Brown tree snake could mean Guam will lose more than its birds

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In the last 60 years, brown tree snakes have become the embodiment of the bad things that can happen when invasive species are introduced in places where they have few predators. Unchecked for many years, the snakes caused the extinction of nearly every native bird species on the Pacific island of Guam.

A variety of other damage has been directly attributed to brown tree snakes, including large population losses among other native animal species in Guam's forests, attacks on children and pets, and electrical power outages.

Mutation found in dachshund gene may help develop therapies for humans with blindness

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August 8, 2008 – Cone-rod dystrophies (CRDs) 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 (www.genome.org), 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.

Extreme appeal: voters trust extreme positions more than moderate ones, study finds

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Trying to appear moderate is not always the best strategy for capturing votes during an election, reveals a new study. Extreme positions can build trust among an electorate, who value ideological commitment in times of uncertainty.

"The current political advantage of the Republican Party stems from the ability of its candidates to develop 'signature ideas.' This strategy is rewarded even when the electorate has ideological reservations," says University of Southern California economist Juan Carrillo, adding that this poses a challenge for the Democrats.

Tiny invasive snail impacts Great Lakes, alters ecology

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Long a problem in the western U.S., the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to a Penn State team of researchers. These tiny creatures out-compete native snails and insects, but are not good fish food replacements for the native species.

How non-stick bugs evade natural fly paper

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Testosterone key to disease transmission

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High levels of testosterone may be a key factor in spreading disease among mice, according to biologists. The findings could help explain why males in a population are often more likely to get infected, and transmit disease.

Previous research has linked testosterone, the male sex hormone, to immune system suppression. Studies have shown that males, compared to females, experience more bouts of disease, and account for a larger share of disease transmission. However, it is not fully clear what makes males such super-spreaders of disease.

PSA screening may be biased against obese men, leading to more aggressive cancers

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DURHAM, N.C. -- Testing men for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood -- the gold standard screening test for prostate cancer -- may be biased against obese men, whose PSA levels tend to be deceptively low. And this bias may be creating more aggressive cancers in this population by delaying diagnosis, according to a new study led by investigators in the Duke Prostate Center and the Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.

Hope: An overlooked tool in the battle against HIV/AIDS

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The links between HIV transmission and the degree to which people are able to adopt realistic plans to achieve future projects, in other words, hope, have been overlooked in policies to tackle HIV/AIDS. New research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) argues that hope is a powerful tool in the battle to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Common infertility treatments are unlikely to improve fertility

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Long established medical interventions to help couples with infertility problems do not seem to improve fertility, according to a study published on bmj.com today.

These findings challenge current practice in the UK and national guidelines should be reviewed in the light of this evidence, say the authors.

JCI online early table of contents: August 7, 2008

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DERMATOLOGY: Possible new treatment for psoriasis

New data, generated by Thomas Jung and colleagues, at Novartis Exploratory Development, Switzerland, have indicated that a drug known currently as AEB071 can reduce the clinical symptoms of psoriasis, a chronic, currently incurable autoimmune skin disease.