The Life Technology™ News Blog: 06/19/19

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Study finds similar cardiovascular outcomes for generic, brand-name drugs for hypothyroidism

A new study by Mayo Clinic researchers may have broad implications for treatment of patients with predominantly benign thyroid disease and newly treated hypothyroidism.

* This article was originally published here

Facebook's currency Libra faces financial, privacy pushback

Facebook is getting a taste of the regulatory pushback it will face as it creates a new digital currency with corporate partners.

* This article was originally published here

Facebook's currency Libra faces financial, privacy pushback

Facebook is getting a taste of the regulatory pushback it will face as it creates a new digital currency with corporate partners.

* This article was originally published here

Vitamin D may not help your heart

While previous research has suggested a link between low levels of vitamin D in the blood and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a new Michigan State University study has found that taking vitamin D supplements did not reduce that risk.

* This article was originally published here

Scaffold helps cells repair torn meniscus in lab tests

About a million times a year, Americans with a torn meniscus in their knee undergo surgery in hopes of a repair. Certain tears can't be fixed or won't heal well, and many patients later suffer osteoarthritis from the injury.

* This article was originally published here

Vitamin D may not help your heart

Researchers use biological evolution to inspire machine learning

As Charles Darwin wrote in at the end of his seminal 1859 book On the Origin of the Species, "whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Scientists have since long believed that the diversity and range of forms of life on Earth provide evidence that biological evolution spontaneously innovates in an open-ended way, constantly inventing new things. However, attempts to construct artificial simulations of evolutionary systems tend to run into limits in the complexity and novelty which they can produce. This is sometimes referred to as "the problem of open-endedness." Because of this difficulty, to date, scientists can't easily make artificial systems capable of exhibiting the richness and diversity of biological systems.

* This article was originally published here

Study reveals roots of Parkinson's in the brain

Researchers from King's College London have uncovered the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease in the brain, many years before patients show any symptoms. The results, published in The Lancet Neurology, challenge the traditional view of the disease and could potentially lead to screening tools for identifying people at greatest risk.

* This article was originally published here

Toward artificial intelligence that learns to write code

Learning to code involves recognizing how to structure a program, and how to fill in every last detail correctly. No wonder it can be so frustrating.

* This article was originally published here

Study predicts more long-term sea level rise from Greenland ice

Greenland's melting ice sheet could generate more sea level rise than previously thought if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase and warm the atmosphere at their current rate, according to a new modeling study. The study, which used data from NASA's Operation IceBridge airborne campaign, was published in Science Advances today. In the next 200 years, the ice sheet model shows that melting at the present rate could contribute 19 to 63 inches to global sea level rise, said the team led by scientists at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. These numbers are at least 80 percent higher than previous estimates, which forecasted up to 35 inches of sea level rise from Greenland's ice.

* This article was originally published here

Serotonin linked to somatic awareness, a condition long thought to be imaginary

An international team spearheaded by researchers at McGill University has discovered a biological mechanism that could explain heightened somatic awareness, a condition where patients experience physical discomforts for which there is no physiological explanation.

* This article was originally published here

Synthetic joint lubricant holds promise for osteoarthritis

A new type of treatment for osteoarthritis, currently in canine clinical trials, shows promise for eventual use in humans.

* This article was originally published here

Mineral discovery made easier: X-ray technique shines a new light on tiny, rare crystals

Like a tiny needle in a sprawling hayfield, a single crystal grain measuring just tens of millionths of a meter—found in a borehole sample drilled in Central Siberia—had an unexpected chemical makeup.

* This article was originally published here

Survey sees biggest US honeybee winter die-off yet

Winter hit U.S. honeybees hard with the highest loss rate yet, an annual survey of beekeepers showed.

* This article was originally published here

NVIDIA going full stack for ARM boosts supercomputing presence

NVIDIA and ARM make one power couple for supercomputing. NVIDIA has announced its chips will work with ARM processors. Outside observers got busy earlier this week assessing why this was a big deal to empower both companies and the effort to explain was not at all difficult.

* This article was originally published here

Mobile crisis service reduces youth ER visits for behavioral health needs, says study

Children and youth with acute behavioral health needs who are seen through Connecticut's Mobile Crisis Intervention Service—a community-based program that provides mental health interventions and services to patients 18 years and younger—have a lower risk of experiencing a follow-up episode and are less likely to show up in an emergency room if and when another episode occurs.

