Nasa’s Mars rover zaps first rock

By | Published: August 21, 2012

20 August 2012 Last updated at 07:32 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent

Nasa’s Curiosity rover has zapped its first Martian rock.

The robot fired its ChemCam laser at a tennis-ball-sized stone lying about 2.5m away on the ground.

The brief but powerful burst of light from the instrument vaporised the surface of the rock, revealing details of its basic chemistry.

This was just target practice for ChemCam, proving it is ready to begin the serious business of investigating the geology of the Red Planet.

It is part of a suite of instruments on the one-tonne robot, which landed two weeks ago in a deep equatorial depression known as Gale Crater.

Over the course of one Martian year, Curiosity will try to determine whether past environments at its touchdown location could ever have supported life.

The US-French ChemCam instrument will be a critical part of that investigation, helping to select the most interesting objects for study.

The inaugural target of the laser was a 7cm-wide rock dubbed “Coronation” (previously N165).

It had no particular science value, and was expected to be just another lump of ubiquitous Martian basalt, a volcanic rock.

Its appeal was the nice smooth face it offered to the laser.

ChemCam zapped it with 30 pulses of infrared light during a 10-second period.

Each pulse delivered to a tiny spot more than a million watts of power for about five billionths of a second.

The instrument observed the resulting spark through a telescope; the component colours would have told scientists which atomic elements were present.

“We got a great spectrum of Coronation – lots of signal,” said ChemCam principal investigator Roger Wiens of Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico.

“Our team is both thrilled and working hard, looking at the results. After eight years building the instrument, it’s pay-off time.”

One aspect being considered by the team is whether the signal changed slightly as the laser burrowed through any exterior layers that might have coated Coronation.

“Coatings can tell you about, say, the weather or what has happened to a rock through the eons,” Dr Wiens told the BBC last week.

“We will look at the first few laser shots and see if there is any difference as we move further into the rock.”

Continue reading the main story

Curiosity – Mars Science Laboratory

  • Mission goal is to determine whether Mars has ever had the conditions to support life

  • Project costed at $2.5bn; will see initial surface operations lasting two Earth years

  • Onboard plutonium generators will deliver heat and electricity for at least 14 years

  • 75kg science payload more than 10 times as massive as those of earlier US Mars rovers

  • Equipped with tools to brush and drill into rocks, to scoop up, sort and sieve samples

  • Variety of analytical techniques to discern chemistry in rocks, soil and atmosphere

  • Will try to make first definitive identification of organic (carbon rich) compounds

‘Fire marks’

The British company e2v provided the imaging sensor behind the ChemCam telescope that routes the light signal, via optical fibres, to the onboard spectrometer which does the chemical analysis.

The charge-coupled device (CCD) was specially prepared for the instrument to increase its sensitivity.

“The scientists always want to see more, but they want to see more without cost to performance,” said e2v’s Jon Kemp.

“Our process was able to almost double the signal to noise ratio.”

The first science target for ChemCam will be bedrock exposed on the ground next to Curiosity by the rocket-powered crane used to lower the vehicle to the crater floor on 6 August (GMT).

Exhaust from this descent stage scattered surface grit and pebbles to reveal a harder, compact material underneath.

The crane made four scour marks in the ground – two either side of the rover. These have been dubbed Burnside, Goulburn, Hepburn and Sleepy Dragon – names taken from ancient rock formations in Canadian North America.

Goulburn Scour will be zapped by ChemCam once the mission team has reviewed fully the Coronation performance and results.

  • (A) Curiosity will trundle around its landing site looking for interesting rock features to study. Its top speed is about 4cm/s

  • (B) This mission has 17 cameras. They will identify particular targets, and a laser will zap those rocks to probe their chemistry

  • (C) If the signal is significant, Curiosity will swing over instruments on its arm for close-up investigation. These include a microscope

  • (D) Samples drilled from rock, or scooped from the soil, can be delivered to two hi-tech analysis labs inside the rover body

  • (E) The results are sent to Earth through antennas on the rover deck. Return commands tell the rover where it should drive next

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19314638#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Adobe Flash flaw exploited with malicious ?iPhone 5 Battery? Word document

By | Published: August 21, 2012

A booby-trapped Word document containing a malicious embedded Flash file and alluringly entitled ?iPhone 5 Battery? has been found in the wild and is exploiting a known security flaw in Flash, one for which Adobe issued a security update on 14 August.

