Police sketch artist evolves
Criminals are having a harder time hiding their faces, thanks to new software that helps witnesses recreate and recognize suspects using principles borrowed from the fields of optics and genetics. view more (2009-10-06)
New tracking approach will help protect polar bears
A new approach to tracking polar bears, developed by Queen's University researchers, will shed more light on the potentially endangered Arctic animal and help boost the economy of Canada's north. view more (2009-06-19)
Anti-epileptic drugs may help prevent and treat noise-induced hearing loss
On the battlefield, a soldier's hearing can be permanently damaged in an instant by the boom of an explosion, and thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq have some permanent hearing loss. But what if soldiers could take a pill before going on duty that would prevent damage to hearing? view more (2007-03-15)
Knock-out drugs: Narrow window for detection
Drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. The Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine has recorded that the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offences within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006. view more (2009-06-01)
Engineers create gecko-inspired, high-friction micro-fibers
Inspired by the remarkable hairs that allow geckos to hang single-toed from sheer walls and scamper along ceilings, a team of researchers led by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, has created an array of synthetic micro-fibers that uses very high friction to support loads on smooth surfaces. view more (2006-08-23)
St. Jude finds clues to hearing loss from chemotherapy
Children with cancer who suffer hearing loss due to the toxic effects of chemotherapy might one day be able to get their hearing back through pharmacological and gene therapy, thanks to work done with mouse models at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. view more (2006-09-25)
Topical treatment for cold sores achieves efficacy of oral drugs; represents paradigm shift
Scientists at NanoBio Corporation have demonstrated for the first time in humans that a novel topical treatment for cold sores (herpes labialis), NB-001, speeds healing of lesions as effectively as the leading oral systemic drugs but without safety or toxicity concerns. view more (2008-10-29)
Efforts for whites to appear colorblind may backfire
New research shows that whites often avoid using race to describe other people, particularly in interactions with blacks. However further research reveals that such efforts to appear colorblind and unprejudiced are associated with less-friendly nonverbal behaviors. view more (2006-12-04)
Self-powered devices possible, says Texas A&M researcher
Imagine a self-powering cell phone that never needs to be charged because it converts sound waves produced by the user into the energy it needs to keep running. It's not as far-fetched as it may seem thanks to the recent work of Tahir Cagin, a professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. view more (2008-12-02)
Scientists moving closer to 'artificial noses'
These days, chemical analysts are expected to track down even single molecules. To do this highly sensitive detective work, nano researchers have developed minute strings that resonate in characteristic fashion. view more (2009-04-23)
Tiny particles may pose threat to liver cells, say scientists
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are to study the effects of nanoparticles on the liver. In a UK first, the scientists will assess whether nanoparticles -already found in pollution from traffic exhaust, but also used in making household goods such as paint, sunblock, food, cosmetics and clothes- can cause damage to the cells of the liver. view more (2006-04-05)
Gene first linked to rare disease may trigger skin cancer, other tumors
A gene first identified in connection with a rare disease in which patients develop multiple, benign skin tumors may be a more general player in cancers found throughout the body. view more (2006-05-19)
Motion that powers sperm provides key to unravelling rare genetic disorder
Malfunction of the motor that powers sperm plays havoc with more than fertility: it may also be the root cause of the rare genetic disease Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS). Reporting in the journal Cell tomorrow, researchers from the UK, US and Canada reveal they have discovered a novel gene for BBS that's necessary for the generation of a cell's cilia... view more... (2004-05-12)
Women and war: The toll of deployment on physical health
More than 80 percent of a sample of Air Force women deployed in Iraq and other areas around the world report suffering from persistent fatigue, fever, hair loss and difficulty concentrating, according to a University of Michigan study. view more (2008-08-15)
Gender and age can be determined from face silhouettes
A new study published in Journal of Vision demonstrates that face silhouettes are visually processed much like regular face stimuli and provide enough information to determine traits about the subject including age and gender. view more (2007-03-22)
New non-invasive sensor can detect brainwaves remotely
Scientists have developed a remarkable sensor that can record brainwaves without the need for electrodes to be inserted into the brain or even for them to be placed on the scalp. Conventional electroencephalograms (EEGs) monitor electrical activity in the brain with electrodes placed either on the scalp (involving hair removal and skin abrasion)... view more... (2002-10-24)
New silver nanoparticle skin gel for healing burns
Scientists in India are reporting successful laboratory tests of a new and potentially safer alternative to silver-based gels applied to the skin of burn patients to treat infections. With names like silver sulfadiazine and silver nitrate, these germ-fighters save lives and speed healing. view more (2009-07-23)
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