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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 23, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers observe unprecedented detail in pulsar 6,500 light-years from EarthA team of astronomers has performed one of the highest resolution observations in astronomical history by observing two intense regions of radiation, 20 kilometres apart, around a star 6500 light-years away. |
 | Multiple gamma-ray emission regions detected in the blazar 3C 279Using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), astronomers have investigated the magnetic field topology of the blazar 3C 279, uncovering the presence of multiple gamma-ray emission regions in this source. The discovery was presented May 11 in a paper published on arXiv.org. |
 | Drilling success: Curiosity is collecting Mars rocksEngineers working with NASA's Curiosity Mars rover have been hard at work testing a new way for the rover to drill rocks and extract powder from them. This past weekend, that effort produced the first drilled sample on Mars in more than a year. |
 | Two sportscar-sized satellites in orbit to measure Earth's waterA SpaceX rocket Tuesday blasted off a duo of sports car-sized satellites built by the US and Germany to reveal changes in sea level rise, ice melt and drought on Earth. |
 | Lightening up dark galaxiesDespite substantial progress over the past half-century in understanding how galaxies form, important open questions remain regarding how precisely the diffuse gas of the intergalactic medium is converted into stars. One possibility, suggested in recent theoretical models, is that the early phase of galaxy formation involves an epoch when galaxies contain a great amount of gas but are still inefficient at forming stars. Direct proof of such a dark phase has been so far elusive, however—after all, dark galaxies do not emit much visible light. The observational discovery of such galaxies would therefore fill an important gap in our understanding of galaxy evolution. |
 | Team tests feasibility of EmDrive and Mach Effect ThrustersA team of German physicists with TU Dresden has independently tested the feasibility of the EmDrive and Mach Effect Thrusters. They have presented their findings at this year's Aeronautics and Astronautics Association of France's Space Propulsion conference. |
 | New study details geological process behind Titan's dunesTitan's windswept dunes may sprawl millions of more kilometers than previously thought and were likely formed by geological processes similar to those on Earth, according to a new study. The new findings could help scientists look for life or its molecular precursors on Saturn's largest moon. |
 | Astronomers spot a distant and lonely neutron starAstronomers have discovered a special kind of neutron star for the first time outside of the Milky Way galaxy, using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. |
 | Scientists introduce cosmochemical model for Pluto formationSouthwest Research Institute scientists integrated NASA's New Horizons discoveries with data from ESA's Rosetta mission to develop a new theory about how Pluto may have formed at the edge of our solar system. |
 | Researchers bring the scientific community closer to understanding binary star mergersImagine only knowing 15 people in the world, and as you discover more people, your knowledge expands. Scientists studying our galaxy face something similar as they make discoveries that build our understanding of the universe. |
 | Rosetta unravels formation of sunrise jetsThe atmosphere of Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is far from homogeneous. In addition to sudden outbursts of gas and dust, daily recurring phenomena at sunrise can be observed. In these, evaporating gas and entrained dust are concentrated to form jet-like structures. A new study, led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany and published in the journal Nature Astronomy, now identifies the rugged, duck-shaped structure of the comet as the main cause of these jets. Not only do concave regions collimate gas and dust emissions similar to an optical lens, the complex topography also provide some areas of the surface with more sunlight than others. |
 | From ships to satellites: Scotland aims for the skyA shipbuilding hub since the days of the British empire, the Scottish city of Glasgow is now reaching for the stars with a growing space satellite industry. |
 | Spinning rugby balls—the rotation of the most massive galaxiesBy targeting the most massive galaxies in our universe, astronomers have studied how their stars move. The results are surprising: while half of them spin around their short axis as expected, the other half turn around their long axis. Such kinematics are most likely the result of a special type of galaxy merger, involving already massive, similar-mass galaxies. This would imply that the growth of the most massive and the largest galaxies is governed by these rare events. |
 | First light for the storm hunterAs the International Space Station flew over the Indonesian coast of Sumatra on an April night, lightning from a thunderstorm reached the upper layers of the atmosphere and its light show was captured by ESA's latest observatory in space. |
 | Problem with new US weather satellite could affect pictures (Update)The nation's newest weather satellite, launched less than three months ago, has a serious cooling problem that could affect the quality of its pictures. |
Shedding light on the faintest galaxies with the world's biggest steerable dishAstronomers are one step closer to understanding a mysterious class of optically faint galaxies thanks to deep radio observations with the Green Bank Telescope, reveals a poster presented today at the Canadian Astronomical Society Annual Meeting in Victoria, British Columbia. | |
Technology news
 | When the top stunt-worthy acrobat is a robotHuman performers have developed impressive acrobatic techniques that never fail to draw gasps, blinks and open-mouthed children. They watch a body swing through the air and in the process even twist and flip. Can robots really be expected to pick up the art of acrobatics? |
 | New dispatching approach could cut the number of taxis on the road while meeting rider demandThe rise of self-driving cars is set to dramatically alter the way we move around cities in the future. |
 | Fleet of autonomous boats could service cities to reduce road trafficThe future of transportation in waterway-rich cities such as Amsterdam, Bangkok, and Venice—where canals run alongside and under bustling streets and bridges—may include autonomous boats that ferry goods and people, helping clear up road congestion. |
 | Drivers brace for Egyptian ride-hailing lawsNew legislation regulating ride-hailing services in Egypt may have been welcomed by Uber and competitor Careem, but some behind the wheel fear they could be driven out of business. |
 | Tiny African start-ups draw interest after slow startAfrican high-tech startups are minuscule compared with their US and European peers but they are finally gaining momentum and attention in some of the world's most promising economies. |
 | 'Overwatch League' eSports dreams of rivaling mainstreamThe Los Angeles Gladiators becoming as well known as the Los Angeles Lakers? |
 | Researchers develop reprocessable thermosets for sustainable 3-D printing3-D printing of complex structures that contain submillimeter-sized features has eluded researchers for decades. Recent advancements in 3-D printing have brought about viable 3-D printing techniques such as digital light processing (DLP)-based systems that use ultra-violet (UV) light to transform initially-liquid polymer resins into free-standing solid structures in a precise, controlled manner. |
 | Researchers make a two-neuron networkThe human brain is an exquisitely complex, organic CPU, made of trillions of connections between many billions of neurons. Understanding such a complicated organ is a massive scientific undertaking, and researchers often use simplified models to uncover small pieces of the neurological puzzle. |
 | How situation awareness could save your lifeIn December 1972, three days before New Year, Eastern Airlines flight 401 from New York crashed on approach to Miami when the pilot and crew, all focusing on a malfunctioning landing light, failed to register the plane was losing altitude. In 2007 a truck and train collided on a rail crossing in Kerang, Australia, when the truck driver failed to notice the approaching train. In 2010 the crew of BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico seemed unaware of the scale of the problem until the rig exploded. |
 | State crash data shows seat belt use critical in saving livesThose involved in auto crashes while not wearing seat belts are 40 times more likely to die than those who buckle up, according to an analysis of state crash records from the past five years. |
