Like something from a horror movie, the swarm of bacteria ripples purposefully toward their prey, devours it and moves on. Researchers are studying this behavior in Myxococcus xanthus, a bacterium commonly found in soil, which preys on other bacteria.
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Radical improvements in outcome for many cancer sufferers are in prospect following one of the most significant advances in radiotherapy since x-rays were first used to treat a tumor in 1904. The use of charged particles as an alternative to x-ray or gamma ray radiation can extend the scope of radiotherapy to tumors previously requiring [...]
From the sun’s UVA rays to tobacco smoke, our environment is chock-full of DNA-damaging agents that can lead to cancer. Thanks to our body’s DNA repair mechanisms, however, the effects of many carcinogens can be reversed thereby preventing the formation of tumours. Now, scientists have identified a new biochemical pathway which controls DNA repair.
Mayo Clinic researchers say they have moved closer to their goal of providing personalized care for a common blood cell cancer. They have found that the use of predictive biomarkers along with two targeted treatments significantly delays the need for conventional chemotherapy in patients with early-stage, but high-risk, chronic lymphoid leukemia.
A modified method of producing biobutanol could make the fuel more competitive with ethanol as a clean-burning alternative to gasoline.
Short term counseling followed by a modest cut in work hours may help reduce emotional exhaustion and sick leave in doctors, according to a new study.
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An unusual microorganism discovered in the open ocean may force scientists to rethink their understanding of how carbon and nitrogen cycle through ocean ecosystems. Researchers characterized the new microbe by analyzing its genetic material and said it appears to be an atypical member of the cyanobacteria that fixes nitrogen but lacks the genes for photosynthesis.
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Researchers have taken the first critical steps in unraveling the mysteries of brain aneurysms, the often fatal rupturing of blood vessels that afflicts 500,000 people worldwide each year and nearly killed Vice President-elect Joseph Biden two decades ago.
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Knee clicking can establish mating rights among antelopes. A study of eland antelopes has uncovered the dominance displays used by males to settle disputes over access to fertile females, without resorting to genuine violence.
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An Australian-led global initiative to improve the diagnosis of genetic disorders and reduce errors in the reporting of genetic variations has just been published in the scientific journal Science.
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