Data indicates polar shifts could be linked to South Africa

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Emily Bills

For the first time, researchers have recovered a magnetic field from ancient minerals from the Iron Age in southern Africa, and the information has helped them discover that the area of the Earth’s core beneath this region could play a key role in reversals of the planet’s magnetic poles.

The study, which appears in the latest edition of the journal Nature Communications, used the measurements collected by University of Rochester geophysicist John Tarduno and colleagues from Witwatersrand University and Kwa-Zulu Natal University in South Africa, along with the ongoing weakening of Earth’s magnetic field during an analysis of polar reversals.

Such reversals of the North and South Poles have taken place at irregular points throughout the planet’s history, with the last one occurring about 800,000 years ago. The researchers noted that once a reversal starts, it can take up to 15,000 years to complete, and the core region beneath southern Africa may have been the origin site of some of these events.

Tarduno’s team said that while it has long been believed that polar reversals started at random locations, the data they collected from five sites along the border separating South Africa from Botswana and Zimbabwe indicates that this might not actually be the case after all.

Collecting the data from burnt ancient villages

According to study co-author Rory D. Cottrell, a scientist in the UR Paleomagnetism Research Lab and the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, the agricultural populations living throughout southern Africa during the Iron Age lived in semi-permanent villages. They based their economy on herding cattle, sheep, and goats, and cultivating millet, beans, and peas.

These villages consisted of mud huts, grain bins, and animal kraals, and during times of sustained drought, poor growing seasons and unexpected cattle deaths, the villages would be burned as part of a ritualistic cleansing. These burnt features enable researchers “a snap-shot look at the Earth’s magnetic field throughout the past 2000 years,” Cottrell explained via email.

“The fires were hot enough to reset magnetic minerals (primarily magnetite) above their Curie Temperature,” or the temperature where a material’s magnetic characteristics change from being unable to retain a permanent magnetic field to “freezing” the magnetic field as the material cools down. “We sampled burnt features from localities in southern Africa to look at what magnetic fields were recorded for different time periods throughout the Iron Age of southern Africa.”

The Earth’s magnetic field has been decreasing in dipole intensity for the past 160 years. The study authors attributed this observed 16 percent decrease in field strength to the weakening field in the area known as the South Atlantic Anomaly, which stretches from the part of Africa where the research took place, all the way to South America and beyond.

Findings may reflect the South Atlantic Anomaly’s longevity

While Cottrell noted that these changes (which are also called secular variation of the magnetic field) “are not uncommon,” there has been speculation that the planet is in the beginning stages of a field reversal. In a statement, Tarduno pointed out that this is only speculative at this point, as weakening magnetic fields can recover without leading to a complete polar reversal.

The researchers’ analysis of burnt structures in southern Africa revealed that there was “more change in magnetic field direction and intensity than has been seen over the last 160 years. This may speak to the longevity of the South Atlantic Anomaly, how it has changed through time,” Cottrell said. Based on models of magnetic observatory measurements, they found that this area has fluctuated magnetically in terms of both size and intensity over the past century.

“Imagine a cup full of sharpened pencils,” he explained. “Each hemisphere has their pencils generally pointing in a single direction (into the cup in the northern hemisphere, out of the cup in the southern hemisphere). Each pencil represents the magnetic field vector at a particular locality at Earth’s surface. At the SAA, there [are a] number of pencils pointed in the wrong direction. So when you add all of the pencil vectors together, it is overall a smaller length (oppositely pointed pencils will effectively cancel each other out).”

“It is thought that the weak field at the SAA is related to core-flux expulsions, and these core-flux expulsions may be related to the large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVP) located at the core-mantle boundary,” Cottrell added. “The dipole field at the core-mantle boundary has lobes of lower field values (green blobs) near the edges of the LLSVP. Changing (growing) core-flux expulsions may be a focal point for magnetic dipole reversals.”

(Image credit: John Tarduno/University of Rochester)

Health

Smart people have more efficient brains

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Emily Bills

Research out of ETH Zurich has found that the brains of more intelligent people are functionally different than the brains of people less intelligent, and that “smarter” brains solve tasks more efficiently.
“[W]hen a more and a less intelligent person are given the same task, the more intelligent person requires less cortical activation to solve the task,” explained Elsbeth Stern, Professor for Research on Learning and Instruction at ETH Zurich, in a press release.
This confirms the neural efficiency hypothesis (simply put, the notion that smarter people have more efficient brains), although for most experts this was a foregone conclusion.
However, the hypothesis was confirmed in tasks of moderate difficulty involving working memory, a more specific area.
As easy as ABC?
Working memory involves the temporary storage, manipulation, and organization of information; working intelligence involves being able to associate old memories with new information, as well as being able to filter out old information after it becomes irrelevant.
Eighty-three students were issued IQ tests to split them into groups: slightly above-average intelligence and well above-average intelligence. They were given working memory tasks to solve, including one in which students had to identify whether letters of the alphabet previously shown were now present in a group of multiple letters. During the tasks, the students had their brain activity measured by EEG.
Between the two groups, there were no differences between brain function in very easy or very difficult tasks. However, there was a clear difference in moderately difficult tasks: the higher-IQ group was more efficient.
Stern explained why it took moderate tasks to distinguish the two by using an analogy with cars. “When both cars are travelling slowly, neither car consumes very much fuel. If the efficient car travels at maximum speed, it also consumes a lot of fuel. At moderate speeds, however, the differences in fuel consumption become significant.”
Memory can’t be “exercised”
Further, training the students in memory tasks did not change the relationship between intelligence and brain activation. Those who had practiced certain tasks did not have an advantage over those who did not when given a new (but similar) task.
This adds to the growingly contentious debate as to whether brain games can truly improve your memory and intelligence through “exercise”. Many scientists posit that playing a memory game will make you great at that game—but won’t apply to other areas, and will just fade away if you don’t maintain it anyway.
With these results added to the picture, you may want to spend your money elsewhere.
The study was published in the journal Intelligence.
(Image credit: Thinkstock)
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Health

Are we losing the Southern accent?

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Emily Bills

Whether you call it a drawl or a twang, odds are “y’all” are familiar with the distinctive accent possessed by the fine folks living in the Southern United States, but new research suggests that you might want to enjoy it now while you can, because it could soon become extinct.

According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), Robin Dodsworth, an associate professor in sociolinguistics at North Carolina State University, and her colleagues have observed the slow disappearance of the southern drawl in Raleigh, North Carolina in recent years. In fact, they say that the drawl has been quietly fading away for the past five decades.

In 2008, Dodsworth and a team of sociolinguists, researchers who specialize in analyzing the impact of social influences on speech habits, began conducting and recording a series of hour-long interviews with people who had grown up in the Raleigh area, the NSF explained in a statement Monday.

Each recording was then analyzed using acoustic analysis software to measure just how “Southern” each speaker was when it came to the pronunciation of their vowels. They also tracked the prevalence of certain linguistic features (i.e. pronouncing the word “kid” as “kee-yid”) among people Raleigh natives born in different decades.

Raleigh’s growth as a tech center to blame

Dodsworth’s team discovered that the vowels of those individuals born between 1920 and 1950 tended to be stable, but sometime around the middle of the 20th century, the characteristic traits of the Southern drawl slowly began a steady decline, with Dodsworth (an Ohio native) pointing out that after 1950, “folks in the present start to sound like me.”

So what was the cause of this phenomenon? The NSF said that it was the region’s emergence as a technology hub during the 1960s, which came following the construction of Research Triangle Park, a high-tech R&D center built between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The new industry “heralded a decline in the region’s traditional Southern dialect,” the agency noted.

“It’s no secret to anyone in this area that RTP was constructed in 1959,” Dodsworth added, “and then IBM came in the early ’60s. If you’re born in 1950, you’re in junior high right about the time when those white-collar workers are coming down from Northern places to work.” The arrival of those people and families ignited a “dialect contact situation” in the area, she explained.

During the 1960s and 1970s, children growing up and attending school in Raleigh spoke with less of the Southern accent of their parents, largely because they spent so much more time talking with people from the North. Since peers play a large role in sociolinguistics, Dodsworth said, the increasing social diversity of the city correlated to the decline of traditional accents.

“It’s not as though, all of a sudden, everyone said, ‘Let’s lose this Southern dialect,’” she added, adding that rural areas which saw the least amount of migration from the northern states are still more Southern-sounding than urban areas. “Linguistic changes often jump from city to city at first and leave the rural spaces in between untouched for some time. Part of that is that rural areas have a less concentrated population, so it’s harder for change to spread.”

(Image credit: Thinkstock)

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Why scary movies freak the heck out of us

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Christopher Pilny

As the creator of classics such as Psycho and The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock has earned the title of the “Master of Suspense”, but how do his films (and others like them) affect the brains of those who watch them? That’s exactly what researchers from Georgia Tech wanted to find out.

Matt Bezdek, the postdoctoral psychology researcher who led the study, and his colleagues had a group of participants lie in an MRI machine and watch scenes from 10 different motion pictures, including Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and the movies Alien and Misery. As each of the films played in the center of a screen, the edges were filled with a flashing checkerboard pattern.

They discovered what they called “an ebb and flow” of activity in the part of the brain that first receives and processes visual information, the calcarine sulcus. During suspenseful moments, the brain narrowed so that people could focus on the on-screen action. This tunnel vision went away during less suspenseful moments, and the viewer paid more attention to their surroundings.

“Many people have a feeling that we get lost in the story while watching a good movie and that the theater disappears around us. Now we have brain evidence to support the idea that people are figuratively transported into the narrative,” Bezdek explained in a press release Monday.

Intense on-screen suspense suppresses normal neural response

For instance, in North by Northwest, the brain tended to reduce its visual focus as Cary Grant was being chased by the airplane, but the neural activity switched gears and the viewer started to broaden his or her attention after he hid in the cornfield and the suspense began to fade.

“It’s a neural signature of tunnel vision,” said Georgia Tech’s Eric Schumacher, an associate professor in the School of Psychology. “During the most suspenseful moments, participants focused on the movie and subconsciously ignored the checker boards. The brain narrowed the participants’ attention, steering them to the center of the screen and into the story.”

When suspense is at its peak, the brain shifts activity to the calcarine sulcus in order to ramp up the processing of critical data and ignore visual content that is irrelevant to the suspense. The use of the checker board pattern was because neurons in the calcarine sulcus are typically attracted to that type of movement, the authors explained. Making this pattern visible at all times allowed researchers to see if suspense would temporarily suppresses the typical response of those neurons.

The study, which is scheduled to appear in the journal Neuroscience, also found that other parts of the brain – particularly in those areas involved in grouping objects together based on color and movement – were also sensitive to changes in suspense level. Additional research appears to indicate that this leads to increased recall of story-related information, the authors noted.

(Image credit: Thinkstock)

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Fibromyalgia

Dextromethorphan: Curing Coughs, Colds and Fibromyalgia?

Written By: Fibromyalgia Treating

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

It can be difficult to keep up with all the changes in medicine, but if you have a chronic illness, it is important that you try to keep abreast of changes to medications that could help you.

Even though there are already many medications that can help fibromyalgia patients with the pain they suffer, new advances in medicine are helping to formulate medications that work better at reducing pain. One of these medications is dextromethorphan.

What is Dextromethorphan?

Dextromethorphan is a common ingredient found in about 125 different cough and cold medicines. It can be found in most pharmacies and bought over-the-counter as a tablet or a liquid.

It works to relieve coughs by suppressing the part of the brain that controls the coughing reflex. By blocking the cough response, it allows you to get more rest when you’re sick.

Along with suppressing coughs, it can be used to treat both cold and flu symptoms. Although, it is used to suppress mild and chronic coughs, it does not suppress coughs due to emphysema, bronchitis or smoker’s cough.

If you have any of those conditions, it is necessary to cough in order to break-up mucus in your chest to help you breathe easier.

How does Dextromethorphan Help Fibromyalgia?

Although it may not seem like a cough and cold medicine could help fibromyalgia patients, studies have shown that dextromethorphan can help relieve both widespread pain and muscle stiffness.

There is also some evidence that this ingredient may be able to help pinpoint the true cause of fibromyalgia, which could lead to new and more effective treatments for this chronic disease.

Dextromethorphan works by targeting the central nervous system. Fibromyalgia patients often experience what is known as the “windup,” which intensifies any pain they are having.

Researchers think the windup occurs in the central nervous system and it may be caused when incorrect pain messages are relayed between the brain and the spinal cord.

This windup may be prevented by dextromethorphan because it works on the chemical N-methyl-D-asparate, commonly referred to by the initials NMDA.

This chemical is responsible for sending pain messages from the brain to the spinal cord. In a study done at the University of Florida, patients who were given this drug felt less pain and a dosage of 90 milligrams, along with a heat stimulus, allowed patients to experience the most improvement in the pain they usually felt.

Soaking in a hot tub is recommended because it often provides pain relief and loosens stiff muscles for fibromyalgia patients. The UF study was able to simulate the painful windup that fibromyalgia patients can experience by tapping on the participants hands using either a heated probe or a rubber-tipped peg.

The pressure was adjusted so all of the participants felt the same level of pain before receiving the dextromethorphan or a placebo in order to test the effectiveness of the cold medicine drug.

During the study, there were no guidelines set for taking the drug, although it was determined that the 90 mg dose worked the best in reducing pain in fibromyalgia patients.

This drug is often used in formulas that also contain acetaminophen, which could be another reason that it helps relieve widespread pain. However, the drug is not going to work with all fibromyalgia patients.

Those who take MAOI anti-depressants should not take a medication containing dextromethorphan because the two drugs taken together can cause a bad reaction as they don’t work well together.

Side Effects of Dextromethorphan

The side effects of dextromethorphan are usually mild and they may include drowsiness, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea or vomiting. More severe side effects may occur when someone abuses the drug or has an allergic reaction to it.

Unfortunately, dextromethorphan is used by some people recreationally in order to go into a trance-like state when they take it. It can have strong dissociative effects on the mind when taken in doses well above what is necessary to help suppress coughs or help with fibromyalgia symptoms.

Since it is legal and available over-the-counter, young people wishing to hallucinate or experience other dissociative effects will often abuse cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan.

Other Cold Remedies that Work on Fibromyalgia

Dextromethorphan isn’t the only cold drug that seems to help fibromyalgia patients. Guaifenesin has also been found to help relieve pain and muscle stiffness for those suffering from the disease.

Guaifenesin is used in to help break-up mucous, allowing it to be coughed up easier, but it also acts as a muscle relaxer.

The cause of pain experienced by fibromyalgia patients is usually caused by a build-up of calcium phosphate, usually in muscles and muscle tendons.

Since guaifenesin acts a muscle relaxer, it helps dissipate the pain that is experienced by tight muscles by loosening them up.

Although it comes in liquid form, this drug is better for fibromyalgia patients when taken in pill form, starting at 300 mg.

Using Dextromethorphan

Even though it doesn’t require a prescription, fibromyalgia patients should not add a cold or cough medicine containing dextromethorphan to their regimen until consulting their doctor.

The medicine could have drug inaction issues that could make taking it dangerous to do, especially if they are taking MAOI anti-depressants.

Also, the dosage needs to be recommended by your doctor in order to keep you from having unintended consequences when taking it, such as hallucinations or other dissociative issues.

Since treating fibromyalgia can be tricky at times, it is best to let your doctor recommend dosage levels and medications for your treatment.

Self-medicating can result in receiving less benefits from your current medication regimen, which can cause pain and stiffness to get worse instead of better.

In addition, a healthy diet and moderate exercise should be included along with medications to help make your body less stiff to help make it easier to do day-to-day activities.

If you do want to see if dextromethorphan can help you with pain, look for dextromethorphan hydrobromide on the label of cold medications and take as directed by your doctor.

Further reading:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050519141247.htm

3 Experimental Treatments for Fibromyalgia

Space

How cosmic winds affect galactic evolution

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Christopher Pilny

While astronomers already knew that cosmic winds travelling through galaxies could cause star formation to come to an end by sweeping out interstellar material, new observations of a nearby galaxy have given them a better look at exactly what this process entails.

Their research, led by experts from Yale University and detailed in the Astronomical Journal, looked at Hubble images of a spiral galaxy in the Coma cluster, which is located approximately 300 million light years away and is the closest high-mass cluster to our solar system.

