Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 24, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers uncover properties of a molecular outflow feature in a nearby starburst galaxy(Phys.org)—An international team of astronomers led by Fabian Walter of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany has revealed essential properties of a molecular outflow feature in the nearby starburst galaxy designated NGC253. The findings were presented in a paper published Jan. 18 on the arXiv pre-print repository. |
 | Gaia turns its eyes to asteroid huntingWhile best known for its surveys of the stars and mapping the Milky Way in three dimensions, ESA's Gaia has many more strings to its bow. Among them, its contribution to our understanding of the asteroids that litter the solar system. Now, for the first time, Gaia is not only providing information crucial to understanding known asteroids, it has also started to look for new ones, previously unknown to astronomers. |
 | Bursts of methane may have warmed early MarsThe presence of water on ancient Mars is a paradox. There's plenty of geographical evidence that rivers periodically flowed across the planet's surface. Yet in the time period when these waters are supposed to have run—three to four billion years ago—Mars should have been too cold to support liquid water. |
 | NASA develops AI for future exploration of extraterrestrial subsurface oceansNASA is developing technology that could enable autonomous navigation of future underwater drones studying subsurface oceans on icy moons like Jupiter's Europa. The agency is working on artificial intelligence (AI) that would allow submersibles to make their own decisions during exploration of extraterrestrial water worlds. |
 | New project to boost sat nav positioning accuracy anywhere in worldA project exploiting Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to establish the blueprint for the world's most accurate real-time positioning service is to run at the University of Nottingham. |
 | Micro spacecraft investigates cometary water mysteryIn September 2015, a team of astronomers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, University of Michigan, Kyoto Sangyo University, Rikkyo University and the University of Tokyo successfully observed the entire hydrogen coma of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, using the LAICA telescope onboard the PROCYON spacecraft. They also succeeded in obtaining the absolute rate of water discharge from the comet. |
Japan launches satellite to modernise military communicationsJapan on Tuesday launched a satellite to modernise its military communications and reportedly to better monitor North Korean missile launches. | |
Technology news
 | Korea has designs on ultra-fast transport speeding past maglev(Tech Xplore)—Korea has its eye on advanced transport and taking a place in the frontlines of research and development. Case in point: Its research interest in coming up with an ultra-fast train. Call it ultra-fast, call it hyper-tube but know that this is really fast. |
 | Researchers helping architects optimize both design and energy efficiencyDesigning energy-efficient buildings can be challenging: Incorporating features that decrease the energy needed to run them often increases the energy-intensive materials required to build them, and vice versa. Now an MIT team has demonstrated a computer simulation that can help architects optimize their designs for both future operational energy and the initial energy required for making structural materials—at the same time. |
 | Protective wear inspired by fish scalesThey started with striped bass. Over a two-year period the researchers went through about 50 bass, puncturing or fracturing hundreds of fish scales under the microscope, to try to understand their properties and mechanics better. |
 | Novel wind turbine flaps like a hummingbird(Tech Xplore)—A Tunisian company called Tyer Wind has released details of a new type of wind turbine they have developed that is based on what the company describes as 3-D Aouinian kinematics—a wind turbine designed to reap energy from the wind by mimicking the wing movements of the hummingbird. The company has named it the Biomimic Wind Converter. |
 | Your (social media) votes matterWhen Tim Weninger conducted two large-scale experiments on Reddit - otherwise known as "the front page of the internet" - back in 2014, the goal was to better understand the ripple effects of malicious voting behavior and the impact on what users see and share online. |
 | New Genome Browser product gives freedom to easily collaborate in the cloudUntil now, genomics research groups working with sensitive medical data were largely limited to using local Genome Browser installations to maintain confidentiality, complicating data-sharing among collaborators. Today, the Genome Browser group of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute announced they have changed that by launching a new product, Genome Browser in the Cloud (GBiC). GBiC introduces new freedom to collaborate by allowing rapid Browser installation, in any UNIX-based cloud. |
Philips profits more than double in 2016 (Update)Dutch electronics giant Philips said Tuesday its bottom-line profit more than doubled in 2016, buoyed by gains from the flotation of its lighting business and the strong performance of its health technology division. | |
Samsung says Q4 profits up 50% despite Note7 recallSamsung Electronics' profits leaped in the fourth quarter, it said Tuesday, despite the humiliating Galaxy Note 7 recall that hammered the reputation of the world's largest smartphone maker. | |
 | Zuckerberg charity buys AI startup to battle diseaseA charitable foundation backed by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife said Monday it has bought a Canadian artificial intelligence startup as part of a mission to eradicate disease. |
Saudi Arabia warns destructive computer virus has returned (Update)Saudi Arabia is warning that a computer virus that destroyed systems of its state-run oil company in 2012 has returned to the kingdom, with at least one major petrochemical company apparently affected by its spread. | |
 | French internet censorship rose sharply in 2016French authorities ordered the blockage or removal of more than 2,700 websites in 2016, Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux said Tuesday, a spike in censorship that some critics in the tech industry fear will do little to snuff out extremist content online. |
 | Crash-test dummies move beyond young, thin and maleWith input from U-M trauma experts, elderly and obese dummies are being used to help car manufacturers create safer vehicles for today's drivers. As the American population gets older and fatter, the crash-test dummies used to test the cars people drive are changing, too. |
