New artificial enzyme breaks down tough, woody lignin: Study shows promise for developing a new renewable energy source

A new artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through lignin, the tough polymer that helps woody plants hold their shape. Lignin also stores tremendous potential for renewable energy and materials.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/new-artificial-enzyme-breaks-down-tough-woody-lignin-study-shows-promise-for-developing-a-new-renewable-energy-source

Gabon takes grassroots approach in anti-poaching drive

A whistle blows. The car stops, and the driver is politely asked to turn off the engine and get out.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/gabon-takes-grassroots-approach-in-anti-poaching-drive

Tech giant Grab's female co-founder blazes a trail

As co-founder of multi-billion dollar ride-hailing and food delivery firm Grab, Tan Hooi Ling is already smashing stereotypes in tech but she's also trying to blaze a trail for the next generation of female entrepreneurs in the industry.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/tech-giant-grabs-female-co-founder-blazes-a-trail

Antarctica's only active volcano shows how CO2 allows volcanoes to form persistent lava lakes at the surface

Antarctica has long been a land of mystery and heroic feats made famous by the explorations of James Ross, Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton. A key piece of the puzzle for understanding global continental evolution, Antarctica contains examples that define the spectrum of Earth's volcanic processes. Now, a joint University of Utah and University of Canterbury New Zealand study shows how CO2 deep underground helps magma avoid being trapped deep in the Earth and allows it to reach and pool at the surface.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/antarcticas-only-active-volcano-shows-how-co2-allows-volcanoes-to-form-persistent-lava-lakes-at-the-surface

Traffic jams just a maths problem, says Israeli AI firm

Israel's traffic congestion ranks near the worst among developed economies but an algorithm can help, says one of the country's IT firms engaged in the auto and mobility sector.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/traffic-jams-just-a-maths-problem-says-israeli-ai-firm

Indy 500 waves green flag on sustainability with lofty goals

Parked a few feet from the iconic pagoda at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a reimagined E-Z-Go golf cart that's essentially filled with garbage. Plastic bottles tossed into recycling bins months ago are now neatly stacked in rows—and they're for sale.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/indy-500-waves-green-flag-on-sustainability-with-lofty-goals

Decline in North Sea puffins causes concern

The Isle of May, off Scotland's east coast, is home to one of the UK's biggest colonies of seabirds. Some 200,000 birds, from kittiwakes to guillemots can flock to the rocky outcrop at the height of the breeding season.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/decline-in-north-sea-puffins-causes-concern

17 years post-Katrina, New Orleans-area protections complete

Seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers has completed an extensive system of floodgates, strengthened levees and other protections.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/17-years-post-katrina-new-orleans-area-protections-complete

US review traces massive New Mexico fire to planned burns

Two fires that merged to create the largest wildfire in New Mexico history have both been traced to planned burns set by U.S. forest managers as preventative measures, federal investigators announced Friday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/us-review-traces-massive-new-mexico-fire-to-planned-burns

US regulators scrutinize Musk's Twitter stock buys

US market authorities have asked Elon Musk to explain an apparent delay in reporting his Twitter stock buys, the agency revealed Friday, the latest questions on the methods and intent of his troubled bid for the platform.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/us-regulators-scrutinize-musks-twitter-stock-buys

The Arctic's tricky quest for sustainable tourism

Home to polar bears, the midnight sun and the northern lights, a Norwegian archipelago perched high in the Arctic is trying to find a way to profit from its pristine wilderness without ruining it.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/the-arctics-tricky-quest-for-sustainable-tourism

Twitter shareholder lawsuit accuses Musk of 'market manipulation'

Elon Musk faces a lawsuit accusing him of pushing down Twitter's stock price in order to either give himself an escape hatch from his $44 billion buyout bid, or room to negotiate a discount.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/twitter-shareholder-lawsuit-accuses-musk-of-market-manipulation

AI learns coral reef 'song'

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can track the health of coral reefs by learning the "song of the reef", new research shows.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/ai-learns-coral-reef-song

Elon Musk revises Twitter financing plan; shares jump

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday revised the financing plan for his proposed $44 billion purchase of Twitter, raising investor hopes that the unpredictable billionaire still intends to pull off a deal roiled by market turbulence and Musk's not-entirely-explicable concerns about the number of fake accounts on Twitter.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/elon-musk-revises-twitter-financing-plan-shares-jump

