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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 18, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Study finds history of Titan's landscape resembles that of Mars, not EarthThe environment on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, may seem surprisingly familiar: Clouds condense and rain down on the surface, feeding rivers that flow into oceans and lakes. Outside of Earth, Titan is the only other planetary body in the solar system with actively flowing rivers, though they're fed by liquid methane instead of water. Long ago, Mars also hosted rivers, which scoured valleys across its now-arid surface. |
 | First direct exploration of magnetic fields in the upper solar atmosphereFor the first time in the world, scientists have explored the magnetic field in the upper solar atmosphere by observing the polarization of ultraviolet light from the Sun. They accomplished this by analyzing data taken by the CLASP sounding rocket experiment during its 5-minute flight in space on September 3, 2015. The data show that the structures of the solar chromosphere and transition region are more complicated than expected. Now that ultraviolet spectropolarimetry, the method used in the CLASP project, has been proven to work, it can be used in future investigations of the magnetic fields in the upper chromosphere and the transition region to better understand activity in the solar atmosphere. |
 | Punching above its weight, a brown dwarf launches a parsec-scale jetAstronomers using the SOAR telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory report the discovery of a spectacular extended jet from a young brown dwarf. With masses too low to sustain hydrogen fusion in their interiors, brown dwarfs occupy the mass range between stars and giant planets. While young stars are commonly found to launch jets that extend over a light year or more, this is the first jet with a similar extent detected from a brown dwarf. The result lends new insight into how substellar objects form. |
 | NASA mission uncovers a dance of electrons in spaceYou can't see them, but swarms of electrons are buzzing through the magnetic environment—the magnetosphere—around Earth. The electrons spiral and dive around the planet in a complex dance dictated by the magnetic and electric fields. When they penetrate into the magnetosphere close enough to Earth, the high-energy electrons can damage satellites in orbit and trigger auroras. Scientists with NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, mission study the electrons' dynamics to better understand their behavior. A new study, published in Journal of Geophysical Research revealed a bizarre new type of motion exhibited by these electrons. |
 | ALMA eyes icy ring around young planetary systemAn international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has made the first complete millimeter-wavelength image of the ring of dusty debris surrounding the young star Fomalhaut. This remarkably well-defined band of rubble and gas is likely the result of exocomets smashing together near the outer edges of a planetary system 25 light-years from Earth. |
 | Hubble spots moon around third largest dwarf planetThe combined power of three space observatories, including NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, has helped astronomers uncover a moon orbiting the third largest dwarf planet, catalogued as 2007 OR10. The pair resides in the frigid outskirts of our solar system called the Kuiper Belt, a realm of icy debris left over from our solar system's formation 4.6 billion years ago. |
 | First radio detection of lonely planet disk shows similarities between stars and planet-like objectsFirst radio observations of the lonely, planet-like object OTS44 reveal a dusty protoplanetary disk that is very similar to disks around young stars. This is unexpected, given that models of star and planet formation predict that formation from a collapsing cloud, forming a central object with surrounding disk, should not be possible for such low-mass objects. Apparently, stars and planet-like objects are more similar than previously thought. The finding, by an international team led by Amelia Bayo and including several astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, has been published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. |
 | NASA asks scientific community to think on possible Europa lander instrumentsNASA is asking scientists to consider what would be the best instruments to include on a mission to land on Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. |
Technology news
 | Office furniture sends Milan design vibes as collab experiments with Rapid Liquid PrintingAn innovative exploration by researchers at MIT and Grand Rapids, Michigan-based furniture company Steelcase has resulted in a promising vision of furniture made via 3D printing. The developers, from MIT's Self-Assembly Lab and Steelcase are talking about their technique. |
 | New algorithm allows human being to communicate task to robot by performing it first in virtual reality(Tech Xplore)—A new algorithm developed by a team at OpenAI (backed by Elon Musk) allows for teaching a robot how to do something by first having a human being demonstrate it in a virtual reality setting. As the researchers note, the scheme is based on something the company calls one-time imitation learning. |
 | System directs camera-equipped drones to maintain framing of an aerial shotIn recent years, a host of Hollywood blockbusters—including "The Fast and the Furious 7," "Jurassic World," and "The Wolf of Wall Street"—have included aerial tracking shots provided by drone helicopters outfitted with cameras. |
 | Cisco Systems announces 1,100 more layoffsCisco Systems Inc. said Wednesday that it is laying off 1,100 more workers, deepening job losses at the internet gear maker battling declining revenue. |
 | Google unveils latest tech tricks as computers get smarterGoogle's computer programs are gaining a better understanding of the world, and now it wants them to handle more of the decision-making for the billions of people who use its services. |
 | Inspired by geckos, researchers engineer soft gripping system that outperforms current adhesion methodsResearchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have developed a soft gripping system that uses differential air pressure and a gecko-inspired adhesive for exceptional bonding to three-dimensional objects. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. |
They predicted the 'WannaCry' ransomware cyberattack, so how come few listened?Misha Govshteyn and his colleagues at the cybersecurity start-up Alert Logic dropped all their projects about a month ago, except for one they deemed a graver threat than the rest. | |
 | EU fines Facebook 110 mn euros over 'misleading' info in WhatsApp takeoverThe European Commission on Thursday fined US social media giant Facebook 110 million euros ($120 million) for providing incorrect and misleading information on its takeover of WhatsApp. |
 | Hackers steal 17 million users' data from Indian restaurant app ZomatoIndia's largest restaurant and food delivery app Zomato announced Thursday that the data of 17 million users had been stolen from its database, including names, email addresses and protected passwords. |
