Humans
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
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Health & MedicineZapping Wayward Cells: Therapy sheds light on transplant complication
Ultraviolet light can curb graft-versus-host disease, a common complication of bone marrow transplants, a study of mice shows.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineGene ups oral-cancer risk for drinkers who smoke
People who have a particular variant of a single gene are at a disproportionate risk of oral cancer if they both smoke and drink.
By Ben Harder -
Health & MedicineWhen It’s No Longer Baby Fat
Increasingly, children are plump by the time they enter school, and they get fatter as they grow.
By Janet Raloff -
HumansFrom the April 14, 1934, issue
Yawning spells, disagreeable alcohols from anaerobic respiration, and how antibodies protect adults from disease.
By Science News -
Health & MedicineCategorizing Cancers: Gene activity predicts leukemia outcome
By dividing acute myeloid leukemia into subtypes on the basis of which genes are abnormally active in a given patient, doctors may be able to predict outcomes and make better treatment decisions.
By Ben Harder -
Health & MedicineSlimmer Ticks, Less Disease: Tick-semen protein is potential vaccine
An antitick vaccine using a protein that causes female ticks to engorge on blood may control tick populations, a new study suggests.
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HumansLetters from the April 17, 2004, issue of Science News
Sphere criticism In “Candy Science: M&Ms pack more tightly than spheres” (SN: 2/14/04, p. 102: Candy Science: M&Ms pack more tightly than spheres), I read that an orb of a given size, when slightly flattened, will pack more densely than when perfectly round. No kidding? Do you suppose if we were to crush cars into […]
By Science News -
Health & MedicineDrug for preemies linked to problems
A steroidal drug used to combat lung inflammation in premature infants appears to have long-term negative effects.
By Nathan Seppa -
ArchaeologyIsraeli cave yields Stone Age kills
A recently discovered Israeli cave has yielded some of the earliest known evidence of hunting by humans or our evolutionary ancestors, from around 300,000 to 200,000 years ago.
By Bruce Bower -
AnthropologyRock-solid choices of first toolmakers
Human ancestors who took up stone toolmaking in Africa around 2.6 million years ago already showed a proclivity for choosing high-quality pieces of rock, a new study finds.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicineA drug to stop diabetes’ onset?
Individuals susceptible to developing type 1 diabetes may find hope in a vaccinelike drug that is showing promise in mouse studies.
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Health & MedicineStronger Proof That Trans Fats Are Bad
New evidence confirms that eating lots of trans fats can lead to heart problems.