B4U India

Scientists capture deep-sea microorganisms that cut oceanic methane emission

Fri, 16 May 2008 05:06:00 -0400

A team of scientists has made a breakthrough in capturing microorganisms that are known to dramatically reduce the oceanic emission of methane into the atmosphere.

Dr Annelie Pernthaler of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig says that, along with her colleagues from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, she has developed a new molecular technique to selectively separate the so-called syntrophic (meaning “feeding together”) microorganisms from their natural complex community, and subsequently sequence their genome.

In addition to identifying all genes responsible for the anaerobic oxidation of methane, the researchers have also discovered new bacterial partners of these microorganisms.

During their research, Pernthaler and co-workers attached small ironbeads to the microorganisms of interest, and pulled them out of the deep-sea sediment by simply applying a magnet.

The researchers revealed that the microbes were Archaea, which cooperate with sulfate reducing Bacteria to perform a thermodynamically tricky process: the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM).

A research article being published in PNAS suggests that these poorly understood consortia are globally distributed in oceanic sediments above methane hydrates, and provide a significant sink for methane by substantially reducing the export of this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

Upon sequencing the genomes of the purified syntrophic consortia, the research team was able to identify all genes responsible for AOM.

Pernthaler and her colleagues also discovered an unexpected diversity in the bacterial partners of this syntrophic association, which may play a role in the performance of AOM.

Besides this, the researchers also showed in lab experiments that the AOM archaea were indeed fixing N2.

The significance of the new findings lies in the fact that the fixation of N2 is energetically expensive processes, and that the energy gained by AOM is low.

The potential for metabolic versatility combined with the ability to form partnerships with other microorganisms, might be the secret to the successful distribution of this biogeochemically significant group of microorganisms. (ANI)

Short in height? Blame your older brother

Fri, 16 May 2008 05:04:00 -0400

Dreaming about being tall and well built like your older brother? Well, then you’re in for a bit of disappointment, for according to a new study older brothers mean smaller siblings.

What’s more: Having an older brother may reduce your chances of reproductive success.

Ian Rickard and colleagues at the University of Glasgow in Scotland collected data from 79 students and staff at their university with older siblings.

They found that those born with at least one older brother were on average lighter at birth and also shorter in adulthood than those born with one or more older sisters.

Rickard's team also analyzed birth records from kept by the Lutheran Church in Finland for 653 women between 1709 and 1815 and found that the lifetime reproductive success of those born with an elder sister was 27 percent higher than for those with an elder brother.

By including families in which the older son died before their sibling was born the team was able to determine that reduced reproductive success was not a result of interaction between siblings but due to some other factor.

The researchers suggest that mothers who produce sons perhaps incurred a reproductive cost that could have consequences for future offspring.

“Male fetal testosterone may cross over to the mother and impact her immune function, compromising the weight of future fetuses,” New Scientist quoted Rickard, as saying.

“As birth weight and height are associated to health outcomes later in life, this could have potential implications to the long-term health of siblings,” he added.

Low birth weight has been linked to ovulation disruption, increased risk of depression and lower IQ.

Because height is tied to attractiveness, there is some evidence that shorter men have fewer children. Having an older brother has even been linked with sexual preference.

The study is published in Evolution and Human Behavior. (ANI)

Fishery management actions can sometimes have unexpected outcomes

Fri, 16 May 2008 05:00:00 -0400

A new research has indicated that restoring fish populations such as exotic salmon and trout to the Great Lakes in America might adversely affect the health of Sea Gulls, demonstrating that fishery management actions can sometimes have very unexpected outcomes.

The research, carried out by Craig Hebert and his team from the National Wildlife Research Center in Ottawa, Canada, analyzed 25 years of data on the gulls and found that throughout the Great Lakes region, the birds were in poor health in many areas.

Tests of their fatty acids showed an increase in the type of transfat that mostly comes from food produced by humans.

“It seems that the birds are being forced to make a dietary shift from fish to terrestrial food, including garbage,” said Hebert.

Although no one is certain why the birds are eating more garbage, evidence points to fish stocking.

