- February 13, 2012
- 10:09 AM
- 3 views
How Pompeii worms take the heat
by Zen Faulkes in NeuroDojo
This is the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana), and it is a record-holding animal.
Its record is not for the most unlikely animal (though you have to admit, it is a bit odd looking). You are looking at the animal that is able to withstand higher temperatures than anything else in the animal kingdom. The Pompeii worm routinely withstands scalding 80°C water. Not only that, it can routinely go outside of that to water that is more like room temperature, at 20°C.
That this worm is able to take........ Read more »
Jollivet D, Mary J, Gagnière N, Tanguy A, Fontanillas E, Boutet I, Hourdez S, Segurens B, Weissenbach J, Poch O.... (2012) Proteome adaptation to high temperatures in the ectothermic hydrothermal vent Pompeii worm. PLoS ONE, 7(2). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031150
- February 13, 2012
- 08:19 AM
- 5 views
Neurons tuned like the strings of a harp
by TheCellularScale in The Cellular Scale
The auditory brainstem of the boring-old-chicken is actually home to some fascinating neurons.Key West rooster, taken by me.The Nucleus Laminaris (NL) is a group of coincidence-detecting neurons which receive indirect input from both ears and is located in the bird auditory brainstem. NL neurons show a peculiar dendrite pattern. These bipolar neurons fall into the particular category of football shaped cells which have dendrites coming out the top and bottom of their cell bo........ Read more »
Smith DJ, & Rubel EW. (1979) Organization and development of brain stem auditory nuclei of the chicken: dendritic gradients in nucleus laminaris. The Journal of comparative neurology, 186(2), 213-39. PMID: 447882
- February 13, 2012
- 08:05 AM
- 8 views
The "not-so-universal" genetic code, its origin and its evolution
From [1]:"Until relatively recently, the [genetic] code was thought to be invariable, frozen, in all organisms, because of the way in which any change would produce widespread alteration in the amino acid sequences of proteins. The universality of the genetic code was first challenged in 1979, when mammalian mitochondria were found to use a code that deviated somewhat from the universal."A brief refresher: proteins are chains of amino acids. They are made from messenger RNA by assigning each tri........ Read more »
Ohama T, Inagaki Y, Bessho Y, & Osawa S. (2008) Evolving genetic code. Proceedings of the Japan Academy. Series B, Physical and biological sciences, 84(2), 58-74. PMID: 18941287
- February 13, 2012
- 07:16 AM
- 16 views
Women Turned On By Healthy Look
by Carian Thus in United Academics
A masculine appearance seems to be less important to women than previously thought. New research suggests that health cues such as skin color influence attractiveness judgments even more.... Read more »
Stephen, I., Scott, I., Coetzee, V., Pound, N., Perrett, D., & Penton-Voak, I. (2012) Cross-cultural effects of color, but not morphological masculinity, on perceived attractiveness of men's faces. Evolution and Human Behavior. DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2011.10.003
- February 13, 2012
- 07:09 AM
- 8 views
Super Smart Animals
by Sean Roberts in A Replicated Typo 2.0
This new documentary about animal intelligence shares some of these elements (sandy beaches, far flung destinations), but crucially, Liz Bonnin is more than an enthusiastic observer – she is not just an engaging television presenter, but a REAL SCIENTIST.... Read more »
Pilley, J., & Reid, A. (2011) Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents. Behavioural Processes, 86(2), 184-195. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2010.11.007
- February 13, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 5 views
February 13, 2012
by Erin Campbell in HighMag Blog
Our nervous system would be in trouble without myelin sheaths and nodes of Ranvier. No, those two things do not refer to some kind of Lord of the Rings-type silliness. They are very important components of our nervous system that ensure fast and efficient signal conduction.Myelin sheaths are membranes that insulate the axons of many neurons. Myelin sheaths have distinct domains of ion channels and proteins, such as the nodes of Ranvier, along the axon that are required for the high speed and ........ Read more »
Ivanovic, A., Horresh, I., Golan, N., Spiegel, I., Sabanay, H., Frechter, S., Ohno, S., Terada, N., Mobius, W., Rosenbluth, J.... (2012) The cytoskeletal adapter protein 4.1G organizes the internodes in peripheral myelinated nerves. originally published in the Journal of Cell Biology, 196(3), 337-344. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201111127
- February 13, 2012
- 06:00 AM
- 18 views
Drinking Alcohol makes you pee more – but how much?
