Knowledge Update

Abu Dhabi, May 13 (IANS/WAM) A UAE researcher has contributed to the discovery of a new species of ant, according to a paper published in the Journal of Natural History.

The study, led by Mostafa R. Sharaf of the College of Food and Agriculture Sciences at Saudi Arabia's King Saud University, describes the ant species, whose scientific name is Lepisiota omanensis, as being remarkable because of "its exceptionally long, acute and strongly curved propodeal spines".

The paper describes the new species on the basis of five specimens, one of which was collected in Oman in 2012, two of which were collected in Ain Al Waal in UAE in 2014, and two in Oman in March this year.

The UAE researcher, Huw Roberts, from the Emirates University, said: "I have so far recorded well over 400 species of insects, most of which have been identified from specimens by specialists from around the world."

"This discovery shows that we still have much to learn about the wildlife and biodiversity of the UAE," he added.​

​London, May 13 (IANS) British researchers have designed a smartphone app that can help people manage their problems -- anxiety and depression -- based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

The 'Catch It' app uses psychological approaches to mental health and well-being through CBT -- a therapy that can help individuals manage problems by changing the way one thinks and behaves. 

'Catch It' helps the user identify thoughts and thinking styles associated with a shift in mood or a particular emotion and takes the users through a process referred to as "Catch it, Check it, Change it".

The app helps users better understand their moods through use of an ongoing diary.

"Our research examined the uptake and usage rates of this application along with the faithfulness of user responses to CBT principles and their impact on reported negative and positive moods," said Peter Kinderman, professor at University of Liverpool in Britain.

The findings of the initial trial, published in the British Journal of Psych Open, showed that there were statistically significant reductions in negative mood intensity and increases in positive mood intensity among participants.

"This type of therapy cannot remove problems, but it can help people deal with them in a more positive way. It is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle," Kinderman added.

"Smartphone apps have potential beneficial effects in mental health through the application of basic CBT principles. More research with randomised controlled trial designs should be conducted," Kinderman suggested.​

London, May 14 (IANS) Kids, especially boys, who start walking, running and jumping early at 18 months of age are more likely to have stronger bones later in adulthood, a study has found.

These movements in toddlers place a stress on the bones, causing them to become wider and thicker, thereby making them stronger than those in children who may not be moving as much, the study said.

The findings from the study may help to identify who is at a greater risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures in later life.

"The findings are intriguing as they provide a link which wasn't previously understood, primarily that how we move as a young child can have ramifications for our bone strength even 16 years later,” said lead researcher Alex Ireland from Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain.

"Being more active gives you stronger muscles which can then apply bigger forces to the bones as we walk, run or jump, helping to strengthen bones as we grow older," he added in the paper published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

The team analysed 2,327 participants from children born in the early 1990s. 

Their movement was assessed at 18 months, and hip and shin bone size, shape and mineral density was measured at 17 years of age for both males and females, by scanning with X-ray absorptiometry and peripheral computed tomography. 

The findings showed the effect was more pronounced in males than in females, suggesting early movement plays less of a role in female bone strength. 

"Importantly, the results could have implications for later life by helping medical practitioners to anticipate and detect those who are at a greater risk of osteoporosis or fractures, thus helping them to devise prevention and coping strategies,” Ireland stated.​

New York, May 14 (IANS) Consuming foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids is likely to reduce extreme aggression in children within a short period especially its more impulsive and emotional form, says a new research.

Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally found in fatty fish, such as tuna, seafood and some nuts and seeds.

The findings showed that incorporating Omega-3 vitamins and mineral supplements into the diets of children can decrease their aggressive and antisocial behaviour.

Also, the participants getting the combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and Omega-3s reported less aggression than the control group and the therapy-only group.

"Immediately after three months of the nutritional intervention rich in Omega-3s, we found a decrease in the children's reporting of their aggressive behaviour," said Therese Richmond from the University Of Pennsylvania, US.

For the study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the randomised trial included 290 children who were aged between 11-12 year olds with a history of violence.

They were divided into four groups. The first received Omega-3 in the form of juice, as well as multivitamins and calcium for three months. 

The second group participated in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which focused on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and also practicing alternative actions the children could take to deal with difficult situations rather than to emotionally react to something. 

The third group took the supplements and participated in CBT, and the fourth received resources and information targeted at reducing aggressive behaviour. 

Blood samples at the experiment's start and conclusion measured Omega-3 levels in each child.​

​Beijing, May 13 (IANS) US tech giant Apple on Friday announced that it will invest $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing platform, Didi Chuxing.

