A growing number of devices are now connected to the internet and are capable of collecting, sending and receiving data. This interconnection between devices, referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), poses serious security threats, as cyberattackers can now target computers and smartphones, but also a vast array of other devices, such as tablets, smart watches, smart home systems, transportation systems and so on.
* This article was originally published here
Friday 31 May 2019
Can cannabinoids help treat obsessive-compulsive disorder?
The body's endocannabinoid system, due to the critical role it plays in regulating neurotransmitter signaling, is an enticing target for drug development against disorders associated with anxiety, stress, and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A comprehensive new review article that provides an overview of this complex system, endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids, results of animal studies and human trials to date, and recommendations for future directions is published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
30 dead deer found at Utah landfill starved, died of disease
Utah officials have determined that more than 30 deer found near a landfill in northeastern Utah died from starvation, diseases and other causes.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Three ways to travel at (nearly) the speed of light
One hundred years ago today, on May 29, 1919, measurements of a solar eclipse offered verification for Einstein's theory of general relativity. Even before that, Einstein had developed the theory of special relativity, which revolutionized the way we understand light. To this day, it provides guidance on understanding how particles move through space—a key area of research to keep spacecraft and astronauts safe from radiation.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
What's the deal with breakfast?
(HealthDay)—A new research review published in the BMJ has added to the debate over the merits of breakfast. It has long been regarded as "the most important meal of the day"—and probably still is for growing children—but what about adults who are trying to lose weight?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Winter could pose solar farm 'ramping' snag for power grid
By adding utility-scale solar farms throughout New York state, summer electricity demand from conventional sources could be reduced by up to 9.6% in some places.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
CDC: reported measles cases reach 971
(HealthDay)—Five months into 2019, the number of measles cases in the United States has now reached 971, the largest number since 1992 when 963 total cases were reported for the year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tornado outbreaks reminder to make smartphones disaster-ready
Tornadoes have torn their way across the country as the natural disaster season starts, leaving hundreds displaced from their homes and lives in disarray.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Three convolutional neural network models for facial expression recognition in the wild
Two researchers at Shanghai University of Electric Power have recently developed and evaluated new neural network models for facial expression recognition (FER) in the wild. Their study, published in Elsevier's Neurocomputing journal, presents three models of convolutional neural networks (CNNs): a Light-CNN, a dual-branch CNN and a pre-trained CNN.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
PULP Dronet: A 27-gram nano-UAV inspired by insects
Researchers at ETH Zürich and the University of Bologna have recently created PULP Dronet, a 27-gram nano-size unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a deep learning-based visual navigation engine. Their mini-drone, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, can run aboard an end-to-end, closed-loop visual pipeline for autonomous navigation powered by a state-of-the-art deep learning algorithm.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Is traffic-related air pollution killing us?
It's summer getaway season. According to AAA, two-thirds of American families are taking a summer vacation this year, and more than half of us are planning a road trip.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Facebook loses bid to block landmark ECJ data security hearing
Ireland's supreme court on Friday dismissed a bid by Facebook to block a landmark data security case from progressing to the European Court of Justice.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Making structural changes to antibody has potential for reducing cancer tumours
Guided by "blueprints" produced at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, a group of scientists from academia and industry made structural changes to an antibody that is now showing a lot of potential for reducing cancer tumours.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A new molecular mechanism could explain the origins of the depressive symptoms in Huntington's disease
About 40 percent of the affected patients with Huntington's disease—a neurodegenerative pathology- show depression symptoms, even in early stages before the apparition of the typical motor symptoms of the disease. An altered function of Cdk5 kinase—an essential enzyme in several cell signalling pathways- could explain the physiopathology of the depressive-like behaviour in Huntington's disease, according to a pre-clinical study in which the UB experts Sílvia Ginés, Verónica Brito, Albert Giralt and Jordi Alberch, from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UBNeuro) have taken part.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
An AI taught itself to play a video game and now it's beating humans
Since the earliest days of virtual chess and solitaire, video games have been a playing field for developing artificial intelligence (AI). Each victory of machine against human has helped make algorithms smarter and more efficient. But in order to tackle real world problems—such as automating complex tasks including driving and negotiation—these algorithms must navigate more complex environments than board games, and learn teamwork. Teaching AI how to work and interact with other players to succeed had been an insurmountable task—until now.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Water governance: Flexibility, uncertainty and participation
Whenever I start a presentation about water governance, I ask the audience if they know what the price of a litre of tap water is. Usually the room goes quiet, shoulders shrug and only a few make a guess, usually an overestimation. My next question is about the price of a litre of petrol. Within a split second, I get the right answer from the audience.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Nailing digital fakes with AI-learned artifacts
We see the imaginative feats of photo fakery; now we have to figure out what to do about them. Being able to tell fake from real is the goal, but how to get there? Forensics is the key tool to hunt down fake photos and it does not appear to be an easy task in getting that tool to perform well.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Bacteria's protein quality control agent offers insight into origins of life
May 30—Our cells' process for transforming genes into useful proteins works much like an automobile factory's assembly line; there are schematics, parts, workers, motors, quality control systems and even recycling crews. If the cell's recycling process falters, abnormal protein fragments accumulate, potentially causing the cell's death. In nerve cells, the process is linked to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS and dementia.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Understanding why virus can't replicate in human cells could improve vaccines
The identification of a gene that helps to restrict the host range of the modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) could lead to the development of new and improved vaccines against diverse infectious agents, according to a study published May 30 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Bernard Moss of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Chicago winter without a furnace or gas bill: Passive houses make it possible and are slowly catching on
In the 1970s, long before the Prius and Green New Deal, a small group of engineers and architects at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was already going green.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Telecoms giant EE launches Britain's first 5G services
British mobile phone operator EE on Thursday became the first in the country to launch a high-speed 5G service, but without smartphones from controversial Chinese technology giant Huawei.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Godzilla is back and he's bigger than ever: The evolutionary biology of the monster
Godzilla first made his debut in 1954. At inception, he was a 50-meter tall metaphor for indiscriminate destruction, particularly U.S. hydrogen-bomb testing in the Marshall Islands, which, in the film, destroyed Godzilla's deep-sea ecosystem. Sixty-five years and 35 films later, Godzilla is back and bigger than ever in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. At 119.8 meters tall, Godzilla battles it out for supremacy against three god-sized monsters, all with the future of humanity at stake. Film critics and fans have long observed that Godzilla has been getting larger over time, as buildings become taller. In fact, Godzilla has evolved 30 times faster than other organisms on Earth, according to a team of Dartmouth scientists whose findings are published in Science.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thursday 30 May 2019
Church, couch, couple: Social psychological connections between people and physical space
Societies and people have reshaped the world many times over. From building cities and communities that live within them, to the smaller changes in a person's home or place of worship, people influence their space. Benjamin Meagher, a social psychologist at Hope College, argues that the space people shape, also shapes the individual, and that social psychology must take an "ecological" view of people in their environment.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Renault and Fiat Chrysler stuck over merger terms: report
Talks between Fiat Chrysler and Renault have hit a roadblock over the financial terms of the proposed merger between the Italian-US and French carmakers, the French business daily Les Echos reported online Thursday, citing sources close to Fiat Chrysler.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sharks popping up all around Florida for summer beach season
