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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 22, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | 'Passengers' and the real-life science of deep space travelFrom "Aliens" to "Interstellar," Hollywood has long used suspended animation to overcome the difficulties of deep space travel, but the once-fanciful sci-fi staple is becoming scientific fact. |
 | Hubble chases a small stellar galaxy in the Hunting DogOn a clear evening in April of 1789, the renowned astronomer William Herschel continued his unrelenting survey of the night sky, hunting for new cosmic objects—and found cause to celebrate! He spotted this bright spiral galaxy, named NGC 4707, lurking in the constellation of Canes Venatici or The Hunting Dog. NGC 4707 lies roughly 22 million light-years from Earth. |
 | Video: Silicon pore optics stacksESA doesn't do routine. Nowhere is this more true than for Science, where the goal of each new mission is to observe the universe in novel ways. New technologies are required to make such missions possible, many years in advance. ESA's Directorate of Technical and Quality Management is tasked with anticipating such needs, to make the right technology available at the right time, and solve any technical problems arising during development. |
 | Ariane 5's seventh launch this yearAn Ariane 5 lifted off this evening to deliver two telecom satellites, Star One-D1 and JCSat-15, into their planned orbits. |
 | Hematite-rich deposits in Capri ChasmaCapri Chasma is located in the eastern portion of the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars, the largest known canyon system in the Solar System. Deeply incised canyons such as this are excellent targets for studying the Martian crust, as the walls may reveal many distinct types of bedrock. |
Technology news
 | Uber pulls self-driving cars from California roadsUber pulled its self-driving cars from California roads after state regulators moved to revoke their registrations, officials said Wednesday. |
 | Researchers solve mystery that was holding back development of next-generation solar cellsScientists have identified an unexpected cause of poor performance in a new class of flexible and cheap solar cells, bringing them closer to market. |
 | Road paved with solar panels powers French townFrance on Thursday inaugurated the world's first "solar highway", a road paved with solar panels providing enough energy to power the street lights of the small Normandy town of Tourouvre. |
 | Zenbo home robot to ring in new year in Taiwan(Tech Xplore)—Look what's on pre-order—in Taiwan. The company will begin selling limited quantities of the home robot Zenbo in Taiwan starting January 1st. |
 | Canada regulator declares high-speed internet an essential serviceCanada's telecommunications regulator on Wednesday declared access to high-speed internet an essential service that must be available to all, including rural and remote areas of the world's second-largest nation by land mass. |
 | Sex and marriage with robots: science fiction or new reality?Sex with robots is "just around the corner", an expert told a global conference in London this week featuring interactive sex toys and discussions on the ethics of relationships with humanoids. |
Researcher proposes parallel Intelligence, a move toward the intelligent futureNine months ago, a computer beat one of the world's best players at one of the world's oldest games, Go. That was the start of the era of new IT, Intelligent Technology, according to Fei-Yue Wang, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. | |
 | New metric shows that when building in areas prone to natural disasters, it pays to make informed decisionsHazard-induced maintenance costs can be significant over the lifetime of a building. Researchers at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) are developing new methods to calculate the benefits of investing in more hazard-resistant structures. Jeremy Gregory, executive director of the CSHub recently presented one metric, the CSHub's Break-Even Hazard Mitigation Percentage (BEMP), to officials in Florida and Georgia—states that can see millions in property damage due to hurricanes. |
 | Turning up the thermostat in tropics shows promise for energy and comfortSlightly raising indoor temperatures and equipping office workers with smart fans saves significantly on overall office building energy costs while maintaining employee comfort, according to new research that could guide the design and operation of new and existing office buildings in the world's tropical regions. |
 | Scientists test solutions for energy-efficient grow housesIf Colorado's experience is any indication, energy use is expected to spike with the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in California, much as it did when data centers sprang up throughout the state. |
 | Study asks if Uber drivers are entrepreneursThe ridesharing company Uber has become a poster child for the sharing economy. Just about anyone with a driver's license and a car can turn those assets into a money-making venture—one in which drivers are told they can make their own hours and be their own bosses. |
 | Use it or lose it—the search for enlightenment in dark dataBig data is big news these days. But most organisations just end up hoarding vast reams of data, leaving them with a massive repository of unstructured – or "dark" – data that is of little use to anyone. |
