Habitat use by North Pacific right whales, Eubalaena japonica, in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska
The small population of North Pacific right whales, found during the summer in Alaska waters, is one of the most critically endangered whale populations in the world. Commercial whaling in the 1800s has now left us with only a few dozens. Recently these whales have been recognized as a different species from right whales seen in the North Atlantic and others in the Southern Hemisphere. To...Could better mangrove habitats have spared lives in the 2004 tsunami?
Accounts of the tsunami that killed over a quarter of a million people in Southeast Asia on the 26th of December, 2004, slowly disappear from the media, but the event is nevertheless heavily burned into the memories of those who are directly involved. In the aftermath of the disaster, academics and politicians alike are trying to investigate how the number of casualties could have been reduced an...Is it Possible to Change Prescribing Habits?
In the US more than 770,000 people are injured or die each year in hospitals from adverse drug events (ADEs), which can cost a hospital, depending on its size, about US$5.6 million every year, excluding ADE-associated costs for malpractice and litigation and the personal costs of injuries to patients. Nationally, hospital expenses to treat patients who have ADEs during hospital admission a...Bird song changes sound alarm over habitat fragmentation
Changes in bird song could be used as an early warning system to detect man-made ecological disturbances, new research published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology has found. Although much previous research has focused on bird song and vocal mimicry, this is the first study to analyse the role played by habitat loss and fragmentation on song-matching. Ecologists...Habitat microstructure drives salamander metamorphosis
Whether salamanders transform into their terrestrial, adult form or retain their aquatic, juvenile form depends on the nature of the streambed where they develop. A study published today in the open access journal BMC Biology reveals that the Oklahoma salamander Eurycea tynerensis metamorphoses into a more terrestrial adult form in streambeds composed of fine, tightly packed gravel but ret...Smoking habit affects your baby's health
To ensure the health of their children most expecting moms will do whatever needs to be done. Whether it be vitamins, right diet or plenty of rest. But are those moms who smoke, ready to set aside their habit or smokers who live or work with expectant moms willing to put their habit on hold for the sake of the child? A statistics that came out of a recent meeting of the Bax...Heredity Can Decide Your Drinking Habits
New study says that how much we drink may be decided by a genetic factor. // The study has revealed that the gene called DRD2 Taq1A(C32806T) polymorphism and social alcohol drinking may be related in opposite direction. This means people with a stronger gene of this type will tend to drink alcohol less than people with a weaker effect of this gene. The gene is responsible for enhancing...Habit Memory May Enhance Learning In People
Learning may be unconscious and happen even when people are not aware of their learning experience//. The research comes out in the July 28, 2005 issue of Nature. Researchers from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the San Diego Veterans Affairs Health System had undertaken the study to find out if like animals humans could learn through habits formed even when...In The Habit Of Taking Painkillers For Your Chronic Headache? Time To Switch Over
It has been found out that women who regularly take painkillers are more prone to develop high blood pressure than women who don’t take any. Infact there is a 2 fold increased risk // , which draws attention. The regular use of these drugs by millions of people may help explain the growing incidence of hypertension that has been steadily increasing. High blood pressure is a major cont...