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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 11, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Y-type starsBrown dwarf stars are failed stars. Their masses are so small, less than about eighty Jupiter-masses, that they lack the ability to heat up their interiors to the roughly ten million kelvin temperatures required for normal hydrogen burning (hydrogen burning fuels the Sun, whose surface temperature is about 5700 kelvin). |
 | Astronomers track the birth of a 'super-Earth'A new model giving rise to young planetary systems offers a fresh solution to a puzzle that has vexed astronomers ever since new detection technologies and planet-hunting missions such as NASA's Kepler space telescope have revealed thousands of planets orbiting other stars: While the majority of these exoplanets fall into a category called super-Earths—bodies with a mass somewhere between Earth and Neptune—most of the features observed in nascent planetary systems were thought to require much more massive planets, rivaling or dwarfing Jupiter, the gas giant in our solar system. |
 | NASA probe successfully peers into Jupiter's Great Red SpotA NASA spacecraft, Juno, has successfully peered into the giant storm raging on Jupiter, known as the Great Red Spot, and its first pictures should be out in days, the US space agency said Tuesday. |
 | Distant galaxies 'lift the veil' on the end of the cosmic dark agesAstronomers studying the distant Universe have found that small star-forming galaxies were abundant when the Universe was only 800 million years old, a few percent of its present age. The results suggest that the earliest galaxies, which illuminated and ionized the Universe, formed at even earlier times. |
 | Hidden stars may make planets appear smallerIn the search for planets similar to our own, an important point of comparison is the planet's density. A low density tells scientists a planet is more likely to be gaseous like Jupiter, and a high density is associated with rocky planets like Earth. But a new study suggests some are less dense than previously thought because of a second, hidden star in their systems. |
 | NanoRacks CEO discusses trends in commercial space hardwareFounded in 2009, the Houston, Texas-based company NanoRacks LLC provides commercial hardware and services onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for government and commercial customers. To date, the firm has sent more than 550 payloads from over 30 countries to ISS, creating trends in commercial hardware in space. In an interview with Astrowatch.net, Jeffrey Manber, the founder and CEO of NanoRacks, talks about the company's future and past achievements. |
 | Spaceborne data for monitoring mosquitos in the name of public healthIt's a simple tactic in mosquito combat—find out where the little bloodsuckers are headed and cut them off at the pass. An online system is using NASA data to do just that. |
 | Squeezing innovation out of the NASA Twins study: Pipetting and cell isolation in spaceJust like early explorers, NASA Twins Study investigators are venturing into new territory. Conducting human omics research on twin astronauts as part of the One Year Mission that took place aboard the International Space Station is one such venture. As technology evolves so does the research. NASA is evaluating more efficient and innovative research techniques to prepare for the journey to Mars. |
Technology news
 | Microsoft eyes buffer zone in TV airwaves for rural internetMicrosoft wants to extend broadband services to rural America by turning to a wireless technology that uses the buffer zones separating individual television channels in the airwaves. |
 | Lip-syncing Obama: New tools turn audio clips into realistic videoUniversity of Washington researchers have developed new algorithms that solve a thorny challenge in the field of computer vision: turning audio clips into a realistic, lip-synced video of the person speaking those words. |
 | Dutch project tests floating cities to seek more spaceDutch researchers unveiled Tuesday a model of what could become within two decades a floating mega-island to be used as a creative solution for accommodating housing, ports, farms or parks. |
 | Exercise-coach watch has self-charging battery system(Tech Xplore)—Self-charging smart watches are undergoing a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. They really do mean self-charging; they have come up with a kinetic self sustaining battery system, according to a promotional video. |
Three European firms join in robot ship projectThree European companies are to work on a pioneering project to build a fully-automated supply ship, the French member of the scheme announced on Tuesday. | |
 | Your phone to ID you by the way you swipeFingerprint scanners are all the rage, yet new research shows that this is just the beginning of biometric identification. |
 | Shading and lighting retrofits slash energy use in New York 'Living Lab' office demonstrationBy using advanced lighting and automated shades, scientists from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that occupants on one floor of a high-rise office building in New York City were able to reduce lighting energy usage by nearly 80 percent in some areas. |
 | Using sensors and social networks to make slopes saferThe peace and quiet that envelope a lone hiker on a leaf-riddled trail or a rock climber perched on the top of a cliff seem a world away from the noise of a social media feed. But Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE) alumnus Jim Christian SM '14 had an idea to tap into the superabundance of social-media data to benefit athletes and outdoor adventurers. He, along with MIT Sloan School of Management alumnus Brint Markle MBA '14, created a device that could help determine avalanche risk. Their device has led to a network in which people can upload and share critical real-time information about the conditions—including avalanche risk—on a particular slope or mountain. |