The document contains what looks like a genuine article about leaked iPhone 5 battery Images (that article was originally published by Techcrunch on 10 August), the vulnerability, commonly known as CVE-2012-1535, is exploited on opening the Word document.

This opens a backdoor known as c0d0so0 or Backdoor Briba is used to contact a remote server to download an executable file encapsulated in a ZIP and disguised as a GIF.

Security company Alienvault pointed out that Dynamic DNS providers like DynDNS.org are a common denominator and urged companies to investigate whether computers on their network were contacting suspicious subdomains using DDNS companies.

Expect a rise in virus-related malware infection as well as scams as the build up to the launch of the iPhone 5 and, possibly of the iPad mini, continues for a few more weeks.

Source: AlienVault Labs

Source: http://feeds.itproportal.com/~r/itproportal/rss/~3/J3i-sZUQkQ4/

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By | Published: August 20, 2012

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Source: http://twitter.com/thecolumbian/statuses/237274821547921410

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These Steps Will Help You Train Your Dog | Love My Pets GPS Pet …

By | Published: August 20, 2012

TIP! Reinforce your dog?s good behavior by using a clicker. The clicker works when you make an association between positive events and the clicker being used.

Training a dog can be overwhelming to those who are new at it. You can have information overload when you think of all the resources you have at your disposal. Here are some tips and advice to help you get started with effectively training your dog.

TIP! It?s important your dog always has an understanding of right from wrong. This will require firm boundaries from everybody in your house.

In most cases, dogs bite out of fear. This happens when dogs feel frightened, trapped, or threatened. Never use force to train your dog. This may have serious negative consequences, such as your dog biting you. Your dog will feel proud and want to please you as his leader.

TIP! When you are house training a dog, you may want to use a crate. Let the dog out on a regular schedule to make the crate training most effective.

Housebreaking pads normally do more harm than good when house training a puppy or dog. These items will leak and the scent left will have your dog believing this area is suppose to be used to mark his territory. They also make your dog think it?s okay to use anything with a similar shape as a bathroom. It is best to teach dogs that they are to go potty outside only.

TIP! Associate a word with an action and stick to it. You dog will learn to respond to the specific word or words that you choose to represent a desired behavior.

The first step in training a puppy is to make sure he knows his name. Call him by name frequently, and teach him to come when called. These are the preliminary words that your dog need to know. Try to spend a good amount of time with your new dog. When he trusts you, he ends up being more responsive to all sorts of training.

TIP! It?s to be expected that your new puppy will likely have an accident now and then. Clean accidents right away to speed up training.

You can try a little bit of ingenuity if you are going with crate training for your indoor dog or puppy. If the dog doesn?t want to go inside the crate, put a rawhide bone in there and shut the door. Your dog will get excited at the prospect of the treat and soon be eager to enter the crate. After they have entered the crate, be sure to give them praise so they understand that they have done a good thing.

TIP! Make sure you feed your dog healthy food. Too many table scraps can unbalance your dog?s diet.

When it comes to training a puppy, it is not a good idea to provide too much information and training at one time. Remember that all dogs have short attention spans and puppies even more so. If you try to teach too much, he won?t like the training sessions and won?t remember everything. This will only frustrate you over time.

TIP! To learn how to effectively train your dog, you may want to take an obedience class. The trained instructors can help your pup with any issues he may have, including unnecessary barking, chewing, house training and normal obedience issues.

When training your dog, keep track of time during each session. Your dog is going to get bored doing the same thing over and over. Keep first training lessons to 10 minutes or less.

TIP! You want to make sure that you provide your dog a sense of security. If a dog feels threatened, it will likely attack someone or something.

If you will be introducing a new animal, do it slowly. Consider your pet at home before adopting a new one. You need to make sure your pets get along so you can be happy as well.

TIP! Make sure everyone involved in a dog?s training uses the same set of commands. If the dog jumps up and you use ?get down? but your husband says ?no boy?, the dog will get confused.

Be consistent with your dog training to make sure your animal stays obedient to the rules it has been learning. Many times, owners feel that since their animals have gone through dog training, they can just forget about it. You can encourage your dog to adopt good habits. So, it?s very important that you review your training with your dog regularly.

