Monthly Archives:: August 2012

Millipede family added to Australian fauna

Posted by & filed under Biology, News.

An entire group of millipedes previously unknown in Australia has been discovered by a specialist – on museum shelves. Hundreds of tiny specimens of the widespread tropical family Pyrgodesmidae have been found among bulk samples in two museums, showing that native pyrgodesmids are not only widespread in Australia's tropical and subtropical forests, but are also abundant and diverse. The study has been published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Shedding new light on one of diabetes’ most dangerous complications

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

For many diabetics, monitoring their condition involves much more than adhering to a routine of glucose sensing and insulin injections. It also entails carefully monitoring the ongoing toll this disease takes on their body. An innovative new optical diagnostic tool may soon make it easier to diagnose and monitor one of the most serious complications of diabetes, peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Cancer ‘turns off’ important immune cells, complicating experimental vaccine therapies

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

New research examines why some cancer vaccines are not effective, while identifying a new therapeutic strategy for treating autoimmune problems. Scientists suggest that even early stage cancer produces a negative immune response from dendritic cells. Although problematic for cancer treatment, these cells could be valuable tools for preventing the immune system from attacking what it should not, as is the case with autoimmune disorders and organ transplants.

State tax incentives do not appear to increase the rate of living organ donation, U.S. study finds

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

The policies that several U.S. states have adopted giving tax deductions or credits to living organ donors do not appear to have increased donation rates. A new study has found little difference in the annual number of living organ donations per 100,000 population between the 15 states that had enacted some sort of tax benefit as of 2009 and states having no such policy at that time.

New DNA method tracks fish and whales in seawater

Posted by & filed under Biology, News.

Future monitoring of marine biodiversity and resources may use DNA traces in seawater samples to keep track of fish and whales in the oceans. A half liter of seawater can contain evidence of local fish and whale faunas and combat traditional fishing methods.
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