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Ten-minute test for oral cancer |
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Written by Charles Brass
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Monday, 27 August 2007 |
Researchers at the University of Texas are developing a microfluidics
device that detects oral-cancer cells in ten minutes and is simple and
cheap enough for use in the dentist's office. According to a report from the US, the device could be
adapted to test for other cancers, including cervical cancer. It works
well on cancer cells grown in the lab and is currently being tested on
biopsies from oral-cancer patients.
Many oral cancers are painless or, in their early stages, resemble
dental disease, so patients and doctors may overlook them, says Carter
Van Waes, chief of head and neck surgery at the National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The National Cancer
Institute estimates that, this year, 22,560 people will be diagnosed
with oral cancer, and more than 5,000 will die of the disease. "Even
though oral cancer is not common, it's usually advanced when it's
diagnosed," says Spencer Redding, chair of dental-diagnostic science at
the University of Texas Health Science Center, in San Antonio. Redding
is helping test the new device, which was developed by John McDevitt,
professor of chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.
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Beyond batteries: storing power in a sheet of paper |
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Written by Jan Lee Martin
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Sunday, 19 August 2007 |
US researchers have developed a new energy storage device that looks like a sheet of black paper, and can be printed like paper. Lightweight, ultra-thin and completely flexible, it can operate as both battery and supercapacitator, use human blood, sweat or urine as a source of electrolytes and can function at temperatures from 100 degrees Fahrenheit below zero to 300 degrees.
According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (August 15), the nanoengineered battery is geared toward meeting the trickiest design and energy requirements of tomorrow's gadgets, implantable medical equipment, and transportation vehicles.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 20 August 2007 )
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Urban Chic: City Growth Can Be ‘A Force for Good’ |
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Written by Nicole Olsen
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Saturday, 04 August 2007 |
WASHINGTON — The growth of cities will be the single largest influence
on human society in the 21st century, according to a new United Nations
report, which argues that urbanization can be a much more powerful
force for positive change than many currently believe.
Around the world, urban areas are growing at more than 1.2 million
people a week, says “State of the World Population 2007: Unleashing the
Potential of Urban Growth.”
The report notes that 2030’s expected urban population will be nearly 5
billion. By contrast, the total human population this year — both urban
and rural — is around 6 billion.
The future of cities in developing countries — and the future of
humanity itself — “depend very much on the decisions made now in
preparation for this growth,” George Martine, the principal author of
the report, said at its release last week.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2007 )
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