Archives
2009
January
- Smoker see, smoker do►
Brain scans of smokers a day after they've tried to kick the habit show amped up activity when the subjects were shown photographs of others…
Brain scans of smokers a day after they've tried to kick the habit show amped up activity when the subjects were shown photographs of others smoking. The same pictures shown to the smokers before they had quit produced no such effect. The study, published online in Psychopharmacology, suggests the high relapse rate of the those who aspire to be smoke-free is related to deep, hard-wired cravings.
2008
December
- Bright as a baby's bottom►
Bright as a baby's bottom: A finely powdered version of the stuff that lifeguards smear on their noses and that parents slather on rash-stricken baby…
Bright as a baby's bottom: A finely powdered version of the stuff that lifeguards smear on their noses and that parents slather on rash-stricken baby bottoms can turn invisible ultraviolet light into brilliantly visible white light. The material, zinc oxide, can be combined with sulfur and intense heat (1,000 degrees centigrade) to produce this illuminating effect. The Duke University chemists who came up with the concept have applied to use this method as a light source. (Duke photo.)
- Cancer cells have a lotta nerve►
Nerve cells and cancer cells highjack the same biochemical machinery to knock out a key protein and forestall the body's natural programming for cell death,…
Nerve cells and cancer cells highjack the same biochemical machinery to knock out a key protein and forestall the body's natural programming for cell death, University of North Carolina researchers report in the current Nature Cell Biology. In nerve cells, this ensures a long and happy life. In cancer, though, destructive cells can proliferate.
- Seniors fumble under pressure►
Rising blood pressure in adults 60 years and older led to foggy thinking among stressed seniors whose blood pressure was already jacked up, says a…
Rising blood pressure in adults 60 years and older led to foggy thinking among stressed seniors whose blood pressure was already jacked up, says a North Carolina State University study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. The results suggest that high-blood-pressure seniors may have trouble finding solutions when confronted with unfamiliar information.
- Birds and other talented landscape artists►
Knowing how wind and birds and plants themselves spread seeds will allow managers of "landscape corridors," or strips of flora that link habitats, to predict…
Knowing how wind and birds and plants themselves spread seeds will allow managers of "landscape corridors," or strips of flora that link habitats, to predict the proliferation rate of different plant species in the corridors, North Carolina State researchers report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Feathered air travel works quickest for those species that can hitch a ride, but corridors also proved efficient for the wind-blown and self-deposited.
- Further truth about cats and dogs►
When pursuing prey, dogs are all business and cats, well, they do their own thing, say Duke University researchers in the Public Library of Science.…
When pursuing prey, dogs are all business and cats, well, they do their own thing, say Duke University researchers in the Public Library of Science. Their observation, that dogs have perfected an exertion-conserving four-paw running style whereas cats expend a lot of energy sneaking up on birds and rodents, puts an asterisk on the old saw that evolution always favors efficiency.
- Jolly old elf as benevolent Big Brother►
He knows when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good. How, for goodness sake? Saint Nick, says…
He knows when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good. How, for goodness sake? Saint Nick, says North Carolina State University mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Larry Silverberg, borrows cell phone and EKGs technologies to read minds and wish lists. You'd best not shout or pout: A signal-processing system filters data to aid distribution and sorts naughty from nice. A GPS-equpped sleigh directs Santa to most efficient delivery route. And Santa taps a "relativity cloud," akin to a spacetime-continuum jet stream. This explains how he can cover 200 million square miles and make 80 million stops in a single night.
- Toxic avengers►
Scientists and regulators can predict where fish with high mercury levels live, thanks to a computer model devised by a team from North Carolina State…
Scientists and regulators can predict where fish with high mercury levels live, thanks to a computer model devised by a team from North Carolina State University. The model will help officials issue health advisories for specific water bodies and fish species.
- The truth about cats and dogs►
Tick-borne bacteria may numb the minds of people who hang out with animals, including dogs and cats, exposed to the arthropods. Collaborators from North Carolina…
Tick-borne bacteria may numb the minds of people who hang out with animals, including dogs and cats, exposed to the arthropods. Collaborators from North Carolina State, Duke and the Centers for Disease Control found one or more strains of the Bartonella (which causes cat-scratch fever) in blood of six patients suffering from migraines, seizures, memory loss, disorientation and weakness. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
- The magnetic tug of home►
The magnetic tug of home: Salmon and sea turtles find their way home through thousands of miles of ocean by recording their birthplace's magnetic field…
The magnetic tug of home: Salmon and sea turtles find their way home through thousands of miles of ocean by recording their birthplace's magnetic field in their young-animal brains, University of North Carolina marine biologists propose in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Earth's magnetic field varies from place to place, giving each location a "magnetic signature" that long-distance swimmers literally home in on, the researchers argue. "We hope that the paper will inspire discussion among scientists and eventually lead to a way of testing the idea," says Kenneth Lohmann, UNC biology professor and the study's lead author. (UNC photo.)
November
- Tiny three-star generals ►
Molecular three-star generals: Molecular regulators that guide bacterial-protein binding of DNA could be disrupted by new drugs to scramble a bacteria's ability to cause disease,…
Molecular three-star generals: Molecular regulators that guide bacterial-protein binding of DNA could be disrupted by new drugs to scramble a bacteria's ability to cause disease, suggests a North Carolina State study published in the journal Structure. Investigators liken the "transition state regulators" (here seen in gold, binding to DNA with Bacillus spores in the background) to protein generals that look alike but wiggle differently to give function-specific orders that keep the bacterial army working properly. (N.C. State image.)
- A hoof-step toward swine-free heparin►
Scientists at the University of North Carolina have learned to customize a key human enzyme responsible for producing heparin, opening the door to producing a…
Scientists at the University of North Carolina have learned to customize a key human enzyme responsible for producing heparin, opening the door to producing a synthetic form of the widely used blood-thinner. Heparin now comes from pig intestines; drug from tainted pigs has been in the news for killing scores of patients worldwide. The UNC study appears in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- From 'doo-doo ball' to living fossil►
Marine biologists at Duke University and elsewhere have discovered what they at first called "doo-doo balls" are actually one-inch single-celled creatures that may be living…
Marine biologists at Duke University and elsewhere have discovered what they at first called "doo-doo balls" are actually one-inch single-celled creatures that may be living cousins to blobs that left similar trails in sea mud 530 million years ago. Dubbed the Bahamian Gromia, they roll themselves across the ocean bottom like marbles in slow motion, covering an inch or less a day.
