There are the good wildfires, and there are the bad. Unfortunately, the latter often overwhelm the beneficial ones. We’ll go on with stories from San Diego in a minute—it’s a … [Read full article]
Tag: disease
What's "Sustainable Development"? Free Online Course!
On his blog “I see a change,” Nigerian Youth Development Expert Olumide Idowu presents the elements of sustainable development (source: olumideidowu.blog.com). Not all online courses provide all they promise you, … [Read full article]
Predicting Disease Outbreaks by Tracking Night-time Lights from Space — The Future of Epidemiology
Such migratory populations are notoriously difficult to track and this makes developing an intervention strategy — such as a large-scale vaccination program — extremely challenging. Key to determining where … [Read full article]
Amphibian 'Blitz' Project Uses Crowd Sourcing to Track Endangered Species
The Global Amphibian Blitz project is an on-line information sharing hub for non-professional naturalists and biologists whose goal is to track and record sightings of amphibians the world over. This information will then help professional researchers to document and determine where protection efforts are most needed. Global amphibian distribution is quite lacking in documentation and data. The term ‘blitz’ is used here in the belief that this crowd-sourcing method of species inventorying will speed up research and conservation efforts for one of the world’s most vulnerable classes of animal life.
Human Virus Linked to Deaths of Two Mountain Gorillas
A form of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been identified as the likely cause of death in two mountain gorillas, an infant and adult female, following an outbreak of respiratory disease that hit Rwanda in 2009. The source of the virus is unknown and an unknown number of other gorillas may be carrying the virus. Due to the genetic compatibility of humans and gorillas, wildlife biologists have long feared and predicted the spread of human diseases into this critically endangered population. Now, it appears, their worst fears may have come true.
New Stem Cell Technique is "Major Advance"
The development of stem cell science and the cultivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells has been marked by controversy due to the required destruction of the embryos from which the … [Read full article]
Social Network Data Predicts Disease Outbreaks [VIDEO]
Professors Christakis and Fowler explore the nature of Social Networks (SN) and reveal the rules that govern how these networks form. Knowing these rules allows us to predict, and possibly prevent, new disease epidemics.
Bioengineered 'Bacterial Communication' Blocks Cholera Spread
Two Cornell bio-engineers, Faping Duan and John C. March, successfully transformed a strain of E. coli into a ‘commensal communicator’ that blocked the virulence of V. cholerae, the bacteria that causes cholera, in mice.
'Millennium Goal' to End World Hunger Will Not Be Met
The UN’s Millennium Development Goal of ending global under-nourishment by 2015 will not be met, but a new set of “mega” initiatives are being implemented to achieve more efficient delivery of “research outputs” to speed agricultural development.
Global Warming Could Quicken the Spread of Disease
Climate change could make it easier for some “deadly” diseases to be transmitted from animals to humans. Global Warming is not just about melting ice caps and rising temperatures. Scientists … [Read full article]