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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 12, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | The Milky Way's ancient heart: VISTA finds remains of archaic globular star clusterAncient stars, of a type known as RR Lyrae, have been discovered in the center of the Milky Way for the first time, using ESO's infrared VISTA telescope. RR Lyrae stars typically reside in ancient stellar populations over 10 billion years old. Their discovery suggests that the bulging center of the Milky Way likely grew through the merging of primordial star clusters. These stars may even be the remains of the most massive and oldest surviving star cluster of the entire Milky Way. |
 | Tatooine worlds orbiting two suns often survive violent escapades of aging starsPlanets that revolve around two suns may surprisingly survive the violent late stages of the stars' lives, according to new research out of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and York University. The finding is surprising because planets orbiting close to a single sun, like Mercury and Venus in our solar system, would be destroyed when the aging star swells into a red giant. |
 | NGC 6624 cluster's advanced age in razor-sharp focusAn international team of astronomers, using the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) and the high resolution camera GSAOI, brought the ancient globular cluster NGC 6624 into razor-sharp focus and determined its age with very high accuracy—a challenging observation even from space. In addition to producing a beautiful image, this work will ultimately help astronomers to better understand the formation and evolution of our Galaxy during its earliest development when the Universe was less than two billion years old. |
 | NASA tests thrusters on journey to asteroid BennuNASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft fired its Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) thrusters for the first time Friday in order to slightly adjust its trajectory on the outbound journey from Earth to the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft's planned first Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM-1) began at 1 p.m. EDT and lasted for approximately 12 seconds. The maneuver changed the velocity of the spacecraft by 1.1 mile per hour (50 centimeters per second) and used approximately 18 ounces (.5 kilogram) of fuel. The spacecraft is currently about 9 million miles (14.5 million kilometers) from Earth. |
 | New dwarf planet found in our solar system(Phys.org)—A team of space scientists at the University of Michigan has discovered a dwarf planet that is approximately half the size of Pluto and twice as far from the sun. The sighting was reported by NPR, which interviewed team lead physicist David Gerdes. He told them credit goes to a group of students who were challenged to find some new objects to add to the ongoing construction of a galaxy map. Their efforts led to software that can be used to analyze imagery from the Dark Energy Camera (the camera used as part of the ongoing Dark Energy Survey). It looks for objects that are moving in any given patch of sky—a sure sign that they are in our solar system. |
 | Cosmological mystery solved by largest ever map of voids and superclustersA team of astrophysicists at the University of Portsmouth have created the largest ever map of voids and superclusters in the universe, which helps solve a long-standing cosmological mystery. |
 | How this Martian moon became the 'Death Star'Mars' largest moon, Phobos, has captured public imagination and been shrouded in mystery for decades. But numerical simulations recently conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have shed some light on the enigmatic satellite. |
 | The Sun's coronal tail wags its photospheric dogSolar physicists have long viewed the rotation of sunspots as a primary generator of solar flares - the sudden, powerful blasts of electromagnetic radiation and charged particles that burst into space during explosions on the sun's surface. Their turning motion causes energy to build up that is released in the form of flares. |
 | A facelift for the Moon every 81,000 yearsThe Moon is bombarded by so much space rock that its surface gets a complete facelift every 81,000 years, according to a study released Wednesday based on NASA data. |
Hurricane Nicole delays next US cargo mission to spaceThe next US cargo supply trip to the International Space Station has been postponed until Sunday due to Hurricane Nicole, which is bearing down on Bermuda, NASA said Tuesday. | |
 | New instrument on ISS to study ultra-cold quantum gasesA new science instrument, slated to be installed onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in late 2017, is expected to yield interesting results regarding quantum phenomena. The Cold Atom Laboratory, or CAL, will study degenerate quantum gases in the microgravity environment of the orbital outpost. |
 | Giant rings around exoplanet turn in unexpected directionResearchers from Japan and the Netherlands who were previously involved in the discovery of an exoplanet with huge rings have now calculated that the giant rings may persist more than 100,000 years, as long as the rings orbit in the opposite direction compared to that of the planet around the star. Their findings are accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. |
 | Image: French fluidics experiment bound for ISSHave you ever tried walking while carrying a full cup of water? Your steps invariably cause the water to slosh about, making spills hard to avoid. Now imagine a satellite turning – the fuel inside will slosh, affecting the satellite's stability. |
 | Image: In daylight on Saturn's night sideNASA's Cassini spacecraft looks down at the rings of Saturn from above the planet's nightside. The darkened globe of Saturn is seen here at lower right, along with the shadow it casts across the rings. |
Scientists observe first Sun-like magnetic cycle on another starAn international team of scientists led by the University of Göttingen has observed a Sun-like magnetic cycle on another star for the first time. The Sun's magnetic field drives the Sun's spots and flares and fuels the Solar wind – a torrent of material that streams off our star into space. The discovery is important not only for stellar physics, but also to understand and predict how the Sun affects the Earth and our technological society through its magnetic activity. The results were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. | |
 | X-rays detected from the dark side of VenusVenus and Mercury have been observed transiting the Sun many times over the past few centuries. When these planets are seen passing between the Sun and the Earth, opportunities exist for some great viewing, not to mention serious research. And whereas Mercury makes transits with greater frequency (three times since 2000), a transit of Venus is something of a rare treat. |
