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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 26, 2017:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers study the extended stellar structure around the globular cluster NGC 288(Phys.org)—A team of astronomers led by Andrés E. Piatti of the Astronomical Observatory of Córdoba in Argentina has recently observed an extra-tidal clumpy structure around the globular cluster NGC 288. The results of these observations, available in a paper published Sept. 21 on arXiv.org, could redefine our understanding of external regions of globular clusters in our Milky Way galaxy. |
 | The material that obscures supermassive black holesCristina Ramos Almeida, researcher at the IAC, and Claudio Ricci, from the Institute of Astronomy of the Universidad Católica de Chile, have published a review in Nature Astronomy on the material that obscures active galactic nuclei obtained from infrared and X-ray observations. |
 | 3-D analysis offers new info on Martian climate change, age of polar capsThree-dimensional (3-D) subsurface radar volumes generated from thousands of 2-D radar profiles are revealing new information about the polar regions of Mars, including more accurate mapping of CO2 and water ices, the discovery of buried impact craters, and new elevation data. PSI Senior Scientist Nathaniel E. Putzig is the lead author of the new Icarus paper "Three-dimensional radar imaging of structures and craters in the Martian polar caps." |
 | New study may help identify areas with and without accessible water ice on MarsNew findings reveal deposits on Mars that could be interpreted to be ice-rich may contain little or no ice at all, based on an analysis of radar sounder data for Meridiani Planum—an area on the planet's equator being explored by the Opportunity rover. |
 | Progenitor for Tycho's supernova was not hot and luminousAn international team of scientists from the Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), the Towson and Pittsburgh Universities (USA) and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, has shed new light on the origins of the famous Tycho's supernova. The research, published in Nature Astronomy, debunks the common view that Tycho's supernova originated from a white dwarf, which had been slowly accreting matter from its companion in a binary system. |
 | Collecting satellite data Australia wants—a new direction for Earth observationAustralia – for the first time - will soon have the power to task an Earth imaging satellite in orbit. We'll be able to collect imagery where we need it, and downlink the data directly into Australian ground stations. |
 | Pop-up robots enable extreme terrain scienceA NASA-led team is designing an extremely compact origami rover for new extreme terrain applications in both the planetary and Earth science domains. PUFFERs (Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robots) utilize a folding printed circuit board (PCB) as the rover chassis, which enables the platform to fold into a minuscule, palm-sized volume. With this feature, many PUFFERs can be integrated into future spacecraft or packed into Earth science experiments at low cost. |
 | Helicopter test for Jupiter icy moons radarA long radar boom that will probe below the surface of Jupiter's icy moons has been tested on Earth with the help of a helicopter. |
 | Preparing to fly Sentinel-5PThe teams that will fly Sentinel-5P are training intensively for launch, ensuring that everyone knows their job and can react to any emergency. |
 | A record number of Americans viewed the 2017 solar eclipseEighty-eight percent of American adults viewed the August total solar eclipse directly or electronically. This audience of 215 million adults is nearly twice the size of the viewership of recent Super Bowl football games. |
 | With mock space capsule, researchers partner with NASA to study astronaut fitnessA mock space capsule has landed in Kansas State University's Ice Hall. In this built-to-scale model of the Orion spacecraft, "astronauts" practice emergency escape maneuvers while a university kinesiology team studies their health and fitness levels. |
Technology news
 | Energy harvested from evaporation could power much of US, says studyIn the first evaluation of evaporation as a renewable energy source, researchers at Columbia University find that U.S. lakes and reservoirs could generate 325 gigawatts of power, nearly 70 percent of what the United States currently produces. |
 | Hackers locking Mac machines demand ransom(Tech Xplore)—Find My device is a service indeed—not only to Apple device owners but, guess who, to hackers. |
 | Self-driving cars could dramatically reduce the road tollRemoving humans from the "driving equation" would save lives and dramatically reduce the costs associated with car accidents, Swinburne's self-driving car expert Dr Hussein Dia says. |
 | Dyson to make electric cars by 2020James Dyson announced Tuesday he was investing £2.0 billion ($2.7 billion, 2.3 billion euro) into developing an electric car by 2020, a new venture for the British inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner. |
 | SEC chairman faces questions from Congress after data breachThe chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission is likely to face an especially tough hearing in front of Congress on Tuesday, after the agency acknowledged that it also was a victim to a hack. |
 | WhatsApp service disrupted in China as censorship tightensThe encrypted messaging service WhatsApp suffered intermittent disruptions in China on Tuesday as communist authorities tightened censorship ahead of a major ruling party meeting. |
 | China fines tech firms over online contentChina has fined several of the country's biggest technology firms for failing to remove illegal online content as the authorities intensify their policing of the internet. |
 | Semi-transparent and flexible solar cells made from atomically thin sheetResearchers at Tohoku University have developed an innovative method for fabricating semitransparent and flexible solar cells with atomically thin 2-D materials. The new technology improves power conversion efficiency of up to 0.7 percent, the highest value for solar cells made from transparent 2-D sheet materials. |
 | A practical optimisation algorithm for big data applicationsNumerous science and engineering applications require finding the lowest or highest value of a mathematical model. This is usually obtained computationally by running an optimisation algorithm. When working with big data which is more complex, it becomes computationally much more time-consuming and expensive to arrive at an optimal or close-to-optimal solution. Increasingly, the computational efficiencies of algorithms become of paramount importance when tackling such complex scenarios. |
