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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 18, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | NASA's Curiosity rover aims to get its rhythm backNASA's Curiosity rover could soon be drilling rocks on Mars again. |
 | Could recent supernovae be responsible for mass extinctions?Two nearby supernovae that exploded about 2.5 and eight million years ago could have resulted in a staggered depletion of Earth's ozone layer, leading to a variety of repercussions for life on Earth. |
 | NASA's new planet hunter snaps initial test image, swings by Moon toward final orbitNASA's next planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is one step closer to searching for new worlds after successfully completing a lunar flyby on May 17. The spacecraft passed about 5,000 miles from the Moon, which provided a gravity assist that helped TESS sail toward its final working orbit. |
 | Dutch radio antenna to depart for the moon on Chinese missionOn 21 May 2018, the Chinese space agency will launch the relay satellite Chang'e 4 to an orbit behind the Moon. On board will be a Dutch radio antenna, the Netherlands Chinese Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE). The radio antenna is the first Dutch-made scientific instrument to be sent on a Chinese space mission, and it will open up a new chapter in radio astronomy. The is instrument developed and built by engineers from ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy in Dwingeloo, the Radboud Radio Lab of Radboud University in Nijmegen, and the Delft-based company ISIS. With the instrument, astronomers want to measure radio waves originating from the period directly after the Big Bang, when the first stars and galaxies were formed. |
 | Amateur astronomer's data helps scientists discover a new exoplanetScientists at Kourovka Astronomical Observatory of Ural Federal University have discovered a new exoplanet. |
Technology news
 | New startup Zapata Computing intends to market quantum computing softwareA new startup called Zapata Computing has launched with the intention of creating and selling software for quantum computers. Representatives of the new company announced to the press that they have already received $5.4 million in seed money from MIT's The Engine venture firm and several others. |
 | PayPal buys payments startup iZettle for $2.2 bnPayPal on Thursday announced a deal to buy Swedish online commerce startup iZettle for $2.2 billion, a deal that came as the young company was poised for a stock market debut. |
 | FACT CHECK: Tesla safety claims aren't quite rightFor years, Tesla has boasted that its cars and SUVs are safer than other vehicles on the roads, and CEO Elon Musk doubled down on the claims in a series of tweets this week. |
 | What's changing and what's not under new data privacy rulesEurope's new data and privacy rules take effect a week from Friday, clarifying individual rights to the personal data collected by companies around the world for targeted advertising and other purposes. |
 | Cambridge Analytica files for voluntary bankruptcy in US: court filingBritish political consulting group Cambridge Analytica filed for voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York, court documents showed. |
Elon Musk presents underground LA tunnel projectEntrepreneur Elon Musk has given updated details of a project to build high-speed transport tunnels underneath Los Angeles in a bid to combat traffic and said he wanted to work with the city's subway operator. | |
 | Can we get 100 percent of our energy from renewable sources?Is there enough space for all the wind turbines and solar panels to provide all our energy needs? What happens when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow? Won't renewables destabilise the grid and cause blackouts? |
World-class battery storage system helps to power country townA new energy storage system developed by University of Adelaide researchers and industry partners is now successfully supporting the electricity network for the country town of Cape Jervis, South Australia. | |
 | Artificial intelligence will both disrupt and benefit the workplace, scholar saysIn tomorrow's workplace, many routine jobs now performed by workers will increasingly be assumed by machines, leaving more complicated tasks to humans who see the big picture and possess interpersonal skills, a Stanford scholar says. |
 | Before you invest in cryptocurrency, read thisWe've all heard the headline stories about cryptocurrencies – they're millionaire-makers and dream-destroyers. They're part of a decentralised market that supports criminal activity, yada yada yada. But how do you separate facts from fiction? Here are six cryptocurrency myths you need to get on top of. |
 | Live, precise recording of grid voltage and load currentsResearchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a novel monitoring and analysis tool for electrical power grids: The EDR – Electrical Data Recorder continuously scans grid voltage and load currents with high precision and high resolution. While power generation from renewable sources by decentralized producers is increasing, the EDR will provide deeper insight into real systems processes in the future. The data measured will enhance the quality of simulations and enable reliable control of future smart grids. |
