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Weed
Killer Affects Frogs
Sexual Development
from Reuters --
 The
widely used weed killer
atrazine affects the sexual development of frogs, raising
questions about the effects of its use in the environment, the
University of Ottawa said on Thursday.
A study by researchers at the university found that at low levels
comparable to those measured in the Canadian environment, fewer
tadpoles reached the froglet stage and the ratio of females to males
increased.
"Atrazine is one of the top-selling herbicides used worldwide and
was designed to inhibit weed growth in cornfields," the university
said in a statement. "It is so widely used that it can be detected
in many rivers, streams and in some water supplies. This has raised
the alarm on the possibility of other serious detrimental
environmental effects."
Syngenta AG, a major Swiss manufacturer of atrazine, has long
defended its safety. The company has said it is one of the
best-studied herbicides available and pointed to previous safety
reviews from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World
Health Organization, among others.
The EPA said in October that it was reviewing the health
impacts of the herbicide. Some studies have tied it to birth
defects, low birth weight and premature babies
Seen a UFO? Don't Call the MoD
from
the London Guardian --
 For
more half a century paranoid fantasies about flying saucers, little
green men and alien invasions were officially indulged by the
existence of a department within the
Ministry of
Defence
that investigated UFO sightings. But after more than 11,000
sightings spawning countless conspiracy theories, the department has
been scrapped. The UFO hotline is no more. In these tough economic
times the
MoD
concluded that investigating UFO sightings can no longer be
justified. It was
diverting resources an MoD statement said.
Are
we alone in the universe? The MoD doesn't care anymore. When
you ring the old hotline number, you get a terse recorded message,
which says, "Please note it is no longer MoD policy to
record, respond to, or investigate UFO sightings," it says.
An
MoD statement on the matter is a little more expansive. It says:
"The MoD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of
extra-terrestrial life. However, in over 50 years, no UFO report has
revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom."
Nick Pope, who ran the UFO project in the early 1990s, said the
decision to scrap it was "outrageous." Speaking to the Sun,
which broke the story, he said:
"We're leaving ourselves wide open to terrorist attack."
Poisonous Catfish
from Science Daily --
 In
contrast to the research into venom produced by snakes and spiders,
venomous fish have been neglected and remain something of a mystery.
Now, a study of 158 catfish species, published in the open access
journal
BMC
Evolutionary Biology, has catalogued the presence of
venom glands in catfish and investigated their biological effects.
Jeremy Wright, from the University of Michigan, carried out
the investigation. He said, "I used histological and toxicological
techniques to elucidate the diversity and distribution of venomous
catfish. I found that at least 1250, and possibly over 1600 species
of catfish may be venomous, a number far greater than any previous
estimate of venomous catfish diversity"
Catfish venom glands are found in association with sharp, bony
spines along the leading edge of the dorsal and pectoral fins, which
can be locked into place when the catfish is threatened. When a
spine enters a potential predator, the membrane surrounding the
venom gland cells is torn, releasing venom into the wound. Wright
describes how catfish venoms are neurotoxic and hemolytic, and are
capable of producing a variety of effects such as severe pain,
ischemia, muscle spasm and respiratory distress. However, as any one
species examined produces no more than three distinct toxins in its
venom, each species may not display all of these properties.
Wright's analyses indicate that there are at least two independent
evolutionary origins of catfish venom glands. In addition, the toxic
peptides show strong similarities with, and might be derived from,
previously characterized toxins found in catfish epidermal
secretions. "Further examination of the chemical composition of the
venoms will provide valuable insight into the mechanisms and
potential selective factors driving venom evolution in fishes,"
comments Wright.
Texas Couple Says Egg Is a
Message from God
from CBS News ―
 Tracy
and Pam Norrell are calling the egg a miracle, a gift laid before
them on their small farm near Burleson, Texas. A couple in the city,
13 miles south of Fort Worth, believes God has given them a divine
sign and it's a message spelled out in the most unusual of places.
The Norrells are calling it a miracle, a gift laid before them on
their small farm.
Tracy went to gather the eggs from the chicken coop Monday night, as
he does every day. But this time one egg in particular caught his
eye. Unlike the others, this egg isn't smooth and a very noticeable
cross is indented on the top.
The Norell's say the egg was laid 'straight from heaven' and is a
message of encouragement that comes at the right time. "This time
of the year, we get so taken up with the presents and money and we
forget about the reason," Pam explained. "I think he [God] was just
telling us he is the reason for the season."
The Norell's haven't quite decided what they'll do with the egg yet.
It goes without saying; the couple says eating the egg is not an
option.
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