 | The quest for the perfect T-shirtA start-up co-founded by an Imperial student is using data analysis to transform menswear design. |
 | Mind-reading technology should not be used to solve crimeThere is growing interest in the potential for a technology known as brain fingerprinting to be used in the fight against crime and terrorism, but it's far from reliable. |
 | A little tension yields enormous solar crystalsIn the race to replace silicon in low-cost solar cells, semiconductors known as metal halide perovskites are favored because they can be solution-processed into thin films with excellent photovoltaic efficiency. A collaboration between KAUST and Oxford University researchers has now uncovered a strategy that grows perovskites into centimeter-scale, highly pure crystals thanks to the effect of surface tension. |
 | Solar power alone won't solve energy or climate needsRecent reports that solar capacity will soon exceed nuclear capacity reveal an important fact. It also hides a crucial distinction needed to understand the context of energy production, and use and consequences of choices among supply options for the future. |
 | Bringing signals into phaseHow we use and generate electricity has changed dramatically over the past century yet the basic components that control its flow remain remarkably similar. Researchers at KAUST have now developed a novel type of component that could improve the performance of electrical circuits. |
 | Researchers develop wearable solar thermoelectric generatorA recent study, led by Professor Kyoung Jin Choi in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST has introduced a new advanced energy harvesting system, capable of generating electricity by simply being attached to clothes, windows, and outer walls of a building. |
 | Japan's Fukushima cleanup plan delays removal of fuel rodsJapan's government on Tuesday approved a revision of its 30-to-40-year plan to decommission the Fukushima nuclear plant, delaying by three more years the removal of radioactive fuel rods stored at two of the three reactors damaged in the 2011 disaster. |
 | Equifax CEO steps down in the wake of damaging data breachEquifax CEO Richard Smith stepped down Tuesday, less than three weeks after the credit reporting agency disclosed a damaging hack to its computer system that exposed highly sensitive information for about 143 million Americans. |
 | Multiple challenges remain to Fukushima nuclear cleanupJapan's government approved a revised road map Tuesday to clean up the radioactive mess left at the Fukushima nuclear power plant after it was damaged beyond repair by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Decommissioning the damaged reactors is an uncertain process that is expected to take 30 to 40 years. |
 | Russia threatens to block Facebook over data storageIn its latest attempt to wrest control of the Internet, Russia's communications agency on Tuesday threatened to block access to Facebook if the company refuses to store its data locally. |
 | Worry for iconic French trains under German mergerThe maker of France's iconic TGV trains is set to announce a merger with German industrial leader Siemens as early as Tuesday in a giant and politically tricky deal that would create a new European rail champion. |
 | BBC launches new Korean language serviceThe BBC launched a new Korean language radio and online service on Tuesday that will be available to listeners in North Korea if the signal is not blocked. |
 | The 3-D selfie is hereComputer scientists at the University of Nottingham and Kingston University have solved a complex problem that has, until now, defeated experts in vision and graphics research. They have developed technology capable of producing 3D facial reconstruction from a single 2D image - the 3D selfie. |
Report: Iran says it files charges against Telegram app CEOIranian prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the CEO of the popular encrypted messaging app Telegram, a semi-official news agency reported Tuesday. | |
 | Uber threatens to leave Quebec, says ride-sharing rules onerousUber threatened on Tuesday stop services in Canada's Quebec province in mid-October, saying proposed new ride-sharing regulations aimed at leveling the field with taxis are too onerous. |
 | Facebook to show NFL game recaps worldwideFacebook and the National Football League announced plans Tuesday to offer video highlights of NFL games to worldwide users of the leading social network. |
 | Europol warns banks ATM cyber attacks on the riseCyber criminals are increasingly accessing ATM machines through the banks' networks, with squads of money mules standing by ready to pick up the stolen cash, Europe's policing agency warned Tuesday. |
Toyota investing $374 million at five existing US factoriesToyota Motor Corp. announced a $374 million investment Tuesday at five U.S. plants to support production of its first American-made hybrid powertrain. | |
 | Even Olympic daredevils don't see video games in lineupVideo games are exploding in popularity as a spectator sport, even joining the X Games lineup, but the daredevils of US freestyle skiing don't see them coming to the Olympics. |
 | World's first dynamic grid control centerThe transition to a new energy mix is making the power grid more dynamic. Siemens is coordinating a major research project designed to determine the extent to which existing control center technology can accommodate additional functions, and at which point entirely new structures and architectures will be needed. |
Businesses give $300M toward K-12 computer science educationA coalition of businesses including Amazon, Google and General Motors has agreed to give $300 million to boost K-12 computer science programs across the U.S. | |
 | Twitter explains why Trump North Korea tweet wasn't removedTwitter cited President Donald Trump's "newsworthiness" and the public interest as reasons why it declined to remove a tweet that added to the fiery rhetoric between the United States and North Korea. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Team identifies a switch that may help target dormant cancer cellsA study by scientists at the University of Arizona and the University of Pittsburgh may hold the key to targeting dormant—or inactive —cancer cells, which are resistant to chemotherapy and other treatments. The results were published today in the journal Cell Reports. |
 | Post-heart attack: How can scar tissue be turned back into healthy heart muscle?Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide, partly due to limited therapeutic options and the heart's inability to regenerate healthy cells called cardiomyocytes after heart attacks. Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and elsewhere are exploring ways to reprogram scar tissue cells into healthy heart muscle cells, and now UNC researchers have published the first scientific paper to compare in great detail the two leading reprogramming techniques. |
