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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 20, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Could aliens harness stars to keep ahead of expanding universe?Dan Hooper, a senior scientist with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has written a paper outlining a way future aliens could keep their civilizations alive in spite of the isolation due to an expanding universe. In his paper uploaded to the arXiv preprint server, he suggests they might consider collecting and storing stars. |
 | A possible explanation for varying measurements of Venus's rotation rateA trio of researchers with the University of California and Sorbonne Universités has found a possible explanation for why Venus probes have found different day lengths for the planet. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, T. Navarro, G. Schubert and S. Lebonnois describe a theory they have developed based on observational data. |
 | Martian dust storm grows global; Curiosity captures photos of thickening hazeA storm of tiny dust particles has engulfed much of Mars over the last two weeks and prompted NASA's Opportunity rover to suspend science operations. But across the planet, NASA's Curiosity rover, which has been studying Martian soil at Gale Crater, is expected to remain largely unaffected by the dust. While Opportunity is powered by sunlight, which is blotted out by dust at its current location, Curiosity has a nuclear-powered battery that runs day and night. |
 | Big Data exploration in the era of GaiaTwo astronomers from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) have developed a software library that can effortlessly generate visualisations based on hundreds of millions of data points. Maarten Breddels and Jovan Veljanoski initially developed their software to handle the enormous quantity of data from the Gaia mission. However, the software can also show patterns in other large data files. The software is open source and free to use. The researchers explain the ins and outs in an article that has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. |
 | Image: Dark and stormy JupiterThis image captures the intensity of the jets and vortices in Jupiter's North North Temperate Belt. |
 | US stepping up Earth's protection from asteroids, cometsThe U.S. government is stepping up efforts to protect the planet from incoming asteroids that could wipe out entire regions or even continents. |
Technology news
 | Controlling robots with brainwaves and hand gesturesGetting robots to do things isn't easy: usually scientists have to either explicitly program them or get them to understand how humans communicate via language. |
 | Soft robots utilize humidity gradient levels to generate signalsA team of researchers at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, has developed a type of soft robot that can generate signals without using electricity. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe their study of origami objects and their possible use as signaling devices and possibly as logic gates. |
 | New 'e-dermis' brings sense of touch, pain to prosthetic handsAmputees often experience the sensation of a "phantom limb"—a feeling that a missing body part is still there. |
 | Chip upgrade helps miniature drones navigateResearchers at MIT, who last year designed a tiny computer chip tailored to help honeybee-sized drones navigate, have now shrunk their chip design even further, in both size and power consumption. |
 | EU copyright law passes key hurdleA highly disputed European copyright law that could force online platforms such as Google and Facebook to pay for links to news content passed a key hurdle in the European Parliament on Wednesday. |
 | Assessment of death risks: It's Google's turnRealistic assessments of end of life may be more accurate because of AI and neural networks. |
 | Instagram unveils new video service in challenge to YouTubeFacebook's Instagram service is loosening its restraints on video in an attempt to lure younger viewers away from YouTube when they're looking for something to watch on their smartphones. |
 | Banking by smart speaker arrives, but security issues existHey Alexa, what's my bank account balance? |
 | Hackers steal $30m from top Seoul bitcoin exchangeHackers stole more than $30 million worth of cryptocurrencies from South Korea's top bitcoin exchange, sending the unit's price falling around the world on Wednesday. |
 | New AI method increases the power of artificial neural networksAn international team of scientists from Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Derby, has developed a revolutionary method that quadratically accelerates artificial intelligence (AI) training algorithms. This gives full AI capability to inexpensive computers, and would make it possible in one to two years for supercomputers to utilize Artificial Neural Networks that quadratically exceed the possibilities of today's artificial neural networks. The scientists presented their method on June 19 in the journal Nature Communications. |
 | Self-heating drinks cans set for a relaunch—here's how they workA US technology firm is hoping to make a very old idea finally work by launching self-heating drinks cans. HeatGenie recently received US$6m to bring their can design to market in 2018, more than 15 years after Nestle abandoned a similar idea. Yet the principles behind the technology go back much further to 1897, when Russian engineer Yevgeny Fedorov invented the first self-heating can. So how do these cans work, why no one has managed to make them a success, and what's HeatGenie's new approach? To answer that, we have to go back to World War II. |
 | Evaluation method for the impact of wind power fluctuation on power system qualityAbrupt changes of wind power generation output are a source of severe damage to power systems. Researchers at Kyoto University developed a stochastic modeling method that enables to evaluate the impact of such phenomena. The feature of the method lies in its significant computational effectiveness in comparison to standard Monte Carlo simulation, and its applicability to analysis and synthesis of various systems subject to extremum outliers. |
Electric promise: Volvo Cars opens first US factoryVolvo Cars, the first major automaker to abandon cars powered solely by internal combustion engines, is officially opening its first plant in the United States. | |
 | Hyundai Motor, Audi join hands for fuel cell technologyHyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it signed an agreement with Audi AG to jointly develop electronics vehicles powered by fuel cell. |
 | Report provides 24-hour view of cyberattacks in Florida, USThe Internet of things (IoT) - smartphones, vehicles, smart buildings, home appliances and other devices that use electronics, software and sensors—have transformed the way people around the world live and work. But not without risks. Data breaches and cyberattacks affect millions of businesses and households each year, hindering the integrity of critical systems, leaking private information and paralyzing Internet infrastructures. |
 | Misinformation and biases infect social media, both intentionally and accidentallySocial media are among the primary sources of news in the U.S. and across the world. Yet users are exposed to content of questionable accuracy, including conspiracy theories, clickbait, hyperpartisan content, pseudo science and even fabricated "fake news" reports. |
 | How to print a building—the science behind 3-D printing in constructionIt's often claimed that 3-D printing – known in the trade as "additive manufacturing" – will change the way we live. Most recently, a team from Eindhoven University of Technology announced plans to build the "world's first" habitable 3-D printed houses. But it's one thing to build small, prototype homes in a park – it's quite another to successfully use additive manufacturing for large scale projects in the construction sector. |
 | What will freight and supply chains look like 20 years from now? Experts ponder the scenariosThe Australian government is developing a national freight and supply chain strategy. As part of that effort, we created a set of scenarios describing what Australia's future might look like 20 years from now. In evaluations by a large number of experts of all the future drivers of change we identified, two emerged as the most powerful and uncertain: widespread use of automation, and increased pressure to become environmentally sustainable. |
 | Stereo vision using computing architecture inspired by the brainThe Brain-Inspired Computing group at IBM Research-Almaden will be presenting at the 2018 IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2018) our most recent paper titled "A Low Power, High Throughput, Fully Event-Based Stereo System." The paper describes an end-to-end stereo vision system that uses exclusively spiking neural network computation and can run on neuromorphic hardware with a live streaming spiking input. Inspired by the human vision system, it uses a cluster of IBM TrueNorth chips and a pair of digital retina sensors (also known as Dynamic Vision Sensors, DVS) to extract the depth of rapidly moving objects in a scene. Our system captures scenes in 3-D with low power, low latency and high throughput, which has the potential to advance the design of intelligent systems. |
