New Climate Negotiations, Tougher Standards for Animal Experiments, and a Boost for Autism Research

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admin on April 1st, 2009

New model predicts grim future for reefs worldwide

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Scientists studying Eastern North American monarch butterflies have uncovered a suite of genes that may be involved in driving the butterflies to migrate towards Mexico for the winter. Their research describes 40 genes that are linked to the butterflies’ compulsion to orientate themselves by an internal “sun compass” and begin the 4,000 km journey southwards.

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Mutations in a gene may cause poor lung development in children, making them more vulnerable to diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease later in life, say researchers. The new study measured expression levels of the gene and its variants in both mouse lungs and children ages 9 to 11.

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Children of baby boomers aren’t the only ones who have taken to setting up home far from where their parents live. A new study documents how larval dispersal connects marine fish populations in a network of marine protected areas — information that is critical for fisheries managers.

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Herbal medicines could benefit patients suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders that cannot be treated using conventional drug therapy. In a new study, researchers reviewed data on Japanese herbal medicines and found them to be effective in reducing the symptoms of GI disorders such as functional dyspepsia, constipation and postoperative ileus.

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A new technology dramatically improves the sensitivity of magnetic resonance techniques including those used in hospital scanners and chemistry laboratories. Ultimately, the technique, based on manipulating parahydrogen, the fuel of the space shuttle, is expected to allow doctors to learn far more about a patient’s condition from an MRI scan at lower cost while increasing [...]

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Fifty-five percent of children who underwent an intensive so-called one-session treatment of three hours were freed from their phobia. The treatment is carried out on a single occasion, is quick and cost-effective, with no side effects. The treatment form is also culture-neutral and does not need to be adapted to the country or the place [...]

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admin on April 1st, 2009

New research is helping shed light on neutron stars, city-sized globs of ultra-dense matter that occasionally collapse into black holes.

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Researchers have found that one of the genes commonly thought to promote the growth and spread of some types of cancers is in fact beneficial in bladder cancer — a major discovery that could significantly alter the way bladder cancers are treated in the future.

Continue reading about New Discovery Raises Doubts About Current Bladder Treatment