 | Germany orders Porsche recall over diesel emissions cheatingGerman authorities said Friday they had ordered 19,000 Porsche SUVs recalled over emissions cheating, saying a total of 60,000 manipulated vehicles had been identified across Europe. |
 | How Google, Facebook will adapt to Europe's new privacy lawCompanies large and small are updating their privacy policies and service terms to comply with upcoming European Union rules governing data and privacy. Only EU users are technically covered by the rules, formally known as the General Data Protection Regulation. |
 | Rivals gain on Amazon in hot market for digital assistants: surveyAmazon has kept its lead in the fast-growing global market for smart speakers powered by artificial intelligence, but Google and others are gaining, a market tracker said. |
 | NYC bill would let workers take a break from calls, emailsThe city that never sleeps could become the first to tell employees "take a break." |
 | BMW expands UK car recall againGerman car manufacturer BMW on Friday expanded a British safety recall for another 88,000 vehicles because of a fire risk. |
Nuclear plant shuts down unexpectedly in Washington stateA nuclear power plant in southeastern Washington shut down unexpectedly Friday. | |
 | China first home-built aircraft carrier completes sea trialsChina said Friday its first home-built aircraft carrier has completed five days of sea trials, putting it closer to joining its sister flattop in the country's increasingly powerful fleet. |
 | Singapore Airlines to absorb regional wing after upgradeSingapore Airlines said Friday it will absorb its struggling premium wing SilkAir following a multimillion-dollar upgrade as part of a reform drive to stay competitive. |
 | Toyota chief hopes to help Japan automakers keep tech edgeToyota Motor Corp. chief Akio Toyoda, tapped to head the Japanese auto industry association, promised Friday to lead a push among manufacturers to keep a competitive edge in emerging technologies such as zero-emission and autonomous driving. |
 | Sharing the workplace with robots? New tool helps designers create safer machinesA research team is helping robot developers design machines less likely to injure the humans they work with. How? With their novel 'safety map." |
Man sentenced to 15 years in prison for hacker sabotageA New Mexico man accused of paying hackers to sabotage websites affiliated with his former employers and state agencies has been sentenced in Minnesota to 15 years in prison. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Breath test breakthrough for early diagnosis of oesophageal and gastric cancerA breath test can successfully detect oesophageal and gastric cancer and could be used as a first-line test for patients, say researchers. |
 | Natural antioxidant bilirubin may improve cardiovascular healthBilirubin, a yellow-orange pigment, is formed after the breakdown of red blood cells and is eliminated by the liver. It's not only a sign of a bruise, it may provide cardiovascular benefits, according to a large-scale epidemiology study. |
 | Particle shows promise to prevent the spread of triple-negative breast cancerUSC researchers have pinpointed a remedy to prevent the spread of triple-negative breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women. The findings appear today in Nature Communications. |
 | MR spectroscopy imaging reveals effects of targeted treatment of mutant IDH1 gliomasUsing a novel imaging method, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team is investigating the mechanisms behind a potential targeted treatment for a subtype of the deadly brains tumors called gliomas. In their report published in Nature Communications, the researchers describe using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) imaging—which reflects metabolic rather than structural aspects of tissues—to determine whether treatment with an investigational IDH1 inhibitor reduced levels of a tumor-associated metabolite in patients with IDH1-mutated gliomas participating in a clinical trial. |
 | Single-tablet HIV treatment shows better outcomes over multi-tablet regimenHIV patients on a single-tablet daily regimen had better treatment retention and viral suppression than patients taking multiple pills, in a study by a Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center researcher and his colleagues. |
 | Drug used to treat daytime sleepiness does not appear to improve driving in those with sleep apneaIn "Does Armodafinil Improve Driving Task Performance and Weight Loss in Sleep Apnea? A Randomized Trial," Nathaniel Marshall, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Woolcock Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, report on their study of armodafinil, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat excessive daytime sleepiness due to OSA, narcolepsy and other conditions. |
Injections for knee osteoarthritis—'subtle but significant' impact of revisions in clinical practice guidelinesRecent updates in evidence-based recommendations have led to changes in the use of steroid and hyaluronic acid injection for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, reports a study in the May 16, 2018 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in partnership in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. | |