Lead author and Yale astronomer Jeffrey Kenney, who first encountered these images back in 2013, analyzed them to see how the cosmic wind was eroding dust and gas located at the leading edge of the galaxy. The wind, also known as “ram pressure”, is caused by the orbital motion of the galaxy through hot gas in the cluster, the researchers explained in a statement Monday.

Kenney found a series of intricate dust formations on that disk’s edge as cosmic wind started to make its way through the galaxy, and while the gas and dust appeared to be piled up in one long ridge on the leading side, he found head-tail filaments protruding from the dust front that might have been caused by the separation of dense gas clouds from lower density gas.

Loss of gas will mark the end of star formation

Lower-density clouds of interstellar gas and dust can be easily carried by the cosmic winds, the study authors explained, but higher-density clouds cannot. As the winds blow, the denser gases begin to separate from lower density gas, which gets blown down stream. However, both higher and lower density lumps appear to be bound together, likely by magnetic fields.

“The evidence for this,” the Yale astronomer said, “is that dust filaments in the [Hubble Space Telescope] image look like taffy being stretched out. We’re seeing this decoupling, clearly, for the first time.” He noted that the dust filaments in this Hubble image are similar to those found in the iconic “Pillars of Creation” image, except that they are roughly 1,000 times larger.

The images reveal that the bulk of the dust and gas is being pushed away by external forces, and that this results in the destruction of most of the cloud. Only the densest material, the pillars, are left behind, but even they have a limited shelf life. Since gas is required for the formation of new stars, once it is removed, the area is no longer able to act as a stellar nursery.

While in the Eagle Nebula, which is home to the “Pillars of Creation,” the pressure comes from the radiation emitted by nearby massive stars, the pressure in the Coma galaxy is produced by the orbital motion of the galaxy through hot gas in the cluster. While new stars are currently still being born in both types of pillars, they represent the last generation that will form in either.

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Feature Image: This Hubble Space Telescope image of a spiral galaxy in the Coma cluster highlights dust extinction features. (Credit: NASA, ESA, and Roberto Colombari)

Science

Unique structure of T. rex tooth helped rip apart larger animals

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Christopher Pilny

The ability of carnivorous theropods like the Tyrannosaurus rex to tear through the flesh and bone of their prey was due in part to a unique, deeply serrated tooth structure, according to new research published in the latest edition of the journal Scientific Reports.

In the study, Kirstin Brink, a post-doctoral researcher in the University of Toronto Mississauga Department of Biology, and her colleagues explained that sawlike structure of these dinosaurs’ teeth were found only on T. rex, Allosaurus, and even the early theropod species Coelophysis. While other creatures may have teeth that look similar, it was how the tissues inside the teeth were structured that made the teeth of theropods one-of-a-kind.

“In this study,” Dr. Brink told redOrbit via email, “we examined as many animals as possible with teeth that look similar to theropods: sharks, phytosaurs, crocodilians, sabre-tooth cats, the first known animals with serrated teeth, Dimetrodon (an ancient ancestor of mammals), and the only living animal with similar teeth, the Komodo Dragon.”

“These animals are all distantly related to each other,” she added. “Although these teeth look very similar from the outside, it is the unique structure of the tooth tissues inside the teeth that differentiate the dinosaurs from all these other animals. Only the theropod dinosaurs have the unique arrangement of dental tissues (different types of dentine, the tissue that makes up the majority of the tooth) that helps to strengthen and prolong the life of the tooth.”

So complicated

In addition to being stronger and longer-lived, the tissue arrangement in theropod teeth also improved their function, making them more efficient at chewing through bones and tearing the flesh of larger animals and reptiles, Dr. Brink and her co-authors from UTM, the Royal Ontario Museum and the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan wrote.

“The fact that theropod teeth are quite more complex than previously thought was a surprise to me,” she explained. “Generally, dinosaurs that ate plants (duckbill dinosaurs and ceratopsians like Triceratops) have really complex teeth because the teeth wear away so quickly when grinding up tough plant material. Theropods generally ate much softer food (meat), so it was thought that their tooth structure wouldn’t need to be as complicated.”

“As reptiles (and dinosaurs) can continuously replace their teeth throughout their lives, if a theropod broke a tooth or wore through a tooth it could simply grow a new one. However, it can take up to two years for a new tooth to fully develop in T. rex,” Dr. Brink added. “Therefore, having a tooth with serrations that is strengthened by a special arrangement of tooth tissues can allow the tooth to function for longer periods of time without being worn down, which prevents gaps from occurring in the jaws where teeth are missing, thereby allowing for a more secure, efficient bite when piercing flesh.”

By examining samples of dinosaur teeth that had yet to break through the gums, as well as samples of mature dinosaur teeth, the study authors also found that the theropods’ unique tooth tissue arrangement did not develop as a result of chewing harder materials. They examined the tooth slices of eight carnivorous theropods using a device called a scanning electron microscope, which allowed them to understand the chemical composition of those teeth.

Despite the latest findings, Dr. Brink said that there is “still a lot we need to learn about reptile teeth. Most research on teeth is done on humans, but reptiles and mammals have very different tooth development. Reptiles can continuously replace their teeth, while pretty much all mammals cannot. Understanding the way reptile (and therefore dinosaur) teeth develop and function is a fruitful avenue for future research. Imagine if we could continuously regrow our teeth!”

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Feature Image: Gorgosaurus is shown using its specialized teeth for feeding on a young Corythosaurus in Alberta, 75 million years ago. (Credit: Painting by Danielle Dufault)

Story Image: This is a detail of a thin section through the tooth of a large theropod, Gorgosaurus, from Alberta. (Credit: Skull drawing by Danielle Default)

Fibromyalgia

Taking Milnacipran to Effectively Treat Fibromyalgia

Written By: Fibromyalgia Treating

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Along with chronic pain, fibromyalgia patients must also contend with feelings of chronic fatigue. Even if they get several hours of sleep, people with fibromyalgia may wake up feeling tired and their thinking may be impaired as if they are in a fog.

Fortunately, there are medications that have been designed to effectively address the concerns associated with fatigue. One such medication is milnacipran.

What is Milnacipran?

Milnacipran is actually an anti-depressant that is used in the treatment of fibromyalgia. It is one of three drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Admission to treat the chronic condition.

Milnacipran acts to help reduce the feelings of fatigue by reducing pain and it also has other positive effects on fatigue that are separate from pain relief. While it has shown to be effective in treating fibromyalgia, scientists are not sure on why it works so well.

How Milnacipran Works

This drug increases the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. These neurotransmitters include both serotonin and norepinephrine, which work to filter pain signals traveling along the spinal cord. This means that fewer pain signals make their way to the brain, so the brain cannot signal the body to feel pain.

When these two neurotransmitters are at nerve endings, this medication latches onto their molecules and carries them back across the nerve junction.

This allows them to be used again, or recycled, to fight pain as well as prevent pain signals. Like milnacipran, other medications that increased serotonin levels were shown to be effective in relieving pain symptoms and relaxing muscles.

How Milnacipran was Approved for Treating Fibromyalgia

The approval of milnacipran to treat fibromyalgia was based on three criteria. The first criteria met was that milnacipran, sold under the brand name Savella, allowed patients to experience at least a 30% reduction in their pain.

The second measure was that patients had to rate their pain as “very much improved” or “much improved” by the drug. Lastly, when taking milnacipran, there had to be significant progress in patients physical functioning. Since the medication met all of these requirements, the FDA approved it.

Along with these improvements, those who took milnacipran showed a marked improvement about a week after starting the drug. Most patients in case studies took 100 to 200 mg of milnacipran on a daily basis.

However, the medication is usually prescribed in the lowest dose possible at first, which is 12.5 mg, then stepped up gradually. 200 mg is the highest recommended dose per day for milnacipran.

In addition to relieving pain, milnacipran also helps relieve daytime fatigue and it can help with problems such as poor memory, as well as the inability to concentrate.

Is Milnacipran Effective?

It is difficult to tell if a drug is going to work for a patient or fail to help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms in others. However, there are ways to tell if milnacipran has a chance to help relieve your fibromyalgia symptoms.

For instance, if venlafaxine, better known as Effexor or Cymbalta, helped with pain, but caused weight gain, then milnacipran may be a better drug for people with fibromyalgia.

In addition, since milnacipran isn’t a tricyclic medication, side effects like a dry mouth, weight gain and feeling sleepy the next day are usually not experienced when taking this drug.

Milnacipran Side Effects

Like most medications, milnacipran is not without its side effects. The side effects associated with it range from very mild to severe, depending on the person taking the drug.

A favorable side effect of taking it is weight reduction. Some users experienced a weight loss of one to two pounds per month. However, along with the weight reduction was a chance of increased high blood pressure and heart rate due to the fact this medication has increases levels of norepinephrine.

Other more common side effects associated with this drug included nausea, headaches, constipation, dizziness, hot flashes, insomnia, dry mouth, palpations and profuse sweating.

With continued use, especially when taken with food, the nausea usually subsided for most people. It has few interactions with other medications and the drug takes about two hours to be fully absorbed into your bloodstream.

Some of the drug’s side effects could make some fibromyalgia symptoms worse. If you have difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, especially due to having restless legs, than milnacipran should not be taken at night because it can worsen sleep.

However, it can help to reduce pain during the day, but since it causes problems with sleep, daytime fatigue may also get worse. If it does cause problems with sleep, try taking the drug a few hours earlier and inform your doctor to help prevent fatigue issues.

People that have difficulty managing high-blood pressure may not be able to take milnacipran as it can increase blood pressure. However, if it helps to reduce your pain, then your doctor may be able to re-evaluate your blood pressure medication to see if there is a better drug to help manage it or change the dosage of the one you take.

If you are already taking milnacipran and the side effects cause problems, you may need to switch to another medication. If this is the case, you should taper down the dosage slowly because it can cause withdrawal symptoms if you quit it abruptly.

Information About Milnacipran

Effectively treating fibromyalgia can sometimes be a frustrating guessing game as no two people react the same to treatments. Being better informed about your treatment options will help you and your doctor decide what is the best course of treatment for your pain, fatigue and the other fibromyalgia symptoms that you experience.

Further reading:

http://www.fmnetnews.com/latest-news/savella-milnacipran-fda-approved-for-fibro

http://www.medicinenet.com/milnacipran/article.htm

Fibromyalgia

Growth Hormones and Fibromyalgia

Written By: Fibromyalgia Treating

Published Date: July 28, 2015 Last Edited: July 28, 2015

Fibromyalgia is one of those disorders that still put a lot of question marks up for those who suffer from it and those who are treating those who suffer from it.

It’s interesting to see how various hormones and treatments react with the disorder as well; sometimes, we can find things that we never realized would help the symptoms out.

That being said, there are a lot of interesting relationships between growth hormones and fibromyalgia. Let’s take a quick look so that we can understand the relationship better and so that we can understand how it may be able to tie in with our treatment.

Are Those with Fibromyalgia More Likely to Have Growth Hormone Deficiencies?

Let’s start from the top. In order for our bodies to grow as they should, and to develop correctly, we need to have a number of different hormones. The most important one, usually referred to as just “GH,” is the human growth hormone.

We develop a ton of it as we’re growing up, and then, as we get older, it slows down a lot. That’s why we stop growing at some point, that’s why puberty occurs, and that’s why certain parts of our body are unable to reproduce themselves in our older ages.

That being said, GH helps to make another hormone, called IGF-1, which comes from your liver to repair damage to your body (injuries, etc).

That being said, those with fibromyalgia are actually a lot more likely to have a lack of growth hormones in their body – specifically the IGF-1 that we just talked about.

Now, of course, this happens because the body doesn’t have enough of the GH in the first place, meaning that our bodies aren’t getting the jump start that they need in order to ensure that it’s fixing itself and getting the right signals that it needs in order to function correctly.

Because of this, it’s becoming a more commonly accepted theory that, in fact, the lack of GH (and in turn, the lack of IGF-1) actually plays a pretty big role in what is going on with the fibromyalgia.

Without all of that GH, we’re going to feel a lot more pain, our injuries are going to be more common and they’re going to last longer, and we’re going to be more tired.

There are, likely, other sources of what is going on as well, but GH may very well be one of the big links that fibro researchers have been seeking.

Can Growth Hormones Be Used in Fibromyalgia Treatment?

This begs the question, then. If GH is part of the problem, can it also be part of the solution? If we don’t have enough GH going through our bodies at a time, if we provide more, can we help develop more IGF-1 and can we make it so that we’re feeling less pain in the long run?

This a great question, and since Growth Hormone Therapy has been used in other contexts, it’s been a pretty natural conclusion for doctors to end up using on fibromyalgia patients as well.

So, what can growth hormone therapy do? There are a few types out there. First off, we can work with something called the human growth hormone therapy. This type of therapy, in short, helps the body to get GH from an outside source.

The body is, obviously, not making enough GH for it to actually be able to work correctly.

By using the human growth hormone therapy, a person should be able to find relief from their symptoms because there is more GH, and in turn, more IGF-1 being pumped throughout the body.

This, in turn, makes us feel more energetic and reduces energy. Of course, there are some issues with this whole thing that you have to keep up with – and, for many people, the problem comes in the form of cash.

It can cost up to $1500 every single month for someone with fibromyalgia to get the treatment that they need in this way, which is a big dent on the pocket. Even if medical insurance covers some of it, that’s still going to cause some financial trouble for some people.

But, in many cases, that’s what it takes. It’s also only found in really limited quantities for some people.

Okay, so if we can’t get easy access to human growth hormone therapy, what are we supposed to use instead? There is another way to do things, which is sort of a “back door” to the GH issue.

There’s one other chemical in the body, called somatostatin, that may affect the way that GH is developed. If you have too much of it in your body, the GH is not going to develop as easily, thus making it so that you have reduced levels of GH in your body.

So, doctors have found a way to stop the somatostatin from going out of control. By reducing the amount of this that is being developed, it’s easier for the body to create GH, and thus, allows your body to develop the IGF-1 a lot more easily than it would have before the treatment.

That being said, it’s still being tested, but many of the tests that have already happened have had pretty positive, long term results for the people involved in them.

Because it’s less expensive and you don’t need as much treatment, it’s usually considered to be the first option when it comes to growth hormone therapy for fibromyalgia patients.

Even though growth hormones aren’t necessarily the “magic pill” that will help all fibromyalgia sufferers with their symptoms, it’s definitely a step toward what can be helpful for a particular case.

In many cases, it can help you deal with a cause instead of the symptoms of the disorder. Your doctor has more information about this and can help you to determine whether or not it’s the right way for you to go about the issue for your own treatment plan.

Further reading:

http://www.myalgia.com/growth_hormone_deficiency_in_fib.htm

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_growth_hormone.html

Space

New Horizons finds atmospheric haze and ice flows on Pluto

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 25, 2015 Last Edited: July 25, 2015

Brian Galloway

The latest data transmitted back to Earth by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft includes newly-discovered evidence of exotic ices flowing across the surface of Pluto, as well as a stunning new nightside image of the dwarf planet that reveals higher-than-expected layers of haze.

That image, captured by the probe seven hours after its closest approach on July 14, depicts the atmosphere of Pluto as the dwarf planet is backlit by the sun. It was captured by the spacecraft’s Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) instrument, according to the US space agency.

The sunlight streaming through the atmosphere revealed hazes reaching heights of more than 80 miles (130 km) above the surface. Preliminary analysis revealed two distinct layers of haze: One at an altitude of about 50 miles (80km), the other 30 miles (50km) above the surface.

Michael Summers, a New Horizons co-investigator from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, said in a statement that the “hazes detected in this image are a key element in creating the complex hydrocarbon compounds that give Pluto’s surface its reddish hue.”

Models suggest that the hazes form when ultraviolet sunlight breaks apart methane gas, which leads to the accumulation of more complex hydrocarbon gases such as ethylene and acetylene, which have also been discovered at Pluto. As they fall, they condense into ice particles and form the hazes, which are ultimately converted into hydrocarbons that color Pluto’s surface.

Geologic activity previously found only on Earth and Mars

NASA also announced on Friday that new close-up images from the LORRI instrument have shown signs of recent geologic activity in the forms of a sheet of ice that had recently flowed (and which may still be flowing) at the left edge of Pluto’s bright, heart-shaped area.

