New research has shed light on the origins of a fungal infection which is one of the major causes of death from AIDS-related illnesses. The study, published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the BBSRC, shows how the more virulent forms of Cryptococcus neoformans evolved and spread out of Africa and into Asia. Cryptococcus neoformans is a species of often highly aggressive fungi. One particular strain of the fungus - known as Cryptococcus neoformas variety grubii (Cng) - causes meningitis amongst patients with compromised immune systems following HIV infection... Invading species of wild hogs are being hunted from helicopters in Texas. Invading species of wild hogs are being hunted from helicopters in Texas. Departing director of conservation at RSPB vents anger at neglect of UK's environment A leading green campaigner has sparked a row over the cause of declining wildlife in the UK by accusing farmers of being "fundamentally anti- environment." Mark Avery, who last week left his post as director of conservation at the RSPB, also says environment ministers have brought little knowledge or enthusiasm to their jobs, attacks successive governments of "muzzling" state agencies meant to protect wildlife, criticises global "over-consumption" in a Guardian article on Wednesday that looks back on 25 years at the charity. Avery attacks "conservative" farmers for what he sees as their failure to reverse the massive population declines in farmland birds – numbers are now at their lowest levels in England since formal attempts to record them began in 1966 – before criticising the body that represents them in England. He says that "at almost every opportunity, the [National Farmers Union (NFU) ] chooses the option which will harm the environment – it is weak on greenhouse gas reduction measures, in favour of biofuels, argues against improving the effectiveness of farming grants, is against clamping down on pesticide use and wants its members to ... Scars on the jaw of a 120-million-year-old marine reptile suggest that life might not have been easy in the ancient polar oceans. The healed bite wounds were probably made by a member of the same species. Such injuries give important clues about the social behavior of extinct sea creatures from the time of dinosaurs. The occurrence of forest fires is a natural phenomenon in Mediterranean ecosystems. Researchers in Spain recently undertook a project in order to ascertain the extent to which forest fires and common post-fire treatments affect key species like the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Scientists in the United States have found fossilised remains of one of the biggest ant species ever to have lived. Since the 1930s scientists have proposed food restriction as a way to extend life in mice. Though feeding a reduced-calorie diet has indeed lengthened the life spans of mice, rats and many other species, new studies with dozens of different mouse strains indicate that food restriction does not work in all cases... Europe set new targets to halt a mainly man-made loss of species costing billions each year as campaigners called for tougher environmental demands on farmers. Meet the species whose DNA has recently been sequenced The popularity of food stories has moved well beyond just the occasional cooking show. There are all sorts of competitive cooking shows, restaurant reality shows, and attempts to create new food revolutions via TV shows and documentaries. Since everyone seems to like to learn about what they're eating, here are a few more interesting food articles to chew on. * Tilapia is apparently the perfect factory fish -- but its story got bumped off the front page of the NYT due to a little bit of Osama bin Laden news. So on an otherwise slow news day, we would have learned that tilapia may not be as healthy for people as other fish and it's considered an invasive species due to its ability to outgrow other fish populations. [url] * Baby carrots are going to be the next junk food -- if you believe the marketing hype. Celery sticks don't stand a chance against these little orange guys... [url] * Everyone loves bacon -- even vegetarians. It's fried, salty and has plenty of fat, so what's not to like? [url] * **To discover more food-related links, check ... Swiss researchers build an artificial population of virtual robots to test a biological idea about altruism. If natural selection means that only the fittest individuals survive to pass their genes on to the next generation, then selfless behavior should not exist. Yet dolphins are known to support their injured brethren, and some species of monkeys will scream to warn others of danger, even though doing so makes them an easier target. _Cougar Town_ co-executive producers Chrissy Pietrosh and Jessica Goldstein have signed their first overall deal, a 2-year pact with the series' producer ABC Studios. Under the deal, the two will continue to work on Bill Lawrence's comedy series starring Courteney Cox, which was given an early renewal in January. Additionally the duo will develop new projects. This season, they wrote the script _Besties _for ABC Studios and the Mark Gordon Co., which was in serious contention for a pilot pickup at ABC. ICM-repped Pietrosh and Goldstein's previous series credits include_ My Name Is Earl _and ABC's _Big Day_. While female comedy writing teams are a rare species in TV, ABC seems to be the most receptive to such duos. The network's solid comedy series _The Middle_ hails from WBTV-based creators/showrunners Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline. And ABC Studios this spring signed a rich overall deal with the recently partnered Jen Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan who are running the ABC pilot _Bad Mom_. Researchers have bred a new species of all-female lizard, mimicking a process that has happened naturally in the past but has never been directly observed. "It's recreating the events that lead to new species," said cell biologist Peter Baumann of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, whose new species is described May 3 in the Proceedings [...] The Hanna star will portray one of the last humans fighting off alien parasites in this adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's post-Twilight novel. [...] Research on how pandemics spread across species could apply to humans. Research on how pandemics spread across species could apply to humans. **EXCLUSIVE**: Saoirse Ronan has been set to star in _The Host_, the screen adaptation of the bestselling novel by _Twilight Saga _author Stephenie Meyer. Scripted by Andrew Niccol, the film figures to be one of the hot titles when Inferno launches sales at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival next week. Niccol, who was originally set to direct, might resurface as the filmmaker. Ronan, the Oscar-nominated star of _Atonement, The Lovely Bones _and most recently_ Hanna_, will play Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against an alien species called Souls. These parasites invade human bodies, fuse to each person's consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. Melanie is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer, something of a legend because of all of the "hosts" she has attached to on numerous planets. Wanderer's goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness. Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie's memories and feelings, the alien is driven to reconnect with Melanie's old life. The concept is more of a visual ... A UCLA geography class predicted in 2009 that there was an 88.9% chance that Osama bin Laden was hiding out in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he was killed on Sunday, Science Insider reports. "Based on information from satellites and other remote sensing systems, and reports on his movements since his last known location, the students created a probabilistic model of where he was likely to be. Their prediction of a town was based on a geographical theory called 'island biogeography': basically, that a species on a large island is much less likely to go extinct following a catastrophic event than a species on a small one." Said Profession Thomas Gillespie: "The theory was basically that if you're going to try and survive, you're going to a region with a low extinction rate: a large town. We hypothesized he wouldn't be in a small town where people could report on him."
Key Words: species
References:
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tracking The Evolution And Spread Of Deadly Fungus One World's Major Killers Watch Texas Takes to Skies Take on Wild Hogs Mark Avery hits out at politicians and farmers as he flies RSPB nest Battle scars found an ancient sea monster Improving postfire forest management promote biodiversity in the Mediterranean ecosystems 5cm fossilised ant US Mouse Study Questions FatLoss Longevity Link Europe bids 'halt' loss Genome digest DailyDirt Foods For Thought Simulation upholds a theory of natural selection GIRL POWER ABC Studios Signs Overall Deal With 'Cougar Town' CoExec Producers AllFemale Lizard Species Created Lab Host Gets Saoirse Ronan Pathogen Threatens Amphibians 'Twilight Saga' Author Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host' Lands To Star Students Predicted Bin Laden's Location Two Years Ago
