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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 17, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Odd behavior of star reveals lonely black hole hiding in giant star clusterAstronomers using ESO's MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile have discovered a star in the cluster NGC 3201 that is behaving very strangely. It appears to be orbiting an invisible black hole with about four times the mass of the Sun—the first such inactive stellar-mass black hole found in a globular cluster and the first found by directly detecting its gravitational pull. This important discovery impacts on our understanding of the formation of these star clusters, black holes, and the origins of gravitational wave events. |
 | China has a plan to clean up space junk with lasersOrbital debris (aka. space junk) is one of the greatest problems facing space agencies today. After 60 years of sending rockets, boosters and satellites into space, the situation in the low Earth orbit (LEO) has become rather crowded. Given how fast debris in orbit can travel, even the tiniest bits of junk can pose a major threat to the International Space Station and threaten still-active satellites. |
 | UFO believers got one thing right—here's what they get wrongThe past few weeks have been good for UFO believers. For decades they've clamored for "disclosure"—an admission by the government that it knows of galactic gatecrashers, and that aliens are irrefutably here. This always struck me as a classic argument from ignorance: We lack good evidence to prove our case because it's been hidden. |
 | Europe's space agency braces for Brexit falloutThe European Space Agency (ESA) is drawing up contingency plans for projects, commercial deals, and staffing that may be adversely affected by Brexit, senior officials said Wednesday. |
 | Meteor credited for bright light, noise rattling Michigan (Update)Experts say a bright light and what sounded like thunder in the sky above Michigan was a meteor. |
 | Redshift space distortions measured via quasars in scientific firstThe Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), the world's largest galaxy survey, is part of Phase IV of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), a major multi-spectral imaging and spectroscopic redshift survey. |
 | Image: European Columbus module packed up and loaded for transportThe European Columbus module is packed up and loaded for transport to the US in this image from 2006. Built in Turin, Italy, and Bremen, Germany, the completed module was shipped to NASA's facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of its February 2008 launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. |
 | China, Europe jointly test technology for storm satelliteChina and Europe are jointly testing new technology that could help satellites peer through clouds and analyze storms. |
Technology news
 | Miniaturized origami-inspired robot combines micrometer precision with high speedBecause of their high precision and speed, Delta robots are deployed in many industrial processes, including pick-and-place assemblies, machining, welding and food packaging. Starting with the first version developed by Reymond Clavel for a chocolate factory to quickly place chocolate pralines in their packages, Delta robots use three individually controlled and lightweight arms that guide a platform to move fast and accurately in three directions. The platform is either used as a stage, similar to the ones being used in flight simulators, or coupled to a manipulating device that can, for example, grasp, move, and release objects in prescribed patterns. Over time, roboticists have designed smaller and smaller Delta robots for tasks in limited workspaces, yet shrinking them further to the millimeter scale with conventional manufacturing techniques and components has proven fruitless. |
 | Reading comprehension: Alibaba model may get better marks than youTake some soothing blueberry juice. Or dust off your worry beads. Or anything else you do for calm when you read about artificial intelligence beating humans in mind games. Here comes another. |
 | Norway aims for all short-haul flights 100% electric by 2040All of Norway's short-haul airliners should be entirely electric by 2040, the country's airport operator said on Wednesday, cementing the Nordic nation's role as a pioneer in the field of electric transport. |
 | YouTube toughens rules regarding which videos get adsYouTube on Tuesday announced ramped-up rules regarding when it will run ads with videos as it scrambled to quell concerns by brands about being paired with troublesome content. |
'Alien attack' in Tokyo as Space Invaders turns 40Block graphic aliens dropped down the window panes of a Tokyo skyscraper before being blasted into oblivion by enthusiastic gamers celebrating 40 years of the arcade sensation "Space Invaders". | |
 | Autonomous cars loom, but the Detroit auto show goes onThe North American International Auto Show in Detroit opened to the press this week with one big question hanging in the air: How will autonomous vehicles change the industry? |
 | China to step up cryptocurrency crackdownChina is preparing for a new crackdown on cryptocurrency, planning to stamp out remaining trading in the country, according to state media. |
 | Study suggests ways to encourage homeowners to save energyAs winter temperatures plummet into the single digits, plenty of homeowners wish they could keep their home energy costs down—and help the environment to boot!—but often fail to take action. A new study led by Kathryn Caldwell, an assistant professor of psychology at Ithaca College, demonstrates that homeowners can be encouraged to make changes to their energy use with a simple education plan and some helpful tricks from the world of social psychology. |
 | App for keeping an eye on the kids at the poolFor many, it would not be summer without a day at the public swimming pool. Now a design student has created a concept for an app that prompts parents and guardians to keep an eye on their kids. |
 | Hawaii's missile alert gaffe—why good human-machine design is criticalA ballistic missile warning alarm that was wrongly triggered in Hawaii recently rams home the importance of the way interfaces are designed to prevent such major bloopers from happening in the first place. |
 | Reaching rural America with broadband internet serviceAll across the U.S., rural communities' residents are being left out of modern society and the 21st century economy. I've traveled to Kansas, Maine, Texas and other states studying internet access and use – and I hear all the time from people with a crucial need still unmet. Rural Americans want faster, cheaper internet like their city-dwelling compatriots have, letting them work remotely and use online services, to access shopping, news, information and government data. |
 | Baby boomers use too much energy in their homesMany people live at home up to a ripe old age without needing much outside help. In a study conducted for the National Research Programme "Managing Energy Consumption," researchers have examined how much energy could be saved in elderly people's households and why this saving potential is not being exploited. |
 | To end share-bike dumping, focus on how to change people's behaviourWhile most cities are keen to promote bike use, few foresaw the problems caused by dockless bike-sharing schemes such as oBike and Reddy Go. The advantage of dockless bikes is that users needn't find dedicated stations to pick up and return the bikes. Instead, the user leaves the bike in a public place for the next rider to use. But the disadvantage turns out to be that these bikes are littering streets or being dumped in parks and rivers in cities in Australia and overseas. |
