In the past six years funding for part of the network the collection of air samples in flasks has kept not pace with cost increases said Ed Dlugokencky an atmospheric chemist with NOAA's Earth sciences Research Laboratory
Medical applications So what are some uses for software that can identify human emotions based on facial expressions?
Facet's applications are incredibly far-reaching from treating children with autism to play-testing video games.
Recognizing other people's emotions based on their facial expressions is a challenge for many people who have an autism spectrum disorder particularly children.
As a research professor at the University of California San diego's Machine Perception Lab Bartlett has been studying the use of facial recognition software to help people with autism for several years. 5 Controversial Mental health Treatments
This game helps children with autism recognize other people's emotions through their facial expressions as well as teaches them how to make facial expressions that express their own feelings.
but with Facet doctors could make more accurate depression diagnoses and also determine whether their patients are responding well to their medication Bartlett said.
Email jscharr@technewsdaily. com or follow her@Jillscharr. Follow us@livescience Facebook & Google+.+Original article on Live Science e
The physician Joseph Black first recognized magnesium as an element in 1755 but even before Black's time physicians were recommending the magnesium carbonate magnesia alba for people with an upset stomach.
Magnesium is used still as an antacid and a laxative today. As a supplement magnesium is touted to prevent hearing loss kidney stones and migraine headaches.
Magnesium supplements are claimed also to improve athletic performance and treat sleep troubles including restless leg syndrome and insomnia.
Low magnesium levels have been linked to osteoporosis anxiety irritability depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD.
Doctors sometimes recommend magnesium supplements to treat people with high blood pressure preeclampsia eclampsia heart attacks premenstrual syndrome (PMS) irregular heartbeat or an unhealthy ratio of HDL (high density-lipoprotein lipoprotein) cholesterol to LDL (low-density
lipoprotein) cholesterol. Some people with certain chronic conditions including diabetes multiple sclerosis fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome use magnesium supplements to control symptoms.
Magnesium is recommended occasionally to ease altitude sickness hay fever Lyme disease asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. Magnesium applied directly to the skin is said to treat skin infections
and speed up wound healing. Magnesium has also been touted to ease muscle cramps sensitivity to loud noises and kidney stones.
Many Americans do not get enough magnesium according to the National institutes of health. But some groups of people who have certain diseases
or conditions are even more likely to have low magnesium levels. Heavy drinking and alcoholism can result in chronically low magnesium levels
and gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn's disease and celiac disease can also deplete magnesium levels. Older adults tend to have lower magnesium levels than young adults.
This happens in part because the gut becomes less efficient at absorbing magnesium and the kidneys become less efficient at retaining magnesium with age.
Type 2 diabetes can cause the kidneys to excrete too much magnesium and in turn lead to a magnesium deficit.
And some medications such as diuretics the heart drug digoxin and penicillamine (used for rheumatoid arthritis) can all interfere with magnesium in the body.
Supplements can increase magnesium levels especially those in the forms of magnesium aspartate citrate lactate and chloride.
A 2011 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed people who take magnesium supplements typically get more than the recommended daily amount.
The recommended daily intake of magnesium ranges from 320 milligrams to 420 milligrams depending on age or gender.
but a full-blown magnesium deficiency can cause nausea fatigue and weakness. Severe magnesium deficiency may cause numbness tingling muscle contractions seizures abnormal heart rhythm and personality changes.
Severely low magnesium can also result in a heart attack respiratory arrest and death. While magnesium supplements can certainly treat a magnesium deficiency studies also show getting more magnesium than the bare minimum may help certain conditions.
Several long-term studies have found a correlation between high magnesium levels and a lower risk of heart disease sudden cardiac death and ischemic heart disease according to the National institutes of health's Office of Dietary Supplements.
An analysis of seven studies including more than 200000 people found that an extra 100 milligrams of magnesium a day reduced a person's risk of stroke by 8 percent according to a February 2012 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
One analysis of more than 22 studies on magnesium and blood pressure found that magnesium supplements reduced blood pressure by 2 to 4 mmhg according to an April 2012 paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
However high blood pressure can fall within a range of 20 mmhg: from 140/90 mmhg to 160/100 mmhg.
and type 2 diabetes studies have found but exactly how the two are linked is still unclear.
