Evidence of a 'lost' river that ran through Thar Desert in India have been found. The river flowed though the desert 172 thousand years ago near present-day Bikaner. Researchers say that the river may have been a life-line to human population inhabiting the region.

The study was carried out by researchers from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany along with Anna University in Tamil Nadu, and IISER Kolkata. The study indicates that Stone Age populations lived in Thar Desert landscape that was distinctly different than today.

The findings, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, represent the oldest directly dated phase of river activity at Nal Quarry in the central Thar Desert.

The evidence indicates a river flowed with phases of activity dating to approximately up to 172 thousand years ago, nearby to Bikaner, Rajasthan, which is over 200 kilometres away from the nearest modern river.

These findings predate evidence for activity in modern river courses across the Thar Desert as well as dried up course of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, the researchers said.

The presence of a river running through the central Thar Desert would have offered a life-line to Paleolithic populations, and potentially an important corridor for migrations, they said.

The researchers noted that the potential importance of 'lost' rivers for earlier inhabitants of the Thar Desert have been overlooked.

"The Thar Desert has a rich prehistory, and we've been uncovering a wide range of evidence showing how Stone Age populations not only survived but thrived in these semi-arid landscapes," said Jimbob Blinkhorn from The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

"We know how important rivers can be to living in this region, but we have little detail on what river systems were like during key periods of prehistory," Blinkhorn said.

Studies of satellite imagery have shown a dense network of river channels crossing the Thar Desert, according to the researchers.

"These studies can indicate where rivers and streams have flowed in the past, but they can't tell us when," explained Professor Hema Achyuthan of Anna University.

"To demonstrate how old such channels are, we had to find evidence on the ground for river activity in the middle of the desert," Achyuthan said.

The team studied a deep deposit of river sands and gravels, which had been exposed by quarrying activity near the village of Nal.

The researchers were able to document different phases of river activity by studying the different deposits.

"We immediately saw evidence for a substantial and very active river system from the bottom of the fluvial deposits, which gradually decreased in power through time," Achyuthan said.

The researchers used a method called luminescence dating to understand when quartz grains in the river sands were buried.

The results indicated that the strongest river activity at Nal occurred at approximately 172 and 140 thousand years ago, at a time when the monsoon was much weaker than today in the region.

River activity continued at the site between 95 to 78 thousand years ago, after which only limited evidence for the presence of a river at the site, with evidence for a brief reactivation of the channel 26 thousand years ago, the study found.

The river was flowing at its strongest during a phase of weak monsoonal activity in the region, and may have been a life-line to human populations enabling them to inhabit the Thar Desert, the researchers said.

The timeframe over which this river was active also overlaps with significant changes in human behaviour in the region, which have been linked with the earliest expansions of Homo sapiens from Africa into India, they said.

"This river flowed at a critical timeframe for understanding human evolution in the Thar Desert, across South Asia and beyond," said Blinkhorn.

"This suggests a landscape in which the earliest members of our own species, Homo sapiens, first encountered the monsoons and crossed the Thar Desert may have been very different to the landscape we can see today," he added. 
&nbsp;

Evidence of a 'lost' river that ran through Thar Desert in India have been found. The river flowed though the desert 172 thousand years ago near present-day Bikaner.

Evidence of a 'lost' river that ran through Thar Desert in India have been found. The river flowed though the desert 172 thousand years ago near present-day Bikaner. Researchers say that the river may have been a life-line to human population inhabiting the region. The study was carried out by researchers from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany along with Anna University in Tamil Nadu, and IISER Kolkata. The study indicates that Stone Age populations lived in Thar Desert landscape that was distinctly different than today. The findings, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, represent the oldest directly dated phase of river activity at Nal Quarry in the central Thar Desert. The evidence indicates a river flowed with phases of activity dating to approximately up to 172 thousand years ago, nearby to Bikaner, Rajasthan, which is over 200 kilometres away from the nearest modern river. These findings predate evidence for activity in modern river courses across the Thar Desert as well as dried up course of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, the researchers said. The presence of a river running through the central Thar Desert would have offered a life-line to Paleolithic populations, and potentially an important corridor for migrations, they said. The researchers noted that the potential importance of 'lost' rivers for earlier inhabitants of the Thar Desert have been overlooked. "The Thar Desert has a rich prehistory, and we've been uncovering a wide range of evidence showing how Stone Age populations not only survived but thrived in these semi-arid landscapes," said Jimbob Blinkhorn from The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "We know how important rivers can be to living in this region, but we have little detail on what river systems were like during key periods of prehistory," Blinkhorn said. Studies of satellite imagery have shown a dense network of river channels crossing the Thar Desert, according to the researchers. "These studies can indicate where rivers and streams have flowed in the past, but they can't tell us when," explained Professor Hema Achyuthan of Anna University. "To demonstrate how old such channels are, we had to find evidence on the ground for river activity in the middle of the desert," Achyuthan said. The team studied a deep deposit of river sands and gravels, which had been exposed by quarrying activity near the village of Nal. The researchers were able to document different phases of river activity by studying the different deposits. "We immediately saw evidence for a substantial and very active river system from the bottom of the fluvial deposits, which gradually decreased in power through time," Achyuthan said. The researchers used a method called luminescence dating to understand when quartz grains in the river sands were buried. The results indicated that the strongest river activity at Nal occurred at approximately 172 and 140 thousand years ago, at a time when the monsoon was much weaker than today in the region. River activity continued at the site between 95 to 78 thousand years ago, after which only limited evidence for the presence of a river at the site, with evidence for a brief reactivation of the channel 26 thousand years ago, the study found. The river was flowing at its strongest during a phase of weak monsoonal activity in the region, and may have been a life-line to human populations enabling them to inhabit the Thar Desert, the researchers said. The timeframe over which this river was active also overlaps with significant changes in human behaviour in the region, which have been linked with the earliest expansions of Homo sapiens from Africa into India, they said. "This river flowed at a critical timeframe for understanding human evolution in the Thar Desert, across South Asia and beyond," said Blinkhorn. "This suggests a landscape in which the earliest members of our own species, Homo sapiens, first encountered the monsoons and crossed the Thar Desert may have been very different to the landscape we can see today," he added.

'Lost' river that flowed through Thar Desert 172k years ago found

Do you spend a lot of your free time on Facebook? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that idea.

A two-year long study recently tried to understand the impact of using the social media platform on the users happiness, and the results may not please you.

The study found that the more often you use Facebook, the more likely you are to feel unhappy. In 2016, Facebook data claimed that an average user spends 50 minutes on the portal every day. The&nbsp;study, carried out by Holly B Shakya from the University of California and Yale University’s Nicholas A Christakis took into account 5,208 subjects inducted across three waves - 2013, 2014, 2015.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/rival-oversight-board-launched-by-facebook-critics-to-act-as-watchdog-330214" hreflang="en">Rival oversight board launched by Facebook critics, to act as watchdog</a>

All subjects represented a sample of the US population. For two years, their activity on Facebook was monitored by researchers.

According to the study’s results, Facebook has a negative impact on one’s well-being. Additionally, the more time one spends on social media, the more likely they are to feelings of unhappiness.

The study found that, on an average social media actions like updating one’s status, clicking on a link, and ‘liking’ caused 5-8 per cent decrease in mental health of the subjects.

The authors, in conversation with The Harvard Business Review, said that they calculated “well-being” based on self reportage of mental health and physical health by subjects.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/facebook-tells-irish-court-that-probe-threatens-its-eu-operations-329331" hreflang="en">Facebook tells Irish court that probe threatens its EU operations</a>

Data about likes, clicks, average time spent, and the number of friends was also analysed directly from the accounts provided by the participants.

The researchers found that constantly liking content by others and clicking on links was linked to reduction in self-reported mental health and physical health, and satisfaction in general.

The study also added how the quantity of time one spends on Facebook plays a big role in diminishing one’s well-being.

Do you spend a lot of your free time on Facebook? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that idea. A two-year long study recently tried to understand the impact of using the social media platform on the users happiness, and the results may not please you.

Do you spend a lot of your free time on Facebook? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that idea. A two-year long study recently tried to understand the impact of using the social media platform on the users happiness, and the results may not please you. The study found that the more often you use Facebook, the more likely you are to feel unhappy. In 2016, Facebook data claimed that an average user spends 50 minutes on the portal every day. The study, carried out by Holly B Shakya from the University of California and Yale University’s Nicholas A Christakis took into account 5,208 subjects inducted across three waves - 2013, 2014, 2015. Also read: Rival oversight board launched by Facebook critics, to act as watchdog All subjects represented a sample of the US population. For two years, their activity on Facebook was monitored by researchers. According to the study’s results, Facebook has a negative impact on one’s well-being. Additionally, the more time one spends on social media, the more likely they are to feelings of unhappiness. The study found that, on an average social media actions like updating one’s status, clicking on a link, and ‘liking’ caused 5-8 per cent decrease in mental health of the subjects. The authors, in conversation with The Harvard Business Review, said that they calculated “well-being” based on self reportage of mental health and physical health by subjects. Also read: Facebook tells Irish court that probe threatens its EU operations Data about likes, clicks, average time spent, and the number of friends was also analysed directly from the accounts provided by the participants. The researchers found that constantly liking content by others and clicking on links was linked to reduction in self-reported mental health and physical health, and satisfaction in general. The study also added how the quantity of time one spends on Facebook plays a big role in diminishing one’s well-being.

Expansive study finds consistent Facebook usage linked to ill-being

The pandemic has given us a few companions like a face mask, a bottle of hand sanitiser, gloves and a face shield. However, a new study reveals that plastic face shields or masks fitted with a valve can spray invisible droplets over a very wide area when they sneeze or cough, making the devices ineffective at preventing the spread of coronavirus when used on their own.&nbsp;

According to a report published Tuesday in the US journal Physics of Fluids, researchers from the Florida Atlantic University used vertical and horizontal laser sheets to create a simulation model to track tiny droplets of distilled water and glycerin.&nbsp;

These droplets spread from a hollow mannequin head fitted with a plastic face shield or a mask with a breathing valve on it.

According to the researchers, the face shield initially blocks the passage of the droplets as they move forwards, but "the expelled droplets can move around the visor with relative ease and spread out over a large area".

As for a mask with a valve fitted to make breathing easier, "a large number of droplets pass through the exhale valve unfiltered, which make it ineffective in stopping the spread the COVID-19 virus if the person wearing the mask is infected."

As per the researchers, high-quality cloth or medical masks of plain design are better in helping prevent the spread of the virus.

The pandemic has given us a few companions like a face mask, a bottle of hand sanitiser, gloves and a face shield. However, a new study reveals that plastic face shields or masks fitted with a valve can spray invisible droplets over a very wide area when they sneeze or cough, making the devices ineffective at preventing the spread of coronavirus when used on their own.

The pandemic has given us a few companions like a face mask, a bottle of hand sanitiser, gloves and a face shield. However, a new study reveals that plastic face shields or masks fitted with a valve can spray invisible droplets over a very wide area when they sneeze or cough, making the devices ineffective at preventing the spread of coronavirus when used on their own. According to a report published Tuesday in the US journal Physics of Fluids, researchers from the Florida Atlantic University used vertical and horizontal laser sheets to create a simulation model to track tiny droplets of distilled water and glycerin. These droplets spread from a hollow mannequin head fitted with a plastic face shield or a mask with a breathing valve on it. According to the researchers, the face shield initially blocks the passage of the droplets as they move forwards, but "the expelled droplets can move around the visor with relative ease and spread out over a large area". As for a mask with a valve fitted to make breathing easier, "a large number of droplets pass through the exhale valve unfiltered, which make it ineffective in stopping the spread the COVID-19 virus if the person wearing the mask is infected." As per the researchers, high-quality cloth or medical masks of plain design are better in helping prevent the spread of the virus.

Masks with valves and face shields allow spread of COVID-19: Study

A new research has found that rising temperatures are set to cause specific annihilation in poorer, hotter parts of the world that will battle to adjust to terrible conditions that will slaughter huge numbers of individuals.

According to a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Climate change and global warming could drive temperatures up to the point where they would lead to 85 deaths per 100,000 people globally per year by the end of the century. That’s more than are currently killed by all infectious diseases across the globe.

The study projects that climate change’s effect on temperatures could raise global mortality rates by 73 deaths per 100,000 people in 2100 under a continued high emissions scenario, compared to a world with no warming. That level is roughly equal to the current death rate for all infectious diseases—including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and diseases transmitted by ticks, mosquitos, and parasites—combined (approximately 74 deaths per 100,000 globally).

Such data would help the governments around the world to identify the origin of problem.

But countries are not willing to fix the problem. Their focus has been damage control but knee-jerk reactions and stop-gap solutions will not work anymore.&nbsp;

The effects of climate change are being felt by the people. Air is polluted, the forest cover is dwindling at a rapid rate, and it has become a public health crisis.

Rampaging wildfires and receding glaciers are slowly making life difficult in this planet and failure to act against global warming will accelerate the extinction of life as we know it.

(With inputs from agencies)

A new research has found that rising temperatures are set to cause specific annihilation in poorer, hotter parts of the world that will battle to adjust to terrible conditions that will slaughter huge numbers of individuals.

A new research has found that rising temperatures are set to cause specific annihilation in poorer, hotter parts of the world that will battle to adjust to terrible conditions that will slaughter huge numbers of individuals. According to a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Climate change and global warming could drive temperatures up to the point where they would lead to 85 deaths per 100,000 people globally per year by the end of the century. That’s more than are currently killed by all infectious diseases across the globe. The study projects that climate change’s effect on temperatures could raise global mortality rates by 73 deaths per 100,000 people in 2100 under a continued high emissions scenario, compared to a world with no warming. That level is roughly equal to the current death rate for all infectious diseases—including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and diseases transmitted by ticks, mosquitos, and parasites—combined (approximately 74 deaths per 100,000 globally). Such data would help the governments around the world to identify the origin of problem. But countries are not willing to fix the problem. Their focus has been damage control but knee-jerk reactions and stop-gap solutions will not work anymore. The effects of climate change are being felt by the people. Air is polluted, the forest cover is dwindling at a rapid rate, and it has become a public health crisis. Rampaging wildfires and receding glaciers are slowly making life difficult in this planet and failure to act against global warming will accelerate the extinction of life as we know it. (With inputs from agencies)

Global warming could cause more deaths than all infectious diseases: Study

All those sleepless nights after binge watching the SAW series or Paranormal Activity may indeed have been worth it!

