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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for April 5, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | New extended ionized gas clouds detected in Abell 1367 cluster(Phys.org)—Astronomers have found six new extended ionized gas clouds (EIGs) in the galaxy cluster Abell 1367 (also known as the Leo Cluster). The discovery expands the current list of the cluster's known EIGs to 11 and provides new clues about the evolution of this group of galaxies. The researchers detailed their findings in a paper published Mar. 30 on arXiv.org. |
 | Scientists make progress on unravelling the puzzle of merging black holesAstrophysicists at the University of Birmingham have made progress in understanding a key mystery of gravitational-wave astrophysics: how two black holes can come together and merge. |
 | NASA's new spectrometer to help future crews cope with cosmic radiationOne of the main health concerns of living and working in space is the long-term exposure to high levels of radiation. NASA scientists have developed a new device to monitor radiation exposure to neutrons and are testing it on the International Space Station. |
 | Study examines effects of spaceflight on immune systemGetting sick isn't fun for anyone, but it could be especially taxing for crew members aboard the International Space Station. Protecting crew health is important as NASA prepares for long duration, deep-space missions. Functional Immune, a new investigation taking place in the orbiting laboratory, studies previously uninvestigated areas of the body's immune response and if spaceflight alters a crew member's susceptibility to disease. |
 | Image: Sentinel-1 sees Mocoa landslideSentinel-1 radar coverage from before and after the 1 April 2017 mudslide in Mocoa, Colombia, shows the extent of movement of the disaster that claimed over 260 lives, injured hundreds more and left scores displaced. |
 | The ALMA array in Chile joins global VLBI arrays for unprecedented leap in resolving powerA powerful new array of radio telescopes is being deployed for the first time this week, as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile joins a global network of antennas poised to make some of the highest resolution images that astronomers have ever obtained. The improved level of detail is equivalent to being able to count the stitches on a baseball from 8,000 miles away. |
 | Launch of high-tech telescope construction to explore the mysteries of the universeAmerican, German, and Canadian scientists are planning to explore the formation of stars and galaxies as well as the mysteries of the universe's beginnings with an entirely new kind of telescope. The launch of construction work on the Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT-prime) is scheduled for this year. It is named after its location, a 5,612 meter-high mountain in the Chilean Atacama Desert. At this altitude, it will be the highest telescope of its kind. CCAT-prime has a diameter of six meters, and is planned to be completed in 2021. The scientists are hopeing to gain unique new insights into the formation of stars and galaxies with this telescope and to come closer to solving the mystery of how so-called dark matter and dark energy have influenced the expansion of the universe. |
 | Scientists reconstruct space history with ancient textsIce cores and ancient sediments can be gleaned for clues to weather and climate in the past. But astronomical phenomena—such as solar flares or auroras—at best leave only faint environmental traces lacking in specificity. So how can we accurately track ancient astronomical events? |
 | Veteran NASA spacewoman getting three extra months in orbitThe world's oldest and most experienced spacewoman is getting three extra months in orbit. |
Technology news
 | Modeling protein interactions simplified with computer serverProteins are the most abundant substance in living cells aside from water, and their interactions with cellular functions are crucial to healthy life. When proteins fall short of their intended function or interact in an unusual way, these disruptions often lead to disease development. By modeling the structure of protein interactions – a process that has been complicated for researchers for years – scientists gain important insight to many diseases. Stony Brook University-led research team through the Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology has created a user-friendly automated computer server that calculates complex computations of modeling protein interactions with a handful of clicks from a home computer. The resource, available researchers around the world, is detailed in a paper published in Nature Protocols. |
 | Aurora LightningStrike vertical take-off and landing X-plane prototype runs another test flight(Tech Xplore)—Aurora Flight Sciences has announced that its X-plane prototype (code named the LightningStrike), the XV-24A, an aerial vehicle with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and driven by 24 variable-pitch ducted electric fans, completed another test flight recently. The test flight at a Manassas Virginia airstrip earlier this month marked another milestone for the DARPA-funded project. |
 | UK court ruling gives guidance on tech patent rightsBritain's High Court ruled Wednesday that it can decide what mobile phone manufacturers should pay to use patented technology that is essential to make mobile networks function. |
 | Monet's worlds translated into realistic photos in Berkeley effort(Tech Xplore)—This week there are a number of interesting words and phrases to think about that lead us to what researchers in California are exploring. Welcome, first off, to a post called prosthetic knowledge. |
 | Innovative sensor can screen toxic drugs, help develop biomaterials, and much moreResearchers at the University of California, Riverside have found an innovative new use for a simple piece of glass tubing: weighing things. Their glass tube sensor will help speed up chemical toxicity tests, shed light on plant growth, and develop new biomaterials, among many other applications. |
 | YouTube TV has some nifty features - and some big drawbacksYouTube TV, Google's new streaming package of about 40 television channels, is the tech industry's latest bid to get cable-shunning millennials to pay for live TV over the internet. It offers intriguing advantages over rivals, but it remains hobbled by a limited channel selection. |
 | Netflix is looking for a thumbs-up as star ratings fade away (Update)Netflix's video-streaming service is officially scrapping its familiar star-rating system, hoping to make it easier for its 94 million subscribers to signal whether they liked a movie or TV show. |
 | Electronic control to ensure photovoltaic systems always work at maximum powerThe Advanced Control Group of the UPV/EHU's Department of Systems Engineering and Automation has developed a control system designed to ensure that photovoltaic generators always work at their maximum power point by adapting them in terms of the level of solar irradiance and the load connected to the system. |
 | Engineers develop novel lens for super-resolution imagingA team of researchers from the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Engineering has developed a novel lens for super-resolution imaging which breaks resolution limitations in microscopy and has potential applications in high precision failure inspection and biological research. |
 | 'Missing puzzle piece' to help solve the infamous Travelling Salesman ProblemA "missing puzzle piece" to help solve the infamous Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) has been developed in Australia, researchers say. |
