Can Genetic Information Be Controlled By Light?:
DNA, the molecule that acts as the carrier of genetic information in all forms of life, is highly resistant against alteration by ultraviolet light, but understanding the mechanism for its photostability presents some puzzling problems. A key aspect is the interaction between the four chemical bases that make up the DNA molecule. Researchers at Kiel University have succeeded in showing that DNA strands differ in their light sensitivity depending on their base sequences.
Journey Toward The Center Of The Earth: One-of-a-kind Microorganism Lives All Alone:
The first ecosystem ever found having only a single biological species has been discovered 2.8 kilometers (1.74 miles) beneath the surface of the earth in the Mponeng gold mine near Johannesburg, South Africa. There the rod-shaped bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator exists in complete isolation, total darkness, a lack of oxygen, and 60-degree-Celsius heat (140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Ripple Effect: Water Snails Offer New Propulsion Possibilities:
A UC San Diego engineer has revealed a new mode of propulsion based on how water snails create ripples of slime to crawl upside down beneath the surface.
Small Intestine Can Sense And React To Bitter Toxins In Food:
Toxins in food often have a bad, bitter taste that makes people want to spit them out. New UC Irvine research finds that bitterness also slows the digestive process, keeping bad food in the stomach longer and increasing the chances that it will be expelled.
Tropical Rainforest And Mountain Species May Be Threatened By Global Warming:
Contrary to conventional wisdom, tropical plant and animal species living in some of the warmest places on Earth may be threatened by global warming, according to an article by University of Connecticut Ecologist Robert K. Colwell and colleagues the journal Science.
New Light On Link Between Snoring And Cognitive Deficits In Children:
About two-thirds of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)-- snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-- have some degree of cognitive deficit, but the severity of the cognitive deficit has been notoriously difficult to correlate to the severity of the SDB, suggesting that other important issues may be at play, or that the right factors were simply not being measured.
Narcissistic People Most Likely To Emerge As Leaders:
When a group is without a leader, you can often count on a narcissist to take charge, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who score high in narcissism tend to take control of leaderless groups. Narcissism is a trait in which people are self-centered, exaggerate their talents and abilities, and lack empathy for others.
Premature Ejaculation? Not Your Fault: Gene Determines Rapidity Of Ejaculation In Men:
The rapidity of ejaculation in men is genetically determined. This is the result of research by Utrecht University. Neuropsychiatrist Dr Marcel Waldinger and Pharmacological Researcher Paddy Janssen studied 89 Dutch men with premature ejaculation and will publish the results this week in the renowned International scientific journal the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Diversity Of Plant-eating Fishes May Be Key To Recovery Of Coral Reefs:
For endangered coral reefs, not all plant-eating fish are created equal. A report scheduled to be published this week in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that maintaining the proper balance of herbivorous fishes may be critical to restoring coral reefs, which are declining dramatically worldwide. The conclusion results from a long-term study that found significant recovery in sections of coral reefs on which fish of two complementary species were caged.
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