 | System filters the arguments in texts and checks their qualityThere is a sea of information and argumentation on the Internet covering every possible world-shattering subject. The Ubiquitous Knowledge Processing Lab at TU Darmstadt is developing tools for a quality check. |
 | From outer space to inner eyeContact lenses, spectacles and eye implants are now being made more accurately thanks to research instruments flying on the International Space Station. |
 | A smarter, safer way to reduce corrosionA smarter, safer way to reduce corrosion: Swansea University steel experts win Royal Society award for research breakthrough |
 | Future 'smart cities' should be super-connected, green and resilientWhen Superstorm Sandy lashed New Jersey in 2012, Narayan B. Mandayam lost power in his East Brunswick home for five days. |
 | Popular mobile game 'Pokemon Go' lands on Apple WatchThe popular mobile game "Pokemon Go" is now available on the Apple Watch, squashing rumors that the game's maker was scrapping such plans. |
 | Uber moves self-driving cars from California to ArizonaA fleet of self-driving Uber cars left for Arizona on Thursday after they were banned from California roads over safety concerns. |
 | US privacy board in disarray before Trump takes officeA federal board responsible for protecting Americans against abuses by spy agencies is in disarray just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. |
 | How an experimental 3D-printed artwork could help save modern artMany contemporary artworks are endangered due to their extremely fast degradation processes. NANORESTART—a project developing nanomaterials to protect and restore this cultural heritage—has created a 3-D printed artwork with a view to testing restoration methods. |
 | New record for US original television series in 2016The number of scripted original US television series airing new seasons in 2016 hit a record 455, reflecting an explosion of original shows by online subscription services, research showed on Wednesday. |
 | Inquiry says Snowden in contact with Russia's spy servicesFormer National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has remained in contact with Russian intelligence services since he arrived in Moscow three years ago, according to a declassified report on a congressional investigation released Thursday. |
Group: 3rd Uber driver deemed employee, not contractorA New York City advocacy group says a third former Uber driver has been deemed to have been an employee of the company, not a contractor. | |
Bulgarian man pleads not guilty in US cybercrime caseA Bulgarian man pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges that he used sophisticated malware designed to steal banking credentials and other confidential information from infected computers of two western Pennsylvania companies and two California firms. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Scientists accelerate immune response to tuberculosis in miceNew research findings provide insight into the immune system pathways that may be key to developing an effective tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. The study, to be published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications, was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. |
 | Gene test could pinpoint patients sensitive to new type of cancer drugTesting for a gene commonly mutated in ovarian cancers could pick out patients who will respond well to a promising new class of cancer drugs, a major new study reveals. |
 | Scientists show how drug binds with 'hidden pocket' on flu virusA new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is the first to show exactly how the drug Arbidol stops influenza infections. The research reveals that Arbidol stops the virus from entering host cells by binding within a recessed pocket on the virus. |
 | Overweight affects DNA methylationThe extra pounds you gain during the holidays will not only show up on your hips but will also affect your DNA. This is the result of a large-scale international study coordinated by Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research, which has now been published in Nature. The study shows that a high BMI leads to epigenetic changes at nearly 200 loci of the genome – with effects on gene expression. |
 | For kids, poverty means psychological deficits as adultsA large and growing body of research shows that poor kids grow up to have a host of physical problems as adults. |
 | Function of protein that helps control breathing explored(Medical Xpress)—A team made up of members from several research institutions in the U.S. has found evidence of a protein exerting some control over the breathing process in mice. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes their multi-pronged study of the protein Piezo2 and the part it plays in regulating breathing. Christo Goridis with Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure in France offers a News & Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue outlining what the team was looking for, how they went about their experiments and what they found. |
 | Direct-to-brain chemo better than systemic drugs when immunotherapy is to followIn experiments on mice with a form of aggressive brain cancer, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that localized chemotherapy delivered directly to the brain rather than given systemically may be the best way to keep the immune system intact and strong when immunotherapy is also part of the treatment. |
