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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 4, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Two distant hypervelocity stars discovered by Chinese astronomers(Phys.org)—A group of Chinese astronomers led by Yang Huang of the Yunnan University in Kunming, China, has detected two new unbound hypervelocity stars located over 70,000 light years away. The discovery, described in a paper published Aug. 29 on the arXiv pre-print server, could help scientists better understand the nature of these rare, peculiar stars. |
 | Record-breaking Astronaut Peggy Whitson returns to EarthAstronaut Peggy Whitson returned to Earth late Saturday, wrapping up a record-breaking flight that catapulted her to first place for U.S. space endurance. |
 | Stellar corpse sheds light on origin of cosmic raysThe origin of cosmic rays, high-energy particles from outer space constantly impacting on Earth, is among the most challenging open questions in astrophysics. Now new research published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society sheds new light on the origin of those energetic particles. |
 | Trump names former Navy aviator to head NASAUS President Donald Trump announced Friday he plans to appoint James Bridenstine, a former navy pilot and Republican congressman, to head the US space agency NASA. |
 | FINESSE mission to investigate atmospheres of hundreds of alien worldsOne of NASA's proposed missions, known as the Fast INfrared Exoplanet Spectroscopy Survey Explorer (FINESSE), could greatly improve our understanding of extrasolar worlds. If selected for development, the spacecraft will investigate at least 500 exoplanet atmospheres, providing detailed information about climate processes on distant alien planets. |
 | ESA retrieves NASA astronauts with new procedure in wake of hurricaneRussian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA astronauts Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson returned to Earth this morning after their stay on the International Space Station, landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan. From there, Jack and Peggy flew to ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. |
 | NASA's Van Allen probes survive extreme radiation five years onMost satellites, not designed to withstand high levels of particle radiation, wouldn't last a day in the Van Allen Radiation belts. Trapped by Earth's magnetic field into two giant belts around the planet, high-energy particles in the region can batter the spacecraft and even interfere with onboard electronics. But NASA's Van Allen Probes have been traveling through this hazardous area since Aug. 30 2012 – they are now celebrating their fifth year in space studying this dynamic region. |
 | Analysis reveals dozens of unknown gamma-ray sources in the universeResearchers at DESY have compiled an extensive catalogue of variable sources of cosmic gamma radiation. For his doctoral thesis, Matteo Giomi, working at DESY in Zeuthen, analysed almost 7.5 years of observational data from NASA's "Fermi" space telescope. Over that period, the "Large Area Telescope" (LAT) on board the satellite registered a total of 4547 bursts of gamma radiation, known as flares. Thanks to improved analytical methods, Giomi was able to assign these flares to 518 variable sources. The "Fermi All-Sky Variability Analysis" (FAVA) also lists 77 unknown sources, whose identity has not yet been determined. The "Fermi" scientists are presenting their catalogue in the Astrophysical Journal. |
 | Gaia sky mapper image near the galactic centerGaia, ESA's billion-star surveyor, is detecting stars and measuring their properties in order to build up the most precise 3-D map of the Milky Way. By accurately measuring the motion of each star, astronomers will be able to peer back in time to understand the Milky Way's history, its evolution and its destiny. |
 | A look back at Cassini's incredible mission to Saturn before its final plunge into the planetThe Cassini space probe mission is coming to an end this month when the probe makes its final destructive plunge in to Saturn. It's spent the past thirteen years studying the planet, its rings and moons in unprecedented detail. |
Technology news
 | Electronic devices that can degrade and physically disappear on demand(Tech Xplore)—A team of researchers from the U.S. and China has demonstrated electronic devices that can degrade and disappear on demand using nothing but moisture in the air. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the team describes their devices and offers ideas on applications that could benefit from them. |
 | Windows 10 update set for October releaseMicrosoft on Friday announced that a major update to its Windows operating system will be released globally on October 17. |
 | Cinera headset for movie theater experience(Tech Xplore)—Interested in an immersive personal theatre headset? We're talking about that magic world that overtakes yours on the giant screen—but minus popcorn littered aisles and a five year old kicking your seat from the row behind. |