 | 3-D printing custom support structures for tissue implantsTissue implants customised to a patient could soon be printed using a new type of 3-D printer under development by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and a Singapore-based 3-D printing start-up focused on healthcare. |
 | New research proposes tying vehicle fuel standards to gas pricesVolatile gasoline prices have caused regulators and carmakers alike to question the cost and effectiveness of fuel economy standards in the United States, with some arguing they are too stringent and others saying they should be even stricter. |
 | Voice control is taking off, but it's not taking over yetIf unexpected packages start showing up at your door, you might want to have a word with one of your smart devices. |
 | Overcoming 'cyber-fatigue' requires users to step up for securityAs a new presidential administration takes over, it will need to pay significant attention to cybersecurity. Indeed, we've already been told to expect "a comprehensive plan" for cybersecurity in the first few months of the new administration. But as a professional who has long been part of the global internet security community, I am pessimistic that the typical government and individual plans or responses to our ongoing cybersecurity concerns actually will lead to meaningful improvements. |
 | The future is now for robot carsThe prospect of self-driving vehicles has tantalized tech aficionados and car lovers for years, especially when there are industry rumblings that automation is on the cusp of a breakthrough. |
Amazon moves to avoid EU fines over publishing contractsAmazon has agreed to change parts of its e-book contracts with publishers in an effort to avoid European Union fines for anti-competitive behavior. | |
 | Cyberconscripts: Baltic draftees can choose IT over infantryThe tiny Baltic nation of Estonia is experimenting with the idea of cyberconscription, a move that gives draftees with tech skills the chance to work shoring up their military's electronic infrastructure, an Estonian defense official said Tuesday. |
 | Scientists lay foundations for new type of solar cellAn interdisciplinary team of researchers has laid the foundations for an entirely new type of photovoltaic cell. In this new method, infrared radiation is converted into electrical energy using a different mechanism from that found in conventional solar cells. The mechanism behind the new solid-state solar cell made of the mineral perovskite relies on so-called polaron excitations, which combine the excitation of electrons and vibrations of the crystal lattice. |
Medical, scientific image analysis vastly improved by new softwareMany current medical and scientific practices involve the analysis of highly complicated images, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in order to study medical problems for patients or biochemical processes for scientific research. Previously, doctors and scientists would have to spend hours, days or even weeks painstakingly analyzing these images. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have developed new software that will analyze any series of images much faster and more accurately than ever before. | |
 | Microsoft victory in overseas data privacy case standsA federal appeals court on Tuesday reaffirmed Microsoft's legal right to refuse a US government order to hand over data stored overseas in a case with important privacy implications. |
 | Sundance goes green as VR makers aim to save the planetWhen consumers get excited about advances in virtual reality, they are usually thinking about videogaming, new and immersive movie-watching or—let's face it—pornography. |
Efficient time synchronization of sensor networks by means of time series analysisWireless sensor networks have many applications, ranging from industrial process automation to environmental monitoring. Researchers at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt have recently developed a time synchronization technique and have carried out experimental performance testing. The method developed learns the behavior of the sensor clocks, making it particularly efficient in terms of energy and computational resources. | |
 | Efficient, organic photovoltaic cells for indoor and outdoor applicationsOrganic photovoltaics (OPV) may cost less than their silicon counterparts, but their performance remains off-putting to this day. A consortium of European research groups and industries recently demonstrated free-form organic solar modules for three specific, indoor and outdoor applications that should help put such concerns to bed. |
 | What can we learn about cybersecurity from the Russian hacks?Intelligence reports about Russian-sponsored hacking to influence the 2016 presidential election have dominated headlines. Northeastern professors Alina Oprea and Cristina Nita-Rotaru, both cybersecurity experts, explain what these break-ins tell us about the state of U.S. cybersecurity, whether an impenetrable system is even possible, and how such attacks might be prevented in the future. Image by iStock |
Appeals court denies full hearing in data surveillance caseA federal appeals court said Tuesday it won't rehear a panel's decision letting companies like Microsoft refuse to turn over to the government customer emails stored overseas. | |
 | Diversity in tech: Lots of attention, little progressThe tech industry has brought us self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, disappearing photos and 3-D printers. But when it comes to racial and gender diversity, its companies are no trailblazers. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Study sheds light on maturation of infant microbiome, no difference between cesarean versus vaginal deliveryA new study published today by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Nature Medicine found that the microbiome of infants greatly expands between birth and 4 to 6 weeks of age. The study also found that the mode of delivery, vaginal versus cesarean section, did not affect the infants' microbiome composition when controlled for indication (the reason for the cesarean) and other associated factors such as maternal diet or human breast milk feeding. |
 | Brain cells mobilize sugar in response to increased activityNew research is providing insights into why the brain is so reliant on sugar to function. |
 | New clue to how mosquitoes fend off malaria(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health has found another part of the process that allows mosquitoes to keep from getting malaria even as they carry the parasite responsible for the disease to people they bite. In their paper published in the journal Science Immunology, the team describes what they found during an examination of the mosquito immune system, and what it implies for slowing the spread of the disease in humans. |
