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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 2, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | A giant stellar void in the Milky WayA major revision is required in our understanding of our Milky Way Galaxy according to an international team led by Prof Noriyuki Matsunaga of the University of Tokyo. The Japanese, South African and Italian astronomers find that there is a huge region around the centre of our own Galaxy, which is devoid of young stars. The team publish their work in a paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. |
 | Faintest hisses from space reveal famous star's past lifeAstronomers have managed to peer into the past of a nearby star millions of years before its famous explosion, using a telescope in remote outback Australia at a site free from FM radio interference. |
 | Space scientists observe Io's atmospheric collapse during eclipseA Southwest Research Institute-led team has documented atmospheric changes on Io, Jupiter's volcanically active satellite, as the giant planet casts its shadow over the moon's surface during daily eclipses. |
 | Lights in the sky—meteors, reentry, or E.T.?It happens a few times every year. Last week, we poured our morning coffee, powered up our laptop and phone, and prepared to engage the day. |
Technology news
 | Reach in and touch objects in videos with 'Interactive Dynamic Video'We learn a lot about objects by manipulating them: poking, pushing, prodding, and then seeing how they react. |
 | Researchers develop 3-D food printerWe're all accustomed to having appliances on our kitchen counters, from toasters and blenders to coffee makers and microwaves. If Mechanical Engineering Professor Hod Lipson has his way, we'll soon need to make room for one more—a 3-D food printer that could revolutionize the way we think about food and prepare it. Over the past year, Lipson and his students have been developing a 3-D food printer that can fabricate edible items through computer-guided software and the actual cooking of edible pastes, gels, powders, and liquid ingredients—all in a prototype that looks like an elegant coffee machine. The printer is the result of a design project devised by Lipson and his students, led by Drim Stokhuijzen, an industrial design graduate student visiting from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and Jerson Mezquita, an undergraduate student visiting from SUNY Maritime who is now a research associate in Lipson's Creative Machines Lab (CML). |
 | Creating 3-D objects from inextensible sheet materialsResearchers have developed an algorithm for creating complex objects by cutting holes in sheets of inextensible, but flexible materials such as metal, plastic and leather. It has potential applications in many areas, including microengineering, bioengineering, fashion and architecture. |
 | Mystery solved: The case of the slipping fingerHaptics researchers have long known that applying ultrasonic vibrations to a flat, featureless glass plate makes it feel slippery. But they have also long debated why this occurs. |
 | Samsung's new jumbo phone unlocks with iris scannerYou'll be able to unlock Samsung's new phone by just looking at it. |
 | Flexible wearable electronic skin patch offers new way to monitor alcohol levelsEngineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a flexible wearable sensor that can accurately measure a person's blood alcohol level from sweat and transmit the data wirelessly to a laptop, smartphone or other mobile device. The device can be worn on the skin and could be used by doctors and police officers for continuous, non-invasive and real-time monitoring of blood alcohol content. |
 | Global tablet market continues to shrink: IDCWorldwide shipments of tablet computers shrank anew in the second quarter of this year, International Data Corporation reported on Monday. |
Washington state files $100 million suit against ComcastWashington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday filed a $100 million lawsuit against Comcast, saying the cable and internet giant deceived customers into paying tens of millions of dollars in fees for a "near-worthless" service protection plan. | |
 | Embedded tech allows robot to move itself, has own rhythmAlter is a new type of robot. A video of the robot is posted via The Japan Times. One viewer commented that it was the creepiest thing the viewer had ever seen. |
 | Scientists develop cuttable display sheetsA research group led by Masayoshi Higuchi, the leader of the Electronic Functional Macromolecules Group, Research Center for Functional Materials, NIMS, developed new display sheets that can be cut into any shape with scissors. As you can cut this display into any shape you like, and attach it on the surfaces of things that has complex shapes such as clothing and buildings, the display is expected to meet diverse display needs, which cannot be achieved by conventional display technologies. |
 | Team develops semi-transparent solar cells with thermal mirror capabilityModern architects prefer to build exteriors designed with glass mainly from artistic or cost perspectives. Scientists, however, go one step further and see opportunities from its potential ability to harness solar energy. Researchers have thus explored ways to make solar cells transparent or semi-transparent as a substitute material for glass, but this has proven to be a challenging task because solar cells need to absorb sunlight to generate electricity, and when they are transparent, it reduces their energy efficiency. |
