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  1. Health & Medicine

    Sleepy Heads: Low fuel may drive brain’s need to sleep

    A new study supports the hypothesis that dwindling energy stores in the waking brain induce sleep.

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  2. Physics

    Heavy Suspicion: Elemental discoveries trace to fake data

    A prominent physicist has lost his job following allegations that he fabricated the evidence underpinning his team's now-discredited discovery of elements 116 and 118.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Mixed Blessing: Unusual gene helps heart, hurts immunity

    People carrying a variant of a gene that encodes an immune protein called toll-like receptor 4 have a weaker defense against infections but appear to be less prone to heart disease.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    More than Skin Deep? Beauty products may damage fetal development

    A new report shows that many cosmetics contain phthalates—a class of chemicals known to cause developmental deformities in animals.

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  5. 19088

    This article touches on one of the dirty little secrets of beauty products: By and large, they are a chemical stew with ingredients that would require EPA warnings if used in industrial settings. I’m amazed that EPA doesn’t regulate the volatiles in nail salons. Steve SchlosserSaratoga, Calif.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Disabled Defense: HIV protein counters immune-cell gene

    Immune cells contain a protein that can inhibit HIV replication if the AIDS virus lacks a key protein.

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  7. Paleontology

    Skimming the Surface: Flying reptile may have scooped its meals

    Fossils unearthed in Brazil strengthen the idea that some species of ancient flying reptiles snatched their meals on the fly, snapping up fish as they swooped low over the water's surface.

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  8. 19087

    While reading that the cranial crest of the pterosaur Thalassodromeus helped regulate body temperature, I pondered another potential use. While gliding near the water, its crested head might act as a rudder for the large-wingspan animal. Perhaps the crest also included nerves that allowed Thalassodromeus to sense fleeing fish. Steve M. AdamsPlano, Texas Perhaps the […]

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Gender differences in weight loss

    Men and women gain weight differently and may lose it differently, too.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Antioxidants for greyhounds? Not a good bet

    Antioxidant vitamins that greyhound racers have been giving their animals to boost performance actually slow down the dogs.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Study fails to link vasectomy to cancer

    Researchers have found that men with prostate cancer are no more likely to have had a vasectomy than healthy men are.

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  12. Physics

    Paper planes get laser liftoff

    Powering aircraft by remote lasers works—at least on paper.

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