A new study has claimed that ardent fans of the horror genre were better prepared to deal with the fallout of the pandemic, and found it easier to acclimatise to a post-pandemic lifestyle.

Psychologically less affected

When a team of psychologists set out to identify a group which could help carve out a blueprint on how to deal with a pandemic without ringing alarm bells, their conclusions surprised them. Long-term fans of horror films and shows coped most easily with the harrowing effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has changed our cultural and social lives, making it difficult for one to adjust to reconfiguring our lifestyle to centre around “sanitisation” and “prevention”.

The New Scientist report, based on a study undertaken by psychologists, claims that the “morbidly curious” aka horror fans were psychologically less affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

<h6><img alt="Revellers pose for pictures during the annual' Zombie' walk, infuenced by horror movies, during the carnival season in Athens on February 10, 2018" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9a71eef-eacd-4831-8e75-2450d2aef6ba" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/horror%202.jpg" /> 
Revellers pose for pictures during the annual' Zombie' walk, infuenced by horror movies, during the carnival season in Athens on February 10, 2018 | AFP</h6>

Published online in the last week of June, the study asserts how those who revel in jump scares and eerie sound effects were not just better prepared to deal with extreme calamities, but also to have a positive outlook in the aftermath of such events.

What is emotion regulation?

A psychologist from the University of Chicago told New Scientist that the behaviour and calmness exhibited by horror fans suggests that horror is about “emotion regulation”. In essence, he is suggesting that horror better equips people to be in control of their emotions and to exercise control over them.

The psychologist, Scrivner further extrapolated how horror films allow one to experience fear, to consequentially overcome it. This may creep into real life experiences of those familiar with the genre, to mould them into being more optimistic whenever stressful situations arise.

Of course, there are many other factors that the study ignored but eventually intends to imbibe after it is peer reviewed and has more scientific value.

Many studies have pointed how coronavirus pandemic has worsened the mental health of many, especially those who suddenly found it difficult to cope with staying inside and to tremendously limit social contact.

Fact or fable, one thing’s for sure: Horror prepares you for the worst!

All those sleepless nights after binge watching the SAW series or Paranormal Activity may indeed have been worth it! A new study has claimed that ardent fans of the horror genre were better prepared to deal with the fallout of the pandemic, and found it easier to acclimatise to a post-pandemic lifestyle.

All those sleepless nights after binge watching the SAW series or Paranormal Activity may indeed have been worth it! A new study has claimed that ardent fans of the horror genre were better prepared to deal with the fallout of the pandemic, and found it easier to acclimatise to a post-pandemic lifestyle. Psychologically less affected When a team of psychologists set out to identify a group which could help carve out a blueprint on how to deal with a pandemic without ringing alarm bells, their conclusions surprised them. Long-term fans of horror films and shows coped most easily with the harrowing effects of COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has changed our cultural and social lives, making it difficult for one to adjust to reconfiguring our lifestyle to centre around “sanitisation” and “prevention”. The New Scientist report, based on a study undertaken by psychologists, claims that the “morbidly curious” aka horror fans were psychologically less affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Revellers pose for pictures during the annual' Zombie' walk, infuenced by horror movies, during the carnival season in Athens on February 10, 2018 | AFP Published online in the last week of June, the study asserts how those who revel in jump scares and eerie sound effects were not just better prepared to deal with extreme calamities, but also to have a positive outlook in the aftermath of such events. What is emotion regulation? A psychologist from the University of Chicago told New Scientist that the behaviour and calmness exhibited by horror fans suggests that horror is about “emotion regulation”. In essence, he is suggesting that horror better equips people to be in control of their emotions and to exercise control over them. The psychologist, Scrivner further extrapolated how horror films allow one to experience fear, to consequentially overcome it. This may creep into real life experiences of those familiar with the genre, to mould them into being more optimistic whenever stressful situations arise. Of course, there are many other factors that the study ignored but eventually intends to imbibe after it is peer reviewed and has more scientific value. Many studies have pointed how coronavirus pandemic has worsened the mental health of many, especially those who suddenly found it difficult to cope with staying inside and to tremendously limit social contact. Fact or fable, one thing’s for sure: Horror prepares you for the worst!

Scientists label 'morbidly curious' horror fans the calmest in a post-pandemic world!

A study published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal stated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way. But due to time and distance, we may never know if they existed ever existed.

Scientists have made calculations based on Drake equation, written by astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1961.

"Drake developed an equation which in principle can be used to calculate how many Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent (CETI) civilizations there may be in the Galaxy," the authors wrote in their study. "However, many of its terms are unknowable and other methods must be used to calculate the likely number of communicating civilizations."

Therefore the scientists at the University of Nottingham developed their approach.

In an&nbsp;email to CNN, study co-author Christopher Conselice, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Nottingham said: "The key difference between our calculation and previous ones based on the Drake equation is that we make very simple assumptions about how life developed."

"One of them is that life forms in a scientific way — that is if the right conditions are met then life will form. This avoids impossible to answer questions such as 'what fraction of planets in a habitable zone of a star will form life?' and 'what fraction of life will evolve into intelligent life?' as these are not answerable until we actually detect life, which we have not yet done," he added.

These scientists developed the Astrobiological Copernican Principle to establish weak and strong limits on life in the galaxy. According to scientists, these equations include how the stars are formed in the galaxy and its age. It also determines the metal content of the stars and whether the celestial body could host habitable planets like Earth.

Co-author Tom Westby, an assistant professor in the University of Nottingham's faculty of engineering, released a statement which said: "The two Astrobiological Copernican limits are that intelligent life forms in less than 5 billion years, or after about 5 billion years — similar to on Earth where a communicating civilization formed after 4.5 billion years."

"It is called the Astrobiological Copernican Principle because it assumes that our existence is not special," Conselice said. "That is if the conditions in which intelligent life on Earth also developed somewhere else in the Galaxy then intelligent life would develop there in a similar way."

The estimation of at least 36 civilizations is the most conservative lower limit using the strictest set of assumptions—namely that communicating civilizations only survive for 100 years.

However, the authors note that the average distance to one of these 36 civilizations is around 17,000 light-years, so detection and communication is currently impossible.

There’s also the thorny question of how long intelligent civilizations tend to survive.

"Searches for extra-terrestrial intelligent civilizations not only reveals the existence of how life itself forms but also gives us clues about how long our civilization will last," said Christopher Conselice, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Nottingham, who led the research.

"If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilization could exist for much longer than a few hundred years." 
&nbsp; 
"Alternatively, if we find that there are no active civilizations in our galaxy it is a bad sign for our long-term existence."

A study published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal stated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way.

A study published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal stated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way. But due to time and distance, we may never know if they existed ever existed. Scientists have made calculations based on Drake equation, written by astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1961. "Drake developed an equation which in principle can be used to calculate how many Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent (CETI) civilizations there may be in the Galaxy," the authors wrote in their study. "However, many of its terms are unknowable and other methods must be used to calculate the likely number of communicating civilizations." Therefore the scientists at the University of Nottingham developed their approach. In an email to CNN, study co-author Christopher Conselice, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Nottingham said: "The key difference between our calculation and previous ones based on the Drake equation is that we make very simple assumptions about how life developed." "One of them is that life forms in a scientific way — that is if the right conditions are met then life will form. This avoids impossible to answer questions such as 'what fraction of planets in a habitable zone of a star will form life?' and 'what fraction of life will evolve into intelligent life?' as these are not answerable until we actually detect life, which we have not yet done," he added. These scientists developed the Astrobiological Copernican Principle to establish weak and strong limits on life in the galaxy. According to scientists, these equations include how the stars are formed in the galaxy and its age. It also determines the metal content of the stars and whether the celestial body could host habitable planets like Earth. Co-author Tom Westby, an assistant professor in the University of Nottingham's faculty of engineering, released a statement which said: "The two Astrobiological Copernican limits are that intelligent life forms in less than 5 billion years, or after about 5 billion years — similar to on Earth where a communicating civilization formed after 4.5 billion years." "It is called the Astrobiological Copernican Principle because it assumes that our existence is not special," Conselice said. "That is if the conditions in which intelligent life on Earth also developed somewhere else in the Galaxy then intelligent life would develop there in a similar way." The estimation of at least 36 civilizations is the most conservative lower limit using the strictest set of assumptions—namely that communicating civilizations only survive for 100 years. However, the authors note that the average distance to one of these 36 civilizations is around 17,000 light-years, so detection and communication is currently impossible. There’s also the thorny question of how long intelligent civilizations tend to survive. "Searches for extra-terrestrial intelligent civilizations not only reveals the existence of how life itself forms but also gives us clues about how long our civilization will last," said Christopher Conselice, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Nottingham, who led the research. "If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilization could exist for much longer than a few hundred years." "Alternatively, if we find that there are no active civilizations in our galaxy it is a bad sign for our long-term existence."

There are minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in Milky Way: Study

Pessimism is bad for you, now clinically!

A new study claims that negative thinking, especially fixating on negative&nbsp;thoughts can cause decline in one’s cognitive abilities, while increasing the load of two harmful proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease.

"We propose that repetitive negative thinking may be a new risk factor for dementia," said the author of the study, Dr Natalie Marchant, in a statement.

To reach this conclusion, the researchers took into account 350 people above 55 over two years. The deposit of “tau” and “beta” was measured in the subjects. These are the two harmful proteins responsible for causing Alzheimer’s disease in adults.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/gene-linked-to-dementia-also-associated-with-severe-covid-19-risk-study-301079" hreflang="en">Gene linked to dementia also associated with severe COVID-19 risk: Study</a>

People with more deposits of these proteins, clubbed with memory loss were susceptible to major cognitive decline, as opposed to people with happy thoughts.

Pre-existing enquiries posit that anxiety and depression cause cognitive decline among people, but with this new addition, it’s a triad of things that could lead to dementia in old age.

The researchers did note that the build up of harmful proteins did not increase among pessimists. "Taken alongside other studies, which link depression and anxiety with dementia risk, we expect that chronic negative thinking patterns over a long period of time could increase the risk of dementia," Marchant said.

According to the researchers, activities that foster and promote positive thinking, eg meditation might be effective in reducing the effects of pessimism.

Earlier studies suggest that optimists don’t die as much as pessimists of cardiovascular disease. The study from 2019 claims that optimists have better protection against dying from heart attacks, strokes, or any other events of death.

Pessimism is bad for you, now clinically! A new study claims that negative thinking, especially fixating on negative thoughts can cause decline in one’s cognitive abilities, while increasing the load of two harmful proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease.

Pessimism is bad for you, now clinically! A new study claims that negative thinking, especially fixating on negative thoughts can cause decline in one’s cognitive abilities, while increasing the load of two harmful proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease. "We propose that repetitive negative thinking may be a new risk factor for dementia," said the author of the study, Dr Natalie Marchant, in a statement. To reach this conclusion, the researchers took into account 350 people above 55 over two years. The deposit of “tau” and “beta” was measured in the subjects. These are the two harmful proteins responsible for causing Alzheimer’s disease in adults. Also read: Gene linked to dementia also associated with severe COVID-19 risk: Study People with more deposits of these proteins, clubbed with memory loss were susceptible to major cognitive decline, as opposed to people with happy thoughts. Pre-existing enquiries posit that anxiety and depression cause cognitive decline among people, but with this new addition, it’s a triad of things that could lead to dementia in old age. The researchers did note that the build up of harmful proteins did not increase among pessimists. "Taken alongside other studies, which link depression and anxiety with dementia risk, we expect that chronic negative thinking patterns over a long period of time could increase the risk of dementia," Marchant said. According to the researchers, activities that foster and promote positive thinking, eg meditation might be effective in reducing the effects of pessimism. Earlier studies suggest that optimists don’t die as much as pessimists of cardiovascular disease. The study from 2019 claims that optimists have better protection against dying from heart attacks, strokes, or any other events of death.

Pessimists have a higher chance of developing dementia later on in life, reveals new study

A study has found new link between vitamin D and mortality rates. Watch this video to know more

Study finds new link between vitamin D and mortality rates

Chinese researchers who tested sperm of men infected with COVID-19 found that a minority of them had the new coronavirus in their semen, opening up a small chance the disease could be transmitted sexually, scientists said on Thursday.

A study by doctors at China`s Shangqiu Municipal Hospital of 38 men hospitalised with the disease found that six of them, or 16%, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their semen.

The researchers said that while the findings were preliminary and based on only a small number of infected men, more research is needed to see whether sexual transmission might play a role in the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

"Further studies are required with respect to the detailed information about virus shedding, survival time and concentration in semen," the team wrote in a study published in JAMA Network Open.

"If it could be proved that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted sexually ... (that) might be a critical part of the prevention," they said, "especially considering the fact that SARS-CoV-2 was detected in the semen of recovering patients."

Independent experts said the findings were interesting but should be viewed with caution and in the context of other small studies that have not found the new coronavirus in sperm.

A previous small study of 12 COVID-19 patients in China in February and March found that all of them tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 in semen samples.

Allan Pacey, a professor of andrology at Britain`s Sheffield University, said the studies should not be seen as conclusive since there were some technical difficulties in testing semen for viruses. He said the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sperm did not show whether it is active and capable of causing infection.

"However, we should not be surprised if the virus which causes COVID-19 is found in the semen of some men since this has been shown with many other viruses such as Ebola and Zika," he said.

