Brute force rather than aerodynamic efficiency is the key to bumblebee flight, Oxford University scientists have discovered.
A new study explains how a protein released by immune cells during chronic infection could restrict viruses like HIV and hepatitis C from spreading through the body.
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On the one hand, carbon nanotubes raise hopes for innovative applications in fields ranging from technology to medicine, promising considerable economic benefits. On the other hand, there is still need for much more thorough research on if and how these tubes may adversely affect the environment and human health.
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Glioma is the most common and most serious form of brain tumors that affect adults. It has not yet been determined which specific type of cell in the brain is the source of the tumor, but now scientists can show that glioma can start from immature support cells.
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In the last decade, Asian farmers have cleared tens of thousands of square miles of forests to accommodate the world’s growing demand for palm oil, an increasingly popular food ingredient. Ancient peatlands have been drained and lush tropical forests have been cut down. As a result, the landscape of equatorial Asia now lies vulnerable to [...]
Continue reading about Climate Adds Fuel To Asian Wildfire Emissions
How can we better protect rescue workers when they are deployed in a catastrophe — or find avalanche victims more efficiently? Researchers are currently working on a localization solution that combines satellite-based positioning with terrestrial guidance tools and situation-based sensor systems (such as integrated toxic gas sensors).
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Suicide rates in Greenland increase during the summer, peaking in June. Researchers speculate that insomnia caused by incessant daylight may be to blame.
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Higher concentrations of melanin — the color pigment in skin and hair — may be placing darker pigmented smokers at increased susceptibility to nicotine dependence and tobacco-related carcinogens than lighter skinned smokers, according to scientists.
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A first-of-its kind, long-term study of hurricane impact on U.S. trees shows that hurricane damage can diminish a forest’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, from the atmosphere. Researchers examined the impact of tropical cyclones on U.S. forests from 1851–2000 and found that changes in hurricane frequency might contribute to [...]
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Bacteria in the gut of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito inhibit infection of the insect with Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans, according to new research. Scientists found that removing these bacteria, or microbial flora, with antibiotics made the mosquitoes more susceptible to Plasmodium infection because of a lack of immune stimulation.
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