 | Why many click farm jobs should be understood as digital slaveryThe digital economy has created new opportunities and ways of working. But it has also created millions of tasks or jobs that involve intense competition, unregulated working conditions and extremely low rates of pay. |
 | Dutch hi-tech group ASML notches up 'fantastic year'Dutch computer chip maker and global hi-tech bellwether ASML Wednesday reported "a fantastic" 12 months with year-on-year profits almost doubling in 2017, sales on the increase and thousands of new jobs being created. |
At Detroit auto show, future high tech is presentFor the technology phobic, the Einride T-Pod autonomous cargo truck could be the stuff of nightmares. | |
 | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube pressed over terror contentTerrorists and hate groups continue to get their propaganda onto social media platforms despite efforts by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to shut them down, a US Senate panel heard Wednesday. |
 | Apple facing slew of Russian lawsuits over slow iPhonesSeven lawsuits have been launched in Russia and "hundreds" dozens more are in the pipeline against US tech giant Apple which has already admitted to slowing the performance of older iPhone models, a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs said Wednesday. |
 | Humans will review video from most popular YouTube creatorsGoogle says humans will now review video from its most popular YouTube creators after recent complaints. |
 | Group pinpoints riches hidden in Europe's mountains of wasteResearchers have completed the first survey of valuable materials they say are waiting to be mined from Europe's vast landfills and scrapyards. |
 | Apple to build 2nd campus, hire 20,000 in $350B pledgeApple is planning to build another corporate campus and hire 20,000 workers during the next five years as part of a $350 billion commitment to the U.S. that will be partially financed by an upcoming windfall from the country's new tax law. |
 | Self-healing fungi concrete could provide sustainable solution to crumbling infrastructureA new self-healing fungi concrete, co-developed by researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, could help repair cracks in aging concrete permanently, and help save America's crumbling infrastructure. |
 | Uber close to scrapping human backups in self-driving carsUber plans to carry passengers in autonomous vehicles without human backup drivers in about the same time frame as competitors, which expect to be on the road at the latest sometime next year, the service's autonomous vehicle chief said Wednesday. |
 | New defenses sought against GPS spoofing attacksCyberattacks with the potential to expose sensitive information and cripple basic services could start with what would seem to be the most harmless of computer functions. |
 | Volkswagen clinches record sales in 2017German carmaker Volkswagen said Wednesday it sold a record number of vehicles in 2017, putting it on track to hold on to the title of world's largest carmaker two years after its "dieselgate" emissions scandal. |
 | EU car sales top 15-mn barrier in 2017: dataThe number of new cars sold in Europe topped the 15-million mark for the first time in a decade in 2017, the bloc's industry body calculated in new data published Wednesday. |
Physicists look for ways to protect satellites' electronic equipment in spaceThe Department of Micro- and Nano-Electronics at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Russia) has presented a new method of predicting integrated microcircuit failures in outer space. An article on the research has been published by IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science. | |
 | Sweat torso to become international standardEmpa's sweat torso now meets the ISO standard. How protective clothing affects the human body can be investigated in future with Empa's torso in a standardized way. |
Indiana health network pays about $55,000 ransom to hackers (Update)A suburban Indianapolis health network said it paid a $55,000 ransom to hackers to regain access to hospital computer systems, making it the latest health system around the globe targeted by money-seeking hackers. | |
 | Rolls-Royce deepens restructuring, may sell marine unitRolls-Royce, the British maker of engines, announced further restructuring Wednesday that could result in the sale of its commercial marine business. |
 | 'Massive' infrastructure spending needed in Africa, says reportEconomic growth in Africa picked up steam last year and is set to accelerate strongly in 2018, but "massive investments" are needed in infrastructure, the African Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday. |
 | Apple says will pay $38 bn in taxes on repatriated profitsApple announced Wednesday it would pay some $38 billion in taxes—likely the largest payment of its kind—on profits repatriated from overseas as it boosts investments in the United States. |
 | Verizon pushes further into sports streaming with NBA dealYahoo users will be able to stream eight basketball games for free under a new deal with the NBA. |
 | Big swings continue as bitcoin briefly dips below $10,000The volatility of the digital currency markets was on display again Wednesday, as bitcoin briefly fell below $10,000 before rebounding back above $11,000 in the U.S. afternoon. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Recording a thought's fleeting trip through the brainUniversity of California, Berkeley neuroscientists have tracked the progress of a thought through the brain, showing clearly how the prefrontal cortex at the front of the brain coordinates activity to help us act in response to a perception. |
 | How your brain remembers what you had for dinner last nightConfirming earlier computational models, researchers at University of California San Diego and UC San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Arizona and Louisiana, report that episodic memories are encoded in the hippocampus of the human brain by distinct, sparse sets of neurons. |
 | Baby brains help infants figure it out before they try it outBabies often amaze their parents when they seemingly learn new skills overnight—how to walk, for example. But their brains were probably prepping for those tasks long before their first steps occurred, according to researchers. |
 | Alzheimer's disease: Neuronal loss very limitedFrequently encountered in the elderly, Alzheimer's is considered a neurodegenerative disease, which means that it is accompanied by a significant, progressive loss of neurons and their nerve endings, or synapses. A joint French and Canadian study published in Scientific Reports now challenges this view. |
 | Weight flux alters molecular profile, study findsThe human body undergoes dramatic changes during even short periods of weight gain and loss, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
 | Secrets of longevity protein revealed in new studyNamed after the Greek goddess who spun the thread of life, Klotho proteins play an important role in the regulation of longevity and metabolism. In a recent Yale-led study, researchers revealed the three-dimensional structure of one of these proteins, beta-Klotho, illuminating its intricate mechanism and therapeutic potential. |
 | Scientists zoom in to watch DNA code being readScientists have unveiled incredible images of how the DNA code is read and interpreted—revealing new detail about one of the fundamental processes of life. |
 | Researchers develop swallowable test to detect pre-cancerous Barrett's esophagusInvestigators at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center have developed a simple, swallowable test for early detection of Barrett's esophagus that offers promise for preventing deaths from esophageal adenocarcinoma. |