 | Novel organ-on-chip platform for drug screeningImec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nano-electronics and digital technologies, presents this week at its technology forum ITF 2018 (Antwerp, May 23-24), a novel organ-on-chip platform for pharmacological studies with unprecedented signal quality. It fuses imec's high-density multi-electrode array (MEA)-chip with a microfluidic well plate, developed in collaboration with Micronit Microtechnologies, in which cells can be cultured, providing an environment that mimics human physiology. Capable of performing multiple tests in parallel, the new device aims to be a game-changer for the pharmaceutical industry, offering high quality data in the drug development process. |
 | Pairing AI with optical scanning for real-world product authenticationToday IBM Research is introducing IBM Crypto Anchor Verifier, a new technology that brings innovations in AI and optical imaging together to help prove the identity and authenticity of objects. We're rolling this technology out with one of our first clients, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), to help them evaluate and grade diamonds. |
 | As more solar and wind come onto the grid, prices go down but new questions come upWind and solar energy are growing rapidly in the U.S. As these energy sources become a bigger part of the electricity mix, their growth raises new questions: How do solar and wind influence energy prices? And since power plants last for decades, what should policymakers and investors think about to ensure that investments in power infrastructure pay off in the future? |
What are these 'levels' of autonomous vehicles?As automated and autonomous vehicles become more common on U.S. roads, it's worth a look at what these machines can – and can't – do. At the University of Michigan's Mcity, where I serve as director, we're working to advance connected and automated vehicle technologies, to make cars safer, save energy, and make transportation more accessible to more people. | |
 | The scandals bedevilling FacebookAs Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg pursues a tour of Europe to explain his company's shortcomings involving the use of data and fake news, here is a roundup of the scandals. |
 | Hamburg is first German city to order diesel bansAuthorities in Hamburg said Wednesday they would ban some diesel vehicles from two major arteries to improve air quality, making the German port city the first to take the long-feared step. |
 | Twitter to add special labels to political candidates in USTwitter says it's adding special labels to tweets from some U.S. political candidates ahead of this year's midterm elections. |
 | FBI overstated encryption problem with cell phonesA programming error led the FBI to vastly overstate the number of cell phones that investigators could not access because of encryption, officials said Wednesday. |
Microsoft's new Xbox controller courts gamers with disabilitiesMike Luckett had been having trouble controlling his Xbox controller. His diminished finger dexterity after a spinal cord injury meant it was tough to be as quick as he wanted on the toggles and buttons on the game console's controller. | |
 | Study highlights environmental cost of tearing down Vancouver's single-family homesRising property values in Vancouver have resulted in the demolition of an unprecedented number of single-family homes in recent years, many of which were replaced with the same type of structure. Despite the better energy performance of the new homes, this cycle is likely to increase overall greenhouse gas emissions, according to new analysis from researchers at the University of British Columbia and MountainMath Software. |
 | Uber puts brakes on self-driving car operation in ArizonaUber is ending its operation of self-driving cars in Arizona more than two months after a woman was struck and killed by one of its vehicles. |
 | World Cup fever causes sleepless nights for Bangladesh flagmakersFlagmakers in Bangladesh are doing a roaring trade weeks ahead of the World Cup, but no-one is interested in the home nation's colours—the money is all on pennants for Lionel Messi's Argentina and Neymar's Brazil. |
 | Foxconn unit to raise $4.2bn in China IPOA unit of electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn said it will launch an initial public offering in China on Thursday aimed at raising $4.2 billion, in the biggest mainland debut for three years. |
 | Wyoming makes rush for hyped new tech, results still virtualBlock Chain Gang LLC, Crypto Cowboy, Something Something Blockchain LLC: Based on the names of dozens of new companies registering to set up shop in Wyoming, the state's effort to lure the latest tech craze appears to be paying off. |
 | France's Macron takes on Facebook's Zuckerberg in tech pushFrench President Emmanuel Macron is taking on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other internet giants at a Paris meeting to discuss tax and data protection and how they could use their global influence for the public good. |
 | MH370 search under review, may be scrapped: MahathirThe hunt for missing flight MH370 is being reviewed and may be scrapped, Malaysia's prime minister said Wednesday, as the country's new government seeks cuts in public spending. |
 | Ergonomic eye-tracking technology for high-quality AR/VR experiencesImec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nano-electronics and digital technology, will demonstrate today at its Imec Technology Forum in Antwerp (ITF Belgium 2018), a new wireless eye-tracking technology based on electro-oculography (EOG), an ophthalmology technique used to examine eyes and record eye movement. The technology, which is integrated into a standard pair of eyeglasses, can significantly improve augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) experiences. Moreover, imec aims to employ it for clinical research on neurodegenerative diseases. |
 | Single-system solar tech cuts clean energy costs in halfGenerating power from the sun isn't the problem. The technology has been there for decades. Storing that power efficiently, however, has been a challenge. |
 | New robots set to transform farmingEuropean consumers expect a clean supply chain and biodiversity to be conserved. Therefore, reducing the inputs of pesticides and chemical fertilisers to a minimum and/or replacing them by agro-ecological or robot solutions is required. Furthermore, the average age of European farmers is among the highest of all sectors, thus farming needs to attract young people with attractive working opportunities. |
 | New mobile app for healthier food choices when dining outOver the last few years, the frequency of dining at restaurants or other out-of-home dining establishments in Europe has radically increased. Yet, compared to meals prepared at home, restaurant fare tends to contain more calories, total fat, saturated fat and sodium. Eating out is often cited as the primary reason for an unhealthy lifestyle and increased obesity levels as consumers have very little knowledge regarding the nutrient profile of the food. |
 | Digital Life: Cutting back on a constant smartphone habitWhy are we checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, then Facebook again when we just wanted to check the weather? |
 | Comcast challenges Disney for control of 21st Century Fox assetsA full-fledged bidding war for key assets of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox erupted Wednesday as media and cable giant Comcast announced it plans an all-cash bid that would top an offer already on the table from Walt Disney Co. |
 | Berlin agrees to compensate power firms for nuclear exitThe German government approved a draft law Wednesday that paves the way for energy giants RWE and Vattenfall to receive hundreds of millions of euros in compensation for the country's decision to phase out nuclear power. |
 | Tata Motors profit halves over $4.5bn investmentIndian carmaker Tata Motors on Wednesday reported a staggering 50 percent fall in quarterly net profit, blaming a huge one-off investment and a slowdown in sales. |
United Technologies plans to hire 35,000 peopleUnited Technologies plans to hire 35,000 people and invest more than $15 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. | |
Macron presses tech giants on taxes, working conditionsFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the bosses of other tech companies accused of hoovering up personal data while avoiding taxes to use their clout for global good. | |
Foxconn says no changes planned for Wisconsin projectTaiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group said Wednesday that it remains committed to its $10 billion Wisconsin manufacturing facility, rejecting a report that it's considering reducing its initial investment by making display screens for smaller electronics, like phones, rather than large screens for televisions. | |
 | Trump can't block his critics on Twitter, judge rulesPresident Donald Trump cannot legally block Twitter users who disagree with him, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a case with potentially far-reaching implications for social media use by public officials. |
Medicine & Health news
 | What really causes Alzheimer's and how might we fix it?There have been a lot of theories about what causes Alzheimer's disease. Many of them have given rise to experimental treatments of one form or another. None of them have worked much better than taking anything you might find in your spice rack. |