There are sharks off Florida's coast. That's not news, but with Memorial Day weekend's traditional summer season kickoff, there are now thousands more people venturing to Florida's beaches, so that means more shark sightings.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Stanford Doggo: a highly agile quadruped robot
Researchers at Stanford University have recently created an open-source quadruped robot called Stanford Doggo. Their robot, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv and set to be published by IEEE Explore, exceeds the performance of many state-of-the-art legged robots in vertical jumping agility.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday 29 May 2019
From viruses to social bots, researchers unearth the structure of attacked networks
The human body's mechanisms are marvelous, yet they haven't given up all their secrets. In order to truly conquer human disease, it is crucial to understand what happens at the most elementary level.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Key link discovered between tissue cell type and different forms of arthritis
Pioneering research by scientists at the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham published today in Nature brings us a step closer to developing targeted therapies for inflammatory diseases.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Using nature to adapt to climate change
As the effects of a changing climate are felt with growing intensity, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders are turning their attention to adaptive strategies that can help build resilience. Of particular import will be adaptions aimed at improving the resilience of cities, many of which lie in the coastal areas that face the greatest peril.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
737 MAX jet grounded for at least 10-12 more weeks: IATA
The global aviation association IATA expects Boeing's troubled 737 MAX 8 plane to remain grounded for at least 10 to 12 more weeks, director general Alexandre de Juniac said Wednesday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sensor-packed glove learns signatures of the human grasp
Wearing a sensor-packed glove while handling a variety of objects, MIT researchers have compiled a massive dataset that enables an AI system to recognize objects through touch alone. The information could be leveraged to help robots identify and manipulate objects, and may aid in prosthetics design.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'Neural Lander' uses AI to land drones smoothly
Landing multi-rotor drones smoothly is difficult. Complex turbulence is created by the airflow from each rotor bouncing off the ground as the ground grows ever closer during a descent. This turbulence is not well understood nor is it easy to compensate for, particularly for autonomous drones. That is why takeoff and landing are often the two trickiest parts of a drone flight. Drones typically wobble and inch slowly toward a landing until power is finally cut, and they drop the remaining distance to the ground.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday 28 May 2019
MacKenzie Bezos pledges half her fortune to charity
MacKenzie Bezos, who finalized her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos earlier this year, is pledging to give away half her fortune to charity.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Italy team cheers robot pulling a passenger plane
This four-legged robot has pull—3 tons of it—and its engineers were proud to show it off on May 23 as rugged and powerful as it is.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Stiffening arteries in teenagers with persistent obesity
Children and adolescents with long-term obesity have increased arterial stiffness by their late teens, a study of more than 3,000 children followed from age 9 to 17 shows. These results, in the researchers' view, call for more initiatives to reduce teenage obesity.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
What is known—and not known—about heart muscle diseases in children
Cardiomyopathies (heart muscle diseases) in children are the focus of a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association that provides insight into the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases as well as identifying future research priorities. It will be published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Electrified methane reformer produces far less carbon dioxide
A team of researchers from several institutions in Denmark, along with colleagues from Sintex and Haldor Topsoe, has developed an electrified methane reformer that produces far less CO2 than conventional steam-methane reformers. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their new technology and how well it works. Kevin Van Geem, Vladimir Galvita and Guy Marin with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology and Center for Sustainable Chemistry in Ghent have published a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Google Glass struck out for masses but enterprise class has takers
My, have we grown. All eyes are on the Glass Enterprise Edition 2. with its hardware update and new frames. Google Glass has come a long way since its debut in 2013. As Scott Stein in CNET quipped, "You might remember Glass as a strange 2013 footnote."
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
100% renewables doesn't equal zero-carbon energy, and the difference is growing
While 160 companies around the world have committed to use "100 percent renewable energy," that does not mean "100 percent carbon-free energy." The difference will grow as power grids become less reliant on fossil power, according to a new Stanford study published today in Joule. Entities committed to fighting climate change can and should measure the environmental benefits of their renewable strategies accurately, the authors write.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Monday 27 May 2019
Obstructive sleep apnea linked to cancer diagnosis in women
(HealthDay)—Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cancer diagnosis, especially among women, according to a research letter published online May 20 in the European Respiratory Journal.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Fiat Chrysler presents plan for merger with Renault
Italian-US auto giant Fiat Chrysler presented a merger proposal to France's Renault on Monday that would create the world's third largest automaker.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Lonely patients with heart failure least likely to follow treatment recommendations
Less than 10% of heart failure patients comply with advice on salt and fluid restrictions, daily weighing, and physical activity, reports a study presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
In vaping response, schools mull treatment with discipline
A glimpse of student athletes in peak physical condition vaping just moments after a competing in a football game led Stamford High School Principal Raymond Manka to reconsider his approach to the epidemic.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sunday 26 May 2019
Poor glycemic control linked to sarcopenia in T2DM
(HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes, poor glycemic control is associated with sarcopenia, according to a study published online May 9 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Origami-inspired materials could soften the blow for reusable spacecraft
Space vehicles like SpaceX's Falcon 9 are designed to be reusable. But this means that, like Olympic gymnasts hoping for a gold medal, they have to stick their landings.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Over 600 people test HIV positive in Pakistan city
Pakistan said on Sunday over 600 people, most of them children, had tested HIV positive in a city in the southern Sindh province.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Growing up high: Neurobiological consequences of adolescent cannabis use
About one in five Canadian adolescents uses cannabis (19% of Canadians aged 15-19), and its recent legalization across the country warrants investigation into the consequence of this use on the developing brain. Adolescence is associated with the maturation of cognitive functions, such as working memory, decision-making, and impulsivity control. This is a highly vulnerable period for the development of the brain as it represents a critical period wherein regulatory connection between higher-order regions of the cortex and emotional processing circuits deeper inside the brain are established. It is a period of strong remodeling, making adolescents highly vulnerable to drug-related developmental disturbances. Research presented by Canadian neuroscientists Patricia Conrod, Steven Laviolette, Iris Balodis and Jibran Khokhar at the 2019 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Toronto on May 25 featured recent discoveries on the effects of cannabis on the adolescent brain.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
With a hop, a skip and a jump, high-flying robot leaps over obstacles with ease
Topping out at less than a foot, Salto the robot looks like a Star Wars imperial walker in miniature. But don't be fooled by its size—this little robot has a mighty spring in its step. Salto can vault over three times its height in a single bound.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
In vitro fertilization linked to deadly heart disease in pregnancy
Women undergoing fertility treatment should urgently see their doctor if they have heart failure symptoms, according to a study presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Two decades of tie-ups and break-ups among EU carmakers
French auto giant Renault and Italian-US counterpart Fiat Chrysler are planning to announce an alliance, further reshaping Europe's auto sector which has already witnessed two decades of takeovers, alliances and break-ups.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Comet inspires chemistry for making breathable oxygen on Mars
Science fiction stories are chock full of terraforming schemes and oxygen generators for a very good reason—we humans need molecular oxygen (O2) to breathe, and space is essentially devoid of it. Even on other planets with thick atmospheres, O2 is hard to come by.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers gain key insight into solar material's soaring efficiency
The rows of blue solar panels that dot landscapes and rooftops are typically made out of crystalline silicon, the workhorse semiconductor found in virtually every electronic device.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
If you could learn every disease your child could possibly develop in life, would you?