 | Memory for details matures graduallyIn contrast to previous assumptions, the hippocampus, a brain structure that is central to learning and memory, does not complete its maturation until adolescence. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, and the University of Stirling were able to show this for the first time using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. The study's findings were recently published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). |
 | Lactation hormone also helps a mother's brainThe same hormone that stimulates milk production for lactation, also acts in the brain to help establish the nurturing link between mother and baby, University of Otago researchers have revealed for the first time. |
 | Researchers discover how enzyme 'shape-shifts' in drug-resistant leukemiaSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital structural biologists have deciphered how the structure of the enzyme called Abl regulates its activity, enabling the enzyme to switch itself on and off. Understanding Abl's regulation is important because a mutant form of the enzyme (Bcr-Abl) is over activated in chronic myelogenous leukemia and other cancers. Abl is a central growth-controlling switch in white blood cells. The enzyme's over activation spurs mutated cells to the uncontrolled growth of leukemia. |
 | Certain vaginal bacteria may be linked with increased risk of chlamydiaThe presence of specific types of vaginal bacteria may be associated with an increased risk for chlamydia infection, finds a small, but well powered study published online in Sexually Transmitted Infections. |
Woman develops rare life-threatening condition after liposuctionA 45 year old woman developed a serious life threatening condition after having liposuction, reveal doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports. | |
 | Weight loss for adults at any age leads to cost savings, study suggestsHelping an adult lose weight leads to significant cost savings at any age, with those savings peaking at age 50, suggests a new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. |
 | Patients who get opioids in the ER are less likely to use them long-termCompared to other medical settings, emergency patients who are prescribed opioids for the first time in the emergency department are less likely to become long-term users and more likely to be prescribed these powerful painkillers in accordance with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. A paper analyzing 5.2 million prescriptions for opioids is being published online today in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Opioid Prescribing for Opioid-Naïve Patients in Emergency Department and Other Settings: Characteristics of Prescriptions and Association with Long-Term Use"). |
 | Tackle and scrum should be banned in school rugby, argue expertsAllyson Pollock and Graham Kirkwood at Newcastle University, say the evidence shows that collision sports, such as youth rugby, carry high rates of injury - and they call on the government to "put the interests of the child before the interests of corporate professional rugby unions" and remove the tackle and other forms of harmful contact from the school game. |
 | 80 percent of activity tracker users stick with the devices for at least six monthsUse of activity trackers, such as wearable devices and smartphone apps, is on the rise, and a new study shows that 80 percent of users stuck with the device for at least six months. Though the gadgets may help motivate users to increase exercise, the populations that could benefit most may not be using the technologies. In the first national study of a large, diverse population, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues, found that 1.2 percent of the study population engaged with devices, and that most of the individuals who started using an activity tracker were younger and had higher-incomes than people who opted not to use the devices. Overwhelmingly, participants used FitBit trackers (76 percent), with Apple devices being the second most common (9 percent). |
 | Study shows drug slows stomach emptying, may individualize obesity treatmentLiraglutide injection, a prescription medication used to treat type-2 diabetes and obesity is associated with marked slowing of stomach emptying and is an effective weight loss therapy. These are the findings of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Mayo Clinic researchers published today in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. |
 | Serum Institute's vaccine demonstrates significant efficacy against severe rotavirusResults from a Phase 3 efficacy study in India of the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.'s rotavirus vaccine BRV-PV (known as ROTASIIL) were published in the journal Vaccine. The study showed the vaccine to be safe, well tolerated, and to provide significant efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. In 2013, an estimated 47,100 rotavirus deaths occurred in India, 22 percent of all rotavirus deaths that occurred globally. |
 | Novel protein interactions explain memory deficits in Parkinson's diseaseA study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience describes the identification of a novel molecular pathway that can constitute a therapeutic target for cognitive defects in Parkinson's disease. The study showed that abnormal forms of Parkinson's disease (PD)-associated protein alpha-synuclein interact with the prion protein (PrP), triggering a cascade of events that culminates in neuronal dysfunction, causing cognitive defects that are reminiscent of those in PD. |
 | Influence of C-section, formula feeding and antibiotics on infant gut microbiomeA new analytical approach, described in open-access journal Frontiers in Pediatrics, shows how different interventions - cesarean section, formula feeding, and antibiotics - can alter an infant's developing gut microbiome. |
 | Researchers identify novel way to target EbolaResearchers have identified a potential new way to attack Ebola. Scientists have discovered that a protein called Tim-1 (T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 1) plays a key role in the development of the cytokine storm seen in the last stages of Ebola infection. The research was published this week in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. |