 | In a break with dogma, myelin boosts neuron growth in spinal cord injuriesRecovery after severe spinal cord injury is notoriously fraught, with permanent paralysis often the result. In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned to stem cell-based therapies as a potential method for repairing and replacing damaged nerve cells. They have struggled, however, to overcome numerous innate barriers, including myelin, a mixture of insulating proteins and lipids that helps speed impulses through adult nerve fibers but also inhibits neuronal growth. |
 | Early life trauma in men associated with reduced levels of sperm microRNAsExposure to early life trauma can lead to poor physical and mental health in some individuals, which can be passed on to their children. Studies in mice show that at least some of the effects of stress can be transmitted to offspring via environmentally-induced changes in sperm miRNA levels. |
 | Early physical therapy benefits low-back pain patientsPatients with low-back pain are better off seeing a physical therapist first, according to a study of 150,000 insurance claims. |
 | World faces 'staggering' obesity challenge: studyIn 27 years from now, almost a quarter of the global population will be obese, researchers said Wednesday, warning of the mounting medical bill. |
 | Leg exercise is critical to brain and nervous system healthGroundbreaking research shows that neurological health depends as much on signals sent by the body's large, leg muscles to the brain as it does on directives from the brain to the muscles. Published today in Frontiers in Neuroscience, the study fundamentally alters brain and nervous system medicine—giving doctors new clues as to why patients with motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy and other neurological diseases often rapidly decline when their movement becomes limited. |
 | Dengue: Investigating antibodies to identify at-risk individualsUsing an original mathematical and statistical analysis method, a team of scientists from the Institut Pasteur partnered with researchers from the United States and Thailand to analyze a Thai cohort that has long been a focus of study for dengue specialists, and obtained new information that should help identify individuals at risk of infection. By modeling changes in antibody levels after successive infections with the different dengue serotypes, the scientists were able to establish a profile of these individuals. The findings will be published online in Nature on May 23, 2018 (AOP), and on May 31st, in the paper version. |
 | Surgery involving ultrasound energy found to treat high blood pressureAn operation that targets the nerves connected to the kidney has been found to significantly reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension, according to the results of a clinical trial led in the UK by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust, and supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). |
 | Memory molecule limits plasticity by calibrating calciumThe brain has an incredible capacity to support a lifetime of learning and memory. Each new experience fundamentally alters the connections between cells in the brain called synapses. To accommodate synaptic alterations, certain areas of the brain are highly plastic, meaning that have the ability to adapt to incoming information. Within an important brain structure for memory, the hippocampus, reside some of the most plastic cells in the entire brain, utilizing the process of synaptic plasticity to remain primed and flexible. |
 | Study uncovers cause of pesticide exposure, Parkinson's linkA new University of Guelph study has discovered why exposure to pesticides increases some people's risk of developing Parkinson's disease. |
 | What makes us well? Diversity, health care, and public transit matterDiverse neighbors. Health centers. Commuter trains. These community attributes, and other key factors, are linked to well-being and quality of life, according to Yale researchers. |
 | In helping smokers quit, cash is king, e-cigarettes strike outFree smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine patches and chewing gum, are a staple of many corporate wellness programs aimed at encouraging employees to kick the habit. But, new research shows that merely offering such aids for free does not help employees quit, whereas supplementing them with financial incentives is three times more effective. The study, led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, also provides the first large-scale evidence that offering e-cigarettes to known smokers is not effective at helping smokers stay smoke-free. The results are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and may hold significant policy implications as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to weigh e-cigarette regulation. |
Prescription costs increase for low-value treatments despite reduction in numbersDespite a fall in prescription numbers for low-value treatments, the overall cost of prescribing these items in English primary care has risen, according to new research published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. NHS England has identified low-value treatments deemed to be ineffective, over-priced and of low clinical value, in order to increase value from the £17.4bn NHS medicines bill. The researchers found a strong association between practices with a higher proportion of patients over 65 and low-value prescribing. They also found prescribing behaviour clustered by Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the NHS bodies responsible for planning and commissioning health care services in their local area. | |
 | A vegetarian diet is not only good for you—it's the most affordable tooEating a vegetarian diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains is not only good for you, it's also more affordable then other healthy dietary patterns if you're buying online, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May). On average, following a vegetarian diet costs around $2.00 less per day than the Mediterranean and the US?healthy diet. |
 | Study finds boys' fitness has declined over past 20 yearsEven healthy weight boys have become less fit over the past 20 years, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May). The study, which tested the aerobic fitness of normal and obese 11-year-old boys from Malaga, Spain in 1996 and again in 2016, highlights the need for a shift in focus towards child fitness and away from just their weight. |
Successful weight loss maintainers have different behavioral and physiological responses to foodSuccessful weight loss maintainers have different behavioural and physiological responses to food than people with obesity and their lean counterparts, according to new research by the University of Birmingham and the University of Amsterdam being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May). | |
On current trends, almost a quarter of people in the world will be obese by 2045, and 1 in 8 will have type 2 diabetesNew research from various cities in the world presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May) demonstrate that if current trends continue, almost a quarter (22%) of the people in the world will be obese by 2045 (up from 14% in 2017), and one in eight (12%) will have type 2 diabetes (up from 9% in 2017). | |
 | Familiarity with junk food ads linked with obesity in young peopleYoung people who watch one extra junk-food advert a week (over the average of six) consume an additional 350 calories in foods high in salt, sugar, and fat (HFSS) every week (18,000 each year), according to the largest study of its kind in the UK involving over 3,300 teens aged 11 to 19 years. |
 | Adoption of 'healthier' Mediterranean-style diet varies considerably across US statesThe traditional diet of people in Mediterranean countries has been linked to numerous health benefits and has been shown to cut the risk of obesity. Although popular elsewhere, this healthy eating pattern is relatively new to the USA. New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May) uses geospatial techniques to identify which US states have the greatest adherence to this Mediterranean-style of eating. Western and northeastern coastal areas of the USA including California, New Jersey, New York City, and Massachusetts lead the nation following this healthier eating pattern, while residents of the South and East North Central states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Michigan are least likely to adopt the Mediterranean-style diet. |
 | Simple food-based score predicts long-term overweight/obesity risk in healthy adultsSpanish researchers have developed a new food-based score that is strongly associated with long-term risk of overweight or obesity across adulthood, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Vienna, Austria (23-26 May). |
Even moderate adherence to vegetarian diet could prevent overweight/obesity in middle ageEating a diet high in plant-based foods and low in animal-based foods may protect against obesity in middle aged and elderly populations, even if a vegetarian or vegan diet is not strictly followed. | |