TIP! Be sure to have your dog spayed or neutered at six months. After the dog is neutered or spayed, you should begin obedience classes with your dog.

Buy chew toys so that your puppy can deal with painful teething. Take it away, and give him a chew toy. A frozen washcloth is a great way to help your pup ease his teething pain.

TIP! Vary the treats you use as rewards for your dog during training sessions. Using treats that your dog does not usually receive help to convey they message that your training sessions are special.

Understanding what motivates your pet will give you a leg up in your training. You need to learn about what your dog likes, and know what will work with him and what won?t. Offer your dog a lot of positive reinforcement and an array of training techniques. Dogs are much easier to train when they are happy.

TIP! A dog needs to be trained from the outset. It is easier to instill good habits than it is to deal with bad ones.

Big dogs that like to stretch out or lie on their backs need a big bed. You could get a rectangular bed designed specifically for large dogs or, better yet, a standard crib mattress. These are advantageous for the fact that you are able to regularly change the cover by using crib sheets. Additionally, crib mattresses are waterproof!

TIP! Keep your dog outside while you are away from home to prevent it from chewing on your items. If it is too cold out, or you can?t leave the puppy outdoors for some other reason, you will just have to do your best to make his favorite objects out of reach.

Refrain from playing tug-of-war with your puppy while you in the process of training him. These games along with chasing games and wresting games encourage the little pup to start biting your hands. You don?t want them doing that, so you should wait until they are older and more mature to play those games.

TIP! Make sure that both you and your dog enjoy the daily training. When you play with your dog, it strengthens the bond between you and them, thus encouraging the pet to stay positive during training.

Be consistent when training a canine. A list of directives should be available to anyone who may give instructions to your dog at some time. Also, make sure to be on the same page regarding rewarding good behavior and never rewarding bad behavior. Different training methods will only confuse your dog and delay training.

TIP! Dogs learn through trials with rewards. First, you must completely walk the dog through what you want to accomplish, and then set up a daily routine around the behavior that includes rewards.

When a new person comes into your house, tell them exactly how they should approach your dog. Doing this will cause your dog to try and show dominance or jump onto guests.

TIP! If you catch your puppy gnawing on an object that doesn?t belong to them, stop the behavior right away. This will help your puppy to learn what things he is allowed to chew and what he is not.

Consider holding a toy to your dogs mouth when you are training him. Use positive reinforcements like a clicker or a cookie whenever the dog chooses the toy. Once he?s got that down, only reward him every five times he completes the action. When he does this, click and reward. After that, only give the reward if he does hold the toy in his mouth.

These suggestions will help you train your dog. Following the advice contained in this article will lead to your being a happy canine owner with a properly trained companion

Source: http://lovemypetsgps.com/blog/2755/these-steps-will-help-you-train-your-dog/

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Advantages of a Home Based Business | articlereference.net

By | Published: August 3, 2012

Due to the downsizing of numerous businesses and organizations across the country, more individuals are obtaining the countless benefits of operating their particular home business. You want to spend more time with your friends or family and If you have lost or quit your task, a business at home may be the option for you. There are numerous advantages to the type of business which include:You Can Keep the Money you MakeIt is often a basic principle. The more you work, the more money you will have the ability to make. Unlike other programs, that you don?t need certainly to delay for a campaign or even a raise. Having a based business will also help you to conserve money on food, gas and meals since you?ll be able to prepare all your meals at home.Increase in OpportunitiesBecause there are countless numbers of industries and companies that are slumping, a home based business is an excellent opportunity to improve your options to augment your income. Great jobs may be hard to find today with campaigns being also scarcer.Personal FreedomIf you frequently spend large parts of every day in traffic, one of the greatest benefits of a based business is independence from hours of lost time. The typical American spends around 348 hours annually going two and from work. With a based business, these hours will not be wasted and, instead, may be spent with your loved ones. In addition, you can find no gown codes, no office politics, and no companies. The only things that you need are time-management, control, and personal drive.Creative OutletStarting a home based business may be a great chance to provide an outlet for your passions and interests and enable you to produce money through what you love doing.Increased ProductivitySince you do not need to budget both power and time for commuting and for visiting and from perhaps worthless conferences, you?ll have more time to devote focus on your business.Less RiskyRunning a home based business requires less money than another freestanding business or an area of an operation. And, after the business has been started, it?s simpler and cheaper to maintain than other styles of businesses.Less StressfulIt is less irritating to maintain your home and spending some time together with your family when you yourself have a home based business. This is particularly helpful once you have a kid who is ill.More Time Spent with Family and FriendsHaving a centered business is particularly very important to parents who?ve young ones of school-age. You will manage to be home when school is finished and send the kids off to school. Also, if one of many young ones is sick, it is in an easier way to help you to take care of them.

