The team of mathematicians that first created the mathematics behind the 'invisibility cloak'has now shown that the same technology could be used to generate an 'electromagnetic wormhole.'

  Mouse mammary tumor virus -- which causes mammary cancer in mice -- can replicate and spread in human cells, new research shows. The study adds weight to the theory that MMTV might be involved in causing human breast cancer.

  While biometric equipment is gaining popularity in a variety of applications, such as ensuring secure access to buildings, industries are finding that many users believe the devices are unsanitary and a potential source of germs that could cause illness. But a new study has found that while the platen glass surfaces of devices that scan fingerprints or hand geometry may look more unsanitary due to visible dirt and prints, they in fact harbor about the same amount of bacteria as a typical doorknob.

  Increased levels of a protein called CUGBP1 play an important role in the adult-onset form of muscular dystrophy called myotonic dystrophy type 1 according to a new article.

  A study of roofing damage incurred by Gulf Coast structures following Hurricane Katrina has found that buildings with steep sloped roofs held up better against the high-wind storm damage than buildings that had low sloped roofs. The study determined that steeper sloped roofs held up better due to the fact the building materials composing the roof structure defend better against wind uplift forces that occur during hurricanes.

  Some consumers want more than just their traditional nourishment requirements met. Micro-algae (eaten by humans in pre-Columbian America) are more than just nutritive. Spirulina microalgae could be a good source of antioxidants due to the presence of carotenoids deriving from chlorophyll, and provide bacterial growth inhibiting action because of certain fatty acids.

  There is more to a grain of dust than meets the eye, at least for astronomers as they attempt to probe deeper into distant galaxies. Until now dust has been a nuisance because it has obscured galaxies, and the stars within them, by absorbing the radiation they emit. But more recently dust has started to present opportunities because it emits radiation itself as a consequence of being heated up by nearby stars.

  A rapid and accurate new molecular typing strategy has been used to conduct one of the most comprehensive studies of adenoviruses ever performed in the United States. Adenoviruses commonly cause respiratory illnesses and infections of the stomach, intestine, eyes and bladder. Sometimes they cause epidemics and deaths. The new findings, reveal that adenoviruses are frequently associated with hospitalizations and that some of these viruses may cause more severe disease than others.

  A case study of the world's largest open-pit coal mine reveals the hidden costs of coal from Colombia, in particular the effects on indigenous and Afro-Colombian villages. Opened in 1983, the continual expansion of the Cerrejon mine - at the rate of about 1,482 acres a year - has led to the forced displacement of indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian communities. Some assessments have been made of the environmental effects on ground water, marine life and air quality - all of which affect the rural and fishing communities.

  For any passive solar home, the challenge is keeping the heat. The Solar7 team built a south-facing light wall made of 1-foot-thick square tiles. Each looks like a sandwich: Two opaque plastic squares are the "bread"for a filling of water and a layer of a thermal insulating gel spread on the inside of one of the tiles "slices."The insulating gel transfers the sun's heat from the outside, throughthe water, to the inside wall.

  Men with prostate cancer are four times more likely to suffer a hip fracture and two times more likely to suffer any kind of fracture. The hip fracture risk rises to eight times in men aged 50-65. Prostate cancer is now a leading cause of male deaths in the US and Europe. The latest study shows that the fracture risk appears shortly after diagnosis and is still pronounced in long-term survivors.

  It is widely postulated that a decrease in the number and activity of stem cells contributes to the aging of human tissue. These changes could be fundamental to many symptoms of aging such as wrinkling of skin and decreased organ function. The control of stem cell aging has, until now, been poorly understood, but now scientists have demonstrated that specific factors are associated with an age-dependent decline in the function of stem cells and their microenvironment, called a niche.

  Dementia is a growing burden for society, propelling patients and caregivers to increasingly use the health-care system. A year ago, local researchers, health-care professionals and community advocates came together to form the Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia to enhance dementia care in the nation's twelfth largest city.

  Persons with multiple sclerosis who smoke risk increasing the amount of brain tissue shrinkage, a consequence of MS, and the subsequent severity of their disease, new research has shown.