* This article was originally published here

Many asylum seekers suffer from depression and anxiety symptoms

Up to 40% of the adults who have sought asylum in Finland are told that they are suffering from major depression and anxiety symptoms. More than half of both the adults and children reported having experienced at least one shocking, possibly traumatic event, such as being subjected to violence.

* This article was originally published here

This assistive robot is controlled via brain-computer interface

Researchers at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, in Italy, have recently developed a cutting-edge architecture that enables the operation of an assistive robot via a P300-based brain computer interface (BCI). This architecture, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, could finally allow people with severe motion disabilities to perform manipulation tasks, thus simplifying their lives.

* This article was originally published here

Compact, low-cost fingerprint reader could reduce infant mortality around the world

A team of Michigan State University researchers have created Infant-Prints—a low-cost, high-resolution and portable solution to accurately identify infants in an effort to help reduce infant mortality around the world.

* This article was originally published here

Facebook's currency Libra faces financial, privacy pushback

Facebook is getting a taste of the regulatory pushback it will face as it creates a new digital currency with corporate partners.

* This article was originally published here

New AI system manages road infrastructure via Google Street View

Geospatial scientists have developed a new program to monitor street signs needing replacement or repair by tapping into Google Street View images.

* This article was originally published here

Physicists show novel Mott state in twisted graphene bilayers at 'magic angle'

A University of Oklahoma physics group sheds light on a novel Mott state observed in twisted graphene bilayers at the 'magic angle' in a recent study just published in Physical Review Letters. OU physicists show the Mott state in graphene bilayers favors ferromagnetic alignment of the electron spins, a phenomenon unheard of in conventional Mott insulators, and a new concept on the novel insulating state observed in twisted graphene bilayers.

* This article was originally published here

Ethics of AI: how should we treat rational, sentient robots – if they existed?

Imagine a world where humans co-existed with beings who, like us, had minds, thoughts, feelings, self-conscious awareness and the capacity to perform purposeful actions—but, unlike us, these beings had artificial mechanical bodies that could be switched on and off.

* This article was originally published here

Automated cryptocode generator is helping secure the web

Nearly every time you open up a secure Google Chrome browser, a new MIT-developed cryptographic system is helping better protect your data.

* This article was originally published here

Delayed Kentucky internet project faces new squirrel setback

A project that would bring high-speed internet across Kentucky will be delayed because company representatives say an "abundance" of squirrels have chewed through wiring.

* This article was originally published here

Frog protein may mitigate dangers posed by toxic marine microbes

A new study from UC San Francisco suggests that a protein found in the common bullfrog may one day be used to detect and neutralize a poisonous compound produced by red tides and other harmful algal blooms. The discovery comes as these waterborne toxic events are becoming increasingly common, a consequence of climate change making the world's oceans more hospitable to the microbes responsible for these formerly infrequent flare-ups.

* This article was originally published here

'Goldilocks' neurons promote REM sleep

Every night while sleeping, we cycle between two very different states of sleep. Upon falling asleep, we enter non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep where our breathing is slow and regular and movement of our limbs or eyes are minimal. Approximately 90 minutes later, how-ever, we enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is a paradoxical state where our breathing becomes fast and irregular, our limbs twitch, and our eyes move rapidly. In REM sleep, our brain is highly active, but we also become paralyzed and we lose the ability to thermoregulate or maintain our constant body temperature. "This loss of thermoregulation in REM sleep is one of the most peculiar aspects of sleep, particularly since we have finely-tuned mechanisms that control our body temperature while awake or in non-REM sleep," says Markus Schmidt of the Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR) of the University of Bern, and the Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital. On the one hand, the findings confirm a hypothesis proposed earlier by Schmidt, senior author of the study, and on the other hand represent a breakthrough for sleep medicine. The paper was published in Current Biology and highlighted by the editors with a comment.

* This article was originally published here

From one brain scan, more information for medical artificial intelligence

MIT researchers have devised a novel method to glean more information from images used to train machine-learning models, including those that can analyze medical scans to help diagnose and treat brain conditions.

* This article was originally published here

People with multiple physical conditions have faster brain decline, higher suicide risk

Having arthritis, or diabetes, or heart disease can change a person's life, getting in the way of daily activities and requiring special diets and medicines.