Virtual hyperspectral images could determine plant health, assist in crop management, grocery shoppingPurdue researchers are developing technology that could allow users to quickly determine the health of plants in the field and of fruits and vegetables in groceries through the translation of digital images on smartphones into virtual hyperspectral images. | |
Body heat could electrically power IoT devices, medical monitors using a woven, thermoelectric flexible fabricA Purdue University-developed technology that can be woven into a specially designed fabric could help harness human body heat and provide energy to power Internet of things (IoT) devices including heart and respiration monitors and fulfill other uses. | |
 | Algorithms can exploit human perception in graph designScatterplots are widely used in various disciplines and areas beyond sciences to visually communicate relationships between two data variables. Yet, very few users realize the effect the visual design of scatterplots can have on the human perception and understanding. Moreover, default designs of scatterplots often represent the data poorly, and manually fine tuning the design is difficult. |
 | Facial recognition is increasingly common, but how does it work?The Trump administration's efforts to impose new immigration rules drew attention – and legal fire – for its restrictions on the ability of people born in certain majority Muslim countries to enter the U.S. In the frenzy of concern, an obscure piece of the executive orders did not get scrutinized, or even noticed, very much: its expansion of facial recognition systems in major U.S. airports to monitor people leaving the U.S., in hopes of catching people who have overstayed their visas or are wanted in criminal investigations. |
 | Print your own masterpieces and digital pens—the brave new world of the museumPeople can now access much of Sydney's Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences' extensive collection online. High-resolution images of more than 130,000 objects are available for viewing on a new, mobile-friendly collections website. |
 | A more secure biometric authentication systemEPFL's Security and Cryptography Laboratory joined forces with startup Global ID to develop an encryption technique for processing biometric data captured via 3-D finger vein recognition – a system that's next to impossible to counterfeit. |
 | Germany threatens online giants with 50 mn euro hate speech finesGermany on Wednesday took the European lead in cracking down against hate speech and fake news, threatening social media giants with fines of up to 50 million euros if they failed to remove offensive posts promptly. |
 | A novel method for the fabrication of active-matrix 3-D pressure sensorsA recent study, affiliated with UNIST has created a three-dimensional, tactile sensor that could detect wide pressure ranges from human body weight to a finger touch. This new sensor with transparent features is capable of generating an electrical signal based on the sensed touch actions, also, consumes far less electricity than conventional pressure sensors. |
 | Canadian accused in Yahoo hack has bail hearingA Canadian man accused in a massive hack of Yahoo emails said Wednesday he'll live with his parents and forgo access to phones and any electronic equipment if he's allowed out on bail. |
Germany launches new military unit to combat cyberattacksGermany has launched a new military unit dedicated to thwarting cyberattacks and responding if necessary. | |
State: Thousands fail background checks for Uber, LyftMassachusetts officials say more than 10 percent of drivers for ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft have failed a required background check. | |
 | 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid has top travel range in its classHonda's Accord Hybrid has returned for 2017 as a roomy, comfortable mid-size sedan that's the most fuel-efficient gasoline-electric hybrid four-door car in its class. |
 | Facebook ramps up fight against 'revenge porn'Facebook on Wednesday unleashed a new weapon in the war against "revenge porn" at the leading social network as well as the messaging services Messenger and Instagram. |
 | Can hack but not shoot? FBI may ease entry for cyber agentsAspiring federal agents who can hack a computer with ease but can't shoot their way out of a paper bag could soon find the FBI to be more welcoming. |
 | NFL passes streaming to Amazon, after TwitterAmazon announced Wednesday it is making a foray into streaming live sports with a deal to add pro US football games to its Prime subscription video service. |
 | Researchers offer novel method for calculating the benefits of renewable energyResearchers from the Higher School of Economics (HSE) have developed a novel system for assessing the potential of renewable energy resources. This method can assess the future exploitable technical potential of wind and solar PV energy, as well as their capacity to replace existing energy generation assets. Furthermore, it can forecast fossil fuel savings and facilitate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Their research has been published in journal Energy: "Wind and Solar PV Technical Potentials: Measurement Methodology and Assessments for Russia." |
Few keep track of their personal data on the netAccording to a study by computer science researchers at Karlstad University, few people know how their personal data are collected, used, shared and accessed. The new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), coming into effect in 2018, will include higher demands on the possibility for users to access their own personal information. | |
Czech court to decide on alleged LinkedIn hacker extraditionA Russian man who faces charges in the United States of hacking and stealing information from computers at LinkedIn, Dropbox and other San Francisco Bay Area companies can be extradited either to the United States or Russia, the state prosecution in Prague said on Wednesday. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Marmite may be brain food, study saysIn a world bitterly divided into pro- and anti-Marmite factions, lovers of the tangy British spread have found support from an unexpected quarter: brain science. |
 | How the brain reacts to sleep deprivationIn a new study, scientists from Forschungszentrum Jülich together with partners from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have investigated the molecular changes with which the human brain reacts to exceptionally long wake phases. The test subjects stayed awake for 52 hours and then had their brains scanned at Jülich's PET Centre. Subsequently, they were taken to DLR in Cologne, where – monitored by the scientists – they were able to catch up on their sleep for 14 hours. |
 | Study offers hope to sufferers of chronic fatigue syndromeA new U of T study may lead to help for sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who face debilitating fatigue that can't be cured by rest. |
 | Biological age-predicting 'epigenetic clock' for studying how to extend lifespanLots of factors can contribute to how fast an organism ages: diet, genetics and environmental interventions can all influence lifespan. But in order to understand how each factor influences aging—and which ones may help slow its progression—researchers need an accurate biomarker, a clock that distinguishes between chronological and biological age. |
 | Discovering how insulin-producing cells show their ageDiabetes researchers have puzzled for decades about why insulin-producing beta cells in one pancreatic islet often look and behave quite differently than their counterparts in the same islet or in nearby islets. Using newly identified cellular markers of aging, Joslin Diabetes Center scientists now have shown that this diversity may be driven at least in part by differently aged beta cell populations within the pancreas. |
