News
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Earth
This pollutant fights lupus
A hormone-mimicking pollutant that leaches out of some plastics appears to fight lupus.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & Medicine
Could refrigeration explain Crohn’s rise?
Crohn's disease, marked by inflammation of the small intestine, could be caused by refrigeration of meats, a process that selects for hardy bacteria that handle cold temperatures well, researchers hypothesize.
By Nathan Seppa -
Tech
Electronic skin senses touch
A pressure-detecting membrane laminated onto a sheet of flexible plastic electronics may lead to artificial skin for robots.
By Peter Weiss -
Health & Medicine
Age-related anemia hastens death
People who develop low concentrations of iron-containing hemoglobin in their blood as they get older are at elevated risk for serious medical problems and early death.
By Ben Harder -
Health & Medicine
Thalidomide-like drug treats blood disorder
A novel drug appears to help people with myelodysplasia, a persistent condition that leaves them short of crucial blood components.
By Ben Harder -
Health & Medicine
Novel drug fights leukemia
An experimental drug helps a small but significant fraction of people with acute myeloid leukemia and causes minimal side effects.
By Ben Harder -
Health & Medicine
Select immune cells help marrow grafts
By excising certain immune cells from donor bone marrow, physicians have devised a new way of performing marrow transplants.
By Ben Harder -
Brain gene is tied to obesity
A gene involved in brain chemistry influences whether a person is thin or fat.
By John Travis -
Planetary Science
A Tale of Two Landers: NASA’s Spirit phones home, but Europe’s Beagle 2 remains mum on Mars
NASA's Spirit rover sent its first signals home soon after it touched down on Mars Jan. 3, but European Space Agency scientists haven't yet heard from their Beagle 2 lander, which dropped to the surface of Mars on Dec. 24.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & Medicine
Going against the Grain: Aspirin use linked to pancreatic cancer
Scientists have associated aspirin use with cancer of the pancreas.
By Nathan Seppa -
Tech
Flashy Transistors: Electronic workhorses also shed light
Researchers have discovered that the transistor can emit light, a yet-untapped talent.
By Peter Weiss -
Neural Road to Repression: Brain may block out undesired memories
Specific brain structures work together to allow people to repress certain memories intentionally.
By Bruce Bower