Pets And Animals - 1/6/2009

• If the shoe fits ...
  
  
  
  Salary: $60,000 Age: 53 Years on the job: 30 How he got started Johnson grew up around Maryland racing because his father was a horse trainer. Working as a farrier gave him the opportunity to be around horses, which is something he loves....
  
  
  
  
• 'Cheshire Cat' Escape Strategy In Response To Marine Viruses
  
  
  
  A novel defense strategy displayed in response to marine viruses by some of the most abundant unicellular organisms found in our oceans has recently been demonstrated. The results enable a clearer understanding of the origin of, and reasons for, sexual reproduction in eukaryotes.
  
  
  
  
• Scientists dismayed over 7 vanishing whales
  
  
  
  Read full story for latest details.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Top Halloween Costumes For Kids, Adults (Even Pets)
  
  
  
  Hollywood is going trick-or-treating again. Costume suppliers predict the top Halloween costumes this year will come from summer blockbusters and the Disney channel. Thanks to " The Dark Knight," Batman is a top costume for children, adults and pets,...
  
  
  
  
• Could it be the Bayview Beast?
  
  
  
  After the Montauk Monster, comes ... the Bayview Beast? The latest in Long Island animal antics takes the shape of a purported mountain lion roaming through the Bayview neighborhood in Southold, according to a complaint made to police last week....
  
  
  
  
• Lock-up: condom edition
  
  
  
  A story that is getting national headlines right now involves a high school in St. Louis, where up to 50 students are being tested for HIV , after being exposed to the virus. The details are fuzzy- someone tested positive and informed authorities that quite a few people were in danger of also being positive. The article skirts around how these people were exposed- it mentions all the risk factors, including sexual contact, unsafe piercing and tattoo'ing- but I'm guessing it was probably unsafe sex. A recent story that isn't getting headlines happened to a couple of my friends. After hitting the grocery store, the couple decided to swing by CVS to pick up some condoms. Once they got to the aisle, they noticed that condoms were locked up. They went to the register, and asked for assistanc...
  
  
  
  
• Calls for controls on pythons as pets after death of woman
  
  
  
  The Humane Society of the United States has called for stricter regulations on the importation and ownership of large constrictor snakes following the death of a Virginia Beach woman who is thought to have been asphyxiated by a python Tuesday. Amanda...
  
  
  
  
• Woman arrested for killing virtual husband
  
  
  
  Read full story for latest details.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Depressed astronauts to find high-tech comfort
  
  
  
  Read full story for latest details.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Autism "debates"
  
  
  
  There’s plenty to debate about regarding autism and the speech about special needs children that Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is to give today in Pittsburgh —-her first about public policy—-should set off more. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, she’s to deliver the speech this morning at the morning at the Airport Marriott in Pittsburgh before an invited crowd of 350. Update 13:00 EST: Here’s the text of Palin’s speech.Palin talks about “these beautiful children” and these are her three policy proposals: more choices for parents, fully funding IDEA, and efforts to reform and refocus. I just heard about some budget issues in my own school district that have reminded me of the need to fully fund IDEA and Palin’s noting...
  
  
  
  
• Stephen Hawking to retire from post
  
  
  
  Read full story for latest details.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Damar the pet talking european starling
  
  
  
  tags: Damar The Talking Starling, Sturnis vulgaris, birds, behavior, pets, ornithology, streaming video A friend of mine in California who handfeeds European starling chicks and then sells them as pets, refers to them as "the poor man's mynah bird." This video should give you an appreciation for how talented these birds are as mimics [3:27] Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted))
  
  
  
  
• Rubbish dump wins landscape award
  
  
  
  A landscape restoration of a rubbish dump has won the Energy, Waste and Recycling category at the 2008 World Architecture Festival. The winning architects said that combining sustainability and their craft created something more interesting than flashy executive buildings.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Futuristic fashion gets smart
  
  
  
  Is that your dress ringing? It could be, if you're wearing an M-Dress -- a silk garment that doubles as a mobile phone. Produced by UK firm CuteCircuit, the M-Dress works with a standard SIM card. When the dress rings, you raise your hand to your head to answer the call.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Space tourist returns home
  
  
  
  Space tourist Richard Garriott's orbital vacation ended Friday as a Soyuz capsule carrying him and two cosmonauts landed safely in north-central Kazakhstan.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Israel's asi gives pathologists a vital second opinion
  
  
  
  You won't find many professionals in the field admitting it, but the awful truth is that pathology is not an exact science, and mistakes are made - too many mistakes, according to Limor Shiposh, CEO of Migdal Ha'emek's Applied Spectral Imaging (ASI). That's why pathologists need a "second opinion," and ASI wants to help them, with a groundbreaking product that applies the techniques of advanced genetic study to the examination of cells for cancer or other diseases. (Source: MRI / PET / Ultrasound News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Bonus Hints From Heloise
  
  
  
  Dear Heloise: Here are a few hints that I hope you will find helpful: • I do not have a lot of storage in my kitchen and have to stack skillets, pots and pans, etc. To eliminate noise and scratching my nonstick pans, I use old hot pads as a...
  
  
  
  
• Let Pet Owners Grieve
  
  
  
  After his Oct. 18 column [CTLiving, "A Few Thoughts About Putting A Hound In The Ground"], Jim Shea won't have to worry about being invited to "unsettling" ceremonies. And personally, I would like to set up a valid trust for my pets, but current...
  
  
  
  
• Over-The-Top Pet Accessories Still Have Appeal
  
  
  
  Until last week, I thought I was the owner of one pampered pooch. After all, Macy Mae and I celebrated our first year together -- a day henceforth celebrated in late June as Adoption Day -- with a bone-shaped carob cake, a cadre of canine pals and a...
  
  
  
  
• Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-crawling discovery
  
  
  
  Lehighton police and animal rescue officers have confiscated 160 snakes, many venomous and dangerous, from a downtown exotic pet store whose owner left them ill and dying -- and unsecured -- in the closed store for months, officials say. The July 22...
  
  
  
  
• Owner may have been killed by pet snake
  
  
  
  A pet snake might have strangled its owner to death in Virginia Beach earlier this week, police say. Amanda Ruth Black, 25, was found dead in her home on Maracas Arch around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Her husband called police and said he found her lying in...
  
  
  
  
• Extinction Risks High For Social Species Such As The African Wild Dog
  
  
  
  Because African wild dogs face bigger competitors like lions, whose larger stomachs handle large irregular meals, the African wild dog evolved a runner's metabolism (lithe, smaller stomachs) and formed large packs. In packs they reduce costs and ensure a regular supply of food. But in packs less than five, they end up in poverty traps, less well fed, less able to have pups, and spiral downward. This study reveals an extinction risk for social species.
  