Sheena Lewis, a professor of reproductive medicine at Queen’s University Belfast, stressed that this was a "very small study" and said its findings were in keeping with other small studies showing low or no SARS-CoV-2 in tests of semen samples.

"However, the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 on male reproduction are not yet known," she said.

Chinese researchers who tested sperm of men infected with COVID-19 found that a minority of them had the new coronavirus in their semen, opening up a small chance the disease could be transmitted sexually, scientists said on Thursday.

Chinese researchers who tested sperm of men infected with COVID-19 found that a minority of them had the new coronavirus in their semen, opening up a small chance the disease could be transmitted sexually, scientists said on Thursday. A study by doctors at China`s Shangqiu Municipal Hospital of 38 men hospitalised with the disease found that six of them, or 16%, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their semen. The researchers said that while the findings were preliminary and based on only a small number of infected men, more research is needed to see whether sexual transmission might play a role in the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. "Further studies are required with respect to the detailed information about virus shedding, survival time and concentration in semen," the team wrote in a study published in JAMA Network Open. "If it could be proved that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted sexually ... (that) might be a critical part of the prevention," they said, "especially considering the fact that SARS-CoV-2 was detected in the semen of recovering patients." Independent experts said the findings were interesting but should be viewed with caution and in the context of other small studies that have not found the new coronavirus in sperm. A previous small study of 12 COVID-19 patients in China in February and March found that all of them tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 in semen samples. Allan Pacey, a professor of andrology at Britain`s Sheffield University, said the studies should not be seen as conclusive since there were some technical difficulties in testing semen for viruses. He said the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sperm did not show whether it is active and capable of causing infection. "However, we should not be surprised if the virus which causes COVID-19 is found in the semen of some men since this has been shown with many other viruses such as Ebola and Zika," he said. Sheena Lewis, a professor of reproductive medicine at Queen’s University Belfast, stressed that this was a "very small study" and said its findings were in keeping with other small studies showing low or no SARS-CoV-2 in tests of semen samples. "However, the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 on male reproduction are not yet known," she said.

Sperm containing virus raises the risk of COVID-19 spread via sex: Study

As a new study suggests that in 50 years nearly 2 billion to 3.5 billion of the world population will be living in the climate with record temperature that will be too hot to be handle. These people will mostly be poor and cannot afford air conditioning.&nbsp;

According to ecologist Marten Scheffer of Wageningen University in the Netherlands who is also the co-author of the study, the global average annual temperature has been rising by one-degree celsius due to the climate change caused by human activities which will result in such situation.

The number of people could vary on how much does carbon dioxide reduce and the population grows by 2070.

As the world population and carbon pollution are growing on a faster rate the National Academy of Sciences has predicted nearly 3.5 billion people that represent one-third of the global population will live in extremely hot areas by 2070.

International scientists deeply studied humans as they would to bears, birds and bees to understand the "climate niche" where a species flourish. The researchers went 6,000 years back to find a 'sweet spot' of temperatures for humans to habitat and they showed that climate between 11 to 15-degree Celsius is hospitable for the humans to survive.&nbsp;

The humans can live in a less or more temperature that the sweet spot but the farther it goes the harder it gets.&nbsp;

The scientists also looked at places projected where the temperature could be hotter than the sweet spot and they found out that the area constitutes less than 1 per cent of Earth's land and was near the Sahara Desert and includes Mecca, Saudi Arabia where the average temperature is more than 29-degree celsius. Currently 20 million lives in these areas.&nbsp;

But with the growing population and rising temperature, large areas of Africa, Asia, South America and Australia could be in a similar temperature zone.

As a new study suggests that in 50 years nearly 2 billion to 3.5 billion of the world population will be living in the climate with record temperature that will be too hot to be handle.

As a new study suggests that in 50 years nearly 2 billion to 3.5 billion of the world population will be living in the climate with record temperature that will be too hot to be handle. These people will mostly be poor and cannot afford air conditioning. According to ecologist Marten Scheffer of Wageningen University in the Netherlands who is also the co-author of the study, the global average annual temperature has been rising by one-degree celsius due to the climate change caused by human activities which will result in such situation. The number of people could vary on how much does carbon dioxide reduce and the population grows by 2070. As the world population and carbon pollution are growing on a faster rate the National Academy of Sciences has predicted nearly 3.5 billion people that represent one-third of the global population will live in extremely hot areas by 2070. International scientists deeply studied humans as they would to bears, birds and bees to understand the "climate niche" where a species flourish. The researchers went 6,000 years back to find a 'sweet spot' of temperatures for humans to habitat and they showed that climate between 11 to 15-degree Celsius is hospitable for the humans to survive. The humans can live in a less or more temperature that the sweet spot but the farther it goes the harder it gets. The scientists also looked at places projected where the temperature could be hotter than the sweet spot and they found out that the area constitutes less than 1 per cent of Earth's land and was near the Sahara Desert and includes Mecca, Saudi Arabia where the average temperature is more than 29-degree celsius. Currently 20 million lives in these areas. But with the growing population and rising temperature, large areas of Africa, Asia, South America and Australia could be in a similar temperature zone.

More than one-third of global population could reside in deadly hot areas by 2070: Study

University of Texas study shows that the COVID-19 death toll is likely to peak in the United States by the end of April. Watch this video to know more.

Study predicts delay in peaking of COVID-19 cases in the US

As it turns out, we all have a bit of Neanderthal in our DNA, CNN reported.

According to a new study, even Africans, who were perceived as having no links to our extinct human relative.

In 2010, evidence proved that our ancestors copulated with Neanderthals. This was done based on data from the bones of the Stone Age, dating back to 40,000 years.

The research found that modern Asians, Europeans, and Americans inherited about 2 per cent of Neanderthal genes. This did not include Africans.&nbsp;

As research becomes more detailed, more information continues to drop in. Researchers at Princeton University claim that Africans indeed have Neanderthal DNA.

"This is the first time we can detect the actual signal of Neanderthal ancestry in Africans," said Lu Chen, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton's Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics (LSI) to CNN.&nbsp;

<h6><img alt="pppp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d6ad2d3a-e378-460c-a401-749a33fcee81" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_41.jpg" /> 
A picture taken on March 26, 2018 shows a moulding of a Neanderthal man face displayed for the Neanderthal exhibition at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

Joshua Akey, another professor at LSI, challenged the idea of a single dispersal originating from Africa 60,000-80,000 years ago.

"Our results show this history was much more interesting and there were many waves of dispersal out of Africa, some of which led to admixture between modern humans and Neanderthals that we see in the genomes of all living individuals today", Akey told CNN.

According to them, modern humans left Africa about 200,000 years ago and bred with the Neanderthals.

Over time, this group then moved back to Africa, introducing the Neanderthal ancestry to Africa.

The researchers claim that the assumption that Neanderthals and ancient African populations lived in isolation from each other had created roadblocks in the field.

Based on the findings of the team, humans&nbsp;on different continents possessed Neanderthal ancestry ''surprisingly similar to each other''. 
&nbsp;

As it turns out, we all have a bit of Neanderthal in our DNA, CNN reported. According to a new study, even Africans, who were perceived as having no links to our extinct human relative.

As it turns out, we all have a bit of Neanderthal in our DNA, CNN reported. According to a new study, even Africans, who were perceived as having no links to our extinct human relative. In 2010, evidence proved that our ancestors copulated with Neanderthals. This was done based on data from the bones of the Stone Age, dating back to 40,000 years. The research found that modern Asians, Europeans, and Americans inherited about 2 per cent of Neanderthal genes. This did not include Africans. As research becomes more detailed, more information continues to drop in. Researchers at Princeton University claim that Africans indeed have Neanderthal DNA. "This is the first time we can detect the actual signal of Neanderthal ancestry in Africans," said Lu Chen, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton's Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics (LSI) to CNN. A picture taken on March 26, 2018 shows a moulding of a Neanderthal man face displayed for the Neanderthal exhibition at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris | AFP Joshua Akey, another professor at LSI, challenged the idea of a single dispersal originating from Africa 60,000-80,000 years ago. "Our results show this history was much more interesting and there were many waves of dispersal out of Africa, some of which led to admixture between modern humans and Neanderthals that we see in the genomes of all living individuals today", Akey told CNN. According to them, modern humans left Africa about 200,000 years ago and bred with the Neanderthals. Over time, this group then moved back to Africa, introducing the Neanderthal ancestry to Africa. The researchers claim that the assumption that Neanderthals and ancient African populations lived in isolation from each other had created roadblocks in the field. Based on the findings of the team, humans on different continents possessed Neanderthal ancestry ''surprisingly similar to each other''.

All modern humans possess Neanderthal DNA: Study

Office workers are ready to welcome automation of repetitive digital tasks, as on average employees spend more than three hours a day on mundane computer tasks which are not part of their primary job and are ripe for human error, a survey said on Tuesday.

According to a global study commissioned by Automation Anywhere, in India, out of 1,000 participants surveyed, 88 per cent believe humans should not be carrying out repetitive administrative tasks if they can be automated.

The research by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-%26-economy/nearly-10000-citibank-employees-to-lose-jobs-as-bank-plans-to-introduce-robots-144218">robotic process automation</a> player noted that nearly half of workers surveyed found digital administration boring and a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/indias-it-industry-body-nasscom-dismisses-mass-layoff-reports-15782">poor use of their skills</a>, while the majority of respondents said it gets in the way of doing their main job and reduces their overall productivity. 
With an 8-hour workday being the global norm, according to the survey, the average employee loses 60 hours per month to easily automate tasks.

By deploying a digital workforce and automating these repetitive tasks, employees could be given back a quarter of their annual work time (4.5 months) to focus on more meaningful work, boosting productivity and overall business value.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/indian-women-more-tech-savvy-than-western-counterparts-246039">Indian women more tech-savvy than western counterparts</a>

At the very top of the "hated task" heap is general data entry? manually inputting data into a computer or other devices, followed closely by managing e-mail traffic and filing digital documents, such as documents, spreadsheets, images or PDFs - into the correct digital folder.

Compiling reports from IT and software systems and invoice management round out the top five most hated tasks, the survey noted. 
"Close to 80 per cent of the participants in India believe that admin work is an obstacle for them to do their main job," said Milan Sheth, Executive Vice President India, Middle East &amp; Africa, Automation Anywhere.

Sheth further said, "workers can focus on higher-value tasks if the mundane repetitive tasks can be automated".

As per the report, more than 95 per cent of participants in India are open to the idea of working alongside digital co-workers/software bots. 
Besides, 55 per cent of respondents said they would consider leaving a job if this manual administrative load became too high, while 85 per cent would be attracted to work at a company that invested in automation to reduce repetitive digital administration tasks.

Automation Anywhere commissioned independent research group OnePoll to conduct 10,500 interviews with office workers in 11 countries around the world in 2019. Respondents represented a variety of demographic groups, job levels, industry sectors, and company sizes.&nbsp; 
Human activity reducing numbers of predatory animals: Study 
London, Jan 21 (PTI) Predatory animals, especially small invertebrates like spiders and ladybird beetles, are most likely to be lost when natural habitats are converted to agricultural land, or towns and cities, according to a global study.

Small ectotherms - cold-blooded animals such as invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, large endotherms, including mammals and birds, and animals that eat fungi were also disproportionally affected, researchers said.

The reduction in numbers is in abundance of 25-50 per cent compared to natural habitats, according to the researchers from the University College London (UCL) in the UK.

The study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, analyzed over one million records of animal abundance at sites ranging from primary forest to intensively managed farmland, and cities.

The data represented over 25,000 species across 80 countries. Species were grouped by size, whether they were warm or cold-blooded and by what they eat. Species ranged from the oribatid mite weighing only 2x10-6 grammes to an African elephant weighing 3,825 kilogrammes.&nbsp;

"Normally when we think of predators, we think of big animals like lions or tigers," said lead author of the research, Tim Newbold from UCL. "These large predators did not decline as much as we expected with habitat loss, which we think maybe because they have already declined because of human actions in the past (such as hunting)," Newbold said.

The researchers found that small predators - such as spiders and ladybirds - show the biggest declines. The results indicate that the world's ecosystems are being restructured with disproportionate losses at the highest trophic levels - top of the food chain.

Knowing how different animal groups are impacted by changing land-use could help us better understand how these ecosystems function, and the consequences of biodiversity change.&nbsp;

"We know that different types of animals play important roles within the environment - for example, predators control populations of other animals," said Newbold. "If some types of animals decline a lot when we lose natural habitats, then they will no longer fulfil these important roles," he said.

The conversion of land to human use is associated with the removal of large amounts of natural plant biomass, usually, to give space for livestock and crops, the researchers noted. The limiting of the quantity and diversity of resources available at this level potentially explains the disproportionate reductions in predators seen in this study, they said.

Office workers are ready to welcome automation of repetitive digital tasks, as on average employees spend more than three hours a day on mundane computer tasks which are not part of their primary job and are ripe for human error, a survey said on Tuesday.