 | Study reveals how MRSA infection compromises lymphatic functionInfections of the skin or other soft tissues with the hard-to-treat MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria appear to permanently compromise the lymphatic system, which is crucial to immune system function. In their report published online in Science Translational Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators describe finding that MRSA infection impairs the ability of lymphatic vessels to pump lymphatic fluid to lymph nodes in mouse models, which may contribute to the frequent recurrences of MRSA infection experienced by patients. |
 | Midbrain 'start neurons' control whether we walk or runLocomotion comprises the most fundamental movements we perform. It is a complex sequence from initiating the first step, to stopping when we reach our goal. At the same time, locomotion is executed at different speeds to regulate how fast we travel from one place to another. Now, a new study published in the journal Nature shows that two regions in the midbrain, the cuneiform nucleus (CnF) and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) play specific roles in controlling the start, speed and context-dependent selection of locomotion in mice. |
 | Newly-discovered TB blood signal provides early warning for at-risk patientsTuberculosis can be detected in people with HIV infection via a unique blood signal before symptoms appear, according to a new study by researchers from the Crick, Imperial College London and the University of Cape Town. |
 | Fresh approach to tuberculosis vaccine offers better protectionA unique platform that resulted in a promising HIV vaccine has also led to a new, highly effective vaccine against tuberculosis that is moving toward testing in humans. |
 | Modulating molecules: Study shows oxytocin helps the brain to modulate social signalsBetween sights, sounds, smells and other senses, the brain is flooded with stimuli on a moment-to-moment basis. How can it sort through the flood of information to decide what is important and what can be relegated to the background? |
 | Nearly imperceptible fluctuations in movement correspond to autism diagnosesA new study led by researchers at Indiana University and Rutgers University provides the strongest evidence yet that nearly imperceptible changes in how people move can be used to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. |
 | Tracking the impact of early abuse and neglectChildren who experience abuse and neglect early in life are more likely to have problems in social relationships and underachieve academically as adults. |
Stronger, able older adults have better outcomes when hospitalized with critical illnessesOlder adults are more likely than younger adults to develop critical illnesses that require hospitalization and intensive care. These illnesses include severe pneumonia and other serious respiratory conditions, congestive heart failure), heart attacks, and sepsis (a life-threatening complication from bacterial infections). | |
Magnetically applied MicroRNAs could one day help relieve constipationConstipation is an underestimated and debilitating medical issue related to the opioid epidemic. As a growing concern, researchers look to new tools to help patients with this side effect of opioid use and aging. | |
 | Genetic discovery may help better identify children at risk for type 1 diabetesSix novel chromosomal regions identified by scientists leading a large, prospective study of children at risk for type 1 diabetes will enable the discovery of more genes that cause the disease and more targets for treating or even preventing it. |
Nearly 25 percent of chronic ischemic heart disease patients dead or hospitalized in six monthsNearly a quarter of patients with chronic ischaemic cardiovascular disease are dead or hospitalised within six months, reports a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. | |
 | Cycling networks could prevent up to 10,000 premature deaths in European citiesA study led by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health has found that expanding designated cycling networks in cities could provide considerable health and economic benefits. |
 | Reducing sessions of trauma-focused psychotherapy does not affect effectivenessPosttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients treated with as few as five sessions of trauma-focused psychotherapy find it equally effective as receiving 12 sessions. |
 | Low fitness is associated with larger waist size and higher degree of inflammationLow fitness is associated with a larger waist size and a higher degree of inflammation, according to a study published January 17, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anne-Sophie Wedell-Neergaard from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues. |
 | New report calls into question effectiveness of pregnancy anti-nausea drugPreviously unpublished information from the clinical trial that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relied on to approve the most commonly prescribed medicine for nausea in pregnancy indicates the drug is not effective, a new report says. |
 | Scientists seek super-shot for flu 100 years after pandemicThe descriptions are haunting. |
Obesity and overweight multiply the risk of cancer and heart diseaseBeing overweight or obese exponentially increases the risk of suffering heart disease or cancer. This is the conclusion of the Spanish Risk Function of Coronary and Other Events (FRESCO) study led by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and doctors from Hospital del Mar, who analysed the follow-up of 54,446 people from seven autonomic communities over a 10-year period. | |
The HLF gene protects blood stem cells by maintaining them in a resting stateThe HLF gene is necessary for maintaining blood stem cells in a resting state, which is crucial for ensuring normal blood production. This has been shown by a new research study from Lund University in Sweden published in Cell Reports. | |
 | Study says some nursing homes gaming the system to improve their Medicare star ratingsFor families faced with the difficult decision of placing a loved one in a nursing home, a government rating system is often the only source of information to determine which facilities are the best. However, a new study of nursing homes in California, the nation's largest system, by faculty at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Connecticut, found that some nursing homes inflate their self-assessment reporting to improve their score in the Five-Star Quality Rating System employed by Medicare to help consumers. |
 | How rejuvenation of stem cells could lead to healthier aging"Rampant" and "elderly" are words rarely used in the same sentence, unless we are talking of the percentage of people over 65 years old worldwide. Life expectancy has considerably increased, but it is still unknown how many of those years are going to be lived in good health. |
 | Specialist explains why age 13 to 15 is ideal for the first gynecologist visitMost parents are well-versed in schedules for their kids. They know to schedule an annual physical—or else the school nurse will call, or their child can't join the soccer team. They know when their kids need to start dental checks, and inevitably, when to see an orthodontist. |
Study suggests hope for a longer life for patients with rare autoimmune disorderAn unusual autoimmune disease that causes skin and lung damage can be treated effectively by stem cell transplant, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine has found. The approach could represent the first new treatment to improve survival in patients with severe scleroderma in more than four decades. | |
