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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 14, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers discover new gas giant exoplanet(Phys.org)—Using the gravitational microlensing method, an international team of astronomers has recently detected a new gas giant exoplanet three times more massive than Jupiter. The newly discovered planet received designation OGLE-2014-BLG-0676Lb and is an important addition to the short list of extrasolar worlds detected by the microlensing technique. The discovery was described in a paper published Dec. 12 on arXiv.org. |
 | Researchers dial in to 'thermostat' in Earth's upper atmosphereA team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has found the mechanism behind the sudden onset of a "natural thermostat" in Earth's upper atmosphere that dramatically cools the air after it has been heated by violent solar activity. |
 | Newly formed stars shoot out powerful whirlwindsResearchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have used the ALMA telescopes to observe the early stages in the formation of a new solar system. For the first time they have seen how a powerful whirlwind shoot out from the rotating disc of gas and dust surrounding the young star. The results have been published in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature. |
 | Revolutions in understanding the ionosphere, Earth's interface to spaceScientists from NASA and three universities have presented new discoveries about the way heat and energy move and manifest in the ionosphere, a region of Earth's atmosphere that reacts to changes from both space above and Earth below. |
 | Image: EveryWear space medicine wearable deviceAn astronaut in space has many tasks, from monitoring experiments to maintaining equipment to organising the more than 70 000 objects that are on the International Space Station, as well as staying fit and healthy. Astronauts have 24-hour support from mission control to keep track, but to explore farther out into our solar system, they will need more autonomy. France's space agency CNES with space medicine specialists MEDES have developed a personal assistant for astronauts to use via a tablet called EveryWear. ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet will be the first to use it during his six-month Proxima mission. |
 | Image: HTV-6 cargo craft approaches space stationExpedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA shared this photograph of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kounotori H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-6) as it approached the International Space Station on Dec. 12, 2016, writing, "Beautiful #HTV6 @Space_Station. @NASA and @ESA astronauts using @csa_asc robot arm to capture @JAXA_en spacecraft. Proud of Int'l. #Teamwork" |
 | NASA field test focuses on science of lava terrains similar to early MarsWas Mars home to microbial life? Is it today? What can it teach us about life elsewhere in the cosmos or how life began on Earth? What clues will we discover about Earth's past, present and future? NASA and its partners have been traversing the volcanic lava terrains of Hawaii to answer these fundamental questions about life beyond Earth. |
 | NASA's exo-brake 'parachute' to enable safe return for small spacecraftNASA's "Exo-Brake" will demonstrate a critical technology leading to the potential return of science payloads to Earth from the International Space Station through the deployment of small spacecraft in early 2017. |
 | Image: Juno captures Jupiter 'pearl'This image, taken by the JunoCam imager on NASA's Juno spacecraft, highlights the seventh of eight features forming a 'string of pearls on Jupiter—massive counterclockwise rotating storms that appear as white ovals in the gas giant's southern hemisphere. Since 1986, these white ovals have varied in number from six to nine. There are currently eight white ovals visible. |
NASA lighting effects study seeks circadian solution for astronautsCrewmembers on the International Space Station (ISS) can experience sunrises and sunsets in rapid succession—about 16 "sunsets" per day because the space station circles Earth once every 90 minutes. | |
Carbonaceous chondrites shed light on the origins of life in the universeA Spanish-Italian team led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has discovered that one type of meteorite known as carbonaceous chondrites are capable of synthesising organic compounds which are key to prebiotic chemistry. Such catalysing properties are unknown in other rocks on Earth and in other planetary bodies in the Solar System. This type of meteorite may well have played a vital role in the origins of life in the universe. | |
 | A population of neutron stars can generate gravitational waves continuouslyProfessor Sudip Bhattacharyya of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, India, and Professor Deepto Chakrabarty (MIT), an adjunct visiting professor at the same institute, have shown that a population of neutron stars should spin around their axes much faster than the highest observed spin rate of any neutron star. They pointed out that the observed lower spin rates are possible if these neutron stars emit gravitational waves continuously, and hence spin down. |
 | Judge: Mistakenly sold Apollo 11 moon mission bag is buyer'sA bag used to collect lunar samples during the first manned mission to the moon legally belongs to an Illinois woman who bought it for $995 when it was mistakenly sold during a government auction, a judge ruled Wednesday. |
Technology news
 | Startup allows users to create realistic animated facial avatar from a single photograph(Tech Xplore)—A team of researchers working at startup Loom.ai, has introduced new technology that allows a user to submit a single image of their face and have it translated into an animated version that can be used as an avatar in virtual reality systems. Company reps recently spoke with the press regarding the new technology, the 1.35 million it has received in seed money and where they believe VR is heading. |
 | Engineers develop a new non-invasive method to detect infections in prosthesesEngineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new non-invasive method to detect infections in prostheses used for amputees, as well as for knee, hip and other joint replacements. The method, which is at the proof of concept stage, consists of a simple imaging technique and an innovative material to coat the prostheses. |
 | Uber self-driving cars hit the streets of San FranciscoUber is bringing a small number of self-driving cars to its ride-hailing service in San Francisco—a move likely to excite the city's tech-savvy population and certain to antagonize California regulators. |
 | Electronic 'hairy skin' could give robots a more human sense of touchElectronic-skin prototypes are stretchy, thin films that can sense temperature, pressure and even monitor blood oxygen or alcohol levels. But most of these devices are missing a key feature of real skin that allows us to feel a wider range of conditions: hair. Now researchers have combined hair-like wires with electronic skin to make a more versatile sensor for robots, prosthetics and other applications. Their report appears in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. |
 | Amazon completes its first drone delivery, in England (Update)Amazon said Wednesday it completed its first delivery by drone, in what the global online giant hopes will become a trend in automated shipments by air. |
