Researchers at IBM Research UK, the U.S. Military Academy and Cardiff University have recently proposed a new approach to improve the sensitivity of LIME (Local Interpretable Model Agnostic Explanations), a technique for attaining a better understanding ofthe conclusions reached by machine learning algorithms. Their paper, published on SPIE digital library, could inform the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that provide exhaustive explanations of how they reached a particular outcome or conclusion.
* This article was originally published here
Friday, 31 May 2019
Climate change is already affecting global food production—unequally
The world's top 10 crops— barley, cassava, maize, oil palm, rapeseed, rice, sorghum, soybean, sugarcane and wheat—supply a combined 83 percent of all calories produced on cropland. Yields have long been projected to decrease in future climate conditions. Now, new research shows climate change has already affected production of these key energy sources—and some regions and countries are faring far worse than others.
* 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
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
'Slothbot' takes a leisurely approach to environmental monitoring
For environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, infrastructure maintenance and certain security applications, slow and energy efficient can be better than fast and always needing a recharge. That's where "SlothBot" comes in.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'Miracle baby': Woman gets pregnant after having fallopian tubes removed
Elizabeth Kough had been pregnant before. She knew how it felt. She just couldn't believe it had happened this time.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New mail and messaging tools expected for iPhones, WWDC
New iPhones won't be out until the fall. But Monday, we'll get a sneak peek at what new features Apple has planned for us, not just for the next models but recent iPhones and iPads as well.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Understanding identity in online worlds
For Rosa Mikeal Martey, professor in Journalism and Media Communication, the relationship between identity in the offline world and identity construction in a virtual world has always been of research interest. For her dissertation, Martey studied gender identity and perception in online job applications. Her current research involves understanding how social norms develop in digital spaces. "I'm interested in the way people interact with, use, and respond to technology as they perform and craft those identities," she says. "Identity is a fluid category that emerges in different spaces and is influenced by the space itself."
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
K-Athena: a performance portable magnetohydrodynamics code
Running large-scale simulations is a crucial aspect of modern scientific research, yet it often requires a vast amount of computational resources. As we approach the era of exascale computing, which will be marked by the introduction of highly performing supercomputers, researchers have been trying to develop new architectures and codes to meet the huge computational requirements of our times. An important property to consider when developing codes for the exascale computing era is performance portability, which prevents the repeated, non-trivial refactoring of a code for different architectures.
* 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
REPLAB: A low-cost benchmark platform for robotic learning
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a reproducible, low-cost and compact benchmark platform to evaluate robotic learning approaches, which they called REPLAB. Their recent study, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, was supported by Berkeley DeepDrive, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Google, NVIDIA and Amazon.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New tool reveals how the different shapes of organisms grow
A new tool has been created to explain how tissue growth leads to the range of plant and animal forms we see around us.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Most preventive antibiotics prescribed by dentists are unnecessary
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and published in JAMA Network Open has found that 81% of antibiotics prescribed by dentists—who are among the top prescribers in the U.S., accounting for about 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions—to prevent infections prior to dental visits are unnecessary.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Shared control allows a robot to use two hands working together to complete tasks
A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin and the Naval Research Laboratory has designed and built a robotic system that allows for bimanual robot manipulation through shared control. In their paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the group explains the ideas behind their work and how well they worked in practice.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Yoga improves health in later life, study says
Older adults who practice yoga are more likely to be in better mental and physical shape, research suggests.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A novel psychotherapeutic approach to schizophrenia based on psychological well-being
A randomized controlled trial published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics introduces a new psychotherapeutic approach to schizophrenia, based on psychological well-being. Negative symptoms are frequent in patients with schizophrenia and are associated with marked impairments in social functioning. The efficacy of drug-based treatments and psychological interventions on primary negative symptoms remains limited.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Patent talk: Apple has foldables, durability on its mind
Fact of life: Consumers chase the new and shiny, at least enough of them to justify constant trade-ins and barely necessary purchases.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Freshwater find: Genetic advantage allows some marine fish to colonize freshwater habitats
How did some marine fish manage to make their way from the salty sea to the newly available freshwater niches after the last ice age and eventually differentiate from their marine brethren?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Experiments and calculations allow examination of boron's complicated dance
Work opens a path to precise calculations of the structure of other nuclei.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers finds new RX target for common STD
Research led by Ashok Aiyar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a target that may lead to the development of new treatments for the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. The results are published this month online in PNAS, available here.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
U.S. Postal Service mail, packages are headed to Dallas by self-driving truck
Before letters end up in your mailbox and packages land on your doorstep, many travel hundreds or thousands of miles in the back of a truck. Now, the United States Postal Service is testing what it would take to shuttle that cargo without a driver in the front seat.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, 30 May 2019
Don't take your smartphone to bed if you want a good night's sleep
It's bad enough that your kids can't tear themselves from their smartphone screen during daylight hours. (You know that describes you, too.)
