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Friday, March 25, 2016

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Stripped-down synthetic organism sheds light on nature of life

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists on Thursday announced the creation of a synthetic organism stripped down to the bare essentials with the fewest genes needed to survive and multiply, a feat at the microscopic level that may provide big insights on the very nature of life. Genome research pioneer J. Craig Venter called the bacterial cell his research team designed and constructed the "most simple of all organisms." While the human genome possesses more than 20,000 genes, the new organism gets by with only 473.

Dracula Science: How Long Does It Take for a Vampire to Drain Blood?

A team of university students recently combined vampire lore with the study of fluid dynamics — the physics of how liquid behaves — to find out. Their findings, timed to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the classic vampire film "Dracula" (1931), were published online in the 2015 issue of the University of Leicester's Journal of Physics Special Topics. The student researchers considered how long a vampire could sip from a human host — easily accessed by a bite to the neck — before blood loss would trigger changes in heart rate, based on average blood pressure and the velocity of blood flow in the external carotid artery, the main avenue for blood traveling away from the heart.

Live Sumatran Rhino Captured in Indonesia

A live Sumatran rhinoceros has been captured in the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, a region where these critically endangered animals were thought to be extinct. A single camera-trap image and telltale footprints found in 2013 had previously revealed that Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) still survived in Kalimantan, which makes up the southern 73 percent of Borneo. Conservation groups estimate that fewer than 100 Sumatran rhinos are left in the wild, most of which live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, located west of Borneo.

Mystery of Long-Lost Navy Tugboat Is Solved

The disappearance of the U.S. Navy tugboat USS Conestoga 95 years ago has stymied experts for nearly a century. The tugboat and its crew of 56 officers and sailors were last seen on March 25, 1921, when the Conestoga departed Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California on its way to American Samoa. But yesterday (March 23), the location of the Conestoga finally came to light.

Debris Belongs to Doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, Experts Say

Two pieces of plane debris discovered in Mozambique very likely belong to the doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing two years ago en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the Australian government announced today (March 24). The Malaysian investigation team for MH370 reported that the pieces, which were discovered Feb. 27, are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, said Darren Chester, the Australian minister for infrastructure and transport. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Chester said in a statement.

Print Your Hike! 3D Keepsakes Memorialize Mountain Conquests

Hikers who have conquered some of the most challenging trails and want to show off these accomplishments can now memorialize their impressive feats in stunning 3D-printed sculptures made from their GPS tracks. Nice Trails, a project started by Oscar Ardaiz, a computer science Ph.D. candidate based in Barcelona, Spain, creates models, or "trophies," that visualize GPS-tracked hiking trails, cycling trails or other mountainous routes in three dimensions. A user can simply upload and save a GPS track to the project's website, and Nice Trails will create a 3D-printed replica of the path and the surrounding terrain.

Women with Oral HPV Also Usually Have Vaginal HPV

Infections with the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the mouth or throat are not common, but a new study finds that about three-quarters of women who do have an oral HPV infection also have a vaginal HPV infection. The study also found that women who'd had two or more oral sex partners in the past year were three times more likely to have both oral and vaginal infections with the same strain of HPV (called a concordant infection) than women who'd had no oral sex partners in the past year. The findings support the "genital-oral transmission theory," the researchers said, in which an HPV infection of the genitals is transmitted to the mouth or throat through oral sex.

Exercise May Stave Off Cognitive Decline

Older people who exercise may experience a slower rate of cognitive decline than those who don't exercise, according to a new study. The people in the study who did not exercise at all or who exercised very little experienced a decline in their memory and thinking skills equal to 10 extra years of cognitive aging compared with the people who were more physically active. "More and more evidence is suggesting that exercise is good for the brain, and in this observational study, we found that people who were more active declined less on certain tests than people who were less active," said study co-author Dr. Clinton B. Wright, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Miami in Florida.

Is 'Cat Litter' Parasite Making You a Rageaholic?

Uncontrollable, explosive bouts of anger such a road rage might be the result of an earlier brain infection from the toxoplasmosis parasite, an organism found in cat feces, a new study finds. In the study of more than 350 adults, those with a psychiatric disorder called Intermittent Explosive Disorder, or IED, were twice as likely to have been infected by the toxoplasmosis parasite compared with healthy individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis. The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that toxoplasmosis — usually a mild or nonsymptomatic infection from a protozoan parasite called Toxoplasma gondii — may somehow alter people's brain chemistry to cause long-term behavior problems.

Couples' Caffeine Use Linked to Higher Risk of Miscarriage

Couples who wish to get pregnant may want to avoid caffeine because it's associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, a new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests. But women's caffeine consumption wasn't the only factor: Among couples in which the male partner drank more than two caffeinated beverages daily before conception, there was a 73 percent higher risk of a miscarriage, according to the study.