 | Percent of teens who report having had a concussion in their lifetimeIn a survey that included more than 13,000 adolescents, about 20 percent reported at least one diagnosed concussion during their lifetime, and 5.5 percent reported being diagnosed with more than one concussion, according to a study published by JAMA. |
Genetic testing helps set safe dose of common blood thinnerWarfarin is a blood thinner that is commonly prescribed to patients to prevent life-threatening blood clots. Despite its longtime use, warfarin remains tricky to dose because a person's genetic makeup influences how the drug is processed in the body. Too much warfarin can cause internal bleeding; too little warfarin fails to prevent blood clots. | |
 | Genetic factors may explain most of risk for autism spectrum disorderReanalysis of data from a previous study on the familial risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) estimates the heritability to be 83 percent, suggesting that genetic factors may explain most of the risk for ASD, according to a study published by JAMA. |
Large increase in rate of death from chronic respiratory diseasesBetween 1980 and 2014, the rate of death from chronic respiratory diseases, such as COPD, increased by nearly 30 percent overall in the U.S., although this trend varied by county, sex, and chronic respiratory disease type, according to a study published by JAMA. | |
Researchers identify possible biomarker for diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy during lifeA new biomarker (CCL11) for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been discovered that may allow the disease to be diagnosed during life for the first time. | |
 | Postpartum depression risk, duration and recurrencePostpartum affective disorder (AD), including postpartum depression (PPD), affects more than one in two hundred women with no history of prior psychiatric episodes, and raises the risk of later affective disorder for those women, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine by Marie-Louise Rasmussen from Statens Serum Institut, Denmark, and colleagues. |
Umbilical cord stem cells show promise as heart failure treatmentA heart failure treatment using umbilical cord-derived stem cells may lead to notable improvements in heart muscle function and quality of life, according to a new study published in Circulation Research, an American Heart Association journal. | |
Discovering potential therapeutic protein inhibitors for Chagas diseaseChagas disease is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and is transmitted to humans through triatomine blood-sucking insects commonly referred to as "kissing bugs" or "vampire bugs." While it was once confined to the Americas, worldwide travel has spread the disease, which is now endemic to approximately 20 countries. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10 to 13 million people are chronically infected, around 90 million people are exposed to the risk of the infection, and nearly 21,000 people die each year as a result, making effective treatment a necessity. Current treatments are largely effective in the acute phase of the infection but have significantly diminished efficacy in the chronic phase of Chagas disease. Moreover, these drugs, which were developed in the 1960s, are associated with severe adverse effects. | |
 | Opioid epidemic causing rise in hepatitis C infections and other serious illnessesMany Americans now know that, over the past decade, opioid addiction and deaths from opioid overdose in the U.S. have skyrocketed. |
 | Why your kids might be able to see better if they play outdoors more oftenThe ready availability of technology may make the children of today faster at configuring a new smartphone, but does all of that screen time affect the development of their eyes? |
New patent perfects muscle mitochondria testSometimes perfecting an existing technique can open the doors to new possibilities. | |
 | Findings could lead to early diagnosis of Alzheimer'sKorean researchers have identified the cause of olfactory dysfunction in the early stage of Alzheimer's diseases. It is expected to be used in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and therapeutic research. |
 | Premature birth linked to older 'brain age' in adult lifeNew King's College London research suggests that babies born very prematurely show accelerated brain development in adult life, as their brains look 'older' compared to non-premature babies. |
 | Study will test new technique to prevent viral infections during pregnancyDr. Michelle Silasi, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, will test the effectiveness of a new technique to screen for viral exposure during pregnancy that can identify women at risk for serious complications and allow for interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes. |
 | If you can't drink cow's milk, what is the best alternative?Cow's milk is naturally rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin B-12. It is also a valuable source of vitamins D and A, thanks to fortification. But sometimes cow's milk is not an option due to allergy, intolerance or pure preference. |
 | Does colour really affect our mind and body? A professor of colour science explainsRed makes the heart beat faster. You will frequently find this and other claims made for the effects of different colours on the human mind and body. But is there any scientific evidence and data to support such claims? The physiological mechanisms that underpin human colour vision have been understood for the best part of a century, but it is only in the last couple of decades that we have discovered and begun to understand a separate pathway for the non-visual effects of colour. |
 | 'Wear red, get noticed' – and other subtle psychological ways colour affects usI notice that my office is mainly colourless, or perhaps more accurately insipid in colour, a dull brown, the colour of old tea – the desk, the shelves, the table. A once bright red bromeliad now dead or dying on the window sill has turned a dull autumn brown. Beyond that, outside the window, is the dull brown of autumn on a wet, windy day. |
 | When life is coming to a close: three common myths about dyingOn average 435 Australians die each day. Most will know they are at the end of their lives. Hopefully they had time to contemplate and achieve the "good death" we all seek. It's possible to get a good death in Australia thanks to our excellent healthcare system - in 2015, our death-care was ranked second in the world. |
 | Happy faces really are healthy facesFor thousands of years, we have been obsessed with having a healthy and attractive facial appearance – by any means necessary. The Egyptians crafted eyeliner from kohl, containing lead (definitely not good for you), and at the turn of the last century, people eagerly applied night cream fortified with radium to achieve a healthy glow (even worse). |
