IGR J18245-2452, located about 18,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius in a cluster of stars known as M28, is a neutron star with the peculiar ability to transform from a radio pulsar into an X-ray pulsar and back again.

The star's capricious behavior appears to be fueled by a nearby companion star and may give new insights into the birth of millisecond pulsars.

New methods are needed to fight the infection Clostridium difficile and better use of antibiotics could be key, according to a new paper.

Clostridium difficile (C.diff) causes severe diarrhoea, cramps and sometimes life-threatening complications, and has traditionally been thought to be transmitted within hospitals from other sick C.diff patients.
 

In a United Kingdom study, the team mapped all cases of Clostridium difficile (C.diff) in Oxfordshire over a three-year period (2008 to 2011) and found that less than one in five cases of the "hospital superbug" were likely to have been caught from other hospital cases of C.diff, where the focus of infection control measures has been.

Earlier studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids,  found in fatty fish such as salmon and in nuts, benefit thinking skills. A new paper in Neurology, based on a study that involved 2,157 women age 65 to 80 who were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative clinical trials of hormone therapy,  disputes that.

The women were given annual tests of thinking and memory skills for an average of six years. Blood tests were taken to measure the amount of omega-3s in the participants' blood before the start of the study.

The discovery of what may be the earliest known creature with what can be discerned as a face has been reported in Nature. Entelognathus primordialis is an exceptionally well-preserved 419-million-year-old fish from China that is the most primitive vertebrate to have a modern type of jaw.

This fish is a placoderm, one of a member of an extinct group of gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates), but its jaw is much more like that of a modern bony fish: its discovery may offer a new perspective on the early evolution of these creatures.

Raytheon Company is recognizing 32 teachers from 18 states as "Math Heroes" for their work promoting student enthusiasm and achievement in math. 

Each Math Hero receives a $2,500 award and a matching grant for his or her school. Winners are selected based on compelling submissions from nominators on the effective and creative ways teachers work with students in math, drawing on new and advanced approaches.Nominations were done by students, parents and school administrators.