Earth

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. Shellfish is the third most common food allergy to cause anaphylaxis. However, according to a study being presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Baltimore, Nov. 7-11, anaphylaxis due to shrimp is rare in children, under 8 percent. Researchers found shrimp allergy in children studied presented moderate reactions, such as rapid skin swelling, itching and redness.

In research meant to highlight how the destruction of the Amazon rainforest could affect climate elsewhere, Princeton University-led researchers report that the total deforestation of the Amazon may significantly reduce rain and snowfall in the western United States, resulting in water and food shortages, and a greater risk of forest fires.

In a new study, Dartmouth researchers rule out a controversial theory that the accelerating expansion of the universe is an illusion.

While the findings don't explain the cosmic speed-up, they eliminate one provocative possibility that our planet, solar system and galaxy are at the center of the universe and that there is no dark energy. The findings appear in the journal Physical Review D. A PDF of the study is available on request.

n the first randomized trial of the effects of cell phone use, University of Kansas and Notre Dame researchers found that when parenting coaches texted and called mothers who had participated in a home-based parenting program, they were much more likely than the other mothers in the study to learn and use positive parenting strategies — both immediately following and six months after the program ended.

One of Shirley O. Corriher's first lessons on how chemistry meets cooking came in the form of scrambled eggs stuck to a frying pan. That experience set the former biochemist on a journey to become an award-winning food writer. Corriher is the subject of the latest episode of a popular video series from the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

BALTIMORE, MD. (November 7, 2013) – From gluten allergy and hypoallergenic pets, to avoiding the flu shot because of an egg allergy, there are a lot of common myths and misconceptions about allergies. Many might be shocking due to a great deal of false information in the media and on the Internet. And some of the misconceptions can be damaging to your health if vaccinations are skipped and extreme dietary avoidances are taken.

The degradation of drilling sumps associated with hydrocarbon extraction can negatively affect aquatic ecosystems, according to new research published November 6th in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Joshua Thienpont and colleagues at Queen's University and other institutions.

Hydrocarbons are a primary source of energy as combustible fuel. Although hydrocarbon exploration and extraction are profitable enterprises, hydrocarbons contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases and are therefore a major stressor to the environment.

As more businesses find their way into the cloud, few engage in security measures beyond those provided by the associated cloud storage firm, a new report from Georgia Tech notes. Even fewer seek heightened data protection because of concerns that usability and access to remote data would be significantly reduced.

New insights gleaned from volcanic rock are helping scientists better understand how our planet evolved billions of years ago.

Studies of basalt, the material that forms from cooling lava, are being used to develop a timeline of how the planet and its atmosphere were formed.

Scientists examined liquid basalt – or magma – at record high pressures and temperatures. Their findings suggest molten magma once formed an ocean within the Earth's mantle, comprising two layers of fluid separated by a crystalline layer.

FROSTBURG, MD (November 6, 2013) – A new study shows that the reduction of pollution emissions from power plants in the mid-Atlantic is making an impact on the quality of the water that ends up in the Chesapeake Bay. The study by scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science confirms that as the amount of emissions of nitrogen oxide from coal-fired power plants declined in response to the Clean Air Act, the amount of nitrogen pollution found in the waterways of forested areas in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia fell as well.

A theoretical, three-dimensional (3D) form of carbon that is metallic under ambient temperature and pressure has been discovered by an international research team.

The findings, which may significantly advance carbon science, are published online this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a compact atomic clock design that relies on cold rubidium atoms instead of the usual hot atoms, a switch that promises improved precision and stability.

According to a recent study published by the National Science Foundation (NSF), state government agency expenditures for research and development (R&D) totaled $1.4 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2011, an 11 percent increase over the $1.3 billion reported in FY 2010.

In addition, expenditures for R&D construction projects, major building renovations and land and building acquisitions intended primarily for R&D use totaled $109 million in FY 2011, a 2 percent increase over the $107 million reported in FY 2010 for the same projects.

A study published this week in PLOS Medicine reports the most recent and comprehensive estimates on how much death and disability is attributable to depression, both world-wide and in individual countries and regions.

Rates and ranking among all causes of disability varied by country and by region. The rates are highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan, and depression ranks first in Central America and Central and Southeast Asia. Disability from depression affects mostly people in their working years, and women more than men.

Screening and treating pregnant women in sub Saharan Africa for syphilis* may be a cost-effective use of resources, according to a study published in this week's PLOS Medicine.