- Scaling moist heights►
Scaling moist heights: Sirajo goby, or olivo, is a Puerto Rico stream fish with suction-cup pelvic fins that allow it to climb cascades, waterfalls and…
Scaling moist heights: Sirajo goby, or olivo, is a Puerto Rico stream fish with suction-cup pelvic fins that allow it to climb cascades, waterfalls and other wet obstacles. The fish was part of the first comprehensive survey of the island's freshwater fish species. The study, presented recently at a scientific meeting, was led by N.C. State's Thomas Kwak. "Many of these fish are very charismatic – they are unique and really worthy of conservation," Kwak says. He considers the survey "a huge first step in conserving and protecting these fish and their habitat." (Photo: Patrick Cooney, N.C. State.)
- Life takes a 2.3 billion year shortcut►
University of North Carolina biologists have identified an enzyme in cells that triggers an instantaneous chemical reaction that, absent the enzyme, would take 2.3 billion…
University of North Carolina biologists have identified an enzyme in cells that triggers an instantaneous chemical reaction that, absent the enzyme, would take 2.3 billion years to otherwise occur in nature. Biological reactions that constitute life depend on enzymes. The enzyme in this study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concocts hemoglobin in animals and chlorophyll in plants.
- Not-so-insane in the tiny-holed membrane►
Tiny holes in "nanoporous ceramic membranes" may lead to new a new class of blood glucose sensors for diabetics, blood-impurity scrubbers for dialysis patients and…
Tiny holes in "nanoporous ceramic membranes" may lead to new a new class of blood glucose sensors for diabetics, blood-impurity scrubbers for dialysis patients and other implantable medical devices, a North Carolina State/University of North Carolina team reports in the journal Biomedical Materials. The properties of this new material prevent buildup of proteins from human-host tissues and may forestall immune response and rejection.
October
- Totable tokes:►
Totable tokes: The first migrants to the Caribbean toted drug paraphernalia from South America passed down from generation to generation as the colonists moved through the…
Totable tokes: The first migrants to the Caribbean toted drug paraphernalia from South America passed down from generation to generation as the colonists moved through the islands, show new lab tests on artifacts. The artifacts, ancient “heirloom” ceramic bowls used for inhaling hallucinogenic concoctions, were left by the people who colonized the islands about 1,600 years ago. The new analysis employed a dating method called luminescence, which applies heat to a substance to give off light that yields a record of past heating. The technique revealed dates that preceded Caribbean colonization, in this case on the West Indies island of Carriacou, by 500 to 800 years (as early as 400 B.C.), suggesting the inhaling bowls were ancient imports even at the time. North Carolina State University anthropologist Scott Fitzpatrick led the study, published in Journal of Archaeological Science. (Island photo: N.C. State.)
- Seeing a brain's first sight►
An advanced imaging system that tracks electrical activity inside brain cells has enabled Duke University researchers to observe an infant mammal brain as its owner, a…
An advanced imaging system that tracks electrical activity inside brain cells has enabled Duke University researchers to observe an infant mammal brain as its owner, a one-month-old ferret, opened its eyes for the first time and saw moving objects. It is the first time anyone has seen how a brand new brain organizes information about seeing motion, the group says in Nature.
- Duke to lung cancer: Cut it out, often►
Hospitals whose surgeons frequently remove lung cancer rank higher for patient survival than hospitals that don’t do the procedure as much, say researchers at Duke…
Hospitals whose surgeons frequently remove lung cancer rank higher for patient survival than hospitals that don’t do the procedure as much, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center. They suggest lung cancer patients select hospitals that do a high volume of these surgeries. The results appear online in Cancer Therapy and will be published in the December issue.
- Cancer's new meat thermometer►
Temperature changes inside the body can be measured more accurately by MRI, magnetic resonance imaging, than ever before, Duke University and Princeton University researchers report…
Temperature changes inside the body can be measured more accurately by MRI, magnetic resonance imaging, than ever before, Duke University and Princeton University researchers report in Science. The new method can pinpoint positions of hydrogen atoms in water (which heat up) relative to those in fat (which don't). Measuring temperature inside cells is crucial in hyperthermic, or heat-based, cancer therapy.
- Eye-popping leaf-peeping outlook►
Eye-popping leaf-peeping outlook: North Carolina forests got enough rain when they needed it this summer, ensuring more intense colors than last fall's drought-dulled canopy, says North…
Eye-popping leaf-peeping outlook: North Carolina forests got enough rain when they needed it this summer, ensuring more intense colors than last fall's drought-dulled canopy, says North Carolina State University's Robert Bardon, associate professor of forestry and extension forestry specialist. More rainfall this fall will keep soil moist and extend leaf longevity, he says. (N.C. State photo.)
- Lest they forget, seniors need sleep►
African-Americans over age 65 who have trouble falling asleep are at higher risk of having memory problems than others, say North Carolina State University and…
African-Americans over age 65 who have trouble falling asleep are at higher risk of having memory problems than others, say North Carolina State University and Duke University researchers. Their study, coming out in the November Research on Aging, suggests that treating elderly sleep problems can help preserve mental function.
- A flash in the (brain) pan►
A moving airplane's blinking light registers in a viewer's brain as trailing the plane. This and other instances of the "flash lag effect" open a…
A moving airplane's blinking light registers in a viewer's brain as trailing the plane. This and other instances of the "flash lag effect" open a window to how our retinas lie to us about moving objects, suggest perceptual experiments described by Duke University neuroscientists online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The good news: The flash lag is a vestige of the mind's evolution to overcome, by trial and error, the eye's limitations, allowing us to navigate in an otherwise nonsensical world.
