Leukemia can be a terrifying diagnosis for the more than 60,000 U.S. patients who are told they have this blood cancer every year. But the treatment for this disease can be just as frightening. For patients with certain forms of leukemia, the only chance they have for a cure is to receive a massive dose of radiation and chemotherapy that kills their hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells responsible for making new blood, and then receive new HSCs from a healthy donor.

People who are easily disgusted by body odours are also drawn to authoritarian political leaders. A survey showed a strong connection between supporting a society led by a despotic leader and being sensitive to body odours like sweat or urine. It might come from a deep-seated instinct to avoid infectious diseases. 'There was a solid connection between how strongly someone was disgusted by smells and their desire to have a dictator-like leader who can supress radical protest movements and ensure that different groups "stay in their places".

The risk of man-made earthquakes due to fracking is greatly reduced if high-pressure fluid injection used to crack underground rocks is 895m away from faults in the Earth's crust, according to new research.

The recommendation, from the ReFINE (Researching Fracking) consortium, is based on published microseismic data from 109 fracking operations carried out predominantly in the USA.

Jointly led by Durham and Newcastle Universities, UK, the research looked at reducing the risk of reactivating geological faults by fluid injection in boreholes.

A new microfluidic device developed by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) may help realize the potential of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) - tiny lipid particles that carry molecules through the bloodstream - as biomarkers that could monitor a tumor's response to therapy and provide detailed information to guide treatment choice.

A team led by Michigan Technological University set out to find what makes STEM integration tick. Their research--published in the International Journal of STEM Education--followed several case studies to observe the impacts of low, medium and high degrees of integration within a classroom. They found that across the board the greatest challenge that teachers face is making explicit connections between STEM fields while balancing the need for context and student engagement.

Researchers have, for the first time, integrated two technologies widely used in applications such as optical communications, bio-imaging and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) systems that scan the surroundings of self-driving cars and trucks.

BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA and CARDIFF, UK - In an article published in SPIE's Journal of Biomedical Optics, researchers announce new advances in measuring blood flow velocity in deep tissue. Blood flow speed is a critical element in assessing tissue functionality as well as diagnosing diseases, and photoacoustic flowmetry (PAF) is already acknowledged as a promising technique for deep tissue measurement of blood flow velocity.

As infants develop, they preferentially move towards and respond to social cues - such as voices, faces and human gestures. At the same time, their brain develops a network of regions that specialise in translating these cues, known as the 'social brain'. However, a common observation in infants later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is reduced sensitivity and attention towards these social cues during the first year of life. This apparent indifference to social cues is thought to ultimately hinder the normal development of the social brain at early developmental stages.

The island chain of Hawaii consists of several volcanoes, which are fed by a "hotspot". In geosciences a "hotspot" refers to a phenomenon of columnar shaped streams, which transport hot material from the deep mantle to the surface. Like a blow torch, the material burns through the Earth's crust and forms volcanoes. For a long time, it was assumed that these hotspots are stationary. If the tectonic plate moves across it, a chain of volcanoes evolves, with the youngest volcano at one end, the oldest at the other.

States with robust tobacco control policies and regulations, such as smoke free air laws and taxes on cigarettes, not only have fewer cigarette users but also fewer e-cigarette users, according to research from NYU School of Medicine and the NYU College of Global Public Health.

The findings, published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, suggest that existing state-level tobacco control measures likely influence e-cigarette use, despite their focus on traditional cigarettes.