 | Highview Power Storage technology in focus in energy storage plant(Tech Xplore)—UK-based Highview Power Storage is a company to watch in the energy storage market—using liquefied air as the energy storage medium. When the liquid air warms up it expands and can drive a turbine to make electricity, said a report about the company from the BBC. |
 | Innovations offer peek into the future of electronic devicesPurdue University researchers—during the international IEDM 2016 conference the week of Dec. 5—showcased a range of concepts and technologies that foreshadow the future of the semiconductor industry. |
 | Computers can take social media data and make marketing personasComputers may be able to group consumers into marketing segments in real time just by observing how they respond to online videos and other social media data, according to a team of researchers. |
 | One billion Yahoo users hit in newly discovered hack (Update)Yahoo said Wednesday more than a billion users may have had data stolen in a hack dating back to 2013—separate from its previously disclosed breach affecting 500 million. |
Really? Most Americans don't suffer information overloadWait, can this be right? A new report from the Pew Research Center says that most Americans do not suffer from information overload—even though many of us frequently say otherwise. | |
 | IBM unveils plan to hire 25,000 in US on eve of Trump meetingUS technology giant IBM said Tuesday it would hire 25,000 people in the country over the next four years, a day before President-elect Donald Trump meets with tech industry leaders. |
 | Polaroid photos make a comebackAt a photography studio in Cleveland, instructor Nicole Follen is trying to convince her students to step back in time and technology—to the age of the humble Polaroid. |
 | Sustainable solutions for cement pasteConcrete is all around us, from buildings and sidewalks to bridges and roads, but graduate student Steven Palkovic sees it as more than just the most-used human-made material in the world; he sees it as an environmental problem. The production of concrete contributes up to 10 percent of the world's carbon dioxide, and Palkovic hopes to reduce this environmental impact through his research of cement paste, the matrix of concrete materials that binds everything together. |
How blockchain will transform our citiesMany trends on the horizon offer opportunities that could transform our cities. From self-driving vehicles and the sharing economy through to cloud computing and blockchain technologies, each of these trends is quite significant on its own. But the convergence of their disruptive forces is what will create real value and drive innovations. | |
 | The trouble with facial recognition technology (in the real world)If you've watched any sort of spy thriller or action film over the last few years – think Jason Bourne or Mission: Impossible – the chances are you've seen facial recognition software in action. These movie scenes often involve an artist's sketch compared to mug shots, or sometimes even a live CCTV stream, and with the clock ticking, a match is usually found for the culprit in the nick of time. |
 | High-tech sensors for better breast examsClinical breast examinations can save women's lives, but, as doctors-in-training, new residents sometimes aren't thorough or experienced enough to detect potentially cancerous abnormalities. |
 | What's the best electric car for you? Take this app for a test driveIf you're thinking of buying a new car, there's a decent chance you're considering trying something greener. There's also a decent chance that some concern, big or small, has you hitting the brakes when it comes to buying an electric car. |
 | Amazon extends video streaming to more than 200 countriesAmazon said Wednesday it was extending its on-demand video streaming service to more than 200 countries, placing "The Grand Tour" and other shows in head-to-head global competition with "Narcos" and other Netflix hits. |
 | Powerball, Pokemon, Prince among 2016 top Google searches (Update)"Pokemon Go," the iPhone7 and Donald Trump are among Google's top trending searches globally of 2016. But, in the U.S., no subject ranked higher than Powerball. |
Researchers offer novel hardware-based modelling approach for multi-robot tasksTechnological revolution means robots no longer are the song of the future. The Governor of the Bank of England predicts today that up to half of British workforce face redundancy in the imminent 'second machine age'. No wonder, the research of multi-robot systems generates serious buzz both for promising (albeit at times scary) results and for their application prospects in the real world. | |
 | Fresh look, control panel in 2017 Lincoln MKZ HybridFor 2017, Lincoln continues to improve its midsize MKZ Hybrid sedan by adding a Jaguar-esque grille, easier-to-use audio and ventilation controls and an upgraded interior. |
 | Twitter adds ability to broadcast live videos from appTwitter is adding the ability for users to broadcast live video directly from its app as it seeks to distinguish itself among social media rivals as the place for real-time connections and discussions. |
 | Ashley Madison dating site to pay $1.6 mn over breach (Update)The operators of the Ashley Madison affair-minded dating website agreed Wednesday to pay a $1.6 million penalty over a data breach exposing data from 36 million users, US officials announced. |
Bring your own (security) disasterBring your own device (BYOD) to work is common practice these days. Almost everyone has a smart or a tablet and in many office and other jobs, using the device makes workers more effective and more efficient in their work (games and personal social media aside, perhaps). A new study in the International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies suggests, however, that most company IT security managers would prefer employees not to BYOD. | |
 | This flying robot is the newest expert inspecting your city's bridgesImagine strapping on a harness and dangling yourself over the side of a bridge, 100 feet in the air—the wind whipping past you, the earth far below. It might sound like a scene from a spy movie, or a fun idea for a vacation activity. For a bridge inspector, however, it's just another day on the job. |
 | Industry-first optical-based fingerprint sensors for smartphonesSynaptics today announced an industry-first family of Natural ID biometric authentication solutions that leverage high-performance, highly secure optical-based fingerprint sensors for smartphones and tablets. The new Synaptics FS9100 optical fingerprint sensor family is capable of high-resolution scanning through 1mm of full cover glass and enables clean, button-free industrial designs. |
Greater readiness repels cyber threats to manufacturersTogether with the National Emergency Supply Agency and the private sector, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed tailored solutions bringing improved cyber security and disruption-free operations to manufacturers. The results of the now ending KYBER-TEO project will make companies more able to ward off possible cyber threats. | |
 | Heating apartment houses sustainablyFor the energy transition to be successful, it will also be important to secure heat supply of the housing stock by sustainable technologies. About half of the apartments in Germany is located in apartment buildings. However, backfitting with modern building shells or heat pumps lags behind. The cooperation project "LowEx-Bestand" coordinated by KIT and Fraunhofer ISE is aimed at developing commercially viable concepts and demonstrating their operation quality. It is funded with about EUR 5.3 million by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. |
