Medical-Science News-

Medical News Good News for Kids Recovering From Complex Pneumonia In some good news for families of children recovering from complex pneumonia, doctors recommend in a study published by Pediatrics it’s better to send kids home from the hospital with oral instead of intravenous antibiotics. Appearing in the journa... – Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Pediatrics, Nov. 17, 2016 Embargo expired on 17-Nov-2016 at 00:05 ET GW Dermatologist Publishes Paper Highlighting Common Misdiagnosis for Fungal Skin Infection Fungal skin infections may be commonly misdiagnosed, according to a survey published by a George Washington University dermatologist in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. – George Washington University Embargo expired on 17-Nov-2016 at 08:00 ET Allergies During Pregnancy Contribute to Changes in the Brains of Rat Offspring A new study in rats could begin to explain why allergies during pregnancy are linked to higher risks for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism in children. – Ohio State University Embargo expired on 16-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET Study Links Mothers with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Kids with Epilepsy A new study shows a link between mothers with rheumatoid arthritis and children with epilepsy. The study is published in the November 16, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Rheumatoid arthritis ... – American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Embargo expired on 16-Nov-2016 at 16:00 ET Some Hog Workers Developing Drug-Resistant Skin Infections Linked to Livestock-Associated Staph New Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests that some workers at industrial hog production facilities are not only carrying livestock-associated, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their noses, but may also be developing s... – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health PLOS ONE Embargo expired on 16-Nov-2016 at 14:00 ET Updated ASTRO Guideline Expands Pool of Suitable Candidates for Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today issued an updated clinical practice statement for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) for early-stage breast cancer. – American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Queen’s Researcher Explores Best Treatments for Glaucoma Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast together with University of St Andrews and Aberdeen have found that the procedure used to remove cataracts is more successful than current standard treatments with laser in treating Primary Angle-Closure Gl... – Queen's University Belfast Fear of Gaining Weight May Influence Contraception Choices Concerns about weight gain may be driving contraception choices, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. – Penn State College of Medicine Improving Cryopreservation for a Longer-Lasting Blood Supply Freezing and reanimating your body is still science fiction, but cryopreserving cells and certain tissues for future use is a reality. Still, the process could use some improvements to make it more useful in emergencies. In a recent study in the jour... – American Chemical Society (ACS) ACS Omega Study Finds Employment of More Nurse Assistants in Hospitals Is Associated with More Deaths and Lower Quality Care Hospitals that employ more nurse assistants relative to the number of professionally qualified nurses have higher mortality rates, lower patient satisfaction, and poorer quality and safety of care, according to a new European study published today in... – University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing No Willpower Required: Families Adopt Healthy Behaviors Through Trial and Error Forgoing a reliance on motivation, families adopt healthy behaviors—eating better and exercising more—by following a new approach that focuses on the redesign of family daily routines. – Case Western Reserve University Pumping Iron: Weightlifting Helps Breast Cancer Survivors Avoid Complications A study, published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer, found that weightlifting can help women recovering from cancer treatment and avoid a side effect — called lymphedema — and also potentially reverse this type of swelling. – Florida State University Elderly Discovered with Superior Memory and Alzheimer’s Pathology New Northwestern Medicine research on the brains of individuals 90 years and older who had superior memories until their deaths revealed widespread and dense Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles in some cases, considered full-blown Alzheimer’s patholo... – Northwestern University Study Shows Newer Generation LVAD Is Associated with Better Outcomes for Heart Failure Patients at 6 Months A newer generation left ventricular assist device (LVAD) provides better outcomes for patients with advanced heart failure at six months compared to its predecessor, according to a new study. Researchers presented data from the MOMENTUM 3 trial at t... – New York-Presbyterian Hospital TSRI Researchers Show How Circadian ‘Clock’ May Influence Cancer Pathway A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) describes an unexpected role for proteins involved with our daily “circadian” clocks in influencing cancer growth. – Scripps Research Institute Molecular Cell; DK090188; DK097164; CA188652; NIGMS