Specifically, the pictures show signs of exotic flowing ices in the Texas-sized plain informally known as “Sputnik Planum”. The flows resemble activity of Earth-based glaciers, the agency said, and they hoped to find this type of geologic activity, even though they thought it wasn’t likely.

According to NASA, Swirl-shaped patterns of light and dark found in the northern region of Sputnik Planum indicate that a surface layer of exotic ices has flowed around obstacles and into depressions.

Mission co-investigator John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute said that these types of surfaces had only previously been found “on active worlds like Earth and Mars.” Furthermore, a new set of compositional data from New Horizons’ Ralph instrument has revealed that the center of Sputnik Planum is rich in nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane ices.

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Image credit: NASA

Fibromyalgia

Combine Water and Shiatsu therapy to successfully Combat Fibromyalgia in Watsu Therapy

Written By: Fibromyalgia Treating

Published Date: July 24, 2015 Last Edited: July 24, 2015

There are a variety of different techniques available to help you combat fibromyalgia in today’s world. No longer do you have to suffer if traditional medications and therapies are not working for you, instead you can look to the world of alternative therapy. Watsu therapy is a form of alternative therapy that is relaxing and effective.

Patients enjoy the gentle movements from the therapist as they relax in a warm pool of water. The movements in Watsu therapy help to reduce the physical effects of fibromyalgia as well as the psychological effects. Before starting any new exercise or treatment regimen it is important to discuss the program with your doctor.

Most physicians will not have any concerns with Watsu therapy, although if you have a heart condition the warm water for an extended period of time may not be right for you.

The Basics of Watsu

This form of water therapy combines stretching, Shiatsu massage and even a little bit of dance. The therapy session is performed in warm water and the therapist is holding the patient throughout the movements. The therapist uses a cradle hold or back floating throughout the session as they manipulate the body of the patient into the necessary Watsu movements.

This is an alternative therapy which is used in conjunction with traditional therapy to fight many different ailments. Fibromyalgia patients typically find the combination of warm water and gentle movements to be exceptionally helpful to their symptoms. The deep breathing techniques incorporated into Watsu therapy are also very effective as a relaxation technique outside of the pool.

Physical Effects

The physical effects of Watsu massage are similar to those of other massage therapies on fibromyalgia patients. The benefits of Watsu also include the warm water which is not available with typical massage techniques. Other positive physical effects include a decrease in respiratory rate which brings on an overall muscle relaxation throughout the body.

Muscle soreness and tension is released which decreases the pain caused from muscles. The immune system receives a boost from the stimulation of the massage and this can result in a reduction of pain throughout the body.

Other important physical effects include better digestion and sounder sleep for people suffering from issues with these. Keep a journal when you start a new treatment, such as Watsu therapy, it can help you notice the changes that you feel physically throughout the treatment process.

Psychological Effects

When the stress and tension in the body is released it can also reduce the stress in the mind. Many people who struggle with fibromyalgia also struggle with the mental side effects of the illness. Watsu massage can reduce the psychological effects that fibromyalgia has continued to have on your mind and emotions.

Anxiety is another emotion that is often felt from people struggling with fibromyalgia. There is always this lurking idea that you will be in pain and it is hard to move past it, even on days where you are not feeling pain.

The Watsu massage process can help reduce the anxiety over pain and leave you feeling more empowered to move forward with your life. The overall positive effect of Watsu therapy is often seen immediately for patients who struggle with fibromyalgia.

A Typical Session

If you are new to the Watsu therapy technique it can be uncomfortable when you are first getting started. Sessions are held one on one and it is important that you feel comfortable with your therapist. The therapist will physically be holding you throughout the session so you will need to have a level of trust for that person.

Often the provider will provide an entire session outside of the pool to go over the techniques and answer questions for you. You can also watch another session before you start your therapy so you feel more comfortable with the process.

The Watsu therapy and massage is an intimate pattern of movements that will take time to become comfortable with. It is perfectly normal to not feel at ease when you are first getting started with this alternative therapy technique. Discuss any of your concerns with your therapist as they come up so you do not continue to feel uncomfortable.

Costs and Where to Find Watsu Therapy

The typical cost of a Watsu therapy session is similar to that of any other physical therapy or massage session, around $100 for an hour. Some places will offer discounts for a contract of six or more visits. You can find Watsu therapy performed by independent therapists at your local warm pool.

These are not the typical pools you swim at with your family since Watsu therapy is conducted in a warmer temperature pool that is approximately 95 degrees. Many high level gyms offer this type of pool for special classes and to help people who have joint issues.

Call ahead to discuss the availability of a Watsu therapist at your local warm water pool or ask the local pool if they know of other pools that might have a Watsu therapist available. Watsu therapy is becoming more and more popular so you should be able to find a therapist somewhere near you.

Working on any type of treatment to help with your fibromyalgia symptoms is a great way to take control of your health and your recovery. Trying new and innovative techniques to reduce your pain and tension is the best way to see a reduction in your symptoms.

You do not need to stick to boring traditional medicine in your fight against fibromyalgia; instead you can try new techniques like Watsu therapy. Although it may take some time to get use to the therapy in warm water and one on one with a therapist, Watsu therapy is an uplifting and calming experience.

You can enjoy one session or many sessions and you will notice consistent benefits for your body and your mind. Talk with your therapist and your doctor before starting Watsu to ensure it is the right program for you before you spend a lot of money on a session.

Further reading:

http://www.aquatictherapist.com/index/2007/08/research-about-.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watsu

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360859205000045

Space

Dark matter behaves like well-known particle, new theory suggests

Written By: Shayne Jacopian

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

0

Christopher Pilny

A new theory suggests that dark matter acts very much like subatomic particles known to the scientific community since the 1930s—pions.

Dark matter, the thing that keeps galaxies, stars, and our solar system intact and of which more exists in the universe than regular old matter, isn’t visible. The only way we can observe it is by taking a look at the behavior of celestial objects that we can see.

An international group of researchers has proposed that dark matter is very similar to pions—the subatomic particles that hold atomic nuclei together, according to a statement from the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe. Their findings were published in Physical Review Letters on July 10.

Hitoshi Murayama, Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Director of the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe at the University of Tokyo (that’s a mouthful) explains: “We have seen this kind of particle before. It has the same properties—same type of mass, the same type of interactions, in the same type of theory of strong interactions that gave forth the ordinary pions.”

The theory suggests that dark matter likely interacts with itself within galaxies or galaxy clusters, possibly modifying predicted mass distributions, according to the source.

Eric Kuflik of Cornell University says, “It can resolve outstanding discrepancies between data and computer simulations,” with UC Berkeley researcher Yonit Hochberg adding, “The key differences in these properties between this new class of dark matter theories and previous ideas have profound implications on how dark matter can be discovered in upcoming experimental searches.”

The theory will soon be tested in a series of experiments utilizing the Large Hadron Collider, the SuperKEKB, and the SHiP experiment.

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Feature Image: This is an artist’s impression of dark matter distribution. Left image assumes conventional dark matter theories, where dark matter would be highly peaked in small area in galaxy center. Right image assumes SIMPs, where dark matter in galaxy would spread out from the center. (Original credit: NASA, STScI; Credit: Kavli IPMU – Kavli IPMU modified this figure based on the image credited by NASA, STScI)

Space

Meet Earth’s cousin: The newly discovered Kepler-452b

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Call it “New Earth” or “Earth 2.0”: NASA’s Kepler mission has for the first time found a new planet that is approximately the same size as our homeworld and which lies in the “habitable zone” of a sun-like star, the US space agency revealed this afternoon.

The planet has been dubbed Kepler-452b and is said to be the smallest planet discovered thus far orbiting an G2-type star at a distance suitable for liquid water to pool on its surface. It is one of a dozen new small habitable zone worlds discovered during the Kelpler’s search for a “new Earth” and brings the number of confirmed new worlds discovered during the mission to 1,030.

“On the 20th anniversary year of the discovery that proved other suns host planets, the Kepler exoplanet explorer has discovered a planet and star which most closely resemble the Earth and our Sun,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “This exciting result brings us one step closer to finding an Earth 2.0.”

Super-earth sized planet is believed to be rocky

According to NASA officials, Kepler 452-b is approximately 60 percent larger in diameter than the Earth, resulting in its classification as a super-Earth sized planet. Currently, the composition and mass of the planet have not been determined, but based on previous findings, the researchers believe the odds are good that the size of the new planet means it will be rocky.

Despite being significantly larger than Earth, its orbit is only five percent longer than the planet we call home (385 days). NASA reported that Kepler-452b is five percent further away from its parent star, the six-billion year old Kepler-452, than Earth is from the sun. Furthermore, officials from the agency note that Kepler-452 is approximately 1.5 billion years older, nearly identical in temperature, 10 percent larger and 20 percent brighter than the Milky Way’s sun.

Jon Jenkins, Kepler data analysis lead at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California and the head of the team that located Kepler-452b, said that the planet is essentially “an older, bigger cousin to Earth.” The discovery, he added, provides experts the chance “to understand and reflect upon” the “evolving environment” of the planet we call home.

“It’s awe-inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star; longer than Earth,” he added. “That’s substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet.”

More than 500 other potential planets discovered as well.

The discovery of the planet and the entire Kepler-452 system was confirmed with the assistance of ground-based observations conducted by astronomers at the University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, and the WM Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, according to NASA.

Measurements conducted at those facilities not only helped give NASA a better idea of the new system’s properties, but also made it possible to verify that Kepler-452b was indeed a planet, to ensure that the size and brightness levels of its host star were correct and to increase the accuracy of the planet and its orbit. A paper detailing the discovery of the new planet, which is located 1,400 light-years from Earth, will be published in The Astronomical Journal.

The Kepler team has also added more than 500 new exoplanet candidates based on an analysis of observations conducted between May 2009 and May 2013. This brings the number of candidates, which are planets found by the Kepler mission that still need to be verified as actual planets, thus far to 4,696. Twelve of those new potential planets orbit in their star’s habitable zone and have a diameter no larger than twice that of Earth’s, including nine orbiting G2 stars like the sun.

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Feature Image: This artist’s concept compares Earth (left) to the new planet, called Kepler-452b, which is about 60 percent larger in diameter. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)

Health

Scientists believe people have a sixth basic taste: Fat

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Experts have long asserted that humans have the ability to detect six basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami – but now a team of researchers from Purdue University have apparently found that we also possess the ability to detect a sixth flavor – the taste of fat.

According to ABC News reports, the study authors recruited volunteers, gave them nose clips to prevent them from mistaking a food’s aroma for taste, and then had them try a series of different concentrated samples. The tastes were then labeled as one of the known flavors, or “blank.”

Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the study participants were able to distinguish a sample rich in fatty acid content from other members of the group, telling the researchers that concentrations of shorter fatty acid chains were somewhat sour, and longer ones were uniquely pungent in taste.

The research indicates that people can detect a one-of-a-kind flavor in fat, which has been called “oleogustus” (a combination of the Latin terms for oil and taste) by the study authors, according to Forbes. As surprising as it is that fat has a distinctive taste, the website notes that it is equally surprising that the study participants described it as an unpleasant one.

Findings could provide new insight into the human senses

When combined with other tastes, smells and textures, fat is used to enrich food, making it more attractive to people. Fatty acids on their own, however, evoked the opposite reaction amongst the study participants. So why do we like fatty foods and dislike fatty acids on their own?

“We have a situation where one form of fat is adding to the appeal of food and may encourage intake. While with another, the taste signal is aversive, discouraging consumption,” lead author Richard Mattes explained to Forbes. One possible explanation is that fatty acids tend to build up as fats break down, giving the consumer the impression that the food is going bad.

Mattis told ABC News that additional research is needed, but that the findings could provide new insight into how humans react to different types of foods. By understanding how the body detects the flavor of fat, scientist may be able to determine if this taste has an impact on how some foods are metabolized, while also gaining new insight into how a person’s senses operate.

“Fat taste oral signaling, and the different signals caused by different alkyl chain lengths, may hold implications for food product development, clinical practice, and public health policy,” the study authors wrote earlier this month in the Oxford University journal Chemical Senses.

Science

Oldest known Quran fragments found at UK university

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Fragments believed to be the oldest surviving pages of the Muslim holy book the Quran have been discovered as part of a collection of Middle Eastern texts and documents at the University of Birmingham in England, according to various media reports.

The manuscript has been radiocarbon dating found the manuscript was at least 1,370 years old, which BBC News said would make it among the earliest in existence. The document was made of sheep or goat skin, and was found by Alba Fedeli, a Ph. D. researcher at the university.

According to the New York Times, Fedeli was studying a text and found that two of its pages did not appear to have the same scripts as a similar, more recent Quranic manuscript. She convinced the university to have the document sent out for radiocarbon testing, which revealed that the text was old enough to have been transcribed by a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad.

Susan Worrall, the university’s director of special collections, told BBC News that they never “in our wildest dreams” expected the document to be as old as it is. Dr. Muhammad Isa Waley of the British Library added that it was an “exciting discovery” that would make Muslims “rejoice.”

Parchment dated to between AD 568 and 645

The pages discovered at the Birmingham library contained portions of what are now Chapters 18 and 20, the New York Times said, and consisted of a pair of parchment leaves that had mistakenly been found with leaves belonging to a similar manuscript. Radiocarbon analysis dated the pages to between AD 568 and 645 with a 95.4 percent accuracy, the university added.

They explained that the testing was conducted at a laboratory at the University of Oxford. This result places the leaves at around the same time as the Prophet Muhammad, who is believed to have lived between AD 570 and 632. The Birmingham researchers conclude that this is among the earliest written textual evidence of the Islamic holy book still in existence today.

“By separating the two leaves and analysing the parchment, we have brought to light an amazing find,” Worrall said, adding that the radiocarbon dating outcome “contributes significantly to our understanding of the earliest written copies of the Quran… We are thrilled that such an important historical document is here in Birmingham, the most culturally diverse city in the UK.”

Professor David Thomas, Professor of Christianity and Islam and Nadir Dinshaw Professor of Interreligious Relations at the university, added that the tests “yield the strong probability that the animal from which it was taken was alive during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad… This means that the parts of the Qur’an that are written on this parchment can, with a degree of confidence, be dated to less than two decades after Muhammad’s death.”

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Health

Teens having less sex now than in the ’80s

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

The number of sexually-active teenagers in the US is at its lowest point in a quarter of a century, and less than half as many 15- to 19-year-olds are having intercourse compared with those living during the 1980s, according to a new National Center for Health Statistics report.

According to CNN and AFP reports, the study found that 44 percent of female teenagers and 47 percent of males had engaged in sexual intercourse in 2011 through 2013. That marked a decline of 14 percent for females and 22 percent for males over the past 25 years, the NCHS said.

In comparison, 60 percent of teenage boys and 51 percent of teenage girls were sexually active in 1988. Forty-four percent of female teens were sexually active in 2006-2010, and in teenage boys, 46 percent reported having had intercourse at least once during the agency’s 2002 study.

The findings are based on the National Survey of Family Growth, which was conducted between 1988 and 2013, and which investigated nationwide estimates of sexual activity, contraceptive use and childbearing amongst 2,225 American teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19.

First-time contraception use linked to decreased likelihood of teenage childbirth

The NCHS study found that there was little change in the rates of contraceptive use since 2002. The agency reported that in 202, 94 percent of female teens had used a condom at least once. In the latest study, that number increased slightly, to 97 percent. Nearly all males (99 percent) said that they used a method of contraception during their first sexual encounter.

During the early teen years (ages 15 and 16), males were more likely to have had sexual relations than females, but the probabilities among the genders were nearly equal by age 17. Among boys, 18 percent reported having had sex by age 15, 44 percent by age 17 and 69 percent by age 19. In girls, 13 percent had sex by age 15, 43 percent by age 17 and 68 percent by age 19.

NCHS statistician Gladys M. Martinez, one of the study’s authors, told CNN that the study also found that teens that waited until at least age 18 to have sex were more likely than younger teens to use contraceptives, likely because they were more educated about sex and pregnancy. Females that did not use contraceptives the first time they had sex were also found to be between two and five times more likely to have a baby before reaching the age of 20.