 | Asimov's Laws won't stop robots harming humans, so we've developed a better solutionHow do you stop a robot from hurting people? Many existing robots, such as those assembling cars in factories, shut down immediately when a human comes near. But this quick fix wouldn't work for something like a self-driving car that might have to move to avoid a collision, or a care robot that might need to catch an old person if they fall. With robots set to become our servants, companions and co-workers, we need to deal with the increasingly complex situations this will create and the ethical and safety questions this will raise. |
 | Remotely controlling electronic devices with hand gesturesMoving things with a wave of the hand: thanks to Empa technology this dream could soon become real. A sensor made of piezo-resistive fibers integrated in a wristband measures wrist movements and converts them into electrical signals. This can be used to steer drones or other electronic devices without a remote control. |
 | Tesla adding service centers as Model 3 goes on saleElectric car maker Tesla is expanding its service operations and hiring more than 1,000 technicians to meet expected demand for its new Model 3 sedan. |
 | Human pose estimation for care robots using deep learningExpectations for care robots are growing against the backdrop of declining birthrates, an aging population, and a lack of care staff. As an example, for care at nursing homes and other such facilities, it is anticipated that robots will check the condition of the residents while patrolling the facility. When evaluating a person's condition, while an initial estimation of the pose (standing, sitting, fallen, etc.) is useful, most methods to date have utilized images. These methods face challenges such as privacy issues, and difficulties concerning application within darkly lit spaces. As such, the research group (Kaichiro Nishi, a 2016 master's program graduate, and Professor Miura) has developed a method of pose recognition using depth data alone (Fig. 1). |
 | Many schools now urge kids to bring their own screensGot your own laptop or tablet? Bring it to class, many schools now say. |
 | Tech trouble? Some schools are training students to helpWhen Crane Middle School decided to turn over minor IT repairs and troubleshooting duties to students, even the program coordinator was skeptical. |
 | Clean water that's 'just right' with Sandia sensor solutionWater utilities have a Goldilocks problem: If they don't add enough chlorine, nasty bacteria that cause typhoid and cholera survive the purification process. Too much chlorine produces disinfection byproducts such as chloroform, which increase cancer risks. The amount of chlorine needs to be "just right" for safe drinking water. |
 | Making telescopes that curve and twistA new tool for computational design allows users to turn any 3D shape into a collapsible telescoping structure. New mathematical methods developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University capture the complex and diverse properties of such structures, which are valuable for a variety of applications in 3D fabrication and robotics—particularly where mechanisms must be compact in size and easily deployable. |
 | Survey: 4 in 10 US adults have experienced online harassmentA new survey says a whopping 41 percent of U.S. adults have experienced online harassment, ranging from offensive name-calling to stalking and sexual harassment. |
 | Snapchat parent Snap slides below IPO priceShares of Snapchat parent Snap Inc. plunged Tuesday, slipping below the price at the time of its stock offering, after a pessimistic outlook from a Wall Street analyst on the popular messaging service. |
 | Experts: Scrapped electric-car plant may mean industry woesAn electric car maker deserted its plan to construct a $1 billion manufacturing plant in southern Nevada in a move experts say could spell trouble for the company and the broader niche electric automobile industry. |
 | App turns Mexican women's phones into panic buttonsThe Mexican city of Juarez has been dubbed "the capital of murdered women": since the 1990s, hundreds of women have been raped, killed and dumped in the desert, or simply disappeared without a trace. |
Amazon rivals offer deals during online giant's Prime DayAmazon's competitors are offering their own deals during the online giant's Prime Day promotion. | |
 | Mt Gox CEO denies embezzling millions of dollars of bitcoins (Update)The head of the failed Japan-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of embezzlement and data manipulation. |
 | A new system to estimate the duration of a walk in the countrysideResearchers from the department of Physical Geography and Regional Geographical Analysis at the University of Seville have developed a new system to estimate the time that it takes to do a walk in the countryside. It is an algorithm that takes into account length and gradient as the main variables when establishing how long a walk takes. After applying their method on routes all across Spain, they are convinced that their formula provides a better approximation of the time that will be taken by an average hiker than other systems currently in use. |
Lab makes changes in wake of botched nuclear shipmentsLos Alamos National Laboratory is making changes in the wake of last month's improper shipment of radioactive material to two other research facilities in the U.S. | |
 | Twitter users file suit, saying Trump block is unconstitutionalA group of Twitter users blocked by President Donald Trump filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday claiming the White House is violating the constitution by keeping them out of a "public forum." |
Medicine & Health news
 | Cannibal cells may limit cancer growthCell cannibalism in tumour samples has been observed for over a century, yet this unusual behaviour is not well studied. New research led by scientists at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge reveals a new mechanism driving cell cannibalism that offers surprising insights into cancer biology. |
 | New hope in search for vaccine against gonorrhea (Update)A vaccine to protect people from the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea may be one step closer to reality, New Zealand researchers report. |