Scientists shed light on a key molecular mechanism of autoimmune and inflammatory diseasesAn international team of researchers led by prof. Savvas Savvides (VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research) has unraveled a crucial aspect of the molecular basis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Focusing on the immunomodulatory cytokine IL-23 they discovered that its pro-inflammatory activity, which underlies a wide range of inflammatory diseases, critically depends on structural activation of the cytokine by its receptor, IL-23R. The results of the study are published in the leading journal Immunity. | |
Researchers develop computer vision technique to analyse stroke rehabilitation processMethods from optogenetics and machine learning should improve treatment options for stroke patients. Researchers from Heidelberg University have developed a computer vision technique to analyse the changes in motor skills that result from targeted stimulation of healthy areas of the brain. Movements recorded with a video camera are automatically analysed to monitor the rehabilitation process and evaluate and adjust the optogenetic stimulation. Researchers from the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) in Heidelberg worked with neurobiologists from Switzerland to develop the method. | |
Improved home care services and reduced workload for carers with a new work modelThe number of elderly people who require home care will rapidly increase in Finland in the near future. The number of carers in not going to increase, though, at the same rate, and carers' excessive workload and the use of temporary agency staff already causes major problems. How to guarantee good care for all in a discord like this? | |
 | Physical activity impacts child growth, new study findsScientific Reports has just published an important new study by Hunter post-doctoral research fellow Samuel Urlacher. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Dr. Urlacher is a biological anthropologist whose research seeks to understand variation in human health, physiology, and behavior through the lens of evolutionary theory. His recent study, "Evidence for energetic tradeoffs between physical activity and childhood growth across the nutritional transition," suggests that physical activity can considerably impact child growth and the deposition of body fat. The study also indicates that in economically developing societies, the behavioral shifts that come with increased technology and lifestyle change likely contribute to larger body size and increased obesity rates. |
 | Which medicines don't go well with flying?Every day, more than 10 million people take a flight somewhere in the world. While flying is relatively safe, the unique environmental conditions can put passengers at risk if they're taking certain medications. |
 | Public health study finds sexual minorities more likely to have used E-cigarettesLesbian, gay and bisexual adults are more likely than heterosexual adults to have tried e-cigarettes and other alternative tobacco products, according to a study led by tobacco researchers at the Georgia State University School of Public Health. |
 | How past intentions influence generosity toward the futureOver time, it really is the thought that counts – provided we know what that thought was, suggests new research from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. |
 | Bringing cheap and accurate tuberculosis tests to AfricaSince the 1970s, millions of women have appreciated the ease of a urine-based home pregnancy test to find out if their family is about to grow. |
 | We found ways to shorten the turnaround time for diagnosing babies with HIVThey say timing is everything. And in sub-Saharan Africa, where roughly a third of untreated HIV infected babies die before they reach the age of one, a timely diagnosis is everything. |
Former elite athletes live longer than their brothersOn average, former elite athletes survive longer than their brothers. In addition, their self-rated health and health-related habits are better in comparison to their brothers at an older age. This was clarified by Master of Health Sciences (Sports and Exercise Medicine) Titta Kontro from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä. The study included in total 900 former elite athletes and their brothers. | |
 | Gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy are comparable for morbid obesity treatmentIn Switzerland, 5,500 operations to combat morbid obesity are conducted every year. Gastric bypasses and sleeve gastrectomy operations perform similarly: patients lose two-thirds of their excess weight in the long term, as researchers from the University of Basel at the St. Claraspital report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). When it comes to gastric acid reflux, the bypass clearly shows better results. |
 | Toxic flame retardants are a burning issueFlame retardants are an integral part of creating products from plastics to textiles that are fire friendly. However, many of the flame retardants in use are toxic and damaging for the environment. Dr. Giulio Malucelli has built a group that is 'greening-up' flame retardant chemicals. |
Study shows doctors record better notes after using best-practices programThe quality and efficiency of notes doctors took about their patients improved when they received education and guidelines that emphasized best practices. In a study led by UCLA researchers, physicians were instructed to document only what was relevant for that day and were discouraged from using some common tools that are intended to make note-taking more efficient. During the study period, physicians produced shorter, higher quality notes and completed the notes earlier in the day. By limiting the efficiency tools, note writing actually became more efficient. | |
 | Researchers discover key driver of atopic dermatitisSevere eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that is driven by an allergic reaction. In their latest study, researchers at La Jolla Institute reveal an important player that promotes skin inflammation in atopic dermatitis and the characteristic thickening of the skin. |
Chronic disease care: Family helpers play key roles, but feel left out by providersPeople with diabetes, heart failure and other chronic diseases often live independent lives, without a traditional 'caregiver.' But many of them have a family member or friend who plays a key supporting role in their health care. | |
 | Asymptomatic atrial fibrillation poses challenges for cardiac careAtrial fibrillation (AF) can often be asymptomatic, leading to difficulties in diagnosis and untreated risks for morbidity and mortality. The occurrence of paroxysmal AF (PAF), in which the fibrillation event is intermittent, resolves without medical intervention and lasts for less than seven days, adds another layer of diagnostic complication. In a study published in the journal Chest, researchers found that asymptomatic PAF patients are more likely to be older, male, and have more comorbidities and a higher risk of stroke than symptomatic patients. In an analysis of a sustained AF (SAF) group, the prevalence of major comorbidities and stroke risk were comparable in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. |
 | Walmart offers way to turn leftover opioids into useless gelWalmart is helping customers get rid of leftover opioids by giving them packets that turn the addictive painkillers into a useless gel. |
 | Sleep better, lose weight?(HealthDay)—Sleeplessness could cost you when it's time to stand on your bathroom scale, a new British study suggests. |
 | The second stage of diet resolutionsThe small changes you've made have added up to big weight loss results. Now, take a few minutes to write down and review all the positive steps you've made in the past and pick a few new ones to adopt during the year. |
 | Creativity may rely on 'teamwork' in the brain(HealthDay)—Scientists may have discovered what makes a creative mind tick: stronger connections among brain regions that usually work in opposition to each other. |