 | Engineering student designs revolutionary energy storage solutionA Lancaster engineering undergraduate has invented a new storage solution that could provide the missing-link needed for a renewable energy revolution. |
 | Video gamers turn to science for virtual edgeFor some people, video gaming is an activity relegated to the weekends and that all too rare spare time. |
How computer algorithms shape our experience of the real worldThe use of algorithms to filter and present information online is increasingly shaping our everyday experience of the real world, a study published by Information, Communication & Society argues. | |
 | Flow diagnostics breakthrough for hydraulic capsule pipeline – huge improvement effectiveness and efficiencyPipelines that carry capsules containing almost any type of freight over long distances have the potential to become an important, cost-effective and environmentally friendly form of transportation. Now, research by a University of Huddersfield scientist has led to the development of mathematical models that can ensure new pipeline systems are designed to be as economic and efficient as possible. |
 | Pokemon Go a campaign weapon for presidential candidatesThe global phenomenon Pokemon Go has made its way onto the US presidential campaign trail with the staff of both major candidates appealing to users of the smartphone game to catch voters. |
 | Snapping up cheap spy tools, nations 'monitoring everyone'Governments known to stifle dissent with imprisonment and beatings or otherwise abuse their power are buying cheap, off-the-shelf surveillance software that can monitor the phone conversations and track the movements of thousands of their citizens, an Associated Press investigation has found. |
Tweets better than Google Trends at forecasting TV program ratingsHow well does the emotional and instantaneous content in tweets perform relative to the more deliberate searches recorded in Google Trends in forecasting future TV ratings? In a massive big data analysis using data from Twitter, Google Trends and other widely used websites for entertainment information, a forthcoming article in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science finds that mining Twitter content is significantly more effective than Google Trends in its ability to predict future TV ratings. | |
Vevo cuts deal with Warner Music to license videosIn another move to break from YouTube, music video brand Vevo has cut a deal to license videos from Warner Music, repairing a rift between major labels that began with the launch of the service seven years ago. | |
 | Instagram adds everyday 'Stories' in Snapchat spinInstagram on Tuesday put its own spin on a key Snapchat feature by letting users post "Stories" that eventually vanish from the Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing application. |
Georgia man pleads guilty in $30M computer hacking schemeA Georgia man has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge, admitting participating in a computer hacking scheme that generated $30 million in illegal profits. | |
 | People not technology will drive success of autonomous vehiclesAs the world moves closer to autonomous and self-driving vehicles, road safety experts are turning from technology to psychology to better understand the road to safer mobility, according Professor Narelle Haworth, director of QUT's Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q). |
 | French mobile operator SFR plans to cut staff level by over third: unionsFrench mobile operator SFR plans to shed over a third of its staff over the next three years although no forced job cuts are foreseen until 2019, union representatives said Tuesday. |
Apple subs squirt gun for controversial pistol emojiApple is disarming—or at least it's dumping an emoji that depicts a realistic-looking revolver and replacing it with a brightly colored toy water pistol instead. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Showing people slow motion video of crime found to distort perceived intent(Medical Xpress)—A trio of researchers with the University of Chicago, the University of San Francisco and the University of Virginia has found via experimentation that people watching video of actions by other people in slow motion tend to have a distorted view of perceived intent. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Eugene Caruso, Zachary Burns and Benjamin Converse outline their experiments with volunteers, what they found and why they now believe that the use of slow motion video as evidence in court cases and by officials at sporting events should be changed. |
 | Market experience leaves people less susceptible to economic bias, study findsExperience in trading changes how the human brain evaluates the sale of goods, muting a well-established economic bias known as the endowment effect, according to researchers at the University of Chicago. |