Technology news
 | BMW presents its self-balancing motorcycle of the futureThe motorcycle of the future is so safe riders can cruise without helmet—all of the thrills with none of the danger—according to BMW. |
 | Design tool for 3-D printed objects3-D printing has progressed over the last decade to include multi-material fabrication, enabling production of powerful, functional objects. While many advances have been made, it still has been difficult for non-programmers to create objects made of many materials (or mixtures of materials) without a more user-friendly interface. |
 | Soft robots that mimic human musclesAn EPFL team is developing soft, flexible and reconfigurable robots. Air-actuated, they behave like human muscles and may be used in physical rehabilitation. They are made of low-cost materials and could easily be produced on a large scale. |
 | Israeli company developing system to allow cars to learn how to drive through experience(Tech Xplore)—Israel-based Mobileye has announced plans to build a self-driving system for cars that will be based on experiential learning—in contrast to most systems being tested today, which are directly programed to drive. This means that programmers must account for every type of road situation a car may encounter. MIT's Technology Review spoke with Amnon Shashua, CTO and cofounder of the technology firm to learn more about the initiative. |
 | Quantum-dot solar windows evolve with 'doctor-blade' spreadingIn a paper this week for the journal Nature Energy, a Los Alamos National Laboratory research team demonstrates an important step in taking quantum dot, solar-powered windows from the laboratory to the construction site by proving that the technology can be scaled up from palm-sized demonstration models to windows large enough to put in and power a building. |
 | NTechLab focusing on AI facial recognition capabilities(Tech Xplore)—How far have technology experts gone in achieving software for facial recognition? Moscow-based NTechLab is a group that focuses on AI intelligence algorithms, and they have gone far. The company is made up of a team of experts in machine learning and deep learning. |
 | Just give me some privacy: Anonymous Wikipedia editors explain why they don't want you to know who they areNot everyone who strives to navigate the internet without being tracked is up to no good. This is the underlying premise of a qualitative study led by a trio of Drexel University researchers, who set out to gather the stories of people working on collaborative projects online—like editing Wikipedia—and are concerned about their privacy and taking steps to protect it. |
 | Personal computer sales continue to slideIndustry reports released on Tuesday showed that shipments of personal computers slid anew in the recently ended quarter as lifestyles continued to shift to smartphones and tablets. |
 | Toyota, Suzuki tying up in technology, ecology partnershipToyota, the world's top automaker, and Suzuki, a Japanese rival that specializes in tiny vehicles, are tying up in a partnership. |
 | Samsung's smartphone brand takes beating from Note 7 fiascoThe fiasco of Samsung's fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphones—and Samsung's stumbling response to the problem—has left consumers from Shanghai to New York reconsidering how they feel about the South Korean tech giant and its products. |
 | Vermont cabin becomes lab to study wind turbine noiseOnce it was just another cabin on a Vermont hillside. Now it's an emblem in the debate over noise from the growing wind energy industry. |
 | Foreign spies hacked Australian agency, report saysForeign spies installed malicious software on an Australian government agency's computer system, stealing an unknown number of documents, an official report revealed Wednesday, stopping short of naming the country involved. |
 | YouTube buys FameBit, matchmaker for videos and sponsorsGoogle-owned YouTube on Tuesday announced it has bought FameBit, a marketplace where video makers can connect with brands interested in sponsoring their creations. |
 | Snow could reduce need for air conditioningA recent UBC study shows that snow cleared from winter roads can help reduce summer air-conditioning bills. |
 | Amazon launches for-pay streaming music serviceAmazon is launching a paid streaming music service, the latest entry in an increasingly crowded field. |
Ericsson shares plummet after it warns on profit and outlookMobile networks company Ericsson saw its share price plummet by almost a fifth on Wednesday after saying that its third quarter earnings this year will be "significantly lower" than expectations and it predicts no improvement anytime soon. | |
Toyota recalls 340,000 Prius hybrid cars for faulty brakesToyota Motor Corp. recalled 340,000 gas-electric hybrid Prius cars around the world Wednesday, 212,000 of them in Japan and 94,000 in North America, for a defect in their parking brakes. | |
 | Samsung sends fire-proof boxes for Galaxy Note 7 returnsSamsung Electronics said Wednesday it is sending fire-resistant packages to its customers in the U.S. as a precaution against possible fires or explosions from Galaxy Note 7s they return to retailers. |
 | Researchers develop an efficient dual-ion battery designDual-ion batteries (DIBs) are a new type of battery developed in recent years, typically using graphite as both the cathode and anode material. DIBs can operate across a wider voltage window with safer performance, and are cheaper than conventional lithium-ion batteries. |
 | Samsung slashes profit estimate after Note 7 disasterSamsung Electronics on Wednesday slashed its latest quarterly profit estimate by one third in the wake of a highly damaging recall crisis that ended with the scrapping of its latest flagship smartphone. |
 | Crowdfunding a renewable futureOne issue with small-scale, home-based renewable energy systems is that initial setup costs can be high. This puts such installations out of reach for some sectors of society, even if they could benefit financial in the long run with lower household bills. One solution to this is crowdfunding. In 2015, an estimated EUR 4.2 billion was raised through crowdfunding platforms in Europe. And increasingly, it is being used to finance the growth of renewable energy. |
 | Ultrasound imaging is gaining in precisionResearchers have developed an image-reconstruction algorithm that improves the performance of ultrasound equipment. This breakthrough could have important implications in the fields of cardiology and neurosurgery. |
 | Samsung pulls the pin on the Galaxy Note 7 but will not likely suffer permanent damageSamsung has finally called a halt to its production of the Galaxy Note 7. Following on from its earlier problems with the devices spontaneously setting alight, it seems that the replacement also suffered from the same problem. Samsung has clearly not found out the exact cause of the original cause for the batteries to overheat, even though there was some suggestion that the replacement phones may have been affected by a different issue from their predecessors. |
