Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Jan 25

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 25, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Mysterious faint object detected in the vicinity of a quadruply lensed quasar

Gene transcription found to increase after death for some cells

Virtual reality 'out-of-body experience' reduces fear of death in volunteers

Scholars show new method of harvesting crowd wisdom

Engineers develop 'smart glasses' that automatically focus on what wearer sees

Rat-grown mouse pancreases help reverse diabetes in mice

Antibiotics, not dirty hospitals, the main cause of C. difficile epidemic

Ubiquitous but overlooked, fluid is a source of muscle tension

Insidious wasp gets ahead by tunneling through host's head

Nasty or nice? Study links personality to brain shape

Male brains 'overwhelmed' in multitasking test: study

Will new Tinker Board take bite out of Raspberry Pi?

Possible way to test black hole information paradox in the lab

Phantom phone alerts linked to cell phone dependency

NuSTAR finds new clues to 'chameleon supernova'

Astronomy & Space news

Mysterious faint object detected in the vicinity of a quadruply lensed quasar

(Phys.org)—Astronomers have spotted a mysterious faint object in the vicinity of a quadruply lensed quasar designated MG 0414+0534. The object, which was discovered using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), appears to be a dusty, dark dwarf galaxy or an ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG). The findings were presented January 19 in a paper published on arXiv.org.

NuSTAR finds new clues to 'chameleon supernova'

"We're made of star stuff," astronomer Carl Sagan famously said. Nuclear reactions that happened in ancient stars generated much of the material that makes up our bodies, our planet and our solar system. When stars explode in violent deaths called supernovae, those newly formed elements escape and spread out in the universe.

Cash crunch for anti-Armageddon asteroid mission

A mission to smash a spacecraft into an asteroid moon to alter its trajectory, a possible dry-run for an exercise in saving the Earth from Armageddon, has run into a cash crunch.

NASA displays Apollo capsule hatch 50 years after fatal fire

A relic from America's first space tragedy is finally going on display this week, 50 years after a fire on the launch pad killed three astronauts at the start of the Apollo moon program.

Computer cluster will calculate gravitational waves faster than the institute's previous supercomputer

The new supercomputer "Minerva" has been put into operation at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI). With 9,504 compute cores, 38 TeraByte memory and a peak performance of 302.4 TeraFlop/s it is more than six times as powerful as its predecessor. The scientists of the department "Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity" can now compute significantly more gravitational waveforms and also carry out more complex simulations.

NASA simulates Orion spacecraft launch conditions for crew

In a lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, engineers simulated conditions that astronauts in space suits would experience when the Orion spacecraft is vibrating during launch atop the agency's powerful Space Launch System rocket on its way to deep space destinations.

NASA restarts rigorous vibration testing on the James Webb Space Telescope

Testing on the James Webb Space Telescope successfully resumed last week at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Future of giant radio telescope in Puerto Rico in limbo

The future of one of the world's largest single-dish radio telescopes is in question after the U.S. National Science Foundation announced Wednesday it was accepting proposals from those interested in assuming operations at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

W. M. Keck Observatory will peer deep into the intergalactic medium

W. M. Keck Observatory (Keck Observatory) is pushing the cutting edge of scientific discovery with the addition of the world's most sensitive instrument for measuring the tendrils of faint gas in the intergalactic medium known as the cosmic web. The 5-ton instrument, the size of an ice cream truck, is named the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI). KCWI will uncover vital clues about the life-cycle of galaxies, helping to unravel mysteries about our universe.

Apollo 1's crew: a Mercury astronaut, spacewalker and rookie

The three astronauts killed 50 years ago in the first U.S. space tragedy represented NASA's finest: the second American to fly in space, the first U.S. spacewalker and the trusted rookie.

Technology news

Will new Tinker Board take bite out of Raspberry Pi?

(Tech Xplore)—A 4K-capable Tinker Board from Asus could be a real-deal signal that Raspberry Pi has competition.

New techniques allow greater control of smartwatches

Smartwatches aren't the easiest things to control, with their small screens and owners' bulky fingers. Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have invented new ways to interact that provide a little more control.

'Knitted muscles' provide power

Researchers have coated normal fabric with an electroactive material, and in this way given it the ability to actuate in the same way as muscle fibres. The technology opens new opportunities to design "textile muscles" that could, for example, be incorporated into clothes, making it easier for people with disabilities to move. The study, which has been carried out by researchers at Linköping University and the University of Borås in Sweden, has been published in Science Advances.

Largest US offshore wind farm gets green light

Local authorities approved the largest offshore wind farm in the United States on Wednesday, to be located near Long Island and capable of powering some 50,000 households.

Cisco buys app performance tuning startup for $3.7 bn

Cisco Systems announced a $3.7 billion deal to buy a startup specializing in improving the performance of applications, continuing to expand beyond computer networking hardware.

Profits fall again at S. Korea's LG Electronics

South Korea's LG Electronics on Wednesday reported its second successive year of slumping net profits due partly to weak smartphone sales.

Taiwan economy rallies thanks to electronics demand

Taiwan's economy notched up its best performance in almost two years in the final quarter of 2016, with strong demand for electronics offsetting a plunge in mainland tourists, according to official data released Wednesday.