Newborn screening is required in the U.S. and differs slightly depending on which state you live in. For the most part, it's done before a newborn baby leaves the hospital and includes a blood test that screens for 30-50 serious health problems that usually arise in infancy or childhood, and could hinder normal development.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Mona Lisa guest on TV? Researchers work out talking heads from photos, art
A paper discussing an artificial intelligence feat now up on arXiv is giving tech watchers yet another reason to feel this is the Age of Enfrightenment.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A quicker eye for robotics to help in our cluttered, human environments
In a step toward home-helper robots that can quickly navigate unpredictable and disordered spaces, University of Michigan researchers have developed an algorithm that lets machines perceive their environments orders of magnitude faster than similar previous approaches.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'A long ride': 50 years ago, a dress rehearsal for the Moon landing
As Earth grew ever smaller below his spacecraft, Apollo 10 commander Tom Stafford made an unusual request to mission control.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Real estate title firm's lapse exposes data in 885M files
A security lapse at a major real estate title company exposed the bank account numbers and other sensitive information contained in 885 million files.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Vertical plating offers benefit for mandibular body fractures
(HealthDay)—For treatment of mandibular body fractures, vertical plating offers equal or greater resistance to torsional forces and is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative complications and operative time, according to a study published online May 23 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
United Airlines extends cancellation of Boeing Max flights
United Airlines is canceling another month's worth of flights with Boeing 737 Max planes that were grounded after two deadly accidents.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tesla's bad news accelerates as Wall Street loses faith
Late last year, Tesla Inc. was fully charged and cruising down the highway on Autopilot.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Soft, social robot brings coziness to home robotics
A few years ago, when social robots began appearing in stores and homes, Guy Hoffman wondered why they all looked so much alike.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
AlterEgo opens silent spring of computer connections via wearable
OK, we get it. Artificial intelligence experts are on a fast clip from year to year, month to month, showing off what their research can promise. But could it be that we have reached that stage in human-computer interaction, where you can think of a question —— without saying a word— and the machine will respond with the answer?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Saturday 25 May 2019
Dog-like robot jumps, flips and trots
Putting their own twist on robots that amble through complicated landscapes, the Stanford Student Robotics club's Extreme Mobility team has developed a four-legged robot that is not only capable of performing acrobatic tricks and traversing challenging terrain but is also designed with reproducibility in mind. Anyone who wants their own version of the robot, dubbed Stanford Doggo, can consult comprehensive plans, code and a supply list that the students have made freely available online.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Soil communities threatened by destruction, instability of Amazon forests
The clearing and subsequent instability of Amazonian forests are among the greatest threats to tropical biodiversity conservation today.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Friday 24 May 2019
Fake Facebook accounts: the never-ending battle against bots
The staggering figure of more than three billion fake accounts blocked by Facebook over a six-month period highlights the challenges faced by social networks in curbing automated accounts, or bots, and other nefarious efforts to manipulate the platforms.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Engineered bacteria could be missing link in energy storage
One of the big issues with sustainable energy systems is how to store electricity that's generated from wind, solar and waves. At present, no existing technology provides large-scale storage and energy retrieval for sustainable energy at a low financial and environmental cost.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thursday 23 May 2019
California above national average for sexual harassment rates: report
In the state of California, reported incidences of sexual harassment are 5 percent higher for women and 10 percent higher for men than the national average, report the authors of a joint study produced by the Center for Gender Equity and Health (GEH) at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the nonprofit organization California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA).
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Interplay between mitochondria and nucleus may have implications for new treatment
Mitochondria, the 'batteries' that produce our energy, interact with the cell's nucleus in subtle ways previously unseen in humans, according to research published today in the journal Science.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Of strawberry jelly and earthquakes: Space station investigation studies colloids
If you think your strawberry jelly is unrelated to earthquakes, think again.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Zero-carbon electric transport is already in reach for small islands
At a recent talk on the UK's energy sector, the head of an electric utility company claimed that "the problem of decarbonising our electricity sector is fixed". Eyebrows were raised at this, but his point quickly became clear. The technologies needed to decarbonise the UK's electricity system now exist, he explained. Indeed, grid operators in the UK expect a zero carbon electricity system by 2025.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Pediatricians should encourage fish consumption for children
(HealthDay)—Fish and shellfish consumption should be encouraged for children, according to a technical report published online May 20 in Pediatrics.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Obsessive-compulsive disorder research needs more focus on patients, new study asserts
For people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), scientific research into their condition is not an abstract concept; it can have profound real-life implications.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Exposure to air pollution before and after birth may affect fundamental cognitive abilities
A growing body of research suggests that exposure to air pollution in the earliest stages of life is associated with negative effects on cognitive abilities. A new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by "la Caixa," has provided new data: exposure to particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) during pregnancy and the first years of life is associated with a reduction in fundamental cognitive abilities, such as working memory and executive attention.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
What we think we know—but might not—pushes us to learn more
(Spoiler alert if you haven't watched the "Game of Thrones" season finale)
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Reading with toddlers reduces harsh parenting, enhances child behavior
People who regularly read with their toddlers are less likely to engage in harsh parenting and the children are less likely to be hyperactive or disruptive, a Rutgers-led study finds.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
For civilians, finding a therapist skilled in PTSD treatments is a tough task
Lauren Walls has lived with panic attacks, nightmares and flashbacks for years. The 26-year-old San Antonio teacher sought help from a variety of mental health professionals—including spending five years and at least $20,000 with one therapist who used a Christian-faith-based approach, viewing her condition as part of a spiritual weakness that could be conquered—but her symptoms worsened. She hit a breaking point two years ago, when she contemplated suicide.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A Finnish study proves the presence of oral bacteria in cerebral emboli
Researchers at Tampere University have shown for the first time that the cerebral emboli of stroke patients contain DNA from oral pathogens. The research article has been published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
The key to avoiding measles: knowing your vaccination history
In the face of the worst measles outbreak in the United States in more than 25 years, some adults are wondering whether they should be taking additional precautions to protect themselves from the extremely contagious disease. And the answer is: Maybe.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
These fruit bats trade food for sex
Egyptian fruit bat females living in captivity will consistently take food right from the mouths of their male peers. Now, the team that made that discovery is back with new evidence to explain why the males don't mind. As reported in the journal Current Biology on May 23, those males are often repaid with sex—and offspring.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Clocks, gravity, and the limits of relativity
The International Space Station will host the most precise clocks ever to leave Earth. Accurate to a second in 300 million years the clocks will push the measurement of time to test the limits of the theory of relativity and our understanding of gravity.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thoughts on body image in pregnancy important indicator of emotional wellbeing
Researchers have shown that a new way of assessing women's relationship with their bodies during pregnancy could help predict how well the mother might bond with her unborn baby and her longer-term emotional wellbeing.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday 22 May 2019
Newly discovered hybrid molecules could serve as a novel category of anti-cancer agent
Researchers from NYU Abu Dhabi's (NYUAD) chemistry program and colleagues from the University's biology program have developed and studied the biological activity of five new, metal-organic hybrid knotted molecules, termed metal-organic trefoil knots (M-TKs). These molecules can effectively deliver metals to cancer cells, demonstrating the potential to act as a new category of anti-cancer agents.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'Implicit measures' better assess vocabulary for those with autism than standard tests
Tests that assess vocabulary among individuals with the severest forms of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, are notoriously inaccurate. Conventional language assessments, which commonly ask them to match a spoken word with an illustration, measure their ability to understand and perform the task as much as their word knowledge.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Microsoft and Sony team up for video games in the cloud, but what's it mean for gamers?
