Science and Technology - Page 5 of 10

Posted on June 18, 2016June 17, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

The Aftermath: How Survivors’ Brains Are Affected By The Orlando Shooting

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Is A Consequence

June 18,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The murders of 49 people Sunday morning in Orlando during the largest mass shooting in United States history was horrific enough for anyone in the country to digest. But what about the 53 people who were injured? How do they move on with the rest of their lives? How do they feel safe again? And, are there hidden changes which have yet to manifest themselves

Brain imaging expert and best-selling author Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of the Amen Clinics says, “Emotional trauma can cause lasting changes in the brain. It causes increased activity in the brain’s emotional system, making people more prone to anxiety and depression.

An estimated 7.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from post traumatic stress disorder from witnessing or experiencing emotionally traumatic events, such as the terrorist attack in Orlando. Dr. Amen can talk to your viewers about:

Survivor’s Guilt. The agonizing questions of how and why I survived can trigger other physical and mental problems.
A treatment plan. Knowing the potential consequences can lead to better and more immediate treatment.
Long term effects. What regions of the brain are affected by PTSD and behavior changes to look for in people who are suffering from it.

About Dr. Daniel Amen

Daniel G. Amen is a psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist and Founder of Amen Clinics in California, Washington, Virginia, Georgia and New York. Amen Clinics have the world’s largest database of functional brain scans relating to behavior. Dr. Amen is the lead researcher on the largest brain imaging and rehabilitation study on professional football players and was a consultant on the movie Concussion starring Will Smith. He’s been a guest on multiple TV shows and networks such as CNN and “The View.” In January, his research was chosen as one of the top 100 stories in science for 2015 by Discover Magazine.

Posted on June 18, 2016June 17, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Is There Something In Murderers’ Brains That’s Different From The Rest Of Us?

Omar Mateen, Terrorist Who Attacked Orlando Gay Club

June 17,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The mass murders and shootings in Orlando committed by Omar Mateen has produced many questions as federal and local authorities continue to probe into his background.

But what if he’s the latest in the long line of people who have something in their brains which turns them into murderers? Brain imaging expert and best-selling author Dr. Daniel Amen,founder of the Amen Clinics and his staff have scanned the brains of 90 murderers, searching for answers.

Mateen’s ex-wife, who suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her former husband, has also said he was bi-polar. And as we continue to learn more about the human brain, scans such as what Dr. Amen provides, are being used in court, keeping some criminals in court and others from being executed.

Amen is heavily involved in the discussion about CTE and is the lead researcher on the largest brain imaging and rehabilitation study on professional football players and was a consultant on the movie “Concussion” starring Will Smith.

About Dr. Daniel Amen

Daniel G. Amen is a psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist and Founder of Amen Clinics in California, Washington, Virginia, Georgia and New York. Amen Clinics have the world’s largest database of functional brain scans relating to behavior. He’s been a guest on multiple TV shows and networks such as CNN and “The View.” In January, his research was chosen as one of the top 100 stories in science for 2015 by Discover Magazine.

Posted on June 12, 2016June 11, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Official map finds Zika-transmitting mosquitoes in much of U.S.

By Sebastien Malo
June 10, 2016

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Mosquitoes that can transmit the Zika virus have been found to live in nearly all U.S. states, according to maps released this week by authorities trying to assess the public health threat.

The maps show the two breeds of virus-carrying mosquitoes, the yellow fever and the Asian tiger mosquito, can live in the nation’s northernmost states of Michigan, New Hampshire, Washington state and Minnesota, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Zika, which has been linked to numerous cases of the birth defect microcephaly in Brazil, has spread rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Microcephaly is marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.

In the United States, Zika has only been found in the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The mosquitoes, whose scientific names are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, were concentrated most heavily in the U.S. Southeast and Southwest, according to the CDC maps that break each state down to its individual counties.

The maps (https://tmsnrt.rs/1U5njHx ) utilized data back to 1995, including information from the CDC, university researchers and local health departments.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/official-map-finds-zika-transmitting-mosquitoes-much-u-204257853.html

Posted on June 12, 2016June 11, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

ROBOT WORKERS ARE SHOWING UP IN MALLS, HOTELS, AND PARKING LOTS

By Bruce Brown — June 11, 2016

If you have yet to see a robot patrolling a parking lot or moving along the sidewalk, don’t feel left out. Security, surveillance, hospitality, and delivery robots aren’t a common sight, but it won’t be long before they are. Robots are already on the job providing extra service and security in a growing variety and number of locations, according to the MIT Technology Review.

Silicon Valley startup Knightscope, Inc. has two mobile surveillance and security robots, called the K3 and K5. The company refers to them as Autonomous Data Machines, or ADMs, because as the robots make their rounds, they can either follow prescribed paths or just wander within a determined area. While on the move, the robots continuously collect and transmit more than 90 terabytes of data per year.