Climate-related tweets deleted after going viral on Twitter

Three climate-related tweets sent out by Badlands National Park have been deleted after they went viral on Twitter, sparking debate over whether the park was defying the Trump administration.

How to secure a smartphone for the tweeter-in-chief

As President Donald Trump takes office, he has also taken up a new, digital symbol of the presidency. Before, during and since the campaign, he used an Android smartphone to conduct his business and tweet prolifically, directly reaching millions of followers. But when he was inaugurated, Trump surrendered that device and accepted in its place a smartphone that has somehow been made more secure.

New study reveals solidification cracking during welding of steel

New research led by the University of Leicester has made a novel breakthrough in understanding how solidification cracking occurs during the welding of steel, an important engineering alloy.

Your next social network could pay you for posting

You may well have found this article through Facebook. An algorithm programmed by one of the world's biggest companies now partially controls what news reaches 1.8 billion people. And this algorithm has come under attack for censorship, political bias and for creating bubbles that prevent people from encountering ideas they don't already agree with.

Safety codes can lead to over-built bridges, higher building costs

A recent study by researchers at UBC's Okanagan campus examined a variety of bridge types along with design requirements under the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. The study concludes that while bridges are being built to withstand the force of an earthquake—the bridges are being overbuilt and driving up unnecessary construction expenses.

Switching is not so simple: 100% renewable energy sources require overcapacity

Germany decided to go nuclear-free by 2022. A CO2-emission-free electricity supply system based on intermittent sources, such as wind and solar - or photovoltaic (PV) - power could replace nuclear power. However, these sources depend on the weather conditions. In a new study published in EPJ Plus, Fritz Wagner from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany analysed weather conditions using 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 data derived from the electricity supply system itself, instead of relying on meteorological data. By scaling existing data up to a 100% supply from intermittent renewable energy sources, the author demonstrates that an average 325 GW wind and PV power are required to meet the 100% renewable energy target. This study shows the complexity of replacing the present primary energy supply with electricity from intermittent renewable sources, which would inevitably need to be supplemented by other forms of CO2-free energy production.

Apple legal fight with Qualcomm spreads to China

Apple on Wednesday took its legal war with Qualcomm to China, filing lawsuits there accusing the chip-making giant of illegally wielding monopoly power.

Rolling robots could soon be making deliveries in Virginia

Robots about the size of a beer cooler could soon be rolling down Virginia sidewalks to deliver sandwiches, groceries or packages.

France issues first 'green bonds' with record 7 bln euro sale

France has issued its first "green bonds" with a record seven billion euro ($7.5 billion) sale, paving the way for the establishment of a genuine market in renewable energy bonds.

Making distributed storage highly consistent

One of the fundamental open challenges in computer science is effective data storage. The socio-economic value and scale of information increases day by day and researchers at the Madrid research institute IMDEA Networks have been working to identify ways to ensure not only that digitally stored data endures, but also that it is readily available, reliable and, above all, consistent.

Senior manager at cybersecurity firm arrested in Moscow

A manager in charge of investigating hacking attacks at Russia's biggest cybersecurity firm has been arrested, the company said Wednesday.

Chase, Mint reach deal for faster, more secure data-sharing

Bank customers who use Chase but also want to take advantage of financial tools like Mint or TurboTax will soon be able to send their data faster and more securely between the two companies.

Medicine & Health news

Virtual reality 'out-of-body experience' reduces fear of death in volunteers

(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at Barcelona University has found that virtual reality experiences, if conducted in a certain way, can cause a reduced fear of dying. The team has written a paper describing their experiments and published it on the PLOS ONE open access site.

Rat-grown mouse pancreases help reverse diabetes in mice

Rat-grown mouse pancreases help reverse diabetes in mice, say researchers at Stanford, University of Tokyo

Antibiotics, not dirty hospitals, the main cause of C. difficile epidemic

The study concluded that overuse of antibiotics like ciprofloxacin led to the outbreak of severe diarrhoea caused by C. difficile that hit headlines from 2006 onwards. The outbreak was stopped by substantially reducing use of ciprofloxacin and related antibiotics.

Nasty or nice? Study links personality to brain shape

Personality traits such as moodiness or open-mindedness are linked to the shape of one's brain, a study said Wednesday.

Male brains 'overwhelmed' in multitasking test: study

Are women really better at multi-tasking? A study Wednesday said a tricky brain-teaser throws off men's walking gait but leaves most women unfazed, reopening an age-old debate about mental gender differences.

Phantom phone alerts linked to cell phone dependency

You've probably felt or heard it before: a buzz in your pocket or a ding from your purse. You think a message has come to your phone, but when you look, the screen is blank.

Team identifies tuberculosis drug and dose regimen that may cut time by up to 75 percent

Taking a new approach toward tuberculosis therapy, a UCLA-led research team has devised a potential drug regimen that could cut the treatment time by up to 75 percent, while simultaneously reducing the risk that patients could develop drug-resistant TB.

Findings yield better understanding of visual processing of human faces

When we are walking down a crowded street, our brains are constantly active, processing a myriad of visual stimuli. Faces are particularly important social stimuli, and, indeed, the human brain has networks of neurons dedicated to processing faces. These cells process social information such as whether individual faces in the crowd are happy, threatening, familiar, or novel.

