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Monday, October 19, 2015

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Unusual Parasite from Organ Donor Sickens 3 People

Three people who received organ transplants from the same donor all developed serious brain problems shortly after their operations. The mysterious symptoms turned out to be due to a little-understood parasite that infected the donor before she died, according to a new report of the case. Doctors were concerned that the man had contracted an infection from the donor, which happens in about 1 to 2 percent of U.S. transplants.

Canada's frozen north feels financial burn of global warming

By Chris Arsenault YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories, Canada (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Climate change is taking a heavy economic toll on Canada's far north, with buildings collapsing as melting permafrost destroys foundations, rivers running low and wildfires all a drain on the region's limited finances, senior government officials said. A sprawling area spanning the Arctic Circle with a population of less than 50,000, Canada's Northwest Territories has spent more than $140 million in the last two years responding to problems linked to global warming, the territory's finance minister said. "Our budgets are getting squeezed dramatically from climate change," Finance and Environment Minister J. Michael Miltenberger told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Prawn sex-change boosts male yields, say scientists

By Ori Lewis and Elana Ringler An Israeli-developed method to enhance prawn yields without resorting to genetic modification has started to take hold in Asia, the researcher who has developed the technology said. Male prawns can grow up to 60 percent larger than females and a breakthrough by a team of researchers at Ben Gurion University in creating all-male prawn populations is significantly increasing income for farmers. "This technology is using a cutting-edge scientific approach called temporal gene silencing through RNA interference and the idea is that if we use this technology we can produce an all male population that is for the benefit of the end user, the grower," Professor Amir Sagi, who heads the research group, told Reuters.

For Pregnant Women, Absolutely No Drinking, Docs Say

There is no amount of alcohol that is safe to drink during any trimester of pregnancy, advises a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. And all forms of alcohol — including beer, wine and liquor — pose a similar risk to the developing fetus, according to the report from the nation's largest group of pediatricians. Women who binge drink when they are not pregnant may be more likely to consume alcohol during pregnancy, the researchers noted in their report published online today (Oct. 19) in the journal Pediatrics.

Gay Conversion Therapy Harms Minors, Government Says

A supposed treatment, called gay conversion therapy, that aims to change the same-sex attractions of gay people should not be offered to minors as it can cause serious psychological harm, according to a newly released federal agency report. Advocates of such conversion therapy hold that people can change their sexual orientation. But the new report, which was released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, concludes that the technique is based on the faulty premise that there is something wrong with being gay or lesbian.

Everything's Bigger in Texas: Ancient Supersize Shark Fossils Unearthed

A mega shark that lived 300 million years ago would have made today's great whites look like shrimps, according to fossils of the beast unearthed in Jacksboro, Texas. Scientists have dubbed the newfound fossils the "Texas supershark," and the name is fitting: These supersharks were enormous: more than 26 feet (8 meters) long, or more than half the length of a school bus.

Astronauts Relive Their 'Secret Space Escapes' at NY Comic Con

NEW YORK —When New York Comic Con organizers got wind of what exactly the new Science Channel show "Secret Space Escapes" had in mind for its panel, they decided they'd better get a bigger room. The series, which premiers Nov. 10, features stories from more than 20 astronauts that tell of being trapped, cornered, stranded and even surrounded by fire during space missions and landings, and how they put their exhaustive training to "escape" from life-threatening situations. But Science Channel didn't just tell the audience about those amazing, occasionally terrified, spacefarers during its Comic Con panel Oct. 10.

Syfy's 'The Expanse' Explores a Complicated Future on Far-Flung Worlds

NEW YORK — The future is morally complicated, visually spectacular and set on far-flung worlds — complete with equally far-flung plotlines and awesome special effects — in Syfy's new show "The Expanse," which premieres Dec. 14. At New York Comic Con on Oct. 8, we got a glimpse of how the show's cast and writers pulled together the show's intricate set of worlds. Introducing the Comic Con panel, the moderator asked the creators whether "The Expanse" would have a sort of "Game of Thrones"-in-space vibe to it because of the many plotlines and political elements — they gleefully said they welcomed that particular comparison.

Apple-1 Computer & Rare Enigma Machine Up for Auction

Forget scanning electron microscopes, high-speed centrifuges and computer-controlled telescopes — some of the coolest science tools ever made are totally analog, incredibly old and available for purchase as part of a new online auction. Hosted by Christie's auction house in London, the Seven Centuries of Science sale features some of the coolest scientific instruments from the 14th century onward. The oldest artifact to hit the auction block is a horary quadrant — an instrument used to measure the time of day by calculating the altitude of the sun.

