Tainted baby syrup
At least 84 children aged 2 to 7 have died from organ failure in Nigeria after receiving teething syrup tainted with an engine coolant 鈥� probably ethylene glycol. The contaminant was discovered in November 2008 and the affected batches recalled, but some bottles remain in circulation.
Anti-HIV hope
Advertisement
There is a glimmer of hope that anti-HIV vaginal gels, hailed for their potential to protect women who have trouble persuading men to wear condoms, might work. Women using the microbicide gel PRO 2000 had a 30 per cent lower rate of HIV infection than those using a placebo. A team funded by the US National Institutes of Health presented the preliminary data in Montreal, Canada, this week.
Worm saviour
An Antarctic worm produces its own 鈥渁ntifreeze鈥� to protect itself from the cold, report researchers from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. On sequencing the creature鈥檚 genome, they found a protein that protects the worm from fatal frostbite by preventing ice crystals from puncturing its insides. The team suggests the genes could be used to engineer frost-resistant crops.
So close! Next time鈥�
Why do gamblers keep playing despite not winning? Just look at their brains. Winning activates the brain鈥檚 鈥渞eward centre鈥�, yet even a near-miss has the same effect, a team at the University of Cambridge found. They also found the effect in non-gamblers, offering insights into why it鈥檚 so easy to become hooked.
Carbon sinks
The price of carbon has plummeted. A European Union permit to emit 1 tonne of carbon dropped below 鈧�10 on 4 February 鈥� about one-third of the price six months ago. The fall could threaten the EU鈥檚 chances of meeting its emissions target for 2020.
