Articles by Katherine Derla
Say Goodbye To Dental Fillings: 'No-Drill' Dentistry Stops Tooth Decay
Australian researchers developed a preventive tooth decay treatment called Caries Management System. The 'no-drill' approach lowers tooth decay risk for up to seven years and reduces need for dental fillings by up to 50 percent.
IBM Pulls Plug On Hack A Hairdryer Campaign Following Social Media Backlash
IBM's #HackAHairDryer campaign got burned for feeding off sexist stereotypes among women in tech. The company apologized and discontinued the campaign after major blows in social media.
Surge In Kidney Stone Cases Linked To Poor Diet And Lack Of Exercise
About 90,000 renal stone patients are admitted at Southampton General Hospital annually, which is equivalent to a 20 percent increase in the past seven years. The current rise in documented kidney stone cases are associated with high blood pressure, lack of exercise and other illnesses that make up a condition called metabolic syndrome or MetS.
PM Malcolm Turnbull Announces $806 Million Package To Boost Innovation In Australia
The Innovation and Science Agenda aims to encourage more startup to take bigger risks for growth and expansion. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull put incentives on the shift from mining boom to ideas boom, pushing the country to become more innovative.
Barnes & Noble Wants To Move Away From Books As E-Reader, E-Book Sales Drop By 40 Percent
Plummeting sales of e-books, Nook E-reader's failure and tight competition with Amazon pushed Barnes & Noble to move away from book sales. The company is leveraging on 3D printing, coloring trend and resurgence of vinyl records.
Chimpanzees Get Video Conferencing Equipment For Online Communication Experiment
Researchers will provide video conference equipment to chimpanzee groups from various parts of the world to see how they adapt social technology. Supported by singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, the study will compare the animals' online communication tactics to humans' current techniques.
Penis Transplant In The Works To Help Wounded US Troops
Doctors at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine were given the go signal for 60 penis transplants. Wounded U.S. soldiers could soon receive an organ from a deceased doctor, enabling them to regain sensation, urinary and sexual functions and even father their own children.
Amazon Buys Thousands Of Branded Truck Trailers To Deliver Customer Packages
Trucks today, drones tomorrow. Amazon equips its third-party carriers with branded fleets to help speed up massive deliveries, just in time for the holidays.
Low Gas Prices Improve Pickup, SUV Sales As Care For Fuel Efficiency Drops
Sales of SUVs and pickups experience a steady increase amid newly added jobs, lowered household debt, low gas prices and payroll growth. Fuel-efficient cars suffer plunges while gas-nuzzling, bigger cars experience record sales.
Yahoo's Alibaba Spin-Off Plan Could Be Risky For Business: Analyst
Yahoo's board of directors meeting will decide the company's future, which include the potential trade of its core Web assets and spin-off of its 15 percent stake in Alibaba. Analysts predict Yahoo will face a serious business risk if the spin-off will push through.
Solid US Jobs Report Guarantees Interest Rate Hike
The U.S. economy gained 211,000 new jobs in November, exceeding the 200,000 job target. The job hike indicates a strong economy and guarantees a surge in the interest rate later in December.
Bigger And Taller Humans, Animals Have Shorter Lifespan Because Of DNA Changes
Taller animals, including humans, have shorter telomeres, a special DNA structure found at the tip of chromosomes. As the body increases in size, the telomeres erode, affecting the function of cells and tissues, leading to a short lifespan.
Scientists Identify Protein That Causes TB: Breakthrough May Lead To More Effective Treatments
Recent discovery of the mycobacterial protein called Rv1988 gives hope to the scientific and medical communities for the development of a potential TB drug that can cure the disease. WHO said 9.6 million people worldwide contracted TB in 2014, which led to 1.5 million deaths.
Global Diet Gets Sweeter In Developing Countries: Study
Developed countries are experiencing a slight decline in sugar intake. Diets in low- and middle-income countries, on the other hand, are becoming sweeter as packaged food sales increase.
