LS,
RN09 - March 2007
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Space trash poses space station risks
A NASA report to Congress finds a 55 percent chance that some sort
of space debris could penetrate the space station, home to three crew
members, and a 9 percent chance of a "catastrophic result over a
10-year period".
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-02-27T234039Z_01_N27396024_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPACE-STATION.xml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6398513.stm
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/index.html
UN urged to take action on asteroid threat
Astronomers are monitoring an asteroid named Apophis, which has a 1
in 45,000 chance of striking Earth on April 13, 2036. The Association
of Space Explorers, a group of former astronauts and cosmonauts propose
that the United Nations should assume responsibility for a space
mission to deflect it.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-02-18T010316Z_01_N17363374_RTRUKOC_0_US-ASTEROID-DEFLECTOR.xml
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1852935.htm
Xylitol reduces risk of cavities
The sugar substitute xylitol affects the bacterial composition of
the oral cavity even in low doses. On the other hand, a relatively high
intake is needed to counteract the production of acid between the teeth.
http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/28905/Xylitol_reduces_risk_of_cavities.html
GM food and the harm of hysteria
European consumer panic and European Union (EU) regulations about
genetically modified (GM) foods threaten millions of starving Africans,
who need cheap and reliable crops. For European consumers, GM is a
whimsical lifestyle issue. But for the poor of the world, this really
is a question of life and death, according to Nolutshungu, director of
the Free Market Foundation.
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/opinion.aspx?ID=BD4A389231
Suppressed Report Shows Cancer Link to GM Potatoes
After an 8-year-long court battle, Welsh activists have finally
been allowed to released a Russian study showing an increased cancer
risk linked to eating genetically modified potatoes. While the victory
of the Welsh Greenpeace members in the courtroom would seem to
vindicate the work of the Russian scientists that did the original
research, there are still serious questions to be answered.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2278044.ece
Circumcision’s Anti-AIDS Effect Found Greater Than First Thought
Circumcision may provide even more protection against AIDS than was
realized when two clinical trials in Africa were stopped two months ago
because the results were so clear. Evaluating the data produced a
protection rate of about 65 percent.
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20070122211320data_trunc_sys.shtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/science/23hiv.html?ex=1329886800&en=a098a0c445f75f8d&ei=5090
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070223103150.htm
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2007/s04/en/index.html
Active lifestyle reduces risk of invasive breast cancer
Six or more hours per week of strenuous recreational activity may
reduce the risks of invasive breast cancer by 23 percent and
researchers say it's never too late to start exercising. Previous
research has linked high levels of estrogen to an increased risk for
developing breast cancer. Women who exercise heavily are, in general,
older at the time of the first period, and tend to have irregular
periods and a shortened estrogen-producing phase, which translates in a
lower body exposure to estrogen, the researchers say.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-02/aafc-alr021507.php
Vasectomy May Put Men At Risk For Type Of Dementia
Certain organs -- including the testes and the brain -- exist in
what is the equivalent of a gated community in the body. Tiny tubes
within the testes (in which sperm are produced) are protected by a
physical barrier of Sertoli cells. The tight connections between these
cells prevent blood-borne infections and poisonous molecules from
entering the semen. After a vasectomy, however, the protective barrier
is broken and semen mixes into the blood. The immune system recognizes
the sperm as invading foreign agents and produces anti-sperm antibodies
in 60 to 70 percent of men. Hypothesis: these antibodies might cross
the blood-brain-barrier and cause damage resulting in dementia.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212183237.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=62941
Beat one cancer, risk up for another type
The good news about cancer survivors is that their numbers continue
to grow. The bad news is that they have an increased risk of developing
a second malignancy. The National Cancer Institute analyzed data from 2
million survivors and placed this risk at 14% higher than would be
expected in the general population.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/02/19/hlsa0219.htm
Stretching GM Food Safety Testing Standards
The internationally accepted baseline for assessing the safety of a
GM food is to conduct studies that consistently compare it with the
closest non-GM relative. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
recommended approving a new GMO as safe for human consumption even
though the studies submitted in support of its safety compared it to
another GMO variety that has no history of safe use.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0702/S00125.htm
Clever, but at risk for schizophrenia
Most people inherit a version of a gene that optimizes their
brain's thinking circuitry, yet also appears to increase risk for
schizophrenia, a severe mental illness marked by impaired thinking,
scientists at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have discovered. The seeming paradox
emerged from the first study to explore the effects of variation in the
human gene for a brain master switch, DARPP-32.
http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/28768/Common_gene_version_optimizes_thinking_%E2%80%94_but_with_a_possible_downside.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=62675
Indicators for risk of heart disease are higher in passive smokers
Breathing secondhand smoke appears to increase levels of two
warning signs for heart disease, fibrinogen and homocysteine, British
researchers report.
http://health.yahoo.com/news/171967
http://www.health.am/ab/more/heart-disease-higher-in-passive-smokers/
Avian Influenza in Cats Should Be Closely Monitored
So far no sustained virus transmission in cats or from cats to
humans. Cats can become infected with the highly lethal H5N1 avian
influenza virus, but at present there is no scientific evidence to
suggest that there has been sustained transmission of the virus in cats
or from cats to humans, according to the FAO.
http://www.emaxhealth.com/116/9517.html
Internet safety group broadens mission
The explosion of social networking sites such as MySpace.com and
Second Life, along with free video sharing sites like YouTube.com, is
making it increasingly difficult to protect children surfing the
Internet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17122481/
Toward A Three-in-one Airport Passenger And Baggage Security Scanner
Scientists in California and Michigan report development toward a
"universal point detection system," a long sought three-in-one machine
that screens airline passengers and baggage for explosive, chemical and
biological threats at the same time.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212101742.htm
Loneliness associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease
Social isolation—characterized by a small social network, being
unmarried and participating in few activities with others—has been
linked to an increased risk for dementia.
http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/28689/Loneliness_associated_with_increased_risk_of_Alzheimer%E2%80%99s_disease.html
http://health.yahoo.com/news/171700
Vitamin D cuts cancer risk
A U.S. meta-analysis found that raising the serum level of vitamin
D may cut in half the cases of breast cancer and two-thirds of
colorectal-cancer cases.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/27999.html
BSE: How risky is it to drink milk?
