http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Toxins produced by plants and bacteria pose a significant threat to humans, as emphasized by the recent effects of cucumber-borne Shiga toxin in Germany. Now, new research published on July 21st by the Cell Press journal Developmental Cell provides a clearer view of the combination of similar and divergent strategies that different toxins use to invade a human host cell. http://phys.org/news230481826.html Biology Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:44:11 EST news230481826 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from NOAA have discovered a potent and highly-debilitating toxin in the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, a first-of-its-kind chemical finding that is now prompting investigations of other marine mammals in the state. http://phys.org/news226750029.html Biology Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:20:02 EST news226750029 A field of golden-flowered stems swaying in an autumn breeze may evoke a peaceful scene. But this tranquility belies serious battles between natural enemies that took place in the spring. In particular, young goldenrod stems are subjected to attack by several species of insects that lay eggs in their apical-leaf buds, inducing growths called galls that can reduce or even completely prevent goldenrod from flowering and producing seeds. http://phys.org/news187277955.html Biology Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:39:41 EST news187277955 Tobacco might become as well known for keeping us healthy as it is for causing illness thanks to researchers from the U.K. In a new research report appearing in the March 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal scientists explain how they developed a genetically modified strain of tobacco that helps temper the damaging effects of toxic pond scum, scientifically known as microcystin-LR (MC-LR), which makes water unsafe for drinking, swimming, or fishing. This plant could serve as a major tool for helping keep water sources safe to use, especially in developing nations. http://phys.org/news186660152.html Medicine & Health Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:30:01 EST news186660152 A study involving the world's deadliest substance has yielded a new strategy to clear toxins from the body—which may lead to more efficient strategies against toxins that may be used in a bioterrorist event, as well as snake bites, scorpion stings, and even some important chronic diseases. http://phys.org/news186311165.html Medicine & Health Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:06:26 EST news186311165 Researchers have found a new oncogenic signaling pathway by which the environmental toxin arsenic may lead to adverse health effects, including bladder cancer. These study results are published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. http://phys.org/news186154228.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:30:01 EST news186154228 Scorpion venom is notoriously poisonous -- but it might be used as an alternative to dangerous and addictive painkillers like morphine, a Tel Aviv University researcher claims. http://phys.org/news185553672.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:00:02 EST news185553672 A preliminary study suggests the same type of botulinum injection used for cosmetic purposes may be associated with reduced frequency of migraine headaches that are described as crushing, vicelike or eye-popping (ocular), but not pain that is experienced as a buildup of pressure inside the head, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Dermatology. http://phys.org/news185475919.html Medicine & Health Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:30:01 EST news185475919 (PhysOrg.com) -- Your facial expression may tell the world what you are thinking or feeling. But it also affects your ability to understand written language related to emotions, according to research that was presented today (Jan. 29) to the Society for Personal and Social Psychology in Las Vegas and that will be published in the journal Psychological Science. http://phys.org/news183995939.html Medicine & Health Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:59:26 EST news183995939 The nectar of the almond tree produces an extraordinary and dangerous poison. This is the only known plant to have this poison in its flowers' nectar. A study carried out at the University of Haifa has revealed that bees are mysteriously drawn to the toxic substance. http://phys.org/news183907717.html Biology Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:28:54 EST news183907717 Mankind may finally have a weapon to fight two of the world's deadliest diseases. http://phys.org/news183723729.html Medicine & Health Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:24:06 EST news183723729 New research suggests a family of widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs might help protect individuals from serious illness following bacterial infection, including the pneumococcal infections that pose a deadly threat to those with sickle cell disease. http://phys.org/news183186822.html Medicine & Health Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:30:02 EST news183186822 (PhysOrg.com) -- Most people need about two days to recover from being sickened by foods contaminated with what's known as staphylococcal enterotoxin A, or "SEA." Produced by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, this toxin is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States and worldwide, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research chemist Reuven Rasooly. http://phys.org/news180108224.html Biology Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:20:07 EST news180108224 (AP) -- No Asian carp have been spotted so far in a Chicago canal during a massive fish kill aimed at trying to keep the giant fish out of the Great Lakes. http://phys.org/news179087700.html Biology Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:50:01 EST news179087700 A major obstacle to HIV research is the virus's exquisite specialisation for its human host - meaning that scientists' traditional tools, like the humble lab mouse, can deliver only limited information. Now, a team of researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Biology have made an ingenious assault on this problem by creating a mouse that has key