 | Depression affects the brains of males and females differentlyWhen researchers in the UK exposed depressed adolescents to happy or sad words and imaged their brains, they found that depression has different effects on the brain activity of male and female patients in certain brain regions. The findings suggest that adolescent girls and boys might experience depression differently and that sex-specific treatments could be beneficial for adolescents. |
 | One virus may protect against type 1 diabetes, others may increase riskDoctors can't predict who will develop type 1 diabetes, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the cells needed to control blood-sugar levels, requiring daily insulin injections and continual monitoring. |
 | Drug reverses memory failure caused by traumatic brain injuryIn an unprecedented finding, UC San Francisco scientists used an experimental drug to completely reverse severe learning and memory impairments caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. Surprisingly, the drug fully restored the ability to learn and remember in the brain-injured mice even when the animals were first treated as much as a month after injury. |
 | Antibiotics taken late in pregnancy can increase risk for IBD in offspringA study by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine shows that when mice that are genetically susceptible to developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were given antibiotics during late pregnancy and the early nursing period, their offspring were more likely to develop an inflammatory condition of the colon that resembles human IBD. |
 | Eye microbiome trains immune cells to fend off pathogensBugs in your eyes may be a good thing. Resident microbes living on the eye are essential for immune responses that protect the eye from infection, new research shows. The study, which appears in the journal Immunity on July 11, demonstrates the existence of a resident ocular microbiome that trains the developing immune system to fend off pathogens. The research was conducted at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. |
 | In rats that can't control glutamate, cocaine is less rewarding, staving off relapseRats missing a neuroreceptor that controls the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate are less amenable to the rewarding effects of cocaine, increasing their chance of kicking the habit once addicted, researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) find. Their work, appearing July 11 in Cell Reports, suggests that the receptor, which protects nerve cells from fatal inundation by excess glutamate, is involved in modulating the reward-seeking behavior associated with drug addiction. |
 | New method shortcut in drug developmentIn the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a research group at Uppsala University presents a new, small-scale method that may become a smart shortcut for determining the bioavailability of a pharmaceutical drug within cells. |
 | Generous people live happier livesGenerosity makes people happier, even if they are only a little generous. People who act solely out of self-interest are less happy. Merely promising to be more generous is enough to trigger a change in our brains that makes us happier. This is what UZH neuroeconomists found in a recent study. |
 | Neural stem cells steered by electric fields in rat brainElectric fields can be used to guide neural stem cells transplanted into the brain towards a specific location. The research, published July 11 in the journal Stem Cell Reports, opens possibilities for effectively guiding stem cells to repair brain damage. |
 | Study sheds light on regulation of hair growth across the entire bodyTo paraphrase the classic poem, no hair is an island entire of itself. |
Concussion important but badly neglected issue in Para sports, say expertsConcussion is an important but badly neglected issue in Para sports, and doctors, researchers, and leading sporting bodies need to start taking it seriously and take swift action, urge an international group of experts in an editorial published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. | |
JFK's back problems—a new look"Camelot," the term used to describe the John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) presidency after JFK's death, conjures up an image of youth and vigor, an image the 35th president of the U.S. promoted of himself as a young, healthy, strong-bodied man. But this image belies the truth: that Kennedy had been plagued by illnesses and discomfort since he was a small child and required strong medication to perform his tasks as president. | |
 | Researchers identify visual system changes that may signal Parkinson's diseaseChanges in the visual systems of newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients may provide important biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of the disease, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. |
Insurance coverage for CT colonography increases likelihood of screeningPeople with insurance policies that cover CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening are almost 50 percent more likely to get screened than those whose policies don't cover the procedure, according to a new study appearing online in the journal Radiology. | |
 | Preeclampsia: New study documents its enormous economic and health burdenPreeclampsia, a dangerous condition that may occur during pregnancy, can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby. Driven in part by older maternal age and greater obesity, rates of preeclampsia are rising rapidly, yet surprisingly there are few national estimates of the health and economic impact of preeclampsia on mothers and their infants. A new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) provides sobering data on this topic by examining the short-term costs associated with the condition. Significantly increasing the chance of adverse health outcomes, preeclampsia accounts for over $2.18 billion of health care expenditure in the first 12 months after birth. |
Medicare, Medicare Advantage physician rates nearly equalMedicare Advantage plans managed by private insurers pay physicians prices that are similar to traditional Medicare rates, according to a new USC-led study. | |