When exotic salmon and trout have been added to the waters, the birds seem to be out competed for their favorite prey of smaller fish, such as alewifes.

Gulls are top predators in this system. When fish are unavailable, the birds turn to land instead for their foraging.

When given a choice between prey fish and garbage, the birds readily chose the fish. Thus, scientists assume that they only eat garbage when the prey fish numbers are low.

Prey fish in the Lake have been declining since 1980.

Although multiple factors may be at play, predation by piscivorous fish appears to be the one factor that was universally important across all five Great Lakes because of massive fish stocking, which was done to create recreational activities, and to reduce populations of exotic prey fish in the hope of restoring populations of native fishes.

“The effects on other species that are more closely tied to the water, such as terns, may be more severe,” said Hebert. “Those kinds of birds can only eat fish, so their diet may be affected by this, too. They don’t have the option of eating food found on land,” he added. (ANI)

New antennae may signal a 'new wave' in health care provision

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:55:00 -0400

Soon, doctors will be able to monitor illnesses and injuries remotely through compact, wireless and power efficient body sensors, thanks to scientists at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), who have developed new types of antenna that get round some limitations.

The use of biosensors attached to the body for health monitoring is not new. However, antennas that enable such devices to be linked together efficiently on a patient’s body without wires are currently too uncomfortable to wear for a long time because they need to be large in order to maximise the strength of the signal being received.

They can be reduced in size but this leads to the antenna being less efficient, meaning that the battery powering the device has to be recharged more frequently.

Experts in antennas and bioelectromagnetics at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), have developed new types of antenna that get round these limitations.

Their work could revolutionise the way patient care is provided, making unnecessary visits for tests and check-ups a thing of the past. Instead, biosensors could gather data on heart rate, respiration, posture, gait etc, transmitting this information by radio signal to a control unit also on the patient’s body. The data could then be accessed by doctors via the internet or mobile phone, for example.

The new types of antenna are the first in the world to deliberately harness the so-called ‘creeping wave’ effect. With a conventional on-body antenna the majority of the signal is transmitted either away from the patient or inwards, where it is absorbed by the patient’s body, which weakens the signal. The rest of the signal, though, hugs the skin’s surface and ‘creeps’ round the body where it is picked up by the control unit.

However, only a small amount of the signal behaves in this ‘creeping’ way and so its overall strength has to be increased to allow enough of it to reach the control unit.

Although traditional antenna designs can be used, they are physically large and typically protrude up to 4cm from the body surface for the frequency bands used by systems such as WiFi. Reducing the size leads to poor system efficiency.

The new antennas developed at QUB solve these problems. They are specifically designed to accentuate the creeping wave effect by maximising the amount of signal radiated out to the antenna’s side, rather than inwards and outwards.

They are up to 50 times more efficient than previously available designs of the same dimensions. Due to the lower power requirement resulting from this step change in on-body performance and efficiency, the QUB team has succeeded in reducing antenna thickness from 34mm to less than 5mm thick for their new patch antenna, for example.

The antennas can therefore be fitted almost anywhere on the patient without causing significant inconvenience and are sufficiently low-profile to be incorporated into clothing or worn as part of a wound dressing. One QUB design is now the subject of a patent application, with more anticipated.

The unique design of the new antennas could unlock the full potential of emerging ‘wireless body area network’ (WBAN) technology. A WBAN is a network of biosensors attached to different parts of a patient’s body. Patients wearing a WBAN could carry on with their normal lives – the doctor remotely monitoring the data gathered by the network would simply contact them to arrange appointments when needed.

“The UK leads the world in the development of wearable communications including WBAN antennas,” says Dr William Scanlon, who is leading the QUB project.

“With EPSRC funding, our group at QUB, along with other related projects at the University of Birmingham, Queen Mary College and elsewhere, could help unleash the full potential of WBAN technology. We could change the way that a range of illnesses, injuries and conditions are monitored, perhaps within five years”. (ANI)

Women who commit sexual offences often have mental problems

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:52:00 -0400

A new study has revealed that women who commit sexual offences are just as likely to have mental problems or drug addictions as other violent female criminals.

