with in Biological News

Venomous sea snakes play heads or tails with their predators

In a deadly game of heads or tails venomous sea snakes in the Pacific and Indian Oceans deceive their predators into believing they have two heads, claims research published today in Marine Ecology . The discovery, made by Dr Arne Redsted Rasmussen and Dr Johan Elmberg, showed that Yellow-lip...

Race/ethnicity, family income and education associated with sugar consumption

St. Louis, MO, August 1, 2009 The intake of added sugars in the United States is excessive, estimated by the US Department of Agriculture in 1999-2002 as 17% of calories a day. Consuming foods with added sugars displaces nutrient-dense foods in the diet. Reducing or limiting intake of added sugar...

Fujitsu Expands Support for Ethernet Networks With New Additions to XG Switch Product Line

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc., a leading supplier of innovative computer products including hard disk drives, peripherals and biometric security solutions, today launched a new aggregated series of 24-port and 48-port 1Gb/10Gb Ether...

Study shows cancer vaccines led to long-term survival for patients with metastatic melanoma

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian today announced promising data from a clinical study showing patient-specific cancer vaccines derived from patients' own cancer cells and immune cells were well tolerated and resulted in impressive long-term survival rates in patients with metastatic melanoma wh...

Stress signals link pre-existing sickness with susceptibility to bacterial infection

Mitochondrial diseases disrupt the power generating machinery within cells and increase a person's susceptibility to bacterial infection, particularly in the lungs or respiratory tract. A new study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), shows that infection with the pneumonia causing ba...

UTMB study identifies women at risk of gaining excessive weight with injectable birth control

GALVESTON, Texas Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have identified women who are likely to gain weight while using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, more commonly known as Depo-Provera or the birth control shot. These findings dispel the myth that all women who u...

Knee injuries may start with strain on the brain, not the muscles

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---New research shows that training your brain may be just as effective as training your muscles in preventing ACL knee injuries, and suggests a shift from performance-based to prevention-based athletic training programs. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is one of the f...

Silicon with afterburners: Process developed at Rice could be boon to electronics manufacturer

Scientists at Rice University and North Carolina State University have found a method of attaching molecules to semiconducting silicon that may help manufacturers reach beyond the current limits of Moore's Law as they make microprocessors both smaller and more powerful. Their findings are publi...

Spring cold snap helps with stream ecosystem research

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 23, 2009 -- A rare April freeze in 2007 provided researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory with further evidence that climate change could have negative effects on stream and forest ecosystems. As warm weather arrives sooner in many parts of ...

Frost & Sullivan Recognizes MIRTEC With the 2009 Award for Automated Optical Inspection Product Innovation of the Year

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes MIRTEC with the 2009 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year for its innovative MV-7xi...

Corn yield stability varies with rotations, fertility

MADISON, WI, July 20, 2009 -- Understanding temporal variability in crop yields has implications for sustainable crop production, particularly since greater fluxes in crop yields are projected with global climate change. Many long-term cropping system studies have compared average crop yields; ...

Genetic marker linked to problem behaviors in adults with developmental disabilities

A common variation of the gene involved in regulating serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain may be linked to problem behaviors in adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, new research indicates. The findings were published in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal on I...

UK bioscience sparkles with new Diamond fellowship

UK bioscience has received a major boost following the announcement of 16 new fellowships by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) including the first ever Diamond Fellowship, so named because the post will be based at the new Research Complex at Harwell, adjacent to t...

Frost & Sullivan: North American Government Biometrics Markets Thrive With Active R&D Thrust

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Security issues constantly remain under the spotlight in the government vertical. Local, regional, and national government organizations look to biometric systems because of their advantages in accuracy, convenience, and time efficiency...

Study explains potential failure of oral contraceptives with obese women

PORTLAND, Ore. Researchers have identified a potential biological mechanism that could explain why oral contraceptives may be less effective at preventing pregnancy in obese women, as some epidemiological studies have indicated. Although conventional oral contraceptives appear to eventually re...

$29.4 million grant establishes CTSI at NYU in partnership with Health and Hospitals Corporation

New York, NY July 14, 2009 NYU and NYU School of Medicine received a $29.4 million, five-year Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a University-wide Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) in partnership with the New York Ci...

Facile synthesis of nanoparticles with multiple functions advanced in Singapore

Nanostructured materials have garnered great interest worldwide due to their unique size-dependent properties for chemical, electronic, structural, medical and consumer applications. Singapore's Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) has discovered a new environmentally friendly...

Researchers achieve major breakthrough with water desalination system

Concern over access to clean water is no longer just an issue for the developing world, as California faces its worst drought in recorded history. According to state's Department of Water Resources, supplies in major reservoirs and many groundwater basins are well below average. Court-ordered rest...

Building memories with actin

Memories aren't made of actin filaments. But their assembly is crucial for long-term potentiation (LTP), an increase in synapse sensitivity that researchers think helps to lay down memories. In the July 13, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology ( www.jcb.org ), Rex et al. reveal that LTP's a...

Springer to collaborate with the Human Genome Organization

Starting in October 2009, Springer will publish The HUGO Journal in cooperation with the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO). Formerly published at Springer as Genomic Medicine, The HUGO Journal has a new design, new features and a new editorial team. Members of HUGO will receive free access to...

Funxional successfully completes initial clinical trial of FX125L, an anti-inflammatory drug with a novel mechanism of action

CAMBRIDGE (UK). 8th July 2009 / b3c newswire / - Funxional Therapeutics Ltd (Funxional) has announced today the successful completion of the first Phase I study with FX125L , an orally available small molecule which belongs to a new therapeutic class named Broad Spectrum Chemokine Inhibitors ( BS...