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Opioid crisis hurting Canadians' life expectancy: official
An opioid crisis that has claimed thousands of lives across North America has become a drag on the average life expectancy in Canada, the government statistical agency said Thursday.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
NICER's night moves trace the X-ray sky
In this image, numerous sweeping arcs seem to congregate at various bright regions. You may wonder: What is being shown? Air traffic routes? Information moving around the global internet? Magnetic fields looping across active areas on the Sun?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Uncovering microgel mysteries
Researchers at Shinshu University successfully recorded previously unexplained behavior of hydrogel microspheres (microgels) using a newly customized tool: temperature-controlled high-speed atomic force microscopy (TC HS AFM). This machine, which is the only one in the world, was assembled by Dr. Takayuki Uchihashi of Nagoya University to investigate proteins. It was applied for the first time to the study of microgels by the team at Daisuke Suzuki Laboratory, Graduate School of Textile Science & Technology and RISM (Research Initiative for Supra-Materials) of Shinshu University. The study lead by first year doctoral candidate, Yuichiro Nishizawa, succeeded in observing the structure of the microgels which had been difficult due to limitations of previous equipment.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Infectious Diseases A-Z: Vaccine best way to prevent hepatitis A as infections rise nearly 300%
Drug use and homelessness are cited as two main reasons why hepatitis A infections have increased nearly 300% in the U.S. since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Hepatitis A is a viral hepatitis that can infect humans, and it infects through the oral-fecal route," says Dr. Stacey Rizza, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic.
* 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
Wednesday, 29 May 2019
Scientists offer designer 'big atoms' on demand
In the not-so-distant future, researchers may be able to build atoms to your specifications with the click of a button. It's still the stuff of science fiction, but a team at the University of Colorado Boulder reports that it is getting closer when it comes to controlling and assembling particles called "big atoms."
* 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
Early statin treatment may help children with Fragile X
Children with an inherited form of intellectual disability and autism could be helped by a medicine commonly used to lower cholesterol, if used early in life.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Unveiling how the genome has condensed itself inside the virus
Scientists at the University of Helsinki working in collaboration with the University of Oxford have deciphered for the first time how a virus genome is condensed inside the capsid of a virus.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Humans used northern migration routes to reach eastern Asia
Northern and Central Asia have been neglected in studies of early human migration, with deserts and mountains being considered uncompromising barriers. However, a new study by an international team argues that humans may have moved through these extreme settings in the past under wetter conditions. We must now reconsider where we look for the earliest traces of our species in northern Asia, as well as the zones of potential interaction with other hominins such as Neanderthals and Denisovans.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, 28 May 2019
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
Rising seas threaten Australia's major airports
Most major airports in Australia are located on reclaimed swamps, sitting only a few meters above the present day sea level. And the risk of sea level rise from climate change poses a greater threat to our airports than we're prepared for.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
More lighting alone does not create safer cities
"I walk this route to the train station. I often get cat-called whilst walking to the train. It's also very poorly lit at night." (Female, age 27)
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds do less vigorous physical activity
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds and certain ethnic minority backgrounds, including from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds, have lower levels of vigorous physical activity, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Ultra-cold lithium atoms shed light on pair formation in superfluids, helping identify best theories
A FLEET/Swinburne study released this week resolves a long-standing debate about what happens at the microscopic level when matter transitions into a superconducting or superfluid state.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Monday, 27 May 2019
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
Sunday, 26 May 2019
World celebrates centenary of confirmation of relativity
Celebrations are underway across the globe to commemorate 100 years since a UK-led expedition confirmed Einstein's general theory of relativity. The theory fundamentally changed our understanding of physics and astronomy, and underpins critical modern technologies such as the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS). A series of public events in the UK and around the world will mark this seminal anniversary.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Production of more than 250,000 chips embedded within fibers in less than a year
In the summer of 2018, a team led by MIT researchers reported in the journal Nature that they had successfully embedded electronic devices into fibers that could be used in fabrics or composite products like clothing, airplane wings, or even wound dressings. The advance could allow fabrics or composites to sense their environment, communicate, store and convert energy, and more.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Close encounters? SpaceX satellites spark Dutch UFO frenzy
A Dutch website set up to record UFO sightings was flooded early Saturday with reports after a "train of stars" was spotted crossing the Netherlands' skies, sparking fears of an alien invasion.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Renault, Fiat Chrysler in tie-up talks (Update)
French and Italian-US auto giants Renault and Fiat Chrysler are set to announce talks on an alliance, with a view to a potential merger, informed sources said on Sunday.
