New stem-cell treatment saves many lives

Petcharat Pokrang says it is a miracle that her 7-year-old son Palwawat, or “Ton Kla,” survived after being diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia ― a condition in which bone marrow fails to produce sufficient new blood cells ― in April last year. Doctors in Saraburi told her the boy would not survive without a bone-marrow transplant, which costs up to 1 million baht ($32,400). Petcharat could not afford it. But as the boy’s condition worsened ― the whites of his eyes turned red and he experienc

Sept. 24, 2012

Cell scientist pushes to clone extinct mammoth

A South Korean private bioengineering laboratory led by disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk said Monday it is stepping up efforts to make progress in cloning an extinct woolly mammoth.To that end, the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation signed an agreement Sunday with Russia’s North-Eastern Federal University that gives the foundation the exclusive right to study the mammoth remains found in northwestern Siberia, according to lab officials.  The agreement came six months after both parties

Sept. 24, 2012

SK Communications begins merger talks with Kakao Talk

SK Communications Co., South Korea‘s third-largest Internet portal service provider, is in an early stage of merger talks with the developer of South Korea’s most prominent social network service, sources said Monday.SK Communications, which operates Cyworld, once South Korea‘s most prominent social networking service, is seeking to merge with Kakao Corp. that operates a namesake mobile messenger service, several financial sources in Hong Kong confirmed.The move could possibly lead to the format

Sept. 24, 2012

Korean researcher pushes to clone extinct mammoth

(123rf)A Korean private bioengineering laboratory led by disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk said Monday it is stepping up efforts to make progress in cloning an extinct woolly mammoth.To that end, the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation signed an agreement Sunday with Russia's North-Eastern Federal University that gives the foundation the exclusive right to study the mammoth remains found i

Sept. 24, 2012

Pacifiers may stunt boys emotionally

U.S. researchers for the first time have linked heavy pacifier use among baby boys to poorer emotional maturity through to adulthood.Lead author Paula Niedenthal, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said a baby with a pacifier in its mouth is less able to mirror expressions -- a child‘s first communication.The researchers found 6- and 7-year-old boys who had spent more time with pacifiers in their mouths when younger were less likely to mimic the emotional expressions

Sept. 24, 2012

New NASA photo satellite joins mission

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (AP) ― A fleet of picture-snapping NASA satellites that for 40 years has documented forest fires, tsunamis and everyday changes in the Earth’s geography will soon get a new member.With Landsat 8 set for a February launch, nearly 140 scientists and engineers from more than 25 countries are scheduled to gather in South Dakota next week to discuss how to best download, process and distribute the millions of data-rich images used in agriculture, education, business and gove

Sept. 23, 2012

Healing from within

Local research team overcomes limitations in cancer immunotherapyA local research team has succeeded in developing a new method for treating cancer using materials found naturally in the human body.Advances in the medical sciences over the years have given rise to radiotherapy and to numerous different chemicals for treating cancer.While such methods have dramatically increased the chance of survival for cancer patients, medical professionals have been searching for alternatives due to the sever

Sept. 23, 2012

Apple iPhone 5 praised for speed, faulted on maps by reviewers

Apple’s iPhone 5 drew accolades from technology-gadget critics, who praised the smartphone’s lightweight body design, bigger screen and swifter data-download speeds even as some faulted its mapping tools.The iPhone 5, which is scheduled to reach stores Sept. 21, is the best smartphone on the market, map-software flaws aside, according to Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. Ed Baig of USA Today said the device keeps Apple ahead of rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co., and Rich Jaroslovsky

Sept. 21, 2012

Apple cuts LCD supply from Samsung Display

Workers clean the rooftop of a building near an Apple Store that started selling its new iPad tablet computers on July 20 in Shanghai. (AP-Yonhap News)Apple Inc. has been scaling back purchases of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels for tablet computers from Samsung Display Co., data showed Friday, amid speculation the iPhone maker is trying to rely less on the affiliate of its archrival Samsung E

Sept. 21, 2012

Mathematician’s solution a conundrum in itself

Since claiming to solve a 27-year-old mathematical conundrum, Kyoto University professor Shinichi Mochizuki has let his papers do the talking. The four papers he uploaded to the Internet on Aug. 29 amount to what he says is a 500-page proof of the “abc conjecture,” which describes a relationship between whole numbers. However, in the several weeks since the upload, he has declined to talk publicly about them.Mochizuki has pedigree on his side. He is highly regarded in his field with many other p

Sept. 20, 2012

Bowel problems in the fall season

There are various causes of bowel problems so it is important to assess the progression of symptoms first. Sudden onset of fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea and occasional bloody feces may indicate acute gastroenteritis or bacterial dysentery. Abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting are suggestive of food poisoning. Chronic repetition of abdominal pain and diarrhea without fever and vomiting may indicate irritable bowel syndrome. Simple pain around the navel may indicate constipation or somatizat

Sept. 20, 2012