 | Here's how the ransomware attack was stopped – and why it could soon start againThe ransomware cyber attack that has so far affected around 300,000 computers in 150 countries could have been much worse. In fact, it still could be. The spread of the malicious software (malware), nicknamed WannaCry or WannaCrypt, has been halted several times by researchers who have identified flaws in the program known as kill switches. But cybercriminals are already fighting back by altering the code, leading to a game of cat and mouse as researchers then have to hunt for a new kill switch. |
 | Enhanced efficiency of simple, inexpensive solar cells could transform energy-starved communitiesTonight, try this: Turn the main fuse in the house off and see how it feels to live without electricity for 24 hours. No lights for reading, no TV for information, no air conditioning to keep you cool, and no stove to heat a meal. |
 | Antivirus firm warns of cyberattacks on home appliancesAvast, the company behind the leading antivirus software, warned Thursday against attacks on home appliances connected to the internet, calling hackers targeting home routers a major threat to consumers. |
 | Not all cool pavements are created equalCool pavements can help keep cities cool, right? Yes, but according to new research from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), many reflective pavements have some unexpected drawbacks relative to conventional pavements when considering the entire life cycle of the materials. |
Researchers create a T-shirt that monitors the wearer's breathing rate in real timeResearchers at Université Laval's Faculty of Science and Engineering and its Center for Optics, Photonics, and Lasers have created a smart T-shirt that monitors the wearer's respiratory rate in real time. This innovation, the details of which are published in the latest edition of Sensors, paves the way for manufacturing clothing that could be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor people suffering from asthma, sleep apnea, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. | |
 | A recipe for concrete that can withstand road salt deteriorationRoad salt, used in copious helpings each winter to protect them from ice and preserve safe driving conditions, is slowly degrading the concrete they're made of. Engineers have known for some time that calcium chloride salt, commonly used as deicer, reacts with the calcium hydroxide in concrete to form a chemical byproduct that causes roadways to crumble. A civil engineer from Drexel University is working on a new recipe for concrete, using cast-off products from furnaces, that can hold its own against the forces of chemical erosion. |
 | Alibaba quarterly profits almost double to $1.55 bnChinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Thursday its net profit almost doubled in the latest quarter on the back of soaring growth in online shopping. |
 | Wal-Mart's online sales surge, tops 1Q expectationsWal-Mart delivered first-quarter results that show it's winning over shoppers at stores and online, even as the competition intensifies. |
EU moves toward greater freedom for watching online contentThe European Union has taken a major step that will allow subscribers to online movies and television to watch the content throughout the 28 members of the union instead of being blocked once they leave their country. | |
New tools safeguard Census data about where you live and workIn October 2012, as Hurricane Sandy bore down on the densely populated U.S. East Coast, the state of New Jersey needed information fast. State planners and emergency managers turned to U.S. Census Bureau data about the people living and working in the affected area to identify the communities that would be hardest hit, and come up with a plan for recovery in the months that followed. | |
Fiat Chrysler in talks with government over dieselsFiat Chrysler says it's in discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over claims the company cheated on diesel emissions tests. | |
 | FCC vote kicks off a battle over regulation of the internetA federal agency voted to kick off the repeal of "net neutrality" rules designed to keep broadband providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from interfering with the internet. |
 | Twitter's privacy update: what it means for youTwitter is updating its privacy policy so it can track users' interests better and target advertisements to them, at least in the US. |
 | Cyberattacks prompt massive security spending surgeThe fight against cyberattacks has sparked exponential growth in global protection spending, with the cyber security market estimated at $120 billion this year, more than 30 times its size just over a decade ago. |
India's IT industry body slams mass layoff reportsIndian software trade body Nasscom on Thursday dismissed widespread media reports of mass layoffs in the country's hugely important information technology industry but warned that the sector must reinvent itself. | |
Swedish police successfully test electric carsSwedish police say their testing of nine electric cars has sparked "positive reactions," saying units that operated the vehicles will continue to use them. | |
 | Lithuania court delays extradition ruling in phishing caseA court in Lithuania on Thursday requested more information from the United States before ruling on the extradition of a local businessman suspected of tricking Google and Facebook out of more than $100 million in an elaborate cybercrime case. |
 | Candy Crush maker banned from gathering staff ethnic dataSweden's data protection agency Thursday banned King, the gaming company that owns Candy Crush, from collecting statistics on the ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientation of employees, even when used for promoting diversity. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Certain nuts may help ward off return of colon cancer: studyEating certain kinds of tree nuts, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews, has been linked to a dramatically lower risk of colon cancer recurrence, researchers said Wednesday. |
 | Monash discovery may help unlock the key to infertility in older womenFindings from new research led by the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) and University College London may finally resolve, and potentially provide answers, as to why older women have higher incidences of miscarriage and have babies with chromosomal abnormalities. |
 | Why you need your beauty sleep: People may not want to hang out with you if you look tiredYou know the drill: You haven't had a good night's sleep for a few days and now you don't like what you see in the mirror - puffy eyelids, dark circles, sallow skin. |
 | Cancer immunotherapy may work in unexpected wayAntibodies to the proteins PD-1 and PD-L1 have been shown to fight cancer by unleashing the body's T cells, a type of immune cell. Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the therapy also fights cancer in a completely different way, by prompting immune cells called macrophages to engulf and devour cancer cells. |
