rain How retail can reap the rewards of RAIN RFID By www.retailtechnologyreview.com Published On :: By Aileen Ryan, President, RAIN Alliance.As costs spiral across the retail sector, maintaining profitability is a growing challenge. Organisations are increasingly seeking practical, affordable solutions that enable them to drive operational efficiencies and reduce overhead costs. Full Article RFID Data Capture Critical Issues
rain Russia faces serious problems because of Indian coronavirus strain By english.pravda.ru Published On :: Mon, 21 Jun 2021 19:14:00 +0300 The Indian coronavirus strain, known as the delta variant or B.1.617, has four dangerous new symptoms, Express reports with reference to Abdul Ghafur, an infectious disease doctor from the Indian city of Chennai. According to the doctor, the symptoms of the delta variant of COVID-19 are similar to those of common cold: an infected individual develops a headache, runny nose and sore throat. Four new symptoms of the disease have been identified to date: diarrhea, hearing impairment, severe stomach disorders and blood clots that may lead to gangrene. Doctors note the new variant of the virus is unpredictable and state that any of the above symptoms could indicate an infection. Full Article Health
rain First case of delta plus coronavirus strain reported in Russia By english.pravda.ru Published On :: Fri, 25 Jun 2021 16:01:00 +0300 In Russia, the first case of delta plus coronavirus infection was recorded. "This is the only one case, most likely from abroad,” Darya Danilenko, deputy director of the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza said. This strain was recorded in isolated cases in the United States and Great Britain. Full Article Health
rain Russia's CoviVac vaccine effective against delta strain By english.pravda.ru Published On :: Wed, 07 Jul 2021 15:10:00 +0300 Russia's CoviVac drug is effective against the delta coronavirus strain, Aidar Ishmukhametov, one of the creators of the vaccine, director general of the Chumakov Federal Research Center, said, TASS reports. “The studies carried out have shown comparable results on the immunological efficacy of the vaccine,” Ishmukhametov said. Earlier, immunologist Vladimir Bolibok compared the infectivity of the Wuhan and Indian strains of coronavirus. According to him, contracting the new coronavirus strain has become a lot easier. Full Article Health
rain NIS: Some N. Korean Troops May Be on Front Lines of Russia-Ukraine War By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:33:34 +0900 [Inter-Korea] : South Korea’s intelligence agency believes some of the North Korean troops deployed to Russia in support of its military offensive in Ukraine may have been transported to the front lines, including high-ranking generals. According to senior members of the rival political parties on the parliamentary ...[more...] Full Article Inter-Korea
rain Defense Chief: S. Korea Won’t Send Troops to Support Ukraine By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:20:08 +0900 [Inter-Korea] : Defense minister Kim Yong-hyun said Wednesday that South Korea is not considering sending troops to support Ukraine. The minister made the remarks during a meeting with reporters in Washington, while visiting the United States to attend the annual Security Consultative Meeting. When asked how the ...[more...] Full Article Inter-Korea
rain S. Korean Military: Over 10,000 N. Korean Troops in Russia, ‘Considerable Number’ Sent to Front Lines near Ukraine By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:02:37 +0900 [Inter-Korea] : The South Korean military says it believes more than ten-thousand North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia in support of the military offensive in Ukraine. At a press briefing Tuesday, defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said intelligence authorities in South Korea and the U.S. believe a ...[more...] Full Article Inter-Korea
rain Heavy Rain Warning and Watch in place For Most Parts of Nation By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:44:26 +0900 [Science] : A heavy rain warning has been issued for the five border islands in the Yellow Sea and a heavy rain watch for the Seoul metro area, Gangwon Province and parts of the Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces. With heavy rain set to pound most parts of the nation through Sunday, the interior and safety ministry on ...[more...] Full Article Science
rain Heavy Rains Reported in Eastern Gangwon, Central Chungcheong, Southern Regions By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Sat, 21 Sep 2024 15:37:32 +0900 [Science] : Heavy rains are being reported in the eastern parts of Gangwon, as well as the central Chungcheong provinces and southern regions on Saturday, as heavy rain alerts remain in place for most of the nation. According to the weather agency, a deluge of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour is being observed in the ...[more...] Full Article Science
