Urine Test Could Be a Sign That You’re Susceptible to Weight Gains

While urine tests have been quite useful in detecting infections, kidney disease, and drug use, they are also capable of telling whether one is overweight or not.

A study from London’s Imperial College was published Wednesday on the journal Science Translational Medicine. The researchers took more than 2,000 human urine samples to examine the metabolites, or products of the body’s metabolic processes, within, and ran a battery of tests on the pee, profiling the samples twice in between spans of three weeks, and doing the profiling over a 24-hour time span. They then looked at the metabolites and tried to associate them with diet, exercise, and related activities. Out of those samples, they found 29 species of metabolites with levels seemingly dependent on the person’s body-mass index.

Study lead Jeremy Nicholson and his associates will then be following up with the aforementioned study’s subjects, and will gather additional urine samples from Chinese residents. “The Chinese have become a lot fatter in the 15 years because they’ve westernized,” said Nicholson, who hopes to add a more predictive element to the study by determining which metabolites appear in urine in the 15 years before an individual becomes obese or develops diabetes.

“Since the late 60s or early 70s, people have been trying to figure out the association with obesity,” said Harvard Medical School associate professor Robert Gerszten in an interview. “This paper very nicely adds to the breadth of metabolic disturbances that are associated with human obesity.” He did express doubt, however, as to whether certain enzymes can turn on and off based on a person’s exercise habits. “There are lots of pathways that are aberrant in obesity,” Gerszten continued.

Scientists redesign the tree of life to add a thousand species

Apparently, it's bacteria's world, and we're just living in it.

Scientists have been having a hard time figuring out where newly discovered organisms, such as giant viruses, fit in the tree of life. That's especially true for a particular group of researchers who unearthed 1,011 new species within the course of 15 years. In order to accommodate the new organisms they found -- and since life on Earth turned out to be more diverse than what previous generations of scientists thought -- they've decided that it's time to reinventthe evolutionary tree. Besides the 1,011 organisms they discovered, the team also studied the DNA of 2,072 known species to be able to get an accurate representation of nature's diversity.

The resulting diagram shows how the different types of Bacteria vastly outnumber those that fall under Archaea and Eukaryota, which includes humans. There's even a new and major branch under Bacteria called Canditate Phyla Radiation that's composed of microorganisms that lead symbiotic lifestyles, including parasites and those that benefit their hosts.

Jill Banfield, a UC Berkeley professor and the study's lead author, identified all these new bacteria with her colleagues by piecing together the genomes they gathered from the environment. They got their samples from meadow soils, water geysers, deserts and even from the mouth of a dolphin. They might not have seen these organisms yet, much less grown them in a lab, but they already know their DNA makeup.

The team believestheir work could benefit not just microbiologists, but also biochemists looking for novel genes, as well as researchers studying evolution. Co-author Brett Baker said "[t]his incredible diversity means that there are a mind-boggling number of organisms that we are just beginning to explore the inner workings of that could change our understanding of biology."

New York Attorney General Sues Tanning Salon for Fraudulent Ads

New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman wants to get tough on Portofino Sun Center, and fast.

According to reports, Schneiderman is suing the tanning salon for deceptive advertising, as the establishment claims that customers can bypass healthy foods such as milk and salmon and get the Vitamin D they need by spending only 20 minutes in one of Portofino’s tanning beds. The company, which has five outlets in Manhattan, said on its Facebook and Twitter advertisements dated December 2012 to August 2013 that indoor tanning is “an excellent, reliable source of Vitamin D.” In these ads, Portofino Sun Center says that the usual tanning session would naturally create Vitamin D equivalent to “drinking 100 glasses of milk or eating 25 servings of salmon.”

Schneiderman’s lawsuit against Portofino Sun Center seeks $5,000 per instance of false advertisement, and stresses that the body is only able to create Vitamin D from UVB exposure, as opposed to the UVA rays generated by sunlamps. The suit also points out that the World Health Organization added indoor tanning to its growing list of dangerous, cancer-causing types of radiation, with its effects similar to the cancerous effects of cigarette smoking.

So far, both sides have been launching volleys against each other, as Portofino said on its website that “there is actually no clear direct experimental evidence showing a causative mechanism between tanning and melanoma.” Schneiderman replied quite forcefully in his own statement, which reads as follows – “make no mistake, there is nothing safe about indoor tanning.” In addition to Portofino, Schneiderman has warned two other competing salons – Beach Bums and Planet Fitness – that they may be next in line to be sued.

Climate change is now affecting how the Earth moves

NASA researchers from JPL believe that melting ice is redistributing the planet's weight balance.

Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that climate changeis now affecting the way that the Earth moves. The team found that, as the last century has progressed, the "wobble" that our planet makes as it travels has shifted. A hundred years ago this movement -- called polar motion -- was tilted in favor of Canada, but has now moved in the direction of the UK. In an of itself, the shift won't cause any damage, but the fact that climate change is now having this sort of effect should cause everyone to get nervous.

If you ever spun a basketball on your finger, you'd notice that it wobbles enough that you have to continually adjust the position of your hand to stop it falling. Basketballs are designed to weigh pretty much the same all over, but the Earth has always been heavier at its poles. That's because large bodies of water are frozen as ice and exert a form of pressure, keeping things reasonably stable. But as the planet warms up and the ice begins to melt, the weight moves from the top and bottom into the middle.

As the AP says, the trend is worrying since Greenland is losing around 600 trillion pounds of ice and has been since 2003. Unless we can rapidly begin to undo the damage caused by climate change, the wobble is likely to get worse as the planet gets more lop-sided. For instance, West Antartica loses 275 trillion pounds of ice, while East Antartica gains 165 trillion back each year. Has anyone got Stuart Licht's phone numberto hand? We probably need it.

Tesla's Model S gets a fresh look and faster charging

All the changes have already gone into production.

While Tesla's upcoming Model 3has dominated headlines in recent weeks, the company isn't neglecting the vehicle that has helped make an affordable option possible: the Model S. Addressing rumors that the luxury electric sedan would soon get a welcome revamp, Tesla confirmed today that the car now boasts a new front fascia and headlights, as well as a few other upgrades.

Looking at the photo supplied by Tesla, you'll notice that the grill is all but gone, replaced with a front-end that made its debut on the Model X(a car recently recalled over safety issues). The company also says it has upgraded the internal HEPA air filtration system, which it claims is 100 times more effective than any other in-car filter, and ramped the standard charger up from 40 amps to 48 amps. Now, when a new Model S is plugged in, it'll reach full battery a little bit faster than before.

Customers looking to put $70,000+ down on a new Model S will now have the option of two new interiors: figured ash wood and dark ash wood. Tesla has already updated its website to reflect the new options and says the changes have gone into production today at its factory in Fremont, California.

Solar cell generates power from raindrops

Solar power's nemesis might become its friend.

Image credit: Reuters/Chip East

Reuters/Chip East

Rain is normally a solar energy cell'sworst nightmare, but a team of Chinese scientists could make it a tremendous ally. They've developeda solar cell with an atom-thick graphenelayer that harvests energy from raindrops, making it useful even on the gloomiest days. Water actually sticks to the graphene, creating a sort of natural capacitor -- the sharp difference in energy between the graphene's electrons and the water's ions produces electricity.

The catch is that the current technology isn't all that efficient. It only converts about 6.5 percent of the energy it gets, which pales in comparison to the 22 percent you see among the world's better solar panels. If the creators can improve the performance of this graphene-coated cell, though, they could have a dream solution on their hands -- you wouldn't have to live in a consistently sunny part of the world to reduce your dependency on conventional power.

Health Officials Say Rubella is Gone from the Americas

Rubella, also known as German measles, has been eradicated from the Americas, according to a joint statement released by several government health authorities, including those from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 50 years ago, a massive rubella outbreak in the United States had resulted in 11,000 fetuses being miscarried, dying in the womb, or being aborted, and another 20,000 babies being born with defects. And while it had taken 15 years for health officials to eliminate rubella, the “fight,” according to health officials, “has (finally) paid off.” “Now, with rubella under our belt, we need to roll up our sleeves and finish the job of eliminating measles as well,” added Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization. Dr. Etienne had released the statement in conjunction with officials from the CDC, UNICEF, and the UN Foundation.

With the Americas having eliminated rubella, this makes it the first World Health Organization region to announce it has gotten rid of the disease. The European region, which comprises Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, is pushing to be next in line. However, as some regions have not yet set solid timelines for the eradication of rubella, there is hardly any chance that it will be gone on a worldwide basis by the turn of the new decade. The last rubella endemic had taken place in Argentina in 2009.

Study claims Splenda use could increase risk of leukemia

Sucralose, which is sold to consumers as Splenda, is usually promoted as an artificial, but healthy sweetener in lieu of refined white sugar.

Sucralose, which is sold to consumers as Splenda, is usually promoted as an artificial, but healthy sweetener in lieu of refined white sugar. But a new study suggests that the sweetener may increase the risk of cancer, particularly leukemia.

A team of researchers from Italy discovered that Splenda consumption in mice made them more susceptible to leukemia and other forms of cancer. This corroborates earlier studies that had come up with similar findings.

