It's time for another edition of Science Medley, your guide to the science posts written by women bloggers. This time we're focusing on science related to the human body.

At Aetiology, guest blogger Whitney Baker looks at possible infectious agents for obesity:

Adenovirus 36 (Ad-36) typically causes respiratory and eye infections. But somewhere along the way, scientists noticed something special about Ad-36. In 2000, Dhurandhar et al found that "animals inoculated with Ad-36 developed a syndrome of increased adipose tissue and paradoxically low levels of serum cholesterol and triglycerides." Of note, this study did use comparison groups inoculated with other pathogens both in mice and chicken. In a total of 3 experiments, Dhurandhar et al showed the prevalence of obesity in chickens and mice infected with Ad-36 versus control animals were 60-70% (infected versus control), and 100% of non-human primates that were infected with Ad-36 gained adiposity (infected versus control). They also noted significant decreases in serum cholesterol and triglycerides.

Two human studies relating to Ad-36 have been performed. In a 2005 analysis of 502 subjects, significant (p < 0.001) association between obesity and positive Ad-36 antibody status was found, independent of age, sex, and collection site. Atkinson et al estimated the prevalence of antibodies to Ad-36 to be in 30% of obese and 11% of nonobese persons. In a second study, they also examined 89 twin pairs, and found that in the discordant pairs, the antibody-positive twins had higher BMIs and body fat than their uninfected twin. Therefore, Atkinson et al concluded that "Ad-36 is associated with increased body weight and lower serum lipids in humans. Prospective studies are indicated to determine if Ad-36 plays a role in the etiology of human obesity."

Also at Aetiology, Tara C. Smith, writes about the risks of drinking raw milk:

Coxiella burnetti--the causative agent of Q fever, was found in 76% of tested samples. Listeria monocytogenes, a more common food-borne pathogen, was found in 5% of samples. Previous outbreaks have been due to E. coli contamination as well, and at least 1000 cases of illnesses and two deaths linked to consumption of raw milk were reported between 1998 and 2005 in the U.S. (and keep in mind that food-borne diseases are frequently under-reported).

Despite this, demand is rising for raw milk.

At The Ways and Means of the Immune System, Veo Claramente comments on two papers that suggest environmental toxins and autoimmunity.

Easternblot brings us an absolutely fantastic video of scientists studying ocean pollution by plastic bottles containing Bisphenol A. Bisphenol A has been connected to miscarriages in women and has recently received media attention for its danger to children. Definitely check out the video--it's the first in a series of twelve on "Garbage Island" in the Pacific.

Anna Gosline of Inkycircus writes about fish oil in yogurt:

Junior would have to eat 29 pots of yogurt to meet his daily requirement [of omega 3]. Riiiiiiiiiight.

This is pretty fine print here and parents who think they are giving their kids the omega 3 boost they need through yogurt while avoiding the hazards of fish (all that mercury, see) will be mistaken. Unlike vitamins and minerals - that have a recommended daily dose and are listed on nutrition labels as a % of the RDI - there is no such consumer information available for omega 3s.

Sarah Bellum of The Beauty Brains gives students a heads-up on the ways that attending prom can harm--or maybe even help--your body.

The Biotech Weblog brings us news of cancer-detecting nanoparticles.

In the "'Bout Damn Time" category, scientists have finally decoded the DNA of a human woman, says Linda MacDonald Glenn at the Women's Bioethics Blog.

Some people in Santa Fe, New Mexico are trying to persuade their city to ban WiFi in public buildings. Sandy Szwarc examines claims that WiFi is dangerous to human health.

What's your favorite recent science story?

Leslie Madsen-Brooks helps university faculty improve their teaching. She blogs at The Clutter Museum, Museum Blogging, and The Multicultural Toy Box.