West Africa's fight to keep bad medicine off shelvesAs West Africa declares war on the market for expired and counterfeit medicines, start-ups are putting quality control in the hands of patients to stop them risking their lives trying to get well. | |
 | Barrier to autoimmune disease may open door to HIV, study suggestsResearchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine have discovered that a process that protects the body from autoimmune disease also prevents the immune system from generating antibodies that can neutralize the HIV-1 virus. The findings, which will be published July 11 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, might be considered by scientists trying to develop a vaccine that can stimulate the production of these neutralizing antibodies. |
Sanofi buys US flu vaccine maker Protein for $750 mlnFrench pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi, which is looking to boost its presence in biotechnology, said Tuesday it had agreed to buy the privately-owned US vaccines maker Protein Sciences for up to $750 million (658 million euros). | |
 | Reduced mastication results in the impairment of memory and learning functionRecently, frequency of mastication has dramatically decreased along with changes in dietary habits. Masticatory stimulation has particular influence on the development of the central nervous system as well as the growth of maxillofacial tissue in children. Recently, deterioration of masticatory function due to aging and the consequent reduction of brain function have become major problems. Although the relationship between mastication and brain function is potentially important, the mechanism underlying is not fully understood. |
 | How your risk of heart disease stems back to your time in the wombSmoking, lack of exercise, bad diet and our genes are all well-known risk factors for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. But, as researchers are beginning to understand, the environment in the womb as we first begin to grow may also determine our future. |
 | Low iron levels linked with increased risk of heart diseasePeople with lower iron levels may be at greater risk of heart disease, a new study has found. |
 | A better way to estimate Australia's future lifestyle-related cancersUNSW's Centre for Big Data Research in Health has a new and improved way to estimate the numbers of cancers that could be avoided if Australians changed their lifestyles. |
 | Scientists discover treatment target for pulmonary fibrosisIn new research published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated that a unique population of immune cells plays a key role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. They also showed that targeting such cells could lead to new treatments for the disease. |
 | Improving protein intake in older people living independentlyA new study from Bournemouth University has investigated how to increase protein intake in older people living in the community. The study found that for the majority of people, a simple intervention such as adding sauce to a meal made a significant difference. Importantly, the effects were sustained in the following meal, too. |
USPSTF recommendation regarding behavioral counseling for cardiovascular disease preventionThe U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that primary care professionals individualize the decision to offer or refer adults without obesity who do not have high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol or blood sugar levels or diabetes to behavioral counseling to promote a healthful diet and physical activity. Existing evidence indicates a positive but small benefit of behavioral counseling for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this population. The report appears in the July 11 issue of JAMA. | |
Use of osteoporosis drug with anti-inflammatory medication linked to lower risk of hip fractureAmong older patients using medium to high doses of the anti-inflammatory steroid prednisolone, treatment with the osteoporosis drug alendronate was associated with a significantly lower risk of hip fracture, according to a study published by JAMA. | |
Study compares switching meds vs. an additional med for patients unresponsive to an antidepressantAmong patients unresponsive to an antidepressant medication, adding the antipsychotic aripiprazole modestly increased the likelihood of remission from depression compared to switching to the antidepressant bupropion, according to a study published by JAMA. | |
Key immunological mechanism for regulating intestinal flora discoveredResearchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) have shown for the first time that immunoglobulin M, secreted by the human intestine, plays a key role in maintaining the diversity of intestinal flora by including and maintaining microorganisms that are beneficial to health. These results have been published in the journal Immunity. | |
 | Stressed? Running on empty? It's not compassion fatigueA 71-year-old man with advanced dementia is being wheeled into his residential care home by two paramedics after a scheduled MRI. They notice him smile as he feels the warmth of the morning sun on his usually forlorn face. They decide to stop and let him soak up the rays for a few more minutes, knowing this may be one of his last opportunities to do so. |
 | How daughters can repair a damaged relationship with their divorced dadIn a 2002 study involving nearly 2,500 children, researchers found that daughters' relationships with their fathers were more damaged than sons'. What's more, estranged daughters are more likely than estranged sons to suffer negative effects from the damaged relationship. |
 | All tip, no iceberg—a new way to think about mental illnessMental disorders are traditionally seen as rather like flowering bulbs. Above the ground we see their symptoms, but we know their source lies hidden beneath the surface. If we treat the symptoms without addressing the cause – cut off the flower without uprooting the bulb – they will just flower again later. |
 | With better data access, urban planners could help ease our weight problemsA recent episode of ABC TV's Ask the Doctor pointed to poor urban planning as a major culprit in worsening obesity rates and associated lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. The show highlighted suburbs without footpaths, fresh-food outlets or exercise opportunities. |