Social isolation plus heart failure could increase hospitalizations, deathsPatients with heart failure who felt socially isolated were much more likely to die or be hospitalized than more socially connected patients, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association. | |
 | In the addiction battle, is forced rehab the solution?The last thing Lizabeth Loud, a month from giving birth, wanted was to be forced into treatment for her heroin and prescription painkiller addiction. |
 | Air pollution associated with acute respiratory distress hospitalization of elderlyIn a new study, researchers found significant associations between seniors' long-term exposure to two types of air pollution and hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The study was presented at the 2018 American Thoracic Society International Conference. |
Team approach to support families improves ICU patient-centered careFamilies of critically ill hospital patients report higher satisfaction with clinician communication and a better perception of patient-centered care when the care team uses a low-cost strategy involving intensive emotional support and frequent meetings, according to the results of a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine randomized trial being presented today at the ATS 2018 International Conference in San Diego and scheduled for publication in the June 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. | |
Forced separation can cause long-term mental health problems for childrenIn two speeches [recently] in the border states of Arizona and California, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that as a matter of enforcement, if an unauthorized migrant brings a child across the United States-Mexico border without documentation, "we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border." | |
 | Space-like gravity weakens biochemical signals in muscle formationAstronauts go through many physiological changes during their time in spaceflight, including lower muscle mass and slower muscle development. Similar symptoms can occur in the muscles of people on Earth's surface, too. In fact, it could affect everyone to some extent later in life. |
Long-term psychological study confirms time is the best medicine against homesicknessTime heals homesickness – and quickly, according to a unique long-term study on international students. A propensity towards neuroticism and the desire to keep others happy are among the factors associated with the development of homesickness. However, the study also found that the level of homesickness among those currently studying abroad is generally low. The investigation was facilitated by a smartphone app that enabled students to participate in the study while they were still abroad. | |
 | Minimally invasive, cost-effective method shows promise in treating cancer without harming healthy cellsPurdue University researchers have developed a minimally invasive technique that may help doctors better explore and treat cancerous cells, tissues and tumors without affecting nearby healthy cells. |
Higher rate of hospital admissions for children living with adults with mental health conditions or alcohol dependencyChildren who live with an adult with a mental health condition or alcohol dependency are significantly more likely to have an unplanned hospital admission, especially for injury and maltreatment, suggests a study by the National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR) | |
 | App helps hearing-impaired parents know when and why their baby is cryingFor parents Delbert and Sanaz Whetter a crying baby is a particularly difficult challenge. The Whetters are deaf, so when they're in another room they rely on cameras and remote noise-monitors to help keep an eye on their two children, one of whom is an infant. But those technologies, while helpful, have limitations. |
 | More services urgently needed to treat PNG's hidden HIV epidemic, study findsResearchers from the Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research and UNSW's Kirby Institute say health services are needed to tackle high rates of HIV, hepatitis and STIs among key populations in PNG. |
 | New anti-ALS drug receives Orphan Drug designationA new gene therapy for treating an inherited form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis has been given an Orphan Drug designation by the European Medicines Agency. The therapy is already in preclinical development at EPFL. |
Researchers decipher the genome in chronic lymphocytic leukaemiaA team of researchers from University of Barcelona (UB) and their collaborators report for the first time the complete epigenome of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, the most common type of leukaemia. The study, published in Nature Medicine, provides a high-resolution map of the functions of the genome. The comparison of the map for this type of leukaemia with the map of healthy cells shows hundreds of regions that change their functionality in leukaemia, suggesting potential targets for the development and application of new therapies. The study was led by the UB lecturer Iñaki Martín-Subero, head of the Biomedical Epigenomics research group in IDIBAPS. | |
 | Autism screening tool may not pick up women with the conditionDiagnosing autism is expensive and time consuming, so a screening tool is used to filter out those people who are unlikely to be diagnosed as autistic. This is all well and good, but our latest research suggests that a widely used screening tool may be biased towards diagnosing more men than women. |
 | Don't want to take a contraceptive pill every day? These are the long-acting alternativesThe arrival of the pill in 1961 was pivotal in enabling women to control their fertility with a method unrelated to sex. Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods add another dimension to contraceptive choice, freeing women from having to remember a pill every day. |
 | When you're sick, the support you'll get may depend on the 'worth' of your diseaseThe name of an illness can affect the level of care a person receives. Cancer sufferers experiencing fear and uncertainty may have access to cancer care centres. Donations and bequests enable these centres to offer everything from accessible parking, to wig and beauty services, to comprehensive clinical care. |
 | Preterm birth may help predict heart disease risk in womenA preterm birth may serve as an early warning of a woman's future risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study. |
 | A healthy diet isn't always possible for low-income Americans, even when they get SNAP benefitsWhile researching how hard it is for low-income Americans to eat healthy on tight budgets, I've often found a mismatch between what people want to eat and the diet they can afford to follow. This made me wonder what eating right costs and how much of this tab gets covered by the largest federal nutrition program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps. |
 | Parental touch may reduce social anxiety in childrenParental touch reduces children's attention to social threat and increases trust, particularly in socially anxious children. As a result, parental touch may reduce children's social anxiety. These are the conclusions drawn by Eddie Brummelman from University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Peter Bos from Utrecht University (UU) and their colleagues from their research during NEMO Science Live. Their findings have been published as open access in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. |
 | New advances in understanding and treating intellectual disorderResearchers at Tohoku University in Japan have investigated an intellectual disorder (ATR-X) syndrome to reveal its cause, mechanism and a potential therapeutic strategy to decrease associated cognitive impairment. |
Are pain tolerance levels similar among groups of friends?Are your friends very pain tolerant? Then it is likely that you are as well, provided you are a male. A recent study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain, along with an Editorial Comment by Dr. Jeffrey Mogil, published by De Gruyter, shows that there is a positive correlation between the pain tolerance of individuals and that of their friends. | |
Text messages provide support for people with diabetesAn innovative University of Auckland trial using text messages has proven a success in getting people to manage their diabetes better. | |
 | Perceived socioeconomic status can affect how old we feelA recent study finds that how older adults perceive their socioeconomic status influences how old they feel and their attitudes toward aging. Specifically, the lower people deem their relative socioeconomic status, the worse they feel about growing older. |
 | HIV lies dormant in brain, increasing risk of dementia, but how?The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, has long been known to target and disable cells of the immune system, which are responsible for fighting off invading microorganisms and for suppressing malignant cancers. More recently, researchers also learned HIV not only targets immune cells in the bloodstream but also in the brain and spinal cord and that HIV can lie dormant in a person's body for many years. |