Microsoft and Sony usually battle it out for dominance in console video games. But in the growing realm of cloud gaming, in which games stream over the internet just as Netflix does, the two tech titans have decided to team up.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
CycleMatch: a new approach for matching images and text
Researchers at Leiden University and the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), in China, have recently developed a new approach for image-text matching, called CycleMatch. Their approach, presented in a paper published in Elsevier's Pattern Recognition journal, is based on cycle-consistent learning, a technique that is sometimes used to train artificial neural networks on image-to-image translation tasks. The general idea behind cycle-consistency is that when transforming source data into target data and then vice versa, one should finally obtain the original source samples.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Studies find no yield benefit to higher plant populations
As seed prices rise, growers must be increasingly mindful of the density and configuration of cotton in their fields. However, current cotton plant population recommendations aren't always helpful or based on the latest research. Experts often offer guidance, rather than direct answers, and discuss both seeding rates and plant population, which can be confusing. Experts also recommend seeding in excess to account for inevitable seed loss. The most common plant population recommendation is 33,000 plants per acre.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Monday 20 May 2019
New computer-based predictive tool more accurately forecasts outcomes for respiratory patients
Are electronic health records and computer calculations a better, more accurate way to predict clinical outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Weight gain and loss may worsen dementia risk in older people
Older people who experience significant weight gain or weight loss could be raising their risk of developing dementia, suggests a study from Korea published today in the online journal BMJ Open.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Driverless cars working together can speed up traffic by 35%
A fleet of driverless cars working together to keep traffic moving smoothly can improve overall traffic flow by at least 35 percent, researchers have shown.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
The best exercises for brain health
(HealthDay)—There's a lot you can learn from your elders, starting with the results of a multi-year study of exercise and brain health in seniors.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Gas insulation could be protecting an ocean inside Pluto
A gassy insulating layer beneath the icy surfaces of distant celestial objects could mean there are more oceans in the universe than previously thought. Computer simulations provide compelling evidence that an insulating layer of gas hydrates could keep a subsurface ocean from freezing beneath Pluto's icy exterior, according to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Huawei could be stripped of Google services after US ban
Huawei could lose its grip on the No. 2 ranking in worldwide cellphone sales after Google announced it would comply with U.S. government restrictions meant to punish the Chinese tech powerhouse.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Expert judgement provides better understanding of the effect of melting ice sheets
Melting ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic, and subsequent sea level rise (SLR) this will cause, is widely recognised as posing a significant threat to coastal communities and ecosystems.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
The top 5 veggies to add to your diet
(HealthDay)—The guidelines to eat more vegetables are clear, and eating a rainbow of colors gets you the widest variety of nutrients and phyto-nutrients, those hard-to-duplicate compounds that go beyond vitamins and minerals.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sunday 19 May 2019
Cancer drug could be repurposed to provide treatment for brain aneurysms
An important class of drug used to treat cancer patients could be used to treat brain aneurysms, according to new research published this week.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Just like toothpaste: Fluoride radically improves the stability of perovskite solar cells
Solar cells made of perovskite hold much promise for the future of solar energy. The material is cheap, easy to produce and almost as efficient as silicon, the material traditionally used in solar cells. However, perovskite degrades quickly, severely limiting its efficiency and stability over time. Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, energy research institute DIFFER, Peking University and University of Twente have discovered that adding a small amount of fluoride to the perovskite leaves a protective layer, increasing stability of the materials and the solar cells significantly. The solar cells retain 90 percent of their efficiency after 1000 hours operation at various extreme testing conditions. The findings are published today in the leading scientific journal Nature Energy.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
HP Enterprise buying supercomputer star Cray
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) on Friday announced a $1.3 billion deal to buy supercomputer maker Cray, part of a move to expand into data analysis from connected devices .
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New laws of robotics needed to tackle AI: expert
Decades after Isaac Asimov first wrote his laws for robots, their ever-expanding role in our lives requires a radical new set of rules, legal and AI expert Frank Pasquale warned on Thursday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Heroin overdose ED visits decreased from 2017 to 2018
(HealthDay)—From 2017 to 2018, there was a decrease in heroin overdose emergency department visits, although the declines were not consistent among states, according to a study published online May 16 in the American Journal of Public Health.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Artificial intelligence shines light on the dark web
Beneath the surface web, the public form of the internet you use daily to check email or read news articles, exists a concealed "dark web." Host to anonymous, password-protected sites, the dark web is where criminal marketplaces thrive in the advertising and selling of weapons, drugs, and trafficked persons. Law enforcement agencies work continuously to stop these activities, but the challenges they face in investigating and prosecuting the real-world people behind the users who post on these sites are tremendous.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Life goes on under cloud of smog in Mexico City
Scientists say breathing the heavily polluted air in Mexico City these days is like smoking somewhere between a quarter- and a half-pack of cigarettes a day.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Museum volunteers discover new species of extinct heron at North Florida fossil site
When the bones of an ancient heron were unearthed at a North Florida fossil site, the find wasn't made by researchers but by two Florida Museum of Natural History volunteers.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
For many HIV+ women, daily survival takes precedence over viral suppression
According to scientists who study women infected with HIV, statistics often paint an impressionist view of the lives of these women that misses the granular detail that tells the real story. The imprecise big picture is that most of this population is doing a good job at suppressing the virus, but facts gathered on the ground show that many struggle with issues of daily living that can make taking a pill to keep HIV at bay difficult.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Black women more likely to die of breast cancer, especially in the South
When Felicia Mahone was 27, she felt her breast and found a mass. Breast cancer had killed nearly all the women in her family—her mother, two aunts and two cousins. Her doctor, though, downplayed the lump, assuring her everything would be all right.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
When an aircraft landing system is made to enter the spoofing zone
Just what the airplane passenger who is always skittish does not want to hear: Radio navigation on planes for landing purposes is not secure; signals can be hacked.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Dirty data: Firms count environmental costs of digital planet
Technology is often touted as a solution to the world's environmental challenges, but it is also part of the problem: industry executives are facing rising pressure to clean up their energy and resource-intensive business.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Making the best of sparse information
New findings reported by LMU researchers challenge a generally accepted model of echolocation in bats. They demonstrate that bats require far less spatial information than previously thought to navigate effectively.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
To win online debates, social networks worth a thousand words
Want to win an argument online? Bolstering your social network may be more helpful than rehearsing your rhetorical flourishes.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Saturday 18 May 2019
How the Trump prescription for drug prices transparency could make health care well again
When it comes to the prescription drugs America use, too often money is the last thing consumers think about. Formulaic prescription drug ads are part of the reason why.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Augmented reality affects people's behavior in the real world
As major technology firms race to roll out augmented reality products, Stanford researchers are learning how it affects people's behavior – in both the physical world and a digitally enhanced one.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Quinn on Nutrition: Carbs—how low can we go?