 | Protein found to regulate cocaine craving after withdrawalNeuroscientists know that cocaine addiction and withdrawal rewire the brain. But figuring out how to disrupt those changes to treat addiction requires an extremely detailed understanding of how those changes occur. |
 | First detailed map of the body's antibody production could suggest new treatment options for immune disordersWhen viruses and bacteria invade the body, the immune system fights back. Defenders called B-cells swarm into affected areas, unleashing antibody molecules that seek to destroy the invaders. This antibody army features a number of specialist classes: Some antibodies envelop invading pathogens or block them from entering healthy cells, while other antibodies create inflammation that can speed the healing process. |
 | Researchers identify how a single gene can protect against causes of neurodegenerative diseasesNew research has identified how cells protect themselves against 'protein clumps' known to be the cause of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. |
 | Researchers find 'lead actors' in immune cell developmentA new study, led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), reveals a surprising twist in immune biology. |
 | Researchers image brain cells' reactions to concussive traumaA team of Brown University researchers has been able to watch in real time what happens to neurons after they experience the kinds of forces involved in a blow to the head. Their findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, could help scientists to understand how traumatic brain injury unfolds at the cellular level. |
 | Vaccines fail to protect obese mice from severe influenza infectionsA study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital found that obese mice are not protected against influenza infections by vaccines that include adjuvants, raising concerns about vaccine effectiveness in obese humans who are known to be at an increased risk for severe flu. The findings appear today in the scientific journal mBio. |
 | Millennials less sexually active than Gen-X peers: studySince time immemorial, older generations have fretted over the sexual habits of young people. In today's world, however, elders might just be wondering why young people are having so little sex, according to a new study by San Diego State University psychology professor Jean M. Twenge. |
 | T cell revival through PD-1: Clues for cancer immunotherapyCancer immunotherapy drugs that block the inhibitory PD-1 pathway have shown success in clinical trials and are now FDA-approved for melanoma, lung cancer and bladder cancer. Yet many patients' tumors do not respond to these drugs. |
 | Rat whiskers shed light on how neurons communicate touchWhen reaching into a pocket or purse, it is easy to use the sense of touch to distinguish keys from loose change. Our brains seamlessly integrate the tactile, sensory cues from our fingers with hand movements to perceive the different objects. |
 | What can a sea-lion teach us about musicality?Ronan the sea lion can keep the beat better than any other animal, a study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience found out more. |
 | Research reveals cancer pathway to spreading through the bodyCancer cells need oxygen to survive, as do most other life forms, but scientists had never tracked their search for oxygen in their early growth stages until now—a step toward a deeper understanding of one way cancer spreads that could help treat the disease. |
 | Study aims to find clues to breast cancer outcomes in African-American womenScientists' understanding of the genetic roots of breast cancer is based largely on research conducted in women of European ancestry. |
 | The steady march of the Zika virusIn the six months since Zika was declared a global public health emergency, the virus has continued its unrelenting march across the Americas, spreading to more than 40 countries and territories and stirring panic among pregnant women and their families. |
Rise in head and neck cancer spurs innovations in careIncidence of head and neck cancers - usually defined as malignancies above the collarbone but outside the brain - are on the rise, according to statistics from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The most common is thyroid cancer, with more than 62,000 cases annually. | |
 | Medical benefits of dental floss unprovenIt's one of the most universal recommendations in all of public health: Floss daily to prevent gum disease and cavities. |
 | Adolescent depression in girls offset by presence of 'boomerang father'A study of the impact of "boomerang fathers"—those who cycle in and out of their children's lives—yielded surprising results for researchers. "Boomerang fathering" provided a type of stability in a daughter's life that staved off her depressive symptoms compared to those adolescent girls whose fathers were completely absent. |
 | Zika outbreak prompts travel warning for area of MiamiIn a highly unusual travel warning, health officials advised pregnant women to avoid a part of Miami where mosquitoes are apparently transmitting Zika directly to humans. |
Let the Olympics inspire your fitness goalsIf Olympic fever has you itching to go for the gold in a new sport, a Baylor College of Medicine sports medicine expert has advice on how to get started. | |
