Science News

New Treatment Targets Antibiotic-Resistant "Superbug"

Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and biotech company Micap have recently produced a new treatment that has the potential to kill the bacterial "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). If successful, this treatment could save the lives of over 5,000 patients a year and prevent serious infection in thousands more all over the world.

Tobacco Companies Target Working-Class Women

The largest manufacturers of cigarettes in America are focusing their marketing on undereducated and low-income women of the unskilled working class, according to a study released last month. Citing numerous internal documents, a Tufts University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) research group concluded that tobacco companies view this segment of the population as a rare opportunity for growth. In research published last month in the journal Tobacco Control, the Massachusetts researchers express hope that this insight into the plans of the tobacco industry will be helpful in guiding future anti-tobacco legislation and awareness efforts.

New Microscope Shows Neutron Pattern, Promise

Adelphi Technology has reported a new neutron microscope prototype in Applied Physics Letters. With a 0.5 millimeter resolution--about half the thickness of a dime--and a 10x magnification capability, the microscope still needs tinkering, but eventually, Adelphi may achieve better image resolution with the neutrons’ single nanometer (nm) wavelength than with visible light, which has wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm.

Japan and UN Begin Restoring Iraqi Marshlands

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today an $11 million project funded by Japan that will restore Iraq's endangered Mesopotamian Marshlands for the benefit of people and wildlife. The UNEP has been anxious to find funding for the project since 2001, when it first reported damming and drainage operations were causing serious damage.