 | China's Huawei unveils mobile AI assistant at Berlin's IFAChinese electronics giant Huawei on Saturday unveiled its first mobile personal assistant with artificial intelligence in Berlin, in hopes it will rival the dominance of Samsung's Bixby and Apple's Siri. |
 | Air pollution throws shade on India's solar successAir pollution is diminishing India's capacity to harness power from the sun, experts say, undermining billions being invested in renewables as the energy-hungry giant emerges as a solar superpower. |
 | Study reveals credibility muscle in machine-generated reviews(Tech Xplore)—Cooked to perfection. Service was amazing. The chicken is very good. Before you grab your jacket and car keys to head for the restaurant, know this. The praise could have been machine-generated. Translation: The fake comments could care less whether your carrots were barely cooked, waiter rude and chicken bland. |
 | Algorithm unlocks smartwatches that learn your every moveScientists at the University of Sussex have invented a new algorithm that enables smartwatches to detect and record your every move, without being told beforehand what to look for. |
 | Getting well-oiled: booze in the age of the robo-barmanAs Tipsy methodically unfolds an arm to select a glass, retrieve ice and mix a drink, it's all a far cry from the flashy swagger of Tom Cruise in "Cocktail." |
 | Growing kelp for biofuel: Researchers aim to harness potential(Tech Xplore)—Sources of energy frequently in the limelight are solar, wind and hydropower. |
 | New technology could revolutionise smartphone useAn innovative technology, created by researchers at the University of St Andrews, can allow your smartphone to carry out a range of tasks just by recognising the surface it is sitting on. |
 | Voice assistants promise a light-fingered futureTomorrow's digital interface may be even more revolutionary than the pinching, tapping and scrolling heralded by the smartphone: voice commands promise to unify and tame our digital lives. |
 | Fear of robots taking jobs spurs a bold idea: guaranteed payDriverless trucks. Factory robots. Delivery drones. Virtual personal assistants. |
 | Growing dilemma: Automated jobs meet social consciousnessSecurity guard Eric Leon watches the Knightscope K5 security robot as it glides through the mall, charming shoppers with its blinking blue and white lights. The brawny automaton records video and sounds alerts. According to its maker, it deters mischief just by making the rounds. |
 | As Uber drove into PR pot hole, Lyft stepped on the gasWhen management upheaval, allegations of corporate espionage, and revelations of sexual harassment sent Uber into a public relations sinkhole, its long overshadowed rival Lyft shifted into overdrive. |
Video streaming player pioneer Roku seeks $100M in IPOVideo streaming player pioneer Roku is going public, hoping to raise money to expand into more households and fend off competitive threats from bigger technology companies. | |
 | Dating app Tinder finds gold at Apple's App StoreTinder for the first time became the top-grossing app in Apple's online shop, topping the likes of Netflix, Pandora and hit mobile games like "Clash Royale." |
 | The wackiest innovations at Berlin's IFA 2017Europe's biggest electronics show IFA is in full swing in Berlin, and alongside the familiar televisions and smartphones its aisles are bursting with gadgets on the stranger side. |
 | Saudi Arabian 'honesty' app takes internet by stormFizzing with boyish exuberance, Saudi programmer Zainalabdin Tawfiq could be mistaken for a college freshman, but the popularity of his "honesty" app has shone a spotlight on the conservative kingdom's nascent tech scene. |
 | Investigation of paper-based electronics continues to advanceImagine folding up a paper-thin computer tablet like a newspaper. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but such flexible electronics are moving closer to reality, according to a review in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. |
 | The world's first ethical guidelines for driverless carsHumans before animals and property. No discrimination as to who should survive. Safeguards against malicious hacking. |
Three reasons why pacemakers are vulnerable to hackingThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently recalled approximately 465,000 pacemakers made by the company Abbott's (formerly St. Jude Medical) that were vulnerable to hacking, but the situation points to an ongoing security problem. | |
 | Unmanned ships are coming – but they could cost the cargo industry dearlyThe Yara Birkeland isn't an ordinary cargo ship. If all goes well then the vessel, currently being built for a Norwegian agricultural fertiliser company, will become the world's first fully autonomous cargo ship when it launches in 2020. |
 | Google tied search results position to promotion of its own social network, writer saysAfter claims that Google got a think-tank research team fired for criticizing the company, a journalist is alleging other abuses by the company. |
 | Battling to thwart diesel bans, Merkel throws in the cashChancellor Angela Merkel on Monday pledged a billion euros to help German cities fight air pollution caused by dirty diesel cars, as a scandal strangling the automobile industry threatened to engulf politicians at the height of an election campaign. |