Human membrane proteins strike evolutionary balance

Cells are compartmentalized by membranes, and proteins present in these membranes play an important role in transporting cellular information. For proper function of these proteins to occur, a tertiary protein structure must be formed through the correct folding process. In a study published in Nature Chemical Biology, the folding process of a glucose transporter—a complex membrane protein—was identified for the first time using single-molecule magnetic tweezers.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/human-membrane-proteins-strike-evolutionary-balance

Community-led science uncovers high air pollution from fracking in Ohio county

Some residents of Belmont County in eastern Ohio have long suffered from headaches, fatigue, nausea and burning sensations in their throats and noses. They suspected these symptoms were the result of air pollution from fracking facilities that dominate the area, but regulators dismissed and downplayed their concerns.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/community-led-science-uncovers-high-air-pollution-from-fracking-in-ohio-county

Physics-inspired graph neural networks to solve combinatorial optimization problems

Combinatorial optimization problems are complex problems with a discrete but large set of possible solutions. Some of the most renowned examples of these problems are the traveling salesman, the bin-packing, and the job-shop scheduling problems.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/physics-inspired-graph-neural-networks-to-solve-combinatorial-optimization-problems

Spatial distribution of anti-Asian hate tweets during COVID-19

In January of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 reached the United States. With it came an even faster-spreading virus—xenophobic rhetoric referring to the pandemic's epicenter in Wuhan, China. Politicians flooded news outlets and social media with distrust of the Chinese government and labeled COVID-19 as the "Chinese flu," "Wuhan flu," "Kung flu" and more.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/spatial-distribution-of-anti-asian-hate-tweets-during-covid-19

Electronic self-passivation of single vacancy in black phosphorus

NUS scientists discovered that a two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting material, known as black phosphorus (BP), exhibits an electronic self-passivation phenomenon by re-arranging its vacancy defects. This may potentially enhance the charge mobility of the material and its analogs.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/electronic-self-passivation-of-single-vacancy-in-black-phosphorus

Using origami and kirigami to inspire reconfigurable yet structural materials

Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures, has long served as inspiration for industrial design. The concept of folding has been used to build reconfigurable structures, which change their function by changing their shape. These structures are promising for applications such as nanorobots for drug delivery, foldable solar panels for aerospace, and morphable cladding and shading for architecture. However, most of these designs cannot bear heavy loads. Those that can are only able to do so in a certain direction, collapsing along the direction in which they fold. This limits their use as structural materials.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/using-origami-and-kirigami-to-inspire-reconfigurable-yet-structural-materials

People in Brazil's Amazon rainforest again reel from floods

For the second straight year, inhabitants of Brazil's Amazon rainforest are being overwhelmed by flooding, with hundreds of thousands of people already affected by waters that are still rising.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/people-in-brazils-amazon-rainforest-again-reel-from-floods

To use rather than collect, the second coming of NFTs

NFTs have been called everything from fads to outright scams, but early adopters see a future for them as uniquely useful tools for business, health and the arts that goes beyond mere digital collecting.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/to-use-rather-than-collect-the-second-coming-of-nfts

TikTok lets creators charge monthly subscriptions

TikTok on Monday said it will start letting some popular accounts at the video-snippet streaming star charge subscriptions for live streams.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/tiktok-lets-creators-charge-monthly-subscriptions

Airbnb stops booking stays in China: source

Home rental service Airbnb is shutting down its business in China as a pandemic lockdown shows no sign of ending there, a source close to the company told AFP Monday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/airbnb-stops-booking-stays-in-china-source

Boards for Meta, Twitter face backlash from NY pension fund

A major New York pension fund that has invested in both Facebook's corporate parent and Twitter believes it's time to shake up the companies' boards of directors because of their inability to keep violent content off their influential social media services.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/boards-for-meta-twitter-face-backlash-from-ny-pension-fund

Easy as an inkjet, a new soft printing technique has opened the way for pixelated elastics

Borrowing a technique from inkjet printers, researchers at Princeton Engineering have rolled out a pixel-by-pixel method to program and manufacture soft structures for use in robotics, biomedical devices or architectural features.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/easy-as-an-inkjet-a-new-soft-printing-technique-has-opened-the-way-for-pixelated-elastics

Girls' chance of success at school in Sub-Saharan Africa shaped by language they are taught in

Millions of school children across large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa are sat silently in classrooms, struggling to follow lessons, and not progressing in their learning due to an insistence that all lessons should be taught in English, say the authors of a new report. 

