Prion disease diagnosis just got easier
Test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease raises hopes of speedier diagnosis.
Pakistan floods last summer could have been predicted
Five days before intense monsoonal deluges unleashed vast floods across Pakistan last July, computer models at a European weather-forecasting center were giving clear indications that the downpours were imminent.
Different evolutionary paths lead plants and animals to the same crossroads
In analyzing the molecular sensor for the plant growth hormone brassinolide, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered that although plants took an evolutionary path different from their animal cousins, they arrived at similar solutions to a common problem: How to reliably receive and process incoming signals.
Dogs can accurately sniff out early stage bowel cancer
Colorectal cancer screening with odor material by canine scent detection
Boys will infect boys, swine flu study shows
Boys predominantly pass on flu to other boys and girls to girls, according to a new study of how swine flu spread in a primary school during the 2009 pandemic, published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Specific populations of gut bacteria linked to fatty liver
Findings point to digestive bacterial influence on choline metabolism
Researchers bust bat rabies stereotype
Rabies rate in bats not as high as estimates suggest
An Olympic gold medal costs a government $55 million
In order to arrive at this result the researchers calculated the price with a model that measures the number of medals according to government expenditure in sport, along with other variables.
More than allergies: Histamine may be a possible drug target for multiple sclerosis
New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that histamine plays an important role as an immune modulator, which could be a significant finding for multiple sclerosis research
Milk of Life: Dairy Cows Inoculated against Sepsis Could Help Malnourished Children
Researchers hope milk enriched with sepsis antibodies will be a safer and cheaper way to prevent illness and diarrhea in impoverished children
Did Vikings navigate by polarized light?
'Sunstone' crystals may have helped seafarers to find the Sun on cloudy days.
The Enema of Your Enemy is Your Friend
Fecal transplants could be a cheap and effective treatment for gastrointestinal disorders.
South Carolina scientist works to grow meat in lab
In a small laboratory on an upper floor of the basic science building at the Medical University of South Carolina, Vladimir Mironov, M.D., Ph.D., has been working for a decade to grow meat.
Moms' Infection Helps Kids' Skin
The children of women with untreated worm infections while pregnant had fewer cases of eczema, lending further credence to the "hygiene hypothesis" that says that some immune challenges may have long-term benefits.
Haiti polio scare may be rare complication of cholera
Finally, some good news for Haiti: after three months, the cholera epidemic is starting to subside. And fears that polio had broken out may have been premature.
Controversy Erupts in French Classrooms over Permitting Teens to Genetically Modify Bacteria
Opponents fear that experiments will 'trivialize' genetic modification.
Study: African-Americans have better stroke survival rates
A study published today shows that African Americans have a better survival rate compared to whites after being hospitalized for a stroke.
A new model for studying Parkinson's
Swiss researchers develop new, working mammalian model to combat genetic causes of the disease
A possible cause of Parkinson's disease discovered
"Nucleolus", or small nucleus, is the term coined by early biologists for the tiny structure within the nucleus which they saw under the microscope. In this structure within the nucleus, RNA molecules and proteins are assembled to form ribosomes, the true protein factories of cells.
Size of airborne flu virus impacts risk, Virginia Tech researchers say
A parent's wise advice to never go to a hospital unless you want to get sick may be gaining support from scientific studies on a specific airborne virus.
New study alters long-held beliefs about shingles
For decades, medical wisdom about shingles has been that it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Targeted particle fools brain's guardian to reach tumors
By impersonating iron, binding agent glides through the blood-brain barrier
 Safety checklist use yields 10 percent drop in hospital deaths
A Johns Hopkins-led safety checklist program that virtually eliminated bloodstream infections in hospital intensive-care units throughout Michigan appears to have also reduced deaths by 10 percent, a new study suggests.
Windows generate electricity
Using a solid electrolyte to replace liquid allows a dye-sensitised solar cell to be screen printed
Swine flu vaccine likely causes child narcolepsy: study
Children injected with the Pandemrix swine flu vaccine were nine times more likely to contract narcolepsy than those who were not vaccinated, a preliminary study by Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL, showed Tuesday.
Home DNA kits to test paternity go on sale in shops
Home DNA testing kits are going on sale in Boots stores across the UK later.
An extra 5 years of life an unexpected benefit of osteoporosis treatment
Australian clinical researchers have noted an extraordinary and unexpected benefit of osteoporosis treatment – that people taking bisphosphonates are not only surviving well, better than people without osteoporosis, they appear to be gaining an extra five years of life.
First new C. difficile drug in a generation superior to existing treatments: Researchers
Significantly reduces recurrence of infection, improves cure rates
Flash of fresh insight by electrical brain stimulation
Are we on the verge of being able to stimulate the brain to see the world anew - an electric thinking cap?