  
  
  
• Rocket car aims at 1,000-mph speed record
  
  
  
  Speed enthusiasts hope to build a rocket car that can go faster than a bullet from a handgun -- and break the world land speed record.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Teachers experience zero-gravity
  
  
  
  The U.S. tech industry worries that not enough students are pursuing careers in engineering, math, and science. So a foundation is sending teachers on zero-gravity airplane rides in the hope that they will take the experience back to their classrooms and inspire in their students a love of science.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• For tumor detection bevacizumab better than gold standard imaging
  
  
  
  Geneva, Switzerland: Scientists have developed a new imaging agent that can be used in scanning for tumours, and which gives a much clearer and more precise image than existing methods. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• New web site devoted to canine heart disease - a leading cause of death in dogs
  
  
  
  Heart disease is a principle cause of death in dogs, affecting more than 10 percent of all dogs and more than 60 percent of aged dogs. A new Web site devoted to this issue - http://www.yourdogsheart.com - is designed to educate pet owners about how to protect and care for their dogs' hearts. (Source: Veterinary News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Springs author writes book about pet Labrador
  
  
  
  Andrea MacVicar, children's book writer and a retired pastor, was in college when she rescued Zoftic, a black Labrador pup, from behind her yard. "It was 1977. I was in my 30's and we were living in Michigan," the Coral Springs resident said. "There was...
  
  
  
  
• Books for those owners who can't read their pets
  
  
  
  Doctors and lawyers have nothing over pets columnists at cocktail parties: Nothing is off limits to the free-advice seekers, from impacted anal glands to unrepentant humpers. Over the years, I've amassed a small clutch of favorite titles that I...
  
  
  
  
• The spark: happy birthday, earth!
  
  
  
  Mechanical dinosaurs werecommon in ancient times(Photo by Nicole Makauskas) Today is the 6012th birthday of our home planet. The old girl looks pretty good, doesn't she? What's that? You thought the Earth was, like, a million times older? Well, it's obvious you haven't studied the work of Bishop James Ussher.Ussher was an English archbishop who joined in the 17th-century scholarly mania of trying to figure out just how old the Earth was. Science not being then what it is today, resources were limited, so Ussher (along with such worthies as astronomer Johannes Kepler and physicist Isaac Newton) relied on the chronologies contained in the Bible. After years of comparing sources and resolving inconsistencies, Ussher announced that the world had been created on October 23, 4004 BCE -- though h...
  
  
  
  
• Diversity Of Trees In Ecuador's Amazon Rainforest Defies Simple Explanation
  
  
  
  Trees in a hyper-diverse tropical rainforest interact with each other and their environment to create and maintain diversity, researchers report in the journal Science. This study was conducted in the Yasuni forest dynamics plot of the Pontificia Universidad Cat??lica del Ecuador, a diverse tropical forest site.
  
  
  
  
• Urban dictionary for science?
  
  
  
  Nature this week has a news feature concerning the erosion of the definitions of certain terms. It is a pet peeve of mine to hear epigenetic (it has to be heritable!) and de-differentiation (hint: if you're talking mammalian cell, you're probably wrong) misused. And I find stem cell is being used so loosely that it has sort of lost its meaning as we've discussed before.The article tackles (excerpts to follow):-paradigm shift:"Unless a Nobel prize is in the offing, it might be wise for scientists to adopt the caution of contemporary historians of science and think twice before using a phrase with a complex meaning and a whiff of self promotion."-epigenetic:"The NIH is careful to define the epigenetics it is paying for as including both heritable and non-heritable changes in gene activity, s...
  
  
  
  
• Cancer medication can be used as tumor imaging agent
  
  
  
  Scientists have discovered that a combination of bevacizumab (Avastin) and radioactive copper-64 nuclide makes for an excellent imaging agent during PET/CT scanning. From a press release by the The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) , National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the American Assocation for Cancer Research (AACR): Dr Zheng Jim Wang [Director of Molecular Imaging at MPI Research Inc (Michigan, USA) and an adjunct assistant professor at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio] told the 20th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Geneva today (Wednesday 22 October) that he and his colleagues had attached bevacizumab to a molecule called DOTA (a cyclic compound) and tagged it with a radioactive tra...
  
  
  
  
• Bloomberg tries to buy himself another term
  
  
  
  New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spent??$158 million on his two elections, now thinks he should stay in office despite the city’s two-term limit. So far it’s much cheaper–he’s just pressuring all the civic groups and charities in town that have received donations from him, or from the taxpayers, to get themselves down to City Hall and testify to his indispensability in a time of financial crisis. The voters have twice endorsed term limits, but the mayor doesn’t see any need to ask them again; he wants the City Council to overrule the voters. Of course, as Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute has shown, New York’s revenues have risen 41 percent under Bloomberg, while he has jacked up spending even faster, so it’s not clear why he’s t...
  
  
  
  
• "small" businesses not getting "fair share" of government cheese
  
  
  
  The decades long battle over what constitutes a “small business” for purposes of government contracting set-asides (and subsidies for that matter) continues in today’s Washington Post. Once again, it appears that the federal government has been negligent in making sure the “big” guys aren’t swiping slices of the “small” guys’ cheese. Oh dear. With regard to set-asides, regardless of who gets the government contract, taxpayers lose because they foot the bill. Because set-asides effectively limit the competition for a government contract, taxpayers can end up paying even more — especially when economies of scale would have allowed a larger business to offer a lower-cost alternative. Thus, I had to chuckle at the bereaved ...
  
  
  
  
• "targeted" drugs not as "targeted' as hoped?
  
  
  
  I hate it when an article starts right out with a rather annoying usage of terminology, even when it provides information that interests me: (AP) -- Nearly a fourth of widely used new-generation biological drugs that treat several common diseases produce serious side effects that lead to safety warnings soon after they go on the market, the first major study of its kind found. Included in the report released Tuesday were the arthritis drugs Humira and Remicade, cancer drugs Rituxan and Erbitux, and the heart failure drug Natrecor. All wound up being flagged for safety. That might surprise some doctors who may have thought that these new treatments might be safer than traditional chemical-based medicines. I guess what I dislike here the use of the term "chemical-based medicine." After ...
  
  
  
  
• New mri technique may identify cervical cancer early
  
  
  
  Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a special vaginal coil, a technique to measure the movement of water within tissue, researchers may be able to identify cervical cancer in its early stages, according to a new study being published in the November issue of Radiology. The new technique offers better imaging of smaller tumors and may also improve surgical options when fertility-sparing procedures are being considered. (Source: MRI / PET / Ultrasound News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Bevacizumab can be used to detect/diagnose tumours in animal models using pet/ct imaging: results better than current 'gold standard' method
  
  
  
  Scientists have developed a new imaging agent that can be used in scanning for tumours, and which gives a much clearer and more precise image than existing methods. (Source: MRI / PET / Ultrasound News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Revealed: The most unusual dog and cat names
  
  
  
  After years of tracking the most popular names for pets, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) set out to find the most unusual cat and dog names from among its more than 465,000 pets insured nationwide. VPI employees selected 50 unusual dog names and 50...
  
  
  
  
• Man's Best Friend Recruited In Hunt For Disease Genes
  
  
  
  For centuries man has had a uniquely close relationship with dogs -- as a working animal, for security and, perhaps most importantly, for companionship. Now, dogs are taking on a new role -- they are helping in the hunt for genetic mutations that lead to diseases in humans.
  
