…me photos, he is reading Friday’s copy of the Communist Party newspaper Granma. Fidel Castro led Cuba after the revolution in 1959, first as prime minister (1959-1976) and later as president. In 2006, surgery took Fidel Castro out of public view. His brother Raul became acting president. In February 2008, Fidel Castro officially handed over power to Raul who has been leading the country sinc…
Oct 22 2012 | Posted in
Americas News |
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Controversial author Ed Klein claims Hillary Clinton does have the White House in her sights for 2016 but only “if her health holds out”. Ed Klein claims the Secretary of State, now 64, is planning to take time off to “get back into shape” but – in comments that are unlikely to be welcomed by Hillary Clinton – remarked that she looks “overweight” and “very tired’. The author – t…
…because they allow her “to transform my interests in physics, chemistry, and biology into solutions for current health problems.” She won the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2011 Grand Award and the ISEF 2010 Grand Award (both for medicine and health science), and a trip to attend the Taiwan International Science Fair awarded by the National Taiwan Science Education Cent…
Jul 2 2012 | Posted in
Education,
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…a different reason – a service module failed to separate from Gagarin’s capsule before he returned to earth, leading it to spin wildly and the temperature within to rise dangerously high. 5. Dan Martin When intensive care consultant Dan Martin climbed Everest, he reported the lowest level of oxygen in the human body ever recorded – his own. While not a daredevil as such, he is p…
…as cancer or heart disease. In the placebo group, the rate was 30.4%. There were 120 cases of cancer in those taking vitamins, compared to 139 in the placebo group, and 65 heart disease cases, against 57 among the dummy pill users. In a report on their findings, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the researchers said: “The perception that supplementation improves general well-…
…visory panel suggested the data could be used by terrorists. Biosecurity experts fear a mutant form of the virus could spark a pandemic deadlier than the 1918-19 Spanish flu outbreak that killed up to 40 million people. The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) recommended key details to be omitted from publication of the research, which sparked international furor. “I woul…
…ng. A team from Cambridge University then looked to see whether such a mutation could emerge naturally and if so its likelihood. The researchers studied the genetic structure of 3,000 bird viruses and 400 that occur in humans. They found some of these viruses had two of the key changes needed to become airborne. Mathematical modeling suggested it was indeed possible for a virus to develop the thre…
o get the most from their treatments and for families to help them to remain well,” said Steve Gray, healthcare services director of Lloydspharmacy. According to World Health Organization around 50% of all patients do not take their medicines correctly. This can lead to people not getting the full benefits of treatment, or to harmful side-effects. NHS spends £400m a year on unused prescripti…
st’s acrylic and a mount for the tags of neoprene strips held in place by a silicone-based adhesive. Laboratory trials showed this combination would keep the tracker locked down for a minimum of 50-plus days. In contrast, hard epoxy preparations would come off after only a couple of weeks. Dr. Kate Mansfield and colleagues are now compiling a report on what they have learnt about neonate dis…
There were studies suggesting that diabetes increases a person’s lifetime risk of developing thyroid cancer, and a new report published shows this linkage for retirement-age Americans. The medical scientists found that if a person between 50 and 71 years old has diabetes the 10-year risk of thyroid cancer is increased by one-quarter. The researchers founded their conclusions on data…
…7(7): e1002182. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002182 Contact: Dr. Beatriz Martinez-Delgado and Dr. Javier Benitez Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) Human Genetics Melchor Fernandez Almagro 3 Madrid 28029 SPAIN bmartinez@cnio.es jbenitez@cnio.es Disclaimer This press release refers to an upcoming article in PLoS Genetics. The release is provided by journal staff, or by the article aut…
rette inhales four times as much tar as from a tobacco cigarette, and five times as much carbon monoxide, the BLF says. Its survey found that young people are particularly unaware of the risks. Almost 40% of the under-35s surveyed – the age group most likely to have smoked it – thought cannabis was not harmful. However, each cannabis cigarette they smoke increases their chances of deve…
Jun 6 2012 | Posted in
Health |