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Source: http://articlereference.net/health-fitness/advantages-of-a-home-based-business.html

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Sharp to cut 5,000 jobs as quarterly loss worsens

By | Published: August 3, 2012

TOKYO (AP) ? Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. is slashing 5,000 jobs over the next year, or nearly 9 percent of its global workforce, after its quarterly loss ballooned from a year earlier.

Osaka-based Sharp reported Thursday that its April-June loss swelled to 138.4 billion yen ($1.8 billion) from 49 billion yen of red ink a year earlier.

Quarterly sales plunged 28 percent to 458.6 billion yen ($5.9 billion) as sales crashed in liquid crystal displays, flat-panel TVs and mobile phones.

Sharp forecast a bigger loss for the business year through March 2013. It now expects a 250 billion yen ($3.2 billion) loss compared with the 30 billion yen ($385 million) loss it projected earlier.

Sharp said the jobs cuts will come through voluntary and mandatory retirement and other arrangements.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sharp-cut-5-000-jobs-quarterly-loss-worsens-102715308–finance.html

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Comply to these 4 Steps for a Leak-Proof Residence

By | Published: July 20, 2012











It’ll be a disbelief if you reside within Atlanta, Georgia and notice water moving on your partitions. If it occurs, that’s the positive warning there’s a leak or even more on your roof structure. Undoubtedly these water leaks have to be closed quick, while they must be located first. What is equally unexpected is if that occurs through summer months in Atlanta. Essentially summer season is mostly sunlight and heat, however Atlanta’s moist subtropical climate could potentially cause unexpected thunderstorms. It’s simple to comprehend if perhaps you’re doubtful how you can search for water leaks just by simply looking up. If perhaps you’re up to it, listed here are four suggestions toassist you to find a trickle on the home’s roof top.

Work with a hose

An ordinary garden hose will work to test for leakages. Go up to the roof and make a pretend section of the entire roof. Place your hose per spot and have somebody in the home to check if they see water leaks or perhaps water flowing on the partitions. Or perhaps, point your garden hose on the roof structure and spray just as if it’s raining, starting with the lowest level and steadily moving up.

Remember gravity

As the law of gravity says, “What goes up must come down.” However gravity is the thing that pulls the water down as it travels on the roof. Try to examine down rafters, the chimney, as well as joints for any leakages. Moreover, check these slantways as well as side to side to better see the root of the drip.

Move tag team

If you can, look for a tag team companion to battle on the roof for water leaks. At times using an extra pair of skilled eyes will help you discover water leaks in places that could have been overlooked. Atlanta roofers are capable of doing this best and may save you time and effort.

Look into the attic room

In case you have an loft, pay attention to water leaks, as well. Besides water leaks on the roof or perhaps within the attic room, check if you can locate black marks, water stains, as well as mold growth as these occur in spots where water streams. A number of Atlanta roofing contractors suggest going to the attic room to confirm these.

Searching for leaks on your roof top can be quite difficult and in some cases risky particularly if you need to climb on your roof structure. Sooner or later, it is better to see a roofing contractor Atlanta homeowners count on to test the general shape of the roof top. Read more about roof structure water leaks from Ideas.ReliableRemodeler.com and FamilyHandyMan.com.

For more details, search atlanta roofers, atlanta roofing contractors and roofing contractor Atlanta in Google for related information.

Keywords: atlanta roofers, atlanta roofing contractors, roofing contractor Atlanta

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Would you wait. – Adoption.com Forums

By | Published: July 19, 2012

Would you wait.

Those of you who read and post regularly know that I’ve had a strong desire to take on a newborn placement for the past few months. I was going to wait until the end of Aug/Sept , but there was an opportunity to go on call(at work) sooner so I took it. I’m officially on call status and I told my CW today(during visit) that I’m ready for a baby. She asked if I still wanted to keep a bed open for respite and I said no. I asked her if she would change my license after I got the baby or before. She said, Oh there’s no doubt you’ll get a call by the weekend so we don’t need to wait.