Soccer site FuboTV muscling into mainstream internet TVThe online-cable market is getting a little more crowded. | |
Trump meets with tech execs, including his critics (Update)US President-elect Donald Trump sat down Wednesday with top tech executives—including several of his sharpest critics—to mend fences after a divisive election in which the majority of Silicon Valley backed Hillary Clinton. | |
 | Apps for haggard parents with a wailing child on a flightThere are few things worse than getting on a plane and discovering a wailing child and a haggard parent sitting next to you. Few things, that is, except being that haggard parent of the wailing child. |
VW shakeup means more English spoken, women as managersVolkswagen says it's going to speak more English and help more women reach for top positions as it shakes up its corporate culture in the wake of a diesel emissions scandal. | |
 | Autonomous Swarmboats: New missions, safe harborsAutonomous unmanned swarming boats were put through their paces in a recent demonstration in the lower Chesapeake Bay—with results that show dramatic new possibilities for autonomy in future naval missions. |
GM shares fall on reports of antitrust penalty in ChinaA Chinese state-run newspaper reported Wednesday that the government will penalize an unidentified U.S. automaker soon for alleged anti-competitive behavior. With signs pointing to General Motors, shares of the Detroit company fell 2 percent. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Study identifies why some people can smell asparagus in urineIn The BMJ's Christmas edition this week, a study identifies the genetic origin of the ability to smell the strong, characteristic odor in human urine produced after eating asparagus. |
 | Skin cells 'crawl' together to heal wounds treated with unique hydrogel layerTime may not heal all wounds, but a proprietary mix of peptides and gel developed by U of T Engineering researchers heals most. |
 | Infants show apparent awareness of ethnic differences, psychologists reportInfants less than a year old, who have yet to learn language, appear to notice differences when looking at adult women of different ethnicities, a new study by UCLA psychologists shows. |
 | Lab confirms vitamin D link to autism traitsResearchers at The University of Queensland's Queensland Brain Institute have found a link between vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and increased autism traits. |
 | Scientists discover new cancer connectionA biologist at The University of Texas at Dallas and his colleagues have discovered that two enzymes previously linked independently with keeping cancer cells alive actually work in tandem to spur tumor growth. |
 | Researchers spur growth of healthy 'brown fat' with experimental drug RoscovitineWe're all familiar with white fat—a bit too familiar, perhaps. White fat is the stuff bulging around our waists and thighs, the result of too little exercise and too much fast food. Today, with more than one-third of American adults and 17 percent of children obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scientists are scrambling for new ways to treat obesity. One hope stems from a surprising place: brown fat, which is, in many ways, the alter ego of white. |
 | Researchers reveal how cancer can spread even before a tumor developsEven before tumors develop, breast cancer cells with a few defined molecular alterations can spread to organs, remain quiet for long periods of time, and then awaken to form aggressive, deadly breast cancer metastasis, says a team of investigators led by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the University of Regensburg in Germany. |
 | Common breast cancer mutation could be vulnerable to drug combinationBreast cancer cells that carry a certain gene mutation can be induced to die using a combination of an existing targeted therapy along with an investigational molecule tested by Duke Cancer Institute researchers. |
 | Researchers add to evidence that common bacterial cause of gum disease may drive rheumatoid arthritisInvestigators at Johns Hopkins report they have new evidence that a bacterium known to cause chronic inflammatory gum infections also triggers the inflammatory "autoimmune" response characteristic of chronic, joint-destroying rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The new findings have important implications for prevention and treatment of RA, say the researchers. |
 | Scientists produce functional heart pacemaker cellsScientists from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network, have developed the first functional pacemaker cells from human stem cells, paving the way for alternate, biological pacemaker therapy. |
 | Switching to daylight saving time may lead to harsher legal sentencesJudges in the United States tend to give defendants longer sentences the day after switching to daylight saving time compared with other days of the year, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
 | Research shows people can control a robotic arm with only their mindsResearchers at the University of Minnesota have made a major breakthrough that allows people to control a robotic arm using only their minds. The research has the potential to help millions of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases. |
 | Runners' brains may be more connected, research showsIf you're thinking about taking up running as your New Year's resolution and still need some convincing, consider this: MRI scans reveal that endurance runners' brains have greater functional connectivity than the brains of more sedentary individuals. |
 | How hearing 'twist my arm' engages the brainListening to metaphors involving arms or legs loops in a region of the brain responsible for visual perception of those body parts, scientists have discovered. |
 | Advance in understanding the disparity in prognosis between men and women in melanomaThough it has been shown that men who get melanoma are twice as likely to die from the disease as women, the biological explanation for this is poorly understood. Research led by Dr. Alan Spatz, Director of Surgical and Molecular Pathology at the Jewish General Hospital and head of the "X chromosome and cancer" lab at the Lady Davis Institute in Montreal, reveals that the decreased expression of the X chromosome gene PPP2R3B and its protein PR70 are positively linked to tumor progression in this aggressive form of skin cancer. The finding is published in Science Translational Medicine. |
 | Lab vaccine shields mice against Zika virusAntibodies drawn from a patient infected with Zika could form the basis of a vaccine against the notorious virus, a new animal study suggests. |
 | Universal group B streptococci screening not cost-effective(HealthDay)—For women with a singleton pregnancy planning a repeat cesarean delivery, universal group B streptococci (GBS) screening is not cost-effective, according to a study published in the January issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. |
 | Prenatal exposure to maternal stress may raise psoriasis risk(HealthDay)—Prenatal exposure to maternal bereavement is associated with psoriasis only for children born to a mother who lost a partner/spouse or an older child, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in the British Journal of Dermatology. |
 | Sustained enjoyment in older age linked to longer lifeSustained enjoyment of life over several years in older age is associated with lower mortality, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. The longer an individual reports enjoying life, the lower their risk of death, the findings show. |
Smartphones and tablets and adolescents: Small size, big problems?Research has shown that when children watch too much television, their risk of obesity increases. However, more and more screen time is coming from other devices, like tablets and smartphones, and the impact of these devices has not been researched as much. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that children who reported spending more time on screen devices and watching television engaged in behaviors that can lead to obesity. | |
Medical care of child with Down syndrome probably not a financial burden for most familiesThe first study to analyze the out-of-pocket costs to families for the medical care of children and adolescents with Down syndrome finds that monthly costs - averaged over the first 18 years of life - are less than $100 a month more than the costs for care of a typically developing child. The report published in American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A also finds that the additional costs are lower when the child is older. | |
Study highlights need for improved, stable eye screening for premature babiesAmong the challenges faced in caring for premature babies is protecting their eye sight, and concerns are growing about an available workforce ready to screen for retinopathy of prematurity. | |
 | Weight and body image misperception associated with alcohol use among teen girlsAmong high school girls ages 14-18, those who report and act on body image misperceptions are more likely to have had at least one drink in their life, and more likely to have engaged in episodes of heavy drinking than girls of the same age without body image misperceptions, a new study has found. |
 | NCAA honors man who inspired ALS ice bucket challengeThe Massachusetts man who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge that has raised millions of dollars for ALS research received a hand-delivered award from the NCAA on Tuesday. |
 | Researchers identify brain region as possible target for dementia preventionA University of Rochester study has found that older adults with excellent memories have more efficient connections between specific areas of the brain—findings that could hold promise for the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline. |
Almost 20 percent of breast cancer patients fail to complete prescribed endocrine therapyAround 20% of breast cancer patients do not complete prescribed endocrine therapy, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore. The study in over 5,500 women found that younger patients and those who had taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were less likely to adhere to their medicine. | |
 | Public skepticism would likely greet a new Zika vaccine, study saysAs scientists race to create a vaccine for the Zika virus, new research from the University of Georgia suggests almost half of Americans wouldn't be interested in getting the shot even if public health officials recommended it for them. |
Now researchers can predict venous thromboembolismIn a collaborative study between the Karolinska Institutet and Nottingham University, Great Britain, researchers have developed and validated a risk prediction model for venous thromboembolism in the first six weeks after delivery (early postpartum). | |
Families have some answers on genetic disorderResearch is giving answers to more than 1500 Australians with a rare and debilitating genetic disorder that caused their brains to develop unusually. | |
Study provides new insight in the fight against Sjogren's syndromeSjögren's syndrome is the second most common autoimmune disease affecting four million Americans—yet treatments are limited due to a lack of knowledge about its causes. A new study from the Forsyth Institute is helping to shed light on what happens in the development and the life cycle of the disease. This study is one of the first to define the immune-regulatory mechanisms operating in Sjögren's syndrome and provides a new foundation for fighting the disease. | |
 | Newly-revealed amino acid function could be used to boost antioxidant levelsA Japanese research team has become the first in the world to discover that 2-aminobutyric acid (2-AB) is closely involved in the metabolic regulation of the antioxidant glutathione, and that it can effectively raise levels of glutathione in the body when ingested. The findings were published in the online version of Scientific Reports on November 9. |
 | Veterans endure higher pain severity than nonveteransAmerican veterans experience higher prevalence of pain and more severe pain than nonveterans, with young and middle-aged veterans suffering the most, according to a new analysis of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) by the lead epidemiologist at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health. This survey provides the first national estimate of severe pain associated with painful health conditions in veterans and nonveterans and underscores the importance of sustaining efforts to monitor and manage pain among veterans. |
One-sixth of adolescent smokers report harder drug use, followed by higher rates of depressionIn a UC San Francisco study of 176 adolescent smokers in San Francisco, 96 percent reported using at least two substances other than cigarettes. | |
Scientists visualize embryo implantation in the mouse uterus in unprecedented 3-D detailUC San Francisco researchers have visualized the earliest stages of pregnancy in unprecedented detail in laboratory animals and human tissue using new laboratory imaging techniques that promise to enable rapid progress in understanding disorders of pregnancy and improving the success rate of in vitro fertilization technology. | |
 | Scientific reasons for keeping your New Year's resolutionsMore than half of Americans make a New Year's resolution each year, and though most people set out with the best of intentions, just a small percentage are successful in following through on their resolutions. |
 | A protein that ensures correct chromosome segregation during cell division can lead to cancer if mutatedA protein linked to cancer helps ensure that chromosomes are apportioned evenly after each round of cell division. This protein, called Mastl in humans, is essential for creating two identical copies of the cell. Its discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies for targeting tumors of the breast, colon and other organs. |
 | Mild symptoms could mean that children are bringing chikungunya to the playgroundChildren recover from chikungunya viral infection more quickly than adults, which could make them hidden carriers of the disease, finds a team of immunologists and pediatricians in Singapore and Malaysia. |
 | A strategy for efficiently converting stem cells to neurons offers a potent neurological research toolNeurological disorders are especially challenging to study in the laboratory, in part because of limited access to fully functional human neurons. Now, a powerful technique for reliably producing a subset of neurons involved with common neurological disorders has been developed by a team of Singaporean researchers led by Hyunsoo Je of the DUKE-NUS Medical School. |