Office workers are ready to welcome automation of repetitive digital tasks, as on average employees spend more than three hours a day on mundane computer tasks which are not part of their primary job and are ripe for human error, a survey said on Tuesday. According to a global study commissioned by Automation Anywhere, in India, out of 1,000 participants surveyed, 88 per cent believe humans should not be carrying out repetitive administrative tasks if they can be automated. The research by the robotic process automation player noted that nearly half of workers surveyed found digital administration boring and a poor use of their skills, while the majority of respondents said it gets in the way of doing their main job and reduces their overall productivity. With an 8-hour workday being the global norm, according to the survey, the average employee loses 60 hours per month to easily automate tasks. By deploying a digital workforce and automating these repetitive tasks, employees could be given back a quarter of their annual work time (4.5 months) to focus on more meaningful work, boosting productivity and overall business value. Also Read: Indian women more tech-savvy than western counterparts At the very top of the "hated task" heap is general data entry? manually inputting data into a computer or other devices, followed closely by managing e-mail traffic and filing digital documents, such as documents, spreadsheets, images or PDFs - into the correct digital folder. Compiling reports from IT and software systems and invoice management round out the top five most hated tasks, the survey noted. "Close to 80 per cent of the participants in India believe that admin work is an obstacle for them to do their main job," said Milan Sheth, Executive Vice President India, Middle East & Africa, Automation Anywhere. Sheth further said, "workers can focus on higher-value tasks if the mundane repetitive tasks can be automated". As per the report, more than 95 per cent of participants in India are open to the idea of working alongside digital co-workers/software bots. Besides, 55 per cent of respondents said they would consider leaving a job if this manual administrative load became too high, while 85 per cent would be attracted to work at a company that invested in automation to reduce repetitive digital administration tasks. Automation Anywhere commissioned independent research group OnePoll to conduct 10,500 interviews with office workers in 11 countries around the world in 2019. Respondents represented a variety of demographic groups, job levels, industry sectors, and company sizes. Human activity reducing numbers of predatory animals: Study London, Jan 21 (PTI) Predatory animals, especially small invertebrates like spiders and ladybird beetles, are most likely to be lost when natural habitats are converted to agricultural land, or towns and cities, according to a global study. Small ectotherms - cold-blooded animals such as invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, large endotherms, including mammals and birds, and animals that eat fungi were also disproportionally affected, researchers said. The reduction in numbers is in abundance of 25-50 per cent compared to natural habitats, according to the researchers from the University College London (UCL) in the UK. The study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, analyzed over one million records of animal abundance at sites ranging from primary forest to intensively managed farmland, and cities. The data represented over 25,000 species across 80 countries. Species were grouped by size, whether they were warm or cold-blooded and by what they eat. Species ranged from the oribatid mite weighing only 2x10-6 grammes to an African elephant weighing 3,825 kilogrammes. "Normally when we think of predators, we think of big animals like lions or tigers," said lead author of the research, Tim Newbold from UCL. "These large predators did not decline as much as we expected with habitat loss, which we think maybe because they have already declined because of human actions in the past (such as hunting)," Newbold said. The researchers found that small predators - such as spiders and ladybirds - show the biggest declines. The results indicate that the world's ecosystems are being restructured with disproportionate losses at the highest trophic levels - top of the food chain. Knowing how different animal groups are impacted by changing land-use could help us better understand how these ecosystems function, and the consequences of biodiversity change. "We know that different types of animals play important roles within the environment - for example, predators control populations of other animals," said Newbold. "If some types of animals decline a lot when we lose natural habitats, then they will no longer fulfil these important roles," he said. The conversion of land to human use is associated with the removal of large amounts of natural plant biomass, usually, to give space for livestock and crops, the researchers noted. The limiting of the quantity and diversity of resources available at this level potentially explains the disproportionate reductions in predators seen in this study, they said.

Employees spend over 3 hours a day on easily automatable tasks: Study

Amazon, Microsoft and Intel are among leading tech companies putting the world at risk through <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/artificial-intelligence-to-help-curb-cyber-bullying-on-instagram-with-pop-up-warning-234138">killer robot development</a>, according to a report that surveyed major players from the sector about their stance on lethal autonomous weapons.

Dutch NGO Pax ranked 50 companies by three criteria: whether they were developing technology that could be relevant to deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israels-tanks-of-the-future-prototype-features-artificial-intelligence-240925">artificial intelligence </a>(AI), whether they were working on related military projects, and if they had committed to abstaining from contributing in the future.

"Why are companies like Microsoft and Amazon not denying that they're currently developing these highly controversial weapons, which could decide to kill people without direct human involvement?" said Frank Slijper, lead author of the report published this week.

The use of AI to allow weapon systems to autonomously select and attack targets has sparked ethical debates in recent years, with critics warning they would jeopardize international security and herald a third revolution in warfare after gunpowder and the atomic bomb.

A panel of government experts debated policy options regarding lethal autonomous weapons at a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Google, which last year published guiding principles eschewing AI for use in weapons systems, was among seven companies found to be engaging in "best practice" in the analysis that spanned 12 countries, as was Japan's Softbank, best known for its humanoid Pepper robot.

Twenty-two companies were of "medium concern," while 21 fell into a "high concern" category, notably Amazon and Microsoft who are both bidding for a $10 billion Pentagon contract to provide the cloud infrastructure for the US military.

Others in the "high concern" group include Palantir, a company with roots in a CIA-backed venture capital organization that was awarded an $800 million contract to develop an AI system "that can help soldiers analyse a combat zone in real-time."

"Autonomous weapons will inevitably become scalable weapons of mass destruction, because if the human is not in the loop, then a single person can launch a million weapons or a hundred million weapons," Stuart Russell, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley told AFP on Wednesday.

"The fact is that autonomous weapons are going to be developed by corporations, and in terms of a campaign to prevent autonomous weapons from becoming widespread, they can play a very big role," he added.

The development of AI for military purposes has triggered debates and protest within the industry: last year Google declined to renew a Pentagon contract called Project Maven, which used machine learning to distinguish people and objects in drone videos.

It also dropped out of the running for Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI), the cloud contract that Amazon and Microsoft are hoping to bag.

The report noted that Microsoft employees had also voiced their opposition to a US Army contract for an augmented reality headset, HoloLens, that aims at "increasing lethality" on the battlefield.

What they might look like

According to Russell,&nbsp;"anything that's currently a weapon, people are working on autonomous versions, whether it's tanks, fighter aircraft, or submarines."

Israel's Harpy is an autonomous drone that already exists, "loitering" in a target area and selecting sites to hit.

More worrying still are new categories of autonomous weapons that don't yet exist — these could include armed mini-drones like those featured in the 2017 short film "Slaughterbots."

"With that type of weapon, you could send a million of them in a container or cargo aircraft — so they have a destructive capacity of a nuclear bomb but leave all the buildings behind," said Russell.

Using facial recognition technology, the drones could "wipe out one ethnic group or one gender, or using social media information you could wipe out all people with a political view."

The European Union in April published guidelines for how companies and governments should develop AI, including the need for human oversight, working towards societal and environmental wellbeing in a non-discriminatory way, and respecting privacy.

Russell argued it was essential to take the next step in the form of an international ban on lethal AI, that could be summarized as "machines that can decide to kill humans&nbsp;shall not be developed, deployed, or used."

Amazon, Microsoft and Intel are among leading tech companies putting the world at risk through killer robot development, according to a report that surveyed major players from the sector about their stance on lethal autonomous weapons.

Amazon, Microsoft and Intel are among leading tech companies putting the world at risk through killer robot development, according to a report that surveyed major players from the sector about their stance on lethal autonomous weapons. Dutch NGO Pax ranked 50 companies by three criteria: whether they were developing technology that could be relevant to deadly artificial intelligence (AI), whether they were working on related military projects, and if they had committed to abstaining from contributing in the future. "Why are companies like Microsoft and Amazon not denying that they're currently developing these highly controversial weapons, which could decide to kill people without direct human involvement?" said Frank Slijper, lead author of the report published this week. The use of AI to allow weapon systems to autonomously select and attack targets has sparked ethical debates in recent years, with critics warning they would jeopardize international security and herald a third revolution in warfare after gunpowder and the atomic bomb. A panel of government experts debated policy options regarding lethal autonomous weapons at a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva on Wednesday. Google, which last year published guiding principles eschewing AI for use in weapons systems, was among seven companies found to be engaging in "best practice" in the analysis that spanned 12 countries, as was Japan's Softbank, best known for its humanoid Pepper robot. Twenty-two companies were of "medium concern," while 21 fell into a "high concern" category, notably Amazon and Microsoft who are both bidding for a $10 billion Pentagon contract to provide the cloud infrastructure for the US military. Others in the "high concern" group include Palantir, a company with roots in a CIA-backed venture capital organization that was awarded an $800 million contract to develop an AI system "that can help soldiers analyse a combat zone in real-time." "Autonomous weapons will inevitably become scalable weapons of mass destruction, because if the human is not in the loop, then a single person can launch a million weapons or a hundred million weapons," Stuart Russell, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley told AFP on Wednesday. "The fact is that autonomous weapons are going to be developed by corporations, and in terms of a campaign to prevent autonomous weapons from becoming widespread, they can play a very big role," he added. The development of AI for military purposes has triggered debates and protest within the industry: last year Google declined to renew a Pentagon contract called Project Maven, which used machine learning to distinguish people and objects in drone videos. It also dropped out of the running for Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI), the cloud contract that Amazon and Microsoft are hoping to bag. The report noted that Microsoft employees had also voiced their opposition to a US Army contract for an augmented reality headset, HoloLens, that aims at "increasing lethality" on the battlefield. What they might look like According to Russell, "anything that's currently a weapon, people are working on autonomous versions, whether it's tanks, fighter aircraft, or submarines." Israel's Harpy is an autonomous drone that already exists, "loitering" in a target area and selecting sites to hit. More worrying still are new categories of autonomous weapons that don't yet exist — these could include armed mini-drones like those featured in the 2017 short film "Slaughterbots." "With that type of weapon, you could send a million of them in a container or cargo aircraft — so they have a destructive capacity of a nuclear bomb but leave all the buildings behind," said Russell. Using facial recognition technology, the drones could "wipe out one ethnic group or one gender, or using social media information you could wipe out all people with a political view." The European Union in April published guidelines for how companies and governments should develop AI, including the need for human oversight, working towards societal and environmental wellbeing in a non-discriminatory way, and respecting privacy. Russell argued it was essential to take the next step in the form of an international ban on lethal AI, that could be summarized as "machines that can decide to kill humans shall not be developed, deployed, or used."

Amazon, Microsoft, putting the world at risk of killer artificial intelligence: Study

Study Shows That The Earth's Third Pole Is Melting Twice As Fast As It Did In The Last Century

Gravitas: Himalayan Ice melting faster than Before: 800,000,000 lives at risk

Long-term exposure to harmful smog particles increases the risk of diabetes, a new study in China has shown, providing evidence for a link between the country's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/air-pollution-causes-790000-premature-deaths-every-year-in-europe-88-million-worldwide-study-202911">air pollution</a> and the disease.

China is facing the largest diabetes problem in the world with around 11 percent of its population suffering from the metabolic illness, according to a United States study published in 2017.

Increased prosperity has brought changing diets and lifestyles, along with an air pollution crisis that the World Health Organization estimates causes over a million premature deaths every year.

The risk of diabetes rose by about 16 percent for an increase of 10 microgrammes per cubic metre in long-term PM2.5 particle exposure, researchers from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing and Emory University in the US found in a study published online by Environment International last week.

"Sustained improvement of air quality will help decrease the diabetes epidemic in China," Lu Xiangfeng, one of the study's authors, told AFP in an email.&nbsp;

Researchers collected data from over 88,000 subjects across 15 provinces, estimating their exposure to PM2.5 based on satellite data from 2004 to 2015.&nbsp;

PM2.5 includes toxins like sulfate and black carbon, which can penetrate deep into the lungs or cardiovascular system, and have been linked to higher rates of lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and heart disease.

While similar studies in North America, Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan have linked air pollution with diabetes, researchers say this is the largest study of its kind in mainland China.

"Due to high levels of PM2.5, different exposure pattern and population susceptibility, results from developed countries with low PM2.5 levels were not applicable in China," Lu said.

His team adjusted for factors such as age, body mass index, smoking status, family history of diabetes and work-related physical activity levels, but did not directly factor in dietary habits and other types of pollutants.

Ho Kin-fai, a professor at the Chinese University in Hong Kong who studies air pollutants and is not involved in the study, told AFP the study shows air pollution is a factor in the diabetes epidemic "that we cannot ignore".

But scientists still need to find evidence showing how PM2.5 particles work in the human body to increase risk of the disease," Ho said.

Ho said the study excludes "some other factors in the environment that maybe we haven't considered ... so that's why we need to have more evidence from the biological mechanism to prove it's true."

Diabetes is a growing public health problem throughout the world, killing an estimated 1.6 million people in 2016, according to the WHO, which says the problem is increasing more rapidly in low and middle-income countries.

Long-term exposure to harmful smog particles increases the risk of diabetes, a new study in China has shown, providing evidence for a link between the country's air pollution and the disease.

Long-term exposure to harmful smog particles increases the risk of diabetes, a new study in China has shown, providing evidence for a link between the country's air pollution and the disease. China is facing the largest diabetes problem in the world with around 11 percent of its population suffering from the metabolic illness, according to a United States study published in 2017. Increased prosperity has brought changing diets and lifestyles, along with an air pollution crisis that the World Health Organization estimates causes over a million premature deaths every year. The risk of diabetes rose by about 16 percent for an increase of 10 microgrammes per cubic metre in long-term PM2.5 particle exposure, researchers from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing and Emory University in the US found in a study published online by Environment International last week. "Sustained improvement of air quality will help decrease the diabetes epidemic in China," Lu Xiangfeng, one of the study's authors, told AFP in an email. Researchers collected data from over 88,000 subjects across 15 provinces, estimating their exposure to PM2.5 based on satellite data from 2004 to 2015. PM2.5 includes toxins like sulfate and black carbon, which can penetrate deep into the lungs or cardiovascular system, and have been linked to higher rates of lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and heart disease. While similar studies in North America, Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan have linked air pollution with diabetes, researchers say this is the largest study of its kind in mainland China. "Due to high levels of PM2.5, different exposure pattern and population susceptibility, results from developed countries with low PM2.5 levels were not applicable in China," Lu said. His team adjusted for factors such as age, body mass index, smoking status, family history of diabetes and work-related physical activity levels, but did not directly factor in dietary habits and other types of pollutants. Ho Kin-fai, a professor at the Chinese University in Hong Kong who studies air pollutants and is not involved in the study, told AFP the study shows air pollution is a factor in the diabetes epidemic "that we cannot ignore". But scientists still need to find evidence showing how PM2.5 particles work in the human body to increase risk of the disease," Ho said. Ho said the study excludes "some other factors in the environment that maybe we haven't considered ... so that's why we need to have more evidence from the biological mechanism to prove it's true." Diabetes is a growing public health problem throughout the world, killing an estimated 1.6 million people in 2016, according to the WHO, which says the problem is increasing more rapidly in low and middle-income countries.

