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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

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Cyberbullying on Social Media Linked to Teen Depression

Cyberbullying on social media is linked to depression in teenagers, according to new research that analyzed multiple studies of the online phenomenon. Victimization of young people online has received an increasing level of scrutiny, particularly after a series of high-profile suicides of teenagers who were reportedly bullied on various social networks. Social media use is hugely common among teenagers, said Michele Hamm, a researcher in pediatrics at the University of Alberta, but the health effects of cyberbullying on social media sites is largely unknown.

Unhealthy Teens Face College and Job Obstacles

Researchers found that teens with either mental health or chronic physical health conditions were less likely to graduate high school or finish college, and were more likely to be unemployed or have lower-income jobs as adults compared with healthy teens. The analysis also showed that teens with mental health problems fared worse than those with physical health issues in terms of economic and academic outcomes as young adults. "Mental health conditions may be more detrimental than physical health conditions, because they are linked with social isolation and exclusion, which are both linked with poor employment and education outcomes," said Daniel Hale, co-author of the study and a research associate in children's health policy at University College London.

More Than Two-Thirds of Americans Are Overweight or Obese

Researchers analyzed data gathered from 2007 through 2012 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included more than 15,000 men and women age 25 and older. When compared with an analysis conducted nearly 20 years before this study, the results show that more people are now overweight and obese, said Lin Yang, an epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a co-author of the study, published today (June 22) in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Yang said she sees the findings as a wake-up call to create policies designed to combat excessive weight gain and obesity, which burden the American health care system and society.

Blue Origin Offers Tantalizing Preview of Private Space Trips (Video)

A video released last week by the private spaceflight company Blue Origin offers a tantalizing look at the private space trips the company plans to offer. The two-minute Blue Origin video features Jeff Ashby, the company's chief of mission assurance and a former NASA astronaut, describing what the private trips will be like, as well as the life-changing experience of going to space. The video also features a computer animation showing passengers floating weightless inside the rather roomy Blue Origin space capsule, and staring out its wide windows when they reach suborbital altitudes above the Earth.

Construction of Giant Telescope Pushes on Despite Protests

The group building a huge telescope on Hawaii's tallest mountain plans to restart construction this week, ending a two-month delay caused by protestors opposed to the ambitious project. Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano — work that was halted in April after a series of protests—will resume on Wednesday (June 24), project representatives said in a statement issued over the weekend. "Our period of inactivity has made us a better organization in the long run," Henry Yang, chair of the TMT International Observatory Board, said in the statement.

European satellite blasts off to provide new color view of Earth

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla (Reuters) - An unmanned Vega rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Monday to put a sophisticated Earth-watching satellite into orbit, a European Space Agency webcast showed. Flying for the fifth time, the four-stage Vega rocket, lifted off at 9:52 p.m. EDT (0152 GMT) carrying Europe's Sentinel-2A satellite, the newest member of the multibillion-euro Copernicus Earth-observation project. From its orbital perch 488 miles (786 km) above Earth, Sentinel-2A is designed to take high-resolution, color and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives, including crop forecasting and monitoring natural disasters.

Kazakh cosmonaut to replace singer Sarah Brightman for space flight

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla (Reuters) - A rookie Kazakh cosmonaut will take over British singer Sarah Brightman's seat on a Russian Soyuz capsule heading to the International Space Station in September, officials said on Monday. In addition, a Japanese businessman training as Brightman's backup signed a contract to fly to the orbital outpost when another Soyuz seat opens up in the next two- to four years, said Space Adventures, a U.S.-based travel agency that has brokered eight privately paid flights to the station. Last month, Brightman, 54, pulled out of training for a 10-day taxi flight, citing personal family reasons.

In twist, scientists join tobacco companies to fight cancer

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists who have devoted years developing medicines to cure disease are now working for tobacco companies to make e-cigarettes. Philip Morris International Inc has hired more than 400 scientists and technical staff at its research facility in Neuchatel, Switzerland, including toxicologists, chemists, biologists, biostatisticians and regulatory affairs experts. Altria Group Inc, makers of Marlboro, has recruited dozens of scientific and healthcare experts, as have independent e-cigarette companies such as NJOY. "If you have a product that prevents cancer in the first place you can have a much bigger impact on public health." The goal is to improve the current generation of e-cigarettes and, where possible, provide evidence that they reduce the risk of disease.

'Iron Man' Laser: Beams Can Shape Electrical Discharges

In real life lasers might be the way to do it. Turns out, laser beams can control the shape and direction of electrical discharges, physicists have found. A team, led by Matteo Clerici, who was at Quebec's National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) at the time, showed that a laser beam fired in a certain way could shape an electrical spark as it jumped between two electrodes, taking on different shapes, and even bending around an object that is in the way.