Cancer cells grow by exploiting their neighbours

Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital have discovered that cancer cells grow by stealing energy from neighbouring cells.

Genetic study identifies 14 new developmental disorders in children

The largest ever genetic study of children with previously undiagnosed rare developmental disorders has discovered 14 new developmental disorders. Published today in Nature, the research led by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute also provided diagnoses of rare conditions for over a thousand children and their families.

Deep learning algorithm does as well as dermatologists in identifying skin cancer

It's scary enough making a doctor's appointment to see if a strange mole could be cancerous. Imagine, then, that you were in that situation while also living far away from the nearest doctor, unable to take time off work and unsure you had the money to cover the cost of the visit. In a scenario like this, an option to receive a diagnosis through your smartphone could be lifesaving.

Stimulating the brain with electricity may reduce bulimia symptoms

Key symptoms of bulimia nervosa, including the urge to binge eat and restrict food intake, are reduced by delivering electricity to parts of the brain using non-invasive brain stimulation, according to new research by King's College London.

Genetic makeup of 'roommate' impacts health

Researchers at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have shown that the health of individual mice is influenced by the genetic makeup of their partners. Their findings, published in PLOS Genetics, indicate that research into genetics and disease should include the genotypes of both individuals and their partners.

Drug compound halts Alzheimer's-related damage in mice

Under ordinary circumstances, the protein tau contributes to the normal, healthy functioning of brain neurons. In some people, though, it collects into toxic tangles that damage brain cells. Such tangles are a hallmark of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Hypoxia due to CHD linked to abnormal neurogenesis and impaired cortical growth

The subventricular zone (SVZ) in normal newborns' brains is home to the largest stockpile of neural stem/progenitor cells, with newly generated neurons migrating from this zone to specific regions of the frontal cortex and differentiating into interneurons. When newborns experience disruptions in cerebral oxygen supply due to congenital heart disease, essential cellular processes go awry and this contributes to reduced cortical growth. The preliminary findings derived from a preclinical model by a research team led by Children's National Health System point to the importance of restoring these cells' neurogenic potential, possibly through therapeutics, to lessen children's long-term neurological deficits.

Researchers find new way to target blood stem cell cancers

A protein-sugar molecule, CD99, occurs more frequently than normal on stem cells responsible for blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the related myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

New clues on the base of Parkinson's disease and other 'synucleinopathies'

Parkinson's disease (PD) and other "synucleinopathies" are known to be linked to the misfolding of alpha-synuclein protein in neurons. Less clear is how this misfolding relates to the growing number of genes implicated in PD through analysis of human genetics. In two studies published in the advance online edition of Cell Systems, researchers affiliated with Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) explain how they used a suite of novel biological and computational methods to shed light on the question.

Huntsman scientists identify bone degradation process within metastatic breast cancer

Once breast cancer spreads through the body, it can degrade a patient's healthy bones, causing numerous problems. Scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have identified a new way that bones get destroyed through cancer. And they've also learned how to block that destruction with a new drug. Initial tests with patients show promising results.

Antibody combination puts HIV on the ropes

Without antiretroviral drug treatment, the majority of people infected with HIV ultimately develop AIDS, as the virus changes and evolves beyond the body's ability to control it. But a small group of infected individuals—called elite controllers—possess immune systems capable of defeating the virus. They accomplish this by manufacturing broadly neutralizing antibodies, which can take down multiple forms of HIV.

Triggering the brain's 'auto-focus'

We are constantly being bombarded with attention-grabbing distractions, from the flashy shopfronts and advertisements that flank the side of the road to the tempting buzz of the phone during a meeting with the boss.

Football is medicine for women with high blood pressure

The Danish concept Football Fitness has proved to be just as effective as tablets for countering high blood pressure. Furthermore, women participating in the project have also benefited from improved physical fitness, decreased body fat percentage and stronger bones.

Offering a 'stop smoking' taster session and personalized disease risk doubles likelihood smokers will seek help to quit

Smokers underestimate their personal risk of illness, and a key aim of the study was to try and persuade them that these risks are personally relevant.

New approach improves five-year survival for pancreatic cancer patients

A University of Liverpool (UK) led clinical trial has been successful in prolonging survival for pancreatic cancer patients by at least five years as a result of a combination of chemotherapy drugs.

Two treatments yield similar outcomes in children after in-hospital cardiac arrest

Emergency body cooling does not improve survival or functional outcomes in children who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest any more than normal temperature control, according to a multicenter study led by the University of Michigan and University of Utah.

Critically ill children don't benefit from tightest control of blood sugar

Critically ill infants and children do not gain extra benefit from control of their blood sugar level to lower levels, compared to higher levels within the usual care range, say researchers who led a national clinical trial. While both levels of blood sugar control were relatively safe, control to lower levels increased the risk of a very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) without offering a significant advantage.

Fears over bird flu in China after 9 deaths this year

Nine people have died of bird flu in China this year, state media reported Wednesday, after the World Health Organization (WHO) urged all countries to promptly report human infections.

Study opens the door to personalized treatment for heart failure

An international multicenter study has identified a molecule that will open the door to personalized treatment for heart failure. The results of this work, with the participation of researchers from Indiana University and Stanford University (U.S.), the Charité University Medicine Berlin (Germany) and the University of Navarra (Spain), have been published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Predicting and preventing prostate cancer spread

University of Adelaide researchers have uncovered a new pathway which regulates the spread of prostate cancer around the body.