Malaria medication may help against 1 type of frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia is caused by a breakdown of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal region of the brain (fronto-temporal lobe), which leads to, among other symptoms, a change in personality and behavior.
Neurobiologists find that weak electrical fields in the brain help neurons fire together
Coordinated behavior occurs whether or not neurons are actually connected via synapses
New nanoparticles make blood clots visible
For almost two decades, cardiologists have searched for ways to see dangerous blood clots before they cause heart attacks.
Prehabilitation better prepares patients for knee replacement surgery
An exercise program designed by researchers at the University of Louisville for patients with severe knee arthritis improves leg strength and patients' functional ability before knee replacement surgery, according to recent report in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Ritalin may ease early iron deficiency damage
Ritalin may help improve brain function in adolescent rats that were iron deficient during infancy, according to a team of Penn State neuroscientists. This may have implications for iron-deficient human infants as well.
Six small planets orbiting a sun-like star amaze astronomers
A remarkable planetary system discovered by NASA's Kepler mission has six planets around a Sun-like star, including five small planets in tightly packed orbits.
Why folic acid may prevent a first heart attack, but not a second
A perplexing medical paradox now has an explanation according to research undertaken at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and published in the current issue of the Public Library of Science.
Migraine surgery offers good long-term outcomes
Surgery to "deactivate" migraine headaches produces lasting good results, with nearly 90 percent of patients having at least partial relief at five years' follow-up, reports a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Undiagnosed Diseases Program finds rare new disorder
AN 18-month wait for a diagnosis might seem extreme, but not when the medical disorder in question was formerly unknown.
Hugs tell us much about shared experiences
In the run-up to Valentine's Day, couples the world over will be thinking about how they can convey their love to their partner in a meaningful and lasting manner.
Interior Department Inks Scientific Integrity Policy
The Department of the Interior (DOI) has finalized its policy on scientific integrity, creating code of conduct and procedures for investigation, as well as designating an official in charge.
Ship wreck reveals ancient secrets of medicine
It has been more than 2,000 years since a Roman merchant ship foundered off the west coast of the Italian peninsula and almost 40 years since the wreck was discovered. Now, the DNA trapped in medicines found aboard the ship is yielding secrets of health care in the ancient world.
Early infusion of donor T cells prevents graft versus host disease in blood cancer patients
For blood cancer patients at high risk of relapse, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the transplantation of blood-forming stem cells, is one of best options for treatment and a potential cure.
'Tall order' sunlight-to-hydrogen system works, neutron analysis confirms
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a biohybrid photoconversion system -- based on the interaction of photosynthetic plant proteins with synthetic polymers -- that can convert visible light into hydrogen fuel.
After the birds vanish, plants are next to go
The first evidence that the loss of a bird species could damage the prospects of particular plants has heightened fears for vulnerable plants around the world.
Amazon drought 'severe' in 2010, raising warming fears
Last year's drought in the Amazon raises concerns about the region's capacity to continue absorbing carbon dioxide, scientists say.
OHSU fixes complex heart problems without open-heart surgery
The pediatric cardiac team at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital is the first in the region and one of a handful in the nation to implant a pulmonary heart valve without open-heart surgery.
Diabetes and virus link confirmed
Children with Type 1 diabetes are nearly 10 times as likely to also have a viral infection than healthy children, Australian research suggests.
HIV-like infection banished from mice
For the first time, an HIV-like infection has been cleared from an animal without the use of antiviral drugs. The infection was eliminated from mice using a human protein that peps up immune cells.
Discovery of jumping gene cluster tangles tree of life
Since the days of Darwin, the "tree of life" has been the preeminent metaphor for the process of evolution, reflecting the gradual branching and changing of individual species.
Woodpecker's head inspires shock absorbers
When aircrash investigators of the future retrieve a flight recorder from the wreckage of a plane they may have the golden-fronted woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifons, to thank for the survival of the flight data.
Guinea worm disease may be second eliminated after smallpox
Health officials are poised to eradicate guinea worm disease, a plague that once afflicted millions and which would be just the second human disease wiped from the face of the earth.
Japanese stem cell researcher wins top award
Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka was Friday honoured with a Spanish award worth 400,000 euros ($544,000) for his pioneering work on cell reprogramming.
Husband: Giffords would be OK with flight decision
The astronaut husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said his wife would be "very comfortable" with his decision to go back into space and he expects her to be at his launch in April.
Are brains shrinking to make us smarter?
Human brains have shrunk over the past 30,000 years, puzzling scientists who argue it is not a sign we are growing dumber but that evolution is making the key motor leaner and more efficient.
Clay-armored bubbles may have formed first protocells
Discovery of inorganic, semipermeable clay vesicles indicates minerals could have played a key role in the origins of life

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