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279,032 articles from PhysOrg
Mercury on the rise in endangered Pacific seabirds
Using 120 years of feathers from natural history museums in the United States, Harvard University researchers have been able to track increases in the neurotoxin methylmercury in the black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), an endangered seabird that forages extensively throughout the Pacific.
New biomarker allows early detection of adverse prognosis after acute kidney injury
A new biomarker-based diagnostic test is more effective than the current best practice for early detection of adverse outcomes after acute kidney injury (AKI), which can be fatal for an estimated 50 percent of the critically ill patients who get the condition.
New study examines brain processes behind facial recognition
When you think you see a face in the clouds or in the moon, you may wonder why it never seems to be upside down.
Oxygenation at a depth of 120 meters can save the Baltic Sea
Oxygenation brings dead sea bottoms to life. This creates the necessary conditions for the establishment of new ecosystems that enable nature itself to deal with eutrophication. By conducting pilot studies in two fjords in Sweden, researchers at the University of Gothenburg have demonstrated that pumping oxygen-rich surface water down to sea bottoms is effective. A large wind-driven pump is now to...
Pacific salmon may be dying from leukemia-type virus
In Canada's Fraser River, a mysterious illness has killed millions of Pacific salmon, and scientists have a new hypothesis about why: The wild salmon are suffering from viral infections similar to those linked to some forms of leukemia and lymphoma.
Patients appear to adjust and learn to cope with loss or reduced sense of smell
Most patients who have a reduced ability to smell or detect odors seem to attach less importance to the sense of smell in their daily lives than people with a normal olfactory function, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery.
Previous-day alcohol consumption appears to affect surgical skills on virtual reality simulator
Excessive alcohol consumption appears to be associated with changes in some surgical skills performed on virtual reality simulator testing the following day, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
ProPublica wins Pulitzer with digital-only series
ProPublica, a non-profit news startup, scooped up a Pulitzer Prize on Monday, its second in two years and the first ever for a series of stories that were not also published in print.
Rings reveal extensive yearly climate record
A new study of the oldest trees in Mexico provides the first ever detailed, year-by-year look at the climate of Mesoamerica over a thousand-year span. The data, gathered from the annual growth rings in trees, supplies precise dates for the duration of three historically important droughts, including one that was previously unknown.
Study: Common virus + low sunlight exposure may increase risk of MS
New research suggests that people who are exposed to low levels of sunlight coupled with a history of having a common virus known as mononucleosis may be at greater odds of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than those without the virus. The research is published in the April 19, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Too many relatives ruining your picnic? Be glad the flies don't invite their cousins
When your family members gather at a picnic in your backyard, there may be 10 to 20 people -- maybe more -- enjoying your barbecue.
Virtual surgery shows promise in personalized treatment of nasal obstruction
A preliminary report suggests that virtual nasal surgery has the potential to be a productive tool that may enable surgeons to perform personalized nasal surgery using computer simulation techniques, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the September print issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Winklevoss twins seek another Facebook hearing
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss asked Monday for a rehearing of a court ruling that they can't back out of the settlement deal they made in a lawsuit charging that Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea for Facebook.
Office 365 goes into public beta
(PhysOrg.com) -- Microsoft has released its latest product for business, Office 365, into public beta. The program, which is limited in its participants, allows users to try out the new software in exchange for feedback about the software.
Simple injection could limit damage from heart attacks and stroke
(PhysOrg.com) -- This weeks Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) will publish a fascinating new milestone achievement in the search for novel clinical therapies to significantly reduce the loss of tissue and organ-functions following the loss of blood supply in widespread and serious human pathologies such as heart attacks (myocardial infarction) and strokes...
Ban bodychecking in youth hockey to prevent concussions
Bodychecking in youth hockey leagues should be banned to prevent concussions which can cause serious repercussions, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Bridgestone is demonstrating its AeroBee e-reader
(PhysOrg.com) -- Most e-readers are E-Ink. On devices, such as the very popular Amazon Kindle, they allow users to have a clear and paper-like viewing experience, and no glare in high light or outdoor situations. The E-Ink devices also use less power than devices like the iPad, and therefore have a longer battery life.
Climate change psychology: Coping and creating solutions
Psychologists are offering new insight and solutions to help counter climate change, while helping people cope with the environmental, economic and health impacts already taking a toll on people's lives, according to a special issue of American Psychologist, the American Psychological Association's flagship journal.
Europe worried but still divided on nuclear energy
Twenty-five years after the Chernobyl disaster, Europe is still divided on the use of nuclear energy. But the Fukushima crisis stirred new fears that could slow down nuclear expansion.
For testing skin cream, synthetic skin may be as good as the real thing
New research suggests that currently available types of synthetic skin may now be good enough to imitate animal skin in laboratory tests, and may be on their way to truly simulating human skin in the future.
Health status of migrant workers in Canada
International migrant workers entering Canada generally arrive healthy but their low-skilled occupations may put them at risk of health issues and they may face barriers to health care, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Move over Prozac: New drug offers hope for depression
The brain chemistry that underlies depression is incompletely understood, but research suggests that aberrant signaling by a chemical called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor through its receptor TrkB, may contribute to anxiety and depression. Here, researchers describe a screen for stable small molecules that could specifically inhibit TrkB action. They identified one they dubbed ANA-12, which...
Mutated gene found in dog disease the same in humans, researchers find
University of Missouri researchers believe both man and animal will benefit from their discovery that the same gene mutation found in Tibetan Terrier dogs can also be found in a fatal human neurological disorder related to Parkinson's disease.
New kid on the plasmonic block
With its promise of superfast computers and ultrapowerful optical microscopes among the many possibilities, plasmonics has become one of the hottest fields in high-technology. However, to date plasmonic properties have been limited to nanostructures that feature interfaces between noble metals and dielectrics. Now, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National...
Newer oral contraceptive as safe for gall bladder as older birth-control pills: research
Drospirenone, the top-selling oral contraceptive marketed as Yaz or Yasmin in the U.S. and Canada, doesn't carry any more risk of gall bladder disease than the older generation of birth control pills, despite claims by some consumers and lawyers in both countries, according to a new study by University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Mahyar Etminan.