Clark Science Center - Smith College

Overweight Kids Experience More Loneliness, Anxiety
As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, experts agree that more information is needed about the implications of being overweight as a step toward reversing current trends. A new study has found that overweight children, especially girls, show signs of the negative consequences of being over...

Methane-producing Molecule Can Also Repair DNA
The Archaea are single-celled organisms and a domain unto themselves, quite apart from the so called eukaryotes (bacteria and higher organisms). Many species live under extreme conditions, and carry out unique biochemical processes shared neither with bacteria nor with eukaryotes. Methanogenic archa...

Risk Of Liver Cancer In Women With Hepatitis B Virus Infection Varies With Nu...
Risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary malignancy of the liver, was statistically significantly higher among women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection than among women without the virus, according to a new study.

Police Work Undermines Cardiovascular Health, Comparison To General Populatio...
It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why. In the most recent results coming out of one of the few long-term studies being conducted within this tightly knit society, researchers have determined that underlying the higher incidence...

Triggering Muscle Development: A Therapeutic Cure For Muscle Wastage?
Scientists have shown that if elderly men who were given growth hormone and exercised their legs showed an appreciable muscle mass increase. Researchers say, "This raises the question: Can age-related loss of muscle strength and increased fragility be ameliorated by the therapeutic application of me...

Mars More Like Earth Than Thought? New Details About History Of Water On Red ...
New details have emerged about the history of water on Mars, gleaned from the 2008 NASA Phoenix Mars Mission. Scientists found patterns in the ground near the lander, multi-sided shapes about three to ten meters in size. The shapes are created when the surface contracts and the ice cracks. Sand fill...

Predicting The Return Of Prostate Cancer: New Study Betters The Odds Of Success
Cancer experts say a study tracking 774 prostate cancer patients for a median of eight years has shown that a three-way combination of measurements has the best chance yet of predicting disease metastasis.

Alzheimer's Research Yields Potential Drug Target
Scientists have found laboratory evidence that a cluster of peptides may be the toxic agent in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say the discovery may lead to new drugs for the disease.

What Drives Lung Cancer's Spread?
A new study reveals the genetic underpinnings of what causes lung cancer to quickly metastasize, or spread, to the brain and the bone -- the two most prominent sites of lung cancer relapse.

Human-like Brain Disturbances In Insects: Locusts Shed Light On Migraines, St...
A similarity in brain disturbance between insects and people suffering from migraines, stroke and epilepsy points the way toward new drug therapies to address these conditions.

Hurricane Katrina: Why Some People Stayed Behind
Hurricane Katrina was the largest natural disaster in US history, claiming the lives of more than 1,800 victims and causing well over $100 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast. The 2005 storm breached every levee in New Orleans, flooding almost the entire city as well as the neighboring parishes. ...

Computer Scientists Develop Model For Studying Arrangements Of Tissue Network...
Computer scientists have developed a framework for studying the arrangement of tissue networks created by cell division across a diverse set of organisms, including fruit flies, tadpoles and plants.

Experts Call For Federal Regulation Of Genetic Ancestry Testing
The need for a clear set of rules governing genetic ancestry testing is becoming more urgent, according to experts, given the proliferation of private corporations that promise consumers insight into their genetic origins.

New Material Made From Paper Sludge Could Replace Plastic Packaging
Scientists have developed a new material by applying a biotechnological treatment to paper sludge. In many cases, the new material could replace plastic packaging and certain building materials.

Prostate Cancer Patients Disease Free After Five Years Likely To Be Disease F...
Prostate cancer patients who receive brachytherapy and remain free of disease for five years or greater are unlikely to have a recurrence at 10 years, according to a new study.

Nanotechnology May Increase Longevity Of Dental Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings may be more attractive than silver ones, but the bonds between the white filling and the tooth quickly age and degrade. Researchers hope a new nanotechnology technique will extend the fillings' longevity.

Brain Malformations Significantly Associated With Preterm Birth, Study Suggests
New research provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long-standing question of whether there is an association between preterm birth and brain malformations.

New Type Of El Nino Could Mean More Hurricanes Make Landfall
A new study suggests that the form of El Nino may be changing potentially causing not only a greater number of hurricanes than in average years, but also a greater chance of hurricanes making landfall.

Did Evolution Make Us Cancer Prone?
Researchers have discovered that gene mutations that once helped humans survive may increase the possibility for diseases, including cancer.

Optical Computer Closer: Optical Transistor Made From Single Molecule
Researchers have successfully created an optical transistor from a single molecule. This has brought them one step closer to an optical computer.