News in Brief
- Life
Softer surroundings stifle some chemotherapy drugs
Some anticancer drugs such as Gleevec are less effective when attacking cancer cells grown in soft surroundings.
- Astronomy
Radio burst from beyond Milky Way detected in real time
First real-time detection of radio burst from outside galaxy triggers worldwide hunt for cause of mysterious signals.
- Health & Medicine
Fatty coat on cancer drugs protects the heart
Cancer drugs encased in a layer of fat reduce but don’t eliminate heart damage.
- Climate
Greenhouse gases may spell wet future for Africa
Greenhouse gases played a role in boosting rainfall in Africa 14,000 to 21,000 years ago, a finding that may help predict future abundance of water on the continent.
- Health & Medicine
Old drug reduces herpes symptoms, spread in animal tests
The antidepressant tranylcypromine might also work as antiviral against herpes, animal studies suggest.
- Astronomy
Starlight robs galaxy of stellar ingredients
Light from newborn stars drives gas out of a distant galaxy, a process that may prevent future stars from being born.
- Animals
Vulture guts are filled with noxious bacteria
Vultures’ guts are chock-full of bacteria that sicken other creatures.
- Physics
Material borders support unusually warm electronic superhighways
The interface between a conductive wafer and an iron-containing film is a high-temperature superconductor, which transmits electrons without resistance.
- Cosmology
Galaxies may be aligned across 1 billion light-years
Powerful plasma jets from cores of galaxies seem to mysteriously align with one another and hint at an unknown mechanism shaping galaxy groups.
- Neuroscience
After injury, estrogen may shield the brain
Estrogen helps to prevent some of the chronic inflammation that occurs after brain injury.
- Life
Norovirus can play protective role in mice
In mice, viral infection can help intestines develop, strengthen immune system.
- Neuroscience
Areas people like to be caressed match up with nerve fibers
A caress in a sweet spot at the right speed activates nerve fibers tied to social touch.