rain Most of Nation to See Rain through Saturday By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:11:24 +0900 [Science] : Most parts of the nation are experiencing heavy rain, with up to 120 millimeters expected in some areas through Saturday. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast on Friday that the eastern coastal areas of Gangwon Province will see 50 to 100 millimeters of rain through Saturday, adding that ...[more...] Full Article Science
rain Rain Forecast Nationwide, with Downpours along Southern Coast, on Jeju Island By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:44:23 +0900 [Science] : Rain is in the forecast nationwide on Tuesday, with downpours expected along the southern coastal areas of South Jeolla Province, in the southeastern Gyeongsang region and on the southernmost island of Jeju. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, over 100 millimeters could fall on the ...[more...] Full Article Science
rain Jeju, Southern Coast to See Heavy Rain through Saturday By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:17:01 +0900 [Science] : Heavy rain is forecast for Jeju Island and the nation’s southern coastal regions through Saturday due to the indirect impact of Typhoon Kong-rey. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) on Friday, Jeju will see between 80 and 150 millimeters of rain through Saturday. Up to 300 ...[more...] Full Article Science
rain NYT: US Official Confirms ‘Significant Number’ of N. Korean Troops Killed in Combat against Ukraine By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:32:54 +0900 [International] : A high-level U.S. government official reportedly confirmed that many North Korean troops deployed to Russia have been killed in combat against Ukraine. On Tuesday, the New York Times quoted the official as saying “a significant number” were killed in action, with the exact time of the armed conflict ...[more...] Full Article International
rain Zelenskyy: N. Korea Already Seeing ‘Losses’ in Clashes with Ukraine By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:21:08 +0900 [International] : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly said Thursday that “losses” have already been recorded among North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region in combat against Ukrainian forces. According to Reuters and AFP on Thursday, Zelenskyy made the remarks in a press conference after the ...[more...] Full Article International
rain Ukraine Commander: Numerous Reports of N. Korean Soldiers Preparing to Participate in Combat Operations By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Sun, 10 Nov 2024 12:56:09 +0900 [International] : Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reportedly said that his country has numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian forces. Reuters said on Sunday that Syrskyi made the remarks in a Facebook post on Saturday. In the ...[more...] Full Article International
rain Ukraine Claims to Have Intercepted N. Korean Radio Messages By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 18:46:56 +0900 [International] : The Ukrainian military has revealed what it claims are intercepted radio communications between North Korean soldiers in the Russian territory of Kursk. The audio file, shared by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, features a male voice saying Korean words such as “wait” and “Seal two, one, ...[more...] Full Article International
rain Zelenskyy: Ukraine Fighting 50,000 Troops in Russia’s Kursk Region By world.kbs.co.kr Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:42:18 +0900 [International] : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly said on Monday that his country’s soldiers were fighting against nearly 50-thousand enemy troops in Russia’s Kursk region. Reuters said Zelenkyy made the remarks in a post on Telegram. Zelenskyy said Ukraine will considerably strengthen its ...[more...] Full Article International
rain 75 of the Hardest Riddles (With Answers) to Test Your Brain By lifestyle.howstuffworks.com Published On :: Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:10:02 -0400 Challenge yourself with some of the hardest riddles we could find so you can keep your mind sharp! As you tackle these tricky brain teasers, you'll engage your mind in a way that few other activities can. Full Article
rain Mapping domain structures near a grain boundary in a lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric film using X-ray nanodiffraction By journals.iucr.org Published On :: Direct measurements have been taken of nanoscale domain structure in ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate around a grain boundary. Characterizing the evolution of this structure under an electric field is critical for predicting dielectric and piezoelectric response. Full Article text
rain Mapping domain structures near a grain boundary in a lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric film using X-ray nanodiffraction By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-29 The effect of an electric field on local domain structure near a 24° tilt grain boundary in a 200 nm-thick Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 bi-crystal ferroelectric film was probed using synchrotron nanodiffraction. The bi-crystal film was grown epitaxially on SrRuO3-coated (001) SrTiO3 24° tilt bi-crystal substrates. From the nanodiffraction data, real-space maps of the ferroelectric domain structure around the grain boundary prior to and during application of a 200 kV cm−1 electric field were reconstructed. In the vicinity of the tilt grain boundary, the distributions of densities of c-type tetragonal domains with the c axis aligned with the film normal were calculated on the basis of diffracted intensity ratios of c- and a-type domains and reference powder diffraction data. Diffracted intensity was averaged along the grain boundary, and it was shown that the density of c-type tetragonal domains dropped to ∼50% of that of the bulk of the film over a range ±150 nm from the grain boundary. This work complements previous results acquired by band excitation piezoresponse force microscopy, suggesting that reduced nonlinear piezoelectric response around grain boundaries may be related to the change in domain structure, as well as to the possibility of increased pinning of domain wall motion. The implications of the results and analysis in terms of understanding the role of grain boundaries in affecting the nonlinear piezoelectric and dielectric responses of ferroelectric materials are discussed. Full Article text
rain Deep residual networks for crystallography trained on synthetic data By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-01-01 The use of artificial intelligence to process diffraction images is challenged by the need to assemble large and precisely designed training data sets. To address this, a codebase called Resonet was developed for synthesizing diffraction data and training residual neural networks on these data. Here, two per-pattern capabilities of Resonet are demonstrated: (i) interpretation of crystal resolution and (ii) identification of overlapping lattices. Resonet was tested across a compilation of diffraction images from synchrotron experiments and X-ray free-electron laser experiments. Crucially, these models readily execute on graphics processing units and can thus significantly outperform conventional algorithms. While Resonet is currently utilized to provide real-time feedback for macromolecular crystallography users at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, its simple Python-based interface makes it easy to embed in other processing frameworks. This work highlights the utility of physics-based simulation for training deep neural networks and lays the groundwork for the development of additional models to enhance diffraction collection and analysis. Full Article text
rain CHiMP: deep-learning tools trained on protein crystallization micrographs to enable automation of experiments By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-01 A group of three deep-learning tools, referred to collectively as CHiMP (Crystal Hits in My Plate), were created for analysis of micrographs of protein crystallization experiments at the Diamond Light Source (DLS) synchrotron, UK. The first tool, a classification network, assigns images into categories relating to experimental outcomes. The other two tools are networks that perform both object detection and instance segmentation, resulting in masks of individual crystals in the first case and masks of crystallization droplets in addition to crystals in the second case, allowing the positions and sizes of these entities to be recorded. The creation of these tools used transfer learning, where weights from a pre-trained deep-learning network were used as a starting point and repurposed by further training on a relatively small set of data. Two of the tools are now integrated at the VMXi macromolecular crystallography beamline at DLS, where they have the potential to absolve the need for any user input, both for monitoring crystallization experiments and for triggering in situ data collections. The third is being integrated into the XChem fragment-based drug-discovery screening platform, also at DLS, to allow the automatic targeting of acoustic compound dispensing into crystallization droplets. Full Article text
rain Elastic and inelastic strain in submicron-thick ZnO epilayers grown on r-sapphire substrates by metal–organic vapour phase deposition By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-13 A significant part of the present and future of optoelectronic devices lies on thin multilayer heterostructures. Their optical properties depend strongly on strain, being essential to the knowledge of the stress level to optimize the growth process. Here the structural and microstructural characteristics of sub-micron a-ZnO epilayers (12 to 770 nm) grown on r-sapphire by metal–organic chemical vapour deposition are studied. Morphological and structural studies have been made using scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction. Plastic unit-cell distortion and corresponding strain have been determined as a function of film thickness. A critical thickness has been observed as separating the non-elastic/elastic states with an experimental value of 150–200 nm. This behaviour has been confirmed from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements. An equation that gives the balance of strains is proposed as an interesting method to experimentally determine this critical thickness. It is concluded that in the thinnest films an elongation of the Zn—O bond takes place and that the plastic strained ZnO films relax through nucleation of misfit dislocations, which is a consequence of three-dimensional surface morphology. Full Article text
rain Magnetic space groups versus representation analysis in the investigation of magnetic structures: the happy end of a strained relationship By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-09-10 In recent decades, sustained theoretical and software developments have clearly established that representation analysis and magnetic symmetry groups are complementary concepts that should be used together in the investigation and description of magnetic structures. Historically, they were considered alternative approaches, but currently, magnetic space groups and magnetic superspace groups can be routinely used together with representation analysis, aided by state-of-the-art software tools. After exploring the historical antagonism between these two approaches, we emphasize the significant advancements made in understanding and formally describing magnetic structures by embracing their combined use. Full Article text
rain Fast nanoscale imaging of strain in a multi-segment heterostructured nanowire with 2D Bragg ptychography By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-02-01 Developing semiconductor devices requires a fast and reliable source of strain information with high spatial resolution and strain sensitivity. This work investigates the strain in an axially heterostructured 180 nm-diameter GaInP nanowire with InP segments of varying lengths down to 9 nm, simultaneously probing both materials. Scanning X-ray diffraction (XRD) is compared with Bragg projection ptychography (BPP), a fast single-projection method. BPP offers a sufficient spatial resolution to reveal fine details within the largest segments, unlike scanning XRD. The spatial resolution affects the quantitative accuracy of the strain maps, where BPP shows much-improved agreement with an elastic 3D finite element model compared with scanning XRD. The sensitivity of BPP to small deviations from the Bragg condition is systematically investigated. The experimental confirmation of the model suggests that the large lattice mismatch of 1.52% is accommodated without defects. Full Article text
rain A study of stress, composition and grain interaction gradients in energy-dispersive X-ray stress analysis on materials with cubic symmetry By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-07 The influence of various combinations of residual stress, composition and grain interaction gradients in polycrystalline materials with cubic symmetry on energy-dispersive X-ray stress analysis is theoretically investigated. For the evaluation of the simulated sin2ψ distributions, two different strategies are compared with regard to their suitability for separating the individual gradients. It is shown that the separation of depth gradients of the strain-free lattice parameter a0(z) from residual stress gradients σ(z) is only possible if the data analysis is carried out in section planes parallel to the surface. The impact of a surface layer z* that is characterized by a direction-dependent grain interaction model in contrast to the volume of the material is quantified by comparing a ferritic and an austenitic steel, which feature different elastic anisotropy. It is shown to be of minor influence on the resulting residual stress depth profiles if the data evaluation is restricted to reflections hkl with orientation factors Γhkl close to the model-independent orientation Γ*. Finally, a method is proposed that allows the thickness of the anisotropic surface layer z* to be estimated on the basis of an optimization procedure. Full Article text
rain X-ray tensor tomography for small-grained polycrystals with strong texture By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-27 Small-angle X-ray tensor tomography and the related wide-angle X-ray tensor tomography are X-ray imaging techniques that tomographically reconstruct the anisotropic scattering density of extended samples. In previous studies, these methods have been used to image samples where the scattering density depends slowly on the direction of scattering, typically modeling the directionality, i.e. the texture, with a spherical harmonics expansion up until order ℓ = 8 or lower. This study investigates the performance of several established algorithms from small-angle X-ray tensor tomography on samples with a faster variation as a function of scattering direction and compares their expected and achieved performance. The various algorithms are tested using wide-angle scattering data from an as-drawn steel wire with known texture to establish the viability of the tensor tomography approach for such samples and to compare the performance of existing algorithms. Full Article text
rain Characterization of sub-micrometre-sized voids in fixed human brain tissue using scanning X-ray microdiffraction By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-01 Using a 5 µm-diameter X-ray beam, we collected scanning X-ray microdiffraction in both the small-angle (SAXS) and the wide-angle (WAXS) regimes from thin sections of fixed human brain tissue from Alzheimer's subjects. The intensity of scattering in the SAXS regime of these patterns exhibits essentially no correlation with the observed intensity in the WAXS regime, indicating that the structures responsible for these two portions of the diffraction patterns, which reflect different length scales, are distinct. SAXS scattering exhibits a power-law behavior in which the log of intensity decreases linearly with the log of the scattering angle. The slope of the log–log curve is roughly proportional to the intensity in the SAXS regime and, surprisingly, inversely proportional to the intensity in the WAXS regime. We interpret these observations as being due to the presence of sub-micrometre-sized voids formed during dehydration of the fixed tissue. The SAXS intensity is due largely to scattering from these voids, while the WAXS intensity derives from the secondary structures of macromolecular material surrounding the voids. The ability to detect and map the presence of voids within thin sections of fixed tissue has the potential to provide novel information on the degradation of human brain tissue in neurodegenerative diseases. Full Article text
rain Tranglo expands payment services to Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain By thepaypers.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:34:00 +0100 Tranglo, a global cross-border payments company, has expanded... Full Article
rain FilmWeek: ‘Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train,’ Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street,’ ‘Together Together’ And More By www.scpr.org Published On :: Fri, 23 Apr 2021 10:25:00 -0700 Archival still from the documentary "Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street"; Credit: HBO FilmWeek MarqueeLarry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
rain What's killing sea otters? Scientists pinpoint parasite strain By news.science360.gov Published On :: 2019-08-26T07:00:00Z Full Text:Many wild southern sea otters in California are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, yet the infection is fatal for only a fraction of sea otters, which has long puzzled the scientific community. A National Science Foundation-funded study identifies the parasite's specific strains that are killing southern sea otters, tracing them back to a bobcat and feral domestic cats from nearby watersheds. The study marks the first time a genetic link has been clearly established between the Toxoplasma strains in felid hosts and parasites causing fatal disease in marine wildlife. The study's results highlight how infectious agents like Toxoplasma can spread from cat feces on land to the sea, leading to detrimental impacts on marine wildlife.Image credit: Trina Wood/UC Davis Full Article
rain To Keep Your Brain Young, Take Some Tips From Our Earliest Ancestors By www.scpr.org Published On :: Fri, 18 Jun 2021 04:00:06 -0700 Reconstructions from the Daynès Studio in Paris depict a male Neanderthal (right) face to face with a human, Homo sapiens.; Credit: /Science Source Bret Stetka | NPRIt's something that many of us reckon with: the sense that we're not quite as sharp as we once were. I recently turned 42. Having lost my grandfather to Alzheimer's, and with my mom suffering from a similar neurodegenerative disease, I'm very aware of what pathologies might lurk beneath my cranium. In the absence of a cure for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, the most important interventions for upholding brain function are preventive — those that help maintain our most marvelous, mysterious organ. Based on the science, I take fish oil and broil salmon. I exercise. I try to challenge my cortex to the unfamiliar. As I wrote my recent book, A History of the Human Brain, which recounts the evolutionary tale of how our brain got here, I began to realize that so many of the same influences that shaped our brain evolution in the first place reflect the very measures we use to preserve our cognitive function today. Being social, and highly communicative. Exploring creative pursuits. Eating a varied, omnivorous diet low in processed foods. Being physically active. These traits and behaviors help retrace our past, and, I believe, were instrumental in why we remain on the planet today. And they all were, at least in part, enabled by our brain. Social smart alecks finish first The human saga is riddled with extinctions. By "human," I don't just mean Homo sapiens, the species we belong to, but any member of the genus Homo. We've gotten used to being the only human species on Earth, but in our not so distant past — probably a few hundred thousand years ago – there were at least nine of us running around. There was Homo habilis, or the "handy man." And Homo erectus, the first "pitcher." The Denisovans roamed Asia, while the more well-known Neanderthals spread throughout Europe. But with the exception of Homo sapiens, they're all gone. And there's a good chance it was our fault. Humans were never the fastest lot on the African plains, and far from the strongest. Cheetahs, leopards and lions held those distinctions. In our lineage, natural selection instead favored wits and wiliness. Plenty of us became cat food, but those with a slight cognitive edge — especially Homo sapiens — lived on. In our ilk, smarts overcame strength and speed in enabling survival. Ecology, climate, location and just sheer luck would've played important roles in who persisted or perished as well, as they do for most living beings. But the evolutionary pressure for more complex mental abilities would lead to a massive expansion in our brain's size and neurocircuitry that is surely the paramount reason we dominate the planet like no other species ever has. Much of this "success," if you can call it that, was due to our social lives. Primates are communal creatures. Our close monkey and ape cousins are incredibly interactive, grooming each other for hours a day to maintain bonds and relationships. Throw in a few hoots and hollers and you have a pretty complex community of communicating simians. An active social life is now a known preserver of brain function. Research shows that social isolation worsens cognitive decline (not to mention mental health, as many of us experienced this past year). Larger social networks and regular social activities are associated with mental preservation and slowed dementia progression. Entwined in this new social life was an evolutionary pressure that favored innovation. Our eventual ability to generate completely novel thoughts and ideas, and to share those ideas, came to define our genus. As we hunted and foraged together, and honed stones into hand axes, there was a collective creativity at work that gave us better weapons and tools that enabled more effective food sourcing, and, later, butchering and fire. Effectively sharing these innovations with our peers allowed information to spread faster than ever before - a seed for the larger communities and civilizations to come. Challenging ourselves to new pursuits and mastering new skills can not only impress peers and ingratiate us to our group, but literally help preserve our brain. New hobbies. New conversations. Learning the banjo. Even playing certain video games and simply driving a new route home from work each day, as neuroscientist David Eagleman does, can keep our function high. Whether it's honing ancient stone or taking up Sudoku, any pursuit novel and mentally challenging may help keep the neural circuits firing. We really are what we eat All the while, as we hunted and crafted in new and communal ways, we had to eat. And we did so with an uniquely adventurous palette. Homo sapiens is among the most omnivorous species on the planet. Within reason we eat just about anything. Whether it's leaves, meat, fungus, or fruit, we don't discriminate. At some point, one of us even thought it might be a good idea to try the glistening, grey blobs that are oysters - and shellfish are, it turns out, among the healthiest foods for our brain. The varied human diet is an integral part of our story. As was the near constant physicality required to source it. On multiple occasions over the past 1 to 2 million years climate changes dried out the African landscape, forcing our ancestors out of the lush forest onto the dangerous, wide-open grasslands. As evolution pressured us to create and commune to help us survive, a diverse diet also supported our eventual global takeover. Our arboreal past left us forever craving the dangling fruits of the forest, a supreme source of high-calorie sugars that ensured survival. Back then we didn't live long enough to suffer from Type 2 diabetes: if you encountered sweets, you ate them. And today we're stuck with a taste for cookies and candy that, given our longer lifespans, can take its toll on the body and brain. But humans were just as amenable to dining on the bulbs, rhizomes and tubers of the savanna, especially once fire came along. We eventually became adept scavengers of meat and marrow, the spoils left behind by the big cats, who preferred more nutritive organ meat. As our whittling improved we developed spears, and learned to trap and hunt the beasts of the plains ourselves. There is also evidence that we learned to access shellfish beds along the African coast and incorporate brain-healthy seafood into our diet. Studying the health effects of the modern diet is tricky. Dietary studies are notoriously dubious, and often involve countless lifestyle variables that are hard to untangle. Take blueberries. Multiple studies have linked their consumption with improved brain health. But, presumably, the berry-prone among us are also more likely to eat healthy all around, exercise, and make it to level 5 on their meditation app. Which is why so many researchers, nutritionists, and nutritional psychiatrists now focus on dietary patterns, like those akin to Mediterranean culinary customs, rather than specific ingredients. Adhering to a Mediterranean diet is linked with preserved cognition; and multiple randomized-controlled trials suggest doing so can lower depression risk. A similar diversity in our ancestral diet helped early humans endure an ever-shifting climate and times of scarcity. We evolved to subsist and thrive on a wide range of foods, in part because our clever brains allowed us access to them. In turn, a similarly-varied diet (minus submitting to our innate sugar craving of course) is among the best strategies to maintain brain health. All of our hunting, and foraging, and running away from predators would have required intense physical exertion. This was certainly not unique to humans, but we can't ignore the fact that regular exercise is another effective means of preserving brain health. Being active improves performance on mental tasks, and may help us better form memories. Long before the Peletons sold out, our brains relied on both mental and physical activity. But overwhelmingly the evidence points to embracing a collection of lifestyle factors to keep our brain healthy, none of which existed in a Darwinian vacuum. Finding food was as social an endeavor as it was mental and physical. Our creative brains harnessed information; gossiping, innovating, and cooking our spoils around the campfire. Researchers are beginning to piece together the complex pathology behind the inevitable decline of the human brain, and despite a parade of failed clinical trials in dementia, there should be promising treatments ahead. Until then, in thinking about preserving the conscious experience of our world and relationships — and living our longest, happiest lives — look to our past. Bret Stetka is a writer based in New York and an editorial director at Medscape. His work has appeared in Wired, Scientific American, and on The Atlantic.com. His new book, A History of the Human Brain, is out from Timber/Workman Press. He's also on Twitter: @BretStetka. Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
rain Young Adults Ages 18 to 26 Should Be Viewed as Separate Subpopulation - In ‘Critical Development Period,’ They Face Economic and Social Challenges While Brain Is Still Maturing, Says New Report By Published On :: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 05:00:00 GMT Young adults ages 18-26 should be viewed as a separate subpopulation in policy and research, because they are in a critical period of development when successes or failures could strongly affect the trajectories of their lives, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. Full Article
rain “G-Science” Academies Issue Statements on Strengthening Disaster Resilience, Protecting the Brain, and Nurturing Future Scientists By Published On :: Tue, 19 Apr 2016 05:00:00 GMT Today the science academies of the G7 countries and seven additional academies issued three joint statements to their respective governments to inform discussions during the G7 summit to be held in May in Japan, as well as ongoing policymaking. Full Article
rain United States Skilled Technical Workforce Is Inadequate to Compete in Coming Decades - Actions Needed to Improve Education, Training, and Lifelong Learning of Workers By Published On :: Wed, 17 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT Policymakers, employers, and educational institutions should take steps to strengthen the nation’s skilled technical workforce, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
rain VA’s Process for Determining Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans Seeking Disability Compensation Examined in New Report By Published On :: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 05:00:00 GMT The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should expand the requirement in its disability compensation process regarding who can diagnose traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include any health care professional with pertinent and ongoing brain injury training and experience, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
rain New Report Finds K-12 Teachers Face New Expectations and More Demands - Training and Workforce Changes Could Help By Published On :: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 05:00:00 GMT A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine finds K-12 teachers face new expectations and more demands from policymakers, parents, students, and schools, including addressing changes in curriculum standards, the emergence of more explicit teaching goals, and shifts in what it means to support all students in their development. Full Article
rain New Research Models Offer Promise for Understanding the Human Brain and Finding Pathways to Therapies, But Also Raise Profound Ethical Questions By Published On :: Thu, 08 Apr 2021 04:00:00 GMT New models for studying the human brain — human neural organoids, transplants, and chimeras — show promise for advancing understanding of the brain and laying the groundwork for new therapeutic approaches to brain diseases that have so far proved hard to treat, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Full Article
rain Variants, Misinformation, and ‘Brain Drain’ — The COVID-19 Vaccine Experience in Brazil, India, and Africa By Published On :: Tue, 06 Jul 2021 04:00:00 GMT As vaccination campaigns begin ramping up around the world, experts discuss how variants, misinformation, and “brain drain” are affecting pandemic-control efforts. Full Article
