Incarceration and economic hardship strongly associated with drug-related deaths in the US

Growing rates of incarceration in the USA since the mid-1970s may be linked with a rise in drug-related mortality, and may exacerbate the harmful health effects of economic hardship, according to an observational study involving 2,640 US counties between 1983 and 2014, published in The Lancet Public Health journal.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/incarceration-and-economic-hardship-strongly-associated-with-drug-related-deaths-in-the-us

Scientists discover autoimmune disease associated with testicular cancer

Using advanced technology, scientists at Chan Zuckerberg (CZ) Biohub, Mayo Clinic and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have discovered an autoimmune disease that appears to affect men with testicular cancer.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-discover-autoimmune-disease-associated-with-testicular-cancer

One in 10 UK hospital inpatients is alcohol dependent

A new review of evidence from the UK has found high levels of alcohol dependence among hospital inpatients. The researchers estimate one in five patients in the UK hospital system uses alcohol harmfully, and one in ten is alcohol dependent.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/one-in-10-uk-hospital-inpatients-is-alcohol-dependent

Facebook services back online after worldwide outage

Facebook said it was "back at 100 percent" Wednesday evening after an outage on all of its services affected users in various parts of the world.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/facebook-services-back-online-after-worldwide-outage

Tornado kills 6, injures nearly 200 in China

A tornado has left six people dead and nearly 200 injured after ripping through a northeastern Chinese city, local authorities said Thursday.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/tornado-kills-6-injures-nearly-200-in-china

Deep-CEE: The AI deep learning tool helping astronomers explore deep space

Galaxy clusters are some of the most massive structures in the cosmos, but despite being millions of lightyears across, they can still be hard to spot. Researchers at Lancaster University have turned to artificial intelligence for assistance, developing "Deep-CEE" (Deep Learning for Galaxy Cluster Extraction and Evaluation), a novel deep learning technique to speed up the process of finding them. Matthew Chan, a Ph.D. student at Lancaster University, is presenting this work at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy meeting on 4 July at 3:45pm in the Machine Learning in Astrophysics session.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/deep-cee-the-ai-deep-learning-tool-helping-astronomers-explore-deep-space

Collision course: Amateur astronomers play a part in efforts to keep space safe

Heavy traffic is commonplace on Earth but now congestion is becoming an increasing problem in space. With over 22,000 artificial satellites in orbit it is essential to keep track of their positions in order to avoid unexpected collisions. Amateur astronomers from the Basingstoke Astronomical Society have been helping the Ministry of Defence explore what is possible using high-end consumer equipment to track objects in space.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/collision-course-amateur-astronomers-play-a-part-in-efforts-to-keep-space-safe

Substantial increase in body weight since 1960s due to interplay between genes and environment

People with a genetic predisposition to obesity are not only at greater risk of excess weight, their genes interact with an increasingly "obesogenic" environment, resulting in higher body mass index (BMI) in recent decades, finds a study from Norway published by The BMJ today.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/substantial-increase-in-body-weight-since-1960s-due-to-interplay-between-genes-and-environment

How to think yourself into a fit person

Many of us, aware of the benefits of exercise, try to stick to a routine, only to find our sneakers at the back of the closet when the weather doesn't co-operate, our routine is disrupted or we are short of time.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-to-think-yourself-into-a-fit-person

A new genetic algorithm for traffic control optimization

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney and DATA61 have recently developed a new method for optimizing the timing of signals in urban environments under severe traffic conditions. Their approach, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, entails the use of genetic algorithms (GAs), a popular computer science technique for solving optimization problems.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/a-new-genetic-algorithm-for-traffic-control-optimization

Robot uses photonic sensors to pick strawberries in gee-whiz numbers

Robots engineered for picking delicate, soft fruits have not made out very well, for several reasons. Tricky business. Squashed fruit was one drawback and the other was the machine not being smart enough to discern which berry was ripe and which was rotten.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/robot-uses-photonic-sensors-to-pick-strawberries-in-gee-whiz-numbers

Binary stars with unexplainable dimming pattern

A team of researchers from the U.S., Denmark and the U.K., working with a group at NASA's Ames Research Center, has found a binary star system that dims unpredictably. They have written a paper describing their findings and have posted it on the arXiv preprint server and also on Oxford's Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/binary-stars-with-unexplainable-dimming-pattern

When it's easier to get meds than therapy: How poverty makes it hard to escape mental illness

The poorer people are, the higher their chances of contending with domestic violence, crime, social conflict, homelessness and unemployment.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/when-its-easier-to-get-meds-than-therapy-how-poverty-makes-it-hard-to-escape-mental-illness

From Shark Bay seagrass to Stone Age Scotland, we can now assess climate risks to World Heritage

Climate change is the fastest-growing global threat to World Heritage. However, no systematic approach to assess the climate vulnerability of each particular property has existed—until now.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/from-shark-bay-seagrass-to-stone-age-scotland-we-can-now-assess-climate-risks-to-world-heritage

Clickety clack, let's look back: Typewriters return

For most of us, the clickety clack of a manual typewriter—or the gentler tapping of the IBM Selectric—are but memories, if we've heard them at all.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/clickety-clack-lets-look-back-typewriters-return

Researchers selectively eliminate cells that express the oncogene RAS

The RAS oncogene is activated in 30 percent of human cancers, and results in the proliferation and transformation of tumor cells. No effective inhibitor has been found for this protein to date.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-selectively-eliminate-cells-that-express-the-oncogene-ras

Artificial membrane binding proteins to direct stem cells to the myocardium

In a world first, scientists have found a new way to direct stem cells to heart tissue. The findings, led by researchers at the University of Bristol and published in Chemical Science, could radically improve the treatment for cardiovascular disease, which causes more than a quarter of all deaths in the UK.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/artificial-membrane-binding-proteins-to-direct-stem-cells-to-the-myocardium