“Female teenagers who used a method of contraception at first sexual intercourse were less likely to have had a birth in their teen years than those who did not,” the report noted. “Understanding these patterns and trends in sexual activity, contraceptive use, and their impact on teen pregnancy can help provide context regarding the recent decline in the US teen birth rate.”

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Science

DNA discovery: Modern Amazonians linked to indigenous Australians

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

A new genetic analysis led by researchers at Harvard University has found a common ancestor shared by some Amazonians and the indigenous peoples of Australia and New Guinea, suggesting that the first Americans did not arrive in a single wave as believed.

According to Smithsonian.com, the prevailing theory is that a lone group of humans travelled over a land bridge connecting Eurasia and modern-day Alaska some 15,000 years ago. This new research, however, suggests that it is unlikely that all Native Americans descended from just one group, and that two different groups might have migrated from one continent to the other.

“Our results suggest this working model that we had is not correct,” study co-author and Harvard geneticist David Reich explained to the website. The findings, which were published in the latest edition of the journal Nature, suggest that “there’s another early population that founded modern Native American populations” – a group originating from Australasia, he added.

Findings cast doubt on existing single-migration theories

The origins of the original Americans have long been a topic of debate, Smithsonian.com noted. Previous research has linked ancient humans to ancestral populations from Eurasia, and even Reich’s team had previously found evidence supporting the single-migration theory. In their new study, however, the genetic evidence appears to tell a different story.

Reich and colleague Pontus Skoglund found that the Suruí and Karitiana peoples of the Amazon were more closely related to the indigenous people of Australia, New Guinea and the Andaman Islanders than they were to Eurasians. Along with a team of Brazilian scientists, they analyzed the genomes of 30 Native American groups in Central and South America, using four different techniques to compare them to those of nearly 200 other global populations.

They found that three Amazonian groups (the Suruí, the Karitiana and the Xavante) were each more closely related with Australasians than any group in Siberia. Since these groups have as much in common with Australians as they do with New Guineans, the study authors believe that each of them share a common ancestry that dates back tens of thousands of years ago.

“We spent a lot of time being sceptical and incredulous about the finding and trying to make it go away, but it just got stronger,” Reich told Nature. He, Skoglund, and their colleagues believe that these ancestors had also crossed the Bering land bridge, but were ultimately replaced by first Americans over most of North and South America. “We think this is an ancestry that… crossed Beringia at some point, but has been overwritten by later events,” he added.

Science

How kiwi birds adapted to their nocturnal lifestyles

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

By sequencing the genome of the kiwi bird for the first time, researchers have found that these flightless, New Zealand-based ratites posses altered DNA that eliminates color vision and cause it to have a modified sense of smell, according to a new Genome Biology paper.

These genes, lead author Dr. Diana Le Duc from the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany and her colleagues report, helps to explain the nocturnal behavior of the kiwi, which are also well known for their well developed sense of smell, their low metabolic rate and the size of their eggs relative to body size.

Dr. Le Duc’s team sequenced a pair of North Island brown kiwi, marking the first time that the birds have had their genome sequenced and revealing that their genomes are among the largest bird genomes sequenced to date. Furthermore, their work identified several of the evolutionary changes behind the kiwi’s unique adaptations to nocturnal behavior.

She and her co-author Torsten Schöneberg of the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Leipzig told redOrbit that it took them nearly four years to fully assemble and annotate the kiwi’s genome, and that despite several attempts to fill in most of the sequence gaps, some remained.

Loss of color vision was the biggest surprise

According to the authors, this study marks the first time that researchers have found evidence that kiwi lack color vision, and that their olfactory receptors likely detect a larger range of odors that help the birds forage during the nighttime. These adaptations appear to have occurred some 35 million years ago, shortly after the birds first arrived in New Zealand.

The gene responsible for black and white vision in the kiwi, rhodopsin, was found to be close to that found in other vertebrates, the researchers noted. They also identified mutations in the green and blue vision receptor genes which may render the kiwi unable to see in those hues as well.

Drs. Le Duc and Schöneberg said that “the loss of color vision, especially the mutations that led to the inactivation of the receptors” was “the most surprising finding” of their research. This was “further supported when we sequenced the green opsin in other kiwi species” and found that “all of them had the same inactivation mechanism,” but no other ratites did.

Findings important to kiwi conservation efforts

Despite of efforts to protect the species, North Island brown kiwi continue to face a high risk of extinction, the researchers noted. They compared the sequence of two individuals and found that the diversity of their genomes appeared to be as low as that of inbred birds – a sign of the serious threat to the kiwi species as a whole, Dr. LeDuc explained in a statement.

She and Dr. Schöneberg told redOrbit that their findings “could be very relevant to conservation efforts, especially because as far as we know for the moment kiwi eggs are successfully collected from the wild, assisted in the hatching process, and chicks are released back to the wild at an age when they can successfully protect themselves from predators like stoats.”

“Knowing the diversity of the kiwi population can be achieved much easier using the genome as a reference to which other sequenced kiwi birds can be compared and an informed decision can be made in regard to the need of mixing different populations to reduce inbreeding,” they added.

Space

NASA releases first close-up images of Pluto’s moons Nix and Hydra

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

For the first time, space enthusiasts and astronomy buffs are able to get a good look at two of Pluto’s smaller moons, as NASA officials have released new images of Nix and Hydra captured by the New Horizon’s spacecraft during its flyby of the distant dwarf planet.

According to The Telegraph and The Verge, both satellites are roughly the same size but could not be much different in other ways. Nix resembles a pink jelly bean that is 26 miles long and 22 miles wide, while Hydra is a lopsided moon that is marked by multiple dips and curves.

The images were taken by New Horizon’s Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on July 14, and at the time the photographs were taken, the probe was 102,000 miles away from Nix and 143,000 miles away from Hydra. Though blurry, the images are far higher in quality than earlier pictures of the moons, thanks to the high-resolution of the LORRI instrument.

These new images are the best obtained yet of both Nix and Hydra, which were only discovered 10 years ago using the Hubble Space Telescope. Interestingly, The Telegraph noted that the team behind that feat was led by New Horizons project scientist Hal Weaver from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

An up-close and personal look at these miniature moons

While the majority of the surface color of Nix is grayish in color, it also has a distinctive red tint in one area resembling a bull’s-eye. NASA researchers believe this feature could be a crater, and once additional data is downlinked to Earth, they should learn more about this unusual area.

“Additional compositional data has already been taken of Nix, but is not yet downlinked. It will tell us why this region is redder than its surroundings,” said Carly Howett, a mission scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She told The Telegraph that the findings were “so tantalizing” that it was “hard to be patient for more Nix data to be downlinked.”

As for Hydra, the shape of the moon has been compared to that of the state of Michigan, and the surface of the moon appears to be home to at least two craters, one of which is located primarily in the shadows, according to NASA. The upper portion of Hydra is darker in appearance than the rest of the moon, suggesting that different areas may have different compositions. Finally, based on the images, scientists estimate that it is about 34 miles long and 25 miles wide.

“Before last week, Hydra was just a faint point of light, so it’s a surreal experience to see it become an actual place, as we see its shape and spot recognizable features on its surface for the first time,” mission science collaborator Ted Stryk from Tennessee’s Roane State Community College told The Verge.

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Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI

Health

Drinking coffee could reduce a person’s risk of Type 2 diabetes

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

New research has reinforced the previously-discovered ability of coffee to reduce a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, showing that regular consumption of the caffeinated beverage has an anti-inflammatory affect that can protect against the disease.
According to The Huffington Post, lead investigator Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos of Harokopio University’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in Athens, Greece, and his colleagues found that people had at least 1.5 cups of coffee per day were more than half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes over a 10-year period than those who consumed less than 1.5 cups per day.
“Extensive research has revealed that coffee drinking exhibits both beneficial and aggravating health effects. An inverse relation between coffee intake and diabetes has been reported in many prospective studies whereas some have yielded insignificant results,” Panagiotakos, whose study appears in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, told Reuters Health via email.
Reduced serum amyloid levels may explain the link
In their research, Panagiotakos and his team recruited 1,300 men and women over the age of 18 and placed them in one of three categories: “Casual” coffee drinkers who consumed less than 1.5 cups per day, “habitual” coffee drinkers who drank more than that, and non-coffee drinkers.
They also measured their daily coffee consumption and monitored their blood levels to measure antioxidant levels and inflammation in each of the subjects. A decade later, the authors followed up with the participants and found that while 13 percent of the men and 12 percent of the women had developed diabetes, habitual coffee drinkers were 54 percent less likely do so.
Panagiotakos told Reuters that the findings accounted for other factors, including smoking, high blood pressure, family history of the disease and intake of other caffeinated beverages. The study authors believe that levels of serum amyloid, one of the body’s inflammatory markers, may help explain some of the apparently link between coffee consumption and diabetes risk.
While the authors wrote that the “anti-inflammatory effect of several coffee components may be responsible” for the observed protection from the disease, Panagiotakos noted that while coffee’s antioxidant components “may be beneficial,” that “more research is needed” to know for sure. It is possible that other factors are also involved, he told Reuters.
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Health

Does becoming a dad make you fat?

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edited: July 23, 2015

Christopher Pilny

You know that whole “dad bod” thing that became a viral trend recently? Turns out there might be something to it, as new research from Northwestern University has found that males gain an average of more than four pounds after becoming a father for the first time.

In a study published Tuesday in the American Journal of Men’s Health, Dr. Craig Garfield, an associate professor of pediatrics and of medical social sciences at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and his colleagues explained how they tracked the body weights of more than 10,000 males from adolescence through young adulthood.

They found that the typical six-foot-tall man who lives with his child gained an average of about 4.4 points after becoming a first-time dad, while a similar male who does not live with his child gained approximately 3.3 pounds. That represents a body mass index increase of 2.6 percent for resident dads and a 2.0 percent BMI increase for non-resident dads.

In comparison, the average six-foot-tall man who was not a father actually lost 1.4 pounds over the same time period, Dr. Garfield’s team reported. The study is said to be one of the first to look at the impact of fatherhood on BMI, a major biomarker of overall health, they noted.

Eating habits, lifestyle changes likely to blame

“Fatherhood can affect the health of young men, above the already known effect of marriage,” said Dr. Garfield, who is also an attending pediatrician at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “The more weight the fathers gain and the higher their BMI, the greater risk they have for developing heart disease as well as diabetes and cancer.”

The weight gain observed in first-time fathers was in addition to the increase that results from marriage, the researchers noted, and controlled for other factors that could contribute to added pounds, such as age, race, income, education, screen time and daily activity. So what do new dads pack on the pounds? It may be due to changes in lifestyle and eating habits.

“You have new responsibilities when you have your kids and may not have time to take care of yourself the way you once did in terms of exercise. Your family becomes the priority,” explained Dr. Garfield, adding that many dads “clean their kids plates’ after every mean,” which oftentimes means cleaning up pizza, cookies, ice cream and other less-healthy snack foods.

The study authors believe that pediatricians could help curb these trends by giving advice to the fathers of their patients, many of whom do not have a primary care physician of their own since they believe that they’re too young and in too good of health to require their own doctor.

“New dads are coming into the health care system as a pediatric chaperone. This is an opportunity… to offer dads nutritional counseling and mental health education,” Dr. Garfield said. “The medical field needs to think about how can we help these men of child-rearing age who often don’t come to the doctor’s office for themselves.”

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Health

Study: What makes a penis ‘good-looking’?

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

A recent study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine has attempted to help males with feelings of inadequacy by determining what exactly females find attractive in penises.

The examination stemmed from research into hypospadias, one of the most common penile malformations. (It occurs in around 1 in 200 live male births.) In hypospadias, the urethral opening is misplaced, and generally is corrected by surgery within the first year of life.

Despite the quick fix, men who have undergone this surgery are still reported to be less satisfied with their penile appearance and size than men without hypospadias, and are reported to be concerned about their genitalia appearing abnormal. Before this study, it was unclear whether the hypospadias-affected surgically repaired genitals (HASRGs) appeared abnormal to others as well, and in general what part of penile appearance was relevant to women (and therefore played a role in considering one “normal”).

So, the researchers decided to investigate whether HASRGs are considered “normal”-looking as compared to unaffected circumcised genitals, along with what women considered to be relevant aspects of penile appearance.

105 women of varying ages, sexual histories, and socioeconomic backgrounds were given pictures of HASRGs and circumcised genitals, and were asked to rate them on a four-point scale of “normalcy”. Then, the women were also given a questionnaire that asked them to rate, on a scale of one to five, how important certain aspects were in a penis. There were eight aspects in total: penile length, penile girth, position and shape of meatus (urethral opening), shape of glans, appearance of scrotum, shape of penile skin, appearance of pubic hair, and general cosmetic appearance.

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The results

These two exercises were given in a different order for half the group, in case the pictures altered the priorities of the women—and in fact, it did affect the ratings in that group. However, there were several areas in which all of the women agreed.

First: The genitals of the HASRGs were generally ranked as normal by the women, and the position and shape of the urethral opening was ranked as dead last in importance.

Second: Penile length came in sixth place for importance—the women agreed that the “general cosmetic appearance” of penises was the most important aspect for them.

In summation, men with hypospadias-affected surgically repaired genitals seem to have little to worry about, and men in general should focus on their “cosmetic appearance”. The researchers hope these findings improve male morale.

“The information may help prevent the development of shame or impaired genital perceptions about penile appearance,” said Dr. Norma Ruppen, lead author of the study, in a statement.

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Science

Newborns process words similarly to adults

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

Brian Galloway

Your brain uses the first and last syllables in order to recognize words, and now researchers from the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Italy have found that this mechanism is even present in newborn children.

Writing in the journal Developmental Science, the SISSA researchers and colleagues from Udine Hospital found that infants are already capable of processing language as early as two days after being born. The research showed that two day old newborns were already sensitive to the most important parts of spoken words.

The team claimed in a statement that this emphasis on the “edges of words” has been observed in older children and adults, as those individuals are better able to remember the edges of linguistic sequences when they have to recall and recognize specific words. This is due to the fact that the brain places more value on information at the edges, they added.

Lead author and SISSA researcher Alissa Ferry stated, “The syllables at the beginnings and the ends of words often carry important information. For example, the parts of words that contain information about plurality of objects or verb tense are almost always found at the beginning or at the end of words in all known languages.”

Infant brains responded to subtle changes to edge syllables

Ana Flo, a researcher involved in the study, explained that this is “a pervasive phenomenon” and that her team’s findings indicate that it is present in humans at birth. This study builds on previous research conducted at SISSA, which discovered that the encoding ability existed in pre-linguistic babies between the ages of seven and eight months.

Study author and SISSA researcher Perrine Brusini explained the test: “The infants heard a sequence of six syllables and we examined if they could discriminate it from a very similar sequence in which we switched the positions of two of the syllables.

When we switched the edge syllables, the newborns’ brain responded to the change, but when we switched the two syllables in the middle, they did not respond to the change.”

This observation suggests that the newborns were better at encoding the syllables at the edges of the sequence than the parts in the middle, the researchers said. In another series of experiments, the authors added a break in continuity and sequence between the two middle syllables to see if the newborns would react.

According to Flo, they introduced a nearly imperceptible 25-millisecond pause between the syllables and found that the infants’ brains treated the syllables as if they were two separate and distinct, smaller words, responding accordingly when the syllables changed. The authors concluded that this shows that the cognitive mechanisms that make it so that humans better encode information at the edges of words are present even in newborn children.

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Image credit: Thinkstock

Health

Researchers establish link between sleep patterns, cancer

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Having unusual sleep patterns could increase cancer risk, according to new research printed in the journal Current Biology which found that disrupting the internal body rhythm of mice leads to decreased tumor suppression and other potentially harmful health issues.

In the study, experts from Erasmus University Medical Center Department of Genetics and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands found that chronic circadian rhythm disturbance (CRD) in mice made it more difficult for them to fight off cancer, and that they also put on weight, despite eating the same amount of food.

The researchers exposed breast-cancer prone rodents to chronic CRD by exposing them to an alternating light-dark cycle that delayed their body clock 12 hours each week for a period of one year. While the breast-cancer prone mice typically had tumors appear an after an average of 50 weeks, the sleep pattern disruptions caused them to appear eight weeks earlier.