 | Designing better drugs to treat type 2 diabetesResearch led by the University of Adelaide is paving the way for safer and more effective drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, reducing side effects and the need for insulin injections. |
 | There's more to attraction than what meets the eyeAttractiveness isn't just a matter of good looks, but also the right voice and scent, highlights a mini review in Frontiers in Psychology. |
 | Region in brain found to be associated with fear of uncertain futurePeople who struggle to cope with uncertainty or the ambiguity of potential future threats may have an unusually large striatum, an area of the brain already associated with general anxiety disorder, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. |
 | Researchers discover first human antibodies that work against all ebolavirusesAfter analyzing the blood of a survivor of the 2013-16 Ebola outbreak, a team of scientists from academia, industry and the government has discovered the first natural human antibodies that can neutralize and protect animals against all three major disease-causing ebolaviruses. The findings, published online today in the journal Cell, could lead to the first broadly effective ebolavirus therapies and vaccines. |
Mouse study looks at safety of stem cell therapy for early menopauseNow that we know that egg-making stem cells exist in adult rodents and humans and that these cells can be transplanted into mice with premature ovarian failure to produce offspring, the next question is to assess whether the offspring from the egg-making stem cells of a single adult mouse are biologically normal compared to natural births. On May 18 in the journal Molecular Therapy, researchers in China show that female mice with early menopause that receive egg-making stem cells from another mouse are capable of producing healthy pups 2 months later with no observable genetic malfunctions. | |
 | Optical method links individual neurons and network activity to behaviour in zebrafishScientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried have developed a method that allows them to identify nerve cells involved in a specific motor command. For the first time, it is now possible to evoke behaviour of a small fish by artificially activating just a handful of neurons. Understanding the core components of a neural circuit is a key step for deciphering the complex code underlying even elementary brain functions. |
 | The information in the silence—tapping into the sense of touchUNSW neuroscientists have discovered a completely new understanding of how the brain deciphers neural inputs, which could transform the next generation of robotic prosthetics. |
 | Natural resistance to malaria linked to variation in human red blood cell receptorsResearchers have discovered that protection from the most severe form of malaria is linked with natural variation in human red blood cell genes. A study from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics and their collaborators has identified a genetic rearrangement of red blood cell glycophorin receptors that confers a 40 per cent reduced risk from severe malaria. |
 | Researchers identify key regulator of fetal growth in miceA protein called ZFP568 regulates an important fetal growth hormone called insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2), according to a mouse study led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The study is one of the first to show that KRAB-zinc finger proteins, which are well-known for silencing viral genes left over from ancient infections, can also play an essential role in fetal and placental development. |
 | Beauty and the beholder—familiar faces breed attractionThe faces of people around us influence what we find attractive, according to the latest research by the University of St Andrews. |
 | Newly discovered brain network offers clues to social cognitionScientists call our ability to understand another person's thoughts—to intuit their desires, read their intentions, and predict their behavior—theory of mind. It's an essential human trait, one that is crucial to effective social interaction. But where did it come from? |
At least 42 percent more people will need palliative care in England and Wales by 2040The number of people requiring palliative care over the next 25 years is likely to increase substantially, requiring a shift in healthcare priorities in England and Wales, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. | |
 | Study estimates number of US women living with metastatic breast cancerA new study shows that the number of women in the United States living with distant metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the most severe form of the disease, is growing. This is likely due to the aging of the U.S. population and improvements in treatment. Researchers came to this finding by estimating the number of U.S. women living with MBC, or breast cancer that has spread to distant sites in the body, including women who were initially diagnosed with metastatic disease, and those who developed MBC after an initial diagnosis at an earlier stage. |
 | Study of schoolchildren's soft drink consumption patterns suggests taxing sugar sweetened soft drinks could helpA study of the soft drink consumption patterns of more than 1000 schoolchildren presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal (17-20 May) shows that overweight and obese children tend to drink more sugar sweetened soft drinks than normal weight children. |
Exchanging one sugar-sweetened soft drink or beer with water is associated with lower incidence of obesityNew research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity shows that replacing one serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink or one beer a day with a glass of water could reduce the risk of becoming obese by 20%. The main researcher of the study was Dr. Ujué Fresán under the supervision of Dr Alfredo Gea and Professors Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez and Maira Bes-Rastrollo from University of Navarra, and CIBERobn (Carlos III Institute of Health), Spain. | |
Using loyalty to football clubs to get men aged 30-65 years more activeResearchers in the UK, Portugal, Norway and the Netherlands are working with 15 European professional football clubs in their countries to try and engage more men aged 30-65 years to sit less and move more. Details of the study, led by Professor Sally Wyke, University of Glasgow, UK, will be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal by Dr Marlene Nunes Silva, University of Lisbon, Portugal. | |
 | Drug improves survival of patients with rare cancer by almost a quarterPatients who take capecitabine after surgery for bile duct cancer live for almost a year and a half longer than those not given the drug, according to the results of a Cancer Research UK funded trial presented at the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago. |
 | Swallowable balloons work to curb obesity: studyWeight-loss balloons swallowed rather than surgically inserted in the stomach were shown to be safe and effective in preliminary trials, according to findings unveiled Thursday at a medical conference. |