Splenda was first introduced in the market as an alternative sweetener to sugar, as well as other artificial sweetening agents that had been proven to cause health problems. The sweetener’s commercial manufacturer had cited studies that had shown Splenda consumption is not a risk factor for cancer, and it had thusly been considered as a “safe” product for several years. But in 2013, watchdog groups cited a study from the Ramazzini Institute in downgrading Splenda to “caution.” Interestingly, Ramazzini is the same educational institution behind the new study.

The Ramazzini team fed a total of 457 male mice and 396 female mice with different quantities of sucralose, from 12 days of gestation through the time of their death. Over the study period, the researchers found higher incidence rates of malignant cancer in the male mice who had higher intake of Splenda as compared to the other test rodents. Leukemia incidence was also substantially higher in the male mice who consumed 2,000 ppm and 16,000 ppm of sucralose.

“These findings do not support previous data that sucralose is biologically inert,” said the researchers in a statement accompanying the study. “More studies are necessary to show the safety of sucralose, including new and more adequate carcinogenic bioassay on rats. Considering that millions of people are likely exposed, follow-up studies are urgent.”

Splenda, in its defense, released its own statement defending its product and trying to “set the record straight.” The statement said that the findings from Italy were based on only one study involving mice, and “does not reflect the collective body of scientific evidence proving the safety of sucralose.” Splenda added that government regulators and food safety authorities have debunked previous Ramazzini studies on sucralose, due to their “unconventional design” and their failure to comply with international safety assessment standards.

The new Ramazzini study was published earlier this week in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.

The sound of chewing could help you control your eating

The so-called “crunch effect,” or the sound of one chewing their food, might be able to help people reduce their food consumption.

Researchers from Brigham Young University and Colorado State University determined that the noise you make while you’re eating could convince you to eat less – a phenomenon they refer to as the “crunch effect.” This noise, they clarify, isn’t the same noise made when food is being cooked, or the noise made when certain foods crack, but rather the noise made when you’re actually chewing.

The researchers performed three experiments and determined that the sound of people eating and chewing their own food wasn’t the only time the crunch effect manifested. Even television ads had an impact on the subjects, as the sounds of people eating on TV also caused them to eat less. One of the experiments also revealed that the effect is more prominent when the sound of chewing is especially intense.

That study had participants wearing headphones that played a loud noise while they were eating snacks, masking the sound of themselves chewing, and another group wearing headphones that made a quiet sound. The “loud” group ended up consuming an average of four pretzels, as to an average of 2.75 for those in the “quiet” group.

“The effects many not seem huge — one fewer pretzel — but over the course of a week, month, or year, it could really add up,” said study co-author Ryan Elder in a statement. He added that sound is “typically labeled as the forgotten food sense,” and with that in mind, people could end up eating less if they concentrate on the sound of themselves chewing their food.

Elder and his colleagues also suggested that people turn off their TV sets or turn down their music while eating, allowing them to focus more on eating their food, and consequently reducing their consumption.

Health Officials Say Rubella is Gone from the Americas

Rubella, also known as German measles, has been eradicated from the Americas, according to a joint statement released by several government health authorities, including those from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 50 years ago, a massive rubella outbreak in the United States had resulted in 11,000 fetuses being miscarried, dying in the womb, or being aborted, and another 20,000 babies being born with defects. And while it had taken 15 years for health officials to eliminate rubella, the “fight,” according to health officials, “has (finally) paid off.” “Now, with rubella under our belt, we need to roll up our sleeves and finish the job of eliminating measles as well,” added Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization. Dr. Etienne had released the statement in conjunction with officials from the CDC, UNICEF, and the UN Foundation.

With the Americas having eliminated rubella, this makes it the first World Health Organization region to announce it has gotten rid of the disease. The European region, which comprises Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, is pushing to be next in line. However, as some regions have not yet set solid timelines for the eradication of rubella, there is hardly any chance that it will be gone on a worldwide basis by the turn of the new decade. The last rubella endemic had taken place in Argentina in 2009.

AstraZeneca Lupus Drug Does Well in New Trial

The experimental lupus drug anifrolumab impressed in a mid-stage clinical trial, reducing disease activity greatly and showing much promise for its maker, AstraZeneca, and its bottom line.

AstraZeneca announced Tuesday that anifrolumab was more effective than sifalimumab, a similar anti-lupus drug it was testing. As such, it has started a 300 mg dose of the new drug in a final-stage trial. So far, the only other new drug launched for lupus in the past six decades was GlaxoSmithKline’s Benlysta. This highlights the difficulty involved in dealing with lupus, a disease that has the immune system attacking one’s organs and joints.

Anifrolumab, which is administered to patients intravenously, differs from Benlysta, as it targets interferon, a protein that facilitates inflammation. It is designed specifically for patients with moderate to severe cases of lupus, and so far, it has produced a response in over 50 percent of patients in 300 mg doses, after 169 days of treatment. This is up from earlier test results that showed the drug producing a response in only 34.4 percent of patients. All told, AstraZeneca believes that its new drug has the “most robust effects” against lupus in mid-stage clinical studies.

Like with many other drugs,there is a risk to taking anifrolumab. More patients reported getting shingles (Herpes zoster) and the flu, though AstraZeneca’s biotech unit MedImmune noted that these conditions are easily treated with antiviral medication.

In addition to anifrolumab’s potential in curing lupus with more efficacy than existing forms of treatment, the drug was also cited as a potential money maker for AstraZeneca. Last year, as the company defended itself against a possible Pfizer takeover, AstraZeneca had cited the potential of anifrolumab to generate, at some point, annual sales to the tune of about $1 billion.

AstraZeneca Lung Cancer Pill Gets Early U.S. Gov’t Approval

Following news that AstraZeneca’s lupus drug anifrolumab had passed a recent round of clinical trials, the British company’s lung cancer pill scored an important win Friday, getting early U.S. approval from government officials.

The lung cancer pill Tagrisso is specifically made for patients whose illness has become worse after being treated with other forms of therapy. It is one of a number of cancer medicines that AstraZeneca hopes to use to build up its war chest following recent patent losses on older products. Specifically, Tagrisso was cited by the company in a takeover defense against Pfizer in 2014, as AstraZeneca said that drug could potentially sell about $3 billion per year. Still, that’s interestingly more than double of what Wall Street analysts expect five years from now, as they believe the firm could earn revenue of $1.1 billion in 2020.

The early approval came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who gave the thumbs-up to the once-a-day tablet to treat a specific type of patients who have advanced non-small cell lung cancer. This is an earlier approval than what analysts had forecasted, and if all goes well, AstraZeneca will make Tagrisso available as soon as possible to U.S. patients eligible to take it. Pricing, the firm said, would be “comparable” to the cost of other oral cancer therapies.

Tagrisso works in a similar way to rival drug rociletinib from Clovis Oncology that is currently in development; it attacks a genetic mutation called T790M that makes tumors impervious to present-day lung cancer pills. Since its first clinical trials, Tagrisso has gotten FDA approval in just a little over two and a half years, suggesting that the agency is approving drugs faster, while AstraZeneca is truly determined to accelerate development as much as it could. This could also mean early, accelerated approval for Clovis’ rociletinib, which is officially slated for an FDA decision by the end of March 2016.

Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S is more than just a Surface knockoff

It has a thinner and lighter design, not to mention longer battery life.

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Microsoft's Surface tablets are so great, it seems, that everyone wants to copy them. So far, we've seen similar devices from Apple, Lenovo, Dell, HPand Google. Incredibly, though, one of the biggest companies we cover, Samsung, is only just jumping on the bandwagon. The Galaxy TabPro Srecently started shipping here in the US, and in many ways it takes after its competitors. Similar to the Surface Pro 4and other hybrids, it has a 12-inch screen that accepts pressure-sensitive pen input, and an Intel Core M processor powerful enough to potentially replace your laptop.

Unlike some of its rivals, however, the TabPro S is the first device in its class with a Super AMOLED screen. It's also exceptionally thin and, for the starting price of $900, the click-in keyboard cover actually comes in the box (take note, Microsoft). Too bad the typing experience isn't very good.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review | 22 Photos

Man Uses His Thoughts to Control Robotic Arm, Drink Beer

Erik Sorto, 34, has not been able to walk for the past 13 years, after being shot in the back at the age of 21.

Erik Sorto, 34, has not been able to walk for the past 13 years, after being shot in the back at the age of 21. As such, he’s since lived as a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. But thanks to the power of medical technology, he is now able to control his robotic arm simply by thinking.

California native Sorto has benefited from a chip implanted into his posterior parietal cortex, which is responsible for relaying intent to move one’s body. The two implanted sensors track his brain activity and are able to recognize complex electrical signals, which then travel from his brain to a computer. This computer unscrambles the information and relays it to Sorto’s robotic arm. And the implant has been successful, as he was immediately able to shake hands on the first day, and even have the arm give him a beer.

“I joke around with the guys that I want to be able to drink my own beer – to be able to take a drink at my own pace, when I want to take a sip out of my beer and to not have to ask somebody to give it to me,” said Sorto in an interview. However, he wants to be able to do more with his robotic arm in the future. “I really miss that independence. I think that if it was safe enough, I would really enjoy grooming myself – shaving, brushing my own teeth,” he added. “That would be fantastic.”

