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World's rarest rabbit rediscovered
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In the Tian Shan Mountains of China, researchers have spotted the elusive Ili Pika, an adorable creature which hasn’t been seen in two decades. The so-called "magic bunny" measures about eight inches long and is a distant relative of the rabbit. It has eluded research teams for decades, sneaking in and out of cliffs. Around the time of its discovery, back in 1983, the species numbered around 2900. Now, their numbers are down to less than a thousand, most likely due to human activity and climate change. ...
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11466 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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This incredible bird has a horn growing from its head
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Meet the cassowary. These are flightless birds native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species. The most common of these, the southern cassowary, is the third tallest and second heaviest living bird, smaller only than the ostrich and emu. All three species have horn-like but soft and spongy crests called casques on their heads, up to 18 cm (7 inches), which serves several purposes. The most interesting being that the wedge-shaped casque may have evolved to protect the head of this animal by deflecting falling fruit, since cassowaries spend a lot of time under trees where seeds the size of golfballs or larger fall from heights of up to 30 metres! ...
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25425 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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Hair loss no more - a promising treatment for baldness
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Isn't it strange, two FDA-approved drugs - topical ruxolitinib or tofacitinib - can reawaken dormant hair follicles! According to the study, within 3 weeks, mice that received topical ruxolitinib or tofacitinib had regrown nearly all their hair (right photo; drug was applied only to the right side of the mouse). Little to no hair growth occurred in control mice during the same timeframe (left photo). According to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, inhibiting a family of enzymes inside hair follicles that are suspended in a resting state restores hair growth. These drugs, known as JAK inhibitors have been approved to treat blood diseases (ruxolitinib) and the other for rheumatoid arthritis (tofacitinib). Both are being tested ...
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20471 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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What some fish will do to survive
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Shallow waters will sometimes get too hot, forcing one fish to make a break for the shore. The tiny mangrove rivulus (shown above) avoids neurological damage from hot swamps by escaping to land. Retreating to land allows the fish to cool down through a process called evaporative cooling, which is akin to human sweating but using water from the environment. Previously, scientists had suggested that the fish, besides simply escaping hot water, might be taking advantage of evaporative cooling. Source: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/11/10/20150689 ...
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20480 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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18121 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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Stay away from the castor bean
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Some organisms, such as the castor bean plant ( Ricinus communis), produce substances that inhibit the synthesis of proteins (called translation) within a cell. (The plant, which is native to Africa, is not related to the species of bean plants with which you are likely more familiar.) A protein called ricin, produced within the castor seeds is an extremely potent inhibitor of protein synthesis. In fact, it is one of the strongest natural toxins produced. A single chewed seed can kill child! If the ricin were purified, it would take an amount equivalent to only a few grains of salt to kill an adult. Ricin kills cells by enzymatically cleaving covalent bonds within the large and small ribosomal subunits, rendering the protein-building factori ...
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20189 |
savio |
8 years ago |
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