P41-GM103311; 15POST22510020 Researchers Receive Patent for Humanity Award Developing nations may soon be in a better position to finally conquer malaria, thanks to a team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine – Case Western Reserve University GW Researcher Publishes Review of New Payment Reforms in JAMA Cardiology As conventional fee-for-service models become less viable, cardiologists will need to participate in emerging payment models, according to a review published by GW researcher Steven Farmer, M.D., Ph.D., in the Journal of the American Medical Associat... – George Washington University E-Cigarettes May Harm Teens' Lung Health E-cigarette use among teenagers is growing dramatically, and public health experts are concerned that these devices may be a gateway to smoking. Now, new research indicates that even if these young e-cigarette users do not become tobacco smokers, e-c... – American Thoracic Society (ATS) American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Study Finds Arthritis Drug Significantly Effective in Treating Crohn’s Disease Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shown that ustekinumab, a human antibody used to treat arthritis, significantly induces response and remission in patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. Results of... – University of California San Diego Health Sciences New England Journal of Medicine How a Mediterranean-Style Diet May Reduce Heart Failure in the Aged In mouse experiments, researchers have shown how aging and excess dietary fat create signals that lead to heart failure after a heart attack. Clarifying the mechanism of this harmful pathway is important because nearly 5 million people in the United ... – University of Alabama at Birmingham Aging; AT006704 ; HL132989-01 National Multisite Study Led by NYU Langone Seeks New & Innovative Ways to Treat Shingles of the Eye NYU Langone receives $15 million for a five-year research grant from the National Eye Institute to evaluate treatment for shingles of the eye. – NYU Langone Medical Center Curb your appetite and avoid overeating this holiday season UAB registered dietitian Ashley Delk says to put away the stretchy pants and eat smart this holiday season. – University of Alabama at Birmingham Researching Proinsulin Misfolding to Understand Diabetes According to the World Health Organization, 422 million adults across the globe have diabetes. To help the growing patient population, researchers at the University of Michigan are going down to the molecular level. Here, they’re trying to determin... – University of Michigan Health System 20-Year Cancer Survivor Is Beating a Second Diagnosis: Pancreatic Cancer Ken Abernathy is very familiar with cancer. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1996 and managed his slow-growing disease until 2013, when he started having pains in the side of his abdomen. – UT Southwestern Medical Center How to Prevent 440,000 Yearly Deaths Due to Medical Errors The first Ph.D. program in health care quality and patient safety program in the country -- at Northwestern Medicine -- aims to prevent the annual 440,000 deaths from medical errors in the United States through innovative curriculum. – Northwestern University Out in the Rural: New Book Chronicles and Celebrates the History of the Nation’s First Rural Community Health Center in the Mississippi Delta A new book, "Out in the Rural: A Mississippi Health Center and Its War on Poverty," is discussed along with the health center movement at a publication launch event. – George Washington University Lung Cancer Screening Program Detects Cancer in Early Stages When It's Most Treatable The key to surviving lung cancer is to detect it early, when it is most treatable. Since Loyola Medicine began offering CT lung cancer screening to people at high risk, nearly 1,000 smokers have been screened and early-stage lung cancer was found in ... – Loyola University Health System Next-Generation Biomaterial Being Developed to Treat Bleeding Researchers at Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a biomaterial that has potential to protect patients at high risk for bleeding in surgery. – Mayo Clinic Science Translational Medicine The Medical Minute: Keeping Your Baby Safe While Sleeping Allowing an infant to sleep in your bed or putting blankets or stuffed animals in their crib could be tragic mistakes, increasing their child’s risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center November 2016 News Tips Late summer and early fall have brought an uptick in the number of cases of the polio-like paralytic disease acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) that has been affecting children in the U.S. While the disease is rare – there were 89 cases reported in the ... – UT Southwestern Medical Center Successful Targeted Injectable Chemotherapy Treatment for Dogs Could Lead to Human Trials Researchers are studying a new injectable chemo that has shown to be successful in canines. – University of Kansas Cancer Center To Beat Holiday Weight Gain, Create a Plan Ahead of Time With the holidays right around the corner, families are planning meals and trips to spend time with loved ones. With the food and travel, it is easy for exercise schedules to become disrupted. Steve Ball, associate professor of nutrition and exercise... Expert Available – University of Missouri Health Early Detection a