"Fruit has carbs? I had no idea," a stunned patient told me recently.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers find way to build potassium-oxygen batteries that last longer
Researchers have built a more efficient, more reliable potassium-oxygen battery, a step toward a potential solution for energy storage on the nation's power grid and longer-lasting batteries in cell phones and laptops.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Stop gambling with black box and explainable models on high-stakes decisions
As the buzzwords "machine learning" continue to grow in popularity, more industries are turning to computer algorithms to answer important questions, including high-stakes fields such as healthcare, finance and criminal justice. While this trend can lead to major improvements in these realms, it can also lead to major problems when the machine learning algorithm is a so-called "black box."
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Metals influence C-peptide hormone related to insulin
Metals such as zinc, copper and chromium bind to and influence a peptide involved in insulin production, according to new work from chemists at the University of California, Davis. The research is part of a new field of "metalloendocrinology" that takes a detailed look at the role of metals in biological processes in the body.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wearable cooling and heating patch could serve as personal thermostat and save energy
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable patch that could provide personalized cooling and heating at home, work, or on the go. The soft, stretchy patch cools or warms a user's skin to a comfortable temperature and keeps it there as the ambient temperature changes. It is powered by a flexible, stretchable battery pack and can be embedded in clothing. Researchers say wearing it could help save energy on air conditioning and heating.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Missouri, latest US state to restrict abortion
The Missouri House passed a bill on Friday banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, making it the latest US state to pass restrictions on ending a pregnancy.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Dangerous pathogens use this sophisticated machinery to infect hosts
Gastric cancer, Q fever, Legionnaires' disease, whooping cough—though the infectious bacteria that cause these dangerous diseases are each different, they all utilize the same molecular machinery to infect human cells. Bacteria use this machinery, called a Type IV secretion system (T4SS), to inject toxic molecules into cells and also to spread genes for antibiotic resistance to fellow bacteria. Now, researchers at Caltech have revealed the 3-D molecular architecture of the T4SS from the human pathogen Legionella pneumophila with unprecedented details. This could in the future enable the development of precisely targeted antibiotics for the aforementioned diseases.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Machine learning reduces language barriers in global trade, research shows
Machine learning and artificial intelligence have exploded onto the scene in recent years, offering the hope of greater business efficiency. At the same time, researchers have found virtually no empirical evidence supporting the promised strides in labor productivity and economic activity.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Toy transformers and real-life whales inspire biohybrid robot
Drawing inspiration from biology and the toy shelf, researchers at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and City University of Hong Kong have developed a swimming robot with a light-controlled cellular engine that can perform highly-targeted drug delivery.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Clinical trial improves treatment of genetic rickets
A new study shows a drug developed in conjunction with investigators at Indiana University School of Medicine to alleviate symptoms of a rare musculoskeletal condition is significantly more effective than conventional therapies. The findings are published in Lancet.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Avelumab and axitinib approved for treatment of renal cell carcinoma
(HealthDay)—Avelumab (BAVENCIO) was approved this week for first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in combination with axitinib, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Experimental brain-controlled hearing aid decodes, identifies who you want to hear
Our brains have a remarkable knack for picking out individual voices in a noisy environment, like a crowded coffee shop or a busy city street. This is something that even the most advanced hearing aids struggle to do. But now Columbia engineers are announcing an experimental technology that mimics the brain's natural aptitude for detecting and amplifying any one voice from many. Powered by artificial intelligence, this brain-controlled hearing aid acts as an automatic filter, monitoring wearers' brain waves and boosting the voice they want to focus on.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
What to do when your child throws a fit
(HealthDay)—You know the scenario—your child has a meltdown, leaving you frustrated, embarrassed and arguing even though your brain says it's a battle you're not likely to win.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'Foldable' PC? Lenovo ThinkPad laptop screen bends in half like a book
Samsung has gained a lot attention lately for its Galaxy Fold hybrid smartphone/tablet, though given the recent display snags that have prompted a delay in the product's release, not necessarily for all the right reasons.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sleep duration tied to adverse measures of glycemia
(HealthDay)—Self-reported short and long sleep are both associated with adverse measures of glycemia among adults with prediabetes, according to a study published online May 10 in Diabetes Care.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Scientists capture first-ever video of body's safety test for T-cells
For the first time, immunologists from The University of Texas at Austin have captured on video what happens when T-cells—the contract killers of the immune system, responsible for wiping out bacteria and viruses—undergo a type of assassin-training program before they get unleashed in the body. A new imaging technique that allowed for the videos, described today in the journal Nature Communications, holds promise for the fight against autoimmune disorders such as Type 1 diabetes.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Friday 17 May 2019
Ultra-clean fabrication platform produces nearly ideal 2-D transistors
Semiconductors, which are the basic building blocks of transistors, microprocessors, lasers, and LEDs, have driven advances in computing, memory, communications, and lighting technologies since the mid-20th century. Recently discovered two-dimensional materials, which feature many superlative properties, have the potential to advance these technologies, but creating 2-D devices with both good electrical contacts and stable performance has proved challenging.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Human capital benefits of military boost economy by billions
A recent study from North Carolina State University finds that U.S. government spending on military personnel has a positive impact on the nation's human capital—essentially improving the American workforce. Using a new computer model, the study estimates the economic impact of this human capital improvement to be $89.8 billion for 2019 alone.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Microsoft alerts hospitals to fix potential security risk
Computer experts inside hospitals were working diligently on Wednesday to address a serious new security vulnerability in older versions of the Windows operating system, which is still used in many health care devices even though Microsoft hasn't actively supported the older software in years.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
FDA approves venetoclax for chronic, small lymphocytic leukemia
(HealthDay)—Venetoclax (VENCLEXTA) has been approved to treat adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Mission control 'saves science'
Every minute, ESA's Earth observation satellites gather dozens of gigabytes of data about our planet—enough information to fill the pages on a 100-metre long bookshelf. Flying in low-Earth orbits, these spacecraft are continuously taking the pulse of our planet, but it's teams on the ground at ESA's Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, that keep these explorers afloat.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
First anticoagulant approved for preventing VTE recurrence in children
(HealthDay)—Fragmin (dalteparin sodium) injection has been granted the first approval for subcutaneous use in preventing recurrence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) in children aged 1 month or older, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A social perception scheme for behavior planning of autonomous cars
To navigate dynamic environments, autonomous vehicles (AVs) should be able to process all information available to them and use it to generate effective driving strategies. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have recently proposed a social perception scheme for planning the behavior of autonomous cars, which could help to develop AVs that are better equipped to deal with uncertainty in their surrounding environment.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
EU adopts powers to respond to cyberattacks