 | Higher risk of heart failure in cold weather, study suggestsAn increase in hospitalization and death in elderly patients with heart failure could be associated with changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure, according to a new study in Environment International. The authors of the study say elderly with heart failure should avoid fog and low cloud in the winter as a preventive measure. |
Agent Orange still linked to hormone imbalances in babies in Vietnam, study suggestsCould herbicides that were sprayed during the Vietnam War still be causing health problems? | |
 | Smoking during pregnancy linked to childhood obesityChildren born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to be overweight or obese than if the mother did not according to research from the University of Aberdeen. |
 | School, health and behavior suffer when children have TV, video games in bedroomA new Iowa State University study is one of the first to demonstrate the consequences of allowing children to have a TV or video game system in their bedroom. |
 | Older drivers adapt their thinking to improve road hazard detectionA recent study finds that older drivers showed adaptive responses according to the amount of traffic in a driving scene when identifying road hazards. Although younger drivers are faster and more accurate at identifying driving hazards than older drivers, older drivers were capable of adapting their response criteria to help them identify road hazards when the amount of traffic in a driving scene increased. |
 | Interventions for reducing hepatitis C infection in people who inject drugsThe first global review to quantify the impact of needle syringe programmes (NSP) and opioid substitution treatment (OST) in reducing the risk of becoming infected with the hepatitis C virus is published in Cochrane Library Drug and Alcohol Review Group and the journal Addiction. The study, has implications for millions of people who are 'at risk' from infection. |
 | Researchers overturn the theory of Parkinson's diseaseA KAIST research team has identified a new mechanism that causes the hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's disease, namely tremors, rigidity, and loss of voluntary movement. |
 | Even open-label placebos work—if they are explainedFor some medical complaints, open-label placebos work just as well as deceptive ones. As psychologists from the University of Basel and Harvard Medical School report in the journal Pain, the accompanying rationale plays an important role when administering a placebo. |
A majority of medical professionals improperly share log-in credentials to EMRsStrict regulations for keeping confidential data secure often make it difficult for caregivers to get the information they need. As a result, a majority of medical staff surveyed have accessed an electronic medical record (EMR) system using a password improperly supplied by a fellow medical staffer. | |
 | General practitioners' home visit habits determine where patients dieThe probability of dying at home, which the majority of the seriously ill patients wish to do, grows with the general practitioner's general propensity to come out on home visits. |
 | Doctors gain a greater understanding of skin cancer using tattoosCancer is on the rise and the need to be empathetic when giving a patient their diagnosis and throughout treatment is imperative. Now, a collaborative study, with a Huddersfield professor, has enabled future doctors to experience some of the challenges patients living with skin cancer can face to develop a greater empathy for their patients. |
New approaches in targeted cancer therapyPrecision medicine, which custom-tailors therapies to the needs of individual patients, is becoming more and more important in cancer therapy. Today, molecular-biological diagnostics can precisely identify alterations in tumor cells. A major aim of modern cancer therapy is to develop drugs that individually target these altered tumor cells, but do not impact the surrounding healthy cells. | |
 | No evidence of hidden hearing loss from common recreational noise: studyExposure to loud noises during common recreational activities is widely cited as a cause of "hidden hearing loss." A new study of young adults, however, finds that while hearing is temporarily affected after attending a loud event, there is no evidence of auditory nerve injury or permanent hearing difficulties. The study is the first to look for a causal relationship between recreational noise exposure and auditory function in humans. |
ACA Medicaid expansion cut disparities in cancer care for minorities, poorStates that fully expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act cut their rates of uninsured cancer patients by more than half between 2011 and 2014. Black patients and those living in the highest poverty areas saw the greatest benefit from Medicaid expansion, according to a Duke Cancer Institute analysis. | |
 | U.S. pays a hefty price for obesity(HealthDay)—A U.S. adult who is "healthy" but obese could eventually cost society tens of thousands of dollars in medical care and lost wages, a new study estimates. |
 | The benefits of simply moving more(HealthDay)—The link between exercise and good health is a strong one. Still, many people—particularly older adults—find it difficult to take part in formal exercises, and become less physically active over time. |
 | CDC launches opioid campaign in hard-hit states(HealthDay)—The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a campaign to reduce overdose deaths from prescription opioid painkillers. |
 | Antibiotics warranted for kids with minor staph infectionsThe overuse of antibiotics has left some doctors questioning whether to give such drugs to children diagnosed with uncomplicated staph infections. Such infections often occur on the skin and look like a pus-filled bug bite. |
 | Does your back feel stiff? Well, it may not actually be stiff, study finds"My back feels so stiff!" We often hear our friends say. |
 | A fresh set of eyes: Rotating plant inspectors reduces risk of medical device recallsMore frequent rotation of plant inspectors at medical device manufacturing facilities could benefit consumers and lead to fewer product recalls. That's the finding of a seven-year review of Food and Drug Administration inspections of and subsequent recalls at such facilities. |
 | Powerful drug combo gangs up to tackle triple-negative breast cancerIn the hunt for novel treatments against an aggressive form of breast cancer, researchers combined a new protein inhibitor with a chemotherapy drug to create a powerful combination that resulted in cancer cell death. |