Lower socioeconomic status is linked to obesity through distress and emotional eatingNew research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal (17-20 May) shows that lower socioeconomic status is associated with higher body-mass index (BMI) through its effects on distress and subsequent emotional eating. The study is by Jade Stewart and Dr Charlotte Hardman, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK and colleagues. | |
Study shows protein called 'survivin' which protects fat cells from death is at higher levels in obese peopleNew research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Porto, Portugal (17-20 May) shows the obese people have higher levels of a protein called survivin, which protects fat-containing adipocyte cells in the body from being destroyed. The study was led by Dr Sonia Fernández-Veledo and Dr Joan Vendrell and is presented at ECO by Dr Miriam Ejarque, all of the Pere Virgili Institute, Rovira i Virgili University, CIBERDEM, Taragona, Spain. | |
India's pampered pets lap up new treatmentsAcupuncture, blood filtration, kidney cleanses. No treatment is too much for the furry friends of Delhi's well-heeled residents, who splash out at five-star veterinary clinics to keep their pets healthy. | |
Experts measure food waste not in dollars or tons, but by the toll it takes on Americans' healthYou may have heard that Americans waste more than 38 million tons of food each year, or that the value all this discarded food adds up to about $165 billion annually. | |
 | Weight loss plus aerobic and resistance exercise can reduce frailty in obese older adultsAlthough losing weight is generally considered a helpful step toward leading a healthier life, for obese older adults it can actually have adverse health consequences that can include accelerating age-related loss of muscle and bone mass. However, in a new study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that weight loss plus combined aerobic and resistance training provided greater improvement in physical function and reduction of frailty in older obese adults. |
 | Customized, frequent emails show promise in tobacco cessationSmokers who received frequent, tailored emails with quitting tips, motivational messages, and social support had cessation rates rivaling that of the most effective medication available for cessation, according to a new American Cancer Society study. The study appears in Tobacco Control. |
 | Comprehensive cancer study assesses potential targets for personalized medicine and finds new onesLooking to improve cancer treatment, a multi-institutional research team has taken a comprehensive approach to evaluating which molecular changes in cancer cells are most likely involved in the development of the disease. This approach resulted in the confirmation of previously known cancer molecular changes and in the discovery of others that had not been typically linked to cancer before. Targeting particular patient alterations with specific drugs might help one day improve response to treatment. The report appears in Cancer Cell. |
Team announces robust, high-throughput protocol for deriving microglia from human stem cellsScientists from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute have developed a robust, efficient method for deriving microglia, the immune cells of the brain, from human stem cells. Microglia are increasingly implicated in neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, among many others. However, research into the role of human microglia in these disorders has long been hampered by the inability to obtain them from the human nervous system. This new protocol now enables scientists around the world to generate this critical cell type from individual patients and improve our understanding of the role of microglia neurological malfunction. | |
 | The Charlie Sheen effect on HIV testingOn November 17, 2015, actor Charlie Sheen publicly disclosed he was HIV-positive on NBC's Today Show. How might such celebrity announcements affect public health in the population at large? That's a question scientists and advocates grappled with in a study published last year in JAMA Internal Medicine led by San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health research professor John W. Ayers. The researchers found that Sheen's disclosure corresponded with millions of online search queries for HIV prevention and testing, even though neither Sheen himself nor public health leaders called for such action at the time. |
 | New antibody drug conjugate could be used to target treatment-resistant childhood leukaemiaResearchers at The University of Manchester have discovered that a protein (5T4) found on the surface of cells contributes to chemotherapy resistance in the most common type of childhood leukaemia. Using a novel approach, early testing shows that targeting the protein with an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) could hold promise in improving treatment. |
 | New concussion guidelines updated to eliminate one key component—prolonged restProlonged rest is not ideal when it comes to treating concussion, and in fact, those who are active faster, appear to get better faster. |
Is ketamine a panacea for depression?Researchers have long been intrigued by the antidepressant qualities of the club drug ketamine. Known on the street as "Special K," the drug is taken by partiers for its brief dissociative hallucinogenic effect, but it is also used medically as an anesthetic. It can banish severe depression for weeks at a time, but designer drugs that can mimic ketamine's effects on depression—without its hallucinogenic side effects—have proved difficult to develop. | |
Eating right and exercising could reduce the risk of colon cancer coming backColon cancer patients who have a healthy body weight, exercise regularly and eat a diet high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables have a significantly lower risk of cancer recurrence or death, according to a research team led by UC San Francisco investigators. | |
 | Mechanisms behind sensory deficits in Parkinson's diseaseAlthough Parkinson's disease is often associated with motor symptoms such as stiffness, poor balance and trembling, the first symptoms are often sensory and include a reduced sense of touch and smell. In a study on mice, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now been able to identify neural circuits and mechanisms behind this loss of sensory perception. The study, which is published in the scientific journal Neuron, may open avenues to methods of earlier diagnosis. |
 | Sexual satisfaction—treating a woman with oxytocin also benefits her male partnerThe results of a study conducted at MedUni Vienna under the direction of Michaela Bayerle-Eder, doctor of internal and sexual medicine, showed that the sexual response of men, whose female partners had been treated with the "bonding hormone" oxytocin or a placebo, was enhanced – even to the extent of improving their erectile function. Since this effect was not a function of the substance administered, the result is attributable to the improvement in communications within the long-term relationship. |
 | Researchers find air mattresses present a growing safety risk to infants, recommend changesResearchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Georgia have found that as air mattresses become increasingly popular, the inflatable beds place infants at great risk for sleep-related death. They call for a greater recognition of air mattress use in both policy statements and data collection about infant deaths. |