  
  
  
• Snm hails cms decision to consider expanding reimbursement for cancer
  
  
  
  In response to a successful data collection effort by the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) showing that positron emission tomography (PET) scans help save the lives of thousands of cancer patients annually, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is weighing an expansion of coverage of PET for all types of cancer. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Dog has newborn baby body parts
  
  
  
  The last thing a dog owner in KwaZulu Natal expected to see was his pet dragging a new-born baby's body parts. (Source: IOL: Health)
  
  
  
  
• Toxoplasma Parasite's Family Tree Traced
  
  
  
  Scientists are tracing the family tree of Toxoplasma gondii, one of the most widespread parasites of warm-blooded vertebrates. Understanding how T. gondii has evolved and disseminated will help parasitologists and public health officials improve methods for controlling the parasite in humans and animals.
  
  
  
  
• Sometimes the answers are not always technology
  
  
  
  It's often easy to get caught up in the wonderful world of technology and even easier to forget that sometimes the best answers are not necessarily found in developing applications or hardware.Apart from my love of technology, my other great love are dogs. In my eyes dogs are one of the most beautiful creatures on this planet. They are loyal and loving pets and we see them in a variety of therapeutic environments, helping people live productive lives.This video (at the end of this post) really shows just how important animals can be to the life of people who need a hand just doing every day activities and proves that sometimes technology just can't offer the same support. Of course, with some of the advances recently seen with robo pets, perhaps one day Fido will be replaced but I hope not...
  
  
  
  
• Hartz and wal-mart recall rawhide treats
  
  
  
  FDA released a recall notice this evening covering the Hartz Mountain recall that we reported on yesterday.To reiterate: Hartz has recalled one production lot of Hartz Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips due to the possibility that one or more bags of the dog treats may be contaminated with Salmonella.The recalled Rawhide Chips were packaged in 2-pound bags, marked with lot code JC23282, and UPC number 3270096463. The recalled product was supplied to Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart has posted a recall notice on its web site, and Hartz has taken steps to have the product withdrawn from retail stores and distribution centers.Dog owners who purchased these treats are requested to discontinue their use and to discard them in a safe manner. Consumers can contact Hartz toll-free at 1-800-275-1414 for more in...
  
  
  
  
• Emine saner: pet theories - can animals increase our wellbeing?
  
  
  
  American researchers have discovered that owning a pet can significantly reduce your risk of a common cancer. And that's not all, says Emine Saner (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
  
  
  
  
• Seizure-alert dogs help epilepsy sufferers
  
  
  
  Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things: turn on a light, open a door, pick up a remote control off the floor and pull a heavy object with his teeth. But Ben, a gangly golden retriever, is more than a family pet. He is a specially trained seizure dog who may one day save the life of his new owner, who has epilepsy. (Source: CNN.com - Health)
  
  
  
  
• Mediastinoscopy more reliable than pet for characterizing granulomatous inflammation in lymph nodes
  
  
  
  A review of 76 cases of granulomatous inflammatory disease in the mediastinum shows the importance of fully characterizing granulomas, even when identified as sarcoidosis, to prevent misdiagnosis. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)
  
  
  
  
• No good deed goes unpunished
  
  
  
  So I get a call at McDruggies's and a lady wants to know if the rash she has is from her cat. She is elderly and has a "feral" rescued cat that she keeps in her house and has had for a long time. It lets her pet it when it feels like letting her pet it. Other than that she is the "food giver" and "poo box cleaner" in the one-sided relationship. She said sometimes the cat likes to sleep with her on the bed and lounge on the couch. So I ask for more details about the rash.She has a lot of swelling from the knees down and on her arms. It started this morning and is getting worse. She also has a lot of itching and some "spots" on her upper arms and a couple of "spots" on her face. I ask for more details.It turns out she was going to be a sort of half-way house and that another "rescue" cat had...
  
  
  
  
• The china syndrome: beyond dairy
  
  
  
  USA Today reports that 1,500 dogs in northeast China have died as a result of kidney stones after consuming melamine-contaminated animal feed. The cause of death was determined by necropsy (animal autopsy); kidney stones removed from the dogs were composed of 25% melamine by weight.This story will resonate with pet owners in the US and Canada. Melamine-adulterated wheat gluten and rice protein imported from China was responsible for the deaths of more than 300 cats and dogs, and the illness of thousands more in 2007. Menu Foods - a major manufacturer and co-packer of pet food - and the pet food companies that it serviced were forced to recall hundreds of production lots of pet foods as a result of the adulteration.Taiwan has reported melamine in ammonium bicarbonate - a leavening age...
  
  
  
  
• Imaging system integrates ct with molecular capabilities.
  
  
  
  Designed to obtain functional, anatomical, and molecular information from one, noninvasive diagnostic exam, Biograph mCT features large 78 cm bore and 500 lb bed capacity, adapting to virtually any patient and any clinical need. Clinician has option of using CT in conjunction with PET technology or as standalone CT. Available in detector configurations of 40, 64, and 128 slices, system offers 2 mm uniform resolution throughout FOV and offers whole-body PET-CT scanning in 5 min. This story is related to the following:Health, Medical and Dental Supplies and EquipmentVision Systems Sponsored by: Keyence Corporation of America - The Internet Resource for Machine Vision SolutionsSearch for suppliers of: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanners | Medical Imaging Systems | Medical Diagnostic E...
  
  
  
  
• Hartz mountain recalls rawhide chips
  
  
  
  The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Hartz Mountain Corporation has recalled one batch of chicken-based rawhide chips for dogs due to the possibility that some bags may be contaminated with Salmonella.The recalled treats, which were distributed to a national retail customer, are packaged in 2-pound bags bearing lot code JC23282 and UPC 32700 96463.According to the story carried in the Inquirer, Hartz Mountain's own testing, carried out by an independent lab, did not detect Salmonella in the finished product. But a separate test, carried out by a different lab, found the pathogen in a bag of the rawhide chips. Hartz is investigating the discrepancy in test results.This is the second Salmonella-related recall initiated by Hartz Mountain this year. The company recalled two production l...
  
  
  
  
• Epigenetics: nature vs. nurture?
  
  
  
  In yesterday's interview with Michael Posner, he says: - "There is a growing number of studies that show the importance of interaction between our genes and each of our environments. Epigenetics is going to help us understand that question better, but let me share a very interesting piece of research from my lab where we found an unusual interaction between genetics and parenting." - "Good parenting, as measured by different research-based scales, has been shown to build good effortful control which, as we saw earlier, is so important. Now, what we found is that some specific genes reduced, even eliminated, the influence of the quality of parenting. In other words, some children's development really depends on how their parents bring them up, whereas others do not - or do to...
  
  
  
  
• Accuracy of mri as internal 'thermometer' improved by duke innovations
  
  
  
  Duke University chemists say they have developed a new way to measure temperature changes inside the body with unprecedented precision by correcting a subtle error in the original theory underlying Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Ape cries are complex
  
  
  
  An orangutan gives the thumbs up sign. (Story here.)In his book Origins of Human Communication Michael Tomasello argues that language began as gesture alone and at some point vocalization joined in and eventually took over as the main linguistic "modality" although gesture has remained and important. (This blog has made four posts about Tomasello's book [#1, #2, #3, #4]).??The evidence offered for this scenario is threefold: First, many ape gestures are individually learned and flexibly used, including in combination, whereas this is not true of ape vocalizations. Second, many ape gestures are used with attention to the attentional state of the recipient, which is mostly not even relevant in ape vocal communication. ... It is also important evolutionarily that gestural communica...
  