 | Sex on TV has less impact on teens than you might thinkFew people would doubt that sex is ubiquitous in media – whether movies, television, music or books – and that teens today have unprecedented access to all of it. It's often taken for granted that this easy access to "sexy media" has an influence on teenage sexuality. |
 | Adverse effects and incretin-based drugs for diabetesExtensive population-based studies on a popular group of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes revealed no association with acute pancreatitis, but increased risk of bile duct and gallbladder disease |
 | Hysterectomy with ovary conservation doubles odds of hot flushes, night sweatsResearch has shown that hysterectomy doubles the odds of a woman enduring persistent hot flushes and night sweats, even if they retain their ovaries. |
 | How naive T cells decline with ageAIM, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), published an intriguing paper in Scientific Reports, on August 2, detailing a novel explanation to a problem known to immunologists for decades: What causes the decline in immunity in old individuals? As soon as we are born we are destined to age, it's a natural law which everyone adheres to. As we grow older our immunity gradually declines to a point where it is no longer able to effectively orchestrate an immune response to fight and extinguish pathogens. The flu vaccine, for example, is only 17 to 53 percent effective in people aged 60 and over, while this statistic surges to between 70 to 90 percent in younger people. Why? |
 | Researcher targets mechanism that allows cancer to spreadThe majority of women who die from breast cancer don't die from the primary malignancy. They die when the aggressive cancer metastasizes, spreading rapidly throughout the body and forming new tumors in the bone, lungs and brain. |
 | Tool to measure brain blood flow identifies tell-tale signs of dementia and Alzheimer's earlyA network of over 200 scientists, clinicians and industry partners developed a cost-effective diagnostic tool for measuring the tell-tale signs of dementia and Alzheimer's. The tool uses a new, non-invasive technique to measure blood flow to the brain, known as Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL). The network set a reference for the best possible way of measuring blood flow, allowing all researchers using ASL in neurodegeneration to compare the network's results. The three main vendors of MRI machines – GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, and Philips Healthcare – have already taken up the tool. A company spinning out of the network has raised £1.1 million from the UK's National Health Service to improve the calibration of ASL devices in order to ensure consistent and reliable results. |
Genetic variant newly linked to Crohn's disease also associated with altered gut microbiome compositionAn international team led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California Los Angeles discovered that a genetic variation previously linked to obesity, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and schizophrenia also is associated with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that is estimated to cost the U.S. $6 billion annually. | |
Hidden tooth infections may predispose people to heart diseaseAccording to a study carried out at the University of Helsinki, an infection of the root tip of a tooth increases the risk of coronary artery disease, even if the infection is symptomless. | |
Neuroscience-based framework for addiction diagnosisWhen it comes to an addictive disorder, you either have it or you don't. But this dichotomous nature of the diagnosis fails to recognize the complexity and diversity of addiction's origins and manifestation in people. A new review in Biological Psychiatry proposes an Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) to incorporate more clinical information into the diagnosis of addictive disorders. | |
Addiction silences synapses in reward circuitsIn addiction, cues in the environment can form strong associations with the drug of abuse. A new study in Biological Psychiatry suggests that alterations in silent synapses, inactive connections between neurons, could be the neural mechanism underlying the formation of these drug-related memories. The alterations were found in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region involved in reward-related learning. | |
 | Exercise results in larger brain size and lowered dementia riskUsing the landmark Framingham Heart Study to assess how physical activity affects the size of the brain and one's risk for developing dementia, UCLA researchers found an association between low physical activity and a higher risk for dementia in older individuals. This suggests that regular physical activity for older adults could lead to higher brain volumes and a reduced risk for developing dementia. |
 | Research shows that Brighter Bites helps children, families eat healthierBrighter Bites, a school-based program that combines the distribution of donated produce with nutritional education and a fun food experience for low-income families in food desert areas, was successful in improving the intake of fruits and vegetables in first-grade children and their parents, according to a new study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Food desert areas are defined as neighborhoods with limited access to fresh produce. |