Key Factor in Fight Against Type 2 Diabetes Roughly 86 million Americans have prediabetes, and the vast majority of them don’t even know they have it. But the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes is not inevitable, and there’s a simple blood test that can determine whether a per... Expert Available – Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Call for Nominations: The Endocrine Society’s Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism The Endocrine Society is calling for nominations for the 10th annual Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism. The award recognizes outstanding reporting that enhances public understanding of health issues pertaining to the field of end... – Endocrine Society ENDO 2017, Apr-2017 Internists: Join R-SCAN to Optimize Medical Imaging and Earn CME, MOC Credit Internists certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) can now earn Practice Assessment Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit and optimize medical imaging care by participating in the American College of Radiology (ACR) Radiology... – American College of Radiology (ACR) RLI Seeks Nominees for Annual Leadership Luminary Award The Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) is accepting nominations for its 2017 Leadership Luminary Award, an honorary designation given to outstanding radiology professionals to celebrate lifetime achievements embodying leadership and innovation. – American College of Radiology (ACR) GW Researchers Receive $2.2M Grant to Study HERV Expression in Cancer GW researchers received a $2.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to uncover why certain cancer types increase whereas others are unchanged or even decrease in those with HIV infection. – George Washington University UTHealth, Purdue Pharma Enter Long-Term Research & Education Alliance UTHealth and Purdue Pharma L.P. have entered into a specialized alliance to bring academic researchers and drug developers closer together with the common goals of accelerating the development of new drug therapies for patients while advancing the sc... – University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Radiation Oncology Institute Announces Inaugural Publication Awards for Radiation Oncology Research The Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) invites researchers to submit their work for its inaugural publication awards, which will recognize studies focused on the comparative value of radiation therapy (RT) in an effort to improve cancer outcomes whil... – American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Stritch School of Medicine 66th Annual Awards Dinner Celebrates Educating Next Generation of Physicians The Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine 66th Annual Awards Dinner will honor Patrick J. Stiff, MD, a Stritch alumnus and medical director of Loyola's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. – Loyola University Health System Getting Stroke Treatments to People Earlier to Prevent Debilitating Outcomes Under a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, a team of University of Michigan researchers and community partners is embarking on a novel project to increase acute stroke treatment rates ... – University of Michigan Health System Advancing Precision Medicine and Legal Ethics Topics at National Symposium Hosted by University of Utah Sessions will explore tackling cancer with precision medicine, the ethics of access and precision medicine, patenting precision medicine and other issues. The symposium comes as increased national attention is being paid to precision medicine, includ... – University of Utah Health Sciences Science News Walking Is Bound Hand and Foot We humans walk with our feet. This is true, but not entirely. Walking, as part of locomotion, is a coordinated whole-body movement that involves both the arms and legs. Researchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel and the Friedrich Miesch... – University of Basel Neuron (2016) Embargo expired on 17-Nov-2016 at 00:00 ET A Milestone in Small RNA Biology: piRNA Biogenesis From Start to Finish Organisms are in a constant battle against viruses, or transposable elements, which invade their genomes. Among their most effective weapons are silencing pathways that use small RNAs to selectively target invading nucleic acids for their destruction... – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology doi: 10.1038/nature20162 Embargo expired on 16-Nov-2016 at 12:00 ET Large Forest Die-Offs Can Have Effects That Ricochet to Distant Ecosystems Major forest die-offs due to drought, heat and beetle infestations or deforestation could have consequences far beyond the local landscape. Wiping out an entire forest can have significant effects on global climate patterns and alter vegetation on th... – University of Washington PLOS ONE Embargo expired on 16-Nov-2016 at 14:00 ET Looking for a City’s DNA? Try Its ATMs Automated teller machine keypads in New York City hold microbes from human skin, household surfaces, or traces of food, a study by researchers at New York University has found. The work shows that ATMs can provide a repository to offer a picture of a... – New York University mSphere Embargo expired on 16-Nov-2016 at 13:00 ET Which Genes Are Crucial for the Energy Metabolism of Archaea? Microorganisms like bacteria and archaea play an indispensable ecological