 | Simple thinking in a complex world is a recipe for disasterAnts are simple creatures. They live by simple rules: if you see a scrap of food, pick it up; if you see a pile of food, drop the food you are carrying. Out of such simple behaviour, an ant colony emerges. |
 | Donald Trump claims torture 'works' – but what does the science say?The US president-elect Donald Trump has on several occasions insisted that torture is a good idea and that procedures such as water-boarding are not "tough enough" when dealing with terrorist groups like Islamic State. |
New evidence shows how technology is actively supporting patients in managing their own healthA new Cochrane Review, summarizing data from 132 trials of automated telephone systems in preventing and managing long-term health conditions, concludes that they probably have the potential to play an important role in the delivery of health care. However, further research is needed to understand more about their acceptability and costs. | |
 | Advanced lung cancer knocked out in clinical trialA leading-edge immunotherapy clinical trial at UConn Health's Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center has packed a one-two punch, successfully controlling a patient's advanced lung cancer using the combined power of two immunotherapy drugs. |
Brain exercise and training program to improve mind and body wellness in individuals with mild cognitive impairmentIndividuals with mild cognitive impairment have a new resource in Pittsburgh with the recently established Brain Training and Exercise (BRiTE) mind and body wellness program, developed by a team of clinicians and scientists at the University of Pittsburgh with expertise in cognition and behavior. The program works to stimulate the brain and body of those with known or suspected cognitive impairment with the goal of improving overall health and wellness. | |
Italy swaps spleen for kidney in world firstA hospital in northern Italy said Wednesday it had achieved a world first by successfully transplanting a kidney in the place of the spleen in a six-year-old girl. | |
 | Volunteering to care for elderly can prolong life, study findsVolunteering time to care for elderly friends or neighbours could help them live longer, according to a University of Aberdeen study. |
 | Review finds high attrition rate among residents in general surgery programsAlmost one in five residents in general surgery programs leave before finishing and the most common reasons given are uncontrollable lifestyle and deciding to switch specialties, a study published today has found. |
Understanding acute, chronic posttraumatic stress symptomsLittle is understood about how posttraumatic stress symptoms develop over time into the syndrome of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). | |
Smartphones could be game-changing tool for cardiovascular research, study showsWidespread ownership of smartphones around the world could potentially transform cardiovascular research by providing rapid, large-scale and real-time measurement of individuals' physical activity, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. | |
Women denied abortion initially report more negative psychological outcomesWomen who were denied an abortion initially reported less psychological well-being compared with women who received the wanted procedure, findings that researchers suggest do not support policies restricting women's access to abortion on the basis that the procedure harms their mental health, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry. | |
 | Gut cells are gatekeepers of infectious brain diseases, study findsFresh insights into infectious brain conditions help to explain why some people - and animals - are more at risk than others. |
 | Early signs of Alzheimer's detected in cerebrospinal fluidLittle is known about the role of the brain's immune system in Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the Munich site of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the hospital of the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich have now found an early immune response in individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's: their brain's showed abnormal immune reactions as early as about seven years before the expected onset of dementia. These results demonstrate that in cases of Alzheimer's, inflammatory processes in the brain evolve dynamically and are precursors of dementia. These immune responses can be detected by means of a protein in the cerebrospinal fluid, offering physicians the possibility to trace the progression of the disease. The study results are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. |
 | The poor and people of color benefited most from Affordable Care Act, new data showCalifornians who were historically unable to afford health insurance—those with low incomes and people of color—benefited significantly from health coverage expansion policies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to new 2015 California Health Interview Survey data released today. |
 | Supporting children exposed to domestic violence—call for stronger evidence baseServices for children who are exposed to domestic violence and abuse are vital, but NIHR-funded researchers have found that there is little evidence for what support works best. |
 | Uterine artery embolism can help avoid hysterectomy for fibroids(HealthDay)—Hysterectomy can often be avoided in patients with uterine fibroids undergoing uterine artery embolization, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. |
 | Catheter ablation of A-fib linked to more strokes in elderly(HealthDay)—Catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with more strokes in patients who are at least 75 years old but is not associated with other complications, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. |
 | The happy get lucky in their older years(HealthDay)—"Don't worry, be happy" is not only a motto for enjoying life, it might actually help older folks live longer, researchers report. |
 | New approach to liver transplantation: Using a damaged liver to replace a dying liverThere's new hope for patients with liver disease who are waiting for a donor liver to become available for transplantation. |
Researchers study challenges in transitioning from residential substance abuse treatment to the community9% of the population - have a diagnosable substance use disorder (SUD). Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that SUDs follow a chronic, relapsing course, with cycles of recovery, relapse, and multiple treatment episodes, over the course of several years. | |
 | Study determines opening a supervised injection facility for people who inject drugs could save millionsFor the first time, researchers have determined the potential cost and benefits of opening a supervised injection facility for people who inject drugs in the United States. The study, released today, found that a single facility in San Francisco could generate $3.5 million in savings. |
 | Gesturing can boost children's creative thinkingEncouraging children to use gestures as they think can help them come up with more creative ideas, according to research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
 | Celebrity chefs have poor food safety practices, study findsCelebrity chefs are cooking up poor food safety habits, according to a Kansas State University study. |
