Europa's hidden ice chemistry
The frigid ice of Jupiter's moon Europa may be hiding more than a presumed ocean: it is likely the scene of some unexpectedly fast chemistry between water and sulfur dioxide at extremely cold temperatures. Although these molecules react easily as liquids -- they are well-known ingredients of acid rain -- Mark Loeffler and Reggie Hudson at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., now report that they react as ices with surprising speed and high yield at temperatures hundreds of degrees below freezing.
Scratched glasses give perfect vision for any eyesight
Engraving lenses with concentric rings could allow your eyes to focus on any object no matter how far away
Researcher finds top reasons for Facebook unfriending
University of Colorado Denver Business School researcher has found the top reasons for unfriending on Facebook.
2009 H1N1 pandemic -- what went right and what went wrong?
In this week's PLoS Medicine, Gabriel Leung from the government of the Hong Kong SAR and Angus Nicoll from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control offer their reflections on the international response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, including what went well and what changes need to be made on the part of global and national authorities in anticipation of future flu pandemics.
Oldest evidence of dinosaurs found in Polish footprints
The oldest evidence of the dinosaur lineage is found in trackways from the Holy Cross Mountains of Poland and published this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Low testosterone linked to Alzheimer's disease
A research team that includes a Saint Louis University geriatrician found that having low testosterone may put older men at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers say the next step is to conduct a large study on testosterone to treat Alzheimer's disease.
Vital Signs: Awareness: Killer of 200,000 Americans, Hardly Noticed
Sepsis develops when the immune system’s response to an infection spins out of control, causing severe injury to other organs in the body.
Mind: Why Indiscretions Appear Youthful
In piecing together a life story, the mind nudges moral lapses back in time and good deeds forward, new studies suggest.
99 year old Skyper shows why aged care facilities should offer internet access
Internet access should be mandatory in all aged care facilities, according to a University of Melbourne expert.
White House Unveils Solar Initiatives
The Obama administration will announce plans for a solar array on the roof and the approval of two solar collection systems in the California desert.
New Kind of Uranium Could Power Your Car
Nuclear power may go portable with this new form of uranium.
Light drinking 'no risk to baby'
Drinking one or two units of alcohol a week during pregnancy does not raise the risk of developmental problems in the child, suggests research.
Volcano fuels massive phytoplankton bloom
Advocates for seeding regions of the ocean with iron to combat global warming should be interested in a new study published today in Geophysical Research Letters.
Powerful free radical causes lung damage from oxygen therapy
The most toxic free radical appears responsible for much of the lung damage that can result from oxygen therapy in the critically ill or injured, researchers report.
Within just a few days, ventilators and oxygen chambers used to significantly increase oxygen levels can also dramatically increase levels of peroxynitrite,
an oxidant powerful enough to break down DNA and cause proteins to malfunction, researchers say.
In Parkinson's Disease, Brain Cells Lose 'Powerhouses'
Brain cells of Parkinson's disease patients experience a shutdown of their energy powerhouses, the mitochondria.
First clinical trial of gene therapy for muscular dystrophy lends insight into the disease
A clinical trial designed to replace the genetic defect causing the most common form of muscular dystrophy has uncovered an unexpected aspect of the disease.
The trial showed that some patients mount an immune response to the dystrophin protein even before they have received the gene therapy.
Americans' life expectancy continues to fall behind other countries'
The United States continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy, and commonly cited causes for our poor performance --
obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities, and homicide -- are not to blame, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study published today as a Health Affairs Web First.
Researchers calculate societal costs of five major crimes; Finds murder at $17.25 million
A study of 654 convicted and incarcerated murderers calculated the costs to society of five crimes -- murder, rape, armed robbery, aggravated assault and burglary.
They estimated murder to cost $17.25 million.
Real price of each pack of cigarettes is more than €100
Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) estimate that each pack of cigarettes really costs €107 for men and €75 for women, when premature death is taken into account.
These figures confirm previous studies, and are of key importance in the cost-benefit analysis of smoking-prevention policies.
Scientists and Soldiers Solve a Bee Mystery
A fungus and a virus apparently caused the honeybee “colony collapse.”