role in the global geochemical cycles. A research team led by ERC prizewinner Christa Schleper from the Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology at the University of Vienn... – University of Vienna PNAS Where Cells Go: Mechanical and Chemical Cues Collaborate to Guide Them Living cells respond to biochemical signals by moving toward those at higher concentration, a process carefully mapped out by biologists over the past several decades. But cells also move in response to mechanical forces, such as bumping up against o... – Johns Hopkins Medicine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; R35GM118177 U-M Camera-Trap Project Captures Hundreds of Thousands of Michigan Wildlife Selfies University of Michigan wildlife ecologist Nyeema Harris and graduate student Corbin Kuntze are deep in the woods in the southeast corner of the U-M Biological Station, a 10,000-acre property at the northern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. – University of Michigan Solar Smart Window Could Offer Privacy and Light Control on Demand Smart windows get darker to filter out the sun's rays on bright days, and turn clear on cloudy days to let more light in. This feature can help control indoor temperatures and offers some privacy without resorting to aids such as mini-blinds. Now sci... – American Chemical Society (ACS) ACS Photonics Controversial Drug Approval Stirs Deep Concerns — and Hope In September, the Food and Drug Administration approved Exondys, a controversial treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy based on tenuous data from just 12 patients. The cover story in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of ... – American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemical & Engineering News Salty Snow Could Affect Air Pollution in the Arctic In pictures, the Arctic appears pristine and timeless with its barren lands and icy landscape. In reality, the area is rapidly changing. Scientists are working to understand the chemistry behind these changes to better predict what could happen to t... – American Chemical Society (ACS) Journal of Physical Chemistry A Fast-Cooking Dry Beans Provide More Protein, Iron Than ‘Slower’ Varieties Beans are a versatile, inexpensive staple that can boost essential nutrients in a diet, especially for people in low-resource areas where food options are limited. To get the most out of these legumes, new research suggests choosing fast-cooking dry ... – American Chemical Society (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry UF/IFAS Study Documents Nutritional Risk in Florida’s Older Adults Older adults who eat at congregate meal-serving sites may come to the meals with significant nutritional deficits. Congregate meals are delivered through the Area Agencies on Aging, administering state and federally funded meal and nutrition educatio... – University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Moral Values Influence Level of Climate Change Action Two moral values highly rated by liberals — compassion and fairness — influence willingness to make personal choices to mitigate climate change’s impact in the future, according to a new multidisciplinary study by Cornell University researchers... – Cornell University Two new lizards with 'heroic past' discovered in the Chilean Andes Two new species of lizards have been discovered in the Andean highlands of Southern Chile. Collected from areas of heroic past, both small reptiles were named after courages tribal chiefs who have once fought against colonial Spaniards in the Arauco ... – Pensoft Publishers ZooKeys Climate Change May Prevent Volcanoes From Cooling the Planet New UBC research shows that climate change may impede the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions. – University of British Columbia Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmosphere Owl-Inspired Wing Design Reduces Wind Turbine Noise by 10 Decibels Many species of owl are able to hunt in effective silence by suppressing their noise at sound frequencies above 1.6 kilohertz (kHz) - over the range that can be heard by humans. – Lehigh University Journal of Sound and Vibration UT Southwestern Reports Highest-Resolution Model to Date of Brain Receptor Behind Marijuana’s High Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report the most detailed 3-D structure to date of the brain receptor that binds and responds to the chemical at the root of marijuana’s high. – UT Southwestern Medical Center Nature, Nov. 2016 Scripps Florida Scientists Pinpoint Regulator of Amphetamine Induced Motor Activity In new findings that could have an impact the development of therapies for a number of currently untreatable brain disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI... – Scripps Research Institute Science Signaling; R01-NS087019 Matchmaking for Coffee? By combining macadamia and coffee crops in a single field, researchers demonstrate a more weather-tolerant, productive, and profitable crop. – American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Agronomy Journal, August 25, 2016 Study Reveals Impacts of Climate Warming and Declining Sea Ice on Arctic Whale Migration Declines in the Arctic sea ice are arguably the most dramatic evidence of the effects of current climate warming on ocean systems. While sea ice is perhaps the most defining habitat feature of Arctic whales, the relationship between Arctic