Heart Attack Patients Are Getting Younger, and Sicker

People who experience the most severe type of heart attack have become younger and more obese in the past two decades, according to a new study. This group is also increasingly more likely to smoke, and to have high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which are preventable risk factors for a heart attack, the researchers found. "On the whole, the medical community has done an outstanding job of improving treatments for heart disease, but this study shows that we have to do better on the prevention side," study co-author Dr. Samir Kapadia, an interventional cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement.

Zika Virus Was in Brazil a Year Before It Was Detected

The Zika virus was likely circulating in Brazil for more than a year before it was detected, according to a new genetic analysis of a small number of Zika samples from Brazil. Airline data from that time show an upsurge in the number of people traveling to the country, particularly from areas where Zika was circulating. The findings suggest that, contrary to previous speculations, fans who attended the FIFA World Cup or a championship canoe race, held in Brazil in 2014, aren't to blame for bringing the virus into the country.

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Thursday, March 24, 2016

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Microcephaly Could Affect More Than 2,500 Infants in Brazil

More than 2,500 babies could be diagnosed with microcephaly in Brazil if current trends within the Zika-affected country continue, the World Health Organization (WHO) told reporters today at a news conference in Geneva. To fight Zika, a vaccine against the virus and measures to control mosquitoes will be crucial, WHO officials said. "In less than a year, the status of Zika has changed from a mild medical curiosity to a disease with severe public health implications," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, told journalists.

Hidden Text in England's Oldest Printed Bible Revealed

Long-hidden annotations in a Henry VIII-era Bible reveal the messy, gradual process of the Protestant Reformation. The handwritten notes were just discovered in a Latin Bible published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer. The version with the annotations is in the Lambeth Palace Library in London.

Oslo trash incinerator in carbon capture trial

The world's first experiment to capture carbon dioxide from the fumes of burning rubbish is nearing completion in Oslo. The trial at the Norwegian capital's main waste incinerator began in January in a groundbreaking bid to develop technology to enlist the world's trash in slowing global warming. The test at the Klemetsrud incinerator, which burns household and industrial waste, is a step beyond most efforts to capture and bury greenhouse gases at coal-fired power plants or factories using fossil fuels. So far, high costs have plagued technology for carbon capture and storage. Last December, almost 200 nations agreed a deal in Paris to fight climate change in a new spur for technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Johnny Stuen, technical director of the Klemetsrud waste-to-energy incinerator, said the plant already generates heat to warm buildings in the city.

Mood lighting for stress-free chickens

By Matthew Stock A new energy efficient lighting system for poultry farms uses bulbs with a light spectrum specially adjusted for chicken retinas. According to John Matcham from Greengage Lighting Ltd., the chicken's superior eyesight isn't taken into account by traditional lighting that is better suited for human sight.

Elusive Marbled Cats Secretly Photographed in Borneo

A secret photo shoot deep in the forests of Malaysian Borneo is helping researchers determine just how many marbled cats — rare, tree-climbing felines — live in the region, according to a new study. To get a better idea of the cats' stomping grounds, the researchers placed camera traps in eight forests and two palm oil plantations in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, they said. "We show that marbled cats can still survive in logged forests," said study lead researcher Andrew Hearn, a doctoral candidate at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Sunken Pirate Ship from Explorer Vasco da Gama's Fleet Discovered

Marine archaeologists think they've discovered a lost Portuguese ship from explorer Vasco da Gama's fleet off the coast of present-day Oman, more than 500 years after it sank in a deadly storm. A team led by David Mearns, of the U.K.-based Blue Water Recoveries, first located the shipwreck in 1998 using archives and historical documents as a guide. After recent underwater excavations and careful analysis of more than 2,800 artifacts, including cannonballs and rare coins, the researchers are now fairly certain they have found the nau Esmeralda, the doomed ship commanded by da Gama's uncle.

World's Largest Aircraft Readies for Takeoff

The world's largest aircraft, some 65 feet (20 meters) longer than the world's biggest passenger airliner, is just about ready to leave its hangar near London and take to the skies.

Genetic study tracks start of Zika's invasion of Americas back to 2013

The Zika virus currently sweeping through the Americas looks to have hitched a ride on a plane into Brazil in 2013 and begun its invasion of the continent from there, scientists said on Thursday. In the first genome analysis of the current Zika epidemic, which has been linked in Brazil to cases of birth defects known as microcephaly, researchers said the virus' introduction to the Americas almost three years ago coincided with a 50 percent rise in air passengers from Zika-affected areas. The strain of the virus circulating in the current outbreak is most closely related to one from French Polynesia, the scientists said, although it is also possible that Zika was introduced separately to the Americas and French Polynesia from South East Asia.

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Wednesday, March 23, 2016

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New 3D View of Richard III's Humble Grave Revealed

Richard III's lost skeleton was discovered under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012. In honor of this one-year anniversary, the University of Leicester has released a digital 3D model of Richard III's original grave.