 | Google proposals 'in right direction,' EU anti-trust chief saysEurope's anti-trust chief Margrethe Vestager on Monday said Google's proposals to comply with an EU order to modify its shopping service pointed in the "right direction". |
 | Making virtualized project rooms over networks a realityFujitsu Laboratories today announced that it has expanded its Creative Digital Space User-Interface (UI) technology, developed in 2015, which turns entire rooms into digital space, and has developed technology that smooths co-creation activities across multiple locations. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Diabetes and heart disease linked by genes, study revealsType 2 diabetes (T2D) has become a global epidemic affecting more than 380 million people worldwide; yet there are knowledge gaps in understanding the etiology of type-2 diabetes. T2D is also a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but the biological pathways that explain the connection have remained somewhat murky. Now, in a large analysis of genetic data, published on August 28, 2017 in Nature Genetics, a team, led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has first looked into what causes T2D and second clarified how T2D and CHD - the two diseases that are the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, are linked. |
 | Mysterious protein-folding molecule could trigger metabolic disordersThe cell's response to unfolded or misfolded proteins could be a cause, rather than a consequence, of metabolic disorders, report researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in an article published online ahead of print on September 4, 2017 by Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. The researchers identified a little-known molecule as the trigger for this response. |
 | Superfly flight simulator helps unravel navigation in the brainResearchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have identified two independent pathways in the fly brain that are integrated to allow successful navigation during flight. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study combined a flight simulator designed for flies with imaging of active neurons to show that landmark locations are processed separately in the fly brain from self-motion. |
 | Study suggests brain's ability to recognize faces is shaped through repeated exposureScientists have long deemed the ability to recognize faces innate for people and other primates—something our brains just know how to do immediately from birth. |
 | Schizophrenia and memory deficits: Solving the mystery behind a most stubborn symptomA team of Columbia scientists has found that disruptions to the brain's center for spatial navigation—its internal GPS—result in some of the severe memory deficits seen in schizophrenia. The new study in mouse models of the disorder marks the first time that schizophrenia's effects have been observed in the behavior of living animals—and at the level of individual brain cells—with such high-resolution, precision and clarity. The findings offer a promising entry point for attacking a near-universal and debilitating symptom of schizophrenia, memory deficits, which has thus far withstood all forms of treatment. |
 | New method to detect human growth hormone for anti-doping testingA study led by researchers from Macquarie University has unveiled another way to detect whether a person has taken human growth hormone (GH), by tracking protein levels. Specifically, the researchers used proteomics – the study of proteins and their interactions – to see which proteins had their levels altered when a person takes recombinant human growth hormone, the artificially developed version of the hormone that can be abused by athletes as a performance enhancer. |
 | Your child may be more innovative than you realiseChildren may have a greater understanding of how to innovate and problem solve than previously realised. |
 | Fighting allergies by silencing immune cellsUniversity of Queensland researchers are one step closer to developing new medicines for treating inflammatory diseases, including allergies such as rhinitis, itchy hives, asthma, eczema and dermatitis. |
 | DNA and protein 'liquid biopsy' for early pancreatic cancer better than either aloneJohns Hopkins scientists say they have developed a blood test that spots tumor-specific DNA and protein biomarkers for early-stage pancreatic cancer. The combined "liquid biopsy" identified the markers in the blood of 221 patients with the early-stage disease. Their results, published online the week of Sept. 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that detection of markers from both DNA and protein products of DNA was twice as accurate at identifying the disease as detection of DNA alone. |
 | Non-psychotropic cannabinoids show promise for pain reliefSome cancers love bone. They thrive in its nutrient-rich environment while gnawing away at the very substrate that sustains them, all the while releasing inflammatory substances that cause pain—pain so severe that opioids often are prescribed to allay the agony. |