whales and... – Florida Atlantic University Royal Society Biology Letters Cracked, Frozen and Tipped Over: New Clues From Pluto's Past Sputnik Planitia, a 1,000-kilometer-wide basin within the iconic heart-shaped region observed on Pluto's surface, could be in its present location because accumulation of ice made the dwarf planet roll over, creating cracks and tensions in the crust ... – University of Arizona Nature It’s How You Splice It: Scientists Discover Possible Origin of Muscle, Heart Defects Muscular dystrophies, congenital heart muscle defects, and other muscle disorders often arise for reasons that scientists don’t fully understand. Now researchers from the UNC School of Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that al... – University of North Carolina Health Care System Cell Reports Snake Black Market Poses Risk to Humans and Wildlife The illegal reptile trade, including venomous snakes, could put wildlife, the environment and human lives at risk, a new study has found. – University of Adelaide Conservation Letters Photosynthesis: Gathering Sunshine with the World’s Smallest Antennas Scientists are working to better understand the photosynthetic antenna complexes that capture sunlight for plants, algae and bacteria to use. – Department of Energy, Office of Science Winegrape Powdery Mildew App Goes Global Grape growers and winemakers around the world will be able to easily assess powdery mildew in the field with the help of a mobile application just released globally. – University of Adelaide UF/IFAS Tips for Safe Holiday Meal Preparation With the holidays approaching, you want the turkey and stuffing – or whatever you’re preparing – to be safe to eat, and consume again as leftovers. – University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences UF/IFAS Researchers Awarded Grant to Build Up Ecological ‘Resilience’ in Big Bend Thanks to an award of up to $8.3 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research team will work to restore these shrinking oyste... – University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences UGA’s Stable Isotope Lab Becomes Largest in North America The recent expansion of the Center for Applied Isotope Studies at the University of Georgia makes it the largest stable isotope lab in North America. – University of Georgia ‘Unraveling Zika’: Join UNC School of Medicine Experts for Panel Discussion, Q&A CHAPEL HILL, NC – Do you have questions about the Zika virus and how it spreads? If you’re traveling this holiday season, do you know how to protect yourself from Zika? Do you have questions about Zika and pregnancy? Do you know all the ways the ... – University of North Carolina Health Care System Following the ‘Tinman’ We caught up with Qian, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the UNC School of Medicine and member of the McAllister Heart Institute, to discuss her research in cardiac reprogramming, her goal to inspire young women to pursue c... – University of North Carolina Health Care System Dr. Laurent Pueyo Receives 2016 Outstanding Young Scientist Award The Maryland Academy of Sciences has selected Dr. Laurent Pueyo of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, as the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Young Scientist award. He will receive the award in a ceremony tod... – Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Walter E. Massey, Taft Armandroff to Lead Giant Magellan Telescope Board The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization on Nov. 16 announced the appointment of Walter E. Massey and Taft Armandroff to the positions of board chair and vice chair, respectively. – University of Chicago NSF Awards Nearly $1.7 Million to CUR to Create Research-Based Curricula NSF grant will support five-year project to create cohesive, research-based curricula in biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. – Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Brookhaven Lab to Lead Software Development Project and Partner on Data Co-Design Center for DOE’s Exascale Computing Project Brookhaven Lab is leading one of the 35 software development projects (SOLLVE) and partnering on one of the four co-design centers (CODAR) recently funded by DOE’s Exascale Computing Project. SOLLVE will focus on OpenMP functionality for exascale c... – Brookhaven National Laboratory Johnson & Johnson Endows Professorship Honoring Susan Lindquist, Role Model for Women in Science The Susan Lindquist Chair for Women in Science will advance the work of women who are leaders in biomedical research and role models for emerging female scientists. It honors a singular scientist who blazed a path—for women and men alike—into new... – Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Los Alamos Honored for Industry Collaboration in 2016 HPCwire Awards Los Alamos National Laboratory has been recognized with an HPCwire Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Award for the Lab’s collaboration with Seagate on next-generation data storage technologies. – Los Alamos National Laboratory IU Leads $1 Million NSF-Funded Smart-Home Effort to Advance Health and Independence in Older Adults As part of a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Indiana University has received over $670,000 to establish "HomeSHARE," the first networked system of smart homes designed to advance research on older adults. – Indiana University 1405873