Cockroach robot uses shell to overcome obstacles

US-based researchers have created a robot that can use its body shape to move through a densely cluttered environment. The team from the University of California, Berkeley based the robot on the humble cockroach and hope their design could be used to inspire future robot designs for use in monitoring the environment and search and rescue operations. The Berkeley team, led by postdoctoral researcher Chen Li, designed the shell so it could perform a roll maneuver to slip through gaps between grass-like vertical beam obstacles without the need for additional sensors or motors.

Alien-Like Worm Invades US

A bizarre invasive worm with its mouth in the middle of its belly has been found in the United States for the first time, according to new research. The New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari) is only a couple of millimeters thick but grows to be up to 2.5 inches (65 millimeters) long. As an invasive species, it's a threat to native snails — so much so that the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists it among the 100 worst invasive species in the world.

Ancient Greek 'Antikythera' Shipwreck Still Holds Secrets

Greek authorities have approved a five-year extension for an international team of explorers to continue probing the remains of a 2,085-year-old shipwreck known for holding what is considered the world's oldest computer. The ship, which likely sank between 70 B.C. and 60 B.C. as it trekked west from Asia Minor to Rome, holds plenty of treasure: During the first phase of the project "Return to Antikythera," which ended in October 2014, undersea explorers found tableware, a lead anchor, a giant bronze spear that may have been part of a statue of a warrior or the goddess Athena, and other artifacts. In preparation for this second phase, slated to begin at the end of summer, researchers sent an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to digitally survey the shipwreck from June 9 to 19.

Art-ificial Intelligence? Algorithm Sorts Paintings Like a Person

A team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program that can classify famous works of art based on their style, genre or artist — tasks that normally require a professional art historian. "We're definitely not replacing art historians, but with a growing number of paintings in online collections, we need an automatic tool" for organizing them, said study researcher Babak Saleh, a computer scientist at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. A human can look at a painting and easily draw inferences from it, such as whether it's a portrait or a landscape, whether the style is impressionist or abstract, or who the artist was.

Teen Dies of Plague: What Are the Symptoms of the Deadly Disease?

A Colorado high school student died of the plague in early June, the first person since 1999 to get the plague in Larimer County, in northern Colorado, health authorities said. The 16-year-old, Taylor Gaes, was an avid baseball and football player, according to the Coloradoan. It's tragic but not surprising that Gaes' symptoms were misinterpreted, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior associate at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Health Security, who was not involved in Gaes' treatment.

Curious Case of Muscle, Nerve Damage from Skinny Jeans

A woman in Australia who spent long hours squatting while wearing skinny jeans experienced muscle damage in her legs that was so severe it impaired her ability to walk, according to the new report of her case. "We believe it was the combination of squatting and tight jeans that caused the problem," said Dr. Thomas Kimber, of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Department of Medicine in Adelaide, South Australia, who treated the woman. The case happened about six months ago, Kimber told Live Science.

Sun Storm Supercharges Northern Lights, Wowing Skywatchers (Photos)

The auroras were seen as far south as Philadelphia and northern New Jersey last night (June 22), and gave astronauts aboard the International Space Station a stunning celestial light show. The solar storm that caused the auroras was declared a level G4 (severe), with a maximum possible ranking of G5 (extreme). Auroras, also known as the northern and southern lights, are caused by bursts of powerful particles ejected from the sun that collide with Earth's atmosphere.

Medical Marijuana: Review Shows Pot Helps These Conditions

Medical marijuana may provide some benefit for patients with chronic nerve pain or cancer pain, as well as people who have multiple sclerosis and experience muscle spasms, according to a new review study. However, there is not much evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana for other reasons, such as sleep disorders, Tourette syndrome and anxiety disorders. Still, many of the studies done to date that found that marijuana had little or no effect were small, or lacked a rigorous design, the researchers said.

No difference in kids with same-sex, opposite-sex parents: study

By Shelby Sebens PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - Scientists agree that children raised by same-sex couples are no worse off than children raised by parents of the opposite sex, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Oregon professor. The new research, which looked at 19,000 studies and articles related to same-sex parenting from 1977 to 2013, was released last week, and comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule by the end of this month on whether same-sex marriage is legal. "Consensus is overwhelming in terms of there being no difference in children who are raised by same-sex or different- sex parents," University of Oregon sociology professor Ryan Light said on Tuesday.

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Monday, June 22, 2015

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High-tech trap to catch graffiti vandals in the act

By Lester Ranby Sydney is deploying a high-tech system that literally sniffs out vandals on its rail network. The CEO of Sydney Trains, Howard Collins, calls the new system Mousetrap. "So our new operation, Mousetrap, is what it says it does.

