Tags: Science

On the Ebola Front, Good News for Liberia, Caution for Neighboring Countries

MEDICINE & HEALTH A year later and over 4,000 dead, Liberia can finally breathe a sigh of relief as The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the country Ebola free."The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over," according to a WHO statement given at the emergency command center in Monrovia, as reported by The New York Times.But this doesn't mean Africa is in the clear. In fact, if the countries surrounding Liberia are included, the death toll from the past year's outbreak soars to more than 11,000, making the current outbreak five times deadlier that all previous outbreaks combined.

Spiders Sprayed with Graphene Weave Futuristic Webs

One of the most amazing materials in nature has got to be spider silk. Although thinner than a human hair, it is stronger by weight than steel, can be stretched up to four times its original length, and is about as durable as Kevlar - of bullet proof vest fame. Yet Italian scientists have recently improved on Mother Nature by applying the latest in nanomaterials technology to those notorious web spinners. Introducing the graphene spiders.

How to Avoid Chocolaty Fat Blooms? X-rays Reveal the Answers

When Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen first stumbled upon X-rays in his laboratory at Wuerzburg University in Germany back in 1895, he probably never imagined that his revolutionary technology, used for decades to glimpse the inner workings of the body, would one day be used on chocolate.

Red Blood Cells Reveal Trap Door for Malaria—How This Parasite Finds Its Way In

In breaking news out of Harvard, researchers announce today they may have identified a crucial link in the deadly chain of malaria infection – the red blood cell’s entry portal for the lethal parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Their discovery may pave the way for a much anticipated therapy – a vaccine.

Heavy Rain and Twisters Sweep the Midwest

The folks in Oklahoma City are waking up to a city ransacked by a bevy of storms that swept through the Midwest yesterday, sparking twisters that ripped through parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas on Wednesday night.

With Inspiration from Tesla New iPhone Cases Pull Energy Out of Thin Air

In a nod to the original Tesla, Nikola Labs now announces that they have created a device that can convert radio waves into useable DC power for smart phones. If they are correct, our smart devices may be able to fully transition into the 21st century, no longer stuck with 19th century charging conventions.

Quake Shakes Papua New Guinea

On the heels of the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal comes another large tremor, this time off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Flexing Some Muscle—How Onions May Be The Next Endeavor in Biomedical Engineering

While it may sound silly, it turns out onion tweezers may turn out to be the next endeavor in the study of biomedical engineering. And while this root vegetable is known to pack a pungent smell, it turns out that its epidermal cells pack quite a punch too—enough to even inspire artificial muscle formation. Okay, so this one needs a bit more explaining.

Can Fructose Make You Eat More? A Sugary Debate

When it comes to the sugars that we eat, would you believe that our bodies may respond more positively to some rather than others? It’s a pretty simple assumption that our bodies may respond differently to each sugar we ingest, but it turns out that the physiological responses and mental associations made are far more complex than even researchers in neurobiology could have ever assumed. In a new study published this week in the journal PNAS, researchers with the University of Southern California investigated appetite responses and food choices with regards to ingestion of fructose versus glucose. And what the researchers found was that fructose was far more likely to be dangerous to your diet.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH: PATIENTS FIND RELIEF THROUGH 3D PRINTING

3D technology is nothing new to medicine. For years, physicians have utilized 'computerized tomography,' known as CT scans, to create three-dimensional images of the human body. But now, 3D technology is moving being diagnosis to actual treatment through the use of 3D printing. And for patients suffering from the rare condition, tracheobronchomalacia, 3D printers can mean the difference between life and death, or should I say, life and breath.

Can the Air You Breathe Cause Your Brain to Shrink?

According to a new study published this week in the journal Stroke, researchers found the first link directly correlating changes in brain volume to exposure to air pollution, and during the 10-year monitoring period found that brains exposed to areas of dense air pollution were smaller leading to poorer cognitive function—poorer thinking and memory problems just being the start.

Celebrate Earth Day with NASA

Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, and to celebrate NASA has planned a series of activities to celebrate the beauty of our little corner of the galaxy.

Vampire Squids Reveal Far More Secrets Below—How These Deep-Sea Dwellers Are Changing The Biology Game

It’s no real big secret that researchers still don’t know much about what lies deep within the ocean’s unreachable depths. And thus it is ever evident that marine ecologists also do not known a lot about life at the lower depths. But with a new study published this week in the journal Current Biology, researchers now reveal that even the creatures they have found and studied in detail may house some strange secrets of the vast oceans, as well.

Curiosity Observing While On the Move

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is on the move this month, but it continues to make observations as it traverses the Red Planet's terrain. On April 16, the mission passed 10 kilometers (6.214 miles) of total driving including 310 meters (one-fifth of a mile) so far this month.

They’re ALIVE—With a Snapshot Researchers Reveal That Bouvier’s Red Colobus Monkeys Survived

With the death of three endangered sperm whales this week, the news this week surrounding conservation efforts has been rather bleak. But with the snap of a flash and a near-perfect picture moment, researchers in the Congo’s newest national park are turning the tide. And the announcement of a long-lost species comes with even better news—it appears that there’s a baby on-board too for the field researchers’ record-breaking findings.

Holding Clinical Researchers Accountable—WHO Puts New Timelines on Publishing

Ever think that the cure to a disease or the answer to one of modern medicine’s questions must already be out there, and that some physician or pharma company is keeping it under wraps until they need to release it? Well in some cases you may be right, but now the World Health Organization is looking to change that. In a new statement recently released by WHO, the organization seeks to hold researchers and regulatory bodies accountable for keeping the public abreast to the findings of their recent research. And now their taking the opportunity in this month’s issue of the journal PLOS Medicine to say something about it.

New Sensitivity Study May Reveal ‘Terror Birds’ Hunted In Packs

News this week revealed a frightening new addition to the fossil record—a “Terror Bird” species known more scientifically as Llallawavis scagliai (aka Scaglia’s Magnificent Bird). But in spite of its massive size and terrifying stance, this top-tier predatory may not have been the most well-adapted hunter that it could be… That is, unless it was hunting in packs.

With a Bit of Luck and Inspiration, One 4-Year-Old Boy Found a Dinosaur in Texas

Think that you don’t have what it takes to start a career in paleontology, even though your fascination with dinosaurs never ends? Well never fear, news this week reveals that you’re never too old, or too young, to start on the hunt for dinosaurs. And 4-year-old Wylie Brys, of Mansfield, Texas, is proving this sentiment true.
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