| Wave of blue fluorescence reveals pathway of death in worms | The final biological events in the life of a worm are described in a new article. The paper reveals how death spreads like a wave from cell to cell until the whole organism is deceased. | Read More » Clearest new pictures of immune cells | Scientists have revealed new images which provide the clearest picture yet of how white blood immune cells attack viral infections and tumors. | Read More » US physicians put patients' best interests above concerns about health care costs | A new study of attitudes about health care costs reveals that an overwhelming majority of U.S. physicians feel a responsibility to address costs, but prioritize their obligations to patients' best interests over cost concerns. | Read More » Organ transplantation as source of fatal rabies virus case | An investigation into the source of a fatal case of raccoon rabies virus exposure indicates the individual received the virus via a kidney transplant 18 months earlier, findings suggesting that rabies transmitted by this route may have a long incubation period, and that although solid organ transplant transmission of infectious encephalitis is rare, further education to increase awareness is needed. | Read More » NASA's Spitzer observes gas emission from Comet ISON | Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have observed what most likely are strong carbon dioxide emissions from Comet ISON ahead of its anticipated pass through the inner solar system later this year. | Read More » Valley networks suggest ancient snowfall on Mars | Researchers have shown that some Martian valleys appear to have been caused by runoff from orographic precipitation -- moisture carried part of the way up a mountain and deposited on the slopes. The findings help to answer the question of whether water flowing on ancient Mars bubbled up from the ground or fell down from the atmosphere. | Read More » Choosing a wave could accelerate airplane maintenance | Ultrasonic waves can find bubbles and cracks in adhesive bonds holding airplane composite parts together, and now aerospace engineers can select the best frequencies to detect adhesive failures in hard-to-reach places more quickly. | Read More » Sleep deprivation linked to aging skin, study suggests | In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, physician-scientists found that sleep quality impacts skin function and aging. The study, commissioned by Estée Lauder, demonstrated that poor sleepers had increased signs of skin aging and slower recovery from a variety of environmental stressors, such as disruption of the skin barrier or ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Poor sleepers also had worse assessment of their own skin and facial appearance. | Read More » Pain of artificial legs could be eased by real-time monitoring | Engineers have developed a device that tracks how much a person's limb swells and shrinks when inside a prosthetic socket. The data could help doctors and patients predict how and when their limbs will swell, which could be used to build smarter sockets. | Read More » When bar fights get mean, bystanders intervene | People are more likely to try to break up a bar fight when they believe the conflict is too violent, or has the potential to become more violent, according to researchers. | Read More » Oxygen – key to most life – decelerates many cancer tumors when combined with radiation therapy | A multidisciplinary team has found that measuring the oxygenation of tumors can be a valuable tool in guiding radiation therapy, opening the door for personalized therapies that keep tumors in check with oxygen enhancement. | Read More » Pathways activated in most K9 bone tumors not driving the worst bone tumors | A new study shows NOTCH signaling elevated in K9 osteosarcoma, but aspects of Notch signaling noticeably deactivated in the worst cancers. | Read More » Purple bacteria on Earth could survive alien light | Purple bacteria contain pigments that allow them to use sunlight as their source of energy, hence their color. Physicists recently found that these organisms can also survive in the presence of extreme alien light. The findings show that the way in which light is received by the bacteria can dictate the difference between life and death. | Read More » Athletes need to be careful to monitor diet, weight to maintain muscle mass | Athletes seeking a healthy performance weight should eat high fiber, low-fat food balanced with their training regimen in order to maintain muscle while still burning fat, according to a new article. | Read More » Optimists better at regulating stress | It's no surprise that those who tend to see a rose's blooms before its thorns are also better at handling stress. But science has failed to reliably associate optimism with individuals' biological stress response -- until now. | Read More » Harvesting electricity from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide | A new method for producing electricity from carbon dioxide could be the start of a classic trash-to-treasure story for the troublesome greenhouse gas, scientists are reporting. The method uses CO2 from electric power plant and other smokestacks as the raw material for making electricity. | Read More » Natural pest control protein effective against hookworm: A billion could benefit | A benign crystal protein, produced naturally by bacteria and used as an organic pesticide, could be a safe, inexpensive treatment for parasitic worms in humans and provide effective relief to over a billion people around the world. | Read More » Vulnerabilities of the deadly Ebola virus identified | Disabling a protein in Ebola virus cells can stop the virus from replicating and infecting the host, according to new research. | Read More » Rare bushcricket's chirp as loud as a power saw | A recently rediscovered species of bushcricket uses elastic energy and wing movement to reach high ultrasonic frequencies involving sound levels of about 110dB – comparable to that of a power saw. | Read More » Perfecting digital imaging | Computer graphics and digital video lag behind reality; despite advances, the best software and video cameras still cannot seem to get computer-generated images and digital film to look exactly the way our eyes expect them to. | Read More » Gene that may stop the spread of breast cancer identified | In cancer, the spread of tumor cells from the primary site to other parts of the body is called metastasis and is a major cause of death, especially in patients with breast cancer. A new study shows that metastasis in breast cancer and the risk of death are reduced when the function of the gene HGMA2, is limited. | Read More » Scientific who's who of Bolivian mammals | Biologists have published a massive database of mammals occurring in Bolivia, shedding light on the poorly known yet vast wildlife diversity of this South American country. | Read More » We don't like unfamiliar music, even though we claim we do | Spotify. Pandora. iTunes. YouTube. We are constantly bombarded with a seemingly limitless amount of new music in our daily lives. But why do we keep coming back to that one song or album we couldn't get enough of in college? New research shows that although consumers say they prefer to listen to unfamiliar music, their choices actually belie that preference. | Read More » Why are sea stars dying from New Jersey to Maine? Divers asked to report large groupings of starfish | Marine biologists are working to identify the cause of a disease that is killing sea stars (starfish) from New Jersey to Maine. | Read More » Faster, simpler diagnosis for fibromyalgia may be on the horizon | Researchers have developed a reliable way to use a finger-stick blood sample to detect fibromyalgia syndrome, a complicated pain disorder that often is difficult to diagnose. | Read More » New approach for studying deadly brain cancer | Human glioblastoma multiforme, one of the most common, aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer, is notoriously difficult to study. Now engineers have developed a three-dimensional hydrogel that more closely mimics conditions in the brain than other platforms used to study brain cancer. | Read More » Oldest European fort in the inland U.S. discovered in Appalachians | The remains of the earliest European fort in the interior of what is now the United States have been discovered by a team of archaeologists, providing new insight into the start of the U.S. colonial era and the all-too-human reasons spoiling Spanish dreams of gold and glory. | Read More » No link between prenatal mercury exposure and autism-like behaviors found | The potential impact of exposure to low levels of mercury on the developing brain -- specifically by women consuming fish during pregnancy -- has long been the source of concern and some have argued that the chemical may be responsible for behavioral disorders such as autism. However, a new study that draws upon more than 30 years of research in the Republic of Seychelles reports that there is no association between pre-natal mercury exposure and autism-like behaviors. | Read More » Controlling genes with light: New technique can rapidly turn genes on and off, helping scientists better understand their function | New technology can rapidly start or halt the expression of any gene of interest simply by shining light on the cells. | Read More » Brain picks out salient sounds from background noise by tracking frequency and time, study finds | New research reveals how our brains are able to pick out important sounds from the noisy world around us. The study could lead to new diagnostic tests for hearing disorders. | Read More » A new weapon against stroke | Stem cell research for stroke has focused on developing therapeutic neurons -- the primary movers of electrical impulses in the brain -- to repair tissue damaged when oxygen