There were high-fives all around NC State University's PULSTAR nuclear reactor earlier this month, as students, staff and faculty celebrated a new scientific benchmark -- they had just produced the most intense operating positron (antimatter electron) beam anywhere in the world.
Scientists have launched a solar telescope to an altitude of 120,000 feet, borne by a balloon larger than a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The test clears the way for long-duration polar balloon flights beginning in 2009 that will capture unprecedented details of the Sun's surface.
Viruses may contribute to cancer by causing excessive death to normal cells while promoting the growth of surviving cells with cancerous traits. Viruses may act as forces of natural selection by wiping out normal cells that support the replication of viruses, leaving behind those cells that have acquired defects in their circuitry.
A successful re-ignition of the Ariane 5 upper stage engine performed during the most recent mission has consolidated Ariane 5's readiness for the launch of the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle.
Emphysema patients whose lungs are implanted with a pencil eraser-sized, one-way endobronchial valve experience significantly improved measures of lung function and report better quality of life. The 31-center, two-year study involved 321 patients in the US.
Polymer-based piezoelectric materials are currently the object of great interest in the world of industry because they enable their use in new applications in sectors such as transport and aeronautics, amongst others. A definition of piezoelectricity is the generation of the electrical polarisation of a material as a response to mechanical strain. This phenomenon is known as direct effect or generator effect and is applied fundamentally in the manufacture of sensors (mobile phone vibrators, lighters, etc.).
Research shows that religion and spirituality are linked to positive physical and mental health; however, most studies have focused on people with life-threatening diseases. A new study shows that religion helps many individuals with disabilities adjust to their impairments and gives new meaning to their lives.
Experts don't dispute the important role that diet and activity play in maintaining a healthy weight. But can poor eating habits and a less active lifestyle fully explain the prevalence of obesity in the US today? That question has led some researchers to ask whether there might be other causes for this serious problem.
It used to be dogma that the brain was shut away from the actions of the immune system, shielded from the outside forces of nature. But that's not how it is at all. In fact, new scientific detective work shows that the brain talks directly to the immune system, sending commands that control the body's inflammatory response to infection and autoimmune diseases.
By studying the membranes of cells in a patient's eye cataracts, medical researches have discovered the molecular cause of this disease. The scientists used high-resolution AFM imaging of diseased tissue to provide information at the single molecule level of the disease.
Research shows that intermittent nicotine treatment reduces medication-induced dyskinesias by as much as 50 percent. Dyskinesias is uncontrolled movements of the head and limbs.
Global temperatures predicted for the coming centuries may trigger a new 'mass extinction event'where over 50 percent of animal and plant species would be wiped out, warn scientists. Scientists have discovered a close association between Earth climate and extinctions in a study that has examined the relationship over the past 520 million years -- almost the entire fossil record available.
While different cultures celebrate different body types, researchers have found that despite their background, school age children who are overweight or obese are still unhappy with their body image. "Culturally speaking, the ideal body shape is a lean one among Asian children,"according to researchers. "In African-American and Latino cultures, being lean is not always the ideal."
Inhaled depleted uranium oxide aerosols are recognized as a distinct human health hazard and depleted uranium has been suggested to be responsible in part for illness in both military and civilian populations that may have been exposed.
