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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exercise improves anxiety and mood in older adults undergoing chemotherapy

Although we know that exercise improves anxiety and mood problems in younger people with cancer, few studies have looked at the effects of exercise on older adults with cancer. Since most new cancer cases occur in adults aged 60 or older, a team of researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center and other institutions designed a study to learn more.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/exercise-improves-anxiety-and-mood-in-older-adults-undergoing-chemotherapy

Outage hits Facebook services worldwide

Facebook acknowledged Wednesday an outage affecting users in various parts of the world and said it was working on a fix.

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

Uber Eats bows to fans and removes green from Marseille shirt logo

Uber Eats has changed the colour of the logo that will appear on Marseille shirts next season to placate the club's fans.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/uber-eats-bows-to-fans-and-removes-green-from-marseille-shirt-logo

Scientists sound alarm after 6 rare whale deaths in a month

A half-dozen North Atlantic right whales have died in the past month, leading scientists, government officials and conservationists to call for a swift response to protect the endangered species.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-sound-alarm-after-6-rare-whale-deaths-in-a-month

Protein-linked sugars are crucial for the uptake of proteins linked to Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 6 million people worldwide, is caused by the buildup of alpha-synuclein proteins in the brain. The biological function of alpha-synuclein is still not well understood, but because of its role in neurodegenerative diseases, researchers are actively studying this protein to understand the mechanisms of the disease and to look for new treatment strategies.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/protein-linked-sugars-are-crucial-for-the-uptake-of-proteins-linked-to-parkinsons-disease

How scientists used NASA data to predict appearance of July 2 eclipse

As sunset drew near on July 2, 2019, thousands along a ribbon of land stretching across Chile and Argentina looked to the skies, waiting for the Moon's shadow to cast them into momentary darkness. They knew a total solar eclipse was coming, and counted down the seconds.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-scientists-used-nasa-data-to-predict-appearance-of-july-2-eclipse

In new study, researchers controlled behavior in a mouse's brain with single-cell precision

For the first time, a team of neuroscientists from Columbia University have controlled a visual behavior of a mouse by activating a few neurons in its visual cortex.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/in-new-study-researchers-controlled-behavior-in-a-mouses-brain-with-single-cell-precision

CFTR inhibition: The key to treating bile acid diarrhea?

Estimates are that roughly 1 percent of people in Western countries may have bile acid diarrhea, including patients with Crohn's disease, ileal resection, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), and chronic functional diarrhea. Current management for bile acid diarrhea has demonstrated limited efficacy, with some therapies producing significant side effects. A recent study published in The FASEB Journal explored the efficacy of CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) inhibition to reduce excessive secretion in the colon due to bile acids.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/cftr-inhibition-the-key-to-treating-bile-acid-diarrhea

Immune-boosting compound makes immunotherapy effective against pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is especially challenging to treat—only eight percent of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are of limited benefit, and even immunotherapy—which revolutionized treatment for other kinds of cancer by activating the body's immune system to attack cancer cells—has been largely ineffective because pancreatic tumors have ways to dampen the immune assault.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/immune-boosting-compound-makes-immunotherapy-effective-against-pancreatic-cancer

Murder in the Paleolithic? Evidence of violence behind human skull remains

New analysis of the fossilized skull of an Upper Paleolithic man suggests that he died a violent death, according to a study published July 3, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by an international team from Greece, Romania and Germany led by the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/murder-in-the-paleolithic-evidence-of-violence-behind-human-skull-remains

Researchers uncover protective factor in diabetic eye disease

Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that a protein found in the eye can protect against and potentially treat diabetic eye disease. At high enough levels, Retinol Binding Protein 3 (or RBP3) prevents the development of diabetic retinopathy. If introduced early enough in the development of the disease, RBP3 was shown to reverse the effects of the complication in rodent models of diabetes. These results are reported today in Science Translational Medicine.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-uncover-protective-factor-in-diabetic-eye-disease

11% of destroyed moist tropical forests could be restored to boost climate, environment

In a peer-reviewed report released today, researchers have identified more than 100 million hectares of lost lowland tropical rain forests—restoration hotspots—spread out across Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia that present the most compelling opportunities for restoration to overcome rising global temperatures, water pollution and shortages, and the extinction of plant and animal life. Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, India and Colombia have the largest accumulated area of restoration hotspots; six African countries—Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Togo, South Sudan, and Madagascar—are home to the areas presenting the best restoration opportunities on average.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/11-of-destroyed-moist-tropical-forests-could-be-restored-to-boost-climate-environment

Scent composition data reveal new insights into perfume success

Mathematical analysis of online perfume data shows how the unique scent combinations found in different perfumes contribute to product popularity and consumer ratings. Vaiva Vasiliauskaite and Tim Evans of Imperial College London, U.K., present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 3, 2019.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scent-composition-data-reveal-new-insights-into-perfume-success

Molecular thumb drives: Researchers store digital images in metabolite molecules

DNA molecules are well known as carriers of huge amounts of biological information, and there is growing interest in using DNA in engineered data storage devices that can hold vastly more data than our current hard drives. But new research shows that DNA isn't the only game in town when it comes to molecular data storage.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/molecular-thumb-drives-researchers-store-digital-images-in-metabolite-molecules

During first year of university, poor diet and weight gain greater in male students

In students' first year of university, poor diet is linked to unhealthy weight gain with males affected more than females. The research publishing July 3 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Kayleigh Beaudry and colleagues at Brock University, Canada also suggests that sex-specific strategies and interventions could improve dietary habits during the move to university.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/during-first-year-of-university-poor-diet-and-weight-gain-greater-in-male-students