 | New lab mimics the sound of any roomResearchers at Aalborg University, in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen in Denmark, have developed a sound laboratory that can reproduce the acoustics of any environment from cars to concert halls. One goal is better design of sound systems for cars. |
Encrypting medical photos with chaosChaos and confusion could be used to encrypt colour photos and protect them from prying eyes, according to computer scientists in Algeria. Writing in the International Journal of Information and Computer Security, the team describe a new algorithm that generates pseudo-random sequences that change a plain image into a ciphered image in a single step leading to a file that cannot be cracked. | |
 | Sony tapping virtual reality with PlayStation headsetSony is set to launch its new virtual reality headset, joining Facebook, Samsung and Google in a market that analysts say could boost the global gaming sector. |
 | First solar-powered wireless charging station for electric bikesOn Wednesday, 12 October, Executive Board President Tim van der Hagen, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science Rob Fastenau, Head of the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy Miro Zeman, and Pavol Bauer, who leads the Direct Current (DC) Systems, Energy Conversion & Storage group, presented the first solar-powered wireless charging station for electric bikes. |
 | Nude-free Playboy hits iTunes, Google PlayPlayboy said Wednesday its nude-free magazine would be offered for the first time as Apple and Google digital subscriptions, as the iconic brand shifts to win over a new generation. |
Tesla, SolarCity shareholders to vote on merger next monthTesla Motors CEO Elon Musk faces a referendum next month, as shareholders decide whether to support his vision and combine Tesla with solar panel company SolarCity Corp. | |
GM takes stake in China car-sharing startupUS automaker General Motors is taking a stake in the Chinese car-sharing startup Yi Wei Xing, expanding the company's global footprint in alternative and mobile-oriented transport. | |
 | Klimt's 'Kiss', made with 3D printer, to touch and feelLike most artworks in galleries worldwide, visitors haven't been allowed to reach out and touch Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" at its home at the Belvedere museum in Vienna—until now. |
 | Google, Facebook team on undersea cable to Hong KongGoogle and Facebook on Wednesday announced plans to work with a China Soft Power Holdings subsidiary to connect Los Angeles and Hong Kong with a high-capacity internet cable. |
Government data requests up 10 percent: GoogleGoogle said Wednesday that data requests from governments around the world hit a record high in the six months ending in June, extending a steady rise. | |
 | Robots organize your photos, so you can procrastinateIf you're like many people, you have thousands of photos on your phone, long forgotten after you've posted a few on Instagram or Facebook. |
Video: On the cutting edge of composite product developmentUniversity of Maine wood scientists and engineers are evaluating the performance of cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from solid-sawn and composite lumber from trees grown in Maine and the northeastern U.S. In the 1990s, CLT was developed in Austria as an alternative to stone and concrete. | |
 | Australia is vulnerable to cyber threats, so what can we do about it?The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) 2016 Threat Report, released today, has some concerning details about the state of Australia's cyber security. The report highlights the ubiquitous nature of cyber crime in Australia, the potential of cyber terrorism, and the vulnerability of data stored on government and commercial networks. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Breakthrough opens door to study hallucinations scientificallyA new method for inducing, modelling and measuring visual hallucinations in healthy individuals suggests these complex experiences share a common underlying mechanism with normal visual perception, UNSW researchers say. |
 | Rock, paper, scissors—why your own brain might be your worst enemyA new study into brain activity during strategy based games such as Rock, Paper, Scissors has found that tactics go out of the window as soon as you lose or win big, making it harder for you to win next time around. |
 | Visual cortex plays role in plasticity of eye movement reflexBy peering into the eyes of mice and tracking their ocular movements, researchers made an unexpected discovery: the visual cortex - a region of the brain known to process sensory information - plays a key role in promoting the plasticity of innate, spontaneous eye movements. The study, published in Nature, was led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. |
 | Study identifies possible mechanism for resistance to antiangiogenesis therapyMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have identified a potential mechanism behind the resistance that inevitably develops to cancer treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and antiangiogenic drugs. In a paper published in Science Translational Medicine the researchers report that treating metastatic colorectal cancer with the antiangiogenesis drugs such as bevacizumab (Avastin) significantly increases several components of the extracellular matrix and increases stiffness within liver metastases in both patients and mouse models. |
 | Genome engineering paves the way for sickle cell cureA team of physicians and laboratory scientists has taken a key step toward a cure for sickle cell disease, using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to fix the mutated gene responsible for the disease in stem cells from the blood of affected patients. |
 | Dysfunction in neuronal transport mechanism linked to Alzheimer's diseaseResearchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have confirmed that mutation-caused dysfunction in a process cells use to transport molecules within the cell plays a previously suspected but underappreciated role in promoting the heritable form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but also one that might be remedied with existing therapeutic enzyme inhibitors. |
 | Brain receptor identified as link between obese mothers and children's high blood pressureExposure of babies to high levels of the 'fullness' hormone, leptin, in the womb irreversibly activates receptors in the brain that regulate blood pressure, according to a new study by researchers from King's College London, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation. This activation may lead to a lifelong increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney disease. |
