SCIENCE AND HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS

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November 19, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Ambulance Drone (sign into Facebook to view)

A Dutch engineering student is working to develop a network of flying ambulance drones capable of carrying defibrillators and ultimately life-saving help for other medical issues. Also see: http://alecmomont.com/#drones

For Babies, Preterm Birth Is Now The No. 1 Cause Of Death(NPR)

Premature birth is now the single largest cause of death among babies and young children. Every year, 1.09 million children under age 5 die due to health complications that stem from being born before week 37 of pregnancy (a 40-week pregnancy is considered full-term).

Nose Spray Ebola Vaccine Protects Monkeys (NBC)

A needle-free Ebola vaccine protects monkeys 100 percent of the time from the virus, even a year after they’ve been vaccinated, researchers reported Monday…  But now the research is dead in the water without funding, Maria Croyle of the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Pharmacy said.

Breaking news: 80 percent of treated veterans improved physical function  (VetLawyers – Jamie Reno)

A vitamin supplement available at any drug store appears to help veterans suffering from Gulf War illness alleviate some of their symptoms, results from a new study show. Researchers said 19 of the most common Gulf War illness symptoms, including headaches, fatigue with exertion, irritability, recall problems and muscle pain, improved after taking the supplement. The study was conducted at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

Diabetes to Finally be Reversed with Existing Drug? (JPost)

Researchers from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, found that the common blood pressure drug verapamil completely reversed type 1 diabetes in mice, and they expect to test the drug on humans next year.

Science Has Great News for People Who Read Actual Books (Arts.Mic)

It's no secret that reading is good for you. Just six minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress by 68%, and numerous studies have shown that reading keeps your brain functioning effectively as you age. One study even found that elderly individuals who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer's than their peers. But not all forms of reading are created equal….now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books. Reading in print helps with comprehension. 

Combining The DNA Of 3 People Raises Ethical Questions (NPR)

Scientists in England are ready to do something that's never been done before — combine the DNA of two women and one man to create embryos that don't carry hereditary mitochondrial disorders.

Fish in American waters are experiencing population rebounds (CS Monitor)

Nearly two dozen species of Pacific groundfish, including snapper, Dover sole, and dogfish, and Atlantic haddock, among others, are all making a comeback. The rebounds can be attributed to the passing of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the US management system.

One in 10 sausages 'has hepatitis E' (BBC)

Experts warn one in 10 sausages in England and Wales could lead to a hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) if they are not cooked properly.

More than skin deep (JPost)

Although psoriasis has long been known as a skin disease, doctors now regard it as systemic and affecting other organs.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Bats can jam each other's sonar, say scientists (+video) (CS Monitor)

Researchers have discovered that a species of bat can emit a call to interfere with the echolocation of its fellow bats.

Inflatable baby incubator wins award (BBC)

A prototype inflatable incubator for prematurely-born babies has been picked as the international winner of this year's James Dyson Award. / Mom costs a fraction of the price to make than commonly-used alternatives. / The project's inventor - Loughborough University graduate James Roberts - said he hoped the final product would be used in the developing world.

Israeli start-up pioneers smartphone for quadriplegics (JPost)

When Giora Livne saw tech entrepreneur Oded Ben Dov presenting his cool iPhone game on a late-night television show three years ago, he didn’t know both their lives were about to change.  The game in question, Mimo, used a special algorithm to follow players head movements, which were used to control the gameplay.

Home Depot says about 53 million email addresses stolen in breach (Reuters)

Home Depot Inc , the world's largest home improvement chain, said about 53 million email addresses were stolen during a recent breach of its payment data systems, in addition to some 56 million payment cards previously disclosed by the retailer.

 


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