"We decided to make the investment for a number of strategic reasons, including the chance to learn more about certain segments of the China market. We see lots of

​New York, May 13 (IANS) A team of US researchers has developed a new technology that can safely and precisely drive robot arms, giving them the delicacy necessary to pick up an egg without breaking it.

​Beijing, May 12 (IANS) China has opened its first deep-sea research institute which experts said will be meaningful for resource exploitation and improvements to naval technology.

The Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering (IDSSE) located in Sanya, Hainan province passed an acceptance inspection and began official operations on Tuesday, authorities said on Wednesday.

The IDSSE is the first scientific research base for study of the deep seas and is also China's first public platform for deep-sea research and technological experiments.

"The deep sea has a wealth of resources including mineral, biotic and petroleum resources, and there are more than 40 billion tonnes of petroleum in the South China Sea alone. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance scientific research capabilities there," Gao Shu, director of the School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences at Nanjing University, told the Global Times.

Since 2012, Chinese scientists have participated in several research projects related to the South China Sea, including scientific voyages in the area.

Deep-sea research will also have military uses, as studies on complex marine environments can help improve naval technology, which is usually the most advanced military technology in a country.

The mother ship for a new deep-sea submersible was delivered to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on May 5. 

The 94-metre Tansuo 1 has a fully loaded displacement of 6,250 tonnes, and the submersible can reach a depth of 4,500 metres. It is expected to dive to the Mariana Trench for a research mission in the near future.​

​London, May 13 (IANS) Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are likely to have more body fat at two months after birth as compared to babies born to healthy mothers, suggests new study led by researchers including an Indian-origin scientist.

The findings revealed although babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes had no differences in body fat content at birth, after two months they had 16 percent more body fat compared to those born to healthy mothers. 

"This new study suggests diabetes in the mother can trigger changes in the baby at a very early stage," said lead author Karen Logan, Imperial College of London in Britain.

Also, babies born to these mothers are at increased risk of developing diabetes in adulthood.

Changes in the baby's metabolism while in the womb - or even differences in the composition of breast milk in mothers with gestational diabetes can be some of the reasons behind the differences, the researchers said in the paper published in the journal Diabetes Care. 

Gestational diabetes usually starts when the woman is around seven months pregnant and results in a woman's blood sugar levels becoming too high. Excess weight and other factors such as genetic predisposition have been identified as the main causes of gestational diabetes. 

The condition, typically, resolves soon after giving birth but may elevate the woman risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.

"The majority of babies in our study were breast fed, and previous studies have suggested that diabetes may cause changes in breast milk - so that it contains more sugar, fat or different levels of compounds that control appetite, called hunger hormones," added Neena Modi, professor at Imperial College of London.

In the study, the scientists scanned 42 babies whose mothers were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and 44 babies born to mothers without the condition, as a healthy control group. 

Using MRI scanning the team measured body fat in the babies. They took these readings shortly after birth, and again when the babies were eight to 12 weeks old.​

​New York, May 13 (IANS) Researchers have developed a simple paper-based test that can help patients with blood clotting disorders perform regular tests from the convenience of their homes.

While blood clotting due to cut or injury can be normal, sometimes a blood clot forms within a blood vessel that has not been injured or cut. 

For patients at risk for blood clots, strokes and hypertension, routine lab tests to monitor blood-thinning medications can be frequent, costly and painful.

Patients with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, kidney disease and others who are at risk for blood clotting are especially vulnerable when blood-thinning medication levels get too weak or too strong. 

This imbalance can quickly lead to ischemic (clotting) or hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes if not detected in time.

"We have developed a blood screening device for patients on medications like Coumadin, warfarin or other blood thinners who need to monitor their blood-clotting levels on a regular basis," said Andrew Steckl, professor at University of Cincinnati in the US.

"Patients can soon monitor their blood coagulation characteristics from home quickly and painlessly before making needless trips to the lab or hospital," Steckl noted.

Using nanofiber membranes inside paper-based porous materials housed within a plastic cassette, the researchers can quickly reveal the level of the blood's ability to clot, and all from the convenience of the patient's living room with a simple finger stick to draw a drop of blood.

Slight changes in the level of coagulation properties will occur normally depending on certain food intake and overall health conditions, Steckl said.

But a major change in levels immediately shows up on the paper-based test stick resulting in clotting patterns registering on one end of the spectrum or the other and will put up a red flag before any physiological trouble starts, the study said.

The findings were presented at the eighth international conference on porous media and annual meeting of the International Society for Porous Media in Cincinnati, Ohio.​

New York, May 12 (IANS) A team of researchers has created a cheap way to give a sheet of paper sensing-capabilities to respond to gesture commands and connect to the digital world.