Fighting pain through knowledge about sensory organs in the fingertipsThat a finger can distinguish the texture of satin from suede is an exquisite sensory discrimination largely relying on small sensory organs in the fingertips called Merkel discs. Jianguo Gu, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has now unraveled how the sensory information is processed in the Merkel discs and further conveyed to the ending of a sensory nerve, the start of its journey to the brain. | |
 | New findings challenge current view of how pancreatic cancer developsResearchers in the multidisciplinary PanCuRx research initiative at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and University Health Network's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, led by Dr. Faiyaz Notta and Dr. Steven Gallinger, today published new findings that challenge current beliefs about how and why pancreatic cancer is so aggressive. |
Novel biomarkers increase power to predict therapeutic response in lupusResults of preclinical studies by investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) reported in the August 2016 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology demonstrate for the first time that including novel biomarkers in lupus nephritis (LN) prognostic models significantly increases their power to predict therapeutic efficacy. Identifying biomarker models with sufficient predictive power is a critical step toward developing clinical decision-making tools that can rapidly identify patients who require a change in therapy and potentially reduce onset of renal fibrosis during induction therapy. | |
 | Annual UK cancer cases set to soar to half a million in less than 20 yearsFIVE hundred thousand people will be diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK by 2035 if trends continue, according to a Cancer Research UK study published in the British Journal of Cancer today. |
Migrants screened for active tuberculosis pose negligible risk of spreading infection but can still get disease laterTuberculosis (TB) incidence in the UK has declined over the past 4 years, with fewer numbers of new migrants diagnosed with the disease. A new study, published in The Lancet finds that migrants arriving on visas to the UK from countries at high risk of TB and who were pre-screened for TB, pose a negligible risk of onwards infection, despite being at increased risk of developing TB themselves. The findings suggest that the UK's current pre-entry screening programme, now in place in 101 countries, as well as ongoing monitoring and treatment will be important in continuing the downward trend of TB incidence in the UK. | |
 | Dementia study lists everyday factors that may influence riskExperts have created a shortlist of environmental factors that may contribute to our risk of developing dementia. |
 | Framing spatial tasks as social eliminates gender differencesWomen underperform on spatial tests when they don't expect to do as well as men, but framing the tests as social tasks eliminates the gender gap in performance, according to new findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The results show that women performed just as well as their male peers when the spatial tests included human-like figures. |
Moms and dads of kids with food allergies think they're allergic tooWhen testing for food allergies, allergists often ask about family history. If your parents have food allergies, the chances are higher that you too will have them. Problem is, not everyone who reports a food allergy actually has one. | |
A common nerve protein elevated in aggressive neuroblastomasA protein produced by nerve cells appears to be elevated in the blood of those with an aggressive form of neuroblastoma. The finding, published online October 12 in the American Journal of Pathology, could potentially lead to a prognostic test for the disease or be used to monitor its progress. | |
 | Before you freak out about birth control and depression, read thisSome recent headlines and news stories claiming the birth control pill is linked to depression have overstated the findings of a new study and caused panic among some women. Some journalists have misinterpreted the study findings and made it sound like the risk of depression from taking birth control is way higher than what the researchers report in their study. |
 | Calcium supplements could increase risk of heart disease, new study findsCalcium supplements that many women take to boost bone health increase their risk for heart disease, a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and other institutions has found. |
E-cigarette explosions: A doctor's viewIt was an injury unlike any Dr. Elisha Brownson had seen - a young man whose teeth were blown out when his electronic cigarette exploded in his mouth. His injuries were so severe he was admitted to the trauma intensive care unit. | |
Plugged-in parenting: How parental smartphone use may affect kidsA parent gets home from work just as a new email "dings" on his or her phone. At the same time, the toddler is calling out for a snack or because big brother isn't sharing, and he would really like to show off his Lego creation. | |
 | People with bipolar disorder more than twice as likely to have suffered childhood adversityA University of Manchester study which looked at more than thirty years of research into bipolar, found that people with the disorder are 2.63 times more likely to have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse as children than the general population. |
Research finds that ultrasound slows brain ageingTreatment with scanning ultrasound has already been proven to reverse Alzheimer's disease in mice, and now it appears it could also slow down ageing in healthy brains, according to University of Queensland research. | |
 | Social media for tracking disease outbreaks—fad or way of the future?Infectious diseases kill more than 17 million people every year. Large outbreaks, known as epidemics, are becoming more frequent. And more serious infections have emerged in the past decade than any time previously. |
 | If we were like mice we could live to 400 – but we're not, so we don'tYou may have seen the news that the human lifespan cannot be extended beyond about 115 years, as shown by a demographic analysis confirming that the steady improvements in lifespan seen for many populations over recent decades has stalled since the 1990s. |
 | Are we sleeping less than we used to? Here are the factsMany of us might respond to this question with a resounding yes. It is easy to think that we all got better rest in those halcyon days when summers were long and hot, winters were snowy and life was a bit less frenetic. But even if this is true about your own sleep, is it really true of people as a whole? |
 | The meat paradoxWhen we eat beef, chicken wings, hot dogs or spaghetti bolognese, we do it in denial. Already by referring to what we eat as "beef" instead of "cow", we have created a distance between our food and an animal with abilities to think and feel. |
