Spacecraft obtains new view of our galaxy
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says scientists have made the first comprehensive sky map of our solar system and its location in the Milky Way galaxy.
NASA said the map was made possible by data collected by its Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft known as IBEX. Officials said the map will change the way researchers view and study the interaction between our galaxy and sun.
"The sky map was produced with data that two detectors on the spacecraft collected during six months of observations," NASA said. "The detectors measured and counted particles scientists refer to as energetic neutral atoms (that) are created in an area of our solar system known as the interstellar boundary region.
"This region is where charged particles from the sun, called the solar wind, flow outward far beyond the orbits of the planets and collide with material between stars," NASA scientists said, noting the atoms travel inward toward the sun from interstellar space at velocities ranging to more than 2.4 million mph.
"For the first time, we're sticking our heads out of the sun's atmosphere and beginning to really understand our place in the galaxy," said David McComas of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, the OBEX project's principal investigator.
NASA released the sky map image (available at http://www.nasa.gov/ibex) in conjunction with publication of the findings in the journal Science.
Home germ-reduction methods suggested
LANCASTER, Pa., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Many are awaiting the H1N1 flu vaccine but U.S. steam cleaning experts say keeping homes germ-free can help guard against illness.
The Haan Corp., which specializes in steam-cleaning products, say steaming home items to 212 degrees Fahrenheit kills 99.9 percent of bacteria just by using water.
To reduce germs at home during flu season, Haan suggests:
-- Blow-dry hair before going to bed because falling asleep with wet hair can create a pillow case full of germs and dust mites.
-- Clean bacteria off toys and wash floors where children play.
-- Logging long hours on the home computer with dirty hands can pass germs from one family member to another. Wipe down computers with sanitizing cloths.
-- A pile of wet hats, gloves and scarves left in a heap by the front door is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, but a handheld steamer can blast away bacteria.
-- Keep hand sanitizers strategically placed in each room of the house for easy accessibility and provide each family member with a travel sized bottle to carry in their purse, backpack or briefcase.
-- Rid mattresses of dust mites by steaming them.
FDA announces LASIK investigation plans
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it's starting Phase 2 of a study of the potential dangers from the surgical laser procedure know as LASIK.
The FDA said the study -- to be conducted with and co-funded by the National Eye Institute and the Department of Defense -- will focus on laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, a surgical procedure that uses a laser to permanently change the shape of a person's cornea to improve their vision.
Officials said the goals of the project are to determine the percentage of patients with significant quality of life problems after undergoing LASIK and to identify predictors of such problems.
The project is composed of three phases. The objective of Phase 1, which began in July, was to design and implement a Web‑based questionnaire to assess patient-reported outcomes and evaluate quality of life issues post-LASIK.
Phase 2 will evaluate the quality of life and satisfaction following LASIK as reported by patients in a select, active duty population treated at the Navy Refractive Surgery Center. Phase 3 will be a national, multi-center clinical trial and will study LASIK's impact on the quality of life of patients in the general public.
The FDA also announced it issued warning letters to 17 unidentified LASIK ambulatory surgical centers after inspections revealed inadequate adverse event reporting systems at the facilities.
Microchips aid in pet-owner reunification
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Ohio State University researchers say they've determined stray pets implanted with a microchip have an excellent chance of being reunited with their owners.
Assistant Professor Linda Lord said her team found the return-to-owner rate for cats was 20 times higher and for dogs 2 1/2 times higher for microchipped pets than for all stray cats and dogs entering shelters.
"This is the first time there has been good data about the success of shelters finding the owners of pets with microchips," Lord said.
Animal microchips -- implanted and registered at costs usually ranging from $25 to $75 -- contain a unique number that's revealed when the pet is scanned by a detector. The number coincides with contact information owners register with a microchip manufacturer.
For the study, 53 shelters in 23 states agreed to maintain monthly records about microchipped animals brought to the facilities. In all, Lord said owners were found for 72.7 percent of microchipped animals. Among those found, 73.9 percent of the owners wanted the animals back in their homes.
Data were collected from August 2007 to March 2008. The shelters reported outcomes for a total of 7,704 microchipped animals.
The study appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