 | New organ culture system reveals effects of BPA exposure on fetal mammary glandsA new organ culture system developed by scientists from Tufts University School of Medicine now enables tests of the direct effects of chemical exposure, including estrogen and estrogen-like substances, on developing fetal mouse mammary tissue. Previous laboratory models could only measure the joint effect of chemicals and maternal estrogen. |
 | A brain wide chemical signal that enhances memoryHow does heightened attention improve our mental capacity? This is the question tackled by new research published today in the journal Cell Reports, which reveals a chemical signal released across the brain in response to attention demanding or arousing situations. |
 | Mindfulness meditation training lowers biomarkers of stress response in anxiety disorderMindfulness meditation is an increasingly popular treatment for anxiety, but testing its effectiveness in a convincing way has been difficult. Now a rigorously designed, NIH-sponsored clinical trial led by a Georgetown University Medical Center researcher has found objective physiological evidence that mindfulness meditation combats anxiety. |
 | Human rotavirus manipulates immune response to maintain infectionThe gut of a child infected with rotavirus is like a battle ground. On one side, the virus invades the epithelial cells that form the lining of the small intestine. The virus replicates driving havoc in the intestinal environment, which causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. Dehydration usually follows and, unless the child is treated, death may be the end. On the other side of the battle, the body of the child fights back. Epithelial cells are the first responders to the viral attack and can produce antiviral compounds such as interferons (IFNs), in particular IFNs type I and III. What tips the balance in favor of the virus or the body's defenses has been hard to determine. Understanding how to give the body an upper hand would help save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children under 5 years of age, each year around the world. |
 | Study unveils new way to starve tumors to deathFor decades, scientists have tried to halt cancer by blocking nutrients from reaching tumor cells, in essence starving tumor cells of the fuel needed to grow and proliferate. Such attempts often have disappointed because cancer cells are nimble, relying on numerous backup routes to continue growing. |
 | Study finds fly growth mimics cancer cells, creating new tool in fight against diseaseScientists who study a molecule known to play a role in certain types of cancers and neurodegenerative disorders have a powerful new tool to study this compound due to research conducted at Indiana University. |
New tools developed to help clinicians predict risk of cardiovascular diseaseA new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers provides powerful new tools to help clinicians around the globe predict their patients' 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). | |
 | Low-cost therapy produces long-lasting improvements for stroke survivorsA new study by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Glasgow has found that a low-cost therapy can improve the lives of stroke patients with vision problems. |
Changes mulled as synthetic drug sentences cause confusionThe men who sold it called it Mr. Miyagi, a mind-altering chemical compound mixed with vegetable material and resembling marijuana. | |
Cervical cancer gene discovery may boost remedy questCervical cancer comes in subtypes, said a study Monday that may boost the quest for life-saving treatments for a disease experts said is killing more women than previously thought. | |
Cause of tumour resistance to angiogenesis inhibitors identifiedA new study conducted by MedUni Vienna in collaboration with scientists from Hungary and Sweden has now shown for the first time that the success of specialised drugs to inhibit blood supply to tumours – so-called angiogenesis inhibitors – is compromised by the fact that these drugs do not effectively penetrate the tumour tissue and so do not reach the smallest blood vessels in the tumour. | |
 | Researchers find link between common enzyme and cancer preventionA common enzyme found in mammals that kills damaged cells before they become cancerous is being hailed as an important breakthrough in understanding the treatment of the disease. |
 | Too little food from animal sources may increase risk of preterm birthPregnant women increase their chances of vitamin B12 deficiency if they don't consume enough meat, milk or eggs. This vitamin is found only in animal products. A deficiency of the vitamin during pregnancy could have dramatic consequences for the foetus. |
 | Researchers find supposed tumor-suppressing protein actually promotes cancerTulane University researchers have discovered that the protein PHLDB3, thought to be a potential tumor suppressor, actually allows cancer cells to thrive in pancreatic, prostate, colon, breast, lung, and other common cancers. The discovery could explain how cancer is able to overcome p53 – a key tumor-suppressing protein. |
 | Keeping skin cancer in check—how the environment influences the tumorMalignant melanoma is the fastest-growing type of cancer and the most fatal skin disease. Sandra Iden and her team at the Cluster of Excellence on Aging Research (CECAD) at the University of Cologne investigated the influence of the surrounding tissue on the formation and growth of tumor cells. Their results are now published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. |
 | Seven-day access to GP surgeries is not the answer to improving patient careA better understanding of patients' needs is key to improving care within the NHS; patients do not actually want seven-day access to GP surgeries as previously suggested, according to a study from The University of Nottingham. |
Important new insights into the influence of poverty on child maltreatmentDecades of studies have established a strong link between poverty and child maltreatment. | |
 | Why it's hard to 'just get over it' for people who have been traumatizedPeople's past, present and future are interconnected, and so is our country's. Being willing to consider the connection between historical trauma and present-day experiences and distress is essential on a personal level – and also on a national one, especially as we collectively work through the bruises of the recent campaign and election. |
 | The unintended consequences of centralized blood banking and what to do about itIn the late 1990s, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a policy requiring the establishment of centralized blood banking facilities in Sub-Saharan African countries. Anthony Charles, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery at the UNC School of Medicine, says that this policy is now having unintended negative consequences. |
