Thursday 9 May 2019

One in five people in England harmed by others' drinking over past year

One in five people in England have been harmed in some way by others' drinking over the past year, suggest the results of the largest survey of its kind in the UK, published in the online journal BMJ Open.

* This article was originally published here

Smart software tool could pave the way for changing how things get designed, made, and supplied

If you don't like wandering through big-box stores trying to find the furniture you need, and then struggle to assemble it, researchers have proposed a solution: Smart software that helps you design your own furniture, 3-D print the joints and assemble the whole structure at home.

* This article was originally published here

A friction reduction system for deformable robotic fingertips

Researchers at Kanazawa University have recently developed a friction reduction system based on a lubricating effect, which could have interesting soft robotics applications. Their system, presented in a paper published in Taylor & Francis' Advanced Robotics journal, could aid the development of robots that can efficiently manipulate objects under both dry and wet conditions.

* This article was originally published here

UK reaches jolly good milestone in days without coal

The UK has gone more than five days without burning coal, the longest streak without burning the fuel since the Industrial Revolution, said Bloomberg. It breaks the previous record from earlier this year, a total of 90 hours.

* 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

Uber's rocky road to global powerhouse

Uber, set to make its stock market debut in one of the largest technology share offerings, has become a disruptive force in local transportation and generated its share of controversies.

* This article was originally published here

Amazon's Bezos unveils lunar lander project 'Blue Moon'

Jeff Bezos, who heads both Amazon and space company Blue Origin, unveiled on Thursday a lunar lander that he said would be used to transport equipment, and possibly human beings, to the south pole of the Moon by 2024.

* This article was originally published here

Longer duration of statin use linked to lower risk for glaucoma

(HealthDay)—Statin use may lower the risk for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), according to a study published online May 2 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists introduce novel perspective in robotic capability

University of Illinois researcher Amy LaViers has introduced a new point of view from which to observe robotic capabilities in her paper, "Counts of Mechanical, External Configurations Compared to Computational, Internal Configurations in Natural and Artificial Systems," published today in PLOS ONE, a leading interdisciplinary research journal.

* This article was originally published here

Wireless movement-tracking system could collect health and behavioral data

We live in a world of wireless signals flowing around us and bouncing off our bodies. MIT researchers are now leveraging those signal reflections to provide scientists and caregivers with valuable insights into people's behavior and health.

* This article was originally published here

The art of the circus: Cartwheeling kids to better mental health

From tightrope to trapeze, circus arts have long fascinated and inspired people of all ages. Now, research from the University of South Australia is revealing the true value of circus skills and their unique ability to deliver significant mental health benefits for Australian children.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers develop viable, environmentally-friendly alternative to Styrofoam

Washington State University researchers have developed an environmentally-friendly, plant-based material that for the first time works better than Styrofoam for insulation.

* This article was originally published here

AI can detect depression in a child's speech

A machine learning algorithm can detect signs of anxiety and depression in the speech patterns of young children, potentially providing a fast and easy way of diagnosing conditions that are difficult to spot and often overlooked in young people, according to new research published in the Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics.

* This article was originally published here

Water flea can smell fish and dive into the dark for protection

Water fleas, or Daphnia, ensure their survival by reacting to a signal substance of their predators (fish) with flight. The zoologist Meike Anika Hahn from Professor Dr. Eric von Elert's research group at the University of Cologne's Institute of Zoology has identified this chemical messenger substance, which the fish releases into the water of lakes. When the water flea detects the substance 5α-cyprinol sulfate—a bile salt from the fish—it leaves the upper water layers and descends vertically into darker regions. The fish are unable to visually detect their prey there during daytime. This connection between the signal of the predator and the behaviour of its prey has now been published in the scientific journal eLife under the title '5α-cyprinol sulfate, a bile salt from fish, induces diel vertical migration in Daphnia."

* This article was originally published here

'Robopets' can benefit health and wellbeing of older care home residents

Researchers found evidence that 'robopets' can provide comfort and pleasure and reduce agitation and loneliness. Funded by NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula PenCLAHRC), the study also found that robopets increase social interaction with other residents, family members and staff, often through acting as a stimulus for conversation.

* This article was originally published here

New chip stops attacks before they start

A new computer processor architecture developed at the University of Michigan could usher in a future where computers proactively defend against threats, rendering the current electronic security model of bugs and patches obsolete.

* This article was originally published here

Typo on Aussie $50 brings blushes for central bank

Red-faced bank bosses in Australia admitted to an embarrassing error Thursday, revealing their state-of-the-art $50 note had a typo.

* This article was originally published here

Google's AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speaker

When Google launched its now distinctive digital assistant in 2016, it was already in danger of being an also-ran.

* This article was originally published here

Migraines may increase risk of pregnancy complications

In a study of women in Denmark with and without migraines who became pregnant, migraines were associated with an increased risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension disorders in the mother. Also, in newborns, maternal migraine was associated with an increased risk of a variety of adverse outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm birth, cesarean delivery, respiratory distress syndrome, and febrile seizures.

* This article was originally published here