 | Big data reveals new Alzheimer's risk genesAn international research team led by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Queensland, has identified three new genes linked to the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The study, supported by Alzheimer's Research UK and also involving researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is published today (18 May) in the journal Translational Psychiatry. |
 | New era for blood transfusions through genome sequencingMost people are familiar with A, B, AB and O blood types, but there are hundreds of additional blood group "antigens" on red blood cells—substances that can trigger the body's immune response—that differ from person to person. Each year, up to 16 deaths reported to the Federal Drug Administration are attributed to mismatches in red blood cell antigens that are not related to differences in A, B and O blood groups. Currently, no method is available that can determine all blood antigens. But as whole genome sequencing becomes routine for patients, it may be possible to modernize therapy by identifying both rare donors and at-risk recipients before blood transfusions. In a new study, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, as well as from the New York Blood Center have leveraged the MedSeq Project - the first randomized trial of whole genome sequencing in healthy adults—to develop and validate a computer program that can comprehensively and cost-effectively determine differences in individuals' blood types with more than 99 percent accuracy. The team's results are reported in The Lancet Haematology. |
 | FDA approves first drug aimed at preventing migraines(HealthDay)—The millions of Americans who suffer from migraine may have a new source of hope—the first drug aimed at preventing the headaches gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval on Thursday. |
 | Congo's Ebola risk 'very high' as confirmed virus cases riseCongo's latest Ebola outbreak now has 14 confirmed cases as health officials rush to contain the often deadly virus in a city of more than 1 million. |
 | Humira does not improve aortic vascular inflammation in psoriasis patientsAn antibody used to treat the skin disease psoriasis and other chronic autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease has no effect on aortic inflammation—a key marker of future risk of major cardiovascular events—unlike other antibodies that target different aspects of the immune system. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), led a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and found patients taking the drug adalimumab—marketed as Humira—saw no change in aortic inflammation, as assessed by nuclear imaging, when compared to the placebo group. However, the drug did improve other key markers of inflammation known to predict future cardiovascular events—which suggests the drug may have a cardiovascular benefit despite the lack of change in aortic vascular inflammation. The study was published today in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, and senior author Joel M. Gelfand, MD MSCE, a professor of Dermatology and Epidemiology at Penn, will present the findings today at the International Investigative Dermatology 2018 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. |
France to outlaw controversial food additive this yearFrance will forbid the use of a widely used food additive by the end of this year, after studies pointed to potential health risks for consumers, a government official told French daily Le Parisien on Friday. | |
Women sometimes feel regret after electing to freeze their eggsMost women feel empowered by elective procedures that enable them to bank eggs in case they can't conceive naturally later in life, researchers at UC San Francisco have found. But one in six become regretful, for reasons that researchers do not yet fully understand. | |
Cardiomyopathy mutation reduces heart's ability to vary pumping force, study revealsResearchers from Washington State University have discovered how a genetic mutation linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) disrupts the heart's normal function. The study, which will be published May 18 in the Journal of General Physiology, reveals that the mutation prevents the heart from increasing the amount of force it produces when it needs to pump additional blood around the body. | |
Variations in placental microbiota appear related to premature birthA team of researchers from the United Kingdom has found a surplus of pathogenic bacteria in placentas from premature births, supporting the hypothesis that maternal infection may cause preterm birth. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. | |
Ultrasound guidelines identify children who should be biopsied for thyroid cancerA Loyola Medicine study has found that new ultrasound guidelines can reliably identify pediatric patients who should be biopsied for thyroid cancer. | |
 | How immune cells kill bacteria with acidThe first line of immune defense against invading pathogens like bacteria are macrophages, immune cells that engulf foreign objects that cross their way. After enclosing them in intracellular membrane vesicles, a process called phagocytosis, macrophages kill their prey with acid. However, it is not yet entirely understood how the acidification process is established. In their quest to systematically study proteins that transport chemicals across cellular membranes, researchers at CeMM characterized the critical role for transporter SLC4A7 in this process, providing valuable new insights for many pathologic conditions from inflammation to cancer. Their results were published in Cell Host & Microbe. |