How to stop the spread of germs for a winning Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year, drawing thousands of people not only to the stadium it's played in, but also to the host city. Given the scope of the event, Baylor College of Medicine's Dr. Irvin Sulapas explains how it can impact the spread of germs, and he offers his tips on how to stay healthy so you can enjoy the big game.

Scientists use tumor-derived dendritic cells to slow tumor growth

In the human body, so-called dendritic cells are responsible for activating our immune system. While researchers previously believed that tumors could repress these dendritic cells – blocking an adequate natural cancer defense mechanism – a new study has painted a more positive picture. A team led by prof. Jo Van Ginderachter (VIB-Vrije Universiteit Brussel) revealed that two immune response-stimulating dendritic cell types do exist within tumors. The scientists were able to isolate these cells and use them to "vaccinate" tumors, slowing tumor growth. This success could lead to innovative new cancer immunotherapies. The results of the study are published in the high-impact journal Nature Communications.

Research team identifies role for a microRNA involved in prostate cancer metastasis

Metastasis, or spread of a tumor from the site of origin to additional organs, causes the vast majority of cancer-related deaths, but our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind metastasis remains limited. A research team led by Dean Tang, PhD, Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, examined the multistep process that leads to metastasis and their work, which illuminates the role of prostate cancer stem cells that promote tumor growth and metastasis, has been published online ahead of print in the journal Nature Communications.

Researchers examine schizophrenia coping strategies for individuals with high-level careers

New research shows that people who have schizophrenia can still live independently, pursue higher education or hold down a demanding job – and many do just that, living full and productive lives.

Combination therapy for glioblastoma shows promising results in early-stage research

UCLA researchers have discovered that combining a vaccine developed at UCLA with other experimental therapies and FDA-approved treatments shows promise for reducing the size of advanced brain tumors. The immunotherapy, which is specifically intended to treat brain tumors, is called autologous tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cell vaccination. It uses a portion of the patient's own brain tumor and is currently being tested in humans.

Study shows how HIV breaches macrophage defenses, could be step towards cure

A team led by UCL researchers has identified how HIV is able to infect macrophages, a type of white blood cell integral to the immune system, despite the presence of a protective protein. They discovered a treatment that can maintain macrophage defences which could be a key part of the puzzle of reaching a complete cure for HIV/AIDS.

Short bowel syndrome results in changes to gene expression

Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, led by Tracy C. Grikscheit, MD, have mapped the genetic changes resulting from short bowel syndrome (SBS) using a novel zebrafish model and by performing intensive gene sequencing. This approach to determining which genes are markedly over or under expressed in SBS may assist scientists in developing future therapies for children and adults with this condition. Results of the study will be published in BioMed Central Genomics on January 25.

Conjoined twins separated after undergoing 21-hour operation

Twin 11-month-old girls who were formerly conjoined have been separated after undergoing a marathon surgery at a suburban New York City children's hospital.

Finalists named to lead under-fire WHO

The World Health Organization on Wednesday picked three finalists for the role of its next director-general, a high-stakes choice for the powerful agency described as facing an "existential crisis".

Researchers recommend organic agriculture for human health

In a review of existing research, commissioned by a committee of the European Parliament, a group of European researchers has identified benefits of organic food production for human health. The researchers recommend the parliament to consider giving priority to certain organic production practices and their use also in conventional agriculture.

Deprivation found to be a decisive factor in obesity

People with a predisposition to obesity will be more likely to develop the condition if they are faced with disadvantageous socioeconomic conditions. In Lausanne, the probability of being overweight is therefore higher in the west than the east of the city, because levels of deprivation are higher in the west. Nutrition, lifestyle and the environment interact with an individual's genes and are likely to influence their body mass index (BMI). The level of deprivation is therefore a decisive factor.

Superior survival for asian men with prostate cancer

(HealthDay)—For men with distant, de novo, metastatic prostate cancer (PCa), Asian ethnicity is associated with superior median overall survival (OS) and PCa-specific mortality (PCSM), according to a study published online Jan. 5 in Cancer.

Step count prescription strategy can up steps/day

(HealthDay)—A physician-delivered step count prescription strategy with an individualized rate of increase can result in an increase in step count/day, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

In T2DM, bariatric surgery ups splanchnic vascular responses

(HealthDay)—For obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), bariatric surgery is associated with improved splanchnic vascular responses, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Diabetes.

STS: Parents of CHD children ID important outcome measures

(HealthDay)—Parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) feel that survival statistics, surgeon-specific experience, and complication rates are the most important outcome measures for public reporting, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, held from Jan. 21 to 25 in Houston.

Decreased physical activity common after cancer diagnosis

(HealthDay)—Exercise can help cancer patients cope with their treatment, but as many as 75 percent reduce their physical activity after diagnosis, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Cancer Survivorship Symposium, held from Jan. 27 to 28 in San Diego.

Many partners of young breast cancer patients suffer anxiety

(HealthDay)—Breast cancer can take a heavy toll on the partners of patients, too, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Cancer Survivorship Symposium, held from Jan. 27 to 28 in San Diego.

