Like X-rays let doctors see the bones beneath our skin, "T-rays" could let art historians see murals hidden beneath coats of plaster or paint in centuries-old buildings, engineering researchers say.

  There's new hope for breast cancer research, and it's coming from a very unlikely place. Researchers at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine &Biomedical Sciences recently published articles in the journals Molecular and Cellular Biology and Carcinogenesis indicating that a protein long suspected to play a role in Down Syndrome may also contribute to treating this devastating disease.

  Scientists examines the circumstances under which chimpanzees, our closest relatives, will exchange one inherently valuable commodity (an apple slice) for another (a grape), which is what early humans must have somehow learned to do. The researchers found that chimpanzees often did not spontaneously barter food items, but needed to be trained to engage in commodity barter.

  An innovative research approach has identified a previously unsuspected protein as a key player in the resistance to particular forms of breast cancer therapy. The study significantly advances the understanding of the molecular response to breast cancer therapies that target estrogen signaling.

  The plant immune system is not restricted to a fixed set of broad spectrum responses -- rather, it is flexible, resilient, and possesses elements of specificity and responsiveness to disease causing agents. Properties quite reminiscent of those of immunity in animals. All multicellular organisms are in an arms-race against the vast armies of rapidly mutating microbial pathogens that are seeking access to their rich stores of nutrients.

  Only about 6 percent of former alcoholics and 4 percent of former illicit drug users will relapse into their addictions in any given year following an organ transplant. Substance abuse can lead to serious organ diseases for which transplantation is increasingly considered an acceptable treatment.

  A new chip design for portable electronics can be up to 10 times more energy-efficient than present technology. The design could lead to cell phones, implantable medical devices and sensors that last far longer when running from a battery. In some applications, such as implantable medical devices, the goal is to make the power requirements so low that they could be powered exclusively by the body's own heat or movement.

  The categories of normal, overweight, and obese are entirely arbitrary and at odds with the underlying evidence about the association between body mass index and mortality. Regardless, the average population weight gain in the United States in the past 42 years is 10.9kg or 0.26kg a year. Yet, between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002, there were no significant changes in the prevalence of overweight or obesity among US adults or in the prevalence of overweight among children. However, it must be noted that the risks of obesity on many serious health conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer, are serious and well established.

  Researchers have uncovered the mechanism that contributes to the buildup of fibrous lung tissue in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), finding that a SARS viral protein important for replication can enhance pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme that breaks down connective tissue. The results offer up a new pathway to treat the pulmonary damage of SARS.

  Training showing the correct way to lift heavy objects does not prevent back injuries, according to a systematic review. Back pain is a highly prevalent complaint and a cause of much suffering. In the UK employers have to ensure workers get proper training on how to handle loads correctly and this generally includes advising workers on specific lifting techniques. However this study, which reviewed all the evidence currently available, found no evidence that the advice has any effect.

  Scientists demonstrate a novel way of using porous structures as a drug-delivery vehicle that can help boost the integration of host tissue with surgically implanted titanium. Instead of being acted upon by the body as an impenetrable foreign object, the synthetic bone replacement -- currently being tested in rabbits -- features a porous material that allows for the delivery of "microencapsulated bioactive cues" that speed up the growth of host tissue at the site and allow for the growth of new bone.

  Instant messaging, blogs, Facebook, MySpace -- there are limitless ways your child communicates online with the offline world. And the risks and opportunities are only increasing. The digital divide between parents and children is widening. Despite what parents might believe, there is an enormous gap between what they think their children are doing online and what is really happening.

  A new process for catching gas from the environment and holding it indefinitely in molecular-sized containers has been developed by a team researchers, who say it represents a novel method of gas storage that could yield benefits for capturing, storing and transporting gases more safely and efficiently.

  Researchers have developed a prostate cancer vaccine that prevented the development of cancer in 90 percent of young mice genetically predestined to develop the disease. They suggest the same strategy might work for men with rising levels of PSA, a potential diagnostic indicator of prostate cancer.