Rising obesity levels underscore need for enhanced nursing and post-acute transitional care modelsElderly, chronically ill people experience frequent changes in health status that require transitions among health care providers and settings. Significant attention has been focused on coordinated transitional care models that assure continuity of care, prevention of hospital readmission, avoidance of complications, and close clinical treatment and management. But specific transitional needs of obese people who need to be transferred to nursing homes for post-acute care are often overlooked. | |
New system proposed for logging physician experience in robotic surgeriesLoyola Medicine physicians have proposed a simple new system to improve the reporting of robotic surgeries performed by surgeons in training. | |
 | Potential Zika vaccine protects against pregnancy transmission and testicular damageFor the first time, a collaborative team led by The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has shown that a potential Zika vaccine quickly can protect fetuses against infection as well as protect males against testicular infection and injury. It also prevents a lowered sperm count after one vaccination. The findings are currently available in Nature Communications. |
 | Milk-alternative drinks do not replace the iodine in cows' milkConsumers of milk-alternative drinks may be at of risk iodine deficiency, according to the findings of a new study in the British Journal of Nutrition. |
| Sex diseases in US surge to record highSexually transmitted diseases surged to a record high in the United States last year, with more than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis nationwide, officials said Tuesday. |
 | Cancer researchers publish new papers on ovarian cancer tumor growthTwo papers involving ovarian cancer research at the University of Notre Dame's Harper Cancer Research Institute (HCRI), one featuring new research and the other a review article, were published as cover stories in their respective journals. |
 | Predictors of death in cirrhosis include age, BSA, MELD(HealthDay)—For patients with cirrhosis, predictors of death include age, body surface area (BSA), and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Hepatology. |
 | CYPC19*17 allele may influence response to PPI treatment(HealthDay)—Children with CYP2C19*17 alleles without corresponding loss-of-function alleles have longer times with pH |
 | Nut consumption linked to nutritionally rich food intake(HealthDay)—Among overweight and obese women, nut consumption is associated with increased consumption of nutritionally rich foods and with reduced body mass index (BMI), according to a study published online Sept. 21 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease. |
 | Liraglutide linked to reduction in VAT, improvement in beta-index(HealthDay)—For obese individuals with prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes, liraglutide is associated with a greater reduction in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and greater improvement in β-index, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Blame common in patient safety incident reports(HealthDay)—Blame is a common element in family practice patient safety incident reports, according to a study published in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. |
 | Back pain in older men tied to incident vertebral fractures(HealthDay)—Incident, clinically undiagnosed radiographic vertebral fractures (VFs) are associated with increased likelihood of back pain symptoms, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. |
 | Systemic corticosteroids discouraged for atopic dermatitis(HealthDay)—Routine use of systemic corticosteroids is generally discouraged for atopic dermatitis, according to research published online Sept. 2 in the British Journal of Dermatology. |
DNA-level biomarker can predict overall survival for rare brain tumorsMGMT promoter methylation status—information gathered at a DNA-level—can help predict overall survival for patients with a rare form of brain cancer known as anaplastic astrocytoma, according to a new analysis from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). | |
Poll: More than two-thirds of Republicans want Congress to enact an ACA alternativeAccording to a new POLITICO/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll, more than two-thirds (71%) of Republicans want Congress to try again to enact an alternative to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In contrast, a majority of Democrats (57%) believe Congress should move on to other issues. | |
Republican health plan likely dead as key US senator defectsThe latest bid backed by US President Donald Trump to dismantle his predecessor's health care law likely unraveled Monday when a crucial third Republican formally came out against the plan. | |
Masculine features linked to autismWe can now log on to our iPhones using 3-D facial scanning, but 3-D scanning also has some very vital medical benefits. | |
 | Happy patients, healthy lungsDiseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis (CF) are hard to treat. Lung transplant is important option for people who do not benefit from other treatments, and understanding the outcomes for these patients is crucial. |
The power of facial expressions—influence on competitionsFacial expressions influence competitions. They do so in Music and Miss/Mister elections as well as leadership assessments. Specific facial expressions, such as raising the cheeks, contribute to attractiveness ratings, as happen in the Miss World competition. However, mouth movement may result in lower ratings of attractiveness in the Mister World competitions. In addition, a computer could predict a musician winner facial expression, for instance the so-called "Lip corner pull." For leadership, expressions like nose wrinkling, dimpler and tight lids, influence the assessments of their degree of leadership. Those are four results of PhD research by Wilma Latuny, who defends her dissertation on 29th of September. | |
TMIST breast cancer screening trial begins to enroll nearly 165,000 womenThe Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST), the first randomized trial to compare two types of digital mammography for breast cancer screening, is now open for enrollment. The study was developed by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. ECOG-ACRIN is leading the trial. | |
Nearly 850,000 get cholera vaccine in Nigeria: WHOThe World Health Organization said Tuesday it has completed a massive cholera vaccination campaign in restive northeastern Nigeria, where the disease has already killed 54 people. | |