 | N-acetylcysteine shows early promise in reducing alcohol use in marijuana-dependent teensAn over-the-counter antioxidant known as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is showing early promise at promoting abstinence from or reduced use of alcohol in marijuana-dependent adolescents, report researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in the December 2016 Addictive Behaviors. In a cohort of treatment-engaged marijuana-dependent adolescents, reduced marijuana use was associated with reductions in alcohol use in the NAC-treated group, but not placebo group. NAC is believed to restore neuronal glutamate homeostasis disrupted by addiction. |
 | Cigar warnings: Do teens believe them?A majority of adolescents in the United States report current cigar warning labels to be very believable, according to a new study conducted by doctors and researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. But significant differences exist in the believability of specific cigar warnings, suggesting that more work is needed to establish the best warnings to dissuade youth from smoking cigars. |
 | Making (sound) waves in the fight against cancerEach year, thousands of Canadian men with prostate cancer undergo biopsies to help their doctors better understand the progression and nature of their disease. It provides vital, sometimes life-saving information, yet cancer researcher John Lewis knows it can be a difficult test to ask of anyone. |
 | Creative approach to probing genome IDs genes that likely influence bone strengthIn an important step in the battle against osteoporosis, a serious brittle bone disease that affects millions, researchers have identified more than a dozen genes amid the vast human genome likely responsible for bone density and strength. The crafty approach the researchers used to find these genes - essentially identifying needles in a haystack - could speed the development of new and better treatments for osteoporosis and many other diseases. |
Krembil research prompts rethink on established vision recovery theoryA team of researchers at the Krembil Research Institute has published a paper that is expected to change the way scientists think about vision recovery after retinal cell transplantation. | |
 | New book explores Echinacea, a medicinal plant with roots in KansasIn February 1805, during their Corps of Discovery Expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark encountered a purplish daisy prized by tribes of Native Americans across the Great Plains as a "cure-all." Learning the plant was used to treat bites from "mad Dogs [and] Snakes," the explorers sent a specimen off to Thomas Jefferson, president of the United States and part-time botanist. |
Smartphone apps may help study cardiovascular health, behaviorsIn a study published online by JAMA Cardiology, Euan A. Ashley, M.B., Ch.B., D.Phil., of the Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., and colleagues assessed the feasibility of measuring physical activity, fitness, and sleep from smartphones and to gain insight into activity patterns associated with life satisfaction and self-reported disease. | |
 | FDA denies bid to drop some warnings from tobacco pouches (Update)U.S. health officials have rejected an attempt by a Swedish company to remove several health warnings from its smokeless tobacco pouches, though regulators left open the possibility for other labeling changes it seeks. |
Opioid prescribing declines following release of national guidelines for physiciansThe rate of opioid use in Canada has fallen 13.7 per cent since the publication in May 2010 of national guidelines for their use in chronic non-cancer pain, a new study has found. | |
 | Marital history linked to stroke survivalPeople who were in a stable marriage, and had never been divorced or widowed, had the best prospects of survival after having a stroke, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. |
Protein in urine linked to increased risk of memory problems, dementiaPeople who have protein in their urine, which is a sign of kidney problems, may also be more likely to later develop problems with thinking and memory skills or even dementia, according to a meta-analysis published in the December 14, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. | |
Longer use of pain relievers associated with hearing loss in womenAs many as two-thirds of women in the United States over the age of 60 have some degree of hearing loss. Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, a team led by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital has found evidence that the duration of use of over-the-counter medications for pain relief, including ibuprofen or acetaminophen, is associated with higher risk of hearing loss. The new study, published on Dec. 14 in the American Journal of Epidemiology adds to a growing body of evidence linking the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or acetaminophen with loss of hearing, although the exact mechanism at play remains unknown. | |
 | Partners play critical role in melanoma examsHaving to strip down regularly to have your partner check for mole irregularities may be initially embarrassing to a person—especially a woman—previously diagnosed with melanoma. |
 | Birth defects seen in 6 percent of US pregnancies with ZikaA U.S. study of Zika-infected pregnancies found that 6 percent of them ended in birth defects. The rate was nearly twice as high for women infected early in pregnancy. |
 | Psychologists analyze links between provider burnout, quality of care, patient safetyHealth care provider burnout is known to have a relationship with both quality of care and patient safety. Psychologists from the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis conducted the first study to systematically, quantitatively analyze the links between health care provider burnout and health care quality and safety across medical disciplines. |
 | True lies: People who lie via telling truth viewed harshly, study findsThe ability to deceive someone by telling the truth is not only possible, it has a name—paltering—it's common in negotiations and those who palter can do serious harm to their reputations, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. |
OpenNotes reporting tool engages patients as safety partnersOpenNotes evidence has shown that transparent medical records can increase patient engagement - patients who read the clinical notes written by their doctors report feeling more in control of their care and being better able to adhere to the treatment plan. Now new research from OpenNotes investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) suggests that offering patients a mechanism to provide feedback about their notes further enhances engagement and can improve patient safety. | |
 | Review suggests that teens benefit from later high school start timesA review of the scientific literature by a workgroup composed of representatives from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sleep Research Society, and American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine found that later high school start times are associated with positive outcomes among teens, including longer weekday sleep durations and reduced vehicular accident rates. |
 | Woman has baby in UK from ovary frozen in childhoodA woman in London has become the first to give birth after having her fertility restored using ovarian tissue frozen before the onset of puberty, doctors said Wednesday. |
 | FDA issues anesthesia warning for pregnant women, kids under three(HealthDay)—Repeated or lengthy use—longer than three hours—of general anesthetic and sedation drugs may harm the developing brains of fetuses and children younger than 3 years old, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday. |
