Wednesday 19 June 2019

State initiative to address disparities in mother's milk for very low birth weight infants

Researchers at Boston Medical Center initiated a statewide quality improvement imitative to increase mothers' ability to produce and provide milk for very low birth weight infants at their discharge, as well reduce the racial/ethnic disparities in milk production and provision to these infants. A new study, published June 18th in Pediatrics, indicates that the initiative yielded positive results on improving rates of prenatal human milk education, early milk expression and skin to skin care among mothers of very low birth weight infants during initial hospitalization, but did not lead to sustained improvement in mother's milk provision at hospital discharge.

* This article was originally published here

Delayed Kentucky internet project faces new squirrel setback

A project that would bring high-speed internet across Kentucky will be delayed because company representatives say an "abundance" of squirrels have chewed through wiring.

* This article was originally published here

Early Celts in Burgundy appropriated Mediterranean products and feasting practices

Early Celts in eastern France imported Mediterranean pottery, as well as olive oil and wine, and may have appropriated Mediterranean feasting practices, according to a study published June 19, 2019 in PLOS ONE, by Maxime Rageot from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and the University of Tübingen, and colleagues.

* This article was originally published here

Teaching artificial intelligence to connect senses like vision and touch

In Canadian author Margaret Atwood's book The Blind Assassin, she says that "touch comes before sight, before speech. It's the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth."

* This article was originally published here

Toward artificial intelligence that learns to write code

Learning to code involves recognizing how to structure a program, and how to fill in every last detail correctly. No wonder it can be so frustrating.

* This article was originally published here

Synthetic joint lubricant holds promise for osteoarthritis

A new type of treatment for osteoarthritis, currently in canine clinical trials, shows promise for eventual use in humans.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers reproduce micro-scale 'Great Wave' painting with inkless technology

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849) is the titan of Japanese art, as revered in his homeland as are Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Rembrandt Van Rijn in the West. Of all his famed masterpieces, the "Great Wave" stands out as the ultimate testament to his artistic genius.

* This article was originally published here

How to head off a pain in the neck

(HealthDay)—Neck pain can sneak up on you over time. While it can be caused by an accident or injury, your everyday posture and body mechanics can also be to blame, from the way you carry a shoulder bag, cradle your phone while multitasking or sit at your desk. These tips will help you better protect your neck.

* This article was originally published here

US military consumes more hydrocarbons than most countries—massive hidden impact on climate

The US military's carbon footprint is enormous and must be confronted in order to have a substantial effect on battling global warming.

* This article was originally published here

Greenpeace sounds alarm over plastic pollution in rivers

Greenpeace on Wednesday raised the alarm over microplastics in rivers after finding the pollutant in all the rivers it tested in Britain, calling it a "problem of enormous complexity".

* This article was originally published here

We know contact with nature makes you feel better. Can virtual contact do the same?

You might have noticed that being in nature can improve your mood. Whether it's walking in a beautiful rainforest, swimming in the ocean or a moment of wonder at the plants and animals around you, nature offers a respite from daily routines and demands.

* This article was originally published here

Medicare program aimed at lowering costs, improving care may not be working as well as thought

As the Medicare system seeks to improve the care of older adults while also keeping costs from growing too fast, a new University of Michigan study suggests that one major effort may not be having as much of an impact as hoped.

* This article was originally published here

New time-banking system utilizes blockchain tech to measure one's value to society

Citizens from the island of Aneityum in the Republic of Vanuatu are working with faculty from Binghamton University, State University of New York to test their true value as humans.

* This article was originally published here

Study reveals new genetic link to heart disease

A collaboration involving the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the German Heart Center Munich, AstraZeneca, and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has demonstrated that more than 30 percent of heart disease risk stems from genetic factors, much more than was previously understood. The study findings, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, introduce the biology of gene networks as a means to better understand the heritability and genetic underpinnings of heart disease.

* This article was originally published here

A dietary supplement improves skills of an atypical Rett syndrome patient

A multicentric translational research study carried out by groups of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Sant Joan de Déu Hospital (HSJD) , the University of Barcelona (UB), Hospital Clínic (IDIBAPS), the University of Vic (UVic), Sant Pau i la Santa Creu Hospital (IIB Sant Pau), the Rare Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBERER) and the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA, France), has demonstrated the potential of the amino acid L-serine—administered as a dietary supplement—to improve the neuronal function of a patient with a mutation of glutamate receptors associated with atypical Rett syndrome with severe encephalopathy.

* This article was originally published here

Good physical fitness in middle age linked to lower chronic lung disease risk

Good heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness in middle age is associated with a lower long term risk of chronic lung disease (COPD), suggests Danish research published online in the journal Thorax.

* This article was originally published here

Ethics of AI: how should we treat rational, sentient robots – if they existed?

Imagine a world where humans co-existed with beings who, like us, had minds, thoughts, feelings, self-conscious awareness and the capacity to perform purposeful actions—but, unlike us, these beings had artificial mechanical bodies that could be switched on and off.

* This article was originally published here