 | Applying research advances to improve cardiovascular health in womenCardiovascular disease remains the main cause of death among women, but evidence-based advances are enhancing clinical care in seven key areas, improving the lives of women living with and at risk for heart disease. A review of recent advances in research and clinical guidelines, and recommendations for medical practice, clinical research, and policy that can help further reduce morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease are featured in an article in Journal of Women's Health. |
Arthritis advocates urge Congress to take action to address drug costs, access issuesPhysician and healthcare professional advocates from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) are joined by rheumatology patients on Capitol Hill this week to urge lawmakers to address the significant drug cost and access issues affecting millions of Americans living with arthritis and other rheumatologic diseases. More than 100 advocates met with Congressional and Senate leaders and staff today to advocate for meaningful legislative reforms that would lower biologic drug costs and make life-changing therapies and treatments more accessible to the 54 million Americans living with rheumatic diseases. | |
Gender, racial, and ethnic disparities persist in academic emergency medicineGender, racial, and ethnic disparities, with regard to academic rank and compensation, continue to exist among academic emergency medicine physicians in spite of a move by leading organizations of emergency medicine to prioritize increasing diversity. That is the primary finding of a study to be published in the October 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). | |
 | New payment models for radiation therapy should consider impact of behavioral health costsEfforts to develop new payment models in radiation oncology also should consider measures to address behavioral health to reduce the total cost of care during and after radiotherapy, according to the results of study performed by researchers at Mayo Clinic and presented today at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology in San Diego. |
Ireland to hold referendum on lifting abortion ban in 2018Ireland's prime minister says the country will hold a referendum on lifting its constitutional ban on abortion in May or June. | |
 | As health bill teeters, Medicaid recipients watch nervouslyWith the latest Republican health care overhaul teetering near collapse, one group in particular is watching with heightened anxiety. |
Senate Republicans pull plug on latest Obamacare repeal bidUS Senate Republicans have aborted their latest plan to dismantle Obamacare, they said Tuesday, after it became clear President Donald Trump's party did not have enough support to pass the measure. | |
Biology news
 | Bacterial nanosized speargun works like a power drillIn order to get rid of unpleasant competitors, some bacteria use a nanosized speargun. Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have gained new insights into the construction, mode of action and recycling of this weapon. As they report in the journal Nature Microbiology, the speargun drills a hole into the neighboring cells in only a few thousandths of a second and injects a cocktail of toxins. |
 | Pigeons better at multitasking than humans: studyPigeons are capable of switching between two tasks as quickly as humans – and even more quickly in certain situations. These are the findings of biopsychologists who had performed the same behavioural experiments to test birds and humans. The authors hypothesize that the cause of the slight multitasking advantage in birds is their higher neuronal density. |
 | Discovery: Bernie Sanders spiderA scientist at the University of Vermont and four of his undergraduate students have discovered 15 new species of "smiley-faced" spiders—and named them after, among others, David Attenborough, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. |
 | 'Hypermutators' drive pathogenic fungi to evolve more rapidlyMutations tend to get a bad rap, and deservedly so. A single defect in our DNA can strip us of our sight, thicken our lungs with mucus, prompt us to bleed to death, weaken our muscles or fill our organs with tumors. |
 | Some marine species more vulnerable to climate change than othersCertain marine species will fare much worse than others as they become more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a new UBC study has found. |
 | Amount of water in stem cells can determine its fate as fat or boneAdding or removing water from a stem cell can change the destiny of the cell, researchers have discovered in a new study published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). |
 | Team develops gene circuit design strategy to advance synthetic biologyOver the last 17 years, scientists and engineers have developed synthetic gene circuits that can program the functionality, performance, and behavior of living cells. Analogous to integrated circuits that underlie myriad electronic products, engineered gene circuits can be used to generate defined dynamics, rewire endogenous networks, sense environmental stimuli, and produce valuable biomolecules. |
 | A 'social control' system guarantees embryonic stem cell purityA sophisticated system of "social control" operating between neighboring cells allows embryos to protect the purity of their pluripotent cell population, which is able to generate all body tissues. This system works through the elimination of cells that begin to differentiate prematurely, in a process mediated through "cell competition" based on the expression levels of the gene Myc. This control system is important for pluripotency during the development of mammalian embryos, and is described for the first time in Developmental Cell by researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). |
Predatory bacteria found in study of cystic fibrosis patients' lung microbiomeCystic fibrosis patients have a wide variety of bacteria in their lungs, including two 'predators' not detected before, according to a new study of lung microorganisms published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. | |
 | Metabolism directly impacts the odds of developing malariaThe progression and development of an infectious disease is directly dependent not only on the characteristics of the infectious agent but also on the genetic characteristics of the host, which also dictate the efficiency of the infection. Researchers from Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) Lisboa have found that a host's susceptibility to malaria depends on his or her metabolic state, which can be easily manipulated through external stimuli such as dietary patterns. |
 | New citrus planting method stops bugs, yields additional benefitsA planting design that outwitted a weevil in Texas citrus groves has yielded numerous other benefits for growers and brought better quality oranges and grapefruits to consumers, experts say. |