Both situations may also be true where diabetes leads to low magnesium and in turn low magnesium worsens diabetes according to the NIH.
A small number of studies show getting more magnesium may increase bone mineral density in elderly women
or treating osteoporosis. Guidelines from the American Headache Society and the American Academy of Neurology say magnesium is probably effective for migraine prevention.
However the guidelines recommend the nutritional supplement butterbur over magnesium to prevent migraines. The National Library of Medicine and the NIH determined that magnesium may help people with chronic fatigue syndrome and pain from fibromyalgia.
Scientific evidence also indicates that magnesium may help PMS high cholesterol kidney stones hearing loss asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD.
There are not enough studies to determine whether magnesium supplements could help anxiety ADHD hay fever Lyme disease or multiple sclerosis according to the NIH.
Studies are less promising on magnesium's ability to boost athletic performance. Magnesium is one of the seven major minerals that the body needs in relatively large amounts (Calcium potassium sodium chloride potassium
and phosphorus are the others). But too much of one major mineral can lead to a deficiency in another and excessive magnesium can in turn cause a deficiency in calcium.
However it is possible to get too much magnesium from supplements or laxatives. People with kidney problems are more likely to experience an overdose of magnesium.
Symptoms of toxic magnesium levels can range from upset stomach and diarrhea to more serious symptoms of vomiting confusion slowed heart rate and dangerously low blood pressure.
Severe magnesium overdoses can lead to problems breathing coma irregular heartbeat and even death. Magnesium supplements can interact with several drugs.
Taking magnesium too close to a dose of some antibiotics including ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin may interfere with how the body absorbs the medicine.
Similarly magnesium can interfere with some osteoporosis drugs if the doses are taken too close together. Magnesium can also interfere with some thyroid medications.
Magnesium can worsen side effects of some blood pressure medications and increase the potency of some diabetes medicines.
#USDA Wildlife Services Should End Indiscriminate Killing (Op-Ed) Zack Strong is an NRDC wildlife advocate in Bozeman Mont.
This op-ed was adapted from one that appeared on The Wildlife News. Strong contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices:
Op-Ed & Insights. Each year Wildlife Services a little-known agency within the U s. Department of agriculture (USDA) shoots traps
and poisons millions of animals including about 100000 native carnivores ostensibly to resolve conflicts between people and wildlife.
According to the agency's data in 2012 alone these devices were used in 16 states to poison more than 14600 animals.
Because of trap injuries these non-target species had to be destroyed. And scientists continue to describethe indiscriminate nature of snares.
and more easily transmit diseases. And scientists such as Robert Crabtree with the Yellowstone Ecological Research center have found evidence that predators like coyotes respond to lethal persecution by producing more pups
and destroying thousands of native wild animals year after year animals that are not bothering anyone not causing any harm;
It's why we've pushed for federal legislation prohibiting the use of poisons to kill wildlife.
And it's why we'll continue to work toward reasonably reforming Wildlife Services particularly its program of predator control by banning the use of indiscriminate poisons requiring prioritization of nonlethal prevention measures
7 Gruesome Ways to Take a Life A recent execution by lethal injection that went awry has renewed interest in the protection against cruel and unusual punishment as guaranteed in the U s. Constitution.
but Lockett was pronounced later dead of a heart attack by prison officials. Lockett's botched execution is shining a harsh light on capital punishment
People often use the term death of a thousand cuts to describe a slow decline caused by many small wounds.
But because of frequent mishaps and botched electrocutions the practice soon fell out of favor as lethal injections became more common.
and early 30s who all had old injuries that had destroyed between 58 and 90 percent of one of their leg muscles.
and one had induced an exercise injury. All five were missing parts of the quadriceps or the muscle on the outside of the shin called the anterior tibial compartment.
In surgery the doctors removed the scar tissue from the men's remaining muscle then applied the scaffold to the area
Biological scaffolds when they degrade release signal molecules said Dr. Stephen Badylak of the University of Pittsburgh who led the study.
The patients were monitored for several months while getting physical therapy. Three of the five patients improved enough for the doctors to call the operation a success;
these patients could perform certain tasks such as standing on one leg. The other two men showed less
or no benefit according to the results detailed today (April 30) in the journal Science Translational Medicine. 7 Technologies That Transformed Warfare Muscle is one of the few tissues that regenerates
but if a large enough piece gets removed the injury can result in scarring loss of mobility and even the loss of movement in the limbs.