 | New strategy to cure chronic hepatitis B infectionScientists from Karolinska Institutet and Hannover Medical School have published two studies that provide insights into how the immune system responds and helps to clear a hepatitis B infection after treatment interruption. The findings offer a framework for future tailored treatment strategies and are published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and Journal of Hepatology. |
 | Nearly half of women with HIV lack support to manage menopauseWomen with HIV are failing to get the support they need during menopause, according to a new study led by UCL. |
 | Keeping watch on mental healthIncreasingly popular smart watches can be used to help clinicians identify early warning signs of mental health disorders and monitor the success of treatment. |
 | Polygenic scores to classify cancer riskPolygenic risk scores could be useful to stratify the risk of several cancers among patients in medical centers, allowing for the potential discovery of new associations between genes, disease and secondary effects, according to a University of Michigan study. |
 | 3 proven ways to hack your restaurant mealSeveral restaurant meals are notorious for sky-high sodium levels and are-you-kidding-me calories, but treating yourself to a meal out doesn't mean settling for poor nutrition. The American Heart Association shares three "eat smart" hacks in honor of World Hypertension Day. |
 | Genome editing method targets AIDS virusBy destroying the regulatory genes of the AIDS virus HIV-1 using the genome editing system CRISPR/Cas9, a Japanese research group has succeeded in blocking the production of HIV-1 by infected cells. |
 | Cannabis—it matters how young you startCanadian researchers find that boys who start smoking pot before 15 are much more likely to have a drug problem at 28 than those who start at 15 or after. |
 | My cancer is in remission – does this mean I'm cured?So you've been through cancer treatment and your doctor has called you in for "some good news". Satisfied, she tells you your cancer is "in remission." |
 | 'Ideal' heart health is eluding more people, increasing risks of heart disease and deathThe percentage of people with ideal heart health – measured by scoring seven lifestyle and biological markers – declined over two decades, according to a study that found people who maintain higher health scores over time have less risk of cardiovascular disease and death. |
 | What's the connection between high blood pressure and HIV?People with HIV are more likely than people without the virus to have high blood pressure, in part because of treatments and repercussions of the condition itself, a new review of research shows. |
 | Doubt, depression, anxiety – just some of the problems plaguing the veterinary professionMental health issues, alcohol and drug abuse, a high incidence of stress and suicide, excessive staff turnover rates, and a failure to adapt to the increasing demographic dominance of women. These are all serious challenges facing the veterinary profession in the UK. And they require urgent attention. Yet veterinary medicine often obscures the messy, complex, ambiguous and uncertain reality of practice. |
 | The dark side of our genes – healthy aging in modern timesThe transition to modernity, largely driven by the Industrial Revolution, provided us with easier access to food and clean water, with antibiotics, vaccines, and modern medicine. Yet modernity did not just bring fewer infectious diseases and longer life: it also created an environment radically different from the one we evolved in. Genes helpful in our evolutionary past may now predispose us to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer in old age. In a paper published in the journal Nature Reviews Genetics, an international team of five scientists collate the evidence for this mismatch between past evolutionary adaptation and our modern lives. They also ask whether natural selection linked to modernization might reduce globally the burden of some chronic diseases. |
 | Asian tiger mosquito on the moveDue to global trade and tourism, mosquitoes—transmitters of dangerous infectious diseases—have spread to almost every part of the world. Moreover, climate change promotes the spread of species that thrive under warmer temperatures even further. Scientists at the Goethe University and the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung have now compared the ecological niches of the Asian tiger mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito on various continents with the following result: "Due to its longer invasion time span of 300 to 400 years, the yellow fever mosquito has almost completely filled its niches in non-native areas, whereas the Asian tiger mosquito, with a shorter invasion time span of 30 to 40 years, has not yet arrived in all regions where they would find a suitable environment," says Prof. Sven Klimpel. |
Could wearable tech address issues caused by overcrowding in emergency departments?It isn't surprising that when hospital emergency departments become overcrowded, care becomes more fragmented, but a recent study by University at Buffalo researchers has found that technologies designed to track and eventually improve staffing levels must be judiciously chosen. | |