China and the US are racing to develop AI weaponsWhen Google's AlphaGo defeated the Chinese grandmaster at a game of Go in 2017, China was confronted with its own "Sputnik moment": a prompt to up its game on the development of artifical intelligence (AI). Sure enough, Beijing is pursuing launch a national-level AI innovation agenda for "civil-military fusion". It's part of China's ambitious quest to become a "science and technology superpower" – but also a new front in an increasingly worrisome arms race. | |
 | Augmented reality helps build aircraft tanksWalking through an unfamiliar city, getting directions or simulations of buildings that no longer exist – augmented reality is where virtual content and the real world come together. Scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are developing an assistance system based on this technology which supports engineers in building and maintaining aircraft tanks. The system is currently being tested in industry. |
 | Thousands of Swedes are inserting microchips into themselves – here's whyThousands of people in Sweden have inserted microchips, which can function as contactless credit cards, key cards and even rail cards, into their bodies. Once the chip is underneath your skin, there is no longer any need to worry about misplacing a card or carrying a heavy wallet. But for many people, the idea of carrying a microchip in their body feels more dystopian than practical. |
Teaching robots to sort out their issuesRobots can help do a lot of things—assemble cars, search for explosives, cook a meal or aid in surgery. But one thing they can't do is tell you how they're doing—yet. | |
 | Crumple up this keyboard and stick it in your pocketBendable portable keyboards for use with computers and other electronic devices are already on the market, but they have limited flexibility, and they're fairly sizable when rolled up for transport. Now researchers have crafted an inexpensive keyboard that is so tough, flexible and thin that it can be crumpled up and tucked in a pocket without damaging it. The study appears in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. |
 | Disney ups its bid for Fox to counter ComcastDisney sweetened its bid for key assets of 21st Century Fox Wednesday, raising its offer to $71.3 billion in cash and stock to counter a rival bid from Comcast. |
 | Sweden starts construction on fossil fuel-free steel plantSweden has started construction on a factory that will test whether it's feasible to make steel without burning fossil fuels. |
 | Technology enables soft contact lenses to monitor glucose, medical conditions and deliver medicationsPurdue University researchers have developed soft contact lenses that not only correct vision but also can monitor glucose and medical conditions and be used for ocular pain relief or drug delivery. |
 | Facebook's Instagram has more than a billion usersInstagram said Wednesday it now has more than one billion active users, highlighting surging growth at the Facebook-owned social network focused on photo and video sharing. |
 | Survey: Companies in China feel pressure to give up techOne in five foreign companies in China feels compelled to hand over technology for market access, a business group said Wednesday, highlighting a key irritant in an escalating U.S.-Chinese trade dispute. |
 | Australia telecom giant Telstra to axe 8,000 jobsAustralia's dominant telecommunications company Telstra Wednesday announced plans to axe 8,000 jobs—a quarter of its workforce—as part of a drastic new strategy to cope with an increasingly competitive industry. |
 | General Electric dropped from Dow Jones stock indexSlumping US industrial giant General Electric will be booted from the prestigious Dow Jones stock index next week, S&P Dow Jones Indices announced Tuesday. |
 | Noble Group shares soar after deal with key investorNoble Group shares surged more than 50 percent Wednesday after the embattled commodities trader sealed a deal with a major investor, paving the way for a debt restructuring. |
 | Indian government grounds Air India sale plans: reportsIndia has shelved its plans to sell debt-stricken national carrier Air India after failing to attract any bidders, a senior official has told local media. |
 | European firms say China business 'more difficult'European companies complain they still face a tough business climate in China despite Beijing's pledges of openness, with about half saying it has become tougher in the past year, according to a survey released Wednesday. |
Honolulu mayor vetoes bill to limit Uber, Lyft 'surge' faresHonolulu's mayor has vetoed a bill aimed at setting limits for what ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft can charge during peak demand. | |
 | Helping visually impaired children to 'feel' the universeA University of Portsmouth project is helping blind and visually impaired children to 'feel' the universe. |
 | EU tells Luxembourg to recover 120 mn euros from French energy giantThe EU on Wednesday ruled that Luxembourg had given illegal tax breaks to energy giant Engie and ordered it to recover 120 million euros from the company, whose biggest shareholder is the French state. |
PayPal move blocks sales of school shooting video gameThe developer of a school shooting video game condemned by parents of slain children has lost the ability to sell the game online after being dumped by PayPal. | |
 | Fixing a massive NYC plumbing leak, 55 stories undergroundNew York City is in the midst of a plumbing repair job of monumental proportions. |
 | Deutsche Bank fined $205 mn in US for forex manipulationUS officials fined embattled German banking giant Deutsche Bank $205 million in a settlement to resolve foreign exchange market manipulation violations, New York's top banking regulator announced Wednesday. |
 | FTC puts data, privacy under spotlight with new hearingsThe Federal Trade Commission says it plans to hold hearings about technology, competition and privacy of a kind it hasn't held in more than 20 years. |
 | Tesla sues ex-employee alleging data theft, leaks to mediaA former employee hacked into computers at Tesla's Nevada battery factory, stole confidential information and combined it with falsehoods in leaks to the media, the electric car maker alleged in a federal lawsuit. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Compound made inside human body stops viruses from replicatingThe newest antiviral drugs could take advantage of a compound made not by humans, but inside them. A team of researchers has identified the mode of action of viperin, a naturally occurring enzyme in humans and other mammals that is known to have antiviral effects on a wide variety of viruses, including West Nile, hepatitis C, rabies, and HIV. |
 | Living the high life: How altitude influences bone growthHigh altitude is a particularly challenging environment—the terrain is physically challenging and the land has a relatively poor crop yield, so food can be sparse. Most importantly, oxygen levels are lower meaning that conversion of food into energy in an individual's body is not very efficient and leads to relatively limited energy available for growth. |
 | Say cheese! Why a toothy smile makes it easier for you to be identifiedA fulsome smile in a photo makes it easier for people to identify the individual, say researchers at the University of York. |
 | Long-term estrogen therapy changes microbial activity in the gut, study findsLong-term therapy with estrogen and bazedoxifene alters the microbial composition and activity in the gut, affecting how estrogen is metabolized, a new study in mice found. |
 | Around the world, people have surprisingly modest notions of the 'ideal' lifeIt seems reasonable that people would want to maximize various aspects of life if they were given the opportunity to do so, whether it's the pleasure they feel, how intelligent they are, or how much personal freedom they have. In actuality, people around the world seem to aspire for more moderate levels of these and other traits, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
 | A dual-therapy approach to boost motor recovery after a strokeParalysis of an arm and/or leg is one of the most common effects of a stroke. But thanks to research carried out by scientists at the Defitech Foundation Chair in Brain-Machine Interface and collaborators, stroke victims may soon be able to recover greater use of their paralyzed limbs. The scientists' pioneering approach brings together two known types of therapies—a brain-computer interface (BCI) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) - and has been published in Nature Communications. |
 | Mind wandering is fine in some situations, study saysIt's a common experience for most students. You're sitting in a lecture that covers material you already know, and before long your mind drifts and you become occupied with thoughts of what you'll do over the weekend, or what you should make for dinner, or whether you shoul |
