Researchers developing new methods and smart wellbore materials for geothermal drilling

A University of Oklahoma research team is developing smart lost circulation materials that use shape memory polymers activated by geothermal temperatures to prevent the loss of fluid in fractured rocks near the wellbore. These materials expand within the fractures to reduce non-drilling time and strengthen the wellbore in high-temperature drilling operations. The U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office funded the early-stage research with a $1.79 million grant. In addition, the project has more than $0.5 million cost share from various entities.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-developing-new-methods-and-smart-wellbore-materials-for-geothermal-drilling

Effectiveness of using natural enemies to combat pests depends on surroundings

When cabbage looper moth larvae infest a field, sustainable growers will often try to control the pests by releasing large numbers of predators, such as ladybugs. That way they can avoid spraying expensive and environmentally harmful insecticides.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/effectiveness-of-using-natural-enemies-to-combat-pests-depends-on-surroundings

Dietary quality influences microbiome composition in human colonic mucosa

It is well established that diet influences health and disease, but the mechanisms underlying this effect are not fully understood. Shedding light on the diet-health connection, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine reports today in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition an association between diet quality and microbiome composition in human colonic mucosa. The researchers found that a high-quality diet is linked to more potentially beneficial bacteria; while a low-quality diet is associated with an increase in potentially harmful bacteria. They propose that modifying the microbiome through diet may be a part of a strategy to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/dietary-quality-influences-microbiome-composition-in-human-colonic-mucosa

New biomarker-guided strategy has potential for liver cancer treatment

A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discovered a cellular pathway tied to cancer that may be beneficial in reducing side effects and extending duration of immunotherapy in some patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-biomarker-guided-strategy-has-potential-for-liver-cancer-treatment

Homeless people are denied basic health care, research finds

A study led by the University of Birmingham has painted a shaming picture of neglect and discrimination shown towards the homeless when accessing UK health services.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/homeless-people-are-denied-basic-health-care-research-finds

New data on e-cigarette use among New Zealand adults

Around one in six New Zealand adults have tried e-cigarettes but only 2 percent are using them currently, a national survey has found.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-data-on-e-cigarette-use-among-new-zealand-adults

Working memory in psychotic disorders

Working memory—the ability to temporarily store information for decision making and guiding behavior—is impaired in psychotic disorders.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/working-memory-in-psychotic-disorders

Genome study reveals extent, diversity of Roman-era pandemic

New research on one of history's most devastating plagues shows that it spread farther than previously believed, reaching post–Roman Britain, and provides new information about the plague bacteria's evolution during a pandemic that lasted more than 200 years.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/genome-study-reveals-extent-diversity-of-roman-era-pandemic

New look at atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the slow and progressive narrowing of arteries due to plaque formation. The atherosclerotic plaque forms by local proliferation of leukocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the vessel wall along with associated changes in cellular metabolism.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-look-at-atherosclerosis

Surgery before pregnancy linked to higher risk of opioid withdrawal in babies

Babies whose mothers underwent surgery before pregnancy have an increased risk of opioid withdrawal symptoms at birth, according to a new study done by Dr. Nathalie Auger, researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/surgery-before-pregnancy-linked-to-higher-risk-of-opioid-withdrawal-in-babies

Out of Africa and into an archaic human melting pot

Genetic analysis has revealed that the ancestors of modern humans interbred with at least five different archaic human groups as they moved out of Africa and across Eurasia.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/out-of-africa-and-into-an-archaic-human-melting-pot

3-D brain imaging may improve treatment path for MS patients

A new way of looking at the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could greatly enhance doctors' ability to select the best therapy for each person.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/3-d-brain-imaging-may-improve-treatment-path-for-ms-patients

Female mammals kill the offspring of their competitors when resources are scarce

Dieter Lukas and Elise Huchard have now looked into infanticide by female mammals. In previous studies, males have been found to kill when females will not mate with them if they are still caring for an offspring sired by their previous partner. "Across mammals, females are more likely to commit infanticide when conditions are harsh and when having offspring is particularly costly to females," says Huchard. "The potential triggers and likely benefits of infanticide however appear to differ according to the specific circumstances."

