Clark Science Center Intranet

Gasses from Kilauea volcano affected tropical storm Flossie formation
One might assume that a tropical storm moving through volcanic smog would sweep up the tainted air and march on, unchanged. However, a recent study from atmospheric scientists revealed that, though microscopic, gasses and particles from Kilauea volcano exerted an influence on Tropical Storm Flossie ...

Microscopic rowing -- without a cox
New research shows that the whip-like appendages on many types of cells are able to synchronize their movements solely through interactions with the fluid that surrounds them.

Mortality rates increase due to extreme heat and cold
When temperatures are extremely high or low, there is a significant increase in the number of deaths caused by heart failure or stroke. This has been confirmed by epidemiological studies.

Using TV, videos or a computer game as a stress reducer after a tough day at ...
It seems common practice: After a long day at work, most people sometimes just want to turn on the TV or play a video or computer game to calm down and relax. However, in a new study researchers found that people who were highly stressed after work did not feel relaxed or recovered when they watched...

Healthy lifestyle may buffer against stress-related cell aging
A new study shows that while the impact of life?s stressors accumulate overtime and accelerate cellular aging, these negative effects may be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and sleeping well.

Generating a genome to feed the world: African rice sequenced
An international team of scientists has sequenced the genome of African rice. The new information will enable scientists and agriculturalists to develop varieties of rice that can survive in a changing climate.

Lead pollution beat explorers to South Pole, persists today
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole in December 1911. More than 100 years later, an international team of scientists has proven that air pollution from industrial activities arrived to the planet's southern pole long before any human. Using data from 16 ice...

Stem cell advance may increase efficiency of tissue regeneration
A new stem-cell discovery might one day lead to a more streamlined process for obtaining stem cells, which in turn could be used in the development of replacement tissue for failing body parts, according to scientists.

NASA long-lived Mars Opportunity rover passes 25 miles of driving
NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004, now holds the off-Earth roving distance record after accruing 25 miles (40 kilometers) of driving. The previous record was held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 rover.

Printing the metals of the future
3-D printers can create all kinds of things, from eyeglasses to implantable medical devices, straight from a computer model and without the need for molds. But for making spacecraft, engineers sometimes need custom parts that traditional manufacturing techniques and standard 3-D printers can't creat...

Cassini spacecraft reveals 101 geysers and more on icy Saturn moon
Scientists using mission data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have identified 101 distinct geysers erupting on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. Their analysis suggests it is possible for liquid water to reach from the moon's underground sea all the way to its surface.

Forced mutations doom HIV: How potential HIV drug exacts its toll on viral po...
Fifteen years ago, medical researchers had a novel idea for an HIV drug. They thought if they could induce the virus to mutate uncontrollably, they could force it to weaken and eventually die out -- a strategy that our immune system uses against many viruses.

Mineral magic? Common mineral capable of making and breaking bonds
Researchers have demonstrated how a common mineral acts as a catalysts for specific hydrothermal organic reactions -- negating the need for toxic solvents or expensive reagents.

Dementia patients more likely to get implanted pacemakers, says study
People with dementia are more likely to get implanted pacemakers for heart rhythm irregularities, such as atrial fibrillation, than people who don't have cognitive difficulties, according to researchers. The researchers noted the finding runs counter to expectations that less aggressive intervention...

Electronic screening tool to triage teenagers and risk of substance misuse
An electronic screening tool that starts with a single question to assess the frequency of substance misuse appears to be an easy way to screen teenagers who visited a physician for routine medical care.

Endurance runners more likely to die of heat stroke than heart condition
Heat stroke is 10 times more likely than cardiac events to be life-threatening for runners during endurance races in warm climates, according to a new study. The authors noted the findings may play a role in the ongoing debate over pre-participation ECG screenings for preventing sudden death in athl...

Running reduces risk of death regardless of duration, speed
Running for only a few minutes a day or at slow speeds may significantly reduce a person's risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to someone who does not run, according to a new study.

Memory relies on astrocytes, the brain's lesser known cells: supportive cells...
When you're expecting something -- like the meal you've ordered at a restaurant -- or when something captures your interest, unique electrical rhythms sweep through your brain.

Physicists unlock nature of high-temperature superconductivity
Physicists have identified the 'quantum glue' that underlies a promising type of superconductivity -- a crucial step towards the creation of energy superhighways that conduct electricity without current loss.

Stress-tolerant tomato relative sequenced
The genome of Solanum pennellii, a wild relative of the domestic tomato, has been published by an international group of researchers. The new genome information may help breeders produce tastier, more stress-tolerant tomatoes.