Feverish fruit fly larvae, warmed in a toasty lab chamber, are giving Cornell researchers a way to watch chromosomes in action and actually see how genes are expressed in living tissue.

Both vertebrate and fruit fly have so-called visual maps in the brain that represent the world they see. These visual maps consist of millions of nerve cell contacts that need to be wired correctly during development in order for the adult animal to see normally. It is generally thought that the complexity of visual maps, like other brain regions, cannot only be genetically programmed but requires activity by neurons or nerve cells in the brain.

In the animal world, squid are masters of disguise. Pigmented skin cells enable them to camouflage themselves--almost instantaneously--from predators. Squid also produce polarized skin patterns by regulating the iridescence of their skin, possibly creating a "hidden communication channel" visible only to animals that are sensitive to polarized light.

The medical device currently used for intestinal research, the colonsope, causes patients great discomfort. At TU Delft, an alternative method has been developed, inspired by the way in which snails move. On September 18, researcher Dimitra Dodou received her PhD degree from TU Delft based on this research subject.

Amsterdam, 21 September, 2006 - Elsevier is delighted to announce the publication of a unique supplement to the journal Vaccine: HPV Vaccines and Screening in the Prevention of Cervical Cancer. This special monograph provides a comprehensive and invaluable update for paediatricians, gynaecologists, health educators, policy decision makers, industry and major donor institutions worldwide.

High hourly levels of air pollution, more than double the risk of one type of stroke, suggests research published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.