Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 9, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Faint outburst of an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar observed by astronomersEuropean astronomers have spotted a new outburst of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar designated SAX J1748.9-2021. The outburst, which started on September 29, 2017, is fainter and shorter than previous outbursts of this pulsar. The discovery is reported in a paper published June 28 on arXiv.org. |
 | Plasma-spewing quasar shines light on universe's youth, early galaxy formationCarnegie's Eduardo Bañados led a team that found a quasar with the brightest radio emission ever observed in the early universe, due to it spewing out a jet of extremely fast-moving material. |
 | What powers the most luminous galaxies?Galaxy-galaxy interactions have long been known to influence galaxy evolution. They are commonplace events, and a large majority of galaxies show signs of interactions, including tidal tails or other morphological distortions. The most dramatic collisions trigger the galaxies to light up, especially in the infrared, and they are some of the most luminous objects in the sky. Their brightness allows them to be studied at cosmological distances, helping astronomers reconstruct activity in the early universe. |
 | Europa's ocean ascendingThis animation demonstrates how deformation in the icy surface of Europa could transport subsurface ocean water to the moon's surface. |
NASA's Bradford Smith, tour guide for Voyager missions, diesBradford Smith, a NASA astronomer who acted as planetary tour guide to the public with his interpretations of stunning images beamed back from Voyager missions, has died. | |
 | Hubble's dazzling display of galaxiesThis busy image is a treasure trove of wonders. Bright stars from the Milky Way sparkle in the foreground, the magnificent swirls of several spiral galaxies are visible across the frame, and a glowing assortment of objects at the center makes up a massive galaxy cluster. Such clusters are the biggest objects in the universe that are held together by gravity and can contain thousands of galaxies of all shapes and sizes. Typically, they have a mass of about one million billion times the mass of the Sun—unimaginably huge! |
 | NASA's Kepler spacecraft pauses science observations to download science dataEarlier this week, NASA's Kepler team received an indication that the spacecraft fuel tank is running very low. NASA has placed the spacecraft in a hibernation-like state in preparation to download the science data collected in its latest observation campaign. Once the data has been downloaded, the expectation is to start observations for the next campaign with any remaining fuel. |
 | Largest-ever solid rocket motor poised for first hot firingThis week, the largest solid rocket motor ever built in one piece will be test fired at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana for the first time. |
This summer's solar eclipses from the ends of the EarthSolar eclipses will occur at opposite ends of the Earth this summer, 2018. Both will be merely partial solar eclipses as seen from the Earth's surface, not as dramatic as last summer's total solar eclipse whose path of totality crossed the United States, with partial eclipses being seen from as far north as Canada and as far south as northern South America. Prof. Jay Pasachoff, Chair of the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Eclipses, will attempt to view both, weather permitting. Since part of the everyday solar surface will remain visible at all times, he will discuss eye-safety issues for the general public at each location. | |
 | Groundbreaking study sheds new light on galaxy evolutionUsing integral field spectroscopy (IFS) and advanced modeling tools, Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) researchers Iris Breda and Polychronis Papaderos have achieved an important milestone towards solving a long standing enigma in extragalactic astronomy – the nature and formation of the central spherical component in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way. |
 | NASA's Kepler Telescope almost out of fuel, forced to napNASA's Kepler Space Telescope is almost out of fuel and has been forced to take a nap. |
 | Image: Ice block avalancheOne of the most actively changing areas on Mars are the steep edges of the North Polar layered deposits. This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows many new ice blocks compared to an earlier image in December 2006. |
Technology news
 | As facial recognition use grows, so do privacy fearsThe unique features of your face can allow you to unlock your new iPhone, access your bank account or even "smile to pay" for some goods and services. |
 | Privacy conversation turns to enabling smart TV tracking servicesRemember when tech topics had such happy focal points as bendable displays and a new stylus for tablets? Unfortunately, the accent in this year's headlines is on how much we might be getting tracked. Facebook, move over. This time the glare is on smart TVs. |
 | Compact and flexible supercapacitor developed using simple spray coating methodA lightweight, compact and efficient supercapacitor printed on a flexible plastic sheet has been developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). |
 | Engineers develop origami electronics from cheap, foldable paperUC Berkeley engineers have given new meaning to the term "working paper." Using inexpensive materials, they have fabricated foldable electronic switches and sensors directly onto paper, along with prototype generators, supercapacitors and other electronic devices for a range of applications. |
