Flu fact sheet for parents increases vaccination rate in children

Young children are more likely to suffer severe, even life-threatening complications from the flu, but only around half of children in the US get the flu vaccine.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/flu-fact-sheet-for-parents-increases-vaccination-rate-in-children

Best male biathletes 'more attractive'

Top male biathletes are more attractive to the opposite sex, according to a new study by scientists at the universities of Exeter and Bristol.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/best-male-biathletes-more-attractive

Gorillas found to live in 'complex' societies, suggesting deep roots of human social evolution

Gorillas have more complex social structures than previously thought, from lifetime bonds forged between distant relations, to "social tiers" with striking parallels to traditional human societies, according to a new study.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/gorillas-found-to-live-in-complex-societies-suggesting-deep-roots-of-human-social-evolution

Human pregnancy dependent on cells evolved in platypus-like animal 300 million years ago

Platelet cells, which prevent mammals from bleeding non-stop, first evolved around 300 million years ago in an egg-laying animal similar to the modern duck-billed platypus, finds joint research by UCL and Yale University.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/human-pregnancy-dependent-on-cells-evolved-in-platypus-like-animal-300-million-years-ago

Poor quality social relationships linked to bone loss in postmenopausal women

Poor quality social relationships that contribute to psychosocial stress may be associated with bone loss in postmenopausal women, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/poor-quality-social-relationships-linked-to-bone-loss-in-postmenopausal-women

Fall in GP antibiotic prescribing has been slowest for older patients and those with an unclear diagnosis

GP in England are prescribing fewer antibiotics and when they prescribe them they are increasingly choosing drugs that target a narrow range of organisms rather than broad spectrum antibiotics, suggests new research from King's College London published online in BMJ Open.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/fall-in-gp-antibiotic-prescribing-has-been-slowest-for-older-patients-and-those-with-an-unclear-diagnosis

Most dog and cat owners not aware of pet blood donation schemes

Most dog and cat owners are not aware of pet blood donation schemes and animal blood banks, finds a survey of pet owners published in Vet Record.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/most-dog-and-cat-owners-not-aware-of-pet-blood-donation-schemes

Goats can distinguish emotions from the calls of other goats

Goats can probably distinguish subtle emotional changes in the calls of other goats, according to a new study led by Queen Mary University of London.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/goats-can-distinguish-emotions-from-the-calls-of-other-goats

Research team deciphers enzymatic degradation of sugar from marine alga

Marine algae in the world's oceans store huge quantities of CO2, binding approximately as much CO2 per year as all land vegetation. In this process, algae produce large amounts of carbohydrates, which can be broken down by marine bacteria and provide an important energy source for the marine food web. The research team has now elucidated the complex degradation pathway of the polysaccharide Ulvan. Ulvan is a complex sugar produced by algae of the genus Ulva, which is degraded by the marine bacterium Formosa agariphila. The extensive study revealed the biochemical function of 12 enzymes. These findings are of considerable importance for basic research. And now, they enable the biotechnological exploitation of algal biomass that has never been used previously as a raw material for fermentations and for the isolation of valuable sugars.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/research-team-deciphers-enzymatic-degradation-of-sugar-from-marine-alga

In poor countries, birth spacing affects infant mortality

For children in the poorest countries in the world, their chance of survival depends on the length of the period between their birth and the birth of the previous sibling, according to a new MPIDR study. In some cases, increasing the time between births by just one year can reduce the risk of infant mortality by about 50 percent.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/in-poor-countries-birth-spacing-affects-infant-mortality

TI's DSP-Based Digital Media Processors at the Forefront of Emerging High-Definition Videoconferencing

Continuing to drive innovation in digital media applications, TI's TMS320DM642 DSP-based digital media processor provides the foundation required to bring high-definition (HD) video and audio to the videoconferencing market. High-definition videoconferencing - initially offering 1280 x 720 resolution - promises to address many of the issues that have created problems for users of previous generation videoconferencing technology, including reduced image resolution, poor sound quality, excessive set-up complexity and limited bandwidth and processing resources. High-definition videoconferencing systems, backed by the processing resources of TI's 720 MHz DM642 architecture, allows original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop and launch scalable systems to the market faster.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/tis-dsp-based-digital-media-processors-at-the-forefront-of-emerging-high-definition-videoconferencing

Branson's Virgin Galactic to go public: report

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic will become the first publicly-traded space tourism project thanks to a New York-listed company's investment worth about $800 million, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/bransons-virgin-galactic-to-go-public-report

Instagram rolls out new features to counter bullying with AI

Instagram will introduce new features aimed at curbing online bullying, the Facebook-owned platform announced Monday, as social media giants face increased scrutiny over the harassment faced by many users.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/instagram-rolls-out-new-features-to-counter-bullying-with-ai

Russian officials raise alarm over bee deaths

Russian officials are raising the alarm about mass bee deaths across the country.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/russian-officials-raise-alarm-over-bee-deaths