 | Scientists discover concussion biomarkerThe secret to reliably diagnosing concussions lies in the brain's ability to process sound, according to a new study by researchers from Northwestern University's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. |
 | Here's why you don't feel jet-lagged when you run a feverA clump of just a few thousand brain cells, no bigger than a mustard seed, controls the daily ebb and flow of most bodily processes in mammals—sleep/wake cycles, most notably. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists report direct evidence in mice for how those cell clusters control sleep and relay light cues about night and day throughout the body. |
 | Controlling the body clockA new study from the laboratory of Hiroki Ueda at the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center investigates circadian timekeeping with a novel approach to creating genetic knock-out rescue mice. Published in Molecular Cell, the study shows how this technique was used to quickly create numerous mouse lines, each with different mutations in a circadian regulator called CRY1. Studying each mutation and the effects on behavior showed that specific changes to the protein affected the duration of the circadian period. |
 | A stem cell strategy for boosting testosterone levels tested in rodentsMale hypogonadism is a condition that diminishes testosterone levels in approximately 30% of older men, but currently available therapies can produce serious side effects. In a study published December 22 in Stem Cell Reports, researchers developed an alternative approach involving the direct conversion of adult skin cells into functional testosterone-producing cells. When transplanted into male rodents with hypogonadism, these so-called Leydig-like cells survived and restored normal testosterone levels. |
 | MyCode study finds familia hypercholesterolemia is under diagnosed, under treatedA study conducted by Geisinger Health System in collaboration with the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC) has found that a life-threatening genetic disorder known as Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is both underdiagnosed and undertreated. It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science on Dec. 23 alongside another significant study from the same Geisinger-RGC collaboration known as DiscovEHR. That other study describes exome sequencing and analyses of the first 50,726 adult participants in the DiscovEHR cohort - all members of the Geisinger MyCode Community Health Initiative. |
 | Plastics compound BPS alters mouse moms' behavior and brain regionsIn the first study of its kind, environmental health scientist Laura Vandenberg and neuroscientist Mary Catanese at the University of Massachusetts Amherst examined the effects of the compound bisphenol S (BPS) on maternal behavior and related brain regions in mice. They found subtle but striking behavior changes in nesting mothers exposed during pregnancy and lactation and in their daughters exposed in utero. |
 | Targeted alpha therapy shows impressive results for metastatic prostate cancer patientsNearly three years of research have brought about remarkable results for the majority of 80 patients subjected to targeted alpha therapy of metastatic prostate cancer. The first assessments – describing a full response in two patients in critical clinical condition with extensive metastases – are published in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), which has displayed images depicting the improvements on its cover page. |
 | High pain tolerance may mask heart attack symptomsHeart attacks may go unrecognized among individuals with high pain tolerance, putting them at an increased risk for poor recoveries, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. |
 | NHS hospitals that outsource cleaning linked with higher rates of MRSANew research shows that NHS hospitals that employ private cleaners are associated with a higher incidence of MRSA, a 'superbug' that causes life-threatening infection and has previously been linked with a lack of cleanliness. |
 | The pain of chronic loneliness can be detrimental to your healthThe changes came so gradually that, for a long time, Paula Dutton didn't realize she was in trouble. This was just modern life, after all—the cross-country distance from her close-knit family in Philadelphia, the end of a 10-year marriage that never quite jelled, the death of one parent and then the other. By the time Dutton, who now is 71 years old, retired from her job with an airline in 2011, she was lonely to a degree that shocked and frightened her. |
 | Thirteen ways to keep free radicals away, and why it's so importantThe holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes time for family celebration while gathering around tables full of delicious foods with seasonal spices! But it can also be a stressful time of year, with substantial meal preparation as well as stress in the gut from digesting highly caloric and rich foods. Your food choices can help reduce stress in your body. |
 | New drug for heart disease shows promise for cats and humansA new drug shows promise for treating heart disease in cats and humans, according to research by a team including veterinarians at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. |
