TOP 100 SCIENCE SITES
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| Feds appeal order blocking stem cell research By JESSE J. HOLLAND 2010-08-31T22:43:58ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration on Tuesday asked a federal judge to lift a restraining order that it says could undercut federally funded embryonic stem cell research.... hosted.ap.org |
Failure to act on early signs of rheumatoid arthritis could prove fatal Specialist says rheumatoid arthritis can be halted or even reversed if treated early, but symptoms are often ignoredPeople are putting themselves at risk of an early death by failing to act on the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis, a doctor warned today.The crippling condition causes swelling and pain in the joints, but these symptoms are often dismissed as an inevitable consequence of ageing or too minor to trouble a GP with.A study into patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis found that on average, they went untreated for more than six months, and that most of this delay was due to people failing to raise the issue with their GP.Dr Karim Raza, a consultant rheumatologist at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospitals, said that acting on the first signs of rhemuatoid arthritis was crucial because it can be treated successfully if caught within three months."The condition does not just affect the joints. People with rheumatoid arthritis typically die 10 years younger from premature heart disease," Dr Raza said.Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune disorder that targets the joints, but also damages other parts of the body. The condition affects 350,000 people in Britain and usually appears between the ages of 30 and 50. Three times as many women are affected as men."The data suggests that if you intervene within the first three months you can very rapidly slow progression of the disease and in some cases halt it," Dr Raza said. "There is also a suggestion that if you intervene aggressively you might in a small proportion of people actually switch off the disease."The disease begins with swelling across the knuckles and possibly the toe joints. The joints become stiff and painful to move and eventually become badly swollen. The condition is different from other forms of arthritis in that the stiffness and pain is worst in the morning and eases through the day."We need to raise awareness of the seriousness of the condition among the general public so they get quick access to the care they need, and which can make such a difference to the outcome of their disease," Raza said.British Science Festival 2010ImmunologyMedical researchHealthHealth & wellbeingBritish Science FestivalIan Sampleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Mystery Bird: Common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus | GrrlScientist This demystified British mystery bird species is notable for two reasons: its geographic range and its reproductive behaviourJuvenile common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus (formerly; Fulica chloropus), also known as the marshhen or, occasionally as the mirehen. In the USA, this species is known as the common gallinule. Photographed at Dungeness RSPB reserve, Lydd, Kent, UK. Image: Adrian White, September 2010. [larger view].Nikon D40x with a Tamron 70-300 lens.Question: This mystery bird species is notable for two reasons: its geographic range and its reproductive behaviour. Can you tell me more about either or both of those? Response: The common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus, is a member of the rail family, rallidae. This taxonomic family of birds is remarkable because it has an almost worldwide distribution (excluding Antarctica), occupying nearly every type of terrestrial habitat available. Rails often colonise islands, where they rapidly evolve flightlessness due to the absence of terrestrial predators. Despite their huge range, the rails have suffered disproportionally from human impacts, particularly from habitat loss, hunting, introduced species, and climate change. Scientists estimate that several hundred species of island rail have gone extinct as a result of human activities.Among the rails, the common moorhen is quite uncommon because young birds will help their parents raise younger siblings produced in subsequent nesting efforts. These young birds are referred to as "nest helpers" and this behaviour is known as cooperative breeding. Interestingly, the moorhen is one of just two British bird species that breed cooperatively. Can anyone tell me the name of the other cooperative breeding bird species in Britain? If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Spanish inspectors seize 'cooked up' top-grade hams Cowboy trade suspected in meat wrongly sold as that of free-range, acorn-fed pigs, a delicacy across the countryIt is the delicacy Spaniards are most likely to spend outrageous sums of money on, but now warnings have been issued suggesting top-grade air-cured hams might not be all they pretend to be.Ham inspectors put 17 tonnes of pig meat into quarantine yesterday as they cracked down on what they suspected was a massive fraud involving Spanish hams that – purportedly – come from the haunches of free-range pigs that feast daily on acorns.Authorities in southern Andalucia said that, to provide the quantity of ibérico hams that now hang from supermarket meat counters, the region would need to double the number of locally bred, acorn-fed pigs. Andalucia already has half a million pigs roaming in the dehesa, or areas of open farmland dotted with holm oaks."There are cowboys in this business who harm the whole trade by selling hams that are not worth what they say," said Ricardo DomÃnguez, of the regional government of Andalucia.Last year Spaniards consumed about 4.5m legs of cured ham, or one for every 10 inhabitants. Much of this was the more common serrano ham, but about 800,000 cuts were labelled as pata negra, the much-prized "black leg" hams, as well as other ibérico hams that come from pigs fed on acorns. Valued hams are dried for three years.Prices can rise as high as €1,500 (£1,317) for a single pata negra ham. Pigs may enjoy as much as a hectare (2.5 acres) of dehesa a head, though some farms claim to give each free-range animal 11 hectares to forage across.The amount of top-grade ham Spain can produce is limited by its dwindling stock of acorn-producing holm oaks, many of which are hundreds of years old. There were more than 11m of these evergreen oaks at the beginning of the 20th century, but only 2.5m remain due to farmers chopping many down in the 1930s and 1940s. Of the trees that survived the felling, a 10th are now dying of disease.Officials insist, however, that fraud is decreasing as inspectors get tougher. "The rules are stricter and that helps clear up any doubts," Isabel Bombal, of Spain's agriculture ministry, told El PaÃs.SpainAgricultureGiles Tremlettguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
The microscopic beauty and complexity of life Every year, scientists enter images in Nikon's competition for photography on a microscopic scale. Here we show the top 20 winners from 2010 guardian.co.uk |