Machine learning used to find a simpler way to diagnose and understand childhood pneumonia infectionsOxford researchers are developing a tool to make it much easier and cheaper to diagnose pneumonia—the number one killer of children under 5. Their latest research is published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface. | |
21 infected in far north Russia anthrax outbreakRussia on Tuesday confirmed 21 cases of anthrax, including one fatality, after an unusual heatwave melted permafrost in its remote far north, releasing potentially lethal spores from the soil. | |
 | Ban on indoor tanning by minors not working: study(HealthDay)—New Jersey's ban on the use of indoor tanning salons by children and teens appears to have had little effect, a new study finds. |
Study examines use of off-site monitoring of cardiac telemetry and clinical outcomesAmong non-critically ill patients, use of standardized cardiac telemetry with an off-site central monitoring unit was associated with detection and notification of cardiac rhythm and rate changes within 1 hour prior to the majority of emergency response team activations, and also with a reduction in the number of monitored patients, without an increase in cardiopulmonary arrest events, according to a study appearing in the August 2 issue of JAMA. | |
Study compares treatments to improve kidney outcomes for patients with septic shockEarly use of vasopressin to treat septic shock did not improve the number of kidney failure-free days compared with norepinephrine, according to a study appearing in the August 2 issue of JAMA. | |
Low rate of Internet use by seniors for health purposesIn a study appearing in the August 2 issue of JAMA, David M. Levine, M.D., M.A., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues examined trends in seniors' use of digital health technology in the U.S. from 2011-2014. | |
 | Treatment strategy under development has two arms to get a secure grip on cancerScientists have engineered a sort of biological barbell that can get inside cancer cells and do damage to two proteins that work independently and together to enable cancer's survival and spread. |
Clinical usefulness of bone turnover marker concentrations in osteoporosisA new review published by a joint scientific working group of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) finds that current evidence continues to support the potential for bone turnover markers (BTMs) to provide clinically useful information for monitoring osteoporosis treatment. | |
Cardiac complications from energy drinks? Case report adds new evidenceThe high levels of caffeine in energy drinks may lead to cardiac complications, suggests a case report in the July/August Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). | |
Child's home address can help guide health careA child's home address may be enough information to identify children and families at risk for more severe cases of asthma due to social and economic hardships. In fact, the home address could guide risk assessment starting the moment a family arrives and registers in the hospital or at the doctor's office. | |
High schoolers with mental health issues more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, marijuanaResearchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health with collaborators at the Federal University of Sao Paulo studied the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and patterns of substance use among high school students in Brazil and found that respondents with clinically significant scores on a behavioral screening questionnaire were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana in the past month compared to those without symptoms. The study is among the first to highlight the link between psychiatric symptoms and substance use among teenagers in a middle-income country with high levels of social inequalities. The paper is published online in The American Journal on Addictions. | |
Stem cells may speed up screening of drugs for rare cancersResearchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have developed a system that uses transformed human stem cells to speed up screening of existing drugs that might work against rare brain and other cancers. | |
 | Depression screening tools not accurate for children and adolescentsIn Canada and the U.S., doctors are increasingly being encouraged to try to identify depression in children and adolescents - even if they do not have obvious indications of the disease. In order to do so, the physicians often use short questionnaires that ask about symptoms of depression. But, according to new research, there is insufficient evidence to show that any of these questionnaires accurately screen 6- to 18-year-olds for the disease. The researchers believe that this calls into question the use of these assessment tools for this group and raises worries about possible misdiagnosis of the disease in this age range. |
 | Underreporting of Zika is rife; researchers project epidemic's spreadWith the report from Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Monday that 14 people in the state have been infected with the Zika virus most likely through mosquito transmission, the concern about outbreaks in the U.S. has intensified. |