STS: SAVR still excellent option for intermediate-risk seniors

(HealthDay)—For intermediate-risk elderly patients, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) remains a safe and effective way to treat aortic stenosis, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, held from Jan. 21 to 25 in Houston.

Atopic dermatitis linked to risk of alopecia areata, vitiligo

(HealthDay)—Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with increased risk of alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo, according to research published online Jan. 18 in Allergy.

Better understanding of how prostate cancer spreads around the body

Scientists have taken a major leap forward in being able to fully understand how prostate cancer cells acquire their ability to spread from the initial tumour to other areas of the body.

Computer simulations reveal every curve of the dengue viral envelope

The near-spherical outer structure of the dengue virus has been recreated in remarkable detail by a team of bioinformaticians in Singapore. The virtual model could show researchers how the virus fuses with and infects human cells at the molecular level. "We want to understand the relationship between structure and dynamics along the pathway of fusion and infection, with a view to developing new vaccines and therapies," says Peter Bond, who, together with Chandra Verma, led the study at the A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute.

Understanding ethnic differences in abdominal fat distribution at birth

Abdominal fat in adults has long been associated with increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Now, a Singaporean team has studied more than 300 infants and found the amount of abdominal fat they carry varies depending on ethnic background. This may be the first step in establishing a link between abdominal fat in newborns and disease later in life.

Our psychological biases mean order matters when we judge items in sequence

We often need to make decisions about sequences of things or people rather than just a single item in isolation. For instance, in an everyday setting, we might choose which smartphone to buy after trying out several. There are also more high-stakes situations, of course, like when Olympic athletes compete in a set order as they try to win the gold.

Findings suggest overuse of chemotherapy among younger patients with colon cancer

Young and middle-aged patients with colon cancer are nearly 2 to 8 times more likely to receive postoperative chemotherapy than older patients, yet study results suggest no added survival benefit for these patients, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.

Youngest in class twice as likely to take ADHD medication

New research has found the youngest children in West Australian primary school classes are twice as likely as their oldest classmates to receive medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Randomized trial will reveal diabetes drug's effects on kidney health

Type 2 diabetes often causes damaging effects to the kidneys, sometimes resulting in the need for dialysis or kidney transplantation. The ongoing CANVAS-R trial is testing whether canagliflozin—a member of a new class of diabetes treatments known as sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors—can slow kidney function decline and provide other benefits to diabetic patients.

Alternative flu vaccine should reduce medical costs and save lives

A study just published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics suggests that an alternative vaccine might bring clinical benefits and cost savings if used on a large scale when compared to the one currently in widest use.

Diabetes drug takes aim at cancer's fuel source

In the last three years, researchers have shown that diabetic patients with head and neck cancer, may have better outcomes than non-diabetic patients when they are taking the drug metformin for their diabetes. In order to examine this relationship further and understand how metformin changes the biology of cancer cells, researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University tested tumor cells before and after metformin treatment in non-diabetic cancer patients. The pilot clinical trial results were published today in the journal The Laryngoscope.

Major drug initiatives are best way to curb threat from parasites

Large-scale programmes to treat a life-threatening disease could improve the health of millions despite concerns about their long-term effects, a study suggests.

When should doctors treat short children and teens with growth hormone?

When is it appropriate to treat short children with growth hormone? The answer is not always clear-cut, as many parents and physicians have discovered over the past three decades.

Age limits on e-cigarettes cause uptick in cigarette smoking among pregnant teens

While laws placing age limits on the purchasing of e-cigarettes are intended to reduce the use of tobacco products, a recent study shows an unintended consequence: a rise in traditional cigarette smoking among pregnant teens.

As US scrutinizes joint replacements, study finds no way to predict risk

About one million Americans each year undergo total knee or hip replacements, but complications bring as many as 1 in 12 back to the hospital and result in higher use of post-acute services within 90 days.

'Protective' DNA strands are shorter in adults who had more infections as infants

New research indicates that people who had more infections as babies harbor a key marker of cellular aging as young adults: the protective stretches of DNA which "cap" the ends of their chromosomes are shorter than in adults who were healthier as infants.

Diabetes accounts for more US deaths than previously thought, study shows

Diabetes accounts for 12 percent of deaths in the United States, a significantly higher percentage than previous research revealed, making it the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, according to findings from the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University published in PLOS ONE.

Aerobic exercise shows promise for treatment of wounded warriors with mild traumatic brain

Improvised explosive devices and associated blast injuries have left over 350,000 U.S. service members in Iraq and Afghanistan with an invisible wound: traumatic brain injury.

Murine study finds potential boost for ovarian cancer drug Olaparib

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered that the metabolic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) helps cancer cells repair their DNA and found that inhibiting PGAM1 sensitizes tumors to the cancer drug Olaparib (Lynparza). Their findings in the study "Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 regulates dNTP pool and promotes homologous recombination repair in cancer cells," which has been published in The Journal of Cell Biology, suggest that this FDA-approved ovarian cancer medicine has the potential to treat a wider range of cancer types than currently indicated.

Women with early periods at increased risk of early or premature menopause

A large international study has linked early puberty and childlessness with an increased risk of early menopause.

Advances prompt release of new recommendations for diagnosis, management of adult AML

An international panel of experts has released updated evidence-based and expert-opinion-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults.