 | Researchers gain new insight into self-control using neuroimagingGrocery shopping while hungry is a bad idea, often leading to regrettable surrender to momentary cravings. Yet we fall victim to this pitfall time and again, despite our rational mind knowing better. |
 | Study suggests simple way to predict preterm birthsUp to 18 percent of babies born worldwide arrive before they are full-term, defined as 37 weeks of gestation. About 1 million of those babies do not survive, and those who do can face developmental problems such as impaired vision or hearing, defects in the heart or lungs, or cognitive impairments. |
Palliative care makes only limited gains in AfricaPalliative care has increased in Africa over the past 12 years but only in a small subset of countries, according to a review published today in Lancet Oncology. This research was led by John Y. Rhee, a fourth-year medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). | |
Study highlights overuse of tumor marker tests in primary and secondary careThe vast majority of tumour marker tests in primary and secondary care are not necessary, according to a study that will be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. The tests assisted with a cancer diagnosis in just 2% of patients. | |
 | Is ADHD really a sleep problem?Around 75% of children and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) also have sleep problems, but until now these have been thought to be separate issues. Now a in a pulling together of the latest research, Scientists are proposing of a new theory which says that much of ADHD may in fact be a problem associated with lack of regular circadian sleep. |
 | Pilot study shows that neurofeedback may help treatment-resistant depressionA small pilot study has indicated that neurofeedback - where patients concentrate on modifying their own brainwave patterns - has potential to treat many of the 100m people worldwide who suffer from Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). This is the first time that neurofeedback has been shown to improve both individual symptoms and overall recovery in TRD. |
 | Financial stress is associated with migraine, if you have specific circadian gene variantsPeople with a specific variation in the CLOCK gene have more migraines under financial stress. This work, the first time that the genetics of circadian rhythms has been shown to have an effect on migraine, is presented at the ECNP conference in Paris. |
Study in early stage breast cancer shows that even small tumors can be aggressiveEven small tumours can be aggressive, according to a study in patients with early stage breast cancer that will be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (1) Researchers found that nearly one in four small tumours were aggressive and patients benefited from chemotherapy. Aggressive tumours could be identified by a 70-gene signature. | |
 | Alterations in blood-based miRNA in veterans affected with combat-related PTSDIndividuals affected with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) demonstrate changes in microRNA (miRNA) molecules associated with gene regulation. A controlled study, involving military personnel on deployment to a combat zone in Afghanistan, provided evidence for the role of blood-based miRNAs as candidate biomarkers for symptoms of PTSD. This may offer an approach towards screening for symptoms of PTSD, and holds promise for understanding other trauma-related psychiatric disorders. Limitations of the study are that this was a small pilot study, and the findings need to be validated, extended and confirmed. First results will be presented at the ECNP conference in Paris. |
 | Heavy alcohol use alters brain functioning differently in young men and womenScientists have found that brain functions in young men and women are changed by long-term alcohol use, but that these changes are significantly different in men and women. This indicates not only that young people might be at increased risk of long-term harm from alcohol use, but also that the risks are probably different in men and in women, with men possibly more at risk. This work is presented today at the ECNP meeting in Paris. |
ICON8 trial reaffirms standard dosing in ovarian cancer chemoEuropean women with ovarian cancer can safely stick to the standard three-week dosing schedule for paclitaxel rather than boosting up to a weekly dose-dense regimen, according to results of the phase III ICON8 trial to be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid.1 | |
 | Take the back pain out of backpacks(HealthDay)—Backpacks can mean backaches for schoolchildren, but an orthopedic surgeon has advice for parents and kids about how to keep soreness at bay. |
 | Electronic alert doesn't up appropriate thromboprophylaxis(HealthDay)—A computer-based alert system with a Geneva Risk Score calculation tool in the electronic patient chart does not improve appropriate thromboprophylaxis in patients admitted to general medical wards, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. |