Here’s my dilema. We go on family vaca the beginning of Aug for 5 days, and I’m already kinda freaking over the possibility of them not finding respite for our 4 yr, and if we get the baby, then I will have to wonder about that. She said respite for babies is a lot easier. Taking the baby with us(5hr plane ride, and 2 hr layover) is not an option for us as we will be busy with family outings. I’ve traveled when my kids were babies, and it was ALWAYS work and stressful, never a vaca!! Anyway, do I wait until we get back or do I go ahead and accept? Babies are in high quantity here and our agency doesn’t even have room for them b/c all the families who take babies are full. I don’t want to turn down every call for the next 3 weeks and wonder, ”is that the call I should have said yes to”? But I also don’t want to put myself in a predicament where we have no choice but to take the baby if they can’t find respite. This is some serious temptation!!!!

__________________
We fostered in the 90′s, and took a 15 yr break as we focused on having and raising our own children.

Our Children are older now,(6-16) and hubby and I are wiser and have a little more patience.

Last edited by inshape : Today at 02:45 PM.

Source: http://forums.adoption.com/foster-parent-support/405770-would-you-wait.html

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A family's review: In-home Euthanasia for their Dog ? Animal RN Blog

By | Published: July 17, 2012

Home
> Animal Hospice > A family?s review: In-home Euthanasia for their?Dog

A real review of a euthanasia at home. ?The focus is on the experience and interaction with the veterinary clinic and staff.

Legend: (=) neutral experience, (-) negative experience, (+) positive experience

  • (=) Dr. and staff were late to leave hospital. ?Could have been a positive if communicated. ?Since the family was treasuring every second, they started to worry when they were not there or communicating there adjusted arrival ? this intereupted their time with the dog. ?The ?family appreciated the extra time.
  • (=) The Dr got lost on the way. ?Again, ?no problem as the family appreciated extra time. ?Directions were clarified when they called for them. ?The lack of communication and the blaming for the directions on the phone were the only reason this was not seen as a blessing.
  • (-) Overall, the family made comments after the fact to other areas and past experiences with the clinic. ?The team not communicating regularly enough regarding status, leaving family on pins and needles anticipating their arrival. ?As a result the family questioned past experiences with the clinic and their future use of the clinic.
  • (-) The Dr and staff member pulled up in a mercedes sedan ? no possibility of transporting the 80# dog back to the clinic for the requested private cremation, no communication or arrangements made with the family for them to handle dead body transportation.
  • (-) On their eventual arrival, the Dr got out of the car loudly complaining about how whoever gave the directions was wrong and telling us what they should have been. ?This was communicated to a liasion that met the team at the driveway and after subdueing them, led them to the family expresssing their desire to be calm and quiet and peaceful around the dog.
  • (-) On the short walk to the family and dog, the Dr again complained to 2 others regarding the directions, again loudly as nearing the dying dog and his grieving family.
  • (-) When the Dr and staff member joined the dog and family they proceeded with small chat and self focused conversation, disrupting the tone and dishonoring the moment the family had carefully created for themselves.
  • (=) The Dr explained the process of the euthanasia and approximately what to expect. ?Explanation was sufficient at best. ?Having had a better explanation previously from a third party they did not feel unaware.
  • (-) During the short process, the staff member had to go back to the car for additional supplies. ?The family considered something might be going wrong or unexpected in the process, raising concern for the comfort of the dog.
  • (-) The Dr and staff member left. ?They left before discussing or helping with the logistics of moving the dog from the yard where he was euthanized to a vehicle for transportation for cremation as arranged with the clinic.
  • (-) The Dr left before verifying their clinic would be open after hours for cremation drop off. ?The family had to make an additional call to the clinic in this raw moment to make sure they could take the dog after being left with him. ?Since the clinic did not answer the first call, they called another clinic to see if they would be open and available to help with their dog. ?This disrupted the beauty and peace of the moment after the euthanasia.
  • (-) When arriving at the clinic with thee dog, no one was ready or available to help. The family had called in advance and were expected. ?The car had to moved 3 times to accomodate the clinics request for getting the dog inside and the family members had to ?carry his limp body.
  • (-) The assistant asked the family member if they could put the dog in a garbage bag before removing from the car. ?This process surprised the family member and while he acted strong said ?sure,? ?it was clear he would rather not have known this logistical piece.
  • (-)When confirming we?d like a paw print, the staff member sounded surprised. ?The receptionist had confirmed that paw prints were standard when making the initial inquiry for the euthanasia house call and cremation arrangements. ?The family member almost took back the request to be accomodating, but couldn?t part with the memorial.