 | Using a deep learning neural network to allow a car to learn to drive itself in just 20 minutesA team of researchers at U.K. startup Wayve has developed a way to apply deep learning networking to autonomous driving. In a recent blog post (along with accompanying YouTube demonstration video) representatives outlined how their technology works, and offer a demonstration using a real car on a real road. |
 | Salt is key ingredient for cheaper and more efficient batteriesA new design of rechargeable battery, created using salt, could lead the way for greener energy. Researchers at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) have joined forces with a specialist group at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences on designs for the novel energy store which allows for greater power while also lasting longer than conventional batteries. |
 | Dubai's vertical farming to help quench thirst for own supply chainCrop One and Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) have launched a $40 million joint venture to build the world's largest vertical farming facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. |
 | Fitness app revealed data on military, intelligence personnelMobile fitness app Polar has suspended its location tracking feature after security researchers found it had revealed sensitive data on military and intelligence personnel from 69 countries. |
 | Motivating gamers with personalized game designA team of multidisciplinary researchers at the University of Waterloo has identified three basic video game player traits that will help to make game design more personalized and more effectively motivate gamers in both entertainment and work applications. |
 | Shares in China's Xiaomi dip on Hong Kong debutChinese smartphone giant Xiaomi fell on its Hong Kong stock debut Monday, following a long-awaited initial public offering overshadowed by China-US trade tensions and falling global markets. |
 | Nissan admits falsifying emissions data on cars made in JapanNissan admitted Monday that data on exhaust emissions and fuel economy had been deliberately "altered", dealing a blow to the Japanese car giant's efforts to recover trust after an inspection scandal last year. |
 | Robots can learn a lot from nature if they want to 'see' the worldVision is one of nature's amazing creations that has been with us for hundreds of millions of years. It's a key sense for humans, but one we often take for granted: that is, until we start losing it or we try and recreate it for a robot. |
 | Armband mimics a person's touchImagine a virtual world where someone touches your arm during a conversation and you feel the sensation as though they were with you. |
 | Magnetic forceThe idea struck him one day after spotting a billboard as he was driving home from work. When he came to learn that it cost businesses $425 a week to rent the sign space, he decided there should be a more affordable option, especially for small businesses. |
 | Novel synaptic architecture for brain inspired computingThe brain and all its magnificent capabilities is powered by less than 20 watts. Stop to think about that for a second. As I write this blog my laptop is using about 80 watts, yet at only a fourth of the power, our brain outperforms state-of-the-art supercomputers by several orders of magnitude when it comes to energy efficiency and volume. Nature is truly remarkable. |
 | Amazon to bring 1,700 jobs to Italy in 2018Amazon will bring 1,700 new jobs to Italy by the end of the year, the online commerce giant announced Monday, bringing its number of employees working in the country's groaning economy to 5,200. |
 | China's CATL to build first EU electric car battery plant in GermanyChinese firm CATL will build a battery factory in central Germany to supply the country's key auto industry in its transformation toward electric cars, an investment hailed Monday by Chancellor Angela Merkel as a "new step" in Sino-European cooperation. |
 | Samsung opens world's biggest smartphone factory in IndiaSamsung opened the world's largest smartphone factory in India on Monday, a move Prime Minister Narendra Modi said would help transform Asia's third-largest economy into a global manufacturing hub. |
 | Appeals court backs $10B Volkswagen emissions cheating dealA U.S. appeals court on Monday approved a $10 billion settlement between Volkswagen and car owners caught up in the company's emissions cheating scandal. |
 | Uber joins scooter wars with Lime investmentUber made a move into electric scooters Monday, as the ride-service giant agreed to a strategic partnership with Lime, one of the major players in the fast-growing segment. |
 | Twitter shares fall on worries about user baseTwitter shares tumbled Monday on concerns the social media's efforts to crack down on fake accounts would affect its user base, and potentially its finances. |
 | 'Hard' Brexit could see Philips quit British factory: CEODutch electronics giant Philips warned Sunday it may shift production out of Britain in the event of a "hard" Brexit, saying it was "deeply concerned about competitiveness" of its operations there. |
 | Musk proposes mini-submarine to save Thai cave boysAmerican tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has proposed a mini-submarine to save the boys trapped inside a flooded Thai cave, floating the idea on social media while linking it to his space exploration business. |
Amazon may put out a toy catalog, a holiday tradition up for grabs after Toys 'R Us bankruptcyIt seems like you might find a little extra in your Amazon box as the holidays near. The Seattle e-commerce giant may be putting out a toy catalog this holiday season, filling the void left by the demise of Toys 'R Us. | |