  
  
  
• Diet tips for your diabetes
  
  
  
  It is unfortunate that at times many Physicians, CDE'S and other Health-care Providers do not give their patients who have Diabetes and may be overweight enough information about sensible nutrition.Here then is a clip that will offer informative suggestions in eating correctly. )
  
  
  
  
• Ipods and wiis on pet danger list
  
  
  
  LONDON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Video game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and laptop computers pose a danger to pets, a study by researchers in England suggests. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)
  
  
  
  
• High blood flow to breast cancer tumors linked to high recurrence risk
  
  
  
  No decline in tumor blood flow plus a high metabolism on PET, seen during neoadjuvant treatment, is associated with high disease recurrence rates in women with locally advanced breast cancer. (Source: medicexchange.com - Breast Imaging - Industry)
  
  
  
  
• Velcera, inc.: velcera announces voluntary termination of registration with the sec
  
  
  
  YARDLEY, PA (MARKET WIRE) Velcera, Inc. (OTCBB: VLCR), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on pet health, announced today that it has filed a Form 15 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). As a result, effective immediately, the Company's obligation to file reports with the SEC has terminated. The SEC has 90 days to review the Company's Form 15 for compliance with the decertification requirements. The Company's shares may still trade on the "pink sheets" if a registered broker dealer sponsors the Company's shares. (Source: Market Wire - Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)
  
  
  
  
• She called me santa...
  
  
  
  I was in the bathroom shaving this morning when Helen let herself in.  I poked my head out the door to say, "hello!" "You look like Santa with all that on your face," Helen replied  chuckling. I didn't shave yesterday and Helen made a big fuss about how much better I look when I do.  It is one of my father's major pet peeves about my personal hygiene habits.  I let Helen pick the menu this week.  She ran by the drug store to get money from dad to buy the groceries.  The weeks menu was pork cutlets fried, squash casserole, green beans, and biscuits.  I kept walking in the kitchen underfoot to sniff deeply and tell Helen how good it smells. Mom is coming over to eat in a moment.  I hope dad comes too.  He is off today and doi...
  
  
  
  
• Four things...
  
  
  
  I got tagged by Kim from RN for Life in my comments the other day, and have been ruminating on my answers. Here goes…don’t be shocked. [ed note: OK, this post was drafted 2 years ago, I just decided to publish it after finally thinking of four movies & places] 4 Jobs I Have Had In My Life: Outward Bound Instructor Retail clerk/manager for an outdoor outfitter (backpacking, rockclimbing, kayaking) Summer job at a pet kennel (geese & puppies & kittens, oh my!) Grasscutter/Fence Painter for borough parks 4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over: The Wall Monday Night Football (does that count?) Men in Black 4 Websites I Visit Regularly: Beginner triathlete My Yahoo stock page Wealthy Affiliate CNN 4 of my Favorite Foods Freshly Brewed Ice Tea Sushi Dark Chocolate, especia...
  
  
  
  
• Behindthemedspeak: having a pet bird can prevent eczema
  
  
  
  Conclusions: One in five infants suffer from eczema during its first year of life. A familial occurrence of eczema increased the risk. Beneficial effects were seen from introducing fish before nine months of age or having a bird in the home. The duration of breast-feeding or the age at which milk or eggs were introduced did not affect the risk of eczema..................... I haven't seen dancing like in the Trashmen video up top since I don't know when. (Source: bookofjoe)
  
  
  
  
• Time for a new pet?
  
  
  
  Because of budget constraints, I can't even purchase my SPECT/CT, let alone replace my solid but aging PET/CT. Still, it's always exciting to see what's up and coming in the field.It seems I should have saved my Euros and gone to the European Association of Nuclear Medicine meeting in Munich instead of the SNM in New Orleans earlier this year. Not one, but two major PET/CT upgrades were announced by both GE and Siemens.GE (GE Healthcare of Chalfont St. Giles, U.K.) brings us the new Discovery PET/CT 600. I've taken the liberty of reproducing the introductory Flash presentation below:If you peruse the information (and it takes a little work with this particular Flash construction) you will find a number of nice features, including a 70cm bore, and a table that accomodates patients who are g...
  
  
  
  
• Link between pet food, milk contamination
  
  
  
  CINCINNATI, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Researchers say they found a possible link between the 2007 pet food contamination and the recent adulteration of milk protein in China. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)
  
  
  
  
• Nih funds two new centers to develop innovative imaging technology for neurodegenerative disorders and advanced software for protein analysis
  
  
  
  The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today it will provide up to an estimated $11 million over the next five years to create two new Biomedical Technology Research Centers (BTRCs) that will provide researchers nationwide with access to specialized research tools, training and state-of-the-art equipment. (Source: MRI / PET / Ultrasound News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Europe's first virtual brain imaging lab offers hope for stroke sufferers
  
  
  
  Research into conditions like strokes, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and cancer will be significantly advanced by a unique collaboration between six Scottish universities. The initiative is the first project in the world to see separate institutions share state-of-the-art technology able to film the workings of the brain. (Source: MRI / PET / Ultrasound News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Ludesi's 2d gel image analysis enabled discovery of potential therapeutic targets for melanoma tumors
  
  
  
  Ludesi Corporation, developer of the award-winning Ludesi Image Analysis Service and the Ludesi REDFIN software for two-dimensional electrophoresis gels, today announced that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, National Eye Institute at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Maryland, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been able to discover potential therapeutic targets for melanoma tumors using Ludesi's 2D gel image and data analysis. (Source: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Baby formula contamination may be linked to pet food contamination
  
  
  
  A new study in Toxicological Sciences describes the kidney toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid based on research that was done to characterize the toxicity of the compounds that contaminated pet food in North America in 2007. This research points to a possible link between the pet food contamination that occurred in North America in 2007 and the recent adulteration of milk protein and resultant intoxication of thousands of babies from Asia. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
  
  
  
  
• Link possible between pet food contamination and baby formula contamination
  
  
  
  A study[1] published in the November issue of a scientific journal, Toxicological Sciences, which is published by Oxford Journals on behalf of the Society of Toxicology, describes the kidney toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid based on research that was done to characterize the toxicity of the compounds that contaminated pet food in North America in 2007. (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Neurooncology cme 2008-invitation to all
  
  
  
  Neuro-Oncology CMEThis is invitation to all interested in the topic of Brain Tumour.Schedule is as follows---VIMHANSDate : 26.10.2008 Time : 8.30 amVenue : VIMHANS AuditoriumDMC Accreditation : 4.30hrs.Registration / Breakfast Time : 8.30am - 9.00am1. Brain tumors an overview Chairpersons Dr. H.N.Aggarwal (SGRH)Speaker : Dr. Daljit Singh (GBPH) Dr. A.K.Anand (RGCI)9.00am-9.20am2. Early recognition of S/S of brain tumors Dr. L.N.Gupta (RMLH)Speaker : Dr. Vikas Gupta (Fortis, Noida) Dr. G.K.Jadhav (Apollo)9.20am-9.40am3. Radiological protocol for diagnosing Dr. N.K.Arora (JGH)Brain tumors Dr. Munish Aggarwal (JGH)Speaker : Dr. Sumer Sethi (VIMHANS)9.40a...
  