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Brazil: Protesters storm Congress seeking military rule

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionThe protesters took over the podium and sang the national anthem

Dozens of protesters demanding a military coup have forced their way into Brazil's lower chamber of Congress in the capital, Brasilia.

At least 40 demonstrators scuffled with guards and took over the podium as a session began on Wednesday.

Denouncing government corruption, they called for a return to military rule - which Brazil saw from 1964 to 1985.

In Rio de Janeiro, police fired tear gas at public sector workers protesting against cuts.

The protesters swept past security guards and smashed a glass door to get into the parliament chamber, where they shouted "general here, general here" and sang the national anthem.

'Era of extremes'

It took police three hours to round up all the protesters, according to Reuters news agency. They were all detained.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionPolice and protesters also clashed outside the the lower house

Later in the day, President Michel Temer's spokesman, Alexandre Parola, called the protest an "affront" and said it was a "violation of the norms of democratic co-existence."

"It's worrying and serves as a warning. We are returning to an era of extremes," said one congressional deputy, Betinho Gomes.

Public confidence in Brazilian institutions has been eroded by a massive corruption scandal and the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Mr Temer was Ms Rousseff's vice-president before being promoted after her dismissal.

Last week she filed court documents accusing him of accepting a large bribe. His party says the money was a legal campaign donation.

Brazil was one of several Latin American nations where the military overthrew democratic governments in the 1960s and 70s.

The generals said they were countering the very real threat of a communist insurgency and had support from a considerable part of Brazil's elite.

The regime detained, tortured - and in some cases - killed its opponents, while overseeing rapid economic growth.

Unpaid salaries

Also on Wednesday, protesters gathered outside the state legislature where austerity plans to tackle the city's financial crisis were being debated.

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionMany of the protesters in Rio were public sector workers

Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades into a crowd of about 2,000 protesters, ranging from teachers to off-duty police officers, AFP news agency reported.

The state has been hit by a drop in global oil and commodity prices and declared a financial emergency ahead of the Rio Olympics earlier this year.

Many public workers have not been paid in months.

There's no more food aid in eastern Aleppo. The depots are empty. Agence France-Presse

A man eats food that was distributed as aid in a rebel-held besieged area in Aleppo, Syria, on November 6, 2016. 

Credit: 

Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters

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In two districts of the besieged eastern side of Syria's battleground city of Aleppo on Tuesday, local volunteers distributed meager bags containing the last food aid left in their depots.

"Our depots are empty, we have nothing else to distribute," said Ammar Qadah, director of Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation, a Syrian charity in the rebel-held side of the battered city.

No aid has entered eastern Aleppo since mid-July when government forces surrounded the rebel-held east, sealing off more than 250,000 residents from the outside world.

"Today we finished distributing food aid to the roughly 2,000 families that we support," said Qadah, speaking at a warehouse in the Maadi neighborhood.

"This month, we've only been able to distribute rations a quarter of the usual size because of the dwindling supplies," he told AFP.

Outside the warehouse, volunteers oversaw a truck full of boxes of food.

Ordinarily, each family would receive two large boxes with enough aid to last for a month.

But this time, each received only a single bag, containing two bottles of oil, 4.5 pounds of rice, lentils, sugar and a box of mortadella.

A family of five will struggle to stretch those supplies longer than a week.

A family's fridge is pictured in the rebel-held besieged area of Aleppo, Syria, on November 12, 2016. 

Credit: 

Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters

Final aid distributions

In the Marjeh neighborhood, residents at a distribution point waited their turn for a bag, as children sat on the pavement nearby.

Last week, the United Nations said the last of the food aid it had delivered to east Aleppo before the siege began was being distributed.

"The last food rations are being distributed as we speak," the head of a UN-backed humanitarian task force for Syria, Jan Egeland, told journalists on November 10.

He urged all sides to the conflict to grant humanitarian access to the besieged eastern neighborhoods.

"I don't think anybody wants a quarter of a million people to be starving in east Aleppo."

A World Food Programme spokeswoman, Bettina Luescher, told AFP that the UN agency's partners had delivered the last of their aid over the weekend.

"The last distributions of WFP food through our partners took place on Sunday, 13 November," she said.

An AFP journalist in Aleppo said most NGOs distributing food aid were reliant on WFP rations that had now run out.

But others, like Al-Sham, have purchased food to distribute from the declining stocks available in local markets, where prices have spiraled as the siege goes on.

People stand inside a grocery shop with low supplies in the rebel-held besieged area of Aleppo, Syria, on November 12, 2016. 

Credit: 

Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters

'Catastrophic consequences'

Even as the last food aid was being distributed, Syria's government and its ally Russia on Tuesday renewed their bombardment of rebel strongholds across the country, with heavy government fire on east Aleppo.

Moscow said it had paused its air strikes in Syria in October, as it organized a series of brief "humanitarian pauses" in east Aleppo intended to encourage residents and surrendering rebels to leave.

But few did, and the UN said it was unable to obtain sufficient security guarantees to allow the evacuation of wounded civilians or delivery of fresh aid.

Moscow last week rejected a UN call for longer ceasefires, despite Egeland's warning that "the consequences of no help and no supplies will be so catastrophic I cannot even see that scenario."