 | Scientists identify unique cell-signaling system in some S. pneumoniae strainsSome strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae—a disease-causing bacterium—possess a cell-to-cell signaling system that may influence gene expression and virulence in co-colonizing strains, according to a study published in PLOS Pathogens. |
Deaths from Chagas disease under-reportedChagas disease, affecting millions of people in Central and South America, is classified as one of the 17 most important neglected diseases by the World Health Organization. Now, researchers have found that even the non-symptomatic stage of Chagas infection, which can last for many years, more than doubles a person's risk of death. The new study, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, also concludes that deaths from Chagas have likely been under-reported in the past. | |
Drug to tackle lung scarring shows promisePeople with a lung scarring condition that leaves them fighting for breath could be helped by a new medication, research suggests. | |
TET1 protein helps prevent congenital defects and late-onset diseasesIn the earliest stages of embryonic development, a protein known as TET1 may be the factor that tips the balance toward health or disease. The first evidence for this vital role of TET1 is presented in Nature Genetics by researchers from KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium. They found that TET1 is necessary to prevent congenital defects such as spina bifida as well as mental retardation and cancer later in life. | |
Life or death medical decisions involving a child – new study asks questions about current processHow parents and clinicians make life or death medical decisions involving very young children is the focus of a new study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. The findings may offer insight into how the 'best interests' of a child are decided, when consensus between parents and clinicians can't be reached. | |
 | Parent-led therapy could be cost-effective first port of call for anxious childrenA short course of parent-led therapy for anxious children could save the NHS and society at least one fourth of current costs and provide quicker access to treatment, as a paper finds that the treatment provided cost-effective improvements compared to more expensive alternatives. |
 | Control mechanism unveiled for gene that causes Opitz syndromeOpitz G/BBB (Opitz) syndrome is a hereditary disorder that affects people in different ways, causing malformations in medial (midline) organs and structures, intellectual disability and developmental disorders. Scientists have revealed a new control mechanism for the gene that causes this disorder, a discovery that could help in developing treatment for the syndrome. The findings were published on May 16 in the online edition of Development. |
 | Urinary test can detect bladder cancer, reduce discomfort and save moneyUrinary bladder cancer is one of the most expensive cancer forms for the public health service. Norwegian researchers are developing a test that will benefit both the system and the patients. They plan to launch a candidate test by the end of 2017. |
 | Love hormone oxytocin is released during crisesOxytocin is often called the "love hormone" or "cuddle chemical," but American and Norwegian researchers have found out that it may as well be called a "crisis hormone." |
 | 'Do-not-hospitalize' orders reduce hospital or emergency room visits, but few patients have themDo-not-hospitalize orders help reduce the number of hospital stays and emergency department visits for nursing home residents, but they are used by only a small percentage of patients, according to a new study led by researchers at UAlbany. |
 | Researchers have found that banknotes can transmit potentially pathogenic and antibiotic resistant strains of bacteriaIf a commonly used item passed from person to person everyday around the world was found to carry potential harmful microbes, would you continue to use it? Dr Jun Li from the University of Hong Kong and his colleagues have been investigating the bacterial community present on banknotes, recently published in Frontiers in Microbiology. |
 | How the injured brain tells the body it's hurtJohns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a new way that cells in the brain alert the rest of the body to recruit immune cells when the brain is injured. The work was completed in mouse models that mimic infection, stroke or trauma in humans. |
 | Hospital-acquired anemia more common, increases risksOne in three patients hospitalized for medical problems experienced a drop in their red blood cell count due to the hospitalization - a concept called hospital-acquired anemia, new research showed. |
Know thyself to understand othersThrough targeted training, people can be guided to develop a better inner awareness about their own mental states, and to have a better understanding of the mental state of others. This is because the better people understand themselves, the more easily they can think themselves in other people's shoes. Such training therefore ultimately helps us deal with current global challenges, says Anne Böckler of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science and Julius Maximilians University Würzburg in Germany. She is the lead author of a study in Springer's Journal of Cognitive Enhancement which looked at the influence a three-month contemplative training course had on a group of adults. | |
Deadly flower power? Imported tulip bulbs spread anti-fungal resistanceTulip bulbs imported into Ireland from the Netherlands may be helping to spread resistance to vital antifungal medicines called Triazoles that treat potentially fatal fungal infections. That is according to research showing that the inter-country transfer of bulbs of Holland's iconic flowers may inadvertently have opened up a new transport route for a particularly nasty fungal pathogen called Aspergillus fumigatus. | |
 | Low self-esteem partners create their own regret in relationship sacrificesLow self-esteem partners can feel vulnerable in their relationship, including feeling insecure about their partner's support and love. In a series of studies, social psychologists in the Netherlands show that people with low self-esteem end up regretting sacrifices they make in relationships because they do not feel appreciated or supported by their partner. The results appear in the journal, Social Psychological and Personality Science. |
 | Gene study sheds light on causes of childhood sight lossA genetic mutation that contributes to sight loss in children has been identified by scientists. |
Zinc effects on common cold duration illustrate problems of routine statistical analysesTwo randomized trials that examined the effects of zinc lozenges for the duration of common cold symptoms found that colds were shortened on average by 4.0 days and by 1.77 days. However, the shortest colds in the placebo groups of both studies lasted for only 2 days. | |
