Washington, Apr 28 : Smoking, high blood pressure and being overweight—these are the top three preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the United States, according to a new study.

Led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), the collaborative study found that smoking is responsible for 467,000 premature deaths each year, high blood pressure for 395,000, and being overweight for 216,000.

The effects of smoking work out to be about one in five deaths in American adults, while high blood pressure is responsible for one in six deaths.

Washington, Apr 28 : Researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a protein which, when over-expressed, leads to the formation of senile plaques that cause Alzheimer’s disease.

It can be a potential new therapeutic target to block the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain.

"The role of the multi-domain protein, RANBP9, suggests a possible new therapeutic target for Alzheimer''s disease," said Dr David E. Kang, assistant professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego and director of this study.

New York, April 28 : The mother of octuplets Nadya Suleman has got herself a new tattoo resembling that of actress Angelina Jolie.

The history-making mum, who gave birth to eight babies in January, adding to her previous lot of six, already has seven tattoos, a passion that she “shares” with the Hollywood star.

According to RadarOnline. com, the single, unemployed mum went under the needle to get a tattoo of an angel with 14 stars, representing her brood, reports the New York Daily News.

Interestingly, Jolie has a tattoo reminding her of her 6 kids with the geographical coordinates of their birthplaces.

Washington, Apr 28 : Researchers at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have found flu vaccine delivered through skin patches containing microneedles as effective at preventing influenza in mice as intramuscular, hypodermic flu immunization.

The researchers claims that the microneedle skin patch method could improve overall seasonal vaccination as it is simpler, safer and painless.

The patches contain an array of stainless steel microneedles coated with inactivated influenza virus.

Washington, Apr 28 : The physics of the perfect pizza toss has been unlocked by Monash University scientists who will use it to design the next generation of micro motors thinner that a human hair.

Daniel (Kuang-Chen) Liu, a PhD student supervised by Associate Professor James Friend and Senior Lecturer Leslie Yeo, videotaped a professional pizza tosser at work.

Washington, April 28 : In a new study, scientists have determined that solar energy has the potential to improve the living conditions of poor rural households in India as well as contribute to the country''s future energy security.

The study was done bv Professor Govindasamy Agoramoorthy from Tajen University, who is Tata-Sadguru Visiting Chair, and Dr. Minna Hsu from the National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan.