Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers and their colleagues have discovered a new retrovirus in humans that is closely related to a cancer-causing virus found in mice. Their findings describe the first documented cases of human infection with a retrovirus that is native to rodents.
- Article Source

Physicists at Harvard University, George Mason University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology have discovered new quantum effects in ultracold gases that may lead to improved understanding of electrical conductivity in metals. In work presented at the March meeting of the American Physical Society in Baltimore, Md., the researchers calculated the properties of an “artificial crystal” of ultracold atoms in a lattice formed by intersecting laser beams.
- Article Source

Scientists in the UK have found that a type of amoeba acts as an incubator for MRSA bacteria. As amoebae are often found in healthcare environments this discovery has implications for the infection control strategies adopted by hospitals.
- Article Source

Los Alamos scientists, working with collaborators from around the world, recently observed experimental evidence of solitary vibrations (solitons) in a solid.
- Article Source

“Plant diversity seems to increase when tropical forests cover large areas. Shrinking ecosystems may experience biodiversity loss lasting for millions of years.” Carlos Jaramillo, at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), and colleagues seek explanations for the longest Central and South America pollen record, published in the March 31, 2006 issue of the journal Science.
- Article Source

A novel enzyme in corn helps the plants defend themselves from voracious caterpillars by disrupting the insects’ ability to digest food, and ultimately killing them, according to researchers. The enzyme could be used in tandem with other biological pesticides such as the Bt toxin to prevent the pests from developing resistance and making the toxin more effective.
- Article Source

A clinical trial to test different strengths of a vaccine designed to fight avian influenza will begin this month at Duke University Medical Center.
- Article Source

Whether a tiny yellow pigment is the main thing standing between many older people and macular degeneration is under study at the Medical College of Georgia. Researchers are measuring this macular pigment that sits on the retina at the fovea, the point of highest vision acuity and best color vision, to better understand what a healthy, normal pigment looks like.
- Article Source

Measuring levels of a hormone called brain natriuretic peptide in individuals with serious lung disease can predict the presence of pulmonary hypertension and a patient’s potential death or survival, regardless of clinical severity or the cause of illness.
- Article Source

Virginia Commonwealth University chemists, using a simple, commercial microwave oven, have developed a new method for the synthesis of nanomaterials that can control the dimensions and properties of rods and wires that are just one billionth of a meter in size.
- Article Source