Biologists find that sand dollar larvae created clones of themselves within 24 hours of being exposed to fish mucous, a cue that predators are near. The cloning process resulted in small new larvae and original larvae that were substantially smaller.

  For the first time, a researchers have linked pain receptors found throughout the nervous system to learning and memory in the brain. The findings, published in Neuron, point up new drug targets for memory loss or epileptic seizures.

  Some cells self-destruct peacefully. Others, exposed to toxins or infections, spill a chemical warning when they die. The body responds with inflammation that can backfire and damage vital tissues. The inflammatory response to dying cells' distress calls may be helpful or harmful, research shows.

  Relief is now available for 600 people around the world who suffer from a rare genetic condition triggered by exposure to cold. "It's like you're freezing from the inside out," says Rachel Doherty, who took part in a clinical trial. In proving the effectiveness of anakinra, a Dalhousie dermatology team successfully concluded a 20-year quest to find a treatment for Familial Cold Autoinflammatory Syndrome.

  A growing number of plug-in hybrid electric cars and trucks could require major new power generation resources or none at all -- depending on when people recharge their automobiles. A recent study examined how an expected increase in ownership of hybrid electric cars and trucks will affect the power grid depending on what time of day or night the vehicles are charged. In the worst-case scenario —- if all hybrid owners charged their vehicles at 5 p.m. -- up to 160 large power plants would be needed nationwide to supply the extra electricity.

  Giving up smoking during pregnancy may boost the chances of giving birth to an easy going child. The findings are based on over 18,000 UK babies born between 2000 and 2002, who were taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study.

  Scientists have discovered a state of two-dimensional (2D) fluctuating superconductivity in a high-temperature superconductor with a particular arrangement of electrical charges known as "stripes." The finding was uncovered during studies of directional dependence in the material's electron-transport and magnetic properties. In the 2D plane, the material acts as a superconductor -- conducts electricity with no resistance -- at a significantly higher temperature than in the 3D state.

  Researchers have definitively shown that the widely used bug repellent DEET acts like a chemical cloak, masking human odors that blood-feeding insects find attractive. The research now makes it possible not only to systematically improve upon the repellent properties of DEET but also to make it a safer chemical.

  The first milestone in the successive assembly of the Wendelstein 7-X fusion device has been reached on schedule with the completion of the first two half-modules of the large-scale experiment: Two-tenths of the inner core of the device is now ready, and is being assembled. Construction of the complex device will take about another six years.

  Scientists studying macrophages, the biological cells that spring from white blood cells to eat and destroy foreign or dying cells, have discovered how these "policemen" differentiate between friend and foe.

  Using new genetic techniques, scientists are unlocking the secrets of how E. coli bacteria contaminate food and make people sick. Michigan State University has developed a new technique to test the DNA of E. coli bacteria by examining very small genetic changes called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs. Using SNPs, scientists analyzed 96 markers, making genetic analysis of pathogenic bacteria possible at a rate never before accomplished.

  The first large scale national study of escalator-related injuries to older adults reports that the rate of these injuries has doubled from 1991 to 2005. Using U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data, the researchers found nearly 40,000 older adults were injured on escalators between 1991 and 2005.

  NASA's Cassini spacecraft performed a daring flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus on March 12, flying about 15 kilometers per second (32,000 mph) through icy water geyser-like jets. The spacecraft snatched up precious samples that might point to a water ocean or organics inside the little moon.

  A new five-year study confirmsthe suspected close link between the two most common diseases of young children: colds and ear infections. Ear infections are the driving force behind antibiotic resistance, a troubling medical issue, as physicians often administer antibiotics for the painful, persistent ailment.