Are patients in rural areas being deprived of potentially lifesaving therapy?

The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a primary prevention device therapy, can help save the lives of patients suffering from heart failure or following a heart attack. Specialized heart function clinics often refer patients for implantation of this device, but a new report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology indicates that a significant proportion of patients at clinics in both rural and urban geographic locations were not referred and that this disparity was greater among patients in rural locations. Furthermore, the patient referral refusal and death rates were higher in rural areas.

Good outcomes with 'telepsychiatry' in medical treatment of opioid use disorder

For people with opioid use disorder receiving medication treatment with buprenorphine, a telepsychiatry approach—using videoconferencing as an alternative to in-person group sessions—provides similar clinical outcomes, reports a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

New C. diff treatment reduces recurrent infections by 40 percent

A new treatment for Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infections reduces recurrent infections by nearly 40%, a large study has found.

Repeal all of Obamacare? Primary care physicians not in favor, survey suggests

Results of a random sample survey of 426 primary care physicians by a team of researchers found that the majority does not support repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in its entirety, and the percentage of those who support complete repeal is lower than that of the general public.

iGeorge syndrome kidney problems may be caused by missing gene

Loss of function of the CRKL gene causes kidney and urinary tract defects in people with DiGeorge syndrome, a multinational team of scientists led by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) has found.

Automation speeds clinical safety surveillance

Using patient outcomes data from approximately 1,800 hospitals, the largest demonstration to date of automated safety surveillance of a medical device is reported in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

VA reduces antibiotic use in system-wide antimicrobial stewardship initiative

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reduced inpatient antibiotic use by 12 percent and decreased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics through a multi-year, system-wide antimicrobial stewardship initiative, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The study outlines the development and implementation of the effort to improve antibiotic use through the VHA's more than 140 medical facilities.

Study suggests fitness and iron deficiency linked to GPA

Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Pennsylvania State University have found that a student's fitness level and iron status could be the difference between making an A or a B.

Specialized physical therapy helps teens with scoliosis get ahead of the curve

For teens with scoliosis, a new study shows specialized physical therapy exercises can improve the curve of the spine, muscle endurance and quality of life, as researchers advocate for conservative management to be added to the standard of care for patients in Canada.

Food is medicine for HIV-positive and Type 2 diabetes patients

HIV-positive people who received healthy food and snacks for six months were more likely to adhere to their medication regimens, and they, as well as people with type 2 diabetes, were less depressed and less likely to make trade-offs between food and healthcare, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco.

Delaying pot smoking to age 17 is better for teens' brains, a new study suggests

The more teenagers delay smoking marijuana until they're older, the better it is for their brains, but there may be little ill effect if they start after age 17, says a new Université de Montréal study.

'Navigators' help indigenous cancer patients overcome barriers to diagnosis, treatment

New research shows that patient "navigators" are a valuable resource for American Indians and Alaskan Natives with cancer as they try to overcome barriers to diagnosis and care, and may offer a path to improved treatment outcomes.

Study suggests best order of treatment for brain metastases in EGFR lung cancer

About 10 percent of lung cancers in the United States and as many as 40 percent in Asia are driven by mutations in the EGFR gene. EGFR targeted treatment advances over the previous decade now result in multiple options for controlling the disease in the body, but due to the reduced ability of many of these drugs to penetrate into the brain, treating of disease in the brain remains challenging. When brain metastases are seen at diagnosis before a patient has tried EGFR-targeted drugs, it has been an open question whether doctors should try drugs alone just in case they work in the brain or move directly to whole-brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery (a tightly focused form of radiation) first, followed by targeted medicines. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology looks back at 351 patients with EGFR mutant lung cancer and brain metastases treated at six institutions to offer compelling preliminary evidence as to the best sequence of these techniques: Radiation followed by targeted medicines resulted in the longest overall survival.

Novartis to buy back $5 bn in shares

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced Wednesday a $5.0 billion share buyback even though competition from generics ate away at sales and earnings last year.

Communities plagued by uninsurance also suffer from breakdowns in trust, social connection

Dismantling the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a replacement plan is projected to increase the nation's uninsured population by 18 million in the first year after repeal and by 32 million in 2026, according to recent estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). As lawmakers and the American public consider repealing portions of the ACA, it is an important time to reflect on what limiting access to health insurance might mean for Americans and their communities. If a repeal occurs, not only individuals, but also their communities, could be affected.

Dutch call for fund to offset Trump abortion NGO move

The Netherlands on Tuesday called for an international fund to support health centres offering abortion services in developing countries, after US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to US government financing.

Maryland lawmakers file 'end of life options' bill

Supporters of allowing terminally ill patients in unbearable pain to end their lives by self-ingesting doctor-prescribed drugs said Wednesday they hope to pass legislation in Maryland this year now that the state's medical society has dropped opposition and adopted a neutral position.

Improving the accuracy of TB testing

Tuberculosis (TB) affects some 35-million people globally. In 2009 testing for TB using molecular diagnostics proved a game-changer for national TB programmes.

