Facebook's digital currency may flourish in the analog world

Europeans and Americans have their Visa and Mastercards. For everyone else, here comes ... Libra?

* This article was originally published here

New material shows high potential for quantum computing

A joint team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is getting closer to confirming the existence of an exotic quantum particle called Majorana fermion, crucial for fault-tolerant quantum computing—the kind of quantum computing that addresses errors during its operation.

* This article was originally published here

3-D printed prosthetic hand can guess how people play 'rock, paper, scissors'

A new 3-D-printed prosthetic hand can learn the wearers' movement patterns to help amputee patients perform daily tasks, reports a study published this week in Science Robotics.

* This article was originally published here

Prenatal opioid exposure could bring long-term harm to kids

(HealthDay)—Children exposed to opioids in the womb may have heightened risks of long-term mental and physical health issues, a new study suggests.

* This article was originally published here

Cyprus racers show budget solar cars have a sunny future

Venetia Chrysostomide fastened her helmet and rolled her solar-powered car into the sunny streets of Cypriot capital Nicosia for a race to showcase such vehicles' eco-friendly potential, even on a budget.

* This article was originally published here

New tools for programmable modulation of gene expression

Breakthroughs in the science of programmable gene expression inspired DARPA to establish the PReemptive Expression of Protective Alleles and Response Elements (PREPARE) program with the goal of delivering powerful new defenses against public health and national security threats. DARPA has now selected five teams to develop a range of new medical interventions that temporarily and reversibly modulate the expression of protective genes to guard against acute threats from influenza and ionizing radiation, which could be encountered naturally, occupationally, or through a national security event.

* This article was originally published here

Facebook's digital currency may flourish in the analog world

Europeans and Americans have their Visa and Mastercards. For everyone else, here comes ... Libra?

* This article was originally published here

Researchers decipher the history of supermassive black holes in the early universe

Astrophysicists at Western University have found evidence for the direct formation of black holes that do not need to emerge from a star remnant. The production of black holes in the early universe, formed in this manner, may provide scientists with an explanation for the presence of extremely massive black holes at a very early stage in the history of our universe.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists find thirdhand smoke affects cells in humans

Thirdhand smoke can damage epithelial cells in the respiratory system by stressing cells and causing them to fight for survival, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found. The finding could assist physicians treating patients exposed to thirdhand smoke.

* This article was originally published here

In the drive to decrease low-value care, many don't assess the right impacts on patients

Health care institutions and providers face mounting pressure to wring more value out of every dollar spent on caring for their patients.

* This article was originally published here

Confirmation of old theory leads to new breakthrough in superconductor science

Phase transitions occur when a substance changes from a solid, liquid or gaseous state to a different state—like ice melting or vapor condensing. During these phase transitions, there is a point at which the system can display properties of both states of matter simultaneously. A similar effect occurs when normal metals transition into superconductors—characteristics fluctuate and properties expected to belong to one state carry into the other.

* This article was originally published here

When it comes to disease, stem cells are a game-changer, scientists say. This is why

Thousands of the world's leading stem cell researchers are convening in Los Angeles this week to discuss the prospects for a future without human disease.

* This article was originally published here

NASA needs your help: Do you know how to grow plants in space?

Do you know how to maintain a family-sized garden without unlimited soil, natural sunlight and Earth's gravity? If the answer is yes, then call NASA.

* This article was originally published here

Smart materials provide real-time insight into wearers' emotions

Smart wearable technology that changes colour, heats up, squeezes or vibrates as your emotions are heightened has the potential to help people with affective disorders better control their feelings.

* This article was originally published here

Social media use tied to esteem, cosmetic surgery acceptance

(HealthDay)—Users of some social media platforms and photo editing have lower self-esteem and increased acceptance of cosmetic surgery, according to a study published online June 27 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

* This article was originally published here

Teens who can describe negative emotions can stave off depression

Teenagers who can describe their negative emotions in precise and nuanced ways are better protected against depression than their peers who can't. That's the conclusion of a new study about negative emotion differentiation, or NED—the ability to make fine-grained distinctions between negative emotions and apply precise labels— published in the journal Emotion.

* This article was originally published here

The first soft ring oscillator lets soft robots roll, undulate, sort, meter liquids, and swallow

Soft robots can't always compete with the hard. Their rigid brethren dominate assembly lines, perform backflips, dance to Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk," fly, dive, and walk through volcanoes.

