Astronomers measure the elusive extragalactic background light

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. — If all the light emitted by all galaxies in the observable universe at all wavelengths during all of cosmic history were known, it would clue astronomers about the entire history of galaxy formation and evolution, and provide insights to key aspects of the expansion history of the universe.

How do cold ions slide

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King Richard III 's grave shows what people thought of him

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An academic paper on the archaeology of the Search for Richard III reveals for the first time specific details of the grave dug for King Richard III and discovered under a car park in Leicester.

University of Leicester archaeologists have published the first peer-reviewed paper on the University-led archaeological Search for Richard III in the prestigious journal Antiquity.

The paper reveals:

• Richard III was casually placed in a badly prepared grave – suggesting gravediggers were in a hurry to bury him
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Malnutrition exacerbates Giardia infection in mice

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Giardia is a common parasite that frequently infects young children in the developing world. It is commonly encountered through contaminated food, soil, or water.

The parasite lives inside the intestines and can cause severe diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems and Giardia infection has been associated with developmental growth delays. Because the majority of infected individuals do not experience symptoms and frequently are infected with other pathogens, it is unclear if endemic Giardia directly stunts growth.

Modulating the immune system to combat metastatic cancer

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New fluorescent tools for cancer diagnosis

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Hormone levels may provide key to understanding psychological disorders in women

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Women at a particular stage in their monthly menstrual cycle may be more vulnerable to some of the psychological side-effects associated with stressful experiences, according to a study from UCL.

The results suggest a monthly window of opportunity that could potentially be targeted in efforts to prevent common mental health problems developing in women. The research is the first to show a potential link between psychological vulnerability and the timing of a biological cycle, in this case ovulation.

Youth with type 2 diabetes at much higher risk for heart, kidney disease

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SAN ANTONIO (May 24, 2013) — The news about youth and diabetes keeps getting worse. The latest data from the national TODAY diabetes study shows that children who develop Type 2 diabetes are at high risk to develop heart, kidney and eye problems faster and at a higher rate than people who acquire Type 2 diabetes as adults.

OHSU research highlights promising strategy to help vaccines outsmart HIV

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PORTAND, Ore. – A new discovery at Oregon Health & Science University highlights an ingenious method to ensure the body effectively reacts when infected with the highly evasive HIV virus that causes AIDS. The same team of researchers has been utilizing this unique approach to develop its own HIV vaccine candidate, which has so far shown promising results in animal studies. This latest research finding will be published in the May 24, 2013, edition of the journal Science.

Proteins in migration

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In Parkinson's disease, the protein "alpha-synuclein" aggregates and accumulates within neurons. Specific areas of the brain become progressively affected as the disease develops and advances. The mechanism underlying this pathological progression is poorly understood but could result from spreading of the protein (or abnormal forms of it) along nerve projections connecting lower to upper brain regions.