Satellites help find water in Nigeria
LAGOS, Nigeria, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Scientists say satellite imagery from the European Space Agency is helping find water in Nigeria's arid Sahel region.
The Water Resources Assessment program identifies underground water sources that could be tapped to help local farmers collect, store and improve water capacity for livestock and crops, the agency said in a release Monday.
Maps developed from data collected from 1993 to 2007 over western Nigeria also show where rainfall is likely to create seasonal bodies of water and semi permanent bodies of water, said Issifou Alfari, a water-resources scientist involved in the program.
"We are very happy with the project's scope and outcome, as we believe this source of information will be fundamental for water management activities," Alfari said.
Tungsten not as 'green' as once thought
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say the metal tungsten -- used in everything from light bulbs to jewelry to bullets -- is not as environmentally friendly as once believed.
Believing tungsten was relatively non-toxic and insoluble in water, the U.S. military in the 1990s developed so-called "green" bullets containing tungsten as an alternative to lead-based ammunition, Chemical & Engineering News reported Monday.
Studies now show, however, some forms of tungsten move easily through soil and groundwater and can stunt the growth of plants and cause reproductive problems in earthworms.
Tungsten, also used in welding and metal cutting, has been reclassified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an "emerging contaminant" of concern, though scientists still believe it is less toxic than lead or mercury, the News reported.
Cosmic dust forming around star
MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- British astronomers say cosmic dust was partially created by the gradual death of carbon stars and not just from stars that exploded.
The astronomers have been watching cosmic dust form around a dying star in a nearby galaxy, similar to the primitive galaxies that formed soon after the big bang, said a release from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which funded the study.
The newly observed dust formation was found around the carbon star MAG 29, located 280,000 light years away in a small galaxy known as the Sculptor Dwarf.
Cosmic dust is the building block for the formation of planets and life throughout the universe. As they die, stars produce smoke-like particles rich with carbon or oxygen, but less is known about how and what kind of dust was created in the original galaxies.
The research was led by scientists at Manchester University through the use of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, reported the journal Science.
Images taken inside heart during attack
LONDON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Scientists in Britain say images of bleeding taken from inside the heart could improve treatment for victims of heart attacks.
Scientists at Imperial College have produced the first images of a heart attack shown from within the heart by using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine, or MRI, the Daily Mail reported Monday.
The images show how much internal bleeding is occurring, which gives better insight into tissue damage and subsequent means of treatment, said Dr. Declan O'Regan. Patients who develop bleeding inside the damaged heart muscle have a much poorer chance of recovery, he said.
O'Regan and his team of scientists captured images from within the heart of 15 patients who had recently suffered heart attacks.
The more doctors understand what happens during and after a heart attack, the more likely it is new ways will be found to counter the damage, said Dr. Stuart Cook, who participated in the research.
