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Using high temperature settings on clothes dryers can damage cotton fabrics, according to a study presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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A University of Missouri taste test found "no significant difference" in the flavor of low-fat versus regular chocolate ice cream -- a bonus that may be unique to chocolate ice creams due to the complex mix of chemicals that make up that distinctive flavor, scientists say.

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A new drug that may prevent the death of brain cells endangered by Alzheimer's disease, head injury, stroke or epilepsy was described by a Louisiana State University researcher at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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Researchers have confirmed an old wives' tale: Placing catnip around the house helps keep cockroaches away.

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A simple, inexpensive way of treating cotton textiles with a long-lasting antimicrobial compound -- which rapidly kills pathogenic and odor-causing bacteria, plus a variety of viruses -- was described at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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A potential vaccine against the addictive effects of cocaine was described by a Scripps Research Institute scientist at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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New studies of the effects of alcohol on brain chemistry help to explain why alcoholics experience long-lasting feelings of tension and distress. The studies were described at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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Animal studies by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences used an antibody-based drug to provide immediate protection against the chronic abuse of phencyclidine (PCP). The studies mark the first time that a long-acting treatment has been developed to block or reduce the psychoactive effects of PCP in drug addicts.

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Large doses of vitamin C can prevent illness by alleviating the body's normal response to stress, according to a scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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When children pet the family dog, are they exposed to flea collar insecticides present in the animal's coat? That's the subject of a novel study by Mississippi researchers described at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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New research gives a clearer understanding of how so-called "good cholesterol" helps prevent heart disease and may one day lead to treatments, according to Canadian chemists. The scientists say they have determined that a particular enzyme bound to the "good" high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, acts as a powerful antioxidant within blood vessels.

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The American Chemical Society will designate the research of African-American scientist Percy Lavon Julian (1899-1975) a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Julian was the first to make the anti-glaucoma drug physostigmine synthetically, a necessary step to making the drug widely available.

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University of California researchers say a newly determined structure of the biological particles called prions may help explain how they cause infectious deadly diseases. Aberrant prions cause scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or "mad cow disease") in cows, and various afflictions in people.

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Arsenic concentrations that exceed current recommended federal levels for drinking water are 10 times more likely to be found in domestic wells than in municipal water sources in New Hampshire, according to a study by researchers at Dartmouth College.

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Researchers say they have confirmed, for the first time, that blue-green algae taken as a nutritional supplement can significantly lower cholesterol in animals.

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A new protein-like polymer that supports the growth of endothelial cells and could be used for blood vessel replacement has been designed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology

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New chemicals that, if successful, could become the first osteoporosis treatment to stimulate new bone growth -- rather than merely retard bone loss.

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Most coffee drinkers feel they function better after that morning cup of java, and many researchers agree. But is it addictive? A French medical researcher presented new data that says it isn't addictive for most people.

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New evidence has been reported that a popular nutritional and dietary supplement, called chromium picolinate, may be a cancer risk.

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Scientists are developing a test that, for the first time, is allowing them to monitor urine for chemical indicators of cancer.

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New materials that may extend the wear of contact lenses and lessen the risk of eye infection were described by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley.

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Clothes may soon be able to protect agricultural workers, or even weekend gardeners, from more than the sun. Scientists at the University of California in Davis say they have made cotton fabrics with built-in pesticide detoxifiers.

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Research into new polymers targeted for aircraft safety shows that they are much more fire-resistant than current materials and, when heated, actually produce water vapor and leave a nearly nonflammable residue.

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Researchers have removed up to 99 percent of trichloroethylene from contaminated soil during the first field tests of an innovative remediation method called Lasagna(tm) technology, which uses electrical current fed to electrodes buried in the ground.

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Wrinkle-free cotton clothing made with a new and environmentally friendly method will soon be on the market.

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A new more effective form of the drug Ritalin(tm) (methylphenidate) that produces fewer side effects and has the potential to be used in anticocaine therapy could soon be available.

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Kentucky researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, that a class of common chemical contaminants known as butyltins disrupt the function of critical human immune cells.

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A new, more effective method for destroying potentially deadly toxins called microcystins that can be found in drinking water has been announced by researchers in Scotland. Microcystins are produced by blue-green algae, which can grow in reservoirs, lakes and other bodies of water that are used for municipal drinking water.

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A new bioreactor system that serves up pollutants to "hungry" bacteria promises to clean up "unprecedented" levels of toxic organic chemicals classified as "priority pollutants" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to Canadian researchers. The scientists envision its use in cleaning up contaminated sites and to get rid of old chemical supplies.