 | Schizophrenia signs in mice linked to uncoordinated firing of brain cellsResearchers at Columbia University have discovered that a small group of neurons fired haphazardly in mice with signs of schizophrenia. The findings suggest that a breakdown in the synchronized behavior of these brain cells could produce the classic disordered thinking and perceptions associated with the disease. |
 | No rest for the aged: As people get older, sleep quantity and quality declineAs people get older, they sleep less and wake up more frequently. Despite the thousands of sitcom jokes about it, these shifts in sleeping habits have a dark side. A recent review of scientific literature published in Neuron April 5 found that aging adults may be losing their ability to produce deep, restorative sleep. Furthermore, older people are likely paying for lost sleep both mentally and physically, the reviewers argue. |
 | Monounsaturated fats help roundworms live longer, researchers sayPudgy roundworms storing a particular type of fat live longer than their more svelte counterparts, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
Nerve cells actively repress alternative cell fates, researchers findA neural cell maintains its identity by actively suppressing the expression of genes associated with non-neuronal cell types, including skin, heart, lung, cartilage and liver, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. | |
 | A one-two punch hits pancreatic cancer where it hurtsAustralian scientists have uncovered a promising new approach to treating pancreatic cancer, by targeting the tissue around the tumour to make it 'softer' and more responsive to chemotherapy. The findings are published today in Science Translational Medicine. |
 | Researchers find a 'sleep gene': Mechanism offers fresh clues to why we need our ZZZsWashington State University researchers have seen how a particular gene is involved in the quality of sleep experienced by three different animals, including humans. The gene and its function opens a new avenue for scientists exploring how sleep works and why animals need it so badly. |
 | Collagen-targeting PET probe may improve diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary fibrosisA PET imaging probe developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators appears able to diagnose and stage pulmonary fibrosis—an often life-shortening lung disease—as well as monitor the response to treatment. In their paper published in Science Translational Medicine, the team reports how the collagen-targeting probe, called 68Ga-CBP8, bound to scar tissue in the lungs of two animal models in a way that indicated the extent of fibrosis and also detected reduced fibrosis in animals that received an anti-fibrotic drug. Experiments using human lung tissue suggested that the probe also could differentiate between stable disease and progressive fibrosis, information important to treatment planning. |
 | Monoclonal antibody cures Marburg infection in monkeysAn antibody treatment successfully protected nonhuman primates against the deadly Marburg and Ravn viruses even when given five days after becoming infected, according to the latest findings of a collaborative team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., and Vanderbilt University. The findings are now available in Science Translational Medicine. |
 | Study analyzes what 'a' and 'the' tell us about language acquisitionIf you have the chance, listen to a toddler use the words "a" and "the" before a noun. Can you detect a pattern? Is he or she using those two words correctly? |
 | Newly discovered chemical reaction in eye may improve visionA light-sensing pigment found in everything from bacteria to vertebrates can be biochemically manipulated to reset itself, an important therapeutic advantage, according to new research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In a study just released from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers successfully used a modified form of vitamin A, called locked retinal, to induce the recycling mechanism and engage proteins central to human vision. The targeted proteins include light-sensing rhodopsin, which belongs to a family of proteins—G protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs—that sit in cell membranes and transmit external cellular cues into internal cell signaling pathways. The discovery opens a new therapeutic opportunity for modified retinals that help improve vision, and offers a major improvement over current therapeutics designed to perturb cell signaling in the eye. |
 | Drought linked with human health risks in US analysisA new Yale-led study reveals a distinct connection between drought exposure and adverse human health among older adults. |
Moderate changes in Indian diets could benefit both health and the environmentModerate changes to typical Indian diets could help to 'future proof' the Indian food system against the predicted decline in availability of groundwater over the coming decades, according to new research. | |
 | Predicting—and preventing—psychiatric morbidity after acute respiratory distress syndromeAfter surviving acute respiratory distress syndrome, a disease in which fluid begins to leak into the lungs of critically ill patients and makes it difficult to breathe, many patients develop mental illness. |
 | Weak grip a strong predictor of metabolic disease and disability in adultsA simple test to determine a person's grip strength may be a predictor of developing metabolic disorders in middle or older age, a new cross-continental study has found. |
Nigeria starts vaccine drive to stop meningitis outbreakHealth workers in Nigeria on Wednesday began a mass vaccination programme to try to halt a mass outbreak of meningitis that has killed nearly 340 people since late last year. | |
 | Curbing alcohol to fight HIV could save money in KenyaPublic health research shows that alcohol may be a factor in more than 13 percent of deaths due to infectious diseases, including HIV. Drinking undermines the fight against the virus in two main ways, researchers have found: it makes transmission through risky sex more likely and undermines health by relaxing the rigor with which infected people take virus-suppressing medicine. |
 | Heart attacks diagnosed quicker by new blood testScientists from King's College London have developed a new blood test that is more sensitive in detecting damaged heart muscle caused by a heart attack. |
Method identifies epileptic patients who can benefit from surgeryResearchers affiliated with the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo State, Brazil, have shown that genetic information can be used to improve early prediction of the response to drugs in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), one of the most severe forms of epilepsy. Patients who do not respond well to treatment with antiepileptic drugs are candidates for surgery. | |
 | Women smokers 13 times more likely to have a major heart attack than non-smoking peersWomen smokers under the age of 50 are nearly 13 times more likely to suffer a major heart than non-smokers even if they are fit and healthy, according to new research led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. |
 | Parent engagement programs increase student readiness for kindergartenKindergarten teachers report that of the 32 million children living in poverty or low-income homes in the United States, nearly half lack strong social-emotional skills and are not "ready to succeed in school," according to the latest research brief released by the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. |