features of HIV infection without being infected with HIV. http://phys.org/news178801590.html Medicine & Health Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:20:01 EST news178801590 (PhysOrg.com) -- Whitehead researchers have developed a new approach for genetics in human cells and used this technique to identify specific genes and proteins required for pathogens. http://phys.org/news178454319.html Biology Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:39:54 EST news178454319 (AP) -- Scientists say they think toxins from a blue-green algae plaguing lakes and rivers around the West are harming an endangered fish in the Klamath Basin, adding another obstacle to restoring species that have forced irrigation shutoffs for farmers. http://phys.org/news178391924.html Biology Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:30:02 EST news178391924 (PhysOrg.com) -- Queensland scientists have developed a world-first database that catalogues the venom components from hundreds of spiders. http://phys.org/news178227344.html Biology Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:36:43 EST news178227344 Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in everything from cosmetics to sunscreen to paint to vitamins, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. http://phys.org/news177608158.html Nanotechnology Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:36:25 EST news177608158 (PhysOrg.com) -- About five years ago, Professor Janet Sawicki at the Lankenau Institute in Pennsylvania read an article about nanoparticles developed by MIT's Robert Langer for gene therapy, the insertion of genes into living cells for the treatment of disease. Sawicki was working on treating ovarian cancer by delivering -- through viruses -- the gene for the diphtheria toxin, which kills tumor cells. http://phys.org/news176720244.html Nanotechnology Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:58:32 EST news176720244 (PhysOrg.com) -- A toxin produced by mold on nuts and grains can cause liver cancer if consumed in large quantities. UC Irvine researchers for the first time have discovered what triggers the toxin to form, which could lead to methods of limiting its production. http://phys.org/news175352760.html Chemistry Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:06:47 EST news175352760 Injecting botulinum toxin (botox) to treat intrinsic or allergic rhinitis may be a thing of the past as researchers have now shown that sponges soaked in botox are equally effective in treating the condition. The research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Head & Face Medicine offers a potential needle-free treatment to the millions of people who suffer from rhinitis. http://phys.org/news174853459.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:00:01 EST news174853459 New guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology identify the most effective treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often called Lou Gehrig's disease. The guidelines are published in the October 13, 2009, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://phys.org/news174583624.html Medicine & Health Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:29:29 EST news174583624 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the Laser and Skin Cancer Center of Indiana, (Carmel, Indiana), found that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of procedures performed and patient demand for dermatologic health care since 2000. The findings, which were recently reported in Dermatologic Surgery, parallels the growth in the age of individuals between the ages of 40 to 55, who make up the "Baby Boomer" generation. http://phys.org/news173968864.html Medicine & Health Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:11 EST news173968864 The most effective way to prevent the deliberate misuse of biological select agents and toxins (BSATs) -- agents housed in laboratories across the U.S. considered to potentially pose a threat to human health -- is to instill a culture of trust and responsibility in the laboratory, says a new report from the National Research Council. Focusing on the laboratory environment will be critical for identifying and reducing concerns about facilities or personnel. http://phys.org/news173538135.html Other Sciences Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:02:54 EST news173538135 (AP) -- Over the last decade, the drinking water at thousands of schools across the country has been found to contain unsafe levels of lead, pesticides and dozens of other toxins. http://phys.org/news173077186.html Space & Earth Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:23 EST news173077186 A powerful fish-killing toxin could have cancer-killing properties as well, according to collaborative research led by Agricultural Research Service microbiologist Paul V. Zimba and chemist Peter Moeller of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The toxin, called euglenophycin, has a molecular structure similar to that of solenopsin, an alkaloid from fire ant venom known to inhibit tumor development. http://phys.org/news171732651.html Chemistry Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:30:01 EST news171732651 A new vaccine against pneumonia may offer better protection from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients than the currently accepted vaccine, according to recent research that will be published in the September 15 issue of the American Journal of the Respiratory and Critical Care Journal, a publication of the American Thoracic Society. http://phys.org/news171607245.html Medicine & Health Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:41:19 EST news171607245 A method to detect contaminants in municipal water supplies has undergone further refinements by two Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers whose findings are published on line in Water Environment Research. http://phys.org/news170676410.html Space & Earth Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:08:19 EST news170676410 (PhysOrg.com) -- Naturally occurring organic matter in water and sediment appears to play a key role in helping microbes convert tiny particles of mercury in the environment into a form that is dangerous to most living creatures. http://phys.org/news169827722.html Space & Earth Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:22:45 EST news169827722