to the brain is limited by a blood clot or break in a vessel. New research, however, shows that other cells may be better suited for the task. | Read More » Secrets of mussels' clinginess revealed | Understanding the strength of the shellfish's underwater attachments could enable better glues and biomedical interfaces. | Read More » Protons hop from one water molecule to another given suitable energy conditions | Protons, as positively charged hydrogen ions, move very rapidly in water from one water molecule to the next, which is why the conductivity of water is relatively high. The principle of proton conduction in water has been known for 200 years and is named the Grotthuss mechanism after its discoverer, Theodor Grotthuss. | Read More » Tropical ecosystems regulate variations in Earth's carbon dioxide levels | Rising temperatures, influenced by natural events such as El Niño, have a corresponding increase in the release of carbon dioxide from tropical forest ecosystems, according to a new study. | Read More » New record for cosmic X-ray sightings: Exploring extreme universe with rich new resource | Scientists have set a new record for cosmic X-ray sources ever sighted -- creating an unprecedented cosmic X-ray catalog that will provide a valuable resource allowing astronomers to explore the extreme Universe. | Read More » Is a common food fungus worsening the AIDS epidemic? | A type of fungus coating much of the stored corn, wheat, rice and nuts in developing countries may be quietly worsening the AIDS epidemic, according to a new article. | Read More » Major cities often safest places in the U.S. | Overturning a commonly-held belief that cities are inherently more dangerous than suburban and rural communities, researchers have found that risk of death from injuries is lowest on average in urban counties compared to suburban and rural counties across the US. | Read More » Male guppies ensure successful mating with genital claws | Some males will go to great lengths to pursue a female and take extreme measures to hold on once they find one that interests them, even if that affection is unrequited. New research from evolutionary biologists shows that the male guppy grows claws on its genitals to make it more difficult for unreceptive females to get away during mating. | Read More » Extraordinary trout has tolerance to heavily polluted water | A population of brown trout can survive in the contaminated waters of the River Hayle in Cornwall where metal concentrations are so high they would be lethal to fish from unpolluted sites. The team believe this is due to changes in the expression of their genes. | Read More » Atmospheric rivers set to increase UK winter flooding | The prolonged heat wave that has bathed the UK in sunshine over the past month has given the country an unexpected taste of summer that has seemed to be missing in recent years. However, a new study has provided warnings that will chime with those accustomed to more typical British weather. According to the study, winter flooding in the UK is set to get more severe and more frequent under the influence of climate change as a result of a change in the characteristics of atmospheric rivers. | Read More » Copper nanoparticles could protect food from bacteria | Scientists have found a new way to stop dangerous bacteria like E.coli before they attack. He embeds copper nanoparticles into vermiculite, an inexpensive, inert compound. Copper has been known for centuries for its antibiotic properties. | Read More » Coastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected: Arctic-like melt rates appearing in Coastal Antarctica | Scientists have documented an acceleration in the melt rate of permafrost in a part of Antarctica where the ice had been considered stable. The melt rates are comparable with the Arctic and could preview melting permafrost in other parts of a warming Antarctica. In Garwood Valley, scientists found melt rates accelerated consistently from 2001 to 2012, rising to about 10 times the historical average. | Read More » New stem cell gene therapy gives hope to prevent inherited neurological disease | Scientists have used stem cell gene therapy to treat a fatal genetic brain disease in mice for the first time. | Read More » Curiosity makes its longest one-day drive on Mars | NASA's Mars rover Curiosity drove twice as far on July 21 as on any other day of the mission so far: 109.7 yards (100.3 meters). The length of the drive took advantage of starting the 340th Martian day, or sol, of the mission from a location with an unusually good view for rover engineers to plan a safe path. In weeks to come, the rover team plans to begin using "autonav" capability for the rover to autonomously navigate a path for itself, which could make such long drives more frequent. | Read More » Solar system's youth gives clues to planet search | Comets and meteorites contain clues to our solar system's earliest days. But some of