Archive for July 11th, 2012
Hubble Discovers a Fifth Moon Orbiting Pluto
July 11th, 2012 | 
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A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is reporting the discovery of another moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto.
The moon is estimated to be irregular in shape and 6 to 15 miles across. It is in a 58,000-mile-diameter circular orbit around Pluto that is assumed to be co-planar with the other satellites in the system.
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Genetic Mutation May Aid Alzheimer’s Drug Quest
The discovery of a rare protective genetic mutation provides strong evidence that the buildup of beta amyloid protein in the brain is a driving force in Alzheimer's disease.
Few U.S. states require recommended physical education
A study found that while physical education is recognized as important in preventing childhood obesity, only six states require the recommended amount of exercise for elementary-school students, while only two do so at the middle-school level. No states require high schools to adhere to the amount of PE recommended by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Researchers found that, in most cases, officials set minimums for PE, but do not mandate it.
Childbearing, breast-feeding have long-term weight impact in women
Data on about 740,000 postmenopausal women revealed How many children a woman bears and whether or not she breast-feeds them may affect her weight decades later… those who had four or more deliveries showed higher mean BMI than those who did not give birth to children. However, women who breast-fed attained a 1% reduction in BMI for every six months of nursing, researchers said. The findings appear in the International Journal of Obesity.
Suicide By Tiger
Tigers at a zoo in Denmark have killed a man after he climbed a fence and crossed a moat to enter their enclosure … A bite on the man's throat was likely to have been the main cause of his death.
FDA OKs human trial of stem cell therapy for heart attack
Cedars-Sinai researchers in Los Angeles received FDA approval to conduct human clinical trials of a stem cell therapy designed to repair damage caused by heart attack. The studies will use mass-replicated human stem cells instead of patient-derived cells.
Gallop: Confidence In TV News At All-Time Low
The Gallup Poll reports that only 21% of adults have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in television news — a drop from 27% last year and from 46% when Gallup started tracking confidence in TV news in 1993 …
Newspapers do slightly better than TV in the confidence survey, although papers slipped too — from 25% expressing a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in them this year versus 28% last year. In 1979, 51% expressed confidence in newspapers.