 | Cancer checkpoint drug target governs metabolic changes in exhausted T cellsReprogramming of the molecular pathways underlying normal metabolism is essential for T cell infection-fighting function and for the immune system to form a "memory" of the microbes it has already encountered. But exactly how metabolism in exhausted T cells is maintained in chronic infections and cancer is a missing element in this line of research. Now, a new study suggests that tweaking metabolic steps in combination with checkpoint blockade drugs may improve some cancer therapies, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The team published their findings this week in Immunity. |
 | Lack of pharmacy access sends some patients back to the hospitalHospital readmissions, a $17 billion annual problem, are higher in rural, remote or smaller communities that sometimes have significantly less access to pharmacies, according to a study published today that was one of the first to examine this issue. |
 | Study finds innate immunity connection to rare, fatal childhood diseaseUT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found an important innate immunity role for a gene linked to a rare, fatal syndrome in children. Their study has implications for a much more common disease: tuberculosis. |
Lower weight in late life may increase risk of Alzheimer's DiseaseResearchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found an association between lower weight and more extensive deposits of the Alzheimer's-associated protein beta-amyloid in the brains of cognitively normal older individuals. The association—reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease—was seen in particular among individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant, which is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's. | |
 | Collateral harm: The impact of Ebola and related fears on facility-based child deliveriesThe first known household survey examining the collateral harm to pregnancy services in areas affected by the West African Ebola epidemic suggests a significant slide backwards in child and maternal health. The study, conducted in Liberia, points to the deep disruptions caused by the Ebola epidemic—even in parts of the country with relatively limited transmission. |
 | More accurate prostate cancer prognosisMen diagnosed with prostate cancer can be provided with a more accurate estimate of their risk of death from the disease, and treatment planned accordingly, according to a Research Article published by Vincent J. Gnanapragasam, of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK and colleagues in PLOS Medicine. |
'Virtual dental homes' prove safe, effective in six-year California studyBringing "virtual dental homes" to schools, nursing homes and long-term care facilities can keep people healthy - reducing school absenteeism, lessening the need for parents to leave work to care for an ailing child, and helping to prevent suffering for millions of people who have no access to a dentist, a six-year study by University of the Pacific demonstrates. | |
Heritability of thoracic spine curvatureResearchers from the Harvard affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) recently published a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, suggesting that hyperkyphosis may be heritable, or passed on from parents to offspring. | |
Evaluation of promising peer mentoring program for early career gero-nursing facultyNew models for providing mentorship to early career academics will become key to developing and maintaining an experienced faculty. | |
 | 'Little ninja': Zika-spreading mosquito puts up tough fight (Update)The mosquitoes spreading Zika in Miami are proving harder to eradicate than expected, the nation's top disease-fighter said Tuesday as authorities sprayed clouds of insecticide in the ground-zero neighborhood, emptied kiddie pools and handed out cans of insect repellent to the homeless. |
 | Study: Caring for elderly stroke survivors costs an estimated $40 billion per yearIt's assumed that family and friends will help out in the event of a medical crisis, but that's not always feasible. And when stroke survivors need more than 20 hours of care per week, as a study in the August edition of Stroke shows, it's a large burden for their loved ones. |
 | A panel of biomarkers may predict early Alzheimer's diseaseUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Alzheimer's researchers have identified a scientific approach that may help predict which older adults are more likely to develop cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease well before the onset of dementia. |
 | Rapid bacterial infection test reduces antibiotic useResearchers from the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam have shown that using a rapid (5-minute) test can reduce antibiotic misuse for respiratory infections. Cutting the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions is a key way to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. |
