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This is a biology-specific news aggregator linking to the most recent copyrighted news and articles on popular websites. Our sources
September 05, 2008

What is histoplasmosis?

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 7:30pm EDT

Fungal infections are common and usually treatable. But they can be deadly in patients with immune systems compromised by diseases such as AIDS or by meds taken to keep them in check when they become too active (causing so-called autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), or to prevent rejection of organ transplants. [More]

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No Fire in the Hole!: Firefighters Use Flame-Retardant Grenades

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 6:10pm EDT

A new grenadelike gadget--designed to quickly extinguish flames in small quarters, thereby limiting injury to victims as well as firefighters--is becoming an important part of firemen's arsenals. [More]

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Ghostbusters to come out of retirement: No. 3 in the works

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 2:45pm EDT

You'd think fighting ghosts would be a business with longevity, what with people dying every day and all. And wuddya know: the Ghostbusters are making a comeback, Variety is reporting. [More]

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Researchers Pinpoint Genes Linked to Childhood Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

Researchers have identified a pair of genes that increase a child's risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) before the age of 19--adding to a growing list of 30 known genetic factors for the malady.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic condition that affects an estimated 1.4 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Abnormal immune responses lead to inflammation in the digestive tract lining causing several disorders, the most common of which are Crohn's disease (usually affecting the small intestine) and ulcerative colitis (restricted to the colon). [More]

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Eco-Afterlife: Green Burial Options

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that increasing eco-awareness around the world has now extended itself to the afterlife, whereby burials can even be “green.” Is that true? -- Mary Lewis, Duxbury, MA

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A Guide to Hurricanes

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 11:00am EDT
Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike: What's next for the U.S.? What causes nature's destructive storms? How do scientists study and predict them? How are they linked to global warming? [More]

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50 Years Ago: Greatest Scientific Discovery is Science Itself

Scientific American - Posted: September 5th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

SEPTEMBER 1958THE CREATIVE PROCESS-- “The most remarkable discovery made by scientists is science itself. The discovery must be compared in importance with the invention of cave-painting and of writing. Like these earlier human creations, science is an attempt to control our surroundings by entering into them and understanding them from inside. And like them, science has surely made a critical step in human development which cannot be reversed. We cannot conceive a future society without science. --Jacob Bronowski”

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