Global healthcare access and quality improved from 2000-2016Healthcare access and quality improved globally from 2000-2016 due in part to large gains seen in many low and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, according to the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet. | |
 | Hepatitis C infections resulting from medical treatment occur despite clear guidelinesIn a 10 year span, more than 130,000 patients were notified of medical errors that may have exposed them to blood-borne illness, including Hepatitis C. However, the majority of these notification events were discovered only after patients became acutely ill rather than through proactive reporting of violations of health safety protocols, according to a review in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. |
 | Researchers identify spike in severe black lung disease among former US coal minersThe number of cases of progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung disease, has been increasing dramatically among coal workers and especially younger workers in central Appalachia. These new findings represent the first-ever documentation of this spike and were presented by Kirsten Almberg, research assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences in the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, at the American Thoracic Society meeting in San Diego on May 22. |
 | Research reveals concerning childbirth trendsNew research from La Trobe University has raised concern about the number of Victorian women suffering potentially dangerous levels of blood loss after childbirth. |
 | Why we fail to understand our smartphone useChecking your phone dozens of times a day indicates unconscious behaviour, which is "extremely repetitive" say psychologists. |
 | Study confirms that men and women tend to adopt different navigation strategiesWhen navigating in a known environment, men prefer to take shortcuts to reach their destination more quickly, while women tend to use routes they know. This is according to Alexander Boone of UC Santa Barbara in the US who is lead author of a study that investigated the different ways in which men and women navigate. The research is published in Springer's journal Memory & Cognition. |
 | Researchers identify source of molecule linked to nasal polyps, asthma attacksA new discovery about how the immune system responds to common sinus infections and asthma could explain why patients develop these issues in the first place and ultimately may lead to improved targeted therapies. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified the source of the inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-25 (IL-25), an immune molecule that recruits a subset of inflammatory cells. Common respiratory disorders like chronic rhinosinusitis and asthma have recently been linked to elevated levels of IL-25, but the cellular source of it in the respiratory system was unknown until now. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published the findings today. |
 | Fatty liver disease research set to benefit from stem cell advanceScientists have developed a lab-based system for studying the most common type of liver disease, paving the way for research into new therapies. |
 | Changes to specific MicroRNA involved in development of Lou Gehrig's diseaseA new Tel Aviv University study identifies a previously unknown mechanism involved in the development of Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The research focuses on a specific microRNA whose levels were found to decrease as a result of ALS-causing muscular mutations. The study highlights, for the first time, the importance of toxic muscle-secreting molecules in the pathology of ALS. |
FDA warns teething medicines unsafe, wants them off shelvesFederal health officials warned parents Wednesday about the dangers of teething remedies that contain a popular numbing ingredient and asked manufacturers to stop selling their products intended for babies and toddlers. | |
 | DR Congo Ebola outbreak on 'epidemiological knife edge': WHOAn Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a clear "potential to expand", WHO warned Wednesday, amid news three people infected with the deadly virus had fled a local hospital. |
 | Rapamycin lotion reduces facial tumors caused by tuberous sclerosis, team reportsAddressing a critical issue for people with a genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), doctors at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) reported that a skin cream containing rapamycin significantly reduced the disfiguring facial tumors affecting more than 90 percent of people with the condition. |
 | People with family history of alcoholism release more dopamine in expectation of alcoholPeople with a family history of alcohol use disorder (AUD) release more dopamine in the brain's main reward center in response to the expectation of alcohol than people diagnosed with the disorder, or healthy people without any family history of AUD, reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. |
Virtual visits for follow-up hypertension care have outcomes similar to office visitsVirtual follow-up visits for patients with hypertension appeared to be just as effective as in-person office visits in helping maintain blood pressure control. In a study conducted among patients at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), investigators found no significant difference in outcomes—including the need for specialty visits or inpatient hospitalization—between patients checking in with their primary care physicians via a secure website to report aspects of their hypertension care and those who did so via in-person office visits. The report has been published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. | |
Self-consistency influences how we make decisionsWhen making decisions, our perception is influenced by judgments we have made in the past as a way of remaining consistent with ourselves, suggests new research published in eLife. | |
Religious refusal laws harm sexual minority mental healthSince the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, opponents have shifted their focus to whether individuals can deny services to same-sex couples, from issuing marriage licenses to baking wedding cakes. When the Supreme Court gives its ruling on Masterpiece Cakeshop v. the Colorado Civil Rights Commission this summer, it could have widespread implications for the 12 states with laws permitting the denial of services to same-sex couples, or the 21 states with laws protecting sexual minorities from discrimination. | |
 | Zika detection breakthrough a potential lifesaverA cheap and effective tool that could save lives by helping health authorities target mosquitos infected with Zika virus has been developed by researchers from the University of Queensland and colleagues in Brazil. |
 | Seafood-rich diet may help couples get pregnant fasterCouples who eat more seafood tend to have sexual intercourse more often and get pregnant faster than other couples trying to conceive, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. |
New type of vertigo identifiedNeurologists have identified a new type of vertigo with no known cause, according to a study published in the May 23, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. | |
 | Widely used e-cigarette flavoring impairs lung functionA new study has found that a common e-cigarette flavoring that has chemical characteristics similar to toxic chemicals found in cigarette smoke disrupts an important mechanism of the lungs' antibacterial defense system. The study was presented at the 2018 American Thoracic Society International Conference. |
 | Electronic health records fail because they are merely digital remakes of paper chartsOnce hailed as essential to advance health care into the 21st Century, electronic health record (EHR) systems have increased rather than decreased physician work load, contributed to physician burn out, and returned little back to patients in improved health care quality. Writing in a new Perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from Penn Medicine's Center for Health Care Innovation argue that the same record systems can be reconfigured to achieve their original promise. The authors suggest restructuring EHRs from mere digital remakes of their old pen and paper ancestors into platforms that allow doctors to "subscribe" to their patients' clinical information to receive real-time updates when an action is required, similar to social media feeds and notifications. |
Lung cancer incidence in young women surpasses that in young menA collaborative study between the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute finds rates of lung cancer, historically higher among men than women, have flipped among whites and Hispanics born since the mid-1960s. The authors of the study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, say future research is needed to identify reasons for the trend, as the change is not fully explained by smoking patterns. | |