 | Twenty-year outcomes in adolescents who self-harm show worrying levels of substance abuse by age 35A study by researchers from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) that followed a sample of almost 2000 Victorian school children from the age of 14 until the age of 35 found that social disadvantage, anxiety, and licit and illicit substance use (in particular cannabis), were all more common in participants who had reported self-harm during adolescence. |
 | Research shortfall on common form of dementia highlightedNew research published in The Lancet has highlighted the scarcity of evidence on the prognosis of dementia with Lewy bodies, the second most common cause of degenerative dementia, which affects 100,000 people in the U.K. |
Intervention associated with reduced disrespect and abuse during childbirth in TanzaniaAn intervention aimed at community and healthcare facility stakeholders was associated with a reduction in the prevalence of disrespect and abuse seen during childbirth in Tanzania, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine by Stephanie Kujawski from Columbia University, USA, and colleagues. | |
High burden of traumatic brain injuries in the EU and ChinaTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health threat contributing to mortality and morbidity around the world, according to two studies published in PLOS Medicine that quantify the burden of TBI on the populations of Europe and China, respectively. | |
 | PTSD may be physical and not only psychologicalThe part of the brain that helps control emotion may be larger in people who develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after brain injury compared to those with a brain injury without PTSD, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's Sports Concussion Conference in Jacksonville, Fla., July 14 to 16, 2017. |
Caregiving needs increase as older adults approach the end of lifeDying adults in the United States have 2.5 people assisting them, on average, according to a new study. Yet those caring for adults at the end-of-life, especially spouses, are likely to report that they have no one assisting them and no time for themselves. Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that dying adults received almost twice as many hours of help per week compared to those not at the end of life, and that end-of-life caregivers were significantly more likely to report physical difficulty related to giving care. Their analysis was published today in the July issue of Health Affairs. | |
Britain to hold inquiry into contaminated blood scandalBritain will launch a new inquiry into a contaminated blood scandal dating back decades which has left 2,400 people dead, officials said Tuesday after pressure from MPs to look into possible criminal activity. | |
 | Structural insights into the modulation of synaptic adhesion by MDGA for synaptogenesisSynapses connected by various synaptic adhesion molecules are communication spaces between neurons for transmitting information. Among various synaptic adhesion molecules, neuroligins are arguably the most widely studied class of postsynaptic adhesion molecules, which mainly interact with presynaptic neurexins to induce excitatory or inhibitory synapse development. Recently, the membrane-associated mucin (MAM) domain-containing GPI anchor protein 1 (MDGA1) has been characterized as a key suppressor of Neuroligin-2/Neurexin-1β-mediated inhibitory synapse development, but how it acts remains a mystery. |
 | Study of premature babies has implications for future treatmentResearch carried out by the University with doctors on the neonatal unit at the William Harvey Hospital and Brunel University have provided further insight into the biology of premature birth, with findings that may have implications for treating premature babies. |
 | Understanding why some female teachers sexually abuse pupilsMore than 100 women were convicted of sexual offences in 2015. The figures, obtained via a freedom of information request, show the number of convictions almost trebled in a decade. Among those convicted were a number of school staff, including teachers, a head teacher and a teaching assistant. |
 | Heart failure is associated with loss of important gut bacteriaIn the gut of patients with heart failure, important groups of bacteria are found less frequently and the gut flora is not as diverse as in healthy individuals. Data obtained by scientists of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) provide valuable points of departure for understanding how gut colonisation is associated with the development and progress of heart failure. |
 | Experimental 'enhancer' drug may boost conventional therapies for deadly pediatric brain cancersLaboratory studies suggest that an experimental drug already in early clinical trials for a variety of adult cancers might enhance radiation and chemotherapy for two childhood brain cancers that currently are virtually always fatal. |
UN health agency: Measles has killed 35 children in EuropeThe World Health Organization says measles has killed 35 children in Europe in the last year, calling it an "unacceptable tragedy" that deaths are being caused by a vaccine-preventable disease. | |
 | Women and men may have different bipolar disorder biomarkersMen and women react differently to compounds associated with immune system response to bipolar disorder, according to an international team of medical researchers. The findings suggest that bipolar disorder could one day be diagnosed by measuring biological changes in the body, and that treatments could be tailored differently for men and women. |
Researchers find genetic factors that cause muscle weakness, wasting disorderFor years, the underlying process that causes a debilitating muscle disorder in infants and young children has been largely unknown. Now, a group that includes University of Florida Health genetics researchers has identified the fundamental mechanism that causes congenital myotonic dystrophy. | |