 | Psychology expert offers advice for less stress, more joy during the holidaysThe holidays are billed as a time of joy, but they can also be a time of increased stress for many people. In addition, Wednesday, Dec. 21, is the winter solstice—the shortest day of the year, with the sun setting in Boston at the early hour of 4:15 p.m. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a form of major depression that often strikes in these shorter, darker days. |
A serum biomarker may predict response to immunotherapy drugs that target immune checkpointsSerum levels of ANGPT2, a protein related to angiogenesis (blood vessel formation), was found to predict response to and influence the outcomes of treatment with a class of immunotherapeutics called immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced melanoma, according to a study published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. | |
Individuals with disabilities more likely to be employed in states with expanded MedicaidIndividuals with disabilities are significantly more likely to be employed if they live in a state that has expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Kansas co-authored a study that found a 6 percentage-point difference in employment rates among working-age adults with disabilities in states that expanded Medicaid and those that chose not to. | |
 | Kids think stereotypes reflect how world should beOnce children believe that a group is characterized by a certain trait, they think individual people within that group should also be judged by that trait, according to a University of Michigan study. |
 | Could more effective goals be the key to treating depression?The findings of a new study suggest the treatment of people with clinical depression could be improved by helping them set positive, achievable goals. |
 | Three positive nutrition tips for healthy eating in the new year"Stop worrying about things not to eat and focus on a positive mindset of what you should eat." |
 | Positive multiple sclerosis clinical trial suggests 'unprecedented' effects in relapsing form of the diseaseIn findings that show the effectiveness of a new strategy for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers are reporting positive results from three large, international, multicenter Phase III clinical trials of the investigational drug ocrelizumab (brand name Ocrevus) in both relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). |
 | Optical control of a neuroreceptor alleviates chronic painPain serves as a valuable warning signal, but when it becomes chronic, pain should be considered as a real disease. An international team including research scientists from the CNRS and INSERM1 has identified and controlled one of the centers associated with chronic pain. This work, published on 20 December 2016 in Molecular Psychiatry, made it possible to relieve the symptoms in mice and demonstrated the ability of the brain to remedy this problem. |
 | Oddly shaped immune cells cause fibrosisScientists at the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) at Osaka University, Japan, report a new group of monocytes they call SatM. Studies in mice show that SatM may be responsible for causing fibrosis and creates a new drug target for an ailment that has few effective therapies. |
 | Interleukin-1α causes people to choke on airScientists at the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) at Osaka University, Japan, have pinpointed specific molecular events that could explain allergic reactions to air pollution. These findings provide a new therapeutic candidate to treat asthma and related respiratory diseases. |
People who care for others live longerOlder people who help and support others live longer. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, conducted by researchers from the University of Basel, Edith Cowan University, the University of Western Australia, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin. | |
 | Thinking with our hands can help find new ways of solving problemsHave you ever tried to solve a complicated maths problem by using your hands, or shaped a piece of clay without planning it out in your head first? Understanding how we think and make decisions by interacting with the world around us could help businesses find new ways of improving productivity – and even improve people's chances of getting a job, according to experts from Kingston University. |
 | Study IDs key indicators linking violence and mental illnessNew research from North Carolina State University, RTI International, Arizona State University and Duke University Medical Center finds a host of factors that are associated with subsequent risk of adults with mental illness becoming victims or perpetrators of violence. The work highlights the importance of interventions to treat mental-health problems in order to reduce community violence and instances of mental-health crises. |
Devastating elephantiasis disease facing eliminationA disabling parasitic disease which causes elephantiasis, and threatens around one billion people globally – Lymphatic filariasis - could be eliminated more quickly, thanks to research by the University of Warwick. | |
 | Study praises new approach to GP visitsA cultural shift in how patients access care through their GPs is one step closer after a university study highlighted the benefits of an emerging approach known as 'social prescribing'. |