The European Union on Friday adopted powers to punish those outside the bloc who launch cyberattacks that cripple hospitals and banks, sway elections and steal company secrets or funds.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers imagine a cheaper, fairer marketplace for digital goods
E-commerce is sizzling. Last year, consumers spent more than $517 billion online with US merchants, up 15 percent from the year before, according to Internet Retailer.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sugary drinks and fruit juice may increase risk of early death
(HealthDay)—Most folks know that sugary drinks aren't healthy, but a new study finds fruit juices are not much better.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A friction reduction system for deformable robotic fingertips
Researchers at Kanazawa University have recently developed a friction reduction system based on a lubricating effect, which could have interesting soft robotics applications. Their system, presented in a paper published in Taylor & Francis' Advanced Robotics journal, could aid the development of robots that can efficiently manipulate objects under both dry and wet conditions.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New machine learning algorithm can predict age and gender from just your Twitter profile
A new "demographic inference" tool developed by academics can make predictions based solely on the information in a person's social media profile (i.e. screen name, biography, profile photo, and name). The tool—which works in 32 languages—could pave the way for views expressed on social media to be factored in to popular survey methods.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New findings could lead to improved vaccinations against sexually transmitted infections
In a study published today in the Nature Communications, researchers from King's College London have shown how skin vaccination can generate protective CD8 T-cells that are recruited to the genital tissues and could be used as a vaccination strategy for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Children describe technology that gives them a sense of ambiguity as 'creepy'
Many parents express concerns about privacy and online safety in technology designed for their children. But we know much less about what children themselves find concerning in emerging technologies.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Owning a dog is influenced by genetic make-up
A team of Swedish and British scientists have studied the heritability of dog ownership using information from 35,035 twin pairs from the Swedish Twin Registry. The new study suggests that genetic variation explains more than half of the variation in dog ownership, implying that the choice of getting a dog is heavily influenced by an individual's genetic make-up.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Ultrasound used to trigger insulin release in mice shows promise for diabetes therapy
The World Health Organization ranks Type 2 diabetes among the most common causes of death in the world. Current treatments can help the body use insulin at various stages of the disease, but they can also be expensive and subject patients to lifelong medication regimens and side effects. Thanks to new therapeutic ultrasound technology, one promising alternative looks to reshape how early Type 2 diabetes is managed.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Here's why your internet may be delivered by a drone someday soon
As the pilotless flying wing came in for a landing, winds suddenly picked up. Facebook Inc.'s Aquila drone—powered by the sun and wider than a Boeing 737 jetliner—struggled to adjust. Just before landing, part of the right wing broke off.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Dog DNA find could aid quest to help breeds breathe more easily
Scientists have discovered a DNA mutation linked to breathing problems in popular dog breeds.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Amazon invests in British food courier Deliveroo
US online titan Amazon has taken a stake in Deliveroo, the British food delivery company said on Friday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thursday 16 May 2019
Helping robots remember: Hyperdimensional computing theory could change the way AI works
The Houston Astros' José Altuve steps up to the plate on a 3-2 count, studies the pitcher and the situation, gets the go-ahead from third base, tracks the ball's release, swings ... and gets a single up the middle. Just another trip to the plate for the three-time American League batting champion.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Video game rivals Microsoft and Sony team up in cloud
Longtime video game console rivals Microsoft and Sony on Thursday announced an alliance to improve their platforms for streaming entertainment from the internet cloud.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Mining 25 years of data uncovers a new predictor of age of onset for Huntington disease
Investigators at the University of British Columbia (UBC)/Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics (CMMT) and BC Children's Hospital have examined more than 25 years of data to reveal new insights into predicting the age of onset for Huntington disease.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers teach robots handwriting and drawing
An algorithm developed by Brown University computer scientists enables robots to put pen to paper, writing words using stroke patterns similar to human handwriting. It's a step, the researchers say, toward robots that are able to communicate more fluently with human co-workers and collaborators.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
When science and politics collide: Support for enhancing FDA independence
Earlier this year, twin papers authored by seven former Food and Drug Administration commissioners, published by Health Affairs and the Aspen Institute on the same day, suggested that the FDA should become an independent agency.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wikipedia 'doing very well financially': co-founder
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said Thursday that the free online encyclopedia is in good financial shape, although increasing mobile phone use may cut into future donations.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
CosmoGAN: Training a neural network to study dark matter
As cosmologists and astrophysicists delve deeper into the darkest recesses of the universe, their need for increasingly powerful observational and computational tools has expanded exponentially. From facilities such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to supercomputers like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Cori system at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing (NERSC) facility, they are on a quest to collect, simulate, and analyze increasing amounts of data that can help explain the nature of things we can't see, as well as those we can.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
AI model uses serial imaging to predict lung cancer therapy response
(HealthDay)—For patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), deep-learning networks integrating computed tomography (CT) scans at multiple time points can improve clinical outcome predictions, according to a study published online April 22 in Clinical Cancer Research.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Brain changes in autism traced to specific cell types
Changes in gene activity in specific brain cells are associated with the severity of autism in children and young adults with the disorder, according to a UC San Francisco study of postmortem brain tissue. The study's new insights into how specific changes in gene expression contribute to the disease's symptoms by altering the function of brain circuits provides an important foundation for the development of treatments for the disorder, the authors say.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Two-thirds of sunscreens fail safety tests
(HealthDay)—Nearly two-thirds of sunscreens that were analyzed failed safety tests proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Working Group said Wednesday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A simplified method to categorize olive oil
Olive oil classification is currently very costly and slow. In order to categorize oil into extra virgin (EVOO), virgin (VOO) and lampante olive oil (LOO), an offical method is used, consisting of a physicochemical analysis and a sensory analysis in the end. This last part is based on the work of a panel of expert tasters who try each olive oil one by one in order to determine its category. This process is very costly for the bottlers. For this reason, they are keen on developing a complementary analytical classification method. Moreover, there are very few expert olive oil tasters in other countries, hence the urgency to find another way to categorize olive oil that does not involve sensory analysis.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Early exposure to banking influences life-long financial health
Growing up in a community with or without banks or financial institutions has a long-term effect on how you build and manage credit, according to a new Iowa State University study.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Newly discovered fossil footprints force paleontologists to rethink ancient desert inhabitants
An international team of paleontologists has united to study important fossil footprints recently discovered in a remote location within Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. A large sandstone boulder contains several exceptionally well-preserved trackways of primitive tetrapods (four-footed animals) which inhabited an ancient desert environment. The 280-million-year-old fossil tracks date to almost the beginning of the Permian Period, prior to the appearance of the earliest dinosaurs.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
