Mathematician claims proof for Riemann hypothesis

A Purdue University mathematician claims to have proven the Riemann hypothesis, often dubbed the greatest unsolved problem in mathematics. Louis De Branges de Bourcia, or de Branges (de BRONZH) as he prefers to be called, has posted a 23-page paper detailing his attempt at a proof on his university Web page. While mathematicians ordinarily announce their work at formal conferences or in scientific journals, the spirited competition to prove the hypothesis — which carries a $1 million prize for whomever accomplishes it first — has encouraged de Branges to announce his work as soon as it was completed.

Ultra-cold neutron source at Los Alamos confirmed as world’s most intense

Some slow, cold visitors stopped by Los Alamos National Laboratory last week, and their arrival could prove a godsend to physicists seeking a better theory of everything. Researchers working at the University of California’s Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and eight other member institutions of an international collaboration took a giant step toward their goal of constructing the most intense source of ultra-cold neutrons in the world, measuring ultra-cold neutron production in their new source for the first time.

Earstones Tell Fishes’ Tale of Early Life

During their tender youth, both the endangered fish species totoaba and the commercially important gulf corvina require the brackish water habitat provided by the shrinking Colorado River estuary, report researchers. Although overfishing has been implicated in the decline of both species, commercial harvesting isn’t the only reason for the two species’ decline, the finding suggests. Since 1960, diversion of Colorado River water for human uses has greatly reduced the amount of fresh water that reaches the Gulf of California, thereby reducing the brackish-water estuary, the region where river water and ocean water mix.

NASA looks at composting for in-space waste problem

”Yuck!” If that’s how you feel when your garbage can overflows, imagine what it’s like for astronauts when they find themselves with a lot of garbage and only a little room to store it. Researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are using biology to hunt for a way to reduce the amount of space taken up by solid waste, primarily food waste. They also want to extract nutrients that might be used to grow plants in space.

U.S. Youth No More Violent Than Youth In Four Other Countries

The results of an international survey show that young adolescents in the United States are no more likely to engage in violent behavior than are youth in 4 other countries. The survey was coordinated by the World Health Organization and the U.S. participation was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health. The study authors noted, however, that their findings fail to explain international statistics showing that U.S. youth are more likely to die of violent causes than are youth in other developed countries.

Perchlorate may be acceptable in drinking water at higher levels

Even at significantly higher levels than recommended by the state’s leading health assessment agency, the contaminant perchlorate in drinking water seems to pose no additional risks to healthy people, according to a recent report issued by the UC Irvine Urban Water Research Center. The center reached this conclusion following a broad review of existing research on the rocket fuel manufacturing byproduct. Produced by an independent committee of scholars, the center’s report is being provided to the California Department of Health Services and other policymakers as they wrestle with setting a statewide standard for perchlorate in drinking water.

Thar She Blows: Venus Transit Becomes a Celestial Reality

NASA joins the world in viewing a rare celestial event, one not seen by any person now alive. Today, the planet Venus appeared to cross in front of the Sun as seen from Earth. The last ”Venus transit” occurred more than a century ago, in 1882, and was used to compute the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Scientists with NASA’s Kepler mission hope to discover Earth-like planets outside our solar system by searching for transits of other stars by planets that might be orbiting them.

Estrogen patches lower cholesterol in men with prostate cancer

A small adhesive estrogen patch worn by men being treated for advanced prostate cancer lowers cholesterol, according to a new study. This is important because men who have advanced prostate cancer are often treated with hormone deprivation therapy, which turns off testosterone to slow the growth of prostate cancer. Testosterone suppression is effective in controlling prostate cancer, but is associated with high cholesterol that may put men at greater risk for premature heart disease.

Just half of a commonly used cancer drug is activated in cancer patients

According to results reported at the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), only half of the delivered dose of a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent may be activated in cancer patients. The study, presented in a poster discussion session by Jason Fisher, a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, analyzed data from 31 cancer patients given 30-minute infusions of gemcitabine to determine what percentage of the drug dose was associated with concentrations that exceeded the body’s ability to activate the drug. He found that while approximately 50 percent of the gemcitabine dose was likely to be converted to active metabolites, the other 50 percent was likely to be inactivated, and as a result, possibly not contribute to a therapeutic effect.

Generics slow rising cost of prescription drugs in 2003

Higher generic drug use in 2003 slowed the rising cost per prescription to a 7.9% increase — from $51.76 to $55.86. This rate of increase was significantly less than the 13.1% increase from 2001 to 2002, and the lowest rate in the past four years. Generic drug use increased to a record 48% among Express Scripts’ 50 million members during 2003, spurred by the use of several prominent new generics, fluoxetine, omeprazole and lisinopril. The company’s overall generic dispensing rate increased to 49% in the first quarter of 2004.

Researchers find strong familial tendency in rare form of lymphoma

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have uncovered new evidence that Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia — a rare form of lymphoma — can run in families. In research to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, investigators will document these findings, as well as their discovery that certain markings — or antigens — on the surface of Waldenstrom’s tumor cells may indicate a subtype of the disease.

Mutation causes progressive changes to cell structure in children with rapid agi

Researchers today announced that a mutation of the Lamin A gene gradually causes devastating effects on cellular structure and function in children with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS or Progeria). The study was published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Progeria is a rare, fatal genetic condition characterized by an appearance of accelerated aging in children.

Pay or go away: What would spammers do?

A penny for your thoughts would take on a new meaning if spammers were charged for every e-mail message they sent. University of Michigan researchers have a proposal to do just that. Here’s how it would work: Internet users would be allowed to set a price at which they will accept e-mail from an unknown sender. The higher the price, the less spam the recipient is likely to receive. Recipients can collect the amount they specified for any spam received, unless it was from a pre-approved sender.