New technique improves blood flow to damaged tissuesA gene essential for making blood vessels in embryos can transform amniotic cells into therapeutic blood vessel cells, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings, published Jan. 16 in Nature Communications, bring scientists one step closer to safely and effectively replacing a patient's diseased vessels with new ones by transplanting blood vessel cells into tissues and organs damaged by injury and disease. | |
The baby MRI—shrinking tech to help save newborn livesThere's a picture of our first daughter that my wife can't bear to see. It was taken on Easter Sunday, 2008, the day she was born. Although it was the start of spring, it was snowing in London. Meanwhile, our daughter, just a few hours old, lay on a white blanket in an incubator in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), tubes and wires sprouting out of her. | |
 | Reflux tablet could save 60,000 lives lost to preeclampsiaAn international collaboration led by the Translational Obstetrics Group (TOG) based at Mercy Hospital for Women has discovered a treatment that could save many of the 60,000 lives lost each year to preeclampsia. |
 | Clinical trial for opioid therapy moves closer to marketA multi-site clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) has demonstrated the effectiveness of CAM2038, a potentially transformative buprenorphine therapy for moderate-to-severe opioid use disorders. |
 | Scientists pinpoint fetal cells 'vulnerable' to later life stressResearchers have developed a way to identify cells damaged prior to birth by drugs, radiation, or poisons such as mercury that survive but are more vulnerable to stress later in life. This model system can possibly explain the increased risk of some cells in adult onset of psychiatric disorders, liver disease, and other stress-induced diseases. |
Food industry tactics shape public food policiesLobbying and many other tactics from the junk food industry to defend their products and sway public policies are commonplace and influential, according to University of Auckland global nutrition expert, Professor Boyd Swinburn. | |
 | Cell disposal faults could contribute to Parkinson's, study findsA fault with the natural waste disposal system that helps to keep our brain cell 'batteries' healthy may contribute to neurodegenerative disease, a new study has found. |
 | Why some drivers slow down when using mobile phonesWith mobile phone distracted driving a growing road safety issue, a QUT study reveals why some drivers slow down when using a mobile phone but others don't. |
 | Let teenage athletes sleep in, researchers sayA new investigation into the impacts of electronic gadgets has revealed that the removal of these devices for a couple of days does not affect sleep quality or influence performance in young elite athletes. The results suggest that to encourage optimal athletic performance, we should instead just let teenagers sleep in. |
New review article suggests sheep milk may be the next functional dairy foodA paper published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety explored the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of sheep milk and development of sheep milk dairy products containing prebiotics and/or probiotics. | |
Study suggests color of sweetener packet impacts sweetness perception and likingA study published in the Journal of Food Science found that the packet color of nonnutritive sweeteners may impact the sweetness perception and overall liking of the product. | |
 | Scientists decipher a mechanism in serious skin infectionsStaphylococcus aureus is one of the most feared, multi-resistant pathogens. The bacterium often causes life-threatening infections, particularly in people with a weakened immune system. During the last few years, especially aggressive strains of S. aureus have appeared around the globe, known as so-called "Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus" or CA-MRSA, and they can even trigger serious infections in the skin and tissue of healthy people. Scientists from the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Tübingen (IMIT) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have been able to decipher an important mechanism in the occurrence of this infection. The results were published in the Nature Microbiology specialist journal on Monday. |
 | Clinical trial for first-ever treatment of radiation necrosisRadiation therapy saves countless lives, but in rare cases, it can cause a debilitating, long-term complication when used on the brain. Around three to five percent of patients who receive radiation for brain tumors, or arteriovenous malformations (AVM), develop radiation necrosis, where the brain tissue around the targeted lesion becomes injured and dies. |
 | In Madagascar, Rift Valley fever follows trade routesRift Valley fever is an emerging viral disease that is threatening public health and has already had a substantial economic impact. |
 | Gene variants may help personalize treatment for opioid addictionYale researchers have discovered a genetic variant that may assist in personalizing treatment of opioid addiction. |
Dyslexia linked to shorter memory trace of previous stimuliResearchers have provided new insight into the brain mechanisms underlying a condition that causes reading and writing difficulties. | |
Flat head syndrome linked to motor, language and cognitive delaysBabies with flat head syndrome may be at heightened risk of developmental delays, a new study has found. | |
 | Finding new cancer drugs in the neighborhoodCancer is caused by an accumulation of genetic changes in a cell, that overcome the normal checks and balances leading to uncontrolled growth. A complex, interacting network of proteins controls all of a cell's processes, from metabolism to growth and division. The proteins pass signals around the network, integrating regulatory mechanisms to ensure its smooth running. But sometimes, environmental factors cause mutations that change how some of these proteins work, rewiring the network into a cancer cell. |
 | Half of breast cancer patients experience severe side effectsNearly half of women treated for early stage breast cancer reported at least one side effect from their treatment that was severe or very severe, a new study finds. |
 | Breast density research edges closer to cancer preventionAdelaide researchers are one step closer to breast cancer prevention after finding a new driver for breast density, an identified risk factor for breast cancer. |