The do-nothing dilemma—surveillance vs. surgery for cancerImagine for a moment that you have a tiny but worrisome lung nodule or, say, a growing bulge in a crucial blood vessel. You have no choice but to continue with normal life: going to work, running errands, paying taxes, negotiating with your kids over screen time. But you're always living, at least to some degree, under the looming shadow of a medical question mark. | |
Chondroitin sulfate + glucosamine sulfate may provide no benefits for patients with knee osteoarthritisChondroitin sulfate (CS) plus glucosamine sulfate (GS) was no better than placebo for reducing pain and function impairment in a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of 164 patients with knee osteoarthritis. | |
Many physicians still prescribe controversial drug combinationSafety concerns of the concomitant use of clopidogrel with the proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) omeprazole or esomeprazole were published in May 2009 and February 2010 by European regulatory agencies. After the last publication, there was an observed drop in dispensing these medicines in the Netherlands: 11.9 percent decreases for omeprazole and esomeprazole, versus an increase of 16.0 percent for other PPIs. Still 22.6 percent of patients started on omeprazole and esomeprazole in February 2010, placing them at risk for cardiovascular events. | |
Social media helps diagnose parasitic disease in teen travelersA new report details how physicians and patients used social media to help diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis in a group of teens who traveled on a youth adventure trip to Israel. Their posts quickly brought the cluster to the attention of the teens and their parents, leading to prompt recognition of the cause of their skin lesions and appropriate treatment. | |
Experts assess changes to breast cancer screening recommendationsA new article discusses the evidentiary support for the recent changes made by the American Cancer Society in its recommendations for breast cancer screening. In addition to modifying the suggested ages for annual and biannual mammography, the new recommendations also focus on patient preference in decision making. | |
Combat exposure may jeopardize the behavioral health of women in the militaryIn a recent study, combat exposure among Army enlisted women was associated with an increased likelihood of developing behavioral health problems post-deployment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and at-risk drinking. | |
 | Pfizer beats Street 2Q forecasts despite big drop in profitRising sales of Pfizer Inc.'s key new medicines and prospects more drugs will be approved over the next couple years have analysts speculating the biggest U.S. drugmaker won't break up after all. |
UK court rules health service can fund HIV prevention drugBritain's state-funded health service is responsible for paying for an HIV-prevention drug that has been called a "game changer" in the fight against AIDS, a court ruled Tuesday. | |
Norway tells pregnant women to avoid Miami over Zika fearsNorwegian authorities on Tuesday issued a travel warning for the US city of Miami for pregnant women due to risks linked to the Zika virus. | |
Drug does not improve outcomes for patients with advanced heart failureAmong patients recently hospitalized with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; a measure of heart function), the use of the drug liraglutide did not lead to greater post-hospitalization clinical stability, according to a study appearing in the August 2 issue of JAMA. | |
 | Study shows cell-free DNA sequencing is more accurate for diagnosing myelodysplastic syndromeUsing next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods to analyze cell-free DNA in the blood of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) yields more accurate results than the current standard approach of Sanger sequencing. This finding, and the greater likelihood of detecting the genetic abnormality responsible for the disorder by analyzing cell-free DNA versus DNA extracted from a patient's blood cells, is reported in a new study published in Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers. |
 | Vaccine partnership raises hope for millionsGriffith University will partner with a Chinese pharmaceutical, Olymvax Biopharmaceuticals Inc. for a new vaccine that could benefit millions. |
US issues patent for Valley Fever detection technologyValley Fever, a potentially deadly dust-borne fungal disease, should be easier to diagnose and treat thanks to a testing technology developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Northern Arizona University (NAU), and now protected by a patent issued today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. | |
Promoting regulatory T cell production may help control atherosclerosisIn atherosclerosis, the buildup of cholesterol deposits in arteries poses a major risk for cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke. As cholesterol accumulates, it triggers an inflammatory response that recruits several types of immune cells, including T cells, leading to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Although pro-inflammatory T cells are associated with the worsening of lesions, regulatory T cells play a protective role against disease development. | |
Zika suspected in six deaths in HondurasSix people have died and 10 babies have been born with defects in Honduras in cases feared to have been caused by Zika, the health minister said Tuesday. | |