- Move over, morphine►
It's the mother lode of pain: a protein that relieves pain eight times more effectively than morphine, according to a University of North Carolina team…
It's the mother lode of pain: a protein that relieves pain eight times more effectively than morphine, according to a University of North Carolina team and colleagues from the University of Helsinki. The researchers spell out this week in the journal Neuron how the protein known mainly for diagnosing prostate cancer, PAP, can also be used to block nerves from sensing pain in mice, for up to three days with a single injection.
- A killer's bloody fingerprint►
Diagnosis of coronary artery disease, or CAD, may now be possible through blood tests, Duke University Medical Center scientists report in the new journal Circulation:…
Diagnosis of coronary artery disease, or CAD, may now be possible through blood tests, Duke University Medical Center scientists report in the new journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics. The Duke group and its collaborators at a California company, CardioDx, identified genes in the blood associated with CAD, the leading cause of U.S. deaths.
- Carbon nanostraws►
Carbon nanotubes, tiny graphite fibers that make a hair look like an old-growth tree trunk, can be tuned to "like" water and to control its…
Carbon nanotubes, tiny graphite fibers that make a hair look like an old-growth tree trunk, can be tuned to "like" water and to control its transport through the tubes, University of North Carolina researchers report in the current Science. Normally, water molecules bead up on nanocarbon. But by cooling it just a few degrees centigrade, the water becomes less sticky and can flow inside the tubes. The process may be akin to that of nano-water in controling the protein folding that enables cells to function.
September
- Nature trumps nurture in stress test►
Genetic stress responses in infants can be modified through good parenting, a University of North Carolina study suggests in the current issue of the journal…
Genetic stress responses in infants can be modified through good parenting, a University of North Carolina study suggests in the current issue of the journal Child Development. The researchers studied 142 infants and found that gene-associated heart-rate responses to stress were mutable depending on a mother's sensitivity during play. Unchecked stress may lead to bad behavior later in life.
- A new molecular off switch for cancer►
A molecule that shuts off cancer-promoting genes may lead to a new way for nipping tumors in the bud, North Carolina State University scientists and…
A molecule that shuts off cancer-promoting genes may lead to a new way for nipping tumors in the bud, North Carolina State University scientists and their partners at the Wistar Institute report in the German journal Angewandte Chemie. The team tested 1,200 separate compounds to find one with a molecule that decreased by 80 percent the gene-regulaing molecule miRNA-21, linked to more than half of all brain tumors.
- Fake popups a window into gullibility►
Most Internet users can't tell real warnings that pop up on their screens from fake ones that can contain harmful downloads, according to a North…
Most Internet users can't tell real warnings that pop up on their screens from fake ones that can contain harmful downloads, according to a North Carolina State University study in the current Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Despite being warned in advance they'd see some false popups, student subjects presented with a window would click the message box's "OK" button 63 percent of the time.
- Smallest complex-critter genome so far►
Smallest complex-critter genome so far: North Carolina State University scientists and colleagues have mapped the genome of the northern root-knot nematode, the smallest multicellular animal…
Smallest complex-critter genome so far: North Carolina State University scientists and colleagues have mapped the genome of the northern root-knot nematode, the smallest multicellular animal genome completely sequenced to date. The nematode, seen here as stained red and moving through a root, causes $50 billion in crop damage a year. Researchers hope the genome can point them to ecologically friendly ways to control the parasitic worm. The achievement appears online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The University of California, Davis; the University of California, Berkeley; and the Joint Genome Institute collaborated on the study. (N.C. State image.)
- Bobbing for barcodes, sensors►
When heated just right, certain organic nanoparticles will bob to the surface of a thin film, then sink into the film when reheated. This action…
When heated just right, certain organic nanoparticles will bob to the surface of a thin film, then sink into the film when reheated. This action could lead to reusable barcodes and sensors that react to heat and specific chemicals, say the North Carolina State University engineers who discovered the phenomenon and write about it in the journal Nano Letters.
- Bonus good news for the polyp-free►
People whose colons are polyp free on their initial screen face little risk of getting colon cancer in the five years that follow, says a…
People whose colons are polyp free on their initial screen face little risk of getting colon cancer in the five years that follow, says a University of North Carolina School of Medicine study just published in The New England Journal of Medicine. For this low-risk group, a followup colonoscopy before five years is unnecessary.
- Worm turns in nerve-immune system mystery►
How can stress and other insults to the nervous system overwhelm the immune system and bring on sickness? Duke University Medical Center scientists, reporting in…
How can stress and other insults to the nervous system overwhelm the immune system and bring on sickness? Duke University Medical Center scientists, reporting in Science, suggest an answer in their discovery of a nerve-immune system link in C. elegans, that lab-rat-of-a-roundworm and a human-genetic surrogate. When they crippled worm-cells' ability dampen the signals that amp up the immune system, nerve cells muted the immune response. This left worms open to infection.
- You are, wheeze, what your mother eats►
If you're an asthmatic mouse, say National Jewish Health investigators in Denver working with the Duke University Medical Center. Pregnant mice with diets high in…
If you're an asthmatic mouse, say National Jewish Health investigators in Denver working with the Duke University Medical Center. Pregnant mice with diets high in chemicals called methyl groups (folic acid is a familiar one) have offspring with severe "allergic airway disease," according to a study online now to appear in October's Journal of Clinical Investigation.
- Insulin from skin? No sweat►
Cells destined to become skin can be rewired to secrete insulin, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine describe how they…
Cells destined to become skin can be rewired to secrete insulin, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine describe how they do it in the current online Journal of Biological Chemistry. The researchers, who hope the method can lead to diabetes treatments, coaxed undifferentiated stem cells from skin to mature into insulin-producing cells, a first.
- Docs needlessly favor newer drugs for kids►
Old drugs work just as well as more recent ones typically prescribed to treat children for certain psychiatric disorders, according to a new study from…
Old drugs work just as well as more recent ones typically prescribed to treat children for certain psychiatric disorders, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. After looking at more than 100 children ages 8 to 19 years, researchers concluded that drugs invented in the 1990s were no more effective than cheap and proven drugs in use since the '50s The study appears this month in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
- Dog days of bone marrow transplantation►
Dogs diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer of the white blood cells, will for the first time have the same treatment option as their primate best friends:…
Dogs diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer of the white blood cells, will for the first time have the same treatment option as their primate best friends: bone marrow transplantation, courtesy of leukophoresis machines donated to North Carolina State University from the Mayo Clinic. The machines, well-used on human patients at the Mayo, will harvest healthy dog stem cells that seed the growth of new cancer-free cells after radiation treatments kill cancer cells.
