Knowledge Update

​New York, Feb 1 (IANS) Astronauts' brains compress and expand during spaceflight, show results of brain scans before and after space missions.

The researchers examined structural MRIs in 12 astronauts who spent two weeks as shuttle crew members, and 14 who spent six months on the International Space Station. 

All experienced increases and decreases in gray matter in different parts of the brain, with the changes more pronounced the longer the astronauts spent time in space, according to the study published in the journal Nature Microgravity.

"We found large regions of gray matter volume decreases, which could be related to redistribution of cerebrospinal fluid in space," said principal investigator Rachael Seidler, Professor at University of Michigan in the US.

"Gravity is not available to pull fluids down in the body, resulting in so-called puffy face in space. This may result in a shift of brain position or compression," Seidler noted.

The researchers also found increases in gray matter volume in regions that control leg movement and process sensory information from legs, which may reflect changes related to the brain learning how to move in microgravity. 

These changes were greater in space station astronauts because their brains were learning and adapting all the time. 

"It's interesting because even if you love something, you won't practice more than an hour a day," Seidler said. 

But the brain changes researchers observed were equivalent to someone practicing a new skill round-the-clock. 

"In space, it's an extreme example of neuroplasticity in the brain because you're in a microgravity environment 24 hours a day," Seidler said. 

Seidler said the brain changes could reflect new connections between neurons.

"The behaviour may return to normal, but the way the brain controls the behaviour may change," she said. 

The findings may lead to new ways of thinking about certain health conditions -- for example, people on long-duration bed rest or people who have normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition in which cerebrospinal spinal fluid accumulates in ventricles in the brain and causes pressure. 

​New York, Feb 1 (IANS) Children exposed to complications shortly before or during birth are more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD), says a study.

The perinatal complications that had the highest association with ASD were birth asphyxia -- deprivation of oxygen during the birthing process -- and preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems, according to the study published in the American Journal of Perinatology.

Other perinatal complications that were associated with ASD included premature separation of the placenta from the uterus, breech/transverse fetal presentation, fetal dystocia/abnormal size or position, and a prolapsed/exposed umbilical cord.

For this study, researchers examined the electronic health records of 594,638 children born in Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California between 1991 and 2009.

During this time, 6,255 of these children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 37 per cent of whom experienced perinatal complications. 

Researchers found that children exposed to complications during birth were at a 10 per cent increased risk of developing ASD, compared to children who did not experience perinatal complications.

That number rose to a 22 per cent increased risk of developing ASD for children exposed to complications before labour began. 

The study also showed that children exposed to complications both before and during birth had a 44 per cent greater risk of developing ASD than children who did not experience perinatal complications.

"Our study suggests that children exposed to certain perinatal complications, especially birth asphyxia and preeclampsia, were more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than those who were not exposed," said study lead author Darios Getahun from Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. 

"While there currently is no cure for ASD, early identification of children who may be at risk of developing the disorder is extremely important, as research shows that early intervention treatment services for children with ASD can greatly improve their development," Getahun noted.

​New York, Jan 31 (IANS) US-based gaming firm Razer has acquired Nextbit, the startup that launched the "Cloud first" Android device Robin last year in India which comes with 100GB of free Cloud storage.

​London, Jan 31 (IANS) Acupuncture treatment can boost the effectiveness of standard medical care, reducing the severity of chronic pain and depression, new research has found. The research showed that acupuncture provides more than a placebo effect. "Our new data provides a significant step forward in treating chronic pain and managing depression, because patients and health professionals can now make decisions on acupuncture with more confidence," said Hugh MacPherson, Professor of Acupuncture Research at University of York in Britain. "Not only is it more cost effective, but it reduces pain levels and improves mood levels, which could reduce over reliance on drugs that can sometimes result in unwanted side effects," MacPherson noted. The finding, published in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Journals Library, is based on results of 29 clinical trials focused on patients treated with acupuncture and standard medical care. In the majority of these trials, patients with chronic pain treated with acupuncture and standard medical care were tested against those who were provided with standard medical care alone, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and physiotherapy. The trials involved approximately 18,000 patients diagnosed with chronic pain of the neck, lower back, head, and knee. The report showed that the addition of acupuncture compared to standard medical care alone significantly reduced the number of headaches and migraine attacks and reduced the severity of neck and lower back pain. It also showed that acupuncture reduced the pain and disability of osteoarthritis, which led to patients being less reliant on anti-inflammatory tablets to control pain. The team also conducted a new clinical trial for depression, where acupuncture or counselling was provided and compared to the effectiveness of medication, such as antidepressants. In a study of 755 patients with depression in the North of England, researchers showed that both acupuncture and counselling significantly reduced the severity of depressions and that these benefits were largely sustained for up to 12 months after treatment.

Tokyo, Jan 31 (IANS) Japan's industrial production rose 0.5 per cent in December 2016, compared to November, according to data published by the government on Tuesday.

The figure is lower than the 1.5 per cent month-on-month rise that Japanese manufactures recorded in November, Efe news reported.

Tokyo, Jan 31 (IANS) Japanese videogaming giant Nintendo on Tuesday said it made a net profit of 102.96 billion yen ($900 million) from April to December 2016 mainly due to the augmented reality game "Pokemon GO".

Rome, Jan 31 (IANS/AKI) Italy's share of unemployed people aged 15 to 24 rose to 40.1 percent in December, up 0.2 percent from November while overall joblessness was unchanged at 12 percent, provisional data showed on Tuesday.

​New York, Jan 31 (IANS) Apple has removed the "Activation Lock" tool that allows users to check the ownership status of their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

"The tool allowed users to enter the serial number or IMEI of iOS devices to find out if 'Activation Lock' was active, helping consumers who were interested in purchasing used

New York, Jan 31 (IANS) In a bid to make it tough for rival social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, Twitter has announced its first livestreaming deal in Europe to will telecast the proceedings of the transfer deadline day.

​London, Jan 31 (IANS) A French designer duo has unveiled a new concept for the future smartphone which is made around holograms, voice control and face-tracking technology with translucent gelatinous features, media reported. The smartphone, called Alo, will be designed in a way that is appropriate for the palm of a hand, said Philippe Starck and Jerome Olivet. Controlled by voice commands, every time the user wants to open a text message or watch a movie on the device, it will pop up in a 3D hologram. "Alo provides a fully vocalised interface in all phone functions, reads SMS and emails, and even allows them to dictate their messages rather than typing them," design magazine dezeen.com quoted Olivet as saying. The translucent skin emits vibrations by producing heat depending on its activity and its skin repairs automatically as soon as it is damaged. The holographic images will be projected by a so-called "eye" which will allow the reader to read the texts he detects or to identify the faces. Moulded aluminium alloy core at the centre of the device will function as haptic interface giving feedback through heat as well as vibration. "While it is currently only a concept, Olivet plans to develop Alo, or a version of it, into a prototype. It is attached to French electronics brand Thomson," the report added.