 | Painless real-time proteomics may one day speed up cancer surgeryIsabelle Fournier and her team are out to change surgical oncology. |
Study: Strenuous exercise in adolescence may ward off height loss later in lifeA new study has identified several key factors in postmenopausal women that are associated with height loss, a common occurrence in this age group that is known to increase the risk for death and disease. | |
Whey protein supplements and exercise help women improve body compositionIt's known that men benefit from whey protein supplements and exercise, and for what is believed to be the first time, the same can be said for women, according to a large study review by Purdue University nutrition experts. | |
Robotically controlled digital microscope provides new visualization system in operating roomThe Department of Neurosurgery at the Mount Sinai Health System is one of the first hospitals in the country to use Modus V, a hands-free, robotically controlled digital microscope that provides advanced visualization in the operating room. The system features a robotic arm with a high-definition camera that projects digital images of neuroanatomy on larger monitors. The system is an alternative to the traditional operating microscope, a mainstay in modern neurosurgery that features an ocular, or eyepiece, used by the surgeon to see magnified images of the brain. | |
Researchers challenge genetic tests for guiding psychiatric treatmentIn a paper published in JAMA Psychiatry, McLean Hospital's Program for Neuropsychiatric Research director Bruce M. Cohen, MD, Ph.D., and his colleagues, George S. Zubenko, MD, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (retired), and Barbara R.M. Sommer, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, emerita, reviewed the scientific basis and effectiveness of pharmacogenetic (Pgen) tests in guiding the choices and doses of psychiatric medications for treating major depressive disorder (MDD) and related psychiatric conditions. | |
 | Early-life obesity impacts children's learning and memory, study suggestsA new study by Brown University epidemiologists found that children on the threshold of obesity or overweight in the first two years of life had lower perceptual reasoning and working memory scores than lean children when tested at ages five and eight. The study also indicated that IQ scores may be lower for higher-weight children. |
 | NIH begins testing Ebola treatment in early-stage trialA first-in-human trial evaluating an experimental treatment for Ebola virus disease has begun at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The Phase 1 clinical trial is examining the safety and tolerability of a single monoclonal antibody called mAb114, which was developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH, and their collaborators. Investigators aim to enroll between 18 and 30 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 60. The trial will not expose participants to Ebola virus. |
 | New guidelines mean 1 in 3 adults may need blood pressure meds(HealthDay)—One out of every three U.S. adults has high blood pressure that should be treated with medication, under guidelines recently adopted by the two leading heart health associations. |
 | Can excess weight in toddlers cause brain drain?(HealthDay)—Extra pounds in early childhood may do more than put a child's physical health at risk—they might result in a slightly lower IQ, new research suggests. |
 | Is fasting a diet solution?(HealthDay)—Research shows that fasting on alternate days has health benefits, including lowering the amount of inflammation in the body. |
 | Cryoablation efficacious for cancer pain, review finds(HealthDay)—Cryoablation is effective for controlling cancer pain without many side effects, according to a review published online May 7 in PAIN Practice. |
 | Inverse link for plasma 25(OH)D concentration, risk of T2DM(HealthDay)—There is an inverse association for plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration with diabetes risk, according to a study published online April 19 in PLOS ONE. |
 | Extended INR test intervals safe for warfarin-treated patients(HealthDay)—For stable warfarin-treated patients, extended international normalized ratio (INR) testing can be successfully and safely implemented, according to a study published online May 15 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. |
 | Pediatricians should advocate for life support training(HealthDay)—Pediatricians should advocate for life support training for children, parents, caregivers, school personnel, and the public, according to a technical report and policy statement published online May 23 in Pediatrics. |
 | Recommendations developed for managing postpartum pain(HealthDay)—Recommendations for managing postpartum pain have been developed and published in a Committee Opinion online May 17 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. |
 | Morbidity in pregnancy common for women with heart disease(HealthDay)—For women with heart disease, cardiac complications occur in 16 percent of pregnancies and are mainly linked to arrhythmias and heart failure, according to a study published in the May 29 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
Study finds antioxidant-enriched vitamin reduces respiratory illnesses in patients with CFResearchers at Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) and the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that taking a specially formulated antioxidant-enriched multivitamin may decrease respiratory illnesses in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). | |
 | Social media usage linked to underage drinkingSocial media often features celebrities drinking cocktails, boozy how-to posts, and party pictures. This is the environment American teens are immersed in every day, with 71 percent of teens using more than one social media site, spending an average of nine hours a day using media. Despite the popularity of social media and alcohol-filled posts, little is known about the influence social media activity can have on teen and young adult and drinking behaviors. |
Researchers offer insights into liver disease caused by intravenous nutritionResearch by physician-scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus offers hope for improved quality of life for people who rely on intravenous nutrition due to intestinal damage. | |
 | With death rate up, US life expectancy is likely down againThe U.S. death rate rose last year, and 2017 likely will mark the third straight year of decline in American life expectancy, according to preliminary data. |
 | Centenarians' end-of-life thoughts: is their social network informed?People in centenarians' close social networks are often not aware of their thoughts on end-of-life issues, a new Journal of the American Geriatrics Society study reveals. |
US Congress sends 'right to try' experimental drug bill to TrumpThe House of Representatives voted Tuesday to expand terminally ill patients' right to try experimental drugs not yet approved by US authorities, a controversial move that enjoys support from President Donald Trump. | |
Abortion bans around the worldThe focus this week of a referendum in Ireland and a supreme court challenge in South Korea, abortion is still banned in some 20 countries worldwide, while others have highly restrictive laws in place. | |
Poor sleep may keep arthritis patients from getting enough exercisePoor sleep quality was linked with less physical activity in an Arthritis Care & Research analysis of individuals with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis. | |
Medication-related harm in older adults is common, costly, and preventableNew research indicates that harm from medicines is common in older adults following hospital discharge, and it results in substantial use of healthcare resources. In the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study, medication-related harm affected 1 in 3 older adults following hospital discharge, of which 50 percent was potentially preventable. | |
Lifestyle counseling program may reduce risk of certain cancersA 5-year healthy lifestyle counseling program for adult men was linked with a reduced risk of developing cancers related to overweight, diet, and smoking over 25 years. As reported in the Journal of Internal Medicine, the intervention did not reduce the overall cancer risk in the very long term. | |
Chemsex linked with increased diagnoses of HIV and other sexually transmitted infectionsChemsex—the use of crystallised methamphetamine, mephedrone, γ-hydroxybutyrate or γ-butyrolactone and to a lesser extent cocaine and ketamine to facilitate sex—has emerged as a new phenomenon in the UK and across Europe amongst gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). A new HIV Medicine study reveals that chemsex disclosure in sexual health settings is associated with higher rates of new diagnoses of HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted infections. | |
 | Surgery benefits older women with breast cancerIn a BJS (British Journal of Surgery) analysis of 18,730 older patients with oestrogen receptor- positive breast cancer in the UK, the risk of dying from breast cancer was greater in patients treated with primary endocrine therapy than in those who received surgery. |
