Historical lead exposure may be linked to 256,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease in adults in the USA each year

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J New estimates suggest that 256,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease – including 18,5000 deaths from ischemic heart disease – in the USA may be linked to historical lead exposure in middle-aged and older adults (people currently aged 44 years or over), according to an observational study. Previous estimates, which assumed that low-level lead exposure did not increase the risk of premature death, produced substantially fewer deaths. However, this new study finds that low-level lead exposure (between 1-5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood) increases the risk of premature death, especially from cardiovascular disease. Lead exposure is linked to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and ischemic (coronary) heart disease.

from http://ift.tt/2p7RGSc
via IFTTT

Autism's social deficits are reversed by an anti-cancer drug

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J New research reveals the first evidence that it may be possible to use a single compound to alleviate the behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder by targeting sets of genes involved in the disease.

from http://ift.tt/2tNKtf4
via IFTTT

Ag robot speeds data collection, analyses of crops as they grow

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J A new lightweight, low-cost agricultural robot could transform data collection and field scouting for agronomists, seed companies and farmers. The TerraSentia crop phenotyping robot measures the traits of individual plants using a variety of sensors, including cameras, transmitting the data in real time to the operator's phone or laptop computer.

from http://ift.tt/2Gnp4vG
via IFTTT

More homes built near wild lands leading to greater wildfire risk

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J New research o shows that a flurry of home-building near wild areas since 1990 has greatly increased the number of homes at risk from wildfires while increasing the costs associated with fighting those fires in increasingly dense developments.

from http://ift.tt/2IogtJQ
via IFTTT

Movable silicon 'lenses' enable neutrons to see new range of details inside objects

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J An innovative new way to focus beams of neutrons might allow scientists to probe the interiors of opaque objects at a size range they were blind to previously, allowing them to explore the innards of thick, opaque objects from meteorites to cutting-edge manufactured materials without damaging them.

from http://ift.tt/2p9lgWE
via IFTTT

Genetic prehistory of Iberia differs from central and northern Europe

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Researchers combined archaeological, genetic and stable isotope data to encapsulate 4000 years of Iberian biomolecular prehistory.

from http://ift.tt/2IpzPOI
via IFTTT

Sound localization: Where did that noise come from?

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Humans can estimate distances to sound sources better when they move and exploit auditory motion parallax.

from http://ift.tt/2Go9vE6
via IFTTT