* This article was originally published here

Lack of data on missing migrant children leads to gaps in protection

A new report highlights the need for better data on migrant deaths and disappearances, particularly those of missing migrant children.

* This article was originally published here

Soliris approved to treat neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Soliris (eculizumab) injection as the first treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), the agency announced Thursday.

* This article was originally published here

Who's helping smokers quit? Probably not their heart doctor

Smoking doesn't just wreck the lungs. It's a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, and a new study says most cardiologists aren't doing enough to help patients snuff out their cigarettes.

* This article was originally published here

3-D printed prosthetic hand can guess how people play 'rock, paper, scissors'

A new 3-D-printed prosthetic hand can learn the wearers' movement patterns to help amputee patients perform daily tasks, reports a study published this week in Science Robotics.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists find thirdhand smoke affects cells in humans

Thirdhand smoke can damage epithelial cells in the respiratory system by stressing cells and causing them to fight for survival, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found. The finding could assist physicians treating patients exposed to thirdhand smoke.

* This article was originally published here

No tumor is an island

For decades tumors have been viewed as 'other'—malignant, unruly growths that are distinctly separate from the ordered physiological system within which they live. This view has shaped our approach to treat cancer: cut it out if it's small enough, zap it with radiotherapy, or attack it with ever-more-precisely targeted drugs.

* This article was originally published here

Teens who can describe negative emotions can stave off depression

Teenagers who can describe their negative emotions in precise and nuanced ways are better protected against depression than their peers who can't. That's the conclusion of a new study about negative emotion differentiation, or NED—the ability to make fine-grained distinctions between negative emotions and apply precise labels— published in the journal Emotion.

* This article was originally published here

New study examines 2017-2018 Thomas Fire debris flows

Shortly before the beginning of the 2017-2018 winter rainy season, one of the largest fires in California (USA) history (Thomas fire) substantially increased the susceptibility of steep slopes in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties to debris flows. On 9 Jan. 2018, before the fire was fully contained, an intense burst of rain fell on the portion of the burn area above Montecito, California. The rainfall and associated runoff triggered a series of debris flows that mobilized ~680,000 cubic meters of sediment (including boulders larger than 6 m) at velocities up to 4 meters per second down urbanized alluvial fans. The resulting destruction included 23 fatalities, at least 167 injuries, and 408 damaged homes.

* This article was originally published here

Don't make your own sunscreen, physician advises

Concerns about chemicals have led do-it-yourselfers (DIY) to make everything from laundry detergent and soap to deodorant and toothpaste at home using natural ingredients.

* This article was originally published here

Red tide still killing dolphins off the coast of Florida

It's been six months since Florida was officially red tide free, but the effects of the last breakout can still be seen in an increased dolphin mortality rate, according to a report by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers validate optimum composites structure created with additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing built an early following with 3-D printers using polymers to create a solid object from a Computer-Aided Design model. The materials used were neat polymers—perfect for a rapid prototype, but not commonly used as structural materials.

* This article was originally published here

Mini 'magic' MRI scanner could diagnose footballer knee injuries more accurately

Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a prototype mini MRI scanner that fits around a patient's leg.

* This article was originally published here

Soliris approved to treat neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Soliris (eculizumab) injection as the first treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), the agency announced Thursday.

* This article was originally published here

Who's helping smokers quit? Probably not their heart doctor

Smoking doesn't just wreck the lungs. It's a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, and a new study says most cardiologists aren't doing enough to help patients snuff out their cigarettes.

* This article was originally published here

Female jockey performance in jump racing underestimated by betting public

Female jump jockeys may be being underestimated by the betting public, suggests analysis conducted at the University of Liverpool Management School by Ph.D. student, Vanessa Cashmore.

* This article was originally published here

Increase seen in cryptosporidiosis outbreaks from 2007 to 2019

(HealthDay)—From 2009 to 2017, there was an increase in the annual number of reported cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in the United States, according to a study published online June 27 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers validate optimum composites structure created with additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing built an early following with 3-D printers using polymers to create a solid object from a Computer-Aided Design model. The materials used were neat polymers—perfect for a rapid prototype, but not commonly used as structural materials.

* This article was originally published here

The RoboBee flies solo—Cutting the power cord for the first untethered flight

The RoboBee—the insect-inspired microrobot developed by researchers at Harvard University—has become the lightest vehicle ever to achieve sustained flight without the assistance of a power cord. After decades of work, the researchers achieved untethered flight by making several important changes to the RoboBee, including the addition of a second pair of wings. That change, along with less visible changes to the actuators and transmission ratio, gave the RoboBee enough lift for the researchers to attach solar cells and an electronics panel.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists find thirdhand smoke affects cells in humans

Thirdhand smoke can damage epithelial cells in the respiratory system by stressing cells and causing them to fight for survival, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found. The finding could assist physicians treating patients exposed to thirdhand smoke.