Long-term exposure to pollution raises risk of diabetes: Study

Earth's latest ice age that began about 3.2 million years ago may have been caused by changes deep inside the planet, according to a study.

Based on evidence from the Pacific Ocean, including the position of the Hawaiian Islands, geophysicists at Rice University in the US have determined Earth shifted relative to its spin axis within the past 12 million years.

This caused Greenland to move far enough towards the north pole to kick off the ice age that began about 3.2 million years ago.

The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is based on an analysis of fossil signatures from deep ocean sediments, the magnetic signature of oceanic crust and the position of the mantle "hot spot" that created the Hawaiian Islands.

The evidence suggests Earth spun steadily for millions of years before shifting relative to its spin axis, an effect geophysicists refer to as "true polar wander," researchers said.

"The Hawaiian hot spot was fixed, relative to the spin axis, from about 48 million years ago to about 12 million years ago, but it was fixed at a latitude farther north than we find it today," said Daniel Woodworth, a graduate student at Rice University.

"By comparing the Hawaiian hot spot to the rest of the Earth, we can see that that shift in location was reflected in the rest of the Earth and is superimposed on the motion of tectonic plates," Woodworth said.

"That tells us that the entire Earth moved, relative to the spin axis, which we interpret to be true polar wander," he said.

By volume, Earth is mostly mantle, a thick layer of solid rock that flows under intense pressure and heat.

The mantle is covered by an interlocking puzzle of rocky tectonic plates that ride atop it, bumping and slipping against one another at seismically active boundaries.

Hot spots, like the one beneath Hawaii, are plumes of hot solid rock that rise from deep within the mantle.

"We are taking these hot spots as marked trackers of plumes that come from the deep mantle, and we're using that as our reference frame," said Richard Gordon, a professor at Rice University.

"We think the whole global network of hotspots was fixed, relative to the Earth's spin axis, for at least 36 million years before this shift," Gordon said.

Earth's latest ice age that began about 3.2 million years ago may have been caused by changes deep inside the planet, according to a study. Based on evidence from the Pacific Ocean, including the position of the Hawaiian Islands, geophysicists at Rice University in the US have determined Earth shifted relative to its spin axis within the past 12 million years.

Earth's latest ice age that began about 3.2 million years ago may have been caused by changes deep inside the planet, according to a study. Based on evidence from the Pacific Ocean, including the position of the Hawaiian Islands, geophysicists at Rice University in the US have determined Earth shifted relative to its spin axis within the past 12 million years. This caused Greenland to move far enough towards the north pole to kick off the ice age that began about 3.2 million years ago. The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is based on an analysis of fossil signatures from deep ocean sediments, the magnetic signature of oceanic crust and the position of the mantle "hot spot" that created the Hawaiian Islands. The evidence suggests Earth spun steadily for millions of years before shifting relative to its spin axis, an effect geophysicists refer to as "true polar wander," researchers said. "The Hawaiian hot spot was fixed, relative to the spin axis, from about 48 million years ago to about 12 million years ago, but it was fixed at a latitude farther north than we find it today," said Daniel Woodworth, a graduate student at Rice University. "By comparing the Hawaiian hot spot to the rest of the Earth, we can see that that shift in location was reflected in the rest of the Earth and is superimposed on the motion of tectonic plates," Woodworth said. "That tells us that the entire Earth moved, relative to the spin axis, which we interpret to be true polar wander," he said. By volume, Earth is mostly mantle, a thick layer of solid rock that flows under intense pressure and heat. The mantle is covered by an interlocking puzzle of rocky tectonic plates that ride atop it, bumping and slipping against one another at seismically active boundaries. Hot spots, like the one beneath Hawaii, are plumes of hot solid rock that rise from deep within the mantle. "We are taking these hot spots as marked trackers of plumes that come from the deep mantle, and we're using that as our reference frame," said Richard Gordon, a professor at Rice University. "We think the whole global network of hotspots was fixed, relative to the Earth's spin axis, for at least 36 million years before this shift," Gordon said.

Changes inside Earth may have caused ice age: Study

Amidst rising concern over the increasing inequality, the country created a whopping 7,300 more millionaires during the 12 months to mid-2018, taking the total number of dollar-millionaires to 3.43 lakh, who are collectively worth around US $6 trillion, says a report.

According to Credit Suisse, the country is home to one of the highest proportions of female billionaires at 18.6 per cent during the period, among the major countries.

"By mid-2018, there were an estimated 3,43,000 millionaires in India, a rise of 7,300," Credit Suisse's 2018 global wealth report said, adding of these, 3,400 have wealth over US $50 million, while 1,500 of them have wealth over US $100 million each.

By mid-2018, in dollar terms, wealth in the country grew by a modest 2.6 per cent to around US $6 trillion and wealth per adult stayed flat at US $7,020 mainly due to the rupee plunge against the dollar, it said.

And the number of the rich as well the inequality is set to widen by over 53 per cent by 2023 when their number is set to cross an estimated 5,26,000 millionaires worth around US $8.8 trillion. It said Indians' personal wealth is dominated by property and other real assets, which make up 91 per cent of estimated household assets. Over the past 12 months, non-financial assets grew by 4.3 per cent, accounting for all of the wealth growth in the country, it noted.

House-price movements are a proxy for the non-financial component of household assets, which reached a high of 9 per cent for the country. The report estimates that "women's share of global wealth is around 40 per cent, while recent studies for the country indicate a significantly lower share ranging between 20 and 30 per cent."

It said while wealth has been rising here, not everyone has shared in this growth.

"There is still considerable wealth poverty, reflected in the fact that 91 per cent of the adult population has wealth below&nbsp;$10,000," the report said. By 2023, the wealth of Indian millionaires is expected to grow by 8 per cent per annum to reach US $8.8 trillion with an estimated 5,26,000 millionaires, an increase of more than 53 per cent or 8.9 per cent per annum.

Globally, the US continues to lead the rich club for the 10th year in a row. During the reporting period too, the US contributed the most to global wealth, adding a US&nbsp;$6.3 trillion, taking the total to US $98 trillion.

Since 2008, the US has been continuing its unbroken run of growth in total wealth and wealth per adult annually. China is home to the second largest number of wealthy households, having added US $2.3 trillion to reach US $52 trillion. The number of the Chinese rich is projected to grow by US $23 trillion over the next five years, taking its share in global wealth from 16 per cent in 2018 to just above 19 per cent by 2023.

Non-financial assets have continued their accelerated growth over the past 12 months, providing the main impetus for overall growth in all regions except North America, accounting for 75 per cent of the rise in wealth in China and Europe, and all of the rise in India.

Amidst rising concern over the increasing inequality, the country created a whopping 7,300 more millionaires during the 12 months to mid-2018, taking the total number of dollar-millionaires to 3.

Amidst rising concern over the increasing inequality, the country created a whopping 7,300 more millionaires during the 12 months to mid-2018, taking the total number of dollar-millionaires to 3.43 lakh, who are collectively worth around US $6 trillion, says a report. According to Credit Suisse, the country is home to one of the highest proportions of female billionaires at 18.6 per cent during the period, among the major countries. "By mid-2018, there were an estimated 3,43,000 millionaires in India, a rise of 7,300," Credit Suisse's 2018 global wealth report said, adding of these, 3,400 have wealth over US $50 million, while 1,500 of them have wealth over US $100 million each. By mid-2018, in dollar terms, wealth in the country grew by a modest 2.6 per cent to around US $6 trillion and wealth per adult stayed flat at US $7,020 mainly due to the rupee plunge against the dollar, it said. And the number of the rich as well the inequality is set to widen by over 53 per cent by 2023 when their number is set to cross an estimated 5,26,000 millionaires worth around US $8.8 trillion. It said Indians' personal wealth is dominated by property and other real assets, which make up 91 per cent of estimated household assets. Over the past 12 months, non-financial assets grew by 4.3 per cent, accounting for all of the wealth growth in the country, it noted. House-price movements are a proxy for the non-financial component of household assets, which reached a high of 9 per cent for the country. The report estimates that "women's share of global wealth is around 40 per cent, while recent studies for the country indicate a significantly lower share ranging between 20 and 30 per cent." It said while wealth has been rising here, not everyone has shared in this growth. "There is still considerable wealth poverty, reflected in the fact that 91 per cent of the adult population has wealth below $10,000," the report said. By 2023, the wealth of Indian millionaires is expected to grow by 8 per cent per annum to reach US $8.8 trillion with an estimated 5,26,000 millionaires, an increase of more than 53 per cent or 8.9 per cent per annum. Globally, the US continues to lead the rich club for the 10th year in a row. During the reporting period too, the US contributed the most to global wealth, adding a US $6.3 trillion, taking the total to US $98 trillion. Since 2008, the US has been continuing its unbroken run of growth in total wealth and wealth per adult annually. China is home to the second largest number of wealthy households, having added US $2.3 trillion to reach US $52 trillion. The number of the Chinese rich is projected to grow by US $23 trillion over the next five years, taking its share in global wealth from 16 per cent in 2018 to just above 19 per cent by 2023. Non-financial assets have continued their accelerated growth over the past 12 months, providing the main impetus for overall growth in all regions except North America, accounting for 75 per cent of the rise in wealth in China and Europe, and all of the rise in India.

India creates 7,300 more millionaires in one year worth $6 trillion: Study

Mumbai is justifiably proud to celebrate the recent surge in the birth of girl child but the trend, unfortunately, is not consistent with rest of India. The 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) findings show that India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Tinseltown&rdquo;, along with five other Maharashtrian cities, has crossed the shining mark of 1000 girl child. Thus, the coveted quantitative equality between the male and female population has been reached there. However, a closer look at the NFHS report, beyond the narrow confines of city limits, reveals a different story. A story that is grim and more consistent with India&rsquo;s past record of low sex ratio for girls. 
 
The decrease is most stark when we consider the sex ratio of the total population, and not only data on children. Indian states of Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, to name a few, show a decline in the number of recorded females. Optimists may point out that, except the states of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, all the above mentioned states exhibit a &ldquo;healthy&rdquo; sex-ratio of more than 950 females per 1000 men. But the most disconcerting aspect of the issue is that, instead of improving, or at least holding on to past achievements, these states are all sliding, as is evident when we compare the present with the situation a decade back. 
 
Contrary to popular assumption that female-male sex ratio is skewed more in rural India, it is in the urban milieu that we see a sinking number of females.This is equally true for the BIMARU states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, and not so obvious states of Assam and Karnataka. It is particularly disconcerting to see the Indian state of Assam in the list because the north-eastern parts of India have been traditionally known to have a favourable sex-ratio for girls. 
 
This declining rate of girl child and women in the national population have created an all-round anxiety. Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has coined the term &ldquo;missing women&rdquo; to underline how silently, imperceptibly, albeit dangerously, an increasing number of women are lost through sex-selective abortions, female infanticide, inadequate health care and undernutrition. The Indian census data of 2011 on male-female ratio vindicates Sen&rsquo;s theory. 
 
According to the 2011 Indian census report, there were 943 females for every 1000 males - a gap of 57 person. Instead of the ideal 1:1 ratio, this number implies that 5.70 per cent of India&rsquo;s 1.311 billion population is &ldquo;missing&rdquo;. This sums up to a staggering number of 37,363,500 missing women. 
 
While India&rsquo;s shining image of an economic superpower is projected worldwide, its female population by and large continue to suffer from various forms of discrimination, neglect and even violence. Perhaps, the most repulsive aspect of the whole story is that much of the violence against Indian women, which translates into a skewed sex ratio, largely stems from the intimate circle of family members. While the Indian state watch helplessly. 
 
(WION)

National survey shows demographic trends for females in India are worrying, but sometimes in subtle and imperceptible ways

Mumbai is justifiably proud to celebrate the recent surge in the birth of girl child but the trend, unfortunately, is not consistent with rest of India. The 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) findings show that India’s “Tinseltown”, along with five other Maharashtrian cities, has crossed the shining mark of 1000 girl child. Thus, the coveted quantitative equality between the male and female population has been reached there. However, a closer look at the NFHS report, beyond the narrow confines of city limits, reveals a different story. A story that is grim and more consistent with India’s past record of low sex ratio for girls. The decrease is most stark when we consider the sex ratio of the total population, and not only data on children. Indian states of Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, to name a few, show a decline in the number of recorded females. Optimists may point out that, except the states of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, all the above mentioned states exhibit a “healthy” sex-ratio of more than 950 females per 1000 men. But the most disconcerting aspect of the issue is that, instead of improving, or at least holding on to past achievements, these states are all sliding, as is evident when we compare the present with the situation a decade back. Contrary to popular assumption that female-male sex ratio is skewed more in rural India, it is in the urban milieu that we see a sinking number of females.This is equally true for the BIMARU states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, and not so obvious states of Assam and Karnataka. It is particularly disconcerting to see the Indian state of Assam in the list because the north-eastern parts of India have been traditionally known to have a favourable sex-ratio for girls. This declining rate of girl child and women in the national population have created an all-round anxiety. Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has coined the term “missing women” to underline how silently, imperceptibly, albeit dangerously, an increasing number of women are lost through sex-selective abortions, female infanticide, inadequate health care and undernutrition. The Indian census data of 2011 on male-female ratio vindicates Sen’s theory. According to the 2011 Indian census report, there were 943 females for every 1000 males - a gap of 57 person. Instead of the ideal 1:1 ratio, this number implies that 5.70 per cent of India’s 1.311 billion population is “missing”. This sums up to a staggering number of 37,363,500 missing women. While India’s shining image of an economic superpower is projected worldwide, its female population by and large continue to suffer from various forms of discrimination, neglect and even violence. Perhaps, the most repulsive aspect of the whole story is that much of the violence against Indian women, which translates into a skewed sex ratio, largely stems from the intimate circle of family members. While the Indian state watch helplessly. (WION)

Study reveals Indian women still 'missing'

Compounds present in marijuana may promote the cellular removal of a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer&#39;s disease, a finding that could help treat the brain disorder, a new study has claimed. 
 
