicrobial-resistant infections in long-term care facilities, according to a study conducted by researchers at Hebrew SeniorLife's Inst...

Review of probiotic trial research finds only Bifantis able to claim efficacy for IBS symptoms

CINCINNATI March 23, 2009 A review by researchers at Northwestern University (Chicago, IL.) and University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) of the utility of probiotics in the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) found that Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 was the only probiotic strain out of ...

Montana State team finds Yellowstone alga that detoxifies arsenic

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Arsenic may be tough, but scientists have found a Yellowstone National Park alga that's tougher. The alga -- a simple one-celled algae called Cyanidioschyzon -- thrives in extremely toxic conditions and chemically modifies arsenic that occurs naturally around hot springs, sa...

Genetic study finds treasure trove of new lizards

University of Adelaide research has discovered that there are many more species of Australian lizards than previously thought, raising new questions about conservation and management of Australia's native reptiles. PhD student Paul Oliver, from the University's School of Earth and Environmental...

Study finds hemlock trees dying rapidly, affecting forest carbon cycle

Otto, NC New research by U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists and partners suggests the hemlock woolly adelgid is killing hemlock trees faster than expected in the southern Appalachians and rapidly altering the carbon cycle of these forests. SRS researchers and cooperato...

NC State study finds genes important to sleep

For many animals, sleep is a risk: foraging for food, mingling with mates and guarding against predators just aren't possible while snoozing. How, then, has this seemingly life-threatening behavior remained constant among various species of animals? A new study by scientists at North Caroli...

Study finds most wars occur in Earth's richest biological regions

Arlington, Virginia (Feb. 20, 2009) In a startling result, a new study published by the scientific journal Conservation Biology found 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 plac...

Study finds life-saving trend among seagulls

This release is available in French . Montreal, February 20, 2009 Following trends is a lifesaving instinct, at least for birds, and provides clues that can be applied across the animal kingdom. New research from Universit de Montral published in Biology Letters , shows that Herring and...