Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Winners named in global underwater robot event

ALPENA: Student teams controlling underwater robots from the United States, Canada and Russia were the winners Saturday in a global competition at the only federal freshwater marine sanctuary in the United States.

The high school and university teams were among 60 from 13 countries participating in the 13th Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely Operated Vehicle International Competition at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Taking first place in the advanced category was a team from Jesuit High School of Carmichael, California. Second and third-place winners were Bauman Moscow State University of Moscow and Far Eastern Federal University of Vladivostok, Russia.

The top three in the intermediate category were Clarenville High School of Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; Cornerstone Academy of Gainesville, Florida; and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Teams worked with robots in a large tank while judges evaluated their performance along with engineering and communication. They were also judged on the design and construction of their robots.

Tasks included identifying a simulated shipwreck, collecting microbial samples from a sinkhole, inventorying invasive species and removing trash.

"It's really put us on a global stage,'' Sanctuary archaeologist Stephanie Gandulla told The Associated Press.

The facility is among 14 national marine sanctuaries operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was established to preserve and protect the Great Lakes and the roughly 200 shipwrecks found in the area.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=The National,The Associated Press,Sanctuary archaeologist,Moscow State University,Far Eastern Federal University

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Winners named in global underwater robot event

ALPENA: Student teams controlling underwater robots from the United States, Canada and Russia were the winners Saturday in a global competition at the only federal freshwater marine sanctuary in the United States.

The high school and university teams were among 60 from 13 countries participating in the 13th Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely Operated Vehicle International Competition at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Taking first place in the advanced category was a team from Jesuit High School of Carmichael, California. Second and third-place winners were Bauman Moscow State University of Moscow and Far Eastern Federal University of Vladivostok, Russia.

The top three in the intermediate category were Clarenville High School of Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; Cornerstone Academy of Gainesville, Florida; and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Teams worked with robots in a large tank while judges evaluated their performance along with engineering and communication. They were also judged on the design and construction of their robots.

Tasks included identifying a simulated shipwreck, collecting microbial samples from a sinkhole, inventorying invasive species and removing trash.

"It's really put us on a global stage,'' Sanctuary archaeologist Stephanie Gandulla told The Associated Press.

The facility is among 14 national marine sanctuaries operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was established to preserve and protect the Great Lakes and the roughly 200 shipwrecks found in the area.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=The National,The Associated Press,Sanctuary archaeologist,Moscow State University,Far Eastern Federal University

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=E.coli,British university,antibiotic resistance

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

The author has posted comments on this articleIANS | Jun 11, 2014, 05.18PM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

The author has posted comments on this articleIANS | Jun 11, 2014, 05.18PM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

The author has posted comments on this articleIANS | Jun 11, 2014, 05.18PM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

The author has posted comments on this articleIANS | Jun 11, 2014, 05.18PM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

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Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

The author has posted comments on this articleIANS | Jun 11, 2014, 05.18PM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

Article continues

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Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

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Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

The author has posted comments on this articleIANS | Jun 11, 2014, 05.18PM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=National Aeronautics and Space Administration,united states,Los Angeles,U.S. space agency,NASA

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human tongue has a sixth taste sense

LONDON: In addition to recognizing sweet, sour, salty, savory (umami), and bitter tastes, your tongue has a sixth taste sense, the "sense of carbs", that allows you to perceive carbohydrates — the nutrients that break down into sugar and form the main source of energy.

The "sense of carbs" also triggers the pleasure centre of the brain and could explain why people often find diet foods unsatisfying, a research shows.

"The mouth is a more capable sensory organ than we currently appreciate, able to distinguish carbohydrates from artificial sweeteners when both taste identical," said Nicholas Gant from University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls, Gant added.

For the study, researchers asked participants to squeeze a sensor held between their right index finger and thumb when shown a visual cue.

At the same time, the participants' tongues were rinsed with one of three different fluids.

The first two were artificially sweetened — to identical tastes — but with only one containing carbohydrate. The third, a control, was neither sweet nor carb-loaded.

When the carbohydrate solution was used, the researchers observed a 30 percent increase in activity for the brain areas that control movement and vision. This reaction, they propose, is caused by our mouths reporting that additional energy in the form of carbohydrates is coming.

"This 'sixth taste sense' for carbohydrate is likely one of many additional food qualities that are detectable by receptors in the mouth," Gant was quoted as saying in media reports.

The study is set to appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Appetite.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Tongue,sixth taste sense,New Zealand

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

The moon's internet speed soon to be faster than earth

LONDON: The internet speed on the moon will soon be faster than that on earth. Scientists have found a way to get broadband speed of just under 20 megabits per second (mbps) on the Moon.

A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory working with Nasa recently demonstrated the data communication technology which makes it possible to receive large amounts of data and stream video and audio from the moon to earth and vice versa.

A download speed of 19.44mbps was achieved through a laser-powered communication uplink through RF signals, along with an upload speed of 622mbps - that is 4,800 times faster than the previous record.

This download speed is more than six times faster than the download speed achieved by the best radio system ever flown to the moon, and the Nasa's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) laser space terminal is half the weight and uses 25% less power than the radio system.

