Knowledge Update

​Washington, March 21 (IANS) The last volcanic activity on the Red Planet ceased about 50 million years ago -- around the time when our planet's plant and animal species, including dinosaurs, went extinct, reveals new research.

The giant Martian shield volcano Arsia Mons produced one new lava flow at its summit every one to 3 million years during the final peak of activity. 

The last volcanic activity there ceased about 50 million years ago around the time of the Earth's Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.

"We estimate that the peak activity for the volcanic field at the summit of Arsia Mons probably occurred approximately 150 million years ago -- the late Jurassic period on Earth -- and then died out around the same time as the Earth's dinosaurs," said Jacob Richardson, a post-doctoral researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 

"It's possible, though, that the last volcanic vent or two might have been active in the past 50 million years, which is very recent in geological terms," Richardson added.

Located just south of Mars' equator, Arsia Mons is the southernmost member of a trio of broad, gently sloping shield volcanoes collectively known as Tharsis Montes. 

Richardson presented the findings, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, on Monday. 

The high-resolution imaging was provided by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

A better understanding of when volcanic activity on Mars took place is important because it helps researchers understand the Red Planet's history and interior structure.

​New York, March 21 (IANS) Chimpanzees living in the wild -- with favourable ecological factors, abundant supply of high-energy and nutritious foods and low predation levels -- can have long life spans, a study has found.

"Our findings show how ecological factors, including variation in food supplies and predation levels, drive variation in life expectancy among wild chimpanzee populations," said lead author of the study Brian Wood, Assistant Professor at Yale University.

In the study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, the team analysed a sample of 306 chimpanzees of a community, called Ngogo, at Kibale National Park in Uganda.

They found that these chimpanzees had an average life expectancy of about 33 years, nearly twice as high as that of other chimpanzee communities and within the 27 to 37-year range of life expectancy at birth of human hunter-gatherers.

According to the study, favourable ecological conditions largely account for the Ngogo community's high life expectancy -- the highest on record for any group of wild chimpanzees.

The forest in Ngogo provides a relatively consistent and abundant supply of high-energy and nutritious foods, including easily digestible figs.

This rich food supply helps buffer the Ngogo chimpanzees against periods of hunger, and helps fuel their ability to stave off diseases that would otherwise lead to higher mortality, the research said.

Further, the Ngogo chimpanzees also benefit from a low risk of predation, no major disease epidemics, either introduced by humans or due to other causes, like those that have affected wild chimpanzees at several other research sites.

The study is important for understanding the evolution of chimpanzees and hominin life histories as they help us to imagine the conditions that could have changed mortality rates among our early hominin populations, Wood said.

"It has long been proposed that there are extreme differences in the life expectancies of human hunter-gatherers and chimpanzees," said David Watts, Professor at Yale University.

"In fact, the Ngogo community's pattern of survivorship more closely resembles that of human hunter-gatherers than those documented for other chimpanzee communities," he said.

​London, March 21 (IANS) The record-breaking heat that made 2016 the hottest year recorded so far has continued into 2017, pushing the world into "truly uncharted territory", according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

The WMO's assessment of the climate in 2016, published on Tuesday, reports unprecedented heat across the globe, exceptionally low ice at both poles and surging rise in sea levels, the Guardian reported.

Global warming is largely being driven by emissions from human activities, but a strong El Nino -- a natural climate cycle -- has added to the heat in 2016. 

The El Nino is now waning, but the extremes continue to be seen, with temperature records tumbling in the US in February and polar heatwaves pushing ice cover to new lows, the WMO report said.

"Even without a strong El Nino in 2017, we are seeing other remarkable changes across the planet that are challenging the limits of our understanding of the climate system. We are now in truly uncharted territory," said David Carlson, director of the WMO's world climate research programme.

Last year saw the hottest global average among thermometer measurements stretching back to 1880, reports the Guardian. 

But scientific research indicates the world was last this warm about 115,000 years ago and that the planet has not experienced such high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for 4 million years.

This year already saw temperature records continue to tumble, in the US where February was exceptionally warm, and in Australia, where prolonged and extreme heat struck many states. 

According to the report, global sea level rise surged between November 2014 and February 2016, with the El Nino event helping the oceans rise by by 15mm. 

That jump would have taken five years under the steady rise seen in recent decades, as ice caps melt and oceans get warmer and expand in volume. 

​New York, March 21 (IANS) A team of researchers has developed a cheap, portable camera that can photograph the retina without the need for pupil-dilating eye drops.

Made out of simple parts mostly available online, the camera's total cost is about $185.

"As residents seeing patients in the hospital, there are often times when we are not allowed to dilate patients -- neurosurgery patients for example," said Dr Bailey Shen, an ophthalmology resident at University of Illinois' Chicago College of Medicine.

"There are times when we find something abnormal in the back of the eye but it is not practical to wheel the patient all the way over to the outpatient eye clinic just for a photograph," Shen added.

The prototype camera can be carried in your pocket and can take pictures of the back of the eye without eye drops. The pictures can be shared with other doctors, or attached to the patient's medical record.

The camera is based on the Raspberry Pi 2 computer, a low-cost, single-board computer designed to teach children how to build and programme computers. 

A handful of other components -- a lens, a small display screen and several cables -- make up the rest of the camera.

Shen and his co-author Dr Shizuo Mukai, associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and a retina surgeon at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, describe their camera and provide a shopping list of parts, instructions for assembly and the code needed to programme the camera in the Journal of Ophthalmology.

"This is an open-source device that is cheap and easy to build," said Mukai. "We expect that others who build our camera will add their own improvements and innovations."

"The device is currently just a prototype, but it shows that it is possible to build a cheap camera capable of taking quality pictures of the retina without dilating eye drops, " Shen said. 

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) In a development that could transform the management of cancer patients, a Bengaluru-based laboratory has claimed to have cracked the difficulties related to tracing malignant cells and avoid repeated biopsies.

Doctors often are forced to conduct repeated biopsy tests to detect certain types of cancers related to skin, lung and colon. 

But with the new method -- liquid biopsy test -- developed for the first time in India by MedGenome, a genomics-based research and diagnostics company, physicians can identify genetic alterations, interpret, assess and treat various forms of cancer, the company said.

The test has also been validated in a scientific study, in academic collaboration with Tata Memorial Centre Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, and its state-of-the-art R&D satellite Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC).

The test facilitates detection of mutation where there is difficulty of obtaining biopsy or in the event of a damaged biopsy material and non-availability of tissue biopsy.

The development assumes significance in view of the fact that by 2020 India may have an estimated 1.73 million new cases of cancer and over 880,000 cancer deaths. Around 70 per cent of all cancer patients approach the doctor only when the symptoms noticeably appear and the chances of cure are very low as the by then disease has advanced.

"Management of cancer will undergo a massive transformation in India with NGS (next generation sequencing)-based liquid biopsies. We are constantly striving to get the most advanced genetic testing technology/technique at affordable prices to the patients and Oncotrack is one such offering," said Sam Santhosh, MedGenome Chairman.

Dr. Kumar Prabhash, Medical Oncologist at TMH, opines: "As the care gets more personalised, doctors will be equipped to make correct diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of diseases. Cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis will help in avoiding repeat biopsies of difficult-to-get tumours and also in monitoring the overall response to treatment on real time basis."

In medical terms, the liquid biopsy-based test is a non-invasive screening that analyses cell-free DNA that is isolated from the patients' blood. Using high-end sequencing technology, the screening process identifies specific gene mutations that are linked with melanoma, lung and colon cancers. 

This empowers cancer specialists, the oncologists, to look for actionable alterations in a patient's treatment and management, without having to do an invasive biopsy or where biopsy is not an option, Medgenome said.

"Liquid biopsy has the capacity to interpret infinite mutations which will pave the way for new drug discovery, research and therapies. Over 35 oncologists in India have already screened patients using our Oncotrack. Further, since it has a very patient-friendly approach, we are confident it will be very well accepted by the doctors and patients," said Dr V.L. Ramprasad, COO, MedGenome.

Oncotrack is a proven molecular tool after histopathology diagnosis and detecting molecular changes at baseline and at the time of relapse in lung and colon cancer for deciding the right treatment. 

MedGenome is a market leader for genomic diagnostics in South Asia and a leading provider of genomics research services globally. MedGenome offers genomics solutions in cancer immunotherapy, diabetes etc., and works with various commercial and academic researchers globally on genomic research projects. It is also a founding member of GenomeAsia 100K initiative to sequence 100,000 genomes in South, North and East Asia, Ramprasad said.

​Toronto, March 20 (IANS) Nearly 20 per cent of people receiving treatment for hypertension do not actually have a problem, but they are often misdiagnosed as a result of doctors using manual devices to measure blood pressure, a study has showed.

"About 20 per cent of people receiving treatment for hypertension don't actually have a problem and do not need medication. This is due mainly to the fact that their blood pressure was improperly measured," said lead author Janusz Kaczorowski, Professor at Universite de Montreal in Canada.

More than half of doctors in the study, published in the journal Canadian Family Physician, were found using manual devices to measure blood pressure, a dated technology that often leads to misdiagnosis.

A survey among Canadian family doctors in 2016 revealed that 52 per cent of the 769 respondents used a manual tensiometer to measure blood pressure. Only 43 per cent used an automatic device.

"Clinicians should use automatic devices," Kaczorowski said. 