 | New insight illuminates how cells respond to stressDuke Cancer Institute scientists have described a previously unknown series of steps that cells undergo when stressed, adding crucial information to the understanding of DNA damage that is at the heart of research into aging and cancer. |
 | Ultrasound and drug research holds promise for Alzheimer's diseaseNon-invasive ultrasound improves the delivery to the brain of a therapeutic antibody targeting Alzheimer's disease, University of Queensland researchers have found. |
 | Women with healthy BMI may have higher risk of breast cancerWomen with a healthy body mass index (BMI) may be at risk of developing breast cancer because of enlarged fat cells in their breast tissue that trigger an inflammatory process, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center researchers. |
New immunotherapy combination shows promise for patients with advanced melanomaTreatment with a combination of ipilimumab (Yervoy) and Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21; Cavatak) led to durable responses in a number of patients with advanced melanoma, including some whose melanoma had progressed despite prior treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, and fewer than anticipated adverse events, according to results from a phase Ib clinical trial presented here at the AACR Annual Meeting 2017, April 1-5. | |
 | Male versus female college students react differently to helicopter parenting, study findsHelicopter parenting reduces the well-being of young women, while the failure to foster independence harms the well-being of young men but not young women. |
New diagnostic model for psychiatric disorders proposedUniversity of Otago researcher Associate Professor Martin Sellbom is part of a group of 50 leading international psychologists and psychiatrists who have put forward a new, evidence-based, system for classifying mental health disorders. | |
 | Spherical biodegradable carriers support scalable and cost-effective stem cell expansion and bone formationBone tissue engineering is theoretically now possible at a large scale. A*STAR researchers have developed small biodegradable and biocompatible supports that aid stem cell differentiation and multiplication as well as bone formation in living animal models. |
 | Protein influence on early heart development could lead to better regenerative therapiesStem cell therapies could one day help repair heart tissue in people with cardiovascular disease. But before doctors feel confident enough to transplant these potent cells into patients, they need to better understand how heart stem cells work normally in the developing embryo. A team of researchers from Singapore and Canada have shown that a receptor needed for early heart development works through intermediate signaling molecules to modulate the activity of a key determinant of cell fate. |
 | Playing with the senses can change how food tastesIt was Apicius, the Roman gourmand, who came up with the line that "the first taste is with the eyes". The latest research from the emerging field of gastrophysics shows that he was absolutely right. Our brains evolved to help us find food – and making food look more visually appealing can prime expectations and therefore enhance the taste. |
 | Essential protein for metastasis identifiedAn essential protein that regulates our heart beat turns out to be important for cancer cells as well. The discovery might open novel treatment strategies for fighting metastasis. Publication in Science Signaling on April 4th. |
 | Whole body vibration—a genuine therapy or just another weight loss fad?Vibration machines have popped up in gyms alongside traditional equipment, and manufacturers claim ten minutes of vibration a day can be equivalent to an hour spent working out. Standing on a rapidly shaking platform will, according to claims, improve muscle tone and circulation, and accelerate weight loss. |
 | There are many ways to treat jellyfish stings—peeing on them isn't oneIt's easy to be confused about how to treat a jellyfish sting. Is it best to use grandfather's slurry of bicarbonate of soda or a douse of vinegar? Is it best to use an ice pack, take a hot shower or ask someone to urinate on your leg? |
 | For kids with autism, imitation is key on road to speechNearly 30 percent of children with autism will not have learned to flexibly speak by the end of elementary school. For researchers looking for ways to help, learning when to intervene in the children's speech development is paramount. New research from The University of Texas at Austin points to children with autism's imitation behavior as the most important predictor of a key stage in their development toward flexible speech, which gives researchers more clarity about the timing of intervention. |
 | Adolescent puberty—when and why teens should see a gynecologistFor a parent of a girl, it is important to teach proper health care practices. Part of this is maintaining proper gynecological and reproductive care upon puberty. Two major questions that come up in regard to an adolescent's seeing a gynecologist are when and why. |
 | Sodium citrate spray could temporarily restore sense of smellA substance commonly used to treat bladder issues could temporarily treat people who have lost their sense of smell, according to research published in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology. |
 | Exercise as medicine—what's the right dose when taken with a drug?Researchers continue to gather evidence that exercise can serve as a supplement to, or even a replacement for, drugs in their efforts to combat specific illnesses. With $3.6 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at the University of Virginia are seeking to identify the specific dose of exercise that will complement one of the most frequently prescribed drugs aimed at improving a person's level of blood glucose (sugar) and vascular health. |
 | Probiotics benefit in schizophrenia shaped by yeast infectionsIn a small pilot study of men with schizophrenia, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Sheppard Pratt Health System say they have evidence that adding probiotics—microorganisms, such as bacteria found in yogurts—to the patients' diets may help treat yeast infections and ease bowel problems. Probiotics may also decrease delusions and hallucinations, but in the study, these psychiatric benefits mostly affected those without a history of yeast infections. |
Cancer burden may be changing for people living with HIVThe total number of cancer cases diagnosed among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is projected to decline in coming years, due mostly to declines in non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma. Certain other cancers, such as prostate and lung, are expected to rise, according to data presented here at the AACR Annual Meeting 2017, April 1-5. | |
PROTAC shows efficacy against castration-resistant prostate cancer in preclinical studiesAn orally bioavailable androgen receptor PROTAC, developed using a protein degradation technology, was effective in lowering tumor burden in mice bearing human castration-resistant prostate cancer, according to data presented here at the AACR Annual Meeting 2017, April 1-5. | |
 | Fish eyes to help understand human inherited blindnessNewborns babies can be at risk of congenital blindness, presenting sight defects due to lesions or to genetic mutations in their genome. Among the latter, Leber Congenital Amaurosis—or LCA—is one of the most widespread causes of child blindness and accounts for nearly 5% of vision impairments overall. The syndrome can be genetically transmitted to a child when both parents possess at least one dysfunctional copy of a gene involved in eye development. However, the molecular mechanism behind the disease remains unclear. Now OIST researchers in the Developmental Neurobiology Unit have exposed a similar syndrome in zebrafish, which are an excellent model for studying human diseases. From this research published in Scientific Reports, scientists aim to unravel the causes behind the disease in zebrafish and therefore provide new leads for a treatment for human LCA. |