* This article was originally published here

Medically unnecessary ambulance rides soar after ACA expansion

By 2016, two years into the expansion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 17.6 million previously uninsured people around the U.S. had gained health insurance coverage. But with the expansion, researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Kentucky found that ambulance dispatches for minor injuries like abrasions, minor burns and muscle sprains rose by a staggering 37% in New York City.

* This article was originally published here

Eye specialist warns parents about dangers of Nerf guns

A University of Alberta ophthalmologist wants safety rules put in place for Nerf toys, after a patient was shot in the eye and nearly lost her vision.

* This article was originally published here

Biodegradable coating to help achieve food security

Associate Professor David Leung's biodegradable coating can help achieve food security in an environmentally friendly and consumer-conscious way.

* This article was originally published here

When CubeSats meet an asteroid

SA's Hera mission for planetary defense, being designed to survey the smallest asteroid ever explored, is really three spacecraft in one. The main mothership will carry two briefcase-sized CubeSats, which will touch down on the target body. A French team has been investigating what might happen at that initial instant of alien contact.

* This article was originally published here

The first soft ring oscillator lets soft robots roll, undulate, sort, meter liquids, and swallow

Soft robots can't always compete with the hard. Their rigid brethren dominate assembly lines, perform backflips, dance to Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk," fly, dive, and walk through volcanoes.

* This article was originally published here

Old whaling logbooks offer new insights into modern-day climate conditions

In September 1871, a fleet of 33 American whaling ships navigating through Arctic waters came upon a disastrous impasse. Mountains of ice pack, some clumped nearly mast high, formed a natural blockade around the convoy. Crews anxiously waited for winds to bail their ships out from the pulverizing grip of the ice, but it never blew their way. Ice tore into hulls and as the shredded vessels surrendered to the sea, more than a thousand men, women, and children fled for nearby rescue boats.

* This article was originally published here

Low-income, less educated women least likely to access infertility care

Despite similar rates of infertility among all socioeconomic groups, white women, women with higher education levels, and women with higher incomes are at least twice as likely to seek treatment as other groups of women, new research suggests.

* This article was originally published here

How we closed in on the location of a fast radio burst in a galaxy far, far away

Astronomers have spent the past dozen years hunting for fast radio bursts (FRBs) – flashes of radio waves that come from outer space and last just milliseconds. And after a dozen years of work we still don't know exactly what causes them, only that it must be something very powerful, as they've clearly travelled a long way (billions of light-years).

* This article was originally published here

What can Wikipedia tell us about human interaction?

EPFL researchers have studied the dynamics of network structures using one of the world's most-visited websites: Wikipedia. In addition to a better understanding of online networks, their work brings exciting insights into human social behavior and collective memory.

* This article was originally published here

VW trucks division Traton coasts on stock market launch

German auto giant Volkswagen offered part of its heavy trucks division Traton on the stock market Friday as it looks to raise fresh capital, in what could be the first step towards reshaping the sprawling 12-brand group.

* This article was originally published here

NJIT conducts the largest-ever simulation of the Deepwater Horizon spill

In a 600-ft.-long saltwater wave tank on the coast of New Jersey, a team of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) researchers is conducting the largest-ever simulation of the Deepwater Horizon spill to determine more precisely where hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil dispersed following the drilling rig's explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

* This article was originally published here

Health panel: Millions of US kids should get hepatitis shot

A scientific panel is recommending that more than 2 million U.S. kids get vaccinated against hepatitis A.

* This article was originally published here

Study examines association of naloxone coprescription laws on naloxone Rx dispensing

In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, University of Kentucky researchers, in collaboration with researchers from Ferris State University, examined whether legal mandates on naloxone coprescription in certain states increased naloxone dispensing.

* This article was originally published here

Toxic substances found in the glass and decoration of alcoholic beverage bottles

Bottles of beer, wine and spirits contain potentially harmful levels of toxic elements, such as lead and cadmium, in their enamelled decorations, a new study shows.