Officials Declare Liberia Ebola-Free, But President Still Asks People to Be Vigilant

The World Health Organization announced Saturday that Liberia is now officially Ebola-free, marking the end of a long struggle for the country to end the virus’ epidemic.

“The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over,” read WHO representative Dr. Alex Gasasira from prepared remarks made at Monrovia’s emergency command center. Prior to his announcement, epidemiologist Luke Bawo showed a map of Liberia, with all regions in green and the number “42” superimposed. The number represents twice the maximum incubation period of Ebola, and the number of days that had passed since the safe burial of the last confirmed Ebola victim in Liberia. Based on WHO’s official benchmarks, this is the number of days needed to have passed since the last burial without any further cases, in order to declare a country free of the virus.

In her own statement, Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf thanked her country’s people for fighting Ebola, and also thanked those around the world “whose hearts were with us” during the protracted epidemic. She added, however, that people should “stay mindful and vigilant” despite the celebratory vibe. And, in a symbolic gesture, she started shaking hands, something that would have been taboo during the days and weeks in which Liberia was gutted by the Ebola epidemic.

Meanwhile, Guinea and Sierra Leone have yet to be declared Ebola-free, which remains a concern for health officials. Both countries reported nine cases each in the past week, which is the lowest weekly total so far in 2015. According to WHO Ebola response head Dr. Bruce Aylward, there’s a possibility there are hidden chains of transmission taking place in both nations. “We don’t know where that virus is,” he warned, adding that it was several months from the first report of single-digit cases per week in Liberia before the country finally reported zero cases.

New bill aims to turn open data idealism into US law

The "OPEN Government Data Act” hopes to save the government time and money, and improve American lives.

President Obama's administration has made significant progress in making US government data more transparent -- first with Data.gov, a repository for open data, and then with USASpending.gov, which tracks all of the government's spending. But despite those milestones, there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Agencies still aren't legally required to follow open-data practices, even though it's something President Obama has touted for years, and future administrations could drop the idea of data transparency entirely. That's where the OPEN (Open, Permanent, Electronic and Necessary) Government Data Act comes in, an upcoming bill that aims to codify the practice of making government data transparent.

Co-sponsored by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Representative Blake Farenthold (R-TX), the bill is expected to reach Congress late next week. It calls for making government data machine-readable, available in open formats and with an open or public domain license by default. Doing so will hopefully make the government run more efficiently, unlock new economic discoveries and encourage scientific findings, according to an early draft of the bill.

"This is the public's data -- it's been bought and paid for with our tax dollars, and we need an efficient way to get it out," said Representative Farenthold during a panelhosted this morning by the Center for Data Innovation. On the other end of the political spectrum, Representative Kilmer noted, "We're not exactly sure what innovation will occur, but if all of our collective instincts are correct, this [opening up data] will be very interesting to the private sector."

Unlike many political issues today, the OPEN Act is notable for attracting bipartisan support early on. Passing the bill also won't mean major changes for many agencies, according to Joshua New, a policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation. Instead, it ensures that all arms of the government are approaching data in the same way.

That's important, because open-data practices are still loosely defined today. Kat Duffy, Labs director at the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on data transparency, points out that a document that's printed out, hand-signed and scanned back into a computer still counts as "machine readable" by our current definition. "It complies with the letter of the law in terms of being 'machine readable,' but it is so difficult to then actually use that information," she said.

Given the support we saw for the DATA Actback in 2014, there's a good chance the Open Government Data Act won't have any trouble being signed into law. But this being an election year (and an odd one at that), we're bracing for bumps along the road.

Homeland Security urges you to uninstall QuickTime on Windows

Apple won't be releasing any more security updates for the software.

The Department of Homeland Security is echoingTrend Micro's advice to uninstall QuickTimeif you have it on your Windows computer. While the multimedia program's working just fine, the security firm has discoveredtwo new critical vulnerabilities lurking within it that could allow remote attackers to take over your system. Unfortunately, they might never be patched up: Trend Micro says Apple will no longer release security updates for the Windows version of the software, hence the call to jettison it completely.

The good news is that Trend Micro hasn't spotted any active attacks targeting those specific vulnerabilities yet. But both the firm and Homeland Security stress that because Apple has abandoned the program, the only way to protect yourself from potential threats is to dump it -- Windows has a lot of safer alternatives you can use anyway. These flaws don't affect QuickTime for Mac in any way, though, so OS X users can carry on.

Uber, Lyft drivers will need a business permit in San Francisco

It will cost drivers $91 dollars a year.

Uberand Lyftdrivers in San Francisco will have to register for a business permit if they want to continue earning money from giving and sharing rides. City Treasurer Jose Cisneros has begun sending out letters to 37,018 drivers in the city letting them know of the new requirement, according to SFGate . It's unclear how Cisneros got a hold of their names and why he's suddenly decided to enforce a new rule. But SFGate notes that the city is basically telling the companies that if they refuse to recognize their drivers as employees, then they have to require them to get business permits as contractors. Also, if every driver applies for one, which costs $91 a year for those who make $100,000 or less in gross receipts, then the city will make $3.37 million a year.

If you'll recall, both companies faced and continue to battle lawsuits regarding their drivers' status. In California, a number of contractors fileda class action suit in their quest to be recognized as employees. Anyone who wants to continue driving for either company has to register within 30 days of receiving the letter. Part of the missive says "Failure to respond... may result in penalties and payment obligations." They can file for an application through San Francisco's newly launched online business registration system.

In a statement sent to SFGate , Uber says that as independent contractors, its drivers "are responsible for following appropriate local requirements." Lyft spokesperson Chealsea Wilson, however, didn't bother hiding her company's issue with the new requirement. "We have serious concerns with the city's plan to collect and display Lyft drivers' personal information in a publicly available database," she told the publication. "People in San Francisco, who are choosing to drive with Lyft to help make ends meet, shouldn't have to compromise their privacy in order to share a ride."

Brazilian Man Tested for Ebola as Medical Facility Isolated

A Brazilian man is currently being tested for the deadly Ebola virus, as local authorities have taken preventative measures, isolating the public health unit where he had initially sought medical assistance.

Brazil Health Minister Marcelo Castro confirmed today that the 46-year-old man, who had recently visited Guinea, is now being tested for Ebola. The man had returned to Brazil on November 6 and complained of high fever with muscle pains, as well as headaches, on November 8. For privacy reasons, the man’s name was withheld by local officials.

The man had sought medical assistance at a Belo Horizonte emergency room, according to statements from Brazil’s health ministry. As a protective measure, that facility has stopped taking patients for the meantime. As for the patient, he was subsequently quarantined and will be flown via military plane today to Rio de Janeiro, where he will be tested at a government-organized laboratory to see if his blood contains traces of the Ebola virus. Other patients, as well as health care workers who had come in contact with the man are presently being monitored by health officials.

Furthermore, Castro was also quoted in his statement that Brazil promptly informed international health officials of the possible Ebola case in the country. “We are on alert and working in a transparent manner,” said Castro.

Recent weeks and months have seen West African nations Sierra Leone and Liberia declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization, but the disease is still being controlled in Guinea as of this writing. All three countries were greatly affected by what has been the deadliest Ebola outbreak in recent years. Over 11,000 people were killed in the epidemic, with the majority being West Africans.

Bullying Could Have Greater Effect on Mental Health than Child Abuse

There’s nothing good about child abuse or bullying, but according to a new study, the latter may have more serious mental health consequences than the former.

c/o Storify

The new research from U.S. and U.K. scientists is actually the first ever to compare the effects of peer bullying to the effects of physical or sexual abuse in children. According to their findings, children who had been bullied by classmates or other peers but didn’t get abused by family members had a greater chance of suffering from depression and anxiety as adults, as compared to children who were abused by family but didn’t get picked on by their peers.

According to study head Dieter Wolke of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, about 33 percent of all children experience some form of buillying. He added that bullying victims are easier to stress out than non-victims, and are also less successful at work and less healthy once they reach adulthood.

Wolke and his team had examined data on over 4,000 children from the United Kingdom’s Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and 1,420 children from the United States’ Great Smoky Mountains Study. For the U.K. data, the researchers tried to see if children were bullied between eight weeks of age and 8.6 years, as based on information on parents. The children then gave their own reports on whether they were bullied at the age of 8, 10, and 13. And for the U.S. data, children and their parents were interviewed yearly when the kids were aged 9 to 16. The researchers then made follow-ups when the children had become young men and women of 18 to 25, and checked if they suffered from depression, anxiety, and suicidal/self-harm tendencies.

For the former set of data, Wolke’s team discovered that bullying-only victims were 1.6 times more likely than maltreatment-only victims to suffer from mental health issues. The disparity was larger in the latter set of data, where those who were only bullied but not maltreated were four times more likely to have depression or other mental health issues than those who were maltreated but not bullied.

Wolke believes that society’s general stand on bullying may be a reason why more bullying victims have emotional and mental issues as adults. “There’re still people out there who think that bullying is a normal rite of passage — you go through and toughen up, etc.,” said Wolke. He stressed that bullying does have consequences for its victims, including low self-esteem and trust issues. “Being socially excluded and being a social outcast is about the worst stress that we can experience, more than other pains,” he added.

