Tibetan toll
China鈥檚 Qinghai province is recovering from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit on 13 April, killing around 2000 people. The United States Geological Survey says the quake occurred because the Indian plate is colliding with Asia, causing this part of the Tibetan Plateau to move eastwards.
Halting hepatitis C
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Hepatitis C virus 鈥� which causes liver cancer and cirrhosis and infects nearly 200 million people worldwide 鈥� may have met its match. An experimental drug stopped it replicating in test tubes and reduced the levels of virus in eight people with hepatitis C by a factor of more than 1000 (Nature, ).
Sunbed worship
Surveys normally used to identify alcoholism have found that of 229 users of tanning beds, the behaviour of 50 indicated addiction. The study authors suggest that interventions to reduce skin cancer must address addiction and anxiety in order to be effective (Archives of Dermatology, vol 146, p 412).
Salt licked
The US government should curb salt levels in prepared and processed foods, according to a National Academy of Sciences report. The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to force manufacturers and restaurants to reduce salt levels. Companies should also cut them voluntarily, the report says.
Tree data released
A UK university has been told to release tree ring data going back about 7000 years. The ruling follows a three-year Freedom of Information (FOI) dispute. In January, the Information Commissioner鈥檚 office criticised the University of East Anglia for its handling of FOI requests from climate change sceptics.