Wednesday 15 May 2019

CDC: Racial disparity seen with lupus-related deaths

(HealthDay)—Mortality from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is significantly higher among blacks, according to research published in the May 10 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

* This article was originally published here

Experimental brain-controlled hearing aid decodes, identifies who you want to hear

Our brains have a remarkable knack for picking out individual voices in a noisy environment, like a crowded coffee shop or a busy city street. This is something that even the most advanced hearing aids struggle to do. But now Columbia engineers are announcing an experimental technology that mimics the brain's natural aptitude for detecting and amplifying any one voice from many. Powered by artificial intelligence, this brain-controlled hearing aid acts as an automatic filter, monitoring wearers' brain waves and boosting the voice they want to focus on.

* This article was originally published here

Just like toothpaste: Fluoride radically improves the stability of perovskite solar cells

Solar cells made of perovskite hold much promise for the future of solar energy. The material is cheap, easy to produce and almost as efficient as silicon, the material traditionally used in solar cells. However, perovskite degrades quickly, severely limiting its efficiency and stability over time. Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, energy research institute DIFFER, Peking University and University of Twente have discovered that adding a small amount of fluoride to the perovskite leaves a protective layer, increasing stability of the materials and the solar cells significantly. The solar cells retain 90 percent of their efficiency after 1000 hours operation at various extreme testing conditions. The findings are published today in the leading scientific journal Nature Energy.

* This article was originally published here

'Foldable' PC? Lenovo ThinkPad laptop screen bends in half like a book

Samsung has gained a lot attention lately for its Galaxy Fold hybrid smartphone/tablet, though given the recent display snags that have prompted a delay in the product's release, not necessarily for all the right reasons.

* This article was originally published here

What's causing your vertigo? Goggles may help with diagnosis

Vertigo is a form of severe dizziness that can result in a loss of balance, a feeling of falling, trouble walking or standing, or nausea. There is more than one type of vertigo, each with a different cause, and sometimes requiring different treatment. Now a proof-of-concept study has found that special goggles that measure eye movements during an episode of vertigo may help more accurately diagnose which type of vertigo a person has. The study is published in the May 15, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

* This article was originally published here

Once-per-month HIV drugs on the horizon

An HIV diagnosis was once a death sentence, but now people who receive treatment survive for decades with the disease. Keeping the virus at bay usually requires taking a pill every day, which aside from being inconvenient for some, is an unwelcome daily reminder of the disease. That's why drug companies are developing longer-acting, injectable HIV treatments, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.

* This article was originally published here

Cellular rivalry promotes healthy skin development

Not all cells are destined for greatness. Deemed unfit to serve in the body, some are killed off during early development through a process called cell competition. This phenomenon has previously been documented in flies and is now turning out to occur in mammals as well.

* This article was originally published here

Coherent? Voice disorders significantly affect listeners, too

"Fly heading two three zero, runway two seven left, cleared for takeoff." Air traffic controllers are among the 25 to 45 percent of the workforce in the United States who use their voices professionally. It is imperative for their listeners to understand what they are communicating. Air traffic controllers, teachers and university professors have a high prevalence of voice disorders referred to as "dysphonia." Other professions also are at risk including clergy, attorneys, counselors and performers.

* This article was originally published here

Jawless fish take a bite out of the blood-brain barrier

A jawless parasitic fish could help lead the way to more effective treatments for multiple brain ailments, including cancer, trauma and stroke.

* This article was originally published here

New strategy of reprogramming regulatory T cells may improve cancer therapies

While therapies that harness the power of the immune system against cancer have made remarkable progress against certain types of tumors, they still remain ineffective in most cancer patients. A new study from the Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases (CIID) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describes a method of reprogramming the regulatory T cells that usually suppress immune responses into inflammatory cells that not only permit but also intensify an antitumor immune response. Their paper is receiving advance online release in Nature.

* This article was originally published here

Tracking symptoms: New tool helps providers identify underlying causes

An easy to use, brief, inexpensive new tool developed and validated by researchers at the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University will help healthcare providers track and potentially identify early onset of more complex, serious underlying issues that could otherwise go undetected.

* This article was originally published here

Review: Edifier headphones and earbuds give you great sound, no wires

There are times when we all would like to tune out the outside world and just relax in peace and quiet.

* This article was originally published here

New security flaw in Intel chips could affect millions

Intel has revealed another hardware security flaw that could affects millions of machines around the world.

* This article was originally published here

Video: Visualizing the global thaw

One of the causalities of climate change is the diminishing ice cover, affecting our planet in a number of ways.

* This article was originally published here