 | France sees red after Spanish rose wine found in domestic bottlesSummer is the ideal time for breaking out a bottle of rose, but fans of French wine might think twice after millions of bottles were found to contain less costly Spanish tipple instead. |
Researchers demonstrate how to make modern living sustainable with new eco-housingUN Environment and Yale University in collaboration with UN Habitat today unveiled a new eco-housing module, to spark public discussion and new ideas on how sustainable design can provide decent, affordable housing while limiting the overuse of natural resources and climate change. | |
 | North American automakers call for NAFTA talks to resumeUS, Canadian and Mexican auto industry groups on Monday urged their governments to resume stalled efforts to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Vaginal microbiome may influence stress levels of offspringExposing newborn mice to vaginal microbes from stressed female mice may transfer the effects of stress to the newborns, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. These changes resemble those seen specifically in the male offspring of moms that were stressed during pregnancy. |
 | Novel HIV vaccine candidate is safe and induces immune response in healthy adults and monkeysNew research published in The Lancet shows that an experimental HIV-1 vaccine regimen is well-tolerated and generated comparable and robust immune responses against HIV in healthy adults and rhesus monkeys. Moreover, the vaccine candidate protected against infection with an HIV-like virus in monkeys. |
 | Seeing yourself as Einstein may change the way you thinkThe perception of having Albert Einstein's body may help unlock previously inaccessible mental resources, finds a new study. Following a virtual reality "Einstein" experience, participants were less likely to unconsciously stereotype older people while those with low self-esteem scored better on cognitive tests. Published in Frontiers in Psychology, the study suggests the way our brain perceives our body is surprisingly flexible. The researchers hope the technique will be useful for education. |
 | New targets found to reduce blood vessel damage in diabetesIn diabetes, both the tightly woven endothelial cells that line our blood vessels and the powerhouses that drive those cells start to come apart as early steps in the destruction of our vasculature. |
 | Parents who had severe trauma, stresses in childhood more likely to have kids with behavioral health problemsA new study finds that severe childhood trauma and stresses early in parents' lives are linked to higher rates of behavioral health problems in their own children. |
 | Roots of leukemia reveal possibility of predicting people at riskScientists have discovered that it is possible to identify people at high risk of developing acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) years before diagnosis. The researchers from Wellcome Sanger Institute, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and their international collaborators found that patients with AML had genetic changes in their blood years before they suddenly developed the disease. |
 | Switching brain circuits on and off without surgeryIn the maze of our brains, there are various pathways by which neural signals travel. These pathways can go awry in patients with neurological and psychiatric diseases and disorders, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Researchers have developed new therapeutic strategies to more precisely target neural pathways involved in these conditions, but they often require surgery. |
 | Innovative CRISPR study recreates genetic steps required for benign moles to turn malignantUC San Francisco researchers have identified the sequence of genetic changes that transform benign moles into malignant melanoma in a large cohort of human skin cancer patients and have used CRISPR gene editing to recreate the steps of melanoma evolution one by one in normal human skin cells in the lab. The research identified key molecular warning signs that could be used by clinicians to catch developing cancers before they spread and could also lead to new targeted therapies. |
 | Environmental impact passed on to offspringAnyone with lots of brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, can count themselves lucky: this tissue—which is found in some people under the tongue, around the collarbone and along the spine—helps them to use up excess energy. The more brown fat someone has and the more active it is, the lower their risk seems to be of becoming overweight or developing metabolic disorders. |
Senolytic drugs reverse damage caused by senescent cells in miceInjecting senescent cells into young mice results in a loss of health and function but treating the mice with a combination of two existing drugs cleared the senescent cells from tissues and restored physical function. The drugs also extended both life span and health span in naturally aging mice, according to a new study in Nature Medicine, published on July 9, 2018. The research was supported primarily by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). | |
 | Study reveals how shift work disrupts metabolismWorking night shifts or other nonstandard work schedules increases your risk of becoming obese and developing diabetes and other metabolic disorders, which ultimately also raises your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. |
 | Change health messaging to focus on potential impact to help stop the next pandemicChanging public health messaging to focus on the impact of our actions—for example the potentially harmful impact of infecting a colleague with a cold, rather than whether we will infect them if we go into work in the first place—could have significant implications for how we deal with global threats, according to a new study from City University of London, the Oxford Martin School (University of Oxford), and Yale University. |