 | Study examines treatment options for women with recurrent ovarian cancerNew research indicates that for women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer whose cancer has relapsed after surgery, a second surgery is worth considering. The population-based registry study confirms the results suggested by a recent randomized trial. |
 | Evening use of light-emitting tablets may disrupt healthy sleepA new Physiological Reports study reveals that evening use of light-emitting tablets can induce delays in desired bedtimes, suppress secretion of melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness), and impair next-morning alertness. |
Predicting relapses in patients with autoimmune vascular diseasePatients with an autoimmune disorder called antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis produce antibodies that damage blood vessels in the body. In some cases, patients' antibodies target a protein called myeloperoxidase. New research published in Arthritis & Rheumatology indicates that for patients in remission, reappearance of antibodies against myeloperoxidase is a sign that patients will experience a relapse of their disease. | |
 | Can weekend sleep make up for the detriments of sleep deprivation during the week?In a recent Journal of Sleep Research study, short, but not long, weekend sleep was associated with an increased risk of early death in individuals under 65 years of age. In the same age group, either short sleep or long sleep on both weekdays and weekends showed increased mortality when compared with consistently sleeping 6-7 hours per day. |
Do childhood development programs help children living in conflict and crisis settings?Millions of young children living in conditions of war, disaster, and displacement are at increased risk for developmental difficulties that can follow them throughout their lives. A new Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences article reviews what's known about the effectiveness of early childhood development programs in humanitarian settings and present a framework and recommendations for future research. | |
 | Oxytocin mediates subjective duration of social interactions"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it seems like a minute." As Einstein once joked, our subjective time deviates, sometimes significantly, from physical time. |
 | AVATS surgery shown to be option for patients deemed 'inoperable'A new study demonstrates that awake video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (AVATS)—a minimally invasive procedure that is done under local anesthesia and sedation—is a safe and effective alternative for patients with poor lung function and lung cancer who would normally be precluded from having surgery due to its risks. The study was presented at the 2018 American Thoracic Society International Conference. |
Infection blood test of limited value in cutting antibioticsOverall antibiotic use was not curbed by giving physicians the results of biomarker tests in patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infections, according to findings from the Procalcitonin Antibiotic Consensus Trial (ProACT). The national, randomized clinical trial was coordinated by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The results, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, are being presented at the ATS 2018 International Conference in San Diego. | |
Study examines bone health in children with leukemiaIn a Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study that followed 186 children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) for 6 years after initiation of chemotherapy, approximately 1 in 5 children experienced a non-vertebral fracture and 1 in 3 had a new vertebral fracture. | |
Research highlights the influence social media marketing has on children's food intakeNew research from the University of Liverpool, presented at the European Congress on Obesity today (Wednesday, 23 May), highlights the negative influence that social media has on children's food intake. | |
Military-civilian partnerships aim to help meet military medical readiness needsA growing partnership between the Military Health System and permanent civilian trauma institutions is well under way that will create, for the first time, a fully integrated military-civilian trauma system with the ability to train military surgeons prior to deployment, retain the critical skills of military surgeons while they're deployed, and then bring lessons from the battlefield back home to enhance civilian trauma care. | |
12 die of cholera in NE Nigeria: officialTwelve people have died of cholera in northeast Nigeria's Adamawa state, the health commissioner said on Wednesday, in the latest outbreak of the disease in the region. | |
 | Complex diseases get the big data treatmentThe big data explosion, which allows scientists to analyse factors such as people's lifestyles, genes and medical records to develop personalised treatments for conditions, has so far mostly benefitted rare diseases with simple causes. But now, complex problems such as cardiovascular disease and dementia are getting the big data treatment. |
Study examining a novel index of coronary artery stenosis presentedA novel non-hyperemic index of coronary stenosis severity called resting full-cycle ratio (RFR) was found to be diagnostically equivalent to instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) in the VALIDATE RFR study. The results were presented today at EuroPCR, the annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, by Ziad A. Ali, MD, DPhil, and simultaneously published in EuroIntervention. | |
 | Cheeseburger or salad? How music volume impacts your decisionMusic can be the ultimate mood setter. Faster beats ignite excitement, while slower songs help one relax. And that makes all the difference in what we order from restaurant menus. |
Biology news
 | A first look at the earliest decisions that shape a human embryoThe factors that shape the destiny of a cell, like that of a fully formed person, remain something of a mystery. Why, for example, does one stem cell in a human embryo become a neuron rather than a muscle cell? And why does another decide to build cartilage rather than cardiac tissue? |
 | 'Virtual safe space' to help bumblebeesThe many threats facing bumblebees can be tested using a "virtual safe space" created by scientists at the University of Exeter. Bumble-BEEHAVE provides a computer simulation of how colonies will develop and react to multiple factors including pesticides, parasites and habitat loss. |
 | Legend of Loch Ness Monster will be tested with DNA samplesThe stories seem as tall as the lake is deep. For hundreds of years, visitors to Scotland's Loch Ness have described seeing a monster that some believe lurks in the depths. |
 | Why birds don't have teethWhy did birds lose their teeth? Was it so they would be lighter in the air? Or are pointy beaks better for worm-eating than the jagged jaws of dinosaur ancestors? |
 | Sterol-producing bacteria may change interpretation of geological historyMolecules called sterols linger in soils and rocks for billions of years and have served as a tell-tale sign to geologists that the plants, animals and fungi that produce them must once have lived nearby. But a new discovery could have geologists rethinking what they've learned from that rock record. |
 | Study bolsters bats' reputation as mosquito devourersIt's a common assumption: Bats are important because they feast upon those pervasive warm-weather pests known as mosquitoes. You want to see bats flying above, cleaning up the night sky and ridding you of itchy bites and pesky ear-buzzing. |
 | Revealing the mysteries of early developmentZebrafish embryos are transparent and develop outside the mother's body, enabling scientists to get a detailed view of early development. A research team led by Lila Solnica-Krezel, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Developmental Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is revealing new clues to how birth defects develop in the tiniest embryos. Solnica-Krezel explained her lab's recent work, published in the journal Developmental Cell. |
 | How a cell knows when to divideHow does a cell know when to divide? We know that hundreds of genes contribute to a wave of activity linked to cell division, but to generate that wave new research shows that cells must first grow large enough to produce four key proteins in adequate amounts. The study, published today in Cell Systems, offers a path for controlling the balance between cell growth and division, which is implicated in countless diseases, including cancers. |
 | Chimpanzee calls differ according to contextAn important question in the evolution of language is what caused animal calls to diversify and to encode different information. A team of scientists led by Catherine Crockford of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology found that chimpanzees use the quiet 'hoo' call in three different behavioural contexts—alert, travel and rest. The need to stay together in low visibility habitat may have facilitated the evolution of call subtypes. |
