Dolphins can turn on, turn off diabetes
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Dolphins can induce diabetes when food is scarce and turn it off when food is abundant, said California scientists looking for a cure for humans.
The unique ability may result from a dolphin's need to maintain high blood sugar levels for its large brain -- an ability possibly lost by humans through evolution, said Stephanie Venn-Watson, a veterinary epidemiologist at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in San Diego.
"It is our hope that this discovery can lead to novel ways to prevent, treat and maybe even cure diabetes in humans," said Venn-Watson, who made the discovery while researching dolphins off the coast of Southern California.
By taking blood samples from dolphins who had become comfortable around researchers, Venn-Watson found they could induce type II diabetes during times of fasting when food was scarce and then almost immediately turn it off when food once again was available, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
People may have had the same ability because there is evidence a fasting gene still exists in humans, she said.
Great whites more at risk than tigers
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Great white shark numbers have dropped by 90 percent during the past 20 years, making them one of the world's most endangered species, U.S. scientists said.
The great white population has dropped to below 3,500, making them even more endangered than tigers, a study from Stanford University showed.
The study found great whites were in danger from illegal fishing and being hit by boats and tangled in fishing nets, marine scientist Ronald D'Or said at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in San Diego.
"When I heard there may be fewer (great whites) than tigers I thought "Oh my god" that is truly scary," D-Or said.
D'Or said people are beginning to understand how rare and special great whites are when they previously were thought of as just dangerous.
In Australia, tracking tags placed on great whites serve as warning systems to alert surfers and swimmers, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
"They have receivers on the beaches so when a great white comes into the bay the receiver automatically makes a cell phone call and tells the guy in charge to close the beach," D'Or said.
Test detects micro amounts of cancer
BALTIMORE, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A promising blood DNA test should be capable of detecting microscopic cancer tumors missed by conventional imaging equipment, scientists in Baltimore said.
The test could revolutionize cancer care by sparing some patients chemotherapy and ensuring other patient receive extra treatment when the original course of treatment fails to kill all the cancer cells, said Victor Velculescu of Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
The test uses genetic technology to identify so-called DNA "fingerprints" in tumor cells and then detect them in blood, Velculescu said. In clinical trials, the test detected tiny traces of tumor DNA in the blood of four patients with bowel cancer and two with breast cancer, he said.
The test, known as PARE for personalized analysis of rearranged ends, also could determine whether cancer has spread to lymph nodes and would allow for healthy tissue around a tumor to be left in place, The Times of London reported Friday.
"We believe that this is one of the first applications of new genome sequencing technologies that could be useful for cancer patients," Velculescu said.
Nestle confirms salmonella found at plant
BURLINGTON, Wis., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A Nestle spokeswoman said salmonella was found in a batch of chocolate morsels manufactured at a plant in Burlington, Wis.
Laurie MacDonald said a sample of the morsels tested positive for salmonella a couple weeks ago. She said a recall was not necessary since the tested batch was never distributed for sale, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Thursday.
MacDonald assured the public the plant underwent an intense cleaning after the positive test to prevent the possibility of a salmonella outbreak.
"We have rigorous quality assurance protocols and procedures in place, which include testing of product during our manufacturing process," she said.
"As part of our extensive quality procedures, we also tested product manufactured before and after this single positive sample, and all product tested negative. Quality is our number one priority and this is example of our extensive procedures at work."