Study Shows More American Seniors Using Mobility Devices to Get Around

A new study has revealed that America’s senior citizens aren’t exactly willing to enjoy their golden years sitting down.

A new study has revealed that America’s senior citizens aren’t exactly willing to enjoy their golden years sitting down. Instead, about 25 percent of U.S. senior citizens are making use of canes, walkers, and related mobility devices.

According to a survey involving over 7,600 Medicare beneficiaries, the use of mobility devices had risen by close to 50 percent over the past eight years. In addition, close to ten percent of all seniors surveyed use multiple mobility devices to help them walk. This, according to researchers, is driven by a number of factors. These include elderly individuals needing to continue moving around, and the fact that America’s population is indeed aging; many members of the Baby Boomer demographic, after all, are now at, or are nearing retirement age.

Social acceptance was another driving factor cited by study lead Nancy Geil from the University of Vermont. “It may also be that these devices are just more socially acceptable,” she opined. “Or that changes in the environment have improved accessibility for those who use them. Or that as people live longer there is simply more disability, and a growing need.” According to Geil’s study, mobility device usage among people aged 65 and up had gone up from 16 percent in 2004 to 24 percent in 2012, a significant increase in a span of only eight years. This figure may likely be higher at the present time, due to the aforementioned phenomenon of Baby Boomers hitting 65.

Still, there are some who expressed surprise at Geil’s findings. These include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center geriatric medicine fellow Dr. Lauren Gleason. “People are living longer,” she observed. “And there’s also more community knowledge about the risk of falling, which might have led to a greater acceptance of devices.” Gleason also noted that there are more seniors living in the community, as opposed to getting sent to nursing homes. According to her, this may also mean that there are more elderly Americans who are “probably living at home with higher disability and more need for help.”

Geil and her associates had taken data collected in 2011 and 2012 as part of the National Health and Aging Trends Study and compared it with data taken in a similar statistical report from 2004, the Health and Retirement Study. None of the seniors covered in the study had been institutionalized, and all were asked questions regarding visual impairment, balance and coordination, and pain-related complaints. They were also tested to see how well they can walk, carry things, bend, reach, grasp, or lift objects. The seniors were asked if they use any mobility device, what type of device they use, and whether they had fallen down, or at least expressed concern about falling down, over the past year.

While the study’s findings that almost a quarter of American seniors use mobility devices can be considered interesting, there were other important takeaways from the report. Researchers found that women are about 20 to 30 percent more likely to use these devices as compared to men, and that African-Americans and Hispanics were also more likely to use them. Those with a history of obesity, pain, and balance/coordination issues were, as expected, had a greater chance of using mobility devices than those without such issues.

Coolest Cooler asks backers for more money

A last-gasp effort to deliver some chill.

Coolest Cooleris the latest proof that there are a lot of interesting ideas on Kickstarter from companies that lack a planto execute them. The company set a funding record in 2014 with $13 million for a do-it-all cooler with a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, USB charger, cutting board and blender. However, it burned through the entire amount after shipping just a third of the products, showing that the tempting $185 price tag was way too generous. To complete orders, the company now says that existing backers (who already paid the full Kickstarter price) will have to pony up another $97 for "expedited" shipping of their Coolest Coolers.

CEO Ryan Grepper points out that the new, $282 total bill is still less than the $399 price the product sells for on Amazon, and guarantees delivery by July 4th. Even if backers aren't willing to pay, Grepper promises that "as long as there is breath in my body we are committed to getting each and every backer their Coolest Cooler." To do that, it plans on using profits from Amazon sales to finance backer coolers. That doesn't sit well with many backers, of course, since Amazon purchasers will receive coolers earlier than folks who ordered them years before. However, the company says it can ship one new cooler for every two to four retail sales.

As long as there is breath in my body we are committed to getting each and every backer their Coolest Cooler.

Some backers are philosophical about the problems. "I have backed quite a few projects on Kickstarter and each time I know it is a risk," says one. However, others have demanded refunds, expressed doubt that the product will ever ship and become downright hostile. According to Motherboard , one backer even doxxed company employees, who were then harassed and threatened. The company's marketing director Susan Towers, who calls the threats "egregious," says "you can call it a clusterfuck or whatever, but it's a Kickstarter. It's not an online store, it's a cooler. It's a party cooler."

It's time for the first Pokemon General Election

'Yes we Hitmonchan'.

Image credit: The Pokémon Company (Pikachu plush), Rick Wolff ( Hillvetica)

The Pokémon Company (Pikachu plush), Rick Wolff ( Hillvetica)

The world's first Pokémon electionis happening, and only one of the 720 candidates will be elected. In Japan, timed to promote the latest in a possibly never-ending series of movies, the company is holding an vote to choose one Pokémon -- which somehow apparently makes it different to the many popularity polls it's held before. ( Pikachuregularly does well, as do rare, powerful 'mon.) Voting, on adorable physical Poké-ballots, will be held in Pokémon Centers and Toys 'R Us stores across Japan, while residents will also be able to vote online on their 3DS through Japan's network of Seven-Eleven convenience stores and its WiFi hub.

There is one thing voters should factor into their decision -- and it's not the fictional candidates position on healthcare -- the winner will become a free download for theater goers that bring their 3DS (and a copy of Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire ). Voting kicks off tomorrow through May 8th.

Play Doom's open beta all weekend on PS4, Xbox One and Steam

Play as a demo, play with rocket launchers -- and you have the whole weekend to do it.

As promised, Doom 's multiplayer open beta has arrived. It's been available to download the past few days and now you can actually play the thing. Contents include two maps and two play mode (team deathmatch and warpath), while weapons range from plasma rifles, to shotguns, lightning gunsand (yes) rocket launchers. The Gauss Cannon also makes an appearance as a power weapon, and you'll even be able to play as a demon, if that's your choice in life. It's live starting today on PS4, Xbox One and Steam.

It's going to be a busy month for betas: Overwatch's own is happening right now, while both GOW4 andwill kick off next week.

Building my perfect dictatorship in 'Democracy 3: Africa'

Breathing fresh life into an already great game.

Positech's Democracy game series has always offered a grotesque caricature of politics. I've put tens of hours into Democracy 3 ( D3 ) in recent years, and the lesson I've learned is that what starts as a nuanced game about balancing policies to keep a society happy more often than not devolves into a hilariously entertaining social-engineering simulator. This week, the one-man British developer released a standalone expansion to the game titled Democracy 3: Africa ( D3:A ), and the changes it brings add a whole new dimension to the series.

At first glance, D3:A is just as utterly impenetrable as the game it's based on. You're presented with a wall of bubbles that can be roughly divided into three categories -- policies, statistics and situations -- and a central set of charts that represent voter groups. Hovering over a group shows what's affecting it positively and negatively. Your job is to make everyone happy while keeping your finances in order.

The key to understanding any Democracy title is to grasp that bubbles are deeply interconnected, and that each voter falls in more than one group. No individual is just liberal or just religious; she is many things, and keeping your electorate happy is all about equilibrium. You'll never make every group totally happy, but you can make nuanced choices that'll keep them content enough.

Sorry, your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Look at a problem, identify the cause and implement a solution.

If people get extremely upset with you, they'll peel away from regular activism groups into extremism. Think: Greenpeace vs. the Earth Liberation Front. These activists are highly dangerous, and if their needs are left unchecked, they will assassinate you. On top of all that, there are also ministers to keep happy, random world events that affect your country, quarterly dilemmas to act on and international relationships to maintain. Oh, and there are global recessions that can destroy your country's finances if you don't pay attention to them. You haven't felt dread until you've had your credit rating downgraded to a "B."

So those are the core mechanics of D3 . It's not an accurate simulation of politics in any shape or form. Instead, it's a political-strategy game -- one that takes an idealistic view of the world. The lure of striking those balances to push your ideals on a nation is what made D3 so popular (it sold 500,000 copies) that Positech could afford to build a school in Africa.

D3:A is so different because the needs and issues of developing nations are vastly dissimilar to those of the Western countries featured in the original. Voter groups have been moved around, with urbanites, country-dwellers, the elderly and women now tracked for the first time. Press freedom, the right to protest and ideals of democracy itself are now modifiable and tracked, and you'll face regional health issues, urbanization problems and struggles with basic infrastructure.

To explain how this might pan out, in the original D3 you might start as prime minister of Britain and be tasked with fixing the dire situations of alcoholism, homelessness and an uncompetitive economy. Start D3:A , as I did, as the leader of Mauritius, and your immediate worry will be power blackouts, general strikes and a cynical natural disaster. And that's the easiest country to manage by far.

After failing miserably several times -- the first few in-game years in any D3:A campaign are severe -- I eventually settled on Kenya as a site for my utopia. Among other concerns, my first issues as president were foreign intelligence destabilization, an HIV epidemic, female genital mutilation, armed robbery, organized crime and even my own military interfering in daily rule. Let's take my Kenya game as an example. People were very, very unhappy, and I needed to choose which issues to tackle in what order.