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/female-mammals-kill-the-offspring-of-their-competitors-when-resources-are-scarce

Relating sentence representations in deep neural networks with those encoded by the brain

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have recently carried out a study exploring the relationship between sentence representations acquired by deep neural networks and those encoded by the brain. Their paper, pre-published on arXiv and set to be presented at this year's Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) conference, unveiled correlations between activations in deep neural models and MEG brain data that could aid our current understanding of how the brain and deep learning algorithms process language.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/relating-sentence-representations-in-deep-neural-networks-with-those-encoded-by-the-brain

Tiny bivalve found in Brazil sheds light on tropical Atlantic biogeography

For the first time, the bivalve mollusc Guyanella clenchi has been reported from Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. This almost unknown bivalve had previously been reported solely from the Caribbean region. Apart from being the southernmost record for the species, its presence also helps the experts to determine the way the marine fauna from the Caribbean interacts with its South American relatives.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/tiny-bivalve-found-in-brazil-sheds-light-on-tropical-atlantic-biogeography

It's not easy to give a robot a sense of touch

We have robots that can walk, see, talk and hear, and manipulate objects in their robotic hands. There's even a robot that can smell.

* This article was originally published here

Empty nets as overfishing and climate change sap Lake Malawi

On the shores of Lake Malawi, a crowd eagerly awaits the arrival of a white and yellow cedarwood boat carrying its haul.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/empty-nets-as-overfishing-and-climate-change-sap-lake-malawi

Barry weakens, but US officials warn of heavy rains, floods, tornadoes

Barry weakened further on Sunday as the storm churned across the US state of Louisiana, bringing along heavy rains and the possibility of flooding and tornadoes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/barry-weakens-but-us-officials-warn-of-heavy-rains-floods-tornadoes

India scrubs Moon mission launch one hour before liftoff

India on Monday postponed the launch of a lunar probe less than an hour before blast-off because of a technical problem, delaying its bid to become only the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/india-scrubs-moon-mission-launch-one-hour-before-liftoff

Hope for restoring sight in acid attack victims

A revolutionary approach to treating chemical burns in the eye is beginning a clinical trial.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hope-for-restoring-sight-in-acid-attack-victims

Scientists explore blood flow bump that happens when our neurons are significantly activated

When a group of our neurons get activated by thinking hard about a math problem or the vibrant colors of an exotic flower, within a single second blood flow to those brain cells increases a bit.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-explore-blood-flow-bump-that-happens-when-our-neurons-are-significantly-activated

Strict state laws and universal background checks linked to lower pediatric firearm-related deaths

States with stricter firearms laws had lower firearm-related deaths among children and adolescents, finds research led by faculty at Children's National in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, state laws that had been in place for more than five years requiring universal background checks for firearm purchases were associated with a 35% lower firearm-related death rate among children. The findings underscore the need for robust research to understand the interplay between legislation type and pediatric deaths due to firearm injuries, according to research published online July 15, 2019, in Pediatrics.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/strict-state-laws-and-universal-background-checks-linked-to-lower-pediatric-firearm-related-deaths

Grasshoppers and silkworms have antioxidant capacity similar to fresh orange juice, says study

For the first time, a study has measured antioxidant levels in commercially available edible insects.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/grasshoppers-and-silkworms-have-antioxidant-capacity-similar-to-fresh-orange-juice-says-study

Cancer tissue-freezing approach may help more breast cancer patients in lower income countries

A new reusable device created by the Johns Hopkins University can help women with breast cancer in lower income countries by using carbon dioxide, a widely available and affordable gas, to power a cancer tissue-freezing probe instead of industry-standard argon.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/cancer-tissue-freezing-approach-may-help-more-breast-cancer-patients-in-lower-income-countries

New study identifies key characteristics of people who internalize weight bias

Weight bias is a common form of prejudice against people who are viewed as having excess weight. Some individuals who struggle with weight may internalize the stigma directed toward them, blaming and devaluing themselves because of their weight. While it's known that weight "self-stigma" is associated with poor mental and physical health, it isn't clear who is most prone to this internalization. In a new study published today in Obesity Science and Practice, researchers at Penn Medicine and the University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity surveyed more than 18,000 adults enrolled in the commercial weight management program WW International (formerly Weight Watchers Inc.), and found that participants who internalized weight bias the most tended to be younger, female, have a higher body mass index (BMI), and have an earlier onset of their weight struggle. Participants who were black or had a romantic partner had lower levels of internalization.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-study-identifies-key-characteristics-of-people-who-internalize-weight-bias

Political support, strong public health systems key to eliminating measles outbreaks worldwide

Strong political support and strong public health systems are necessary to combat measles outbreaks, which are growing in frequency around the world, argue public health experts in a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/political-support-strong-public-health-systems-key-to-eliminating-measles-outbreaks-worldwide

Sudden cardiac arrest in athletes: Prevention and management

It's marathon season, and every so often a news report will focus on an athlete who has collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest. Although uncommon, these events get attention. A new review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) looks at recent evidence to help physicians prevent and manage the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in competitive athletes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/sudden-cardiac-arrest-in-athletes-prevention-and-management