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/girls-chance-of-success-at-school-in-sub-saharan-africa-shaped-by-language-they-are-taught-in

Fly me to the Moon: US, Japan aim for lunar landing

Japan and the United States said Monday they want to put the first Japanese astronaut on the Moon as the allies deepen cooperation on space projects.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/fly-me-to-the-moon-us-japan-aim-for-lunar-landing

Priceless seeds, sprouts key to US West's post-fire future

A New Mexico facility where researchers work to restore forests devastated by fires faced an almost cruelly ironic threat: The largest wildfire burning in the U.S. was fast approaching.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/priceless-seeds-sprouts-key-to-us-wests-post-fire-future

Multiple habitats need protecting to save UK bumblebees, finds 10-year citizen science study

A study using 10 years of citizen science data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's BeeWalk scheme has found that a variety of targeted conservation approaches are needed to protect UK bumblebee species. The findings are published the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/multiple-habitats-need-protecting-to-save-uk-bumblebees-finds-10-year-citizen-science-study

'Enormously risky': How NFTs lost their lustre

A slew of celebrity endorsements helped inflate a multi-billion dollar bubble around digital tokens over the past year, but cryptocurrencies are crashing and some fear NFTs could be next.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/enormously-risky-how-nfts-lost-their-lustre

US high schoolers design low-cost filter to remove lead from water

When the pandemic forced schools into remote learning, Washington-area science teacher Rebecca Bushway set her students an ambitious task: design and build a low-cost lead filter that fixes to faucets and removes the toxic metal.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/us-high-schoolers-design-low-cost-filter-to-remove-lead-from-water

Manufacturers getting to grips with airless tyres

Airless tyres that never go flat or need to be inflated: It's a decades-long dream that manufacturers hope to turn into a reality soon, but for truck drivers first.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/manufacturers-getting-to-grips-with-airless-tyres

Millions stranded, dozens dead as flooding hits Bangladesh and India

Heavy rains have caused widespread flooding in parts of Bangladesh and India, leaving millions stranded and at least 57 dead, officials said Saturday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/millions-stranded-dozens-dead-as-flooding-hits-bangladesh-and-india

Hyundai to build $5.5 bn electric vehicle plant in US

South Korean automaker Hyundai will build a $5.5 billion electric vehicle and battery plant in the southern US state of Georgia, its governor announced Friday, as President Joe Biden pursued his trip to Seoul.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/hyundai-to-build-5-5-bn-electric-vehicle-plant-in-us

Boeing docks crew capsule to space station in test do-over

With only a test dummy aboard, Boeing's astronaut capsule pulled up and parked at the International Space Station for the first time Friday, a huge achievement for the company after years of false starts.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/boeing-docks-crew-capsule-to-space-station-in-test-do-over

Rio's urban gardens produce healthy food for the poor

Gun-toting youths watch over a street in a Rio de Janeiro slum hit hard by drug trafficking, but walk a bit further and this rough area also boasts the largest urban vegetable garden in Latin America.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/rios-urban-gardens-produce-healthy-food-for-the-poor

Long-hypothesized 'next generation wonder material' created for first time

For over a decade, scientists have attempted to synthesize a new form of carbon called graphyne with limited success. That endeavor is now at an end, though, thanks to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/long-hypothesized-next-generation-wonder-material-created-for-first-time

Haptics device creates realistic virtual textures

Technology has allowed us to immerse ourselves in a world of sights and sounds from the comfort of our home, but there's something missing: touch.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/haptics-device-creates-realistic-virtual-textures

Paleontologists find the jaws of an extremely rare bear in Taurida cave

Ural paleontologists discovered the lower jaws of an Etruscan bear from the Early Pleistocene (2–1.5 million years ago) in the Taurida Cave (Crimean Peninsula). Scientists reported the finding in the international journal of paleobiology Historical Biology.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/paleontologists-find-the-jaws-of-an-extremely-rare-bear-in-taurida-cave

A user-friendly VR interface for digital building information models

Small mistakes and miscalculations made in the design stage of a construction project can develop into large and costly problems for the project. But with VR technology connected to building information modeling (BIM), you can find and fix any design errors already at the drawing stage—before they reach the construction site.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/a-user-friendly-vr-interface-for-digital-building-information-models

New brain-painting method being tested for ADHD treatment

Imagine focusing on one thing so well that you can control its movement. Now, imagine mentally selecting colors and shapes to create an abstract image—a brain painting. USF computer scientist Marvin Andujar is harnessing the power of concentration and art to develop a new brain-computer interface (BCI) prototype and help study participants use their brain like never before. The goal is to introduce a novel treatment option for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by tapping directly into their brain activity.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/new-brain-painting-method-being-tested-for-adhd-treatment

Webb telescope nearly set to explore the solar system

As NASA's James Webb Space Telescope moves through the final phases of commissioning its science instruments, we have also begun working on technical operations of the observatory. While the telescope moves through space, it will constantly find distant stars and galaxies and point at them with extreme precision to acquire images and spectra. However, we also plan to observe planets and their satellites, asteroids, and comets in our solar system, which move across the background stars of our galaxy. 

