Although the dune ecosystem is unusual, fragile and is protected by the "habitats" directive of the network Natura 2000, its conservation is very vulnerable to the proliferation of car parks, nearby buildings and inadequate boardwalks installed for protection or beach access. Researchers at the University of Seville (UoS) have published a study in the Journal of Coastal Research of human impact on the natural dunes at two sites in the Gulf of Cádiz, specifically in the protected areas of La Flecha Litoral in El Rompido and Enebrales in Punta Umbria, both in Huelva province. ...

The nation's feral pig population continues to expand, increasing the potential for interaction with humans and domestic swine - and for spreading diseases. Researchers at North Carolina State University examined feral pigs from eastern North Carolina to determine exposure to two parasites that can be transmitted from animals to people – Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Trichinella. The study found that wild pigs host a significant number of these parasites. "If ingested by humans, these parasites can invade muscle tissue and organs, causing flu-like symptoms – with ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study of sexual risk behaviors within long-term couples in South Africa finds that HIV-positive people take almost as much risk in their sexual behavior when they know their partner is HIV-negative or don't know their status, as when they know their partner is already infected. At the same time, HIV-positive partners who are on antiretroviral therapy and in intensive counseling do engage in less risky behavior. The Brown University researchers who led the study say both findings suggest that more couples-based HIV counseling is ...

WASHINGTON, April 25—Costa Rica was once regarded as the poorest of all the colonies of the Spanish Empire, sadly deficient in the silver and gold so coveted by conquistadors. As it turns out, all of the glittering gold and silver those explorers could have ever wanted was there all along, in the country's tropical rainforests—but in the form of two gloriously lustrous species of beetle. Today, the brilliant gold- (Chrysina aurigans) and silver-colored (Chrysina limbata) beetles have given optics researchers new insights into the way biology can recreate the appearance ...

BETHESDA, Md., April 25, 2011 – Cancer has a mighty big bag of tricks that it uses to evade the body's natural defense mechanisms and proliferate. Among those tricks is one that allows tumor cells to turn the intricate and extensive system of lymphatic vessels into something of a highway to metastasis. Yet research unveiled this week may aid in the development of therapeutics that will put the brakes on such cancer spread, and the researchers who completed the study say the findings may extend to other lymphatic disorders. In the latest issue of the Journal of Biological ...

(Boston) – Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that human proteins with an affinity for Dermatan Sulfate (DS) have the propensity to become autoantigens. In a companion article, the researchers also found that DS physically interacts with dead cells and that the resulting DS–autoantigen complexes drive autoreactive B-1a cell responses and autoantibody production both in-vitro and in mouse models. These findings, which appear in two back-to-back papers in the May issue of the American Journal of Pathology, provide a promising tool ...

New research challenges the commonly-held view that cap and trade legislation failed because of the spending advantages of opponents and false balance in news coverage. The report, "Climate Shift: Clear Vision for the Next Decade of Public Debate," was released today by American University Professor Matthew Nisbet. "There is a tendency among environmentalists and scientists to blame political inaction on the spending advantage enjoyed by conservatives and on false balance in media coverage," says Nisbet. "However, this analysis shows that the effort by environmentalists ...

Chitwan, Nepal – After three rigorous weeks of conducting the National Rhino Census in Nepal, new data on the population of greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) was formally released today. According to the census, there are 534 rhinos in Nepal, marking an increase of 99 rhinos from the 435 recorded in the last census in 2008; 503 were recorded in Chitwan National Park (an increase of 95 from 2008 data), 24 in Bardia National Park (an increase of 2 from 2008 data) and 7 in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (an increase of 2 from 2008 data). These numbers ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A class of drugs that shows promise in breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA gene mutations could potentially benefit colorectal cancer patients with a different genetic mutation, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds. Working in cell lines from colorectal cancer patients, researchers found that a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors worked against tumors with mutations in the MRE11 gene. About 15 percent of all colorectal cancers have what's called microsatellite instability, a type of error in the DNA. ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Dire predictions of impending doom for the future of legal education should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism, says a University of Illinois business law expert. Law professor Larry E. Ribstein says both law schools and the legal profession are going through a period of change that will be rough for some, but will also open the door to new opportunities for others. "I think the horizon for what you can do with a legal education hasn't shrunk, but has actually expanded," said Ribstein, the Mildred Van Voorhis Jones Chair in Law. "Change can ...

Award-winning car hire price comparator Carrentals.co.uk has announced new deals this week which can help people heading for the south of France to make the most of their travel budgets. Anyone taking a trip to the French Riviera can use the newly introduced Nice car hire deals to find great value deals from top name hire providers. Carrentals.co.uk has been saving travellers money on their car hire needs for over 5 years now and compares all the very best deals around from over 50 top name suppliers including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, ...

This year's Keswick Mountain Festival gets underway on Wednesday May 18th and will bring an intriguing line-up of guest speakers to the Cumbrian town. TV survival expert Ray Mears and UK climbing legend Sir Chris Bonington are just two of the figures scheduled to appear during the five-day event, with both men due to give talks at the Theatre by the Lake. Visitors to the festival have an abundance of special activities to look forward to, with several triathlons taking place for athletes who fancy putting their stamina to the test. As well as a varied programme ...

