Trends & Innovations - Friday

• Investor's Business Daily
• On 7:02 pm EST, Friday November 6, 2009

Skin stem cell spray heals burns

A new spray could heal second-degree burns more easily and less painfully compared with conventional skin graft methods. Technology developed by an Australian surgeon uses a small number of skin cells obtained through a biopsy, which are then suspended in solution. When the cells are sprayed on a burn wound, the skin stem cells proliferate to create a new layer of skin. A kit called ReCell allows surgeons to harvest, process and apply these cells to treat a burn as large as 10.5 square feet, MIT Technology Review reported.

German babies cry in German

Babies cry in the language their parents speak from the first days of life, according to a study by the Univ. of Wurzburg in Germany. French newborns tend to cry with a rising melody contour, while the German babies' cries had a falling inflection. The study said the babies are trying to form a bond with their mothers by imitating them, and unborn babies are influenced by the sound of the first language that penetrates the womb.

Nanoparticles can damage the DNA of cells from a distance, even without crossing the cellular barriers that protect certain parts of the body, according to a study by the U.K.'s Univ. of Bristol. The discovery raises questions about the safety of nanotechnology. The scientists found nanoparticles generate signaling molecules that were then transmitted to cells on the other side.

Drinking untreated rainwater has gotten a boost from new research that comes amid growing concern about the environmental impact of bottled water, which is transported long distances in plastic that can clog landfills. An Aussie study looked at 300 homes that used rainwater as their main drinking source. People who drank untreated rainwater showed no measurable increase in illness vs. those who consumed filtered rainwater. The Web and mobile phones are connecting their users with larger and more diverse social networks, says a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. That finding contradicts the popular belief that technology is helping make Americans more isolated, with smaller, less diverse networks.

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