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NY airport terminal evacuated after anonymous call: report
Kaczynski just ahead in cliffhanger Polish poll count
ICESCAPE scientists scan Arctic seas for melt ponds, "frazil," "grease" and "pancake"
Editor's Note: Haley Smith Kingsland is an Earth systems master's student at Stanford University specializing in science communication. For five weeks she's in the land of no sunsets participating in ICESCAPE , a NASA-sponsored research cruise to investigate the effects of climate change on the Chukchi and Bering seas. This is her second blog post for Scientific American .
[More]Israeli minister to meet Palestinian PM
Gulf beaches quiet as spill spreads
By Sharon Reich
PENSACOLA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Gulf coast beaches, normally packed on Independence Day, were quiet on Sunday as workers cleaned up tar balls from BP's leaking oil well while the company was reported to be taking steps to ward off potential takeover bids.
[More]Biden nudges Iraqi leaders to end deadlock
Quitting smoking during pregnancy may not be enough to prevent harm to baby
Cigarette smoke plays an undisputed role in the development of lung and other cancers. Carcinogens in the smoke damage DNA, which often results in mutations in genes that promote the development of cancer. It's also well known that secondhand smoke can have effects indistinguishable from active smoking. While maternal tobacco smoking has been associated with low birth weight, premature delivery and brain and lung defects, only a few studies have found evidence of genetic mutations in the newborn resulting from exposure to tobacco smoke while in the womb.
A new study by Stephen Grant , professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh, confirms that both active smoking and passive exposure to secondhand smoke in pregnant women lead to genetic damage in newborns. Importantly, the research shows that there was a similar frequency of mutations among smoking mothers, those exposed to secondhand smoke, and moms-to-be that quit smoking after they learned of their pregnancy. The authors conclude that quitting smoking during pregnancy without actively avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke may not protect the developing fetus. The results were published online June 30 in the Open Pediatric Medicine Journal .
[More]Spill panel to hold public meeting July 12-13
BP launches search for new investors: report
Komorowski wins Polish presidential election
Clinton pushes for Nagorno-Karabakh solution
Israel grants wider powers to Gaza flotilla inquiry
China economy stable, but macroeconomic dilemmas: Wen
Suicide bomber in government HQ in west Iraq kills 3
U.S. asks Japan to pay more for moving Marines
Afghan war at critical stage, says Petraeus
Gulf beaches quiet as spill spreads
U.S. spill panel to hold public meeting July 12-13
