Researchers have developed a reliable method for detecting silver nanoparticles in fresh produce and other food products. 

Is there a need for that? Perhaps. Over the last few years, the use of nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, pesticides, cosmetics and other industries has increased. Farmers have used silver nanoparticles as a pesticide because of their capability to suppress the growth of harmful organisms - but it is unknown if these particles pose a potential health risk to humans and the environment.  

Decitabine, a drug used to treat blood cancers, may also stop the spread of invasive breast cancer. according to a study done in lab and animal models. Decitabine turns on a gene coding for protein kinase D1 (PRKD1) that halts the ability of cancer cells to separate from a tumor and spread to distant organs.

In the United States, 34 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 are overweight or obese.  That has led policy makers and advocates to focus on controlling foods

Unhealthy lifestyle factors that begin in childhood, such as physical inactivity, lack of exercise and diet contribute to both the development of obesity and other chronic diseases, but it is unclear whether obesity itself or the associated lifestyle factors are underlying causes of cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction and the related development of chronic disease. 

Satellite pictures of Saharan dust clouds have been in the news all summer - they don't just impact Africa, they even impact air quality in far-away cities like Houston.

Clouds of African dust often migrate across the Atlantic Ocean during summer months, affecting even U.S. air quality from mid-June through mid-September. Chellam said it's especially prevalent in late August and early September.

The dust, whipped up by sandstorms in northwest Africa and carried by trade winds across the Atlantic Ocean, takes about 10 days to two weeks to reach the United States and then even Texas.

Everyone agrees that interdisciplinary research is a good idea - for someone else. A survey of social and environmental scientists found that limits to career advancement and lack of credit for promotion and tenure were big obstacles.

There have been efforts to promote work on interactions between humans and the environment but success has been elusive. To better understand the obstacles facing natural and social scientists attempting such work, PhD student Eric D. Roy of Louisiana State University and co-authors from a variety of institutions surveyed researchers at all career stages who were interested and experienced in such research. 

Anthropomorphism is overlooked as a powerful tool for promoting low-profile species that are either endangered or require urgent attention, say the authors of a new paper.

As has been noted in the past, it also helps to use cute animals.

At present, anthropomorphism in conservation is limited to social, intelligent animals, such as chimpanzees, polar bears and dolphins but the authors say we shouldn't imply that other species are not worthy of conservation because they are not like humans in the 'right' ways.