High-dose influenza vaccine is expected to provide cost savings and better outcomesSeasonal influenza is a global public health concern. The World Health Organization estimates 3-5 million cases of severe infection annually, resulting in up to half a million deaths. In industrialized countries, people aged 65 years or older are most vulnerable, and influenza vaccine is less effective in this age group due to the age-related weakening of the immune system. | |
 | Show your fingers to a neuroscientistBy comparing your index and ring fingers, a neuroscientist can tell if you are likely to be anxious, or if you are likely to be a good athlete. |
 | New drug hope for babies with leukaemiaTelethon Kids Institute (TKI) researchers have discovered a new drug combination to help babies battle a rare, aggressive type of leukaemia with grim cure rates. |
Targeted epigenetic approach for the treatment of aggressive forms of leukemiaIn leukemia cells it is often the case that genes are reactivated that, in physiological terms, mediate the self-renewal of blood stem cells. In a common subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, this abnormal activation of such self-renewing genes is apparently caused by structural modifications of the DNA packaging. In turn, these modifications are caused by two specific proteins of the so-called chromatin regulator group, on which leukemia cells are dependent. These discoveries were made by oncologist Dr. Michael Kühn from the Department of Internal Medicine III, which is a part of the University Center for Tumor Diseases (UCT) at the Mainz University Medical Center, in a collaborative effort with researchers from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Harvard University in Boston. The researchers were able to demonstrate that a targeted drug-based inactivation of the two chromatin regulators will interrupt the self-renewing program, thereby causing leukemia cells to revert to normal blood cells. The results have been published in the October issue of Cancer Discovery. | |
 | A stem cell gene found to command skeletal muscle regenerationProx1 gene has long been known to play an important role in fetal development. Finnish researchers have now discovered that Prox1 is essential also for skeletal muscle stem cell differentiation. |
Two Brazilian studies show new discoveries related to Zika virusA Brazilian study shows that infection of a pregnant woman by Zika virus may represent a risk to the baby's neurological development even when it occurs only a few days before the mother gives birth. | |
 | Researchers amplify regeneration of spinal nerve cellsUT Southwestern Medical Center researchers successfully boosted the regeneration of mature nerve cells in the spinal cords of adult mammals - an achievement that could one day translate into improved therapies for patients with spinal cord injuries. |
Scientists identify potent new anti-obesity, anti-diabetes targetIt is no secret that losing weight is difficult. Each year brings a new popular diet, "guaranteed" to succeed, yet the explosion of obesity in the United States continues. | |
Frailty in older surgery patients may be under recognizedKey findings in this study show nearly 70% of patients who participated in the frailty screening were determined to be pre-frail or frail. Patients who are frail or pre-frail may be at greater risk of surgical and post-surgical complications. Frailty screening may affect recommendations regarding treatments and surgical options. | |
 | Cannabis excess linked to bone disease and fractures, study findsPeople who regularly smoke large amounts of cannabis have reduced bone density and are more prone to fractures, research has found. |
Clinical trial confirms GP-prescribed treatments are effective for women with heavy periodsThe largest and longest running clinical trial of medical therapies for heavy periods has found that women can be greatly helped by having treatments just from their GP, with most avoiding hospital operations. | |
Many adolescent girls with leukemia are not being screened for pregnancy before beginning chemotherapyA new study indicates that adolescent females with acute leukemia have low rates of pregnancy screening prior to receiving chemotherapy that can cause birth defects. The findings are published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. | |
 | Real-time, observable MRI delivery updated to improve stem cell therapy for Parkinson'sIn a study using Real-time intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (RT-IMRI) to guide the transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons into the brains of non-human primates modeled with Parkinson's disease, researchers found that RT-IMRI guidance not only allows for better visualization and monitoring of the procedure, but also helps cell survival. |
Post-breastfeeding tissue remodeling explained by new researchA ground-breaking study into the changes that occur in a woman's breast, from growing into one that provides milk for a new-born, and then back to its normal state, has discovered that milk-producing cells are, in effect, cannibalised by other cells following the period of breastfeeding. | |
 | How protein fragments associated with Alzheimer's could trigger Parkinson'sAlzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are different neurodegenerative conditions that can sometimes affect the same person, which has led scientists to investigate possible links between the two. Now one team, reporting in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience, has identified how amyloid beta, the protein fragment strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease, can induce cellular changes that might lead to Parkinson's. |
 | In the fight against Alzheimer's, online gamers can now get in on the actionThe researchers behind a new online game are inviting members of the public to look under a virtual microscope and contribute directly to Alzheimer's disease research at Cornell University. |
Changing attitudes on genital cutting through entertainmentFemale genital cutting constitutes a serious health risk for millions of girls and women. Researchers from the University of Zurich have found a promising approach to change attitudes within cutting communities. They produced fictional movies about a family in the process of discussing whether to have their daughters cut. The results show that the movies had a positive influence on attitudes towards uncut girls and therefore repeated exposure to similar movies could be a discreet but effective intervention to reduce female genital cutting. | |
Multiple sclerosis drug may reverse some physical disabilityA drug used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), alemtuzumab, was found to reverse some of the physical disability caused by the disease, according to new research published in the October 12, 2016, online issue of Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Because it can cause serious side effects, alemtuzumab is generally used in people who have not responded well to other MS drugs; however, in this study it was used relatively early in the course of MS. | |
