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China
Unveils Plans for Science-Based Development
February
10, 2006
China
intends to massively increase its scientific prowess and lift its population out
of poverty by 2050. A strategy issued by the State Council will increase annual
investment in research and development to 900 billion yuan (US$112 billion) by
2020. This would boost the proportion of China's gross domestic product spent on
research from today's 1.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent.
Source:
SciDev.net
Italy
Fights to Contain Bird Flu
February
12, 2006
Italian
health officials have announced a range of emergency measures after the
country's first discovery of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. The
virus was confirmed in wild swans in the south, the same day a UK laboratory
found cases of the virus in swans from Greece and Bulgaria.
Source:
BBC News
Nigeria
Ignores Bird Flu Precautions
February
12, 2006
Nigeria
ignored international recommendations for stopping bird flu, keeping poultry
markets open on Sunday and letting people move their birds around most of the
country unrestricted. Officials were awaiting word on whether the virus already
had infected people in Africa's most populous nation. Test results were pending
on two sick children near a farm where the H5N1 strain was first detected among
poultry. Their families also were being tested.
Source:
ABC News
Air
Ambulance Research Identifies Best Intubation Method
February
11, 2006
Research
has identified the most effective way to insert breathing tubes in air ambulance
patients on the way to the hospital. The finding, that a combination of sedative
and paralytic drugs increased the chance of success by almost fourfold, may also
apply to other types of pre-hospital care.
Source:
Sciencedaily.com
A
Comet's Tale
February
13, 2006
Scientists
are just beginning to examine the pieces of a comet brought back to Earth by
NASA's Stardust mission. Mark Peplow tagged along to one lab to watch
researchers examine their prize catch.
Source:
Nature.com
Bird
Flu Spreading Its Wings
February
15, 2006
Two
more countries - Iran and Austria - have been affected by bird flu. Iran's first
bird flu outbreak was reported Tuesday after the disease killed 135 wild swans
on the country's Caspian Sea coast. Austria also reported its first case of bird
flu after tests confirmed the presence of H5N1 in two swans that died near the
city of Graz. That makes it the fourth European Union country affected by the
virus.
Source:
News24.com
Alzheimer's
'Faster in Educated'
February
16, 2006
Alzheimer's
disease progresses more rapidly in highly educated people, research suggests.
Source:
BBC News.com
Iraq:
The Forgotten Victims
February
16, 2006
Dramatic
figures have been released revealing that at least 1,333 servicemen and women -
almost 1.5 per cent of those who served in the Iraq war - have returned from the
Middle East with serious psychiatric problems.
Source:
Independent.co.uk
Tuberculosis
Fight 'Needs Regional Vaccines'
February
14, 2006
The
bacterium that causes tuberculosis is so genetically distinct in different parts
of the world that tackling the disease could require separate vaccines for each
region.
Source:
SciDev.net
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