New tool for helping pediatric heart surgery
A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Stanford University has developed a way to simulate blood flow on the computer to optimize surgical designs. view more (2009-11-24)
Nuclear weapons: Predicting the unthinkable
If a nuclear weapon were detonated in a metropolitan area, how large would the affected area be? Where should first responders first go? According to physicist Fernando Grinstein, we have some initial understanding to address these questions, but fundamental issues remain unresolved. view more (2009-11-23)
Aquatic creatures mix ocean water
Understanding mixing in the ocean is of fundamental importance to modeling climate change or predicting the effects of an El Niño on our weather. Modern ocean models primarily incorporate the effects of winds and tides. However, they do not generally take into account the mixing generated by swimming animals. view more (2009-11-23)
Generating electricity from air flow
A group of researchers at the City College of New York is developing a new way to generate power for planes and automobiles based on materials known as piezoelectrics, which convert the kinetic energy of motion into electricity. view more (2009-11-23)
Butterfly proboscis to sip cells
A butterfly's proboscis looks like a straw -- long, slender, and used for sipping -- but it works more like a paper towel, according to Konstantin Kornev of Clemson University. He hopes to borrow the tricks of this piece of insect anatomy to make small probes that can sample the fluid inside of cells. view more (2009-11-23)
Measuring and modeling blood flow in malaria
When people have malaria, they are infected with Plasmodium parasites, which enter the body from the saliva of a mosquito, infect cells in the liver, and then spread to red blood cells. view more (2009-11-23)
Robotic clam digs in mudflats
To design a lightweight anchor that can dig itself in to hold small underwater submersibles, Anette (Peko) Hosoi of MIT borrowed techniques from one of nature's best diggers -- the razor clam. view more (2009-11-23)
New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for treating a wider array of diseases and conditions than scientists originally thought. view more (2009-11-23)
On the crest of wave energy
The ocean is a potentially vast source of electric power, yet as engineers test new technologies for capturing it, the devices are plagued by battering storms, limited efficiency, and the need to be tethered to the seafloor. view more (2009-11-20)
New explanation for nature's hardiest life form
Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. view more (2009-11-13)
Population movement can be critical factor in dengue's spread
Human movement is a key factor of dengue virus inflow in Rio de Janeiro, according to results from researchers based at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Brazil. view more (2009-11-10)
Texas A&M prof to predict weather on Mars
Is there such a thing as "weather" on Mars? There are some doubts, considering the planet's atmosphere is only 1 percent as dense as that of the Earth. view more (2009-11-05)
Materials scientists find better model for glass creation
Harvard materials scientists have come up with what they believe is a new way to model the formation of glasses, a type of amorphous solid that includes common window glass. view more (2009-11-05)
LANL Roadrunner simulates nanoscale material failure
Very tiny wires, called nanowires, made from such metals as silver and gold, may play a crucial role as electrical or mechanical switches in the development of future-generation ultrasmall nanodevices. view more (2009-10-30)
Stem cell therapy may offer hope for acute lung injury
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have shown that adult stem cells from bone marrow can prevent acute lung injury in a mouse model of the disease. view more (2009-10-29)
Magnetic mixing creates quite a stir
Sandia researchers have developed a process that can mix tiny volumes of liquid, even in complicated spaces. view more (2009-10-28)
Super sticky barnacle glue cures like blood clots
Barnacles are a big problem for boats. Adhering to the undersides of vessels, carpets of the crustaceans can increase fuel consumption by as much as 25%. view more (2009-10-16)
Urate in blood and spinal fluid may predict slower decline in patients with Parkinson's disease
Higher concentration of urate (an antioxidant) in the blood and spinal fluid of patients with early Parkinson's disease is associated with slower rates of clinical decline. view more (2009-10-13)
Study supports possible role of urate in slowing Parkinson's disease progression
By examining data from a 20-year-old clinical trial, a research team based at the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (MGH-MIND) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), has found evidence supporting the findings of their 2008 study - that elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. view more (2009-10-13)
Researchers report benefits of new standard treatment study for rare pediatric brain cancer
A team of researchers led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center unveiled results today from the largest-ever collaborative study addressing the treatment of a rare pediatric brain tumor. view more (2009-10-12)
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