The study also showed that the creatures were 20 percent heavier, even though they ate the same amount of food as normal mice, according to BBC News. This is said to provide the first-ever experimental proof that sleep disruption could increase the risk of breast cancer, and shows that internal desynchronization and unusual patterns of slumber could also be linked to obesity.

Night shift work could cause breast cancer five years earlier

While the study authors said that their findings demonstrate that women with a family risk of breast cancer should not work unusual hours, they also told the BBC that additional tests were needed to determine if disrupting the body clock also increases disease risk in humans.

The UK media outlet added that while it is difficult to interpret the findings and apply them to people, the authors estimated that the equivalent effect could be adding an extra 10 kilograms or 22 pounds of body weight in terms of weight, and developing breast cancer five years earlier in women who are at risk due to their family history.

“I consider this study to give the definitive experimental proof, in mouse models, that circadian [body clock] disruption can accelerate the development of breast cancer,” Dr. Michael Hastings from the UK’s Medical Research Council told BBC News. “The general public health message… is shift work, particularly rotational shift work is a stress and therefore it has consequences.”

“There are things people should be looking out for – pay more attention to your body weight, pay more attention to inspecting breasts, and employers should offer more in-work health checks,” he added. “If we’re going to do it, then let’s keep an eye on people and inform them.”

In a statement, the researchers noted that while the current study demonstrates that the chronic disruption of the biological clock and sleep patterns plays a role, epidemiological studies will be needed to fully determine the health risks of working the night shift. However, it will be another three to five years before the results of these studies will emerge, they added.

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Technology

YouTube now draws more viewers than any cable network

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

Christopher Pilny

YouTube is now watched by more people than MTV, ESPN and even HBO – in fact, more 18 to 49 year olds watch the streaming video service than any single cable network, Google told media outlets during their quarterly earnings call earlier this week.

According to Forbes and Digital Trends, Google said during the earnings call that YouTube is not only more popular than any individual US cable network among the key 18- to 49-year-old demographic, but that the site has seen “significant growth” over the past three months.

In fact, business officer Omid Kordestani told reporters that visitors to YouTube’s homepage had increased by a factor of three year-over-year, and that watch time on the video website was up 60 percent during that same period. According to TechCrunch, that represents its fastest growth rate in two years, and mobile watch time has more than doubled over the past year.

Mobile users are currently spending an average of more than 40 minutes watching videos on YouTube, an increase of more than 50 percent since 2014. Furthermore, the number of movie publishers earning at least $100,000 through YouTube is up 50 percent year-over-year.

Experts says findings reflect changes in video viewing habits

The statistics “reflect a significant sea change in the way that people today are consuming video content,” according to TechCrunch. “We’re no longer spending as much time watching big screen TV in living rooms, but are shifting much of our viewing to other platforms, including our phones and tablets.”

“For YouTube in particular, session times of this length mean that the video-sharing network is no longer just a place users land to watch a single video – like something they’ve been pointed to via a friend, or a post on social media or a news site, for example,” the website added. “Instead, YouTube is now serving as a place where users are watching a series of videos back-to-back.”

A recent study from Miner & Co. found that television is no longer the primary option kids use to entertain themselves, which 57 percent of parents reporting that their children prefer watching video content on mobile devices. Furthermore, 58 percent of kids that live in households with at least one tablet have their own device which they can use to watch YouTube.

Digital Trends noted that the figures are indicative of “shifting habits as far as online video goes: Users (particularly younger ones) are now more comfortable with watching longer videos on computers and smartphones.” Of course, as the website also pointed out, “increased mobile download speeds and bigger phone screen sizes don’t hurt either.”

Science

Michelangelo used Golden Ratio to paint ‘The Creation of Adam’

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

Christopher Pilny

In recent years, debates have arisen over whether certain Renaissance artists intentionally hid images or messages inside Church-commissioned art, or if the art was merely supposed to be taken as they generally were for hundreds of years: simple representations of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

New research out of Brazil adds to those in favor of the secret images, as scientists discovered the Golden Ratio inside Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”.

For those of you who have forgotten The Da Vinci Code, the Golden Ratio—also known as the Divine Proportion or φ—is a ratio classically associated with greater structural efficiency, beauty, harmony, and perfection. The ratio is extensively present in nature—it’s found from the spiral shells of mollusks to the ratio of nervous fibers to the shape of spiral galaxies—but also in many famous works of art as well, including da Vinci’s art and Debussy’s musical compositions.

In “The Creation of Adam”, God is in the process of delivering life to Adam, but previous research has raised interesting questions about what exactly Michelangelo intended it to mean. Michelangelo was not only a master painter, but he was an expert in human anatomy after dissecting numerous cadavers, and previously discovered in The Creation is a detailed side view of the human brain surrounding God.

Some experts have interpreted this as God giving humans a touch of the divine by giving them intellect, not life—as Adam is already fully formed and apparently alive. This led the current researchers to look more closely at The Creation, because it would not be out of the realm of possibility for such an accomplished anatomist to grasp the significance of the Golden Ratio.

The researchers conducted two simple tests. First, they looked at the panel of The Creation in which God gives life to Adam. They researchers divided the panel in two at the very point in which God gives Adam his “divine part”—the gap between their fingers—and then calculated the ratio of the lengths of each section. The ratio of the two (1.6) equaled that of the Divine Proportion.

Then, they compared where the panel was in relation to the rest of the ceiling, using the finger gap again as the dividing point. Once again, they came up with the Golden Ratio.

There is a chance that this is completely coincidental, but the authors believe Michelangelo was more than capable of finding and using the Golden Ratio.

“Given this discovery, it is assumed that the beauty and harmony found in all the works of Michelangelo may not be based solely on his anatomical knowledge. We believe that in all probability, Michelangelo knew that anatomical structures incorporating the GR [Golden Ratio] offer greater structural efficiency and, therefore, used the GR to enhance the aesthetic quality of his works,” they wrote in the publication.

“We believe that this discovery will bring a new dimension to the great work of Michelangelo,” added Dr. Deivis de Campos, author of the Clinical Anatomy study, in a statement.

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Science

Fossil fuel emissions may ruin radiocarbon dating

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Fossil fuel emissions have been blamed for global climate change and the melting of polar ice, but research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that they might also hamper our ability to determine exactly how old fossils or relics are.

According to BBC News, the authors report that the carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels over the next century could make radiocarbon dating, the method used by scientists to precisely determine the age of a vast array of different artifacts, considerably less accurate.

“A wide array of scientific disciplines and industries use radiocarbon analyses; for example, it is used in dating of archaeological specimens and in forensic identification of human and wildlife tissues, including traded ivory,” the authors wrote. However, fossil fuel emissions include a type of carbon that, when released into the atmosphere, and confuse the dating process.

Potential lack of carbon-14 to blame

Radiocarbon dating measures carbon-14, a radioactive form of the element that is produced in the atmosphere and absorbed by plants through photosynthesis. Animals that eat plants ingest carbon-14 (also known as 14C), allowing scientists to determine the age of anything organic in nature by comparing 14C levels to the non-radioactive carbon content of a sample.

Over the next 100 years, however, the researchers predict that fossil fuels “will produce a large amount of CO2 with no 14C,” because all of the carbon-14 would have been lost over several million years of radioactive decay. Thus, newly produced organic material will appear to have aged or lost 14C through decay, thus potentially making fresh organic material produced in the year 2050 all but indistinguishable from samples that are 1,000 years older.

“As carbon-14 decays over time the fraction will decrease so that’s how we use it for dating,” study author Dr. Heather Graven of the Imperial College London Department of Physics and Grantham Institute told BBC News. “But we can also change this ratio of radioactive carbon to total carbon, if we are adding non-radioactive carbon and that’s what’s happening with fossil fuels, we get this dilution effect.”

Emission levels over the next 100 years to determine strength of dilution effect

Dr. Graven’s research investigated the likely carbon emissions pathways over the next 100 years and found that increased in non-radioactive carbon could begin impacting radiocarbon dating by as early as the year 2020. In time, some current applications for 14C could completely stop being usable, while other applications of the technique would be strongly affected.

“If we did any current measurements on new products, they will end up having the same fraction of radiocarbon to total carbon as something that’s lost it over time due to decay,” said Dr. Graven. “So if we just measure the fraction they’ll look like they have the same age for radiocarbon dating.”

“It really depends on how much emissions increase or decrease over the next century, in terms of how strong this dilution effect gets,” she told the BBC. “If we reduce emissions rapidly we might stay around a carbon age of 100 years in the atmosphere but if we strongly increase emissions we could get to an age of 1,000 years by 2050 and around 2,000 years by 2100.”

Technology

Eye, Robot: World’s first bionic eye surgery completed

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 22, 2015 Last Edited: July 22, 2015

Christopher Pilny

For the first time, surgeons have implanted a bionic eye in a patient with age-related macular degeneration, allowing him to see using a retinal implant that converts video images from a tiny camera equipped to his glasses, various media outlets are reporting.

According to BBC News, doctors in Manchester implanted the device in 80-year-old Ray Flynn, a man who had experienced compete loss of his central vision due to the condition. Flynn is now able to make out the direction of white lines on a computer screen thanks to the implant.

Flynn, who contracted AMD eight years ago, received the implant in June and can now make out the faces of his family and watch television, The Telegraph reported. In addition, he can even see with his eyes shut and is reportedly the first man to possess both artificial and natural vision.

The device used in his procedure was the Argus II implant, which is manufacturer by US-based Second Sight and was previously used to restore vision to patients suffering from the condition retinitis pigmentosa. The operation was performed at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.

Patient’s vision should continue to improve, doctors say

The Argus II operates by converting video images captured using the miniature camera into a series of small electrical pulses, which are then transmitted wirelessly to electrodes which were placed on the surface of Flynn’s retina. Those electrodes them stimulate the remaining cells on the retina, which in turn sends the information to the brain for processing.

Following the procedure, Flynn, a retired engineer, told The Telegraph, “I can now actually see the face of my brother, and watching Manchester United on the television is easier. I have central vision now which I haven’t had for eight years… My brain is still trying to catch up and work out what is going on, but I have been told it will continue to get better.”

Flynn was implanted with the device during an operation on June 16, and the Argus II system was activated on July 1. He immediately started being able to make out the outlines of his family and even various objects, even with his eyes closed. Ophthalmologist Paulo Stanga said that his progress was “truly remarkable” and said that his vision should continue to improve.

Flynn suffered from the dry form of AMD, which Stanga said is “a common, but untreatable condition” that is the leading cause of slight loss in much of the world and which is becoming more common due to the aging population. “This technology is revolutionary and changes patients’ lives – restoring some functional vision and helping them to live more independently.,” he added. “As far as I am concerned, the first results of the trial are a total success.”

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Health

Antibody from experimental vaccine tricks bird flu

Written By: Sanjay Mishra

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Those dreaded flu shots! You might wonder why we need them every year. Our blood contains red and white cells. The red blood cells shuttle oxygen across the body and the white cells provide immunity. The white blood cells include T cells and B cells. The B cells mature in the bone marrow, hence the name: B cells.

The B cells are like the “Special Agents” in the body’s adaptive immunity. Each B cell is tasked to recognize a single enemy, say, a strain of virus. The mature B cells produce “antibodies”, which are proteins tailored to fit very tightly around a part of the virus called “antigen”. When an antibody encounters its targeted antigen, it binds with it very tightly, rendering the antigen harmless. This is the mechanism which protects us after immunization, against a weakened virus.

Among the B cells, the Memory B cells are like the wise old women of the tribe. They remember the old antigens – the viral strains, long after the infection is cured and has since forgotten by the younger B cells. The yearly vaccination awakens and boosts those already existing memory B-cells to recognize closely related seasonal viral strains. But when a new virus, like the bird flu virus – H5N1 strikes, we have no pre-existing immunity.

The viruses wear a coat of proteins called hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). They use these HN proteins to latch onto the receptors of their choice on our cells. After latching, the viruses gain entry to our cells by hitchhiking transporter proteins of our cell. These HN spikes make flu viruses different from each other: much like a porcupine from a hedgehog! Flu viruses can have any of the 18 different H subtypes and 11 different N subtypes. The H1N1 is the seasonal flu virus, but the H5N1 is a never before seen strain. The H5N1 virus does not anchor well to humans yet because it needs a special kind of sugar link – alpha (2,3) on its target. The alpha (2,3) link is common in ducks, but is rare in humans. However, fast evolving viruses can quickly acquire a new deadly skill: to anchor well with the type of sugar link the humans have – alpha (2,6).

An answer

Thankfully, Vanderbilt University researchers Ben Spiller, James Crowe, and colleagues have previously shown an experimental vaccine that can produce antibodies capable of killing a potentially very dangerous H5N1 strain created in laboratory. From the blood of a healthy donor, who was injected with the experimental vaccine during a clinical trial, they isolated a highly potent antibody.

Now, these same scientists have also discovered how this antibody neutralizes the bird flu virus. Writing in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, they describe that this antibody – H5.3 poses like the type of the sugar link – alpha (2,3) the virus needs to latch onto human cells. The antibody then alters its structure after binding with the hemagglutinin spike of the bird flu virus, in an unprecedented manner.

The Vanderbilt scientists highlighted that the antibody is highly flexible and has a changeable structure like other still maturing antibodies. They emphasized that repeated “challenges” through immunization or infections are the best way to maintain a robust immunity against continuously evolving viruses. They also suggested that a “universal flu vaccine” thus may require multiple exposures against diverse antigens.

Technology

Ford unveils smart headlights designed to spot obstacles, pedestrians

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Ford is the latest auto manufacturer looking to make nighttime driving safer for people behind the wheel – not to mention other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and animals – through the use of new smart headlight technology designed to help prevent accidents.

According to Wired, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automotive giant’s new Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System and Spot Lighting systems can widen car headlights when a car goes around a corner and uses an array of sensors to learn more about its surroundings.

The technology combines GPS data, front-facing infrared cameras, and swiveling headlights to better illuminate the road and help motorists spot potential hazards. In addition, the systems use infrared cameras to detect the body heat of people and large animals on the road ahead.

These improved high beams can shine on as many as eight pedestrians, cyclists or creatures, said Engadget, and the technology is also able to highlight them on the vehicle’s in-car entertainment system by making them appear in yellow boxes. While the Spot Lighting technology is not ready the camera-based Front Lighting System will be added to cars in the near future.

Technology to hit Europe and Asia (but probably not the US)

Once it is available, the Smart Lighting system will reportedly be able to spot larger things at a range of up to 120 meters (slightly under 400 feet), but it will not be able to see smaller animals. Unfortunately for American motorists, however, Autoblog reports that these systems are unlikely to make it to the States and are being designed for the European and Asian markets.

“Many people who drive at night have had to quickly react to someone or something suddenly appearing in the road – as if from nowhere,” Ken Washington, VP of Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford, explained in a statement. “Ford’s Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System and Spot Lighting help ensure the driver is quickly alerted to people or animals that could present a danger.”

“Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting can help make it easier for the driver to travel at night in unfamiliar surroundings, and to more easily see unexpected hazards,” added Michael Koherr, research engineer, Lighting Systems, Ford of Europe. “At roundabouts, for example, our system helps the driver to clearly see the exits – and check if cyclists and pedestrians are crossing the road. Spot Lighting makes potential hazards in the road ahead more easily visible to the driver – whether that is a pedestrian, a cyclist, or even a large animal.”

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Image Credit: Ford

Fibromyalgia

6 fibromyalgia triggers you should limit or eliminate right away

Written By: Fibromyalgia Treating

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

admin

Knowing what your triggers are for fibromyalgia is an important step in your battle to feel better. Each person will show symptoms in different ways and each person may be affected by triggers differently.

No matter who you are, there are six triggers you should work on as soon as possible; metals near your body, stress, smoking, lessen exposure to cold weather, minimize menstrual pain, and get moving.

Eliminating just one of these triggers will make you feel better, once you have done the first trigger elimination you will certainly want to make an effort to lesson all your fibromyalgia triggers.

Dental Fillings May be a Trigger, Change them and Feel Better

If you have been to the dentist lately you might have been asked if you would like to switch out your old fillings for newer ones. This is because your old fillings contain mercury and research has shown that mercury is bad for you to have in your mouth.