 | How lessons from childhood cancer care could improve adult cancer careA cancer diagnosis is a firestorm that turns lives upside down. It may not be life-ending, but it almost always is life-changing. |
 | Anxious women may want to keep an eye on their bone health(HealthDay)—As if older women didn't already worry enough about their bone health, new research suggests that anxiety may up their risk for fractures. |
 | Tasty, healthy alternatives to sandwich bread(HealthDay)—Sandwiches make convenient lunches, but those two slices of bread can really eat into your day's calorie allotment. What's more, typical white bread doesn't provide much in the way of nutrients. |
 | When temperatures fall, heart attack risk may rise(HealthDay)—Colder weather may raise the risk for a heart attack, a preliminary study suggests. |
 | Dilemma for cancer patients as life-saving meds are tied to vision loss(HealthDay)—A newer type of cancer treatment may offer the chance of longer survival, but the drugs could also trigger new side effects, such as vision problems. |
 | More variants in DCM-tied genes in alcoholic cardiomyopathy(HealthDay)—Patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) have more variants in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-associated genes than those without ACM, according to a study published in the May 22 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | Confirmatory testing follows ER use of ultrasound(HealthDay)—Emergency room physicians report that their use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is usually followed by confirmatory testing, according to a study published online May 8 in the Journal of Clinical Ultrasound. |
 | Sustained use of oxymetazoline cream efficacious for rosacea(HealthDay)—Oxymetazoline is safe and effective for the treatment of moderate-to-severe persistent erythema of rosacea, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. |
 | U.S. nursing home costs due to diabetes vary greatly by state(HealthDay)—Diabetes-attributable nursing home costs are substantial, but vary greatly across the nation, according to a study published online May 14 in Diabetes Care. |
 | FDA approves non-opioid treatment for opioid withdrawal(HealthDay)—Lucemyra (lofexidine hydrochloride) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat symptoms of opioid withdrawal. |
World first use of cognitive training reduces gait freezing in Parkinson's patientsThe researchers report significant reduction in the severity and duration of freezing of gait, improved cognitive processing speed and reduced daytime sleepiness. | |
Brain simulation reveals benefits of emergency cooling treatmentFresh insight into how the brain responds to medically induced cooling could inform treatments for head injuries and conditions such as stroke. | |
 | Using Tinder doesn't result in more casual sexUsers of picture-based mobile dating apps like Tinder are generally more open to short-term, casual sexual relationships than the average person. |
 | Experimental MERS treatments enter clinical trialEnrollment has begun in an early-stage clinical trial testing the safety of two human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) designed to treat people infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The trial is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and is funded in part by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department Health and Human Services. |
New Ebola vaccine faces key testThe experimental Ebola vaccine dubbed rVSV-ZEBOV has shown promising signs that it can contain the spread of the prolific killer virus. | |
Study finds more than 40 percent of prostate biopsies could be avoided with new blood testA multi-center study that validates the clinical performance of IsoPSA—a new blood test that has proven to be more accurate in predicting overall risk of prostate cancer than standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) - will be presented during a special press conference at the 13th Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) on May 18 in San Francisco. | |
 | Gay male teens use adult hookup apps to find friends, partnersAlthough hookup apps require users to be 18 or older, a new Northwestern Medicine study found that more than 50 percent of sexually active gay and bisexual boys ages 14 to 17 met male sexual partners on apps such as Grindr and Scruff. |
 | Biotin supplements caused misleading test results, almost led to unnecessary procedureA new case report in the Journal of the Endocrine Society documents how a patient's use of a common biotin supplement, also known as vitamin B7, caused her to have clinically misleading test results, which prompted numerous consultations and unnecessary radiographic and laboratory testing. |
Hospitalized patients with acute kidney injury have increased risk of heart failureHospitalized patients who experience acute kidney injury face a 44 percent greater risk of heart failure during their first year after leaving the hospital, according to new Kaiser Permanente research published today in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. | |
Exploding e-cigarette killed Florida man, coroner saysAn exploding e-cigarette killed a Florida man found dead in his burning apartment, an autopsy has found. | |
