University of Florida burn experts found that 69 percent of the 155 pediatric foot and ankle burns they reviewed were caused by children walking on hot ashes, coals and embers -- with some injuries occurring as long as a day or more after the fires were thought to be extinguished.
Strawberries, grapes, blueberries and some familiar seasonings like rosemary contain compounds that can--in test tubes--kill cells of a childhood cancer. Molecular biologists are working to understand exactly how the powerful plant chemicals fight the disease known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Investigations provide some new clues about how phytochemicals attack cancer cells. Phytochemicals interfere with the orderly operations of mitochondria, the miniature energy-producing power plants inside cells.
Strong, tough but light is the rare but desired combination of properties for numerous artificial materials. Now a new material is similar to natural mother-of-pearl, but twice as strong. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl, is one of nature's outstanding examples of a durable brick and mortar structure.
Researchers are developing a new, eco-friendly technology that could generate as much electricity as 50 wind farms. They are investigating ways of painting solar cells onto the flexible steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings.
Previous studies have pointed out the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption as a factor in lowering cardiovascular risk. Researchers have now found that middle-aged nondrinkers who began consuming moderate amounts of alcohol saw an immediate benefit of lower cardiac disease morbidity with no change in mortality after four years.
Smokers trying to quit in the future could do it with the help of cannabis based medicines, according to new research. Teams of pharmacologists, studying the cannabis-like compounds which exist naturally in our bodies (endocannabinoids), are exploring the potential for medical treatment. This includes treating conditions as diverse as obesity, diabetes, depression and addiction to substances like nicotine.
Utilizing a technique that combines low temperature measurements and theoretical calculations, scientists have revealed for the first time the electronic structure of single DNA molecules. The knowledge of the electronic properties of DNA is an important issue in many scientific areas from biochemistry to nanotechnology -- for example in the study of DNA damage by ultraviolet radiation that may cause the generation of free radicals and genetic mutations.
A brain network linked to introspective tasks -- such as forming the self-image or understanding the motivations of others -- is less intricate and well-connected in children, scientists have learned. They also showed that the network establishes firmer connections between various brain regions as an individual matures. The scientists are working to establish a picture of how these connections and other brain networks normally develop and interact. They want to use that picture to conduct more detailed assessments of the effects of aging, brain injuries and conditions such as autism on brain function.
Bottom-up manufacturing may hold the key to production of tiny medical devices capable of testing for multiple molecules like viruses or cancer markers, according to researchers.
Breakfast of champions? That would be a soy protein-packed, low-fat, high-fiber cereal that meets the requirements for three different FDA health claims and leaves you feeling full so you won't be tempted to eat again until lunch. Scientist have cooked up a "recipe" for just such a cereal, one that's passed the taste test of her sensory panel.
Europe's new ATV space truck is up and running following Sunday's launch, although it has one glitch to deal with. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2008 | 11:39 am
TOKYO (Reuters) - A group of Japanese researchers has developed a substance that could potentially help make flu vaccines effective for multiple strains of the disease, including strains of the bird flu virus, Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases said on Monday.
LONDON (Reuters) - Rare pygmy hippos are surviving hidden in Liberia's forests against all the odds, despite two civil wars that have ravaged their habitat, British scientists said on Monday.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Only a month after authorities declared bird flu was under control in eastern India, veterinary workers began culling thousands of chickens on Monday to contain a fresh outbreak in poultry.
Researchers capture pygmy hippos on film in Liberia, despite fears they had been wiped out. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2008 | 4:28 am
SEOUL (Reuters) - The man intended to be the first South Korean in space has been grounded for violating security protocol and will be replaced by a female biotechnology engineer, the science ministry said on Monday.
ALMIRANTE, Panama (Reuters) - Indigenous people grew cocoa here more than 2,000 years ago. Now, their descendants are reviving the crop to meet world demand for high-quality chocolate.
Amateur archaeologist's find could be of immense significance in pinpointing where Neanderthals lived Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 10 Mar 2008 | 12:03 am
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA on Sunday cleared the space shuttle Endeavour to launch early Tuesday to begin attaching a Japanese laboratory to the International Space Station and install Canadian-built robot arms.
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence that an overlooked fault in the eastern Mediterranean is likely to produce an earthquake and tsunami every 800 years as powerful as the one that destroyed Alexandria in AD 365.
KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - An unmanned Ariane rocket successfully put a cargo vessel into orbit on Sunday in Europe's first mission to carry supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), space officials said.