For fibromyalgia patients, removing your old metal fillings could just be the key to you feeling better. Other metal you are exposed to on a daily basis should also be limited as much as possible.

Talk with your dentist on your next visit to discuss a time frame for replacing your old fillings. It might take a few months or even years depending on the cost, but it is worth the time to get the metal out of your body.

High Stress Lifestyles

It might not be possible to eliminate stress from your life, but you can work to lessen this fibromyalgia trigger. A high stress life can increase headaches, elevated blood pressure and cause weight gain.

It can also contribute to a worsening of your fibromyalgia symptoms. Take stress serious and make an effort to eliminate it from your life. Reducing stress in your life might take some serious planning, so take it slow and make small steps to eliminate the biggest stressors in your life.

Take time for yourself to do some deep breathing, meditate, read or go for a walk to help reduce the feelings of stress on your body. Talk to your friends and family about other ways you can eliminate stress in your life.

Stop Smoking as Soon As Possible

We have all heard that smoking is bad for us and can cause cancer, so it is not hard to believe that smoking can also have other effects on fibromyalgia patients. Nicotine has detrimental effects on your entire body, including the functioning of your muscles.

So naturally it is a substance you will want to eliminate as soon as possible to make sure your muscles are operating at their peak. Stopping smoking can be extremely overwhelming, so take it slow.

Slowly decrease the number of cigarettes you smoke over a few weeks or even months. Any progress you can make in eliminating nicotine from your life will be helpful in making you feel better.

Does the Weather Really affect Symptoms?

Of course we cannot eliminate all weather from our lives. Living in a warmer climate may be helpful in lessening your fibromyalgia symptoms, so if you are thinking of moving, why not consider a warmer climate?

If you live in an area that has all the distinct four seasons, you can do things to limit the effects of the cold on your body. Keep your home a little warmer than what you would typically heat it to.

Consider investing in some warm blankets, slippers and sweats to wear when you are around the house. Your body will feel better bundled up and warm so it is also important to dress warmly when you are going outside into the cold weather. Wear a hat, gloves and warm coat anytime you venture outside into the winter weather.

The Role of Menstrual Cycle and What You Can Do to Lessen the Triggers

Menstrual symptoms can vary from aches, pains, cramps, high blood pressure, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and so much more. We cannot eliminate our menstrual cycle without taking drastic measures, but we can lessen the monthly exasperation of fibromyalgia.

Some important ways to lessen the control your menstrual cycle has on your health include; drinking plenty of water before and during your menstrual cycle, eliminating caffeine during this time and moderate exercise.

Water is important at all times of the month, but many women find it is extremely helpful in reducing the symptoms of menstrual cycles. Drink at least 64 ounces of fluid each day to ensure your body is eliminating waste and operating at its optimal levels.

Caffeine can contribute to irritability and cramping as well as muscle aches, so reducing or eliminating it will be helpful too.

Stop the Sedentary Lifestyle Right Away!

Exercise is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle; it is also an extremely important part of eliminating fibromyalgia triggers. A sedentary lifestyle is only going to aggravate your fibromyalgia symptoms by increasing muscle stiffness and lessening your body’s flexibility.

Reducing your sedentary lifestyle can have innumerable health benefits, weight loss, less joint pain and better circulation are all part of an active lifestyle. It may not be possible to delve straight into a highly active lifestyle so try taking it slow at first.

Start off with walking on a daily basis, walk just 5 or 10 minutes and you can start seeing the difference in how your body is feeling.

Fighting fibromyalgia takes careful consideration of the triggers which are in your life. You might have some or all of these triggers, or you might have other specific triggers. Take the time to explore the things that are making you feel better or worse on a daily bases.

Try keeping a journal to note your symptoms and observations about other items that were around you at the time. Keep track of your monthly menstrual cycle, water intake and exercise to make an effort to decrease your trigger factors. Stop smoking and talk to your physician about other changes you can make today that will help you feel better.

Further reading:

http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/166725/allergies-fibromyalgia/

http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/guide/fibromyalgia-causes

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_aggravating.html

Mothers’ chemical intolerance linked to ADHD, autism in children

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: August 30, 2018

John

Women with an intolerance to common chemicals are two to three times more likely to give birth to a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder, according to research published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

As part of the study, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio looked at 282 mothers whose children had ASD, 258 mothers of youngsters with ADHD, and 154 mothers whose children had no developmental disorders and acted as the control group.

According to their findings, chemically intolerant mothers were three times more likely to report having a child with ASD and 2.3 times more likely to have a child with ADHD. The research did not evaluate fathers and was based on replies to the QEESI (Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory) survey, which is used clinically to diagnose chemical intolerance.

Furthermore, according to Dr. Lynne P. Heilbrun, autism research coordinator at the UTHSCSA Department of Family and Community Medicine, the children of these women were found to be “significantly more sensitive” to environmental exposures such as smoke, cleaners and gas, than their peers, and were also more sensitive to infections, allergens, and chemical irritants.

Disorders also linked to chemical intolerance, allergies, food cravings

The researchers reported that mothers who had a child with ASD or ADHD reported that their children were more likely to experience illness or symptoms linked to chemical intolerance than control mothers, and that ADHD children were 1.7 times more likely and ASD children were 4.9 times more likely to have multiple infections requiring prolonged antibiotic use.

Dr. Heilbrun and her co-authors also found that ADHD children were twice as likely and ASD kids were 1.6 times more likely than control children to have allergies, and that ADHD children were two times more likely and ASD youngsters were 3.5 times more likely than control kids to experience nausea, headaches, dizziness or difficulty breathing due to exposure to smoke, nail polish remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners or cleaning agents.

Furthermore, children with ADHD were twice as likely as controls, and ASD were 4.8 times more likely, to have strong food preferences or cravings for chips, cheese, bread, pasta, sugar, salt, rice, and chocolate, the UTHSCSA researchers and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Baylor College of Medicine explained in the new study.

“The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology issued a consensus statement in 2013 saying that there is sufficient evidence linking toxic exposures to adverse birth and developmental outcomes, calling for physicians to inform women to avoid specific environmental exposures even before conception,” Dr. Heilbrun said in a statement.

“Studies that linked tobacco and alcohol to neurological disorders were available for decades before recommendations to avoid these became a major public health initiative,” she added. “Physicians have the opportunity right now to become proactive in helping mothers protect their children from neurological disorders plaguing US families.”

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Health

Diabetes drugs could treat prostate and pancreatic cancers

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Drugs currently used to treat diabetes could also be effective against some types of cancer by preventing the delivery of glucose to those cells and reducing tumor growth, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the study, scientists at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center explained how they were able to identify a new mechanism that delivers sugars that fuel the growth of prostate and pancreatic cancer cells, and which provides a potential new way to treat these diseases.

Researchers have long known that cancer cells require glucose to survive and grow, but in this latest study, the UCLA researchers identified a new method used to transport sugar molecules to tumors, as well as a new medication that could cut off this newly discovered supply line.

The three-year study found that pancreatic and prostate cancer cells can utilize glucose from sodium-dependent glucose transporters (SGLTs), and that positron emission tomography (PET) imaging techniques and SGLT2 inhibitors could be used to help doctors better diagnose and treat these life-threatening conditions, the study authors said in a statement.

So how did this discovery come about?

Dr. Ernest Wright, a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and a professor of physiology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine who co-led the research along with his colleagues Drs. Jorge Barrio and Claudio Scafoglio, explained to redOrbit that the team was imaging cancer patients with a new glucose probe for SGLTs using PET.

While doing, they found that some cancers, including prostate and glioblastomas, accumulated this new tracer, methyl-4-deoxy-4-[F-18]fluoro-D-glucopyranoside. The tracer is only imported into cells by SGLTs, Dr. Wright said, while the glucose tracer used in clinical PET, 2-deoxy-2[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose, is only accumulated by passive glucose transporters (GLUTS).

These observations, coupled with the introduction of FDA-approved drugs to block glucose reabsorption in the kidney by SGLT2 as part of the treatment of diabetes, allowed them to test whether or not these drugs acting on SGLT2 could block glucose import into tumors.

“Our study shows that 1. SGLT2 is responsible for glucose import into pancreatic and prostate tumors excised from patients; 2. PET imaging using the new SGLT tracer reduced glucose uptake into pancreatic and prostate tumors grown in mice; and 3. treatment of mice with the new diabetes drugs reduced tumor growth,” Dr. Wright told redOrbit via email.

Next steps involve UCLA-approved human trials

He and his fellow researchers now plan to conduct PET studies on cancer patients as part of a UCLA-approved human research protocol, with the goal of demonstrating that a single oral dose of a new diabetic drug could effectively reduce glucose update into their tumors.

Two one-hour PET scans will be carried out on each patient during the course of the study, Dr. Wright said. One will be a control scan, while the other will be taken after the dose of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved SGLT2 inhibitor is administered to the patient. They hope that this treatment will reduce cancer cell viability and increase patient survival.

“If such studies show that the SGLT2 reduced glucose uptake into tumors clinical trials will then be conducted to determine if treatment with the SGLT2 drugs, alone or in combination with current therapies reduce tumor growth,” Dr. Wright said. “Given that the SGLT2 inhibitors have undergone extensive trials on tens of thousands of diabetic patients with few notable side effects, extensive safely trials with cancer patients may not be required.”

He added that while the focus of these particular initial studies was on pancreatic cancer, given their high incidence and very low five-year survival rates, his team typically carries out “very basic research on the human biology of SGLTs that is not targeted to any specific disease… we move rapidly to translate our findings to major clinical problems such as diabetes and cancer.”

Space

Hawking: $100 million donated to search for ET life

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

As announced on livestream, Yuri Milner—a Russian entrepreneur and billionaire with a background in physics—is upping the ante in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Through the Breakthrough Initiatives division of his Breakthrough Prize Foundation, Milner is funding a $100 million program in one of the least funded but most well-known areas of space exploration: the search for extraterrestrial life.

The initiative—known as Breakthrough Listen—will be the largest search ever taken for intelligent life beyond our little blue marble. Using the Parkes Telescope and the Green Bank Telescope (two of the world’s most powerful telescopes), scientists will spend 10 years surveying 1,000,000 of the stars closest to Earth, along with scanning the center of the Milky Way and the entire galactic plane. Outside of our galaxy, the telescopes will be used to listen for messages from the 100 closest galaxies.

A sensitive soul

The program’s technology is 50 times more sensitive than previous programs’—from a star 25 trillion miles away, its optical search can detect the energy output of a normal household light bulb. Also, it will cover 10 times more of the sky than previous attempts, and will scan at least five times more of the radio spectrum, 100 times faster.

Further, all data will be open, and will probably end up being the largest amount of scientific data ever made available to the public. The team will be developing its own software to help sift through the data, and the software will be open source.

Not only will the software and data be available to the public, but the public will be able make their own contributions as well. The software will be compatible with telescopes around the world, allowing others to join in, and scientists will be able to share their own additions to the software to aid in the global search for universal life.

$100 million dwarfs the less than $2 million of annual funding that is normally given to this search, but scientists—including Stephen Hawking—believe it is well worth it. “There is no bigger question. It’s time to commit to finding the answer—to search for life beyond Earth,” he told reporters at the program’s launch.

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Health

Iron-rich cells in brain could lead to earlier Alzheimer’s diagnoses

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Inflammatory, iron-rich cells have been found in post-mortem tissue from the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients, and the discovery could lead to a new method of diagnosing and monitoring the progress of the neurodegenerative condition, according to a new study.

Writing in the latest edition of the journal Neurobiology of Aging, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine explained that they were found iron in specialized scavenger cells known as microglia in a specific regions of the hippocampus of these Alzheimer’s patients.

These iron deposits were not found in the post-mortem brain tissue of people who had not been diagnosed with the condition, nor were the scavenger cells found in the hippocampus, which is a part of the brain that plays a key role in memory formation, according to the study authors.

This discovery indicates that that high-field magnetic resonance imaging – specifically, 7T MRI, a cutting edge technique that uses a powerful 7-Tesla magnet – could eventually help detect and keep track of the condition earlier and better than is currently possible, they added.

Potential way to detect Alzheimer’s, but obstacles to overcome

Lead author Dr. Michael Zeineh, an assistant professor in the Stanford Department of Radiology, told redOrbit via email that he and his colleagues were “trying to investigate Alzheimer’s brain specimens with MRI to see if we can find some biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease pathology that could someday be translated to living humans” when they made the discovery.

While the research indicates that 7T MRI has potential to help detect and monitor the condition, Dr. Zeineh noted that there are “several obstacles” to overcome before that can happen.

“We are working… to try and identify this same iron/inflammation pathology that we saw in the specimens, in living humans,” he said, adding that the iron spots “are really small, so we need a really powerful camera like the 7T scanner” in order to detect them. They are currently working to figure out how to “best take advantage of this scanner, and that is the subject of studies we are planning right now to see if it will be possible. We hope it will be but don’t know right now.”

In a statement, Dr. Zeineh explained that microglia are the brain’s immune cells, and typically they are in a relaxed state – unless they encounter something suspicious, at which time they are activated. Most of the microglia found to contain iron as part of this study were in an activated state, and while these cells had previously been linked to the early-stage inflammatory pathology of the Alzheimer’s, these new findings could advance the understanding of the disease.

The authors plan to explore this link further in future research, examining more wide-ranging areas of the brain and look for additional cell types within a greater number of brain specimens. Furthermore, they intend to search for iron-filled microglia in the brains of living individuals in the early stages of neurodegeneration and pre-Alzheimer’s memory loss.

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

Space

Small spacecraft may someday be fired into space using lasers

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

In the world of science fiction, mankind journeys to other star systems in larger, multi-person spacecraft like the Enterprise or the Millennium Falcon, but now experts are proposing designs that would take interstellar vehicles in the opposite direction, making them smaller.

According to Space.com, Philip Lubin, a researcher from the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Experimental Cosmology Group, believes that firing smaller, wafer-like spacecraft into the stars using powerful lasers could be the ideal way to travel to other star systems.

In order to reach a destination far from the Milky Way in a halfway decent amount of time, a vehicle must be able to travel at high speeds. However, this raises a problem because travelling faster would require the ship to carry more propellant, and the added fuel would make it harder for the spacecraft to accelerate, thus preventing it from reaching those speeds.

To overcome this issue, researchers are imagining tiny ships that use solar, laser or microwave sails, the website explains. By surfing on the sun’s photons or by being shot from Earth orbit on a beam, a tiny spacecraft may not require an external propulsion source, the website said.

Mini-probes could make it to Mars in 30 minutes

Lubin’s proposal for these small, wafer-thin spacecraft is one of 15 proposals that have received a Phase 1 grant from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), an up to $100,000 award meant to encourage researchers to develop ambitious new solutions for space travel problems.

Lubin’s concept, according to Space.com, is a “Roadmap to the Stars” detailing the step-by-step development and testing of miniature laser-propelled probes, each of which would weight just a single gram. The probes would be carried into space on a laser beam blasted from orbit, and each would carry tiny sensors that would be used to collect data and transmit it back to Earth.

The UCSB researcher said that recent advances in directed-energy technology have made it so propulsions systems that would have once required larger lasers can now be generated by ones that are far smaller and linked to amplifiers in orbit around the Earth. The laser array to be used to launch the system would be about six miles (10 km) across and could be scaled up over time from smaller, easier-to-use components, he explained to the website.

Ultimately, he envisions a large-scale laser system that would use between 50 to 70 gigawatts of power to propel small spacecraft with a 3.3-foot (1 meter) sail up to 26 percent the speed of light in 10 minutes. This vehicle, Lubin explained, could make it to Mars in 30 minutes, catch up to the Voyager one spacecraft in under 72 hours and reach Alpha Centauri in 15 years.

“What we’re proposing is extremely difficult, extraordinarily difficult – but so far we don’t see the fundamental showstopper,” he told Space.com. “What prevents you from executing it except the hard work to do it and the technological evolution to get there?”

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Health

First-born children have a higher IQ, study finds

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 21, 2015 Last Edited: July 21, 2015

Christopher Pilny

While the IQs of children who were born first are higher than those of their younger siblings, the differences are so small that they are practically unnoticeable during day-to-day life, according to new research published in the October edition of the Journal of Research in Personality.

