A near-vertical wall of water in what had been an otherwise placid sea shocked all on board the ocean liner Teutonic --including the crew--on that Sunday in February, more than a century ago. [More]

Prevention of H1N1 influenza virus through vaccination must be our top priority if disease patterns in the northern hemisphere follow those in the southern hemisphere this fall, according to experts.

As much as half of California could be occupied by new bird communities by 2070, according to a new study.

The presence of tumor cells circulating in the blood is associated with shortened survival. Now, researchers in Japan have developed a simple imaging system to detect circulating tumor cells, which could help clinicians hoping to predict a patient's chances of survival and/or monitor a patient's response to treatment.

The green mussel is known for being a notoriously invasive fouling species, but scientists have just discovered that it also has a very powerful form of adhesion in its foot. The stickiness of the mussel's foot could possibly be copied to form new artificial adhesives.

Body mass index readings may not be the best gauge of obesity in older adults, according to new research from endocrinologists and geriatricians. Instead, they say, the ratio of waist size to hip size may be a better indicator when it comes to those over 70. Obesity is often associated with premature mortality because it leads to an increased risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke and other major health problems.

Scientists here have demonstrated that the link between diesel fume exposure and cancer lies in how diesel exhaust induces the growth of new blood vessels that supply solid tumors. The researchers found that in both healthy and diseased animals, more new blood vessels sprouted in mice exposed to diesel exhaust than did in mice exposed to clean, filtered air. This suggests that previous illness isn't required to make humans susceptible to the damaging effects of the diesel exhaust.

High-school put-downs are such a staple of teen culture that many educators don't take them seriously. However, a study suggests that classroom disruptions and psychologically hostile school environments can contribute to a climate in which good students have difficulty learning and students who are behind have trouble catching up.

A new iPhone application, created by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, enables users to track and report outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as H1N1, on the ground in real time.

Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent. The study was conducted by researchers who tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice.