iPhone Controlled Blood Pressure Monitor

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Withings Blood Pressure Monitor

With hypertension affecting almost 25% of the world population , blood pressure measurement can help to save lives. However, until now, taking your blood pressure required the use of complex devices with multiple manipulations, mathematical operations and data recording procedures. Self-measurement has been recommended by the medical profession for many years , but no one had yet found concrete solutions to expand its use. (pics)

 

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Children with ADHD Have Brains That Cannot Stop Daydreaming: Study

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ADHD children cannot stop daydreaming according to a new study.

Children with attention deficit disorder have brains that cannot stop daydreaming, claims a new study.  Researchers found that they physically find it harder to switch off a “default setting” of the brain designed to pass the time when not focused on a task.

Scientists Develop First Successful Cocaine Vaccine

cocaine vaccine

Researchers develop cocaine vaccine that works in mice.

The first ever vaccine for drug addiction has just been created. By combining a cocaine-like molecule with part of the common cold virus, you get a vaccine that turns the immune system against cocaine, keeping it away from the brain.

 

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‘Sandy Bridge’ – 2nd Generation Intel Chip a Coup for Hollywood

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Codenamed “Sandy Bridge,” Intel’s new lineup of microchips promises the biggest-ever leap in processing power.

US chip giant Intel introduced Wednesday a speedy new generation of chips that thwart film piracy and enable quick handling of data-rich video and games.

Driving a Convertible with the Top Down Could Damage Your Health

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Driving a convertible exposes drivers and passengers to dangerous noise levels. 

Driving a convertible with the top down could expose you to dangerous noise levels on a par with a building site, claims a new study.  Levels as high as 100 decibels were recorded at speeds of 75mph which for long periods could lead to damage to hearing.

‘Nanoscoops’ – New Nanomaterial Could Spark Next Generation of Rechargeable Batteries

nanoscoops

The material, called a “nanoscoop” because it resembles a cone with a scoop of ice cream on top, is shown in the above scanning electron microscope image.

An entirely new type of nanomaterial developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute could enable the next generation of high-power rechargeable lithium (Li)-ion batteries for electric automobiles, as well as batteries for laptop computers, mobile phones, and other portable devices.

Hydrogenase: Self-sufficient Organic Airship

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Hydrogenase

Vincent Callebaut’s latest project, Hydrogenase, aims to create a self-sufficient organic airship.   This conceptual transport system would be comprised of airships that produce biofuel from seaweed.  The project draws its inspiration from nature, as well as from the qualities of its materials and its self-manufacturing processes.  (pics)

 

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Hyper-Texting Linked to Risky Behavior in Teenagers

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Too many text messages and social networking linked to risky behavior.

Parents of text-crazed teenagers might have more to be concerned about than sky-high cell phone bills, according to a Case Western Reserve University study that links excessive use of popular high-tech communications to risky health behaviors.

 

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Ancient Rock Art In Western Australia Maintains Its Vivid Colors Because It Is Alive

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(Scale bar = 1mm. Rectangle left shows approximate location of digital micrograph illustrated right).
‘Cherry’ figure. Note that red organisms predominate, but black fungus is also present.

While some rock art fades in hundreds of years, the “Bradshaw art” remains colourful after at least 40,000 years.

Jack Pettigrew of the University of Queensland in Australia has shown that the paintings have been colonized by colorful bacteria and fungi.

These “biofilms” may explain previous difficulties in dating such rock art…

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A Step Closer to a Simple Blood Test That Can Detect Cancer

 blood test

Blood test will be able to detect one cancer cell among a billion healthy cells.

A blood test so sensitive it can spot a single cancer cell lurking among a billion healthy ones is moving a step closer to being available at your doctor’s office, with potentially revolutionary medical implications.