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/webb-telescope-nearly-set-to-explore-the-solar-system

New breathable gas sensors may improve monitoring of health, environment

Newly developed flexible, porous and highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide sensors that can be applied to skin and clothing have potential applications in health care, environmental health monitoring and military use, according to researchers.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/new-breathable-gas-sensors-may-improve-monitoring-of-health-environment

Two pathogens linked to salmon health and survival in British Columbia

Many wild salmon populations in British Columbia (B.C.) have experienced substantial declines over the last three decades. New UBC research published in FACETS helps chart a course towards better protection of wild salmon.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/two-pathogens-linked-to-salmon-health-and-survival-in-british-columbia

Satellite monitoring of biodiversity moves within reach

Global biodiversity assessments require the collection of data on changes in plant biodiversity on an ongoing basis. Researchers from the universities of Zurich and Montréal have now shown that plant communities can be reliably monitored using imaging spectroscopy, which in the future will be possible via satellite. This paves the way for near real-time global biodiversity monitoring.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/satellite-monitoring-of-biodiversity-moves-within-reach

Hawaii hurricane season forecasted to be slow with La Nina

Hawaii and the Central Pacific basin should expect two to four hurricanes, tropical depressions or tropical storms this year, federal forecasters said Wednesday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/hawaii-hurricane-season-forecasted-to-be-slow-with-la-nina

Climate crisis is driving yellow-billed hornbill to local extinction

The yellow-billed hornbill, a cousin of fan-favorite Zazu from The Lion King, faces local extinction due to the climate crisis. Researchers investigated the effects of high air temperature and drought on the breeding success of southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert between 2008 and 2019. This study is one of the first to research the impact of the climate crisis on population-level breeding success over a longer timescale.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/climate-crisis-is-driving-yellow-billed-hornbill-to-local-extinction

Official measures of research 'impact' are failing to keep pace with socially-networked academics

A survey of how academics use social media to encourage people to interact with their research argues that much of the public value of their work is probably being overlooked in official "impact" assessments.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/official-measures-of-research-impact-are-failing-to-keep-pace-with-socially-networked-academics

Does a home-based exercise program benefit patients after hip fracture surgery?

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that a 12-month home-based progressive and supervised exercise program can help to improve functioning and physical performance after patients undergo hip fracture surgery.

Climate change will force big shift in timing, amount of snowmelt across Colorado River Basin

New research predicts that changes in mountain snowmelt will shift peak streamflows to much earlier in the year for the vast Colorado River Basin, altering reservoir management and irrigation across the entire region.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/climate-change-will-force-big-shift-in-timing-amount-of-snowmelt-across-colorado-river-basin

United States' ocean conservation efforts have major gaps, analysis shows

More than 98% of U.S. waters outside the central Pacific Ocean are not part of a marine protected area, and the ones that are tend to be "lightly" or "minimally" protected from damaging human activity, research led by Oregon State University shows.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/united-states-ocean-conservation-efforts-have-major-gaps-analysis-shows

The timing of heart surgery is crucial, research shows

Valve replacement heart surgery should be performed earlier than conventionally thought for people with aortic stenosis, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Pollution was responsible for 9 million deaths in 2019, with little progress during the previous four years

A new report shows that pollution was responsible for 9 million deaths in 2019—equivalent to one in six deaths worldwide—a number virtually unchanged since the last analysis in 2015.

Ultra-powerful brain scanners offer hope for treating cognitive symptoms in Parkinson's disease

Ultra-powerful 7T MRI scanners could be used to help identify those patients with Parkinson's disease and similar conditions who are most likely to benefit from new treatments for previously-untreatable symptoms, say scientists.