 | E-cigarette regulations may affect their effectiveness for smoking cessationA study published today in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, reveals that regulations on electronic cigarettes (ECs) may impact their effectiveness as a cessation tool. This study might help explain some of the mixed results on the effectiveness of ECs that has been published in the literature. |
Call to phase out lead bullets at shooting rangesLead released when people fire weapons at shooting ranges creates such a health risk that lead bullets should be phased out, according to new research. | |
 | Trial shows responses to abiraterone acetate in some prostate cancer patients with initial hormone induction failurePatients with metastatic prostate cancer whose PSA levels remain high despite initial hormone treatments have historically had poor prognosis, with survival typically in the 1-2 year range. Results of a 40-person clinical trial published in JAMA Oncology show that 13 percent of these patients deemed "hormone refractory" did, in fact, have strong responses to treatment with the next-generation hormonal drug abiraterone acetate, with PSA levels falling from above 4.0 ng/ml to below 0.2 ng/ml. An additional 33 percent of patients showed partial response to the drug, achieving PSA levels between 0.2 and 4 ng/ml. |
 | House fly mortality by artificial sweetener: Starvation, not toxicityWhile recent headlines have noted the potential insecticidal properties of common artificial sweeteners, don't go sprinkling Truvia around your home just yet. A new study on house flies suggests insects likely aren't poisoned by sweeteners—they just die of malnutrition. |
 | Phase II trial: Rice bran adds microbiome diversity, slows growth of colon cancer cellsToday at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2017, University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers at Colorado State University present results of a phase II clinical trial of 29 people exploring the effects of adding rice bran or navy beans to the diets of colorectal cancer survivors. After the 4-week randomized-controlled trial during which people added rice bran, navy bean powder or neither, both the rice bran and navy bean groups showed increased dietary fiber, iron, zinc, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, and alpha-tocopherol. The rice bran group also showed increased microbiome richness and diversity. When researchers treated colorectal cancer cells with stool extracts from these groups, they saw reduced cell growth from the groups that had increased rice bran and navy bean consumption. |
 | 200 years since Parkinson's disease was first identifiedWorld Parkinson's Disease Day [11 April] is held every year on Parkinson's birthday to raise awareness of the disease and the research being done to alleviate it. To mark 200 years since James Parkinson first identified the condition named after him, a new biography of this forgotten man will be published. |
What are common dermatologic features of classic movie villains?Dermatologic features are used in movies to contrast good and evil in heroes and villains. So what features are common? | |
Insurance expansion associated with increase in surgical treatment of thyroid cancerThe 2006 Massachusetts health reform, a model for the Affordable Care Act, was associated with significant increases in surgical intervention for thyroid cancer, specifically among nonwhite populations, according to a study published by JAMA Surgery. | |
Self-harm linked to violence towards othersThere is a link between self-harm and the risk of violent criminality, according to a Swedish registry study carried out by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in the scientific journal JAMA Psychiatry. | |
 | Monthly high-dose vitamin D supplementation does not prevent cardiovascular diseaseResults of a large randomized trial indicate that monthly high-dose vitamin D supplementation does not prevent cardiovascular disease, according to a study published by JAMA Cardiology. |
 | Impostor feelings fuel negative mental health outcomes for minority students, studyWhile perceived discrimination on college campuses compromises the self-esteem, well-being and mental health of ethnic minority students, new psychology research from The University of Texas at Austin suggests the impostor phenomenon may worsen these effects. The impostor phenomenon—feeling like a fraud due to an inability to internalize success—has been linked to psychological distress among ethnic minority students, research shows. In the Journal of Counseling Psychology, UT Austin researchers found that these feelings of fraudulence may fuel the negative relationship between perceived discrimination and depression and anxiety among ethnic minority college students, especially African Americans. |
New function discovered for compound that may help slow agingResearchers at Oregon State University have found that a compound called rapamycin has unusual properties that may help address neurologic damage such as Alzheimer's disease. | |
EU takes steps to improve breast implant safetyThe European Parliament on Wednesday adopted measures to improve medical safety in the wake of the worldwide scare over faulty breast implants from France. | |
 | Public attitudes to end-of-life care in progressive neurological illness are conflictedPublic attitudes in UK and USA reveal support both for life-sustaining interventions and for measures to enable peaceful death in progressive neurological illness such as dementia, according to a survey carried out by researchers at the University of Cambridge. |
 | As kids' weight climbs, power of healthy fat supplements dropsBody weight plays a significant role in how much benefit children may get from consuming "good" fats, new research suggests. |
 | Regular exercise, not BMI, before stroke may predict disability laterA new study suggests it's the amount of regular exercise people get, not the amount of body fat they have, that may predict just how well they recover from a stroke. The study is published in the April 5, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. |
 | Stem cell patch shows early promise in treating heart failurePatching a damaged heart with a patient's own muscle stem cells improves symptoms of heart failure, according to a Phase I clinical trial reported in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. |
 | FDA approves drugs more quickly than peer agency in Europe: studyThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews and approves new medicines in a shorter timeframe than its peer agency in Europe, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), says a Yale researcher. This finding, which comes at a time when the FDA is under renewed pressure to streamline and speed up its approval process, provides data to inform ongoing policy discussions. |
Rules allowing longer shifts for first-year doctors signal a new approach to evidence-based medical educationThe long shifts and sleepless nights of resident physicians have been controversial since 1984, when 18-year old Libby Zion died in a New York hospital under the care of what her father alleged were overworked medical residents. Since then, regulations have been put in place to limit how long resident physicians (doctors who have completed medical school and are taking care of patients while undergoing further training) can work. | |