 | USPSTF: Evidence lacking for nontraditional CVD risk factors(HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded that current evidence is insufficient to assess the use of nontraditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment. They also conclude that evidence is lacking for the use of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) to screen for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in asymptomatic individuals. These findings form the basis of two draft recommendation statements published online Jan. 16 by the USPSTF. |
 | Study with female rugby players shows a regular season of play results in changes in the brainResearchers at Western University have shown that a regular season of play can cause changes in the brain that are similar to changes caused by concussion, though less severe. Using sophisticated Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy the researchers looked at metabolite levels in the brains of female varsity rugby players at the beginning of their season, after suffering a concussion, and again at the end of the season. |
 | Will there be enough public health workers when baby boomers retire?Baby boomers are beginning to retire in large numbers and many professions will have to attract and train replacements. In particular, the governmental public health workforce will experience significant losses through retirement and attrition due to budgetary constraints. In a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers estimate that over one quarter of this workforce will disappear. They further project that while enough students graduate each year to replace retirees and others who voluntarily quit, they question whether the public health sector can compete with the private sector to hire qualified candidates. |
 | Prebiotics in infant formula could improve learning and memory and alter brain chemistryNearly every American who has become a parent in the last decade has heard the slogan, "breast milk is best," and has likely been encouraged to offer breast milk to newborns. Among other things, breast milk contains natural sources of prebiotics: small, indigestible fiber molecules that promote the growth of good bacteria in the baby's gut. Yet for many families, breastfeeding is difficult or impossible. Fortunately, modern infant formulas are getting closer to the real thing with the help of University of Illinois researchers. |
Science panel backs lower drunken driving thresholdMost women would need to draw the line at two drinks, and men at two or three if states follow a blueprint by a prestigious scientific panel for eliminating the "entirely preventable" 10,000 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in the United States each year. | |
 | Brain is susceptible to acute MI, chronic heart failure(HealthDay)—Acute myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic heart failure have effects on the brain, according to a study published in the Jan. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | ASCO: liquid biopsy accurate for detecting colorectal cancer(HealthDay)—Liquid biopsy that identifies circulating tumor cells in a blood sample has high accuracy for detecting colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held from Jan. 18 to 20 in San Francisco. |
 | Room for improvement seen with initial diabetes care(HealthDay)—Diabetes care can be improved with enhanced communication between providers and patients and improved communication between members of the primary care team, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. |
 | Human rhinovirus commonly detected in febrile infants(HealthDay)—For febrile infants, human rhinovirus (HRV) is common, and detection does not alter risk of concomitant urinary tract infection or invasive bacterial infection, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Pediatrics. |
 | New study validates clotting risk factors in chronic kidney diseaseIn late 2017, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) discovered and published (Science Translational Medicine, (9) 417, Nov 2017) a potential treatment target to prevent chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients from developing thrombosis (blood clots) without causing bleeding complications. They found that boosting a regulatory protein named STUB1 decreased the abundance of tissue factor (TF) and prevented blood vessel blockages in experimental models. |
Default setting in EM records 'nudged' emergency department physicians to limit opioid prescriptions to 10 tabletsFor patients who have never been prescribed opioids, larger numbers of tablets given with the initial prescription is associated with long-term use and more tablets leftover that could be diverted for misuse or abuse. Patients may receive 30 or more opioid tablets in an initial prescription, for example, when a much lesser quantity, such as 10-12 tablets as recommended by current emergency department prescribing guidelines, would suffice. Implementing a default option for a lower quantity of tablets in the electronic medical records (EMR) discharge orders may help combat the issue by "nudging" physicians to prescribe smaller quantities consistent with prescribing guidelines Penn Medicine researchers show in a new study published this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. | |
 | Antibodies show effectiveness for HIV prevention and promise for treatment and cureThe ability of HIV to mutate has been a major challenge to vaccine development. As the body produces antibodies to target the outer HIV envelope protein, this protein changes, thwarting the circulating antibodies' ability to neutralize it. Yet recent studies testing multivalent combinations of three broadly neutralizing antibodies, or bnAbs, have yielded promising results in animal models of HIV prevention. Two investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill describe the potential of bnAbs to inform HIV prevention, treatment and cure strategies in a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
Patients with blood cancer precursor at risk of developing cancer even after 30 yearsPatients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance are at risk of progressing to multiple myeloma or a related cancer—even after 30 years of stability. These are the findings of a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the Wednesday, Jan. 17, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance is a condition in which an abnormal protein, known as monoclonal protein, is found in the blood. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance usually causes no problems but may develop, over time, into multiple myeloma—a form of blood cancer. | |
 | Mammogram rates increase after ACA eliminates co-paymentsAfter the Affordable Care Act (ACA) eliminated cost sharing for screening mammograms, their rate of use rose six percentage points among older woman for whom such screenings were recommended, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine finds. |
DIPG tumor patterns offer new insight on survivalThe prognosis for all children diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and similar tumors has been mostly the same: dismal. | |
Patients benefit from one-on-one PT education before joint replacementA study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that patients benefit from a one-on-one education session with a physical therapist and access to a web-based microsite prior to joint replacement surgery. They achieved physical therapy goals more quickly after knee or hip replacement compared to patients who did not have the educational session or access to the microsite. | |
Cutting the cord is easier said than doneChances are, you have someone in your life who causes a lot of tension and stress. Difficult relationships are common. They are also commonly difficult to evade. Who are these people and why can't we just cut the cord? | |