Pulse rate monitoring before a C-section can improve maternal healthDoctors often prescribe preventative drugs to women who are to receive spinal blocks while giving birth via a Caesarean section. This is done to ensure that they do not experience a severe drop in blood pressure. Such preventative treatment against hypotension, however, can have side-effects, both for the mother and her baby. In a study in Springer's journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Augusto Navarro of the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Spain and collaborators investigate how clinicians can use aspects of pulse rate to decide whether blood pressure medication should be provided. | |
 | Faster diagnosis of inherited and lethal nerve disease could advance search for new treatmentsJohns Hopkins physicians report success in a small study of a modified skin biopsy that hastens the earlier diagnosis of an inherited and progressively fatal nerve disease and seems to offer a clearer view of the disorder's severity and progression. With a quicker and less invasive way to visualize the hallmark protein clumps of the rare but lethal disease—familial transthyretin amyloidosis—the researchers say they hope to more rapidly advance clinical trials of treatments that may slow the disease and extend patients' lives. |
Treatment rapidly reverses the effect of blood thinner dabigatranAt least 28 million prescriptions for blood thinners are filled by pharmacists yearly for the irregular heartbeat of atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, and other indications, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. However, on rare occasions, anticoagulants can present risks of accidental bleeding and hemorrhage or can delay emergency surgery. A newly completed phase III clinical study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of idarucizumab, a novel therapy that acts as an antidote to the blood thinner dabigatran. | |
 | Scientists find high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in KenyaAntibiotic resistance is one of the most significant global public health problems and is rising in many developing nations due to over-use of antimicrobial agents, widespread availability of counterfeit or substandard medicines and poor infection control measures. |
 | Study: Early home health worker visit lowers risk of hospital readmissionA visit by a home health worker, such as a nurse or physical therapist, within a week of an older adult's discharge from a skilled nursing facility appears to lower the risk of hospital readmission within 30 days by nearly half according to a new Indiana University Center for Aging Research and Regenstrief Institute study. |
Method determines cell age more accurately, could help elderly patientsSure, you know how old you are, but what about your cells? Are they the same age? Are they older, younger? Why does it matter? | |
 | Coffee bubble phobia may be deep-seated aversion to parasitesSome people experience intense aversion and anxiety when they see clusters of roughly circular shapes, such as the bubbles in a cup of coffee or the holes in a sponge. |
 | Viagra might make for a safer, more effective stent(HealthDay)—It's worked wonders for men battling erectile dysfunction, and now early research suggests that Viagra—when added to artery-opening stents—might cut a patient's odds for clots. |
 | How to prevent future couch potatoes(HealthDay)—Children need between 35 and 60 minutes of exercise every day to stay lean and healthy, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. |
 | Enhanced recovery protocol ups outcomes in colon, rectal Sx(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing colon and rectal surgery, an enhanced recovery protocol (ERP) is associated with improved outcomes, according to clinical practice guidelines published in the August issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. |
 | Prosthetic knee type may determine cost of care for amputeesIn a new study published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International, Mayo Clinic researchers describe the direct medical costs of falls in adults with a transfemoral amputation. In this type of amputation, the leg is amputated above the knee. This work "provides a comparison for policymakers when evaluating the value of more expensive ... technologies," say the authors. |
 | Researchers identify master molecule behind corneal inflammationOne of the symptoms of herpes simplex virus-1 infection of the eye is lingering inflammation of the cornea - the clear outer layer of the eyeball. But without blood vessels, it has long puzzled researchers how this tissue becomes inflamed after trauma or infection. For an inflammatory response to occur, immune cells need to be present, and these cells travel throughout the body in blood. |
 | Imaging reveals how well PTSD patients will respond to psychotherapy, researchers findA pair of studies led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine demonstrates that scientists can predict, with a high degree of accuracy, which patients with post-traumatic stress disorder will respond to a method of psychotherapy often used to treat the condition. |
 | Risk-reducing mastectomy questioned for BRCA mutation carriers with prior ovarian cancerMutations in the BRCA gene correspond to a higher lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, and many women who carry these mutations consider undergoing mastectomy or removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes as preventive measures. |
 | New criteria urged for infection diagnosis among seniors in ER(HealthDay)—Emergency department physicians need new criteria for diagnosing infection among older adults, according to a study published online recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. |
 | Many women not seeking care for dysmenorrhea(HealthDay)—Health care providers should offer routine screening for dysmenorrhea, and initiate discussions and provide education about dysmenorrhea and treatment options, according to a study published online July 5 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. |
 | Cognitive screening tools can be used in home medication review(HealthDay)—Suitable cognitive screening tools can be used by pharmacists during home medication review, according to research published online July 5 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research. |