Trained sniffer dogs accurately detect airport passengers infected with SARS-CoV-2

Trained sniffer dogs can accurately detect airport passengers infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Don't be afraid to exercise regularly to boost bone health and cut falls risk, people with osteoporosis advised

People with weakened bones (osteoporosis) shouldn't be afraid to exercise regularly, says a consensus statement drawn up by an expert panel on how best to maximize bone health, stave off fracture risk, and improve posture in those with the condition, and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

WHO Foundation should not accept donations from the alcohol industry

To protect the independence and integrity of WHO, WHO Foundation should not accept donations from the alcohol industry according to a commentary published in the journal BMJ Global Health.

Scientists identify characteristics to better define long COVID

A research team supported by the National Institutes of Health has identified characteristics of people with long COVID and those likely to have it. Scientists, using machine learning techniques, analyzed an unprecedented collection of electronic health records (EHRs) available for COVID-19 research to better identify who has long COVID. Exploring de-identified EHR data in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), a national, centralized public database led by NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), the team used the data to find more than 100,000 likely long COVID cases as of October 2021 (as of May 2022, the count is more than 200,000). The findings appeared May 16 in The Lancet Digital Health.

As Musk buyout looms, Twitter searches for its soul

A toxic cesspool. A lifeline. A finger on the world's pulse. Twitter is all these things and more to its over 229 million users around the world—politicians, journalists, activists, celebrities, weirdos and normies, cat and dog lovers and just about anyone else with an internet connection.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/as-musk-buyout-looms-twitter-searches-for-its-soul

French scientist leading nuclear fusion project dies at 72

Bernard Bigot, a French scientist leading a vast international effort to demonstrate that nuclear fusion can be a viable source of energy, has died. He was 72.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/french-scientist-leading-nuclear-fusion-project-dies-at-72

Fifth Blue Origin flight scheduled for next week

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space tourism company announced Friday that its next rocket will take off on May 20 with six passengers on board.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/fifth-blue-origin-flight-scheduled-for-next-week

Menaced by flames, nuclear lab peers into future of wildfire

Public schools were closed and evacuation bags packed this week as a stubborn wildfire crept within a few miles of the city of Los Alamos and its companion U.S. national security lab—where assessing apocalyptic threats is a specialty and wildland fire is a beguiling equation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/menaced-by-flames-nuclear-lab-peers-into-future-of-wildfire

Pharmacists at higher risk of suicide than general population, study finds

The pandemic put a spotlight on mental health and burnout within health care professions, but emerging research reveals these issues have been affecting health care workers for years, with suicide rates notably high among physicians and nurses.

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California

A SpaceX rocket carried 53 satellites for the Starlink internet constellation into orbit Friday after blasting off from California.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/spacex-launches-starlink-satellites-from-california

A gene in tuberculosis bacteria is found essential for siderophore secretion and virulence

Lei Zhang, Ph.D., and Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham have made what they call "a major step" in understanding how Mycobacterium tuberculosis acquires iron from its human host—a process essential for the pathogenesis of this bacterium. Tuberculosis kills more than 1 million people each year, but without iron, M. tuberculosis cannot grow.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/a-gene-in-tuberculosis-bacteria-is-found-essential-for-siderophore-secretion-and-virulence

Over 7 million Europeans estimated to have skin cancer, despite 'majority of cases' being preventable

Results of a new European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) survey presented today at EADV's Spring Symposium show that 1.71% of the adult European general population reported having skin cancer, meaning some 7,304,000 Europeans are estimated to have the disease.

Fish and humans: A new approach to Bloom syndrome research

Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) have created a new disease model that has contributed to a better understanding of Bloom syndrome and the sex determination processes of zebrafish. The study, linking two seemingly unrelated topics, was carried out by the research teams of Mihály Kovács (Department of Biochemistry) and Máté Varga (Department of Genetics) and published in the scientific journal Cell Death and Disease. In addition to providing important information on the cellular effects of Bloom syndrome, the new model could contribute to the development of compounds capable of mitigating symptoms and thus improve the quality of life of people living with the disease.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/fish-and-humans-a-new-approach-to-bloom-syndrome-research

Six lithium dose predictors for patients with bipolar disorder

Six predictors could help determine the amount of lithium needed to treat patients with bipolar disorder, according to a large study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, also pinpoints genetic markers that seem to influence how quickly the body eliminates lithium from its system.

NASA's ECOSTRESS detects 'heat islands' in extreme Indian heat wave

A relentless heat wave has blanketed India and Pakistan since mid-March, causing dozens of deaths, fires, increased air pollution, and reduced crop yields. Weather forecasts show no prospect of relief any time soon. NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station instrument (ECOSTRESS) has been measuring these temperatures from space, at the highest spatial resolution of any satellite instrument.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/nasas-ecostress-detects-heat-islands-in-extreme-indian-heat-wave

Stroke survivor caregivers face barriers to accessing care for themselves, study finds

When planning ongoing care for a stroke patient, the focus tends to rest on the patient with sometimes little consideration for the family member or friend who will be their caregiver.