* This article was originally published here

Fifty years after the Cuyahoga conflagration

On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River, which flows through Cleveland, Ohio, caught fire. Although firefighters extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes, the shocking event helped galvanize the U.S. environmental movement. Fifty years later, the river is much healthier but still recuperating from a legacy of pollution, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.

* This article was originally published here

Electronic portals may help patients with multiple complex conditions

Access to a patient portal can increase engagement in outpatient visits and reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations in patients with multiple chronic diseases, according to a study published June 19, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mary Reed (DrPH) of Kaiser Permanente and colleagues.

* This article was originally published here

Phage display for engineering blood-contacting surfaces

Surfaces that enable endothelial cell attachment without causing blood clotting are needed for various tissue engineering efforts. A new approach involving phage display has been used to identify unique peptides with these typically divergent characteristics. The work is published in Tissue Engineering.

* This article was originally published here

Most US pot users think they can get away with driving high

(HealthDay)—Most Americans think they won't get caught driving while high on marijuana, a new AAA Foundation survey finds.

* This article was originally published here

Powering a solution: Professor takes charge at improving lithium ion batteries safety

As cutting edge as electric vehicles are, they're still vulnerable to an Achilles heel—the very source that gives them power.

* This article was originally published here

US military consumes more hydrocarbons than most countries—massive hidden impact on climate

The US military's carbon footprint is enormous and must be confronted in order to have a substantial effect on battling global warming.

* This article was originally published here

Toward artificial intelligence that learns to write code

Learning to code involves recognizing how to structure a program, and how to fill in every last detail correctly. No wonder it can be so frustrating.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers see around corners to detect object shapes

Computer vision researchers have demonstrated they can use special light sources and sensors to see around corners or through gauzy filters, enabling them to reconstruct the shapes of unseen objects.

* This article was originally published here

Chaos and tragedy in Indian 'brain fever' outbreak

The stench of urine, chlorine, vomit and death fills the main hospital in Muzaffarpur, the epicentre of a brain fever outbreak in India that has killed over 100 children since June 1.

* This article was originally published here

Size is not everything according to latest Nature Index annual tables

In the Nature Index 2019 annual tables, released today, the United States is well ahead of China then Germany to make up the top three in the country ranking, while the top three institutions—the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harvard University and Max Planck Society—have held fast to their positions in the institutional ranks. For the first time, the Nature Index annual tables also include a normalized ranking. This takes into account the number of high-quality articles published as a proportion of an institute's overall output in the natural sciences. The normalized ranking reveals a very different set of leaders among academic institutions.

* This article was originally published here

Biochar may boost carbon storage, but benefits to germination and growth appear scant

Biochar may not be the miracle soil additive that many farmers and researchers hoped it to be, according to a new University of Illinois study. Biochar may boost the agricultural yield of some soils—especially poor quality ones—but there is no consensus on its effectiveness. Researchers tested different soils' responses to multiple biochar types and were unable to verify their ability to increase plant growth. However, the study did show biochar's ability to affect soil greenhouse gas emissions.

* This article was originally published here

Comcast remote lets people with physical disabilities control the TV with their eyes

Most TV viewers take for granted the ability to change the channel from their couches with a remote control. That task may be near impossible for viewers with the most severe physical challenges.

* This article was originally published here

Facebook to unveil new cryptocurrency

Facebook is set Tuesday to unveil a bid to bring cryptocurrency payments into the mainstream, reportedly with the endorsement of governments and financial giants.

* This article was originally published here

Watchdog criticizes rising costs, delays of NASA's next Moon rocket

The giant rocket NASA plans to use to return to the Moon by 2024 has been beset by delays and spending has overrun by almost 30 percent, an official audit said Wednesday.

* This article was originally published here

Toward artificial intelligence that learns to write code

Learning to code involves recognizing how to structure a program, and how to fill in every last detail correctly. No wonder it can be so frustrating.

* This article was originally published here

Medicare program aimed at lowering costs, improving care may not be working as well as thought

As the Medicare system seeks to improve the care of older adults while also keeping costs from growing too fast, a new University of Michigan study suggests that one major effort may not be having as much of an impact as hoped.

* This article was originally published here

3-D technology might improve body appreciation for young women

3-D technology has transformed movies and medical imaging, and now it might be able to help young women better appreciate their bodies.