 | Antidepressants during pregnancy associated with childhood language disordersMothers who purchased antidepressants at least twice during pregnancy had a 37-percent increased risk of speech and/or language disorders among their offspring compared to mothers with depression and other psychiatric disorders who were not treated with antidepressants, according to new research. Results by scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Medical Center will be published online in JAMA Psychiatry. |
Expert panel issues updated guidelines for red blood cell storage time and transfusion useFor most stable hospitalized patients, transfusions of red blood cells stored for any time point within their licensed dating period—so-called standard issue—are as safe as transfusions with blood stored 10 days or less, or "fresh," according to updated clinical guidelines issued by an expert panel convened by a national organization that has long set standards for blood banking and transfusion practices. | |
 | Smarter lunchrooms innovatorsSchool food service directors are the gatekeepers of child nutrition for over 30 million students nationwide, thus having a tremendous opportunity to help instill healthy eating habits among our youth through the no-cost or low-cost changes championed by the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM). |
Clinical trial to use heart-derived stem cells to restore heart tissue, functionA multi-center team of researchers are planning a clinical trial using cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) (a heterogeneous cluster of proliferating cardiac cells that include mesenchymal stem cells) to regenerate the tissue and improve function of the heart in patients who have suffered heart attacks (myocardial infarction, MI). | |
Researchers discover extensive mislabeling of gene expression samplesAt least 1 in 3 gene expression studies contain mislabelled samples, according to a new study published in F1000Research. As correct identification of the samples is central to data analysis, studies based on data from mislabelled samples could reach incorrect conclusions. | |
Indoor tanning associated with poor outdoor sun protection practicesAdults who frequently tanned indoors - a practice associated with an increased risk for melanoma - also practiced poor outdoor sun protection practices and were not more likely to undergo skin cancer screening, according to a new study published online by JAMA Dermatology. | |
Study finds variable accuracy of wrist-worn heart rate monitorsIn a study published online by JAMA Cardiology, Marc Gillinov, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues assessed the accuracy of 4 popular wrist-worn heart rate monitors under conditions of varying physical exertion. | |
Better models needed to predict risk of atrial fibrillation from medical recordsAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That's why Dr. Dawood Darbar, chief of cardiology at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, worked with a team of physicians and researchers to answer one important question: Will a widely accepted atrial fibrillation risk prediction algorithm work when applied to the electronic medical record? | |
 | More evidence menopause 'brain fog' is real(HealthDay)—Those memory lapses many women notice around menopause are real, and they can begin at a relatively young age, researchers report. |
 | Freeze therapy: an alternative to breast cancer surgery?(HealthDay)—A freezing technique known as cryoablation might be a viable alternative to lumpectomy for treating small, early stage breast cancers, researchers report. |
 | Low HDL-C, high TG increase risk for diabetic kidney disease(HealthDay)—For patients with diabetes, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high triglyceride (TG) levels are associated with increased risk of diabetic kidney disease (defined as low estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], an eGFR reduction >30 percent, and/or albuminuria), according to a study published online Oct. 4 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Late mortality mainly noncardiac for TAVR patients(HealthDay)—For high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), late mortality is mainly related to noncardiac causes, according to research published in the Oct. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | Social reintegration of hodgkin's survivors impeded by fatigue(HealthDay)—Severe fatigue (sFA) can impede social reintegration in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) survivors, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. |
 | Most anaphylaxis patients in ER treated appropriately(HealthDay)—The majority of anaphylaxis patients seeking treatment in Belgian emergency departments are treated in accordance with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) guidelines, according to a study published Oct. 6 in Allergy. |
 | Superficial cryotherapy effective for alopecia areata(HealthDay)—For patients with alopecia areata (AA), superficial hypothermic cryotherapy is effective, especially when the treatment interval is two weeks or less, according to research published online Oct. 6 in the Journal of Dermatology. |
Study about branded drug website risk disclosure gets FTC attentionDo you take time to read the risk warnings on drug websites before you take the drug? | |
Indigenous group add to evidence tying cesarean birth to obesityA Purdue University study of an indigenous group of Maya people reinforces the link between Cesarean births and obesity. | |
Smokeless tobacco product snus may increase risk of death among prostate cancer patientsThe smokeless tobacco product snus, which is used mainly in Sweden but also is sold in the U.S., may increase the risk that men with prostate cancer will die from their disease, and the risk that they'll die prematurely from any cause, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The findings, which build on previous studies showing increased risk of death from prostate cancer in smokers with the disease, suggest that nicotine or other non-combustion-related components of tobacco may play a role in prostate cancer progression. | |
High folate intake linked with nerve-damage risk in older adults with common gene variantConsuming too much folate (vitamin B9) is associated with increased risk for a nerve-damage disorder in older adults who have a common genetic variant. Although variable by race or ethnic background, an estimated one in six people in the U.S. carry two copies of a genetic variation in TCN2, a gene that codes for a vitamin B12 transport protein. For some of these individuals, the TCN2 variation (referred to as GG) can lead to conditions related to vitamin B12 deficiency even if they consume normal amounts of B12. | |
