Latest research news

Black women in US 23 times as likely to get Aids virus
African-American women are 23 times as likely to be infected with the Aids virus as white women and account for 71.8% of new HIV cases among women in 29 US states, government research shows.
( The Guardian )

Russian found guilty of treason
A Russian researcher employed by a respected western thinktank was convicted of high treason last night after the jury at a Moscow court ruled he had sold Russian submarine and missile secrets to the CIA.
( The Guardian )

Infants weaned on TV 'cannot concentrate'
Children under two should not watch television because it increases the risk of them developing attention deficit disorder, according to a US scientific report. Each hour a day in front of the TV increased by 10% the chance that the child would show signs of the disorder, the study found.
( The Guardian )

Millions unaware of obesity cancer risk
Obesity may soon be a factor in one in three deaths from cancer, making it a threat as big as smoking, the charity Cancer Research UK said on Monday. Yet, a survey showed that only 29 of 1,000 people questioned knew they were more likely to develop cancer if they were overweight.
( The Guardian )

Toxic chemical in royal trout
Fish on the Queen’s Balmoral estate in Scotland have been found to contain higher-than-average levels of chemicals, a survey disclosed yesterday. The study of brown trout in Lochnagar showed that the fish had concentrations of flame-retardant chemicals up to ten times higher than those in other northern European mountain lakes.
( The Times )

Last golden eagle male in England fails to find mate
Conservationists fear the golden eagle will die out in England after discovering that the female of the country's only breeding pair has been missing for several weeks. They presume that the bird, which has nested in the Lake District since 1981, has died leaving a lone male.
( Daily Telegraph )

Scientist was gassed as he made his marmalade
A scientist died from carbon monoxide poisoning as he stirred marmalade over a stove. Keith Turnbull, 61, a biochemist and former teacher, collapsed and died with his dog Cleugh in the kitchen of his isolated home by the Pennine Way near Wark, in Northumberland, just before Christmas, said his brother Roy.
( Daily Telegragh )

US army may have killed Italian trees
The US army may have unwittingly killed hundreds of pine trees in an Italian hunting estate. Genetic analysis suggests that the trees were infected with an American fungus, imported by US troops during the second world war.
( Nature )

Petrarch - the poet who lost his head
Of all the world's great writers, Petrarch is the best known for losing his head. On Good Friday in 13, the then 23-year-old writer and scholar fell madly - and forlornly - in love with a woman he saw in a church congregation. Now, it seems, he has lost his head for a second time. Scientists who have been examining what they thought were Petrarch's remains have discovered that the skull belongs to someone else. And they suspect it could be that of a woman.
( The Guardian )

Forces' fry-ups under fire
The traditional breakfast fry-up beloved of British servicemen and women around the world could have had its day. The squaddie’s diet is being re-examined to make sure that troops do not join the nation of fatties. Brigadier Jeff Little, director of the Defence Catering Group, announced a research programme yesterday that will look into every aspect of the Services’ eating habits.
( The Times )