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News | Archive (18 May 2009)
'Giant' shrew lived in Sierra de Atapuerca mountains nearly a million years ago
— 15:29 GMT | Geology and palaeontologyMorphometric and phylogenetic analyses of the fossilised remains of the jaws and teeth of a shrew discovered in a deposit in Gran Dolina de Atapuerca, in Burgos, have shown this to be a new species (Dolinasorex glyphodon) that has not previously been described. The extinct animal had red teeth, was large in size compared with mammals of the same family, and was more closely related to Asian than European shrews…
Air-fuelled battery could last up to 10 times longer
— 15:24 GMT | TechnologyA new type of air-fuelled battery could give up to ten times the energy storage of designs currently available…
Genes that influence start of menstruation identified for first time
— 15:19 GMT | HealthResearchers from the Peninsula Medical School, along with collaborators from research institutions across Europe and the United States, have for the first time identified two genes that are involved in determining when girls begin menstruation. The work was published in Nature Genetics…
Infection control 'urgently needed' to curb spread of XDR-TB among health care workers
— 15:14 GMT | HealthHealthcare workers in South Africa are at a significantly increased risk of developing drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR-TB, in a trend which threatens to further exacerbate the already beleaguered healthcare systems in sub-Saharan countries, according to results of a new study. Researchers say the results underscore the urgent need for stringent TB screening policies among healthcare workers in these areas…
Sleep may be factor in weight control
— 15:09 GMT | HealthCould sleep be a critical component to maintaining a healthy body weight? According to new research presented on Sunday, 17 May, at the American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference in San Diego, body mass index (BMI) is linked to length and quality of sleep in a surprisingly consistent fashion…
From greenhouse to ice house
— 15:04 GMT | EnvironmentOne of the mysteries of the Earth's history is the fundamental climate change in the Mid Pliocene, about 3.5-2.5 million years ago. By that time warm climate conditions ended and the ice caps in the northern hemisphere developed. Investigations by marines scientists from Germany and India suggest that changes in the Indonesian throughflow might have been the determining process for this fundamental climate change. The study will appear 18 May 2009 as an advanced online publication in the international journal Nature Geoscience…
New system for detection of single atoms
— 14:59 GMT | PhysicsScientists have devised a new technique for real-time detection of freely moving individual neutral atoms that is more than 99.7% accurate and sensitive enough to discern the arrival of a single atom in less than one-millionth of a second, about 20 times faster than the best previous methods…
Increasing ICS compliance: The voice may be recorded, but the results are real
— 14:54 GMT | HealthAutomated phone calling may help physicians solve a perennial problem: patients who don't take medicine prescribed for chronic health conditions…
Self-treatment results in lower overall health care costs for COPD sufferers
— 14:49 GMT | HealthIndividuals suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) can experience significant savings in healthcare costs by employing a self-treatment program with the judicious use of medications, according to the results of a new study. The self-treatment program achieves these savings by reducing the duration of flare-ups…
Enabling graphene-based technology via chemical functionalisation
— 14:44 GMT | TechnologyGraphene is an atomically thin sheet of carbon that has attracted significant attention due to its potential use in high-performance electronics, sensors and alternative energy devices such as solar cells. While the physics of graphene has been thoroughly explored, chemical functionalisation of graphene has proven to be elusive…
Herschel Space Observatory to lift off on 14 May
The day the Universe froze