* 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
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
Army Corps approves $778M plan to block Asian carp advance
The head of the Army Corps of Engineers has sent Congress a $778 million plan to fortify an Illinois waterway with noisemakers, electric cables and other devices in the hope that they will prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, where the aggressive invaders could leave other fish with too little to eat.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Rare albino panda caught on camera in China: state media
A rare all-white panda has been caught on camera at a nature reserve in southwest China, showing albinism exists among wild pandas in the region, state media reported.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Mobile phone app designed to boost physical activity in women shows promise in trial
Activity trackers and mobile phone apps are all the rage, but do they really help users increase and maintain physical activity? A new study has found that one mobile phone app designed for inactive women did help when combined with an activity tracker and personal counseling.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Support needed for multiple-birth families to improve outcomes
Having multiple-birth babies can be a time of wonder and excitement, however, according to the first-ever international collaborative report released today, these babies and their families can face serious disadvantages compared to parents of single-birth babies.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Biomarkers help tailor diuretic use in acute heart failure patients
Adrenomedullin activity predicts which acute heart failure patients are at the greatest risk of death without diuretic treatment post-discharge, according to late breaking research 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
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
Volcano on Bali erupts, briefly disrupting flights (Update)
Bali's airport has returned to normal operations after some flights were canceled on Friday night following an eruption of the Mount Agung volcano that spread ash over the south of the Indonesian island.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Paper stickers to monitor pathogens are more effective than swabs
Using paper stickers to collect pathogens on surfaces where antisepsis is required, such as in food processing plants, is easier, and less expensive than swabbing, yet similarly sensitive. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
* 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
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
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
Blood pressure and glucose control may prevent common arrhythmia
Blood-pressure and glucose control may be effective in preventing heart block, a common form of arrhythmia, and the subsequent need for a pacemaker, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco.
* 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
Saturday, 25 May 2019
360-degree immersive video of surgeon performing cancer surgery
New technology has allowed the public to immerse themselves in a cancer operating theatre by filming a complex operation performed by Professor Tim Underwood in 360 Degrees.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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
Friday, 24 May 2019
Engineers create a simple test that can measure stress hormones in sweat, blood, urine or saliva
Stress is often called "the silent killer" because of its stealthy and mysterious effects on everything from heart disease to mental health.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, 23 May 2019
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
Eating to reach health goals
(HealthDay)—What and when you eat certain foods can boost how you feel at different times during the day. When it comes to meal planning, timing is everything.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
LG will smarten home appliances with eyes and ears
LG has made news headlines recently because now it has its own artificial intelligence chip. LG is out to impress with its own chip for smart home products—to make them even smarter.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
How a zebrafish could help solve the mysteries of genetic brain disease
A close look at the rapidly developing zebrafish embryo is helping neuroscientists better understand the potential underpinnings of brain disorders, including autism and schizophrenia.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Medication nonadherence common in patients with T2DM
(HealthDay)—Routine urine samples can be used to test for medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Bringing human-like reasoning to driverless car navigation
With aims of bringing more human-like reasoning to autonomous vehicles, MIT researchers have created a system that uses only simple maps and visual data to enable driverless cars to navigate routes in new, complex environments.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
High-deductible health plans may be harmful for patients with COPD
(HealthDay)—For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are associated with increased likelihood of reporting foregoing care because of costs and cost-related nonadherence, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2019 International Conference, held from May 17 to 22 in Dallas.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Threat or promise? E-auto boom could cost industry jobs
Over 115 years the auto industry in the east German town of Zwickau has lived through wrenching upheavals including World War II and the collapse of communism. Now the city's 90,000 people are plunging headlong into another era of change: top employer Volkswagen's total shift into electric cars at the local plant.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers create soft, flexible materials with enhanced properties
A team of polymer chemists and engineers from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new methodology that can be used to create a class of stretchable polymer composites with enhanced electrical and thermal properties. These materials are promising candidates for use in soft robotics, self-healing electronics and medical devices. The results are published in the May 20 issue of Nature Nanotechnology.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
MobiKa: A low-cost mobile robot that can assist people in a variety of settings
Researchers at Fraunhofer IPA, in Stuttgart, Germany, have recently developed MobiKa, a low-cost, mobile robot capable of two-modal (voice and text) interactions with humans. Their robot, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, could be particularly useful for assisting elderly people.
* 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
Heart failure, stroke greater among occupants in motor vehicle accidents
New research has shown that in older adults (65 and older), being an occupant in an automobile during a motor vehicle accident may lead to heart failure or stroke, as compared to pedestrians who are involved in motor vehicle accidents.