 | Visual perceptual skills are updated by process similar to memory reconsolidation, study findsA new study shows that updating visual perceptual skills—which humans rely on to recognize what they see, including potential threats, and ignore unimportant background—is an active process with many similarities to the way they stabilize memories. |
 | Human clinical trial reveals verapamil as an effective type 1 diabetes therapyResearchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Diabetes Center have discovered a safe and effective novel therapy to reduce insulin requirements and hypoglycemic episodes in adult subjects with recent onset Type 1 diabetes by promoting the patient's own beta cell function and insulin production—the first such discovery to target diabetes in this manner. |
 | New insight into Huntington's disease may open door to drug developmentMcMaster University researchers have developed a new theory on Huntington's disease which is being welcomed for showing promise to open new avenues of drug development for the condition. |
 | Altitude sickness drug appears to slow progression of glioblastomaA drug used to treat altitude sickness—as well as glaucoma, epilepsy, heart failure and seizures—may also offer significant gains for patients with a fast-growing brain tumor known as glioblastoma, according to a study published July 4, 2018, in the journal Science Translational Medicine. |
 | Pucker up, baby! Lips take center stage in infants' brains, study saysA typically developing 2-month-old baby can make cooing sounds, suck on her hand to calm down and smile at people. |
Young athletes with shoulder instability might benefit from arthroscopyYoung athletes with shoulder instability are considered to be a high-risk group of patients following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization given the high recurrence rates and lower rates of return to sport, which have been reported in the literature. However, according to researchers presenting their work today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in San Diego outcomes may be improved by proper patient selection and reserving arthroscopic stabilization for athletes with fewer incidents of pre-operative instability. | |
 | Psychology museum explores what makes us humanWonder Woman's striking visage on large, bright screens just inside the new National Museum of Psychology tells visitors there's more here than dusty books and esoteric curiosities. |
Surgery offers young patients long-term benefits after meniscus tearsYoung patients who underwent surgery for isolated meniscus tears between 1990 and 2005 showed positive long-term clinical results, according to new research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in San Diego. The study represents one of the largest long-term follow-up cohorts describing clinical outcomes of meniscus repair in pediatric patients to date. | |
 | Utah's state-funded study of pot's effects on pain delayedA $500,000 state-funded study, designed to gauge marijuana's impact on pain, has been delayed so many times due to federal regulations that it might not be ready before Utah voters decide in November whether to pass a medical marijuana ballot initiative. |
 | Skin cancer risk higher in military personnel(HealthDay)—There is an increased risk for skin cancer among U.S. active duty service members and veterans, according to a review published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. |
 | IV acetaminophen minimally helpful for colectomy pain(HealthDay)—Intravenous acetaminophen does not decrease opioid utilization to a clinically significant threshold among colectomy patients, according to a study published in the July issue of Anesthesiology. |
 | Cabozantinib improves survival in advanced hepatocellular cancer(HealthDay)—Cabozantinib results in significantly longer overall and progression-free survival than placebo among patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a study published in the July 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Decrease in mean platelet counts seen during pregnancy(HealthDay)—All women have a decrease in mean platelet counts during pregnancy, according to a study published in the July 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Health gains, cost savings projected for sodium goals(HealthDay)—Substantial health gains and cost savings could be achieved with implementation and achievement of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sodium reformulation targets, according to a study recently published in PLOS Medicine. |
 | IT solutions for easier EHRs save physicians time, burnout(HealthDay)—Yale Medicine is effectively targeting electronic health record (EHR) use and functionality as a way to improve physician job satisfaction and reduce burnout, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire. |
 | FDA: Zephyr Endobronchial Valve approved for severe emphysema(HealthDay)—A new device, the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve (Zephyr Valve), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of breathing difficulties associated with severe emphysema. |
 | Tick-caused meat allergy on the rise in the US(HealthDay)—Red meat allergy caused by a bite from the lone star tick appears to be on the rise in the United States, a researcher says. |
 | Disordered eating behaviors up for overweight young adults(HealthDay)—Young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese have increased prevalence of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs), according to a study published online June 11 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. |