How to avoid information overload

Being able to go online offers a wealth of knowledge, keeps you connected to loved ones and makes all sorts of transactions more convenient. But there's a downside.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-to-avoid-information-overload

Allotment soil is safer than U.K. national guidelines suggest

With the rise in popularity of people growing their own fruit and vegetables, it may be surprising to know that many urban allotments have soil with lead levels above UK guidance values.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/allotment-soil-is-safer-than-u-k-national-guidelines-suggest

Research shows smoking triples deaths from heart disease

Smoking is killing at least 17 Australians a day from preventable heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular conditions, new research led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/research-shows-smoking-triples-deaths-from-heart-disease

Image: Suomi NPP satellite captures ongoing fires in Alaska

There are many fires ongoing in the state of Alaska, but two of the largest are visible in this satellite image—Hess Creek Fire and Swan Lake Fire.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/image-suomi-npp-satellite-captures-ongoing-fires-in-alaska

SpaceX has lost contact with three of its Starlink satellites

On May 23rd, 2019, SpaceX launched the first batch of its Starlink constellation, a fleet of satellites that will fulfill Elon Musk's promise to provide broadband satellite-internet access to the entire planet. The deployment of these 60 satellites was the first in a series of six planned launches that would see around 720 satellites orbiting at an operational altitude of 550 km (340 mi).

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/spacex-has-lost-contact-with-three-of-its-starlink-satellites

Safe practices around fireworks

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, summer celebrations offer plenty of excuses to light up the night sky. From fireworks at wedding receptions and Independence Day celebrations to graduation bonfires and simple sparklers at weekend cookouts, Americans love playing with fire.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/safe-practices-around-fireworks

Carbon dioxide levels and climate change: Is there really a controversy?

The relationship between atmospheric CO2 levels and climate change is often perceived as a controversial subject. While there's no real disagreement among climate scientists—around 90% fully agree that human activity is clearly responsible for climate change—in the United States in 2016, barely 50% of the general public came to the same conclusion. Adding to the general confusion, highly active "climate-change deniers" claim that temperature has evolved independently of CO2 atmospheric concentrations through Earth's history, and that therefore today's rising CO2 levels are not an issue.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/carbon-dioxide-levels-and-climate-change-is-there-really-a-controversy

Anti-vaccine movement a 'man-made' health crisis, scientists warn

The anti-vaccination movement is now a global crisis, an international panel of scientists say, and everyone must do more to combat it.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/anti-vaccine-movement-a-man-made-health-crisis-scientists-warn

How anglers are changing the catchability of fish

For many outdoor enthusiasts, fishing borders on an obsession—the thrill of the chase may be just as rewarding as landing a big catch.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-anglers-are-changing-the-catchability-of-fish

Lunar and solar eclipses make animals do strange things

For most animals, the structure of their day—and indeed their year—depends on the light-dark cycle. These regular and rhythmic cycles in the length of days tell animals when they should be foraging, when they should be asleep, when it's time to migrate and when it's time to breed. Animals can tell all this from how many hours of daylight they experience, but the moon's cycles also strongly influence their behavior.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/lunar-and-solar-eclipses-make-animals-do-strange-things

Image: Radio frequency model of Europe's future Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I) satellite

This mesh-based model of Europe's future Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I) satellite has helped select the optimal location of the radio frequency antennas used to send it commands and downlink mission telemetry.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/image-radio-frequency-model-of-europes-future-meteosat-third-generation-imager-mtg-i-satellite

Zambian teens can't talk about sex or contraception, even with their friends

Becoming pregnant constitutes a threat to young girls' health. That's because they have a higher risk of maternal complications than adult women.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/zambian-teens-cant-talk-about-sex-or-contraception-even-with-their-friends

Scientists find carbon from thawing permafrost is released into the atmosphere at higher rates than previously thought

For years, scientists have pointed to warming permafrost in the Arctic tundra as a source for increased carbon in the atmosphere; as this soil warms, it releases greenhouse gases that have long been trapped in frozen ground.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-find-carbon-from-thawing-permafrost-is-released-into-the-atmosphere-at-higher-rates-than-previously-thought

New modeling technique discovers surprising 'liquid-crystal' organization of liver tissue

The currently used simplified model of mammalian liver tissue can only show in a limited way how liver tissue is structured and formed. Almost 70 years later, researchers at the Max Planck Institutes of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics as well as for the Physics of Complex Systems together with the TU Dresden took advantage of novel microscopy developments, computer-aided image analysis, and 3-D tissue reconstruction and created a new realistic 3-D model of liver organization. Remarkably, they discovered that the liver features an organized structure, similar to liquid crystals.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-modeling-technique-discovers-surprising-liquid-crystal-organization-of-liver-tissue

Teaching artificial intelligence to create visuals with more common sense

Today's smartphones often use artificial intelligence (AI) to help make the photos we take crisper and clearer. But what if these AI tools could be used to create entire scenes from scratch?

* This article was originally published here

Artificial intelligence controls robotic arm to pack boxes and cut costs

Rutgers computer scientists used artificial intelligence to control a robotic arm that provides a more efficient way to pack boxes, saving businesses time and money.

* This article was originally published here

Startup enabling precision medicine for mental health, pain

A new startup company founded on science developed at Indiana University is working to enable precision medicine by commercializing the first objective tests for mental health issues, including suicide risk, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and for pain, all of which historically have been difficult to measure for patients and health care providers alike. These tests will also help match patients to the right medications.

* This article was originally published here