AFP - Swiss zoologists have more than a few hungry mouths to feed this Christmas after a female giant anaconda gave birth to 40 babies, a tropical gardens institution said. Read more…

AP - The wreck of a World War II German submarine off Norway's coast should be covered with sand to contain its cargo of environmentally damaging mercury, a study said Tuesday. Read more…

AP - Like a giant smokestack, percolating Mount St. Helens let loose a billowing steam plume easily seen Tuesday in downtown Portland, Ore., about 50 miles away. Read more…

PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 Source: Swales Aerospace Swales Aerospace Completes Critical Design Review for TacSat-3 Modular Bus Program Continues to Meet Fast Paced Schedule Objectives Swales Aerospace announced today that it has completed the Critical Design Review... Read more…

Here's a little tip to save you a bundle: Buy a 50-cent refrigerator magnet and glue it to a piece of cloth. Read more…

A queen will mate with dozens of males, even though its bad for her. Turns out the behavior is good for the hive. Read more…

Holding a spouse's hand can relieve the nerves of a woman in a threatening situation, according to a new study. Read more…

A study that spanned 35 years shows brilliance and the success that can come with it involves a complex combination of nature, nurture, elbow grease and more. Read more…

Surveys conducted in southern Sudan, after conflict there ended in 2004, found much higher levels of blindness than anticipated. The results, published in PLoS Medicine, have major implications for the provision of health services in the region. Read more…

Conventional matter exists in three familiar forms-solid, liquid and gas. But under special circumstances, quantum theory predicts exotic states of matter, such as superconductors in which electrons flow with no resistance and Bose-Einstein condensates in which atoms move as a collective whole. Now, in the December 15 issue of the journal Science, three Stanford physicists theorize a new state of matter that may pave the way for electronic devices that dissipate less energy and generate less heat. Read more…

Recent findings of an observational study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggest that men between 65-80 years of age who received treatment for early stage, localized prostate cancer lived significantly longer than men who did not receive treatment. The study is published in the Dec. 13 issue of JAMA. Read more…

Artemis, the European Space Agency Advanced Relay and Technology Mission Satellite, successfully relayed optical laser links from an aircraft in early December. These airborne laser links, established over a distance of 40,000 kilometers during two flights at altitudes of 6,000 and 10,000 meters, represent a world first. Read more…

According to a new article in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GRD), more commonly known as, acid reflux, is linked to obesity. Since (GRD) is strongly associated with more serious conditions, such as esophageal ulcers and cancer, weight reduction therapy may be useful in treatment and prevention of these conditions. Read more…

Scientists examine flexibility in flight behavior in marine iguanas on the Galapagos Islands. Read more…

Patients who have low to moderate blood alcohol levels may be less likely to die after arriving at the hospital with a traumatic brain injury than those with no alcohol in their bloodstream, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, those with the highest alcohol levels appear to have an increased risk of dying in the hospital. Read more…

Researchers at the Food Technology Plant Special Research Centre (CeRPTA) have for the first time developed a completely gluten-free bread that is of a much higher quality than products currently available for coeliacs. The product was 100 percent successful in the tests carried out. The resulting product has an increased nutritional value, a longer useful life and a similar texture to traditional bread. Read more…

Children who received light therapy (phototherapy) for jaundice as infants appear to have an increased risk of developing skin moles in childhood, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Some types of moles are risk factors for developing the skin cancer melanoma. Read more…

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are putting a different kind of "foursome" together in hopes of someday developing smart materials called biomimetics that mimic nature. Amy Shen, Ph.D., assistant professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and her Washington University colleague William F. Pickard, Ph.D., senior professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering, are collaborating with a researcher at Washington State University, and one at Indiana University/Purdue University on understanding a plant protein called forisome. Read more…

The herbal supplement black cohosh, whether used alone or with other botanical supplements, did not relieve hot flashes in postmenopausal women or those approaching menopause, who participated in the Herbal Alternatives (HALT) for Menopause Study, according to results from the clinical trial. The research, funded by the NIH, found that women using menopausal hormone therapy, however, did receive significant relief from their hot flashes and night sweats. Read more…

Those close to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, have, on average, more vivid memories of the terrorist attacks than do those who were in other parts of New York City on that day, according to a study by researchers at New York University. The results, reported in the most recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate personal involvement may be important in engaging the amygdala when recalling 9/11 events. Read more…

Who will be the next Albert Einstein? The next Stephen Hawking? A new report from Vanderbilt University reveals the complex mix of factors that create these intellectual leaders: cognitive abilities, educational opportunities, investigative interests and old-fashioned hard work. Read more…

Right now there's no rapid way to diagnose sepsis, a fast-moving blood infection that is a leading cause of death in hospital intensive care units. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that doctors one day could quickly distinguish sepsis from widespread non-infectious inflammation based on genetic profiles of patients' blood. Read more…

Estrogen may hold important clues for scientists working on new therapies for colon cancer, a study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers suggests. The investigators found that postmenopausal women with colon cancer lived longer and had less likelihood of dying of the disease if they had been taking estrogen supplements within five years of their diagnosis. The researchers stress that these findings do not mean estrogen should be viewed as a treatment or preventive therapy. Read more…

Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a large biological clock in the smelling center of mice brains and have revealed that the sense of smell for mice is stronger at night, peaking in evening hours and waning during day light hours. A team led by Erik Herzog, Ph.D., of Washington University, discovered the clock in the olfactory bulb, the brain center that aids the mouse in detecting odors. Read more…

The surge of baby boomers now entering their 60s means more drivers on the road who may be impaired by dementia or other cognitive impairments linked to aging. Researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere have developed a three-hour workshop that trains health care providers to identify potentially unsafe drivers with dementia and to encourage appropriate retirement from driving. Read more…