Children Under Age Five Account For 30 Percent Of Foodborne Disease Deaths
About 125,000 children under the age of five die from food-borne diseases annually, revealed a WHO report. Experts call for improved sanitation and food safety guidelines in the global food production system.
Obesity May Be Passed Down To Children Through Father's Sperm: Study
A study found that overweight fathers can pass on obesity to their future children through their sperm. Health experts suggest would-be parents should work on staying healthy during the time of conception.
Mathematical Model Quantifies How Funny A Word Is
Math problems can make you cry but math can also measure just how funny a word is. Researchers found humor is linked to improbability.
13,800-Year-Old Engraving In Stone Slab Depicts Prehistoric Campsites
The analysis of a schist slab originally discovered in 2013 in Spain revealed the first illustration of how hunter-gatherers lived in a campsite. The Paleolithic carvings depict hut-like structures which could have housed four to five people each.
Pacific Islanders Consider Migrating To Avoid Impacts Of Climate Change
A study found that the residents of Pacific islands are considering migration as the harmful effects of climate change continue to worsen. Thousands have already fled the islands with rising sea levels and harsh weather conditions eroding their homes.
False Positive Mammograms Tied To Slight Increase In Breast Cancer Risk
Researchers found that women who had false-positive mammograms may have a slightly increased risk for breast cancer in the next 10 years. The finding further stresses the importance of staying on schedule for mammography and suggests improvements for breast cancer risk-prevention models.
Cuttlefish Holds Breath To Prevent Sharks From Detecting Electrical Field
For marine species at the bottom of the food chain, life under the sea isn't greener. Researchers found cuttlefish holds its breath to cover electrical fields and evade sharks.
Saudi Arabia, Persian Gulf Allies Willing To Reduce Oil Production If Other Producers Follow
Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf allies propose to cut back on oil production provided that other oil producers do the same, namely Iran and Iraq. Oil prices continue to plummet as the global supply overtakes global demand.
Snack Bar Maker Kind Wants FDA To Redefine 'Healthy'
Natural foods company Kind filed a Citizen Petition asking the FDA to redefine 'healthy' foods. Kind received a warning letter from the FDA when it used the term 'healthy' on products that exceeded the food agency's dietary guidelines on fat content.
Migrant Crisis In Europe Demands New Refugee Therapy Model
Studies show a large population of refugees suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Health experts in Europe are focusing on new psychological therapies targeted for people who experience multiple traumas.
WHO Unveils Fruit-Flavored TB Drugs For Children
New fruit-flavored tuberculosis drugs will be available in early 2016 to address the long-standing need for child-sized TB medications. Eliminating the risk of inaccurate doses, parents will no longer need to cut adult-sized pills to give to children.
Chinese Scientist Behind World's Biggest Cloning Factory Ready To Replicate Humans
Cloning as a reproductive option for future parents? Boyalife Group CEO announced the opening of the world's first cloning facility seven months from now and said they are ready to clone humans.
Ice-Free Cryopreservation Offers New Approach To Preserving Tissues, Organs For Later Use
Scientists found a new way to preserve cells and tissues without freezing them. The ice-free cryopreservation or vitrification process can open doors to routine tissue preservation and advance the field of tissue regeneration.
Immune Cells Help Appendix Maintain Digestive System Health
During a bacterial attack, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) keep the appendix safe where good bacteria are stored. ILCs help the appendix reseed good bacteria back into the body, keeping the digestive system healthy.
Ultrasound Reveals Why Knuckle Cracking Feels So Satisfying
Researchers finally cracked the mystery of the 'cracking' knuckles. A gas bubble between the bones of the pulled joints creates the familiar, satisfying sound and a flash of bright light as seen via ultrasound imaging.
Paris Deploys Israeli-Made Surveillance Balloon To Help Protect Climate Change Summit Delegates
Israeli-made surveillance balloon Skystar 180 looks over Paris, providing surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance data to protect the world leaders attending the 11-day international climate change summit. The Skystar 180 aerostat can fly up to 1,000 feet in altitude and operate for approximately 72 hours straight.