  
  
  
• The pharmacokinetics of speed
  
  
  
  Meth lingers longer than coke, targets different brain areas. Scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, already famous for their work on positron emission tomography (PET) scans, have traced the pathways by which methamphetamine lingers in the brain longer than cocaine. The Brookhaven Lab, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) tested non-drug abusing volunteers. The results will be published in the November 1 issue of Neuroimage.The researchers injected the 19 volunteers with radioactively tagged doses of the drugs. Scanning cameras then recorded the concentration and distribution of the tagged molecules. Both cocaine and methamphetamine enter the brain quickly-part of the reason why the two drugs are so reinforcing. However, cocaine clears the brain just as quickly, whil...
  
  
  
  
• "tykerbcares" doesn't care
  
  
  
  I read yesterday's report from Reuters about Tykerb in the UK with very mixed feelings. Here's the lead:Britain's healthcare cost effectiveness watchdog NICE has rebuffed GlaxoSmithKline's latest bid to get its drug Tyverb -- for women with advanced breast cancer -- into the state health system, the company said on Tuesday.In case you are wondering, the drug is called "Tykerb" in the U.S., "Tyverb" in Europe. Don't ask me why.  The reason I have mixed feelings is that Tykerb has been a wonder drug for me--getting my cancer back under control like no other drug or combination of drugs had been able to do for years, and with very manageable side-effects. My tumor markers are in the normal range, something my oncologist and I did not think w...
  
  
  
  
• Authorities shut down huge spam ring
  
  
  
  Read full story for latest details.

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Icad introduces mri products to help improve detection and diagnosis of breast cancer
  
  
  
  iCAD, Inc. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• More effective breast lesion tracking with medipattern's b-cad?? versions 1.3/2.3
  
  
  
  The Medipattern Corporation (TSX VENTURE:MKI), a pioneer in the development of medical software solutions that help improve imaging workflow and productivity, introduces enhancements to its award-winning B-CAD breast imaging computer aided detection (CAD) solution. B-CAD Versions 1.3 and 2.3 bring numerous enhancements to Medipattern's comprehensive solution for breast ultrasound imaging, which combines CAD with structured digital reporting. (Source: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Ge healthcare launches discovery pet/ct 600 at the european association of nuclear medicine 2008
  
  
  
  Delivers powerful combination of the highest sensitivity in the industry, next generation of MotionFree technology, high definition imaging, fast reconstruction with the IBM BladeCenter?? Continuing its leadership in PET/CT technology, GE Healthcare announced the introduction of D (Source: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine News From Medical News Today)
  
  
  
  
• Insects Trained In Quest For Artificial Nose
  
  
  
  Researchers have discovered that when training insects, the process of building associations is not a simple matter of strengthening connections through reinforcement. Understanding how associations are built between stimuli and behavior gives insight into the nature of learning and could inform the design of artificial "noses," sensor arrays that can detect chemicals in the air.
  
  
  
  
• Mysterious Snippets Of DNA Withstand Eons Of Evolution
  
  
  
  Small stretches of seemingly useless DNA harbor a big secret, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. There's one problem: We don't know what it is. Although individual laboratory animals appear to live happily when these genetic ciphers are deleted, these snippets have been highly conserved throughout evolution.
  
  
  
  
• Researchers Document World's Mammals In Crisis
  
  
  
  From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals.
  
  
  
  
• Nearly One In Four Of World's Mammals At Risk Of Disappearing Forever
  
  
  
  The most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  
  
  
  
• JUSTICE "Good Afternoon, I would like to nominate my pet for Brian s Buddy for October. Her name is Justice and she is a 4 year old Chi-weenie who loves to fetch her ball, do tricks for treats, and her favorite thing to do is burrow under blankets." Chaliese from Fort Worth October 2008
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• DIEGO "Hi Brian, I've attached a picture of my cat Diego to enter him in the Pet of the Month contest. He's the coolest cat. Thanks!" Toni from Keller, TX October 2008
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Ultra-Endurance Competitors: Lessons From Sled Dogs In The Iditarod
  
  
  
  Racing sled dogs are best known for their "mushing" each March during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the world's longest sled race. They are the premier ultra-endurance competitors, covering 1,100 miles from Anchorage to Nome, AK, sometimes in just nine days. It is unclear how they can keep running despite heavy blizzards, temperatures as low as 40??F, and winds up to 60 mph. An expert explains what he has discovered thus far.
  
  
  
  
• Janet Dieterle (left) brings her dog Frances to St. James Cathedral in Chicago, where Frances was blessed by Assistant Rev. Elaine Caldbeck during an annual pet blessing Sunday for members of the church. Blessing pets has been traced back to the feast of St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th Century.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 'Artificial Nose' Progress: Engineers Mass-produce Smell Receptors
  
  
  
  Biological engineers have found a way to mass-produce smell receptors in the laboratory, an advance that paves the way for "artificial noses" to be created and used in a variety of settings.
  
  
  
  
• Helping Dogs With Cancer May Benefit People
  
  
  
  A new study may one day help not only our canine friends with cancer, but also people with the human form of the disease.
  
  
  
  
• Is The Salad Bar Safe? Produce Concerns Linger After Summer Scares
  
  
  
  Widespread reports had most people afraid to eat tomatoes this summer and when tomatoes were vindicated, eating peppers became a fear. A food safety expert says there is only so much that can be done to assure produce is safe to eat.
  
  
  
  
• Gene Linked To Common Ailment In Labrador Retrievers Identified
  
  
  
  Researchers have identified a gene in Labrador retriever dogs highly associated with the syndrome of exercise-induced collapse.
  
  
  
  
• Road Crossing Structures Important In Reduction Of Animal Mortality On Roads
  
  
  
  Spanish highways are increasingly incorporating walkways specially designed for wild animals, or mixed use structures designed for other purposes, which connect wildlife from one side of the road to the other. Researchers have analysed 43 walkways used by vertebrates to quantify the importance of these structures, which facilitate animals' natural movements and reduce mortality caused by vehicles and, consequently, traffic accidents.
  
  
  
  
• Photos Reveal Myanmar's Large And Small Predators
  
  
  
  Using remote camera traps to lift the veil on Myanmar's dense northern wild lands, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have painstakingly gathered a bank of valuable data on the country's populations of tigers and other smaller, lesser known carnivores (see photo attachments). These findings will help in the formulation of conservation strategies for the country's wildlife.
  
  
  
  
• Dogs And Cats Can Live In Perfect Harmony In The Home, If Introduced The Right Way
  
  
  
  Thinking about adopting a perky little puppy as a friend for your fluffy cat, but worried that they'll fight -- well, like cats and dogs? Think again. New research has found a new recipe for success.
  
  
  
  
• Can Science Improve Man's Best Friend?
  
  
  
  While animal buyers often look closely at physical characteristics, behavioral traits can make the difference between a dog becoming a much loved and pampered family member, or a mistreated or neglected unwanted animal. Science and breeding can be used to produce dogs that have characteristics desired by average dog owners and are well suited to the domestic environment.
  
  
  
  
• Wolves Would Rather Eat Salmon
  
  
  
  Although most people imagine wolves chasing deer and other hoofed animals, new research suggests that, when they can, wolves actually prefer fishing to hunting. The study shows that when salmon is available, wolves will reduce deer hunting activity and instead focus on seafood.
  
