Physicist Glennys Farrar proposes that extremely high-energy cosmic rays come from distant quasars, violating the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff. She suggests a new subatomic particle, the SO, with neutral and gluon-bound properties, as an alternative explanation.
A recent study by Brandeis University researcher Patricia Tun suggests that older adults' difficulty in following conversation is linked to fast-paced and noisy environments. The study found that seniors' ability to process speech was impaired when faced with rapid-fire talkers, multiple background voices, or distracting noises.
The University of Michigan team developed a miniature laboratory on a chip that can analyze DNA samples quickly and sensitively. The device is expected to make DNA analysis widely available and has potential applications in medical diagnostics, forensics, and agriculture.
A recent study found that less than 20% of eligible elderly patients with high cholesterol received treatment, despite being at risk for death from coronary heart disease. The Cardiovascular Health Study suggests that older patients and their physicians may have preferred dietary therapy over pharmacological treatment.
The American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting will take place from December 6-10 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Media representatives can register in advance to receive an abstract volume and attend press conferences, with a special excursion planned for December 5.
The article warns that unregulated shark-diving tours in South Africa may lead great white sharks to associate humans with food, posing a threat to conservation efforts. Inexperienced or irresponsible tour operators are putting people at risk by using rusty cages and introducing surfboards or children's toys into the water.
Researchers using Hubble Space Telescope spot large dust particles in rings around three stars, suggesting planets may be forming. The observations reveal a critical early stage in planetary evolution, with the potential for millions of years of dust grain aggregation to form planets.
Scientists at UNC-CH discovered that Groucho proteins and Tcf interact to repress internal signaling activity, determining which genes are turned on. This finding could help explain cancer development and contribute to therapies to reverse deadly growth.
The Hopkins University replaced a failed 24-inch telescope with a smaller one used for stargazing, ensuring the success of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The telescope was retrofitted with new optics and is now ready to contribute to the mapping of millions of galaxies.
Researchers in Missouri have designed a bullet that emits a powerful radar pulse as it grinds to a halt, allowing for the detection of landmines without stepping on them. This technology can help geologists survey for oil, minerals, and other buried natural resources, and may be used to locate mines in remote areas.
A numerical analyst developed a math model with algorithms to distribute Seattle Mariners' season tickets fairly among a group of friends. The technique uses mixed-integer programming to satisfy diverse requests and preferences, achieving 46.7% success rate in assigning top-ranked games.
The University of Pittsburgh has been chosen as one of three pioneer sites for biocombinatorial chemistry research, a revolutionary approach to speed up drug discovery. Researchers will create novel chemical compounds and test them in specific assays to learn whether they can interrupt cellular activities that lead to cancer.
Researchers found a direct correlation between high nitrate levels and nitrogen-rich bedrock in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Nitrogen-rich rocks released into the environment can cause massive algae blooms and affect human health.