Overall score: 2 neutral, ?12 negative and 0 positive

Have you had an experience that should have or could have been almost a nice way to say goodbye that was tainted? ?Share in the comments your story ? how can we improve the experience?

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Source: http://animalrn.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/a-familys-review-in-home-euthanasia-for-their-dog/

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Male Dragonflies Color Shift via Simple Chemical Reaction

By | Published: July 11, 2012

News | Evolution

Biologists have identified the pigments and chemical mechanism behind color-changing male dragonflies

By Daisy Yuhas ?| July 10, 2012


A sexually mature, red male Sympetrum darwinianum dragonfly (left) in tandem flight with a yellowish female (right). Image: Ryo Futahashi

Why do testicles hang the way they do? Is there an adaptive function to the female orgasm? What does it feel like to want to kill yourself? Does ?free will?…

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Each summer, scores of sunny yellow dragonflies transform into vibrant scarlet flyers. Behind this showy makeover scientists have discovered a simple chemical reaction every bit as elegant as the spectacle itself.

The discovery?made by a team of biologists in Japan?reveals both the pigments and mechanism behind this colorful change, a process they describe in a study released yesterday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Because dragonflies are diurnal [awake during the day] and have a better sense of vision than smell or sound, body color is essential for partner recognition,” says lead author Ryo Futahashi, a biologist at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Futahashi, who has been fascinated by dragonflies since he was a child, explains that the red dragonfly in particular has a powerful cultural significance in Japan. The timing of their maturation coincides with late summer, making them a popular poetic symbol of autumn.

Futahashi and colleagues studied two dragonfly genera, Crocothemis and Sympetrum, in which males shift from a sunny yellow to scarlet when they reach sexual maturity. In addition to Japan, dragonflies of either genus can be observed in various parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. Their color shift?referred to by biologists as nuptial coloration?signals that a male is on the market for a mate. There’s an added advantage to the transformation: Young males are spared the hardship of territorial squabbles. Mature males ignore the yellow youths as nonthreatening.

To decipher exactly what causes the change, the scientists collected specimens from six species. Collecting and analyzing epidermis samples from the abdomens of these dragonflies, they identified the color source as ommochrome pigments, responsible for color in many insects and crustaceans.

Next, they chemically induced color change by microinjecting solution into a live dragonfly’s abdomen. They found that at the heart of the mechanism was a simple chemical redox reaction. In redox reactions the charge of chemical components becomes more positive through oxidation or more negative through reduction, removing or adding electrons, respectively. An injection of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) triggered reduction, which transformed yellow dragonflies to red. An injection of sodium nitrite, causing oxidation, reversed the effect.

The researchers observed that through reduction they could not only redden immature males, they could also transform females into the scarlet hue. In the wild, gynandromorphic dragonflies, which have both male and female characteristics, display a patchwork of red and yellow when they mature. These observations have led the researchers to suspect that a hormonal cue acting at the cellular level triggers a reduction reaction in the maturing male.

Futahashi speculates that there may even be an additional benefit to this change. The altered oxidative state in mature males may actually have extra antioxidant protection, offering a natural defense against the sun’s UV radiation. He adds that this is the first time a redox reaction has been identified behind this kind of color change in insects?although a similar process occurs in maturing fruit such as tomatoes.

“Dragonflies are among those amazing animals that captivate naturalists for numerous reasons, including their aerial acrobatics and their striking colors?which notoriously vanish in most museum specimens,” says Bruce Hammock, an entomologist at the University of California, Davis, who was not connected to the study. Hammock has examined a similar chemical change in the American bird grasshopper. He praises the study for its elegant design, which starts with a basic observation, explores through experimentation and incorporates sophisticated chemical techniques.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=25eda9fd3c1c561f5e8f79fa6333bd63

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