Scientists decode DNA secrets of world's toughest bean

UC Riverside scientists have decoded the genome of black-eyed peas, offering hope for feeding Earth's expanding population, especially as the climate changes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-decode-dna-secrets-of-worlds-toughest-bean

Activists worry about potential abuse of face scans for ICE

Civil rights activists complained Monday of the potential for widespread abuse following confirmation that at least three states have scanned millions of driver's license photos on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement without the drivers' knowledge or consent.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/activists-worry-about-potential-abuse-of-face-scans-for-ice

Old protein, new tricks: Study connects a protein to antibody immunity for the first time

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may not be a household name as far as viruses go, but according to Xiaoping Zhu, professor and chair in Veterinary Medicine at UMD, half of the population walking around campus is likely to be a carrier. Once contracted, it lays dormant in your body for the rest of your life and can flare up whenever your immune system is severely compromised, giving you flu-like symptoms. This becomes a severe problem for people who already have weakened immune systems, for example the very young, old, pregnant women, organ transplant recipients, or HIV/AIDS patients. More concerning, however, is that HCMV is the number one infectious cause of congenital birth defects in the world, including developmental disabilities and deafness. But how can a protein be a major contributor in the development of birth defects, and also hold the potential to provide symptom relief from autoimmune diseases like lupus? In a new paper published in Nature Communications, Zhu and his colleagues are helping to answer this question and uncover the mechanisms that will lead to multi-faceted prevention and treatment.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/old-protein-new-tricks-study-connects-a-protein-to-antibody-immunity-for-the-first-time

Cardiac arrest among hospitalized patients may be underestimated

Significantly more patients suffer cardiac arrests in U.S. hospitals each year than previously estimated, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/cardiac-arrest-among-hospitalized-patients-may-be-underestimated

Air pollution speeds up aging of the lungs and increases chronic lung disease risk

A study of more than 300,000 people has found that exposure to outdoor air pollution is linked to decreased lung function and an increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/air-pollution-speeds-up-aging-of-the-lungs-and-increases-chronic-lung-disease-risk

Zuckerberg security chief accused of misconduct leaves job

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief won't be returning to his job after being accused of sexual misconduct and slurs that included racist remarks about Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/zuckerberg-security-chief-accused-of-misconduct-leaves-job

New study: How much do climate fluctuations matter for global crop yields?

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation has been responsible for widespread, simultaneous crop failures in recent history, according to a new study from researchers at Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and other partners. This finding runs counter to a central pillar of the global agriculture system, which assumes that crop failures in geographically distant breadbasket regions such as the United States, China and Argentina are unrelated. The results also underscore the potential opportunity to manage such climate risks, which can be predicted using seasonal climate forecasts.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-study-how-much-do-climate-fluctuations-matter-for-global-crop-yields

Participating in local food projects may improve mental health

A new study soon to appear in the Faculty of Public Health's Journal of Public Health suggests that participating in local food projects may have a positive effect on wellbeing and psychological health.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/participating-in-local-food-projects-may-improve-mental-health

A clearer picture of global ice sheet mass

Fluctuations in the masses of the world's largest ice sheets carry important consequences for future sea level rise, but understanding the complicated interplay of atmospheric conditions, snowfall input and melting processes has never been easy to measure due to the sheer size and remoteness inherent to glacial landscapes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/a-clearer-picture-of-global-ice-sheet-mass

New technique developed to detect autism in children

Researchers have developed a new technique to help doctors more quickly and accurately detect autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-technique-developed-to-detect-autism-in-children

Kratom herbal supplement used to treat addiction and pain found unsafe by researchers

The herb kratom is increasingly being used to manage pain and treat opioid addiction, but it's not safe to use as an herbal supplement, according to new research led by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/kratom-herbal-supplement-used-to-treat-addiction-and-pain-found-unsafe-by-researchers

WHO mental health guidelines could better capture 'lived experience'

Mental health patients want mental health diagnostic descriptions to better reflect what it feels like to live with their conditions in the World Health Organisation's global manual of diagnoses—according to a new Lancet Psychiatry report.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/who-mental-health-guidelines-could-better-capture-lived-experience

Parents who help unemployed adult children curb behavior to offset costs

Parents who financially help their unemployed adult children offset such costs by adjusting their behavior, particularly by spending less money on food, working more and reducing retirement savings, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/parents-who-help-unemployed-adult-children-curb-behavior-to-offset-costs

Strengthening muscle may be healthier than losing fat

Focusing on strengthening our muscles rather than losing fat may be a better way to protect ourselves from weight-related hazards like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, investigators say.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/strengthening-muscle-may-be-healthier-than-losing-fat

Meat from a lab? Startups cook up alternative to slaughter

Uma Valeti slices into a pan-fried chicken cutlet in the kitchen of his startup, Memphis Meats. He sniffs the tender morsel on his fork before taking a bite. He chews slowly, absorbing the taste.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/meat-from-a-lab-startups-cook-up-alternative-to-slaughter