Nowhere in nature is there so much beautiful color as on the wings of butterflies. Scientists, however, are still baffled about exactly how these colors are created. One young scientist has been examining the structure of the surface of the wings of the cabbage white and other butterflies in great detail. He notes that the colors on butterfly wings are created in two different ways: via pigments and via nanostructures on the scales, which ensure that light is distributed in ways that are sometimes spectacular.

  A saline nasal wash solution made from processed seawater appears to improve nasal symptoms and may help prevent the recurrence of respiratory infections when used by children with the common cold, according to a new report.

  While flooding in California's Central Valley is "the next big disaster waiting to happen," critical water-related infrastructure issues confront almost every community across the country, according to engineers.

  In connection with last year's epidemic, a research team at Umea University in Sweden has managed for the first time to show that hantavirus exists in human saliva. This raises the question of whether this contagion can spread among humans.

  Researchers have found that automated electronic medical laboratory reporting improves both the completeness and timeliness of disease surveillance, significantly bettering the odds of stopping the spread of disease.

  Researchers report on a new modality of treatment for bulimia nervosa, transcranial magnetic stimulation, in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive, neurophysiological method, which affects cortical neurons with a short magnetic pulse. Bulimia nervosa (BN) is often associated with depressive symptoms and treatment with antidepressants has shown positive effects.

  The collapse of honeybee colonies across North America is focusing attention on the honeybees' vital role in the survival of agricultural crops, and a new study by University of Florida and Indiana University Southeast researchers shows insect pollinators have likely played a key role in the evolution and success of flowering plants for nearly 100 million years.

  Genome-wide scans of families affected by autism spectrum disorder have revealed new evidence that previously unknown chromosomal abnormalities have a substantial role in the prevalent developmental disorder.

  Researchers have discovered that proteins carrying chemical cargo in nerve cells react differently when exposed to the tau protein, which plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease.

  Powerful drugs used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a profound, previously unrecognized effect on the immune system, breaking up molecular "training camps" for rogue cells that play an increasingly recognized role in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

  Earth scientists have reported the discovery of a strong variation in the tectonic stresses in a region of the Pacific Ocean notorious for generating devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in southeastern Japan. The team used a high-tech drill ship to probe deep into a zone responsible for undersea earthquakes known to cause tsunamis.

  In a study that may significantly advance the understanding of how cognitive-behavioral therapy affects the brain, researchers have shown that significant changes in activity in certain regions of the brain can be produced with as little as four weeks of daily therapy in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The discovery could have important clinical implications.

  Using embryonic stem cells from mice, researchers have prompted the growth of healthy -- and more importantly, functioning -- muscle cells in mice afflicted with a human model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

  Increasing levels of a protein that helps the brain use cholesterol may slow the development of Alzheimer's disease changes in the brain, according to researchers studying a mouse model of the disease. The study highlights a new possibility for potential Alzheimer's treatment: altering the brain's use of lipids, a class of fat-soluble compounds that includes cholesterol.