ESA’s gamma-ray satellite, Integral, is fully operational. Today Integral’s first ground-breaking images of the high-energy Universe were presented in Paris, France. Astronomers call such initial observations ’first-light’ images.
The high-energy Universe is a violent place of exploding stars and their collapsed remnants such as the ultra-compressed neutron stars and, at the most extreme, all-consuming black holes. These celestial objects create X-rays and gamma rays tha
Southampton scientists are hoping to find out why some people benefit more than others from the effects of fruit and vegetables in battling conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and heart disease.
It is already known that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts and tea provides plenty of antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, beta-carotene and polyphenols. These help tackle an excess of free radicals and oxidants produced to help our immune system kill ha
Procedure could reduce side effects and enhance potency of anti-cancer drugs
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often endure painful side effects caused by the powerful drugs as they course through their entire bodies, damaging healthy tissue and tumors alike.
Brigham Young University researchers are reporting in the December issue of the prestigious oncology journal “Cancer Research” that they have successfully tested a new method in laboratory animals that would conc
The science minister, Lord Sainsbury, will today open the highest resolution analytical microscope in the world at the CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. The SuperSTEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope) project is directed by Professor Peter Goodhew at Liverpool University and involves other scientists from the Universities of Liverpool, Cambridge, Glasgow and Leeds.
The microscope is housed in a new purpose-built low-vibration laboratory at the Daresbury Laboratory and will
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) Eliminate Risk of Breast Cancer Associated with Hormone Replacement Therapy But Preserve Many Health Benefits of Estrogen
Tissue-Specific Estrogenic and Antiestrogenic Activity of SERMs Provide Opportunities for Individualized Treatment of Menopause-related Adverse Symptoms, Health Risks and Diseases
As scientific evidence mounts linking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to breast cancer and other illnesses, a class of d
Novel developments in electronics which are giving ecologists important new tools to quickly and easily measure biodiversity will be described at the British Ecological Society’s Winter Meeting, being held at the University of York on 18–20 December 2002.
Speaking at the meeting, electronics expert and entomologist Dr David Chesmore from the University of York will explain a novel method of identifying different grasshopper species using time domain signal coding and artificial neural netwo
The fact that many animal species, such as herds of antelope or shoals of fish, live together in herds is well understood: there is safety in numbers. Why limpets live together is a mystery, but ecologist Tim Theobalds thinks he has come up with the answer, and his findings could have important implications for their conservation and commercial collection.
Speaking at the British Ecological Society’s Winter Meeting, being held at the University of York on 18–20 December 2002, Theobalds of th
Ohio University astronomers have discovered the largest disk of hot, X-ray emitting gas ever observed in the universe: At 90,000 light years in diameter, it’s about 100,000 times the size of any comparable object. The disk, spinning through a distant galaxy, is more than just an interstellar oddity, the researchers say. The object could offer new information about the way certain galaxies form and evolve.
About 20 percent of all galaxies are elliptical, the largest of the three types of ga
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have transformed ordinary polyurethane packaging foam into a superfoam that not only refuses to be crushed but also actually increases in thickness when stretched. Under the same stresses conventional foam loses its resilience and its protective qualities, so the superfoam’s benefits for the packaging industry are obvious.
The secret lies in a new “cooking” technique and in the cooking oil, which has to be organic; olive oil, for example, will do ni
Museum curators and researchers who need to view historical artefacts or works of art in museums and galleries such as the Louvre, the Uffizi and London’s National Gallery, should be able to save on their plane and train fares thanks to a unique project being undertaken by computer scientists at the University of Southampton.
The project, known as SCULPTEUR, involves building an advanced database to store three-dimensional representations of museum artefacts and works of art together wi
Today in Brussels the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC) presented a comprehensive Strategic Rail Research Agenda (SRRA), which identifies key scientific and technological priorities for both passenger and freight rail transport over the next 20 years.
ERRAC was created one year ago in Cologne, initiated by European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. It is the first time that a long-term plan for rail research and technological development has been jointly devised a
New study identifies an enzyme associated with pancreatic inflammation
Bethesda, MD – Clinical acute pancreatitis can present with varying degrees of severity The chief causes of this disorder are gallstones, gallbladder-related disease and alcohol use. Viral infection, mumps, and certain medications such as corticosteroids, diuretics, and tetracycline are other causes. In adults, the disorder is frequently associated with lung injury, manifesting itself as adult respiratory distress
A new study identifies sensors in the gastrointestinal tract that signals the body that food ingestion is no longer required
Bethesda, MD – According to the United Nations, 14 African countries now face water scarcity or water stress. By the year 2025, experts agree that eleven more countries will join the list and half the world will live with water stress.
The consequences of water drought can be terrible – a loss of livestock and crops can lead to overall starvation of a
Faint glow given off only when cells are killed could speed drug development for cancer, stroke, other diseases
The process that makes fireflies glow bright in the summer night can also shed light on how well new medicines work, showing immediately whether the drugs are effective at killing cells or causing other effects.
That’s the conclusion of a team of scientists from the University of Michigan Health System, who report that they have inserted the gene for a firefly
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center report that two doses of the varicella vaccine for chicken pox given one to two months apart can be safe and effective in children with chronic kidney disease.
The findings, reported in the January issue of Pediatric Nephrology, are critical for chronic kidney disease patients, particularly children who will eventually undergo a kidney transplant. After transplantation, immunosuppressive medications put these children at high risk for
Surgeons at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago have documented the first use of a blood vessel from the abdomen to treat a blocked artery in the brain. The case study was published in the December issue of Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy and Percutaneous Techniques.
The case involved a 49-year old man with a history of hypertension and heart disease and a blocked artery in the brain. The patient’s doctors were Dr. Constantine T. Frantzides, professor of surgery
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