In Maadi district, a small crowd gathered Tuesday behind a truck half-full of boxes and cartons of aid.

"They told us that this is the last distribution because there is no more aid," said Abu Ahmed, 32, his face tired as he waited for food.

The Maadi resident confirmed that this month he was receiving just a quarter of the aid he would normally get to feed his wife and three children.

"These rations won't last more than a week. We have nothing to rely on but them and God," he said.

Obama to pass torch to Merkel on farewell visit

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US President Barack Obama (R) passes the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin while walking from the US Embassy to the Adlon Hotel on November 17, 2016 (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

Berlin (AFP) - US President Barack Obama paid a farewell visit on Thursday to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, seen by some as the new standard bearer of liberal democracy since the election of Donald Trump.

On the last leg of his final European tour as president, Obama aimed to ease fears about the future of the transatlantic partnership and thank Merkel for her friendship during his two terms, White House officials said.

In a joint article to coincide with his arrival in Germany, Obama and Merkel appealed for ongoing cooperation on the basis of shared principles to fight climate change, ensure collective defence within NATO, and promote free trade.

"These values of democracy, justice and freedom form the foundation of our successful economies," they wrote in business magazine Wirtschaftswoche.

"We owe it to our industries and our peoples -- indeed, to the global community -- to broaden and deepen our cooperation," they said, in a swat at the "America First" rhetoric favoured by Trump.

As Western leaders brace for potentially radical changes with Trump moving into the Oval Office in January, Obama wrapped up a visit to Athens on Wednesday warning that globalisation required a "course correction" to keep voters from drifting to extremes.

"When we see people, global elites, wealthy corporations seemingly living by a different set of rules, avoiding taxes, manipulating loopholes... this feeds a profound sense of injustice," he said.

After Trump's shock victory, Merkel -- the leader of Europe's top economic power -- expressed a desire to maintain close ties with Washington.

But in an extraordinary break with tradition for Germany, which long saw the US as its protector and closest ally, Merkel pointedly said cooperation must be based on shared democratic principles and respect for human dignity.

Analysts said the meeting could be seen as a kind of passing of the torch from Obama to Merkel, who the outgoing president has called "probably... my closest international partner".

- Merkel's strength -

In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD and news magazine Der Spiegel, Obama said Merkel had served her country well in the 11 turbulent years she has been in power.

"She has great credibility and she is willing to fight for her values," he said on his sixth trip to Germany as president.

"I am glad that she is there. I think the German people should appreciate her. Certainly I have appreciated her as a partner."

Obama dined with Merkel at his hotel late Wednesday and will hold talks with her on Thursday followed by a meeting Friday including the leaders of Britain, France, Italy and Spain.

He has relied on Merkel's strength in Europe on several fronts including helping to defuse the Ukraine conflict and taking in hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

As he exits the stage, many observers say Merkel's importance as a defender of Western values will only continue to grow, assuming that as expected, she runs for a fourth term next year.

- 'Like when the Wall fell' -

Obama held the biggest rally of his 2008 campaign in Berlin, using the once-divided city's rebirth as a symbol of progress as he made a hopeful call for a world without nuclear weapons to 200,000 cheering fans at the Victory Column monument at sunset.

He and Merkel, who took power in 2005, soon developed a strong partnership, despite rifts over revelations of NSA spying on Merkel's mobile phone and Obama's vocal opposition to Germany's austerity-driven response to the European debt crisis.

Germans at the Victory Column on a grey November day said they were sad to see him go and anxious about what the Trump administration would bring.

"We were so hopeful after George W. Bush left office," said Thomas Schmidt, 54, a business clerk who recalled being "thrilled" when he watched Obama's Berlin speech on television.

"It was a euphoric mood, a little bit like when the Berlin Wall fell. The feeling now with Trump is much more wary. No one knows what he might do."

Matthias Krah, 43, an IT project manager, found the prospect of Trump in the White House "scary" and predicted a major realignment of transatlantic ties.

"It means we Europeans will need to look inward. Maybe we can start doing without the US," he said.

Two out of three Germans now say they fear ties with Washington will suffer under the new administration, according to a poll last week for public broadcaster ZDF.