* 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
Chimpanzees spotted cracking open tortoises for meat
Scientists have observed wild chimpanzees tucking into an unusual snack: tortoises, whose hard shells they crack against tree trunks before scooping out the meat.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Could turning it into CO2 fight climate change?
Usually, choosing between the lesser of two evils is a dismal decision. But sometimes, it's an opportunity.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Two Japanese carriers postpone release of Huawei phones
Two of Japan's top mobile phone carriers said Wednesday they will delay releasing new handsets made by Huawei after a US ban on American companies selling technology to the Chinese tech giant.
* 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
Monday, 20 May 2019
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
New measurement device: Carbon dioxide as geothermometer
For the first time, it is now possible to measure, simultaneously and with extreme precision, four rare molecular variants of carbon dioxide (CO2) using a novel laser instrument. It is thus able to measure the temperature during the formation of CO2-binding carbonates and carbonaceous fossils completely independently of other parameters. As a new type of geothermometer, the laser-spectroscopy-based measurement device is significant for scientific disciplines investigating, for example, climatic conditions in Earth's history. It was developed by a German-French research team, with substantial contributions from environmental physicists at Heidelberg University.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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
Computer program designed to calculate the economic impact of forest fires
High temperatures and low humidity—summer is approaching and with it the fire season. The lack of precipitation also makes 2019 a year characterised by risk, so some Spanish regions, such as the Balearic Islands, have taken swift action and already begun their prevention operations. According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, every year there are an average of 12,000 fires and outbreaks, affecting more than 100,000 hectares of forest. This means not only enormous damage to the environment, but also to the economy.
* 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
Zebrafish help researchers explore alternatives to bone marrow donation
Blood diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma are currently treated with bone marrow transplants—a transfer of blood stem cells from a healthy person to a patient in need. But the demand for patient-matched blood stem cells far exceeds their availability, and many patients go without. To bypass the need for donations, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers are using zebrafish and human cells to determine how to grow blood stem cells in a laboratory dish.
* 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
Key acid-activated protein channel identified
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a long-sought protein, the proton-activated chloride channel (PAC), that is activated in acidic environments and could protect against the tissue-damaging effects of stroke, heart attack, cancer and inflammation. The researchers believe the discovery of this protein could provide a new drug target for potential therapies for stroke and other health issues.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, 19 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
Earliest evidence of the cooking and eating of starch
New discoveries made at the Klasies River Cave in South Africa's southern Cape, where charred food remains from hearths were found, provide the first archaeological evidence that anatomically modern humans were roasting and eating plant starches, such as those from tubers and rhizomes, as early as 120,000 years ago.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Changes in subsistence hunting threaten local food security
Scientists with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and WCS Ecuador Program publishing in the journal BioTropica say that subsistence hunting in Neotropical rain forests—the mainstay of local people as a source of protein and a direct connection to these ecosystems—is in jeopardy from a variety of factors.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers develop electric field-based dressing to help heal wound infections
Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have found a way to charge up the fight against bacterial infections using electricity.
* 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
Fuel subsidies defy green trend amid rising climate alarm
Even as warnings of climate catastrophe and calls for greener economies grow ever louder, the world is still spending hundreds of billions of dollars every year to subsidise the fossil fuels that are causing the planet to overheat.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
UN chief's call to 'save the Pacific to save the world'
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was vital "to save the Pacific to save the world" as he wrapped up his brief South Pacific tour in Vanuatu on Saturday.
* 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
Ernst Haeckel: Pioneer of modern science
"By ecology, we understand the whole science of the organism's relationship with the surrounding outside world, which includes in a broader sense all 'existential conditions'. These are partly organic and partly inorganic in nature; both the former and the latter are, as we have previously shown, of utmost importance for the form of the organisms, because they force them to adapt to them."
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'Brand Me' presentations increase students' confidence and enhance their employability
The University of Portsmouth is helping its students build a strong personal brand to increase their confidence and enhance their employability.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Eating ultra-processed foods will make you gain weight. Here's the scientific proof
For four weeks, 20 healthy volunteers checked into a research center hospital and were served a variety of tempting meals: cinnamon french toast, stir-fry beef with broccoli and onions, turkey quesadillas and shrimp scampi. Researchers scrutinized everything that was eaten and came away with the first hard evidence to support a long-held suspicion: Heavily processed foods could be a leading factor in America's obesity epidemic.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Air pollution hotspots in Europe
Big cities beset with gridlocked traffic, major regions producing coal, pockets of heavy industry encased by mountains—Europe's air pollution hotspots are clearly visible from space on most sunny weekdays.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
German startup to offer electric air taxis 'by 2025'
German startup firm Lilium announced Thursday the maiden flight of its all-electric pilotless jet-powered 'air taxi' which it hopes to operate in various cities around the world 'by 2025'.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A new approach to targeting cancer cells
A University of California, Riverside, research team has come up with a new approach to targeting cancer cells that circumvents a challenge faced by currently available cancer drugs.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, 18 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
Sedimentary, dear Johnson: Is NASA looking at the wrong rocks for clues to Martian life?