 | Fruits and vegetables' latest superpower? Lowering blood pressureEating potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans, bananas—and even coffee—could be key to lowering blood pressure, according to Alicia McDonough, PhD, professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). |
Multivitamins not associated with heart disease risk, regardless of initial dietary intakeMore than half of older American adults take a daily multivitamin supplement, but evidence of any clear health benefits is scarce. The Physicians' Health Study II (PHS II) remains the only randomized, large-scale, long-term trial to test whether a daily multivitamin reduced cardiovascular disease risk, and researchers found that after 11 years of follow up, there was no significant difference in risk of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) events among men who took a multivitamin compared to those that took a placebo. | |
| Biomarker could lead to personalized therapies for prostate cancerIn 2016, more than 181,000 new cases of prostate cancer were reported in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is one of the earliest ways clinicians can detect prostate cancers in their patients. Sometimes, a high PSA level may be a sign of benign conditions such as inflammation; therefore, more reliable tests are under investigation to help urologists diagnose and treat the disease in an aging population. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have explored how a specific protein's status may allow clinicians to better identify prostate cancer progression while helping them to make rational decisions in treating the disease. |
 | When the doctor recommends against the surgery a breast cancer patient wantsMore women with breast cancer are electing to have both breasts removed, even when cancer affects only one breast. The procedure, called contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), is a more complex surgery that has not been shown to improve survival. |
 | Study shows health insurance plans too complicated to understandA new survey by experts at the Health Disparities Institute of UConn Health shows that many patients across Connecticut are struggling to understand their complex, jargon-filled private health insurance plans and even to use their plan benefits correctly. Researchers believe Connecticut's low health insurance literacy rates most likely mirror the nation. |
 | Professor behind designated drivers takes on distracted onesA Harvard University professor who introduced Americans to the concept of designated drivers to deter drunken driving is now taking on the deadly problem of motorists distracted by cellphones and other electronics. |
 | Surgery may be best for advanced melanoma(HealthDay)—Surgery to remove melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer—can extend the lives of patients whose disease has spread to the abdomen area, new research suggests. |
 | Red cell distribution width predicts surgical complications(HealthDay)—In children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing, preoperative elevated red cell distribution width is associated with an increased risk of respiratory adverse events, according to research published online March 27 in Pediatric Anesthesia. |
 | Bone, basal metabolism link depends on vitamin D level(HealthDay)—For postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DMPW), the correlation between bone metabolism and basal metabolism seems to be dependent on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels, according to a study published online March 31 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation. |
 | Increased cancer risk for childhood kidney recipients(HealthDay)—Childhood kidney recipients have increased cancer risk, according to a study published online March 29 in the American Journal of Transplantation. |
 | Ruling out penicillin allergy by testing inpatients saves money(HealthDay)—Inpatient penicillin allergy testing is effective for ruling out penicillin allergy, and results in increased prescription of penicillin and cephalosporin, according to a review published online March 29 in Allergy. |
 | Researchers discover a new cause of high plasma triglyceridesPeople with hypertriglyceridemia often are told to change their diet and lose weight. But a high-fat diet isn't necessarily the cause for everyone with the condition. |
 | Nearly one billion people still smoke dailyDespite strong declines in the rate of tobacco smoking over the past 25 years, one out of every four men still smoke daily, as do one out of every 20 women. |
 | Weight swings may be risky for overweight heart patientsLosing and regaining weight repeatedly may be dangerous for overweight heart patients, a study suggests. |
 | Study examines social outcomes in young adults with childhood-onset epilepsyIn a recent study, young adults who developed uncomplicated epilepsy as children (meaning that they did not have other neurologic or intellectual impairment) had similar social outcomes as their siblings, but only if they had not experienced a seizure in at least 5 years. |
New Zealand's colorectal cancer rates are on the rise in young adultsA recent analysis found a decrease in the overall incidence of colorectal cancer in New Zealand, but an increased incidence of rectal cancer in those under 50 years of age. | |
Pedometers increase activity and decrease fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis patientsProviding pedometers, with and without providing step targets, to individuals with rheumatoid arthritis increased activity levels and decreased fatigue in a recent study. | |
 | Could targeting oxtyocin help treat opioid addiction?A new review of published research indicates that the oxytocin system—a key player in social reward and stress regulation—is profoundly affected by opioid use. Therefore, it may be an important target for developing medications to treat opioid addiction and to prevent relapse. |
 | Yoga helps patients with ulcerative colitisPatients with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, often relapse at times of stress. In a clinical trial of 77 ulcerative colitis patients who were in clinical remission but were experiencing reduced quality of life, those assigned to 12 supervised 90-minute weekly sessions of yoga had a greater increase in quality of life and reduced activity of their colitis compared with those who were given written self-care advice. |
 | A mother's voice may help stabilize preterm infantsA recent review of published research indicates that hearing their mother's voice can benefit the health of preterm infants. |
Overactive bladder drug linked with increased risk of depressionA recent study found that women with overactive bladder who received antimuscarinics were 38% more likely to be diagnosed with depressive disorder within the next 3 years than those who did not receive antimuscarinics. | |
 | 'Dose sparing' flu vaccine could boost productivity and vaccine availabilityThe currently licensed seasonal trivalent influenza vaccines contain 15 micrograms of viral hemagglutinin protein per strain for adults, and up to 60 micrograms for elderly individuals; however, due to recent shortages, reducing these doses would be highly desirable. A recent study has found that significant dose sparing is possible with the use of whole virion vaccines and aluminium adjuvants, without compromising safety. |