Automated measurement has the advantage of eliminating what's known as white-coat syndrome -- which refers to artificially high blood pressure resulting from the stress of being in a doctor's office and human interaction.

Clinicians should adopt these devices to detect individuals likely to suffer from high blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

It is possible to lower blood pressure through a healthy diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, reduced intake of dietary sodium, avoidance of exposure to tobacco products, and stress management, the researchers suggested. 

​London, March 20 (IANS) Middle-aged men with high body mass index (BMI) and prediabetes condition cannot process carbohydrate-rich foods in the evening, as it may have a negative effect on their blood glucose regulation, a study has showed.

The findings showed that the internal clock influences how people with impaired glucose metabolism react to foods rich in carbohydrate, fats and protein. 

"The study shows that at least for men with a glucose metabolism disorder, the time of day at which they eat a high-carbohydrate meal is relevant," said Katharina Kessler at German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) in Germany. 

Interestingly, the effect was not observed in healthy men, although there was a general decline in glucose tolerance during the course of the day, Kessler said. 

For the study, reported in the journal Scientific Reports, the team conducted a nutrition study on 29 men, with an average age of 46 years and an average BMI of 27, meaning they were normal to very overweight. 

The participants followed two different diets. Participants in group A consumed carbohydrate-rich foods (containing starch and sugar) from the morning until about 1.30 p.m. and high-fat foods from 4.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Participants in group B ate high-fat foods in the morning and high-carbohydrate foods in the afternoons and evenings. 

"When we compared the blood glucose measurements according to the two diets, their blood glucose levels after diet B averaged 7.9 per cent higher than after diet A, in which the participants consumed a high-fat meal in the evening," Kessler noted. 

Thus, people who already have a disturbed glucose metabolism should orient themselves on their internal clock and avoid high-carbohydrate meals in the evening, the researchers recommended.

​London, March 20 (IANS) Love to drink hot chocolate? Beware, it may be as salty as seawater with 16 times more salt than the maximum target, researchers warned.

The findings showed that each serving of chocolate powder is worse than eating a bag of crisps. Out of the 28 food categories analysed, only 'bread rolls' were found to reach the agreed salt reduction.

Most people were found to eat one third more than the maximum recommended intake which may lead to higher blood pressure, putting strain on the heart, arteries, kidneys and brain and eventually leading to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and kidney disease.

"Salt is the forgotten killer. We are shocked to see that many food manufacturers and retailers are still failing to meet the salt reduction targets, despite having had years to work towards them," Katharine Jenner, nutritionist at Consensus Action on Salt and Health -- a Britain-based organisation, was quoted as saying to the telegraph.co.uk.

Further, a huge disparity in similar food products was found. 

A shopping basket of everyday items could contain 57g more salt depending on which brands were selected.

Some breakfast cereals contained just three per cent of the salt, compared to others, the researchers said.

Reducing daily salt intake from 8g to 6g per day could prevent 14,000 deaths a year, the researchers noted.

​Oslo, March 20 (IANS) Norway has toppled Denmark from the number one position as the "happiest country in the world", according to a United Nations report on Monday.

The Scandinavian nation, which was ranked fourth in last year's report, jumped to the top this year on the basis of several key calculations, including levels of caring, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, good governance, honesty, health and income.

Other factors by which 155 countries were measured in the annual World Happiness Report are: inequality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, public trust (i.e. a lack of corruption in government and business), and social support.

Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and and Finland round out the top five, while the Central African Republic came last in the World Happiness Report.

Western Europe and North America dominated the top of table, with the US and Britain at 14th and 19th, respectively, reported BBC.

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and those hit by conflict have predictably low scores. 

Syria placed 152 of 155 countries -- Yemen and South Sudan, which are facing impending famine, came in at 146 and 147.

The World Happiness Report was released to coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Happiness on March 20.

​New York, March 19 (IANS) NASA has added four new teams to study the Moon, near-Earth asteroids and other components of the solar system.

According to a report in Engadget on Sunday, the first group from the University of Colorado will study on robotics, cosmology, astrophysics and heliophysics to advance manned space exploration.

While the second group has been assigned on a project called "Toolbox for Research and Exploration", responsible for developing tools and methods for the manned exploration of celestial bodies. 

"The third group from Georgia Institute of Technology will explore how radiation affects human-made composite materials. They'll also look into how real-time detectors can help minimise astronauts' exposure to harmful radiation," the report added.

The fourth group, called Exploration Science Pathfinder Research for Enhancing Solar System Observations or ESPRESSO will assist NASA in understanding the events that are hazardous for robotic and human explorers in space. 

With the better knowledge of hazardous events in space, disasters can be predicted and managed. 

"NASA will set aside $3 to $5 million of its budget per year to fund the teams' research for the next five years," the report noted.