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LANL's top 10 science stories of 2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory's top 10 science stories of 2011 illustrate the broad variety of scientific excellence that's the hallmark of the Laboratory. This year's stories include alternative energy research, world record magnetic fields, disease tracking, the study of Mars, climate change, fuel cells, solar wind, and magnetic reconnection.

26 Dec 2011

Scientists identify why African naked mole-rat feels no pain when exposed to acid

British researchers of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have found out why the African naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), one of the world's most unusual mammals, feels no pain when exposed to acid.

21 Dec 2011

Study on how Antarctic worms survive current levels of ocean warming

Researchers at the University of Delaware are examining tiny worms that inhabit the frigid sea off Antarctica to learn not only how these organisms adapt to the severe cold, but how they will survive as ocean temperatures increase.

21 Dec 2011

WHO approves three Mylan ARV therapies to treat HIV/AIDS

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Laboratories Limited has received approval for three antiretroviral (ARV) therapies used to treat HIV/AIDS under the World Health Organization's (WHO) Prequalification of Medicines Programme. The products include:

20 Dec 2011

Gene therapy may promote growth of hair cells in inner ear

Normal hearing depends on the presence of healthy hair cells in the inner ear. Gene therapy has the potential to slow the loss of hair cells and promote the growth of hair cells that have already been damaged.

20 Dec 2011

Health panel under fire for screening advice

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is right on the firing line. For much of its 27-year history, it helped convince millions of Americans to get screened early for disease.

19 Dec 2011

Increased temperatures can shorten gestation time and lead to stillbirth

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) world-first research has found a link between increases in temperature and the incidence of stillbirth and shorter pregnancies.

16 Dec 2011

UV rays help prevent spread of chickenpox

Ultraviolet rays help prevent the spread of chickenpox, meaning people in milder climates are more at risk of catching the disease, according to new research. The discovery could lead to new ways of preventing chickenpox and its more severe relative, shingles.

16 Dec 2011

Macrophages play a role in brown fat metabolism

Throughout the interior spaces of humans and other warm-blooded creatures is a special type of tissue known as brown fat, which may hold the secret to diets and weight-loss programs of the future.

14 Dec 2011

Unexplained kidney disease affecting rural workers across Central America, PRI's 'The World' reports

PRI's "The World" reports on an epidemic of an unexplained kidney disease that is affecting rural workers across Central America, writing, "[I]t's the second biggest cause of death among men in El Salvador, and in Nicaragua it's a bigger killer of men than HIV and diabetes combined," and "the latest theory is that the victims are literally working themselves to death."

14 Dec 2011

Iowa: GOP presidential debate turns up campaign heat

With the Iowa caucuses fast approaching, new political ads are hitting the airwaves, and Saturday night's debate draws lots of fact-checking by news organzations.

13 Dec 2011

New research on bed bug's ability to withstand genetic bottleneck of inbreeding

New research on the bed bug's ability to withstand the genetic bottleneck of inbreeding, announced today at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) annual meeting, provides new clues to explain the rapidly growing problem of bed bugs across the United States and globally.

7 Dec 2011

Legislative update: A range of congressional health measures draw attention

New legislation was introduced to make drug price gouging a federal crime. Also, a measure is pending that seeks to make the upcoming Supreme Court term "must-see TV." The abortion battle will heat up again in a hearing scheduled today over the Prenatal NonDiscrimination Act.

7 Dec 2011

Biologists discover how fruit flies can provide solutions to human pain, control insect-borne diseases

Studies of a protein that fruit flies use to sense heat and chemicals may someday provide solutions to human pain and the control of disease-spreading mosquitoes.

7 Dec 2011

Inbreeding in bed bugs one key to massive increases in infestations

New research on the bed bug’s ability to withstand the genetic bottleneck of inbreeding, announced today at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) annual meeting, provides new clues to explain the rapidly growing problem of bed bugs across the United States and globally. After mostly disappearing in the US in the 1950s, the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has reappeared with a vengeance over the past decade. These stubborn pests have developed a resistance to the insecticides, known as pyrethroids, commonly used against them.

6 Dec 2011

Fruit fly and malaria mosquito sensors attuned to heat, chemical odors

Fruit flies and mosquitoes share similar sensory receptors that allow them to distinguish among thousands of sensory cues - particularly heat and chemical odors - as they search for food or try to avoid danger, researchers from Boston College and Brandeis University report in the current electronic edition of the journal Nature.

6 Dec 2011

Tips to keep kids safe during cold-weather

Cold winds, icy rain and, in some places, snow—Old Man Winter has arrived. His entry reminds us to get our furnaces checked and winterize our car, but what about the kids? "Children are even more vulnerable than adults to cold-weather and winter-related injuries," said Dr. Karen Judy, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System and professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

6 Dec 2011

Herzig Eye Institute named TearScience's first Center of Excellence

TearScience, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, today announced Toronto-based Herzig Eye Institute, one of the leading authorities in laser vision correction and advanced cataract and refractive surgery, as its first Center of Excellence.

5 Dec 2011

Plasma can inactivate and prevent replication of adenoviruses

Life-threatening viruses such as HIV, SARS, hepatitis and influenza, could soon be combatted in an unusual manner as researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of plasma for inactivating and preventing the replication of adenoviruses.

5 Dec 2011

Four clinical centers to provide NovoTTF device treatment for recurrent GBM

Novocure, a commercial stage private oncology company, has announced that prominent neuro-oncologists at four clinical centers in the U.S. will be the first to provide access to its Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) device, NovoTTF-100A System, for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. GBM is a deadly brain tumor affecting approximately 10,000 Americans each year.

3 Dec 2011