 | Decisional regret doesn't differ by treatment in prostate cancer(HealthDay)—For patients newly diagnosed with prostate cancer who attend a multidisciplinary clinic, decisional regret does not differ significantly between treatment groups, according to a study published online July 5 in Cancer. |
 | Intensive lifestyle changes may up frailty fracture risk in DM(HealthDay)—For overweight or obese individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM), intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) does not increase overall fracture risk but correlates with increased risk of frailty fracture, according to a study published online July 5 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. |
Preclinical results support entinostat's role in targeting the tumor microenvironmentSyndax Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing entinostat and SNDX-6352 in multiple cancer indications, in collaboration with The Wistar Institute and Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, today announced the publication of a preclinical report demonstrating that entinostat, Syndax's oral, Class-I histone deacetylase inhibitor, enhances the antitumor effect of PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) blockade through the inhibition of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). | |
Brazil lifts ban on controversial sterilization implantsBrazil has lifted a ban on the sale of Essure female sterilization implants after receiving results from clinical trials on its risks, authorities said Tuesday. | |
Hospital management practices may put women at risk for C-sections during childbirthThe way certain hospital labor and delivery units are managed may put healthy women at greater risk for cesarean deliveries and hemorrhage, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers and colleagues. | |
Medical expenditures rise in most categories except primary care physicians and home health careIn recent years, US medical expenditures have outpaced inflation and are notably higher than those of other developed countries. A new study examines whether increases inexpenditures on medical care are related to an increase in the overall number of services used, changes in the types of services provided, and/or the cost or intensity of services delivered. | |
Chlamydia screening drops after change in cervical cancer screening guidelineA 2012 cervical cancer screening guideline change is associated with reduced testing for cervical cancer and chlamydia and reduced identification of chlamydia cases in young women. Screening for chlamydia, the most commonly-diagnosed bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide, is often conducted with cervical cancer screening. | |
Rural physicians report significant barriers in treating opioid use disorderMore than half of rural counties in the United States lack a physician trained and waivered by the Drug Enforcement Agency to treat opioid use disorder using Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment. Furthermore, many physicians with a waiver are not using it fully or at all. | |
Who should treat patients with opioid use disorder?In a Point/Counterpoint, two doctors debate whether or not family physicians should provide medication-assisted treatment to their patients with opioid use disorder. | |
 | Collagen controlling the thickness and juvenile state of skinType XVII collagen (COL17) is found to regulate the proliferation of epidermal cells and therefore the thickness of juvenile and aged skin, suggesting COL17 can potentially be used for future anti-aging strategies. |
 | Closing the gap between gay, heterosexual smokersGays and lesbians are more than twice as likely to use tobacco than heterosexuals, and University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have detailed how the disparity can be reduced. |
Dutch court confirms 12-year-old can refuse chemotherapyAn appeals judge in the Netherlands has confirmed that a 12-year-old boy does not have to undergo chemotherapy if he does not want it. | |
UN urges aid to avert cholera-induced famine in YemenInternational donors must step up to prevent a cholera epidemic in war-torn Yemen from producing full-blown famine among hundreds of thousands of people, a UN official said Tuesday. | |
 | ECDC report: Ten-fold increase of hepatitis E cases in the EU/EEA between 2005 and 2015The incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been steadily increasing across the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) with 21 081 cases reported in the EU/EEA over the last decade. |
 | Guidance for metrics to improve patient carePeople with long term conditions, multiple long term conditions and those at the end of life could see their care better tailored to their needs, as the first openly-available comprehensive resource of measures relating to patient experience and person centred care is published in a single guide for commissioners. |
 | Researchers describe novel reporter proteins for long term expression of therapeutic genesA new study showed that the expression levels of a novel secreted reporter protein delivered to an immunosuppressd large animal model could be detected for several months after infusion into the liver, demonstrating the potential to monitor the effectiveness of delivery and ongoing expression of a therapeutic gene. The genes were packaged and delivered to the liver using the nonviral Sleeping Beauty transposon system, as described in an article published in Human Gene Therapy. |
UN: Yemen unlikely to get cholera vaccine as first plannedU.N. officials said Tuesday that plans to ship as many as 1 million doses of cholera vaccine to Yemen are likely to be shelved over security, access and logistical challenges, even as the deadly caseload continues to balloon in parts of the war-torn country. | |
US Senate delays summer break amid health care impasseThe US Senate will take the rare step of delaying its summer break by two weeks to focus on breaking an impasse over health care reform and other pending work, Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. | |
Biology news