* This article was originally published here

Predictive AI is the newest weapon in the battle to protect endangered animals

Sothear Chheng has one of the toughest jobs anywhere.

* This article was originally published here

SPFCNN-Miner: A new classifier to tackle class-unbalanced data

Researchers at Chongqing University in China have recently developed a cost-sensitive meta-learning classifier that can be used when the training data available is high-dimensional or limited. Their classifier, called SPFCNN-Miner, was presented in a paper published in Elsevier's Future Generation Computer Systems.

* This article was originally published here

Medicare program aimed at lowering costs, improving care may not be working as well as thought

Cat muzzles: cruel or useful?

It's not unusual to slap a muzzle on a dog if it's being aggressive or not keen on being given an injection, but a muzzle is not part of your average cat's wardrobe. Yet there they are online, by the dozen, in a wide range of styles and colours.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers explore RAMBleed attack in pilfering data

Do you remember Rowhammer, where an attacker could flip bits in the memory space of other processes?

* This article was originally published here

Taking a city's pulse with movable sensors

Suppose you have 10 taxis in Manhattan. What portion of the borough's streets do they cover in a typical day?

* This article was originally published here

Researchers explore RAMBleed attack in pilfering data

Do you remember Rowhammer, where an attacker could flip bits in the memory space of other processes?

* This article was originally published here

Those with elevated risk of Alzheimer's may show memory changes up to 40 years before onset

Results from a study of nearly 60,000 individuals suggest those at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease due to family history may demonstrate changes in memory performance as early as their 20s.

* This article was originally published here

New clues on tissue damage identified in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Research supported by the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (RA/SLE) provides new insights into tissue damage for these autoimmune conditions. Findings include the identification of novel molecular signatures related to immune system signaling in kidney cells that may reflect their active role in disease process; molecular targets, including specific white blood cells, for potential treatment in lupus nephritis; and specific types of fibroblasts and white blood cells that are involved in rheumatoid arthritis. These discoveries set the stage for uncovering potential drug target candidates that could advance to experimental treatments. Results of the studies were published today in three papers in Nature Immunology.

* This article was originally published here

Good physical fitness in middle age linked to lower chronic lung disease risk

Good heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness in middle age is associated with a lower long term risk of chronic lung disease (COPD), suggests Danish research published online in the journal Thorax.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists identify genes associated with biliary atresia survival

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have identified an expression pattern of 14 genes at the time of diagnosis that predicts two year, transplant-free survival in children with biliary atresia—the most common diagnosis leading to liver transplants in children.

* This article was originally published here

Study reveals new genetic link to heart disease

A collaboration involving the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the German Heart Center Munich, AstraZeneca, and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has demonstrated that more than 30 percent of heart disease risk stems from genetic factors, much more than was previously understood. The study findings, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, introduce the biology of gene networks as a means to better understand the heritability and genetic underpinnings of heart disease.

* This article was originally published here

Spintronic memory cells for neural networks

In recent years, researchers have proposed a wide variety of hardware implementations for feed-forward artificial neural networks. These implementations include three key components: a dot-product engine that can compute convolution and fully-connected layer operations, memory elements to store intermediate inter and intra-layer results, and other components that can compute non-linear activation functions.

* This article was originally published here

Lawmakers will hear from pilots who have criticized Boeing

The president of the pilots' union at American Airlines says Boeing made mistakes in its design of the 737 Max and not telling pilots about new flight-control software on the plane.

* This article was originally published here

U.S. youth suicide rate reaches 20-year high

(HealthDay)—Suicide rates among teens and young adults have reached their highest point in nearly two decades, a new study reports.

* This article was originally published here

Atrial fibrillation linked to increased risk of dementia, even in stroke-free patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is linked to an increased risk of dementia, even in people who have not suffered a stroke, according to the largest study to investigate the association in an elderly population.

* This article was originally published here

Slack primed as latest unicorn to make market debut

The 2019 parade of big new Wall Street entrants continues this week with the debut of Slack Technologies, underscoring investor hunger for new companies in spite of some high-profile stumbles.

* This article was originally published here

Does greater immersion in virtual reality lead to a better experience?

Contrary to current industry trends to develop more immersive virtual reality systems, a new study found that a more immersive environment or the presence of real-world distractions could have surprising effects on a participant's recall, description of the virtual encounter, and how positive they feel about the experience. The design, results, and implications of this timely study are published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

* This article was originally published here