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- U.S. faces a year without crucial weather forecasting satellites
Polar satellites used to forecast storm tracks in the country are beyond or near their life expectancies, which is raising concerns among experts. Launching delays for replacements, mismanagement of resources and funding problems could mean the U.S. will go at least a year without certain satellites, according to three independent reviews. A $13 billion program run by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that involves the launch of Joint Polar Satellite System-1 as a replacement to the aging polar satellites was introduced to address the problem, but the program has been delayed. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(10/26)
    
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- NASA to report discovery related to ancient universe
NASA on Thursday will report the findings of its Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope that offer clues on the early universe. The agency's announcement will focus on new measurements that employ gamma rays and can be used to examine ancient starlight. The telescope has been investigating the sky in high-energy and short-wavelength gamma-ray light since its launch in June 2008. Space.com
(10/29)
- EU will design laser beams to treat cancer, deteriorate nuclear waste
The EU will allocate $907.2 million for the Extreme Light Infrastructure initiative that aims to build the world's two most powerful laser beams in Romania and Czech Republic. The lasers, which will be capable of developing subatomic particles in a vacuum, could be used to diminish nuclear waste radioactivity within a few seconds and attack cancerous tumors, said Nicolae-Victor Zamfir, the Romanian coordinator of the project. Bloomberg
(10/26)
- South African researchers locate a vulnerability in HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus' outer shell has a vulnerable spot that develops when a compound called glycan changes position, according to a study in the journal Nature Medicine. The finding increases the understanding of broadly neutralizing antibodies and could open the door to promising vaccine targets. The change in glycan's position enables an antibody to attach and inform the body that there is an invader in the system, said lead researcher Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, president of South Africa's Medical Research Council. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(10/29)
- Research links flu vaccine to lower odds of cardiac events
Influenza vaccination was associated with a reduced likelihood of heart attacks and other cardiovascular episodes, researchers reported at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. One study found that one major cardiac event was prevented for every 34 individuals who received the vaccine. In another study, researchers found fewer implanted cardiac defibrillator shocks to the heart among vaccinated patients. Researchers said the findings were intriguing but warrant more study. WebMD
(10/28)
- More exercise may prevent brain shrinkage
MRI brain scans of 691 seniors revealed less brain shrinkage among those who exercised the most compared with the least physically active group. The study published in the journal Neurology also found that involvement in activities that were mentally and socially stimulating did not affect brain shrinkage. The Washington Post
(10/29)
- Archaeologists unearth early Mayan ruler's tomb in Guatemala
Archaeologists discovered the tomb of King K'utz Chman, one of the earliest leaders and perhaps the most influential ruler of the Mayan civilization. The tomb, which contains different carved jade objects suggesting his status and wealth, was found at the site of the ancient city of Tak'alik Ab'aj in southwestern Guatemala. "The richness of the artifacts tells us he was an important and powerful religious leader. He was very likely the person who began to make changes in the system and transition into the Maya world," said Christa Schieber, an archaeologist from the Guatemalan Instituto de Antropologia e Historia. Los Angeles Times/Science Now blog(tiered subscription model)
(10/29)
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- African disease genomics initiative wins $38M grant
The Human Heredity and Health in Africa initiative received a five-year, $38 million grant from the U.K.-based charity Wellcome Trust and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. The grant will fund nine projects that will look at the genomics and environmental causes of several diseases in 22 African countries including tuberculosis, diabetes and African sleeping sickness. SciDev.net
(10/29)
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