 | NASA is studying fungi to keep space travelers safe on new worldsHuman presence in closed habitats that may one day be used to explore other planets is associated with changes in the composition of the fungal community - the mycobiome - that grows on surfaces inside the habitat, according to a study published in the open access journal Microbiome. |
 | Insect 'anti-antiaphrodisiac' tells males when females are ready to mateResearchers have identified a pheromone released by female insects after mating that tells males exactly when they are ready to mate again. |
 | Plants use calcium to convey internal warning of attacking aphidsScientists at the John Innes Centre have discovered how plants send internal warning signals in response to attack by aphids. |
 | Researcher decodes the secret language of ring-tailed lemursWhy do lemurs go "hmm?" It's not because they don't know the words, but the answer may provide important clues about how ancient human ancestors may have socialized with each other. In research published in Ethology, U of T Mississauga primatologist Laura Bolt recounts how vocalizations by Madagascar's ring-tailed lemurs may aid in protecting them from predators and bolster social cohesion within the troop. |
 | Researchers establish key mechanism controlling cell divisionResearchers at the Francis Crick and Gurdon Institutes have pinpointed the mechanism that activates a key point in embryonic development. This could help scientists develop new treatments for diseases where the cell cycle is disrupted, such as cancer. |
 | Colored rice may brighten the menu for diabetics in the futureA healthy diet includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, and whole grains, which contain important nutrients our bodies need. These foods also contain bioactive compounds with potential to promote human health. |
 | Video: Jane Goodall on her extraordinary life with chimpanzeesIn an inspiring video interview, world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall tells Dean of UNSW Science Emma Johnston that the resilience of nature and the indomitable human spirit give her hope for the future. |
Boosting the breeding of New Zealand's endangered birdsNew Victoria University research suggests hormones found in New Zealand's native plants are helping endangered native birds to breed successfully. | |
 | Why mosquitoes should not be eliminatedA Purdue researcher and a team of scientists working on a new insecticide argue that mosquitoes should not simply be made extinct due to their role in various ecosystems. |
 | Parasitizing wasps offer hope against devastating lily beetleMany gardeners across New York state have given up on growing lilies, thanks to the lily leaf beetle, which has devastated the plants in many areas statewide, across the Northeast and in Canada. |
 | How cells control nuclear size becomes clearer – could lead to greater understanding of cancer and aging processOver a century since scientists first observed that cells and their nuclei grow at a constant ratio to each other, researchers are now closer to finding out how. |
 | How we're using ancient DNA to solve the mystery of the missing last great auk skinsOn a small island off the coast of Iceland, 173 years ago, a sequence of tragic events took place that would lead to the loss of an iconic bird: the great auk. |
 | The ref and the fighter—two sides of plant defenseA year ago, the Howe lab developed a plant that upended a common misconception that plants can defend or grow, but not both. Theirs could. |
 | Animal emotions stare us in the face—are our pets happy?Scientists are starting to be able to accurately read animal facial expressions and understand what they communicate. |
 | Researchers discover evolutionary origin of redox regulation in plantsDuring the development of higher life forms over the course of millions of years, there have always been significant and comparatively sudden leaps in development. As a consequence, living organisms developed new skills and conquered additional habitats. In this process they adopted these abilities partly from their predecessor organisms: For example the plastids of the plants, the place where photosynthesis takes place, were originally autonomous unicellular living organisms. |
Dolphins follow the trawlersNew research has shown that dolphins offshore of Western Australia's Pilbara coast are following fishing trawlers to feed on injured or discarded fish. | |
 | Caterpillars key to urban blue tits' low breedingMany animal species suffer reduced reproductive success in urban habitats, despite wide-spread supplementation of breeding and feeding opportunities. In some years, the breeding success of city birds is devastatingly low. |
 | Scientists bring back extinct horsepox virus in lab, raising important biosecurity questionsIn a laboratory in Alberta, Canada, a team of scientists recently pieced together overlapping segments of mail order DNA to form a synthetic version of an extinct virus. |
 | Marine vessels are unsuspecting hosts of invasive speciesInvasive ascidians—sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders—are nuisance organisms that present a global threat. They contribute to biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and impairment of ecosystem services around the world. |
 | Thai seafood giant commits to major fishing reformsThai Union, one of the world's largest seafood conglomerates, said Tuesday it will overhaul its fishing practices to protect against labour abuses and unsustainable trawling, a move hailed by Greenpeace as "huge progress". |
 | Vineyard biosecurity project looks to next stage after trialFinding a balance between maximizing the biosecurity benefit and the ease of use for vignerons will play a key role in determining the future of software to help keep pests and diseases out of vineyards. |
 | Researchers to develop new gene-editing method for the study of arthropodsA grant from the National Science Foundation will enable a Penn State-led team of entomologists to develop and disseminate a technology they say could bring gene-editing capabilities within reach of everyday scientists, regardless of the arthropod species they study. |
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