- New path to preventing heart failure►
Experiments with heart-medicating beta blockers have illuminated a previously unknown cellular route to heart-cell survival, say Duke University Medical Center researchers in the current Proceedings…
Experiments with heart-medicating beta blockers have illuminated a previously unknown cellular route to heart-cell survival, say Duke University Medical Center researchers in the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Two of 20 beta blockers they tested stimulated a cell's beta receptor, leading to the release of chemicals implicated in repair tissue damaged in heart failure patients.
- Drug knocks out gout►
Gout sufferers may have a new drug to soothe the crippling swelling and excruciating pain in their big toes and other joints, Duke physicians report…
Gout sufferers may have a new drug to soothe the crippling swelling and excruciating pain in their big toes and other joints, Duke physicians report in the September Arthritis & Rheumatism. A clinical trial showed that the drug, called pegloticase, decreased the amount of gout-triggering uric acid in the blood in just hours for most patients. Uric acid is a natural product of metabolism, but in gout it builds up and can form crystals that impale soft tissue in the joints.
August
- Ultra surround sound►
Ultra surround sound: An ultrasound probe on a catheter's tip delivers real-time, 3-D images of soft tissue without the problems of conventional x-ray-guided catheters, say…
Ultra surround sound: An ultrasound probe on a catheter's tip delivers real-time, 3-D images of soft tissue without the problems of conventional x-ray-guided catheters, say Duke University engineers in the cover story of the September issue of the journal IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control. The tiny device is modeled after an insect's compound eye, capturing images from 108 miniature transducers. Unlike x-rays that guide instruments through blood vessels to unblock arteries or place stents, the ultrasound requires no contrasting agent, which bothers some patients. The probe has worked well in a series of lab experiments and will soon be tested in animals. (Duke photo.)
- Smoking and mothers who hack it alone►
Mothers who used to smoke and who live with a partner who shares child-rearing duties are more likely than solo former smokers to keep from…
Mothers who used to smoke and who live with a partner who shares child-rearing duties are more likely than solo former smokers to keep from starting back up, according to a University of North Carolina study in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. More than half of smokers who quit during pregnancy relapse after giving birth.
- Financial disclosure to patients is a virtue►
Patients want to know about financial dealings between medical researchers and the companies that sponsor studies, but such disclosures have little effect on their decisions…
Patients want to know about financial dealings between medical researchers and the companies that sponsor studies, but such disclosures have little effect on their decisions whether to sign up for a clinical trial, according to a Duke Clinical Research Institute online in the American Heart Journal. Trust in medical research in general carried more sway with patients than potential conflicts of interest, the study found.
- Spanking takes a beating in new UNC study►
Spankers are nearly three times more likely to use other, harsher methods of punishing children than those don't spank, say University of North Carolina researchers…
Spankers are nearly three times more likely to use other, harsher methods of punishing children than those don't spank, say University of North Carolina researchers in a study to be published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine. That abuse list includes beating, kicking, burning and baby-shaking.
- Arm gives docs a leg up in unclogging arteries►
Routing metal tubes through an arm to unblock arteries may be safer than the common practice of going through the leg. Bleeding complications drop by…
Routing metal tubes through an arm to unblock arteries may be safer than the common practice of going through the leg. Bleeding complications drop by 70 percent when physicians tap a wrist instead of a leg, according to a Duke University study in the August Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Intervention.
- 'Just shut up and give me the pill already!'►
Can oral birth control double as a chill pill? Armed an earlier study that linked shifting hormones with mood swings and $3 million from the…
Can oral birth control double as a chill pill? Armed an earlier study that linked shifting hormones with mood swings and $3 million from the National Institute of Mental Health, University of North Carolina clinicians will spend the next five years testing a popular low-dose contraceptive as treatment for as many as 10 percent of women who suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of premenstrual syndrome.
- Bacteria-powered cars?►
Bacteria-powered cars? The idea isn't as far-fetched as you might think, and North Carolina State University will find out how far they can drive the…
Bacteria-powered cars? The idea isn't as far-fetched as you might think, and North Carolina State University will find out how far they can drive the notion on $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Heat-loving bacteria like those pictured here (Thermotoga maritima, the green/yellow rods) can produce hydrogen from sugars for other microbes (Methanococcus jannaschii, the red spheres) to convert to methane fuel.These microorganisms like it hot; they thrive worldwide in volcanic sediments and hot springs. The funding will help N.C. State engineers sort out the genetics and chemistry of these bugs, collectively called thermotogales. (N.C. State image.)
- Tiny teeth pack big bite in primate lineage►
Pebble-sized fossilized teeth from a western India coal mine are 10 million years older than those from any other Asian anthropoid, the line of primates…
Pebble-sized fossilized teeth from a western India coal mine are 10 million years older than those from any other Asian anthropoid, the line of primates from which monkey's, apes and humans evolved. A Duke University/Indian Institute of Technology team, reporting in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say the fossils are 54.5 million years old. The teeth belonged to dwarf-lemur-sized creatures weighing 2 or 3 ounces.
- Soy, rat brains and early puberty►
Compounds in soy-based foods altered the brains of female rats and led to early puberty, a North Carolina State University group reports in the journal…
Compounds in soy-based foods altered the brains of female rats and led to early puberty, a North Carolina State University group reports in the journal Neurotoxicology. The compounds, called phytoestrogens, were know to mimic hormones important in sexual development but until now their effects on the brain were unknown.
July
- One gene shy of full love deck►
Male fruit flies stripped of a single odor-detecting gene will attempt to mate with other males and normally unavailable females, a team from Duke University…
Male fruit flies stripped of a single odor-detecting gene will attempt to mate with other males and normally unavailable females, a team from Duke University Medical Center reports this week online in Nature Neuroscience. What's more, the gene--a pheromone receptor crucial for deciphering the chemical language of love--is so important that it is hard-wired to the fly-brain's higher-order processor, bypassing a biochemical step previously thought to be mediated by the olfactory and taste systems.