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
Too much tipple and you’ll know about it the next day. The dreaded hangover – headaches, fatigue and nausea are normal Sunday morning sensations for many a Saturday night reveller. Dehydration is frequently said to be the reason for hangover symptoms – and some swear that a pint of tap water before bed thwarts any alcohol-induced … Continue reading »... Read more »
Strauss, M., Rosenbaum, J., & Nelson, W. (1950) THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON THE RENAL EXCRETION OF WATER AND ELECTROLYTE 1. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 29(8), 1053-1058. DOI: 10.1172/JCI102336
- February 13, 2012
- 01:35 AM
- 18 views
21st Century Treatments for Insomnia
by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic
Are you having trouble sleeping? But you're not feeling that 19th century retro hipster insomniac vibe? Try some of these behavioral remedies recommended by the finest scientific and medical journals of today.What a Difference a Day MakesIs Intensive Sleep Retraining (ISR) a new overnight treatment for chronic insomnia (Harris et al., 2012)? ISR is conducted in one 25 hr session at a sleep lab, where the insomniac sleeps a maximum of 3 min every 30 min for a period of 25 hrs. Instant cure! (supp........ Read more »
Harris, J., Lack, L., Kemp, K., Wright, H., & Bootzin, R. (2012) A Randomized Controlled Trial of Intensive Sleep Retraining (ISR): A Brief Conditioning Treatment for Chronic Insomnia. SLEEP. DOI: 10.5665/sleep.1584
Spielman, A., & Glovinsky, P. (2012) What a Difference a Day Makes. SLEEP. DOI: 10.5665/sleep.1574
- February 13, 2012
- 01:11 AM
- 19 views
Valentine's Day Special: An Insider's Guide to Speed Dating
by Psych Your Mind in Psych Your Mind
To my never-ending delight, being a social psychologist can sometimes make me feel like I have an insider’s guide to social life. When I discovered that two dear friends of mine were about to try speed dating for the first time, I couldn’t help offering some (yes, unsolicited) terribly handy research-based advice: “Be selective! They’ll like you more if you don’t show interest in everybody.” My random tip amused my friends, but my outburst didn’t do justice to the scope of research........ Read more »
Back, M., Penke, L., Schmukle, S., Sachse, K., Borkenau, P., & Asendorpf, J. (2011) Why mate choices are not as reciprocal as we assume: The role of personality, flirting and physical attractiveness. European Journal of Personality, 25(2), 120-132. DOI: 10.1002/per.806
Eastwick, P., Finkel, E., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2007) Selective Versus Unselective Romantic Desire: Not All Reciprocity Is Created Equal. Psychological Science, 18(4), 317-319. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01897.x
Eastwick, P., & Finkel, E. (2008) Sex differences in mate preferences revisited: Do people know what they initially desire in a romantic partner?. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(2), 245-264. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.94.2.245
Finkel, E., & Eastwick, P. (2009) Arbitrary Social Norms Influence Sex Differences in Romantic Selectivity. Psychological Science, 20(10), 1290-1295. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02439.x
- February 13, 2012
- 12:12 AM
- 24 views
Just ONE Copy of The Daily Mail Could Ruin Your Life
by Neurobonkers in Neurobonkers
A comprehensive debunking of the Daily Mail's reporting of science.... Read more »
The Poynter Institute. (2006) Eyetracking the news. A study of print and online reading. Poynter. info:/
- February 13, 2012
- 12:04 AM
- 10 views
Retention of Movement Pattern Changes After a Lower Extremity Injury Prevention Program Is Affected by Program Duration
by Jeffrey B. Driban in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
Padua et al compared the retention of altered movement patterns between a short-duration (3 months) and extended-duration injury prevention program completed by youth soccer athletes (aged 11 to 17 years). ... Read more »
Padua DA, Distefano LJ, Marshall SW, Beutler AI, de la Motte SJ, & Distefano MJ. (2012) Retention of movement pattern changes after a lower extremity injury prevention program is affected by program duration. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(2), 300-6. PMID: 22064608
- February 12, 2012
- 03:28 PM
- 32 views
Big Brains in Evolutionary History
by Matt & Cris in Originus
In 1985 I visited the Soviet Union with a small group of Austrian tourists (I was studying in Vienna at …Continue reading »... Read more »
Gross, C. (1993) Huxley versus Owen: the hippocampus minor and evolution. Trends in Neurosciences, 16(12), 493-498. DOI: 10.1016/0166-2236(93)90190-W
- February 12, 2012
- 02:47 PM
- 22 views
UK meet Schmallenberg virus - Schmallenberg virus meet the UK
by Connor Bamford in The Rule of 6ix
Still-born lamb after Schmallenberg infection. http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/i
Europe is currently experiencing an incredibly worrying outbreak of disease across hundreds of farms in the North-West and it has finally popped up in the UK. The disease - caused by a previously unknown virus - has been causing a large number of still births in cows, goats and sheep after it was initially found in the Netherlands and Germany. What is worrying about this is our economic dependance on this ki........ Read more »
Hoffmann, B., Scheuch, M., Höper, D., Jungblut, R., Holsteg, M., Schirrmeier, H., Eschbaumer, M., Goller, K., Wernike, K., Fischer, M.... (2012) Novel Orthobunyavirus in Cattle, Europe, 2011. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 18(3), 469-472. DOI: 10.3201/eid1803.111905
- February 12, 2012
- 02:01 PM
- 25 views
Chemical Ghosts in the Machine
by Cris Campbell in Genealogy of Religion
If we think deeply about evolution, we eventually will ask questions not about the origin of species but about the origin of life. For some theistic evolutionists, this is the point of Designer intervention. They find it hard to imagine that chemicals could combine in way that gives rise to life. For those less inclined [...]... Read more »
Urey, Harold. (1952) On the Early Chemical History of the Earth and the Origin of Life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 38(4), 351-363. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.38.4.351
Peretó J. (2005) Controversies on the origin of life. International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, 8(1), 23-31. PMID: 15906258
Joyce, G. (1989) RNA evolution and the origins of life. Nature, 338(6212), 217-224. DOI: 10.1038/338217a0
Orgel LE. (1998) The origin of life--a review of facts and speculations. Trends in biochemical sciences, 23(12), 491-5. PMID: 9868373
- February 12, 2012
- 01:45 PM
- 26 views
The Chimp that Could (almost) Talk
by Paige Brown in From The Lab Bench
“Wouldn’t it be exciting to communicate with a Chimp, and find out what it was thinking?” – Professor Herbert Terrace
I watched Project Nim tonight, an intriguing and emotional film about a scientific project that, to many, meant much more than scientific findings – the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth, raised like a human child, and taught to communicate using sign language.
