Cleft palate has been linked to dozens of genes. During their investigation of one of these genes, researchers were surprised to find that cleft palate occurs both when the gene is more active and when it is less active than normal.

Bacteria that infect chronic wounds can be deadly to maggot "bio-surgeons" used to treat the lesions, show researchers. The findings could lead to more effective treatment of wounds and the development of novel antibiotics.

Researchers have demonstrated the first laser built from germanium that can emit wavelengths of light useful for optical communications. It's also the first germanium laser to operate at room temperature. Unlike the materials typically used in lasers, germanium is easy to incorporate into existing processes for manufacturing silicon chips. So the result could prove an important step toward computers that move data -- and maybe even perform calculations -- using light instead of electricity.

New research about the effects of acupuncture on the brain may provide an understanding of the complex mechanisms of acupuncture and could lead to a wider acceptability of the treatment.

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A coyote howls, its characteristically pointed muzzle aimed high toward the night sky. But the moon is not visible over this brightly lit Target store parking lot in Matamoras, Penn.--only a glowing globe atop a metal pole casting its electric illumination on the pavement. [More]

New research may help more smokers keep their New Year's resolution by helping them quit smoking. Extended use of a nicotine patch -- 24 weeks versus the standard eight weeks recommended by manufacturers -- boosts the number of smokers who maintain their cigarette abstinence and helps more of those who backslide into the habit while wearing the patch, according to a new study.

The increasing acidity of the world's oceans -- and that acidity's growing threat to marine species -- are definitive proof that the atmospheric carbon dioxide that is causing climate change is also negatively affecting the marine environment.

Overeating in mice triggers a molecule once considered to be only involved in detecting and fighting viruses to also destroy normal metabolism, leading to insulin resistance and setting the stage for diabetes.