- Banking on branches►
Banking on branches: Treetops touching canopy-to-canopy provide a roadmap to the most efficient way to control the liquid flow through self-repairing- and -cooling aircraft coverings…
Banking on branches: Treetops touching canopy-to-canopy provide a roadmap to the most efficient way to control the liquid flow through self-repairing- and -cooling aircraft coverings and other advanced materials. A tree canopy, say Duke University engineers online in Journal of Applied Physics, is a natural complex system that adeptly moves substances from here to there, an essential requirement for building so-called smart materials. (Duke image by Adrian Bejan.)
- Angry young genes►
Breast cancer in young women is usually more aggressive and more resistant to treatment than cancers in older women. The likely reason, culled by Duke…
Breast cancer in young women is usually more aggressive and more resistant to treatment than cancers in older women. The likely reason, culled by Duke University researchers from genetic tests of nearly 800 breast tumors: Cancers in young women share genomic traits absent from cancers in older women. The Duke study appears in the July 10 Journal of Clinical Oncology.
- The ending-self-medication blues►
Those who quit drinking in moderation can face depression and a lowered capacity for making new brain cells, suggests a University of North Carolina study…
Those who quit drinking in moderation can face depression and a lowered capacity for making new brain cells, suggests a University of North Carolina study in mice, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Mice that voluntarily drank alcohol for 28 days displayed depression-like behavior 14 days after they stopped drinking.
- Where do the mosquitoes that carry yellow fever and dengue fever lay their eggs?►
Where do fever-packing mosquitoes lay their eggs? The real question, it turns out, is why these pests, Aedes aegypti, choose one malodorous puddle over what…
Where do fever-packing mosquitoes lay their eggs? The real question, it turns out, is why these pests, Aedes aegypti, choose one malodorous puddle over what might seem another perfectly fetid water hole. North Carolina State University scientists offer an answer, in a study in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Mosquitoes pick egg-laying location based on attractive chemical signals wafting from certain water-dwelling bacteria. This information in the hands of designers of lures and traps may help curb the spread of yellow fever, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases. (Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
- Kiss of death for cold sores? ►
The cold-sore virus can hide out for years before rearing its ugly head on a person's mouth. It owes its stealth to tiny strands of…
The cold-sore virus can hide out for years before rearing its ugly head on a person's mouth. It owes its stealth to tiny strands of a substance it makes, a Duke University Medical Center team has discovered. The strands, called microRNA, block the proteins that lead to outbreaks, they report in Nature. When stress overwhelms this microRNA check system, sores appear, always in the same place. Drugs work only against the active virus; the key to eliminating sores for good lies in finding a one-two drug punch that turns on every virus then eradicates the lot.
- Oh no, nano►
Nanoparticles called quantum dots can slide through cuts and scrapes to get through the skin and into the bloodstream, say North Carolina State University researchers.…
Nanoparticles called quantum dots can slide through cuts and scrapes to get through the skin and into the bloodstream, say North Carolina State University researchers. Their report, in the journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, may raise concerns for healthcare workers who might use products containing the tiny particles and for those who manufacture them.
June
- Toxic ruling►
Minority and low-income communities are more likely than others to be harmed by a 2006 Environmental Protection Agency ruling that exempted polluters from divulging…
Minority and low-income communities are more likely than others to be harmed by a 2006 Environmental Protection Agency ruling that exempted polluters from divulging details about the toxic chemicals they release, according to a Duke University study just out in Environmental Science and Technology. For example, North Carolina children under age 5 who live a kilometer or closer to an exempted chemical facility are 78 percent minority.
- California's native-plant nightmare►
Climate change will take an excruciating toll on one of the continent's most diverse native plant populations, according research this week in the online journal…
Climate change will take an excruciating toll on one of the continent's most diverse native plant populations, according research this week in the online journal PLoS One. The study, led by Duke University graduate student Scott Robbins Loarie of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, predicts that up to two-thirds of California's 2,387 native plants will lose most of their range this century. On the bright side, the study pinpoints regions where species can survive if protected.
- Turning MPG on its head a no-brainer►
Thinking of mileage in gallons-per-mile terms rather than the conventional miles per gallon paints a truer picture of fuel economy, Duke University business professors argue…
Thinking of mileage in gallons-per-mile terms rather than the conventional miles per gallon paints a truer picture of fuel economy, Duke University business professors argue in the June 20 Science. Most people they surveyed said improving from 34 to 50 mpg saved more gas over 10,000 miles than improving from 18 to 28 mpg, even though the more modest-appearing boost saves more than twice the gas (94 gallons versus 198).
- Six-legged canaries in a cadmium mine►
A master set of a few insects can stand in for thousands of their closely related kin to predict the effect of pollutants on life…
A master set of a few insects can stand in for thousands of their closely related kin to predict the effect of pollutants on life in rivers and streams, a study led by North Carolina State University suggests in the latest online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To test the spectrum of insect tolerance to pollution, scientists collected 21 representative species from North Carolina, California, Colorado and Oregon and exposed them to cadmium, a cancer-causing trace metal found in batteries and near hard-rock mining and industrial sites.
- Yellow sticky phones►
People can leave location-specific cell-phone messages for others others who enter that area, thanks a team of Duke University engineers who offer proof of concept…
People can leave location-specific cell-phone messages for others others who enter that area, thanks a team of Duke University engineers who offer proof of concept for what they call "virtual sticky notes." The feat was made possible by software the Duke team designed that allows users with geographical positioning system-equipped devices to retrieve site-specific information in real time.
- A tiny space lab on a chip►
A tiny space lab on a chip, based on an invention by University of North Carolina scientists, will be part of the NASA Jet Propulsion…
A tiny space lab on a chip, based on an invention by University of North Carolina scientists, will be part of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's work on the European ExoMars rover mission, set to launch in 2013. The credit-card-sized "micofluidic chip" will perform multiple analyses of Martian soil, in search of amino acids and other biological compounds. (European Space Agency ExoMars rover image.)