3-D printer, 'Gecko Grippers' head to space station

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket loaded with supplies and science experiments blasted off from Florida on Tuesday, boosting an Orbital ATK cargo capsule toward the International Space Station. United Launch Alliance is a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Perched on top of the rocket was a Cygnus capsule loaded with nearly 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) of food, science experiments and equipment including a 3-D printer to build tools for astronauts and non-stick grippers modeled after gecko feet.

#TheInternetNamesAnimals: Do Animals Get the Monikers They Deserve?

Over the past several days, a massive wave of online support propelled the unlikely name "Boaty McBoatface" to the top of a poll proposing monikers for a British polar research vessel.

Trippy! Psychedelic Zebrafish Reveal How Cells Regenerate

In what looks more like a post-impressionist painting than a scientific achievement, a transgenic zebrafish is revealing how hundreds of its cells regenerate in a bouquet of colors. Scientists genetically programmed every cell on the zebrafish's body surface, including its cornea, scales, fins and barbels, to express a unique combination of green, red and blue fluorescent proteins, according to lead scientist Kenneth D. Poss, a cell biology professor at Duke University. The result: images of a technicolored zebrafish — revealing 70 different hues — that could just as easily hang in an art museum as appear in a scientific journal.

Butchered Bear Pushes Back Human Arrival on Ireland

The slashed kneecap of a bear found deep inside a prehistoric cave suggests human hunters lived in Ireland earlier than had been previously thought, a new study finds. Researchers found the kneecap in Ireland's Alice and Gwendoline Cave, in County Clare, in 1903. Then, in 2010 and 2011, Ruth Carden, an animal osteologist at the National Museum of Ireland, began going through the cave's many bone artifacts.

Holy Drones, Batman! Real-Life 'Batplane' Mimics Flexible Wings

Inspired by the wings that allow bats to pull off such impressive maneuvers, a team of engineers designed new kinds of wing surfaces for drones. At the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, a group led by engineering professor Bharathram Ganapathisubramani designed a flexible, membrane wing for small drones, otherwise known as micro air vehicles (MAVs). MAVs are used for a variety of purposes, including reconnaissance and scientific work.

Birds Use Alligators As Bodyguards

Birds may use alligators as bodyguards to protect their nests from hungry raccoons and opossums, but gator payment may come at a steep cost — namely, in the form of the birds' chicks that are dropped into the water, researchers say. Previous research found that wading birds — such as storks, herons, egrets, ibises and spoonbills — often choose to nest above alligators. However, there was little research into what, if anything, alligators gained from such arrangements.

Swedish university fires stem cell scientist over negligence

LONDON (AP) — Sweden's Karolinska University says it has fired Italian stem cell scientist Paolo Macchiarini, whose work was once considered revolutionary but has since been deemed to have breached medical ethics.

Wireless mice leave billions at risk of computer hack: cyber security firm

By Ben Gruber San Francisco, CA (Reuters) - Marc Newlin and Balint Seeber are checking how far apart they can be while still being able to hack into each other's computers. It turns out its pretty far - 180 meters - the length of a city block in San Francisco. The pair work for Bastille, a startup cyber security company that has uncovered a flaw they say leaves millions of networks and billions of computers vulnerable to attack. Wireless mice from companies like HP, Lenovo, Amazon and Dell use unencrypted signals to communicate with computers. "They haven't encrypted the mouse traffic, that makes it possible for the attacker to send unencrypted traffic to the dongle pretending to be a keyboard and have it result as keystrokes on your computer.

Moderate Drinking Has No Health Benefits, Large Review of Studies Concludes

Researchers reviewed 87 studies that found a link between moderate drinking and longevity, and they found major problems with way the studies were designed. "From a scientific standpoint, the relationship between alcohol consumption and health is obviously very important, and is a very controversial area," Dr. Tim Naimi, a physician and researcher at Boston Medical Center and co-author of the new review, told Live Science.

Mindfulness Meditation May Reduce Low Back Pain

People with chronic low back pain may benefit from meditating, a new study finds. In the study, a group of people with chronic low back pain participated in an eight-week program called mindfulness-based stress reduction, which involved using meditation to increase their awareness of the present moment, and their acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings, including their pain. About six months after the start of the study, the people who participated in the meditation program were more likely to experience at least a 30 percent improvement in their ability to carry out daily activities, compared with the people who received only standard treatments for low back pain, such as medication.

'Japanese Diet' Linked to Longer Life

Eating the traditional Japanese diet may lead to a longer life, a new study finds. Adults in Japan who closely followed that country's government-recommended dietary guidelines had a 15 percent lower risk of dying during a 15-year time period, as compared to people who didn't follow the guidelines, according to the new study. In particular, those people who most closely followed the dietary guidelines were 22 percent less likely to die of stroke during the time period, according to the study, published today (March 22) in The BMJ.

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