Free Republic

‘Germ warfare’ fear over African monkeys taken to Iran Daniel Foggo Hundreds of endangered monkeys are being taken from the African bush and sent to a “secretive” laboratory in Iran for scientific experiments. An undercover inquiry by The Sunday Times has revealed that wild monkeys, which are banned from experiments in Britain, are being freely supplied in large numbers to laboratories in other parts of the world. All will undergo invasive and maybe painful experiments leading ultimately to their death. One Tanzanian dealer, Nazir Manji, who runs African Primates, an animal-supplying company based in Dar es Salaam, said that in...

Bo (woof) In Commentary: If you dropped off your owner at spring break, would you have difficulty picking him out when he returned? Of course not. So how can an owner not know his own canine when he returns from a week of fried seafood and fried skin? I don’t know but here’s the story. (LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. - Ken Griggs likes his new dog, but he preferred the old one. Then again, it might be the same dog. In a possible case of mistaken identity, Griggs said the black Labrador named Callie that he left at a Dundee kennel...

Terror threat sparks scientist check By Richard Alleyne Last Updated: 2:03am BST 31/03/2008 Police and secret service officers are carrying out background checks on thousands of scientists without their knowledge, amid fears terrorists are targeting British laboratories to obtain deadly viruses. The vetting, which includes checks on family backgrounds, political views and associates, is part of a review of some 800 laboratories in hospitals, universities and private firms where staff have access to incurable viruses such as ebola. Whitehall sources confirmed the operation by MI5 and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office. A series of spot checks and detailed inspections...

Is she or isn't she? Mummy lab working to ID pharaoh queen CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Months after Egypt boldly announced that archaeologists had identified a mummy as the most powerful queen of her time, scientists in a museum basement are still analyzing DNA from the bald, 3,500-year-old corpse to try to back up the claim aired on TV. DNA testing continues on these mummified remains thought to be Queen Hatshepsut. So far, results indicate the linen-wrapped mummy is most likely, but not conclusively, the female pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled for 20 years in the 15th century B.C. Running...

DETROIT -- The largest steroid enforcement action in U.S. history resulted in the arrest of 124 people, two from Michigan, and the discovery of the largest steroid laboratory ever recorded in Michigan’s history, according to a Drug Enforcement agency officials. In total, 11.4 million steroid dosage units and 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder from Chinese origin were seized and $6.5 million, as well as 25 vehicles, three boats, 27 pill presses and 71 weapons were seized in Operation Raw Deal, said DEA officials.

Did you even wonder how the Mexican super labs make meth. Since the USA has restricted sales of ephedra by placing cold tablets behind the counter and making people sign for them, Drug labs in the USA have died out from what they once were. The current problem is that in Mexico "drug companies" are selling ephedra in pure brick form to mexican drug lords so the need for refining the cold tablets for ephedra has past and the end product is much purer.

Lab chief: Nifong said don't report all DNA data Testimony reveals that lab testing that could have been favorable to defendants in the Duke lacrosse case was omitted from a report and was not disclosed to the defense... ...Meehan struggled to say why he didn't include the evidence in a report dated May 12, almost a month after Seligmann and Finnerty had been indicted. Under pointed questioning by defense lawyer Bradley Bannon, Meehan cited concerns about the privacy of the lacrosse players, the fact that he didn't know whose DNA it was, and his discussions with Nifong at meetings in...

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- A city ordinance in Sioux City, Iowa, says all pets must be on a leash -- but it doesn't say who has to be carrying the leash. One Iowa dog, Jack, has been walking himself since he was a puppy. The 11-year-old Labrador retriever holds his own leash in his mouth as he walks with his owner, Brad Ralph. "So far, we haven't been cited," Ralph said. "I don't know how that would hold up in court, but he is technically on a leash." Jack and Brad walk about three miles each day. "I don't really...

6/14/2006 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) -- A new aircraft with the potential to get up to 30 percent better fuel mileage because of its unique flying-wing shape is being tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory and industry partners. The prototype blended wing body, or BWB, aircraft is a modified, triangular-shaped aircraft configuration with 20 control surfaces along its trailing edge. Researchers believe it will have greater fuel efficiency because more of the plane produces lift. More lift is gained because the wing centerbody, which on a BWB replaces the fuselage of a conventional airplane where the...

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (June 2, 2006) -- Marines fighting the ongoing war on terrorism face enemies that are adaptive, decentralized and elusive. According to Headquarters Marine Corps, the enemy will continue to develop new tactics designed to exploit perceived seams in Marine Corps capabilities, having recognized the overwhelming conventional superiority of U.S. forces. In order to maintain dominance on the battlefield, it is essential to the Corps that the methods of war-fighting change continuously, and Marines continue to adapt to new methods while remaining a flexible, combined-arms force. The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in...