- You're never too old to save big money*►
Replacing a hip is beneficial at any age, say Duke University researchers. Seniors who get a new hip can care for themselves better than the…
Replacing a hip is beneficial at any age, say Duke University researchers. Seniors who get a new hip can care for themselves better than the non-hip-replaced. This translates to big savings (ten of thousands of dollars, the researchers say) to the health system when weighed against the costs of hospital, nursing home and home healthcare for the disabled. The Duke study appears in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
*Major joint surgery required. - Better red than virtually dead►
Computer game players decked out in red beat the blue-clad nearly 55 percent of the time, according to European researchers who used a multiplayer, online…
Computer game players decked out in red beat the blue-clad nearly 55 percent of the time, according to European researchers who used a multiplayer, online shoot-'em-up developed by Epic Games of Cary, N.C., for their three-month study. The researchers were interested whether observations from real life (specifically, the red-favoring 2004 Olympics) were mirrored in the virtual world. Their results appear in the current issue of CyberPsychology & Behavior.
- Handing it to them►
Duke University chemists say they have invented an easy way to assign "handedness" to manufactured molecules. This is important because many molecules in drugs come…
Duke University chemists say they have invented an easy way to assign "handedness" to manufactured molecules. This is important because many molecules in drugs come in two flavors: right-handed and left-handed. Problems can arise when drug-makers attempt to exploit the desired effect from the right-handed molecule without knowing what its left-handed twin is doing, and vice versa, inside the body. Duke hopes to patent the method, described online in Angewandte Chemie.
- Heartfelt optimism►
Heart-failure survivors tend to wildly overestimate their life expectancy, Duke University Medical Center researchers say in the current edition of the Journal of the American…
Heart-failure survivors tend to wildly overestimate their life expectancy, Duke University Medical Center researchers say in the current edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Patients, on average, overshot by 40 percent the best live-span estimates medicine has to offer.
- 'Microrobots' got game►
Picture microscopic robots organizing a pickup basketball game. Duke University computer scientists can, having observed five of the devices, known as MEMS (for microelectromechanical system)…
Picture microscopic robots organizing a pickup basketball game. Duke University computer scientists can, having observed five of the devices, known as MEMS (for microelectromechanical system) "microrobots," juke and pivot in cooperation when coaxed with voltage. The spatula-shaped, silicon microbots are a millionth of a meter tall and set aside their tiny egos to assemble in groups; they may be useful for ferrying micro-stuff inside microchip-based laboratories. Details will appear later this year in the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.
- Genomics and health: We're so not there yet►
When it comes to genetic testing and healthcare advances, a University of North Carolina geneticist and physician warns that even saying, "It's not there yet"…
When it comes to genetic testing and healthcare advances, a University of North Carolina geneticist and physician warns that even saying, "It's not there yet" is being "too optimistic." Speaking this weekend at the World Science Festival in New York, James P. Evans said the human genome showed humans are 99.9 percent alike, "but in absolute terms, we are very different. ... [I]t's unrealistic for individuals to believe those [genomic] advances can yield meaningful information that will improve their health. It's going to be a long time before the potential is realized."
May
- B cells get some respect►
A small group of immune system B cells can block the sort of irritation people get when they rub against poison ivy, researchers at Duke…
A small group of immune system B cells can block the sort of irritation people get when they rub against poison ivy, researchers at Duke University Medical Center say, opening a new realm in immunology. Until now, no one had showed that B cells mediated immune response; that role was ascribed mainly to T cells. The finding, which appears in the May edition of the journal Immunity, suggests an entirely new path for vaccine research.
- Fryhard►
Iron conjoined with zirconium at the nanoscale can retain its strength and hardness above 1,300 degrees Celsius, temperatures that turn conventional iron soft. North Carolina…
Iron conjoined with zirconium at the nanoscale can retain its strength and hardness above 1,300 degrees Celsius, temperatures that turn conventional iron soft. North Carolina State University Ph.D.-candidate Kris Darling led the work to create the material (99 percent iron, 1 percent zirconium), which may be useful for engine parts and other super-hot applications. The results are published in the journal Scripta Materialia.
- Detoxifying textiles►
Soldiers of the future may wear gear that converts airborne poisons and biological weapons to innocuous byproducts, say Cornell University researchers who are collaborating with…
Soldiers of the future may wear gear that converts airborne poisons and biological weapons to innocuous byproducts, say Cornell University researchers who are collaborating with North Carolina State on a new project funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. The work, which also may apply to air-filtration for buildings and vehicles, will focus on how tiny electrical charges in fibers and nanofibers can trap nanoparticles, bacteria and viruses.
- Inverted food pyramid►
Child care centers fail to serve up the recommended amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, according to a University of North Carolina study published…
Child care centers fail to serve up the recommended amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, according to a University of North Carolina study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Analyzing the breakfast, lunch and snack habits of more than 100 children ages 2 to 5 years at 20 North Carolina centers, researchers compared their subjects' eating patterns against current dietary recommendations. On average, children consumed less than 13 percent of the daily recommended amounts of whole grains and 7 percent of dark green and orange vegetables.
- Protein shakeup►
Asthma, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson's disease, heart failure: These diseases and a host of others are now linked by the discovery of a new role that…
Asthma, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson's disease, heart failure: These diseases and a host of others are now linked by the discovery of a new role that the chemical nitric oxide, or NO, plays in proteins, the body's master builders, Duke University Medical Center researchers report today in the journal Science. Normally, the NO system moves oxygen around to tissues that need it. Now, it appears, too much or too little in cells can scramble specific protein functions and lead to disease.
- Nonstick Toxicity (from Science News, May 21, 2008)
- From monkeypox to hamster sniffles►
An anti-monkeypox/smallpox drug being developed by Durham's Chimerix Inc. may also work on adenovirus, long implicated in the common cold. Chimerix and collaborators at St.…
An anti-monkeypox/smallpox drug being developed by Durham's Chimerix Inc. may also work on adenovirus, long implicated in the common cold. Chimerix and collaborators at St. Louis University, reporting in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say they have discovered the first animal model for adenovirus, a Syrian hamster--an important find because drugs must be tested in animals before they enter the clinic. What's more, the drug, called CMXOO1, appeared to fight the virus in infected hamsters.