 | Liraglutide tied to reduced progression of diabetic kidney disease(HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk receiving usual care, the addition of liraglutide is associated with lower rates of development and progression of diabetic kidney disease, according to a study published in the Aug. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Low incidence of adverse events for A-fib catheter ablation(HealthDay)—The incidence of adverse events (AEs) is low for patients undergoing catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online Aug. 30 in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. |
 | Self-tonometry feasible, acceptable for glaucoma patients(HealthDay)—For patients with glaucoma, self-tonometry is feasible and acceptable to patients, according to a study published online Aug. 31 in JAMA Ophthalmology. |
 | Peri-op management key in surgical resident malpractice(HealthDay)—The perioperative period appears critical in malpractice cases involving surgical residents, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in JAMA Surgery. |
Some thyroid cancer patients can safely delay surgeryMost people diagnosed with cancer want to start treatment as soon as possible, for fear that delaying care will allow their tumor to grow out of control. | |
 | Benefit of aspirin after A-fib ablation questioned(HealthDay)—For atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation patients undergoing their index ablation, long-term aspirin therapy is associated with increased rates of bleeding and may not lower risk of stroke, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. |
 | Coronary artery calcium may be best indicator of CVD risk(HealthDay)—The cardiovascular event rate is low for patients with no coronary artery calcium (CAC), which improves overall prediction among patients thought to be at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to a letter to the editor published in the Aug. 1 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging. |
Intellectual disabilities caused by protein defectIntellectual disabilities are often caused by a mutation that damages a gene, preventing the associated protein from functioning properly. However, a mutation can also change the function of a gene. As a result, the gene in question acts in a completely different way. Researchers from Radboudumc discovered this mechanism in fifteen genes playing a role in the development of intellectual disabilities. Their research results published in the American Journal of Human Genetics on 31 August 2017 show that these changes in function play a more prominent role than previously thought. | |
 | Antivenoms ineffective for common fatal snakebiteUniversity of Queensland researchers have found that antivenoms produced using snakes from one region may perform poorly or fail completely against the same species of snakes from other regions. |
 | Breast cancer drug not recommended for use in EnglandThe drug fulvestrant (Faslodex) has not been recommended in England to treat late stage breast cancer, in draft guidance. |
Hurricane Harvey expected to deliver one-two mosquito punchAmong the inevitable fallout stemming from the ocean of water dumped on South Texas by Hurricane Harvey will be a hoard of bloodsucking mosquitoes, but state-level entomologists predict the first onslaught won't be the disease vectors many fear. | |
 | Low-cost preventive care may help heart health for people with serious mental illnessPeople with serious mental illness, such as bipolar disease and schizophrenia, die on average 25 years earlier than their peers. A common cause of death is heart disease that frequently develops unchecked due to lack of preventive care. |
 | Personalised cancer treatmentIn Norway, more and more people are being affected by cancer of the mouth and throat. In recent years, the incidence has increased but the mortality has remained the same. Cisplatin is one of the most commonly administered cytostatics for this patient group. At the start of treatment, the drug works well. Gradually, though, most patients experience that the tumour develops resistance against this drug and the prognosis for survival then becomes very poor. |
 | 1 in 5 children in the U.S. enter school overweight or obese, researchers findAbout 17 percent of children in the United States are obese, according to federal health statistics. That's a sobering statistic for parents to ponder as September marks National Childhood Obesity Month. |
 | Which genetic marker is the ring leader in the onset of Alzheimer's disease?The notorious genetic marker of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, ApoE4, may not be a lone wolf. |
Gene study sheds light on middle-age sight lossChemical changes in the eye that can lead to blindness have been identified by scientists, a conference will hear tomorrow (Tuesday 5 September). | |
 | When it comes to keeping our brains young, we need to rise to new challengesAs we get older, our thinking skills often deteriorate: we get slower, more forgetful, less good at learning new things. Yet not everyone experiences these changes to the same degree. Some remain mentally sharp into their sixties, seventies and beyond; others experience declines which can make it harder for them to live independently. |