It took 26 years for marine invertebrates living on the Port Valdez seafloor to stabilize after Alaska's Great Earthquake of 1964, according to a scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "The earthquake, which measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, and the tsunami waves that followed, impacted every marine community in Prince William Sound," said Arny Blanchard, a research assistant professor at the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Four decades of monitoring, including samples collected last year, have confirmed that the seafloor now resembles that of an ...

VIDEO: A team of five Rice University seniors made a portable unit that controls the air around a patient's eyes so doctors can study and treat those who suffer from painful... Click here for more information. Rice University bioengineering students responded to an ophthalmologist's cry for help with a device to diagnose dry eye, the itching and burning sensation that results when a person doesn't produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. A team of five seniors ...

Indie rock trio The Subways are set to play live at the Gloucester Guildhall this summer. The Hertfordshire-based band are currently putting the finishing touches to their third studio album and will perform at the Cotswold venue on Friday June 3rd. Fans have been waiting since 2008 to hear new material from the group, who shot to fame after being selected by Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis to play the famous festival's Other Stage as an unsigned act in 2004. Their latest album, which has been recorded with acclaimed producer Stephen Street, is therefore already ...

SEATTLE – The largest study ever to examine the association of dietary fats and prostate cancer risk has found what's good for the heart may not be good for the prostate. Analyzing data from a nationwide study involving more than 3,400 men, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men with the highest blood percentages of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, an inflammation-lowering omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fatty fish, have two-and-a-half-times the risk of developing aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer compared to men with the lowest DHA ...

Troy, N.Y. – Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method for manufacturing green-colored LEDs with greatly enhanced light output. The research team, led by Christian Wetzel, professor of physics and the Wellfleet Constellation Professor of Future Chips at Rensselaer, etched a nanoscale pattern at the interface between the LED's sapphire base and the layer of gallium nitride (GaN) that gives the LED its green color. Overall, the new technique results in green LEDs with significant enhancements in light extraction, internal efficiency, and ...

Vivid Sydney returns to the New South Wales capital at the end of next month and is set to bring three weeks of ideas, lights and music to the city. This year's festival will include everything from fire installations and light projections of floating jellyfish at Sydney Harbour to 3D illuminations and performances from some of the world's biggest musicians at the Opera House. The bill also features an outdoor exhibition boasting more than 40 light displays from Australian and international artists. Children will be encouraged to climb on the interactive sculptures, ...

The 2011 National Rugby League (NRL) Double Header returns to Brisbane at the end of next month, offering sports fans the chance to watch some of Australia's top teams in action. This season's event will see local favourites the Brisbane Broncos take on Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, followed by a clash between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Gold Coast Titans. It takes place on May 27th, just two days after the first match of the Harvey Norman State of Origin Series between Queensland and New South Wales. Since it launched in 2009, the double-header concept ...

Recently a research paper titled "Expanding the Diversity of Mycobacteriophages: Insights into Genome Architecture and Evolution" was published in PLoS ONE, a peer-reviewed online journal published by the Public Library of Science. The authors included 12 Washington University undergraduates who had participated as freshman in the inaugural Phage Hunters course at Washington University in St. Louis. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria by injecting genetic material into them with a syringe-like plunger. In fact, they even look rather like outlandish syringes. Phage ...

Researchers at Queen's University have found a strong association between computer and Internet use in adolescents and engagement in multiple-risk behaviours (MRB), including illicit drug use, drunkenness and unprotected sex. "This research is based on social cognitive theory, which suggests that seeing people engaged in a behaviour is a way of learning that behaviour," explains lead researcher Valerie Carson, a doctoral candidate in School of Kinesiology and Health Studies. "Since adolescents are exposed to considerable screen time—over 4.5 hours on average each day—they're ...

The study, "WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends, Q2 2011", analyzes competitive activities by prominent industry alliances and market penetration of associated wireless sensor network protocols. "Many of the technologies competing for market share in the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) sector are still in a developing state," said Kirsten West, Principal Analyst with WTRS. "It appears that much of the growth likely in 2011 will be due to market demand for solutions to overall network connectivity and battery-free operational constraints." ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – April 25, 2011 – A new study reports that multipolar electrocoagulation in combination with acid suppression is a safe and effective method to ablate nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus over the long term. No adenocarcinoma (cancer) or high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus developed in any of the study patients. This is the largest published series and longest follow-up of patients with nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus who underwent ablation therapy with multipolar electrocoagulation. The study appears in the April issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, ...

It is safe to say that we are all guilty of these at some point in our day – stifling a yawn in the middle of the work day, eyelids growing heavy and having the strong urge for caffeine when 3pm rolls around. While most of us have experienced fatigue and lethargy on the job, spare a thought for those who hold the fate of people's lives in their hands. In recent weeks, there have been reports of air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job, from Miami to Knoxville to Washington, DC. There is even speculation that staff shortage and a lack of attention may have contributed ...

The 2011 Connecticut National Association of Social Workers Annual Conference celebrates the role of how "Social Workers Change Futures" and will be attended by social workers throughout the state. There are an estimated 8-10,000 social workers in Connecticut who are working to help people change and improve their lives as well as working on legislative initiatives and policy to help make such changes possible. Keeping with the theme of the annual conference that highlights social workers who "think outside the box" as they view problems from all ...