 | Study explores a novel candidate for antidepressant treatmentAccording to the World Health Organization more than three hundred million people worldwide are affected by major depressive disorder. Unfortunately, the antidepressants commonly used to treat them only work for 50% of the population. |
 | Brain protein changes could explain how concussions affect patientsTraumatic brain injuries, whether suffered from a blow on the football field or the battle field, can be devastating, leading to disability and shortened lives. However, little is known about how different levels of injury and time affect the brain, hindering efforts to develop effective treatments. Scientists now report results from rodent studies in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research showing that signaling molecules are likely involved in mild cases, also known as concussions. |
 | Dulling cancer therapy's double-edged swordResearchers have discovered that killing cancer cells can actually have the unintended effect of fueling the proliferation of residual, living cancer cells, ultimately leading to aggressive tumor progression. |
Presurgical targeted therapy delays relapse of high-risk stage 3 melanomaA pair of targeted therapies given before and after surgery for melanoma produced at least a six-fold increase in time to progression compared to standard-of-care surgery for patients with stage 3 disease, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Lancet Oncology. Patients who had no sign of disease at surgery after combination treatment did not progress to metastasis. | |
 | Fake medicines flourish in Africa despite killing thousandsThere's nothing covert about Roxy—a huge market in Abidjan selling counterfeit medicine, the scourge of Africa and the cause of around 100,000 deaths annually on the world's poorest continent. |
Study warns of enormous impact of evictions on mental healthPsychologists from the University of Granada, together with researchers from the Andalusian School of Public Health (Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública - EASP) have conducted an in-depth study on the effects of evictions on mental health. Their research, which was recently published in the Spanish Journal of Psychology, demonstrates that those who have been evicted from their homes suffer from very high levels of anxiety and depression. Specifically, 88 percent of participants in the study suffered from anxiety and 91 percent from depression. | |
 | Solution for hand tremors hits the marketTechnology created at a Lithuanian startup company Fidens helps to reduce uncontrollable shaking hands, which is one of the symptoms of essential tremor. The technology is effective in seven out of 10 cases, and it can also be used to alleviate morning stiffness of joints for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. |
An eNose that sniffs out bacteria that cause soft tissue infectionsA recent study conducted at the University of Tampere, Tampere University of Technology, Pirkanmaa Hospital District and Fimlab in Finland has concluded that an electronic nose (eNose) can be used to identify the most common bacteria causing soft tissue infections. The eNose can be used to detect the bacteria without the prior preparation of samples, and the system was capable of differentiating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). | |
 | Researchers successfully test a new combination therapy in sarcomasResearchers of the Sarcoma group at Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute have successfully tested a new combined therapy for the treatment of sarcoma, a rare, aggressive tumor type affecting children and adults. The results of the clinical trial, published in Targeted Oncology, represent a successful step in the translational research strategy led by Dr. Òscar Martínez-Tirado and Dr. Xavier Garcia del Muro. |
 | Driven by ego? This book's for youPsychiatrist Mark Epstein '75 studied Buddhism alongside social relations as a Harvard undergrad, forging a path he would follow through Harvard Medical School and beyond. Based in New York, Epstein is the author of several books, including "Thoughts Without a Thinker," "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart," and the just-published "Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself." |
 | Raising awareness of the risks of natural sciences researchNew research findings from biology and chemistry are a blessing for the world of medicine. However, if they are misused for military purposes, they can reveal a darker side. How to deal with the "dual-use dilemma"? This was the subject of a course aimed specifically at biology and chemistry students. |
New program helps children with Down syndrome learn EnglishCristina Cunha, teacher at Universidad Católica de Valencia (UCV), has designed a computer application that helps children with Down syndrome to learn English. The online program, based on intelligent tutoring systems, can be used on a tablet or a computer and has doubled the performance of the elementary school students it has been tested on. | |
 | Dad's reading is new chapter of child language developmentFathers, as well as mothers, are being encouraged to read to their kids after new research has shown the impact dads can have for their child's language development. |
 | Surgeon discusses latest treatments for shoulder problemsAnthony Romeo, MD, watched the recent World Series with particular interest. A specialist in shoulder and elbow surgery, Romeo treats many well-known Major League Baseball pitchers and other players. He is one of the doctors at Rush who serve as a team physician for the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls, and he also provides care for numerous athletes from other teams and sports. |
 | Mathematicians develop a prediction app for personalized sarcoma careThe DASPO-group for data analysis and survival in personalized sarcoma at the Mathematical Institute has developed an app that provides personalised predictions for patients suffering from soft tissue sarcomas. Due to the aggressive nature of such tumors, the prognosis for such patients is poor, even after surgery to remove the initial tumor. Local recurrence (tumor growth at site of surgery) and distant metastasis (tumor growth at a different site) are common, but there is considerable variation between patients. The lack of a validated prediction model including treatment modalities inspired the development of PERSAC, a personalised sarcoma care prediction model. |
Accelerating progress to reduce alcohol-impaired driving fatalitiesDespite progress in recent decades, more than 10,000 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities occur each year in the U.S. To address this persistent problem, stakeholders—from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement—should work together to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of actions, such as lowering state laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 0.08 to 0.05 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC), increasing alcohol taxes significantly, strengthening policies to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already-intoxicated adults, enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws, and providing effective treatment for offenders when needed. | |
Review examines the pros and cons of surgery to reduce the risk of cancerGenetic testing is commonplace for many inheritable cancer syndromes, and with that comes the knowledge of being a gene carrier for some patients. Many guidelines recommend that gene carriers take certain steps, such as surgery, to reduce their risk of developing cancer. A new BJS (British Journal of Surgery) review explores the quality-of-life consequences of genetic testing and risk-reducing surgery. | |