The start screen for the Kenya scenario. Red bubbles are negative situations, green positive.

This meant prioritizing smaller problems over the big issues -- fixing an HIV epidemic probably would be my first point of order in real life, but I knew it would take years to see any positive political effects there. Instead, I started with the armed-robbery problem. I first increased the police budget -- a change that goes through quickly -- and set up a community police force. Everyone will appreciate crime rates falling, but using more authoritarian tactics like armed police, security cameras or torture would upset too many voters.

Over the next few turns (each turn represents a three-month period) both environmentalists and feminists began to radicalize, so I spent most of my time and political capital implementing low-cost policies to curb extremism. A nationwide door-to-door recycling service, (admittedly weak) gender diversity quotas and a ban on genital mutilation did the trick, but not before I'd survived two assassination attempts. I also invested heavily in science funding, which would ultimately help ease the HIV epidemic and improve the economy, and reacted to a random event by starting a campaign encouraging safe sex, which, incidentally, helped lower HIV rates considerably.

Of course, religious types weren't happy with what they saw as encouraging casual sex, so I had to delay my plan to make abortions more accessible. Instead I focused on kickstarting the economy, offering grants to small-business owners, while at the same time tackling pollution by encouraging home renewable-energy generation. Unfortunately, after a few quarters, I had more problems to solve, and some extremely unhappy patriots. Life's tough when you're running a developing nation, and D3:A is much tougher than its predecessor. It's also more nuanced; where in D3 you could dial policies up to the max and quickly engender change, here you must be very careful to keep a balance. Expect to be assassinated several times before you figure out how to make it into your second or third year as leader.

Expect to be assassinated several times before you figure this game out

This nuance leads to some tough decisions. Child labor was common in Kenya when I took over, but following my instinct to ban it entirely would have serious ramifications for the poor and those living in rural areas who relied on the income their children generated. Likewise, maternity leave was only at half-pay when I took office, but giving women full pay -- although great for improving gender equality -- would enable them to take more time off work, seriously reducing productivity. At the time, I was running a small deficit and just couldn't afford to take the hit.

If you can make it through your first term and get reelected, things settle down a little. It's likely that more than half of your population ( D3:A is based on a two-party system) is happy, and with those confidence levels you'll have more political capital to implement policies. You'll still be faced with tough decisions, but you can start being sneakier and leading your electorate to change their views. Offer up rural development grants, and more people move to the countryside -- meaning positive policies in that area will have a wider reach. Push evolution over creationism in schools, and the number of religious people in your society will decrease; boost funding to your national health service, and the number of state employees rises. By making tweaks like these, you can completely change the political compass of your country.

But for this to work, you need time. I was approaching the end of my second and final term as president when I decided I wasn't quite finished implementing my grand vision for the country. I then made two decisions that sent me down a path of no return. First, I changed the constitution of Kenya, allowing me to run for president as many times as I deemed fit. This made liberals unhappy -- and they were pretty miffed at some of my recent decisions already. The problem was, I didn't really have any money in the budget to make a bold play at winning their favor back. And besides, anything I did to please liberals would only upset conservatives.

So I clicked on the bubble that said "press freedom," and set the slider within to "none."

The liberals were not pleased, but this action boosted the happiness of everyone in the country so much that it didn't even matter. The press were now peddling propaganda that boosted people's opinion of me and our glorious country. One thing that both my changes did affect negatively was my Democracy score, which, you guessed it, feeds into the Dictatorship score -- a new metric for D3:A . As uncomfortable as that made me, my citizens seemed happy, generally. I had some problems with trade unions a few turns later, and decided to ban the right to demonstrate. Democracy was slowly slipping from my grasp, and the liberals, as silent as I'd made them, had never been unhappier. I then fell upon a novel thought: With my critics largely silenced, I could finally create the liberal, egalitarian society I dream of at night.

I could finally create the liberal, egalitarian society I dream of at night

This simple dial sent me on a path of no return.

Luckily, becoming a dictator does wonders for your political capital, effectively doubling the number of policies you can implement each turn; no one's going to stop you, after all. Rather than role-playing as an evil dictator, though, I made broad reforms, outlawing race discrimination, establishing human-rights and nature-conservation authorities and even devolving many powers down to local governments.

I then invested heavily to boost the economy, establishing a large budget surplus and slowly improving our credit rating. I used the increased income to pump money into our schools and libraries, and beautiful things started to happen. Residential credit facilities began to spring up, responsibly lending to those with aspirations of a better life. A stock exchange was established, and we became a technological powerhouse. I then began to tackle the ails of the poorest in our society, outlawing child labor and introducing food stamps, free school meals and extensive legal aid to help families hit by the ban.

In 2059, Kenya's major problems have all been solved, thanks to my leadership.

I'm now in my 43rd year as president, looking out across my fine country. We haven't quite gotten over the issues presented by mass urbanization and overcrowding, but our country has never been happier. Foreign aid might have dried up decades ago, but under my firm leadership we've erased public debt and have $11 billion in the bank. In fact, we're so prosperous that we're giving out $51 million in foreign aid each year.

One-hundred percent of our country's employees work for the state, many on rockets and satellites for our new space program. Religion, trade unions and crime have been eradicated almost entirely. Things couldn't be better in Kenya. One day, I might decide to let people protest. Or re-establish the free press. Maybe I'll even let families have more than one child. My citizens would never rebel against their fine leader, would they?

On second thought, I probably have a few more terms in me.

'Democracy 3: Africa' is available for PC, Mac and Linux now on Steam or through the developer's website. It also supports creating actual democracies.

Teenage Binge Drinking Can Negatively Affect the Adult Brain, Study Shows

You may not think of it much as a teenager, but all that binge drinking won’t do you any good once you reach adulthood.

You may not think of it much as a teenager, but all that binge drinking won’t do you any good once you reach adulthood. That’s what was revealed on a new study on rats that seemingly proves adult brains affected by teenage binge drinking act differently than adult brains of those who weren’t into such activities in their youth.

According to the study, adult brains that were regularly exposed to wild drinking escapades during adolescent and teenage years tend to show structural and functional abnormalities in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that’s typically associated with learning and memory. The researchers had served alcohol to young rats whose brains were still developing, and it was discovered that they had memory problems and other issues once they reached adulthood. These include attention deficit and poor judgment, and an inability to learn new skills for themselves.

But what constitutes as binge drinking anyway? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines the term as drinking that increases an individual’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams per deciliter or more. For men, this would usually be five drinks or more, and for women, this would be four or more drinks, all within the span of two hours. And about 90 percent of all juvenile drinking sessions among individuals aged under 21 involves some form of binge drinking or another.

“In the eyes of the law, once people reach the age of 18, they are considered adult, but the brain continues to mature and refine all the way into the mid-20s,” said study lead Mary-Louise Risher of the Duke Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “It’s important for young people to know that when they drink heavily during this period of development, there could be changes occurring that have a lasting impact on memory and other cognitive functions.”

Study – Kids’ Television Ads Don’t Make for Healthy Viewing

Results of a new study suggest that most commercials viewed on television programs geared toward children under age 12 feature junk food.

According to lead researcher Melanie Hingle from the University of Arizona, it isn’t a surprise at all that most foods shown on commercials on children’s TV shows do not comply with previously proposed nutrition guidelines for kids under 12. “It’s very politically charged,” said Hingle in an interview with Reuters Health. “The take home message is really not about what would be or could be, but that this independent group of experts in different communities said these are guidelines that make sense nutritionally, and hardly any of these ads meet these guidelines.” She added that current food ads on kids’ TV programs “are not passing any kind of muster.”

It was in 2011 when an Interagency Working Group on Foods Marketed to Children (IWG) had proposed nutritional standards for foods advertised to children. This group consisted of several federal agencies, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration. Their proposal was that foods would be limited to just one gram or less of saturated fat, less than 0.05 grams of trans fat, 210 milligrams or less of sodium, and 13 grams or less of added sugars, all on a per-serving basis.

As compliance was to be voluntary, results of Hingle’s study are disappointing, if a bit mixed in some regards. Based on recordings of 103 children’s TV shows, with a sampling of 354 food ads shown between February and April 2013, 90 percent met IWG’s guidelines for trans fat. Only 60 to 70 percent met sodium and saturated fat guidelines, while a paltry 20 percent met the added sugar guidelines. All told, just two percent of these ads met each and every IWG guideline.

“These companies make a lot of healthy, high quality foods as well, if they could just shift their advertising,” said Hingle. “Advertising does influence kids’ asking behaviors and consumption.”

Scientists harness mobile gamers to build a quantum computer

Danish researchers built the title 'Quantum Moves' to harness our innate ability to solve fluid dynamics problems.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Shutterstock

If anyone tells you that playing computer games is a waste of time, you can now offer up a raised middle digit without any guilt. After all, mobile title Quantum Moves isn't just a way to kill an hour, but is actually helping a group of Danish scientists build a quantum computer. The team out of Aarhaus University studied how people played the game in order to crowdsource people's knowledge of how liquid behaves. It turns out that the human brain is far better at solving complicated problems about transporting water than a room full of supercomputers.