China says improved docking technology will help future space missions

Chinese scientists have improved the technology needed to carry out docking between vessels in space with the development of an "eye" guidance system that will make the procedure more efficient and safer, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday. Advancing China's space program has been set as a priority by leaders in Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for China to establish itself as a space power. China insists that its space program is for peaceful purposes.

Europe's revived comet lander phones home

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Europe's Philae comet lander re-established radio contact with its orbiting mother ship on Friday, boosting scientists' hopes of reviving a pioneering mission to study a relic of the solar system's formation, project managers said. In November, Philae, a 62-pound (100-kg) spacecraft that hitched a ride with the Rosetta orbiter, touched down, bounced, then finally landed on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Philae ran through a preprogrammed, 64-hour series of experiments, then fell silent, unable to collect enough sunlight to recharge its batteries from its shadowed landing site beneath a cliff.

Toddlers Have a Sense of Justice

"Children, from a very young age, have some sense of justice, in the sense that they'll treat others as they expect themselves to be treated," said study co-author Keith Jensen, a psychologist at the University of Manchester in England.

U.S. Defense Department to develop UK hoverbike

By Jim Drury The dream of a manned, truly functional hoverbike is a step closer to reality after British and American engineers announced a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop and build the vehicle in the States. Malloy have joined forces with U.S. firm SURVICE, 30 year veterans of defense research and development, to develop the vehicle in the U.S. state of Maryland. According to Malloy's marketing sales director Grant Stapleton, "there are a lot of advantages of the Hoverbike over a regular helicopter.

Solitary Confinement: What Are the Impacts of 43 Years of Isolation?

A man who spent nearly 43 years in solitary confinement in a U.S. prison could soon be set free. The effects of solitary confinement on a prisoner's well-being is a subject that has been debated since the first half of the 20th century, according to Peter Scharff Smith, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights in Copenhagen. While several studies have downplayed the negative effects of isolating prisoners for long periods of time, many more have concluded that this practice is quite harmful on both a physiological and psychological level, Scharff Smith told Live Science.

Clouds Over Peru: Upwelling Causes 'Bumpy' Fog Along Coastline

Low winter fog obscures the coastline of Peru in a new image from NASA's Terra satellite. The bird's-eye view of coastal Peru comes from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on that satellite, which whooshed over the region on June 7, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The cold water acts to air-condition the atmosphere above, cooling the air and causing water vapor to condense as it would on the edge of a chilled glass.

Water Droplet-Powered Computers Could Run Mini Science Labs

Whereas conventional microelectronics shuffle electrons around wires, in recent years, scientists have begun developing so-called microfluidic devices that shuffle liquids around pipes. Although microfluidic devices are dramatically slower than conventional electronics, the goal is not to compete with electronic computers on traditional computing tasks such as word processing. "The fundamental limits of computation, such as how fast you can go or how small devices can be, are based in how information has to be represented in physical entities," study co-author Manu Prakash, a biophysicist at Stanford University, told Live Science.

Europe launches satellite to give Earth observation color vision

By Maria Sheahan FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe will on Monday will launch a satellite that will give its multibillion-euro Copernicus Earth observation project "color vision," delivering valuable images that could help forecast crop harvests and respond to humanitarian crises. The Sentinel-2a satellite, the second of a planned seven-member network, is to be launched aboard a Vega rocket from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana at 9:52 p.m. EDT (0152 GMT) Tuesday. From its orbital perch 488 miles (786 km) above Earth, the spacecraft will collect environmental data intended to help policymakers craft legislation and react to emergencies, such as natural disasters.

Surviving Ebola: Physical & Psychological Ailments Linger for Many

Many people who survive an Ebola infection experience appetite loss and joint pain for months after they are declared free of the virus, although nearly half say they feel they've made close to a full recovery, according to a new study of more than 100 survivors of the disease. "Our findings highlight the need for continued surveillance among survivors of Ebola virus disease," the researchers, from Donka National Hospital in Guinea, wrote in the June 9 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Little is known about the long-term effects of Ebola, but such information is important for providing support for survivors of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the researchers said.

Sitting Down for Too Long May Increase Anxiety

People who spend too much time sitting down — be it during a daily commute, or in front of a computer or TV — may be at increased risk for anxiety, a new review finds. Researchers looked at nine studies that assessed people's anxiety levels as well as their sedentary behavior, adding up how much time people spent doing activities like watching TV, working at a computer and playing video games. When examined together, the studies showed "moderate evidence" that increased sedentary behavior is associated with higher anxiety risk, the researchers wrote in the review, published online today (June 18) in the journal BMC Public Health.

Hot Car Dangers: How to Prevent Child Deaths

At least five U.S. children have died in overheated cars this year, but experts say there are a number of steps that parents can take to prevent such tragedies. These accidents can also happen when children are left unattended, and they find their way into an unlocked car while playing.