  
  
  
• Speed Of Growth Of Young Dogs And Development Of Common Skeletal Diseases Not A Simple Relationship
  
  
  
  A young scientist studied the relationship between the speed of growth of young dogs and the development of common skeletal diseases such as elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia. A common conception is that rapidly-growing breeds have a greater risk of developing certain types of skeletal illness. However, no comprehensive research has been conducted in dogs in a domestic environment to establish this.
  
  
  
  
• Black-footed Ferrets Sired By Dead Males Via Frozen Sperm
  
  
  
  Two black-footed ferrets at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have each given birth to a kit that was sired by males who died in 1999 and 2000. These endangered ferrets were artificially inseminated in May with frozen semen from the two deceased males, each giving birth on June 20 and 21 respectively. Successful inseminations with frozen semen are extremely rare -- until now only three black-footed ferret kits have been born from this method.
  
  
  
  
• Canine Bone Marrow Transplants Now Being Offered At NC State University
  
  
  
  Dogs suffering from lymphoma will be able to receive the same type of medical treatment as their human counterparts, as North Carolina State University becomes the first university in the nation to offer canine bone marrow transplants in a clinical setting.
  
  
  
  
• Dietary Supplements For Horses, Dogs And Cats Need Better Regulation, New Report Says
  
  
  
  The growing use of animal dietary supplements has raised several concerns, including the safety of specific supplements and the approaches taken to determine their safeness.
  
  
  
  
• Mutation Found In Dachshund Gene May Help Develop Therapies For Humans With Blindness
  
  
  
  Cone-rod dystrophies are a group of eye diseases caused by progressive loss of the photoreceptor cells in the retina. In a study published online in Genome Research, researchers have identified a novel mutation in a gene associated with CRD in dogs, raising hopes that potential therapies can be developed for people suffering from these eye disorders.
  
  
  
  
• In Lean Times, Flies Can't Survive Without Their Sense Of Smell
  
  
  
  Working with fruit flies reared under laboratory conditions, researchers show that in times of plenty, the sense of smell is irrelevant for survival. But when food is scarce, a well functioning nose can mean the difference between life and death.
  
  
  
  
• Evolution Of Skull And Mandible Shape In Cats
  
  
  
  In a new study published in the online-open access journal PLoS ONE, Per Christiansen at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, reports the finding that the evolution of skull and mandible shape in sabercats and modern cats were governed by different selective forces, and the two groups evolved very different adaptations to killing.
  
  
  
  
• Endangered European Wild Cat May Protected By Proposed Network Of Corridors
  
  
  
  Researchers have developed a model which identifies potential habitats and corridors for the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). Using Rheinland-Pfalz as an example, it was demonstrated that almost half of this German federal state could be suitable for wildcats, enabling a maximum population of 1600 females. The model can also be adapted for other regions and could therefore prove to be of significant value in protecting this highly endangered species.
  
  
  
  
• Surgery Will Put Dog With Amputated Leg Back On All Fours Again
  
  
  
  A pioneering collaboration between a veterinary surgeon and an engineer will give a deserving dog the ability to walk on four legs again. A German shepherd mix is having a lost leg replaced with an osseointegrated prosthetic limb. If successful, this research could lead to implants for humans that allow the prosthetic limbs to attach without chafing or irritation, and limbs with more natural ranges of motion.
  
  
  
  
• Outdoor Enthusiasts Scaring Off Native Carnivores In Parks
  
  
  
  Even a quiet stroll in the park can dramatically change natural ecosystems, according to a new study by conservation biologists. These findings could have important implications for land management policies.
  
  
  
  
• Outbreak Of Plague In South Dakota Leads To Vaccines For Black-footed Ferrets
  
  
  
  Endangered black-footed ferrets aren't exactly lining up to be stuck with a vaccine, but in an effort to help control an extensive outbreak of plague in South Dakota, some of the ferrets are getting dosed with a vaccine given by biologists. Black-footed ferrets are one of the rarest mammals in North America. The plague is transmitted from animals to humans by bites of infected fleas, but it can be cured with antibiotics if treatment is prompt.
  
  
  
  
• Tigers Disappear From Himalayan Refuge
  
  
  
  World Wildlife Fund is alarmed by the dramatic decline of at least 30 percent in the Bengal tiger population of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, once a refuge that boasted among the highest densities of the endangered species in the Eastern Himalayas. The recent survey of April 2008 showed a population of between 6-14 tigers, down from 20-50 tigers in 2005.
  
  
  
  
• Big Predatory Mammals Such As Felines Need Between 5 And 7 Different Types Of Prey To Meet Their Dietary Needs
  
  
  
  Faced with earlier studies stating that the big predators such as tigers, lions, and lynxes fulfill their dietary needs by eating one or two types of prey, scientists now assure us now that felines need from 5 to 7 different types of prey to fulfill their dietary needs, although they may be more specialized anatomically than the canines (wolves, dogs) who can obtain 100% ingested biomass by eating three types of prey.
  
  
  
  
• Attitudes Toward Consumption And Conservation Of Tigers In China
  
  
  
  The potential market for tiger products in China is enormous, but a vast majority of the Chinese public would rather have wild tigers than tiger-bone wine, according to new research.
  
  
  
  
• Canine Tooth Strength Provides Clues To Behavior Of Early Human Ancestors
  
  
  
  Measuring and testing the teeth of living primates could provide a window into the behavior of the earliest human ancestors, based on their fossilized remains. New research takes us one step closer to understanding the relationship between canine teeth, body size and the lives of primates.
  
  
  
  
• Eczema In Infancy May Be Linked To Cat Ownership In Those With A Specific Gene Mutation
  
  
  
  A gene mutation and cat exposure at birth may increase a child's risk of developing eczema during their first year according to a study in PLoS Medicine. Researchers studied the association between mutations in the filaggrin gene and exposure to environmental factors with the development of eczema.
  
  
  
  
• Potential Key To Better Drugs To Fight Toxoplasmosis Parasite Discovered
  
  
  
  Researchers can now help explain how the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis transforms into a cyst form that resists drugs and the body's immune system, yet can emerge from its dormant state to strike when a patient's immune system is weakened. The discovery linking this stress-response mechanism to cyst formation and maintenance not only offers a possible target for new drugs, but it could also lead to a preventative vaccine -- for animals.
  
  
  
  
• DNA Study Unlocks Mystery To Diverse Traits In Dogs
  
  
  
  New research reveals locations in a dog's DNA that contain genes that scientists believe contribute to differences in body and skull shape, weight, fur color and length -- and possibly even behavior, trainability and longevity.
  
  
  
  
• Technique Used In Human Ankle Injuries Modified To Treat Dogs' Knees
  
  
  
  A common sports injury in human knees is even more common in dogs. Each year, more than one million dogs suffer from cranial cruciate ligament deficiency, which is comparable to the anterior cruciate ligament injury in humans. The common method of treatment by many veterinary surgeons involves cutting the tibia bone to stabilize the CCL-deficient knee in these dogs. Now, a new minimally invasive technique with less severe complications than previous methods has been developed.
  
  
  
  
• Gene Therapy Improves Survival And Quality Of Life Of Dogs With Cancer: Could It Also Help Humans?
  
  
  
  A new gene therapy has helped pet dogs with cancer live longer and could potentially improve the quality of life and survival of people with cancer, said the therapy's developers.
  