Women drinkers are more diverse than menPeople drink alcohol for a number of reasons. This study focused on understanding why people drink and the consequences of their drinking. First, researchers identified "clusters" of drinkers in New Zealand, based on how much alcohol they drank, their beverage of choice, and a preference for public or private drinking locations. Second, it investigated the relations among drinker types and harms experienced, and considered their policy implications. | |
 | How the Trump budget undercuts security risks posed by pandemicsPresident Trump proposed a US$54 billion military budget increase to solidify the security of our nation. However, the government also recognizes pandemic threats as an issue of national security – one that knows no borders. |
Adding the IDO-pathway inhibitor indoximod to pembrolizumab improved the melanoma response rateAdding the investigational immunotherapy indoximod to the FDA-approved immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) increased the proportion of patients with advanced melanoma who responded to treatment compared with previously reported response rates for pembrolizumab monotherapy, according to interim results from a phase I/II clinical trial presented here at the AACR Annual Meeting 2017, April 1-5. | |
Debate continues over human immune system's role in blocking therapeutic genes delivered using AAV vectorsThe hypothesis that memory T cells formed in response to childhood infections may be to blame for the loss of expression of therapeutic genes delivered via viral vectors has been hotly debated, but recent clinical trials of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-based gene therapies designed specifically to avoid T-cell responses to AAV have shown the ability to correct debilitating diseases such as hemophilia in some patients. The scientists who proposed this hypothesis discuss the ongoing controversy and progress in developing approaches to overcome AAV-vector-induced T cell responses in an article in Human Gene Therapy. | |
Gut microbe may improve fatty liverOral administration of a commensal gut microbe, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, improves fatty liver in mice. F. prausnitzii is considered one of the most important bacterial indicators of a healthy gut. It has been shown to reduce inflammatory diseases in mice but its effects on liver have never before been studied. This relationship was discovered by the Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher, Satu Pekkala, from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, together with researchers from the University of Turku. | |
 | Can Alzheimer's disease steal one's consciousness?Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been characterized as a "complete loss of self." Early on when memory begins to fade, the victim has difficulty recalling names, their grocery list or where they put their keys. As the disease progresses, they have trouble staying focused, planning and performing basic daily activities. From the exterior, dementia appears to ravage one's intellect and personality; yet as mere observers, it's impossible to ascertain how consciousness of the self and environment is transformed by dementia. The celebrated late neurologist Oliver Sacks once suggested that, "Style, neurologically, is the deepest part of one's being and may be preserved, almost to the last, in dementia." Is this remaining neurological "style" sufficient to preserve consciousness? Is the AD patient aware of their deteriorating cognition, retaining a sense of identity or morality, or can they still connect with friends and loved ones? Emerging advances in neuroscience have enabled researchers to more precisely probe the AD brain, suggesting that although some aspects of consciousness are compromised by dementia, others are remarkably spared. |
 | Experts debate the advantages of using stem cells for predictive toxicology screeningAn esteemed panel of scientists and clinicians with expertise in developmental biology and toxicology examined the potential benefits and current limitations of using stem cell-based tissue and organ models to screen for the toxicity of chemicals and drugs in the laboratory. Their in-depth Roundtable Discussion entitled "The Future of Stem Cells and Toxicity Screening" is published in Applied In Vitro Toxicology. |
 | Are biobank donor families worried about a confidentiality breach?A new study examines how well families that donate tissue to a biobank—or decide not to donate—understand the risk and implications of a potential confidentiality breach. The technology to acquire genome sequence data from biobanked samples has outpaced the ability to protect large databases from security breaches, raising the issue of whether loss of confidentiality risk should be discussed with donor families during the consent process, as discussed in an article published in Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers. |
Australian court rejects British painkiller firm's appealAustralia's highest court on Wednesday rejected British company Reckitt Benckiser's appeal of a 6 million Australian dollar ($4.5 million) fine for misleading consumers about the effectiveness of a popular painkiller. | |
New study reveals some women with prenatal opioid dependence are not being treatedA new study by Queen's University researcher Susan Brogly (Surgery) has revealed that 25 per cent of women suffering from a prenatal opioid dependence were not being treated for their addiction. Using data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), the study also shows rising numbers of affected mother-infant pairs and associated health care costs. | |
Announcing first-ever American Association of Anatomists Virtual Microscopy DatabaseThe American Association of Anatomists (AAA) launches their first-ever Virtual Microscopy Database available to educators and researchers worldwide. | |
Biology news
 | Living at home the best survival strategy for young kangaroosHaving a social life comes at a cost for grey kangaroos, with 'mingling' mothers reducing the chances of survival for their offspring. |
 | Sex obsession a killer for male snakesAn international team of scientists led by the University of Sydney has confirmed a frenzied approach to the mating season is resulting in males ageing faster and dying earlier and in worse condition than their female counterparts, who prioritise body-maintenance over short-term reproductive success. |
 | Eating the gut contents of young fish lengthens life of older killifish(Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several institutions in Germany has found that middle-age killifish fed the gut contents of younger killifish lived longer than normal. In their paper uploaded to the bioRxiv preprint server, the team describes their experiments with killifish, what they found and where they plan to take their research in the future. |
 | Whiteflies provide insight into stabilizing manmade drones during takeoffWhen whiteflies take off, they don't just spread their wings and fly. Just .03 of an inch long, these tiny insects possess a variety of sophisticated techniques that provide them with exceptional stability in the air. Tel Aviv University researchers now say that they may hold the secret to stabilizing the take-off of small robotic manmade flyers such as miniaturized drones. |
 | 'Spiderman' worm-snails discovered on Florida shipwreckWhat's brightly colored, lives on shipwrecks, filter-feeds like a whale, and shoots webs like Spiderman? If you can't readily come up with an answer, that's okay: until now, such animals weren't known to science. But as of today, scientists have announced the discovery of a new species of snail that ticks all those boxes. According to its discoverer, the snail shows "amazing adaptations and are kind of cute," and it could play an important role in coral reef restoration work. |
