The coevolutionary struggle between a New Zealand snail and its worm parasite makes sex advantageous for the snail, whose females favor asexual reproduction in the absence of parasites, say Indiana University Bloomington and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology biologists in this week's Current Biology.
By miniaturizing a device that monitors the delivery of healthy cells, researchers at Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing a powerful instrument for physicians to use in treating patients with Parkinson's syndrome, brain tumors and other diseases.
As carbon is released through fossil-fuel burning and changing land use, scientists are seeking a more accurate understanding of carbon storage and cycling. Calcium in rainfall may reveal soil's carbon storage potential.
Applying biological molecules from cell membranes to the surfaces of artificial materials is opening peepholes on the very basics of cell-to-cell interaction. Two recently published papers by a University of Oregon biophysicist and colleagues suggest that putting lipids and other cell membrane components on manufactured surfaces could lead to new classes of self-assembling materials for use in precision optics, nanotechnology, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
Music, rather than electromechanical valves, can drive experimental samples through a lab-on-a-chip in a new system developed at the University of Michigan. This development could significantly simplify the process of conducting experiments in microfluidic devices.
By substituting a single atom in a molecule widely used to purify water, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have created a far more effective decontaminant with a shelf life superior to products currently on the market.
A recent study investigated the effects of long-term cropping systems on corn grain yields, yield trends, and yield stability over the last 16 years of a long-term fertility and cropping systems experiment at the Pennsylvania State University. This study suggests that on average in a productive Central Pennsylvania soil, the yield of corn rotated with alfalfa, red clover, and timothy is modestly higher and less variable than corn grown exclusively.
Statisticians Wei Biao Wu and Xiaofeng Shao have received the Tjalling C. Koopmans Econometric Theory Prize 2008 for an equation-packed paper that tackles time series data.
Researchers and engineers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have won eight R&D 100 Awards, which are presented each year by R&D Magazine in recognition of the year's most significant technological innovations.
It's easy to explain why we act a certain way by saying "it's in the genes," but a group of University of Iowa scientists say the world has relied on that simple explanation far too long. In research to be published today in Child Development Perspectives, the UI team calls for tossing out the nature-nurture debate, which they say has prevailed for centuries in part out of convenience and intellectual laziness.
Tropical cyclone Nargis made landfall in the Asian nation of Myanmar on May 2, 2008, causing the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. In the July 2009 issue of the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers report on a field survey done three months after the disaster to document the extent of the flooding and resulting damage.
Spelman College creates a pipeline for women to excel in math and science. Two alumnae receiving the PECASE award demonstrates that its programs and mentoring lead to the country's highest honors for young researchers.
Using a new form of high-resolution laser mass spectrometry, researchers scanning the surface of fruit flies discovered a previously unidentified pheromone "“ CH503 "“ that contributes to the anti-aphrodisiac effects observed in female fruit flies after copulation.
In Canada and the United States, wood burning stoves have been reevaluated as a potentially viable option for home heating. The environmental sustainability of woodstove use is dependent upon the consumption of wood from sustainably managed woodlots, as the carbon released is reused as the next generation of trees grows.
A study published 15 June 2009 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that lipid-adjusted concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans and organochlorine pesticides in women's blood serum and milk do not decrease during lactation as previously thought. This new insight should improve researchers' ability to assess infant exposures to environmental chemicals via breastfeeding.
A study published online 18 June 2009 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that diet is an important route of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs are a class of flame retardants that are commonly found in consumer products such as polyurethane foam, electronics and textiles.
Perimeter Institute Faculty member Freddy Cachazo has been awarded the prestigious Gribov Medal from the European Physical Society (EPS), "for his research with others that led to significant simplifications in the calculation of scattering amplitudes in both gauge theories and gravity ones."
Transformative research "“ experimentation driven by ideas that have the potential to radically change our understanding of an important existing scientific concept or leading to the creation of a new paradigm or field of study "“ was the subject of a recent conference of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), in Snowbird, Utah.
Times are tough, especially in the Sunshine State, but with a new, five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, life is cooler than ever at the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility.
Need a clear-eyed take on the Francis Collins nomination to head the NIH? issues? The NCSE has two experts you can turn to.
Last week, an FDA joint advisory committee gathered to discuss safety questions surrounding acetaminophen. They made several recommendations, such as lowering the maximum daily dosage and strengthening the labeling. Daniel A. Hussar, PhD, Remington Professor of Pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia shares potential outcomes and consequences of these recommendations.
Using sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers from the Monell Center confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste. They further report that variations in a gene that codes for this receptor correspond to individual differences in sensitivity to and perceived intensity of umami taste.
Researchers have developed a new method for making extremely pure, very small metal-oxide nanoparticles. They are using this simple, fast, and low-temperature process to make materials for gas sensors that detect toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and biological warfare agents.
An international team of scientists has developed salt-tolerant plants using a new type of genetic modification (GM), bringing salt-tolerant cereal crops a step closer to reality.
NCAR is developing a prototype system to update aircraft about severe storms and turbulence on flights across remote ocean regions. The system can help guide pilots away from intense weather, such as the thunderstorms that Air France Flight 447 apparently encountered before crashing into the Atlantic Ocean.
Physicists at NIST have overcome a hurdle in quantum computer development, having devised* a viable way to manipulate a single "bit" in a quantum processor without disturbing the information stored in its neighbors. The approach, which makes novel use of polarized light to create "effective" magnetic fields, could bring the long-sought computers a step closer to reality.
Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln gives important new information on how plants can change "nitrogen cycling" to gain nitrogen and how this allows plant species to invade and take over native plants.
Although the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has only 302 neurons in its entire nervous system, studies of this simple animal have significantly advanced our understanding of human brain function because it shares many genes and neurochemical signaling molecules with humans. Now MIT researchers have found novel C. elegans neurochemical receptors, the discovery of which could lead to new therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders if similar receptors are found in humans.
A new study, in the journal Science, suggests that the form of El Niño may be changing potentially causing not only a greater number of hurricanes than in average years, but also a greater chance of hurricanes making landfall.
A tiny grid pattern has led materials scientists at NIST and the Institute of Solid State Physics in Russia to an unexpected finding - the surprisingly strong and long-range effects of certain electromagnetic nanostructures used in data storage.
A novel ion trap demonstrated at NIST could usher in a new generation of applications, because the device holds promise as a stylus for sensing very small forces or for an interface for efficient transfer of individual light particles for quantum communications.
Home gardeners beware: This year, late blight -- a destructive infectious disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s -- is killing tomato and potato plants in gardens and on commercial farms in the eastern United States.
Researchers from the Department of Science Education-Biology at the University of Haifa-Oranim have managed to make out the "self-irrigating" mechanism of the desert rhubarb, which enables it to harvest 16 times the amount of water than otherwise expected for a plant in this region based on the quantities of rain in the desert. This is the first example of a self-irrigating plant worldwide.
Scientists have performed the first DNA-based reconstruction of the giant extinct moa bird, using prehistoric feathers recovered from caves and rock shelters in New Zealand.
Researchers at The University of Findlay are looking at toad toes this summer as they study the hybridization of two species. The project is in collaboration with Arizona State University.
1) Researchers have developed an innovative cooling concept that could improve vehicle performance, life expectancy and overall efficiency without increasing costs. 2) Alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels boast an increased upper-temperature oxidation, or corrosion, limit that is 100 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit higher than that of conventional stainless steels. 3) A new explosives detector with incredible sensitivity and a range of up to 100 meters could save lives and thwart the efforts of terrorists.
A team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has figured out a possible way to observe and record the behavior of matter at the molecular level. That ability could open the door to a wide range of applications in ultrafast electron microscopy used in a large array of scientific, medical and technological fields.
With the caloric needs of the planet expected to soar by 50 percent in the next 40 years, planning and investment in global agriculture will become critically important, according a new report released today (June 25).
In addition to providing fundamental insights into the early evolution of the estrogen receptor, research by a team at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine may lead to a contraceptive for female lampreys "“ a jawless fish considered an invasive pest species in the Great Lakes region of the United States.
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the weapons of suicide bombers, are a major cause of soldier casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. A group of University of Michigan engineering undergraduate students have developed a new way to detect them.
A study in the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, compiles the results of different studies on the use of natural antimicrobials in fresh-cut fruits and juices to maintain their safety and quality. Consumption of ready-to-eat fruits that are fresh-cut and fruit juices has substantially risen over the last few years, mostly due to the increasing demand for low-calorie food products with fresh-like characteristics.
A study in the June/July Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, reviews the current status of research to develop desirable cheeses with low fat and/or low sodium, their regulatory and labeling status, consumer acceptability and challenges for further efforts.
A new edition of "North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice," published by the American Society of Agronomy adds to the popularity of agroforestry and builds upon the science. It brings together leading scientists who explain the basic concepts and ecological foundations of agroforestry, present specific management practices and strategies, and discuss economic and policy issues.
Experiment after experiment confirms that a diet on the brink of starvation expands lifespan in mice and many other species. But the molecular mechanism that links nutrition and survival is still poorly understood. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a pivotal role for two enzymes that work together to determine the health benefits of diet restriction.
A graduate student in physics at the University of Chicago has devised a special apparatus for an $80,000 high-speed camera to image the rapidly changing behavior of the streaming sand, much as a skydiver might photograph a fellow jumper in free fall.
Scientific evidence shows vitamin D may go beyond its traditionally known role in maintaining bone integrity, according to new research presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo earlier this month. It may play a role in preventing autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, some types of cancer (breast, ovarian, colorectal and prostate).
A study of Spanish- and English- learning infants provides evidence that our perceptual abilities do not improve as we get older, and that younger infants may actually be better at integrating facial speech gestures and vocalizations than older infants. The developmental decline in this ability may be due to increasing specialization for native-language phonology as infants learn their own speech and language.
Scientists trying to understand how the brains of animals evolve have found that evolutionary changes in brain structure reflect the types of social interactions and environmental stimuli different species face. The study is the first to compare multiple species of related animals, in this case social wasps.
Close to 9 out of 10 adult Americans obtain weather forecasts regularly, and they do so more than three times each day on average, a new nationwide survey by scientists at NCAR has found.
Hurricane Ike was the third most destructive hurricane to ever make landfall in the United States and left such an imprint as to be among the list of retired hurricane names for the annals. UH offers a variety of resources for hurricane season, representing experts across a variety of fields.
RSS
Medicine keyboard_arrow_right
Sciencekeyboard_arrow_right
Life keyboard_arrow_right
Business keyboard_arrow_right
Journal News keyboard_arrow_right
By Location keyboard_arrow_right
Meetings, Grants, and Events keyboard_arrow_right