The research is the largest study ever conducted of women convicted of sexual offences in Sweden.

Between 1988 and 2000, 93 women and 8,500 men were convicted of sexual offences in Sweden. Given that previous research has focused on male perpetrators, knowledge of the factors specific to female sex offenders has been scant.

A group of researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now looked into incidences of mental illness and drug abuse in these 93 convicted women, and compared them with over 20,000 randomly selected women in the normal population and with the 13,000-plus women who were convicted of non-sexual crimes over the same period.

Thirty-seven per cent of the women convicted of sex offences had undergone treatment at a psychiatric clinic during the period, and eight per cent had been diagnosed as having a psychosis.

There was no difference in incidences of mental illness and drug abuse between these women and women who had committed other kinds of violent crime.

"This is interesting as men who commit sexual offences usually have fewer psychiatric problems than men who commit other violent crimes," said Niklas Langstrom, Associate Professor at Karolinska Institutet's Centre for Violence Prevention and one of the authors of the study.

"So it seems as if female sex offenders, more so than male, suffer from mental illness or have drug problems."

However, the figures differ widely from the control group. Incidences of psychosis were 16 times higher amongst the sex offenders than the control group, drug abuse 23 times higher.

According to the research team, the results indicate that women suspected or convicted of sexual offences should undergo routine psychiatric examination, something which, at present, is not done.

By sexual offence in this study is meant rape, non-consensual sex, sexual abuse and sexual molestation. The group has earlier published a similar study on male sexual offenders.

The study appears in Archives of Sexual Behavior. (ANI)

Sea bridge in Mumbai to reduce time travel from one hour to seven minutes

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:40:00 -0400

An eight-lane sea link with a twin carriageway and having a cable-stayed bridge design to be commissioned by January 2009 is poised to make for speedy road travel between Bandra and Worli suburbs of Mumbai.

Authorities here said that the 5.6-kilometer long Bandra-Worli sea link expected to be commissioned by January 2009 would ease traffic problems of western Mumbai.

Anil Deshmukh, Maharashtra Minister for Public Undertakings, said that the Bandra-Worli sea link will save travel time and alleviate traffic hurdles to a great extent.

"To cover a distance of seven kilometers from Bandra to Worli, it takes near about an hour and 15 minutes. But after the completion of this Bandra-Worli sea link, this distance of seven kilometers, which incorporates 23 signals, will be reduced to two signals to be covered in seven minutes at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It will be a boon for the people of Mumbai when it opens in January 2009 and it will decongest traffic to a great extend," said Deshmukh.

Mahim causeway is currently the only link connecting the island city to the western suburbs at present and the seven km stretch has witnessed intense traffic congestion for many.

The high volume of traffic (140,000 vehicles per day) exceeds the capacity of Mahim causeway causing long traffic jams.

Once the 1,640 crore seal link project is commissioned, it will be an additional link from the western suburbs to the island city and will act as a high-speed alternative to the congested Mahim causeway.

This link aims at alleviation of traffic congestion in Mahim-Dadar-Worli areas besides providing relief at Mahim causeway.

The link supports eight traffic lanes including two lanes reserved for buses, cable stayed bridge of lengths of 500 meter on Bandra side and cable stayed bridge of 350-meter length on the Worli side. (ANI)

Prayer meet for victims of Jaipur blasts, Myanmar cyclone, Chinese quake

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:39:00 -0400

People of all religious groups organised a prayer meet, seeking solace for the victims who died in Myanmar cyclone, in Chinese earthquake and in Jaipur serial blasts.

The prayer meet in honour of the victims was organised by the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese and members of all religious faiths on Thursday.

"Many lives were lost in all these tragedies. We decided to hold an all religion prayer in memory of our brothers and sisters who were children of the same almighty," said Dominic Emmanuel, a spokesman of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese.

About 2.5 million people have been "severely affected" by cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on May 8 and the official death toll from Monday's 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck China has reached 20,000. But the state media reported that it could soar to more than 50,000, as hope faded for the thousands still buried under the rubble across the region.

The religious members were, however, deeply perturbed over the terror attacks in Jaipur.

