The Armagh Observatory’s ‘Human Orrery’ is the first large outdoor exhibit in the world to show accurately the elliptical orbits and changing relative positions of the planets and other solar system bodies with time. It has been constructed with the support of the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and is the first major addition to the Observatory Grounds and Astropark for more than a decade. A ceremony to mark its construction will take place at the Observatory
Wie alte Kulturen Schmerzen behandelten
Im antiken Mittelmeerraum war es bei der Behandlung von schmerzenden Gliedern verbreitet, diese in Bottiche zu tauchen, die von elektrischen Fischen wimmelten. Die Torpedorochen versetzten den griechischen oder römischen Patienten Stromschläge und linderten dadurch deren Leiden. In medizinischen Schriften dieser Zeit werden die Tiere auch zur Behandlung chronischer Kopfschmerzen empfohlen. Dieser Therapieansatz hielt sich verblüffenderweis
A team of Danish researchers have discovered that by blocking a specific enzyme, it is possible to check the spread of cancer in the body. This finding may be the first step towards preventing deaths due to cancer spreading to other parts of the body. The discovery may also help reduce the amount of chemotherapy used.
The discovery, which was recently published in the prestigious International Journal of Cancer, was made by a research team from the Finsen Laboratory at Copenhagen
When Marc Thiercelin set out on the Vendée Globe, one of the world’s toughest sailing races, earlier this month, novel space technologies were used to give his six-year-old boat a ‘facelift’. Lighter batteries, more efficient solar cells and an intelligent energy management system cut critical weight and optimised vital electricity systems. All three were originally developed for Europe’s space programmes.
“In 2003 we started to discuss with Marc Thiercelin and his team ho
Bonn research center caesar is presenting current medical technology projects at the “Medica 2004” in Düsseldorf (Hall 13, Stand C12) from November 24 – 27, 2004. Scientists support surgeons with innovative computer and laser technology in the planning and performance of operations. At the trade fair they are demonstrating a laser system enabling ultra-fine cuts of just 0.2 mm through bone and cartilage. Researchers are also presenting medical applications for the Rapid Prototyping technology est
Researchers have discovered that an ingredient present in chocolate could help stop persistent coughs.
According to research published online in FASEB Journal the team have discovered that theobromine, a derivative found in cocoa, is nearly a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs when compared with codeine, currently considered the best cough medicine.
Professor Peter Barnes, from Imperial College London and Royal Brompton Hospital, and one of the paper’s autho
A team at the University of Innsbruck, Austria has been successful in conducting electrons in metals along predetermined channels. This behaviour, observed for the first time in metals, provides important insights into the interactions of electrons – and on how the phenomenon of the current flow without any resistance loss, termed super-conductivity, can occur. Thereby this project aided by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) combines fundamental research, at its best, with potential applications in
One of the conclusions of Arjen Zoeteman, who will defend his thesis on 22 November at TU Delft, is that significant amounts of money could be saved on the maintenance of European railway systems, including the Netherlands. Through a carefully structured schedule and a detailed analysis of maintenance work, he was able to achieve a cost reduction of 10 percent for the Dutch railway system.
The operators of the rail networks, such as NS, are continuously increasing the demands on t
Highly obese women are 12 times more likely to have diabetes or knee replacement surgery, and five times more likely to have high blood pressure than women who are at a normal weight, says a new study.
Men in the highest weight categories are eight times more likely to have diabetes, and six times more likely to have a knee replaced or have high blood pressure than are their normal-weight peers, say researchers for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The rese
Motorcycle-related injuries and deaths have been on the rise since 1997, and urban teaching hospitals are bearing the brunt of caring for those injured, according to a new nationwide study.
Charges incurred at these hospitals accounted for nearly 70 percent of the $842 million in total hospital charges for motorcycle-related cases in 2001, say Jeffrey Coben, M.D., of Allegheny General Hospital, and colleagues. Their analysis appears in the December issue of the American Journal o
Educating children in primary school and adults at the beach about the benefits of wearing sun-protective hats and clothing can effectively motivate them to cover up and reduce their exposure to cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation, according to a systematic review of evidence. The review appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. The incidence of one type — melanoma — is rising, due in part to inc
One in three smokers or former smokers screened for lung cancer at a baseline and one year follow-up visit using a recent advance in computed tomography tested positive according to a new study. Of those, 12 percent had lung biopsies, and 7 percent were diagnosed with lung cancer. The findings, along with detailed characterizations of practiced follow-up patterns, appear in the January 1, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Low dose spiral
Swift successfully launched today at 12:16 PM EST! Spacecraft separation occurred at about 80 minutes after launch as expected. Congratulations to the entire Swift team.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions the Universe has seen since the Big Bang. They occur approximately once per day and are brief, but intense, flashes of gamma radiation. They come from all different directions of the sky and last from a few milliseconds to a few hundred seconds. So far scient
It depends on what we’re thinking about!
Researchers are using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe brain activity in search of the answer. According to a new fMRI study using a “diary” method to collect memories, it all depends on what we’re thinking about!
Researchers have known for decades that thinking about autobiographical facts is different from thinking about autobiographical episodes that happened only once. Since both kinds of thoughts
Ion channels made light sensitive, allowing remote control of firing
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have given “blind” nerve cells the ability to detect light, paving the way for an innovative therapy that could restore sight to those who have lost it through disease.
A team lead by neurobiologist Richard H. Kramer, UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology, and Dirk Trauner, assistant professor of chemistry, inserted a light-activated
Imaging studies of the brain when it is under the influence of alcohol reveal that different areas of the brain are impaired under high and low levels of alcohol, according to a Yale study published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
Godfrey Pearlson and Vince Calhoun, researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, used a statistical method to sort areas of the brain affected when persons were administered a placebo or two different doses of alcohol. The seven
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