In 2020, NASA and European-Russian missions will look for evidence of past life on Mars. But while volcanic, igneous rock predominates on the Red Planet, virtually the entire Earth fossil record comes from sedimentary rocks.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
What's behind the belief in a soulmate?
The United States appears to be in a romantic slump. Marriage rates have plummeted over the last decade. And compared to previous generations, young single people today are perhaps spending more time on social media than actual dating. They are also having less sex.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Manipulating atoms one at a time with an electron beam
The ultimate degree of control for engineering would be the ability to create and manipulate materials at the most basic level, fabricating devices atom by atom with precise control.
* 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
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
Facebook breakup could boost China rivals: Sandberg
Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said Friday a breakup of big US technology would not address "underlying issues" facing the sector and suggested that such a move could help rivals in China.
* 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
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
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
Lunar South Pole Atlas—a new online reference for mission planners
The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), managed by Universities Space Research Association (USRA), has compiled and made available an atlas of the Moon's south pole. Given NASA's recent direction to implement Space Policy Directive-1 landing astronauts at the south pole by 2024, the LPI has compiled a series of maps, images, and illustrations designed to provide context and reference for those interested in exploring this area.
* 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
Researchers develop novel framework for tracking developments in optical sensors
Plasmonics and photonics have been drawing attention in both academia and industry due to their use in an extensive range of applications, one of which includes optical sensing. The development of optical sensing technology not only contributes to the scientific research community as a versatile tool, but also offers substantial commercial value for smart city and Internet of Things (IOT) applications due to its energy efficiency, lightweight, small size and suitability for remote sensing. Reinforcing its significance, Scientific American identified plasmonic sensing as one of the top 10 emerging technologies of 2018.
* 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Study aims to improve capturing wind power for energy production
Scientists have released the first of several reports outlining major results that could help wind industry officials manage wind power facilities more efficiently and increase renewable energy production.
* 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
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
Friday, 17 May 2019
Bullet train champion in Japan will debut in 2030, now being tested
Testing for a train capable of 249mph (400 kph) speeds is to happen about twice a week at night. Bloomberg said ALFA-X is the world's fastest bullet train— well, for now, it is holding that title. Japan has also been working on a maglev train.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Virtual reality game simulates experiences with race
Video games that use virtual reality to create immersive experiences have become increasingly popular for entertainment and for research. However, the representation of race in these simulations is often shallow—and fails to go beyond physical appearance attributes like skin color.
* 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
Exploring people's perception of geometric features, personalities and emotions in videos with virtual humans
Researchers at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul have recently carried out a study aimed at evaluating people's perceptions of geometric features, personalities and emotions presented in video sequences with virtual humans. Their study, outlined in a paper pre-published on arXiv, merges computer science tools with psychology research practices.
* 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
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
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
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
Earthquake in 2009 intensified American Samoa's rising sea levels
The 2009, magnitude-8.1 Samoa earthquake dealt a great deal of damage to the Samoan Islands: Tsunami waves as high as 14 meters (46 feet) wiped out multiple villages, claiming nearly 200 lives and severely damaging water and electrical systems.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
North carolina sues electronic cigarette maker JUUL
(HealthDay)—North Carolina is suing electronic-cigarette manufacturer JUUL for allegedly marketing its products to children and misleading the public about the health risks of the products. This lawsuit is the first filed by a state over JUUL's alleged marketing toward teens, CNN reported.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tobacco and e-cigarette promotions spark teens' use of nicotine products, study finds
Owning items that promote e-cigarettes and other alternative tobacco products doubles the likelihood that a young person will try these products, a new study led by the Stanford University School of Medicine has found. The finding illustrates the influence of such marketing on teenagers.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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
New computer program can help crack precision medicine
Researchers from ANU have helped develop a new computer program to find out a person's genetic make-up, bringing us a step closer to an era of precision medicine.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A new era in 3-D printing
In the mid-15th century, a new technology that would change the course of history was invented. Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, with its movable type, promoted the dissemination of information and ideas that is widely recognized as a major contributing factor for the Renaissance.
