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WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Older people with low blood levels of vitamin B12 markers may be more likely to have lower brain volumes and have problems with their thinking skills, according to researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.The results of the study will be published Tuesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.Foods that come from animals, including fish, meat, especially liver, milk, eggs and poultry are usual sources of vitamin B12.The study involved 121 older residents of the south side of Chicago over the age of 65. They had blood drawn to measure levels of vitamin B12 and B12-related markers that can indicate a B12 deficiency. The same subjects took tests measuring their memory and other cognitive skills.An average of four-and-a-half years later, MRI scans of the participants' brains were taken to measure total brain volume and look for other signs of brain damage.Having high levels of four of five markers for vitamin B12 deficiency was associated with having lower scores on the cognitive tests and smaller total brain volume."Our findings definitely deserve further examination," said Christine Tangney, associate professor at Rush University Medical Center and lead author of the study. "It's too early to say whether increasing vitamin B12 levels in older people through diet or supplements could prevent these problems, but it is an interesting question to explore. Findings from a British trial with B vitamin supplementation are also supportive of these outcomes."On the cognitive tests, the scores ranged from -2.18 to 1.42, with an average of 0.23. For each increase of one micromole per liter of homocysteine -- one of the markers of B12 deficiency -- the cognitive scores decreased by 0.03 standardized units or points.Tangney noted that the level of vitamin B12 itself in the blood was not associated with cognitive problems or loss in brain volume. "Our findings lend support for the contention that poor vitamin B12 status is a potential risk factor for brain atrophy and may contribute to cognitive impairment," said Tangney.

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Last-minute preparations for the launch of the Tiangong-1 spacecraft began at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Monday, meaning the vehicle can soon embark on a mission that will eventually have it dock with a spaceship, according to the center.That feat, if carried out successfully, will mark the completion of China's first rendezvous and docking mission.At the launch site on Monday afternoon, crews were putting in place pipes and cables that will be used to inject fuel into the rocket that will carry Tiangong-1 into outer space.Without complications from the weather or other causes, the Long March II-F rocket will lift off from the launch center on Thursday or Friday, taking the Tiangong-1 with it, according to the Xinhua News Agency.Despite the preparations, space experts said carrying out the plan still comes with many risks. They explained that the spacecraft and much of the other equipment being used is new and has not been tried on an actual mission."Tiangong-1 is a brand new spacecraft designed by China and is bigger and heavier than the Shenzhou spaceships China had developed as a means of transporting astronauts from the Earth to space," said Yang Hong, chief designer of Tiangong-1.In a vertical position, the Tiangong-1 looks like a cigar standing 10.4 meter tall, a height equal to that of a three-story building. It weighs 8.5 tons and has a maximum diameter of 3.35 meters, a dimension shared by its launch vehicle, he said.In comparison, the Shenzhou spaceship stands shorter, at nearly 9 meters, is slimmer, having a diameter of less than 3 meters, and weighs less.In another difference, the Tiangong-1 is composed of two modules rather than the three that had made up the Shenzhou spaceship. Of the Tiangong-1's two primary components, one is an experimental module that contains a place that astronauts can live and work in on future missions. It is also equipped with a docking port.The other chief component, a resource module, will provide the craft with power.Astronauts on Tiangong-1 will have 15 cubic meters of space to move in, "much more than they had in the Shenzhou spaceship", Yang said.Inside the spacecraft are two sleeping sections with adjustable lighting systems, exercise equipment, entertainment systems and visual communication devices, he said.Hou Xiangyang, who helped design Tiangong-1, said: "The sleeping section is big enough for a 1.8-meter-tall man to sleep in. An astronaut can adjust the light as he likes."In space, Tiangong-1 will fly in a horizontal position. A paint scheme inside will help the astronauts aboard maintain their sense of direction; the module's inner walls will be in two colors, one commonly associated with the sky and one with the ground."This will help astronauts avoid feeling as if they are standing upside down in the microgravity environment," he said.Yang said the Tiangong-1 spacecraft is expected to stay in orbit for two years and rendezvous and dock with three different spaceships. Beyond the Shenzhou VIII, ships named Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X will embark on similar missions; at least one of the two is to be manned.Before astronauts climb on board Tiangong-1, the conditions inside its experimental module will be adjusted to ensure they can live in an environment that contains enough oxygen, moisture and heat to be safe.Tiangong-1 was originally scheduled to be launched into a low orbit around the Earth between Sept 27 and 30. The earlier days were removed as possible launch dates, though, after forecasters predicted a cold air mass would move into the area containing the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.To ensure the spacecraft and Long March II-F carrier rocket are ready for launch, a full ground simulation was conducted on Sunday afternoon.

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday announced a recall on a drug infusion pump of Medtronic, the Associated Press reported.The recalled drug pump was called "SynchroMed II", including models of 8637-20 and 8637-40, distributed between 2004 and July 2011.Drug infusion pump was used to deliver the drugs for patients to treat chronic pain, spasms as well as other conditions.The pumps' malfunction could put patients in the risk of either recurrent or withdrawal symptoms, which could be life-threatening, FDA warned.There were 55 reported cases and one death related to the drug withdrawal, among a total 139,653 SynchroMed II pump implants worldwide, FDA notified.The problem was due to a film within the pump's battery that could stop the therapy, FDA said.Medtronic, the U.S. medical technology company based in Minneapolis, is not recommending patients to remove the pumps, but instead, encourage patients to contact their doctor if they hear the device alarm.

BERLIN, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Germany's disease control center reported on Wednesday 365 new cases of the fatal enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), which marked a sharp rise since its outbreak in the middle of May.Twenty-five percent of the new cases involved the hemolytic- uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication resulting from E. coli infection that affects the blood and kidneys, Germany's Robert Koch Institute said.Until now 17 people in Europe, one in Sweden, the other in Germany have been killed by the deadly disease, while the source of the infection was still not identified.According to the data of Robert Koch Institute, at present 470 patients are suffering from HUS due to the infection, raising concerns that the death toll could be even higher in the future.Germany's Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner defended Germany's previous alert on cucumbers from Spain on Wednesday."The fatal strain of EHEC bacteria was indeed found on Spanish cucumbers. According to the European rules, a quick warning must be sent out," she told a local TV station.Laboratory tests in Hamburg on Tuesday overthrew the previous finding that Spanish cucumbers were the sources of the outbreak.As a result of the alert, Europe and Russia imposed bans on Spanish vegetables, leaving Spanish farmers a loss of 200 million euros (287.5 million U.S. dollars) a week.Spain has expressed its intention to take possible legal actions against authorities in Hamburg and ask for compensations from Germany and the European Union.

OTTAWA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Climate change could cost Canada billions of dollars a year by the end of this decade, a government funded study group announced Thursday.The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy said the cost of climate change for Canada could start at roughly 5 billion Canadian dollars per year in 2020 and increase to between 21 billion and 43 billion per year by 2050. Those costs would come from shoreline damage, public health problems, and disruptions to the economy.It also predicted a slight increase in deaths in major cities from heat and air pollution.The round table researchers estimated the cost of climate change is expected to be roughly 0.8 percent to 1.0 percent of GDP -- or 43 billion Canadian dollars a year -- by 2050, if the problem is allowed to worsen.But the report did not address possible benefits, such as reduced demand for hea