 | Shared genetics may shape treatment options for certain brain disordersSymptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, including psychosis, depression and manic behavior, have both shared and distinguishing genetic factors, an international consortium led by researchers from Vanderbilt University and Virginia Commonwealth University is reporting. |
 | How a thieving transcription factor dominates the genomeOne powerful DNA-binding protein, the transcription factor PU.1, steals away other transcription factors and recruits them for its own purposes, effectively dominating gene regulation in developing immune cells, according to a new Caltech-led study. The research was conducted in the laboratory of Ellen Rothenberg, Albert Billings Ruddock Professor of Biology. A paper describing the work appears in the June 19 issue of the journal Immunity. |
 | Biologists discover how pancreatic tumors lead to weight lossPatients with pancreatic cancer usually experience significant weight loss, which can begin very early in the disease. A new study from MIT and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute offers insight into how this happens, and suggests that the weight loss may not necessarily affect patients' survival. |
 | Research reveals zero proof probiotics can ease your anxietyIf you're expecting probiotics to reduce your anxiety, it might be time to put down that yogurt spoon—or supplement bottle—and call a professional instead. |
 | Breakthrough treatment for crippling jaw disease createdA first-ever tissue implant to safely treat a common jaw defect, known as temporomandibular joint dysfunction, has been successfully tested by UCI-led researchers in a large animal model, according to new findings. |
 | Study of 800 million tweets finds distinct daily cycles in our thinking patternsOur mode of thinking changes at different times of the day and follows a 24-hour pattern, according to new findings published in PLOS ONE. University of Bristol researchers were able to study our thinking behaviour by analysing seven-billion words used in 800-million tweets. |
 | Fetal T cells are first responders to infection in adultsCornell University researchers have discovered there is a division of labor among immune cells that fight invading pathogens in the body. |
 | Possible link found between diabetes and common white pigmentIn a pilot study by a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, crystalline particles of titanium dioxide—the most common white pigment in everyday products ranging from paint to candies—were found in pancreas specimens with Type 2 diabetes, suggesting that exposure to the white pigment is associated with the disease. |
 | How vaping helps even hardened smokers quitVaping helps people stop smoking—even when they don't want to, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. |
 | Exercise makes the blood of obese people healthierExercise can reduce inflammation in obese people by changing the characteristics of their blood, according to new research published in The Journal of Physiology. |
 | Parent-child therapy helps young children with depressionChildren as young as 3 can be clinically depressed, and often that depression recurs as kids get older and go to school. It also can reappear during adolescence and throughout life. |
Intervention shows promise for treating depression in preschool-aged childrenResearchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have shown that a therapy-based treatment for disruptive behavioral disorders can be adapted and used as an effective treatment option for early childhood depression. Children as young as 3-years-old can be diagnosed with clinical depression, and although preschool-aged children are sometimes prescribed antidepressants, a psychotherapeutic intervention is greatly needed. The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of NIH, appears online June 20 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. | |
 | Floppy eyelids may be sign of sleep apnea, study findsA Loyola Medicine study is providing further evidence that floppy eyelids may be a sign of sleep apnea. |
 | Study finds religious involvement does little to prevent opioid abuseDoes going to church help people avoid struggles with opioid abuse? New research from Florida State University says no. |
 | Absence epilepsy—when the brain is like 'an orchestra without a conductor'At first, the teacher described her six-year-old student as absentminded, a daydreamer. The boy was having difficulty paying attention in class. As the teacher watched the boy closely, she realized that he was not daydreaming. He often blanked out for a few seconds and wouldn't respond when she called his name. On occasion, he would blink a lot and his eyes would roll up. |
Researchers find religious involvement deters recreational and medical marijuana useAlthough marijuana use for medical and recreational purposes is at an all-time high in the United States, a team of researchers led by a Florida State University professor has found those who hold strong religious beliefs are choosing to stay away from weed. | |
Canadian senate clears cannabis legalizationThe Canadian Senate voted Tuesday to legalize cannabis, bringing Canada one step closer to becoming the first G7 country to authorize consumption and production of the mind-altering drug. | |
 | "D" for danger! Speech sounds convey emotionsIndividual speech sounds—phonemes—are statistically associated with negative or positive emotions in several languages, according to new research published in the journal Cognition by Bocconi Professor Zachary Estes, his Warwick colleague James Adelman and Bocconi student Martina Cossu. These associations can quickly signal people to avoid danger, because the phoneme-emotion associations are strongest at the beginning of the word and the phonemes that are spoken fastest tend to have a negative association. |
 | Opioid overdose survivors face continued health challenges, higher death rateSurvivors of opioid overdose are at great risk of dying in the year after overdose, but the deaths are not always caused by drug use, a new study reveals. In addition to succumbing to drug use, survivors were much more likely to die from respiratory diseases, viral hepatitis, and suicide. |
 | Powerful new approach helps understand molecular alterations in neurological diseaseNeurological diseases are typically associated with a multitude of molecular changes. But out of these thousands of changes in gene expression, which ones are actually driving the disease? To answer this question, a team of scientists has developed a high-throughput, multi-pronged approach that integrates laboratory experiments, data from published literature and network analysis of large datasets. When the scientists applied their new approach to Huntington's disease, they uncovered the functional significance of various molecular changes. This information not only provided a better understanding of the disease but also suggested new directions for developing therapeutic interventions. The study appears in the journal Cell Systems. |
 | Mechanism controlling multiple sclerosis risk identifiedWhile the DNA sequence remains the same throughout a person's life, the expression of the encoded genes may change with time and contribute to disease development in genetically predisposed individuals. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have now discovered a new mechanism of a major risk gene for multiple sclerosis (MS) that triggers disease through so-called epigenetic regulation. They also found a protective genetic variant that reduces the risk for MS through the same mechanism. The study is published in Nature Communications. |
 | Diagnostics of genetic cardiac diseases using stem cell-derived cardiomyocytesA new study by Professors Martti Juhola and Katriina Aalto-Setälä of the University of Tampere in Finland demonstrates that with the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it is possible not only to accurately sort sick cardiac cell cultures from healthy ones, but also to differentiate between genetic cardiac diseases. |
 | Can psychological stress cause vision loss?Persistent psychological stress, which is widely recognized as a consequence of vision loss, is also a major contributor to its development and progression, according to a study now published in the EPMA Journal, the official journal of the European Association for Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Medicine. Clinical practice implications of this finding include a recommendation to improve the clinician-patient relationship and provide stress-reduction treatments and psychological counseling to interrupt the vicious cycle of stress and progressive vision loss. |
