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Nanotechnology Breakthrough Could Dramatically Improve Medical Tests

ScienceDaily (May 31, 2012) A laboratory test used to detect disease and perform biological research could be made more than 3 million times more sensitive, according to researchers who combined standard biological tools with a breakthrough in nanotechnology.
The increased performance could greatly improve the early detection of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other disorders by allowing doctors to detect far lower concentrations of telltale markers than was previously practical. The breakthrough involves a common biological test called an immunoassay, which mimics the action of the immune system to detect the presence of biomarkers -- the chemicals associated with diseases. When biomarkers are present in samples, such as those taken from humans, the immunoassay test produces a fluorescent glow (light) that can be measured in a laboratory. The greater the glow, the more of the biomarker is present. However, if the amount of biomarker is too small, the fluorescent light is too faint to be detected, setting the limit of detection. A major goal in immunoassay research is to improve the detection limit.

Plate Tectonics Cannot Explain Dynamics of Earth and Crust Formation More Than Three Billion Years Ago
ScienceDaily (June 1, 2012) The current theory of continental drift provides a good model for understanding terrestrial processes through history. However, while plate tectonics is able to successfully shed light on processes up to 3 billion years ago, the theory isn't sufficient in explaining the dynamics of Earth and crust formation before that point and through to the earliest formation of planet, some 4.6 billion years ago. This is the conclusion of Tomas Naraa of the Nordic Center for Earth Evolution at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, a part of the University of Copenhagen. His new doctoral dissertation has just been published by the journalNature.
Mid-ocean ridge Continental crust

"Using radiometric dating, one can observe that Earth's oldest continents were created in geodynamic environments which were markedly different than current environments characterised by plate tectonics. Therefore, plate tectonics as we know it today is not a good model for understanding the processes at play during the earliest episodes of Earths's history, those beyond 3 billion years ago

Quantum Computers Will Be Able to Simulate Particle Collisions


ScienceDaily (June 1, 2012) Quantum computers are still years away, but a trio of theorists has already figured out at least one talent they may have. According to the theorists, including one from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), physicists might one day use quantum

computers to study the inner workings of the universe in ways that are far beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional supercomputers.
Quantum computers require technology that may not be perfected for decades, but they hold great promise for solving complex problems. The switches in their processors will take advantage of quantum mechanics -- the laws that govern the interaction of subatomic particles. These laws allow quantum switches to exist in both on and off states simultaneously, so they will be able to consider all possible solutions to a problem at once.

saturn's Geyser Moon Enceladus Provides a New Kind of Plasma Laboratory


ScienceDaily (June 1, 2012) Recent findings from NASA's Cassini mission reveal that Saturn's geyser moon Enceladus provides a special laboratory for watching unusual behavior of plasma, or hot ionized gas. In these recent findings, some Cassini scientists think they have observed "dusty plasma," a condition theorized but not previously observed on site, near Enceladus.
Data from Cassini's fields and particles instruments also show that the usual "heavy" and "light" species of charged particles in normal plasma are actually reversed near the plume spraying from the moon's south polar region. The findings are discussed in two recent papers in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Dark Chocolate Could Prevent Heart Problems in High-Risk People


ScienceDaily (May 31, 2012) Daily consumption of dark chocolate can reduce cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, in people with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of factors that increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes), finds a study published in the British Medical Journal.
Living Well Strange Science Reference Low density lipoprotein Coronary heart disease COX-2 inhibitor Ischaemic heart disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Dark chocolate (containing at least 60% cocoa solids) is rich in flavonoids -- known to have heart protecting effects -- but this has only been examined in short term studies.

So a team of researchers from Melbourne, Australia used a mathematical model to predict the long-term health effects and cost effectiveness of daily dark chocolate consumption in 2,013 people already at high risk of heart disease.

Crash of the Titans: Milky Way Is Destined for Head-On Collision With Andromeda Galaxy
ScienceDaily (May 31, 2012) NASA astronomers can now predict with certainty the next major cosmic event to affect our galaxy, Sun, and solar system: the titanic collision of our Milky Way galaxy with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy.
See Also: Space & Time The Milky Way is destined to get a major makeover during the encounter, which is predicted to happen four billion years from now. It is likely the Sun will be flung into a new region of our galaxy, but our Earth and solar system are in no danger of being destroyed. "Our findings are statistically consistent with a head-on collision between the Andromeda galaxy and our Milky Way galaxy," said Roeland van der Marel of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. The solution came through painstaking NASA Hub

Save the trees . . .


What do the forests bear Soil, water and pure air. But that terrible axe, The trees it hacks; And down slips the soil, The rivers flood and boil. Oh, save the trees, Save them all . . . Chipko, chipko is our call!

vaccine Preventable Diseases Diphtheria Corynebacterium is what causes this bacterial infection. Diphtheria gets transmitted from person to person when they come in close physical or respiratory contact. Diphtheria can also lead to infection of nasopharynx thereby further causing breathing difficulties and even death. This bacterial infection can actually be prevented by the doses of DTP, DT or TD, vaccines that are given by the intramuscular route. Measles Measles is one of the common preventive diseases that affect the respiratory tract of the person. The

disease breaks out with small symptoms like fever, cough, running nose and watery eyes. This infectious disease causes rashes starting from the neck of the person and spreading to the trunk and limbs. Other serious symptoms of measles are fits, brain damage etc. There is a measles vaccine that is the only preventive measure that should be given to kids, when 9 months old. Polio Polio is a deadly disease that affects the nervous system and lymph and occurs in kids either after birth or before birth. Some symptoms of polio are fever, sore throat, nausea, and stomach ache, stiffness in the neck, back and legs, headaches. Polio gets transmitted through fecal oral route and can even lead to disability through paralysis. IPV is the polio vaccine that should be used in order to prevent the transmission of this disease. Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is the disease of the liver. Adults suffering from hepatitis B have fair enough chance of recovery, but in infants who are affected at birth, the disease can take a chronic shape. Infants might carry the virus within for years making it contagious, thereby posing threat to others. Hepatitis B virus is carried along in the blood and other body fluids in a person. Three doses of Plasma derived hepatitis B vaccine or recombinant DNA through the intramuscular route is the preventive measure that can be taken. The dose is injected into the upper thigh for infants and deltoid muscle for adults. Yellow Fever Yellow fever is caused due to yellow fever virus that is carried by mosquitoes that feed on infected animals in forests and then feed on people travelling through forest. When these people return to the urban areas and are fed on by the domestic vector mosquitoes, the virus gets transmitted to other humans and the disease becomes an epidemic. A dose of live viral yellow fever vaccine is the preventive cure available for yellow fever. Tuberculosis Tuberculosis or TB is a disease affecting the lungs. TB is caused due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis which can also affect other parts of body other than lungs like bones, joints and even brain. It is a contagious disease that can spread through air when the virus gets released by coughing or sneezing by the affected person. Crowded surroundings, poor health care and malnourishment serve as a breeding ground for the virus. Though people from all walks of life and any age group can get attacked by the virus, it is in children that the risk of attack by virus is more. BCG or Bacilli Calmette Guerin is the vaccination that can protect children less than 5 years of age. There are many preventive diseases that can be cured by providing timely medical attention to the infected person. This article provides you with information on the ill effects of various diseases and the vaccinations that can be used to prevent their attack.

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