rain Traumatic Brain Injury Categories Should Be Updated and Personalized to Better Guide Patient Care, Says New Report By Published On :: Tue, 01 Feb 2022 05:00:00 GMT Every year, nearly 5 million Americans are evaluated for traumatic brain injury (TBI). But many individuals and their caregivers don’t get needed follow-up support after initial injury. A new report recommends structural changes to improve TBI research and care over the next decade. Full Article
rain CHR Statement regarding Attacks on Health Care in Ukraine By Published On :: Wed, 02 Mar 2022 05:00:00 GMT The National Academies’ Committee on Human Rights issued a statement expressing concern at reports of indiscriminate military attacks in Ukraine that have included health facilities, and supported global calls to respect and protect access to health care in Ukraine, and in all conflict setting Full Article
rain ‘We Stand With Our Colleagues in Ukraine,’ Say U.S. National Academies Presidents By Published On :: Thu, 03 Mar 2022 05:00:00 GMT The presidents of the U.S. National Academies issued a statement condemning the “horrific and unprovoked” Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We stand in solidarity with the scientists, engineers, health care workers, and other colleagues in the research community of Ukraine, who like all Ukrainians, are doing their best to survive and resist.” Full Article
rain Breakthrough Prize Foundation Partners with U.S. National Academy of Sciences to Support Scientists Forced to Flee Ukraine By Published On :: Tue, 29 Mar 2022 04:00:00 GMT With a $1 million donation, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation joins a growing number of individuals and institutions that are supporting an NAS effort to help displaced Ukrainian researchers relocate, continue their work, and stay connected to the international scientific community. Full Article
rain NAS Launches Effort to Help Support Ukrainian Researchers as They Resettle in Poland By Published On :: Tue, 29 Mar 2022 04:00:00 GMT Many scientists and researchers are among the millions of Ukrainians who have fled their country since the Russian invasion. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has launched a new initiative to help these researchers and their families resettle in Poland. Full Article
rain American Chemical Society Joins U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Effort to Support Researchers Forced to Flee Ukraine By Published On :: Thu, 21 Apr 2022 04:00:00 GMT With a $500,000 donation, the American Chemical Society has joined the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in an effort to help researchers who are being forced to flee Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion. Full Article
rain International Science Academies Meet in Poland to Explore How to Support Ukrainian Science and Researchers By Published On :: Fri, 03 Jun 2022 04:00:00 GMT The U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences brought together leaders from the National Academy of Sciences Ukraine and several other national academies for a meeting in Warsaw to identify concrete actions the international science community can take to support Ukrainian researchers and science capabilities. Full Article
rain Action Steps For Rebuilding Ukraine’s Science, Research, and Innovation By Published On :: Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:00:00 GMT The leaders of the national science academies of the United States, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, and ALLEA have developed an action plan for the international science community to build a strong science, innovation, research, and training system in Ukraine. Full Article
rain Scientific Organizations Form International Group to Advance Ukrainian Science and Support Researchers - Breakthrough Prize Foundation Provides $3 Million By Published On :: Mon, 24 Oct 2022 04:00:00 GMT With a $3 million donation from the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, a high-level, international coordinating group of scientific organizations has been established to take concrete steps to support Ukraine’s scientists and research community with the aim of rebuilding a successful global science and innovation system in Ukraine. Full Article
rain U.S. NAS President Marcia McNutt Receives Honorary Doctorate from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine By Published On :: Wed, 30 Nov 2022 05:00:00 GMT National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for her “significant contributions to the development of science and international scientific collaboration.” Full Article
rain New Grant Program Will Offer Long-Term Support to Sustain Ukrainian Science By Published On :: Wed, 07 Dec 2022 05:00:00 GMT NAS and the Polish Academy of Sciences have launched a new grant program that would allow teams of Ukrainian scientists, engineers, and researchers to continue their work at Polish academic or research institutes. The program was established with the aim of sustaining and eventually rebuilding a healthy research system in Ukraine. Full Article