Burning oil cloud above northern IraqSeptember 12, 2003A burning oil pipeline in northern Iraq produced an immense cloud of black smoke that stretched across thousands of square kilometres, in this image acquired by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer. The smoke cloud is visible in the centre of this image of the alluvial plain occupied by the valley of the river Tigris (flowing from the top centre of the image) and the Euphrates (flowing from the top left corner). The Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on ESA's Envisat environmental satellite acquired the image on 30 August, the same day as the media reported a fire affecting a segment of oil pipeline near the town of Hawija. The pipeline transports crude oil from the oil-rich city of Kirkuk - seen here in grey, on the Tigris River - to Baija, where the country's largest oil refinery is located. For comparison the second MERIS image shows the same area three days earlier, before the pipeline had been damaged. The dense cloud of smoke has an extent comparable to the Iranian lake Urmia (which has an area of 4700 square kilometres), seen in turquoise colour towards the top right of the image. Authorities stated it took two days to bring the fire under control. These three-band MERIS images have a resolution of 1200 metres and were processed by Hamburg-based Brockmann Consult. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Aging Current Events and Aging News Articles New recommendations by scientific societies about late-onset hypogonadism The January issue of European Urology, the official journal of the European Association of Urology published by Elsevier, will feature new recommendations on late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), recently formulated by major scientific organizations. Calcium and vitamin D may not be the only protection against bone loss Diets that are high in protein and cereal grains produce an excess of acid in the body which may increase calcium excretion and weaken bones, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Experts discuss applying systematic review to the field of nutrition Performing systematic reviews of nutrition related topics raises unique challenges not often encountered in the field of medicine. In a new article, a team of researchers use specific examples to describe the steps, strengths, and limitations of systematic reviews relevant to nutrition and discuss the factors that impact the results. New study indicates smallpox vaccination effective for decades Although naturally occurring smallpox was eradicated in 1977, there is concern that bioterrorists might obtain smallpox from a laboratory and release it into the population. Adiponectin is a metabolic link between obesity and bone mineral density Researchers at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Canada, have discovered that adiponectin, a protein secreted from adipocytes, is a metabolic link that can explain, in part, the known positive relationship between obesity and both bone mineral density and reduced susceptibility to fractures. Bittersweet milestones For many of the elderly, the golden years are anything but. Faced with health problems, financial issues and the death of a spouse or loved one, many adults 65 years and older suffer from depression. While research is emerging to help this group understand and treat the problem, another group - centenarians - has been left largely in the dark. Primary care provides patients with better outcomes at lower cost A white paper, How is a Shortage of Primary Care Physicians Affecting the Quality and Cost of Medical Care?, released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP) documents the value of primary care by reviewing 20 years of research. Study Investigates Non-Surgical Placement of a Gore-tex Type Device in the Heart to Stop Recurrent Strokes and Mini-Strokes A study is under way at Rush University Medical Center using a small, soft-patch device made of a Gore-tex-type material - often used to make durable outerwear - to close a common hole found in the heart called a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in order to prevent recurrent strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in adults. Scientists Discover New Planet Orbiting Dangerously Close to Giant Star A team of astronomers from Penn State and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland has discovered a new planet that is closely orbiting a red-giant star, HD 102272, which is much older than our own Sun. Exercise increases brain growth factor and receptors, prevents stem cell drop in middle age A new study confirms that exercise can reverse the age-related decline in the production of neural stem cells in the hippocampus of the mouse brain, and suggests that this happens because exercise restores a brain chemical which promotes the production and maturation of new stem cells. More Aging Current Events and Aging News Articles |
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