 | Documenting three good things could improve your mental well-being in workThe UK is facing a mental health crisis in the workplace. Around 4.6m working people – 64% of the British population – suffer from either depression or anxiety. In total, 25% of all EU citizens will report a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. |
 | Research confirms exercising during pregnancy is good for mother and babySpanish researchers have clarified doubts over the physical activity recommended during pregnancy. Their work highlights how exercise should be taken not only by healthy, previously active women, but that it is also a good time to adopt a healthy lifestyle. There are clear advantages for both the mother and baby. |
Methodology for assessing the value of new medicinesAn innovative new methodology for evaluating the benefits of new medicines has been developed by a team of researchers led by health economics and policy experts from the Department of Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). | |
 | Identification of a key molecule for the neurotransmitter release in synapsesThe contact areas between nerve cells are called synapses. What happens there lies at the heart of communication between nerve cells. Communication starts with the release of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters at these synapses. Neurotransmitter-containing synaptic vesicles are involved in this release process, and these vesicles fuse with the cell membrane. This fusion occurs at a specific location within the synapse rather than just anywhere at random. Scientists working at the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) and their colleagues at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU) succeeded in identifying the molecule, which determines where in the synaptic gap neurotransmitters are released. This solves a great mystery in neuroscience. The results contribute to a better understanding of synaptic transmission and may in future improve our ability to explain pathological processes in the nervous system. Recently, the scientists published their groundbreaking scientific results in the renowned science magazine Neuron. |
 | Heart muscle disease patients benefit from defibrillatorSome heart disease patients who are treated with cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) would live longer and have fewer hospital admissions if they also received a defibrillator, concludes a team of researchers led by Aston Medical School at Aston University. |
Skin lightening: the dangerous obsession that's worth billionsMillions of people across the world want to make their skin lighter – but the treatments they use can be dangerous. Mary-Rose Abraham meets beauticians, dermatologists and their clients to walk the line between aesthetic choice and racial prejudice. | |
 | Researchers review the clinical potential of senolytic drugs on agingResearchers are moving closer to realizing the clinical potential of drugs that have previously been shown to support healthy aging in animals. In a review article published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Mayo Clinic aging experts say that, if proven to be effective and safe in humans, these drugs could be "transformative" by preventing or delaying chronic conditions as a group instead of one at a time. |
 | Get the veggies, skip the starch(HealthDay)—Who doesn't love a big serving of creamy mashed potatoes or a side of steamy rice with their chicken? They're delicious, but it's easy to overindulge in these starchy, higher-calorie foods while falling short on healthy vegetables. |
 | Back to school, back to planning for kids with autism, ADHD(HealthDay)—The start of a new school year isn't always easy, especially for kids with developmental and behavioral issues, such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. |
 | Marching band members can use a physical tuneup(HealthDay)—School marching band members are athletic performers who must be physically fit to manage their routines and fancy footwork, experts say. |
Guyana says Venezuelans flocking in for medical treatmentGuyanese authorities say they're seeing a significant increase in Venezuelans crossing the border seeking treatment for malaria and other ailments. | |
14 people die of cholera in northeast NigeriaFourteen people have died of cholera in northeast Nigeria, with most of the victims living in a camp for people displaced by Boko Haram violence, the health ministry said Saturday. | |
 | Frustration mounts over premiums for individual health plansMillions of people who buy individual health insurance policies and get no financial help from the Affordable Care Act are bracing for another year of double-digit premium increases, and their frustration is boiling over. |
Novartis eyes chief executive shake-up in 2018Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Monday its chief executive for the past seven years, Joseph Jimenez, will step down in 2018, allowing chief medical officer Vasant Narasimhan to take the reins. | |