Ancient DNA sheds light on the origins of the Biblical Philistines

An international team led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the Leon Levy Expedition have retrieved and analyzed genome-wide data from people who lived during the Bronze and Iron Ages (~3,600 to 2,800 years ago) in the ancient port city of Ashkelon, one of the core Philistine cities during the Iron Age. The team found that a European-derived ancestry was introduced in Ashkelon around the time of the Philistines' estimated arrival, suggesting that ancestors of the Philistines migrated across the Mediterranean, reaching Ashkelon by the early Iron Age. This European genetic component was subsequently diluted by the local Levantine gene pool over the succeeding centuries, suggesting intensive admixture between local and foreign populations. These genetic results, published in Science Advances, are a critical step toward understanding the long-disputed origins of the Philistines.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/ancient-dna-sheds-light-on-the-origins-of-the-biblical-philistines

Mechanism of scorpion toxin inhibition of K+ channel elucidated using high-speed AFM

Agitoxin-2 (AgTx2) from scorpion venom is a potent blocker of K+ channels. Researchers have now observed the binding dynamics of AgTx2 to the KcsA channel using high-speed atomic force microscopy. Single-molecule kinetic analyses revealed that the affinity of the channel for AgTx2 increased during persistent binding and decreased during persistent dissociation. The researchers propose a four-state model with relevant rate constants. An induced-fit pathway was dominant and accelerated binding by 400 times.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/mechanism-of-scorpion-toxin-inhibition-of-k-channel-elucidated-using-high-speed-afm

Pain signaling in humans more rapid than previously known

Pain signals can travel as fast as touch signals, according to a new study from researchers at Linköping University in Sweden, Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K., and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the U.S. The discovery of a rapid pain signaling system challenges our current understanding of pain. The study is published in the scientific journal Science Advances.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/pain-signaling-in-humans-more-rapid-than-previously-known

More 'reactive' land surfaces cooled the Earth down

There have been long periods of cooling in Earth's history. Temperatures had already fallen for more than 10 million years before the last ice age began about 2.5 million years ago. At that time, the northern hemisphere was covered with massive ice masses and glaciers. A geoscientific paradigm, widespread for over 20 years, explains this cooling with the formation of the large mountain ranges such as the Andes, the Himalayas and the Alps. As a result, more rock weathering has taken place, the paradigm suggests. This in turn removed more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, so that the greenhouse effect decreased and the atmosphere cooled. This and other processes eventually led to the ice Age.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/more-reactive-land-surfaces-cooled-the-earth-down

First complete wiring diagram of an animal's nervous system

In a study published online today in Nature, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine describe the first complete wiring diagram of the nervous system of an animal, the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, used by scientists worldwide as a model organism. The study includes adults of both sexes and reveals substantial differences between them.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/first-complete-wiring-diagram-of-an-animals-nervous-system

Ovarian and breast cancer research finds new ways BRCA1 gene functions

Research led by the University of Birmingham has found important new ways that the BRCA1 gene functions which could help develop our understanding of the development of ovarian and breast cancers.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/ovarian-and-breast-cancer-research-finds-new-ways-brca1-gene-functions

Magnetic monopoles make acoustic debut

University College Cork (UCC) & University of Oxford Professor of Physics, Séamus Davis, has led a team of experimental physicists in the discovery of the magnetic noise generated by a fluid of magnetic monopoles.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/magnetic-monopoles-make-acoustic-debut

Experiments show dramatic increase in solar cell output

In any conventional silicon-based solar cell, there is an absolute limit on overall efficiency, based partly on the fact that each photon of light can only knock loose a single electron, even if that photon carried twice the energy needed to do so. But now, researchers have demonstrated a method for getting high-energy photons striking silicon to kick out two electrons instead of one, opening the door for a new kind of solar cell with greater efficiency than was thought possible.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/experiments-show-dramatic-increase-in-solar-cell-output

Germany is EU's Eldorado for cash machine raiders

"Search for black Audi after attempt to blow up a cash machine", "Neighbours hear loud bang, perpetrators flee in Audi", "Car chase through three federal states": headlines like these have become commonplace around Germany as raids on cash machines have increased in number.

* This article was originally published here

Vegetables recalled over possible listeria contamination

Fresh vegetable products distributed across the nation under several brand names have been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer.

* This article was originally published here

Foundational study explores role of diet in diabetes complications

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes affect the health of the inner lining of blood vessels. People with diabetes often experience complications in the eyes, heart, and other organs because of worsening blood vessel damage over the long term. One of the earliest signs of systemic inflammation in the blood vessels is the increased sticking of immune cells to the inner lining. As inflammation and microvascular damage continues in the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye—the retina—diabetic retinopathy can ensue. Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of severe vision loss and blindness. A pressing question in diabetes research is how elevated blood levels of sugar, cholesterol, and fat may contribute to blood vessel damage in relation to the diet. A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital set out to determine which components of the Western diet—one rich in sugar, cholesterol and fat—may worsen diabetes complications. The team examined the effects of different dietary fats on the earliest molecular signs of retinal inflammation and damage in an experimental rodent model of type 1 diabetes. The results are published in The FASEB Journal.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers step back to mannequin viral wave to explore depth

Who said the viral craze called Mannequin Challenge (MC) is done and dusted? Not so. Researchers have turned to the Challenge that won attention in 2016 to serve their goal. They used the MC for training a neural network that can reconstruct depth information from the videos.

* This article was originally published here