 | Timothy Ray Brown, cured of HIV, rallies public to support research fundingIn the 10th anniversary year since a bone marrow stem cell transplant cured Timothy Ray Brown of his HIV infection, despite disappointment over decreasing public desire to find a cure for HIV, Timothy Ray Brown remains optimistic that the scientific and medical communities can and will achieve this if properly funded. He describes his most recent activities and the basis for his pessimism and optimism in the article "Timothy Ray Brown's Continuing Activism Toward Curing HIV," published in the latest HIV Cure Research Issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. |
Patient-derived organoids may help personalize the treatment of gastrointestinal cancersA new BJS (British Journal of Surgery) review highlights the potential of 3D organoid models derived from patient cells to help personalize therapy for individuals with gastrointestinal cancers. | |
Hepatitis therapy: Kupffer cells adjust the balance between pathogen control and hepatocyte regeneraInflammation of the liver can result from different causes. Besides infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), other viruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) are able to trigger acute hepatitis. Sometimes hepatitis induces fever and flu-like symptoms, however, it may also damage the liver and might even result in acute liver failure. Yet, currently there is no general agreement on how acute hepatitis should be treated: Should the immune response against the viral pathogen be reinforced or inhibited? Scientists from TWINCORE have now published new insights on the processes involved in liver inflammation in the Journal of Hepatology: Type I interferons, on the one hand, limit viral replication and thereby help the immune cells to control the viral pathogen. On the other hand, type I interferons delay the regeneration of immune cells, which are important to adjust and maintain the immune balance within the liver during acute inflammation. | |
Measles outbreak in Ukraine kills twoTwo people, including a five-year-old child, have died this month in an outbreak of measles in Ukraine, where the vaccination rate is among the lowest in Europe, officials said Wednesday. | |
Philadelphia sues opioid makers in response to epidemicPhiladelphia has filed a lawsuit against drug companies that make prescription opioids, saying they've created "an unprecedented public health crisis." | |
Biology news
 | Can being too social take years off your life? Yes, biologists report, if you're a marmotLarge ground squirrels called yellow-bellied marmots live much longer, on average, if they are less social and more isolated than if they are more social and less isolated, a UCLA-led long-term study has found. |
 | A simple cell holds 42 million protein molecules, scientists revealIt's official—there are some 42 million protein molecules in a simple cell, revealed a team of researchers led by Grant Brown, a biochemistry professor in the University of Toronto's Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research. Analyzing data from almost two dozen large studies of protein abundance in yeast cells, the team was able to produce for the first time reliable estimates for the number of molecules for each protein, as revealed in a study published this week in the journal Cell Systems. |
 | 'Heart-on-a-chip' process aims to speed up drug testingTesting new clinical drugs' effect on heart tissue could become quicker and more straightforward, thanks to new research from Harvard University. |
 | No-fishing zones help endangered penguinsSmall no-fishing zones around colonies of African penguins can help this struggling species, new research shows. |
 | Quick quick slow is no-go in crab courtship danceFemale fiddler crabs are sensitive to changes in the speed of a male's courtship display, significantly preferring displays that accelerate to those that are performed at a constant speed or slow down. |
 | How living systems compute solutions to problemsHow do decisions get made in the natural world? One possibility is that the individuals or components in biological systems collectively compute solutions to challenges they face in their environments. Consider that fish navigate complex environments to find food and escape predators. Some fish do this by moving together as a unit, sometimes forming incredibly organized schools. The members of a beehive are collectively able to determine which of two nest sites is better. Humans are able to make accurate, coherent decisions even though the process underlying those decisions may involve billions of neurons, each with its own opinion. There are no leaders in these groups and different individuals have different preferences about where to go or what to do. No individual fish or bee or neuron has enough information by itself, but together they can accomplish amazing things. How is this possible? |
 | Circadian regulation in the honey bee brainCircadian clocks regulate the behaviour of all living things. Scientists from the University of Würzburg have now taken a closer look at the clock's anatomical structures and molecular processes in the honeybee. |
 | Measuring metabolism in dolphins to calculate their caloric needsA team of researchers from several institutions in the U.S. and one in Spain has measured the metabolism of wild bottlenose dolphins in an effort to better understand their caloric needs. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes measuring the dolphins, what they found, and explain how their findings can help with conservation efforts. |
 | Hormone keys plant growth or stress tolerance, but not bothPlants that grow well tend to be sensitive to heat and drought, and plants that can handle those stresses often have stunted growth. A Purdue University plant scientist has found the switch that creates that antagonism, opening opportunities to develop plants that exhibit both characteristics. |
 | Tiger shark sex life fuels sustainability riskTiger sharks appear to be genetically monogamous – and it could be putting the species at risk. |
 | Mantis shrimp size each other up before giving up a fightTo a mantis shrimp, walking away from a fight doesn't mean being a wimp. It means recognizing who they're up against and knowing when to bail rather than drag out a doomed battle, Duke University researchers say. |
 | Why don't turtles still have tail spikes?We're all familiar with those awesome armored giants of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods - Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus - and their amazing, weaponized tails. But why aren't similar weaponized tails found in animals living today? In a study covering 300 million years of evolutionary history, researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences found four necessary components to tail weapon development: size, armor, herbivory and thoracic stiffness. |
 | Breakthrough enables screening millions of human antibodies for new drug discoveryA paper just published in Nature Biotechnology outlines a pioneering method of screening a person's diverse set of antibodies for rapid therapeutic discovery. Antibody proteins are an important part of the human immune system that specifically target foreign viruses and bacteria, and they have been the fastest-growing class of approved drugs in the past several decades. |
 | Scale-eating fish adopt clever parasitic methods to surviveThink of them as extra-large parasites. A small group of fishes—possibly the world's cleverest carnivorous grazers—feeds on the scales of other fish in the tropics. The different species' approach differs: some ram their blunt noses into the sides of other fish to prey upon sloughed-off scales, while others open their jaws to gargantuan widths to pry scales off with their teeth. |
