Moray eels have a unique way of feeding reminiscent of a science fiction thriller, researchers have discovered. After seizing prey in its jaws, a second set of jaws located in the moray's throat reaches forward into the mouth, grabs the food and carries it back to the esophagus for swallowing.

New research showing that dog-walking in bushland significantly reduces bird diversity and abundance will lend support to bans against the practice in sensitive bushland and conservation areas. Until now, arguments and debate about the ecological impacts of dog-walking have remained subjective and unresolved because experimental evidence has been lacking.

Studies with rats have revealed the potential in an entirely new class of antidepressants that take effect after only days of treatment versus the weeks required for current drugs. The researchers said that they hope their findings will spur development of such new antidepressant drugs so that clinical testing can begin quickly.

Controversial Internet entrepreneur turned cultural critic Andrew Keen, who says the revolution of interactivity and user-generated content on the internet is leading to 'less culture, less reliable news and a chaos of useless information' is one contributor certain to ignite debate at the two-day conference at the University of York. Innovations such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube -- known as...

It is well established that a child's brain has a remarkable capacity for change, but controversy continues about the extent to which such plasticity exists in the adult human primary sensory cortex. Now, neuroscientists have used converging evidence from brain imaging and behavioral studies to show that the adult visual cortex does indeed reorganize -- and that the change affects visual...

Airline passengers and crews who gripe about poor cabin air quality could have a new culprit to blame: the oils on their skin, hair and clothing. A new study suggests interactions between body oils and ozone found in airplane cabins could lead to the formation of chemical byproducts that might worsen nasal irritation, headaches, dry eyes and lips, and other common air traveler complaints.

In a groundbreaking study, two Harvard scientists have for the first time extracted human DNA from ancient artifacts. The work potentially opens up a new universe of sources for ancient genetic material, which is used to map human migrations in prehistoric times. Before this, archaeologists could only get ancient DNA from relics of the human body itself, including prehistoric teeth, bones,...

The architects of Cambodia's famed Angkor -- the world's most extensive medieval "hydraulic city" -- unwittingly engineered its environmental collapse, say scientists. This revelation supports a disputed hypothesis by French archaeologist Bernard-Philippe Groslier, who 50 years ago suggested that the vast medieval settlement of Angkor was defined, sustained, and ultimately overwhelmed by...

Bacteria which live symbiotically inside the blood-sucking pests called red poultry mites could be a new and effective target to prevent the spread of Salmonella and similar pathogens in chickens, turkeys and other table birds, according to scientists.

Birches will likely drive out many aspens in northern forests as mounting levels of carbon dioxide force the trees to compete more fiercely for soil nutrients in the coming decades, according to a recent article. Carbon dioxide is emitted when fossil fuels are burned, and it's a heat-trapping gas blamed for global warming. But rising carbon dioxide levels also have a fertilizing effect on trees...

Researchers have long attempted to unravel the code used by the neurons of the brain to represent our visual world. By studying the way the brain rapidly and precisely encodes natural visual events that occur on a slower timescale, a team of bioengineers and brain scientists have moved one step closer towards solving this riddle.

A new clinical study will explore the brain-gut interaction in patients with functional dyspepsia and whether certain drugs can effectively relieve symptoms of this disorder. Functional dyspepsia is a costly and chronic disorder that can cause severe stomach pain often reported as cramping, bloating and gas, or great discomfort or fullness after eating.

In studies aiming to understand better the emergence and persistence of cholera in Africa, researchers showed the strong correlation that exists between outbreaks and the different parameters linked to climate changes in West Africa. This research should provide the scientists with the basis for creating a predictive model which could improve early warning of risks by anticipating the emergence of...

A grouper fish found off New Caledonia was found to be parasitized by 12 species of microscopic monogenean worms. This diversity of parasites has just been confirmed also in the malabar grouper, another the coral reef species. If such a level of parasite diversity prevails in all coral-reef fish, tens of thousands of parasite species are in this ecosystem waiting to be discovered.

Jennifer Sieck knew something had to be done when she would lie in bed most of the day and night. "It would be a big deal and everyone would get excited if I'd come down to the living room and could sit there for 10 or 20 minutes," the 38 year old says. Sieck was more than just drowsy; she was fatigued, and no amount of sleep could shake her exhaustion. "It's not about being tired, it's about...

Researchers have discovered how the protein CodY controls toxin production of Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that has caused epidemics of severe diarrhea in hospital patients. In its search for food, C. difficile releases toxins that cause diarrhea and in rare cases death. Gaining a better understanding of how CodY prevents C. difficile from making toxins may lead to future drug development...

A doctor's gender may hinder early hinder early diagnosis of heart disease in women. Twice as many women as men aged 45-64 have undetected or "silent" myocardial infarctions, suggesting a general diagnosis problem. Despite the fact that all the patients gave case histories that should have resulted in a clear diagnosis of coronary heart disease, the results showed that doctors were significantly...

A new study indicates biologists trying to save Colorado's native greenback cutthroat trout from extinction over the past several decades through hatchery propagation and restocking efforts have, in most cases, inadvertently restored the wrong fish.

Researchers have used a new technique to save $60 million for broadcasters by extending the service life of two communications satellites. The technique works by applying an advanced simulation and a method that equalizes the amount of propellant in a series of fuel tanks so that the satellite consumes all of the fuel before being retired from service.

How environmental stress contributes to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes is under study. Researchers have long thought that environmental stress factors -- things like family dysfunction, low socioeconomic status and discrimination -- play an important role in cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, but little is known about physiological factors that link stress to the diseases'...

Researchers have initiated a new clinical trial to determine the optimal dose and safety of T regulatory cells (T-regs) to decrease the risk of immune reactions common in patients undergoing blood and marrow transplantation. The therapy may lead to a future treatment for diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.

With the help of genetically engineered mice whose livers turned into glowing light bulbs, researchers have illuminated the underpinnings of an insidious and growing health concern -- type 2 diabetes.

Injection drug users are still at a very high risk of acquiring hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV); however, needle-sharing is less common, and users do not become infected as quickly as they did in the past.

More than a third of college athletes assessed for breathing problems had test results suggesting exercise-induced asthma, even in those athletes who had no previous history of asthma, a new study shows. The findings paralleled earlier findings of a high prevalence of exercise-induced asthma among Olympic athletes. The work also underscores the need to develop more routine diagnosis and management...