- In Search of Music's Biological Roots (from Duke Magazine, May 19, 2008)
- Viruses and brain tumors: Now the good news►
Eighty percent of Americans carry a form of herpes virus called human cytomegalovirus (CMV). For most, the virus remains dormant and never becomes a medical…
Eighty percent of Americans carry a form of herpes virus called human cytomegalovirus (CMV). For most, the virus remains dormant and never becomes a medical issue. But in most patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadly type of brain tumor, CMV can be detected in blood, suggesting that by targeting the virus, a vaccine can also target the tumor, Duke researchers will report June 1 at a scientific meeting.
- Small, upwardly mobile primates►
Lemurs, spider monkeys and other small primates expend no more energy climbing than they do walking, according to a paper in the May 16 issue…
Lemurs, spider monkeys and other small primates expend no more energy climbing than they do walking, according to a paper in the May 16 issue of Science co-written by a former Duke University graduate student. This may explain why these tiny social-climbing ancestors of great apes went up trees 65 million years ago and never came down.
- Thanks to El Niño, Magellan was chillin'►
Mild currents in an El Niño-influenced sea allowed Magellan smooth northerly sailing and may have encouraged him to press on across the Pacific. This lucky…
Mild currents in an El Niño-influenced sea allowed Magellan smooth northerly sailing and may have encouraged him to press on across the Pacific. This lucky break led not only to the first circumnavigation of the globe but also the earliest historic record of an El Niño, writes North Carolina State University archaeologist Scott Fitzpatrick, in a paper to appear in the August Journal of Pacific History.
- An exploding superbaby►
An exploding superbaby: A giant star that blew up during Raleigh-native Andrew Johnson's presidential term, in 1868, is the youngest known supernova in our galaxy,…
An exploding superbaby: A giant star that blew up during Raleigh-native Andrew Johnson's presidential term, in 1868, is the youngest known supernova in our galaxy, says its Raleigh discoverer, North Carolina State astrophysicist Stephen Reynolds. The 140-year-old infant is at least 200 years younger than the next-most-recent known supernova in the Milky Way. Reynolds and colleagues calculated the supernova's birthday by comparing its growth rate from images captured in 1985 and 2007. Says Reynolds, "If not for all the interstellar gunk between us and this object, people would have seen this supernova as a new star in the constellation Sagittarius in the years around 1870 to 1900." The findings will appear in the June 10 Astrophysical Journal Letters. (NASA photo.)
- A Bit of Salt, a Trace of Life (from Endeavors, May 14, 2008)
- Genomic orchestra plays on minus conductors►
Robbed of a small group of genes thought to dictate the delicate timing of cell division on which our lives depend, thousands of other genes…
Robbed of a small group of genes thought to dictate the delicate timing of cell division on which our lives depend, thousands of other genes were able to step up and play most of the cell-cycle program just fine, according to a study by researchers at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. The study, in the May 7 advance online issue of Nature, was in yeast cells; the same genetic rules apply to mammals.
- 'Triple play' bags hunger pangs►
A single brain enzyme that turns a "metabolic triple play" may lead to drugs that control appetite, promote weight loss and manage blood sugar, says…
A single brain enzyme that turns a "metabolic triple play" may lead to drugs that control appetite, promote weight loss and manage blood sugar, says Duke University Medical Center's Tony Means, co-author of a study on mice in this month's Cell Metabolism. Means and colleagues were able to block the enzyme, high in the chain of events that leads to hunger and appetite stimulation.
- A doctorate in disaster►
Budding researchers with fresh Ph.D.s in the social sciences and engineering will work with seasoned hazard and disaster-relief experts to apply lessons from Hurricane Katrina…
Budding researchers with fresh Ph.D.s in the social sciences and engineering will work with seasoned hazard and disaster-relief experts to apply lessons from Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 terrorist attacks to future disasters both natural and manmade. The nationwide program is funded by National Science Foundation and run by North Carolina State University, a continuation of earlier projects by Texas A&M and the University of North Carolina.
- Brainy jobs yield extra retirement benefits►
People in mind-challenging careers have better memory and other thinking abilities in retirement than those with less intellectually stimulating work, say Duke University Medical Center…
People in mind-challenging careers have better memory and other thinking abilities in retirement than those with less intellectually stimulating work, say Duke University Medical Center researchers who tracked the mental function of a thousand twin brothers pre-career and afterward. Their results appear in the May issue of Neurology.
- Young rats go on bender for science►
Having enlisted rats as surrogates for human teenagers, Duke University Medical Center investigators, writing in the May Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, conclude that drinking…
Having enlisted rats as surrogates for human teenagers, Duke University Medical Center investigators, writing in the May Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, conclude that drinking patterns in adolescents may lock in after only a few rounds of alcohol. Three nights on the bottle was enough to boost the likelihood of long-term alcoholism.
- All Wings Considered (from Duke Magazine, May 5, 2008)
- Five Questions on Monkeys and Math (from Duke Research, May 2, 2008)
April
- Tiny tubes all in a row►
Tiny tubes all in a row: The inability to build uniformly long, straight carbon nanotubes in bulk has limited their promise as atomic-scale semiconductors. Now,…
Tiny tubes all in a row: The inability to build uniformly long, straight carbon nanotubes in bulk has limited their promise as atomic-scale semiconductors. Now, Duke University chemists say in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that they have built atoms-wide single-walled carbon nanotubes in orderly rows, avoiding the crisscrossing that impedes electronic performance. (Duke photo.)
- Like lightwaves lapping a silcon shore... ►
Second-harmonic generation, or SGH, happens when light reacts with materials. The light shortens in wavelength and doubles in energy. North Carolina State University physicists have…
Second-harmonic generation, or SGH, happens when light reacts with materials. The light shortens in wavelength and doubles in energy. North Carolina State University physicists have described, in the journal Physical Review B, a technique that has allowed them to analyze SGH on an atomic scale for the first time. The future of fast, energy-efficient computing hinges on understanding how photons and materials interact at such scales.