the findings are puzzle pieces that don't seem to fit well together. A new set of theoretical models shows how an outburst event in the Sun's formative years could explain some of this disparate evidence. The research could have implications for the hunt for habitable planets outside of our solar system. | Read More » First human tests of new biosensor that warns when athletes are about to 'hit the wall' | A new biosensor, applied to the human skin like a temporary tattoo, can alert marathoners, competitive bikers and other "extreme" athletes that they're about to "bonk," or "hit the wall," scientists are reporting. | Read More » Pressurized virus blasts its infectious DNA into human cells | The virus that causes those painful lip blisters known as cold sores has an internal pressure eight times higher than a car tire, and uses it to literally blast its infectious DNA into human cells, scientists are reporting in a new study. Discovery of the pressure-driven infection mechanism -- the first in a human virus -- opens the door to new treatments for viral infections, they add in a new study. | Read More » Marijuana use in adolescence may cause permanent brain abnormalities, mouse study suggests | Regular marijuana use in adolescence, but not adulthood, may permanently impair brain function and cognition, and may increase the risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, according to a recent study. | Read More » Scientists unable to find evidence of 'embryonic-like' cells in marrow of adult mice | Research on human embryonic stem cells has been a political and religious lightning rod for more than a decade. Scientists say they have been unable to identify any very small, pluripotent cells in the bone marrow of mice, despite exhaustive efforts to duplicate the original experimental procedures. | Read More » Cost of Arctic methane release could be 'size of global economy', experts warn | Researchers have warned of an "economic time-bomb" in the Arctic, following a ground-breaking analysis of the likely cost of methane emissions in the region. Economic modelling shows that the methane emissions caused by shrinking sea ice from just one area of the Arctic could come with a global price tag of 60 trillion dollars -- the size of the world economy in 2012. | Read More » Shifting patterns of temperature volatility in the climate system | In recent decades there has been increased variability in yearly temperature records for large parts of Europe and North America, according to a new study. | Read More » Starburst to star bust: Light shed on mystery of missing massive galaxies | The cosmic fireworks that characterize a starburst galaxy can abruptly fizzle out after only a relatively brief period of star formation, and astronomers want to know why. | Read More » Novel technology seen as new, more accurate way to diagnose and treat autism | Researchers have developed a new screening and tracking tool for diagnosing autism. The method holds promise as a method to introduce interventions. | Read More » Does the dangerous new Middle East coronavirus have an African origin? | The MERS-coronavirus is regarded as a dangerous novel pathogen: Almost 50 people have died from infection with the virus since it was first discovered in 2012. To date all cases are connected with the Arabian peninsula. Scientists have now detected a virus in the faeces of a South African bat that is genetically more closely related to MERS-CoV than any other known virus. The scientists therefore believe that African bats may play a role in the evolution of MERS-CoV predecessor viruses. | Read More » Full genome map of oil palm indicates way to raise yields and protect rainforest: Single gene identified whose regulation controls oil palm yield | A multinational team of scientists has identified a single gene, called Shell, that regulates yield of the oil palm tree. The fruit and seeds of the oil palm are the source of nearly one-half of the supply of edible vegetable oil worldwide, and provide one of the most promising sources of biofuel. | Read More » Heading for regeneration: Researchers reactivate head regeneration in regeneration-deficient species of planarians | Rabbits can't do it, neither can frogs, but zebrafish and axolotls can and flatworms are true masters of the craft: regeneration. Why some animals can re-grow lost body parts or organs while others cannot remains a big mystery. And even more intriguing to us regeneration-challenged humans is the question whether one might be able to activate regenerative abilities in species that don't usually regenerate. | Read More » Key molecular pathways leading to Alzheimer's identified | Key molecular pathways that lead to late-onset Alzheimer's disease have been identified by neuroscientists. The findings present a new approach to Alzheimer's research and highlight several new potential drug targets. | Read More » | |
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