Pelvic floor problems and incontinence—autoprosthesis significantly improves quality-of-lifeDue to their anatomical difference and also the particular stresses associated with pregnancy and childbirth, incontinence and pelvic floor problems are particularly prevalent in women. Apart from incontinence, women can also develop pelvic floor muscle weakness, overstretching of the pelvic connective tissue and displacement of the pelvic organs. Their quality-of-life can be significantly improved by surgical transplantation of endogenous tissue to strengthen the affected area of the pelvic floor. | |
 | Weight loss reverses heart condition in obesity sufferersAustralian research shows for the first time that obese people who are suffering from atrial fibrillation can reduce or reverse the effects of the condition by losing weight. |
 | New drug technology may improve treatment options for aggressive types of breast cancerPurdue University researchers have developed a new technology that may change how one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer is treated. |
Nurses attitudes are key to better compliance with infection control practicesA study in the United States has shown that attitudes among community nurses are important for their compliance with infection control practices. | |
 | Blood vessel-forming cells involved in aggressive brain tumourA type of highly malignant brain tumour contains a large number of cells involved in the formation of new blood vessels, helping it proliferate and spread. Targeting these cells could hinder tumour growth, according to new research published in the Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology. |
 | New contraceptive device for broader access to long-acting contraception in developing countriesIn the past 10 years, the percentage of women who use intrauterine devices in the United States has leapt from less than 1 percent to nearly 20 percent. But at the international level, those figures are much lower. |
Testing solutions to overheating in hazmat suitsIn 2015, health care workers in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone, contacted a Stanford research team regarding their work on how people regulate body temperature. They were hoping for a solution to the debilitating heat inside the gear that protected them from Ebola. | |
 | What lies behind ghosts, demons and aliens—according to sleep researchersIf you believe in the paranormal you might not be surprised if you hear stories of deceased loved ones appearing during the night, huge explosions heard just as someone is drifting off with no obvious cause, and other peculiar occurrences. But what if you don't? |
 | Researchers use AI to improve mammogram interpretationIn an effort to reduce errors in the analyses of diagnostic images by health professionals, a team of researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has improved understanding of the cognitive processes involved in image interpretation. |
 | Reduction in HIV diagnoses in New ZealandThere has been a significant reduction in the number of people diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand over the past year. |
 | African-Americans who attend church less likely to suffer mental-health issues than those who don'tAfrican-Americans who regularly attend church are far less likely to suffer from mental-health issues, including depression and suicide, according to new research from Case Western Reserve University. |
 | New technique fine-tunes treatment for severe epilepsy casesOne of three epilepsy patients experience no relief from drugs and are candidates for surgery. An advance by researchers at Yale and the Cleveland Clinic will enable surgeons to more precisely target areas of the brain causing debilitating symptoms in a subset of these patients. |
 | High rates of HIV and diabetes raise the risk of TB for South AfricansSince the 1980s, HIV has contributed to an increase in tuberculosis (TB) cases across the globe. Recently, diabetes has been found to be an important risk factor for TB. In a new study, Yale researchers investigated whether having both HIV and diabetes increases the risk of developing TB among individuals living in rural South Africa. |
 | More precise surgical tool for deep-brain stimulation offers a solution to waiting listsDeep-brain stimulation (DBS) can, among other things, alleviate uncontrolled movement and trembling in Parkinson's patients. However, the existing technology to place DBS electrodes in the brain is imprecise, so that only top specialists achieve a good success rate. Marc Janssens of Eindhoven University of Technology has therefore developed new instruments that brain surgeons with less experience with DBS can use to place the electrode with precision in the right place in the brain. This can help to shorten the waiting lists. Janssens receives his Ph.D. on 25 June. |
 | Lonely and prolonged struggle for people with severe obesityThe majority of people with severe obesity have a lonely and prolonged struggle with their weight. In one study spanning more than 10 years, 83 percent report that they constantly strive to lose weight or prevent weight gain. |
 | Coconut oil prolongs life in peroxisomal disordersLorenzo's Oil was developed to help a seriously ill boy suffering from a peroxisomal disorder (adrenoleukodystrophy/ALD). The true story was turned into a film that made the rare disease well known. Scientists from the University of Bonn, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the German Cancer Research Center investigated such peroxisomal diseases on fruit flies. They were able to prove that a coconut oil diet significantly increases the vitality and lifespan of the flies. The results will now be presented in the journal PLOS Biology. |
 | Medicaid work requirements and health savings accounts may impact people's coverageCurrent experimental approaches in Medicaid programs—including requirements to pay premiums, contribute to health savings accounts, or to work—may lead to unintended consequences for patient coverage and access, such as confusing beneficiaries or dissuading some people from enrolling, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. |
 | Half of those on Parkinson's drugs may develop impulse control problemsOver time, half of the people taking certain drugs for Parkinson's disease may develop impulse control disorders such as compulsive gambling, shopping or eating, according to a study published in the June 20, 2018, online issue of Neurology. |
 | Study shows knowledge of STI has little effect on risky sexual behaviorEighty-five percent of a sample of college students report engaging in risky sexual behavior and the knowledge of the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) seemed to have little to no effect on the behavior, according to a study by Ohio University's Reproductive and Sexual Health Initiative (RSHI). |
 | Surrogacy—what you need to know about having a babyElton John and David Furnish, Kim and Kanye, and Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, have all received help from a surrogate to have children. But it's not just something for the rich and famous. |
 | How reliable is your wearable heart-rate monitor?Fitbit, Garmin and other consumer heart-rate monitors are increasingly being used in clinical trials. The problem is, they're not always very accurate. |
 | Yoga changing to meet contemporary needsOn June 21, on International Yoga Day, people will take out their yoga mats and practice sun salutations or sit in meditation. Yoga may have originated in ancient India, but today is practiced all over the world. |
 | What to do if your child has oppositional defiant disorderDefiance and tantrums are common in childhood. Parents will often tell us about the 30-minute tirade they faced because their child wanted a blue bowl, not a yellow one. Or the screaming and crying that ensued when the parent was brave enough to suggest that drawing should be reserved for paper, not walls. |
 | Could switching blood pressure medication timing extend your life?More than seven years ago, a big health finding reported on in a peer-reviewed journal went largely unnoticed. |
 | Researcher examines link between viruses and breast cancerThe University of Canterbury's Chair of Cancer Epidemiology, Professor Ann Richardson, is on a mission to discover if there is a link between common viruses and breast cancer. |
 | Is it their own fault?! How people judge the exclusion of othersThe way people view the social exclusion of others varies depending on how much they think the excluded person is to blame. However, this is heavily influenced by how similar the group members are to each other, as a research team from the University of Basel writes in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. |
 | Extreme stress during childhood can hurt social learning for years to comeEach year, more than 6 million children in the United States are referred to Child Protective Services for abuse or neglect. Previous research on the consequences of early life stress and child maltreatment shows that these children will be more likely to develop a multitude of social and mental health problems. Teens and adults who experienced early adversity such as abuse, neglect or extreme deprivation are more likely to be socially isolated, spend time in jail, and develop psychological disorders including anxiety and depression. |
