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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

SCIENCE UPDATES

1.Decoding the Disease That Perplexes: Scientists Discover New Target for Multiple Sclerosis
 ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2010) — Scientists are closer to solving one of the many mysteries of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases, thanks to a recent study conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The research revealed a previously unknown connection between two ion channels, which, when misaligned, can cause the many bizarre symptoms that characterize the condition.

2.Shy Trout Size It Up
ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2010) — Personality is not just a feature unique to humans and pets. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) have revealed that also brown trout have individual characters and show different personalities. 

3.Power Grid of the Future Saves Energy
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — Green energy too comes out of the electricity socket, but to get there it has to travel a long journey -- from wind turbines in the North Sea or regional solar, wind and biogas power plants. On the way to the consumer lots of energy is lost. New electronic components will change things in future. 

4.Daily Aspirin at Low Doses Reduces Cancer Deaths, Study Finds -- But Caution Urged
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — A daily low dose of aspirin significantly reduces the number of deaths from a whole range of common cancers, an Oxford University study has found. 

Sunday, December 5, 2010

WOMEN WHO OWNS THE SUN THE MIGHTIEST PLANET

(AFP) - After billions of years the Sun finally has an owner -- a woman from Spain's soggy region of Galicia said Friday she had registered the star at a local notary public as being her property.
Angeles Duran, 49, told the online edition of daily El Mundo she took the step in September after reading about an American man who had registered himself as the owner of the moon and most planets in our solar system.


There is an international agreement which states that no country may claim ownership of a planet or star, but it says nothing about individuals, she added.

"There was no snag, I backed my claim legally, I am not stupid, I know the law. I did it but anyone else could have done it, it simply occurred to me first."

The document issued by the notary public declares Duran to be the "owner of the Sun, a star of spectral type G2, located in the centre of the solar system, located at an average distance from Earth of about 149,600,000 kilometers."


Duran, who lives in the town of Salvaterra do Mino, said she now wants to slap a fee on everyone who uses the sun and give half of the proceeds to the Spanish government and 20 percent to the nation's pension fund.


She would dedicate another 10 percent to research, another 10 percent to ending world hunger -- and would keep the remaining 10 percent herself.

"It is time to start doing things the right way, if there is an idea for how to generate income and improve the economy and people's wellbeing, why not do it?" she asked.

 

Saturday, December 4, 2010

SCIENCE UPDATES

1.Researchers Uncover Culprits in Life-Threatening Clotting Disorder
December 4, 2010 — Individuals with a potentially life-threatening condition predisposing them to blood clots, or thrombosis, might someday receive therapy to prevent the condition.

2.More Efficient Polymer Solar Cells Fabricated
December 4, 2010 — Researchers have developed a process for fabricating more efficient polymer solar cells. They discovered a textured substrate pattern that allows deposition of a uniformly thin light-absorbing layer.

3.Preterm Infants May Need a Boost to Protect Against Invasitve Pneumococcal Disease
December 4, 2010 — A new study suggests that preterm infants may not be fully protected against invasive pneumococcal disease under the current United Kingdom immunization .

4.Vitamins Identified as Key Nutrient Which May Promote Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters
December 4, 2010 — Harmful algal blooms, which negatively affect coastal ecosystems, public health, economies and fisheries around the world, may be promoted by vitamins B-1 and B-12 according to new .


5.Under Suspicion: Painkiller Ziconotide Could Increase Suicidal Ideation
December 4, 2010 — The active agent ziconotide, the synthetic toxin of the cone snail, was acclaimed a safe alternative to morphine when it was introduced six years ago.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

SCIENCE UPDATES

1.Nepal unveils national adaptation plan
Nepal has released a climate adaptation plan, ahead of the Cancun climate meeting, as part of its development agenda.

2'Set of decisions' on forestry, tech expected at Cancun
No major breakthrough, but only some progress in talks and decisions is expected at Cancun climate summit.

3.Green nanotech can reduce risks to poor nations
Regulating nanotech is challenging, says Rajender Varma, but green chemistry could help developing countries 'leapfrog' to cleaner, healthier products.

4.'Killer apps' in nanomedicine: the time is not ripe
Nanomedicine requires careful development, not a great rush to jump on the bandwagon, argues nanotech expert Manoj Varma.


5.How science is tackling Pakistan's water shortages
Pakistan's water crisis is dire and set to get worse, but numerous research projects are underway to help alleviate the situation.

6.Small tech with big promise for healthcare
Nanotechnology for health should not suffer the same fate as GM — potential health and environmental hazards should be monitored and regulated early on.

GLOBAL WARMING

The earth is warming up, and the best available evidence points to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases as the leading cause.

Deforestation and climate change are intimately connected: Globally, deforestation releases nearly 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, and is responsible for nearly 25 percent of man-made CO2 emissions. The destruction of the world's forests not only harms the communities that depend on them, but increasingly affects us all.

While the root causes of deforestation vary from region to region, there are some common solutions. Communities need seeds, training, and technical support in order to adapt long-standing cultural and agricultural traditions (such as gathering fuelwood in nearby forests and practicing slash-and-burn agriculture) to new realities. Starting nurseries and planting trees is part of this process.

It is not too late. We are solution-oriented people. We have developed programs that work, which are restoring trees and forests to degraded lands. We are working with individuals, communities, and other organizations around the world with a shared vision for a positive change. We are a hands-on people-to-people program at the grassroots level, and we are leading by example. Read more about sustainable agroforestry program, and how they work.