Posted on June 8, 2016June 7, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Fish can recognize human faces, new study shows

June 7, 2016

A species of tropical fish has been shown to be able to distinguish between human faces. It is the first time fish have demonstrated this ability.

The research, carried out by a team of scientists from the University of Oxford (UK) and the University of Queensland (Australia), found that archerfish were able to learn and recognize faces with a high degree of accuracy—an impressive feat, given this task requires sophisticated visual recognition capabilities.

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

First author Dr Cait Newport, Marie Curie Research Fellow in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University, said: ‘Being able to distinguish between a large number of human faces is a surprisingly difficult task, mainly due to the fact that all human faces share the same basic features. All faces have two eyes above a nose and mouth, therefore to tell people apart we must be able to identify subtle differences in their features. If you consider the similarities in appearance between some family members, this task can be very difficult indeed.

‘It has been hypothesized that this task is so difficult that it can only be accomplished by primates, which have a large and complex brain. The fact that the human brain has a specialized region used for recognizing human faces suggests that there may be something special about faces themselves. To test this idea, we wanted to determine if another animal with a smaller and simpler brain, and with no evolutionary need to recognize human faces, was still able to do so.’

The researchers found that fish, which lack the sophisticated visual cortex of primates, are nevertheless capable of discriminating one face from up to 44 new faces. The research provides evidence that fish (vertebrates lacking a major part of the brain called the neocortex) have impressive visual discrimination abilities.

Posted on June 4, 2016June 4, 2016 by James — 7 Comments

Military discloses at least 11 troops infected with Zika virus this year

Gregg Zoroya and Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

At least 11 U.S. troops have been infected with the Zika virus since January, nearly all of whom traveled to countries where the mosquito-born illness is prevalent, a Pentagon health report published Friday disclosed.

In addition, four dependents of servicemembers — which can include spouses and children — and two military retirees contracted the illness, according to the report. It underscored the risks to military personnel of child-bearing age exposed to the virus during deployments.

A fetus infected with the Zika virus during the first three months of pregnancy has about a 1% to 13% chance of developing microcephaly, an abnormally small head usually caused by incomplete brain development, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/06/03/military-discloses-least-11-troops-infected-zika-virus-year/85343632/

Posted on June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 by James — 7 Comments

Cyclist believed to be first U.S. athlete to pass on Rio Olympics due to Zika concern

By Cindy Boren June 2 at 2:11 PM

Cyclist Tejay van Garderen has removed his name from from consideration for the U.S. team that will compete in the Rio Olympics, becoming what is believed to be the first U.S. athlete to back out because of concerns about the Zika virus.

Van Garderen, who was likely to make the team, is concerned that, if he contracted Zika, he could pass it along to his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth in October.

“If Jessica were not pregnant right now, assuming I was selected, I would go,” he told Cyclingtips. “But the fact is, she is pregnant. If we were just going to start trying, I’d say we could start trying six months after the Olympics. But when she has a baby in her belly, I don’t want to take any chances.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/06/02/cyclist-believed-to-be-first-u-s-athlete-to-pass-on-rio-olympics-due-to-zika-concern/

Posted on June 1, 2016June 1, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Research: Long-Term Use Of Benadryl, Many Over-The-Counter Cold Medications Linked To Dementia

May 31, 2016 6:08 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New research is warning about a possible link between a very common allergy medicine and dementia.

CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez reported that long-term use of an antihistamine known as diphenhydramine, which is commonly sold as Benadryl and included in many over-the-counter medications for cold and allergies, may increase the risk of dementia and even cause irreparable harm.

Diphenhydramine, which also causes drowsiness, is in popular sleep aids such as Tylenol PM, Advil PM, and ZZZQuil.

“I would take these medications myself only very rarely and I will try at all costs to avoid taking them for a long term,” Stanford psychiastrist Barbara Sommer said.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/31/study-benadryl-dementia/

Posted on May 31, 2016May 30, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

U.S. Cellphone Study Fans Cancer Worries

Researchers found incidences of tumor in rats exposed to low-level radio waves, reigniting debate over safety

By
RYAN KNUTSON
Updated May 28, 2016 11:51 a.m. ET

For almost as long as people have had cellphones, scientists have been debating whether the now-ubiquitous devices cause health effects.

More than a decade ago, the U.S. government set in motion a study to help answer the question. Its initial findings were released this week. The researchers said the findings were significant enough that they felt the urgency to release the results before the entire study was complete.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-cellphone-study-fans-cancer-worries-1464393051

Posted on May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Revealed: Why our brains get so tired in the afternoon – and how to beat the slump

by Mark Molloy

26 MAY 2016 • 11:47AM

It’s known as the dreaded 2:30 feeling.

You’ve had your eight hours of sleep, a very productive morning and a healthy lunch – but as the afternoon hits you start to fall into a post-lunch slump.