In the study the protein scaffold that holds the cells of a pig bladder in place worked by attracting stem cells to the site the injury
while also providing a framework for the cells to grow and replace the lost tissue.
The team didn't start with human patients but instead did preliminary work in mice.
The doctors intentionally studied patients with injuries that were years old. We wanted to make sure that all of the healing that was going to happen naturally had happened Badylak said.
This would ensure that the protein scaffold had the effect the doctors were seeking and any healing they saw was not due to some other factor.
Badylak said the researchers are now testing the technique on other patients and so far it looks quite promising.
If it were used immediately after an injury the results might be even better he said.
If such therapies become more widespread it might change the way people with muscle-loss injuries are treated.
Currently these patients don't start physical therapy until after surgery. However this treatment requires that therapy start as soon as possible
because therapy signals the stem cells to make new muscle. Badylak told Live Science that this technique could also solve some problems of current stem cell therapies.
One big issue is that simply injecting stem cells into an area of the body isn't enough since many of those cells simply die.
The new study shows that a scaffold and a signal from surrounding muscles seems to be help regrow the muscle.
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have documented use of the corridors by white-lipped peccaries an important indicator species that reveals much about the health of the ecosystem.
#Oral Allergy Syndrome: 6 Ways to Avoid an Itchy, Tingling Mouth It's not unusual for a person with seasonal allergies to have an itchy nose and itchy eyes.
But it may seem surprising that some hay-fever sufferers get an itchy feeling in their mouths throats
and lips when they start to eat certain foods. This condition is known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS)
or pollen-associated food allergy syndrome and it's the most common form of food allergy in adults.
It occurs because proteins found in some fresh fruits and vegetables are similar to allergy-causing proteins found in pollens such as ragweed birch mugwort and grasses.
Not long after some people with seasonal allergies eat uncooked fruits and raw vegetables as well as some nuts and spices these people's immune systems recognize a similarity between the food and pollen's proteins.
This is called cross reactivity. The thinking in the field is that the pollen allergy is the driver behind the immune response to the food said Dr. Wayne Shreffler director of the Food Allergy Center at Massgeneral Hospital for Children in Boston.
Here are his tips for people with hay fever who may experience oral allergy syndrome. Know your worst foods.
Shreffler said apples peaches plums cherries nectarines hazelnuts almonds and carrots are the most common food culprits of oral allergy symptoms that he sees in his Boston allergy clinic.
He noted that apples are a common offender for people who are allergic to birch pollen as well as foods such as celery pears
and other raw fruits containing pits because these fruits and vegetables are botanically close to birch.
or two foods on the list that might cause oral symptoms in some individuals with birch pollen allergies.
And people with grass pollen allergies might be bothered by tomatoes melons and oranges. Be aware of common symptoms.
Realize that some hay fever sufferers are affected not. OAS is pretty common in people with seasonal allergies Shreffler told Live Science.
We really don't know why it affects some people with pollen allergies and not others he added.
For some people symptoms might occur only during their pollen allergy season and they might be able to eat the food at other times of the year without any reactions.
But for others the offending food can trigger symptoms year-round whether it's pollen season or not.
and take an antihistamine to relieve the itchiness Shreffler advised. 8 Strange Signs You're Having an Allergic reaction Try other forms of the food.
Someone with a birch pollen allergy might get oral allergy symptoms from a fresh apple
That's because the food's allergy-causing protein is broken easily down by cooking or processing.
See an allergist. Oral allergy syndrome can occur in kids as young as 3 or 4 but people can also develop the sensitivity for the first time as adults.
If you think you are experiencing oral symptoms see your allergist who can help you sort it out Shreffler advised.
We have specific tests to recognize whether it's oral allergy syndrome or another kind of food allergy.
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#CO2 Monitoring Could Be based'Space'in Future The measurement of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants
#Cancer-Fighting Diet: 6 Tips to Reduce Your Risk Following six diet guidelines can reduce your cancer risk researchers say.
The advice is a combination of what foods to limit or avoid and which ones to eat.
