Heavens

NASA's Aqua and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites are watching Tropical Storm Neki become extra-tropical, and TRMM data was used to create a three-dimensional image of the storm.

A 3-D image was created from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) instrument on the satellite. It showed Neki still had a small area where potent thunderstorms reached to heights of about 16 kilometers (~52,493 feet) early this morning, October 26.

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, October 26, 2009— Understanding dark energy is the number one issue in explaining the universe, according to Salman Habib, of the Laboratory's Nuclear and Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology group.

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2009) – In two new studies, presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego, researchers explored the connection between high stress, high exposure occupations and long-term gastrointestinal disorders.

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2009) – Findings from a new retrospective cohort study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego indicate that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), especially those receiving the thiopurine class of medications to treat IBD, may be at risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2009) – Helicobater pylori, a bacteria implicated in peptic ulcers and gastritis, was eradicated in 95 percent patients who took a 7-day course of combination therapy with levofloxacin, omeprazole, nitazoxanide (Alinia®) and doxycycline (LOAD) compared to eradication in only 80.9 percent of patients on lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin (LAC) for seven days.

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2009) – While there is little doubt concerning the effectiveness of colonoscopy procedures to detect colon cancer, a new study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego places new emphasis on the importance of adequate bowel preparation prior to procedure. The findings come at a time when clinicians are evaluating new bowel preparation solutions to replace the popular over the counter phosphosoda formulations recently withdrawn from the market.

DETROIT – A Henry Ford Hospital study questions the need for aggressive screening for colonic polyps in patients with diverticulosis.

The study sought to determine if asymptomatic patients with diverticular disease are at higher or lower risk for developing colonic polyps, abnormal growths found in the wall of the colon that sometimes become cancerous.

The remarkable eyes of a marine crustacean could inspire the next generation of DVD and CD players, according to a new study from the University of Bristol published today in Nature Photonics.

The mantis shrimps in the study are found on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and have the most complex vision systems known to science. They can see in twelve colours (humans see in only three) and can distinguish between different forms of polarized light.

Tropical Storm Neki continues moving north and over the weekend it will be in open waters in the Central Atlantic. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed over Neki early on October 23 and noticed some intense areas of rainfall, even though it is not a hurricane anymore.

On Friday afternoon, October 23, a Tropical Storm warning was still effect for The Papahanaumokuakea National Monument from Nihoa Island to French Frigate Shoals to Maro Reef.

As Saturn's rings orbit the planet, a section is typically in the planet's shadow, experiencing a brief night lasting from 6 to 14 hours. However, once approximately every 15 years, night falls over the entire visible ring system for about four days.

Typhoon Lupit is giving residents of Luzon a break from facing the storm head on. The Luzon region of the Philippines still experienced rain and gusty winds, but the storm didn't and won't make landfall there.

Lupit, called "Ramil" in the Philippines, turned north on Friday, October 23, and is forecast to move northeast, while staying at sea and tracking to the east of Taiwan over the weekend. While on its northern track, cooler waters and wind shear will continue weakening the storm.

Duodenal biopsy remains the gold standard for celiac disease (CD) diagnosis. However, it has several pitfalls and requires an invasive procedure in children. In the past few years, a more prominent role for a definitive diagnosis based solely on serology has been proposed. The predictive value of high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies has also been reported in retrospective CD cohorts. Based on these studies, some authors have proposed to start a gluten-free diet (GFD) for those patients with high tTG antibody levels, without duodenal biopsy.

PHILADELPHIA – October 22, 2009 – Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced new data about the pharmacokinetics of its Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication, Vyvanse® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) Capsules CII, which showed that Vyvanse provided similar concentrations of its active medication in the blood when administered either intranasally or when administered orally.

NASA's Aqua satellite captured Rick's remnant clouds and showers as they charged through Texas and fed moisture into a low pressure system that is migrating across the U.S. By mid-day on October 22, Rick's remnant moisture had folded into a low pressure area centered over Missouri.

A hurricane warning is in force for the Papahanaumokuakea National Monument from Nihoa Island to French Frigate Shoals to Maro Reef. Hurricane conditions likely there by 5 a.m. HST on Friday, October 23.

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is the single largest conservation area under the U.S. flag, and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. It encompasses 139,797 square miles of the Pacific Ocean (105,564 square nautical miles) - an area larger than all the country's national parks combined.