Modern Human Possibly Had Neanderthal 'Great-Great-Grandparent'

One of the earliest modern humans in Europe had a surprisingly recent Neanderthal ancestor, revealing the two species likely interbred there, according to a new study. The Neanderthal relative was so close to the modern human on the family tree that it could have been the equivalent of a great-great-grandparent, the research suggests. The finding is revising scientists' understanding of when and where humans and Neanderthals interbred, as it suggests humans had sex with Neanderthals more recently than was previously known.

Ancient Romanian jawbone sheds light on Neanderthal interbreeding

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - You may not know it, but you probably have some Neanderthal in you. For people around the world, except sub-Saharan Africans, about 1 to 3 percent of their DNA comes from Neanderthals, our close cousins who disappeared roughly 39,000 years ago. The finding that also indicates that interbreeding with Neanderthals occurred much more recently than previously known.

First Color Movies of Pluto Reveal Double-Planet Dance (Video)

The first color "movies" of Pluto as seen by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reveal the sheer strangeness of the orbital dance between the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon. In a new animation of color photos of Pluto taken by New Horizons, the dwarf planet and its big moon can be seen orbiting a central point, rather than Charon simply orbiting Pluto itself. The odd arrangement is what scientists call a "double planet," NASA officials wrote in a video description.

Ceres' Odd Bright Spots Coming Into Focus (Photos)

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has beamed home the best-ever photo of the mysterious bright spots that speckle the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres. The new image resolves Ceres' strange spots, which are found inside a crater about 55 miles (90 kilometers) wide, into a cluster comprised of several patches, some of which were not visible in previous photos. "At least eight spots can be seen next to the largest bright area, which scientists think is approximately 6 miles (9 km) wide," NASA officials wrote in a statement today (June 22).

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Sunday, June 21, 2015

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Pentagon appeals for scientists' help tracking anthrax shipments

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Thursday asked microbiologists for help in tracking samples of anthrax that the army shipped to at least 51 labs in 17 U.S. states and three foreign countries, according to an announcement shared with Reuters. The request indicates that the Pentagon does not know where the anthrax wound up. Researchers who had worked with it at the Dugway Proving Ground biological lab in Utah thought the anthrax samples that they shipped had been killed, but at least one of the labs that received it said it in fact contained live spores.

Water Fights and Grown-Up Talk: How Dads Do It Differently

Dads toss their kiddos in the air, they roughhouse, and they're always game for a water-balloon fight. Thousands of studies have found differences, on average, in how dads and moms parent. From their willingness to tickle-fight to their grown-up speech, here are several ways dads parent differently from moms.

'Astronaut Wives Club' Post-'Launch' Review: Space History vs. Hollywood

"The Astronaut Wives Club," ABC's new drama about the women behind America's first spacemen, has left the launch pad. The premiere of the 10 episode "limited series," aptly titled "Launch," debuted Thursday (June 18), almost two years after the network announced it was adapting Lily Koppel's 2013 book about the "Astro Wives" for the small screen. Spanning two years over the course of the hour, the first episode followed the selection of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts in 1959 through the launch of Alan Shepard (played here by Desmond Harrington) to become the first U.S. astronaut to fly in space in May 1961.

Name a Mars Crater for Dad This Father's Day

If dad already has enough ties and coffee mugs, you could always name a Mars crater for him this Father's Day. The space-funding company Uwingu, which sells naming rights to the 580,000 cataloged Mars craters that have yet to receive a moniker, is offering a special deal: Name a crater between now and Father's Day (June 21) and receive a decorative certificate, either a downloadable digital version or a printed and framed one. In addition, the people who buy the 50 biggest craters through Father's Day get a gift certificate whose value equals that of their purchase, which they can use to name more Red Planet craters through the end of the year.

Father's Day Summer Solstice Marks Longest Day of the Year

Dads everywhere will celebrate Father's Day today (June 21), and the Earth is joining the fun this year with the summer solstice, kicking off the first day of the northern summer. The height of the midday sun has been getting progressively higher since Dec. 21 (the winter solstice), as its direct rays have been gradually migrating to the north. In the summer solstice, the sun stops its northward motion and begins heading south.

Solstice Science: How Humans Celebrate Official Start of Summer

Today (June 21) marks the summer solstice, the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer solstice is also the longest day of the year for places in the Northern Hemisphere, which means daylight will get progressively shorter each day until the winter solstice in December. For countries north of the Tropic of Cancer, the summer solstice takes place when the Earth's tilt toward the sun is at a maximum, and the sun is directly over countries located across the Tropic of Cancer, such as Mexico, Egypt, India, and southern China.

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