 | PCPs often not meeting needs of seniors with chronic conditions(HealthDay)—Most primary care physicians (PCPs) report being unable to adequately address the needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions, according to a report published by Quest Diagnostics. |
Lifetime sentence: Incarcerated parents impact youth behaviorA new study published in Pediatrics found that young adults who had a parent incarcerated during their childhood are more likely to skip needed healthcare, smoke cigarettes, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and abuse alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs. These findings have potentially broad impact, as over five million U.S. children have had a parent in jail or prison. | |
 | First-trimester screening of pregnant women for elevated bacteria levels in urineFirst-trimester screening of pregnant women for asymptomatic bacteriuria—higher than normal bacteria levels without symptoms of a bladder infection—is recommended by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care in an updated guideline in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). |
Younger patients don't attain survival benefit from current rectal cancer treatment recommendationsA new study reveals that individuals younger than 50 years of age who are diagnosed with rectal cancer do not experience an overall survival benefit from currently recommended treatments. Specifically, the addition of chemotherapy and radiation to surgery does not prolong life for these patients. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings suggest that early onset disease may differ from later onset disease in terms of biology and response to therapy. | |
Medical errors may stem more from physician burnout than unsafe health care settingsPhysician burnout is at least equally responsible for medical errors as unsafe medical workplace conditions, if not more so, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. | |
 | Physician burnout in small practices is dramatically lower than national averagePhysicians who work in small, independent primary care practices—also known as SIPs—report dramatically lower levels of burnout than the national average (13.5 percent versus 54.4 percent), according to a study led by researchers at NYU School of Medicine publishing online July 9 in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. The findings indicate that the independence and sense of autonomy that providers have in these small practices may provide some protection against symptoms of burnout. |
 | High blood pressure in pregnancy linked to mother's heart functionPregnant women who develop high blood pressure, or have small babies, may have hearts that pump less blood with each beat. |
 | Study shows hospital hand hygiene rates may be worse than reportedHospital staff pay dramatically less attention to hand hygiene when they feel no one is watching, a new study reveals. The research suggests government reported compliance rates are overstated. |
Clot-busting drugs prevent 4,000 strokes each yearAn increased use of clot-busting medicines prevented 4,000 strokes in England between 2015 and 2016, according to new research. | |
Academics publish 'highly commended' research on mental health literacyAcademics from the University have published an article in the Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice examining mental health literacy and how it affects help-seeking behaviours and mental health outcomes in UK university students. | |
 | What should my heart rate be and what affects it?Humans have been aware of their heart rate for thousands of years. But knowing the meaning behind the beats isn't so simple. |
Why couples sleep better in more gender-equal societiesNight is supposed to be a period of rest and restoration – but for many of us, this simply isn't the case. Our new study of European couples has found the daily demands of family for women, and work for men, decreases sleep quality. | |
 | Health Check: what causes chilblains and how can I prevent them?While some of us love the winter chill, this winter others will notice itchy or tender red lumps on their fingers and toes. |
Review highlights evidence for investment in physiotherapy for musculoskeletal conditionsA new report from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) shows investment in physiotherapy services for musculoskeletal conditions improves patient outcomes and reduces overall healthcare costs. | |
The effectiveness of chlorhexidine is limited in preventing infections in oral proceduresThe human mouth is colonised by a huge variety of bacteria. When surgical procedures such as a tooth extraction are carried out, the bacteria can pass into the bloodstream causing bacteraemia that is generally transient. What is not yet clear is how significant this presence of bacteria in the blood is in terms of the origin and evolution of infectious processes such as endocarditis of the heart valves, prosthetic valves, hip and knee joint replacements generally, and in local infection. | |
 | Malaria drug could make cancer treatments more effectiveAn existing malaria drug could improve the effectiveness of a new class of cancer therapies, called glutaminase inhibitors, if used in combination, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) discovered in a new study. |
Wanting to live a 'normal-perfect' life is making women unhealthyThese days, the health of a woman seems to be less about the absence of illness and more about being someone who works on their body and mind in order to meet modern society's expectations of looks and abilities. | |