Quantum Moves asks you to move a quantity of volatile fluid that's balanced upon a bendable line, from one side of the screen to the other. You do this by manipulating the line up and down, cajoling the droplets to roll across towards the target. It may seem simple, but that's because humans have an innate ability to understand physics in a way that no existing computer can. In technical-speak, it's because our minds develop "low-dimensional heuristic strategies" that can out-think a number-crunching box.

Since launching the game, the team has been analyzing how people move the liquid around by manipulating the wire. The solutions that people have come up with are significantly more efficient than existing, software-driven methods. It's thought that this knowledge can be used to help push the volatile atoms around inside a quantum computer, since the dynamics are the same. All we can say that between Portal making us smarter and Quantum Moves cresting new fields of scientific research, we feel much more justified playing a few rounds of Fifa 15 this evening.

Minecraft: Education Edition' launches this June

'Minecraft: Education Edition' launches this June
There will also be a blocky beta come May.

Image credit: Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft's official Minecraft: Education Edition will begin its life in an early access program (kind of like how the original game did) in June. The idea hereis to allow educators a chance to give the blocky building game a test run over summer break so they can see how it'd fit into their curriculums, providing feedback along the way. This will also help in the development of additional lesson plans.

The folks in Redmond have a few available so far including a tour of Temple of Artemis, Pyramids of Gizaor Anderson Shelters used to protect from bombs during World War II. It'll be a free download for both OS X and Windows in a few months, but a beta version will launch in May with some 100 schools from 30 countries.

BAFTA winner 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture' hits PC Thursday

It's been a good month for The Chinese Room.

You really should check out the Rapture . The Chinese Room's celebrated exploration game, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture , lands on Steamfor PC on Thursday, April 14th, at a price of $20 (£16). It debuted on PlayStation 4 in August and we took it for a spinlive on Twitch that month. For a game set in a small abandoned village, it's filled with drama and adventure as players attempt to uncover the mysteries hidden in the rural land.

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is also a certified award-winner: It picked up BAFTA awardsin the Audio Achievement, Music and Performer categories last week. Plus, the game made it to our list of titles we lovedin 2015, which is the real award.

This is your daily reminder that *cough* triple-BAFTA-winner *cough* Rapture is coming to Steam THIS THURSDAY: https://t.co/evxilSBAwi

— The Chinese Room (@ChineseRoom) April 11, 2016

Study – ADHD diagnosis rates are higher for kids born in August

A new Taiwanese study suggests that the month in which a child was born could determine when they would be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

According to the research, preschool and school-age children born in the month of August were more likely of being diagnosed with ADHD and receiving medication for their condition, as compared to children born in the month of September. Interestingly, this wasn’t the case when it came to teenagers.

Due to the fact that August 31 is the cutoff birthdate for children entering school, kids born in August tend to be the youngest in their grades; conversely, kids born in September are the oldest. Considering that, the researchers believe that a child’s age in relation to their classmates in the same grade could play a huge role in the diagnosis of ADHD and prescription of medication for the condition.

The study was based on data from a Taiwanese health insurance database of about 380,000 schoolchildren ranging in age from 4 to 17. Working from birth month to birth month, the researchers calculated the share of children diagnosed with ADHD, and also calculated the share of those who were given anti-ADHD medication over a 14-school year period. Lead author Dr. Mu-Hong Chen of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital pointed out that children in the same grade level are typically close to a year apart in age, with students born right before the August 31 cutoff being younger and less mature than those, for instance, who were born in September of the previous year.

The study revealed that preschool and school-age children born in August were 1.65 times likelier to be diagnosed with ADHD, and 1.73 times more likely to be given medication, when compared to children born in September. As Chen stressed, this is due to children born in August typically being the youngest in their grade level.

Earlier ADHD research in North America had hinted at similar trends, that the youth of a student in relation to his or her grade could play a factor in the likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis and medication. Chen believes that his team’s findings do mesh with studies from the U.S. and Canada, and are similar to those from Western countries in general.

Chen, however, admitted that he was not surprised that there was no significant difference in ADHD diagnosis rates between teenagers born in August and those born in September. He said that relative age per grade has a bigger impact on younger children than on adolescents, as the difference in neurocognitive development tends to decrease as children become older and more mature.

Amazon films make it to Cannes' 2016 lineup

The film festival doesn't typically screen video-on-demand-backed titles.

Among all the titles that Cannes is screening at this year's film festival, five aren't like the rest. They're Amazon movies, see, and Cannes is known for refusing to showcase films made for screens smaller than a cinema's. According to The Hollywood Reporter , Amazon will release the festival's opener, Woody Allen's Cafe Society , in the US. It also has rights to three films vying for Palme d'Or, namely The Neon Demon by Nicolas Winding Refn, Paterson by Jim Jarmusch and The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook, who also directed Oldboy . The fifth title is Jarmusch's Gimme Danger , which documents the life and music of Iggy Pop.

These moviemakers are festival regulars -- Allen's films, for instance, are typically reserved for opening night. They're not names you'd be surprised to see in the screening lineup. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, Cannes might merely be following their lead instead of truly opening its doors to streaming-service-backed titles. That's somehow supported by what festival director Thierry Fremaux pointed out to the publication: while it's true that Amazon has the rights to these films, they will be shown in theaters first.

BAFTA winner 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture' hits PC Thursday

It's been a good month for The Chinese Room.

You really should check out the Rapture . The Chinese Room's celebrated exploration game, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture , lands on Steamfor PC on Thursday, April 14th, at a price of $20 (£16). It debuted on PlayStation 4 in August and we took it for a spinlive on Twitch that month. For a game set in a small abandoned village, it's filled with drama and adventure as players attempt to uncover the mysteries hidden in the rural land.

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is also a certified award-winner: It picked up BAFTA awardsin the Audio Achievement, Music and Performer categories last week. Plus, the game made it to our list of titles we lovedin 2015, which is the real award.

This is your daily reminder that *cough* triple-BAFTA-winner *cough* Rapture is coming to Steam THIS THURSDAY: https://t.co/evxilSBAwi

— The Chinese Room (@ChineseRoom) April 11, 2016

Report – Cancer Spending Exceeded $100 Billion in 2014

Statistics from IMS Health show that global spending on oncology drugs had increased another $10.3 percent in 2014 to top the $100 billion mark, and spending may likely rise to $147 billion by 2018.

As treatments improve and cancer survival rates increase, global spending on medication was slightly over $100 billion in 2014, a substantial increase over the $75 billion spent in 2010. This was one of the many takeaways from the Global Oncology Trend Report 2015, a statistical report released yesterday by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

“The increased prevalence of most cancers, earlier treatment initiation, new medicines and improved outcomes are all contributing to the greater demand for oncology therapeutics around the world,” said IMS Health senior vice president Murray Aitken in a statement. He also serves as executive director of IMS’ Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

According to IMS’ stats, America has the biggest share of cancer spending, contributing 42.2 percent, while Europe, primarily France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, is not that far behind. In 2010, these five markets combined for a 13.3 percent share of total drug spending, with this figure going up to 28 percent. The United States’ total drug spending share – not just for cancer drugs – also went up over the same period, rising from 10.7 percent to 11.3 percent.

Between 2010 and 2014, pharmaceutical firms have produced a total of 45 new drugs for 53 users. Ten new drugs, including five biologic therapies, were released in the global market in 2014. As for the variables that drove the rise in cancer drug spending, earlier diagnosis, longer treatments, and more effective drugs were all contributors as cited by IMS. Survival rates, on the other hand, have been rising steadily over the past two decades.

“We’ve made huge progress from a scientific perspective in understanding cancer,” Aitken continued in his statement. “It’s not a single disease but so many sub-diseases. We’re at the edge of a major breakthrough in terms of cancer treatment. It’s a very exciting time.”

WHO Says Everyone with HIV Should Get Treatment ASAP

The United Nations health agency changed its guidelines Wednesday, now allowing any patient who has tested positive for HIV to get immediate treatment.

Earlier guidelines had limited treatment eligibility only to sufferers whose immune systems were affected to a certain extent, with the patient showing certain symptoms within a given period of time. However, recent studies had proven that immediate treatment can extend a patient’s life, even if they do not show the aforementioned symptoms. Research has also shown that this could reduce the chance of people transmitting HIV to others.

In a statement, the U.N.’s World Health Organization announced that it will be removing “all limitation on eligibility for antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV,” adding that all populations and age groups would be able to receive treatment. This means that all of the world’s HIV patients – all 37 million of them – should qualify for immediate treatment. This is, however, not a plausible recommendation in poorer nations, where most patients don’t even have decent access to medication. Prior to the new recommendation, at least 28 million people were eligible for anti-HIV treatment.

“The new guideline stresses that in order to effectively implement the recommendations, countries will need to ensure that testing and treatment for HIV infection are readily available,” the WHO added in its statement.

The WHO’s guidelines also state that preventive antiretroviral treatment be given to any and all people who have a “substantial” risk of acquiring HIV. This is a change from the previous guidelines that had recommended such treatment only to men who have sex with other males. The WHO noted that the change was made following “further evidence of the effectiveness and acceptability” of pre-exposure prophylaxis as a preventive measure.

