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LEPROSY NO MORE Since the number of countries where leprosy is
endemic has been reduced from 122 in 1985 to 55 at the start of
1997, the World Health Organization expects the disease to be
eliminated as a public health problem by 2000.
A NOSE FOR TROUBLE Researchers at Warwick University in England
have found that an electronic nose, developed to detect bad
beer, can quickly identify common pathogens that cause
infections of the ear, nose and throat.
ON THE MEND Kyoto University doctors have used slivers of
titanium coated with a mixture of the mineral apatite and
titanium oxide to make stronger repairs to broken bones.
Sources: World Health Organization; Measurement Science and
Technology; New Scientist
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DEATH BY BREATHING The choking smog that shrouds Manila, the
capital of the Philippines, has increased its 11 million
residents' chances of developing lung cancer by up to 15%.
CYCLING FOR HEALTH? Austrian researchers have discovered that
mountain bikers who fall off their machines can suffer severe
liver damage from handlebar attachments designed to help them
ride uphill.
PHANTOM FELINES Even cat-free houses may not be safe for
allergic people. British researchers have traced the cat
allergen associated with asthma attacks to almost one third of
homes that do not have a resident kitty.
Sources: The Lancet 1, 2; Thorax
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