WhatsApp flaw let spies take control with calls alone (Update)
Spyware crafted by a sophisticated group of hackers-for-hire took advantage of a flaw in the popular WhatsApp communications program to remotely hijack dozens of targeted phones without any user interaction.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Blood test can measure effectiveness of treatments for aggressive skin cancers
Blood tests that track the amount of tumor DNA can—after only one month of drug therapy—detect how well treatment is working in patients with skin cancer, a new study finds.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Transfer of EU powers leads to silent erosion of UK pesticide regulation
New analysis by the UK Trade Policy Observatory is warning that what should have been the technical formality of transferring EU powers into national law when the UK leaves the European Union, could instead open the gates for the widespread use of outlawed carcinogenic pesticides that have been shown to alter human reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
How climate change will affect the rural northeast: Expect three weeks of heat
While extreme cold and snow often make headlines in the Northeast, by 2060, there will be far more record heat. Imagine the most sweltering day of the year. By 2060, you will experience that type of hot day for approximately three weeks of the year, assuming we don't substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to a Dartmouth study, of the rural Northeast counties represented, those in the bottom two lowest income quartiles will be hit hardest, as their communities will be disproportionately affected by increases in extremely hot days relative to wealthier counties. The findings are published in the Annals of the American Association of Geographers.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers map symbiotic relationships between trees and microbes worldwide
In and around the tangled roots of the forest floor, fungi and bacteria grow with trees, exchanging nutrients for carbon in a vast, global marketplace. A new effort to map the most abundant of these symbiotic relationships—involving more than 1.1 million forest sites and 28,000 tree species—has revealed factors that determine where different types of symbionts will flourish. The work could help scientists understand how symbiotic partnerships structure the world's forests and how they could be affected by a warming climate.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday 15 May 2019
Imagine Apple's App Store with no walled garden
Gregg Spiridellis isn't shy when it comes to his feelings about the Apple iOS App Store.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
FAA chief defends handling of Boeing Max safety approval
The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that Boeing should have done more to explain an automated flight-control system on its 737 Max aircraft before two deadly crashes, but he defended his agency's safety certification of the plane and its decision not to ground the jet until other regulators around the world had already done so.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Ancient fish ponds in the Bolivian savanna supported human settlement
A network of fish ponds supported a permanent human settlement in the seasonal drylands of Bolivia more than one thousand years ago, according to a new study published May 15, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Gabriela Prestes-Carneiro of Federal University of Western Para, Brazil, and colleagues. The study is the first to document the full range of fish species likely kept in these constructed ponds, and provides new insights into how humans modified the savannah environment to cope with the months-long droughts that characterize this region of the Amazon Basin.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Flying cars mooted for Paris' public transport network
European aerospace giant Airbus and Paris underground operator RATP will study the viability of adding flying vehicles to the city's urban transport network, the companies said Wednesday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Neanderthals and modern humans diverged at least 800,000 years ago
Neanderthals and modern humans diverged at least 800,000 years ago, substantially earlier than indicated by most DNA-based estimates, according to new research by a UCL academic.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Review: Edifier headphones and earbuds give you great sound, no wires
There are times when we all would like to tune out the outside world and just relax in peace and quiet.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New security flaw in Intel chips could affect millions
Intel has revealed another hardware security flaw that could affects millions of machines around the world.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Iceland volcano eruption in 1783-84 did not spawn extreme heat wave
An enormous volcanic eruption on Iceland in 1783-84 did not cause an extreme summer heat wave in Europe. But, as Benjamin Franklin speculated, the eruption triggered an unusually cold winter, according to a Rutgers-led study.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Single-chain insulin would change dosage, production
A researcher from the University of Houston has created a form of recombinant insulin that could potentially address some of the biggest concerns about the lifesaving drug, including its price.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tool predicts quality measures after ventral hernia repair
(HealthDay)—The Outcomes Reporting App for Clinical and Patient Engagement (ORACLE) tool can predict quality measures following ventral hernia repair (VHR) and facilitate preoperative surgeon-patient discussions, according to a study published online May 2 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tester eyes unhackable claim on USB flash drive
When the unhackable turns hackable you know there will be lots of noise. Case in point: The eyeDisk USB flash drive. Passwords exposed in clear text were discovered.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A substantial benefit from replacing steak with fish
The average Dane will gain a health benefit from substituting part of the red and processed meat in their diet with fish, according to calculations from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark. Men over 50 and women of childbearing age in particular would benefit from such a change in diet.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A nerve cell serves as a "single" for studies
Nerve cells derived from human stem cells often serve as the basis for research into brain diseases. However, these cells differ considerably in their quality and produce varying results. Scientists around the world are therefore looking for simple cell models that lead to consistent results when an experiment is repeated. Research teams from the University of Bonn, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Göttingen describe a model derived from stem cells that consists of only one human nerve cell. It was obtained from pluripotent stem cells through a fast forward programming method and provides highly standardized conditions for investigating nerve cell functions. The two studies have now been published in the international journal Cell Reports.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Glucosamine supplements may be linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Regular use of glucosamine supplements may be related to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, suggests an analysis of data from the UK Biobank study, published in The BMJ today.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday 14 May 2019
Half of all patients with syncope have CT head performed with a yield of 1.2% to 3.8%
More than half of patients with syncope underwent CT head with a diagnostic yield of 1.1 percent to 3.8 percent. That is the conclusion of a study to be published in the May 2019 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
One in five civil monetary penalties due to EMTALA violations involved psychiatric emergencies
Nearly one in five civil monetary penalty settlements related to Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) violations involved psychiatric emergencies. That is the conclusion of a study to be published in the May 2019 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). Settlements related to psychiatric emergencies were costlier and more often associated with failure to stabilize than for nonpsychiatric emergencies.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Monday 13 May 2019
GPs need training to tackle chronic opioid use
GPs must be better-equipped to support patients to manage the psychological challenge of reducing their opioid use—according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sunday 12 May 2019
Cover up! Don't soak up those sun rays
(HealthDay)—Only half of Americans routinely protect themselves from the sun when outdoors, a recent American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) survey found.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Can recreational sports really make you a better student?
A new Michigan State University study adds to growing evidence that participating in recreational sports not only can help improve grades while attending college, but it also can help students return for another year.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
US, EU spar over sharing electronic evidence in investigations
In August 2016, the lifeless bodies of a young French man and woman were discovered on a beach in Madagascar, with murder suspected.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
How much protein do you need for weight loss and muscle growth?
