Science Elements

When good cholesterol goes bad - This study will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.

Compounds in cranberries may help improve the effectiveness of platinum drugs that are used in chemotherapy to fight ovarian cancer, researchers have found in a controlled laboratory study. The scientists found that human ovarian cancer cells resistant to platinum drugs became up to 6 times more sensitized to the drugs after exposure to the cranberry compounds. The study will be described in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.

Bitter taste can ruin a cup of coffee. Now, chemists in Germany and the United States say they have identified the chemicals that appear to be largely responsible for javas bitterness, a finding that could one day lead to a better tasting brew. Their study, one of the most detailed chemical analyses of coffee bitterness to date, will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.

Public health officials may soon be able to flush out more accurate estimates on illegal drug use in communities across the country thanks to a new screening test. The test does not screen people directly but instead seeks out evidence of illicit drug abuse in drug residues and metabolites excreted in urine and flushed toward municipal sewage treatment plants. It will be described in August during the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

A common virus may cause obesity in some people, according to new evidence in a controlled laboratory study. Scientists showed that infection with human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), long recognized as a cause of respiratory and eye infections in humans, transforms adult stem cells obtained from fat tissue into fat cells. The study, which might lead to new treatments for obesity, will be reported in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.

Research on the effects of the female sex hormone estrogen in the brain lend credence to what many women have suspected about the hormonal changes that accompany aging. Menopause can make you fat. In animal experiments, researchers showed how estrogen receptors in the brain serve as a master switch to control food intake, energy expenditure and body fat distribution. The study will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.

Foods that contain acrylamide are unlikely to cause breast cancer in women, according to preliminary results of a new study involving 100,000 U.S. women. The finding is the largest epidemiological study to date exploring the possible link between acrylamide and cancer in humans. The study will be described in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.

Toward prevention of a common complication of cataract surgery. Easing concerns about a promising new medical imaging agent. Explosive discovery on genetically engineered tobacco plant; Fast, accurate sensor to detect food spoilage; Toward real-world Star Trek tricoder devices.

Computers help chemists fight emerging infections. Common virus may contribute to obesity in some people. Revealing the secret role of estrogen in obesity. Detergents, eye rinses, and other products with an on/off switch. Helping the carbon nanotube industry avoid mega-mistakes of other new industries made in the past. Met inhibitors showing promise as a new weapon in war on cancer.

Potato chip flavoring boosts longevity of concrete. Bright future for new drug delivery system intended to minimize side effects. New process may enable motorists to fill er up - with wheat. Developing a toolkit for personalized medicine. Toward faster tests to identify carcinogens and other environmental toxins.

Toward an alternative to stem cells for treating chronic brain diseases. Oil spill clean-up agents threaten coral reefs. First potential biomarker for human exposure to diesel exhaust; Fishing for an answer. Wild or farmed? Well-intended research in the wrong hands can become a weapon of terror.

Toward giving artificial cells the ability to move. Nano-sized generator gets big power boost. Automobile brake linings, tires remain major sources of toxic metals. Fingerprinting with light shows promise for improved crime-fighting; Sandpaper: Ancient invention increasingly becomes high-tech marvel.

Red blood cells talk to platelets, with implications for diabetes. Healthful compounds in tomatoes increase over time in organic fields. New process promises to reduce costs of a clean-coal technology. Preening over new technology for monitoring PCBs in seabirds. Tin whiskers grow into a multi-billion-dollar threat to electronics products.

New longboat delivery system could mean more potent anti-cancer drugs. Moving ahead with guidelines to control indoor mold contamination. Jellyfish population explosion leads to new use for waste creatures. Polyurethane plastics from canola oil. Toward a contrast agent to expand medical use of LOIS imaging. Minding the Mercury.

Changes related to diabetic cardiomyopathy occur soon after diabetes appears. Beach sand may harbor disease-causing E. coli bacteria. Fireworks displays linked to perchlorate contamination in lakes. An improved fluorescent sensor material for detecting explosives. Mom and Pop gold miners threaten new wave of mercury pollution.

New hot pocket geography may point toward better avian flu drugs; Toward a much-needed new test for cancer of the urinary bladder. Protein-enriched milk may reduce need for antibiotics in animal feed. Crude oil contains less toxic mercury than coal. Concerns about safety of Chinese ingredients may be unwarranted when it comes to prescription drugs.

Scientists eye nanoparticles as glaucoma treatment. Better nutritional and safety profiles for genetically modified crops. Ultralong nanobelts for wiring nanoelectric devices. Milk does not reduce healthful effects of black tea; Fake money? Not if you see the twinkle in Alexander Hamilton's eye.

Sleeping Beauty jumping gene shows promise for sickle cell gene therapy. A new explosive proves unusually touchy. Progress toward a healthier form of starch for processed foods. Direct interconnections between nanowires and human cells. The BBB poses daunting challenges to developing new brain medications.

Toward more effective treatments for aspirin-resistant patients. New study supports stopping and restarting school buses to cut emissions. Wine may combat tooth decay and upper respiratory tract disease bacteria. Advance promises a new era in recycling of plastics. New medicines for Fido and Fluffy.

Equipping E. coli with a chemo-navigation system. Crusts from the Tower of London suggest yellowing in the future. Scientists isolate anti-cancer compounds from apple peel. New medications needed for neuropathic pain. Western drug makers expand use of Indias scientific talent.