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Twins Roku and Hex are the world’s first chimeric monkeys, who have been created with genetic material from six “parents” at Oregon Health and Science University in the U.S. The monkeys’ birth has caused an ethical storm, with critics accusing scientists of disregarding the welfare of the animals. Named after the fire-breathing creature in Greek mythology composed of parts of multiple animals, ch…
“Bicholim Conflict” was voted a “good article” – a Wikipedia badge of honor – and sat happily on the online encyclopedia for more than half a decade. But editors have lately discovered a small issue with the site’s meticulously written 4,500 word article detailing the 17th century Bicholim Conflict. It was entirely made up. After five years of featuring the piece, which tells th…
Curiosity, the big robot rover NASA is sending to Mars, looks in excellent shape for its Monday (GMT) landing. Curiosity – also known as the Mars Science laboratory (MSL) – was launched from Earth in November last year and is now nearing the end of a 560-million-km journey across space. To reach its intended touch-down zone in a deep equatorial crater, the machine must enter the atmos…
l investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it. When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. Today, it’s hiring worker…
ings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen that can leach into the tomatoes because they are acidic. BPA is associated with an increased risk of cancer and other health problems. 5. Microwave Popcorn Popcorn is a good source of fiber, but avoid microwave popcorn. The lining of the bags in which microwave popcorn is popped contains chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (…
Jan 14 2012 | Posted in
Health,
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…ovements can be found with just three minutes of exercise per week. “During this year we’ve learned that while regular exercise will reduce your chance of developing or progressing to Type 2 diabetes, it was always expected that would also benefit your cardiovascular system,” he said. “What we’ve now seen is a major US trial stopped early because essentially there wa…
Jan 2 2013 | Posted in
Health |
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Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plane, has landed in Rabat, Morocco, after flying from Spain, completing the second leg of its pioneering journey. Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the Solar Impulse in Rabat, 19 hours after taking off from Madrid. The plane – the size of a jumbo jet – was powered by 12,000 solar cells turning four electrical motors. The 2,500 km-trip (1,550 miles), begun i…
…ools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2010, the Group’s continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 50.6 billion, while approximately USD 9.1 billion (USD 8.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges) was invested in R&D throughout the Group. Novartis Group companies employ approxi…
Jan 9 2012 | Posted in
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…mutating into a form that could be transmissible to humans. But such efforts have been put on hold for four months as governments, scientists and the journals decide what to do. The Geneva meeting of 22 scientists and journal representatives agreed that publishing only parts of the research would not be helpful, because they would not give the full context of a complete paper. It agreed to extend…
…Mars Science Laboratory, MSL – put down on the Red Planet on Monday (GMT). The NASA mission came to rest on the floor of a deep depression on Mars’ equator known as Gale Crater, close to a 5.5 km-high mountain. The plan eventually is to take the robot to the base of this mountain where it is expected to find rocks that were laid down billions of years ago in the presence of liquid wate…
…a records what is happening before a patient’s eyes and fires beams of near infrared light on to the retinal chip. The creates an electrical signal which is passed on to nerves. Natural light is 1,000 times too weak to power the implant. The researchers said: “Because the photovoltaic implant is thin and wireless, the surgical procedure is much simpler than in other retinal prosthetic…
ything could happen. I feel the mayor should do something about that. The children should be our first priority, no matter what else is going on in the city.” Zak, a former Cleveland police officer of 30 years, believes the community is feeling the effects of the city’s cuts in the police force. “The first thing a city should do is protect its citizens,” he said. Although police cannot be on the s…
May 8 2013 | Posted in
U.S. News |
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…a large fraction of all the igneous rocks on Mars,” said Roger Wiens, the instrument’s principal investigator. “A basalt, which is also common under the ocean on Earth, typically has 48% silicon dioxide and percent amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium, and sodium and potassium oxides as well. We’re not expecting any surprises,” said the Los Alamos National Laborator…
