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Spray used by British police forces to control aggressors more harmful than previously thought

The "personal incapacitant" spray or PIS is used for self defence in situations where "lethal force is inappropriate." It combines the compounds CS (o-Chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) with MiBK (Methyl isobutyl keton).

24 Aug 2004

Diabetes and heart disease may stem from fat you can't see

Becoming fat brings conspicuous changes to the shape of the human body, but pioneering research in the Department of Medicine at Flinders University, Australia is working on the theory that the obvious "spare tyre" may not be the major culprit in fat-related diseases.

24 Aug 2004

Scientists have uncovered a key driver behind the progression of prostate cancer

Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have uncovered a key driver behind the progression of prostate cancer, a discovery that the researchers believe could spawn new treatments to prevent the cancer's spread and extend survival.

23 Aug 2004

The next generation of single-enantiomer catalysts

Many molecules are enantiomers: they have mirror- image versions that may have identical parts but are just as different as your left hand is from your right.

23 Aug 2004

Blueberries may lower cholesterol

New research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that blueberries may lower cholesterol as effectively as a commercial drug and have the potential for fewer adverse side effects.

23 Aug 2004

Sugar Association disputes sucrose ties to obesity

In a letter published in the August 21 issue of the journal The Lancet, Dr. Charles Baker, Vice President Scientific Affairs for the Sugar Association, outlined his rebuttal to a viewpoint published in The Lancet in March, 2004 that obesity is linked to increased sweetener consumption.

23 Aug 2004

Researchers have coaxed RNA to self-assemble into 3-D arrays

These RNA structures can form a wider variety of shapes than double-stranded DNA can and are easier to manipulate than many protein alternatives.

23 Aug 2004

Popular injectable contraceptive increases risk of STD's

The injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) appears to increase a woman’s risk of acquiring the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea by approximately three fold when compared to women not using a hormonal contraceptive

23 Aug 2004

Exposure to simian virus 40 (SV40) is not associated with cancer in humans

Two upcoming studies by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), provide further evidence that exposure to simian virus 40 (SV40) is not associated with cancer in humans.

23 Aug 2004

Novel method for studying ancient life forms

Geobiologists are announcing today their first major success in using a novel method of "growing" bacteria-infested rocks in order to study early life forms.

23 Aug 2004

Researchers have discovered that many people with Bardet-Biedl syndrome can't detect odors

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that many people with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a rare, complex condition marked by an array of seemingly unconnected symptoms, including obesity, learning difficulties, eye problems and asthma, also have another, previously unreported problem

23 Aug 2004

Limb kinematics help to better understand why it’s more “efficient” to walk than to run

Your knees take the brunt of the increased demands on your lower body in terms of the amount of muscle mass used and joint flexion when you compare walking to running. By a lot. Why? Because you’re human.

23 Aug 2004

Body symmetry could be a tell tale sign of an aggressive person

Researchers may get some indication of how aggressively an angry person will react by measuring the size relationship between a person’s ears and other body parts, according to a new study.

23 Aug 2004

Diarrhea the leading cause of death among the developing world's children

To most people in the developed world, diarrhea is a nuisance. It means some discomfort and maybe a trip to the local pharmacy.

23 Aug 2004

Clearing toxins in the brains of Alzheimer's patients can stave off future reductions in cognitive abilities

The ever-slowing capacity to clear the build-up of such toxins as isoprostanes and misfolded proteins that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients causes the death of cells involved in memory and language.

23 Aug 2004

Surprise finding could lead to hepatitis C vaccine

New research from the University of New South Wales shows some people may repeatedly be able to clear hepatitis C virus from their bodies, without any biological traces of the potentially serious infection.

23 Aug 2004

New database about a group of genes associated with multidrug resistance in cancerous tumors

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute, have created a database of information about a group of genes associated with multidrug resistance in cancerous tumors.

23 Aug 2004

New information about how HIV evades eradication from the body

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute, have discovered new information about how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency (AIDS), possibly evades eradication from the body.

23 Aug 2004

New era of medical capabilities for the South Pacific

A team of Health Informatics staff from the University of Otago’s Information Science Department is taking the South Pacific into a new era of medical capabilities as part of a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative to educate medical staff in the Pacific.

23 Aug 2004

Future for telemedicine is a very bright one

The European telemedicine markets are at a critical growth phase where vendors need to capitalise on growing opportunities and gain the early-mover advantage over competitors.

23 Aug 2004