A minuscule, single-eyed camera fits in a easily swallowed pill. The device would conduct low-cost screens to prevent esophageal cancer. A fundamentally new design has created a smaller endoscope that is more comfortable for the patient and cheaper to use than current technology. Its first use on a human, scanning for early signs of esophageal cancer.

  Just as many scientists had given up the search, researchers have discovered that the pancreas does indeed harbor stem cells with the capacity to generate new insulin-producing beta cells.

  Researchers have developed a sensor system that continuously monitors the air around persons prone to asthma attacks. Worn in the pockets of a vest, the new system could help researchers understand the causes of asthma attacks.

  Taking vitamins C or E during pregnancy will not reduce a woman's risk of experiencing pre-eclampsia, a Cochrane Systematic Review has concluded. Pre-eclampsia can occur during pregnancy when a woman develops high blood pressure and tests show that protein is appearing in her urine.

  NOAA's Fisheries Service has announced that the Atlantic white marlin, a billfish highly prized by recreational anglers, does not warrant listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Based on the biological status of the species and consideration of the ESA listing factors, the species is not in danger of extinction.

  Most states have graduated licensing for teen drivers but such programs should be even more restrictive, according to a new study. Teens are at excess risk, they say, for all crash types, which include a combination of various elements: characteristics of the teen driver, time of day, day of week, driver behavior and the context within the vehicle.

  In a study that could open up the field of virology to an entirely new suite of possibilities and that paves the way for future drug research, scientists have pinned down a molecule on the surface of human cells that helps keep particles of mutant strains of HIV from spreading. Rather than floating off to infect more cells, the protein contains the virus particles by keeping them attached to the parent cell's outer membrane, as if stuck there with glue.

  Two to three children in 100 are born with a mental handicap. This can be caused by a genetic defect, but in 80 percent of the cases scientists do not know which genes are responsible. Now, researchers have discovered that, in a portion of these patients, the mental retardation is caused by a two-fold production of two proteins.

  When a cell's assetsget divided between daughter cells, Dr. Quansheng Du wants to make sure both offspring do well. He's dissecting the complex, continuous and amazing process that enables one cell to become two. When all goes well, cell division, or mitosis, helps repopulate a damaged organ or replenish endogenous stem cells. When it goes badly, it can result in cancer or developmental defects.

  Doctors commonly prescribe antidepressants for patients with low back pain for three main reasons; to relieve pain; reduce mild depression and improve a person's mood; and improve sleep. Despite this, the use of antidepressants in low back pain is controversial with different studies arriving at different conclusions.

  Scientists have developed a technique for aligning nanotubes over large areas based on the flow of a nanotube-containing solution through nanochannels. This technique is especially attractive because of its simplicity; no external stimuli such as the application of an electric field or syringe pumping are required to align the nanotubes.

  Research shows the male and female jacky dragons were born when the temperature was best for their sex. The study's findings may have grave consequences for the species if temperatures increase in the parts of Australia where the jacky dragons call home. "We may see a sex ratio shift towards one sex," said the researcher. "And that may threaten population viability."

  At the end of March 2007, scientists all over the world observed with surprise and awe a rare change in the atmosphere of Jupiter. Research into these unusual storms and the reaction of the jet to them gives a more precise idea about the origin of these current flows and likewise can help to gain a better understanding of terrestrial meteorology.

  Research by a group of scientists studying the effects of heavy marijuana use suggests that withdrawal from the use of marijuana is similar to what is experienced by people when they quit smoking cigarettes. Abstinence from each of these drugs appears to cause several common symptoms, such as irritability, anger and trouble sleeping -- based on self reporting in a recent study of 12 heavy users of both marijuana and cigarettes.