A paper published in Nature on May 12th (1) provides new data that resolves a long-standing scientific controversy. In the 1960s, Nobel Prize winning zoologist, Karl von Frisch, proposed that honeybees use dance (the“waggle dance”) as a coded message to guide other bees to new food sources. However, some scientists did not accept von Frisch’s theory. Using harmonic radar, scientists, funded in part by the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have now tracked the flig
It seems size does matters after all. But for flying snakes, smaller is better, according to University of Chicago researchers.
In the May 15, 2005, issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology (http://jeb.biologists.org/content/vol208/issue10/), scientists described the effects of size and behavior of flying snakes, and found that the smaller animals were better gliders.
“Despite their lack of wing-like appendages, flying snakes are skilled aerial locomotors,” said lead
Deaf children who receive cochlear implants do better learning language and speech the younger they receive the implants, according to research by scientists at Indiana University School of Medicine.
However, it’s not clear whether implanting children before they turn age one is worth the potential risks associated with such early surgeries, the researchers said. The work will be presented next week at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America.
The study,
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a UNC start-up company, Xintek, Inc., have invented a new X-ray device based on carbon nanotubes that emits a scanning X-ray beam composed of multiple smaller beams while also remaining stationary.
As a result, the device can create images of objects from numerous angles and without mechanical motion, which is a distinct advantage for any machine since it increases imaging speed, can reduce the size of the devic
Publication reveals atomic structure of angiopoietin-2, a key protein involved in the neo-vascularization of solid tumors
A structural biologist from the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center, in collaboration with researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has identified the crystal structure of a protein that plays a role in supplying nutrients to solid tumors.
This identification may help researchers gain a greater understanding of the cell
NASA’s launch of the NOAA-N environmental satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was postponed for 24 hours due to high winds. Launch is scheduled at 6:22 a.m. EDT, Thursday, May 12 pending favorable weather conditions.
Surface wind at the time of the rollback of the gantry surrounding the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle was as high as 36 knots. That was approximately seven knots above the limits at Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Forc
If you nudge this robot, it steps forward and catches its balance—much like a human
The machine called RABBIT, which resembles a high-tech Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz,” minus the arms, was developed by University of Michigan and French scientists over six years. It’s the first known robot to walk and balance like a human, and late last year, researchers succeeded in making RABBIT run for six steps. It has been able to walk gracefully for the past 18 months.
U-
Saint Louis University research is published in ’diabetes care’
Diabetics are more likely to exercise if their doctors help them create and stick to a formalized exercise plan, according to new Saint Louis University research in the May issue of “Diabetes Care.”
“Physician advice alone was not associated with regular physical activity. However, when a physician helped to make a plan for physical activity or followed up on the plan, we saw more physical activity,” says A
Thanks to a manoeuvre performed on 10 May 2005 at 20:20 CET, ESA flight controllers have successfully completed the deployment of the first boom of the MARSIS radar on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft.
After the start of the deployment of the first 20-metre boom on 4 May, analysis by flight controllers at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany, had shown that although 12 out of the 13 boom segments were in place, one of the outermost segments, pos
An understanding of exactly how the brain controls breathing is fundamental to the treatment of respiratory disorders. We know that breathing is an automatic rhythmic process that persists without conscious effort whether we are awake or asleep, but the question that has intrigued many scientists for well over 100 years is what maintains this almost fail safe vital rhythm throughout life?
Experimental Physiology editor Julian Paton invited two world renowned scientists Dr. Guyene
Discovery may pave way for immunotherapies
Using a common chemotherapy agent, researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine found a way to move an important biomarker expressed in prostate cancer, shaking it loose from one location in a cell – where it could not be accessed by blood – to another, easier to target area. The discovery, outlined in the cover article of May 11 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Can
An international team of researchers has identified a mechanism which increases lung inflammation, making Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) more severe, and potentially points towards new treatments.
Reporting today in the New England Journal of Medicine, the team from Imperial College London, Royal Brompton Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Canada found a correlation between the increase in inflammation in the lungs and a loss of activity in an e
One of the dreams of both science fiction writers and practical robot builders has been realized, at least on a simple level: Cornell University researchers have created a machine that can build copies of itself.
Admittedly the machine is just a proof of concept — it performs no useful function except to self-replicate — but the basic principle could be extended to create robots that could replicate or at least repair themselves while working in space or in hazardous environ
Hypothenar hammer syndrome, known for affecting laborers, gets relief from bypass grafting
The hand pain, tingling, numbness and cold sensitivity of hypothenar hammer syndrome, also known as hammer hand, are best alleviated by bypass grafting surgery, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic plastic surgeons.
“In the past, treatment of hypothenar hammer syndrome has been controversial, and physicians have been searching for some way to treat it,” says Craig Johnson, M.D.
Obesity is one of the biggest threats to child health. Genetics, decreases in physical activity, increases in television watching, and consumption of fast food are factors that have led to an increase of childhood obesity in the United States. Excessive consumption of sugar sweetened drinks may also be a key factor. A commentary in the May issue of The Journal of Pediatrics reviews prior research to provide perspective about the role of soft drinks in childhood obesity.
Robert
A fully digital 4D ultrasound system is set to provide a ‘next generation’ integrated solution for medical imaging applications, allowing practitioners to provide faster treatment and improve therapeutic success rates.
Developed by ADUMS, an IST-funded project that ended in April 2005, the advanced high-quality imaging system will significantly reduce diagnostic time. In addition, the technology uses off-the-shelf computer hardware, making it a much cheaper alternative to expe
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