Searching the depths of the straits of Florida for disease cures
On Monday, the Harbor Branch drug discovery group will begin a 2-week expedition to explore the Straits of Florida in search of organisms that produce chemicals with the potential to cure diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. The work will include the first submersible exploration of the remote Cay Sal Bank, which encompasses a number of small, uninhabited islands 30 miles north of Cuba. Cay S...Resveratrol prolongs lifespan and delays onset of aging-related traits in a short-lived vertebrate
By studying a particularly short-lived fish species, researchers have been able to show that a natural compound previously shown to extend lifespan in non-vertebrate organisms can also do so in at least one vertebrate species. The findings, reported by Alessandro Cellerino of the Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, and colleagues, support the potential utility of the compound in human aging research....ASU researchers find link between social behavior, maternal traits in bees
One of the puzzling questions in the evolution of bees is how some species developed social behaviors. Arizona State University Life Sciences associate professor Gro Amdam thinks part of the answer can be traced back to bee reproductive traits. A paper describing Amdam's experiments, "Complex social behavior derived from maternal reproductive traits," is the cover story of the current iss...Can biological traits predict diversification rates in birds?
Why do some taxanomic families contain many species and others contain far fewer? There has been much debate in the scientific community over the reason for such variation, but a recent study in The American Naturalist by Albert B. Phillimore (Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus), Robert P. Freckleton (Oxford University), C. David L. Orme (Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus),...Zebra finch males prefer females with exaggerated maternal traits
Researchers have demonstrated that learning about the appearance of their parents may give birds a preference for mates with exaggerated parental traits, rather than traits that more exactly match those of their parents. Such learned mate preferences may help drive the evolution of exaggerated traits and strong morphological differences between sexes ?phenomena seen frequently in birds and other...Autistic traits evident in relatives
In a startling revelation, new study demonstrates that relatives of people with autism may display autistic brain differences and behaviours linked to the condition, even though they may not suffer from the disorder themselves. // The work, reported in the New Scientist , was presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience, in Washington DC by Dr Eric Peterson, from th...ADHD Risk Pronounced in Children with Extreme Personality Traits
A novel study by the Florida State University has thrown light on certain personality traits in children that presage a risk of an attention// deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder. Children with personalities that show up as aggressiveness, undue mood swings, aloofness, and a constant need for excitement are said to be under high risk. FSU psychology professors Jeanette...Sound Of Sneezing Could Speak About Ones Personality Traits
Accordingly to a US body language expert, the way one sneezes or the sound that comes when one sneezes could reveal a lot about the qualities of a person.// Patti A. Wood, an Atlanta-based consultant who created the Achoo IQ Study for Benadryl, said a sneeze could offer a revealing look at someone's personality, reported the online edition of ABC News. Wood categorised snee...Court Warns People Who Practice Unhealthy Sexual Traits
The California Supreme Court said that partners must inform their spouse about their risky sexual lifestyle and possible exposure to AIDS//. This came down as the court ruling in San Francisco when the case of a divorced husband and wife came to the court. The wife accused the ex-husband of transmitting AIDS to her. Now both the partners suffer from AIDS. Hence the court decided that t...Distinguishable Traits of Fatal Skin Cancer Recognized
The traits of fast growing, melanomas, a type of fatal skin cancer have been pinpointed by experts. When a skin tumour// , identified to be cancerous is proportionate, and is raised with regular borders, and other associated symptoms, it’s more likely to develop into a potentially fatal skin cancer. This was reported by Australian researchers in East Melbourne. Melanomas that grow rapi...