oxygen
Mimicking photosynthesis path to solar-derived hydrogen fuel
Inexpensive hydrogen for automotive or jet fuel may be possible by mimicking photosynthesis, according to a Penn State materials chemist, but a number of problems need to be solved first.
“We are focused on the hardest way to make fuel,” said Thom…
Study links hypoxia and inflammation in many diseases
AURORA, Colo. (Feb. 18, 2011) — When the body is deprived of oxygen during a major surgery, the kidneys, heart muscles or lungs can be injured as a result. The problem is that lack of oxygen can lead to inflammation.
Yet some athletes d…
Defense mechanism against bacteria and fungi deciphered
Under standard laboratory conditions, the human beta-defensin 1 (hBD-1), a human antibiotic naturally produced in the body, had always shown only little activity against microbes. Nevertheless the human body produces it in remarkable quantitie…
Oxygen-free early oceans likely delayed rise of life on planet
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Geologists at the University of California, Riverside have found chemical evidence in 2.6-billion-year-old rocks that indicates that Earth’s ancient oceans were oxygen-free and, surprisingly, contained abundant hydrogen s…
VIB-K.U. Leuven scientists clear the way to alternative anti-angiogenic cancer therapy
Leuven — Scientists attached to VIB and K.U.Leuven have succeeded in decoding a potential new anti-cancer mechanism. The researchers discovered that normalizing abnormal tumor blood vessels through HRG (histidine-rich glycoprotein) prevents metast…
Beetroot juice could help people live more active lives
New research into the health benefits of beetroot juice suggests it’s not only athletes who can benefit from its performance enhancing properties — its physiological effects could help the elderly or people with heart or lung-conditions enjoy more…
550 million years ago rise in oxygen drove evolution of animal life
Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) at the University of Oxford have uncovered a clue that may help to explain why the earliest evidence of complex multicellular animal life appears around 550 mil…
Meteorite just one piece of an unknown celestial body
Washington, D.C. — Scientists from all over the world are taking a second, more expansive, look at the car-sized asteroid that exploded over Sudan’s Nubian Desert in 2008. Initial research was focused on classifying the meteorite fragments that wer…
Geologist’s discoveries resolve debate about oxygen in Earth’s mantle
KINGSTON, R.I. — December 13, 2010 — While there continues to be considerable debate among geologists about the availability of oxygen in the Earth’s mantle, recent discoveries by a University of Rhode Island scientist are bringing resolution to …
AGU journal highlights — Dec. 3, 2010
The following highlights summarize research papers that have been recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL).
In this release:
Population trends, not climate, causing increased flood fatalities in Africa
Earth’s lakes warming i…