The Scifi Products Blog.: 02/23/19

Saturday 23 February 2019

A quantum magnet with a topological twist

Taking their name from an intricate Japanese basket pattern, kagome magnets are thought to have electronic properties that could be valuable for future quantum devices and applications. Theories predict that some electrons in these materials have exotic, so-called topological behaviors and others behave somewhat like graphene, another material prized for its potential for new types of electronics.

* This article was originally published here

The highly realistic nobody: Researchers take fake images to another level

We are being fed an ample amount of information about artificial intelligence and the webs it can weave for delivering fake news. Leave some room for more news, this time for NVIDIA's feat in delivering fake images. Wait, we are seeing photos of a man and a woman and they both look totally genuine—yet they are computer generated.

* This article was originally published here

AI may be better for detecting radar signals, facilitating spectrum sharing

When vacationers buy a stake in a beachfront timeshare, they decide in advance who gets to use the property when. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is helping the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) institute a similar plan for when commercial wireless providers and the U.S. Navy attempt to share a desirable 150-megahertz (MHz)-wide section of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum for communications.

* This article was originally published here

For Tesla, effects of Elon Musk's take-private tweet continue

Tesla and CEO Elon Musk settled with the SEC last year over Musk's tweets about taking the company private, but the fallout isn't over.

* This article was originally published here

Apple eyes device future with flexible display designs

Et tu, Apple? Look who is joining the foldable and flexible and bendable brigade. Apple is another brand leader hoping to get a slice of the action in future sales. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published a patent for a flip-phone with flexible screen that bends in the middle, said Vincent Verweij in Foldable News.

* This article was originally published here

New report encourages evidence-based treatment of challenging behaviours

When an adult with developmental disabilities becomes aggressive or starts to self-harm, most people assume that professional caregivers know how best to handle such challenging behaviour. But what if the professionals aren't necessarily using the best treatments?

* This article was originally published here

US patient advocacy groups received majority of pharma donations in multi-country study

A new study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers found that U.S.-based patient advocacy organizations received a disproportionate amount of contributions made by the world's 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in 2016.

* This article was originally published here

Ikea curtains break down pollutants, highlight interest in fabric purifiers

Can you use textiles to clean the air? Take sunlight. Add a film coating to fabric. And you get curtains that destroy pollutants and purify the air inside your home. The recipe is being touted by Ikea. Along with bunk beds and bedside tables, some thinkers at Ikea have been looking into technologies that can address indoor air pollution without having to resort to more complex filtering systems or electric power.

* This article was originally published here

New segmentation tool lets medical professionals 'teach' computers to correctly annotate medical images

Pictures may be worth a thousand words but with medical images, that's an understatement. Digital images of biopsies are especially valuable in diagnosing and tracking the progression of certain diseases, such as chronic kidney disease and cancer.

* This article was originally published here

Doctor-affiliated PACs fund political candidates who oppose firearm safety policies

Political action committees (PACs) affiliated with physician organizations contribute more money to political candidates who oppose evidence-based policies to reduce firearm-related injuries than to those who support such policies, a new study found.

* This article was originally published here

Disability progression in multiple sclerosis linked to income, education

Neighbourhood income and education level is associated with risk of disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.

* This article was originally published here

Odds of receiving tx for CAD up with medicare advantage

(HealthDay)—For patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) are more likely to receive secondary prevention treatments than those enrolled in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in JAMA Cardiology.

* This article was originally published here

Fungus from the intestinal mucosa can affect lung health

Writing in the journal Cell, a research team from Cologne and Kiel describes the mechanism of immune cross-reactivity. The immune system's reaction to Candida albicans in the intestine seems to amplify pathogenic immune processes in the lungs. In consequence, immune-compromised individuals may be at higher risk of health deterioration.

* This article was originally published here

Study links Celebrex, heart valve calcification after earlier research declared drug safe

A well-known, four-year study found popular arthritis drug Celebrex no more dangerous for the heart than older drugs in its same classification—commonly called NSAIDs. Now, a big-data analysis of patient records at Vanderbilt University has found a link specifically between Celebrex and heart valve calcification.

* This article was originally published here

Medicaid expansion led to increase in screening for colorectal cancer patients in Kentucky

Kentucky is one of the poorest states in the U.S.1 However, the state has been one of the most successful in reducing its uninsured rate, which happened in part through the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion that took effect on January 1, 2014.2 In the past, Kentucky has reported low rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and has ranked among the highest states for incidence and mortality for the disease. One research team evaluated the impact of Medicaid expansion on the rates of CRC screening, incidence, and survival among the state's low-income population. The researchers found that the number of Medicaid patients who received screening after the expansion was more than triple the number of patients who were screened before the expansion. Additionally, CRC patients relying on Medicaid exhibited improved survival after the expansion compared to before it was implemented. The findings were published as an "article in press" on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print.

* This article was originally published here

Why are TVs so cheap now? Well, your smart TV is watching you and making extra money, too

Your smart TV is watching you. And making money off you as well.

* This article was originally published here

US opioid deaths jump fourfold in 20 years; epidemic shifts to Eastern states

Opioid-related deaths nationwide jumped fourfold in the last two decades, and the epidemic has made major inroads in the Eastern states, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard University and the University of Toronto.

* This article was originally published here

Samsung Galaxy Buds wireless earbuds are $130 rival to AirPods

Samsung's Galaxy Fold foldable phone and line of Galaxy S10 line of smartphones may have attracted most of the attention at the company's latest Unpacked event, but its latest earbuds may be the most interesting, and affordable, new product for many.

* This article was originally published here