PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Queen's researcher finds situation dire for threatened rhino species

The extinction of the Javan rhino from Vietnam has been confirmed

2012-08-03
(Press-News.org) Peter de Groot (Biology) hopes his recent finding confirming the extinction of the Javan rhinoceros in Vietnam pushes the public to protect the last remaining group of these prehistoric creatures living in Indonesia.

"We still have a chance to save the species but before we do anything, we have to determine the profile of the remaining group," he says.

Dr. de Groot, Peter Boag (Biology) and colleagues confirmed the demise of the Javan rhinoceros population living in Vietnam by analyzing animal dung collected with the assistance of special dung detection dogs. Using genetic tools developed at Queens and Cornell, they determined only one Javan rhinoceros was living in Vietnam in 2009. That rhinoceros was found dead the following year.

Drs. de Groot, Boag and other researchers are now working to save a group of 29 Javan rhinoceroses currently living in a tiny area called Ujon Kolong in Indonesia. They will use the rhinoceros feces collected by fellow researchers to determine the age, sex and pedigree of this group. This research will provide a direction to try to save the remaining population of one of the most threatened large mammal species in the world.

This work is part of Drs. de Groot and Boag's ongoing initiative to develop genetic tools that can assist in the conservation and management of all rhino species in Africa and Asia. Through the integration of non-invasive field data collected with the help of local indigenous knowledge and with collaborators in the US , France, Africa and Asia they are developing inclusive methods to accurately monitor and conserve our shared natural heritage. INFORMATION:

This work has been funded largely by NSERC, WWF, IRF (International Rhino Foundation) and the USFWS.

Dr. de Groot's research was published in Biological Conservation.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules

Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules
2012-08-03
AMES, Iowa – By blending optical and atomic force microscope technologies, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory researchers have found a way to complete 3-D measurements of single biological molecules with unprecedented accuracy and precision. Existing technologies allow researchers to measure single molecules on the x and y axes of a 2-D plane. The new technology allows researchers to make height measurements (the z axis) down to the nanometer – just a billionth of a meter – without custom optics or special surfaces for the samples. "This is a completely new type ...

Fragile X and Down syndromes share signalling pathway for intellectual disability

Fragile X and Down syndromes share signalling pathway for intellectual disability
2012-08-03
HEIDELBERG, 3 August 2012 – Intellectual disability due to Fragile X and Down syndromes involves similar molecular pathways report researchers in The EMBO Journal. The two disorders share disturbances in the molecular events that regulate the way nerve cells develop dendritic spines, the small extensions found on the surface of nerve cells that are crucial for communication in the brain. "We have shown for the first time that some of the proteins altered in Fragile X and Down syndromes are common molecular triggers of intellectual disability in both disorders," said ...

Aurka-to-p53 signaling: A link between stem cell regulation and cancer

2012-08-03
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the University of Manchester, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center have found a new role for an oncogenic signaling pathway in embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal and in reprogramming adult cells into an ESC-state, which will aid in the development of future cancer therapies. The findings promote the understanding of the self-renewal mechanism in embryonic stem cells and provide insight into the role of Aurka, an oncoprotein that is amplified in several human cancers. The research is published in the August 3rd issue of ...

Birds that live with varying weather sing more versatile songs

2012-08-03
Durham, NC — A new study of North American songbirds reveals that birds that live with fluctuating weather are more flexible singers. Mixing it up helps birds ensure that their songs are heard no matter what the habitat, say researchers at Australian National University and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. To test the idea, the researchers analyzed song recordings from more than 400 male birds spanning 44 species of North American songbirds — a data set that included orioles, blackbirds, warblers, sparrows, cardinals, finches, chickadees and thrushes. They ...

Ancient records shed light on Italian earthquakes (Aquila area)

2012-08-03
When a damaging earthquake struck the area of L'Aquila in central Italy in 2009, it was the latest in the region's long history of strong and persistent quakes. The rich recorded history of settlement in the area, along with oral traditions, archaeological excavations, inscriptions and medieval texts, and offer insight into how often the region might expect destructive earthquakes. But according to a new study by Emanuela Guidoboni and colleagues, the historical record on ancient and medieval earthquakes comes with its own shortcomings that must be addressed before the ...