 | Healthy competition intensifies 30-year quest for HIV vaccineIn 1984, after HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS, the US secretary of health, Margaret Heckler, declared a vaccine would be found within two years. Reports of a mysterious virus predominantly affecting gay men had been growing across the US and, with awareness rising, the World Health Organization had held its first conference to address the global situation earlier that year. But there was still little understanding of how the disease evolved and spread. |
Watchdogs step up response in DR Congo as Ebola toll mountsWorld agencies and neighbouring countries on Friday hiked their response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the toll from the notorious disease mounted. | |
 | Ebola is back—has the world learned the right lessons?A new Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 44 cases reported so far. Previous outbreaks in that country have been confined to remote areas, but today the World Heath Organization (WHO) confirmed the first case in Mbandaka, a city of 1.2 million people comparable to the urban centers in West Africa where Ebola rabidly spread in 2014. If the right lessons have not been learned from the last epidemic, the threat of a global pandemic still looms. |
No, raising drug prices in Canada will not help the U.S.Donald Trump's solution to soaring American drug prices is to have other countries, such as Canada, raise their prices. This is not a new position; American officials have been advocating this approach for at least the past 15 years. | |
 | Can a Kim Kardashian lollipop help you lose weight?Kim Kardashian West has been heavily criticised for promoting "appetite suppresant" lollipops on her Instagram account. Despite the criticism, more than a million people have liked her post, showing the extent of her influence, especially over her mainly young female audience. |
UN, East Africa boost response as Ebola toll mounts in DR CongoWorld agencies and neighbouring countries on Friday hiked their response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the toll from the notorious disease mounted. | |
In DR Congo city, worry and anger over Ebola scarePeople in Mbandaka in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were fearful and angry Friday after an Ebola outbreak spread from remote villages to their densely-populated city. | |
Safety program for surgical patients sharply drops surgical site infectionsSurgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing colorectal operations were reduced by 61 percent in less than two years in Hawaiian hospitals participating in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Surgery, according to new study findings published as an "article in press" on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print. | |
 | Ebola in Congo not yet a global health emergency, WHO saysCongo's latest Ebola outbreak does not yet warrant being declared a global health emergency, the World Health Organization announced Friday, as health officials rushed to contain the often deadly virus that has spread to a city of more than 1 million. |
 | Using virtual biopsies to improve melanoma detectionWith Skin Cancer Awareness Month upon us, Colorado State University researcher Jesse Wilson is accelerating research to improve imaging and detection of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, and the fifth most common cancer in the United States. |
 | Stroke researchers confirm role of frontal lesions in response to prism treatmentStroke researchers have confirmed that the presence of frontal cortical lesions moderated response to prism adaptation treatment after right-brain stroke. Their findings are detailed in "Frontal lesions predict response to prism adaptation treatment in spatial neglect: A randomised controlled study," which was published online ahead of print on March 20, 2018 by Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. The authors are Kelly M. Goedert, Ph.D., of Seton Hall University, Peii Chen, Ph.D., of Kessler Foundation, Anne L. Foundas, MD, of Tulane University, and A.M. Barrett, MD, director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation. |
Biology news
 | Wisdom of the protists; electron flow tricks for controlling cancerAll schoolchildren learn that the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes has something to do with a nucleus. This is usually around the same time they learn that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. The real difference between these two life forms, however, has more to do with how they control the flow of electrons to make their living, i.e., their electron transport chains going from donors to acceptors via redox reactions. |
 | Giraffes surprise biologists yet againNew research from the University of Bristol has highlighted how little we know about giraffe behaviour and ecology. |
 | Research offers new insights into malaria parasiteA team of researchers led by a University of California, Riverside, scientist has found that various stages of the development of human malaria parasites, including stages involved in malaria transmission, are linked to epigenetic features and how chromatin—the complex of DNA and proteins within the nucleus—is organized and structured in these parasites. |
 | Study identifies new virus in catMorris Animal Foundation-funded researchers from the University of Sydney have found a previously undiscovered hepadnavirus in an immunocompromised cat, and subsequently in banked feline blood samples. The research team published their results today in the prestigious journal Viruses. |
