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POPSGreens Welcome ERMA Decision on Endosulfan Dunno if the Kiwis are leading, but the stuff is very toxic. Hope that they are the last, I suppose. Has been some action in the last few years, or at least a recognition of it's toxicity.
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POPSBizarre Aquatic Creatures Are Secretly "Lesbian Necrophiliacs"
Upon patching up their own DNA, the bdelloids simultaneously incorporate random scraps of DNA from other organisms. This so-called horizontal gene transfer is extremely rare among animals, and in the bdelloids’ case can include DNA from almost anything that was in their soupy habitat at the time things dried up, including whatever they just ate. In only 1 percent of the bdelloid genome, Meselson found dozens of foreign genes from bacteria, plants, and fungi inserted among the native nucleotides. It’s likely, he says, that during recovery from dessication, bdelloids pick up genes from members of their own species, too—dead members, that is, whose genes spill out of ruptured cell membranes. That process would provide the kind of genetic reshuffling that other animals achieve through sexual reproduction. “It may be their form of sex,” Meselson says. “But their partner is essentially dead. So you’d have to call it necrophilia. Actually, since they’re all females, lesbian necrophilia.”
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POPSBotulism outbreak This is a great explanation of serious stuff! The article concludes by saying that improperly fermented, salted or smoked fish and meat products as well as inadequately canned and bottled low acid foods are the types of food likely to cause food botulism.
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POPSExcrement Antiobiotic Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents prized for their musk - a strong-smelling substance produced by specialised glands - which can be used in perfumes, cosmetics and medicines. Now Ki Keun Kim and colleagues at Pusan National University, South Korea, have found that the animal produces another useful by-product.
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POPS Baby Pygmy Hippo Brings New Hope For The Endangered Species ‘We would obviously have wanted her mother to raise her, but she definitely would have died if we didn't step in.’ She weighs 3.8 kg or 8.3 lbs. (the weight of a gallon of water) Pygmy hippos are reclusive and nocturnal. Along with their much larger cousins, the common hippopotamuses, they are the only hippo species in the world. Pygmy hippos are semi-aquatic and need to live near water to keep their skin moisturised and their body cool. They sometimes even mate and give birth in water. Pygmy hippos are plant-eating mammals, feeding on ferns, broad-leaved plants, grasses and fruits they find in the forest.
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POPSExploding chromosomes fuel research about evolution of genetic storage Dinoflagellates are stuffed at the core with tightly compacted chromosomes, yet these organisms contain neither histones nor nucleosomes. "What takes care of neutralizing DNA, to allow chromosomes to condense?" Levi-Setti asked. "Most biology books do not tell you." Other scientists had already identified positively charged atoms called cations as neutralizing factors. They found that dinoflagellate chromosomes explode upon the removal of calcium and magnesium cations. Levi-Setti has produced the first images of the distribution of these cations in dinoflagellate chromosomes. These images verify that cations, mainly of calcium and magnesium, neutralize DNA's enormous negative charge, and further suggest a critical role in folding the protein as well. The finding raises questions about the evolution of chromosomes, Rizzo said. "Did dinoflagellates once have histones and then lost them? Or did dinoflagellates never have histones and just 'figured out' a different way to fold lar
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POPSOil magnets Imagine corralling an aquatic oil spill with a ring of magnets — and then dragging that magnetic fence to some convenient spot where the fuel can be sopped up
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POPS A Phelps Phenomenon "It's been a long time since a swimmer has been a poster child of the Olympics like this," said John Cadigan, general manager of Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness Center, the Mount Washington pool where Phelps and fellow Olympian Katie Hoff have trained. "It really raises the level of awareness about swimming, both for the casual lap swimmer and for kids interested in learning to swim, but it also increases interest in competitive swimming," he said. "It's something that Michael said he wanted to do four years ago, and he's certainly managed to do that." Photo gallery: Images of Michael Phelps from throughout his career. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-phelps-photogallery,0,4605337.photogallery
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POPScanadian dollar don't give up on us yet, we have fought back before and will again! go Canada go!
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POPSMekong Delta Vietnam The Mekong Delta of Vietnam is known for aquatic culture, floating markets and pleasant river boat trips. Some sample tours and pictures can be found here http://www.lotussiatravel.com/
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