The recommendations which appear in the June 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition were spearheaded by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) a Washington D c.-based nonprofit group known for its advocacy of plant-based diets
But dieticians and doctors not involved with the report say the guidelines are reasonable. The guidelines are based on a review of published studies
or fried meats. 10 New Ways to Eat Well The overall recommendation is to favor plant-based foods said lead author Joseph Gonzales a registered dietician with the PCRM.
and help consumers avoid the cancer-causing substances found in animal products. PCRM's recommendations are similar to those offered by cancer research organizations such as the American Cancer Society although arguably more extreme in terms of
what they say to avoid. It's never a bad idea to cut back on red meat
or alcohol as the PCRM recommends said Colleen Doyle a registered dietician and director for nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society.
or vegetarian to significantly reduce your cancer risk she added. The recommendations 1. Eat more fruits
and vegetables especially leafy greens to help reduce overall cancer risk. Most doctors agree. It is an incontrovertible fact that a plant-based diet lowers your risk of cancer
and heart disease said Dr. Paul Talalay a distinguished service professor at Johns hopkins university in Baltimore who was involved not in this study.
The reason fruits and vegetables help lower cancer risk is that they contain protective compounds such as the phytochemicals that Talalay discovered in broccoli in the 1990s that reduce the risk of several cancers
and as reported this June the toxic effects of the pollutant benzene. 2. Eat soy products to reduce both the risk and recurrence of breast cancer.
Soy products such as edamame tempeh and tofu also have protective properties and if substituted for red meat can help reduce exposure to fats
and other chemicals that promote cancer and heart disease. 3. Limit or avoid dairy products to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Studies have linked dairy to prostate cancer but the culprit might be calcium. Yet other studies suggest that consuming dairy products might prevent colorectal cancer.
Dolye said men should consider limiting dairy if they have a family history of prostate cancer. 4. Limit
or avoid alcohol to reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth pharynx larynx esophagus colon rectum and breast.
The PCRM reports that one drink per week increases the risk of mouth pharynx and larynx cancers by 24 percent;
two to three drinks per day increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent.
As with the dairy recommendation the dangers depend on which studies you read. Mouth pharynx and larynx cancers are rare in nonsmokers
so a 24-percent risk increase isn't something to fret over. Also a drink a day seems to promote heart health.
The American Cancer Society recommends that people limit their alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day for men and one per day for women (in part because of women's smaller average body size.
5. Avoid red and processed meats to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.
Following this advice may help prevent heart disease stroke and diabetes. Large studies from the Harvard School of Public health revealed that regular consumption of red meat particularly processed meats such as sausages
and cold cuts will shorten your life. This news doesn't need to ruin your summer cookout plans.
Doyle said to exercise common sense and that the occasional hamburger or hotdog even grilled (uh-oh see the next recommendation) is fine.
The broader issue she said is reducing consumption to reduce risk given your risk profile
and family history. 6. Avoid grilled fried and broiled meats to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon rectum breast prostate kidney and pancreas.
The reason is that cancer-causing chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAS) are created when creatine and amino acids in skeletal muscle aka meat are cooked at high temperatures.
Even the smoke from grilled meat can contaminate grilled vegetables which otherwise don't have HCAS.
Cancer risk reduction doesn't guarantee cancer avoidance. According to the World health organization up to 30 percent of all cancers might be caused by a poor diet.
The rest are attributed to smoking pollution and genetics which may affect you no matter what you eat.
Follow Christopher Wanjek@wanjek for daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge.
Wanjek is the author of Food at Work and Bad Medicine. His column Bad Medicine appears regularly on Live Science n
#Where Do Cashews Come From? Though you might think of it as just another nut in the trail mix the cashew is a decidedly strange snack.
Sprouting like a tail from the bottom of an oddly-shaped fruit the cashew in its natural state is both very weird-looking and very poisonous.
Cashew nuts are protected from hungry passerby by a double shell containing a potent poison called anacardic acid.
This oily substance#closely related to urshiol the toxic compound found in poison ivy poison oak and poison sumac#acts as an irritant causing an allergic rash on the skin.
Its corrosive coating is the reason that cashew nuts are sold not in their shells like pistachios or peanuts.
and roasted a process that rids the nut of toxic oils and leaves its shell brittle and easy to remove.
But as Deborah Enos a certified nutritionist and health coach explains in her column for Live Science people should use caution
or otherwise processed Enos said that those with a severe allergy to urshiol (i e. poison ivy) may not want to risk finding out
Despite its propensity to poison the cashew is lauded for its substantial store of nutrients. Along with Brazil nuts and almonds cashews have the highest magnesium content per serving of any tree nut.
