Thursday 9 May 2019

Clean fuel cells could be cheap enough to replace gas engines in vehicles

Advancements in zero-emission fuel cells could make the technology cheap enough to replace traditional gasoline engines in vehicles, according to researchers at the University of Waterloo.

* This article was originally published here

Free video streaming offers some gems - if you can find them

Free services let you watch thousands of movies and TV shows online, but using them feels like wandering through a low-rent, digital version of Blockbuster (RIP).

* This article was originally published here

How the dengue virus replicates in infected cells

The nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of the dengue virus interacts with another viral protein called NS4A-2K-4B to enable viral replication, according to a study published May 9 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Ralf Bartenschlager of the University of Heidelberg, and colleagues. As noted by the authors, the genetic map presented in the study offers a starting point for the design of antiviral agents targeting NS1, with the goal of suppressing viral replication as well as severe disease manifestations.

* This article was originally published here

Microsoft to turn next chapter in raising talk to conversations

On Monday at Build 2019, Microsoft's annual conference for developers, the company showed off the technology for a conversational engine, to integrate with voice assistant Cortana.

* This article was originally published here

An electric tongue can handle more spicy foods than you can

Thousands of new spicy products hit supermarket shelves every year. Some people crave the heat, some fear the burn. But if you enjoy it, spicy food wears out taste buds quickly.

* This article was originally published here

For teens, online bullying worsens sleep and depression

Teens who experience cyberbullying are more likely to suffer from poor sleep, which in turn raises levels of depression, found a University at Buffalo study.

* This article was originally published here

Weight-loss procedure works long-term, without surgery

Could people struggling with obesity make headway in their efforts to shed pounds without having to go under the knife?

* This article was originally published here

Researchers create standardized measurement for pediatric facial palsy

An international team of researchers, including a psychologist at Oregon State University, has developed a standardized measurement for pediatric facial palsy that will improve the care for current and future patients with the condition.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists introduce novel perspective in robotic capability

University of Illinois researcher Amy LaViers has introduced a new point of view from which to observe robotic capabilities in her paper, "Counts of Mechanical, External Configurations Compared to Computational, Internal Configurations in Natural and Artificial Systems," published today in PLOS ONE, a leading interdisciplinary research journal.

* This article was originally published here

Video: What's the chemistry behind the home pregnancy test?

There are many ways to find out if you're pregnant. One is to wait and see. For those of us who are a little less patient, there's the take-home chemistry kit known as a pregnancy test.

* This article was originally published here

Color vision found in fish that live in near darkness

An international team of researchers discovered a previously unknown visual system that may allow color vision in deep, dark waters where animals were presumed to be colorblind. The research appears on the cover of the May 10, 2019, issue of the journal Science.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers make transformational AI seem 'unremarkable'

Physicians making life-and-death decisions about organ transplants, cancer treatments or heart surgeries typically don't give much thought to how artificial intelligence might help them. And that's how researchers at Carnegie Mellon University say clinical AI tools should be designed—so doctors don't need to think about them.

* This article was originally published here

Break up Facebook, says company's co-founder (Update)

One of the co-founders of Facebook called on Thursday for the social media behemoth to be broken up, warning that the company's head, Mark Zuckerberg, had become far too powerful.

* This article was originally published here

New HIV vaccine strategy 'pumps' the immune system

A new HIV vaccine delivery strategy appears to enhance the protective immune response in a preclinical model. Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that delivering an HIV vaccine in small doses over a series of days leads to a stronger immune response than when the same vaccine is given all at once.

* This article was originally published here

Google's AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speaker

When Google launched its now distinctive digital assistant in 2016, it was already in danger of being an also-ran.

* This article was originally published here

Patient registries could help control spread of antibiotic bacteria

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)—bacteria that have high levels of resistance to most antibiotics—could be reduced if only 25 percent of the largest health care facilities in a region used a patient registry, a database that can track which patients are carrying CRE.

* This article was originally published here

Dexterous herring gulls learn new tricks to adapt their feeding habits

Observations of Herring Gulls by scientists from the University of Southampton have shown how the coastal birds have developed complicated behaviour to 'skin' sea creatures to make them safe to eat. Researchers think this feeding habit may be a response to urbanisation and changes in food availability.

* This article was originally published here

A new view of wintertime air pollution

The processes that create ozone pollution in the summer can also trigger the formation of wintertime air pollution, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and NOAA, in partnership with the University of Utah. The team's unexpected finding suggests that in the U.S. West and elsewhere, certain efforts to reduce harmful wintertime air pollution could backfire.

* This article was originally published here

Opposites attract and, together, they can make surprisingly gratifying decisions

Opposites may attract and drive each other a little crazy, but, together, they can make satisfactory decisions despite their divergent attitudes, according to a Boston College researcher who led a study that explored how selfish and altruistic consumers join in decision making.

* This article was originally published here

Statins linked to lower risk of early death in patients with colorectal cancer

Use of statins before or after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer was linked with a lower risk of premature death, both from cancer and from other causes, in a Cancer Medicine analysis of published studies.

* This article was originally published here

'Robopets' can benefit health and wellbeing of older care home residents

Researchers found evidence that 'robopets' can provide comfort and pleasure and reduce agitation and loneliness. Funded by NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula PenCLAHRC), the study also found that robopets increase social interaction with other residents, family members and staff, often through acting as a stimulus for conversation.

* This article was originally published here

Grading conservation: Which reserves defend forests?

Lands that shelter forests have value often readily tallied by developers, but until now it's been more difficult to prove the success of protecting those forested lands in pursuit of sustainability. That can put conservationists on the defense.

* This article was originally published here

Singapore passes 'fake news' law despite fierce criticism

Singapore's parliament Wednesday passed laws to combat "fake news" that will allow authorities to order the removal of online content despite fierce criticism from tech giants and rights groups.

* This article was originally published here