Fecal bacteria found on school keyboard

The University of Washington says its computer keyboards will now be cleaned weekly after a student research project found high levels of fecal bacteria on some of the keyboards.

Gwy-Am Shin, an associate professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and faculty supervisor for the research project, said the testing was rudimentary.

Shin explained only 30 keyboards were tested, the samples taken were minuscule, and swabbing isn't the most sophisticated gathering technique.

Still, "our study was kind of the first to demonstrate the importance of hygiene in public schools," Shin said.

The presence of fecal coliform is an indicator that other pathogens may be on the keyboards, such as E. coli bacteria.

Seattle Public Library officials say they're aware of the potential health risks keyboards pose.

At the library's central branch in downtown Seattle, all 378 public keyboards are wiped daily, cleaned thoroughly once a week and put through a dishwasher once a month.

Green tea improves dilation in arteries: study

A small study from Greece suggests that drinking green tea may expand arteries.

Improved dilation in arteries is linked to better cardiovascular health.

Researchers tested volunteers on separate occasions after participants drank green tea, caffeine and hot water.

They found that dilation of the brachial artery in the upper arm increased by 4 per cent 30 minutes after green tea.

Researchers, however, found no dilation after participants drank caffeine or hot water.

The work is reported in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.

Broccoli nudges genes to fight prostate cancer

Just a few more portions of broccoli each week may protect men from prostate cancer, British researchers report.

The researchers believe a chemical in the food sparks hundreds of genetic changes, activating some genes that fight cancer and switching off others that fuel tumours, said Richard Mithen, a biologist at Britain's Institute of Food Research.

Prostate is the second-leading cancer killer of men after lung cancer.

The researchers took tissue samples and found that study participants who ate broccoli showed hundreds of changes in genes known to play a role in fighting cancer.

The benefit would likely be the same in other cruciferous vegetables that contain a compound called isothiocyanate, including brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, arugula, watercress and horse radish, they added.

Broccoli, however, has a particularly powerful type of the compound called sulforaphane, which the researchers think gives the green vegetable an extra cancer-fighting kick, Mithen said.

The sound of victory closer than you think

Does it matter which runner is closest to the starter's pistol at the beginning of a race? It just might, a new study says.

Researchers who looked at results from the 2004 Olympics say sprinters who were closest to the gun took off faster, probably because they perceived the shot as louder than their competitors did.

The study, which appears in the June issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, suggests that Olympic officials consider extending the use of "silent" guns, which set off a sound behind each runner.

When the researchers measured reaction times of volunteers in the lab, they found that the louder the sound of the shot, the faster the reaction time.

The study did not suggest the outcomes of the races had been affected.

One explanation is that in the final races, the runners who have done the best in heats tend to be placed in the centre lanes.

-- Compiled by Florence Sicoli from Hamilton Spectator news services