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This old healthy house

Researchers found that living in a walkable neighborhood can reduce the risk of obesity by up to six pounds. The study used census data from Salt Lake County and found that neighborhoods built before 1950 were associated with lower BMI values.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine·DateJul 29, 2008

New insight to demineralization

Scientists at Virginia Tech have found a novel mechanism for demineralization of noncrystalline silicas, which can dissolve up to 100 times faster than expected. This breakthrough has significant implications for the development of biomedical implants and synthetic materials with bone-like properties.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 7, 2008

Sea salt worsens coastal air pollution: study

A new study finds that sea salt and urban/shipping pollution combine to create a highly toxic mixture of ground-level ozone and pollutants in coastal areas. Researchers detected unusually high levels of nitryl chloride, a key contributor to air pollution, where these two pollutants meet in the southeastern US.

SourceUniversity of Calgary·JournalNature Geoscience·DateApr 8, 2008

The devil in the dark chocolate

While flavanol-rich dark chocolate offers cardiovascular benefits, manufacturers often remove these compounds to balance calorie content, rendering the product less healthy than claimed. Flavanols have antioxidant properties but are not a guarantee of healthiness.

SourceThe Lancet_DELETED·JournalThe Lancet·DateDec 20, 2007

The hills and valleys of Earth's largest salt 'flat'

Researchers mapped Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni to a resolution of a few centimeters, uncovering previously hidden features like hills, ridges, and valleys. These topographic features impact satellite-based ranging instruments' accuracy, revealing a correlation between subsurface density variations and surface gravity strength

SourceWiley·JournalGeophysical Journal International·DateNov 28, 2007

MIT gel changes color on demand

The team developed a structured gel with tunable optical properties that can rapidly change color in fractions of a second. The gel's color shift is limited to one dimension due to its one-dimensional periodic stack structure, resulting in a dramatic improvement over earlier color-changing gels.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature Materials·DateOct 21, 2007

Sowing seed on salty ground

Researchers identified a sodium transporter gene that helps plants grow better in low-nutrient conditions. The OsHKT2;1 transporter allows plants to take up sodium, reducing the toxic effects of salt stress and even enhancing growth under nutrient-poor soils.

SourceEMBO·JournalThe EMBO Journal·DateJun 6, 2007

Pimp my meatballs -- collagen injections safeguard nutrients

A new study by researchers from the Agricultural University of Poznan in Poland found that collagen injections can help retain important nutrients like iodine and thiamine in meatballs. Thiamine is essential for energy conversion, while iodine deficiency can lead to severe health issues such as goiter and impaired mental development.

SourceSociety of Chemical Industry·JournalJournal of the Science of Food and Agriculture·DateApr 16, 2007

Microcapsules like it hot and salty

Scientists have developed a theoretical model to predict the properties of microcapsules based on salt content and temperature, enabling precise control over their permeability. This allows for intelligent transport systems that can release active substances at specific locations in the body.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 28, 2006

Platinum cages

A team of researchers has successfully produced large, porous, hollow platinum spheres by using liposomes as blueprints. The spheres are made of continuous, branched platinum sheets and have potential applications in biomedical, catalytic, and optical fields.

SourceWiley·DateNov 2, 2006

Salt intake is strongly associated with obesity

A study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases found a strong association between salt intake and obesity. Reducing salt intake was associated with a significant decrease in stroke and coronary heart disease mortality, as well as an increase in life expectancy.

SourceUniversity of Helsinki·JournalProgress in Cardiovascular Diseases·DateNov 1, 2006

Tastes great! Study shows brain's response to pleasing -- and changing -- tastes

Researchers tracked brain activity in rats while they tasted water, salt water, and sugar water, finding that a formerly disliked taste became pleasurable when the rats were deprived of salt. This study provides new insights into how the brain processes pleasure and has implications for understanding eating disorders and addiction.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalJournal of Neurophysiology·DateOct 30, 2006

Upgrading donor lung quality to improve availability

Researchers enhanced donor lungs using clinical maneuvers, increasing transplant procedures without compromising recipient function. The San Antonio Lung Transplant protocol improved lung procurement rates by up to 50%, reducing lengthy wait times and potentially eliminating deaths among patients awaiting lung transplantation.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateSep 15, 2006

Cold shot

Scientists have developed a new technique to detect uranium in contaminated soil by freezing the sample and blasting it with an ultraviolet laser. This method, known as cryogenic fluorescence spectroscopy, allows for sharper resolution of spectral fingerprints and detection of different forms of uranium.

Life in deadly conditions

The study of Natronomonas pharaonis reveals its unique ability to thrive in extremely alkaline and salty environments. The organism's genome encodes the synthesis of 2,843 proteins, which are stable even at high salt concentrations.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalGenome Research·DateOct 17, 2005