"The incident in Jaipur is different from what occurred in China and Myanmar. China and Myanmar suffered from natural calamities, but in Jaipur it was a pre-planned heinous act where so many innocent people died and hundreds were injured," said Swami Agnivesh, a social activist.

"I hope that the Almighty provides some sense to those who resort to such dastardly acts," he added.

The serial blasts in Jaipur on May 13 killed around 61 people and injured more than 150 persons. (ANI)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for Bhutan

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:38:00 -0400

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today left for Bhutan on a two-day official visit.

Enhancing economic and hydropower cooperation between India and Bhutan will be the key focus areas of the Prime Minister's visit.

The visit will focus on forging a more diversified and contemporary economic and energy partnership in tune with emerging realities.

Dr. Singh will land in Paro today and will go to Bhutanese capital Thimphu. He will call on King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and meet with Prime Minister Lyonpo Jigme Thinley.

The two delegations will also meet after a one-to-one meeting between the two leaders.

Talks between the Indian and Bhutanese delegations will also focus on implementing the 1095-megawatt Punatsangchu I Hydroelectric Project, besides taking negotiations on detailed project reports (DPRs) for Punatsangchu-II and Mangdechu Hydroelectric Projects forward with the intention of completing it within Bhutan's Ninth Five-Year Plan.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister will address a joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament, which comprises of a National Assembly of 47 to 55 members and the National Council, which comprises of 25 members, five of whom are nominated by the King.

This will be followed with him laying the foundation stone of the Tala Hydroelectric Project and lunch with the previous King Jigme Singye Wangchuk.

1,020-megawatt Tala Hydropower Project at Chukha Dzongkhag in western Bhutan is said to be the largest joint venture between India and Bhutan, and a symbol of their collaboration in power generation.

The visit will also provide the Prime Minister with an insight into the democratic transformation of Bhutan, a nation of over 600,000 people that once prided itself on its isolation, measuring its wealth in terms of gross domestic happiness.

The visit will also be used to celebrate a century of the Wangchuk Dynasty. The transition in Bhutan should be termed as remarkable, as half a century ago, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru spent a month travelling to Bhutan by horse and yak, and now the current Prime Minister was landing in Paro in an aircraft, a sign of progress in terms of connectivity, economic integration, contacts at the high level, mutual trust and understanding.

The revised Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of February 2007, which was signed during the visit of the present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk to Delhi when he was his country's Crown Prince, reflected the desire of the two countries to not only enhance economic cooperation, but also served as an excellent identity of views developed over the years.

The new treaty also reaffirms the two countries desire to maintain the safety and security of their shared 700-kilometre-long open border.

The Prime Minister will leave Bhutan for Bagdogra on the 17th afternoon, where he will address a press conference before embarking for New Delhi. (ANI)

Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson break up again

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:19:00 -0400

After rekindling their romance in Miami, Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson have reportedly called off their relationship.

According to Wilson’s friend, the two actors have again ended their relationship.

"It was a pretty bad break-up," People quoted the friend as saying.

"Owen said it was a tough one. He definitely doesn't want to dwell on it. He wants to put it behind him," the friend added.

A source close to the ‘Almost Famous’ actress said, "She feels dumb thinking it was so serious."

Rumours were abuzz that the couple recently got engaged after the 29-year-old actress was spotted wearing a huge diamond ring, however, both the actors’ rep had denied the reports. (ANI)

Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz to steam up screens with lesbian kiss

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:17:00 -0400

Hollywood stunners Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz are all set to set the screens on fire with a lesbian kiss.

The scene, set in a red-tinted photography dark room, features in Woody Allen's upcoming release Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Later, the women have a menage a trois with Oscar winning actor Javier Bardem.

This is not the first time that Cruz is sharing an on screen lesbian kiss.

Allen's muse Johansson plays Christina, one of two American backpackers in Spain who gets involved with a painter (Bardem), and his jealous ex-girlfriend, played by Cruz.

"It is extremely erotic. People will be blown away and even shocked," the Daily Telegraph quoted a source, as telling the New York Post's Page Six column. (ANI)