 | Infants of mind-minded parents better at regulating emotionsMost parents want their children to learn to regulate their emotions and, for example, not immediately give up after a disappointment or become hysterical when they don't get their way. New research by a team of child development experts and psychologists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) reveals that parents who are able to manage the physical and emotional states of their baby – so-called 'mind-minded' parents – contribute greatly to the development of infants' emotion regulation capacity. The researchers' results were published on 19 June in the journal Developmental Science. |
 | Scientists analyse the proteome of T helper 17 cellsT helper 17 (Th17) cells belong to a group of T cells with essential functions in autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Regulatory T cells (iTregs) are T cells with a suppressive function to maintain self-tolerance and prevent autoimmune responses. Researchers from Turku Centre for Biotechnology and Aalto University together utilised the advanced technology called label-free quantitative proteomics to identify the proteomes of Th17 and iTreg cells. |
 | Brain scans of preterm babies could reveal best feeding for brain developmentBrain scans of days-old premature babies could help researchers determine the best feeding style for brain development, lowering the babies' risk of learning difficulties. |
Improving outcomes for serious knee injuriesAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most common knee injuries in the United States, affecting more than a quarter of a million people annually, many of them athletes. | |
 | Towards personalised medicine: One type of data is not enoughEMBL researchers have designed a computational method to jointly analyse multiple types of molecular data from patients in order to identify molecular signatures that distinguish individuals. The method is called Multi-Omics Factor Analysis (MOFA), and was published in Molecular Systems Biology today. MOFA could be particularly useful for understanding cancer development, improving diagnosis and suggesting new directions for personalised treatment. |
Lyme disease cases among children are on the rise in western PennsylvaniaLyme disease cases among children are on the rise in western Pennsylvania, according to researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. The findings are published online today in Clinical Infectious Diseases. | |
Focusing on next 10 years could lead to better use of recommendations for cancer screeningWhen the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) changed their recommendation for breast cancer and cervical cancer screening from every year to every three years, many doctors and patients were reluctant to follow the new guidelines. They shared stories and personal experiences that seemed to conflict with this advice, urging their friends and colleagues to keep getting screened every year. Why do people ignore evidence-based recommendations in favor of personal stories, and can they be persuaded to listen to evidence instead? | |
 | Financial decision-making capacity need not decline in healthy advanced agingNew research from The Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas shows that advancing age alone is not the defining factor in impaired financial decision-making. |
High hopes: French shops use loophole to sell 'ultralight' weedTechnically, the fragrant marijuana buds on offer at a new Paris boutique are not meant to be smoked, as the friendly staff and disclaimers remind clients—brewing the herb in hot water is advised, as is adding it to food. | |
Study explores satisfaction, quality of life after breast reconstructionMore than 60 percent of women who undergo a mastectomy to treat breast cancer choose breast reconstruction, and the demand for that surgery is rising. However, due to the previous lack of evidence-based, patient-centered data available about post-breast reconstruction, most patients aren't properly informed about satisfaction and quality-of-life measures over time. | |
 | New study sheds light on the growing phenomenon of radicalized European youthsA study published in European Psychiatry reports on factors underlying the current rise in radical conversions among European youth. Compared to previous groups such as Al-Qaïda, ETA, or Hamas, which have been studied in the past, today's radical groups are smaller, less hierarchical, and are mainly composed of young, homegrown individuals. This review delves into the profiles of today's European adolescents and young adults who have embraced the cause of radical Islamism and looks into the role that psychiatry can play in dealing with this issue. |
 | Simple sugar delays neurodegeneration caused by enzyme deficiencyA new therapeutic approach may one day delay neurodegeneration typical of a disease called mucopolysaccharidoses IIIB (MPS IIIB). Neurodegeneration in this condition results from the abnormal accumulation of essential cellular molecules called mucopolysaccharides. Looking to find alternative therapeutic strategies for this rare genetic disease, a team of researchers investigated whether enhancing the cells' ability to clear accumulation of cellular waste would help eliminate the abnormal storage of mucopolysaccharides. They report in the journal Autophagy that the sugar trehalose increases cellular waste disposal and improves the neurological symptoms in a mouse model of the disease. |
Life-saving stroke educational program goes globalIn an effort to improve stroke recognition and reduce life-threatening pre-hospital delays worldwide, an international team lead by researchers at Penn Medicine created a universal stroke awareness program, Stroke 112. This week, the team published encouraging results in Stroke, the journal of the American Stroke Association, about the program's acceptance in a non-English-speaking environment. | |
 | Scientists unravel DNA code behind rare neurologic diseaseScientists conducting one of the largest full DNA analyses of a rare disease have identified a gene mutation associated with a perplexing brain condition that blinds and paralyzes patients. |
 | Researchers find 11 genes responsible for the spread of cancerA groundbreaking discovery by University of Alberta researchers has identified previously-unknown therapeutic targets that could be key to preventing the spread of cancer. |
Daily cannabis use is on the rise in American adultsCannabis use may be decreasing among teens, but a new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health showed that American adults have increasingly used cannabis daily since 2007. The findings are published online in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. | |
 | Why obese people find it so tough to slim down(HealthDay)—Obesity is no picnic for those who struggle with it, but new research sheds some light on why so few ever find their way to a healthy weight. |
 | A daughter's school lesson helped save a mom's lifeChrista Murphy was in the bathroom getting ready for work, yet the routine wasn't going like it should. |
 | Stigma adds to burden of type 1 diabetes(HealthDay)—Michael Wright was just 16 when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and although his friends supported him, he always felt different. |
 | Florida teen first human case of another mosquito-borne virus(HealthDay)—The first confirmed human case of Keystone virus has been diagnosed in a Florida teen, but it's likely that infection with the mosquito-borne disease is common among state residents, researchers report. |
 | Enlist a pharmacist to help manage high blood pressure(HealthDay)—High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease and stroke, yet has no symptoms of its own. That's why having your blood pressure checked regularly is a must, as is controlling it if it's high. |
 | Sociodemographic factors impact heart-healthy behaviors(HealthDay)—Socioeconomic factors, largely outside an individual's control, account for racial differences in cardiovascular health behaviors, according to a study published in the July issue the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. |
 | Various factors affect progress in back-related leg pain, sciatica(HealthDay)—In back-related leg pain and sciatica patients, belief in a long recovery and the number of other symptoms attributed to the pain are independently negatively associated with improvement, according to a study published in the June issue of The Spine Journal. |
 | Many drugs made available via FDA expanded access programs(HealthDay)—Over the past two decades, close to 100 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs and biologics were made available before FDA approval through expanded access programs, according to a study published online June 15 in JAMA Network Open. |
 | Attitudes among obese are not aligned with healthy living(HealthDay)—Food-related policies differently impact consumers with obesity and healthy weight, according to a report published by the Hudson Institute. |