Some glioblastoma patients benefit from 'ineffective' treatmentA subgroup of patients with a devastating brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme benefited from treatment with a class of chemotherapy drugs that two previous large clinical trials indicated was ineffective against the disease, according to a study at the Stanford University School of Medicine. | |
Gene activity predicts progression of autoimmune disease, researchers findResearchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and six other institutions have designed a new diagnostic tool for a rare and deadly autoimmune disease that affects the skin and internal organs. | |
Occupational therapy may have the potential to slow down functional decline and reduce behavioral troublesA French observational study in real life showed that dementia patients benefiting from occupational therapy sessions report relevant clinical benefits over the intervention period, according to a research study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease this month. The research suggested the influence of occupational therapy on reducing behavioral troubles, caregivers' burden and amount of informal care over the intervention period and a stabilization over the 3-months period thereafter. | |
In 'world first', man born without hand gets one: surgeonsSurgeons in Poland said Thursday they had successfully attached a hand from a deceased donor to a man born without one, in what they claimed was a world first. | |
 | Study potentially explains vulnerability of young cancer patients to treatment toxicitiesDespite many successes in treating pediatric cancer, young children remain at high risk for developing severe, long-lasting impairments in their brain, heart, and other vital organs from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In adults, however, these tissues are relatively spared. |
 | Obesity-associated protein could be linked to leukemia developmentCancer researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have found an obesity-associated protein's role in leukemia development and drug response which could lead to more effective therapies for the illness. |
 | Weight loss reduces psoriasis symptomsWeight loss has a significant and prolonged positive impact on psoriasis symptoms and quality of life. The findings stem from a study conducted by Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports and other participants. The results are published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an internationally renowned scientific journal. |
New precision medicine tool helps optimize cancer treatmentColumbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have created a computational tool that can rapidly predict which genes are implicated in an individual's cancer and recommend treatments. It is among the most comprehensive tools of its kind, and the first that incorporates a user-friendly web interface that requires little knowledge of bioinformatics. | |
Researchers use mathematics to explain treatment resistanceModern medicine and treatments for bacterial infections and cancer have significantly increased life spans and improved quality-of-life. However, many drugs eventually fail because of the outgrowth and survival of treatment-resistant populations. A collaborative team of researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center's Integrated Mathematical Oncology (IMO) Program, led by Alexander Anderson, Ph.D., and Oxford University's Department of Computer Science are using mathematical models to explain how bacteria and cancer cells exploit an evolutionary process known as bet-hedging to resist medical intervention. | |
 | Hidden hearing loss revealedTwo researchers at UConn School of Medicine have developed a new hearing test that can identify hearing loss or deficits in some individuals considered to have normal or near-normal hearing in traditional tests. |
 | Research may lead to new treatments to prevent preterm birthPreterm birth—birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy—affects up to one in every six births in the United States and many other countries. It is the number one cause of infant death and long-term illnesses and imposes heavy social and economic burdens. Although preterm birth is a complex condition, infection of the mother and ensuing inflammation in pregnancy are very common triggers. |
Histologic classification impacts SBRT treatment in early-stage lung cancer patientsEarly-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) have a significantly higher rate of local failure after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) than other NSCLC histological subtypes. | |
 | Promising discovery for a non-invasive early detection of Alzheimer's diseaseA discovery of high relevance in medical research will be published in Volume 55, number 4 of December 2016 of the prestigious "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD)", entitled "Tau Platelets Correlate with Regional Brain Atrophy in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease". This paper has been highlighted as one of the most important contribution to this field. The paper stems from a fruitful collaboration between the neuroscience laboratory from the International Center for Biomedicine (ICC) under the leadership of Dr. Ricardo Maccioni and the research teams of Drs. Andrea Slachevsky, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, together with Drs. Oscar Lopez and James Becker from University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, USA. |