* 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
New AI sees like a human, filling in the blanks
Computer scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have taught an artificial intelligence agent how to do something that usually only humans can do—take a few quick glimpses around and infer its whole environment, a skill necessary for the development of effective search-and-rescue robots that one day can improve the effectiveness of dangerous missions. The team, led by professor Kristen Grauman, Ph.D. candidate Santhosh Ramakrishnan and former Ph.D. candidate Dinesh Jayaraman (now at the University of California, Berkeley) published their results today in the journal Science Robotics.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Research reveals insulin-producing beta cells may change function in diabetes
A revolutionary new study using only materials derived from humans has revealed that insulin-producing beta cells can change their function in diabetes—and that this change may be reversible.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Study proposes new standards for safely performing 'Brazilian butt lift'
A new anatomic study highlights critical technical issues to ensure safe performance of the increasingly popular "Brazilian butt lift—a procedure using the patient's own fat to augment and improve the appearance of the buttocks. The study appears in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Neuroscientists identify a brain circuit that helps break complex decisions down into smaller pieces
When making a complex decision, we often break the problem down into a series of smaller decisions. For example, when deciding how to treat a patient, a doctor may go through a hierarchy of steps—choosing a diagnostic test, interpreting the results, and then prescribing a medication.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Study examines consequences of workplace bullying
New research reveals how frequently being the target of workplace bullying not only leads to health-related problems but can also cause victims to behave badly themselves.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, 16 May 2019
ASCO: Low-fat dietary pattern cuts breast cancer deaths
(HealthDay)—A low-fat dietary intervention is associated with reductions in deaths after breast cancer and deaths from breast cancer among postmenopausal women after long-term follow-up, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.
* 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
Malnourished fruit flies preserve genital size to ensure reproductive success
In most animals, body size shrinks when food becomes scarce, but some parts are protected from shrinkage. In humans without enough food, the body becomes small, but the size of the head stays the same, hinting at biological mechanisms that act to preserve the all-important brain.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Stay safe in the sun by knowing how to protect your skin
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Do spray sunscreens work as well as sunscreen lotions, and do I need to buy different sunscreen for my kids than what I use myself?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Imaging black hole like listening to broken piano, says scientist
US computer scientist Katie Bouman, who became a global sensation over her role in generating the world's first image of a black hole, has described the painstaking process as akin to listening to a piano with broken keys.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Teens with obesity find artificial intelligence coach helpful in weight-loss program
Researchers at Nemours Children's Health System have found that an artificial intelligence (AI) behavioral coach, nicknamed Tess (X2ai, Inc), is feasible and useful for behavioral counseling of adolescent patients in a weight management program. The study, published today in the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine, demonstrates adolescents' willingness and positive reaction to engaging in SMS text conversations with the chatbot technology that simulates human interactions.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Dabigatran doesn't beat aspirin for preventing recurrent stroke
(HealthDay)—Dabigatran is not superior to aspirin for preventing recurrent stroke in patients with recent history of embolic stroke of undetermined source, according to a study published in the May 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
* 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
'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
Designing biological movement on the nanometer scale
Synthetic proteins have been created that move in response to their environment in predictable and tunable ways. These motile molecules were designed from scratch on computers, then produced inside living cells.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
24 percent of West Antarctic ice is now unstable: study
By combining 25 years of European Space Agency satellite altimeter measurements and a model of the regional climate, the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) have tracked changes in snow and ice cover across the continent.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Leveraging information technology to address health disparities
Disparities in health care delivery and health outcomes present distressing challenges to underserved populations, who often experience a greater burden of chronic diseases and are more likely to show signs of poor disease management. Health information technology (IT) tools may serve a vital role in reducing such disparities in the clinical care setting. In the Medical Care June supplement, "Addressing Health Disparities Through the Utilization of Health Information Technology," authors discuss the potential application of health IT in reducing disparities by increasing access to care, improving quality of healthcare and by promoting better patient-clinician communication.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Why parents should think twice about tracking apps for their kids
The use of self-tracking and personal surveillance technologies has grown considerably over the last decade. There are now apps to monitor people's movement, health, mindfulness, sleep, eating habits and even sexual activity.
* 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
How to break our bad online security habits – with a flashing cyber nudge
The number of cyber attacks is estimated to have risen by 67% over the last fivee years, with the majority of these data breaches being traced back to human error.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Less chemotherapy better for older patients with some advanced cancers
Less chemotherapy is as effective at controlling disease for elderly or frail patients with advanced cancer of the stomach or oesophagus (food pipe), and leads to fewer side effects such as diarrhoea and lethargy. These are the results of a Cancer Research UK funded study, presented prior to the ASCO conference today.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
'How tall is the tower in Paris?' How vector search knows you're asking about the Eiffel Tower
Only a few years ago, web search was simple. Users typed a few words and waded through pages of results.