- Clumpsickles►
Besides the eponymous sickle-shaped red blood cells that mark sickle cell disease, blood in patients can also form clumps, University of North Carolina medical researchers…
Besides the eponymous sickle-shaped red blood cells that mark sickle cell disease, blood in patients can also form clumps, University of North Carolina medical researchers have discovered. This clumping, they report in the current British Journal of Haematology, may contribute to the intense pain that results when cells block small blood vessels.
- Dinosaurs: Tasted like chicken►
Tyrannosaurus rex tissue found by a North Carolina State/N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences paleontologist confirms what scientists studying the fossil record have long suspected: Dinosaurs…
Tyrannosaurus rex tissue found by a North Carolina State/N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences paleontologist confirms what scientists studying the fossil record have long suspected: Dinosaurs and birds are related. Proteins in the 68-million-year-old sample were similar to those found in modern-day chickens, according to a paper published in the April 25 journal Science. Co-author Mary Schweitzer recovered the sample from the leg bone of a T. rex discovered in Montana's Hell Creek formation in 2003.
- Bonehead maneuver (the good kind)►
A new 3D ultrasound technique devised by Duke bioengineers corrects for the skull's thickness and unevenness, which may enable emergency medical workers an otherwise obscured,…
A new 3D ultrasound technique devised by Duke bioengineers corrects for the skull's thickness and unevenness, which may enable emergency medical workers an otherwise obscured, real-time glimpse of brain arteries that can clog and cause strokes. The method relies on scanning in a checkerboard pattern rather than line-by-line. The findings are reported in Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology.
- A genetic sense of where you are►
Lifestyle and geography play big part in flipping genes on and off, North Carolina State University researchers say in the journal PLoS Genetics. The conclusion…
Lifestyle and geography play big part in flipping genes on and off, North Carolina State University researchers say in the journal PLoS Genetics. The conclusion comes from a study of gene expression of white blood cells in 46 Moroccan Amazighs, or Berbers, who live as desert nomads, mountain farmers and coastal city-dwellers. Up to one-third of the Berbers' genes are differentially expressed based on how and where they live.
- Bacteria►
Balancing nature in a Petri dish? Researchers at Duke University and colleagues at Caltech, Stanford and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute say they have done…
Balancing nature in a Petri dish? Researchers at Duke University and colleagues at Caltech, Stanford and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute say they have done just that, rewriting the genetic programming of the microbe Escherichia coli to observe existential give and take that mimics predator-prey dynamics. Though nobody gets eaten, E. coli groups engineered as “predator” key off the presense of another E. coli population, “prey,” to control their numbers, and vice versa. A study appears in the April 15 journal Molecular Systems Biology.
- Long live big brains!►
The evolutionary cost of extra braininess pays off in the long run, Duke University anthropologists report in the Journal of Human Evolution. The big brains…
The evolutionary cost of extra braininess pays off in the long run, Duke University anthropologists report in the Journal of Human Evolution. The big brains primates owe to their slow development help them survive longer than the smaller brained -- thus reproduce longer, too.
- Further deception furthers infection►
The AIDS virus may promote other infections and its own replication at the same time by exploiting the body's immune response in a way previously…
The AIDS virus may promote other infections and its own replication at the same time by exploiting the body's immune response in a way previously undetected, North Carolina State University researchers say in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. The response may be prompted by the very treatments used to fight disease, they warn.
- Attacking tumors through their sweet tooth►
Cancer cells sop up simple sugar, glucose, to sidestep molecular programming that would trigger death in normal cells, say Duke School of Medicine investigators. To…
Cancer cells sop up simple sugar, glucose, to sidestep molecular programming that would trigger death in normal cells, say Duke School of Medicine investigators. To stall tumor growth, they suggest, disrupt this glucose metabolism.
- Local's forecast: A mighty wind►
The summer storm season looks lively, says North Carolina State University's Lian Xie. Up to eight of 15 named storms will have the potential to…
The summer storm season looks lively, says North Carolina State University's Lian Xie. Up to eight of 15 named storms will have the potential to grow powerful enough to classify as hurricanes, with perhaps two reaching the U.S. coast. The prediction is based records going back a century, weather patterns and ocean temperatures.
- Abuse by neglect►
Children neglected before age 2 show elevated aggression between years 4 and 8, University of North Carolina researchers say in the current edition of Pediatrics.…
Children neglected before age 2 show elevated aggression between years 4 and 8, University of North Carolina researchers say in the current edition of Pediatrics. The study notes that neglect may rival early abuse in its reliability as a harbinger for aggressive behavior.
- An Avian Metropolis (from Spring 2008 dukenvironment Magazine, April 7, 2008)
- Planting a hormonal notion►
Hormones that respond to changing environments help plants adapt and survive. North Carolina State University’s Jose Alonso and colleagues, reporting in the journal Cell, have…
Hormones that respond to changing environments help plants adapt and survive. North Carolina State University’s Jose Alonso and colleagues, reporting in the journal Cell, have discovered genes that trigger a key hormone in developing plants. Among other things, Alonso suggests, such information may be useful for coaxing plants to ripen on demand.
- Genomic profiling in breast tumors►
Genetic information gleaned from breast-cancer tumors can help fine-tune prognosis and treatment, Duke University researchers say in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The…
Genetic information gleaned from breast-cancer tumors can help fine-tune prognosis and treatment, Duke University researchers say in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The method has revealed underlying genomic patterns in aggressive cancers versus those less likely to recur in about 1,000 tumor samples.
March
- Talking Trash (from NC State Magazine, March 19, 2008)
- Of mice and microwave popcorn►
Mice inhaling diacetyl, found in artificial butter flavoring, develolp a condition possibly related to a rare lung disease seen in microwave popcorn packaging plant workers.…
Mice inhaling diacetyl, found in artificial butter flavoring, develolp a condition possibly related to a rare lung disease seen in microwave popcorn packaging plant workers. Triangle-based NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) and Duke University say their diacetyl study, in Toxicological Sciences, is among the first relevant to human health.