 | Ion treatments for cardiac arrhythmiaApproximately 350,000 patients in Germany suffer from various forms of cardiac arrhythmia. The condition can lead to permanent damage as a result of stroke, or it may cause sudden heart failure. In forms of arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, the heart departs from the regular rhythm set by a natural pacemaker, the sinoatrial node. This type of arrhythmia is often treated with drugs or with a "catheter ablation," in which catheters are guided through blood vessels to the heart, and certain tissue there is selectively destroyed. Based on this principle, ions from the particle accelerator could one day be used to perform a treatment without catheters. Scientists have been able to show that high-energy carbon ions can be used in a non-invasive procedure to make specific changes to cardiac tissue that prevent the transmission of the electrical signal. |
Direct link between sexual objectification of girls and aggression towards themThere is a direct relation between the sexual objectification of girls and aggression towards them, research by psychologists at the University of Kent has shown. | |
 | New study finds where you live may determine likelihood of dying from cancerThe rate at which Americans die from cancers varies dramatically by where they live, according to a new scientific analysis. |
 | Consumer-use baby monitors have little proven benefit for healthy infantsIt sounds simple and harmless—an electronic sensor attached to a baby's sock that monitors vital signs and alerts parents on their smart phones if, for instance, an infant's oxygen saturation level drops. But pediatric experts argue that such devices may cause undue alarm to parents, with no evidence of medical benefits, especially to healthy babies. |
Can continuous glucose monitoring improve diabetes control in patients with type 1 diabetes who inject insulinTwo studies in the January 24/31 issue of JAMA find that use of a sensor implanted under the skin that continuously monitors glucose levels resulted in improved levels in patients with type 1 diabetes who inject insulin multiple times a day, compared to conventional treatment. | |
 | Evidence insufficient regarding screening for obstructive sleep apneaThe U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for obstructive sleep apnea in asymptomatic adults (including adults with unrecognized symptoms). The report appears in the January 24/31 issue of JAMA. |
Cell of origin affects malignancy and drug sensitivity of brain tumorsPatients with glioblastoma have very poor prognosis since there are no effective therapies. In a study published in Cell Reports, researchers at Uppsala University have discovered a correlation between the cell type from which the tumour originates and the growth and drug sensitivity of the tumour. More knowledge about the mechanisms behind this correlation could be important for developing more effective drugs against subgroups of glioblastoma. | |
 | Postpartum depression and anxiety distinct from other mood disorders, brain studies suggestOn the surface, postpartum depression (PPD) looks much like other forms of depression. New mothers struggling with it often withdraw from family and friends, lose their appetites, and of course, feel sad and irritable much of the time. However, many people and clinicians have underestimated the uniqueness of mood and emotional disorders that arise during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. Psychologists explore the neurobiology of postpartum depression and anxiety in a Review published January 24 in Trends in Neurosciences. |
 | High maternal BMI during pregnancy unlikely to cause fatness in childhood and adolescenceThere is little evidence to support any long-term impact of maternal body mass index (BMI) in pregnancy on a child's risk of fatness in childhood and adolescence, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine by Rebecca Richmond of the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues. |
 | Therapy for abnormal heartbeats may cause brain injuryA common treatment for irregular heartbeats known as catheter ablation may result in the formation of brain lesions when it is performed on the left side of the heart, according to new research at UC San Francisco. Importantly, there also is evidence these lesions may be associated with cognitive decline, meaning they may not be benign. |
 | Prenatal infection may alter brain development via epigenetic changesMaternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk for psychiatric disorders in the child, but the path between the two is something of a mystery. In a study published in Biological Psychiatry, senior author Professor Urs Meyer of the University of Zurich-Vetsuisse in Zurich, Switzerland and colleagues use a mouse model to show that activation of the mother's immune system may cause long-term alterations in the programming of the offspring's genome, known as epigenetic modifications, which lead to behavioral abnormalities in adulthood. |
Large pre-ACA Medicaid expansion did not level health disparities in cancer surgeryAn analysis of the New York State's Medicaid expansion, which predated the 2010 Affordable Care Act, finds substantial decrease in uninsured rate but little change in racial disparities when it comes to access to cancer surgery - a proxy for complex cancer care. | |
 | 'Red yeast rice' statin alternative not harmless either, study says(HealthDay)—A natural cholesterol-lowering supplement called red yeast rice could pose the same health risks to users as statin drugs, a new study contends. |
 | Report urges pediatric practices to consider consent by proxy(HealthDay)—Issues relating to consent by proxy for non-urgent pediatric care should be considered, according to a report published online Jan. 23 in Pediatrics. |
 | Safe exercise guidelines for type 1 diabetes published by international teamAn international team of researchers and clinicians led by York University Professor Michael Riddell has published a set of guidelines to help people with type 1 diabetes exercise safely to avoid fluctuations in blood sugar. |
 | Generating improvement in spinal cord injuriesA new therapy to treat spinal cord injuries in people who have lost all motor and sensory function below the injury site shows additional motor function improvement at 6-months and 9-months following treatment with 10 million AST-OPC1. The positive efficacy results from an ongoing research study were announced on Jan. 24 in a conference held by Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc., the biotechnology company that manufactures AST-OPC1. |
 | Optical tweezers unveil a secret of muscle powerOur hearts beat a life long. With every beat our heart muscle contracts and expands. How this can work throughout an entire life remains largely a mystery. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now measured the forces acting between the building blocks titin and α-actinin which stabilize the muscle. |