From months to weeks: Gene delivery method improved with new 'one-step' system

Delivered using adenovirus (Ad) vectors, therapeutic genes address the cause of disease—not just the symptoms. However, while advances in the understanding of human diseases and the genome have led to an increasing number of targeted gene therapies, gene delivery remains a significant challenge.

New research encourages harnessing health technology to help cancer patients quit smoking

New research in the May 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds the inclusion of the smoking cessation tool Electronic Health Record-Enabled Evidence-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment (ELEVATE, from Epic) into electronic health records (EHRs) can increase self-reported patient quit rates by more than 5 percentage points. The study, from researchers at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine—an NCCN Member Institution—was part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Moonshot program through the Cancer Center Cessation Initiative.

Large study in Botswana finds daily micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy reduces complications at birth

A six-year study of nearly 100,000 women in Botswana has provided new evidence that relatively inexpensive daily diet supplementation of iron, folic acid and vitamin supplementation in pregnancy can reduce complications at birth. Researchers found that iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS), as well as iron and folic acid plus essential vitamins and trace minerals (multiple micronutrient supplementation, or MMS), are associated with significantly lower rates of babies born at low birthweight and other complications at birth, compared to iron or folic acid alone. For example, the rate of low-birthweight birth was under 10.5 percent for women supplementing their diets with multiple micronutrients, the lowest rate of any comparison group.

Disney profit slips but streaming TV subscribers jump

Disney on Wednesday said its profit slipped in the recently ended quarter but its television streaming service and parks were booming.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/disney-profit-slips-but-streaming-tv-subscribers-jump

Museum discovers 150-year-old platypus and echidna specimens that proved some mammals lay eggs

Jars of tiny platypus and echidna specimens, collected in the late 1800s by the scientist William Caldwell, have been discovered in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/museum-discovers-150-year-old-platypus-and-echidna-specimens-that-proved-some-mammals-lay-eggs

New study reveals that herpesvirus infection may increase risk of developing diabetes

A new study published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) finds that two common herpesviruses may contribute to impaired glucose metabolism and an increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) among infected individuals. The research was conducted by Dr. Tim Woelfle at Ludwig-Maximilians University and Helmholtz Munich, Germany, and colleagues.

Artificial cell membrane channels composed of DNA can be opened and locked with a key

Just as countries import a vast array of consumer goods across national borders, so living cells are engaged in a lively import-export business. Their ports of entry are sophisticated transport channels embedded in a cell's protective membrane. Regulating what kinds of cargo can pass through the borderlands formed by the cell's two-layer membrane is essential for proper functioning and survival.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/artificial-cell-membrane-channels-composed-of-dna-can-be-opened-and-locked-with-a-key

Research documents domestic cattle genetics in modern bison herds

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports has revealed the strongest evidence to date that all bison in North America carry multiple small, but clearly identifiable, regions of DNA that originated from domestic cattle.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/research-documents-domestic-cattle-genetics-in-modern-bison-herds

Drinker's sex plus brewing method may be key to coffee's link to raised cholesterol

The sex of the drinker as well as the brewing method may be key to coffee's link with raised cholesterol, a known risk factor for heart disease, suggests research published in the open access journal Open Heart.

Smartphone app helps locate mosquitoes and combat malaria

Following his success eradicating a major source of malaria, technology created by a University of South Florida public health researcher is being implemented by insect control agencies throughout Africa and across the Tampa Bay region.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/smartphone-app-helps-locate-mosquitoes-and-combat-malaria

Wildfire smoke exposure in pregnancy may impact birth weight

Wildfires can decimate forests, destroy communities and fill the air with noxious smoke—but their impact may be even more far-reaching, affecting the health of babies in the womb.

Children grow faster during school year than during summer holidays

It has been long recognized that in Western countries, children are more likely to become overweight or obese over the summer. Causes of this include changes in kids' physical activity and diet over during the summer period, including the summer holidays. But in a new study in Frontiers in Physiology, scientists from the US show that this "obesogenicity" of summers has another unexpected cause: children grow faster over the school year than over the summer. And because Body Mass Index (BMI) is the ratio of body weight in kg and height in meters squared, faster vertical growth during the school leads to increased BMI during summers.

