Culture

HOUSTON - The film "Avatar" isn't the only 3-D blockbuster making a splash this winter. A team of Houston scientists this week unveiled a new technique for growing 3-D cell cultures, a technological leap from the flat petri dish that could save millions of dollars in drug-testing costs. The research is reported in Nature Nanotechnology.

Researchers at the University of Valencia (UV) and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) state that the terrorist attack which happened in New York on 11 September 2001 had an effect on the volatility of the stock market in the Eurozone. However, the attacks in Madrid and London -on 11 March 2004 and 7 July 2005 respectively- did not have any effect on the volatility of the market in the USA.

Eighty-four percent of males who had ACL knee (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction with a patellar tendon (the tendon that attaches the knee to the front of the tibia or shin bone) graft continue at a high level of activity 15 years later, according to a study presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in New Orleans, Louisiana (March 13). Additionally, these patients have not developed severe osteoarthritis and their knees remain stable.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A new mathematical model developed by Indiana University Bloomington and Arizona State University geographers could help communities that are in the midst of passing or reforming sex offender laws. The researchers describe the model and report its first test in an Early View edition of Papers in Regional Science.

By forcing users to quantify risk and issues of special concern, the model can help the policymakers of concerned communities to focus on the spatial management of sex offenders and not mere punitive measures.

HOUSTON – (March 12, 2010) – Calculations are fine, but seeing is believing. That's the thought behind a new paper by Rice University students who decided to put to the test calculations made more than a century ago.

In 1908, the German physicist Gustav Mie came up with an elegant set of equations to describe the interaction of electromagnetic waves with a spherical metal particle. The theory has been a touchstone ever since for researchers seeking to quantify how nanoscale plasmonic particles scatter radiation.

The usual excuse of "lack of time" for not doing enough exercise is blown away by new research published in The Journal of Physiology.

The study, from scientists at Canada's McMaster University, adds to the growing evidence for the benefits of short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) as a time-efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise. Astonishingly, it is possible to get more by doing less!

The video shows two breast tumor cells attaching to each other. The red color shows the surface of both tumor cells, while the green color shows how the microtentacles from one cell encircle the neighboring cell.

(Photo Credit: (c) University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center)

Increasing calcium intake is a common--yet not always successful--strategy for reducing bone fractures. But a study supported in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) underscores the importance of vitamin D and its ability to help the body utilize calcium. The study also may explain why increasing calcium alone isn't always successful in dealing with this problem.

Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium found in about 50% of humans worldwide, can cause stomach ulcers and, in extreme cases, gastric cancer. In an article for F1000 Medicine Reports, Seiji Shiota and Yoshio Yamaoka discuss the possible eradication of H. pylori infections

Two studies published on bmj.com today show that obesity and alcohol act together to increase the risk of liver disease in both men and women.

Together, these findings have important clinical and public health implications.

Rates of liver disease and obesity are increasing in the UK. While alcohol is a major cause of liver cirrhosis, recent evidence suggests that excess body weight may also play a role.

Arizona State University professor NJ Tao explains a new imaging technology to aid the detection of trace chemicals.

(Photo Credit: Jemal LeonardBiodesign InstituteArizona State University)

The ridges of a single fingerprint can be seen against an orange background. As a potential is applied, trace amounts of TNT come into view, ranging in color from bright yellow dots to black, depending on the concentration.

Washington, DC, March 11 – R-rated movies portray violence and other behaviors deemed inappropriate for children under 17 year of age. A new study finds one more reason why parents should not let their kids watch those movies: adolescents who watch R-rated movies are more likely to try alcohol at a young age.

Getting children involved in finding ways to become more physically active can not only make them more aware of local recreational opportunities, but can even help increase their own physical activity.

That's the result of a study examining the role of seven national parks in contributing to the health of today's youth. The study was conducted by researchers from a variety of disciplines at North Carolina State University and other U.S. universities and funded by the National Park Service.