A toddler will be scarred for life after being attacked by a neighbour's kelpie cross, prompting her plastic surgeon to warn about the unpredictability of dogs, even family pets. "The family and the child were familiar with the dog and the reason that it's scary is that dogs can behave unpredictably, even a supposedly friendly dog," said Dr Hassall, a member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. "The scars left by these injuries are permanent. There's a life-long reminder now that this child's been attacked by a dog. The toddler's mother was distracted with another one of her children...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A particle accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories has heated a swarm of charged particles to a record 2 billion degrees Kelvin, a temperature beyond that of a star's interior. Scientists working with Sandia's Z machine said the feat also revealed a new phenomenon that could eventually make future nuclear fusion power plants smaller and cheaper to operate than if the plants relied on previously known physics. "At first, we were disbelieving," said Chris Deeney, head of the project. "We repeated the experiment many times to make sure we had a true result and not an 'Oops'!" Sandia's...

3/1/2006 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- The Air Force Theater Hospital here can do amazing things every day and is able to save lives through the hard work and dedication of the entire staff. But many of the life-saving procedures they perform would not be possible without the information and blood products the laboratory provides. “We can usually hear the helicopters coming in with someone injured,” said Capt. Donna Fox, officer in charge of the lab. “As soon as they arrive we take three samples of their blood and perform a different test on each.” The first test...

CAMP BULLIS, Texas (Army News Service, Feb. 8, 2006) – A world-renowned cardiologist and top-ranked university vice president, Dr. Ward Casscells joined the Army at age 53 and led the service’s research on avian flu before graduating Feb. 3 from his officer basic course. Casscells is a teacher, doctor and champion of humanitarian relief, with countless hours spent tending to victims of hurricanes, tsunamis and terrorist acts. His studies have led to breakthroughs in cardiology, and his years of research on avian flu are now deemed cutting edge as a potential pandemic begins to loom. With more than 30 years...

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Lowell Larson (left), a special projects officer for the Combined Joint Task Force 76 surgeon cell, talks about microscopy methods with Mohammad Ayub, a lab technician at the Sharan, Afghanistan hospital, Sept. 22, 2005. Larson is training Afghan lab technicians how to use the "Lab-in-a-Suitcase" kit that was donated to the hospital. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Laura E. Griffin 'Lab in a Suitcase' Improves Afghan Hospital U.S. Army Lt. Col. Lowell Larson, a lab technician in his civilian job, trains the Afghan technicians in how to use the equipment. By U.S. Army Spc. Laura...

MARIPI, Colombia - Colombian troops raided a sprawling clandestine drug laboratory run by a paramilitary group that was capable of producing 10 tons of cocaine a month, officials said Tuesday. "This is the biggest cocaine processing factory we've found this year, it contained a large quantity of chemicals used to process the drugs," Gen. Gustavo Matamoros, commander of the army's 5th Division, told The Associated Press. In a separate operation, the military announced Tuesday that it had seized six tons of marijuana allegedly belonging to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the country's main leftist rebel group. The...

Three lab mice that were exposed to the plague are missing from the Public Health research Institute in Newark. The animals could have been stolen or eaten by other animals in their cages. Officials say the risk to public safety is minimal because the infected mice would die quickly. The incident occurred more than two weeks ago. The research lab is located on the campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. U-M-D-N-J has responsibility for security. The F-B-I and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating. State Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs tells The Star-Ledger...

The clinic serves as a battalion aid station and also provides lab, dental, x-ray and trauma services. TAJI, Iraq, Aug. 3, 2005 — "You never know what is going to roll up to the door," said U.S. Army Capt. Jacqueline L. Graul, brigade nurse for 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. Graul is part of the staff at "Cobra" Clinic, run by C Company, 125th Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, which provides for the medical needs of soldiers at Camp Taji. "You don't get a second chance with a real casualty. All your training is on the line."...

Yushchenko poisoners' lab is found By Robin Gedye in Kiev (Filed: 01/07/2005) Ukraine's authorities know who was behind the attempt to poison President Viktor Yushchenko and have traced the substance used in the plot to a laboratory for banned chemical weapons, it emerged yesterday. The former Soviet state's security services had also deployed the same poison to kill others, Mr Yushchenko said in an interview. A number of people suspected of involvement in the assassination attempt last September are on the run, he went on, adding that he was "certain that everybody will be caught" eventually. The disclosure that the...

WASHINGTON - Whether it's smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected, methamphetamine is more addictive and more damaging to the brain than cocaine, heroin and most other illegal drugs. It's also unusually efficient at ruining lives, ensnaring entire families and turning parents and children into addicts fixated only on their next euphoric high. "If the adults use it, the kids are going to be around it and get roped in," said Dr. William Haning, director of the Addiction Psychiatry Residency Program for the University of Hawaii's medical school. "As crazy as this sounds, the parent won't necessarily see this as a bad...