 | Penn researchers help unravel mysteries of pancreatic cancer's resistance to standard therapiesPancreatic cancer has long been one of the hardest to treat. Now, in a new study, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have illuminated one of this cancer's major resistance mechanisms: a form of inflammation that is triggered by the tumor in response to treatment and helps keep tumor cells alive. |
 | Framing by political advocacy groups may jeopardize public understanding of ZikaThe public's ability to understand the dangers posed by Zika virus may be jeopardized by advocacy groups linking the virus with culturally charged issues such as illegal immigration and global warming, the authors of a new study warn. |
 | Timing of chemo affects inflammation, mice study suggestsThe time of day that breast cancer chemotherapy drugs are given affects the amount of damaging inflammation in the body, a new study in mice suggests. |
 | Law aiding infants at risk for hearing lossA Utah law has led to increased early identification of infants with hearing loss due to a congenital infection, according to a new study by University of Utah and Utah Department of Health researchers. |
 | In utero conditions can affect a teen's brain developmentA new study shows that what happens to a fetus in the womb can affect the brain later in life. |
 | New MRI method aids long-term concussion prognosisFor concussion sufferers, even those who never lost consciousness, physicians may now be able to predict early on who is more likely to continue experiencing symptoms months or years after the head-jarring event, using a new non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method devised by a consortium of researchers led by UC San Francisco scientists. |
 | Deep brain stimulation studies in Alzheimer's disease pose ethical challengesPromising, early studies of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease have paved a path for future clinical trials, but there are unique ethical challenges with this vulnerable population regarding decision making and post-study treatment access that need to be addressed as they ramp up, Penn Medicine researchers argue in a new review in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. |
 | Immigration fears among Latinos can impact baby size at birthWith deportation and discrimination fears currently on the minds of many in the United States, a University of Michigan study shows that the stress from an historic immigration raid is associated with Latina mothers delivering babies with lower birth weights, and sometimes early. |
 | Lung cancer patients with anxiety, depression die soonerPatients who experience anxiety and depression after being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer are more likely to die sooner, according to new research from the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer Agency. |
 | Researchers discover BRCA1 gene is key for blood forming stem cellsResearchers at from the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that the BRCA1 gene is required for the survival of blood forming stem cells, which could explain why patients with BRCA1 mutations do not have an elevated risk for leukemia. The stem cells die before they have an opportunity to transform into a blood cancer. |
 | Positive social support from a spouse could have negative consequences, new research showsOffering your spouse what you believe to be positive support could have negative physiological effects on them, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. |
 | Researchers discover potential new target for treating glioblastomaScientists have found a way to inhibit the growth of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer with low survival rates, by targeting a protein that drives growth of brain tumors, according to research from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. |
 | Brain scan before antidepressant therapy may predict responseA functional MRI brain scan may help predict which patients will respond positively to antidepressant therapy, according to a new study published in the journal Brain. |
 | When 'golden opportunity' to bribe arises, it's hard to pass upThe path to corrupt behavior may sometimes be a steep cliff instead of a slippery slope, according to new findings in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. In four studies, psychology researchers find that people are more likely to engage in bribery if it occurs as a sudden opportunity rather than as the result of a gradual process. |
Measles outbreak strikes LA's Orthodox Jewish communityA measles outbreak has infected at least 18 people in the Los Angeles area, health officials said Monday, noting that most of those affected could show no proof of vaccination. | |
 | A new index for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease has become a global epidemic. Researchers worldwide aim to understand the causes and consequences of fatty liver disease, but also to diagnose fatty liver disease at an early stage. Under the direction of Professor Norbert Stefan, researchers of the Department of Internal Medicine IV of Tübingen University Hospital and their collaborators generated a new index from clinical data that can predict the presence of fatty liver disease with high accuracy. |
Video: New test uses brain's electrical activity to pinpoint reading challenges earlyChildren who have difficulty learning to read, in addition to being at risk for depression, also can suffer from increased rates of bullying and can experience poorer relationships with their parents and teachers, according to some child development researchers. | |
 | Self-care for caregiversCaring for someone with dementia can be exhausting but many caregivers ignore their own needs in order to care for others—at the expense of their own health and welfare. |
 | Study provides rare health assessment among state's West African immigrantsIn 2011, with an urge to pursue a deeper education in health care, medical research assistant and phlebotomist Akosua Adu-Boahene moved to Rhode Island from Kentucky to earn a master's degree in public health at Brown University. The move brought the young Ghana native into Providence County's community of more than 13,000 fellow immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. |
 | Disability-linked annuity product to address the issue of caring for an aging populationExperts from Cass Business School have devised a new insurance product which could help people save for care by providing contributions towards future home or residential nursing care costs. |
 | Small proteins help deliver receptors to the surface of our cells, ensuring their functionReceptors on the surface of our cells enable a wide variety of functions from our sense of smell to memory. |