 | Unvaccinated adults cost the US more than $7 billion a yearVaccine-preventable diseases among adults cost the U.S. economy $8.95 billion in 2015, and unvaccinated individuals are responsible for 80 percent, or $7.1 billion, of the tab, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. |
Hypothyroidism symptoms linger despite medication use, normal blood testsAbout 15 percent of the 10-12 million people in the U.S. with hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, continue to feel sick despite following the standard of care recommended by the American Thyroid Association. Physicians routinely prescribe levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, adjusting the dose until blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stabilize. | |
Latino teens who care for others reap academic benefitsAccording to the Pew Research Center, Latino teens remain at high risk for poor academic outcomes. They drop out of high school at higher rates of compared to blacks, whites and Asians and they lag other groups in obtaining four-year degrees. Now, a new study from the University of Missouri, found that Mexican-American youth who exhibit more prosocial behaviors, such as empathy and caring toward others, are more likely to demonstrate better academic performance later in adolescence. These findings provide guidance to parents as well as clues for developing early intervention and policy programs designed to improve academic performance. | |
 | Study questions value of mammograms, breast cancer screeningA new study questions the value of mammograms for breast cancer screening. It concludes that a woman is more likely to be diagnosed with a small tumor that is not destined to grow than she is to have a true problem spotted early. |
Philippines' Duterte to ban smoking in publicPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte will this month ban smoking in public, the health department said Wednesday, further strengthening some of the toughest tobacco regulation in Asia. | |
 | How the leishmania parasite sabotages the immune responseAn international collaborative of researchers has identified a mechanism that allows the leishmania parasite, which causes leishmaniasis, to evade the immune system and thereby produce infection. The study, published in Immunity, shows that a molecule produced by the parasite binds specifically to a receptor called Mincle (Clec4e) expressed on the surface of dendritic cells, which are a type of antigen-presenting cell, sabotaging their function. There is currently no effective vaccine for leishmaniasis, and the research team speculates that the poor performance of vaccines derived from whole parasite extracts might be due in part to the presence of the Mincle ligand. |
Opinion: Love it or hate it, Obamacare has expanded coverage for millionsThe most significant pieces of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or "Obamacare," were implemented in 2014. These include expanding Medicaid in many states, the establishment of insurance exchanges with subsidized coverage and the individual mandate, which requires individuals to purchase health insurance. | |
 | Newborn death rates improve, gap closing for Indigenous babiesAustralia is one of the safest places in the world to give birth. However, almost 1 in 100 pregnancies at or beyond 20 weeks gestation ends with the death of a baby, according to a new report from UNSW and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). |
New model for understanding myelomaAll cancers originate from an earlier, or precursor, state—such as a benign or asymptomatic condition. To develop new approaches to cancer prevention, scientists have attempted to grow tumor cells from precursor states in animal models. | |
 | Video: Physical therapy research improves the lives of children with cerebral palsyWhen five-year-old Brayden Starr was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby, his parents struggled to find ways to give him the best quality of life. There are few treatment options for children with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy (CP), a brain injury that affects body movement and muscle coordination. When the Starrs met Assistant Professor Sandra Saavedra in the University of Hartford's College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, they found a new option. Saavedra is currently the only physical therapist in the United States who offers a treatment that has dramatically improved Brayden's capabilities. |
 | Discovery and gene therapy treatment of a novel heart failure mechanismA key protein that causes heart failure has been revealed through new research from a collaboration based in Kumamoto University, Japan. The protein ANGPTL2 (Angiopoietin-like protein 2) is secreted by cardiac muscle cells and decreases the contraction force of the heart by reducing energy production and the regulating function of the calcium concentration in cardiac muscle cells. Utilizing gene therapy to inhibit the production of ANGPLT2, researchers were able to produce beneficial therapeutic effects in both a heart failure mouse model and in human cardiac muscle cells which were differentiated from iPS cells. |
Clinical trial investigates new treatment for systolic heart failure patientsThe academic partners in the VerICiguaT GlObal Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced EjectIon FrAction (VICTORIA) are pleased to announce that patient enrollment has begun. The study will explore a novel treatment pathway in patients suffering from chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), by investigating the clinical impact of the drug vericiguat. VICTORIA is a pivotal Phase III clinical study conducted in collaboration with Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) and Bayer. | |
 | Cholera rises in southern Haiti in wake of Hurricane MatthewHurricane Matthew first took the home of Sonette Crownal in a town on Haiti's southern coast. Then cholera came for her baby. |
Biology news
 | Impact of pesticide on bumblebees revealed by taking experiments into the fieldA study in which free-foraging bee colonies were placed in the field has shown that pesticide exposure can affect colony development. |
 | Sensory response to environmental stimuli modulated by form of vitamin B3 in wormsExperiments show that too much of a form of vitamin B3—nicotinamide—that is produced naturally inside of cells can lead to cell death in certain sensory cells and cause behavioral changes in the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. The research, by a team of Penn State scientists, shows that excess nicotinamide causes overactivity of the TRPV ion channel that is involved in sensory perception by controlling the movement of certain charged particles in and out of cells. The work also provides clues to the mechanism causing the cells to die, and links these cellular processes to behavior. A paper describing the research is published in the October 12, 2016 edition of the journal Nature Communications. |