 | Gender difference in survival seen after radical cystectomy(HealthDay)—Compared with males, females who undergo radical cystectomy for bladder cancer have worse disease-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival, according to a review published in the July issue of The Journal of Urology. |
 | HbA1c targets should be personalized in type 2 diabetes(HealthDay)—For non-pregnant adults with type 2 diabetes, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) targets should be personalized, according to a Clinical Guidelines Synopsis published in the June 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
 | Cardiovascular comorbidity tied to hearing loss in older old(HealthDay)—Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factors are associated with hearing loss among the older old, according to a study published online June 14 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. |
 | FIRS: guidance offered for protecting youth from e-cigarettes(HealthDay)—Youth should be protected from electronic cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices, according to a position statement from the Forum of International Respiratory Societies published online May 31 in the European Respiratory Journal. |
 | What a pain: The iPad neck plagues women moreIs your iPad being a literal pain in the neck? |
 | New flu vaccine only a little better than traditional shotA newer kind of flu vaccine only worked a little bit better in seniors this past winter than traditional shots, the government reported Wednesday. |
 | Potential to replace race as a risk factor for kidney-transplant failureRight now, more than 100,000 adult and pediatric patients in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving kidney donation. Thirteen of them die each day while awaiting a transplant. However, a significant portion of kidneys from deceased donors are discarded because they literally don't make the grade—a scoring system known as the kidney donor profile index (KDPI) that aims to predict how long a donor kidney will last in an intended recipient based on a variety of factors, including the donor's age, size and health history. |
 | Rare in-vivo study shows weak brain nodes have strong influence on memory networkOur ability to learn, remember, problem solve, and speak are all cognitive functions related to different parts of our brain. If researchers can identify how those brain parts communicate and exchange information with each other, clinicians and surgeons can better understand how diseases like Alzheimer's and brain cancer affect those cognitive functions. |
New drug halves hearing loss in children following cancer treatmentGiving the drug sodium thiosulphate after chemotherapy reduces hearing loss in children treated for liver cancer, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine today. | |
Cell-free DNA profiling informative way to monitor urinary tract infectionsUsing shotgun DNA sequencing, Cornell University researchers have demonstrated a new method for monitoring urinary tract infections (UTIs) that surpasses traditional methods in providing valuable information about the dynamics of the infection as well as the patient's biological response. | |
Do circulating bone turnover markers indicate hip fracture risk?The evidence that circulating levels of markers of bone turnover correlate with hip fracture risk among postmenopausal women is limited. In a new Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study, neither serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) nor serum procollagen type 1 aminoterminal propeptide (PINP)—two markers of bone turnover— were associated with hip fracture risk. | |
 | Substance in hair may be a marker for alcohol consumptionA new Drug Testing & Analysis study reveals that measuring levels of ethyl sulphate (EtS), a metabolite of ethanol, in the hair can be used to assess alcohol consumption. In the study, researchers developed a method that was successfully applied to quantify EtS in hair samples from patients treated for alcohol use disorders. |
Should pharmacists be allowed to write prescriptions?Prescribing of medications has traditionally been restricted to physicians, but there is growing support to allow pharmacists to do so as well. A British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology review of a large number of studies in many countries reveals that diverse groups of stakeholders hold positive views and experiences around pharmacist prescribing. | |
Why isn't anyone talking about vaginal dryness (or doing anything about it)?It's a common problem that only gets worse during the menopause transition; yet, no one wants to talk about it, and even fewer women are doing anything to correct it. A new study identifies those factors that contribute to the taboo problem of vaginal dryness. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). | |
 | Non-dairy drinks can be dangerous for infantsA brief report published in Acta Paediatrica points to the dangers of replacing breast milk or infant formula with a non-dairy drink before one year of age. |
 | The role of vitamin D in a healthy pregnancyFor a pregnancy to proceed to term, early modulation of the immunologic response is required to induce tolerance to the fetus. Growing evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may affect this process and may play a part in recurrent pregnancy loss. |
 | Can older adults safely donate kidneys?With increasing organ demand, living kidney donation from older donors has become more common. A new Clinical Transplantation study indicates that kidney donation among carefully-selected adults over 60 years of age poses minimal perioperative risks and no added risk of long-term kidney failure. |
 | Guidelines address self-management of hospitalized diabetes patientsIt is important that patients with diabetes be involved in decisions concerning the management of their condition while they are hospitalized. New guidelines published in Diabetic Medicine are meant to improve the inpatient experience and safety for people with diabetes through effective self-management. |
Annual southeast Asia haze linked to increased respiratory problemsFor more than a decade, Southeast Asia has faced annual haze due to a combination of human activity, natural fires, and climatic factors. A new study published in Respirology reveals that the annual haze is associated with increased hospital admissions for respiratory problems. | |
 | Surgery in spaceWith renewed public interest in manned space exploration comes the potential need to diagnose and treat medical issues encountered by future space travellers. A new BJS (British Journal of Surgery) review explores current understanding of human physiology, pathology, trauma and surgery in space. |
N. Korea data shows slight children's health gains: UN (Update)New data from North Korea show a "slight" improvement in children's health, the United Nations reported Wednesday, saying the isolated nation had made a step forward by providing better information about the condition of its people. | |
 | HKBU scholars invent medical device for safe growth of neural stem cellsA research team of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has invented a medical device with a specific nanotechnology layer for the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. Compared with traditional methods, the team's novel matrix can reduce the risk of carcinogenesis or inflammation in stem cell therapy—a treatment that offers hope of a cure for neurodegenerative diseases, chronic systemic diseases and degenerative joint diseases. |
 | World's first intra-operative MRI-guided robot for bilateral stereotactic neurosurgeryStereotactic neurosurgery is one of the treatment to a variety of movement and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), essential tremor and major depression. It involves a technique that can locate targets of surgical interest using an external positioning system, which is widely used in brain biopsy, tumor ablation, drug delivery, as well as deep brain stimulation (DBS). Parkinson's disease alone is the second-most common disease of the nervous system after Alzheimer's disease, and is projected to affect over 8.7 million people worldwide by 2030. As such, any improvement to this surgery would benefit a large population. |
Pack the right shoe for your summer vacationSummer is here and if you're ready to jump in feet first, be sure you're wearing the right shoes. A podiatrist at Baylor College of Medicine offers tips on finding the right shoe for different types of summer vacations. | |
Newborns with Down's syndrome to receive leukaemia test under new guidelinesNew genetic testing has been developed at the University of Oxford to detect early signs of a potentially fatal condition that can also develop into full blown leukaemia in children with Down's syndrome. | |