New Theory of Gravity Does Away With Need for Dark Matter

by Bob King

Erik Verlinde explains his new view of gravity

Let's be honest. Dark matter's a pain in the butt. Astronomers have gone to great lengths to explain why is must exist and exist in huge quantities, yet it remains hidden. Unknown. Emitting no visible energy yet apparently strong enough to keep galaxies in clusters from busting free like wild horses, it's everywhere in vast quantities. What is the stuff - axions, WIMPS, gravitinos, Kaluza Klein particles?

Estimated distribution of matter and energy in the universe. Credit: NASA

It's estimated that 27% of all the matter in the universe is invisible, while everything from PB&J sandwiches to quasars accounts for just 4.9%.  But a new theory of gravity proposed by theoretical physicist Erik Verlinde of the University of Amsterdam found out a way to dispense with the pesky stuff.

Snowflakes exemplify the concept of emergence with their complex symmetrical and fractal patterns created when much simpler pieces join together. Credit: Bob King

Unlike the traditional view of gravity as a fundamental force of nature, Verlinde sees it as an emergent property of space.  Emergence is a process where nature builds something large using small, simple pieces such that the final creation exhibits properties that the smaller bits don't. Take a snowflake. The complex symmetry of a snowflake begins when a water droplet freezes onto a tiny dust particle. As the growing flake falls, water vapor freezes onto this original crystal, naturally arranging itself into a hexagonal (six-sided) structure of great beauty. The sensation of temperature is another emergent phenomenon, arising from the motion of molecules and atoms.

So too with gravity, which according to Verlinde, emerges from entropy. We all know about entropy and messy bedrooms, but it's a bit more subtle than that. Entropy is a measure of disorder in a system or put another way, the number of different microscopic states a system can be in. One of the coolest descriptions of entropy I've heard has to do with the heat our bodies radiate. As that energy dissipates in the air, it creates a more disordered state around us while at the same time decreasing our own personal entropy to ensure our survival. If we didn't get rid of body heat, we would eventually become disorganized (overheat!) and die.

The more massive the object, the more it distorts space-time, shown here as the green mesh. Earth orbits the Sun by rolling around the dip created by the Sun's mass in the fabric of space-time. It doesn't fall into the Sun because it also possesses forward momentum. Credit: LIGO/T. Pyle

Emergent or entropic gravity, as the new theory is called, predicts the exact same deviation in the rotation rates of stars in galaxies currently attributed to dark matter. Gravity emerges in Verlinde's view from changes in fundamental bits of information stored in the structure of space-time, that four-dimensional continuum revealed by Einstein's general theory of relativity. In a word, gravity is a consequence of entropy and not a fundamental force.

Space-time, comprised of the three familiar dimensions in addition to time, is flexible. Mass warps the 4-D fabric into hills and valleys that direct the motion of smaller objects nearby. The Sun doesn't so much "pull" on the Earth as envisaged by Isaac Newton but creates a great pucker in space-time that Earth rolls around in.

In a 2010 article, Verlinde showed how Newton’s law of gravity, which describes everything from how apples fall from trees to little galaxies orbiting big galaxies, derives from these underlying microscopic building blocks.

His latest paper, titled Emergent Gravity and the Dark Universe, delves into dark energy's contribution to the mix.  The entropy associated with dark energy, a still-unknown form of energy responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe, turns the geometry of spacetime into an elastic medium. Meanwhile, gravity is really

"We find that the elastic response of this ‘dark energy’ medium takes the form of an extra ‘dark’ gravitational force that appears to be due to ‘dark matter'," writes Verlinde. "So the observed dark matter phenomena is a remnant, a memory effect, of the emergence of spacetime together with the ordinary matter in it."

This diagram shows rotation curves of stars in M33, a typical spiral galaxy. The vertical scale is speed and the horizontal is distance from the galaxy's nucleus. Normally, we expect stars to slow down the farther they are from galactic center (bottom curve), but in fact they revolve much faster (top curve). The discrepancy between the two curves is accounted for by adding a dark matter halo surrounding the galaxy. Credit: Public domain / Wikipedia

I'll be the first one to say how complex Verlinde's concept is, wrapped in arcane entanglement entropy, tensor fields and the holographic principal, but the basic idea, that gravity is not a fundamental force, makes for a fascinating new way to look at an old face.

Physicists have tried for decades to reconcile gravity with quantum physics with little success. And while Verlinde's theory should be rightly be taken with a grain of salt, he may offer a way to combine the two disciplines into a single narrative that describes how everything from falling apples to black holes are connected in one coherent theory.