Studies and Analyses

Two researchers at Rockefeller University have put a controversial theory of smell to the sniff test and have found no evidence to support it.

They say their study, published in the April issue of Nature Neuroscience, should raise firm doubts about the validity of “vibration theory,” which states that molecules in each substance generate a specific vibration frequency that the nose can interpret as distinct smells.

The reigning theory of smell, which also is as yet unproven, is th

On 29-30 March the findings of ’Inside the Big Black Box’- a Europe-wide science and society project – will be revealed during a two-day seminar hosted by CERN 1 . The principle aim of Inside the Big Black Box (IN3B) is to determine whether a working scientific laboratory can capture the curiosity of the general public through visits.
IN3B was sponsored by the European Union to evaluate how effectively five laboratories – CERN in Switzerland, LNGS 2 in Italy, Demokri

A new research study reveals that formation of the cells that build bone tissue, called osteoblasts, is suppressed by a complicated inhibitory signal and that formation of the skeleton proceeds only after relief of the inhibition. This inhibitory signal is part of normal development, and without it, bone formation proceeds prematurely and abnormally.

A gene called Runx2 is the earliest and most specific indicator of osteoblast formation. However, Runx2 expression precedes the actual appeara

While the health risks of tobacco are well known, several studies have shown that people with a history of cigarette smoking have lower rates of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the explanations for nicotine’s neuroprotective effects continue to be debated.

Now a team of neuroscientists at the University of South Florida College of Medicine presents new evidence of an anti-inflammatory mechanism in the brain by which nicotine may p

Genetic test sought to identify patients most likely to respond

A new anti-cancer agent, gefinitib (Iressa), recently received FDA approval for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after a series of clinical trials and an expanded access program led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). The compound is designed to target and block the activity of the tyrosine kinase enzyme that signals the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), tellin

Ordinary household activities, from dusting to dancing, can increase your exposure to particulate pollution, according to a new study. Whether you are cutting the rug or just vacuuming it, you may be inhaling tiny dust particles that could be harmful to your health.

The report, which quantifies some common indoor activities, appears in the March 15 edition of Environmental Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific soc