Body

Image segmentation, the process of separating a digital image into multiple sections for individual examination, is frequently used in medical image analysis. For example, segmentation in ultrasound footage helps identify boundaries and regions of interest (ROI) that facilitate image interpretation. Efficient segmentation of ultrasound videos, however, is often complicated by low contrast, shadow effects, and complex "noise" statistics (unexplained variations). In addition, real-time applications such as navigation during operational surgery require efficient algorithms.

The worst of the recent Ebola epidemic is over, but the threat of future outbreaks lingers. Monitoring the virus requires laboratories with trained personnel, which limits how rapidly tests can be done. Now scientists report in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry a handheld instrument that detects Ebola quickly and could be used in remote locations.

About one in five underage youths reported consuming alcoholic jello shots in the past 30 days, and those youths were more likely to binge drink, consume more alcohol, and to have been involved in physical fights related to their drinking than their peers who did not consume jello shots, a study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher shows.

Most people do not really know why they buy what they buy, eat what they eat, or do what they do! As consumers we can make something up or answer a survey, but we don't know buying trends and behaviors as well as those directly in the field. Sales associates or food service workers, for example, watch dozens-- or even hundreds-- of consumer decisions every day. These experts are the Inside Sources.

Beachgoers may soon be able to know in a timely manner if the water is clean enough for swimming, thanks to some new technology developed by researchers from Michigan State University and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The technology comes in the form of buoys that are deployed in the water near a beach. By combining statistical models with real-time data that are gathered by sensors embedded in the buoys, they provide quick and dependable information on water quality.

Chocolate is divinely delicious, mouthwateringly smooth and unfortunately full of fat. But reducing the fat content of the confection makes it harder and less likely to melt in your mouth. That's why scientists are investigating additives that could reinstate chocolate's delightful properties in these lower-fat treats. Now, researchers report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry an analysis that sheds light on how adding limonene could improve lower-fat versions' texture and ability to melt.

Tiny electronic sensors and devices that can be implanted in the body and then dissolve almost without a trace are getting closer to reality. Scientists have tested several biodegradable materials, including DNA, proteins and metals, for making transient electronics. Now one team, reporting in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, has taken another step toward this goal. They created a dissolvable device component out of egg proteins, magnesium and tungsten.

Fungal infections are a serious problem in modern health care. A critical factor in their successful treatment is time: the faster they are detected, the more effectively dangerous infections can be prevented. At the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw a chemical sensor has been devised enabling the detection time of fungi to be shortened from the current couple of days to just a few minutes.

Washington, DC (April 27, 2016) - With the Tesla 3 on the horizon and its auto-pilot becoming standard, and semi-autonomous features already an option in some cars, it's easy to see a future where computer-guided vehicles become the industry norm. These cars, in essence, are social robots, interacting with drivers for a safer journey. But does a car's perceived personality and voice lead to safer driving?

The constant emergence of viral outbreaks has become a permanent threat to human health. Last year, Zika virus infected thousands of people in the Americas. It is also associated to several cases of neurological disorders and has raised worldwide public health alerts. Now due to the urgency, researchers are detailing the characteristics of the virus to find solutions.

Probiotic supplements protected female mice from the loss of bone density that occurs after having their ovaries removed, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia State University have shown.

The results were published Monday, April 25 in Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The chronic inflammatory skin disease psoriasis was associated with type 2 diabetes, body mass index and obesity in a study of Danish twins, and the study also suggests the possibility of a common genetic cause between psoriasis and obesity, according to an article published online by JAMA Dermatology.

Only 7 procedures account for approximately 80 percent of all admissions, deaths, complications, and inpatient costs attributable to operative emergency general surgery nationwide, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.

Neuherberg, April 27, 2016. Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München describe how breast cancer cells challenged with a small-molecule inhibitor targeting specific invasive properties switch to an alternative mode-of-action, rendering them even more aggressive. The results may impair future therapeutic approaches in the TGF-beta pathway and are published in the journal Oncotarget.

More action needs to be taken in order to better protect people with food allergies. That's according to a report from a leading UK team of food safety experts, including Professor Chris Elliott from Queen's University Belfast, who led the recent independent review of the UK's food system.