International consensus on the environmental regulatory assessment of endocrine disrupting substance

Results of the SETAC Pellston Workshop "Environmental Hazard and Risk Assessment Approaches for Endocrine-Active Substances" (EHRA) were recently published in Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (IEAM). The workshop brought together 48 international experts on endocrine disrupting substances (EDS) to discuss two distinct assessment approaches used to support the regulation of EDS in the environment: hazard assessment, which is based on the inherent properties of the chemical, and risk assessment, which considers those properties along with the potential for exposure and resultant risk.

Disparities between asian immigrants and sufficient access and utilization of dental service

Oral health is an integral part of general health, and adequate dental care is important for individuals to help maintain good oral health. However, there are far too many people who do not have sufficient access or utilization of dental care services. Disparities are attributed to challenges racial and ethnic minorities face in comparison with non-Hispanic whites.

New study shows anxiety impairing quality of life for postmenopausal women

Whether anxiety increases common menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep disruption or whether these symptoms cause increased anxiety remains an ongoing debate. Regardless of which comes first, multiple studies confirm that increased anxiety occurring during the menopause transition adversely affects a woman's quality of life. Now a new study documents the same association in postmenopausal women. The study details are being published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

Most primary care doctors 'strongly endorse' key elements of the Affordable Care Act

Proponents of repealing the Affordable Care Act, including President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, have argued that the law places an undue burden on physicians. However, according to new research, while nearly 74 percent of physicians surveyed favor making some changes to the law, only 15 percent favor repealing the legislation in its entirety. Additional results of the survey, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that participants almost universally support prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher prices on the basis of pre-existing conditions, and allowing young adults to remain on their parents' insurance plan until 26 years of age.

NIH advances understanding of defenses against antibiotic-resistant klebsiella bacteria

Klebsiella bacteria cause about 10 percent of all hospital-acquired infections in the United States. K. pneumoniae sequence type 258 (ST258) is one of the Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae organisms labeled an urgent threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This strain of bacteria is particularly concerning because it is resistant to most antibiotics and kills nearly half of people with bloodstream infections.

Gene delivery to the lung can treat broad range of diseases within and beyond the lung

Targeting therapeutic genes to the lungs offers the potential to manage serious lung diseases that do not respond to other forms of treatment and to use the lungs as metabolic factories to produce therapeutic proteins for treating systemic diseases. The current status of lung gene therapy, technological advances, future directions, and remaining challenges are presented in a comprehensive review article published in Human Gene Therapy.

Two UK students overdo caffeine in botched science experiment

Two British university students became gravely ill after overdosing on caffeine in a botched science experiment.

Brazil orders 11.5 million yellow fever vaccines

Brazil's Ministry of Health has ordered 11.5 million doses of yellow fever vaccines to reinforce its stockpiles amid the largest outbreak of the disease the country has seen since 2000, officials said Wednesday.

Biology news

Gene transcription found to increase after death for some cells

(Phys.org)—An international team of researchers has found that gene transcription in an organism that has died continues for several days. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Biology, the team describes their work analyzing gene expression in animals after their death.

Ubiquitous but overlooked, fluid is a source of muscle tension

Touch your toes. Feel that familiar tension in your leg muscles? A new Brown University study suggests that one source of the tension might be something that scientists have always known was in your muscle fibers, but never accounted for: fluid.

Insidious wasp gets ahead by tunneling through host's head

Gall wasps may feel confident as they infest oak trees for shelter and sustenance, but their wasp enemy has an even more insidious agenda, according to Rice University scientists.

Plants' chemical messages keep pests moving

When leaf beetle larvae eat goldenrod, the damaged plant emits a chemical message, which informs the insect that the plant is damaged and is a poor source of food. The airborne chemicals are also noticed by undamaged neighboring plants, warning them to produce their own chemical defenses so they are ready for approaching enemies.

Genome secrets of elusive human malaria species revealed

The genomes of the two least common species of human malaria parasites are revealed today in Nature by a team of scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their international collaborators. These sequences will enable improved surveillance and diagnosis of these rarer parasites that still cause more than 10 million malaria cases every year.

Scientists reveal game of thrones in crab world

Crabs that invade smaller crab species' habitat overpower and evict incumbents from their burrows, but the two species ultimately co-exist and join forces against other invading crabs in a game of thrones once they establish territorial boundaries, new research finds.

Switching between freezing and flight

Andreas Lüthi and his group at the FMI have identified two types of neurons in the amygdala, each of which generates a distinct fear response – freezing or flight. In addition, these two cell types interact, thus creating a balance, which shifts in one direction or the other, depending on the particular situation. The researchers' findings were published today in Nature.

When jumping spiders show their true colors, biologists look through the lens for the reasons

While most arachnophiles will likely find tiny spider dancers who can "swagger like Jagger" entertaining, it's more than the dance that captures the fascination of one NSF-funded University of Cincinnati researcher.

When it comes to predators, size matters

Marine reserves play an important role in sustaining ecosystem diversity and abundance. Their presence enables certain species to return to a natural size structure, which enables predators to control destructive prey.

Getting by with a little help from their friends

After big winter storms, clumps of kelp forests often wash ashore along the Southern California coast. Contrary to the devastation these massive piles of seaweed might indicate, new research suggests the kelp may rebound pretty quickly, with help from neighboring beds.