... Read more »
Terrace, H., Petitto, L., Sanders, R., & Bever, T. (1979) Can an ape create a sentence?. Science, 206(4421), 891-902. DOI: 10.1126/science.504995
- February 12, 2012
- 01:30 PM
- 17 views
The Role of experience in flight behaviour of Drosophila
by Sathishk in neuro JC
This study illustrates the requirement of training and exercise in executing successful fine motor skills in the invertebrates.Fruit fly Drosophila groups reared and grown in two different fly chambers ,one allows free flight movement and other restricted flight movement were tested for various flight kinematics in free flight arena and tethered flight simulator.Overall performance [...]... Read more »
Hesselberg, T., & Lehmann, F. (2009) The role of experience in flight behaviour of Drosophila. Journal of Experimental Biology, 212(20), 3377-3386. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.025221
- February 12, 2012
- 01:21 PM
- 23 views
Cell Phone Use and Risk of Brain Cancer
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
In my last post I examined the epidemiology of brain tumors using a summary of the latest data from the United States. The summary noted the slight decline in the number of malignant brain cancers over the last twenty years.One area of concern that is receiving increased attention is the potential for cell phone risk to raise the risk of brain cancers.Obviously if cell phone use was a very large effect one might have expected an increase in the rates of brain tumors and cancer over th........ Read more »
Frei, P., Poulsen, A., Johansen, C., Olsen, J., Steding-Jessen, M., & Schuz, J. (2011) Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumours: update of Danish cohort study. BMJ, 343(oct19 4). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d6387
- February 12, 2012
- 01:03 PM
- 26 views
On introducing elephants to Australia...
by Colin Beale in Safari Ecology
Sometimes scientists suggest the mostabsurd things. In the news last week (with thanks to an Australianfriend for tipping me off) was a paper published in the prestigiousjournal Nature that suggested in the text and headline that Australiashould introduce elephants to control an invasive grass thatoriginally came from Africa: Gamba grass, Andropogon guyanus. Theauthor made a number of sound observations: Australia (like too muchof the world) is riddled with invasive species, has suffered amassiv........ Read more »
Bowman, D. (2012) Conservation: Bring elephants to Australia?. Nature, 482(7383), 30-30. DOI: 10.1038/482030a
- February 12, 2012
- 11:10 AM
- 24 views
How the TB bacteria bursts your cells
by Lab Rat in Lab Rat Blog
The bacteria that causes Tuberculosis is a nasty little beast. The white blood cells that clear infection in your body work by ingesting bacteria and then breaking them up, and the TB escapes this by letting itself get ingested and then sitting inside your white blood cells. They don’t sit passively, however, they burst out of the cell and recruit a whole host of other blood cells which surround the infection and form what’s called a granuloma. The bacteria stay inside the granuloma ........ Read more »
Simeone R, Bobard A, Lippmann J, Bitter W, Majlessi L, Brosch R, & Enninga J. (2012) Phagosomal Rupture by Mycobacterium tuberculosis Results in Toxicity and Host Cell Death. PLoS pathogens, 8(2). PMID: 22319448
- February 12, 2012
- 07:22 AM
- 29 views
One species or two?
by Mauro Mandrioli in The aphid room
It is frequently difficult to distinguish aphid species and considering that a same species could be present on different host plants, numerous cryptic species could exist in aphids. Furthermore, the split of aphids of the same species into two distinct species due to the presence of environmentally induced differences is also present making more and [...]... Read more »
R.G. Foottit, H.E.L. Maw, K.S. Pike, R.H. Miller. (2010) The identity of Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel and P. caladii van der Goot (Hemiptera: Aphididae) based on molecular and morphometric analysis . Zootaxa, 25-38. info:/
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