ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

New processing technology converts used packing peanuts to battery components

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT

Researchers have shown how to convert waste packing peanuts into high-performance carbon electrodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that outperform conventional graphite electrodes, representing an environmentally friendly approach to reuse the waste.

Air pollutants could boost potency of common airborne allergens

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:02 AM PDT

A pair of air pollutants linked to climate change could also be major contributors to the unparalleled rise in the number of people sneezing, sniffling and wheezing during allergy season. The gases, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone, appear to provoke chemical changes in certain airborne allergens that may increase their potency. That, in combination with changes in global climate could help explain why allergies are becoming more common.

Special microbes make anti-obesity molecule in the gut

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:02 AM PDT

Microbes may just be the next diet craze. Researchers have programmed bacteria to generate a molecule that, through normal metabolism, becomes a hunger-suppressing lipid. Mice that drank water laced with the programmed bacteria ate less, had lower body fat and staved off diabetes -- even when fed a high-fat diet -- offering a potential weight-loss strategy for humans.

Chlorine use in sewage treatment could promote antibiotic resistance

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:02 AM PDT

Chlorine, a disinfectant used in most wastewater treatment plants, may be failing to eliminate pharmaceuticals from wastes. As a result, trace levels get discharged from the treatment plants into waterways. Now, scientists are reporting that chlorine treatment may encourage the formation of new, unknown antibiotics that could enter the environment, potentially contributing to the problem of antibiotic resistance.

Opossum-based antidote to venom from snake bites could save thousands of lives

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:02 AM PDT

Scientists have turned to the opossum to develop a promising new and inexpensive antidote for venomous snake bites. They predict it could save thousands of lives worldwide without the side effects of current treatments.

Molecule from plants could make our roads and roofs 'greener'

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:01 AM PDT

Construction crews may someday use a plant molecule called lignin in their asphalt and sealant mixtures to help roads and roofs hold up better under various weather conditions and make them more environmentally friendly.

Vitamin D may keep low-grade prostate cancer from becoming aggressive

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:01 AM PDT

Taking vitamin D supplements could slow or even reverse the progression of less aggressive, or low-grade, prostate tumors without the need for surgery or radiation, scientists say.

Regaining normal sexual functioning is 'rare' after prostate operations

Posted: 21 Mar 2015 04:55 PM PDT

Regaining normal erectile function is rare after the most common prostate operation, radical prostatectomy, new research suggests.