Catching the cap-snatcher

2012-08-03
Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have determined the detailed 3-dimensional structure of part of the flu virus' RNA polymerase, an enzyme that is crucial for influenza virus replication. This important finding is published today in PLoS Pathogens. The research was done on the 2009 pandemic influenza strain but it will help scientists to design innovative drugs against all the different influenza strains, and potentially lead to a new class of anti-flu drugs in the next 5-10 years. The scientists focused on the endonuclease ...

Aerial photos reveal dynamic ice sheet

2012-08-03
Despite the current and rapid melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, it remains far from certain just when we will have reached a point when scientists will be able to predict its disappearance. Recent research conducted by the University of Copenhagen in conjunction with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the Danish National Survey and Cadastre (KMS) in collaboration with an international team of scientists reports that this is not the first time in recent history that the ice sheet has been in retreat and then stabilised again. The researchers' results have just ...

Alzheimer's cognitive decline slows in advanced age

2012-08-03
The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is advancing age. By age 85, the likelihood of developing the dreaded neurological disorder is roughly 50 percent. But researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say AD hits hardest among the "younger elderly" – people in their 60s and 70s – who show faster rates of brain tissue loss and cognitive decline than AD patients 80 years and older. The findings, reported online in the August 2, 2012 issue of the journal PLOS One, have profound implications for both diagnosing AD – which currently ...

Plant-based compound slows breast cancer in a mouse model

2012-08-03
The natural plant compound phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) hinders the development of mammary tumors in a mouse model with similarities to human breast cancer progression, according to a study published August 2 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Edible plants are gaining ground as chemopreventative agents. PEITC has shown to be effective as a chemopreventative agent in mice for colon, intestinal, and prostate cancer, by inducing apoptosis. In order to determine the efficacy of PEITC in mammary tumors in mice, Shivendra V. Singh, Ph.D., of the University ...

Cuckoo tricks to beat the neighborhood watch

2012-08-03
To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises. The new research, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, was published today, 03 August, in the journal Science. The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. On hatching, the young cuckoo ejects the host's eggs and chicks from the nest, so the hosts end up raising a cuckoo chick rather than a brood of their own. To fight back, reed warblers (a common host across Europe) have ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Research spotlight: Testing a model for depression care in Malawi using existing medical infrastructure

Depression care in low-income nations can improve overall health

The BMJ investigates dispute over US group’s involvement in WHO’s trans health guideline

Personal info and privacy control may be key to better visits with AI doctors

NIH study demonstrates long-term benefits of weight-loss surgery in young people

Sustained remission of diabetes and other obesity-related conditions found a decade after weight loss surgery in adolescence

Low-level lead poisoning is still pervasive in the US and globally

How researchers can maximize biological insights using animal-tracking devices

Research shows new method helps doctors safely remove dangerous heart infections without surgery

Rapid horizontal eye movement can improve stability in people with Parkinson’s

Study finds COVID-19 pandemic worsened patient safety measures

Costs still on the rise for drugs for neurological diseases

Large herbivores have lived in Yellowstone National Park for more than 2,000 years

Antarctic penguin colonies can be identified and tracked from tourists' photos, using a computer model to reconstruct the 3D scene

For patients with alcohol use disorder, exercise not only reduces alcohol dependence, but also improves mental and physical health, per systematic review

Bones from Tudor Mary Rose shipwreck suggest handedness might affect collarbone chemistry

Farewell frost! New surface prevents frost without heat

Similarities in brain development between marmosets and humans

Can we protect nerve cells from dying?

Why does Lake Geneva emit large quantities of CO2? UNIL scientists provide the answer and solve a scientific enigma

Double strike against blood cancer

Combining VR and non-invasive brain stimulation: a neurotechnology that boosts spatial memory without surgery

A rudimentary quantum network link between Dutch cities

Accounting for bias in medical data helps prevent AI from amplifying racial disparity

MD Anderson Research Highlights for October 30, 2024

Three Baycrest leaders named 2024 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: WXN’s Top 100 Award winners

Scientists uncover new mechanism in plant cold sensing

Study shows natural regrowth of tropical forests has immense potential to address environmental concerns

After a heart attack, the heart signals to the brain to increase sleep to promote healing

Complexity of tumors revealed in 3D

[Press-News.org] Queen's researcher finds situation dire for threatened rhino species
The extinction of the Javan rhino from Vietnam has been confirmed