The Life Technology™ News Blog: 09/23/19

Monday, September 23, 2019

Gum disease linked with higher risk of hypertension

People with gum disease (periodontitis) have a greater likelihood of high blood pressure (hypertension), according to a study published today in Cardiovascular Research, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Global liquidity shocks impact house prices

New research from Cass Business School has found that global liquidity shocks do impact house prices in both emerging and advanced economies but this can be mitigated by government policy.

Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

An Australian state is attempting to persuade people to put down their smartphones while driving by rolling out cameras to prosecute distracted motorists.

Big Blue's Big Leap: Quantum center takes on 53 qubit system

IBM has a fleet of quantum computers. That much is fairly well known since IBM has been actively promoting quantum computing for several years. But IBM's quantum story will get all the more interesting next month, when a 53 qubit computer joins the line, making it the most powerful quantum computer available for use outside IBM.

Your dead palm is a woodpecker home—and that's good

At the very edges of urbanization, Northern Flicker woodpeckers live in dead palm trees raising their young. Their populations are on the decline throughout the state, especially South Florida. But Joshua Diamond was lucky enough to capture a few on film, along with other species of woodpeckers.

Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

An Australian state is attempting to persuade the public to put down their smartphones while driving by rolling out cameras to prosecute distracted motorists.

Thomas Cook airline Condor says to keep flying

Condor, the German airline subsidiary of British travel giant Thomas Cook, said Monday it would continue flying even after its parent company declared bankruptcy.

Do the costs of cancer drugs receive enough attention?

A recent analysis from Canada found that information on health-related quality of life is often not collected for investigational cancer drugs or used to calculate the balance of costs and benefits of these drugs when they are submitted for reimbursement, according to findings published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Bee biodiversity barometer on Fiji

The biodiversity buzz is alive and well in Fiji, but climate change, noxious weeds and multiple human activities are making possible extinction a counter buzzword.

New national guideline sets out best practices for delivering injectable opioid agonist treatment

A new Canadian guideline lays out the optimal strategies for providing injectable opioid agonist treatment with prescription heroin and hydromorphone for people with severe opioid use disorder. The clinical guideline was created for a wide range of health care providers to address an urgent need for evidence-based treatment of opioid use causing overdose and death, and is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Fat mass index, not BMI, associated with cardiovascular events in people with diabetes

In people with diabetes, fat mass index, not body mass index (BMI), is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Opioid use disorder in pregnancy: Five things to know

Opioid use is increasing in pregnancy as well as the general population. A "Five things to know about ..." practice article on opioid disuse in pregnancy in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides information on how to manage this vulnerable population.

US pediatric heart transplant waitlist policy change falls short of intended benefits

In March 2016, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network revised its criteria for prioritizing children awaiting heart transplantation in the U.S. with the intention of reducing the number of deaths on the waitlist, but a new study suggests unintended consequences.

Scientists identify hormone potentially linked to hypersexual disorder

A new study of men and women with hypersexual disorder has revealed a possible role of the hormone oxytocin, according to results published in the journal Epigenetics. The finding could potentially open the door to treating the disorder by engineering a way to suppress its activity.

How a South Indian script is changing the way science views parasite

Toxoplasma gondii is an insidious little parasite that infects one out of three people on the planet. A unique partnership between an engineer and a scientist produced data that challenged prevailing wisdom about this parasite's behavior and revealed potential targets for treatment.

Gabon minister hails country's responsiblity after historic forest deal

Prevention is better than cure.

Lingering Pacific heat wave threatens Hawaii coral

At the edge of an ancient lava flow where jagged black rocks meet the Pacific, small off-the-grid homes overlook the calm blue waters of Papa Bay on Hawaii's Big Island—no tourists or hotels in sight. Here, one of the islands' most abundant and vibrant coral reefs thrives just below the surface.