In a first-time global breakthrough, a Swiss start-up firm has
succeeded in detecting prion proteins in the milk of humans, cows,
sheep, and goats. This again raises the question of a "mad cow disease"
risk from drinking milk. Tests are underway to verify disease-causing
prions in milk.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=17339
EFSA pushes EU-wide GM risk approach
Experts from France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands met with
environmental expert members of the GMO Environmental Risk Assessment
Working Group of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)'s GM panel
to share their experiences on the environmental risk assessments of
specific GM applications for cultivation. The new statistics show that
in 2006 the number of hectares globally cultivated with GM crops
increased by 12 million hectares. Most of this growth came from
countries such as China and India. An EFSA colloquium will be held in
June 2007 on GMO environmental risk assessment involving environmental
experts from across Europe.
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=74067-efsa-gm-crops
Japan starts disaster-alert system using satellites
Japan, one of the world's most seismically active nations, on
Friday began an alert system using satellites to instantly transmit
warnings of natural disasters, such as tsunami, to speed up
evacuations. Tremors occur in Japan at least every five minutes, and
the country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of
magnitude 6 or higher.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-02-09T143529Z_01_T299428_RTRUKOC_0_US-JAPAN-DISASTER.xml
Climate Change Only One Symptom Of A Stressed Planet Earth
Global studies by IGBP show that human-driven environmental changes
are affecting many parts of the Earth’s system, in addition to its
climate. For example: Half of Earth’s land surface is now domesticated
for direct human use ; 75 percent of the world’s fisheries are fully or
over-exploited ; The composition of today´s atmosphere is well outside
the range of natural variability the Earth has maintained over the last
650,000 years ; The Earth is now in the midst of its sixth great
extinction event.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070204111626.htm
Experts play down risk to humans
Tests have shown that the avian flu which killed 2600 turkeys at a
Suffok farm is the H5N1 virus. Food Standards Agency advice, that avian
flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers, remains
unchanged. See for further advices:
http://avianflu.futurehs.com/?p=2928
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6327529.stm
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=225391
British Bird Flu Worker Is Hospitalized
A worker, an employee of the State Veterinary Service, who helped
deal with the bird flu outbreak in eastern England was suffering from a
mild respiratory illness and was undergoing tests at a hospital.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/829674/british_bird_flu_worker_is_hospitalized/index.html
http://www.physorg.com/news90007854.html
Expert doubts widespread HIV risk
HIV/Aids campaigners are circulating "misconceptions" about who is
at risk. Dr Chin, head of a WHO Global Programme on Aids unit from
1987-1992, says it is only in sub-Saharan Africa, where unprotected sex
outside marriage is common, that the risk of heterosexual HIV
transmission is high. "By refusing to accept the fact that HIV is very
difficult to transmit sexually without the highest levels of sexual
risk behaviours, Aids programmes have avoided labelling some
populations as being more promiscuous than others."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6321683.stm
Sex Issues May Signal Other Health Risks
Doctors shouldn't shy away from asking patients about their sex
lives, a new research paper advises. Researchers say problems in the
bedroom can translate into serious medical conditions, and ignoring
sexual dysfunction may mean missing early indicators for heart failure,
depression, diabetes or other ailments.
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Sex-Issues-Might-Signal-Health-Risks/story.xhtml?story_id=0110008DL2JD
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/824276/sex_issues_may_signal_other_health_risks/index.html
Skinny teens warned about osteoporosis risk
The debate about underweight models has captured headlines but the
International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) said little attention is
given to the link between anorexia and osteoporosis or the long-term
consequences of dieting during adolescence—the greatest period of bone
growth.
http://www.health.am/ab/more/skinny-teens-warned-about-osteoporosis-risk/
Effects Assessment Of Multiple Copies Of Genes On Disease Risk
Rather than focus on errors and alterations in DNA sequence, the
new technique highlights variations in the number of copies of a
particular gene. Additional copies of a gene may lead to overproduction
of that gene's protein, and this may affect both easily identifiable
traits such as body size or more difficult-to-discern traits such as
cancer risk.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61987
Researchers Probe Health And Safety Impacts Of Nanotechnology
There are already more than 400 companies worldwide that tap
nanoparticles and other forms of nanotechnology, and regulatory
agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug
Administration and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration
are closely examining whether new regulations are needed to guard
against potentially harmful but currently unknown effects.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61986
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-02/poen-uos022207.php
Global warming puts fish stocks at risk
global warming has been amplifying a process known as 'coastal
upwelling'. Coastal upwelling involves cooler, and usually more
nutrient-rich water rising up and replacing warmer, usually
nutrient-depleted surface water. The few areas of the planet where this
occurs are very important to fisheries - 20% of global fishing takes
place there. While an increase in nutrients has the potential to
increase fish stocks, the strength of the offshore currents may be too
strong for fish to swim against.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1838718.htm
Air pollution link to heart risk
Researchers studied 66,000 women in and around 36 US cities,
finding pollution levels varied between four to nearly 20 micrograms
per cubic metre. The University of Washington team said each 10
microgram rise was matched by a 76% rise in the chances of dying from
heart disease or stroke.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6317913.stm
compiled by PBP
risk (-at-) sciencemedia.eu