&quot;Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer&#39;s, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells,&quot; said David Schubert from Salk Institute in the US. 
 
Alzheimer&#39;s disease is a progressive brain disorder that leads to memory loss and can seriously impair a person&#39;s ability to carry out daily tasks. 
 
Scientists have found preliminary evidence that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of amyloid beta, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer&#39;s disease. 
 
It has long been known that amyloid beta accumulates within the nerve cells of the ageing brain well before the appearance of Alzheimer&#39;s disease symptoms and plaques, researchers said. 
 
Amyloid beta is a major component of the plaque deposits that are a hallmark of the disease. But the precise role of amyloid beta and the plaques it forms in the disease process remains unclear, they said. 
 
In the new study, researchers studied nerve cells altered to produce high levels of amyloid beta to mimic aspects of Alzheimer&#39;s disease. 
 
They found that high levels of amyloid beta were associated with cellular inflammation and higher rates of neuron death. 
 
They demonstrated that exposing the cells to THC reduced amyloid beta protein levels and eliminated the inflammatory response from the nerve cells caused by the protein, thereby allowing the nerve cells to survive. 
 
&quot;Inflammation within the brain is a major component of the damage associated with Alzheimer&#39;s disease, but it has always been assumed that this response was coming from immune-like cells in the brain, not the nerve cells themselves,&quot; said Antonio Currais from Salk. 
 
&quot;When we were able to identify the molecular basis of the inflammatory response to amyloid beta, it became clear that THC-like compounds that the nerve cells make themselves may be involved in protecting the cells from dying,&quot; said Currais. 
 
Brain cells have switches known as receptors that can be activated by endocannabinoids, a class of lipid molecules made by the body that are used for intercellular signalling in the brain, researchers said. 
 
The psychoactive effects of marijuana are caused by THC, a molecule similar in activity to endocannabinoids that can activate the same receptors, they said. 
 
Physical activity results in the production of endocannabinoids and some studies have shown that exercise may slow the progression of Alzheimer&#39;s disease, researchers said. 
 
The findings were published in the journal Ageing and Mechanisms of Disease. 
 
(PTI)

Preliminary evidence shows that compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of a toxic protein associated with the disease

Compounds present in marijuana may promote the cellular removal of a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, a finding that could help treat the brain disorder, a new study has claimed. "Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer's, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells," said David Schubert from Salk Institute in the US. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that leads to memory loss and can seriously impair a person's ability to carry out daily tasks. Scientists have found preliminary evidence that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of amyloid beta, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. It has long been known that amyloid beta accumulates within the nerve cells of the ageing brain well before the appearance of Alzheimer's disease symptoms and plaques, researchers said. Amyloid beta is a major component of the plaque deposits that are a hallmark of the disease. But the precise role of amyloid beta and the plaques it forms in the disease process remains unclear, they said. In the new study, researchers studied nerve cells altered to produce high levels of amyloid beta to mimic aspects of Alzheimer's disease. They found that high levels of amyloid beta were associated with cellular inflammation and higher rates of neuron death. They demonstrated that exposing the cells to THC reduced amyloid beta protein levels and eliminated the inflammatory response from the nerve cells caused by the protein, thereby allowing the nerve cells to survive. "Inflammation within the brain is a major component of the damage associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it has always been assumed that this response was coming from immune-like cells in the brain, not the nerve cells themselves," said Antonio Currais from Salk. "When we were able to identify the molecular basis of the inflammatory response to amyloid beta, it became clear that THC-like compounds that the nerve cells make themselves may be involved in protecting the cells from dying," said Currais. Brain cells have switches known as receptors that can be activated by endocannabinoids, a class of lipid molecules made by the body that are used for intercellular signalling in the brain, researchers said. The psychoactive effects of marijuana are caused by THC, a molecule similar in activity to endocannabinoids that can activate the same receptors, they said. Physical activity results in the production of endocannabinoids and some studies have shown that exercise may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, researchers said. The findings were published in the journal Ageing and Mechanisms of Disease. (PTI)

Marijuana may help treat Alzheimer's: Study

The hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctica has begun to shrink, signaling good news for the environment, decades after an international accord to phase out certain pollutants, researchers said on Thursday. 
 
The study found that the ozone hole had shrunk by 1.5 million square miles (four million square kilometers), an area about the size of India, since 2000. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a big surprise,&quot; said lead author Susan Solomon, an atmospheric chemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in an interview with Science magazine. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t think it would be this early,&quot; she added.&nbsp; 
 
The study attributed the ozone&#39;s recovery to the &quot;continuing decline of atmospheric chlorine originating from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),&quot; or chemicals that were once emitted by dry cleaning, refrigerators, hairspray and other aerosols.&nbsp; 
 
Most of the world signed on to the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which banned the use of CFCs. 
 
&quot;We can now be confident that the things we&#39;ve done have put the planet on a path to heal,&quot; said Solomon. 
 
Co-author Anja Schmidt, an academic research fellow in volcanic impacts at the University of Leeds, agreed, describing the Montreal Protocol as &quot;a true success story that provided a solution to a global environmental issue.&quot; 
 
The ozone hole was first discovered in the 1950s. It reached record size in October 2015, but Solomon and colleagues determined that this was due to the eruption of the Chilean volcano Calbuco that same year. 
 
The volcano slightly delayed the recovery of the ozone, which is sensitive to chlorine, temperature and sunlight.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Volcanic injections of particles cause greater than usual ozone depletion,&quot; said Schmidt. 
 
&quot;Such eruptions are a sporadic source of tiny, airborne particles that provide the necessary chemical conditions for the chlorine from CFCs introduced into the atmosphere to react efficiently with ozone in the atmosphere above Antarctica,&quot; Schmidt added. 
 
The ozone goes through a regular cycle each year, with depletion of ozone starting in late August at the end of Antarctica&#39;s dark winter. 
 
The hole size typically peaks in size in October. 
 
The overall trend towards recovery became apparent when scientists studied measurements from satellites, ground-based instruments and weather balloons in the month of September, not October. 
 
&quot;I think people, myself included, had been too focused on October, because that&#39;s when the ozone hole is enormous,&quot; said Solomon, adding &quot;But October is also subject to the slings and arrows of other things that vary, like slight changes in meteorology.&quot; 
 
Co-author Ryan Neely, a lecturer in observational atmospheric science at Leeds, said the scope of the study allowed the team to quantify the separate impacts of man-made pollutants, changes in temperature and winds, and volcanoes, on the size and magnitude of the Antarctic ozone hole. 
 
&quot;Observations and computer models agree,&quot; he said, adding, &quot;Healing of the Antarctic ozone has begun.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Most countries had signed the Montreal Protocol in 1987 which banned the use of CFCs whose decrease led to this development

The hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctica has begun to shrink, signaling good news for the environment, decades after an international accord to phase out certain pollutants, researchers said on Thursday. The study found that the ozone hole had shrunk by 1.5 million square miles (four million square kilometers), an area about the size of India, since 2000. "It's a big surprise," said lead author Susan Solomon, an atmospheric chemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in an interview with Science magazine. "I didn't think it would be this early," she added. The study attributed the ozone's recovery to the "continuing decline of atmospheric chlorine originating from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)," or chemicals that were once emitted by dry cleaning, refrigerators, hairspray and other aerosols. Most of the world signed on to the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which banned the use of CFCs. "We can now be confident that the things we've done have put the planet on a path to heal," said Solomon. Co-author Anja Schmidt, an academic research fellow in volcanic impacts at the University of Leeds, agreed, describing the Montreal Protocol as "a true success story that provided a solution to a global environmental issue." The ozone hole was first discovered in the 1950s. It reached record size in October 2015, but Solomon and colleagues determined that this was due to the eruption of the Chilean volcano Calbuco that same year. The volcano slightly delayed the recovery of the ozone, which is sensitive to chlorine, temperature and sunlight. "Volcanic injections of particles cause greater than usual ozone depletion," said Schmidt. "Such eruptions are a sporadic source of tiny, airborne particles that provide the necessary chemical conditions for the chlorine from CFCs introduced into the atmosphere to react efficiently with ozone in the atmosphere above Antarctica," Schmidt added. The ozone goes through a regular cycle each year, with depletion of ozone starting in late August at the end of Antarctica's dark winter. The hole size typically peaks in size in October. The overall trend towards recovery became apparent when scientists studied measurements from satellites, ground-based instruments and weather balloons in the month of September, not October. "I think people, myself included, had been too focused on October, because that's when the ozone hole is enormous," said Solomon, adding "But October is also subject to the slings and arrows of other things that vary, like slight changes in meteorology." Co-author Ryan Neely, a lecturer in observational atmospheric science at Leeds, said the scope of the study allowed the team to quantify the separate impacts of man-made pollutants, changes in temperature and winds, and volcanoes, on the size and magnitude of the Antarctic ozone hole. "Observations and computer models agree," he said, adding, "Healing of the Antarctic ozone has begun." (AFP)

Ozone hole over Antarctica shows signs of healing: Study

Forest fires that blanketed Southeast Asia in thick haze last year released the greatest amount of climate-changing carbon since record blazes in 1997, producing emissions higher than in the whole of the European Union, scientists said on Tuesday. 
 
Singapore, Malaysia and northern Indonesia choked under a layer of toxic smog in September and October last year, caused by thousands of fires started in Indonesia to cheaply clear land for palm oil crops and for pulp and paper plantations. 
 
The fires and resulting haze, an annual occurrence, pushed up pollution levels, caused schools to close, flights to be disrupted and people to fall sick across the region. 
 
Last years blazes were the worst for years with El Nino, a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, causing tinder-dry conditions. 
 
The study by scientists from the Netherlands, Britain and Indonesia, published in the online journal Scientific Reports recently, was the first scientific report calculating greenhouse gas emissions from the fires using measurements on the ground combined with satellite observations. 
 
&quot;There have been some isolated studies before where people artificially set fires in the lab to try to understand the chemical characteristics of peatland fire smoke in Indonesia,&quot; said Martin Wooster, one of the scientists and a professor of earth observation science at Kings College London. 
 
&quot;But no one had done this on natural fires, and especially not on the kind of extreme fires seen in 2015,&quot; he added. 
 
The researchers first measured the ground-level smoke composition from peatland burning in the region, including in Indonesias Central Kalimantan province, one of the worst-hit areas. 
 
They combined the data with satellite information to work out greenhouse gas emission estimates from the fires. They concluded that 884 million tonnes of carbon dioxide was emitted in the region last year, with 97 per cent originating from forest fires in Indonesia. 
 
The results showed that regional carbon dioxide emissions from the fires were 11.3 million tonnes per day in September and October 2015, more than the 28-nation EUs daily emissions of 8.9 million tonnes during the same period. 
 
The researchers also said the emissions were worse than during the 1997 fires, considered the worst on record.&nbsp;At that time, there was an even longer drought and widespread burning due to a stronger El Ni?o. 
 
The researchers said they hoped the findings would contribute to a better understanding on the need for fire prevention and improved ways of managing the land. 
 
&quot;What is important is the applicability of a study like this in helping policy makers to use more accurate fire emission factors to design policy and act to prevent further fires and greenhouse gas emissions,&quot; said scientist Daniel Murdiyarso from the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research. 
 
The Indonesian fires have prompted criticism from green groups and other Southeast Asian nations, accusing Jakarta of not doing enough to crack down on the slash-and-burn forest clearing techniques. 
 
In a bid to tackle the issue, President Joko Widodo announced in April plans for a moratorium on new palm oil concessions and asked firms to raise yields on existing plantations instead of clearing forests. 
 
(Reuters)

Thousands of fires started to cheaply clear land for palm oil crops and for pulp and paper plantations disrupted flights and caused sickness

Forest fires that blanketed Southeast Asia in thick haze last year released the greatest amount of climate-changing carbon since record blazes in 1997, producing emissions higher than in the whole of the European Union, scientists said on Tuesday. Singapore, Malaysia and northern Indonesia choked under a layer of toxic smog in September and October last year, caused by thousands of fires started in Indonesia to cheaply clear land for palm oil crops and for pulp and paper plantations. The fires and resulting haze, an annual occurrence, pushed up pollution levels, caused schools to close, flights to be disrupted and people to fall sick across the region. Last years blazes were the worst for years with El Nino, a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, causing tinder-dry conditions. The study by scientists from the Netherlands, Britain and Indonesia, published in the online journal Scientific Reports recently, was the first scientific report calculating greenhouse gas emissions from the fires using measurements on the ground combined with satellite observations. "There have been some isolated studies before where people artificially set fires in the lab to try to understand the chemical characteristics of peatland fire smoke in Indonesia," said Martin Wooster, one of the scientists and a professor of earth observation science at Kings College London. "But no one had done this on natural fires, and especially not on the kind of extreme fires seen in 2015," he added. The researchers first measured the ground-level smoke composition from peatland burning in the region, including in Indonesias Central Kalimantan province, one of the worst-hit areas. They combined the data with satellite information to work out greenhouse gas emission estimates from the fires. They concluded that 884 million tonnes of carbon dioxide was emitted in the region last year, with 97 per cent originating from forest fires in Indonesia. The results showed that regional carbon dioxide emissions from the fires were 11.3 million tonnes per day in September and October 2015, more than the 28-nation EUs daily emissions of 8.9 million tonnes during the same period. The researchers also said the emissions were worse than during the 1997 fires, considered the worst on record. At that time, there was an even longer drought and widespread burning due to a stronger El Ni?o. The researchers said they hoped the findings would contribute to a better understanding on the need for fire prevention and improved ways of managing the land. "What is important is the applicability of a study like this in helping policy makers to use more accurate fire emission factors to design policy and act to prevent further fires and greenhouse gas emissions," said scientist Daniel Murdiyarso from the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research. The Indonesian fires have prompted criticism from green groups and other Southeast Asian nations, accusing Jakarta of not doing enough to crack down on the slash-and-burn forest clearing techniques. In a bid to tackle the issue, President Joko Widodo announced in April plans for a moratorium on new palm oil concessions and asked firms to raise yields on existing plantations instead of clearing forests. (Reuters)

Land-clearing forest fires choking Southeast Asia in 2015 release record carbon

Aliens may take another 1,500 years to contact us as Earth&#39;s physical attributes are not unique, making it difficult for the extraterrestrials to locate us, a new study has found. 
 