The WHO’s expanded scope, to be specific, also includes sex workers, intravenous drug users, and those who may have HIV-infected partners. And the operative word in the revisions is “substantial” – this is a downgrading of the risk needed in the previous guidelines to justify antiretroviral medication. Men who have sex with men have long been classified under this “high risk” category.

All in all, the UN believes that the more comprehensive guidelines could save up to 21 million lives and prevent 28 million new cases from taking place by 2030.

Although the WHO’s move has been lauded by anti-HIV/AIDS advocates as a move long overdue, they also acknowledged that a lot of funding would be needed, and education, among other tools, would also be required to make things work properly. “HIV care has to move out of clinics and into the communities with mobilized, empowered and engaged people living with HIV that actually are part of the response. This will need effort and money,” said Doctors without Borders director Dr. Tom Ellman. “Nobody’s going to end AIDS with business as usual.”

The issue of funding does appear to be a touchy one, considering the premium prices of most pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs, such as Truvada. These drugs typically cost about $13,000 per year, and aren’t covered by all state Medicare programs. However, HIV and AIDS activists have been working hard to come up with ways to make these drugs more affordable to the average sufferer.

2016 Cadillac CTS-V Packs 632 Horses, Will Cost Nearly $85K

Cadillac has revealed pricing information for the car it claims is its most powerful, highest-performance vehicle yet, the 2016 CTS-V.

Cadillac has revealed pricing information for the car it claims is its most powerful, highest-performance vehicle yet, the 2016 CTS-V. And while it will cost a bit less than competing sedans from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it’s still going to cost a comparative fortune for the average buyer, with a base price of $84,990 including destination charges.

With that money, you’ll get the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V with its brand-new design and a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that may be familiar for anyone who knows their Corvettes. Indeed, the engine is similar to the Corvette Z06’s power plant, and it is capable of an impressive 640 horsepower and 630 lb/ft. torque. As a point of comparison, the previous CTS-V’s engine only produced 556 horses and 551 lb/ft. The new CTS-V’s engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while owners can enjoy a smooth and easy ride thanks to the car’s new-generation Magnetic Ride Control.

In addition to the powerful engine and smooth ride, 2016 Cadillac CTS-V owners also get a carbon fiber hood, 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, Brembo brakes, and a cushy interior with microfiber suede accents. Optional features include 20-way adjustable Recaro seats, a Performance Data Recorder (yet another Corvette parallel), a suede covered steering wheel and shifter, and a two-panel panoramic sunroof. You can also add on a luxury package with heated rear seats, rear sunshades, climate control, and more.

Buyers can now place their orders for the new CTS-V, which will be out in dealerships by summer 2015.

Extract from “Thunder God Vine” Could Be Instrumental in Combating Obesity

A new study claims that celastrol, an extract from the Chinese “thunder god vine,” could be helpful in controlling obesity and helping people lose weight.

Researchers conducted tests with a number of mice, with some of them given high doses of celastrol. As it turned out, those who ingested a high amount of celastrol consumed as much as 80 percent less food, and lost as much as 45 percent of their weight in just three weeks’ time. That’s because the extract was proven to enhance leptin, a hormone that helps suppress appetite. Leptin is responsible for telling the brain that the body is full, and previous studies have shown that humans and mice without leptin tend to eat much more and become obese. However, celastrol is the first substance found to be capable of ending leptin resistance.

“During the last two decades, there has been an enormous amount of effort to treat obesity by breaking down leptin resistance, but these efforts have failed,” said Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School endocrinologist Umut Ozcan. “The message from this study is that there is still hope for making leptin work, and there is still hope for treating obesity. If Celastrol works in humans as it does in mice, it could be a powerful way to treat obesity and improve the health of many patients suffering from obesity and associated complications, such as heart disease, fatty liver, and type 2 diabetes.”

Still, Ozcan warned that celastrol may not be the cure-all it appears to be, as it has only been tested in mice, but not on humans. He says that the thunder god vine has other compounds that may make it dangerous for people to ingest thunder god vine extracts as a weight loss agent.

Next Nissan GT-R may include hybrid option

An unverified report suggests that the next-generation Nissan GT-R will offer something new for fans of the popular sports car – a hybrid powertrain.

Despite the potential inclusion of a hybrid engine option, the report hints that Nissan may want to challenge the likes of the McLaren P1, taking the supercar into hypercar territory if that will be the case. Speaking to AutoGuide , Nissan insider and North American GT-R Owners Club co-founder Matt McCulloh expressed his thoughts on the newly-refreshed GT-R, while teasing some information on the next-generation “R36” version, which may be coming in 2020.

“It looks very much like a car that exists in 2016 versus the original design in 2007,” said McCulloh, echoing what many people felt about the refreshed model’s “evolutionary” design. “It’s almost nine model years old now, and they did very specific things to make it more competitive with some of the other trends you’re seeing in the industry. Overall, it’s a sharper, more angular car in general.”

While defending Nissan’s approach in keeping the 2016 GT-R very similar to what we’ve seen from the car since 2007, McCulloh added some vital information on the next-gen version, saying that that car may be “revolutionary” this time around, with a strong likelihood that it will be a two-seater. But more importantly, he leaked out some information about the next-gen GT-R’s potential powertrain.

“The R36 will go upmarket and upscale,” he noted. “It will be a straight supercar and more along the lines of a Porsche 918. It’s obviously a forgone conclusion that it will probably be a hybrid.” McCulloh believes this shouldn’t be a cause for concern among supercar and GT-R fans, as the car has “always been about cutting-edge technology,” and Nissan may really need to start playing the hybrid game if it wants the GT-R to remain competitive.

With the Nissan GT-R now expected to be taking on the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and other similar hybrid supercars with some flat-out performance, McCulloh said that the car will still be relatively inexpensive compared to the competition. Considering that the current GT-R costs around $100,000, he predicted a price point closer to $150,000 to $200,000 for the base model. “I don’t see it starting below $150,000,” he added.

More Type 2 Diabetes Patients Can Benefit from Surgery Rather than Lifestyle Changes

Individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes typically would do better following weight loss surgery, as compared to simply undertaking lifestyle changes, according to a new study.

According to lead researcher Anita Courcoulas of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the key takeaways of the study is that there is “durability of remission over time.” Separate studies had suggested that weight loss surgery sometimes yields improvement in the condition of type 2 diabetes patients, but none of those previous studies had proven that surgery is a better option than lifestyle change, which Courcoulas and her fellow researchers had tried to prove.

Additionally, only a few of these studies had taken a look at how effective weight loss surgery can be for individuals with diabetes and class 1 or 2 obesity, with the latter referring to people with a body mass index of 30 to 39; weight loss surgery is usually recommended to those with a BMI of 40 or more.

In the new study, participants were randomly given one of three treatments, the first being thorough lifestyle intervention for one year followed by lower-intensity changes for two years, the second and third being different types of weight loss surgery. The second group received Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, while the third group got laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery, or LAGB. Patients from the latter two groups got the same level of low-level lifestyle changes as the non-surgery group got, also for a span of two years.

As it was revealed, 40 percent and 29 percent respectively of patients in the RYGB and LAGB groups had at least partial remission. The rate of patients in the lifestyle change group that had partial remission or more was less than 1 percent. Additionally, three RYGB patients and one LAGB patient had their diabetes completely cured.

Still, more observation needs to be done in the coming years to fully conclude that surgery beats lifestyle intervention in treating type 2 diabetes. “We’ll be able to see what the remissions look like at five and seven years,” said Courcoulas. “I think that’s the next step in this field.”

More leaks, info revealed on next-gen Porsche Panamera

Another spy photo of the upcoming Porsche Panamera has emerged, and it looks virtually identical to a spy photo that was leaked last week, but with a few additional clues revealed.

As seen on an accompanying video, a look at the quad exhaust tips and the outsized brakes on the car suggest that it’s the Turbo variant being tested. The car’s design appears to be more evolutionary than revolutionary, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the rear design appears to be sleeker than the outgoing version. Headlights and taillights, however, were noticeably camouflaged, while the spy photos didn’t include any photos of the interior cabin.

The upcoming Panamera, which will be sold as a 2017 model, seems very likely to be lighter and slimmer than the outgoing model. For comparison’s sake, the outgoing Turbo weighs in at 4,343 pounds – quite heavy by Porsche standards – and with a lighter design, that should allow Porsche to improve on an area where it normally excels, namely the car’s performance.

The new Porsche Panamera is scheduled to make its debut at the Paris auto show in October of this year, according to an exclusive from Automotive News Europe . The report claims that the second-generation Panamera would be underpinned by Volkswagen’s MSB platform, which is lighter and more economical, and also expected to underpin cars from VW’s other brands, including Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini.

Reports have yet to confirm any information on the new Panamera’s powertrain options, but the current Turbo comes with a 4.8-liter V8 engine rated at 520 horsepower and 517 lb/ft. torque, while the Turbo S adds 50 horsepower and 37 lb/ft. That higher-performance model is able to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds, and can go at a top speed of 193 mph. Pricing has not yet been confirmed, but base pricing on the existing model is 83,277 euros in Germany, with VAT included.

