Mystical Beauty

With the public interest in Tamiflu continuing, Roche keeps interested physicians and governments updated on current developments and today informs on the topic of resistance. There have been no new cases of resistance seen in patients infected with H5N1 virus (’bird flu’) since March 2005 and scientific data does not ...

Rutgers University geological sciences professor Claude Herzberg offers new evidence that parts of the Earth's crust that long ago dove hundreds or thousands of kilometers into the Earth's interior have resurfaced in the hot lava flow of Hawaiian volcanoes. Writing in Nature, Herzberg claims to have found telltale chemical evidence at Mauna Kea that pieces of this submerged crust have been forced up through plumes and now make up most of this volcano's lava flow.

Liquid silicone, which is often used for breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures, can cause respiratory failure if not injected properly by a licensed physician. A study of individuals who underwent illegal silicone injections revealed a high fatality rate from pulmonary silicone embolism, or obstruction of the lungs. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

While hybrids -- the result of the mating of two different species -- may offer interesting and beneficial traits, they are usually sterile or unable to survive. For example, a mule, the result of the mating of a horse and a donkey, is sterile. Now, Cornell researchers have made the first identification of a pair of genes in any species that are responsible for problems unique to hybrids.

A new minimally invasive approach to partial breast irradiation provides another treatment option for women with breast cancer. The researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.