 | Prices skyrocket on drugs widely used by seniors: report(HealthDay)—The prices of brand-name drugs used by many older Americans rose nearly 130 times faster than inflation last year, a new study reports. |
Knee cartilage product approved to repair defects(HealthDay)—Maci (autologous cultured chondrocytes) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to repair defective cartilage of the knee. | |
 | Type of treatment impacts recurrence in laryngeal SCC(HealthDay)—For patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), factors predictive of recurrence include neck metastasis at presentation and nonsurgical treatment, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Head & Neck. |
 | Outcomes-based pricing suggested for new, costly drugs(HealthDay)—Outcomes-based pricing for novel and expensive biopharmaceuticals is supported in an Ideas and Opinions piece published online Dec. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Data-driven algorithm yields notable improvements in HbA1c(HealthDay)—A data-driven algorithm for personalized diabetes care can yield substantial improvements in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), according to a study published online Dec. 5 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Addiction consultation valuable for liver transplant patients(HealthDay)—Liver transplantation (LT) patients should undergo addiction consultation to accurately detect alcohol consumption, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. |
 | Cetuximab + chemoradiation can cure HIV-associated anal cancer(HealthDay)—Definitive chemoradiation (CRT) can potentially cure HIV-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCAC), with the addition of cetuximab resulting in less locoregional failure (LRF), according to a study published online Dec. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. |
 | Self-care tools cut depression in AMD, diabetic retinopathy(HealthDay)—Self-care tools can reduce depressive symptoms in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy (DR), according to a study published online Dec. 7 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology. |
 | Sliding scale insulin order sheet cuts medication errors(HealthDay)—A standardized sliding scale insulin (SSI) order sheet can reduce the incidence of SSI-related medication errors, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. |
 | Communication facilitator in ICU economically feasible(HealthDay)—Staffing the intensive care unit (ICU) with a communication facilitator is economically feasible, according to research published in the December issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. |
 | Stroke, A-fib recurrence low at one year after AF ablation(HealthDay)—Stroke and atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence are low one year after AF ablation, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. |
Children's oral health disparities persist despite equal dental care accessOral health of children who receive dental care through Medicaid lags behind their privately insured peers, even though the children receive the same amount of dental care, according to a study from the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. | |
 | Study dispels myth that Santa only visits children who are niceA study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ dispels the myth that Santa Claus rewards children based on how nice or naughty they have been in the previous year. |
 | Team identifies new genes responsible for ALS using IMB Watson HealthBarrow Neurological Institute and IBM Watson Health today announced results of a revolutionary study that has identified new genes linked to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The discovery gives ALS researchers new insights that will pave the way for the development of new drug targets and therapies to combat one of the world's most devastating and deadly diseases. |
Mexico Senate passes medical pot bill; sent to lower houseThe Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill approving the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the latest in a series of legal changes and court rulings that have somewhat relaxed cannabis laws in Mexico. | |
Johnson & Johnson ends talks to buy ActelionJohnson & Johnson said Tuesday it has ending talks to buy Swiss drugmaker Actelion Pharmaceuticals. | |
 | UNICEF: 80,000 children will starve to death in NigeriaNearly a half million children will face starvation in northeastern Nigeria next year and 80,000 will die if they don't get treatment in the humanitarian crisis created by Boko Haram's Islamic uprising, the U.N. Children's Agency warned Tuesday. |
Family planning for 'healthier, wealthier' Africa: Melinda GatesFamily planning helps people in Africa to be healthier and wealthier, as women without contraceptives become locked in "a cycle of poverty," Melinda Gates told AFP as a conference on the topic was held in Ivory Coast. | |
 | Can an orange a day keep the doctor away?Everyone has heard about how an apple a day can keep the doctor away. Well, I have a different take on it—use an orange instead! |
 | Cuisinart recalls 8M food processors; broken blades reportedCuisinart is voluntarily recalling about 8 million food processors after dozens of consumers reported finding pieces of broken blades in their food. |
 | Efforts needed to stop the spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanniiECDC's latest risk assessment highlights the need of increased efforts to face this significant threat to patients and healthcare systems in all EU/EEA countries and outlines options to reduce risks through clinical management, prevention of transmission in hospitals and other health-care settings, prevention of cross-border transmission, and improvement of preparedness of EU/EEA countries. |
 | Natural kill cell technology to stop cancer gets licensedOur bodies contain Natural Killer (NK) cells - an army that stops cancers and viruses before they can make us sick. A researcher from the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine has created a nanoparticle that increases the number of these killers 10,000-fold in the lab and her new technology has generated a licensing agreement that is expected to accelerate the therapy's path to clinical trials. |
 | Young women in socioeconomically weak areas use fewer contraceptivesThe use of contraceptives has increased among young women in Gothenburg, but not in areas that are socially vulnerable. This is the finding from a long-term study from Sahlgrenska Academy spanning four generations of young women. |
 | Do most Mount Everest climbers use medications, and should they?The ethics of using medications to improve performance and increase the likelihood of success in high-altitude climbing remains a controversial topic, and a new study that asked climbers of Mount Everest their opinions and assessed their use of medications and oxygen provides new insights in an article published in High Altitude Medicine & Biology. |
 | Huff, puff and explode: E-cigarette fires, injuries on riseKatrina Williams wanted a safer alternative to smoking, and e-cigarettes seemed to be the answer until the day one exploded in her pocket as she drove home from a beauty salon. |
Federal prosecutors accuse execs of fixing drug pricesFederal prosecutors have charged two former pharmaceutical executives with fixing prices of generic drugs, part of an ongoing government investigation into anticompetitive tactics by companies that make lower-cost drugs intended to reduce medication costs. | |