* 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
A face-following robot arm with emotion detection
Researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have recently developed a face-following robotic arm with emotion detection inspired by Pixar Animation Studios' Luxo Jr. lamp. This robot was presented by Vernon Stanley Albayeros Duarte, a computer science graduate at UAB, in his final thesis.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia
Beijing has broadened its block of online encyclopedia Wikipedia to include all language editions, an internet censorship research group reported just weeks ahead of China's most politically explosive anniversary.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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
First smartphone app that can hear ear infections in children
Ear infections are the most common reason that parents bring their children to a pediatrician, according to the National Institutes of Health.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, 15 May 2019
From Earth's deep mantle, scientists find a new way volcanoes form
Far below Bermuda's pink sand beaches and turquoise tides, geoscientists have discovered the first direct evidence that material from deep within Earth's mantle transition zone—a layer rich in water, crystals and melted rock—can percolate to the surface to form volcanoes.
* 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
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
Study finds scientific reproducibility does not equate to scientific truth
Reproducible scientific results are not always true and true scientific results are not always reproducible, according to a mathematical model produced by University of Idaho researchers. Their study, which simulates the search for that scientific truth, will be published Wednesday, May 15, in the journal PLOS ONE.
* 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
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
Mercedes want to abandon combustion engines by 2039
German giant Mercedes-Benz said Monday it wants to stop selling traditional combustion engine cars by 2039 and plans for its new vehicles sold worldwide by that time to be carbon-neutral.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Young adults distressed by labels of narcissism, entitlement
Young adults both believe and react negatively to messages that members of their age group are more entitled and narcissistic than other living generations, suggests new research presented by Joshua Grubbs of Bowling Green State University, Ohio, and colleagues in the open access journal PLOS ONE on May 15, 2019.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Genomic collision may explain why many kidney transplants fail
A genomic collision could explain why many kidney transplants fail, even when donors and recipients are thought to be well-matched, according to a new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. This genomic collision is a genetic incompatibility between kidney donor and recipient, causing the recipient to mount an immune attack against the donor protein.
* 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
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
How egg cells choose their best powerhouses to pass on
Developing egg cells conduct tests to select the healthiest of their energy-making machines to be passed to the next generation. A new study in fruit flies, published online May 15 in Nature, shows how the testing is done.
* 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
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
Your internet data is rotting
Many MySpace users were dismayed to discover earlier this year that the social media platform lost 50 million files uploaded between 2003 and 2015.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers block protein that plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease
In recent years, it has become increasingly clear to researchers that the protein galectin-3 is involved in inflammatory diseases in the brain. A study led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden now shows the de facto key role played by the protein in Alzheimer's disease. When the researchers shut off the gene that produces this protein in mice, the amount of Alzheimer's plaque and the inflammatory load both decreased.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Novel study discovers 'metabolic fingerprint' to help treat, diagnosis and prevent cervical cancer
Researchers at the University of Arizona have completed the first-of-its-kind study that could aid in the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer by identifying cervicovaginal metabolic signatures, or "fingerprints" that distinguish patients with HPV, pre-cancerous cervical conditions and cancer.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, 14 May 2019
Show your hands: Smartwatches sense hand activity
We've become accustomed to our smartwatches and smartphones sensing what our bodies are doing, be it walking, driving or sleeping. But what about our hands? It turns out that smartwatches, with a few tweaks, can detect a surprising number of things your hands are doing.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Measuring chromosome imbalance could clarify cancer prognosis
Most human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Any deviation from this number can be fatal for cells, and several genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, are caused by abnormal numbers of chromosomes.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Common food additive E171 found to affect gut microbiota
University of Sydney research provides new evidence that nanoparticles, which are present in many food items, may have a substantial and harmful influence on human health.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Obesity: The key role of a brain protein revealed
Regardless of how much you exercise or how balanced your diet is, controlling your weight is more brain-related than you might have thought. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) show for the first time in mice that the acyl-CoA-binding protein, or ACBP, has a direct influence on the neurons that allow rodents and humans to maintain a healthy weight.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, 12 May 2019
Nanotubes enable travel of Huntington's protein
A toxic protein linked to Huntington's disease can move from neuron to neuron through a nanotube tunnel whose construction is initiated by a protein called Rhes, say scientists at Scripps Research.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Following DASH diet can reduce heart failure risk in people under 75
A diet proven to have beneficial effects on high blood pressure also may reduce the risk of heart failure in people under age 75, according to a study led by researchers at Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Health.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
More than a scent: Cyprus promoting its perfume past
Before Cyprus gained fame as the mythical birthplace of the goddess of love Aphrodite nearly three millennia ago, Cyprus was known around the Mediterranean for its perfumes, scents that the mighty queens of Egypt coveted.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New study highlights fundamental challenges of living with wildfire
Wildfires can have dramatic impacts on Western landscapes and communities, but human values determine whether the changes caused by fire are desired or dreaded. This is the simple—but often overlooked—message from a collaborative team of 23 researchers led by University of Montana faculty in a study published in the May issue of the journal BioScience.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, 11 May 2019
Supply-chain hack attacks are worrying investigators
What do you know about supply-chain attacks? In January, an article in CSO said it's when a weak link in your enterprise security might lie with partners and suppliers. It's when someone infiltrates your system through an outside partner or provider with access to your systems and data.
