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

Study highlights nitrogen efficiency gains in corn hybrids over 70 years

During the past 70 years, hybrid corn varieties have increased both yield and nitrogen use efficiency at nearly the same pace, largely by preserving leaf function during grain filling. The Purdue University study's findings offer strategies for corn breeders who want to continue to improve yields and nutrient efficiencies.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-highlights-nitrogen-efficiency-gains-in-corn-hybrids-over-70-years

Online simulation game makes graphene research available to the public

The team of Toma Susi at the University of Vienna uses a state-of-the-art electron microscope, the UltraSTEM, to manipulate strongly bound materials with atomic precision. Since the instruments are fully computerized, it is possible to show in a simulation how researchers actually use them. This allows for compelling and largely realistic presentations of the most recent research in materials science. A simulation game on display at the Vienna Technical Museum in a special exhibition is now available online, together with the latest research advance of silicon impurity manipulation in single-walled carbon nanotubes.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/online-simulation-game-makes-graphene-research-available-to-the-public

Carnivorous plants: No escape for mosquitoes

Physically bound to a specific location, plants have to devise special ways to secure their supply of vital nutrients. Most plants have developed a root system to the nutrients they need in order to survive out of the soil. But what if nutrient-poor soils fail to provide the necessities of life? Carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap have found a way out of this dilemma.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/carnivorous-plants-no-escape-for-mosquitoes

Can your shoes really make you run faster?

Led by Professor Iain Hunter, researchers at BYU studied top marathon running shoes to discover if one could help runners be more efficient

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/can-your-shoes-really-make-you-run-faster

Light-sensing system could show distant galaxies in unprecedented detail

Researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have developed an ultra-sensitive light-detecting system that could enable astronomers to view galaxies, stars and planetary systems in superb detail.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/light-sensing-system-could-show-distant-galaxies-in-unprecedented-detail

Powering the extreme jets of active galaxies

An active galaxy nucleus (AGN) contains a supermassive black hole that is vigorously accreting material. It typically ejects jets of particles that move at close to the speed of light, radiating across many wavelengths, in particular the X-ray, in processes are among the most energetic phenomena in the universe. The jets are often also highly collimated and extend far beyond their host galaxy, and if they happen to be pointed along our line of sight they are the most spectacular class of this phenomenon: blazars.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/powering-the-extreme-jets-of-active-galaxies

Similarities of small cell cancers to blood cancers could lead to better treatments

An interdisciplinary team of UCLA scientists has found that small cell neuroendocrine cancers from a range of tissues have a common molecular signature and share drug sensitivities with blood cancers. The discoveries could improve the diagnoses of these aggressive cancers and lead to the development of new treatments that build upon the lessons learned from successful blood cancer therapies.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/similarities-of-small-cell-cancers-to-blood-cancers-could-lead-to-better-treatments

A third of children up to age three exposed to Zika in-utero have neurological problems

New UCLA-led research suggests that 32% of children up to the age of 3 years who were exposed to the Zika virus during the mother's pregnancy had below-average neurological development.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/a-third-of-children-up-to-age-three-exposed-to-zika-in-utero-have-neurological-problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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