 | Study reports encouraging trend in infant mortalityEighteen states are on track to eliminate racial disparities in infant mortality by the year 2050 if current trends hold—sooner if they accelerate—according to a newly published paper from researchers at Florida State University's College of Medicine. |
Worse pain outcomes after knee replacement for patients who took opioids before surgerySix months after knee replacement surgery, pain outcomes were not as good for patients who previously took prescription opioids, according to a study in the May 17 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. | |
WHO eyes vaccine trial for Ebola-hit DR CongoAn unlicensed Ebola vaccine could soon be tested in a remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo hit by an outbreak of the virus, the World Health Organization said Thursday. | |
 | Too many Americans still go without cancer screenings(HealthDay)—Many Americans still don't get lifesaving cancer screenings because they are uninsured, a new report reveals. |
 | How much water do you really need?(HealthDay)—You might have heard that drinking 8 glasses of water a day has health benefits that range from weight loss to brighter skin. You might also have heard that's a myth. In fact, there are no national health guidelines on how much water you should be drinking. |
 | States given until 2022 to meet Medicaid standards of care(HealthDay)—Federal standards that mean states will need to deliver care to elderly and disabled Medicaid enrollees in home and community-based settings will take effect in 2022, according to a report published by Kaiser Health News. |
 | Studies link healthy brain aging to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the bloodTwo new studies link patterns of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood to the integrity of brain structures and cognitive abilities that are known to decline early in aging. |
Diagnostic biomarkers in saliva show promise in recognizing early Alzheimer's diseaseYour spit may hold a clue to future brain health. Investigators at the Beaumont Research Institute, part of Beaumont Health in Michigan, are hopeful that their study involving small molecules in saliva will help identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease - a neurologic condition predicted to reach epidemic proportions worldwide by 2050. | |
 | Study reveals recommendations for certifying emotional support animalsService animals help owners navigate daily tasks and often have years of training to help them serve disability-related functions. However, little consensus exists when it comes to the certification of "emotional support animals" (ESAs). These animals usually have little or no specific training, which poses a challenge for mental health professionals who are asked to certify them. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have conducted a survey to examine what techniques and instruments mental health professionals are using to aid in their determinations of whether certification of an ESA is appropriate. Researcher recommendations could help mental health practitioners make better judgments when certifying ESAs and steer policy-making decisions for housing and travel sectors. |
 | Queen's University Belfast co-lead one of world's biggest trials in respiratory healthA new technology—'dialysis for the lungs'—which could save thousands of lives in Intensive Care Units is being taken forward by researchers at Queen's University Belfast in one of the biggest clinical trials in the world in the area of respiratory failure. |
 | Another reason to exercise: Burning bone fat—a key to better bone healthIt's a fat-burning secret anyone interested in bone health should know. For the first time, UNC School of Medicine researchers show that exercising burns the fat found within bone marrow and offers evidence that this process improves bone quality and the amount of bone in a matter of weeks. |
 | 100-year-old fertility technique reduces need for IVFInfertile couples have a major opportunity to achieve a successful pregnancy without the need for IVF, thanks to new research into a 100-year-old medical technique. |
New comprehensive national database advances gun policy researchWhile the number of firearms' laws has nearly doubled in the U.S. in the last 26 years, the increase has not been consistent, with some states even decreasing the number of laws, leading to an increasing disparity in the scope of laws potentially impacting violence, according to new research led by the Bost0n University School of Public Health (BUSPH). | |
 | Eating more fruits and vegetables may lower risk of blockages in leg arteriesEating three or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day may lower your risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to new research in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, an American Heart Association journal. |
Study compares different measures of body fat for predicting kidney function declineA new study indicates that waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) may be as reliable as direct measures of different types of body fat for assessing an individual's risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). | |
 | First-ever global study finds massive health care inequityA first-ever global study finds massive inequity of access to and quality of health care among and within countries, and concludes people are dying from causes with well-known treatments. |
 | The water's not fine: U.S. pool-linked infection doubles in two years(HealthDay)—Families seeking to cool off don't expect to pick up a nasty infection. Yet, outbreaks of a diarrhea-causing parasitic infection have doubled in recent years at swimming pools and water playgrounds in the United States, health officials warn. |
Kalydeco approval widened for more types of cystic fibrosis(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has expanded approval for the cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco (ivacaftor) to include 33 mutations of the disease, up from the previous 10 mutations. | |
 | Most routine coagulation tests reliable up to eight hours(HealthDay)—Most routine coagulation tests can be reliably evaluated after storage at room temperature for up to eight hours after blood collection, according to a study published online May 8 in the International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. |
 | Findings support lower doses of atropine in pediatric myopia Rx(HealthDay)—Adverse effects are less frequent at lower doses of atropine, and higher doses are not more effective in reducing progression of myopia in children, according to a meta-analysis published online May 11 in JAMA Ophthalmology. |
 | Promising start for national diabetes prevention program(HealthDay)—The National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has achieved widespread implementation of the lifestyle change portion to help prevent type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online May 12 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Global burden of cardiovascular disease assessed(HealthDay)—Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global burden, despite declines in the mortality rate due to CVD in high-income and some middle-income countries, according to a study published online May 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | Platelet-rich plasma effective for female pattern hair loss(HealthDay)—For women with female pattern hair loss, autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are effective and safe, according to a study published online May 14 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. |