Feeling drowsy after lunch is completely natural, according to Dr Fiona Kerr, a neuro specialist from the University of Adelaide, who explains that humans are “built for two sleeps a day”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/26/revealed-why-our-brains-get-so-tired-in-the-afternoon—and-how/

Posted on May 17, 2016May 16, 2016 by James — 4 Comments

A Major Law Firm Will Soon Be Using A Robotic Lawyer

Angela Chen

An “artificial-intelligence attorney” created using technology from IBM’s Watson has snagged its first customer, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be appearing in the courtroom anytime soon.

Law firm Baker & Hostetler said this week that it will use the “AI lawyer” ROSS as a resource for the 50 lawyers in its bankruptcy division, which has helped advise proceedings related to the Bernie Madoff case.

Essentially, ROSS is an advanced a research tool. It reads and draws inferences from existing laws to answer questions about specific cases or guidelines that users can ask using natural language. Its machine-learning capabilities allow it to continue improving its answers, and the system can also help keep lawyers up-to-date about new rulings. ROSS could save time for lawyers who need to master a huge, and growing, body of literature to do their job. Instead of reading carefully through every single case that might be relevant, lawyers could quickly get information from ROSS, leaving them free to spend more time analyzing complex details of the most relevant cases and laws.

https://gizmodo.com/a-major-law-firm-will-soon-be-using-a-robotic-lawyer-1776733245

Posted on May 9, 2016May 9, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Mercury rising: Astronomers gear up for planetary alignment

Pascale Mollard, Mariëtte Le Roux
May 9, 2016

Paris (AFP) – Astronomers are preparing for one of the highlights of the skywatchers’ year, when the Sun, Mercury and Earth all line up — a phenomenon that happens just a dozen or so times per century.

Mercury will be seen through telescopes as a black dot inching over the face of our star, providing a celestial spectacle — weather permitting — that will last seven and a half hours.

“At the start, Mercury will look as if it is nibbling at the edge of the Sun, and then it will very slowly cross its surface and leave the other side,” said Pascal Descamps of the Paris Observatory.

“It’s something rare, because it requires the Sun, Mercury and Earth to be in almost perfect alignment.”

The smallest recognised planet in the Solar System, Mercury completes an orbit every 88 days, and passes between the Earth and the Sun every 116 days.

But its orbit is tilted in relation to Earth’s, which means it usually appears — from our perspective — to pass above or below the Sun.

Thirteen times each century, however, the two orbits align such that even amateur astronomers can see the tiny planet tens of millions of kilometres (miles) away.

According to Britain’s Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), most of Western Europe, the western parts of North and West Africa, eastern North America, and most of South America will be able to view the entire transit, which will last from 1112 GMT to 1842 GMT.

The rest of north and south America, the eastern Pacific, the remainder of Africa and most of Asia, will see parts of the event..

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mercury-rising-astronomers-gear-planetary-alignment-032838938.html

Posted on April 26, 2016April 25, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Why the Zika virus is causing alarm

Reuters
April 25, 2016

April 25 (Reuters) – – Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus behind a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has spread to many countries in the Americas.

The following are some questions and answers about the virus and current outbreak:

How do people become infected?

Zika is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same type that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found.

How do you treat Zika?

There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika infection. Companies and scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for Zika, but the World Health Organization (WHO) had said it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots.

How dangerous is it?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women is a cause of the birth defect microcephaly and other severe brain abnormalities in babies. The CDC said now that the causal relationship has been established, several important questions must still be answered with studies that could take years.

According to the World Health Organization, there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. In addition, the agency said it could cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis. Conclusive proof of the damage caused by Zika may take months or years.

Brazil has confirmed 1,113 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 3,836 suspected cases of microcephaly. Colombia has confirmed two cases of microcephaly linked to Zika.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/why-zika-virus-causing-alarm-214755334.html

Posted on April 17, 2016April 16, 2016 by James — 2 Comments

Billions of cicadas will ascend upon the northeastern United States as another 17-year cycle concludes

By Travis M. Andrews April 15

The eighth biblical plague that tortured Egypt was a plague of locusts.

As described in Exodus 10:5, “And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.”

Flip the aforementioned “they” from locusts to cicadas, and that’s actually a pretty apt description of what residents in some parts of Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia will experience next month when the soil warms to 64 degrees and billions of cicadas rise from the ground to mate. Fortunately, cicadas can’t chew so they don’t devour our plants and trees. If they manage to avoid predators long enough they suck up plant sap but not enough to any real damage.

This particular group of insects has a 17-year-life cycle that begins underground and culminates in the air as they swell and swarm and scream and sing, issuing deafening cries as the males desperately seek mates. This current 17-year-cycle, which began in 1999, begins to end next month, reportsCicada Mania.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/15/billions-of-cicadas-will-descend-upon-the-northeastern-united-states-as-another-17-year-cycle-conclude/?postshare=8971460802878439&tid=ss_fb

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