 | Can mushrooms help delay or prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease?Certain edible and medicinal mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that may enhance nerve growth in the brain and protect against neurotoxic stimuli such as inflammation that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The evidence supporting a potential role of mushrooms as functional foods to reduce or delay development of age-related neurodegeneration is presented in an article published in Journal of Medicinal Food. |
 | New e-comic, Invasion of the Alien Zombies, aims to educate kids about the immune systemAlien invaders descend on a world while defensive forces mobilize to battle the intruders... is this the plot from an upcoming blockbuster movie or a creative approach to science education? These scenes are from a new online comic, Immunity Warriors: Invasion of the Alien Zombies, created to educate elementary school students about the immune system and the role of immunization in defending against illness. |
African-American veterans in mental health care are not as activated as White veteransPatients who are activated—meaning they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their health and health care—have better health outcomes. A new study provides evidence that male and female African-American veterans receiving outpatient mental health services are not as activated as White veterans. | |
New national Lyme Disease biobank to accelerate research by making samples availableBay Area Lyme Foundation, a national organization funding research to make Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, announces the launch of the Lyme Disease Biobank, which is the first program to provide researchers with blood and urine samples from people with acute Lyme disease from multiple regions across the country, including the East Coast, West Coast and Upper Midwest. | |
New models for validating computational simulations of blood flow and damage in medical devicesA collaborative effort to improve the development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodologies for evaluating "blood contacting" medical devices—receiving the Willem Kollf Award for top abstract at the ASAIO 2016 conference—is now reported in full in the ASAIO Journal. | |
 | Is the mental healthcare system meeting the needs of sexual and gender minorities?A study of mental health care and untreated depression among participants in Ontario, Canada, showed up to a 2.4 times greater self-perceived unmet need for transgender individuals and bisexual women compared to heterosexual, cisgender women. The reported differences in unmet need could be partly explained by social factors including discrimination, limited social support, and exclusion from healthcare services, as described in an article in Journal of Women's Health. |
AGS extends hip fracture co-management program with geriatrics mending more than bonesWith $1.4 million in renewed support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) will launch a new national program that positions geriatricians and geriatrics-trained clinicians as co-managers with orthopedic surgeons to improve care and health outcomes, while lowering costs, for older adults with hip fractures. | |
Study pinpoints opportunity for oncologists to improve prognosis communicationAn accurate prognosis for a patient with incurable cancer can help a family make important end-of-life decisions. However, previous research shows that many (or even most) patients with advanced cancer misunderstand their prognosis. A study published in the Journal of Oncology Practice explored doctor-patient conversations at four major academic medical centers to show that patients and their doctors naturally avoid difficult discussions about a challenging prognosis. The paper also pinpoints an opportunity to create a space for this discussion to take place. After communicating test results, an oncologist who asks, "Would you like to talk about what this means?" prompts patients to consider how much they want to know and gives them permission to explore a serious discussion about life and death. | |
 | Watching gene editing at work to develop precision therapiesUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have developed methods to observe gene editing in action, and they're putting those capabilities to work to improve genetic engineering techniques. |
New WHO international fetal growth chartsA research article published in PLOS Medicine contributes to the evidence base regarding the use of population charts for detection of fetal growth disorders and how best to determine risk of complications. | |
 | UAB and VICIS announce partnership to deliver safer football helmetsTackling the concussion crisis in football is at the forefront of sports safety research and development. Through a new partnership, VICIS and the University of Alabama at Birmingham—which have each made major strides in developing next generation football helmets in recent years—are combining expertise and intellectual property to bring more effective helmets to the market. |
Biology news
 | Wasps have trading partners and compete for the 'best trade deals': studyWasps have trading partners and compete for the 'best trade deals'—according to scientists from the University of Sussex. |
 | Researchers find weak organization and collective oscillation in dense bacterial groups(Phys.org)—A small team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China has found that subgroups of bacteria within much larger groups sometimes organize and engage in collective oscillatory behavior. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes the type of bacteria they were studying and their newly discovered activity. |
 | Climate change altered the natural selection – collared flycatcher's large forehead patch no longer a winnerIn a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have found evidence of that climate change upends selection of face characteristics in the collared flycatcher. During the study the annual fitness selection on forehead patch size switched from positive to negative, a reversal that is accounted for by rising spring temperatures at the breeding site. |
 | Sequencing poisonous mushrooms to potentially create medicineA team of Michigan State University scientists has genetically sequenced two species of poisonous mushrooms, discovering that they can theoretically produce billions of compounds through one molecular assembly line. This may open the door to efficiently tackling some lethal diseases. |
 | Cooperation helps mammals survive in tough environmentsCooperatively breeding mammal species, such as meerkats and naked-mole rats, where non-breeding helpers assist breeding females in raising their offspring, are better able to cope with living in dry areas than related non-cooperative species, new research reveals. |