* This article was originally published here

Mutational 'hotspots' in cancer genomes may not necessarily drive cancer growth

A study by investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center has found that, contrary to common assumptions, the fact that a specific genetic mutation frequently arises in particular tumors may not signify that the mutation drives cancer development and progression. Their article published in Science describes how DNA single strands that fold back on themselves in what is called a "hairpin" structure appear highly sensitive to mutation by a gene-editing enzyme expressed in many cancers. But many of these mutation "hotspots" occur in genes that are totally unrelated to cancers, including many in noncoding areas of the genome.

* This article was originally published here

France prepares for new heat record, as Spain battles wildfire

Temperatures in France are expected to reach a record-breaking high on Friday, as Europe continues to endure a sweltering heatwave which sparked an out-of-control wildfire in Spain.

* This article was originally published here

Benin leaps into 21st century with new national map

The last time that cartographers mapped Benin, Elvis Presley had just released "Jailhouse Rock," the Soviets had launched Sputnik—and the country was still a colony named French Dahomey.

* This article was originally published here

Which climates are best for passive cooling technologies?

A group of University of California, San Diego researchers set out to gain a better understanding of the thermal balance of power plants and surfaces, like heliostat mirrors or solar panels, when exposed to both solar (shortwave) and atmospheric (longwave) radiation. They quickly realized that they would first need to determine what roles cloud cover and relative humidity play in the transparency of the atmosphere to radiation at temperatures common on Earth.

* This article was originally published here

Menstrual symptoms linked to nearly nine days of lost productivity through presenteeism every year

Menstrual period symptoms may be linked to nearly nine days of lost productivity every year through presenteeism, suggests the largest study of its kind, published in the online journal BMJ Open.

* This article was originally published here

Mules, tools and old bricks: Rebuilding China's Great Wall

Nature, time, neglect and millions of footsteps have taken their toll on the Great Wall of China leaving much of it crumbling, but repairing it can be painstaking—and controversial—work.

* This article was originally published here

Restored Mission Control comes alive 50 years after Apollo

Gone is the haze of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke. Gone are the coffee, soda and pizza stains. With only a few exceptions, NASA's Apollo-era Mission Control has been restored to the way it looked 50 years ago when two men landed on the moon.

* This article was originally published here

Mum's workplace exposure to solvents may heighten child's autism risk

A mother's workplace exposure to solvents may heighten her child's risk of autism, suggests research published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

* This article was originally published here

When the dinosaurs died, lichens thrived

When an asteroid smacked into the Earth 66 million years ago, it triggered mass extinctions all over the planet. The most famous victims were the dinosaurs, but early birds, insects, and other life forms took a hit too. The collision caused clouds of ash to block the sun and cool the planet's temperature, devastating plant life. But a new study in Scientific Reports shows that while land plants struggled, some kinds of lichens—organisms made of fungi and algae living together—seized the moment and evolved into new forms to take up plants' role in the ecosystem.

* This article was originally published here

Using artificial intelligence to deliver personalized radiation therapy

New Cleveland Clinic-led research shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can use medical scans and health records to personalize the dose of radiation therapy used to treat cancer patients.

* This article was originally published here

Health panel: Millions of US kids should get hepatitis shot

A scientific panel is recommending that more than 2 million U.S. kids get vaccinated against hepatitis A.

* This article was originally published here

Trulifi leveraging light waves for send-receive of office data

Some companies need your time when they explain properly what their technology is all about and in turn brochures, white papers and video talks are in order. Signify is lucky. Two words wrap it up for them. Light connects.

* This article was originally published here

Solar energy could turn the Belt and Road Initiative green

The region covered by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has significant potential to be powered by solar energy, researchers report June 27 in the journal Joule. Less than 4 percent of the maximum solar potential of the region could meet the BRI's electricity demand for 2030. The research suggests a possible solution to reduce BRI countries' need for fossil fuels as they develop. This is the first time the renewable energy potential of the region is quantified.

* This article was originally published here

Berlin allotment holders dig in against property developers

Birds tweet and shears snip as one of Berlin's many urban gardeners tends her city centre allotment, but behind the tranquil scene a battle is raging over the real estate.

* This article was originally published here

Intel researchers develop an eye contact correction system for video chats

When participating in a video call or conference, it is often hard to maintain direct eye contact with other participants, as this requires looking into the camera rather than at the screen. Although most people use video calling services on a regular basis, so far, there has been no widespread solution to this problem.

* This article was originally published here

Google endorses 'international tax deal' for multinationals

Google said Thursday it supports a global agreement on taxation that could allocate more taxes from multinationals to jurisdictions outside their home countries.

* This article was originally published here