Nutrients in water may be a bonus for agriculture

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VERNON – Agriculture producers may find they don't have to bottle their water from the Seymour Aquifer in the Rolling Plains to make it more valuable, according to Texas AgriLife Research scientists.

Drs. John Sij, Cristine Morgan and Paul DeLaune have studied nitrate levels in irrigation water from the Seymour Aquifer for the past three years, and have found nitrates can be as high as 40 parts per million. Though unacceptable for drinking, the water would benefit agricultural producers who use it for irrigation.

Transfusions increase clot risk in hospitalized cancer patients

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Blood transfusions used to treat anemia in patients with cancer are associated with an increased risk of life-threatening blood clots, at a similar rate as other treatments for cancer-induced anemia, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

These findings, published in Tuesday's Archives of Internal Medicine, pose a quandary for doctors who want to prevent thromboembolism – one of the leading causes of illness and death in people with cancer.

Escherichia coli bacteria transferring between humans and mountain gorillas

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Bwindi, Uganda – November 24, 2008 – A new study finds that mountain gorillas are at increased risk of acquiring gastrointestinal microbes, such as Escherichia Coli, from humans. The study, published in Conservation Biology, examines the exchange of digestive system bacteria between humans, mountain gorillas and domestic animals with overlapping habitats.

Children with sickle cell disease receiving inadequate care

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Houston, Tex. – November 24, 2008 – A new study finds that youth populations with sickle cell disease (SCD) are receiving inadequate healthcare, and thus may fail to benefit from scientific advances. The study, published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer, finds that the patients, mostly African Americans, often lack insurance or access to specialized sickle cell centers for treatment.

Potassium loss from blood pressure drugs may explain higher risk of adult diabetes

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Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a drop in blood potassium levels caused by diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure could be the reason why people on those drugs are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The drugs helpfully accelerate loss of fluids, but also deplete important chemicals, including potassium, so that those who take them are generally advised to eat bananas and other potassium-rich foods to counteract the effect.

Chinese forest project could reduce number of environmental disasters

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Boosting the power of solar cells

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — New ways of squeezing out greater efficiency from solar photovoltaic cells are emerging from computer simulations and lab tests conducted by a team of physicists and engineers at MIT.

Using computer modeling and a variety of advanced chip-manufacturing techniques, they have applied an antireflection coating to the front, and a novel combination of multi-layered reflective coatings and a tightly spaced array of lines — called a diffraction grating — to the backs of ultrathin silicon films to boost the cells' output by as much as 50 percent.

New economic woes hit boomers, seniors hardest

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Millions of older Americans stand at the epicenter of the current financial crisis and the implications must be confronted, said experts today during a symposium at The Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) 61st Annual Scientific Meeting.

Scientists build 'roach motel' for nasty bugs of the bacterial variety

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The vacancy sign is on, but the lowlifes who check in never check out.

Scientists at the University of Florida and the University of New Mexico have created tiny microscopic spheres that trap and kill harmful bacteria in a manner the scientists liken to "roach motels" snaring and killing cockroaches. The research could lead to new coatings that will disinfect common surfaces, combat bioterrorism or sterilize medical devices, reducing the devices' responsibility for an estimated 1.4 million infection-related deaths each year.

Sealing off portion of intestinal lining treats obesity, resolves diabetes in animal model

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