Knowledge Update

​Beijing, April 20 (IANS) The Chinese economy will overcome the difficulties it is facing currently and will continue to occupy an enviable position over the next two decades, Jack Ma, founder and chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba, said on Wednesday.

​New York, April 12 (IANS) Scientists have created a new, low-cost approach to build a knee model for studying knee pain and impaired mobility.

The reconstructed knee model closely simulates the movement of the patella (kneecap) observed in cadaver knee models. 

Because the kneecap acts like a shield for knee joint, it can easily be broken. Falling directly onto the knee is a common cause of patellar fractures. 

Researchers Gian Luca Gervasi, Roberto Tiribuzi and a team from the University of Ioannina, Greece and Giuliano Cerulli from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy used a motion tracking system to measure the position of the patella as different loads and forces were applied to the knee model at various degrees of flexion.

They used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of a real knee to develop the computer-aided design software files used by a 3D printer to create the three main components of the knee and a navigation system for combining them with artificial ligaments and a tendon.

The team presented the results of static experiments in the study published in the journal 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.​

​New York, April 20 (IANS) The presence of certain bacteria in the mouth is likely to identify the risk for pancreatic cancer and enable earlier and precise treatment in patients, finds new research.

Pancreatic cancer patients are known to be vulnerable to gum disease, cavities, and poor oral health in general, said the team from New York University.

The findings showed that bacterial changes in the mouth could potentially show us who are at the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

"Our study offers the first direct evidence that specific changes in the microbial mix in the mouth represent a likely risk factor for pancreatic cancer along with older age, male gender, smoking and a family history of the disease," said one of the researchers Jiyoung Ahn, associate professor and epidemiologist.

Men and women whose oral microbiomes included Porphyromonas gingivalis - an anaerobic bacteria -- had an overall 59 percent greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those whose microbiomes did not contain the bacterium. 

Similarly, people whose oral microbiomes contained Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans -- bacteria often found in association with periodontitis -- were at least 50 percent more likely overall to develop the disease. 

Both types of bacteria have been tied to diseases such as periodontitis or inflammation of the gums.

According to previous research, cigarette smoking was also linked to changes in the amount and mix of bacteria in the oral microbiome. 

For the study, the researchers compared bacterial contents in mouthwash samples from 361 men and women who developed pancreatic cancer with samples from 371 people of similar age who did not. 

The team cautioned that further research is needed to determine if there is any cause-and-effect relationship.

The findings were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held in New Orleans, US.​

​New York, April 20 (IANS) Children who have their dinner along with other family members are generally fit and eating meals together can also help kids cut the risk of developing eating disorders or weight problems later in life, say researchers.

In a study of 200 families, researchers found that children whose family members shared meals that lasted at least 20 minutes each a minimum of four times a week weighed significantly less than peers whose family dinners were three or four minutes shorter.

Parenting styles, parent-child attachment relationships and feeding practices all have been found to be reliable indicators of children's food consumption, eating behaviours and risks for obesity.

“Although the causes of obesity are complex, families have significant influence on children's dietary habits and weight and should be involved in planning healthy living campaigns and efforts to curb food marketing that targets children,” said Barbara H Fiese from the University of Illinois.

"The family system plays an important role in understanding childhood obesity -- not as a source of blame but as part of a larger ecology that may support or derail children's health," the researchers stated in the paper published in the journal Family Relations.

Family communication is key to the developmental processes that promote or disrupt healthy eating habits, physical activity and internal cues to satiety, they noted.​

​London, April 12 (IANS) Humanoid robotics and computer avatars may help rehabilitate people suffering from social disorders such as schizophrenia or social phobia in the near future, finds new research.

Washington, April 12 (IANS) A team of scientists has developed a new refined tool to search for exoplanets orbiting distant stars or other planetary detections.

One of the most successful techniques to find and confirm planets is called the radial velocity method.

A planet is obviously influenced by the gravity of the star it orbits; that's what keeps it in orbit.

This technique takes advantage of the fact that the planet's gravity also affects the star in return.

As a result, astronomers are able to detect the tiny wobbles the planet induces as its gravity tugs on the star. Using this method, astronomers have detected hundreds of exoplanets.

For certain kinds of low-mass stars, there are limitations to the standard radial velocity method that may find something that looks like a planet but is not.

To address this issue, the team from Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Missouri State University decided to use the radial velocity technique but they examined a different, longer wavelength of light.

"Switching from the visible spectrum to the near-infrared, the wobble effect caused by an orbiting planet will remain the same regardless of wavelength," explained Jonathan Gagne from Carnegie.

But looking in the near-infrared will allow us to reject false positives caused by sunspots and other phenomena that will not look the same in near-infrared as they do in visible light, he added.

The research team was able to develop a better calibration tool to improve the overall technology for near-infrared radial velocity work which should make it a better option going forward.

They examined 32 low-mass stars using this technological upgrade att he NASA Infrared Telescope Facility atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

The findings confirmed several known planets and binary systems and also identified a few new planetary candidates.

“Our results indicate that this planet-hunting tool is precise and should be a part of the mix of approaches used by astronomers going forward,” added Caltech's Peter Gao in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal.​

​Beijing, April 14 (IANS) Renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking has opened an account on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, amassing over 2 million followers within 24 hours.

​Singapore, April 14 (IANS) The Singapore economy rose 1.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, the same growth pace as in the previous quarter, according to estimates released by the ministry of trade and industry (MTI) on Thursday.

Washington, April 12 (IANS) The economy of Ukraine is expected to grow at a slower rate of 1.5 percent this year, down 0.5 percent from the prognosis made in October 2015, IMF said on Tuesday.

Dubai, April 13 (IANS) Dubai's state-owned carrier Emirates Airlines on Wednesday said it has ordered an additional two new A380 aircraft with an estimated delivery date in the fourth quarter of 2017. Emirates Airlines is the UAE's international airline and the world's fastest growing carrier, currently operating the world's largest fleet of A380s Airbuses, with 75 in service and a further 65 on firm order, Xinhua reported. The two additional aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines and will bring Emirates' total A380s order book to 142. Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airlines said: "From now till the end of 2017, Emirates will retire 30 older aircraft from our fleet." In addition, Clark said that in order to meet growth forecasts "we will receive a delivery of 24 new 777 Boeings, and 33 new A380 aircrafts including the two additional A380 aircrafts just ordered." He also pointed out that the orders are according to the carrier's target of operating a modern and efficient fleet which offers the best possible service for its customers. "We've always been open about how the A380 has been a big success for Emirates," Clark said. In March 2015, Clark said if Airbus produced an upgraded Superjumbo aircraft version with enhanced cost-efficient engines, Emirates may order an additional 200 double-deck, wide-body A380 passenger aircrafts, which were introduced into the market for the first time in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines. Emirates Airlines operates a total fleet of 234 planes flying to 164 destinations throughout all continents from Dubai's International Airport. ​