To test three theories that might explain an outfielder's ability to catch a fly ball, researchers had to produce realistic balls and simulate catches. Scientists then lobbed virtual fly balls to a dozen experienced ball players.

Chemists have confirmed that the substance used to hermetically seal an amphora found among remains at Lixus, in Morocco, was pine resin. The scientists also studied the metallic fragments inside the 2,000-year-old vessel, which could be fragments of material used for iron-working.

Researchers have developed a remarkable new method to precisely track transmission of MRSA from one person to another in a hospital setting. The method "zooms" from large-scale inter-continental transmission events to person-to-person infection of MRSA within a single hospital. The technique, which harnesses the latest high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, helps researchers understand how strains spread so rapidly, and should lead to novel infection control strategies, not only for MRSA but also for other emerging superbugs.

A new study in human cells has singled out a molecule that specifically directs immune cells to develop the capability to produce an allergic response. The signaling molecule, called thymic stromal lymphopoietin, is key to the development of allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and food allergy.

Researchers have shown one way in which gliomas, a deadly type of brain tumor, can evade drugs aimed at blocking a key cell signaling protein, epidermal growth factor receptor, that is crucial for tumor growth.

New research finds that insect colonies follow some of the same biological "rules" as individuals, a finding that suggests insect societies operate like a single "superorganism" in terms of their physiology and life cycle.

Years before adults develop schizophrenia, there is a pattern of cognitive difficulties they experience as children, including problems with verbal reasoning, working memory, attention and processing speed. Drawing on a long-term study of more than 1,000 New Zealanders born from 1972 to 1973, researchers have found a consistent pattern of developmental difficulties that first appeared when adult study subjects with schizophrenia were 7 years old.

The population of chimpanzees across western Africa has decreased by 75 percent in the past 30 years, due in part to widespread chimp hunting. New strategies are needed to curb this illegal activity, experts say. Now, new research suggests that genetics may provide valuable clues as to how to crack down on the animal smuggling trade, while also helping to safely reintroduce rescued apes into the wild.

Recent studies of stream channel offsets along the San Andreas Fault reveal new information about fault behavior -- affecting how we understand the potential for damaging earthquakes.

Treadmill training can be used to help people with Parkinson's disease achieve better walking movements, say researchers. In a systematic review of the evidence, Cochrane researchers concluded treadmill training could be used to improve specific gait parameters in Parkinson's patients.