 | Nerves control the body's bacterial communityA central aspect of life sciences is to explore the symbiotic cohabitation of animals, plants and humans with their specific bacterial communities. Scientists refer to the full set of microorganisms living on and inside a host organism as the microbiome. Over the past years, evidence has accumulated that the composition and balance of this microbiome contributes to the organism's health. For instance, alterations in the composition of the bacterial community are implicated in the origin of various so-called environmental diseases. However, it is still largely unknown just how the cooperation between organism and bacteria works at the molecular level and how the microbiome and body exactly act as a functional unit. |
 | The motor protein dancing in all our cellsMotor proteins drive many of the essential processes in our cells. They move with a dancing motion, as Professor Erik Schäffer and his team have shown in a new study. In order to observe the tiny proteins, which are measured in nanometers, Schäffer uses optical tweezers he developed himself. The results of the study have been published in the latest edition of PNAS. |
 | A new role for insulin as a vital factor in maintaining stem cellsNew research conducted at the stem cell centre, DanStem, at the University of Copenhagen shows that insulin is a key determinant of embryonic stem cell potency in mammals. When large amounts of Insulin are around, stem cells retain their ability to make all the cell types in the body. However, too little insulin leads to embryonic stem cells being transformed into a new type of stem cell, one that can make tissues that support foetal development and helps make the different internal organs. As embryonic stem cells come from embryos around the time they implant into the mother, this study suggests that maternal insulin and diet maybe be important for the earliest stages of pregnancy. This study also points to new ways that stem cells can be made and differentiated to help treat degenerative diseases. |
 | Warm Northwest waters draw spawning fish northUnusually warm ocean conditions off the Pacific Northwest in the last few years led anchovies, sardines and hake to begin spawning in Northwest waters much earlier in the year and, for anchovy, longer than biologists have ever recorded before, new research has found. |
 | Two Caribbean bird-catcher trees named after two women with overlooked botanical worksKnown for their biodiversity richness, the Caribbean Islands are now adding two new species of bird-catcher trees to their list of botanical treasures. Commonly referred to as bird-catcher trees, the species whose ripe fruits are sticky and can be glued to birds, are from the four-o'clock family (Nyctaginaceae) and only found in Puerto Rico. |
 | Fisheries sustainability linked to gender roles among tradersA new WCS study, published in the journal Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, of fish traders in coastal Kenya shows that women largely occupied fisheries with the lowest profits and are not saving money while working in these fisheries. Management actions that intend to increase profits and sustainability, such as restrictions on use of gear that catch the smallest fish, have the potential to exclude female traders unless management also promotes social equity and gender coexistence. |
 | Warming climate could increase bacterial impacts on Chesapeake Bay shellfish, recreationResearchers have found that three common species of Vibrio bacteria in Chesapeake Bay could increase with changing climate conditions by the end of this century, resulting in significant economic and healthcare costs from illnesses caused by exposure to contaminated water and consumption of contaminated shellfish. |
New study points to unexpected benefits of rabies vaccination in dogsThe rabies vaccine is extremely effective at preventing this fatal disease in dogs, but new research shows the vaccine may have a positive impact on overall canine health as well, and is associated with a decrease in death from all causes. | |
 | Researchers want to know why beluga whales haven't recoveredNew research aims to find out why highly endangered beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet have failed to recover despite protective measures. |
 | Japan kills 177 whales in Pacific campaign: governmentJapan said Tuesday it killed 177 whales off its northeast coast in an annual hunt that sparks anger among animal rights activists and others. |
 | Auxin drives leaf flatteningThe vast majority of higher plants use leaves to harvest solar energy. A common feature of leaves is their flat blades. Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology in Beijing have discovered that the classical phytohormone auxin enables leaf blade expansion and leaf flattening. |
 | Tagged snails to help researchers track snail population growthWork to restore the endangered Chittenango ovate amber snail, found only in one location inside a Central New York state park, continued this month with the release of tagged adult snails raised in a laboratory at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). |
Treating citrus greening with copper: Effects on trees, soilsCitrus greening is a major challenge for Florida growers. The disease destroys the production, appearance, and economic value of citrus trees and their fruit. Trees decline and die within three years. Researchers at the University of Florida and other institutions are searching for cures and treatments to reduce citrus greening effects. | |
Chronic wasting disease: Addressing the issues with cervid prionic diseaseOne of the most contagious of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, is chronic wasting disease (CWD) which affects deer and represents a risk to human health and the health of farm animals. There are many problems facing livestock managers in North America in the face of CWD, a research paper published in the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, summarizes the efforts in disease surveillance and risk management of CWD and shows that past management strategies such as selective culling, herd reduction, and hunter surveillance have had only limited effectiveness. The summary points towards new advice for optimal, cost-effective strategies in aggressive disease control. | |
Syngenta settles US farmer lawsuits in China corn trade caseSwiss agribusiness giant Syngenta said Tuesday it has agreed to settle tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits by farmers over the company's rollout of a genetically engineered corn seed variety before China approved it for imports. | |
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