 | Biologists identify reproductive 'traffic cop'Before an egg becomes fertilized, sets of chromosomes must pair up to pass along genetic information. This happens within each reproductive cell, where separate chromosomes of male and female origin move toward each other and eventually join. |
 | Biologists unlock code regulating most human genesMolecular biologists at UC San Diego have unlocked the code that initiates transcription and regulates the activity of more than half of all human genes, an achievement that should provide scientists with a better understanding of how human genes are turned on and off. |
Researcher calls for conservation of ivory-billed woodpecker's habitatThe Ivory-billed Woodpecker's habitat should be protected despite the lack of definitive evidence of this species' existence, according to a new study published in Heliyon. Currently, bird conservation efforts rely on indisputable photographic evidence, which according to the new study could take many years to obtain, by which time it may be too late. | |
It's time to reduce, replace and re-think the use of antimicrobials in animalsReducing the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, replacing them where possible and re-thinking the livestock production system is essential for the future of animal and public health. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world's most pressing public health issues and the use of antimicrobials in animals contributes to this problem, so limiting their use to the minimum necessary to treat infectious diseases in animals is crucial. | |
 | The murky history of the nature and nurture debateSelf-righteousness, gratitude, sympathy, sincerity, and guilt – what if these social behaviours are biologically influenced, encoded within our genes and shaped by the forces of evolution to promote the survival of the human species? Does free will truly exist if our genes are inherited and our environment is a series of events set in motion before we are born? |
 | Opinion: How do we protect our native bee species?Bees are among the most charismatic and familiar animals of the insect world, and thoughts of a summer's day picnic would not be complete without the recollection of the hum of bees or the sight of a belaboured individual lifting off from a flower with its heavy load of pollen. |
 | Mapping the migration of house shrewsThe distribution of house shrews in the coastal areas from Asia to East Africa suggests a wider trade network in the middle-modern ages. |
 | Enzyme shows promise for efficiently converting plant biomass to biofuelsTo make biofuels, tiny microbes can be used to break down plant cells. As part of that digestive process, specialized enzymes break down cellulose—a major molecule that makes plant cell walls rigid. Scientists showed that an enzyme, from the bacterial glycoside hydrolase family 12, plays an unexpectedly important role in breaking down a hard-to-degrade crystalline form of cellulose. Surprisingly, the enzyme breaks apart the cellulose via a random mechanism unlike other hydrolases. |
 | A new world discovered undergroundOne of the most detailed genetic studies of any ecosystem to date has uncovered incredible biological diversity among subsurface bacteria. Researchers reconstructed the complete sets of genetic material, or genomes, of more than 2,500 microbes. The team took these microbes from sediment and groundwater samples collected from an area prone to flooding in Colorado. These genomes represent 80 percent of all known bacterial phyla. Analyses showed that interorganism interactions are required to turn the carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen cycles. Further, analyses revealed that complex patterns of community assembly are likely key to ecosystem functioning and resilience. |
 | Plants smell different when attacked by exotic herbivoresA new study to be published in the scientific journal New Phytologist reveals that plants' odour bouquet changes depending on the type of enemy that attacks it. To the surprise of the researchers involved, native plants emit a special odour bouquet when they are attacked by exotic herbivores. |
 | First of a kind footage of a living stylodactylid shrimp filter-feeding at depth of 4826 mDepths such as those at the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument are an extreme challenge for explorers, providing scarce information about their inhabitants, let alone their behavior. |
 | Chinese scientists discover a new species of catfish in MyanmarDuring a survey of the freshwater fishes of the Mali Hka River drainage in the Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar, scientists Xiao-Yong Chen, Tao Qin and Zhi-Ying Chen, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), identified a new catfish species among the collected specimens. It is distinct with a set of morphological features including its mouthparts and coloration. The discovery is published in the open access journal ZooKeys. |
 | Study shows how a dog's diet shapes its gut microbiomeStudies of the gut microbiome have gone to the dogs—and pets around the world could benefit as a result. In a paper published this week in mBio, researchers from Nestle Purina PetCare Company report that the ratio of proteins and carbohydrates in a canine's daily diet have a significant influence on the balance of microbes in its gut. Among other findings, they observed that dogs fed a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet had decreases in the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes bacteria, as well as enriched microbial gene networks associated with weight loss in humans. The microbial responses were more pronounced in obese and overweight dogs than in dogs of a healthy weight. |
 | Predator or not? Invasive snails hide even when they don't knowRecognizing the signs of a predator can mean the difference between living to see another day and becoming another critter's midday snack. |
 | One of the world largest digital herbaria launchedWithin the framework of the "Noah's ark" project, scientists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University have developed the largest digital herbarium in Russia—a collection of scanned images of herbarium samples from the Faculty of Biology funds. |
 | Little tortoise, big rangeWCS scientists have discovered the impressed tortoise (Manouria impressa) in the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Myanmar, some 528 miles from its known range in that country. The researchers reported their finding in the latest issue of the journal Asian Herpetological Research. |
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