Video: WHO 'gaming disorder' classification opens door for treatmentThe World Health Organization's classification of video game addiction as a mental health disorder is a significant step toward getting people the help they need, said Douglas Gentile, an Iowa State University professor of psychology and expert on video games and addiction. | |
Weighing the risks and benefits of drug tapering—two patients, two perspectivesRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes fatigue, joint pain and swelling, and can have long-term, devastating effects. Fortunately, treatment for rheumatoid arthritis has advanced, and most patients can now control their disease with medications. | |
 | Cell factories mass-produce living drugsTable-top cell production factories and placentas harvested after birth are promising to bring life-saving cell therapies to unprecedented numbers of patients. |
Eating activates the functioning of human brown fatThe importance of the human brown adipose tissue (BAT) has become clearer over the past 10 years. Using functional imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) it was possible to show that adult humans have functional BAT. Coldness is one of the most effective activators of the BAT metabolic function, but in rodents, eating has also been shown to activate BAT. The debate on whether eating has the same effect on humans has lasted for decades. Now, the researchers at Turku PET Centre in Turku, Finland, have proved that eating increases oxygen consumption in human BAT to the same extent as coldness. | |
 | Expert offers tips for coping with poison ivySummer officially arrives at 6:07 a.m. on Thursday. And typically, the first two months of summer coincide with the height of poison ivy season. |
Abortion ban in Northern Ireland likely to worsen mental health crisisNorthern Ireland is one of only two regions in Europe where abortion effectively remains illegal (Malta being the other). This is a confirmed breach of human rights – one that threatens to deepen the mental health crisis of women in Northern Ireland. | |
 | Why turning homelessness into a crime is cruel and costlyIncreasingly, local laws punish Americans who are homeless. |
Planned movements and spontaneous reactions are processed differently in the brainThe runners are lined up at the starting line, patiently awaiting the start signal for the 1000-meter race. In the second turn a runner falls in front of the one next to him. He dodges his falling neighbor and continues to sprint towards the finish line. Whilst awaiting the start signal, the runner had time to plan his first steps, whilst dodging, he had to react immediately. Until now, the difference between the brain activity of planned and spontaneous movements have been unknown. Scientists from the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research (DPZ) have been able to show in their recently published study of two rhesus monkeys that planned and spontaneous gripping movements have the same brain activity during the movement but that the preceded brain activity differs. This helps us to understand what happens in the brain when we plan a movement and not execute it immediately – an important finding that could be helpful for clinical rehabilitation measures. | |
Forgetting may help improve memory and learningForgetting names, skills or information learned in class is often thought of as purely negative. However unintuitive it may seem, research suggests that forgetting plays a positive role in learning: It can actually increase long-term retention, information retrieval and performance. The findings will be presented today at the American Physiological Society (APS) Institute on Teaching and Learning in Madison, Wis. | |
 | Self-care and social ties can help men recover from the suicide of a loved oneRecovering from the suicide of a friend, partner or family member can be emotionally challenging for men, largely due to masculine ideals that dictate men should remain stoic and keep their feelings bottled up. |
Researchers use gene silencing to alleviate common ataxiaIn what researchers are calling a game changer for future ataxia treatments, a new study showed the ability to turn down the disease progression of the most common dominantly inherited ataxia. | |
Workplace health clinics can lower health care spendingOpening onsite health clinics to provide comprehensive primary care to teachers and their families can lower a school district's health care costs and decrease teacher absenteeism, according to a new RAND Corporation study. | |
 | UK panel finds lives shortened by hospital's opioid useAs many as 650 people had their lives shortened by a British hospital's institutionalized practice of administering opioids without medical justification between 1989 and 2000, an independent panel concluded Wednesday after years of pressure from family members who demanded answers about the deaths of their loved ones. |
 | Amazon, Buffett, JPMorgan pick Gawande to lead health firmThree corporate giants seeking to attack rising health care costs have turned to a Harvard professor who has written books about the system's many flaws. |
 | A mix of in-person and online learning may boost student performance, reduce anxietyBefore online learning existed, the traditional lecture format was the only option for college courses. Students who skipped class risked missing out on valuable information presented in-person. Researchers from the University of Iowa found that online content presentation accompanied by weekly interactive class meetings—a "blended" course format—may improve academic achievement in students at risk for failing. In addition, fewer students withdrew from the class when the content was presented in a blended format. The findings will be presented today at the American Physiological Society (APS) Institute on Teaching and Learning in Madison, Wis. |
 | New medicare model produces expert nurses to address shortage of primary careNurse practitioners (NPs) are providing an increasing proportion of primary care, which is in short supply in many areas of the country. NPs deliver quality care in retail clinics, community health centers, rural clinics, and in primary care and specialty medical practices. In an article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania researchers call for modernizing the way Medicare pays for training nurses, and highlight a successful new model of cost-effectively training more advanced practice nurses to practice community-based primary care. |
Emergency department patients want to be invited to share in medical decision-makingMost emergency department patients want to be involved in some aspects of medical decision-making, but they need to be invited. These are the primary findings of a study to be published in the July 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). | |
Biology news
 | Can evolution explain why the young are often more susceptible than adults to infection?In many species, including humans, the young are often more susceptible to infection than adults, even after accounting for prior exposure to infection. From an evolutionary perspective this may seem puzzling, as dying young or becoming infertile due to infection means organisms will be unable to reproduce. However, new research from the University of Bath suggests that many species may have evolved to prioritise growth over immunity while maturing. |
 | Climate change to overtake land use as major threat to global biodiversityClimate change will have a rapidly increasing effect on the structure of global ecological communities over the next few decades, with amphibians and reptiles being significantly more affected than birds and mammals, a new report by UCL finds. |
 | Birds have time-honored traditions, tooWhat makes human cultural traditions unique? One common answer is that we are better copycats than other species, which allows us to pass our habits and ways of life down through the generations without losing or forgetting them. |
 | Computational method puts finer point on multispecies genomic comparisonsA new computational tool will potentially help geneticists to better understand what makes a human a human, or how to differentiate species in general, by providing more detailed comparative information about genome function. |
 | The cells that control the formation of fatFat cells, or adipocytes, are at the center of nutritional and metabolic balance. Adipogenesis—the formation of mature fat cells from their precursor cells—has been linked to obesity and related health problems such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. |
 | Charting a path to better cell models of the intestineFor many years, drug development has relied on simplified and scalable cell culture models to find and test new drugs for a wide variety of diseases. However, cells grown in a dish are often a feint representation of healthy and diseased cell types in vivo. This limitation has serious consequences: Many potential medicines that originally appear promising in cell cultures often fail to work when tested in patients, and targets may be completely missed if they do not appear in a dish. |
 | Gene-edited pigs are resistant to billion dollar virus, study findsScientists have produced pigs that can resist one of the world's most costly animal diseases, by changing their genetic code. |
