Inserting tiny scaffolding into the brain could dramatically reduce damage caused by strokes, according to new research. Scientists from the Institute of Psychiatry have found that combining scaffold microparticles with neural stem cells could regenerate lost brain tissue.
Carbon nanotubes are promising materials for many high-technology applications due to their exceptional mechanical, thermal, chemical, optical and electrical properties. Now researchers have used metallic nanotubes to make thin films that are semitransparent, highly conductive, flexible and come in a variety of colors, with an appearance similar to stained glass. These results could lead to improved high-tech products such as flat-panel displays and solar cells.
Depression and anxiety are more prevalent in Tibetan refugees than they are in ethnic Tibetans born and raised in the comparative stability of exile communities in Northern India and Nepal. The study's author concludes that there is a need for continued support for refugee communities, even after prolonged periods of what seems to be successful adaptation in an exile environment.
Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a long-term study in Neurology.
An oil made of natural fatty acids that is sometimes used as a weight-loss supplement may need to be paired with hormones or other substances to prevent health problems that can follow rapid weight loss, a new study suggests.
Researchers have discovered why rocket engines are occasionally destroyed by mysterious waves of sound. The new imaging techniques allow scientists to observe and understand the destructive waves.
A new stereo view of Phobos, the larger and inner of Mars' two tiny moons, has been captured by a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took two images of Phobos 10 minutes apart on March 23. Scientists combined the images for a stereo view.
Repeatedly stimulating the mouse brain with methamphetamine depresses important areas of the brain, and those changes can only be undone by reintroducing the drug, according to new research. It explains why the craving of addiction is so stubborn and long-lived. This research also suggests that withdrawal from the drug may not undo the changes the stimulant can cause in the brain.
By increasing production of a blood pressure-regulating enzyme in mice, researchers have found they can enhance the mouse immune system's ability to sense tumor growth. When scientists engineered mice that make more angiotensin-converting enzyme in white blood cells called macrophages, the mice could more effectively limit the growth of injected tumors.
An enzyme from a microbe that lives inside a cow's stomach is the key to turning corn plants into fuel. The enzyme that allows a cow to digest grasses and other plant fibers can be used to turn other plant fibers into simple sugars. These simple sugars can be used to produce ethanol to power cars and trucks.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter takes stunning images of the Red Planet's biggest moon Phobos. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 10 Apr 2008 | 2:01 pm
A Russian capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut docks with the International Space Station. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 10 Apr 2008 | 1:29 pm
KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut and a new crew for the International Space Station (ISS) docked successfully on Thursday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A rare and primitive frog living in a remote Borneo stream has no lungs and apparently absorbs oxygen through its skin, researchers reported on Wednesday.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian scientists say they have obtained the most detailed pictures so far of the insides of a prehistoric animal, with the help of a baby mammoth called Lyuba found immaculately preserved in the Russian Arctic.
Scientists use X-rays to find the lost rear limb of a fossil snake locked in 92-million-year-old Lebanese limestone. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 10 Apr 2008 | 8:42 am
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Two men from the United States have been arrested and charged with trying to smuggle about 1,300 native beetles out of Australia in empty yoghurt containers, customs officials said on Thursday.
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Scientists in China have developed "shells" that can wrap around living cells and preserve them, and hope to use the technique in cell transplants to repair damaged human tissues and to battle cancer.
MAASAI MARA, Kenya (Reuters) - A rocky cliff overlooking the Maasai Mara Game Reserve marks a new front line in a conflict between people and wildlife that threatens the revival of Kenya's $1 billion tourism industry.
LONDON (Reuters) - Members of the opposite sex can spot whether someone is after a one-night stand or something more permanent just by looking at their face, scientists said on Wednesday.
Newsnight's Susan Watts talks to scientists who claim a funding shortfall threatens UK research. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 9 Apr 2008 | 2:10 pm