Going Once! WWII-Era 'Grizzly' Tank Sells for $155,000

The tank, officially called a Medium Tank, M4, is more often known as the M4 Sherman (named after William Tecumseh Sherman, an American Civil War general). Sherman tanks were the most commonly used tank by United States troops, as well as certain other Allied troops, during WWII. Known in Canada as Grizzly I cruisers, only 188 of these slightly modified M4 tanks were produced in Canada between 1943 and 1944.

Signal-Scrambling Tech 'Freezes' Drones in Midair

A new device that can detect, target and deter commercial drones could be used to keep the flying robots away from areas where they're not wanted, like government properties, airports or your own backyard. The new Anti-UAV Defense System (AUDS) was developed by three tech companies in the United Kingdom. It has a radar detection component, advanced tracking capabilities and a sneaky little onboard device that keeps drones at bay.

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Saturday, October 17, 2015

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Oldest Draft of King James Bible Discovered, Historian Says

The King James Bible, the most widely read book in the English language — from which phrases like "a man after his own heart" emerged — is as storied as it is elusive. Now, a historian claims to have found the oldest known draft of the Christian text, written in messy script, in an obscure archive at the University of Cambridge. The manuscript was hidden among the papers of Samuel Ward, one of the men commissioned by King James I to translate a new version of the Christian text into English in the early 17th century.

Man's Fatal Rabies Mimicked Drug Side Effect

When a man in Missouri contracted rabies, his symptoms mimicked those of a serious drug reaction, making it hard for doctors to figure out the real cause of his illness until it was too late. The case shows that "human rabies is a fatal disease, and we need to think out of the box" to diagnose the condition, said Dr. Bhavana Chinnakotla, a medical resident at the University of Missouri, who treated the patient. Doctors thought he had muscle and joint pain, and gave him a muscle relaxant called cyclobenzaprine.

High-Stress Jobs May Raise Stroke Risk

People who have high-stress jobs may have an increased risk of stroke, according to a new analysis of previous research. In their analysis, researchers looked at six studies that involved a total of nearly 140,000 people ages 18 to 75, and examined the relationship between work stress and people's risk of stroke. The researchers found that people who had high-stress jobs were 22 percent more likely to experience a stroke than those who had low-stress jobs.

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Friday, October 16, 2015

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French president in Iceland to see global warming's damage

PARIS (AP) — The French president will take a few steps on an Icelandic glacier to experience firsthand the damage caused by global warming, ahead of major U.N. talks on climate change in Paris this year.

Why 'Doctor Who' Still Rules Time and Space After 50 Years

"Doctor Who" fans know how important it is to take bananas to a party, and the value of coincidence. And of course, while you're around weeping angels, don't you dare blink.

Colliding Galaxies Shock Particle Cloud Back to Life

Astronomers have found evidence that a collision between two galaxy clusters sent shock waves through a once brightly radiating cloud of electrons, bringing the cloud back to life.

Cold Comfort: Why People in Antarctica Are Such Boozehounds

Amid reports that scientists and contractors working in Antarctica have gotten into fights, exposed themselves and shown up to work drunk, the National Science Foundation is considering sending breathalyzers to the most southerly continent. Over a nearly 20-month period, 57 people working on the frozen continent had violated the U.S. Antarctic Program's (USAP) code of conduct, according to a July report on health and safety of the USAP. In the report, one human resources manager speculated that about 60 to 75 percent of the disciplinary action taken by her company was linked to alcohol misuse.

If Aliens Exist, Would They Have Sex?

Sexual reproduction is costly. It requires finding a mate, convincing that mate to mingle DNA with you, and opening yourself up to the possibility of sexually transmitted disease or predation while you're busy wooing. After all, mixing and matching a genome is a crapshoot, said Sally Otto, director of the Biodiversity Research Centre at the University of British Columbia.

Wearable Sensors Could Translate Sign Language Into English

Wearable sensors could one day interpret the gestures in sign language and translate them into English, providing a high-tech solution to communication problems between deaf people and those who don't understand sign language. Engineers at Texas A&M University are developing a wearable device that can sense movement and muscle activity in a person's arms. After some initial research, the engineers found that there were devices that attempted to translate sign language into text, but they were not as intricate in their designs.

