By blasting a person's breath with laser light, scientists have shown that they can detect molecules that may be markers for diseases like asthma or cancer. Just as bad breath can indicate dental problems, excess methylamine may signal liver and kidney disease, ammonia may be a sign of renal failure, elevated acetone levels can indicate diabetes and nitric oxide levels can be used to diagnose asthma, Ye said.
Scientists studying the cloudy emulsions produced by anise-flavored liquors such as Ouzo have discovered new molecular insights into their formation, findings that could lead to the design of better commercial emulsions used in making pharmaceuticals, food products, cosmetics and other materials.
An unexpected radar image of airborne debris from the Feb. 6 tornado that killed four people in Lawrence County, Ala., might help scientists develop better tools for warning the public when and where strong tornadoes are on the ground. Scientists are studying radar data from the early morning tornado to see if the radar signature from the debris is so distinctive that computers can be programmed to instantly recognize it, so more timely and precise warnings might be issued.
The probiotic Lactobacillus substantially cuts the rate and length of respiratory illness in professional long distance runners, reveals a small study. Intensive exercise can subdue the normal immune response, and as a result, some athletes are vulnerable to respiratory viruses, such as colds and flu. During four months of intensive winter training, 20 elite, endurance athletes were given either three freeze dried capsules twice daily of the probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum or a dummy capsule (placebo).
In the thin, dry air of northern Chile's Atacama Desert, at an altitude of 16,500 feet, an amazing new telescope system is taking shape, on schedule to provide the world's astronomers with unprecedented views of the origins of stars, galaxies, and planets. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array will open an entirely new "window" on the Universe, allowing scientists to unravel longstanding and important astronomical mysteries.
A new American Cancer Society study of 12 types of cancer among more than 3.5 million cancer patients finds uninsured patients were significantly more likely to present with advanced stage cancer compared to patients with private insurance. The study uses national data to investigate insurance status and stage of diagnosis for a large number of cancer sites.
Contrary to our previous beliefs, identical twins are not genetically identical. This surprising findingmay be of great significance for research on hereditary diseases and for the development of new diagnostic methods. How can it be that one identical twin might develop Parkinson's disease, for instance, but not the other? Until now, the reasons have been sought in environmental factors. The current study complicates the picture.
The same rules of physics that govern molecules as they condense from gas to liquid, or freeze from liquid to solid, also apply to the activity patterns of neurons in the human brain. When liquids undergo phase transitions, they evaporate into gas or freeze into ice. When the brain undergoes a phase transition, it moves from random to patterned activity.
Humans live in the midst of a seething, breathing microbial world. Microorganisms populate every conceivable habitat, both familiar and exotic, from the surface of the human skin, to rainforest floors, to hydrothermal vents in the ocean floors. Despite the powerful and pervasive role of microbes in sustaining life, most of the microbial world remains a mystery. This is the subject of "The Uncharted Microbial World: Microbes and Their Activities in the Environment," a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology.
When prescribed to children with middle ear infections, antibiotics are not associated with a significant reduction in fluid buildup in the ear, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies.
Bottom trawling, an industrial fishing method that drags large, heavy nets across the seafloor stirs up huge, billowing plumes of sediment on shallow seafloors that can be seen from space. As a result of scientific studies showing that bottom trawling kills vast numbers of corals, sponges, fishes and other animals, bottom trawling has been banned in a growing number of places in recent years. Now satellite images show that spreading clouds of mud remain suspended in the sea long after the trawler has passed.
The first question asked after an atomic explosion in the US (or elsewhere) would be, "Who did this to us?" But the US ability to answer that question rapidly has faded since the end of the Cold War. A former director of the nuclear weapons laboratory in Livermore, California says a rejuvenated nuclear forensics program is urgently needed.
Scientists have identified a potent new anticancer drug isolated from a toxic blue-green algae found in the South Pacific. The ScA compound was found in "mermaid's hair," gathered off the coast of Fiji. The researcher noted that if a normal-sized swimming pool full of cancer cells were treated with ScA, it would take only three milligrams -- about the weight of a grain of rice -- to kill all of the cancer cells.
A woman's daily stress can reduce her ability to fight off a common sexually transmitted disease and increase her risk of developing the cancer it can cause, according to a new study. No such association is seen, however, between past major life events, such as divorce or job loss, and the body's response to the infection.