  
  
  
• Otters Reveal Their Identity
  
  
  
  Researchers have developed two new methods, in order to be able to better estimate the numbers of European otters (Lutra lutra) and their effects on the fish farming industry. Genetic analyses of the feces could prove to be a promising approach when investigating otter populations, as reported in the scientific journal Conservation Genetics. The new method does not only apply to otters, but also to all vertebrates.
  
  
  
  
• Unravelling The Mystery Of The Kitty Litter Parasite In Marine Mammals
  
  
  
  Researchers have discovered what may be a clue to the mystery of why marine mammals around the world are succumbing to a parasite that is typically only associated with cats. The key may just be the lowly anchovy, according to new research.
  
  
  
  
• Family Feuds: Why Close Relatives Keep Their Distance In The Animal Kingdom
  
  
  
  Mammals cannot share their habitat with closely related species because the need for the same kind of food and shelter would lead them to compete to the death, according to new research.
  
  
  
  
• Early Life Exposure To Cats May Reduce Risk Of Childhood Allergies And Asthma Symptoms
  
  
  
  Cat ownership may have a protective effect against the development of asthma symptoms in young children at age five. The study found that children with cats in the home were more likely to have made allergy-related antibodies to cats.
  
  
  
  
• Surgeon Operates To Rescue Chimp With Rare Deformity
  
  
  
  An orthopedic surgeon has performed a groundbreaking operation on a chimp in Cameroon to correct a deformity more commonly seen in dogs. The three year-old chimp called Janet was rescued from the Cameroon pet trade last year and now lives in a chimpanzee reserve supported by the Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund. Janet was unable to climb and had difficulty walking because a bone in her forearm - the ulna - had stopped growing.
  
  
  
  
• First Veterinary Corneal Implant Procedure In U.S. Performed On Dog
  
  
  
  The patient's sight was restored through a two-step surgical procedure that involves cutting into the eye to take out the cloudy cornea and inserting a permanent, plastic cornea. The new cornea is sutured, or stitched, into place. The entire eye including the new, plastic cornea is then covered with tissue from the dog to help the eye heal from the surgery. Because of the tissue and the bandages, the dog cannot see after this procedure. After several weeks, the bandages are removed and a hole is cut into the tissue exposing the new, plastic cornea.
  
  
  
  
• Sniffing Dogs Detect Feces To Help Monitor And Protect Threatened Animals In Brazil
  
  
  
  It's a tough job, but somebody, or at least some dogs, have to do it. In the Cerrado region of Brazil, four dogs trained to detect animal feces by scent are helping researchers monitor rare and threatened wildlife such as jaguar, tapir, giant anteater and maned wolf in and around Emas National Park, a protected area with the largest concentration of threatened species in Brazil.
  
  
  
  
• Platypus Genome Explains Animal's Peculiar Features; Holds Clues To Evolution Of Mammals
  
  
  
  The duck-billed platypus: part bird, part reptile, part mammal -- and the genome to prove it. Scientists have decoded the genome of the platypus, showing that the animal's peculiar mix of features is reflected in its DNA. An analysis of the genome can help scientists piece together a more complete picture of the evolution of all mammals, including humans.
  
  
  
  
• Low-frequency Hearing Linked To Shape Of The Cochlea
  
  
  
  Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea -- the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers -- which proves to be surprisingly important. A direct link was found between the cochlea's curvature and the low-frequency hearing limit of more than a dozen different mammals.
  
  
  
  
• Many Captive Tigers Are Of Purebred Ancestry; Finding Raises Their Conservation Value
  
  
  
  Tigers held in captivity around the world -- including those in zoos, circuses and private homes -- may hold considerable conservation value for the rapidly dwindling wild populations around the world.
  
  
  
  
• Community-based Approach Best Bet To Control Free-roaming Cats, Survey Suggests
  
  
  
  A survey gauging Ohioans' attitudes about free-roaming cats suggests that no single statewide measure would be sufficient in managing cat overpopulation because public opinion about outdoor cats varies widely across the state. In particular, perceptions about the need to regulate cat overpopulation in Ohio tend to differ among rural and urban dwellers and among cat owners and people who do not own pets. Compounding the problem is that a quarter of Ohio households are feeding free-roaming cats, but most of those residents aren't ensuring that the outdoor cats they feed are spayed or neutered.
  
  
  
  
• Animals Are 'Stuck In Time' With Little Idea Of Past Or Future, Study Suggests
  
  
  
  Dog owners, who have noticed that their four-legged friends seem equally delighted to see them after five minutes away as five hours, may wonder if animals can tell when time passes. New research in Science may bring us closer to answering that very question.
  
  
  
  
• Systems Biology Approach Identifies Nutrient Regulation Of Biological Clock In Plants
  
  
  
  Using a systems biological analysis of genome-scale data from the model plant Arabidopsis, researchers have identified that the master gene controlling the biological clock is sensitive to nutrient status. This hypothesis derived from multi-network analysis of Arabidopsis genomic data, and validated experimentally, has shed light on how nutrients affect the molecular networks controlling plant growth and development in response to nutrient sensing.
  
  
  
  
• Unlocking The Psychology Of Snake And Spider Phobias
  
  
  
  Researchers have unlocked new evidence that could help them get to the bottom of our most common phobias and their causes. Hundreds of thousands of people count snakes and spiders among their fears, and while scientists have previously assumed we possess an evolutionary predisposition to fear the unpopular animals, new research seem to indicate otherwise.
  
  
  
  
• Canine Influenza Was Around Earlier Than Once Thought
  
  
  
  The canine influenza virus, first identified in 2004, had been circulating in the greyhound population for at least five years prior to its discovery and may have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of respiratory disease among dogs at racing tracks during that period, according to new research.
  
  
  
  
• Like Dogs, Like Humans? Day Blindness In The Wirehaired Dachshund
  
  
  
  A young researchers has been investigating a retinal disease called cone-rod dystrophy in the Norwegian population of wirehaired dachshunds. His findings are of comparative interest for the corresponding disease in people. Inherited photoreceptor diseases (diseases of the sensitive cells of the retina) occur naturally in both people and dogs.
  
  
  
  
• Policing Cells Demand ID To Tell Friend From Foe, Say Cell Engineers
  
  
  
  Scientists studying macrophages, the biological cells that spring from white blood cells to eat and destroy foreign or dying cells, have discovered how these "policemen" differentiate between friend and foe.
  
  
  
  
• Newly Identified Eye Disease In Dogs Can Be Easily Treated
  
  
  
  A professor of veterinary medicine has identified and named a previously unknown eye disease. Immune-Mediated Retinopathy, or IMR, causes loss of function in retinal cells and, in some cases, blindness. IMR is very similar to a previously known malady called Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome or SARDS. Both diseases occur when the dog produces auto antibodies that attack the retinal cells. The antibodies mistake retinal cells for cancerous tumors or tissues that need to be destroyed.
  
  
  
  
• Pacemaker Tune-up Works Chemical Wonders On Damaged Hearts In Dogs
  
  
  
  Using pacemakers to electrically re-tune a heart damaged by long bouts of a wobbling heartbeat, where one heart muscle wall is beating sooner than the other, leads to fast improvements in the tissue levels of more than a dozen proteins key to the organ's health, scientists report in experiments in dogs.
  