In fact, Forbes explains, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign team behind the study analyzed data for more than 375,000 high school students to determine the impact of birth order on intelligence and personality development, and found that while the IQ of firstborns is higher than their siblings, it’s only higher by an average of just one point.

The publication, which called the new study the largest analysis ever conducted on birth order and personality, said that the results show that the findings indicate that there is “a statistically significant but practically meaningless difference” in the IQs of older and younger siblings. The study was funded by the NIH’s National Institute on Aging.

‘Infinitesimally small’ difference in intelligence, personality

The research, which was led by University of Illinois psychology professor Brent Roberts and former postdoctoral researcher Rodica Damian (now a professor at the University of Houston) also found that first-borns tended to be more extroverted, conscientious and agreeable than later-borns, and also had less anxiety, but that the differences were “infinitesimally small.”

In a statement, Roberts said that the differences in personality amounted to a correlation of 0.02, which will said to be far below the level of perception. “You are not going to be able to see it with the naked eye,” he explained. “You’re not going to be able to sit two people down next to each other and see the differences between them. It’s not noticeable by anybody.”

The researchers said that their analysis controlled for potential variables such as the economic status of the family, the total number of children and the relative age of the siblings at the time the study was conducted. They also used a larger sample size than most other studies of a similar nature, and used a subset of two sibling-two parent families to confirm the findings in the study as a whole. In all cases, the differences were “minuscule,” according to Roberts.

“The message of this study is that birth order probably should not influence your parenting, because it’s not meaningfully related to your kid’s personality or IQ,” added Damian.

Health

Study links fracking with serious health issues

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 20, 2015 Last Edited: July 20, 2015

Christopher Pilny

People who live in areas near hydraulic fracturing activities (fracking) are more at risk of suffering severe health issues, experts from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Columbia report in research published in the journal PLOS One.

In their study, the authors explained that unconventional gas and oil drilling (UGOD) such as the process known as “fracking” has increased significantly in the US over the past decade. However the potential health consequences of exposure of fracking-related toxins remained unclear.

They analyzed the association between UGOD drilling wells and healthcare use in Pennsylvania between the years 2007 and 2011. According to Pulse Headlines, the researchers analyzed nearly 200,000 hospitalization records in three northern counties and categorizing 25 different medical scenarios, then associating each case with the proximity to a fracking region.

They found a “significant” association between increase in cardiology inpatient prevalence rates and the number of UGOD wells per zip code and wells per square kilometer, as well as increased neurology inpatient prevalence rates with well per square kilometer, the researchers said. Overall they found that more hospitalizations took place in areas where fracking occurs.

Clinical significance of the findings remains unclear

They also found a link between well density and inpatient prevalence rates for the categories of dermatology, neurology, oncology, and urology. The data, the authors explained, appears to indicate that fracking wells may be “associated with increased inpatient prevalence rates within specific medical categories in Pennsylvania.”

Specifically, according to Pulse Headlines, they found that there were 18 zip code regions with a well density higher than 0.79 wells per square kilometer, meaning that individuals living in those areas have a 27 percent increased risk of suffering from serious health issues such as cancer, heart disease and/or neurological conditions.

“We posit that larger numbers of active hydraulic fracturing wells would increase inpatient prevalence rates over time due in part to increases in potential toxicant exposure and stress responses in residents evoked by increases in the hydraulic fracturing work force and diesel engine use,” the authors wrote, admitting that the short observation period “may limit our ability to discern a direct impact on health in the surrounding community.”

“We examined over 95,000 inpatient records, and thus our study, to our knowledge, represents the most comprehensive one to date to address the health impact of UGOD,” they added. “While the clinical significance of the association remains to be shown… observing a significant association over this short time is remarkable. Further studies are warranted to compare toxicant exposure to number of wells and inpatient and outpatient studies.”

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Image Credit: Joshua Doubek

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Health

Study: Dairy products may better deliver probiotics

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 20, 2015 Last Edited: July 20, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Jamie Lee Curtis seems to have been paid to have the right idea all along: Yogurt and other dairy products may be a better delivery system of probiotics, according to a new study in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

“Because we know that bacteria can adapt to their surroundings, we thought the conditions that probiotics are exposed to prior to ingestion might influence their capacity to maintain or improve human health,” said author Maria Marco, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California at Davis, in a statement.

To test this theory, Marco and other researchers focused on a single probiotic bacterial strain, Lactobacillus casei BL23.

“Strains of L. casei are commonly added to dairy products as probiotics and, while strain BL23 is not commercially available, it is genetically similar to commercial strains and has also been studied for its capacity to prevent or reduce intestinal inflammation,” explained Marco.

If you give a mouse a bacterial strain

Mouse models of colitis (inflammation of the colon) were fed one of three substances: milk with L. casei, milk without it, and a nonfood buffer with the strain.

In the mice fed probiotic in milk, symptoms of colitis were reduced compared to milk alone and the nonfood probiotic. Interestingly, though, the numbers and composition of gut bacteria in the mice remained consistent in all three groups.

“This did not significantly alter the populations or diversity of the resident gut bacteria, suggesting that the benefits of the probiotic involve a direct effect of L. casei, or of a metabolic product of these bacteria upon the intestinal epithelium, rather than a global alteration of the indigenous intestinal microbiota,” Marco said.

According to the scientists, dairy products are already the most popular food matrices for probiotic ingestion. “Remarkably, the question of whether it makes any difference to consume probiotics in dairy products rather than other foods or nutritional supplements has not been systematically or mechanistically investigated in clinical or preclinical studies,” commented Marco.

But the team believes they have made an important discovery. “Our findings indicate that the manner in which a probiotic is delivered—whether in food or supplement form—could influence how effective that probiotic is in delivering the desired health benefits.”

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Space

New ESA head proposes building a lunar colony

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 20, 2015 Last Edited: July 20, 2015

Christopher Pilny

If you’re the new head of an agency that recently landed a spacecraft on a comet, what do you do for an encore? How about building a human settlement on the far side of the moon, as brand new ESA chief Johann-Dietrich Woerner is reportedly proposing?

In a recent interview with BBC News, Woerner said that humans should start focusing on “the future beyond the International Space Station. We should look for a smaller spacecraft in low-Earth orbit for microgravity research and I propose a Moon village on the far side of the Moon.”

Of course, he points out that such a Moon village wouldn’t just be “some houses, a church and a town hall.” Rather, “partners from all over the world” would be “contributing to this community with robotic and astronaut missions and support communication satellites.” But this lunar colony would come at a cost – namely, NASA’s plans to send a manned mission to Mars.

Moon village more logistically sound than Mars mission

According to io9, Woerner believes that the moon community should be the focus of all space agencies, including the US-based one, and that they and their international partners should focus on experimenting with longer lunar visits before turning their attention to travelling to the Red Planet or other destinations further out in the solar system.

“The far side of the Moon is very interesting because we could have telescopes looking deep into the Universe, we could do lunar science on the Moon and the international aspect is very special,” the ESA chief told BBC News. “The Americans are looking to go to Mars very soon – and I don’t see how we can do that – before going to Mars we should test what we could do on Mars on the Moon.”

Establishing a colony on the moon could serve as a stepping-stone to human exploration to Mars or other far-off destinations, Woerner explained. The technology NASA is currently working on to create a large 3D-printed base on the Red Planet, for instance, would be better off being tested on the Moon first, he said. Also, the close proximity of the moon would make it a lot easier to reach should an emergency arise at the extraterrestrial community.

Woerner sees this Moon village as being a truly international facility, involving not only NASA and ESA astronauts, but Russian cosmonauts and perhaps even Chinese taikonauts as well. At the moment, this lunar city is just a proposal, io9 said – the funding, technology and timeline are still just in the early planning stages, but it still could be a taste of things to come from the ESA.

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Space

Coma Cluster may be chock full of dark matter

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 20, 2015 Last Edited: July 20, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Using powerful computer simulations, a team of experts from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research have determined that the Coma Cluster may be filled with massive amounts of dark matter, the substance believed to make up about 84 percent of the universe.

In the latest edition of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Cameron Yozin, a Ph. D. student at the ICRAR, and his colleagues explained how they studied galaxies which have fallen into the Coma Cluster, one of the largest structures in space, and found it could plausibility contain as much as 100 times more dark matter than visible matter.

The authors explained that the Coma Cluster, which is located some 300 million light years from Earth, could contain galaxies that fell into the cluster up to seven billion years ago. Based on the current theories of galaxy evolution, this discovery suggests that they may be rich in dark matter in order to protect visible matter from being destroyed.

“Our simulations consist of two primary components: a high-resolution model of a galaxy that represents those discovered in the Coma cluster, and a model of the cluster itself,” Yozin said to redOrbit via email. “Our aim was to simulate the evolution of these galaxies within the cluster for up to ten billion years, a timescale that is motivated by the ‘red color’ of the observed galaxies which implies that they haven’t formed stars for a long time.”

“Accordingly, we have to build the model with the mass, size and gas content of these objects before they fell into the cluster, which could be very different to their properties as observed today,” he added. “For this, we make the appropriate assumption that these galaxies originally resembled galaxies that have been observed to be similar in mass but reside outside dense environments like the cluster.”

Study findings support the standard model of cosmology

Yozin explained that the Coma Cluster model consisted of dark matter in hot gas distributed in a specific way based on observations of these types of structures. He and his colleagues needed to simulate the cluster as it was up to 10 billion years ago, and they did so by extrapolating the most recent estimates of the actual cluster’s properties based on large-scale simulations.

“There are many influences acting on a galaxy residing within a structure like a cluster, but we cannot model everything because of limitations even on the computational speed of a supercomputer,” he said. “Prior experience, however, suggests that the gravitational interactions between the galaxy and the immense dark matter of the cluster, and hydrodynamical interactions between the galaxy’s cold gas (which fuels star formation) and the cluster’s hot gas, are most important and are therefore the only interactions we incorporate.”

Their simulations were completed using GRAPE (Gravity-Pipe), a supercomputer at the ICRAR that specializes in high resolution simulations requiring several gravitational calculations. Many of these simulations were conducted in order to obtain “a feasible range of scenarios” to explain the evolution of the Coma Cluster galaxies. The new study was inspired by a recent US-Canada team’s observational discovery of these galaxies that was published in 2014, and used the data of that previous study to set the initial conditions on the new computer simulations.

“The primary results that arose, include the finding that the aforementioned hydrodynamical interaction causes the galaxies to lose their gas almost as soon as they fall into Coma,” said Yozin. “The second major result is that to reproduce the presently observed properties of the galaxies within a sensible approximation of their long-term evolution in Coma, their visible matter must have been originally enveloped by a massive dark matter halo.”

He added that the findings “represent a plausible argument in favor of the standard model of cosmology – i.e. the model that incorporates dark matter as a fundamental component of all matter in the universe. An important feature of this model is that most galaxies are dominated in mass by dark matter, but as dark matter is invisible to us, we must rely on indirect evidence of its existence. The hypothesis outlined in our research suggests these recently discovered galaxies can provide such evidence.”

“Another intriguing implication is that the extreme faintness of these particular galaxies can be explained in terms of them falling into the Coma cluster very early on in their overall formation, before they had a chance to reach their potential of growing to be as large as possibly our own Milky Way galaxy,” Yozin concluded.

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Feature Image: Greg Parker, New Forest Observatory

Story Image: Cameron Yozin, ICRAR/UWA

Health

Women don’t want their friends to smell like them, study says

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 19, 2015 Last Edited: July 19, 2015

Christopher Pilny

Researchers from Brigham Young University (BYU) stumbled upon an interesting realization while examining how people reacted to the packaging of fragrances: Women are very guarded over their perfume choices around female friends.

The study began innocently, looking at how 146 women between the US and the Netherlands chose fragrances to buy with a focus on if they are more likely to buy fragrances with packages that match (they aren’t). But while they were examining this, they noticed that the purchasing behavior of women towards women wasn’t what they expected.

“When women like a fragrance, they will purchase it for themselves or a male friend, but not for a female friend,” said BYU industrial design professor and study coauthor Bryan Howell. “When they dislike a scent, they won’t purchase it for themselves or their boyfriend, but they will buy it for a female friend. It was a very strange finding so I had to go back and dig deeper.”

The question men have been asking about women since the dawn of time

If you’re reading this article and thinking, “Well obviously,” Howell agrees, but added that he and the other male lead author were surprised and fascinated to have such a topic blossom in an academic research experiment.

The researchers then decided to interview 12 of the subjects so as to add qualitative layers to their research: Why do women behave like this?

“Women treasure fragrances as a vital pillar of their personal identity,” explained Howell. “They may use the same fragrance for many years, and some women keep their fragrance choice a secret so their friends won’t wear it.”

BYU public relations major Ashley Lindenau added, “You wouldn’t buy perfume you like for a friend because then they would smell like you. That’s a little too creepy.”

Further, the women felt that by giving another woman perfume, they were signaling they thought she smelled bad. Men were a different story, however.

“While women hold fragrances as personally intimate and respect other women’s intimate choices, they happily want to influence what fragrances men wear,” Howell said. “Assuming it is for a spouse or boyfriend, they want to pick fragrances they also like since they’ll be around that person often.”

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Feature Image: Thinkstock

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Fibromyalgia

Can Fibromyalgia Cause Osteoporosis?

Written By: Fibromyalgia Treating

Published Date: July 19, 2015 Last Edited: July 19, 2015

A common issue among older adults is osteoporosis. This disorder has a lot of causes, which we will take a closer look at below. That being said, osteoporosis can be that much worse if it’s connected with a disorder like fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia pain is bad enough as it is, so we want to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can in order to prevent additional disorders from occurring. In this article, we’re going to look at osteoporosis and how it can be related to fibromyalgia and its symptoms.

A Closer Look at Osteoporosis

We’ve all likely heard of osteoporosis, especially if we have older relatives and loved ones that seem to be struggling with the disease. That being said, osteoporosis is basically when your bones are not getting the right amount of calcium in them.

Because of this, your bones are not as strong as they used to be, and instead become incredibly brittle. This results in a number of breaks and it could end up causing someone to be disabled in the worst of cases.

Why does this happen? Basically, as you get older, everything in your body starts to become a bit slower. That makes sense; of course, because we see that as people age they walk, talk, and think a lot more slowly than they used to. This loss of speed also occurs in the parts of the body that help your body to replace bone mass.

Now, of course, this isn’t so bad when you’re just aging – sure, you can be sore and such, but you’re not going to have a lot of issues. But if you have osteoporosis, you’re going to end up with a lot of health problems. As mentioned above, your bones will break a lot more easily.

So, what happens to even cause osteoporosis? Well, as mentioned above, if you aren’t getting enough calcium, you’re more likely to get osteoporosis. Calcium helps to build your bones up and to make them strong, so you have to make sure you’re getting it from some source.

There are other causes of osteoporosis, however. Some autoimmune diseases will end up causing your bones to become more brittle because of osteoporosis. For women with osteoporosis, they may have less estrogen than they did, thus causing their bones to have difficulty. And, as with most disorders, osteoporosis seems to have a genetic element somewhere in there as well.

There are theories out there that growth hormones may also be to blame for it. That being said, osteoporosis is more common in women than men because of its link to estrogen, but there are still a large number of men who get it as well. The older you get, the more likely you are to end up with osteoporosis at some point during your lifetime.

How are Osteoporosis and Fibromyalgia Related?

Sadly, a lot of people who have fibromyalgia will end up having osteoporosis. Why is this the case? Because the body is, usually, not getting the nutrients that it needs in order to help the body to continue to function properly.

Many people who have fibromyalgia end up having to have some sort of supplement that they take along with their food because their digestive system is not doing its job properly (usually due to IBS, Crohn’s Disease, or some other related issue).

If they are not getting the calcium that they need, the bones will not reproduce and grow as they should, thus resulting in brittle bones. In those cases, the person ends up having osteoporosis and they end up needing treatment in order to take care of it.

For some reason (at this point, the reason is still unknown), those with fibromyalgia have lower bone mass in general, especially if they are in their early to mid 50’s. If you’re in that age gap and starting to break and strain your bones more often, you’re going to be a lot more likely to end up with a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

The places that are usually the most affected are around the nervous system (spine, hips, neck), but you can also see osteoporosis in other areas of the fibromyalgia patients’ bodies.

