October 6 - The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Harald zur Hausen for his discovery that human papilloma viruses cause cervical cancer. Over 5 percent of all cancers are caused by this virus. “Of the more than 100 HPV types known, about 40 infect the genital tract, and 15 of these put women at high risk for cervical cancer.

October 2 - The number of emergency room visits in the United States increased by 20 percent between 1995 and 2005, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Wait times have also been on the rise. In 2006, the average ER wait time in an emergency department was 56 minutes -- almost 10 minutes longer than it was in 2004. Meanwhile, the number of emergency departments in the nation is shrinking.

September 25 - Committed to protecting the integrity of science, AAAS, in collaboration with the National Academies, has established a Web site on scientific misconduct and research integrity. Subjects covered include conflicts of interest, plagiarism, use of research animals, and protecting human subjects, among others.

September 16 - On Sept. 10 CERN -- the European Organization for Nuclear Research -- successfully steered a beam of particles around the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, which was built to help scientists resolve some key questions in particle physics and has the potential to revolutionize human understanding of the known universe.

September 9 - Congress has ordered the implementation by the end of 2009 of a national consumer information program whose goal will be to produce ratings on passenger tire fuel-efficiency, although regulations will not require tires to be labeled with the ratings.