Daily non-political popular news in brief.

Dark Power: Pigment seems to put radiation to good use

05-26-2007 · Science News Online

The pigment melanin may enable certain fungi to convert dangerous radiation into usable energy.

Keywords: dark, power, pigment, seems, put, radiation, good, seem

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "Dark Power: Pigment seems to put radiation to good use":

Weighing the financial risks of nuclear power plants
04-03-2007 · EurekAlert!
Power companies are rushing to invest in new nuclear reactors, largely because of promised government subsidies that make the investment seem as good as investments in other types of energy. A new study from UC Berkeley, LBNL and Georgetown researchers warns, however, that unexpected costs have often arisen in past nuclear plant construction, increasing electricity costs. Because new plants will use untested technologies, such cost surprises could happen again, making nuclear power less attractive financially.
Similar news · Read more »
Cosmologically speaking, diamonds may actually be forever
04-25-2007 · EurekAlert!
If you've ever wondered about the ultimate fate of the universe, Lawrence Krauss and Robert Scherrer have some good news -- sort of. The two physicists show that matter as we know it will remain as the universe expands at an ever-increasing clip. That is, the current status quo between matter and its alter ego, radiation, will continue as the newly discovered force of dark energy pushes the universe apart.
Similar news · Read more »
Jefferson researchers find nanoparticle shows promise in reducing radiation side effects
11-08-2006 · EurekAlert!
With the help of tiny, transparent zebrafish embryos, researchers are hoping to prove that a microscopic nanoparticle can be part of a "new class of radioprotective agents" that help protect normal tissue from radiation damage just as well as standard drugs. They've shown that the nanoparticle, DF-1 -- a soccer ball-shaped, hollow, carbon-based structure known as a fullerene -- is as good as two antioxidant drugs and FDA-approved Amifostine in fending off radiation damage from normal tissue.
Similar news · Read more »
Size matters … if you're a rodent
02-27-2007 · EurekAlert!
Promiscuity is common among female rodents, leading to competition between the sperm of rival males over who fertilizes the eggs. It now seems that possessing a longer penis may give males an advantage in this competition. The data for rodents seem pretty clear cut. Species where sexual competition between males is most intense also tend to have the longest penises. But, interestingly, a similar pattern was not detected in either primates or bats.
Similar news · Read more »
Jefferson oncologists show focused radiation is effective as surgery against nerve tumor
10-30-2007 · EurekAlert!
Specifically aimed, "stereotactic" radiation may be as good as surgery -- and in some cases, even better -- in treating benign but potentially devastating brain tumors called nonacoustic schwannomas, according to a study by rradiation oncologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Similar news · Read more »
Discovery could increase tumors' sensitivity to radiation therapy
11-01-2007 · EurekAlert!
To make tumors more sensitive to the killing power of radiation is a key aspiration for many radiation oncologists. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered new information that leads them closer to that goal.
Similar news · Read more »
Biologists expose hidden costs of firefly flashes
09-19-2007 · EurekAlert!
Tufts University biologists have discovered a dark side behind the light shows put on by fireflies each summer. While it's energetically cheap for fireflies to produce their distinctive flash signals, flashier males are more likely to end up on the dinner table. The importance of these two conflicting forces could shift in different firefly populations. It is possible that this evolutionary balancing act might generate entirely new firefly species with their own distinctive flash codes.
Similar news · Read more »
Intergalactic 'shot in the dark' shocks astronomers
12-18-2007 · EurekAlert!
A team of astronomers has discovered a cosmic explosion that seems to have come from the middle of nowhere -- thousands of light-years from the nearest galaxy-sized collection of stars, gas, and dust. This "shot in the dark" is surprising because the type of explosion, a long-duration gamma-ray burst, is thought to be powered by the death of a massive star.
Similar news · Read more »
Dominant cholesterol-metabolism ideas challenged by new research
08-15-2007 · EurekAlert!
A team of researchers investigating cholesterol and lipid transport has performed experiments that cast serious doubt on the dominant hypothesis of how the body rids its cells of "bad" cholesterol and increases "good" cholesterol. Cholesterol metabolism is an area of intense inquiry because high levels of LDL cholesterol or total cholesterol put about half of all Americans at significant risk of heart disease.
Similar news · Read more »
Jefferson radiation oncologists use real-time system to plant 'seeds' against cancer
09-21-2007 · EurekAlert!
Radiation oncologists and urologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have begun using a real-time system to implant radiation-emitting seeds in prostate cancer patients. While the system is only being used for imaging and planning so far, it ultimately will help in placing the seeds. The team hopes that the technology will make a good system even better, adding scientific precision to a treatment that currently relies mainly on physician experience and skill.
Similar news · Read more »