&quot;We haven&#39;t heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place, but that doesn&#39;t mean no one is out there,&quot; said Evan Solomonides, from the Cornell University in the US. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s possible to hear any time at all, but it becomes likely we will have heard around 1,500 years from now,&quot; said Solomonides.&nbsp;&quot;Until then, it is possible that we appear to be alone - even if we are not. But if we stop listening or looking, we may miss the signals. So we should keep looking,&quot; he said. 
 
Astronomers from Cornell University deconstructed the Fermi Paradox and paired it with the Mediocrity Principle into a fresh equation.&nbsp;According to the Fermi Paradox, billions of Earth-like planets exist in our galaxy, yet no aliens have contacted or visited us. Thus the paradox: the cosmos teems with possibility. 
 
The mediocrity principle - proposed by 16th-century mathematician Copernicus - states that the Earth&#39;s physical attributes are not unique, as natural processes are likely common throughout the cosmos, and therefore aliens would not discover us for a while. 
 
Hunting for extraterrestrials means sending out signals like television broadcasts, for example. As Earth&#39;s electronic ambassador, TV and radio signals are sent into space as a byproduct of broadcasting. 
 
These signals have been travelling from Earth for 80 years at the speed of light. 
 
For aliens receiving these transmissions, they would likely be indecipherable, said Solomonides, as the extraterrestrials would need to decode light waves into sounds, then parse 3,000 human languages to grasp the message. 
 
Earth&#39;s broadcast signals have reached every star within about 80 light years from the Sun - about 8,531 stars and 3,555 Earth-like planets, as our Milky Way galaxy alone contains 200 billion stars, researchers said. 
 
Combining the equations for the Fermi Paradox and the mediocrity principle, the researchers suggest that the Earth might hear from an alien civilisation when about half of the Milky Way Galaxy has been signalled in about 1,500 years. 
(PTI)

'We haven't heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place, but that doesn't mean no one is out there'

Aliens may take another 1,500 years to contact us as Earth's physical attributes are not unique, making it difficult for the extraterrestrials to locate us, a new study has found. "We haven't heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place, but that doesn't mean no one is out there," said Evan Solomonides, from the Cornell University in the US. "It's possible to hear any time at all, but it becomes likely we will have heard around 1,500 years from now," said Solomonides. "Until then, it is possible that we appear to be alone - even if we are not. But if we stop listening or looking, we may miss the signals. So we should keep looking," he said. Astronomers from Cornell University deconstructed the Fermi Paradox and paired it with the Mediocrity Principle into a fresh equation. According to the Fermi Paradox, billions of Earth-like planets exist in our galaxy, yet no aliens have contacted or visited us. Thus the paradox: the cosmos teems with possibility. The mediocrity principle - proposed by 16th-century mathematician Copernicus - states that the Earth's physical attributes are not unique, as natural processes are likely common throughout the cosmos, and therefore aliens would not discover us for a while. Hunting for extraterrestrials means sending out signals like television broadcasts, for example. As Earth's electronic ambassador, TV and radio signals are sent into space as a byproduct of broadcasting. These signals have been travelling from Earth for 80 years at the speed of light. For aliens receiving these transmissions, they would likely be indecipherable, said Solomonides, as the extraterrestrials would need to decode light waves into sounds, then parse 3,000 human languages to grasp the message. Earth's broadcast signals have reached every star within about 80 light years from the Sun - about 8,531 stars and 3,555 Earth-like planets, as our Milky Way galaxy alone contains 200 billion stars, researchers said. Combining the equations for the Fermi Paradox and the mediocrity principle, the researchers suggest that the Earth might hear from an alien civilisation when about half of the Milky Way Galaxy has been signalled in about 1,500 years. (PTI)

Aliens may take 1,500 more years to contact Earth: Study

Americans pay the highest prices in the world for cancer drugs, but the treatments are least affordable in lower income countries, according to the results of a new study released on Monday.

The study of cancer drug prices in seven countries, which did not take into account discounts or rebates to list prices, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

The lowest drug prices were found in India and South Africa. After calculating price as a percentage of wealth adjusted for the cost of living, however, cancer drugs appeared to be least affordable in India and China.

Researchers at Rabin Medical Center in Petah-Tikvah, Israel, calculated monthly drug doses for 15 generic and eight brand-name cancer drugs used to treat a wide range of cancer types and stages. List prices in Australia, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United States were obtained from government websites.

The high prices commanded by modern cancer drugs are generating increased resistance and demands for price discounts from politicians,&nbsp;health&nbsp;care providers, insurers, patients and some doctors.

Drug companies argue that they need to make a profit to pay for the billions of dollars needed for drug research. Many companies also have extensive low-cost or free access schemes for patients who cannot afford their medicines.

The study researchers used gross domestic product and cost of living statistics from the International Monetary Fund to estimate drug price affordability.

Median monthly prices for branded drugs ranged from $1,515 in India to $8,694 in the United States. For generics, median prices were highest in the United States, at $654, and lowest in South Africa, $120, and India, $159.

In terms of ability to pay, the study found cancer drugs to be most affordable in Australia, where generic drugs were priced at 3 percent of &quot;domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity&quot; and patented drugs were 71 percent of the same measure.

In China, the study found generic drug prices were 48 percent and patented drugs were 288 percent of wealth adjusted for the cost of living.

In India, the cost of generics was 33 percent of that measure, while patented drugs were 313 percent.

In the United States, generics were found to be priced at 14 percent of wealth adjusted for the cost of living, and patented cancer drugs were 192 percent of the same measure.

The study did not take into account that drug costs are paid by either the government,&nbsp;healthinsurers, or patients themselves, depending on each country&#39;s&nbsp;health&nbsp;insurance system.

Worldwide spending on cancer medicines will exceed $150 billion by 2020, driven by the emergence of expensive new therapies that help the immune system to attack tumors, according to a forecast earlier this year from IMS&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Holdings.

The study found that cancer drugs were least affordable in India and China although Americans pay the highest in the world for cancer drugs

Americans pay the highest prices in the world for cancer drugs, but the treatments are least affordable in lower income countries, according to the results of a new study released on Monday. The study of cancer drug prices in seven countries, which did not take into account discounts or rebates to list prices, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The lowest drug prices were found in India and South Africa. After calculating price as a percentage of wealth adjusted for the cost of living, however, cancer drugs appeared to be least affordable in India and China. Researchers at Rabin Medical Center in Petah-Tikvah, Israel, calculated monthly drug doses for 15 generic and eight brand-name cancer drugs used to treat a wide range of cancer types and stages. List prices in Australia, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United States were obtained from government websites. The high prices commanded by modern cancer drugs are generating increased resistance and demands for price discounts from politicians, health care providers, insurers, patients and some doctors. Drug companies argue that they need to make a profit to pay for the billions of dollars needed for drug research. Many companies also have extensive low-cost or free access schemes for patients who cannot afford their medicines. The study researchers used gross domestic product and cost of living statistics from the International Monetary Fund to estimate drug price affordability. Median monthly prices for branded drugs ranged from $1,515 in India to $8,694 in the United States. For generics, median prices were highest in the United States, at $654, and lowest in South Africa, $120, and India, $159. In terms of ability to pay, the study found cancer drugs to be most affordable in Australia, where generic drugs were priced at 3 percent of "domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity" and patented drugs were 71 percent of the same measure. In China, the study found generic drug prices were 48 percent and patented drugs were 288 percent of wealth adjusted for the cost of living. In India, the cost of generics was 33 percent of that measure, while patented drugs were 313 percent. In the United States, generics were found to be priced at 14 percent of wealth adjusted for the cost of living, and patented cancer drugs were 192 percent of the same measure. The study did not take into account that drug costs are paid by either the government, healthinsurers, or patients themselves, depending on each country's health insurance system. Worldwide spending on cancer medicines will exceed $150 billion by 2020, driven by the emergence of expensive new therapies that help the immune system to attack tumors, according to a forecast earlier this year from IMS Health Holdings.

Cancer drug prices highest in U.S., least affordable in India, China: study

After shooting dead a&nbsp;gorilla&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Cincinnati&nbsp;Zoo to save a 3-year-old boy, zoo officials said they had collected a sample of his sperm, raising hopes among distraught fans that Harambe could sire offspring even in death.

Officials at the main U.S. body that oversees breeding of zoo animals, however, said it was highly unlikely&nbsp;that the Western lowland&nbsp;gorilla&#39;s contribution to the nation&#39;s &quot;frozen zoo&quot; of&nbsp;genetic material of rare and endangered species would be used to breed.

&quot;Currently, it&#39;s not anything we would use for reproduction,&quot; Kristen Lukas, who heads the Association of Zoos and Aquariums&#39; (AZA) Gorilla&nbsp;Species Survival Plan, said on Wednesday. &quot;It will be banked and just stored for future use or for research studies.&quot;

Lukas&#39; statement undercuts a weekend statement by&nbsp;Cincinnati&nbsp;Zoo director Thane Maynard that the death of the 17-year-old young silverback, who had been too young to breed, was &quot;not the end of his gene pool.&quot;

Zoo officials did not respond to calls on Wednesday seeking more detail on their plans for Harambe&#39;s sperm.

There are currently 350&nbsp;gorillas of Harambe&#39;s species in US&nbsp;zoos, according to the AZA, which accredits zoos, including&nbsp;Cincinnati&#39;s and approves breeding plans. That population is large enough to maintain a breeding program so robust that many female gorillas&nbsp;of child-bearing age are given hormonal contraceptives.

Zoo officials have stood by the decision to shoot Harambe dead on Saturday, saying the 450-pound (200-kg) animal could have easily&nbsp;slain&nbsp;or grievously injured the toddler.

But their decision to kill the&nbsp;gorilla&nbsp;has drawn criticism online and sparked a&nbsp;Cincinnati&nbsp;police investigation into the boy&#39;s family.

The highly charismatic animals are closely related to humans, making them popular zoo attractions. Major US&nbsp;zoos from New York&#39;s Bronx Zoo to the San Diego Zoo rely on&nbsp;gorillas as a major draw for visitors.

&nbsp;

INTO THE &#39;FROZEN ZOO&#39;

Harambe&#39;s sperm will&nbsp;likely&nbsp;go into a collection of samples taken from&nbsp;gorillas and other animals that are preserved in liquid nitrogen and typically viable for hundreds of years, said the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians director Robert Hilsenroth.

&quot;We call it the frozen zoo,&quot; said Hilsenroth. &quot;It&#39;s nice to have that in your pocket just in case.&quot;

Given the numbers of&nbsp;gorillas in captivity, Harambe&#39;s&nbsp;genetic&nbsp;material would&nbsp;likely&nbsp;be drawn on only in the event of some new disease that took a heavy toll on the population, the AZA&#39;s Lukas said.

&quot;In a dire situation like that, we would then be able to continue the population,&quot; Lukas said.

There are about 175,000 of the&nbsp;gorillas in the wild, but habitat destruction, hunting and disease are resulting in a rapid decline in the population.

The practice of breeding&nbsp;gorillas in captivity has been criticized by animal rights groups.

&quot;In theory, conserving is great but without a habitat what&#39;s the point,&quot; said Julia Gallucci, primatologist for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

After shooting dead a?gorilla?at the?Cincinnati?Zoo to save a 3-year-old boy, zoo officials said they had collected a sample of his sperm for future use

After shooting dead a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo to save a 3-year-old boy, zoo officials said they had collected a sample of his sperm, raising hopes among distraught fans that Harambe could sire offspring even in death. Officials at the main U.S. body that oversees breeding of zoo animals, however, said it was highly unlikely that the Western lowland gorilla's contribution to the nation's "frozen zoo" of genetic material of rare and endangered species would be used to breed. "Currently, it's not anything we would use for reproduction," Kristen Lukas, who heads the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Gorilla Species Survival Plan, said on Wednesday. "It will be banked and just stored for future use or for research studies." Lukas' statement undercuts a weekend statement by Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard that the death of the 17-year-old young silverback, who had been too young to breed, was "not the end of his gene pool." Zoo officials did not respond to calls on Wednesday seeking more detail on their plans for Harambe's sperm. There are currently 350 gorillas of Harambe's species in US zoos, according to the AZA, which accredits zoos, including Cincinnati's and approves breeding plans. That population is large enough to maintain a breeding program so robust that many female gorillas of child-bearing age are given hormonal contraceptives. Zoo officials have stood by the decision to shoot Harambe dead on Saturday, saying the 450-pound (200-kg) animal could have easily slain or grievously injured the toddler. But their decision to kill the gorilla has drawn criticism online and sparked a Cincinnati police investigation into the boy's family. The highly charismatic animals are closely related to humans, making them popular zoo attractions. Major US zoos from New York's Bronx Zoo to the San Diego Zoo rely on gorillas as a major draw for visitors. INTO THE 'FROZEN ZOO' Harambe's sperm will likely go into a collection of samples taken from gorillas and other animals that are preserved in liquid nitrogen and typically viable for hundreds of years, said the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians director Robert Hilsenroth. "We call it the frozen zoo," said Hilsenroth. "It's nice to have that in your pocket just in case." Given the numbers of gorillas in captivity, Harambe's genetic material would likely be drawn on only in the event of some new disease that took a heavy toll on the population, the AZA's Lukas said. "In a dire situation like that, we would then be able to continue the population," Lukas said. There are about 175,000 of the gorillas in the wild, but habitat destruction, hunting and disease are resulting in a rapid decline in the population. The practice of breeding gorillas in captivity has been criticized by animal rights groups. "In theory, conserving is great but without a habitat what's the point," said Julia Gallucci, primatologist for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Slain Cincinnati gorilla likely to live on in genetic 'frozen zoo'

Boys are slightly more likely to be sexually abused than girls in South&nbsp;Africa, where a third of all children have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the first-ever national study of child maltreatment.

