Cocaine: How addiction develops
Permanent drug seeking and relapse after renewed drug administration are typical behavioral patterns of addiction. Molecular changes at the connection points in the brain's reward center are directly responsible for this. view more (2008-08-22)
Addiction treatment proves successful in animal weight loss study
Vigabatrin, a medication proposed as a potential treatment for drug addiction by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, also leads to rapid weight loss and reduced food intake according to a new animal study from the same research group. view more (2008-08-21)
Big-brained animals evolve faster
Ever since Darwin, evolutionary biologists have wondered why some lineages have diversified more than others. A classical explanation is that a higher rate of diversification reflects increased ecological opportunities that led to a rapid adaptive radiation of a clade. view more (2008-08-15)
Aging impairs the 'replay' of memories during sleep
Aging impairs the consolidation of memories during sleep, a process important in converting new memories into long-term ones. view more (2008-07-30)
Uncertain future for elephants of Thailand
Worries over the future of Thailand' s famous elephants have emerged following an investigation by a University of Manchester team. view more (2008-07-28)
The exotic side of veterinary science
The last 10 years has seen a huge increase in the popularity of exotic pets. Among the weird and wonderful animals being kept in our homes are monkeys, tarantulas, iguanas, salamanders, snakes, even hedgehogs. view more (2008-07-16)
Incentives for carbon sequestration may not protect species
Paying rural landowners in Oregon's Willamette Basin to protect at-risk animals won't necessarily mean that their newly conserved trees and plants will absorb more carbon from the atmosphere and vice versa, a new study has found. view more (2008-07-08)
A bitter pill to swallow
Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam suggest that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region's rich and varied biodiversity and putting the primary healthcare resource of millions... view more... (2008-07-02)
Unheard of life history for a vertebrate
There is a newly discovered life history among the 28,300 species of known tetrapods, or four-legged animals with backbones. view more (2008-07-01)
Closing the gap between fish and land animals
New exquisitely preserved fossils from Latvia cast light on a key event in our own evolutionary history, when our ancestors left the water and ventured onto land. view more (2008-06-26)
Different type of colon cancer vaccine reduces disease spread, Jefferson scientists show
Taking advantage of the fact that the intestines have a separate immune system from the rest of the body, scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have found a way to immunize mice against the development of metastatic disease. view more (2008-06-25)
Automated microfluidic device reduces time to screen small organisms for genetic studies
Genetic studies on small organisms such as worms and flies can now be done more quickly using a new microfluidic device developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. view more (2008-06-24)
Newly approved ocular safety methods reduce animal testing
Federal regulatory agencies have accepted recommendations of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) for two methods that can reduce live animal use for ocular safety testing, the committee announced today. view more (2008-06-24)
Taking the temperature of the no-fly zone
Flies, unlike humans, can't manipulate the temperature of their surroundings so they need to pick the best spot for flourishing. New Brandeis University research in this week's Nature reveals that they have internal thermosensors to help them. view more (2008-06-12)
Smoking during pregnancy increases risk of SIDS
A new study provides the most direct evidence that there exists a causal link between smoking during pregnancy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). view more (2008-05-30)
Experimental agent blocks prostate cancer in animal study
An experimental drug has blocked the progression of prostate cancer in an animal model with an aggressive form of the disease, new research shows. view more (2008-05-23)
Climate change does double-whammy to animals in seasonal environments
Plant-eating animals in highly seasonal environments, such as the Arctic, are struggling to locate nutritious food as a result of climate change. view more (2008-05-22)
How can we measure the emotional states of animals?
Rats housed in standard conditions show a stronger response to the loss of an expected food reward than those housed in enriched conditions, perhaps indicating a more negative emotional state. view more (2008-05-21)
Priority regions for threatened frog and toad conservation in Latin America
Nearly 35% of all amphibians are now threatened of extinction raising them to the position of the most endangered group of animals in the world. view more (2008-05-07)
Spinal cord injury research hampered by animal models, says new study
Research on traumatic spinal cord injuries is hampered by a reliance on animal experiments that don't accurately predict human outcomes, says a new study in the upcoming edition of the peer-reviewed journal Reviews in the Neurosciences. The review was written by scientists with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. view more (2008-04-29)
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