* 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
180 nations agree UN deal to regulate export of plastic waste
Around 180 governments on Friday agreed on a new UN accord to regulate the export of plastic waste, some eight million tonnes of which ends up in the oceans each year, organisers said.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Study sheds new light on urinary tract infections in postmenopausal women
A UT Southwestern study suggests why urinary tract infections (UTIs) have such a high recurrence rate in postmenopausal women—several species of bacteria can invade the bladder walls.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Penis extensions don't work, can be risky, study says
Penis extensions don't work and can be risky, a new study says.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Rideshare firms have snarled up San Francisco: study
The ride-hailing era ushered in by Uber and Lyft once promised to complement public transit, reduce car ownership and alleviate congestion.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
The poorest pupils spurn school meals, study finds
Pupils from the poorest backgrounds are the ones most likely to leave school at lunchtime to buy food, a University of Hertfordshire investigation revealed today—and the choice is often chips together with other items high in fat, sugar and salt.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Opioid doctor and pharmacy 'shoppers' may also shop at home, study finds
As states crack down on doctor and pharmacy "shopping" by people who misuse opioids, a new study reveals how often those individuals may still be able to find opioids to misuse in their family medicine cabinets.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Good sleep quality and good mood lead to good working memory with age
A team of psychologists has found strong associations between working memory—a fundamental building block of a functioning mind—and three health-related factors: sleep, age, and depressed mood. The team also reports that each of these factors is associated with different aspects of working memory.
* 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
UK reaches jolly good milestone in days without coal
The UK has gone more than five days without burning coal, the longest streak without burning the fuel since the Industrial Revolution, said Bloomberg. It breaks the previous record from earlier this year, a total of 90 hours.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
A case of the chimp sniffles or major outbreak? Syndromic surveillance may hold the key
Two sniffling chimps could be one too many for a wild chimpanzee community susceptible to respiratory disease outbreaks, report Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of Minnesota. The team's findings were a result of their development of a syndromic surveillance system to noninvasively and preemptively detect a potential outbreak of respiratory disease. The study recently was published in EcoHealth.
* 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
NASA Northern quadrant strength in Tropical Cyclone Lili
NASA's Aqua satellite used infrared light to analyze the strength of storms in Tropical Cyclone Lili as it moved through the Southern Indian Ocean. Infrared data provides temperature information, and the strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures.
* 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
Limiting oxygen could control symptoms of Friedreich's ataxia
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a rare, inherited disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. This damage leads to ataxia—problems with movement and coordination—that worsens with time. Other symptoms, such as loss of strength and sensation in the arms and legs, muscle stiffness, and impaired speech, hearing, and vision, can also result. New research in cell models and in mice suggests that limited environmental oxygen, known as hypoxia, might one day help FRDA patients, although the safety of doing so is yet unknown.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Friday, 10 May 2019
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
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
Turkey fines Facebook for failing to protect personal data
Turkey's state-run news agency says the country's data protection agency has fined Facebook 1.650 million Turkish lira ($270,000) for contravening data laws.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Anal cancer is on the rise, especially in women. Should they be screened?
Now that actress Marcia Cross has been in remission from anal cancer for about a year, she has a mission.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Review: Motorola Moto G7 is the inexpensive Android phone you've been waiting for
I'm a tech reviewer, so I think people expect me to carry the newest iPhone—at least that's what I tell my wife.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Researchers propose air conditioners as climate-change remedy
Scientists have an idea that could make you feel more like a green citizen than hedonist if you buy an air conditioner for your living quarters. There is a way that could use the units to fight climate change. OK, let us review the question posed by a Fast Company: What if every air conditioner was stopping climate change as it kept you cool?"
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
New study shows scientists who selfie garner more public trust
Many scientists today have embraced social media as tools to communicate their research and to engage broader audiences in scientific discovery and its outcomes. But the rise of the "social media scientist" has also led communicators and scholars to ask an important and often overlooked question: Do people trust the scientists who show up in their social media feeds?
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
Receiving weekend food improves school attendance among children living with hunger
Children living in food-insecure households are more likely to attend school on Fridays if they're participating in a food-distribution program that provides them with backpacks of meals for the weekend, researchers at the University of Illinois found in a new study.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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