Changing ecosystems throw scientists mega-challenges
Accelerating environmental changes have presented humanity with some significant scientific and engineering challenges, according to the new National Science Foundation (NSF) report, Pathways to the Future: Complex Environmental Systems: Synthesis for Earth, Life and Society in the 21st Century. Among the changes the report cites are rapid shifts in climate and ecosystems, the degradation...Genomics throws species definition in question for microbes
Until a decade ago, scientists categorized microorganisms almost exclusively by their physical characteristics: how they looked, what they ate, and the by-products they produced. With the advent of genomic sequencing and genetic analysis in the 1990s, our understanding of the relationships between different microorganisms fundamentally changed. In light of this new knowledge, what exactly is th...HIV/AIDS Throws Family Relationships Out Of Gear In Uganda
There is more bad news about effects of HIV/AIDS. According to a report by NPR titled “All Things Considered”, Ugandan Families are in the throes of troubled family ties. Most Family structures in Uganda have crumbled simply because, more than 100,000 // young Ugandan adults have succumbed to aids-related complexities in the last decade. Deborah Kaijuka, CEO of the Uganda Reach the...New findings, throw light on obesity
An international team of researchers were studying Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and found that cells which lacks proper functional cilia gets lodged in the wrong places and cause obesity. // These cells which are in the brain which control appetite are at fault. These findings were published in the journal Nature Genetics. It was found that children born with BBS are obese and go blind...UF scientists Throw light on the origin of vertebrate skeleton
Lampreys were thought to be different than other backboned animals, but recent study has shown that things may not be all that different in the genetics of their skeletal development. These findings will be published online in the National Academy of Sciences// UF scientists were able to find the very same protein, called collagen, involved in building cartilage in the lampreys, which...Bariatric Surgery: Medicare, Will Now Cough Up For ‘Throwing Weight
Medicare made an announcement that lifted up faces and brought cheer to the Chubby! For the first time, Medicare will pick up the tabs for three types of obesity surgery, in cases where obesity has led to prolonged health problems. // But the catch is that, only surgeries performed by the American College of Surgeons or the American Society of Bariatric Surgery will be covered by Med...Soap Opera: Advertisement Throws ‘Head & Shoulders’ Off Balane
The ASA has demanded that the television commercials for ‘Head and Shoulders’ Shampoo, that claims cent percent dandruff free efficacy of their products, is required to be// modified. Adverts for ocean spa and cool menthol varieties of the shampoo are the ones working up more soap than required. Procter & Gamble, the maker of Head & Shoulders, has clarified its stance, insisting that...