 | Orphaned elephants change where they live, in response to poaching and the need for foodYoung elephants who have lost either their mothers or the matriarchs of their herd are affected dramatically, and change where they live, according to new research from Save the Elephants and Colorado State University. |
 | Researchers build most comprehensive tree of life for malaria parasitesA new study led by the American Museum of Natural History puts forth the most comprehensive tree of life for malaria parasites to date. Known for being a devastating scourge of human health, with five species known to infect humans, there are more than 500 described species of malaria that infect mammals, birds, and reptiles. Among the researchers' findings, which were published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, is that the diverse malaria parasite genus Plasmodium (which includes those species that infect humans) is composed of several distantly related evolutionary lineages, and, from a taxonomic standpoint, many species should be renamed. |
 | How human brains became so bigThe human brain is disproportionately large. And while abundant grey matter confers certain intellectual advantages, sustaining a big brain is costly—consuming a fifth of energy in the human body. |
 | Rehabilitating lactate: From poison to cureGeorge Brooks has been trying to reshape thinking about lactate—in the lab, the clinic and on the training field—for more than 40 years, and finally, it seems, people are listening. Lactate, it's becoming clear, is not a poison, it's the antidote. |
 | Wyoming to vote on biggest grizzly hunt in lower 48 statesWyoming could allow grizzly bear hunting for the first time in decades when state officials vote Wednesday whether to allow as many as 22 grizzlies to be killed this fall outside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. |
 | Embryonic mammary gland stem cells identifiedResearch team led by Prof. Cédric Blanpain has identified the mechanisms that regulate mammary gland development. Using a combination of lineage tracing, molecular profiling, single cell sequencing and functional experiments, A. Wuidart and colleagues demonstrated that mammary gland development is initiated by multipotent progenitors during the early steps of embryonic mammary gland morphogenesis, whereas postnatal mammary gland development is mediated by lineage-restricted stem cells. |
 | Birds play the waiting game in tough environmental conditionsEvery animal's ultimate goal in life is to generate offspring to pass on its genetic material to the next generation. But sometimes, resources are scarce and the task of reproduction is too difficult or risky. If resources are limited and tough to find, reproductive efforts may fail anyway. In these situations, it may be in an animal's best interests to not defend a territory or to breed at all, but rather to focus its efforts on surviving to the next breeding season. Biologists refer to individuals without a territory during the breeding season as 'floaters'. A new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances presents some of the best evidence on how changes in environmental conditions, specifically droughts, impact the social and reproductive behavior of birds. |
 | Long-term study reveals one invasive insect can change a forest bird communityEastern hemlock forests have been declining due to a non-native insect pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications presents some of the best long-term data showing how the decline of a single tree species (eastern hemlock) leads to the disappearance of birds specialized to those trees. The data also indicate birds associated with non-hemlock habitat features (deciduous forest, woodland edge, and shrubs) are spreading into former hemlock forests. A single insect species has led to a less diverse bird community across this landscape. |
 | Natural predators protect oilseed rape crops from pollen beetlesOilseed rape fields are home to a variety of insects that bother farmers. The pollen beetle is one of them. The beetle's larvae feed on the flower buds of oilseed rape causing damage and crop failure. The larvae of weevil species also have a preference for rape: They tunnel into the plants' stems, making them wither and die. |
 | Bunya pines are ancient, delicious and possibly deadlyThe Bunya pine is a unique and majestic Australian tree – my favourite tree, in fact. Sometimes simply called Bunya or the Bunya Bunya, I love its pleasingly symmetrical dome shape. |
 | Carnivore snacks debunk theory of turtles' strict herbivore dietA study has revealed the diet of green turtles is more complex than previously thought, providing insights which could influence conservation and management strategies. |
 | The farmer wants a hive—inside the world of renting beesAlmonds, blueberries, apples, melons – all of these fruits, and many more, rely on insect pollination. Some crops rely more on pollinators than others. Insect pollination isn't just about the number of fruits produced – it can also improve the quality of the yield. For example, self-pollinated flowers may produce a fruit, but it might be very small or misshapen. |
 | Genetic diversity helps protect against diseaseSo much for survival of the fittest – diversity is the key: a team of researchers from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) has succeeded in demonstrating experimentally that genetic diversity makes populations more resistant to disease. |
 | A necessary evil? What you need to know about animal researchEvery year, millions of animals are used in scientific research across the UK. Statistics suggest that almost four million scientific procedures were carried out on animals in 2016 alone. The majority of these were reported to be on mice (73%), followed by fish (14%), rats (6%) and birds (4%). The remaining proportion was made up of other species including horses and other equines (0.23%), dogs (0.13%), primates (0.09%) and cats (0.004%). |
 | 'Uniquely human' muscles have been discovered in apesMuscles once thought 'uniquely human' have been discovered in several ape species, challenging long-held theories on the origin and evolution of human soft tissues. The findings question the anthropocentric view that certain muscles evolved for the sole purpose of providing special adaptations for human traits, such as walking on two legs, tool use, vocal communication and facial expressions. Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, the study highlights that thorough knowledge of ape anatomy is necessary for a better understanding of human evolution. |
 | The internet: a dangerous place for wild animalsFrom ivory baubles and leopard coats to rare turtles and live bears, the online market for protected wildlife is booming, according to an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) investigation released Wednesday. |
 | The prevalence of twin births in pure Spanish horses (PREs)It is known that chromosomal anomalies are one of the principle genetic causes of infertility in horses. However, a great proportion of these cases still go undiagnosed, probably due to the fact that their symptomatology is non-specific and diagnosis is complex. This is the case with chimerism, which is greatly associated with twin births in domestic animals, and whose prevalence and reproductive effects are still unknown in horses. |
 | Finding Nemo's genes—reef fish genome mapped and sharedNemo's genome has been deciphered and made publicly available, helping researchers further investigate fish ecology and evolution. |
 | Designer human tissue—coming to a lab near youThe latest issue of Philosophical Transactions B looks at the opportunities for the use of human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), both from embryos and from the reprogramming of adult cells, as a scalable alternative to using human tissue for bio- and regenerative medicine applications. These special cell types have the ability to change into different types of cells, which promises an unlimited supply of human somatic cells, allowing for precise modelling of human biology 'in a dish' and the possibility of novel cell based therapies for the clinic. We spoke with one of the Guest Editors, David Hay from the University of Edinburgh, about the issue. |
 | Farmers and cropdusting pilots on the Great Plains worried about pesticide risks before 'Silent Spring'It is easy to frame conservation as a clash between environmentalists and polluters. But this view can greatly oversimplify many complex choices. What does conservation look like when ideas about nature cut across political lines? |
 | ESF lists top 10 new species for 2018The large and small, beautiful and bizarre are among the newly discovered animals, plants and microbes announced by the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) as the Top 10 New Species for 2018. |
 | Thailand stops short of banning hazardous weedkillersA toxic weedkiller linked to Parkinson's disease and banned in more than 30 countries will not be outlawed in Thailand, after authorities announced Wednesday they would instead restrict its use. |
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