 | Temporary extinction reprieve for some frogsAustralian scientists have good news for frog conservation ─ there may be longer than expected time to intervene before climate change causes extinction of some species. |
 | Wild chimpanzee mothers teach young to use toolsThe first documented evidence of wild chimpanzee mothers teaching their offspring to use tools has been captured by video cameras set to record chimpanzee tool-using activity at termite mounds in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, according to new research from anthropologists at Washington University in St. Louis. |
 | Vitamins A and C help erase cell memoryVitamins A and C aren't just good for your health, they affect your DNA too. Researchers at the Babraham Institute and their international collaborators have discovered how vitamins A and C act to modify the epigenetic 'memory' held by cells; insight which is significant for regenerative medicine and our ability to reprogramme cells from one identity to another. The research is published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). |
 | Plant diversity could provide natural repellent for crop pestsA new study has unveiled why a field with a variety of plants seems to attract fewer plant-eating insects than farm land with just one type of crop. |
Study documents staggering loss of wildlife following Amazon 'Rubber Boom'Researchers for the first time have documented the killing of millions of animals in Brazil's Amazon Basin for their hides following the collapse of the Rubber Boom in the 20th century, causing the collapse of some aquatic species. | |
 | Officials partner with fishermen to assess Hawaii table fareFederal officials are embarking on a study of seven Hawaii fish species to assess the overall health of their populations. |
 | Invasive plants dye woodpeckers redAn ornithological mystery has been solved! Puzzling red feathers have been popping up in eastern North America's "yellow-shafted" population of Northern Flickers, but they aren't due to genes borrowed from their "red-shafted" cousins to the west, according to a new study in The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Instead, the culprit is a pigment that the birds are ingesting in the berries of exotic honeysuckle plants. |
California condor chick's flight from nest marks milestone for recovery programIn a milestone for the recovery of the California condor, a condor chick has hatched in the wild, survived and flown out of its nest at Pinnacles National Park for the first time since the 1890s. | |
 | Animal 'refugee' crisis as species become increasingly isolatedThe animal world may be facing a 'refugee' crisis of its own as species splinter into isolated populations, according to researchers at The University of Manchester. |
 | How and why researchers revised the genetic recipe for E. coliesearchers in the laboratory of George Church, Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, are working to produce the most modified bacterial genome to date. The researchers believe the method they developed will help others who are trying to make many edits at once to any organism's genome. |
Drone pictures reveal the toll of raising young calves on whale mothersNew drone pictures reveal that a southern right whale mother named Scooter dramatically shrank in width – by 43 centimetres in just two months – as she fattened her calf. | |
 | Jellyfish help scientists to fight food fraudAnimals feeding at sea inherit a chemical record reflecting the area where they fed, which can help track their movements, according to a new study by scientists from the University of Southampton. |
No single protein determines queen development in honeybeesThe proteins in the larval food of honeybees are not specific determinators to make the larvae grow into queens—that includes the protein royalactin, which had been previously claimed to be the 'queen determinator' in a highly regarded study in 2011. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and published in the internationally renowned journal Nature. | |
 | Environmentally friendly invention may save soybean industry millions of dollars per yearIf parasites want to get to soybeans, they'll have to go through Kansas State University researchers first. |
 | Blue tit migration decisions may be governed by energy needs and environmentBlue tit feeding and exploratory behavior during migration may be driven by their need for energy and environmental information, according to a study published October 12, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anna Nilsson from the University of Oslo, Norway, and colleagues. |
 | Shelter dogs that rest more during the day may show signs of improved welfareShelter dogs that rest more during the day may show signs of improved welfare, according to a study published October 12, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sara Owczarczak-Garstecka and Oliver Burman of the University of Lincoln and the University of Liverpool, UK. |
 | Coastal spider ancestors may have dispersed eastward across Southern Hemisphere oceansCoastal spiders may have undergone transoceanic dispersal eastward from South America to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand as the Amaurobioides genus evolved, according to a study published Oct. 12, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by F. Sara Ceccarelli from Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, and colleagues. |
 | As walrus arrive, Alaska village tells visitors to stay awayA remote village on Alaska's northwest coast has begun a reverse tourism campaign. Residents want visitors to stay away. |
 | Sneaky male kiangs and their shifty courting strategyWild equids such as Spanish Mustangs and wild Burroughs captivate and delight people around the world. To many, these animals represent freedom and adventure. However, these iconic animals are often persecuted because they compete with livestock for limited forage and water. Researcher Prameek M. Kannan, a Master's graduate from Pace University's Environmental Science Program (ENS), travelled to some of the harshest terrain on Earth in order to study the behavior of the most elusive and unknown of all wild equids—the Tibetan wild ass of the Trans-Himalayas. While attempting to establish the first ethograms for this species—a descriptive analysis of their behaviors—Mr. Kannan discovered something unusual. |
 | Food fight! Eating may trigger bacterial therapyIn the future, eating well may be the best revenge on gastrointestinal ailments, according to scientists at Rice University. |
 | People can simultaneously give a hand to endangered apes and stay at safe distancePrimates claim the highest proportion of endangered species among all mammals, according to the IUCN Red List. Yet, the substantial conservation interference from humans, which is already in place, could itself lead to even greater losses. |
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