Nearly 37 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls have been sexually abused by the age of 17, either physically or in non-physical ways - such as being forced to watch sexual acts, look at genitalia or explicit material.

Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused physically and boys more likely to have experienced non-contact sexual abuse, researchers said in the study published on Tuesday.

&quot;Even though the forms the abuse takes may differ it can nonetheless be equally harmful to the victim and should be treated just as seriously,&quot; Ian Welle-Skitt, spokesman for UBS Optimus Foundation which commissioned the research.

&quot;This study puts South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;in line with the rest of the world, and challenges the myth that South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;is a more violent society than others,&quot; Welle-Skitt&nbsp;told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A similar study carried out in Switzerland by UBS Optimus Foundation found that abuse between peers and cyber-abuse was higher there than in South&nbsp;Africa.

There were more than 350,000 cases of sexual abuse among children in South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;last year, according to researchers from the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town-based Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, who carried out the study.

Only 31 percent of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males were especially reluctant to report any form of abuse, the researchers found.

&quot;The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children,&quot; researchers&nbsp;said.

The study found that when parents knew who their children spent time with and where, they were less likely to become victims of sexual abuse.&nbsp;A&nbsp;supportive relationship between parents and their daughters also significantly lowered the risk for girls.

The researchers&nbsp;recommended that teachers be trained in school safety and that children have classes on sex, gender and violence.&nbsp;They also found substance abuse played an important role.

&quot;Since parental substance misuse is associated with sexual abuse of children, one key preventive strategy is to make substance abuse treatment programmes far more widely available and accessible than they are at present,&quot; the researchers said.

A third of all children in the country have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime

Boys are slightly more likely to be sexually abused than girls in South Africa, where a third of all children have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to the first-ever national study of child maltreatment. Nearly 37 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls have been sexually abused by the age of 17, either physically or in non-physical ways - such as being forced to watch sexual acts, look at genitalia or explicit material. Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused physically and boys more likely to have experienced non-contact sexual abuse, researchers said in the study published on Tuesday. "Even though the forms the abuse takes may differ it can nonetheless be equally harmful to the victim and should be treated just as seriously," Ian Welle-Skitt, spokesman for UBS Optimus Foundation which commissioned the research. "This study puts South Africa in line with the rest of the world, and challenges the myth that South Africa is a more violent society than others," Welle-Skitt told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A similar study carried out in Switzerland by UBS Optimus Foundation found that abuse between peers and cyber-abuse was higher there than in South Africa. There were more than 350,000 cases of sexual abuse among children in South Africa last year, according to researchers from the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town-based Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, who carried out the study. Only 31 percent of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males were especially reluctant to report any form of abuse, the researchers found. "The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children," researchers said. The study found that when parents knew who their children spent time with and where, they were less likely to become victims of sexual abuse. A supportive relationship between parents and their daughters also significantly lowered the risk for girls. The researchers recommended that teachers be trained in school safety and that children have classes on sex, gender and violence. They also found substance abuse played an important role. "Since parental substance misuse is associated with sexual abuse of children, one key preventive strategy is to make substance abuse treatment programmes far more widely available and accessible than they are at present," the researchers said.

In South Africa, boys more likely to be sexually abused than girls: researchers

New hepatitis C drugs that can cure the liver-destroying disease are revolutionising treatment, but their high price is a huge burden in some countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a new study.

An analysis of prices for two Gilead&nbsp;drugs by World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization (WHO) experts, published on Tuesday, found that while US&nbsp;prices were higher in dollar terms, parts of Europe paid considerably more in &quot;purchasing-power parity&quot; terms.

Purchasing-power parity, or PPP, is used to normalise price comparisons between different economies by taking into account the price of similar baskets of goods instead of market foreign exchange rates.

The PPP-adjusted price in Poland of a treatment course with Gilead&#39;s Harvoni was $118,754, against $72,765 in the U.S., the study found, and it would cost 190.5 percent of the country&#39;s total drugs budget to treat all Polish patients.

Another Gilead drug, Sovaldi, had a similar nominal price in both Norway and Slovakia, but on a PPP basis the price was more than twice as much in Slovakia.

&quot;If you want to treat all patients with hepatitis C, then the prices countries are being asked to pay - even after price negotiations - are still way too high,&quot; said study author Suzanne Hill, the WHO&#39;s director of essential medicines.

The study, which took account of probable confidential discounts on prices, was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

The cost of Gilead&#39;s hepatitis C drugs has been contentious since the U.S. approval of Sovaldi in 2013, although the company has taken several steps to offer discounts and provide access programmes.

This includes allowing Indian drug companies to manufacture much lower-cost versions of the medicines for sale in developing countries.

Gilead says the price of its treatments reflect their clinical, economic and public&nbsp;health&nbsp;value, arguing that they are cost-effective over the long term.

Hill and colleagues don&#39;t question the value of the drugs but argue that without lower prices, countries will not be able to roll them out on a sufficient scale to minimise the burden of hepatitis C.

&quot;Current prices of these medicines are variable and unaffordable globally,&quot; they concluded.

New hepatitis C drugs that can cure the liver-destroying disease are revolutionising treatment, but their high price is a huge burden in Central and Eastern Europe

New hepatitis C drugs that can cure the liver-destroying disease are revolutionising treatment, but their high price is a huge burden in some countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a new study. An analysis of prices for two Gilead drugs by World Health Organization (WHO) experts, published on Tuesday, found that while US prices were higher in dollar terms, parts of Europe paid considerably more in "purchasing-power parity" terms. Purchasing-power parity, or PPP, is used to normalise price comparisons between different economies by taking into account the price of similar baskets of goods instead of market foreign exchange rates. The PPP-adjusted price in Poland of a treatment course with Gilead's Harvoni was $118,754, against $72,765 in the U.S., the study found, and it would cost 190.5 percent of the country's total drugs budget to treat all Polish patients. Another Gilead drug, Sovaldi, had a similar nominal price in both Norway and Slovakia, but on a PPP basis the price was more than twice as much in Slovakia. "If you want to treat all patients with hepatitis C, then the prices countries are being asked to pay - even after price negotiations - are still way too high," said study author Suzanne Hill, the WHO's director of essential medicines. The study, which took account of probable confidential discounts on prices, was published in the journal PLOS Medicine. The cost of Gilead's hepatitis C drugs has been contentious since the U.S. approval of Sovaldi in 2013, although the company has taken several steps to offer discounts and provide access programmes. This includes allowing Indian drug companies to manufacture much lower-cost versions of the medicines for sale in developing countries. Gilead says the price of its treatments reflect their clinical, economic and public health value, arguing that they are cost-effective over the long term. Hill and colleagues don't question the value of the drugs but argue that without lower prices, countries will not be able to roll them out on a sufficient scale to minimise the burden of hepatitis C. "Current prices of these medicines are variable and unaffordable globally," they concluded.

Burden of pricey hepatitis C drugs heaviest in Eastern Europe

Babies born prematurely may grow up to have weaker bones, according to a new study which also found that low birth weight plays a big role in developing osteoporosis. 
 
&quot;Our study shows that both those born prematurely with a very low birth weight and those who were born full term, but small for their gestational age, had lower bone mass than the control group, who were born full term with normal weights,&quot; said Chandima Balasuriya, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology from the&nbsp;Norwegian University of Science and Technology. 
 
Researchers found that adults who were born full term but were small for their gestational age also had lower bone mass. 
 
These findings are important since peak bone mass is a major determinant of future osteoporosis, the researchers&nbsp;said. 
Researchers looked at 186 adults who were 26-28 years old.&nbsp;They found that 52 of the participants were very low birth weight babies, with a mean birth weight of 1.2 kilogrammes, and a mean gestational age of 29 weeks. 
 
Another 59 participants had been born to term, but were considered &quot;small for gestational age&quot;, with a mean birth weight of just under 3 kilogrammes. 
 
Researchers also had a control group of 77 adults who were born at term with normal weight. 
 
For all three groups, researchers measured bone mineral content and density in the spine, neck, hip and the whole body, and looked at current height and weight, smoking, level of physical activity and a variety of other measures. 
 
When they looked at the data from adults who were born small for their gestational age at term, they found that this group had lower bone mass than adults who were born with normal weight at term. 
 
When researchers corrected the bone mass measurement for the heights of this group, who tended to be shorter, they found that the low bone mass was partly due to their smaller body size. 
 
In contrast, body size alone did not account for the lower bone mass researchers found in adults who had been pre-term babies. 
 
&quot;Ensuring that children with low birth weights have a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D and protein, in combination with exercise that involves weight-bearing physical activities may help reduce risk of bone fractures later in life,&quot; Balasuriya said.

Babies born prematurely may grow up to have weaker bones, according to a new study which also found that low birth weight plays a big role in developing osteoporosis.

Babies born prematurely may grow up to have weaker bones, according to a new study which also found that low birth weight plays a big role in developing osteoporosis. "Our study shows that both those born prematurely with a very low birth weight and those who were born full term, but small for their gestational age, had lower bone mass than the control group, who were born full term with normal weights," said Chandima Balasuriya, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Researchers found that adults who were born full term but were small for their gestational age also had lower bone mass. These findings are important since peak bone mass is a major determinant of future osteoporosis, the researchers said. Researchers looked at 186 adults who were 26-28 years old. They found that 52 of the participants were very low birth weight babies, with a mean birth weight of 1.2 kilogrammes, and a mean gestational age of 29 weeks. Another 59 participants had been born to term, but were considered "small for gestational age", with a mean birth weight of just under 3 kilogrammes. Researchers also had a control group of 77 adults who were born at term with normal weight. For all three groups, researchers measured bone mineral content and density in the spine, neck, hip and the whole body, and looked at current height and weight, smoking, level of physical activity and a variety of other measures. When they looked at the data from adults who were born small for their gestational age at term, they found that this group had lower bone mass than adults who were born with normal weight at term. When researchers corrected the bone mass measurement for the heights of this group, who tended to be shorter, they found that the low bone mass was partly due to their smaller body size. In contrast, body size alone did not account for the lower bone mass researchers found in adults who had been pre-term babies. "Ensuring that children with low birth weights have a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D and protein, in combination with exercise that involves weight-bearing physical activities may help reduce risk of bone fractures later in life," Balasuriya said.

Premature babies may grow up to have weaker bones: study

London, May 28 (IANS) Would-be mothers please take note! Prenatal exposure to harmful air-borne pollutants can likely increase the risk of stillbirth during the pregnancy`s third trimester, finds a new study based on `suggestive evidence.` 
 
 
According to the researchers, nearly 2.6 million children worldwide were stillborn at 28 weeks or more in 2015, with the wide geographical variation in prevalence suggesting that most of these deaths were preventable. 
 
&quot;Stillbirth is one of the most neglected tragedies in global health today,&quot; said Marie Pedersen from University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZikaVirus?src=hash">#ZikaVirus</a> <a href="https://t.co/dXLSk0wBCx">https://t.co/dXLSk0wBCx</a>
&mdash; dna (@dna) <a href="https://twitter.com/dna/status/736460787665883137">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
The findings showed that specifically, a 4 microgram per cubic meter (&micro;g/m3) increase in exposure to small particulate matter of less than 2.5 in diameter (PM2.5) was associated with a 2 percent increased risk of stillbirth. 
 
Further, particles less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone also showed to increase stillbirth risks. 
 
&quot;The existing evidence is suggestive of causality for air pollution and stillbirth without precise identification of the timing of exposure,&quot; Pedersen added. 
 
For the study, published online in Occupational &amp; Environmental Medicine, the reviewed 13 studies, which found an association between exposure to air pollution -- particularly during the third term of pregnancy -- and a heightened risk of stillbirth. 
 
&quot;With the limited studies on the relevant topic, our review suggests strong priorities for future research. If the evidence of an association between ambient air population and stillbirth is confirmed in future studies, it would be of major public health importance,&quot; Pedersen noted. 
 
--IANS

Would-be mothers please take note! Prenatal exposure to harmful air-borne pollutants can likely increase the risk of stillbirth during the pregnancy`s third trimester, finds a new study based on `suggestive evidence

London, May 28 (IANS) Would-be mothers please take note! Prenatal exposure to harmful air-borne pollutants can likely increase the risk of stillbirth during the pregnancy`s third trimester, finds a new study based on `suggestive evidence.` According to the researchers, nearly 2.6 million children worldwide were stillborn at 28 weeks or more in 2015, with the wide geographical variation in prevalence suggesting that most of these deaths were preventable. "Stillbirth is one of the most neglected tragedies in global health today," said Marie Pedersen from University of Copenhagen in Denmark. WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus https://t.co/dXLSk0wBCx — dna (@dna) May 28, 2016 The findings showed that specifically, a 4 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase in exposure to small particulate matter of less than 2.5 in diameter (PM2.5) was associated with a 2 percent increased risk of stillbirth. Further, particles less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone also showed to increase stillbirth risks. "The existing evidence is suggestive of causality for air pollution and stillbirth without precise identification of the timing of exposure," Pedersen added. For the study, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, the reviewed 13 studies, which found an association between exposure to air pollution -- particularly during the third term of pregnancy -- and a heightened risk of stillbirth. "With the limited studies on the relevant topic, our review suggests strong priorities for future research. If the evidence of an association between ambient air population and stillbirth is confirmed in future studies, it would be of major public health importance," Pedersen noted. --IANS

Air pollution may up stillbirth risk during third trimester

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