Wednesday 8 May 2019

Statistical study finds it unlikely South African fossil species is ancestral to humans

Statistical analysis of fossil data shows that it is unlikely that Australopithecus sediba, a nearly two-million-year-old, apelike fossil from South Africa, is the direct ancestor of Homo, the genus to which modern-day humans belong.

* This article was originally published here

A new filter to better map the dark universe

The earliest known light in our universe, known as the cosmic microwave background, was emitted about 380,000 years after the Big Bang. The patterning of this relic light holds many important clues to the development and distribution of large-scale structures such as galaxies and galaxy clusters.

* This article was originally published here

Fibro-adipose vascular anomaly: Old wine or new cocktail?

Unique clinico-radiological features of a provisionally unclassified vascular anomaly can assist radiologists in identifying this uncommon distinct entity, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI.

* This article was originally published here

Genetic therapy heals damage caused by heart attack

Researchers from King's College London have found that therapy that can induce heart cells to regenerate after a heart attack.

* This article was originally published here

US shuts down illegal web marketplace; 2 Israelis charged

The FBI has shut down a website it says was a gateway to illegal marketplaces on the darknet and announced the arrest of its two alleged Israeli operators. They are accused of making millions of dollars in kickbacks for their services.

* This article was originally published here

Significant unmet mental health care needs exist in current and former smokers with COPD

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have published new information that stresses the need for increased mental health care for current and former smokers, especially those who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers create 'impossible' nano-sized protein cages with the help of gold

Researchers from an international collaboration have succeeded in creating a "protein cage"—a nanoscale structure that could be used to deliver drugs to specific places of the body, and which can be readily assembled and disassembled, but also withstands boiling and other extreme conditions. They did this by exploring geometries not found in nature reminiscent of "paradoxical geometries" found in Islamic art.

* This article was originally published here

VisiBlends, a new approach to disrupt visual messaging

Visual blends, which join two objects in an unusual, eye-catching way, are an advanced graphic design technique used in advertising, marketing, and the media to draw attention to a specific message. These visual marriages are designed to precipitate an "aha!" moment in the viewer who grasps one idea from the union of two images. For instance, blending an image of an orange with an image of the sun could convey a beverage with Vitamin C.

* This article was originally published here

Study shows how big data can be used for personal health

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and their collaborators followed a cohort of more than 100 people over several years, tracking the biology of what makes them them. Now, after collecting extensive data on the group's genetic and molecular makeup, the researchers are piecing together a new understanding of what it means to be healthy and how deviations from an individual's norm can flag early signs of disease.

* This article was originally published here

Soaking up pharmaceuticals and personal care products from water

Medications excreted in the urine or dumped into the toilet can end up in the water supply, just like lotions or cosmetics that wash off the body and go down the sink or shower drain. Unfortunately, conventional wastewater treatment cannot completely remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed an adsorbent membrane that they say could be used to purify water contaminated with PPCPs.

* This article was originally published here

Smarter training of neural networks

These days, nearly all the artificial intelligence-based products in our lives rely on "deep neural networks" that automatically learn to process labeled data.

* This article was originally published here

Collision-detecting suitcase, wayfinding app help blind people navigate airports

Carnegie Mellon University researchers say a smart suitcase that warns blind users of impending collisions and a wayfinding smartphone app can help people with visual disabilities navigate airport terminals safely and independently.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers violate Bell's inequality with remotely connected superconducting qubits

The efficient generation of entanglement between remote quantum nodes is a crucial step in securing quantum communications. In past research, entanglement has often been achieved using a number of different probabilistic schemes.

* This article was originally published here

Seed abortion and the role of RNA Pol IV in seed development

ASPB is pleased to announce the publication in The Plant Cell of important research that explores the cause of seed abortion and the role of the enzyme RNA Pol IV to understand how seed development works.

* This article was originally published here

Rate of radiology resident recognition of non-accidental trauma

Radiology residency programs nationwide are not adequately teaching residents to accurately recognize and report child abuse, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI.

* This article was originally published here