 | Training to become a scuba diver? Start at the dentistScuba divers may want to stop by their dentist's office before taking their next plunge. A new pilot study found that 41 percent of divers experienced dental symptoms in the water, according to new research from the University at Buffalo. |
 | Toy sellers and makers offer more options for autistic kidsToy stores, with bright lights, loud sounds and crowded aisles, can be hard to manage for children with autism or other sensory issues. For parents, finding toys that match their kids' skill sets and will hold their attention can be a process of trial and error. Big toy sellers and specialists are both trying to provide some better options. |
 | Deadly sleeping sickness set to be eliminated in six yearsGambian sleeping sickness - a deadly parasitic disease spread by tsetse flies - could be eliminated in six years in key regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to new research by the University of Warwick. |
 | Human genome sequences linked to health data will change clinical medicineThe value of intersecting the sequencing of individuals' exomes (all expressed genes) or full genomes to find rare genetic variants—on a large scale—with their detailed electronic health record (EHR) information has "myriad benefits, including the illumination of basic human biology, the early identification of preventable and treatable illnesses, and the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets," wrote Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of the Department of Genetics, in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Science this week, with Scott M. Damrauer, MD, an assistant professor of Surgery at Penn and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia. |
 | Researchers identify process cells use to destroy damaged organelles, with links to diseasesResearchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the mechanism that cells use to find and destroy an organelle called mitochondria that, when damaged, may lead to genetic problems, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory disease, and aging. |
Losing sleep over discrimination? 'Everyday discrimination' may contribute to sleep problemssPeople who perceive more discrimination in daily life have higher rates of sleep problems, based on both subjective and objective measures, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. | |
Genes Nardilysin and OGDHL linked to human neurological conditionsAn international team of scientists has discovered that the gene, OGDHL, a key protein required for normal function of the mitochondria—the energy-producing factory of the cell—and its chaperone, nardilysin (NRD1) are linked to progressive loss of neurological function in humans. Working with the fruit fly, an experimental animal model in the lab, the scientists found a mechanism by which misregulation of mitochondrial function leads to neurodegeneration. The results appear in Neuron. | |
Genetic cause identified for previously unrecognized developmental disorderAn international team of scientists has identified variants of the gene EBF3 causing a developmental disorder with features in common with autism. Identification of these gene variants leads to a better understanding of these complex conditions and opens the possibility of diagnosing other previously undiagnosed patients with similar clinical disorders. The study appears in the American Journal of Human Genetics. | |
 | Heart-related deaths spike at ChristmasHeart-related deaths spike during Christmas, but the effect may have nothing to do with the cold winter season, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. |
History of kidney injury increases risk of pregnancy complicationsA study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators finds, for the first time, that women with a history of acute kidney injury with complete clinical recovery have an increase of several adverse outcomes of pregnancy - including premature delivery and preeclampsia, a condition that is hazardous for both mother and baby - even though they appear to have normal kidney function prior to pregnancy. Their findings are being published online in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. | |
Smoking while pregnant may compromise children's kidney functionIn a new study, young children showed signs of kidney damage if their mothers smoked while pregnant. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), add to the list of negative health effects that can result from maternal smoking during pregnancy. | |
 | More than 50 percent of women are avoiding pregnancy due to Zika in BrazilOver half the women in Brazil are avoiding pregnancy due to the Zika epidemic, reveals a study published online in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care. |
 | Serious yoga injuries, though rare, are on the rise(HealthDay)—More and more Americans have been taking up yoga in recent years—and their rate of yoga-related injuries has also climbed, a new study finds. |
 | Exercise may be real medicine for Parkinson's disease(HealthDay)—Almost any exercise is good medicine for someone with Parkinson's disease, a new study confirms. |
 | Many ignore fire safety at home, survey reveals(HealthDay)—The holiday season can be a dangerous time of year, but many families ignore fire and burn safety tips, a new survey finds. |