LLCD also demonstrated a data upload speed of 20 mbps on a laser beam transmitted from a ground station in New Mexico to the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer spacecraft in orbit; this speed is 5000 times faster than the upload speed of the best radio system flown to the moon.

"This will be the first time that we present both the implementation overview and how well it actually worked," said Mark Stevens of MIT Lincoln Laboratory. "The on-orbit performance was excellent and close to what we'd predicted, giving us confidence that we have a good understanding of the underlying physics," he added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Moon,Internet speed,earth

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30% of world is now fat, no country immune: Study

LONDON: Almost a third of the world is now fat, and no country has been able to curb obesity rates in the last three decades, according to a new global analysis.

Researchers found more than 2 billion people worldwide are now overweight or obese. The highest rates were in the Middle East and North Africa, where nearly 60 percent of men and 65 percent of women are heavy. The U.S. has about 13 percent of the world's fat population, a greater percentage than any other country. China and India combined have about 15 percent.

"It's pretty grim," said Christopher Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, who led the study. He and colleagues reviewed more than 1,700 studies covering 188 countries from 1980 to 2013. "When we realized that not a single country has had a significant decline in obesity, that tells you how hard a challenge this is."

Murray said there was a strong link between income and obesity; as people get richer, their waistlines also tend to start bulging. He said scientists have noticed accompanying spikes in diabetes and that rates of cancers linked to weight, like pancreatic cancer, are also rising.

The new report was paid for by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and published online Thursday in the journal, Lancet.

Last week, the World Health Organization established a high-level commission tasked with ending childhood obesity.

"Our children are getting fatter," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's director-general, said bluntly during a speech at the agency's annual meeting in Geneva. "Parts of the world are quite literally eating themselves to death." Earlier this year, WHO said that no more than 5 percent of your daily calories should come from sugar.

"Modernization has not been good for health," said Syed Shah, an obesity expert at United Arab Emirates University, who found obesity rates have jumped five times in the last 20 years even in a handful of remote Himalayan villages in Pakistan. His research was presented this week at a conference in Bulgaria. "Years ago, people had to walk for hours if they wanted to make a phone call," he said. "Now everyone has a cellphone."

Shah also said the villagers no longer have to rely on their own farms for food.
"There are roads for (companies) to bring in their processed foods and the people don't have to slaughter their own animals for meat and oil," he said. "No one knew about Coke and Pepsi 20 years ago. Now it's everywhere."

In Britain, the independent health watchdog issued new advice on Wednesday recommending heavy people be sent to free weight-loss classes to drop about 3 percent of their weight, reasoning that losing just a few pounds improves health and is more realistic. About two in three adults in the U.K. are overweight, making it the fattest country in Western Europe.

"This is not something where you can just wake up one morning and say, `I am going to lose 10 pounds,'" said Mike Kelly, the agency's public health director, in a statement. "It takes resolve and it takes encouragement."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=World Health Organization,University of Washington,Obesity,Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

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Supernova explosion created in lab

LONDON: Scientists have used laser beams 60,000 billion times more powerful than a laser pointer to recreate scaled supernova explosions in the laboratory to investigate one of the most energetic events in the Universe.

Supernova explosions, triggered when the fuel within a star reignites or its core collapses, launch a detonation shock wave that sweeps through a few light years of space from the exploding star in just a few hundred years.

To investigate what may cause these peculiar shapes, an international team led by Oxford University scientists has devised a method of studying supernova explosions in the laboratory instead of observing them in space.

"It may sound surprising that a table-top laboratory experiment that fits inside an average room can be used to study astrophysical objects that are light years across," said professor Gianluca Gregori of Oxford's department of Physics.

"In reality, the laws of physics are the same everywhere, and physical processes can be scaled from one to the other in the same way that waves in a bucket are comparable to waves in the ocean. So our experiments can complement observations of events such as the Cassiopeia A supernova explosion," said Gregori, who led the study.

The Cassiopeia A supernova explosion was first spotted about 300 years ago in the Cassiopeia constellation 11,000 light years away, its light has taken this long to reach us.

The optical images of the explosion show irregular 'knotty' features and associated with these are intense radio and X-ray emissions.

Whilst no one is sure what creates these phenomena one possibility is that the blast passes through a region of space that is filled with dense clumps or clouds of gas.

"Our team began by focusing three laser beams onto a carbon rod target, not much thicker than a strand of hair, in a low density gas-filled chamber," said Jena Meinecke an Oxford graduate student, who headed the experiment.

The enormous amount of heat generated more than a few million degrees celsius by the laser caused the rod to explode creating a blast that expanded out through low density gas.

In the experiments the dense gas clumps or gas clouds that surround an exploding star were simulated by introducing a plastic grid to disturb the shock front.

"The experiment demonstrated that as the blast of the explosion passes through the grid it becomes irregular and turbulent just like the images from Cassiopeia," said Gregori.

"We found that the magnetic field is higher with the grid than without it. Since higher magnetic fields imply a more efficient generation of radio and X-ray photons, this result confirms that the idea that supernova explosions expand into uniformly distributed interstellar material isn't always correct and it is consistent with both observations and numerical models of a shock-wave passing through a 'clumpy' medium," said Gregory.

The research was published in the journal Nature Physics.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=supernova explosion,Oxford University scientists,Gianluca Gregori

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