Neurological events with TAVI and surgical valve replacement in intermediate-risk patientsPatients at intermediate risk for surgery have lower risk of early neurological complications including stroke with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) than with surgical aortic valve replacement, showed results reported for the first time at EuroPCR 2017 from the large, randomized SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial. | |
First European randomized trial of PCI vs. optimized medical therapy in CTORevascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) achieves a high success rate with low procedural risk in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion, show results reported at EuroPCR 2017 from the first European randomized trial to compare PCI with optimized medical therapy in this group of patients. | |
WHO: 400 contacts being traced in Congo's Ebola outbreakHealth workers are monitoring more than 400 people amid an Ebola outbreak in a remote corner of Congo where already three deaths have been blamed on the virus, the World Health Organization said Thursday. | |
 | A culprit of thyroid diseasesA research team has clarified a molecular mechanism of the thyroid and surrounding vascular system in the most common form of hyperthyroidism. Published in the EMBO Molecular Medicine journal, these findings provide a potential therapeutic target for thyroid diseases. |
More cancers diagnosed at early stage following increase in health insurance coverageAn analysis of nearly 273,000 patients showed that between 2013 and 2014 there was a 1 percent increase in the percentage of breast, lung, and colorectal cancers diagnosed at the earliest, most treatable stage. Considering the thousands of people diagnosed with these cancers annually, a 1 percent increase in early-stage diagnosis could add up to a significant number of new cases and potentially lead to better outcomes. | |
targeted therapy can delay recurrence of intermediate-stage lung cancerThe targeted therapy gefitinib appears more effective in preventing recurrence after lung cancer surgery than the standard of care, chemotherapy. In a phase III clinical trial, patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive, stage II-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received gefitinib went about 10 months longer without recurrence than patients who received chemotherapy. The study will be presented at the upcoming 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago. | |
 | Towards more effective therapies to fight breast cancerBreast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in Italy and in the world. Today, however, it seems possible to design more selective and effective drugs through numerical simulations. |
Hundreds of Chinese students hospitalised for norovirus: XinhuaAlmost 400 Chinese students were hospitalised following an outbreak of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly stomach bug norovirus in a school in the country's northeast, state media reported Thursday. | |
A new resource that could change community and public health: Rochester Epidemiology Project's Data Exploration PortalAfter celebrating its 50th anniversary in May 2016, the Rochester Epidemiology Project team is not stopping to rest. Instead, they are marking the beginning of the next 50 years with the launch of a tool that could change community and public health in the region. | |
Cuba reports a surge of Zika but still fewer than neighborsCuban state media report a surge of Zika on the island, though the overall number of cases is still far fewer than elsewhere in the Caribbean. | |
Holographic cardiac imaging among innovations showcased at arrhythmias congressHolographic cardiac imaging and other innovations will be showcased at the EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2017 in Vienna, Austria. | |
 | Canada tests lower age for pot legalizationThe most controversial thing about Canada's move to legalize marijuana nationwide may be setting the minimum age for use at 18. That's three years lower than in U.S. states that have embraced legalization. |
Biology news
 | Study of parrotlets hopping offers clues on how dinosaurs might have developed flight(Phys.org)—A pair of researchers from Stanford University has studied the energy used by a type of small parrot as it hops from branch to branch during foraging. As they note in their paper uploaded to the open access site Science Advances, Diana Chin and David Lentink found that the bird's techniques optimized energy expenditure and may have been similar to techniques used by dinosaurs that led to flight. |
 | Fine-tuning 'dosage' of mutant genes unleashes long-trapped yield potential in tomato plantsBreeding in plants and animals typically involves straightforward addition. As beneficial new traits are discovered—like resistance to drought or larger fruits—they are added to existing prized varieties, delivered via cross-breeding. But every once in a while, adding a beneficial new trait can result in a net subtraction, due to processes deeply hidden within the interactions of genes underlying existing and newly added traits. |
 | UK survey finds 28,000 plant species for medical useMore than 28,000 species of plants around the world have a medical use but poor documentation means people are not making the most of the health benefits, according to a survey released on Thursday. |
 | New study helps solve a great mystery in the organization of our DNAAfter decades of research aiming to understand how DNA is organized in human cells, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have shed new light on this mysterious field by discovering how a key protein helps control gene organization. |
 | Study on how rats process smell may address larger issue of experiment reproducibilityUniversity of Chicago psychology professor Leslie Kay and her research group set out to resolve a 15-year-old scientific dispute about how rats process odors. What they found not only settles that argument, it suggests an explanation for the much written-about "replication crisis" in some fields of science and points to better ways of designing experiments. |
 | Fake caterpillar study reveals global pattern in predationA new Oxford University collaboration revealing the world's prime insect predation hotspots, achieved its landmark findings using an unusual aid: plasticine 'dummy caterpillars.' |
 | Scientists engineer disease-resistant rice without sacrificing yieldResearchers have successfully developed a novel method that allows for increased disease resistance in rice without decreasing yield. A team at Duke University, working in collaboration with scientists at Huazhong Agricultural University in China, describe the findings in a paper published May 17, 2017 in the journal Nature. |
As cicadas emerge four years early, scientists wonder if climate change is providing a nudgeCicadas overwhelm tree branches across the mid-Atlantic once every 17 years, like clockwork. But something - some suspect climate change - could be sounding their alarm clocks four years early. | |