Exactis brings together Quebec cancer centres to increase access to personalized therapyFive major Quebec cancer treatment centres are partnering with Montreal-based Exactis Innovation to build a coordinated network to match cancer patients to clinical trials based on the characteristics of their tumour through an innovative digital registry. The "Personalize My Treatment" (PMT) digital registry addresses the challenge of recruiting and matching cancer patients who have had their cancer molecularly profiled to clinical studies in areas of high unmet need. | |
Biology news
 | Mass oyster die-off in San Francisco related to atmospheric riversAtmospheric rivers contributed to a mass die-off of wild Olympia oysters in north San Francisco Bay in 2011, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis and the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, or NERR. |
 | Study sheds light on the function of the penis bone in male competitionA new UCL study examines how the baculum (penis bone) evolved in mammals and explores its possible function in primates and carnivores—groups where many species have a baculum, but some do not. |
 | Deer study shows bigger brains in females lead to longer lives and more offspring(Phys.org)—A team of researchers working on the Scottish Isle of Rum has found evidence of larger brains in female red deer conferring longer lifespans and more offspring raised to adulthood. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the researchers describe their study and what they found. |
 | Researchers sequence entire genome of seahorse, investigate essential mechanisms of evolutionWithout a doubt, the seahorse belongs to Darwin's "endless forms most beautiful". Its body form is one of a kind. It has neither a tail nor pelvic fin, it swims vertically, bony plates reinforce its entire body and it has no teeth, a rare feature in fish. Another peculiarity is that male seahorses are the ones to become pregnant. |
 | Why the whitefly is such a formidable threat to food securityResearchers have sequenced the genome of the whitefly (Bemisia tabici), an invasive insect responsible for spreading plant viruses worldwide, causing billions of dollars in crop losses each year. |
 | New Zealand glowworms' sticky 'fishing lines' use moist, urea droplets to trap preyThe sticky fishing lines produced by New Zealand glowworms to trap their insect prey are spaced with water-absorbent droplets containing urea, according to a study published December 14, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Janek von Byern from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Austria, and colleagues. |
 | Insectivorous long-fingered bats may also be capable of catching fishWhile most long-fingered bats eat only insects, they may all be instinctively able to also catch fish, according to a study published December 14, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ostaizka Aizpurua and colleagues from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and the University of the Basque Country, Spain. |
 | Researchers turn back the clock on human embryonic stem cellsJohns Hopkins scientists report success in using a cocktail of cell-signaling chemicals to further wind back the biological clock of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), giving the cells the same flexibility researchers have prized in mice ESCs. |
 | Plant's response to heat stress fluctuates between day and nightClimate change and recent heat waves have put agricultural crops at risk, which means that understanding how plants respond to elevated temperatures is crucial for protecting our environment and food supply. |
 | Vaccination increases family wealth, girls' educationA Washington State University-led research team found households in rural Africa that vaccinate their cattle for East Coast fever increased their income and spent the additional money on food and education. Researchers also found that when fewer cattle died from the fever, girls were more likely to attend secondary school. |
 | The shape of a bird's wing determines where it livesBird's wings generally become shorter and more rounded the closer they live to the equator. Birds with smaller wings are to a greater extent restricted to stay in the same area, because their wings have not evolved for long distance travel. This new knowledge, published by scientists from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, helps us to better understand how life on Earth has developed. |
Researchers examine potential drug pathway to combat PneumocystisA study led by University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers is offering new insight in how the fungus Pneumocystis, thrives in the lungs of immune-comprised individuals, where it can cause a fatal pneumonia. | |
 | How fungi can improve the genetic makeup of bacteriaSoil bacteria use the extensively branched, thread-like structures of fungi to move around and access new food sources. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, UFZ researchers have been able to demonstrate that these so-called fungal hyphae also form a hot spot for gene transfer between bacteria. In this way, fungi ensure high bacterial diversity in the soil – which can also be beneficial for the degradation of pollutants. |
 | Predicting extinction—with the help of a Yule treeAt this time of year, the words "Yule tree" may conjure images of brightly decorated balsam firs. But for Lea Popovic, an associate professor of mathematics and statistics in the Faculty of Arts and Science, a Yule tree is actually an advanced way to describe evolution. |
 | Southern elephant seals may adjust their diving behavior to stay in prey patchesWhen southern elephant seals find dense patches of prey, they dive and return to the surface at steeper angles, and are more sinuous at the bottom of a dive, according to a study published December 14, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Yves Le Bras from Centre d'Etude Biologiques de Chizé, and colleagues. |
 | New, complex call recorded in Mariana Trench believed to be from baleen whaleA sound in the Mariana Trench notable for its complexity and wide frequency range likely represents the discovery of a new baleen whale call, according to the Oregon State University researchers who recorded and analyzed it. |
 | Scientists studying dolphins find Bay of Bengal a realm of evolutionary changeMarine scientists have discovered that two species of dolphin in the waters off Bangladesh are genetically distinct from those in other regions of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, a finding that supports a growing body of evidence that the Bay of Bengal harbors conditions that drive the evolution of new life forms, according to a new study by the American Museum of Natural History(AMNH), WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), and the cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (Universidade de Lisboa). |
 | Researcher studies increased predation of sagebrush songbirds in natural gas fieldsArid land bird populations are in decline around the vicinity of oil and gas wells in Wyoming—but, not for the reasons you might initially think. |
 | Crop shelter provides greater research portabilityIn many parts of the world, lack of sufficient water makes it difficult - or impossible - to grow crops. Even in areas with enough water for farming, droughts can drastically lower the yield and quality of crops. |
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