(HealthDay)—Low-carb, vegetarian, Mediterranean—whatever your diet, it's important to get enough protein.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New recommendations developed for breast cancer screening
(HealthDay)—New recommendations have been developed for breast cancer screening based on a life-years-gained model; the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) official statement was published online May 3.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Saturday 11 May 2019
Hong Kong to cull 6,000 pigs as first swine fever case found
Hong Kong will cull 6,000 pigs after African swine fever was detected in an animal at a slaughterhouse close to the border with China, the first case of the disease in the densely populated financial hub.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Washington state limits exemptions for measles vaccine
Parents in Washington state will no longer be able to claim a personal or philosophical exemption for their children from receiving the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before attending a day care center or school under a measure signed Friday by Gov. Jay Inslee.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Smallest pixels ever created could light up color-changing buildings
The smallest pixels yet created—a million times smaller than those in smartphones, made by trapping particles of light under tiny rocks of gold—could be used for new types of large-scale flexible displays, big enough to cover entire buildings.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Atlas is rockstar cross-stepper over tricky terrain
Robot enthusiasts were sending up cheers this month to the team advancing Atlas into an even more human-like walker through obstacles including a bunch of cinder blocks and a balance beam. They have turned Atlas into the very credible hulk, who wins the spotlight with its display of walking, which was recorded May 1.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Facebook sues South Korea data analytics firm
Facebook is suing South Korean data analytics firm Rankwave to make sure it isn't breaking the leading social network's rules, the US company said Friday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
WHO warns Ebola could spread elsewhere if attacks don't stop
The World Health Organization warned Friday that it may not be possible to contain Ebola to the two affected provinces in eastern Congo if violent attacks on health teams continue.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Uber begins trading nearly 7% below its IPO price
Uber began trading as a public company at $42 per share Friday, nearly 7% below its initial public offering price.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Scientists introduce novel perspective in robotic capability
University of Illinois researcher Amy LaViers has introduced a new point of view from which to observe robotic capabilities in her paper, "Counts of Mechanical, External Configurations Compared to Computational, Internal Configurations in Natural and Artificial Systems," published today in PLOS ONE, a leading interdisciplinary research journal.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
VisiBlends, a new approach to disrupt visual messaging
Visual blends, which join two objects in an unusual, eye-catching way, are an advanced graphic design technique used in advertising, marketing, and the media to draw attention to a specific message. These visual marriages are designed to precipitate an "aha!" moment in the viewer who grasps one idea from the union of two images. For instance, blending an image of an orange with an image of the sun could convey a beverage with Vitamin C.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Storm water banking could help Texas manage floods and droughts
Massive, destructive floods such as those caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 are a stark reality in Texas, but so are prolonged ground-cracking droughts.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Collision-detecting suitcase, wayfinding app help blind people navigate airports
Carnegie Mellon University researchers say a smart suitcase that warns blind users of impending collisions and a wayfinding smartphone app can help people with visual disabilities navigate airport terminals safely and independently.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Secrets of fluorescent microalgae could lead to super-efficient solar cells
Tiny light-emitting microalgae, found in the ocean, could hold the secret to the next generation of organic solar cells, according to new research carried out at the Universities of Birmingham and Utrecht.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers discover the Achilles' heel of an aggressive brain cancer
Glioblastoma is the most prevalent and also the most lethal type of brain tumour in adults, with no curative treatment currently available. Glioblastomas cannot be surgically completely excised, as the tumour cells are adept at invading tissues and spreading around the brain. In addition, glioblastoma cells are extremely resistant to existing drug therapies.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Road test proves adaptive cruise control can add to traffic jam problem
A new, open-road test of adaptive cruise control demonstrated that the feature, designed to make driving easier by continuously adjusting a vehicle's speed in response to the car ahead, doesn't yet solve the problem of phantom traffic jams.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Google bucks soaring smartphone prices with new Pixel
Google bucked the soaring smartphone price trend Tuesday, unveiling a high-performance Pixel handset aimed at the middle of the market as part of a wide-ranging pitch to developers of its new hardware, software and privacy efforts.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Norwegian woman dies of rabies after rescuing Filipino puppy
A 24 year-old Norwegian woman died this week of rabies, after she was bitten by a puppy she rescued while on vacation in the Philippines, her family announced.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Friday 10 May 2019
Post-bypass survival linked to civil status and class
Civil status, education, and income are factors shown to be clearly associated with duration of survival after a bypass operation. A postoperative patient aged 60 with a spouse or cohabiting partner, high educational attainment, and high income has a median life expectancy five years longer than a corresponding person with no live-in partner, a low education level, and low income.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Space-tourism dream edges toward reality in New Mexico
British billionaire Richard Branson and his space-tourism company Virgin Galactic announced new steps Friday toward offering thrill rides into the low reaches of space for paying passengers, with the company immediately starting to move personnel and space vehicles from California to a launch and landing facility in the New Mexico desert.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers make transformational AI seem 'unremarkable'
Physicians making life-and-death decisions about organ transplants, cancer treatments or heart surgeries typically don't give much thought to how artificial intelligence might help them. And that's how researchers at Carnegie Mellon University say clinical AI tools should be designed—so doctors don't need to think about them.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Peer-to-peer bonuses may have unintended negative consequences, expert warns
So-called peer-to-peer bonuses, where colleagues 'tip' or reward each other with points or money, may seem to offer short-term benefits but ultimately end up damaging performance and wellbeing, an HR expert has warned.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sharing data with surgeons can reduce overuse of Mohs surgery
(HealthDay)—Sharing personalized practice pattern data with physicians that is benchmarked to national data for their peers can reduce overuse of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) among outliers, according to a study published online May 5 in JAMA Dermatology.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Research spotlights the role of cover crops in slowing herbicide resistance
An article in the most recent edition of the journal Weed Science shows that cover crops can play an important role in slowing the development of herbicide resistant weeds.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
HIV prevention drug can curb the epidemic for high-risk groups in India
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a combination drug used to prevent HIV infection, has already gained significant traction in the U.S. and Europe. The once-a-day pill, when taken consistently, can reduce the risk of HIV acquisition by over 85 percent. A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases by an international research team suggests that making PrEP available to men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID) in India may be a cost-effective way of curbing the epidemic there.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Trial remedies racial disparities in treatment for early-stage lung and breast cancer patients
Results from a study published in the Journal of the National Medical Association show that a pragmatic system-based intervention within cancer treatment centers can nearly eliminate existing disparities in treatment and outcomes for black patients with early-stage lung and breast cancer. The treatment completion rates before this intervention were 87.3 percent for white patients versus 79.8 percent for black patients. With the intervention in place, treatment completion climbed to 89.5 percent for white patients and 88.4 percent for black patients.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
How to tell whether machine-learning systems are robust enough for the real world
MIT researchers have devised a method for assessing how robust machine-learning models known as neural networks are for various tasks, by detecting when the models make mistakes they shouldn't.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Instagram to start blocking hashtags with vaccine misinformation
Instagram will start blocking any hashtags spreading misinformation about vaccines, becoming the latest internet platform to crack down on bad health information.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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