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Physicist's Work Sheds New Light on Possible "Fifth Force of Nature"
Explosives vapor detection technology: the new “sniff test”
Study Shows Long-Term Efficacy of Minimally Invasive Therapy for Patients with Barrett's Esophagus
Researchers ‘Nanoweld’ by Applying Light to Aligned Nanorods in Solid Materials
Eliminating Malaria has Longlasting Benefits for Many Countries
Mercury may have harbored an ancient magma ocean
Brown researchers build robotic bat wing
Life scientists identify drug that could aid treatment of anxiety disorders
How human language could have evolved from birdsong

Physicist's Work Sheds New Light on Possible "Fifth Force of Nature"

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:23 AM PST

In a breakthrough for the field of particle physics, Professor of Physics Larry Hunter and colleagues at Amherst and The University of Texas at Austin have established new limits on what scientists call “long-range spin-spin interactions” between atomic particles. These interactions have been proposed by theoretical physicists but have not yet been seen.

Explosives vapor detection technology: the new “sniff test”

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:13 AM PST

A quick, accurate and highly sensitive process to reliably detect minute traces of explosives on luggage, cargo or travelling passengers has been demonstrated by scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The vapor detection technology accurately detects and identifies the vapors of even very low-volatility explosives in real time at ambient temperature and without sample pre-concentration. Details are outlined in a recent issue of Analytical Chemistry.

Study Shows Long-Term Efficacy of Minimally Invasive Therapy for Patients with Barrett's Esophagus

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:06 AM PST

According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, patients with Barrett's esophagus and early or pre-cancerous cells have been shown to significantly benefit from minimally invasive therapy delivered through an endoscope – a medical instrument used to look inside an organ or cavity in the body. Until recently, patients with these conditions were treated by surgery to remove the whole esophagus.

Researchers ‘Nanoweld’ by Applying Light to Aligned Nanorods in Solid Materials

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:45 PM PST

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a way to melt or “weld” specific portions of polymers by embedding aligned nanoparticles within the materials. Their technique, which melts fibers along a chosen direction within a material, may lead to stronger, more resilient nanofibers and materials.

Eliminating Malaria has Longlasting Benefits for Many Countries

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:20 PM PST

Many nations battling malaria face an economic dilemma: spend money indefinitely to control malaria transmission or commit additional resources to eliminate transmission completely. A review of malaria elimination conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and other institutions suggests stopping malaria transmission completely has longlasting benefits for many countries and that once eliminated, the disease is unlikely to reemerge over time.

Mercury may have harbored an ancient magma ocean

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:43 AM PST

By analyzing Mercury’s rocky surface, scientists have been able to partially reconstruct the planet’s history over billions of years. Now, drawing upon the chemical composition of rock features on the planet’s surface, scientists at MIT have proposed that Mercury may have harbored a large, roiling ocean of magma very early in its history, shortly after its formation about 4.5 billion years ago.

Brown researchers build robotic bat wing

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:37 AM PST

The strong, flapping flight of bats offers great possibilities for the design of small aircraft, among other applications. By building a robotic bat wing, Brown researchers have uncovered flight secrets of real bats: the function of ligaments, the elasticity of skin, the structural support of musculature, skeletal flexibility, upstroke, downstroke.

Researchers at Brown University have developed a robotic bat wing that is providing valuable new information about dynamics of flapping flight in real bats.

Life scientists identify drug that could aid treatment of anxiety disorders

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:30 AM PST

The drug scopolamine has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including nausea and motion sickness. A new study by UCLA life scientists suggests that it may also be useful in treating anxiety disorders.

How human language could have evolved from birdsong

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:20 AM PST

“The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language,” Charles Darwin wrote in “The Descent of Man” (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak. Language, he speculated, might have had its origins in singing, which “might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions.”