Clark Science Center Intranet

Vulnerability of sharks as collateral damage in commercial fishing shown by s...
A new study that examined the survival rates of 12 different shark species when captured as unintentional bycatch in commercial longline fishing operations found large differences in survival rates across the 12 species, with bigeye thresher, dusky, and scalloped hammerhead being the most vulnerable...

Extra exercise helps depressed smokers kick the habit faster
People diagnosed with depression need to step out for a cigarette twice as often as smokers who are not dealing with a mood disorder. And those who have the hardest time shaking off the habit may have more mental health issues than they are actually aware of, research suggests. While nearly one in f...

Therapeutic bacteria prevent obesity in mice, study finds
A probiotic that prevents obesity could be on the horizon. Bacteria that produce a therapeutic compound in the gut inhibit weight gain, insulin resistance and other adverse effects of a high-fat diet in mice, investigators have discovered. Regulatory issues must be addressed before moving to human s...

Preschoolers can reflect on what they don't know
Contrary to previous assumptions, researchers find that preschoolers are able to gauge the strength of their memories and make decisions based on their self-assessments. The findings contribute to research on the reliability of children's eyewitness testimony in a court of law, and they carry import...

Enhanced instrument enables high-speed chemical imaging of tissues
A research team has demonstrated a dramatically improved technique for analyzing biological cells and tissues based on characteristic molecular vibrations. The new technique is an advanced form of Raman spectroscopy that is fast and accurate enough to create high-resolution images of biological spec...

Vitamin D deficiency raises risk of schizophrenia diagnosis
Vitamin D-deficient individuals are twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia as people who have sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is needed for bone and muscle health. The skin naturally produces this vitamin after expos...

High-salt diet doubles threat of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes
People with Type 2 diabetes who eat a diet high in salt face twice the risk of developing cardiovascular disease as those who consume less sodium, according to a new study. Diabetes occurs when there is too much sugar in the bloodstream. People develop Type 2 diabetes when their bodies become resist...

African elephant genome suggests they are superior smellers
Sense of smell is critical for survival in many mammals. In a new study, researchers examined the olfactory receptor repertoire encoded in 13 mammalian species and found that African elephants have the largest number of OR genes ever characterized; more than twice that found in dogs, and five times ...

3-D printed tissues advance stem cell research
A tissue engineering and vascular biology expert recently won a Faculty Early Career Development Award for his work on 3D tissue printing, and its contribution of the advancement of stem cell research.

Ultrasonically propelled nanorods spin dizzyingly fast
Vibrate a solution of rod-shaped metal nanoparticles in water with ultrasound and they'll spin around their long axes like tiny drill bits. Why? No one yet knows exactly. But researchers have clocked their speed -- and it's fast. At up to 150,000 revolutions per minute, ten times faster than any nan...

Technique simplifies creation of high-tech crystals
Researchers propose a method to create precision crystals by adding polymer to a chemical mixture.

Quantum leap in lasers brightens future for quantum computing
Scientists have devised a breakthrough laser that uses a single artificial atom to generate and emit particles of light. The laser may play a crucial role in the development of quantum computers, which are predicted to eventually outperform today's most powerful supercomputers.

How children categorize living things
"Name everything you can think of that is alive." How would a child respond to this question? Would his or her list be full of relatives, animals from movies and books, or perhaps neighborhood pets? Would the poppies blooming on the front steps make the list or the oak tree towering over the backyar...

Radio frequency ID tags on honey bees reveal hive dynamics
Scientists attached radio-frequency identification tags to hundreds of individual honey bees and tracked them for several weeks. The effort yielded two discoveries: Some foraging bees are much busier than others; and if those busy bees disappear, others will take their place.

Understanding how neuro cells turn cancerous
New research, for the first time, brings scientists nearer to understanding how some cells in the brain and nervous system become cancerous. The team studied a tumor suppressor called Merlin. Their results have identified a new mechanism whereby Merlin suppresses tumors, and that the mechanism opera...

Communication between nostril/skin microbiome bacteria can influence pathogen...
Scientists have made an important discovery about the molecular interactions that occur between generally benign species of Propionibacterium bacteria and the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the cause of most 'staph' infections.

Report on viruses looks beyond disease
In contrast to their negative reputation as disease causing agents, some viruses can perform crucial biological and evolutionary functions that help to shape the world we live in today, according to a new report. "Viruses participate in essential Earth processes and influence all life forms on the p...

The heart of an astronaut, five years on
The heart of an astronaut is a much-studied thing. Scientists have analyzed its blood flow, rhythms, atrophy and, through journal studies, even matters of the heart. But for the first time, researchers are looking at how oxidative stress and inflammation caused by the conditions of space flight affe...

NASA's HS3 mission spotlight: The HIRAD instrument
The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer, known as HIRAD, will fly aboard one of two unmanned Global Hawk aircraft during NASA's Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel or HS3 mission from Wallops beginning August 26 through September 29. One of the NASA Global Hawks will cover the storm environment and the other w...

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory celebrates 15th anniversary
Fifteen years ago, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Since its deployment on July 23, 1999, Chandra has helped revolutionize our understanding of the universe through its unrivaled X-ray vision.