Knowledge Update

New York, March 10 (IANS) Higher exposure to some chemicals added to furniture, electronics and numerous other goods to prevent fires may put kids at increased risk of developing aggression and hyperactivity, says a study.

The researchers studied the behavioural effects of organophosphate-based flame retardants (OPFRs) on young children.

"When we analysed behaviour assessments and exposure levels, we observed that the children who had more exposure to certain types of the flame retardant were more likely to exhibit externalising behaviours such as aggression, defiance, hyperactivity, inattention and bullying," said corresponding author of the study Molly Kile, Associate Professor at Oregon State University in the US. 

Flame retardants are found throughout the built environment in furniture, mattresses, carpeting, electronics, vehicles and more. 

The chemicals are added to the products and are not bound in the material, which causes them to be released into indoor environments.

For this study, published in the journal Environmental Health, the research team recruited 92 children between ages three to five to wear a silicone wristband for seven days to measure exposure to flame retardants.

The researchers had parents or primary caregivers complete questionnaires about socio-demographics and the home environment, and preschool teachers completed behaviour assessments for each participating child. 

In all, researchers had complete data and wristband results for 69 children.

Their analysis showed that all of the children were exposed to some level of flame retardant. 

Children who had higher exposure rates of OFPRs showed less responsible behaviour and more aggression, defiance, hyperactivity, inattention and bullying behaviours.

​London, March 10 (IANS) Researchers have found the world's oldest crocodilian eggs that were laid 152 million years ago.

The eggs, discovered in cliffs in Portugal, were laid by close relatives of "true" crocodiles, a group called crocodylomorphs, which according to palaeontologists, had been two metres long.

"The fact that they are from the Late Jurassic period makes these eggs the oldest crocodilian eggs known so far," Joao Russo from the Nova University of Lisbon in Portugal was quoted as saying to the BBC.

"The fossil record tells us that crocodiles and their relatives (forming the larger group of crocodylomorphs) were much more diverse in the past, with different feeding habits, ecological niche distribution or morphology," he added.

The eggs were found in several clutches and appear to be of two different types, the researchers said in the paper published in the journal, Plos One.

"This new discovery from Portugal extends the knowledge of this type of egg by approximately 40 million years," Russo added.

Moscow, March 10 (IANS) Early life changes in brain activity and blood flow may be the reason why people tend to develop abnormally high blood pressure, or hypertension, researchers said.

High blood pressure is a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high.

It is also often called the silent killer because it typically has no symptoms until after it has done significant damage to the heart and the arteries.

In 90-95 per cent of people, high blood pressure has no identifiable cause, yet it is a risk factor for diseases of the brain, kidneys, heart, eyes, and other parts of the body, said a group of researchers at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Russia. 

For the study, published in Experimental Physiology, the team investigated physiological changes in a rat model called ISIAH, short for inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension.

These rats develop high blood pressure at four to six weeks of age, and this is sustained throughout their lifetime.

The researchers compared the high blood pressure rats to a control group with normal blood pressure. 

As the mice in high blood pressure group grew older, changes in rates of blood flow in certain arteries were observed.

In addition, changes were found in the brain activity, specifically a decrease in the prefrontal cortex -- the brain region associated with cognition, decision-making and working memory -- as well as an increase in the hypothalamus -- an area of the brain that controls mood and appetite.

"The study of early physiological changes may help clarify the cause of high blood pressure. Understanding this could help us prevent the disease early on," said led author Alisa Seryapina from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics.

​New York, March 10 (IANS) Apple said it has partnered with component supplier Ibiden to power all of its manufacturing in Japan with 100 per cent renewable energy.

To meet the commitment, Ibiden will invest in more than 20 new renewable energy facilities, including one of the largest floating solar photovoltaic systems in the country.

​New York, March 9 (IANS) In a bid to make 360 degree photos and videos more immersive and easier to discover, Facebook has launched a new virtual reality app called "Facebook 360" for Samsung Gear VR headset which is powered by Oculus.

​New York, March 9 (IANS) US tech giant Google has confirmed the acquisition of Australia-born data science community Kaggle for an undisclosed sum.

The confirmation came at the Google's "Cloud Next" conference in San Francisco late on Wednesday.

​New York, March 9 (IANS) After The New York Times, The Guardian and some other leading media organisations, CNN has officially launched "CNNVR" -- a new immersive journalism unit and virtual reality platform.

Beijing, March 9 (IANS) China aims to create 11 million new jobs for urban residents this year, despite the slowdown of economic growth, a media report said on Thursday.

The confident move, according to analysts, is because the country has maintained a medium-to-high speed of economic growth, the People's Daily said in the report.

​New York, March 9 (IANS) San Francisco-based Pinterest has acquired Twitter co-founder Biz Stone's "human powered" search engine start-up Jelly.

"This is the best decision for the future of human powered search and discovery. Jelly plus Pinterest is an exceedingly powerful match. A new adventure begins!" Stone, Co-

San Francisco, March 9 (IANS) Google on Thursday announced a strategic partnership with European multinational software corporation SAP to develop and integrate Googles best cloud and machine learning solutions into SAP enterprise applications.