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Researchers have developed a new protease inhibitor effective against mutating strains of the human AIDS virus that are resistant to current drugs, according to a just-released report in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Chemical Society. The same chemical may also become the first treatment for feline AIDS, a significant threat to the world cat population.

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The chemicals that give tart cherries their red color may relieve pain better than aspirin and may provide antioxidant protection comparable to commercially available supplements like vitamin E, according to Michigan State University researchers.

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Chemical industry efforts to keep the so-called Y2K computer problem from shutting down safety controls may be further behind than previously thought -- particularly at smaller chemical companies around the nation.

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New evidence suggests that the chemical which prompts a hangover after a night of heavy drinking may also cause cancer, according to an international team of scientists.

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Examining sediment cores from New York's Central Park Lake dating back 100 years, a group of scientists conclude that incineration of solid waste, rather than leaded gasoline, has been the dominant source of atmospheric lead to the New York City metropolitan area, and possibly many other urban areas during the 20th century.

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Observations of the state of science in Cuba, based on discussions with Cuban scientists and U.S. scientists just back from an international scientific meeting in Havana, are reported in this week's edition of the magazine Chemical & Engineering News.

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U.S. government scientists have come up with a way to keep apples from turning brown for up to five weeks after they've been sliced or peeled. The new technique, which uses natural products and doesn't require special packaging, could eventually have a major impact on the marketability of fresh-cut fruit.

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A future war over water is a distinct possibility, according to the director-general of the United Nations Environment Programme, who made his prediction in an interview that appears in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

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An extremely sensitive and selective sensor that can detect minute traces of the chemical nerve agents sarin and soman at levels as low as 600 parts per quadrillion has been successfully tested at Johns Hopkins University.

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The most comprehensive study of in-home formaldehyde emissions to be conducted in more than a decade shows that emissions from new permanent press clothing, paints, floor finishes, wallpaper and fingernail polishes may be more significant than previously recognized.

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A major active ingredient in many sunscreens damages DNA when exposed to sunlight in a test tube, according to scientists in Northern Ireland. They say that if similar damage occurs within skin cells, it could destroy them or possibly initiate changes leading to skin cancer.

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Tests by Japanese researchers show that beer may inhibit the action of mutagens caused by some suspected cancer-causing compounds.

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Scientists have found a protein in the small intestine that may force medical science to re-think long-held beliefs about how the human body absorbs cholesterol and fat, according to a report in the journal Biochemistry. Researchers say the newly discovered protein is directly involved in facilitating uptake of dietary lipids and offers a better target for drugs to combat obesity and heart disease.

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Environmental pollutants that are known to cause cancer in rat mammary tissues are present in human breast milk, according to scientists in Canada.

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Rivers may be emitting significant amounts of nitrous oxide as a result of effluents from wastewater treatment plants and agricultural fields, according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey. In the atmosphere, nitrous oxide (N2O) acts as a catalyst in ozone depletion.

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A phenomenon that today allows scientists to quickly detect illegal drugs without tampering with the packaging, to analyze nuclear waste from safe distances and to detect life-threatening diseases at an early stage will be designated an International Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS).

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Cherry hamburgers may be healthier for you than regular hamburgers, based on the results of a study by scientists looking into this unusual combination. Adding cherries to hamburger meat retards spoilage and reduces the formation of suspected cancer-causing compounds known as HAAs (heterocyclic aromatic amines).

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A newly discovered chemical compound on the surface of some women's kidney cells may explain susceptibility to urinary tract infections, according to current research in the journal Biochemistry. The structure, a specific type of compound known as a glycosphingolipid, is suspected to be on urogenital tract cells in about 30% of all men and women and binds strongly to E. coli bacteria.

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A previously unknown contaminant, similar to PCBs and dioxins, and suspected to be of marine origin, has been found in the eggs of Atlantic and Pacific Ocean seabirds. If a marine organism is proven to be the source, it would be the first instance of a naturally produced organohalogen accumulating in the eggs of wild birds.

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Genetic remnants of an ancient virus, incorporated into every human's DNA, may be responsible for some resistance to anti-AIDS drugs, according to researchers working for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a sub- contractor to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Frederick, Md.

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Scientists say they have demonstrated, for the first time, how a newly discovered and purified protein regulates control of feeding behavior. The research, done at Amgen in Thousand Oaks, Calif., could lead to new strategies for treating obesity.