 | Researchers discover non-canonical ion channel activation pathwayThe passage of ions through the cell membrane is controlled by ion channels, which are protein complexes that regulate vital processes, such as the heartbeat, and are a target of drug development. Now, a study at the University of Wisconsin, led by a Spanish researcher, presents a novel model to explain how the pores of these channels open and close. |
 | Above us only sky—The open air as an underappreciated habitatMany bat species hunt and migrate at great altitudes. The range of the open sky is a new interest area as a habitat relevant to a large variety of species. Christian Voigt and colleagues from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin have collated the current scientific knowledge on potential hazards to bats flying at high altitudes. In their recent article published in BioScience the authors synthesise threats facing bats in the troposphere and provide recommendations for potential protective measures to ensure the persistence of bats and other high-flying animals. |
Alternatives to lead hunting shot pose their own hazardsHunting with lead shot is highly restricted or entirely banned in many countries due to the danger of poisoning birds and environment. However, alternative ammunition is not without its own risks, as was discovered in a study conducted by a team of researchers from the Technical University of Munich. | |
 | It pays to invest in biodiversityIn 2010, 193 countries stepped up to halt the global decline of biodiversity by 2020 as part of their commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity. |
 | Flow of cerebrospinal fluid regulates divisionStem cells in the brain can divide and mature into neurons participating in various brain functions, including memory. In a paper scientists have discovered that the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is a key signal for neural stem cell renewal. |
 | Matabele ants travel faster with detoursAnts do not always take the shortest route when they are in a hurry. Their navigational system occasionally makes them take detours to speed up their journey. |
Researchers discover new male variant of bulb miteThe bulb mite (Rhizoglyphus robini) is a common pest of numerous crops. Male bulb mites display one of two reproductive tactics and are classified as "fighters" and "scramblers." Biologists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have now discovered a third variant, the "mega-scrambler," in which males are morphologically similar to females. Their results were published on 17 May in the scientific journal Ecology. | |
 | French farmers furious over plans to release bearsA furious debate is disturbing the peace in the French mountains: do plans to release two bears into the countryside represent a victory for biodiversity, or an intolerable threat to farmers? |
New system improves the quality of frozen horse spermCryopreservation is a freezing method of storing spermatozoa to be used for reproduction. Although it is widespread, there is an issue with the ice formation that occurs during the process, which ends up affecting sperm structure and quality. In order to diminish this problem, permeable cryoprotectants are used. These are substances that penetrate tissues and act inside cells in order to stop ice crystals from forming when temperatures go down. | |
 | Classifying frog calls for fighting climate changeThe sounds of amphibians are altered by the increase in ambient temperature, which, in addition to interfering with reproductive behaviour, serves as an indicator of global warming. Researchers at the University of Seville have used artificial intelligence to create an automatic classifier of the thousands of frog and toad sounds that can be recorded in a natural environment. |
 | One-third of the world's nature reserves are under threat from humansIn the 146 years since Yellowstone National Park in the northwestern United States became the world's first protected area, nations around the world have created more than 200,000 terrestrial nature reserves. Together they cover more than 20 million km², or almost 15% of the planet's land surface – an area bigger than South America. |
The live export trade is unethical, puts money ahead of animals' painLast month millions of Australians saw footage of sheep dying slowly from heat and thirst while being shipped on the Awassi Express from Fremantle in Western Australia to Doha, Qatar. The voyage was last August, and what viewers saw was a very small portion of the suffering undergone by the 2,400 sheep who reportedly died on that one voyage. The suffering came to light only because a whistleblower working on the ship was so disturbed by what he saw that he took video and sent it to Animals Australia. | |
 | Where GM meets GEGenome edited (GE) crops will be sown in a field this month for the first time in the UK as part of an experimental trial at Rothamsted Research that aims to investigate genetic engineering's efficiency in developing plants to yield more nutritious diets more sustainably.Like traditional plant breeding, genome editing can create new varieties of plants with desired traits by altering their genetic code in a way that could have happened naturally or that does not incorporate genes from another species. |
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