Treatment Plans and Suggestions

So, what can be done for those who are dealing with fibromyalgia and osteoporosis together at the same time? The good news is that there are a few things that your doctor may do in order to help slow down and reduce the effects of osteoporosis on your body. These can include the following:

Appointments with a physical therapist or chiropractor, both of which will help with flexibility and motion. They can also help you to identify any trouble spots that you’re going to have to deal with and give you suggestions on how to remain flexible and strong.
Exercising on a regular basis – even if you’re just walking on a treadmill for a few minutes a day, you’re doing something. This could be included in your physical therapy program as well.
Calcium supplements, prescription medications, and other proven treatments which work with your body to help and increase the bone mass while slowing down any bone loss that may be occurring at the same exact time.
Diet that focuses on helping to give you calcium and other nutrients that have been proven to help prevent bone loss and increase bone mass – your doctor or nutritionist can guide you with this part of treatment.

Your health should be a huge priority, especially if you are struggling with a chronic disease like fibromyalgia. There are a lot of things that you can do in order to make sure that you are in top condition. Taking care of your bone health, especially as you get older, should be at the top of your list of priorities. Your skeleton is what keeps you moving and active. Start getting into a diet and exercise routine as soon as you can so that you can continue to be healthy throughout the rest of your life.

Further Reading:

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_osteo.html

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Fibromyalgia-and-Bone-Health.aspx

http://www.endocrineweb.com/professional/research-updates/osteoporosis/fibromyalgia-risk-factor-osteoporosis

Space

NASA probe captures sun in blue light

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 19, 2015 Last Edited: July 19, 2015

Brian Galloway

After spending more than three months in safe mode, the NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Ahead (STEREO-A) spacecraft captured a stunning new image of the sun that makes the Milky Way’s central star appear to be blue in color.

The picture, captured using STEREO-A’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on Wednesday, shows the sun in wavelengths of 171 angstroms, which are typically colorized in blue, according to the US space agency. This instrument, which continuously monitors the sun, collects images in several different wavelengths of light which are typically invisible to the human eye.

The solar orbiter only recently emerged from the far side of the sun, where it had been operating in safe mode, collecting and saving data from radio instruments since March 21. Last Saturday STEREO-A sent back its first images in more than three months, NASA officials said.

STEREO-A survived safe-mode operations unscathed

The three month safe mode was needed due to the geometry between the spacecraft, the Earth and the sun. While STEREO-A’s orbit around the sun is similar to Earth’s, it is slightly smaller and faster, meaning that the probe’s orbit stopped syncing with the Earth’s over the years.

This caused STEREO-A to wind up on the opposite side of the sun from the Earth, which it turn allowed it to capture a side of the star that we couldn’t see from our home planet. However, between March 24 and July 8, the spacecraft was close enough to the sun from that it caused interference, making the probe’s data transmission signal impossible to interpret during that period.

As the spacecraft kept orbiting, it eventually moved far enough away from the sun to exit this so-called transmission dark zone, and starting in late June, the STEREO-A team once again began to receive status updates from STEREO-A, thus confirming that it and its instrument was able to survive the extended period of safe-mode travel without suffering significant damage.

According to NASA, STEREO-A’s radio wave instrument collected and stored data on an almost continuous basis during the safe mode period, and on July 9, mission team personnel switched on the spacecraft’s solar wind and particle instruments. Then, last weekend, the imaging instruments were activated, including the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager that captured the latest photo.

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(Image credit: NASA)

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Science

Scientists discover undersea carbon dioxide pools

Written By: Susanna Pilny

Published Date: July 19, 2015 Last Edited: July 19, 2015

Brian Galloway

Researchers have explored undersea brine lakes in the past, but for the first time they have discovered underwater carbon dioxide pools.

These pools were found in the Aegean Sea near Santorini, the site of the second largest volcanic eruption in history.

“The volcanic eruption at Santorini in 1600 B.C. wiped out the Minoan civilization living along the Aegean Sea,” said Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientist Rich Camilli, lead author of the study in Scientific Reports. “Now these never-before-seen pools in the volcano’s crater may help our civilization answer important questions about how carbon dioxide behaves in the ocean.”

Opulent pools

These pools—known as the Kallisti Limnes (“most beautiful lakes” in Ancient Greek)—are rich in amorphous opal, giving the water an iridescent sheen, and have high concentrations of CO2., These pools are all about density, just like a tequila sunrise: The regular water (the orange juice) is less dense than the CO2 pool (the grenadine), and so the pool sinks without mixing with the regular water.

But where do the CO2 and opal particles come from?

The CO2 is probably a result of volcanic and tectonic activity. The volcanic complex of Santorini is the most active part of the Hellenic Volanic Arc, and is subject to many earthquakes as the African plate subducts the Eurasian plate. As subduction occurs, CO2 can be released by magma degassing, or from materials being subjected to enormous pressure and temperature. The opal, they believe, comes from silica-based organisms.

The researchers hope these pools will provide a means of monitoring volcanic activity, as well as answer questions about deepsea carbon storage—which could keep CO2 out of the atmosphere without acidifying the entirety of the ocean.

“We’ve seen pools within the ocean before, but they’ve always been brine pools where dissolved salt released from geologic formations below the seafloor creates the extra density and separates the brine pool from the surrounding seawater,” said Camilli. “In this case, the pools’ increased density isn’t driven by salt – we believe it may be the CO2 itself that makes the water denser and causes it to pool.”

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Pictured are the pools in question. (Image credit: Rich Camili/Scientific Reports)

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Health

Scientists move one step closer to reversing hearing loss

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 19, 2015 Last Edited: July 19, 2015

Brian Galloway

Like other mammals, humans are unable to regain the ability to hear once it is lost, but a new study by experts at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis provided new insight that could bring us closer to reversing this tenant of medical science.

Writing in the online journal eLife, senior author and biology professor David M. Ornitz and his colleagues explained they have identified a pair of signaling molecules that are required for proper development of the cochlea– a part of the inner ear that forms early in development.

The cochlea plays a role in detecting sound and transmitting signals to the brain, and if either of these two newly identified signals is lost, the embryo is unable to produce a sufficient amount of the cells that eventually form the adult version of this spiral-shaped, hollow bone chamber.

This deficiency results in impaired hearing, the study authors explained in a statement. Their research has led to new insights into the processes of inner-ear development and is an essential first step towards the ultimate goal of recovering lost hearing in humans.

Goal is to regenerate sensory hair cells of the cochlea

“To eventually be able to restore hearing, we would like to be able to regenerate the sensory hair cells of the cochlea,” Dr. Ornitz explained. “If the inner ear in birds and fish is damaged… cells in the inner ear are naturally turned back into progenitor cells that are capable of replacing the sensory cells.”

Mammals, however, “are more complex” and have “a better sense of hearing over a wider range of sounds,” he added in a statement. “However, it is thought that in exchange for better hearing, we have lost the ability to regenerate sensory hair cells.”

As part of their research, Dr. Ornitz and his co-authors studied inner ear development in mice and found that it relies upon the presence of two signaling molecules, FGF9 and FGF20.

The inner ear’s hair cells detect sound vibrations and transmit those signals to the brain, and hearing loss occurs when these cells become damaged due to loud noise, medication, or aging. The new study found that FGF9 and FGF20 send signals to their receptors to promote the growth of sensory progenitor cells and directs proper cochlear development.

“We have discovered that an FGF signal is instructive in forming the cochlea,” said Dr. Ornitz. “These FGF signals tell the surrounding tissue to make a factor – we don’t know yet what that factor is – but we know it regulates progenitor cell growth. And being able to grow progenitor cells, or instruct cells that can become progenitor cells to grow, is one key to restoring hearing.”

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(Image credit: Thinkstock)

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Science

Revolutionary War-era shipwreck found off North Carolina coast

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 18, 2015 Last Edited: July 18, 2015

Brian Galloway

Marine scientists from Duke University and colleagues from North Carolina State University and the University of Oregon have located a previously undiscovered shipwreck during an expedition off the coast of North Carolina conducted earlier this month.

The researchers were performing a National Science Foundation-funded expedition onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) research vessel “Atlantis” when they first spotted the wreckage on July 12. The team believes the ship may date back to the American Revolution.

Among the artifacts found in the wreckage were the broken remains of an iron chain, a pile of wooden ship timbers, red bricks that could have been from the ship cook’s hearth, an unglazed pottery jug, a metal compass, and other navigational instruments. The researchers spotted the wreck using an autonomous robotic underwater vehicle and a manned submersible.

Discovery made during research on deep-sea methane seeps

Expedition leader Cindy Van Dover, director of the Duke University Marine Laboratory, called the discovery an “exciting find, and a vivid reminder that even with major advances in our ability to access and explore the ocean, the deep sea holds its secrets close.”

“I have led four previous expeditions to this site, each aided by submersible research technology to explore the sea floor– including a 2012 expedition where we used Sentry to saturate adjacent areas with sonar and photo images,” the researcher added. “It’s ironic to think we were exploring within 100 meters of the wreck site without an inkling it was there.”

Van Dover’s team believes that the shipwreck dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century, a time when the US was just beginning to expand sea trade with the rest of the world. She and her colleagues have notified the NOAA’s Marine Heritage Program of the discovery, and that group will now attempt to identify the ship and pinpoint the exact date of its origin.

“This discovery underscores that new technologies we’re developing to explore the deep-sea floor yield not only vital information about the oceans, but also about our history,” said David Eggleston, director of the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) at NC State and one of the principal investigators of the research team, which had been analyzing deep-sea methane seeps along the East Coast when they stumbled across the shipwreck.

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Pictured is the research vessel used to discover the shipwreck (Credit: Eurekalert/WHOI)

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Health

Study finds that significant weight loss is statistically unlikely

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 18, 2015 Last Edited: July 18, 2015

Brian Galloway

The chances that an obese individual will be able to return to normal weight is “slim” at best, according to new research led by a experts from King’s College London and published in a recent edition of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH).

In fact, according to BBC News reports, the study authors found that a man has just a one-in-210 chance of shedding excess pounds and returning to a normal weight range over the course of a year, while a woman’s odds are slightly better but still not great – they have a one-in-124 chance.

Lead investigator Dr. Alison Fildes and her colleagues monitored the weight of 278,982 men and women between 2004 and 2014 using electronic health records. During that period, only 1,283 of the obese men and 2,245 of the obese women were able to return to a normal body weight.

Those statistics applied to people with a Body Mass Index of at least 30 to 35, the British media outlet noted. When the criteria was applied to the morbidly obese (those who have BMI of 40 to 45), the odds soared to just to one-in-1,290 for men and one-in-677 for women, they added.

Calling for more emphasis on obesity prevention

Dr. Fildes told BBC News that the statistics for losing five percent of total bodyweight were more encouraging, as one-in-12 men and one-in-10 women managed to accomplish this feat in one year (although most of those individuals had regained the weight within five years).

Furthermore, more than one-third of the men and women studied experienced cycles of weight loss and weight gain during the course of the study, the researchers reported. They said that the findings show that current strategies to help obese patients are not working, and that there has to be a greater emphasis on preventing people from becoming obese to begin with.

“Treatment needs to focus on stopping people gaining more weight and maintaining even small levels of weight loss,” Dr. Fildes told the UK news organization. “Current strategies that focus on cutting calories and boosting physical activity aren’t working for most patients to achieve weight loss and maintain that. The greatest opportunity for fighting the obesity epidemic might be in public health policies to prevent it in the first place at a population level.”

Co-author and King’s College London professor Martin Gulliford agreed, adding that the “greatest opportunity for stemming the current obesity epidemic is in wider-reaching public health policies to prevent obesity in the population.”

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(Image credit: Thinkstock)

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Technology

Security experts claim spam levels are at a 12 year low

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 18, 2015 Last Edited: July 18, 2015

Brian Galloway

Spam levels are at their lowest point in more than a decade, meaning that computer users are getting less junk in their email accounts. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on who you ask), there isn’t an ongoing shortage of canned luncheon meats.

According to BBC News, computer security firm Symantec has found that people are being sent fewer spam emails now than at any other point over the past 12 years, and that fewer than half of the emails scanned using its software were unsolicited junk messages – the lowest percentage in more than a decade, claims the California-based company in a recent report.

The company attributed the trend to recent legal action against criminal networks responsible for much of the spam, and said cybercriminals are turning to other methods to make money off of people surfing the Internet. For instance, they told the British news outlet that the decline in spam had been offset by a spike in the amount of malware being circulated.

Spam is down, but malware and ransomware are on the rise

In its most recently monthly threat report, Symantec said that just 49.7 percent of the messages it monitored were junk email, marking the first time that figure dropped below the 50 percent mark since 2003. Since then, it has continued to fall, and as of July 14, only 46.4 percent of the emails monitored by the company qualified as spam.

The firm explained that the decline was due to the pursuit of legal action against botnets, or networks of hijacked computers typically used to transmit spam, according to BBC News. In the last 10 months, UK police officials had been involved in the takedown of at least seven different botnets, and many European ISPs have started sharing information about these groups’ activities in order to limit their spam-spreading effectiveness.

Symantec’s report also said that phishing scams and emails with malware attachments declined during the month of June, but that there had been a significant increase in the amount of different types of malware being produced. In fact, nearly 58 million individual pieces were caught during the month, or nearly double the amount found in April. Ransomware, or software that holds a computer hostage until a fine is payed to the hacker, was also on the rise, with nearly 500,000 such attacks observed in the month of June.

“This increase in activity lends more evidence to the idea that, with the continued drops in email-based malicious activity, attackers are simply moving to other areas of the threat landscape,” Ben Najorney, a Cyber Security Threat Analyst at Symantec, explained in the report.

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(Image credit: Thinkstock)

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Science

Megalodon teeth contained fluoride for strength

Written By: Chuck Bednar

Published Date: July 18, 2015 Last Edited: July 18, 2015

Brian Galloway

The Megalodon, the largest shark to have ever roamed the Earth’s oceans, had a unique mouth that featured a “revolving jaw” and fluoride-based tooth enamel which functioned like “built-in toothpaste,” claims new research published in the journal RSC Advances.

Unlike modern sharks, which only have fluoride on the surface of their teeth, the massive Megalodon had teeth containing a high concentration of fluoride, senior author Matthias Epple, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, explained in an interview with Discovery News on Friday.

The find demonstrates that the creature, which grew to sizes of up to 66 feet long, had teeth that were unlike any other living animal. In addition to having what Epple called “built-in toothpaste” due to the fluoride content of its teeth, the creature had a “revolving jaw” like modern-day sharks that enabled it to replace teeth that were left behind in prey or otherwise lost.

The creature’s teeth were approximately eight inches long, which according to the researchers is far bigger than those found in any species of modern shark. As part of their research, Epple’s team compared the Megalodon’s teeth with those of five other extinct sharks, three living sharks, two types of extinct marine mammals, and a pair of large carnivorous dinosaurs.

Megalodon tooth material was hard, decay resistant

According to Discovery News, their analysis focused on the microstructure and the chemical make-up of the teeth from each of these creatures. The study authors discovered that the now-extinct shark species and some species of dinosaurs had fluoride inside of the dentin (or interior portion) of their teeth.

It was only a few million years ago that sharks evolved teeth which only had fluorapatite (the mineral associated with the compound fluoride) on the surface enamel and dentin made up of primarily hydroxyapatite, the same substance that makes up most of human tooth enamel. The reasons for this change are unclear, but Epple and his colleagues believe that fluorapatite could have been far more common in the ancient past than it is in the modern era.

Epple told the website that fluoride “is not very common in seawater” these days, which means that it is “difficult for animals to collect fluoride, especially for a revolving jaw in sharks where the teeth are replaced every few weeks or months.” Since fluorapatite is more resistant to decay and harder than hydroxyapatite, it could mean that prehistoric creatures such as the Megalodon had stronger, sturdier teeth than any living being found on the planet today.

While fluorapatite releases damaging hydrofluoric acid when it comes into contact with acidic fruit and other consumables found on land, Epple told Discovery News that it is doubtful that the Megalodon dealt with much tooth decay – largely because they rarely if ever ate fruit.

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(Image credit: Thinkstock)

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