|
Science Community Announcements
|
|
Written by Everything Science
|
|
Feb 05, 2005 at 12:26 AM |
|
At the Government Leaders Forum in Prague Wednesday 2 February, Bill Gates announced a new Microsoft Initiative called EuroScience in his keynote speach to over 500 government leaders and public officials. The 40 million dollar Microsoft version of EuroScience is a partnership scheme between the software company and European research institutions offering PhD and Post-Doc grants for students under strict licence conditions.
 The already existing Euroscience Association was created in 1997 and has more than 2100 individual and 31 institutional members. In August 2004 it organised the first pan-european scientific meeting in Stockholm, EuroScience Open Forum 2004, with more than 1800 participants. A number of very prominent European scientists and people interested in science are member of Euroscience. Among others is the former European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin a number of Nobel laureates and former research ministers.
Euroscience president Jean Patrick Connerade says:
"Mr Gates does not approve of software piracy, so I am sure he does not intend to steal our name. Euroscience is a registered Association of scientists who give up time voluntarily in support of European Science. We have members in forty European countries and, with the help of sponsors, we organise ESOF, a pan-European Forum on all the sciences, to which thousands of people come.
 (5) Comments posted about this in the forum
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Everything Biology
|
|
Written by Everything Science
|
|
Feb 03, 2005 at 07:08 AM |
The UK’s first animal weight management referral clinic has been established at the University of Liverpool.
The Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic is to be launched at the University’s Small Animal Hospital to help tackle and prevent weight problems in animals such as dogs and cats.
 | | One of the first patients, Clarence. |
Veterinary surgeons from practices in the surrounding area will refer overweight animals to the clinic. The patients will receive a thorough medical examination, and will then follow a specific dietary plan and exercise regime over several weeks. On their first and final visits, patients will have their adipose tissue (fatty tissue) measured by a Dual Energy X Ray Absorptionmetry (DEXA) scanner, to accurately calculate their degree of obesity and to monitor the success of their diet programme.
Scientists from the University’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Science will use the data to improve understanding of the causes of obesity in pets, and to refine methods of treatment and prevention. The team will also try to establish whether certain breeds are more prone to obesity because of their genetic links.
(3) Comments posted about this in the forum
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Everything Biology
|
|
Written by Everything Science
|
|
Jan 26, 2005 at 05:06 AM |
A gene passed on by fathers that plays a vital role in helping fertilised eggs to develop into adults has helped scientists overturn the idea that essential genes have always been part of the genetic makeup of a species.
 | | Dr. Tim Karr from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath |
The research, published in the journal Current Biology tomorrow (26 January 2005), shows that an essential ‘paternal effect’ gene was created only recently in the evolutionary history of the fruit fly, Drosophila.
This finding is remarkable because it shows that new genes with new functions - including essential functions - can evolve at any time.
The researchers made the discovery as part of a project to produce the first molecular genetic characterisation of a paternal effect gene. Paternal effect genes are important because without them a fertilised egg cannot develop into an adult. Similar genes are most likely present in other animals, including humans.
(4) Comments posted about this in the forum
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Everything Biology
|
|
Written by Everything Science
|
|
Jan 21, 2005 at 06:58 PM |
What is the world coming to? An unsuspecting reef fish steps up to have its parasites removed by its favourite cleaner fish, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, but instead of a thorough going over, it gets a nasty nip from the cleverly disguised bluestriped fangblenny, intent on a quick feed.
 | | Blue striped fangblenny hides in coral |
Mimics in nature have usually evolved to resemble foul-tasting animals, in a bid to protect themselves from predators, but the bluestriped fangblenny fish mimics a model -the bluestreak cleaner wrasse- that is not only harmless but actually beneficial to many reef fish species.
Researchers at University of East Anglia, Isabelle Côté and Karen Cheney, have discovered that fangblennies can choose when to be mimics. When no cleanerfish are nearby, fangblennies can turn off their remarkable black-and-blue cleaner-like colours. They become brown, green or orange, add a second side stripe to their bodies, and melt into large shoals from which they attack unsuspecting fish swimming by.
(2) Comments posted about this in the forum
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Previous 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Next > End >>
|
| Results 97 - 104 of 150 |