 | Millions who buy health insurance brace for sharp increasesMillions of people who buy individual health insurance policies and get no financial help from the Affordable Care Act are bracing for another year of double-digit premium increases, and their frustration is boiling over. |
Health concerns after Hurricane HarveyHurricane Harvey and its torrential rains have driven thousands of families from their homes and into local shelters or temporary housing. Now, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine want to keep health setbacks from compounding the misfortune of storm evacuees. | |
 | Children should be encouraged to enjoy 'wild' swimming: education expertKeeping young children away from perceived risky activities such as wild outdoor swimming is damaging, according to education expert Dr Sandra Leaton Gray (UCL Institute of Education). |
 | Miniature implant hopes to bypass heart failureA miniaturised heart implant is one of the most promising ways in which scientists are hoping to tackle cardiovascular disease, the world's biggest killer, which claims the lives of almost 2 million people every year in the EU alone. |
Epileptic brain activity in widely used lab miceMultiple laboratories have observed unusual neural activity resembling epilepsy in some lines of genetically modified mice widely used in neuroscience research. Reporting their findings in eNeuro, the authors caution that this activity is easy to miss and presents potential challenges for using these animals to study the healthy brain. | |
Biology news
 | Birds choose mates with ornamental traitsA recurring theme in nature documentaries is that of choosy females selecting brightly colored males. A new study shows that, in monogamous mating systems, male birds may select their lifelong mates in much the same way. |
 | Scientists expose true extent of cuckoo's cunningThe common cuckoo, notorious for evading parental duty by hiding her eggs in the nests of other brooding birds, is even more devious than previously thought, scientists revealed on Monday. |
 | Ships slowing in busy channel to protect endangered orcasShips moving through a busy channel off Washington state's San Juan Island are slowing down this summer as part of a study to determine whether that can reduce noise and benefit a small, endangered population of killer whales. |
 | In Nicaragua, a fight to save endangered tapirsThirteen tapirs lounge in the bushes of Ticuantepe Zoo, in eastern Nicaragua, their bellies plump with leaves and fruit—blissfully unaware of the peril faced by their kind. |
 | Reindeer grazing protects tundra plant diversity in warming climateClimate warming reduces the number of plant species in the tundra, but plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can turn this negative effect into something positive. The results of a study coordinated from Umeå University in Sweden are now published in Nature Communications. |
 | Restricting HIV-1 infectionThe HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) interacts with viral factors that support infection and host factors that restrict it. The host protein cyclophilin A (CypA) binds to CA and enhances the action of host restriction factors that block HIV-1 infection. |
 | Puppy-farmed dogs show worse behaviour, suffer ill health and die young – so adopt, don't shopThere are an estimated 8.5m dogs in Britain, and demand means that unscrupulous people are happy to breed and sell dogs at a profit with scant thought for their welfare. The RSPCA estimate that up to 1.9m puppies are sold each year in the UK, yet according to the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home report only 12% are from licensed breeders. |
 | How shuttling proteins operate nuclear poresNuclear pore complexes are tiny channels where the exchange of substances between the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm takes place. Scientists at the University of Basel report on startling new research that might overturn established models of nuclear transport regulation. Their study published in the Journal of Cell Biology reveals how shuttling proteins known as importins control the function of nuclear pores – as opposed to the view that nuclear pores control the shuttling of importins. |
 | Romania to kill bears, wolves after rise in attacksRomania on Monday said it would kill or relocate 140 bears and 97 wolves following a rise in the number of attacks on humans, sparking outrage from animal rights groups. |
 | Citizen Scientists wanted to solve echidna mysteriesThe Australian public is being called on to help better understand and conserve our iconic native echidna, by collecting echidna scats (poo) and taking photographs wherever echidnas or scats are spotted. |
 | Africa's most notorious insects – the bugs that hit agriculture the hardestThe dreaded crop-eating fall armyworm continues to spread across Africa like wildfire. This invasive insect pest, first reported in Africa in early 2016, is in more than 20 African countries including South Sudan and South Africa. It has destroyed many staple crops like maize. Damage to maize alone by this pest could total USD$3 billion in the next 12 months. |
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