And like most nuts cashews are also a good source of Vitamin e and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
Top 10 Cancer-Fighting Foods And in addition to the cashew's known nutritional benefits researchers have explored also the possibility of using the toxic oil found in the nut's shell as an antibiotic.
One study by researchers at University of California Berkeley found that anarcardic acid is effective at killing the bacteria that causes acne as well as that which causes tooth decay and the erosion of tooth enamel.
According to the researchers using cashew oil isn't an entirely new idea as the acid was used at one time in Brazil to treat leprosy.
Cashew nut oil as well as the leaves and bark of the cashew tree have also been used in traditional medicines in communities around the world to treat everything from toothaches to diabetes.
but two Italian sausages it s clear that caloric extremism still rules the roost at many of America s chain restaurants said Paige Einstein a dietitian at CSPI.
But poisons intended to kill game and veterinary medicines given to livestock subsequently consumed by the obligate scavengers have reduced dramatically vulture populations in Asia
Health Benefits, Risks & Nutrition Facts Sweet juicy oranges make a delicious and healthy snack or addition to a meal.
And of course oranges are well known for their Vitamin c content said Laura Flores a San diego-based nutritionist.
they also aid with heart health cholesterol levels and other issues. Oranges may additionally help reduce the risk of respiratory diseases certain cancers rheumatoid arthritis ulcers and kidney stones.
Orange juice is packed also with nutrients but does not contain the fiber of a whole orange.
when drinking orange juice than when eating an orange warns the Centers for Disease Control. Here are the nutrition facts about oranges from the U s. Food and Drug Administration
which regulates food labeling through the National Labeling and Education Act: Nutrition Facts Serving size:
and neutralizing free radicals explains a 2010 article in the medical journal Pharmacognosy Reviews. Free radicals may lead to chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
Not only may oranges help reduce the risk of chronic conditions but they may also boost a person's immunity when dealing with everyday viruses and infections like the common cold.
Vitamin c also helps keep skin looking beautiful by helping fight against skin damage caused by the sun and pollution.
and improve the skin's overall texture according to the Cleveland Clinic. All the fiber in oranges may help lower cholesterol levels
Lack of potassium can lead to arrhythmia an irregular heartbeat. According to one 2012 study people who consumed 4069 mg of potassium each day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from heart disease compared with those who consumed only about 1000 mg of potassium per day.
According to Flores the potassium found in oranges helps to lower blood pressure protecting against stroke. She noted another heart-related benefit pointing out that oranges are high in folate
which can help lower blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes and improve blood sugar lipids
and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association lists oranges along with other citrus fruits as a superfood for people with diabetes.
Oranges are high in fiber which aids in digestion by keeping you regular. It is also good for weight loss.
Oranges are a low-fat nutrient-rich food with a low glycemic index which make it an ideal food to consume to protect against obesity
which can lead to other diseases such as heart disease cancer diabetes high blood pressure and stroke Flores told Live Science.
which can help prevent age-related macular degeneration an incurable condition that blurs central vision.
The Vitamin c in oranges is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer due to preventing DNA mutations from taking place Flores said.
Studies have shown that about 10 to 15 percent of colon cancers have a mutation in a gene called BRAF.
A 2004 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that consuming bananas oranges
and orange juice in the first two years of life may reduce the risk of childhood leukemia.
and could also lead to diarrhea. Though oranges are relatively low in calories eating several of the fruits in a day can add up
An excess of this nutrient may lead to diarrhea nausea vomiting heartburn bloating or cramps headaches insomnia or kidney stones.
Because they are a high-acid food oranges can contribute to heartburn especially for those who already suffer from heartburn regularly said Flores.
People with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD also called acid reflux disease) may experience heartburn or regurgitation if they eat too many oranges.
People who are taking beta-blockers should be careful not to consume too many oranges. These medicines increase potassium levels and if mixed with too many potassium-rich foods like oranges
and bananas can lead to an excess of potassium in the body. This is a significant concern for people
Orange peels are not poisonous and as many cooks know orange zest can pack a big flavor punch.
They are known to have antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects which relieve pressures on the heart. Additionally orange peels contain vitamins A c B6 and B5;
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