Cretaceous Fur Ball: Ancient Mammal With Spiky Hair Discovered

The fossilized remains of a furry critter that once roamed the Earth alongside dinosaurs suggests that mammals have been growing hair the same way for at least 125 million years. The Spinolestes specimen is special because it was fossilized with so many of its parts intact, Luo told Live Science in an email. Before the fossil was unearthed by paleontologists in Spain, the oldest mammalian bones containing similar, hair-related microstructures dated back just 60 million years.

Mystery of Antarctica's Strange Disappearing Snow Is Solved

Antarctica is one of the coldest, snowiest parts of the globe, but there may actually be less snow across the surface of the planet's southernmost continent than scientists originally thought. Researchers studying areas of eastern Antarctica where snow is often stripped off the surface by wind, recently found that the powerful gusts are actually vaporizing massive amounts of snow, rather than blowing and redistributing it elsewhere. Scientists knew that snow was being removed from the ice sheet, but did not know how quickly it was happening, where on the continent it was occurring or to what degree wind played a role in these processes, said lead study author Indrani Das, an associate research scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Canada's frozen north feels financial burn of global warming

Ebola May Stay in Survivors' Semen for Many Months

Male survivors of Ebola may carry the virus in their semen even months after they recover from the infection, according to a recent study. In the study, researchers looked for genetic material from the Ebola virus in semen and found that 100 percent of the specimens sampled between two and three months following an Ebola infection showed signs of the virus. Among the samples taken four to six months after an Ebola infection, 65 percent carried signs of the virus, and 26 percent of the samples taken at the seven- to nine-month mark also tested positive for the virus.

Supplements Send 23,000 People to ER Yearly

Dietary supplements are responsible for an estimated 23,000 visits to hospital emergency rooms, and more than 2,100 hospitalizations, in the United States each year, a new study reveals. Researchers found that more than one-quarter of these emergency visits involved young adults ages 20 to 34, and about one-fifth of them involved unsupervised children who swallowed adult supplements, according to the study, which was published online today (Oct. 14) in the New England Journal of Medicine. The visits involved people who had taken herbal, homeopathic and nutritional supplements, such as amino acids and probiotics, as well as vitamins and minerals, according to the study.

The Doctor-Parent Disconnect: Why Are Antibiotics Overprescribed for Kids?

When children are prescribed antibiotics that they don't need, doctors often point to pressure from parents, saying that they demand the drugs for their kids. Before the parents met with the doctor, the researchers asked them about their view of antibiotics and whether they planned to ask for the drugs. None of the parents said they had planned to ask the doctor for antibiotics at the visit, the researchers found.

North Pole of Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus Captured in Best-Ever Photos

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured its best-ever looks at the north polar region of Saturn's ocean-harboring moon, Enceladus. Cassini zoomed within 1,142 miles (1,838 kilometers) of Enceladus Wednesday (Oct. 14), performing its 20th close flyby of the icy satellite since arriving in the Saturn system in 2004. The spacecraft has already beamed home some of the new close-encounter images, and more will come down to Earth in the next few days, NASA officials said.

NASA Manager George Mueller, 'Father of Space Shuttle,' Dies at 97

George Mueller, who led NASA's human spaceflight efforts through the first moon landing and was credited as the "father of the space shuttle," died Monday (Oct. 12) after a brief illness. NASA and sources close to Mueller's family confirmed his passing on Thursday (Oct. 15). George Mueller, as associate administrator, headed the Office of Manned Space Flight at NASA's Washington headquarters from 1963 through 1969.

Modern Hunter-Gatherers Probably Get Less Sleep Than You Do

Although it might seem that the glowing lights from smartphones and other trappings of modern life reduce people's ability to get a decent amount of shut-eye, scientists now suggest that people do not get any less sleep today than they did in prehistoric times. "We find that contrary to much conventional wisdom, it is very likely that we do not sleep less than our distant ancestors," said the study's senior author, Jerome Siegel, a sleep researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. People complain that modern life allows us less sleep than is natural, and earlier studies done on animals in captivity gave the researchers an idea for studying sleep in people, Siegel said.

Adrian Robinson's Brain Disorder: What Is CTE?

Adrian Robinson Jr., a professional football player who died by suicide earlier this year, had a brain disease, his autopsy recently revealed. Robinson, who played for several football teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, died on May 16. During his two years in the National Football League (NFL), he suffered several concussions.

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