 | Celebrate the holidays, but not while drinking and driving(HealthDay)—During the holidays, cocktails, eggnog and wine are always flowing, and the danger of serious or deadly car accidents soars. |
 | Antiseptics not needed for cord care in developed nations(HealthDay)—Dry cord care is noninferior to the use of antiseptics in preventing omphalitis in full-term newborns in France, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in Pediatrics. |
 | Vigorous IV hydration regimen cuts post-ERCP pancreatitis risk(HealthDay)—Vigorous periprocedural intravenous fluid resuscitation (IVFR) with lactated Ringer's solution can reduce the incidence and severity of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis in average-risk and high-risk cases, according to a study published in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. |
 | Single-dose LMWH can interfere with algorithm for DVT diagnosis(HealthDay)—A single dose of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) given the previous day can reduce D-dimer and potentially risk non-identification of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), according to a research letter published online Dec. 15 in the International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. |
 | Iron deficiency tied to worse response, remodeling after CRT(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), iron deficiency is prevalent and is associated with clinical response and reverse cardiac remodeling, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology. |
 | Higher oxidative stress linked to metabolic syndrome(HealthDay)—Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) as a proxy for oxidative stress is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components, according to a study published online Dec. 19 in Diabetes. |
 | Risk of pedestrian collisions ID'd in peripheral visual field loss(HealthDay)—For patients with retinitis pigmentosa, the risk of collision is highest from pedestrians at an angle of 45 degrees from the patient's walking path, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Vision. |
 | Mesenchymal stem cells show promise for torn meniscus(HealthDay)—Undifferentiated autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded onto a collagen scaffold (MSC/collagen-scaffold) shows promise for patients with torn meniscus, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in Stem Cells Translational Medicine. |
 | Readmission from skilled nursing facility often avoidable(HealthDay)—A considerable proportion of hospital readmissions from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are considered potentially avoidable, according to a study published online Dec. 16 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. |
Death toll rises to 71 from toxic bath essence in RussiaThe death toll in Siberia from people drinking bath essence containing methanol rose to 71 Thursday, the Russian health ministry said. | |
 | Cancer-stricken 'Jeopardy!' player wins $103K before deathFaced with a terminal diagnosis in her battle against colon cancer, Cindy Stowell saw an appearance on "Jeopardy!" in her final months as a "good opportunity" to help others struggling against the disease by donating money she might win to cancer research. |
Israeli drugmaker Teva fined $519 mn in US for foreign bribesIsraeli generic drug giant Teva will pay $519 million to settle charges that it paid bribes to foreign officials to win business in Russia, Ukraine and Mexico, US officials announced Thursday. | |
 | CDC allocates $184 million for Zika protection(HealthDay)—Nearly $184 million has been earmarked to protect Americans against Zika virus infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. |
 | How to ship food gifts without risk(HealthDay)—Homemade food gifts can make loved ones afar feel closer, but it's important to take extra safety precautions to prevent food poisoning, according to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AAND). |
Biology news
 | Firefly gift-giving: Composition of 'nuptial gifts' revealed, shedding light on postmating sexual selectionFemale fireflies have long known that the best romances are with a male firefly who offers the most nourishing and largest "nuptial gift" - a protein-packed capsule of sperm that is rich with egg-producing and life-extending nutrients for the female. |
 | Research reveals codes that control protein expressionAn internal code in cellular molecules called messenger RNA predetermines how much protein they will produce, scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine discovered in a new study. |
 | Temperature drives biodiversityWhy is the diversity of animals and plants so unevenly distributed on our planet? An international research team headed by the University of Würzburg has provided new data on this core issue of ecology. The researchers found biodiversity to be driven by temperature. |
 | The unique visual systems of deep sea fishIf asked the colour of the ocean, most people would rightly say "blue." The reason is that pure water absorbs long wavelength red light very strongly, but lets the shorter blue wavelengths pass. If you cut yourself while diving, for example, you do not bleed red. What comes out is an alarming brown/black colour. |
 | How plants adjust photosynthesis in response to fluctuating light intensitiesLMU researchers have identified a set of proteins that enable plants to adjust their photosynthesis in response to fluctuating light intensities so as to make the best use of the light available. |
