Uncategorized

  1. 19868

    Osteocalcin may well be the answer to the startling, nearly three-times-stronger glucose control observed in downhill walkers, compared with people walking uphill (SN: 12/11/04, p. 380). The eccentric exertion of downhill walking could be stimulating more osteocalcin release from osteoblasts. Members of our burgeoning prediabetic civilization may be inspired to generate their own osteocalcin by […]

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Serotonin lower in shift workers

    Workers who rotate between day and night shifts have less of the brain chemical serotonin than day shift workers do.

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  3. Earth

    Beware summer radon-test results

    Measuring household radon levels in summer may give misleadingly low results.

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  4. 19867

    Based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web resources on radon, I find that the decreases in radon levels in the summer are unlikely to be caused by a lack of air currents from less temperature differential in houses. The EPA states that an open window can be effective in reducing radon levels. And when are […]

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  5. Astronomy

    Veiled black holes

    Many X ray sources in the sky could be active galactic nuclei smothered by gas and dust that blocks their emission of visible and ultraviolet light.

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  6. Materials Science

    Pliable carbon

    The layers of carbon atoms that form graphite can be assembled into strong but flexible "graphene paper."

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  7. Health & Medicine

    CT heart scans: Risk climbs as age at screening falls

    CT scans are increasingly used to investigate heart blockages, but their X rays can increase cancer risk.

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  8. Animals

    Gender bender

    Disabling a chemical-sniffing organ crucial for courting behavior makes girl mice act like frisky boys.

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  9. Earth

    Cholesterol boosts diesel toxicity

    Nanoparticles in diesel exhaust can activate genes that worsen cholesterol's damaging effects.

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  10. Planetary Science

    Deep Impact and Stardust: Still on assignment

    Two sturdy NASA spacecraft have new assignments, studying comets and looking for exoplanets.

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  11. Math

    Cracking the Cube

    A combination of mathematical analysis and supercomputer number-crunching proves that any Rubik's Cube can be solved in 26 moves or fewer.

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  12. Earth

    Hammered Saws

    Sawfish, shark relatives that almost went extinct several decades ago, have now gained protection by international treaty.

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