How the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic changed our creativity

COVID-19 took us by surprise, and the exceptional situation of the first lockdown required great capacities of adaptation, in particular for our brains. A study conducted at the Paris Brain Institute (Inserm/CNRS/Sorbonne University/AP-HP) has just revealed how our creativity evolved during this periods and the factors that may have influenced it. Despite the lockdown, our creativity increased, and focused on activities mainly related to the issues of the situation.

Discovery in the brains of army veterans with chronic pain could pave way for personalized treatments

A new study is the first to investigate brain connectivity patterns at rest in veterans with both chronic pain and trauma, finding three unique brain subtypes potentially indicating high, medium, and low susceptibility to pain and trauma symptoms. The findings provide an objective measurement of pain and trauma susceptibility and could pave the way for personalized treatments and new therapies based on neural connectivity patterns.

Study of pregnant women finds increasing exposure to chemicals from plastics and pesticides

A national study that enrolled a highly diverse group of pregnant women over 12 years found rising exposure to chemicals from plastics and pesticides that may be harmful to development.

One million people could die of cancer annually in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 without urgent action, experts warn

Annual cancer deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) could reach 1 million by 2030, nearly double the 520,000 deaths from cancer that occurred in 2020. Cancer incidence is also projected to double by 2040 to more than 1.4 million cases per year, without rapid interventions, according to a new Lancet Oncology Commission.

Exposure to wildfires increases risk of cancer

A new study from McGill University finds higher incidence of lung cancer and brain tumors in people exposed to wildfires. The study, which tracks over 2 million Canadians over a period of 20 years, is the first to examine how proximity to forest fires may influence cancer risk.

Researchers discover a novel approach that could lead to the treatment of devastating brain tumors

Findings from a seven-year research project suggests that there could be a new approach to treating one of the most common and devasting forms of brain cancer in adults—Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).

One in three people who drowned in Canada had a chronic health condition

One in 3 people who drowned in Canada had a pre-existing medical condition that contributed to the death in almost half the cases, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Inbreeding won't doom the last of the vaquitas, but fishing might: study

Vaquita porpoises are on the edge of extinction, with just 10 left in their sole habitat within Mexico's Gulf of California.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/inbreeding-wont-doom-the-last-of-the-vaquitas-but-fishing-might-study

Hope for 1st vaccine against virus driving 'mono,' cancers and maybe MS

Two experimental vaccines show promise in protecting against infection with the "mono" virus, which also causes cancer and has been implicated as a potential trigger of multiple sclerosis, a new paper reports.

Avian flu confirmed in 2 backyard Pacific Northwest flocks

An avian flu that's spreading quickly across the U.S. has been detected in the Pacific Northwest in two backyard bird flocks in rural Oregon and Washington.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/avian-flu-confirmed-in-2-backyard-pacific-northwest-flocks

Canadian poultry farmers fearful of avian flu strain

Canadian poultry farmers are facing fear and stress as a highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 avian influenza is currently circulating in both wild and domestic flocks across North America.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/canadian-poultry-farmers-fearful-of-avian-flu-strain

Women advised to wait at least two years after weight loss surgery before trying for a baby

Women who have had weight loss surgery should wait at least two years before trying for a baby, new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, the Netherlands (4-7 May), suggests.

Vegan diets boost weight loss, lower blood sugar in adults with overweight or type 2 diabetes

A 12-week vegan diet may result in clinically meaningful weight loss and improve blood sugar control in overweight adults and those with type 2 diabetes, according to a meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials involving almost 800 participants (aged 18 or older), being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, Netherlands (4-7 May). The study is by Anne-Ditte Termannsen and colleagues from the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Denmark.

Telecom groups end fight against California net neutrality

Telecommunications industry groups on Wednesday ended their bid to block California's net neutrality law that bars broadband providers from throttling service.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/telecom-groups-end-fight-against-california-net-neutrality

Stanford gets $1B for climate change school from John Doerr

Stanford University will launch a new school focusing on climate change thanks to a $1.1 billion gift from billionaire venture capitalist John Doerr and his wife, Ann, the university announced Tuesday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/stanford-gets-1b-for-climate-change-school-from-john-doerr

Poor sleep may undermine people's attempts to keep weight off

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, Netherlands (4-7 May), finds that not getting enough good quality sleep undermines people's attempts to keep weight off after dieting, and suggests that around two hours of vigorous physical activity per week can help maintain better sleep.