Early spring means early bear season in Minnesota

Bear season may be starting uncharacteristically early in certain parts of the U.S., including Minnesota.

Bear season may be starting uncharacteristically early in certain parts of the U.S., including Minnesota. That’s due to the early, warm spring the U.S. is experiencing at the moment, according to officials from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Officials are warning residents not to leave food out in areas that may attract nearby bears. “With a warm spring so far, we’re already getting calls about bears out rummaging for food,” said Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife animal damage program supervisor Eric Nelson in a statement. “However, leaving food out in yards that can be eaten by bears sets the stage for potential property damage and presents dangers to bears.”

The only bears living in the Minnesota wild are black bears. These creatures usually tend to be reclusive, and would run away when confronted. As such, attacks on humans are rare, but Minnesota residents are also being warned not to pet the bears or even as much as approach them; the animals can be dangerous when attacking, due to their size, strength, and speed. And they may also be looking for food, even if it’s dog food or food scraps in garbage bins, as they may be lacking conventional food resources in the woods.

The Minnesota DNR also offered residents several tips for avoiding dangerous encounters with bears. Food from barbecues and outdoor picnics should never be left outside, especially overnight; this also applies to food in coolers, and barbecue grills should also be cleaned and stored inside after use. Hummingbird feeders should be replaced with hanging flower baskets, which attract hummingbirds in a similar way. Bird feeders should be removed, or hung up ten feet up and four feet out from the nearest trees, with a rope-and-pulley system in place for refilling. Also, pet food should be kept inside the house, and fruit should be picked from trees once ripe.

In addition to those tips (more can be found here), as the Minnesota DNRhas a list of online tools and resources, including a handy office locator.

Kia to Recall Almost 87,000 Fortes Due to Fire Hazard

Kia Motors America announced over the weekend that it is recalling almost 87,000 Forte sedans from the 2014 model year, as a result of equipment that could pose a fire risk to the vehicles.

Kia Motors America announced over the weekend that it is recalling almost 87,000 Forte sedans from the 2014 model year, as a result of equipment that could pose a fire risk to the vehicles. 2014 was a big year for recalls, as millions of vehicles were sent back to dealerships, with news of new recalls taking up space on automotive reports from January to December. Many of these recalls were related to General Motors’ ignition switch problems, which had been a big press relations disaster for the automaker.

Photo credit: Kia

Still, a lot of the recalls were initiated due to increasing pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as the federal agency sought to ensure more transparency among automakers when it comes to safety risks. And with 2015 having just started, the recalls are continuing, this time involving Korean automaker Kia.

The recall affects Kia Forte sedans manufactured between December 5, 2012 and April 17, 2014, and according to reports, the exact issue is a cooling fan resistor that could overheat and melt in affected cars. This could pose a serious fire hazard should the resistor end up melting. No injuries or casualties have been reported in relation to the recall.

As usual, repairs on affected Fortes will be done free of charge, though Kia has yet to confirm a hard date for the recalls to start. The company is expected to send out notifications on February 24, and owners of 2014 Fortes are encouraged to call Kia at 1-800-333-4542 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

WWF says tiger population up by 700 in 2016

Good news for those concerned about the state of endangered tigers – there are now about 22 percent more, or an additional 700 tigers than there were at the start of the decade.

c/o WWF

Good news for those concerned about the state of endangered tigers – there are now about 22 percent more, or an additional 700 tigers than there were at the start of the decade. This marks the first time in close to a century that tiger counts have increased in the wild.

The World Wildlife Fund announced Sunday that there are now about 3,890 tigers in the wild, based on the organization’s latest checks on the animal’s worldwide counts. That’s close to 700 more than the estimated, record-low figure of 3,200 tigers in the wild as of 2010. According to the WWF, the growth in tiger count is mainly due to larger populations in several countries, including Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Russia; India happens to have more than half of the world’s tigers, with the count at 2,226 as of 2014. The organization also cited a few other drivers behind the increase in tigers, such as improved technology and tracking, and also ramped-up protection efforts from conservationist groups.

“This is a pivotal step in the recovery of one of the world’s most endangered and iconic species,” said WWF senior vice president of wildlife conservation Ginette Hemley. “Together with governments, local communities, philanthropists, and other NGOs, we’ve begun to reverse the trend in the century-long decline of tigers. But much more work and investment is needed if we are to reach our goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022.”

Tigers are considered an endangered species, and conservationists from around the world remain concerned about the continued threat of tiger poaching. This is especially prominent in Southeast Asia, where deforestation is also a danger to the animal’s habitat. But officials from around the world have pledged not only to increase the tiger population by 2022, but actually double it. There’s still lots of work to do, the WWF adds, but Sunday’s data is indeed an encouraging sign.

MESSENGER Probe Offers New Insight into Magnetic Fields in Mercury

Data from the recently crash-landed MESSENGER space probe suggests that Mercury’s magnetic field is close to four billion years old.

The probe had gone on a four-year mission to Mercury, orbiting the planet and gathering data that has since helped scientists understand more about the planet in our solar system closest to the Sun. In 2008 MESSENGER had flew by Mercury for the first time, about four years after it left Earth, and had been orbiting since 2011 before crashing into the planet due to a lack of fuel. Despite the fact that MESSENGER is no more, the new data published Thursday on the journal Science Express could prove interesting in the quest to learn of Mercury’s origins.

“The mission was originally planned to last one year; no one expected it to go for four,” said University of British Columbia planetary scientist Catherine Johnson, who leads a study analyzing this new data from MESSENGER. “The science from these recent observations is really interesting and what we’ve learned about the magnetic field is just the first part of it.”

Prior to the new findings, it was believed that Mercury’s magnetic field is similar to that of Earth, albeit much weaker. It’s also known that the planet is the only other one aside from Earth in the inner solar system to have such a magnetic field. But the age of this field had been a great unknown until the release of MESSENGER’s findings. These suggest that Mercury’s magnetic field is at least 3.7 to 3.9 billion years old, having formed less than a billion years after the planet formed 4.5 billion years ago.

“If we didn’t have these recent observations, we would never have known how Mercury’s magnetic field evolved over time,” Johnson added in a UBC press release. “It’s just been waiting to tell us its story.”

Flu an issue in Kentucky, but easing in Indiana

Influenza is still a significant problem in Kentucky, according to state officials who expect the flu issue to continue well into May.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health announced Wednesday that flu activity in the state has been “widespread” for the ninth straight week. This means flu-like activity and outbreaks of the disease reported in at least half of the state. According to KDPH senior deputy commissioner Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, people are still advised to get a flu vaccine if they haven’t gotten one yet. He added that the vaccine is still “in good supply,” and most health plans will cover it as part of their terms.

Meanwhile, in Indiana, flu season seems to be easing as expected, as Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital announced that it is lifting several restrictions for people who want to visit their loved ones. More people will be allowed to visit flu sufferers, including their children and friends. Previously, the hospital only allowed a maximum of two “essential adults” to visit per time, including immediate family members. Visitors under the age of 18, or visitors with flu-like symptoms, were not allowed to visit.

“We will continue to monitor the levels of patient volumes with flu-like symptoms, but at this time we believe the restrictions are no longer necessary,” said Jeff Bird, IU Health Ball Memorial chief medical and operating officer. “While the restrictions may have been difficult, we believe they were instrumental in helping us protect our patients, employees and community.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that this year’s flu season started out a little later, as compared to the previous three seasons. It has also been milder than what the agency had seen in recent years, CDC spokeswoman Lynette Brammer added. She added that patients remain susceptible to the influenza virus, even if the season is currently winding down, and should keep good hygiene in mind to avoid the illness.

A supernova once blasted the moon with radioactive iron

The material likely came from a dying star just 300 light-years away.

Stars are gigantic hydrogen bombsthat normally produce helium with little fuss. When the hydrogen is all gone, however, they implode, causing exotic new elements to be formed by the massive gravitational pressure. If a star is just the right size (eight to 15 times our sun's mass), it will go supernova, ejecting heavy, often unique isotopes into space. Researchers have found some of those isotopes on the moon, meaning that our solar system was once hit by dust from a supernova just a few hundred light years away.

Scientists studied rocks from several NASA moon landings between 1969 and '72, including Apollo missions 12, 15 and 16. Within those rocks, they found a radioactive iron isotope called 60Fe that is created almost exclusively in supernovas. The team was able to date the isotope to about 2 million years, based on its half-life of 2.62 million years. That corresponds well with the discovery of the same isotope here on Earth from Pacific Ocean crusts.

The moon's isotopes provide a better cosmic record than those found on earth, since they're not altered by passing through our atmosphere. As a result, scientists were able to deduce an upper limit for how much 60Fe reached the moon, and further calculate where it came from. "The measured 60Fe-flow corresponds to a supernova at a distance of about 300 light years," says Technical University of Munich researcher Dr. Gunther Korschinek.

That means that a Milky Way star not terribly far away went supernova, and the material actually hit our planet. Luckily, those particles were small when they arrived, and if it happens again, we will get a heads up. Supernova ejecta travel at one-tenth the speed of light, max, so if we happen to witness a similar explosion, the consequences won't hit us for at least 3,000 years.