Hamming it up

Ham, bacon, and sausage may soon be the meat of choice for heath nuts. Researchers in Pittsburgh have cloned the first transgenic pig that produces omega-3 fatty acids, a heart-healthy fat that humans generally ingest in dietary supplements or fish.

Potentially, eating omega-3 pork rather than salmon and tuna will reduce the chances of mercury and toxins accumulating in humans. In the meantime, the pigs have opened doors for the research community, as pig and human cardiovascular systems are similar.

The oinkers can be used to model the heart health effects of increased omega-3 levels in the body, as well as to study the cardiovascular benefits of exercise.

-Sandy Huen

Source: University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre

‘Let me spray on something more comfortable. . .’

English researchers have applied for a patent on single-use spray-on fabrics, which can be applied directly to the skin from an aerosol can.

Their two-year old London-based company Fabrican aims to market their invention for fashion, medical, and industrial applications. The process involves a pressurized liquid composed of cotton fibres which quickly dries in the air, leaving behind a random web of interweaved fibres.

Because of its liquid form, the inventors say that it should be fairly easy to mix in additives with the fabric, allowing it to easily take on different colours, fragrances, or textures.

-Graham F. Scott

Source: we-make-money-not-art.com

Spacefaring, in bed

Ever wonder what it feels like to be in space for an extended period of time? Well, now you can-by simply reclining in bed.

It turns out that scientists can replicate the toll of space travel on the human body here on Earth, by confining people to a “reclining bedrest” position, where their bodies are tilted so that the head is positioned at an angle six degrees lower than the legs.

Studies from the 60s that examined the effect of microgravity on the carviovascular system found that astronauts lose a significant amount of their ability to exercise and work within only 17 days. By confining eight earthbound subjects to reclined bedrest for 17 days, scientists have now found nearly the same level of decline in cardiovascular output as in four astronauts who circled the earth the same time. This finding could have implications for astronauts, as well as people who are bed-ridden for long periods of time.

-Mike Ghenu

Source: Journal of Applied Physiology