 | Powers of attraction could decimate deadly starfishAn American who fell in love with both the Great Barrier Reef and his wife via The University of Queensland has led a breakthrough discovery that could protect one of the Seven Natural Wonders. Husband-and-wife Professor Bernard Degnan and Associate Professor Sandie Degnan, believe they, along with research colleagues, can use the powers of attraction to decimate one of the reef's fiercest enemies. |
 | Catch shares slow the 'race to fish'A detailed analysis of 39 U.S. fisheries by Duke University economists offers strong new evidence that catch shares curb the "race to fish" that compresses fishing seasons. |
 | Like people, great apes may distinguish between true and false beliefs in othersGreat apes help a person access an object when that person thinks they knowswhere it is but is mistaken, according to a study published April 5, 2017 in theopen-access journal PLOS ONE by David Buttelmann from Max Planck Institute forEvolutionary Anthropology, Germany, and colleagues. |
 | Mexico to put endangered vaquita porpoises in refugeIn a bid to save the world's smallest species of porpoise from extinction, the Mexican government announced plans Tuesday to place some of them in a temporary refuge. |
 | Ecological value of exotic water plants equals that of indigenous speciesWhen it comes to their role in aquatic ecosystems, exotic water plants are generally no different than indigenous species. In fact, they can be an asset. That doesn't mean all exotic species should be given free rein. But they can be managed more effectively if you focus on their properties and not their place of origin. Ecologist Bart Grutters (NIOO-KNAW) will defend his PhD thesis research on Wednesday 5 April. |
 | Sandpiper detectives pinpoint trouble spots in continent-wide migrationUnderstanding and managing migratory animal populations requires knowing what's going on with them during all stages of their annual cycle—and how those stages affect each other. The annual cycle can be especially difficult to study for species that breed in the Arctic and winter in South America. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications tackles this problem for Semipalmated Sandpipers, historically one of the most widespread and numerous shorebird species of the Western Hemisphere, whose populations in some areas have undergone mysterious declines in recent years. |
 | Eagles migrate through bad weather to arrive in time to nestMigration is tough, and birds do everything they can to optimize it. How do factors like weather and experience affect the strategies they choose? A new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances shows that older, more experienced Golden Eagles actually migrate in poorer weather conditions and cover less ground than their younger counterparts, but for a good reason—they're timing their efforts around raising the next generation of eagles. |
 | Female fertility is maintained by a newly discovered molecular mechanism that freezes the cell cycle in egg cellsGenetic studies in mice have identified a molecular mechanism crucial to maintaining egg cells in a dormant state to ensure female fertility. This work by A*STAR identifies a potential method to prevent infertility when the mechanism goes wrong. |
 | Raccoon dog represents a more acute risk than raccoon as vector for transmission of local parasitesThe raccoon and the raccoon dog are two non-indigenous animal species that have become established in Europe in the past decades. Their increasing abundance has not only made them the most common carnivore species in some countries, but has also made them of interest to parasitologists as potential hosts for diseases. A team of researchers from Vetmeduni Vienna has now analysed samples from both species in Austria. The raccoon dog, which is more closely related to the fox, was shown to serve as an additional host for local parasites. Like the fox, it represents a risk as a host of zoonotic parasites, such as the fox tapeworm or trichina worms, that are also of relevance for humans. The raccoons sampled, as they mainly originated from fur farms, were still largely pathogen-free. |
 | Climate-driven species on the move are changing (almost) everythingLast year in Paris, for the very first time, English sparkling wine beat champagne in a blind tasting event. Well established French Champagne houses have started buying fields in Britain to grow grapes, and even the royal family is investing in this new venture. |
 | Why we should tax meat that contains antibioticsThe use of antibiotics in meat production is a major contributor to one of the biggest threats facing human health in the 21st century: antibiotic resistance. Finding a solution to this requires us to start taking responsibility for our actions. While one person eating meat has an imperceptible effect on antibiotic resistance, multiply that by millions of people around the world and you have a global crisis. |
 | Genes key to killer bee's successIn a new study, researchers from Uppsala University sequenced the genomes of Africanized bees that have invaded large parts of the world to find out what makes them so extraordinarily successful. One particular region in the genome caught the researchers' attention and the genes found there could be part of the explanation for the aggressive advances of these hybrid bees. |
 | The redomestication of wolvesOn landscapes around the world, environmental change is bringing people and large carnivores together—but the union is not without its problems. Human-wildlife conflict is on the rise as development continues unabated and apex predators begin to reoccupy their former ranges. Further complicating matters, many of these species are now reliant on anthropogenic, or human, foods, including livestock, livestock and other ungulate carcasses, and garbage. |
New technique helps researchers determine how stem cells differentiateStem cell differentiation can now be seen thanks to a combination of machine learning and microfabrication techniques developed by scientists at the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center in Japan. The results, published in PLOS One, followed the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which are easily obtained from adult bone marrow. | |
 | Allen Cell Explorer: data portal provides an unprecedented view into human stem cellsThe Allen Institute for Cell Science today announces the launch of the Allen Cell Explorer: a one-of-a-kind portal and dynamic digital window into the human cell. The website combines large-scale 3D imaging data, the first application of deep learning to create predictive models of cell organization, gene edited human stem cell lines and a growing suite of powerful tools. The Allen Cell Explorer will be the platform for these and future publicly available resources created and shared by the Allen Institute for Cell Science. |
Veterinary professionals need to change how they connect with their clientsWhen advising on animal health and welfare, veterinarians often struggle to engage with the motivational needs of their clients. New research has shown a change is needed in how veterinarians communicate with and advise animal owners, to promote engagement with their advice and protect the animals in their care. | |
Humpback whale that washed up in NYC likely struck by vessel (Update)Marine biologists say a humpback whale that washed up on a New York City beach appears to have died after being struck by a vessel. | |
 | S.Africa's top court opens up domestic trade in rhino hornSouth Africa's highest court Wednesday rejected a bid by the government to keep a ban on domestic trade in rhino horn, a court document showed. |
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