Optogenetics may be overpromised as potential neurological treatment

A new paper in Oxford Open Neuroscience, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that optogenetics, suggested as a promising treatment for many psychological and neurological conditions, may be further away from effective human adoption than observers previously thought.

Taste of the future: Robot chef learns to 'taste' as it goes

A robot "chef" has been trained to taste food at different stages of the chewing process to assess whether it's sufficiently seasoned.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/taste-of-the-future-robot-chef-learns-to-taste-as-it-goes

How can mental health professionals open their minds to psychosis?

Effective clinical care for patients with psychosis means understanding the "lived experience" of their delusions, say researchers at the Universities of Birmingham, York and Melbourne.

New study links gut microbiota strains with more severe strokes and poorer post-stroke recovery

A new study has identified strains of gut microbiota that are associated with more severe strokes and worse post-stroke recovery, revealing that the gut microbiome could be an important factor in stroke risk and outcomes.

Lessons from the Tuskegee experiment, 50 years after unethical study uncovered

This year marks 50 years since it came to light that the nation's leading public health agency, the Public Health Service, conceived an unethical "research study"—the Tuskegee Experiment—that lasted for 40 years. The participants? Black men in a rural community in the South who existed in a state of quasi-slavery, making them extremely vulnerable and the agency's treatment of them that much more sickening.

Georgia sets $1.5B in aid for electric vehicle maker Rivian

The state of Georgia and local governments will give Rivian Automotive $1.5 billion of incentives to build a 7,500-job, $5 billion electric vehicle plant east of Atlanta, according to documents the company and state signed Monday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/georgia-sets-1-5b-in-aid-for-electric-vehicle-maker-rivian

Research exposes long-term failure of Russian propaganda in Ukraine's Donbas region

A study of thousands of stories from media outlets churning out propaganda in Ukraine's Donbas in the years after Russia's first invasion suggests that the Kremlin's disinformation campaign has long neglected any coherent or convincing messaging to foster support for Russia in the war-torn region.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/research-exposes-long-term-failure-of-russian-propaganda-in-ukraines-donbas-region

The policy dominance of Universal Health Coverage

What policy is the best approach for developing health systems in low- and middle-income countries?

US regions with lax gun control laws bear brunt of firearm injury costs

US regions with lax gun control laws are bearing the brunt of firearm injury costs, with tax- funded dollars providing almost half of the total, finds research published in the open access journal Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open.

Opioid overdose death toll has risen more than 5-fold among Indigenous Americans over past decade

The opioid overdose death toll has risen more than 5-fold among American Indian and Alaska Native communities over the past decade, finds one of the first studies of its kind published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

COVID-19 research campaign moves from basic science to antiviral drug design

Developing new drugs that remain potent against emerging variants of COVID-19 is essential to stopping the spread of the highly contagious disease and protecting human health.

Cancer rates declining in Canada but cases, deaths increasing because of demographic factors

Overall cancer rates in Canada are declining, but the number of cases and deaths are increasing slightly because of population growth and an aging population, according to a new study on cancer data published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Amazon, union face off in a rematch election in New York

Amazon and the nascent group that successfully organized the company's first-ever U.S. union are headed for a rematch Monday, when a federal labor board will tally votes cast by warehouse workers in yet another election on Staten Island.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/amazon-union-face-off-in-a-rematch-election-in-new-york

Study finds children with vegetarian diet have similar growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat

A study of nearly 9,000 children found those who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat. The study, published in Pediatrics and led by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, also found that children with a vegetarian diet had higher odds of underweight weight status, emphasizing the need for special care when planning the diets of vegetarian kids.

Beijing shuts dine-in services for holidays to stem outbreak

Restaurants in Beijing have been ordered to close dine-in services over the May holidays as the Chinese capital grapples with a COVID-19 outbreak.

Back with the banned: Do Twitter's exiles return under Musk?

QAnon loyalists, COVID deniers, neo-Nazis and a former American president: The list of people banned from Twitter is long, but their exile could soon come to an end if Elon Musk's $44 billion offer for the platform is approved.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/back-with-the-banned-do-twitters-exiles-return-under-musk

British toddlers and children consume too much added sugar, study suggests

A new study, being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, Netherlands (4-7 May), suggests that children in the UK start consuming free sugars (those added to foods and drinks and those occurring naturally in fruit juices, honey and syrups) at a very young age, and that many toddlers' sugar intake exceeds the maximum recommended amount for children aged 4 and older.