Research identifies the herbal supplements that are effective in treating anxiety
A systematic review of research into the use of nutritional supplements for the treatment of anxiety disorders has found strong evidence for the use of extracts of
passionflower or kava and combinations of L-lysine and L-arginine. Researchers pooled the results of 24 studies involving a total of more than 2000 participants,
showing that some nutritional and herbal supplements can be effective, without the risk of serious side effects.
New findings pull back curtain on relationship between iron and Alzheimer's disease
Researchers say they have determined how iron contributes to the production of brain-destroying plaques found in Alzheimer's patients.
Rare Japanese plant has largest genome known to science
Scientists have discovered that Paris japonica, a striking rare native of Japan, has the largest genome of them all -- bigger than the human genome and even larger than the previous record holder -- the marbled lungfish.
New drug blocks morphine's effects on breathing -- but not on pain
A new drug called repinotan blocks the respiratory depressant effects of morphine-like opioid drugs -- without altering their potent pain-relieving effects, according to a new study.
Rare Acne Linked to Alzheimer's
Research provides new insight into the development of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease.
'Mini-Pompeii' Found in Norway
Archaeologists in Norway stumble across a site that remained buried for 5,500 years.
New Strong-Handed Dinosaur May Shatter Assumptions
A new dinosaur species suggests giant, plant-eating dinosaurs may not have been so gentle, a new study says.
Animals Said to Have Spiritual Experiences
Ever have an out-of-body experience? Your dog may have too.
Ancient tattoos linked to healing ritual
Mysterious tattoos on a Peruvian mummy's neck correspond to modern-day acupuncture points
Plants kick-start evolutionary drama of Earth's oxygenation
An international team of scientists, exploiting pioneering techniques at Arizona State University, has taken a significant step toward unlocking the secrets of oxygenation of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
New class of highly electronegative chemical species discovered
Researchers have discovered a new class of highly electronegative chemical species called hyperhalogens, which use superhalogens as building blocks around a metal atom. The new chemical species may have application in many industries.
UT Southwestern researchers create experimental vaccine against Alzheimer's
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created an experimental vaccine against beta-amyloid, the small protein that forms plaques in the brain and is believed to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Yersinia pestis bacteria clearly identified as the cause of the big plague epidemic of the Middle Ages
The 'Black Death' was caused by at least two previously unknown types of Yersinia pestis
Daffodils to help Alzheimer's
Hundreds of acres of daffodils are to be grown on Welsh hillsides after a u-turn by Nice, the health watchdog.
Extraordinary settlement find in India
A large number of stone tools and weapons said dating back to more than 80,000 years ago were unearthed from a dry lake bed in Singadivakkam (Tamil Nadu, India).
Butterflies Cure Themselves with Plants
Monarch butterflies can cure themselves and their offspring of disease by using medicinal plants, according to a new paper in the journal Ecology Letters.
Study reveals cancer-linked epigenetic effects of smoking
For the first time, UK scientists have reported direct evidence that taking up smoking results in epigenetic changes associated with the development of cancer.
Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic
Anyone driving the twists of Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles recently may have glimpsed a Toyota Prius with a curious funnel-like cylinder on the roof. Harder to notice was that the person at the wheel was not actually driving.
Progress toward first commercial repellent for East Coast's stinker
Help may be on the way for millions of people on the East Coast bugged out about the invasion of stink bugs. Scientists have reported a key advance in efforts to develop the first commercial repellent for stinkbugs, which are emerging as a major nuisance to homeowners and a devastating pest to some farm crops. They identified a natural substance in a fungus that infects a common weed and found that it shows potential as the first stinkbug repellent. Their study appeared in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
New bacterial foe in cystic fibrosis identified
Exacerbations in cystic fibrosis, or CF, may be linked to chronic infection with a bacterium called Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, which was previously thought to simply colonize the CF lung. The finding that chronic infection with S. maltophilia is independently linked with an increased risk of exacerbations gives clinicians and researchers a new potential measure of the health status of CF patients, as well as a new potential target in fighting their disease.
Land 'evapotranspiration' taking unexpected turn: huge parts of world are drying up
The soils in large areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including major portions of Australia, Africa and South America, have been drying up in the past decade, a group of researchers conclude in the first major study to ever examine "evapotranspiration" on a global basis.