AUTISTIC MONKEYS CREATED IN CHINESE LAB.

Scientists in China have genetically modified monkeys to give them autism in an experiment they hope will allow them to find better treatment for human sufferers of the condition. The Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences has generated more than twelve macaque monkeys with the genetic error that causes autistic features in humans, it reported, including repetitive speech and restricted interests. Autism in humans, which is normally present from childhood, is characterized by difficulties communicating with other people, as well as struggling with language, speech and abstract concepts. According to the National Autistic Society, around 1 in 100 people have autism in the UK. The macaques, who have extra copies of the MECP2 gene, display many of these characteristics -- pacing, moving in circles and low levels of interaction with other monkeys. They are also more anxious when researchers entered the cage, and showed signs of violence, anxiety and fear when challenged or looked in the eye. This, researchers say, "echoes the problems human children with the gene defect" have. "The monkeys show very similar behaviour to human autism patients," said lead researcher Zilong Qiu. “We think it provides a very unique model."Although no one mutation causes autism, researchers believe that common circuits in the brain are affected. By watching the monkeys' behaviour, and by imaging their brains, the team hope to identify some of these circuits. They'll also be testing different forms of treatment -- deep-brain stimulation, to alleviate symptoms, and CRISPR genome editing in an attempt to reverse the genetic error. Story adapted from Wired. CO.UK

WHY HORSES BITE.

Possible reasons horses bite;Fear-induced,Pain-induced, irritation, dominance, playful bite, protection,self mutilation and as an act of sex.All of these act of biting can be described both in terms of horse-horse aggression and horse-human aggression. If we can understand why a horse is biting we’re better equipped to stop the behavior. The most sustained horse-on-horse aggression that include a lot of biting are the inter-male interactions.Probably the worst nippers and biters toward people are stallions. This might be the testosterone talking, but it also might be complicated by other factors. We sometimes see redirected aggression when a stallion can't get to another stallion or to a mare. Read more http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35863/why-does-a-horse-bite?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=health-news&utm_campaign=06-02-2015