 | Researchers find post-fire logging harms spotted owlsWildlife ecologists studying the rare spotted owl in the forests of California have discovered that large, intense wildfires are not responsible for abandonment of breeding territories. Instead, the researchers found that post-fire logging operations, which are common on both private and National Forest lands, most likely caused declines in territory occupancy of this imperiled wildlife species. In the absence of post-fire logging, they found no significant effect of large forest fires on spotted owl territory occupancy. Post-fire logging damages important spotted owl foraging areas in "snag forest habitat" that is created by patches of intense fire. This habitat is rich in the small mammal prey species that the owls feed upon, but post-fire logging largely removes this habitat, thereby causing higher rates of territory abandonment. |
 | Timing of spring birdsong provides climate insightsClimate change has scientists worried that birds' annual migration and reproduction will be thrown out of sync with the seasons. Because birds' songs are correlated with their breeding behavior and are easily identifiable to species, monitoring birdsong can be a good way to keep tabs on this possibility, and a new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications takes advantage of this approach to provide new baseline data for the birds of northern California. |
 | Genetic drift caught in action in invasive birdsStudies of island bird populations have taught us a lot about evolution, but it's hard to catch birds in the act of naturally colonizing new islands. Instead, a new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances examines what's happened by looking at the genetics of a species that arrived in Hawaii in the twentieth century through decidedly unnatural means—us. |
 | Double stranded RNA treatment can reduce fertility of adult house fly pestsDouble stranded RNA (dsRNA) can effectively reduce house fly fertility, and shows promise as a pest control method, according to a study published January 17, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Neil Sanscrainte from the USDA/ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, US, and colleagues. |
 | Critically endangered Sumatran elephant gives birth in IndonesiaA critically endangered Sumatran elephant has given birth to a new calf in Indonesia, the country's conservation agency said Wednesday. |
 | New light on the mysterious origin of Bornean elephantsThe Bornean elephant is a subspecies of the Asian elephant that only exists in a small region of Borneo. Their presence on this southeastern Asian island has been a mystery. Now, in a study published in Scientific Reports, a research team led by Lounès Chikhi and Benoit Goossens has found that elephants might have arrived on Borneo via the last land bridge between the Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia. |
 | Second giant panda cub born in MalaysiaA giant panda loaned to Malaysia from China has given birth to a second cub during its stay in the Southeast Asian country, zoo officials said Wednesday. |
 | Clean and green—a moss that removes lead from waterResearchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan have demonstrated that that moss can be a green alternative for decontaminating polluted water and soil. Published in PLOS ONE, the study shows that in particular, the moss Funaria hygrometrica tolerates and absorbs an impressive amount of lead (Pb) from water. |
 | Century-old botany records may hold key to monarch butterfly survivalNaturalists' records dating back more than 100 years may be instrumental in determining the fate of the monarch butterfly in the 21st century. |
 | Arctic photosynthetic capacity and carbon dioxide assimilation underestimated by terrestrial biosphere modelsCarbon uptake and loss from the Arctic is highly sensitive to climate change, and these processes are poorly represented in computational models of the Earth. A key challenge is representing carbon dioxide uptake by plants in the Arctic. These models rely on details developed in warmer climates. This study provided the first Arctic dataset of two key photosynthetic parameters. The parameters were markedly lower in the models than the values measured on the coastal tundra of northern Alaska. In some case, the values were five-fold lower. On average, the capacity for carbon dioxide uptake by Arctic vegetation is double current model estimates. |
 | Tolerance to saltwater and freshwater is key to survivalAccording to Charles Darwin the ability to adapt to new conditions is essential for survival of species. The capacity to cope with altered conditions is becoming increasingly important in the face of climate change. New evidence on salt water tolerance in spawning migrating pike from the Baltic Sea, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests that not being adapted to specific local environments may promote persistence in an uncertain, rapidly changing world. |
 | To maximize sugarcane harvesting, use the right bladeYou wouldn't use the same knife to cut through a thick steak as you would to slice an angel food cake, right? Although that may be a ridiculous comparison, the same principle holds true when harvesting various crops. One blade doesn't slice all. Researchers at the University of Illinois tested four blades to find the one that most efficiently cuts sugarcane. |
 | California sea lion population rebounded to new highsCalifornia sea lions have fully rebounded under the protection of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), with their population on the West Coast reaching carrying capacity in 2008 before unusually warm ocean conditions reduced their numbers, according to the first comprehensive population assessment of the species. |
 | Aid for oceans and fisheries in developing world drops by 30 percentFinancial aid to fisheries in developing countries has declined by 30 percent, finds a new study from UBC and Stockholm Resilience Centre researchers, published in Marine Policy. Projects focusing on climate issues in fisheries had a 77 percent decline over the five years studied. |
 | New 'Buck' naked barley: Food, feed, brewResearchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are giving an ancient grain a new life: this barley is naked, but not in an indecent way. |
 | Hidden cameras help scientists study elusive wildlifeHow does a bighorn sheep say "cheese?" |
 | High tolerance for wildlife exists around Indian reserves despite continued lossesA new study from WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), Duke University, and the Centre for Wildlife Studies in India finds that communities living near wildlife reserves in Rajasthan, India, show a high tolerance for wildlife. This is despite them having experienced losses in crops and livestock as a result of interaction with wildlife like nilgai, jackal and wild pig, as well as larger carnivores such as leopard and wolves. Understanding these attitudes towards wildlife is critical to informing park management policies and practices. |
 | Canine distemper confirmed in Far Eastern leopard, world's most endangered big catThe Far Eastern or Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is already among the rarest of the world's big cats, but new research reveals that it faces yet another threat: infection with canine distemper virus (CDV). A new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases describes the first documented case of CDV in a wild Far Eastern leopard. |
 | MDI Biological Laboratory develops Anecdata citizen science mobile appThe MDI Biological Laboratory is riding the growing wave of interest in citizen science with the development of a new, easily accessible mobile phone app to help community organizations track and analyze crowd-sourced data from citizen volunteers on critical environmental questions. |
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