Research Roundup

Magnetic fields' evolution revealed

A team of University researchers have uncovered how giant magnetic fields up to a billion, billion miles across, such as the one that envelopes the Milky Way galaxy, are able to take shape despite a mystery that suggested they should collapse almost before they have begun to form.

Astrophysicists have long believed that as these large magnetic fields grow, opposing small-scale fields should grow more quickly, thwarting the evolution of any giant magnetic field. The team, which includes Eric Blackman, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, discovered instead that the simple motion of gas can fight against those small-scale fields long enough for the large fields to form. The results were published in a recent issue of Physical Review Letters.

The simple theory will likely be able to explain how magnetic fields evolve in stars such as the sun, whole galaxies, and even gamma-ray bursts--the most powerful bursts of energy seen in the universe.

Panel outlines use of CRP tests

A panel of the nation's leading authorities on heart disease say there is no need for the entire adult population to have their blood screened for C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker that has been widely promoted as a good indicator of risk of heart attacks, sudden death, or arterial disease.

"This new test should be used after the major risk factors such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol are already measured," says Thomas Pearson, cochair of the panel that crafted the recommendations and senior associate dean for clinical research at the Medical Center.

The recommendations for limited use of the new blood test follow months of speculation about the value of measuring CRP. Many Americans are asking their doctors for the test, Pearson says, although no specific guidelines have been given until now. The panel's recommendations emphasize that doctors should continue using other, well-recognized means of detecting heart disease and encouraging their patients to quit smoking, eat right, and make healthy lifestyle choices.

Vaccines safe, results suggests

The first detailed analysis of blood mercury levels in infants who received vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal indicates that blood levels of mercury in children are comfortably below current safety limits. The study of 61 children by physicians and scientists at the Medical Center also found that the form of mercury in vaccines is eliminated from the blood much more quickly than scientists had predicted.

The issue is at the core of a national debate over the safety of vaccines and the possible correlation between vaccines and a range of disorders including autism. "Every day we see families who are reluctant to have their children vaccinated because of this issue," says Michael Pichichero, professor of microbiology and immunology and the lead investigator of the study. "We work with them, and many decide to go ahead with vaccinations, but some do not, and so they put their children at increased risk for developing serious diseases."

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