 | The sounds of climate change—Researchers develop an AI to analyze field recordings and estimate songbird arrivalsSpring is coming earlier to parts of the Arctic, and so are some migratory birds. But researchers have yet to get a clear picture of how climate change is transforming tundra life. That's starting to change as automated tools for tracking birds and other animals in remote places come online, giving researchers an earful of clues about how wildlife is adapting to hotter temperatures and more erratic weather. |
 | Researchers develop a better method to compare gene expression in single cellsEfforts to capitalize on next-generation sequencing to compare gene expression in individual cells for clues about cancer's origins, progression or relapse just got a boost. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital researchers have developed an algorithm that provides a more accurate and sensitive method of identifying differences in gene expression in individual cells. |
 | Scientists find evidence of 27 new viruses in beesAn international team of researchers has discovered evidence of 27 previously unknown viruses in bees. The finding could help scientists design strategies to prevent the spread of viral pathogens among these important pollinators. |
 | Boring barnacles prefer the shallow life on coral reefsIf you want to know about the future of coral reefs that harbor marine life and protect coastlines, sometimes that means you have to go there and count barnacles. |
 | 'Walking molecules" haul away damaged DNA to the cell's emergency roomThe cell has its own paramedic team and emergency room to aid and repair damaged DNA, a new USC Dornsife study reveals. |
 | Whether wheat weathers heat wavesA heat wave sweeps through a city and people swelter, running indoors to find air conditioning. But crops out in a field aren't so lucky. For them, there is no escape. |
 | When you're a sitting duck, you learn to adaptWhen sitting on a nest to incubate eggs, a bird is physically stuck and most vulnerable to attacks of any kind, so coping without stress and other significant costs is important. For Common Loons, black flies are a common blood-feeding pest and can cause nest abandonment and decreased fledging rates. This has impacts on not only individual pair success, but on population dynamics as well. A new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances presents some of the best data to date supporting hypotheses about the effects that black flies have on Common Loon nesting behavior and success. |
 | Light pollution a reason for insect declineClimate change, pesticides and land use changes alone cannot fully explain the decline in insect populations in Germany. Scientists from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have now discovered that regions that have experienced a sharp decline in flying insects also have high levels of light pollution. Many studies have suggested that artificial light at night has negative impacts on insects, and scientists should pay greater attention to this factor when exploring the causes of insect population declines in the future. |
 | Smashing avocado disease threatsResearchers are working with the Australian avocado industry to safeguard one of the nation's favourite fruits from the threat of existing and emerging disease. |
 | Competition for space—oncogenic mutant cells vs normal cellsCells in multicellular tissues adhere to each other. Epithelial tissues on the surface layer of the intestines and skin pack cells into a hexagonal (honeycomb) pattern, with cells adhering tightly to the six cells adjacent to them (Fig. 1). The whole tissue can be represented as a network, and body function is maintained by keeping this basic adhesion network intact. |
 | Study confirms beetles exploit warm winters to expand rangeA new study by Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists and colleagues confirms that increasing minimum winter temperatures allow beetles to expand their range but reveals that overcrowding can put the brakes on population growth. |
 | Hearing tests on wild whalesScientists published the first hearing tests on a wild population of healthy marine mammals. The tests on beluga whales in Bristol Bay, AK, revealed that the whales have sensitive hearing abilities and the number of animals that experienced extensive hearing losses was far less than what scientists had anticipated. |
 | Why homosexual behaviour in insects may be a case of mistaken identitySex is costly for insects. It uses up resources such as water, energy and time. Some species, like bush crickets, can ejaculate as much as a quarter of their body weight. In others, like one species of fruit fly, their sperm is actually longer than their body. |
 | A case of 'kiss and tell': Chromosomal kissing gets less elusiveHow are chromosomes arranged in the cell nucleus? Is it possible that they communicate with one another by "touching" each other? To answer this question and to shed more light on the fundamental properties of the communication between different chromosomes, Philipp Maass from Friedrich Luft's lab at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Berlin, and Anja Weise, University of Jena, have explored the interactions between chromosomes 12 and 17 in their latest project, published in the EMBO Journal. |
 | Dogs understand what's written all over your faceDogs are capable of understanding the emotions behind an expression on a human face. For example, if a dog turns its head to the left, it could be picking up that someone is angry, fearful or happy. If there is a look of surprise on a person's face, dogs tend to turn their head to the right. The heart rates of dogs also go up when they see someone who is having a bad day, say Marcello Siniscalchi, Serenella d'Ingeo and Angelo Quaranta of the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy. The study in Springer's journal Learning & Behavior is the latest to reveal just how connected dogs are with people. The research also provides evidence that dogs use different parts of their brains to process human emotions. |
Neonics are being ingested by free-ranging animals, study findsHealth impacts of neonicotinoids may go well beyond bees, according to a new University of Guelph study. | |
 | Do bats adapt to gates at abandoned mines?Abandoned mines can serve as roost sites for bats, but because the mines pose serious risks to humans, officials often install gates at their entrances. With more than 80,000 abandoned mines in the southwestern United States, these subterranean habitats are important to bat survival as human disturbances from recreation and other activities at natural caves are affecting their use by bats. |
 | Innovative autonomous system for identifying schools of fishThe University of Haifa (Israel) and two teams from the IMDEA Networks Institute have developed an innovative autonomous system, SYMBIOSIS, to monitor real-time schools of fish. This system, which combines optical and acoustic technologies, will be environmentally friendly and will provide reliable information about the condition of marine fish stocks, something that at the moment is practically impossible to achieve without investing enormous resources. |
 | Pilot whale meat poses health hazard, Faroese warnedThe Faroe Islands' ritual pilot whale hunt is not only highly controversial, eating the whale meat also poses a health hazard, public health authorities in Denmark's autonomous North Atlantic territory warn, advising against eating it. |
 | Giant crackdown against wildlife crime in 92 countriesNearly 100 countries took part in a globe-spanning crackdown on the illegal wildlife trade, seizing tons of meat, ivory, pangolin scales and timber in a monthlong bust that exposed the international reach of traffickers, Interpol said Wednesday. |
 | Dry landscapes can increase disease transmissionIn water-limited landscapes sick animals can have increased contact with healthy individuals, which can facilitate disease transmission. Scientists from the German Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) present these findings in the British Ecological Society journal Functional Ecology. |
 | In praise of the midges pestering footballers in the World CupEngland's opening match in World Cup 2018 was a dramatic clash between Gareth Southgate's Young Lions and several million gnats, not to mention Tunisia's wrestling footballers. England pulled a win out of the bag at the last minute – but only after a gruelling fight with some determined insects. Those plucky gnats also had to fight off the insecticide treatments of nearby swamps and insect repellent sprays deployed by the team and the media. |
 | TravelLab: In a forest on the trail of synchronous fireflies (Update)Picture a moonless June evening, shortly after midnight, deep in a northwestern Pennsylvania forest. Wild sounds echo gently. Stars glow far above through the canopy of trees. Otherwise it is dark—so very dark. |
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