Mystery of bat with an extraordinary nose solved

Blacksburg, Va. A research paper co-written by a Virginia Tech faculty member explains a 60-year mystery behind a rare bat's nose that is unusually large for its species. The findings soon will be published in the scientific trade journal, Physical Review Letters . The article, "Acoustic effe...

Two dietary oils, two sets of benefits for older women with diabetes

COLUMBUS, Ohio A study comparing how two common dietary oil supplements affect body composition suggests that both oils, by themselves, can lower body fat in obese postmenopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. The two oils compared were safflower oil, a common cooking oil, and conjugated linoleic...

Robo-bats with metal muscles may be next generation of remote control flyers

Tiny flying machines can be used for everything from indoor surveillance to exploring collapsed buildings, but simply making smaller versions of planes and helicopters doesn't work very well. Instead, researchers at North Carolina State University are mimicking nature's small flyers and developin...

Clinical trial shows quadriplegics can operate powered wheelchair with tongue drive system

An assistive technology that enables individuals to maneuver a powered wheelchair or control a mouse cursor using simple tongue movements can be operated by individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries, according to the results of a recently completed clinical trial. "This clinical trial ha...

Brain malformations significantly associated with preterm birth, Wake Forest research shows

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long-standing question of whether there is an association between preterm birth and brain malformations. In a study of more than 1,000 preterm infant...

Women with endometriosis need special care during pregnancy to avoid risk of premature birth

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The largest study to date of endometriosis in pregnant women has found that the condition is a major risk factor for premature birth, the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today (Wednesday July 1). Dr. Henrik Falco...

New, less invasive genetic test greatly improves pregnancy rates in older women with poor prognosis

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: A new test examining chromosomes in human eggs a few hours after fertilisation can identify those that are capable of forming a healthy baby, a researcher told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday 29 June)...

Structural biology scores with protein snapshot

In a landmark technical achievement, investigators in the Vanderbilt Center for Structural Biology have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to determine the structure of the largest membrane-spanning protein to date. Although NMR methods are routinely used to "take molecular pictures" ...

Novel handheld device detects anthrax with outstanding accuracy and reliability

Baltimore, MD, and Christchurch, NZ June 25, 2009 Veritide Ltd., a developer of innovative biological identification and detection solutions, today reported that new independent data to be presented at the Biodetection Technologies 2009 conference confirm the exceptional accuracy of its Ceeker (...

One of the Largest Wendy's(R) Franchisees, Tar Heel Capital, Reduces Fraud and Slashes Costs with DigitalPersona

76 Wendy's Locations Realize Immediate Return on Investment with DigitalPersona U.are.U(R) Fingerprint Readers REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- DigitalPersona, Inc., a leader in fingerprint identity and authentication solutions, today announced that the largest Wendy's restaurant...

Norway, Japan prop up whaling industry with taxpayer money

Gland, Switzerland: The governments of Norway and Japan are using taxpayer money to subsidize their unprofitable whaling industries, according to a first-time analysis of the economics of whaling. Sink or Swim: The Economics of Whaling Today found that Norway and Japan provide commercial whale...

Another JDRF partner moves research forward with collaboration agreement for diabetes treatment

NEW YORK, June 18, 2009 The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation said today that for the fourth time in 18 months, one of its biotech partners has signed a collaboration agreement with a large pharmaceutical company to move research on type 1 diabetes into the final phases of trials. Accordin...

University of Houston diesel testing center teams with state transportation agency to cut emissions

The Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center at the University of Houston, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to test a system designed to reduce emissions produced by construction vehicles. "Imp...

Infant formula adulteration with melamine underscores need for better detection methods

Rockville, Md., June 17, 2009 Following the recent adulteration of infant formula and other milk products with the industrial chemical melamine, the U. S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention is holding an international workshop this week to explore better ways to detect deliberately falsified protein ...

Crustacean shell with polyester creates mixed-fiber material for nerve repair

In the clothing industry it's common to mix natural and synthetic fibers. Take cotton and add polyester to make clothing that's soft, breathable and wrinkle free. Now researchers at the University of Washington are using the same principle for biomedical applications. Mixing chitosan, found in ...

Powerful nutrient cocktail can put kids with Crohn's into remission

Treating children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) usually involves the same steroids-based medication prescribed to adults. But such treatments can have negative side effects for kids and teens dealing with IBD. Dr. Raanan Shamir of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Sch...

Peripheral nerve repair with fat precursor cells led to wider nerves and less muscle atrophy

Tampa, Fla. (June 16, 2009) To determine if guided fat (adipose) precursor cells (APCs) could improve nerve regeneration and functional recovery, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) used biodegradable nerve guides to transplant APCs into the injured peripheral nerves of laboratory r...

Plant microbe shares features with drug-resistant pathogen

UPTON, NY -- An international team of scientists has discovered extensive similarities between a strain of bacteria commonly associated with plants and one increasingly linked to opportunistic infections in hospital patients. The findings suggest caution in the use of the plant-associated strain f...

Scientific evidence of health problems from past contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune is limited and unlikely to be resolved with further study

WASHINGTON -- Evidence exists that people who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune Marine Base in North Carolina between the 1950s and 1985 were exposed to the industrial solvents tricholorethylene (TCE) or perchloroethylene (PCE) in their water supply, but strong scientific evidence is not available t...