  
  
  
• Newly Developed Anti-malarial Medicine Treats Toxoplasmosis
  
  
  
  A new drug, soon to enter clinical trials for malaria treatment, also appears to be 10 times more effective than the key medicine used to toxoplasmosis, which infects nearly one-third of all humans. The drug is extremely effective in mice against Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, without toxicity.
  
  
  
  
• Are Wolves The Pronghorn's Best Friend?
  
  
  
  As western states debate removing the gray wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act, a new study cautions that doing so may result in an unintended decline in another species: the pronghorn, a uniquely North American animal that resembles an African antelope.
  
  
  
  
• Increased Allergen Levels In Homes Linked To Asthma
  
  
  
  Results from a new national survey demonstrate that elevated allergen levels in the home are associated with asthma symptoms in allergic individuals. The study suggests that asthmatics that have allergies may alleviate symptoms by reducing allergen exposures inside their homes. Asthma is one of the most common chronic ailments in the United States, affecting more than 22 million people. Asthma has been shown to be triggered by a wide range of substances called allergens.
  
  
  
  
• Genetic Cancer Link Between Humans And Dogs Discovered
  
  
  
  Cancer researchers have found that humans and dogs share more than friendship and companionship -- they also share the same genetic basis for certain types of cancer. Furthermore, the researchers say that because of the way the genomes have evolved, getting cancer may be inevitable for some humans and dogs.
  
  
  
  
• Oral Contraceptives Could Work For Dogs, Cats, Pigs, Maybe Even Deer And Coyotes
  
  
  
  If you're a land owner and animals such as coyotes or wild pigs are driving you hog wild, help may soon be on the way to control their numbers in a humane way -- in the form of a birth control pill for animals. The need is apparent: According to the American Humane Society, about 7 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year at animal shelters. One female cat can lead to the production of 420,000 offspring in her lifetime.
  
  
  
  
• Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves Removed From Endangered Species List
  
  
  
  The gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains is thriving and no longer requires the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the Deputy Secretary of the Interior has announced. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will remove the species from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
  
  
  
  
• Like Owner, Like Dog: One Third Of US Dogs Are Obese, Cats Also Suffer
  
  
  
  Obesity in pets mirrors that of humans, as do the reasons -- decreased physical activity, age, and an increased caloric intake, even genetic predisposition. Like humans, there are also many health problems associated with being obese, such as diabetes mellitus. It's no secret that obesity is a problem in humans. Reality television makes millions of dollars chronicling the efforts of Americans attempting to shed excess weight. And every day, new medical research highlights the serious implications obesity has for heart disease, diabetes and other maladies. Now, more and more attention is being paid to the problem in our pets. The prevalence of obesity in dogs is between 22 and 40 percent.
  
  
  
  
• Parasite Biology Clarified With New Model
  
  
  
  Researchers have genetically dissected the way Apicomplexa divides and multiplies within its host cell. This approach should be broadly applicable, allowing unbiased genetic analysis of any part of parasite biology for which a screen can be devised using this model. The specific organism used in the study was Toxoplasma gondii, a parasitic protozoan whose main host is the cat but which can be carried in most warm-blooded animals.
  
  
  
  
• 'Genetic Corridors' Are Next Step To Saving Tigers
  
  
  
  The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Panthera Foundation announced plans to establish a 5,000 mile-long "genetic corridor" from Bhutan to Burma that would allow tiger populations to roam freely across landscapes. Rabinowitz said corridors did not have to be pristine parkland but could in fact include agricultural areas, ranches, and other multi-use landscapes -- just as long as tigers could use them to travel between wilderness areas.
  
  
  
  
• Biologists Race To Clear A Path To Survival For Northwestern Cougars
  
  
  
  When voters in Washington state banned hound hunting with an eye to protecting cougars, they unwittingly triggered a chain of events that wildlife biologists are still trying to understand. Cougars have been under siege in the United States since the arrival of European settlers, victims of extirpation campaigns and habitat destruction as inhabitants converted wilderness to farmland and pasture.
  
  
  
  
• Body Part By Body Part, Sumatran Tigers Are Being Sold Into Extinction
  
  
  
  Laws protecting the critically endangered Sumatran tiger have failed to prevent tiger body parts being openly sold in Indonesia, according to a new TRAFFIC report launched. Tiger body parts, including canine teeth, claws, skin pieces, whiskers and bones, were on sale in 10 percent of the 326 retail outlets surveyed during 2006 in 28 cities and towns across Sumatra. Outlets included goldsmiths, souvenir and traditional Chinese medicine shops, and shops selling antique and precious stones.
  
  
  
  
• Lion Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Has Undergone Substantial Genetic Recombination
  
  
  
  Parts of feline immunodeficiency virus isolated from wild lions have undergone substantial genetic recombination. The sequencing of the two full FIV genomes of different lion subtypes shows the importance of whole-genome analysis in understanding complex genetic events. These findings will be relevant to big cat conservation and developing more effective animal models for HIV.
  
  
  
  
• Cats' Family Tree Rooted In Fertile Crescent, Study Confirms
  
  
  
  The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East has long been identified as a "cradle of civilization" for humans. In a new genetic study, researchers have concluded that all ancestral roads for the modern day domestic cat also lead back to the same locale. The study involving more than 11,000 cats.
  
  
  
  
• Vets Focus On Neurological Disorders In Dogs, Humans
  
  
  
  Parkinson's disease and epilepsy strike millions of people each year. They also affect countless dogs, and veterinarians are working to find ways to treat these and other neurological diseases in both species. Veterinary researchers are investigating the causes and potential treatments for a number of diseases that can be fatal in both humans and animals.
  
  
  
  
• Controlling Schistosomiasis: Buffalo Or Snails?
  
  
  
  A parasitic infection common in China and Southeast Asia could be effectively reduced by controlling snail populations, according to research. Infection with schistosomes of various species affects some 200 million people worldwide, and can cause serious chronic illnesses, including liver failure.
  
  
  
  
• Island Monkeys Do Not Recognize Big Cat Calls
  
  
  
  Monkeys living on an island without big cat predators do not show any particular alarm when recorded tiger growls are played to them, according to new research. The pig-tailed langurs do, however, flee in a hurry from the sound of human voices.
  
  
  
  
• Computer Learns Dogspeak: Programs Can Classify Dog Barks Better Than Humans, Study Shows
  
  
  
  Computer programs may be the most accurate tool for studying acoustic communications amongst animals. New software is able to classify dog barks according to different situations and even identify barks from individual dogs, a task humans find challenging.
  
  
  
  
• Extinct Marsupial Lion Tops African Lion In Fight To Death
  
  
  
  Pound for pound, Australia's extinct marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) would have made mince meat of today's African lion (Panthera leo) had the two big hyper-carnivores ever squared off in a fight to the death, according to an Australian scientist.
  
  
  
  
• Disrupting Common Parasites' Ability To 'Talk' To Each Other Reduces Infection
  
  
  
  One of the most common human parasites, Toxoplasma gondii, uses a hormone lifted from the plant world to decide when to increase its numbers and when to remain dormant, researchers have found. Scientists report that they successfully blocked production of the molecule, known as abscisic acid, with a plant herbicide. Low herbicide doses prevented fatal T. gondii infection in mice.