 | Can CRISPR feed the world?As the world's population rises, scientists want to edit the genes of potatoes and wheat to help them fight plant diseases that cause famine. |
 | How evolutionary miniaturization in insects influences their organsScientists from the Faculty of Biology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University have studied how the organs of microinsects change sizes in the process of evolution. Looking ahead, principles and regularities of miniaturization in animals could be applied in biotechnology and robotization. The researchers have presented their project in Scientific reports. |
 | Researchers use flashes of light to control signalling circuits in living cellsResearchers at the Turku Centre for Biotechnology have invented new tools for decoding and controlling signalling circuits in living cells with flashes of light. In principle, any cellular circuit can now be targeted with the new method. By using this approach, the researchers discovered that major biological signaling circuits can be made to resonate when driven at their resonant frequency. |
 | Orcas prey on great white sharks in South African watersThe great white shark is one of the ocean's most powerful predators, yet it is sometimes prey for orcas that killed several of the formidable creatures off South Africa's coast this month. |
 | Same genes, same environment, different personality: Is individuality unavoidable?Genetically identical Amazon mollies raised individually and under identical environmental conditions, nevertheless develop different personality types. Additionally, increasing the opportunity for social interactions early in life appears to have no influence of the magnitude of personality variation. These results of a recent study by the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) shed a new light on the question of which factors are responsible for the individuality of vertebrate animals. |
 | Beyond just promise, CRISPR is delivering in the lab todayThere's a revolution happening in biology, and its name is CRISPR. |
 | New algorithm tracks neurons in bendy brain of freely crawling wormScientists at Princeton University have developed a new algorithm to track neurons in the brain of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans while it crawls. The algorithm, presented in PLOS Computational Biology by Jeffrey Nguyen and colleagues, could save hundreds of hours of manual labor in studies of animal behavior. |
Stem cells can be encouraged to sprout by changing the surface of the plastic growth substrateControlling the patterning on the surface of plastics may soon enable us to grow bone, fight infections and reproduce stem cells, thanks to research at Swinburne. | |
Scientists find evolution in butterfly eye dependent on sexBy analyzing both the genes that control color detecting photoreceptors and the structural components of the eye itself, University of California, Irvine evolutionary biologists have discovered male and female butterflies of one particular species have the unique ability to see the world differently from each another because of sex-related evolutionary traits. | |
 | Even non-migratory birds use a magnetic compassNot only migratory birds use a built-in magnetic compass to navigate correctly. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that non-migratory birds also are able to use a built-in compass to orient themselves using the Earth's magnetic field. |
 | Human teeth tell the story of humanity through our fragile relationship with the sunThe story of humanity's vital—and fragile—relationship with the sun has been locked inside our teeth for hundreds of thousands of years. A new method is starting to tease out answers to major questions of evolution and migration, using clues hidden just under the enamel. |
 | How enzymes communicateThe enzymes nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS1) and protein kinase C (PKC) play an important role in a variety of signal transfer processes in neurons of the brain, as well as in many cell types of other organs. Together with Prof. Dr. Bernd Fakler at the Institute of Physiology at the University of Freiburg, the scientists Dr. Cristina Constantin and Dr. Catrin Müller have shown for the first time that enzymes can be activated under physiological conditions through sole electrical stimulation of the cell membrane. Protein super complexes that rapidly transform electrical signals at the cell membrane into chemical signal processes inside the cell emerge through direct structural interaction of both enzymes with voltage-gated calcium channels. The researchers have presented their work in the current issue of the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). |
 | Shell-shocked: Rare snail loses out in love triangleA lovelorn snail who failed to find a mate because of his unusually-shaped shell hit the headlines in Britain on Thursday after two potential partners got together and left him to share in parenting duties. |
 | New coral reef fish species shows rare parental care behaviorThe vast majority of coral reef fish produce large numbers of young that disperse into the ocean as larvae, drifting with the currents before settling down on a reef. Giacomo Bernardi, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, studies reef fish that buck this trend and keep their broods on the reef, protecting the young until they are big enough to fend for themselves. |
 | Tiger breakthrough: Camera trap time stamps provide valuable data for conservationistSpatial capture-recapture model analysis is often used to estimate tiger abundance. A new study led by Dr. Robert Dorazio of the United States Geological Survey, and co-authored by WCS's Dr.Ullas Karanth, however, finds that dates and times of animal detections are often not factored into the analysis. This is despite the fact that this data is available when using "continuous-time" recorders such as camera-traps. |
 | Video: How GMOs are, or are not, regulatedPink pineapples, non-browning produce and other genetically modified organisms are becoming part of our food system. Though most scientists say they're safe, GMOs still face fierce opposition from critics. But what about the federal agencies that can approve or shoot down modified crops headed for consumers? Where do they stand? |
 | Siberian tiger that terrified Vladivostok gets new wild homeA Siberian tiger that terrorized Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok by prowling its suburbs has been relocated to a vast Russian national park where officials hope he will thrive. |
 | Researchers probe a unique marine animal for insights into human vascular systemAt first glance, Botryllus schlosseri is pretty nondescript. |
 | Research shows the impact of invasive plants can linger long after eradicationIt is easy to assume that getting rid of invasive plants will allow a local ecosystem to return to its natural state, with native vegetation flourishing once again. But a new study featured in the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management shows the impact of weedy invaders can linger for years. |
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