 | Bigger brains outsmart harsh climatesIt helps to have a larger brain if you're living in an extreme climate, according to a study of birds published in Nature Communications. The research suggests that birds have evolved larger brains to cope in harsh environments where the tasks of finding food, evading predators and finding shelter are more demanding. |
 | Evolution of ideas: Scientists to decode genetic story of Newton's appleScientists will connect two of the most important scientific theories of all time - the law of universal gravitation and the theory of evolution - by unravelling the genetic code of the apple which inspired Isaac Newton's greatest discovery 350 years ago this year. |
 | Researchers publish reference genome of gulf pipefishUniversity of Oregon biologists have produced a detailed genome of the snakelike gulf pipefish, delivering a new research reference tool to help explore an ancient fish family that includes seahorses and sea dragons and has generated bodies with vastly different features over time through genetic changes. |
 | Jujube genome study sheds light on fruit tree's domesticationThe high quality genome sequence of the dry jujube, along with sequences from trees throughout its range, have illuminated the domestication history of this ancient fruit tree, which humans have grown for more than 7,000 years. |
 | Mass insect migrations in UK skiesAs Britain voted for Brexit amid furious debate over migration, trillions of migrants were coming and going, unseen by all but the sharpest eyes. |
 | Researchers capture video of false killer whale's encounter with longlineA team of researchers and fishermen has directly observed for the first time how Hawaiian false killer whales remove fish from longline fishing gear. |
 | Happy birthday to Colo: Oldest gorilla in US turns 60 (Update)She is a mother of three, grandmother of 16, great-grandmother of 12 and great-great-grandmother of three. She recently had surgery to remove a malignant tumor, but doctors say she's doing well. |
 | Conflict in Africa blocking efforts to save giraffesSelma saunters on her stilt-like legs, batting thick lashes as she extends a blackish tongue—as long as an arm—to grab pellets offered by an awed tourist. |
Odd facts about the giraffeOne of the most under-studied large mammals in Africa, research has shown the giraffe has silently been going extinct, with numbers dropping 40 percent in the past three decades. | |
 | How long between drinks for arid-zone-dwelling night parrot?The rare and mysterious night parrot, a plump green and gold bird, is adapted to life in the harsh arid zone, but when does it need a drink? |
 | "Ladies choice" reigns in the greater sac-winged batFemales of the greater sac-winged bat select their mating partner by smell and unerringly choose a male which differs from them the most in genetic terms. Females with more variants of olfactory receptors of the TAAR-group have an advantage over other females. The results of this study have been released by the Nature Publishing Group in their open access journal Scientific Reports. |
 | Two felid cousins responded in the past very differently to climate changeSoutheast Asia is home to numerous felids, including the Asian golden cat and the bay cat. The two cat species are closely related sister species which split from each other 3.16 million years ago. Yet, their more recent history was quite different. Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and their international partners could now show that, after a massive volcanic eruption about 73,000 years ago, the Asian golden cat survived only in Indochina, from where it expanded its range in dramatic fashion during the peak of the last Ice Age. The cooler and drier climates at the time pushed its sister species, the bay cat, however, into rainforest refuges on Borneo. These findings are published in the scientific journal Royal Society Open Science. |
 | Small RNAs interact with newly synthesized transcripts to silence chromatinYukiko Shimada, Fabio Mohn, and Marc Bühler at the FMI elucidated an important mechanistic detail of small RNA mediated chromatin silencing. They showed in fission yeast that the small RNA in the RNA induced silencing complex (RISC) interacts with nascent transcripts and not with complementary DNA to induce heterochromatin formation. In addition, both the transcription rate and transcript processing have an impact on the silencing process. |
Britain reports bird flu in wild duckBritain on Thursday announced the discovery of a highly contagious strain of bird flu in a wild duck found dead in Wales, warning poultry keepers to remain vigilant as Christmas approaches. | |
Researchers estimate time since death using necrobiomeCurrently, when a deceased human is discovered, the forensic techniques for estimating time elapsed since death is not very precise. However, in a new study appearing in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers have turned to analyzing the human microbiome, the bacteria and other microbes that live on and in our bodies, for clues about the postmortem interval of a cadaver. | |
 | Protect your pets from lethal treats and heat this ChristmasSharing is not caring when it comes to your pets at Christmas with many tasty festive delights on the naughty list for furry family members. |
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