The strings that bind us: Cytofilaments connect cell nucleus to extracellular microenvironment

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but new images of structural fibers inside a cell may represent more than a million words from hundreds of research papers spanning the past three decades.

New moth in Europe: A southern hemisphere species now resident in Portugal

As travelling in the 21st century is easier than ever, so is for species to make their way to new areas, sometimes increasing their distributional range, or even establishing whole new habitats. On the other hand, when they leave their natural predators and competitors behind, and find abundance of suitable resources somewhere else, they are running the risk of becoming invasive.

Using Big Data to understand immune system responses

An enzyme found in many bacteria, including the bacterium that gives us strep throat, has given mankind a cheap and effective tool with which to edit our own genes. This technology, called CRISPR, is also being used to understand how the immune system responds to a viral attack.

Potential biological control agents found for fungal diseases of soybean

Viruses are everywhere. They affect all forms of life, from complex mammals down to the mere fungus. We may not give much thought to fungal viruses, or mycoviruses, but new research from the University of Illinois suggests they deserve a closer look.

Become a citizen scientist and help preserve California's biodiversity

Would you like to become a volunteer citizen scientist helping to document and analyze California's rich biodiversity? If so, you can be among 1,000 volunteers who will collect 18,000 samples of soil and aquatic sediment from across the state through a new University of California program called CALeDNA that intends to revolutionize conservation in California by the end of this year.

Massive database collates information about human proteins

Much remains to be understood about how proteins in the human body works in unison; however a newly developed resource is giving scientists a more complete picture of how the proteome makes us uniquely human. MissingProteinPedia, a database developed by a collaborative research group lead by scientists at Macquarie University, could not only help researchers learn more about the location and use – termed 'expression' – of specific proteins in the body but also how they interact to make us human. It will also help to pin down those proteins which are still 'in the shadows', with implications for several diseases.

What trade deals can teach us about the animal kingdom

From Brexit to Donald Trump's first acts as US president, the news has been full of discussion about trade agreements recently. But trade agreements aren't just relevant to human politics. Exchange of commodities happens in the animal world too, both within and between species. And by applying theories derived from human economics, we can understand why some animals behave as they do.

Scientists discover a way to sequence DNA of rare animals

Rare and extinct animals are preserved in jars of alcohol in natural history museum collections around the world, which provide a wealth of information on the changing biodiversity of the planet. These preserved specimens of snakes, lizards, frogs, fish and other animals can last up to 500 years when processed in a chemical called formalin. While formalin helps preserve the specimen making it rigid and durable, it poses a challenge to extracting and sequencing DNA. Furthermore, DNA degrades and splits into small fragments over time. This fragmented DNA is difficult to amplify into long informative stretches of DNA that can be used to examine evolutionary relationships among species when using older DNA sequencing technology. Therefore, scientists have not been able to effectively sequence DNA from these specimens until now.

Studies offer new hope for diagnosis of Chiari-malformation in toy dog breeds

Researchers from the University Of Surrey School Of Veterinary Medicine have made advances in the study of the Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia disorder in toy dogs.

Expansion of Australian reserves for fairy possums might be at expense of other species

Current nature reserves are not very suitable for the critically endangered Critically Endangered Leadbeater's Possum, but expansion of nature reserves might come at the expense of other Australian forest species, according to a study published January 25, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Chris Taylor and Natasha Cadenhead from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.

Nonresident seabirds forage along the continental shelf break in Central California

Nonresident seabirds in Central California concentrate their foraging along the continental shelf break, according to a study published January 25, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anna Studwell who has worked jointly with colleagues at Point Blue Conservation Science, the SFSU Department of Geography & Environment, and the Romberg Tiburon Center, USA.

Invasive sedge protects dunes better than native grass, study finds

The invasive species Carex kobomugi, or Asiatic sand sedge, was first found along the East Coast of the United States at New Jersey's Island Beach State Park in 1929. The species is aggressive, outcompeting native vegetation and reducing local biodiversity. In many places, land managers have made great efforts to remove it.

Global shark attacks drop to recent average in 2016

After 2015's record-busting 98 shark attacks, calmer waters prevailed in 2016. The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File reported 81 unprovoked attacks worldwide, in line with the five-year average of about 82 incidents annually.

Invasive beetle species in Hawaii can now be identified faster with new genetic test

Researchers at the University of Hawaii have developed a new genetic-testing method for identifying the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle, which promises to be much faster than existing physical identification methods. The new tool, reported in the Journal of Economic Entomology, could be a significant step toward keeping the species—a damaging pest to coconut palm trees that was first seen in Hawaii in 2013—from becoming widespread.

Aerial drones reveal sharks in shallow water

Answers about shark populations could come from the skies, new research finds.

The apple maggot fly—how an altered sense of smell could drive the formation of new species

"Two months ago, we were congratulating ourselves on a fair crop of winterapples. To all appearance, they were freer from worms than we had known them in this section for years. But, alas! our hopes are again blasted. The apple-maggot seems to be as prolific as ever. Two weeks ago, we overhauled two hundred and fifty bushels of apples that we had gathered and placed in store for winter use; and of that number we threw out fifty bushels, most of which had been rendered worthless; and still the work of destruction goes on. The depredations of the apple-maggot continue, converting the pulp of the apple into a mere honeycomb, and rendering another overhauling soon indispensable."


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