Canadians urged precautions after Zika found in FloridaCanada's Public Health Agency is telling pregnant Canadian women who visited Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida on or after June 15 to take precautions against the Zika virus. | |
 | USVI steps up fight against mosquitoes amid Zika outbreakThe U.S. Virgin Islands announced Tuesday it is stepping up its fight against mosquitoes amid what officials in the U.S. territory say is a significant Zika outbreak. |
Biology news
 | Echo templates aid mental mapping in batsA study published in eLife provides new insights on how bats recognise their surroundings to help them build mental maps. |
 | Male bees fight back against STDsScientists at The University of Western Australia are a step closer to protecting honey bees from a widespread disease that causes dysentery and weakens hives considerably. |
 | Patented bioelectrodes have electrifying taste for wasteNew research at Michigan State University and published in the current issue of Nature Communications shows how Geobacter bacteria grow as films on electrodes and generate electricity - a process that's ready to be scaled up to industrial levels. |
 | Research points to mechanisms on why 'green' helps in urban lifeNew research finds that airborne bacterial communities differ from one urban park to the next but those of parking lots are alike—and differ from those of parks in subtle but potentially important ways. |
 | Discovery of male-harming DNA mutation reinforces 'mother's curse' hypothesisThere is new evidence that the "mother's curse" - the possibility that moms may transmit genes to their children that harm their sons but not their daughters - holds true in animals. |
 | Where there's smoke—and a mutation—there may be an evolutionary edge for humansA genetic mutation may have helped modern humans adapt to smoke exposure from fires and perhaps sparked an evolutionary advantage over their archaic competitors, including Neandertals, according to a team of researchers. |
 | New ant species Paratopula bauhinia (Golden Tree Ant) describedThe Insect Biogeography and Biodiversity research group led by Dr Benoit Guénard at the School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has recently described and named a new species of ant from Hong Kong, Paratopula bauhinia, or the rare "golden tree ant" in Asian Myrmecology, a peer-reviewed, yearly journal dedicated to the study of Asian ants. |
 | Penguin resilience to climate change investigatedNew research by Murdoch University will investigate the future of Rockingham's beloved Little Penguins colony. |
 | Scientists describe a new transmission path of a tropical diseaseLesions on arms and legs, deformed faces – yaws is a tropical disease that infects the skin, bones and cartilage. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue. Mostly children in remote tropical areas of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific are infected. Until recently it was assumed that the disease is only spread by direct skin contact with an infected person. An international research group led by Sascha Knauf from the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research now published a study that suggests flies as mechanical vectors for the bacterium. The finding is of importance for currently ongoing yaws eradication campaigns. |
What's in a name? Tracing the origins of orangutan scientific namesA team of scientists have undertaken detective work to trace the origin of the first orangutan specimen to be scientifically named Pongo pygmaeus. By tracing the history of the specimen as accurately as they can, the team have established Banjarmasin, in the Indonesian part of Borneo, as the most likely place of origin. Their findings are published in the Journal of Natural History. | |
Mountain environments more vulnerable to climate change than previously reportedNew research by University of Montana forest landscape ecology Professor Solomon Dobrowski shows that organisms will face more hardships as they relocate when climate change makes their current homes uninhabitable. | |
 | Researchers study impact of extreme weather events on striped bassStriped bass are known to have favorite summer swimming spots to which they return every year. They are creatures of habit. However, when a hurricane hits, everything can change very quickly. The water level rises rapidly. Runoff floods the river with sediment and chokes off the oxygen. Heavy rains create rushing currents and a sudden drop in water temperature. And the fish leave the area in a hurry. Scientists call it "evacuating" to better conditions. |
Public eagerly awaits foul smell of garden's 'corpse flower'Washington botany enthusiasts are salivating over the possibility that an exotic plant is about to finally bloom and produce a huge and memorable stink. | |
Dwindling herd means fewer moose hunt permits in VermontA handful of hopeful moose hunters visited the Vermont Statehouse on Tuesday and joined top Fish and Wildlife biologists and others hunters across the state in listening to a live radio broadcast that revealed the dwindling number of coveted moose hunting permits being issued for the fall hunt. | |
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