 | Huntington's disease—how brain training games could helpIn the search for new treatments, science often focuses on medication first. But drugs aren't the only way to fight illness, particularly when looking at brain diseases. My research looks into how playing specially designed computer games might help people who are living with Huntington's disease. |
 | A science study identifies 40 genes related to aggressive behaviour in humans and miceAn international study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry has identified 40 genes related to aggressive behaviour in humans and mice. Participants in the study, which could contribute to shape future pharmacological targets, are the researchers Bru Cormand and Noèlia Fernàndez Castillo. |
New study of census data finds deprivation in cities is persistent and spreadingA new study of census data by the University of Liverpool, has found that Glasgow tops the list of the most deprived areas over the period 1971 – 2011 but deprivation in urban areas remains consistently high, and is spreading out further. | |
 | 'Fighting' cancer may detract men from palliative careMen with advanced cancer are 30 percent less likely than women to consider palliative care, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study. |
Under pressure: The surgeon's conundrum in decision makingIn a small study based on conversations with 20 hospital-based surgeons, Johns Hopkins researchers say they found that most report feeling pressure to operate under severe emergency situations, even when they believe the patients would not benefit. | |
 | Novel PET imaging method more fully evaluates extent of rheumatoid arthritis inflammationA new positron emission tomography (PET) imaging method more fully evaluates the extent of rheumatoid arthritis by targeting translocator protein (TSPO) expression in the synovium (joint lining tissue). The study is featured in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. |
Study finds mutation driving deadlier brain tumors and potential therapy to stop itA poorly understood mutation in the brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) is now being implicated for the first time as the driver of rare but deadlier cases of the disease, a team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research reported this week in Cancer Cell. While the study links the mutation to worse survival rates than what's typically seen in GBM, it offers fresh hope for the small group of patients who harbor it: complementary preclinical work performed at Ludwig suggests targeting the mutation with an investigational drug or other targeted therapies may reduce the tumor's size and extend lives. | |
 | Study finds that babies introduced to solids early slept longer and woke less frequentlyA study by King's College London and St George's University of London has found that babies introduced to solid foods early, slept longer, woke less frequently at night and suffered fewer serious sleep problems, than those exclusively breastfed for around the first six months of life. The research is published today in JAMA Pediatrics. |
Long-term survival worse for black survivors of in-hospital cardiac arrestBlacks who survive cardiac arrest during hospitalization have lower odds of long-term survival compared with similar white survivors, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. | |
 | Insurance gaps linked to five-fold rise in hospital stays for adults with type 1 diabetesFor a million American adults, living with type 1 diabetes means a constant need for insulin medication, blood sugar testing supplies and specialized care, to keep them healthy and prevent a crisis that could end up in an emergency room, a hospital bed or death. |
 | National school food policies have potential to improve health now and laterProviding free fruits and vegetables and limiting sugary drinks in schools could have positive health effects in both the short- and long-term, finds a new Food-PRICE study led by researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. |
 | Pay less, take more: Success in getting patients to take their medicineTaking a medicine every day in the hopes that it will prevent some long-range potential health catastrophe—like a heart attack or kidney failure—isn't easy. |
 | Hospital quality improves over time with EHRs, study findsAn examination of how the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) affected the quality of hospital care between 2008 and 2013 found that mortality rates were initially higher among hospitals with more digital capabilities, but fell over time, as hospitals learned how to work with the technology and adopted new capabilities. |
In end-of-life cancer care, geography may be destinyWhen it comes to how much end-of-life care a patient with cancer receives, geography may, indeed, be destiny, according to new research led by Harvard Medical School that found striking differences in terminal care across different parts of the country. | |
 | Deadly form of advanced prostate cancer is common, calls for distinct treatmentA new study of prostate cancer in 202 men, whose cancers had spread and were resistant to standard treatment, found that a surprisingly large number of these cancers—about 17 percent—belong to a deadlier subtype of metastatic prostate cancer. |
 | Using hepatitis C-infected donor kidneys could reduce time on dialysis for transplant patients with HCVTransplanting hepatitis C (HCV)-infected dialysis patients with organs from HCV-positive donors and then treating the infection after transplantation is more effective, costs less and will shorten wait times for donated organs, according to a computer analysis conducted by physician-researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. |
Study in transwomen shows link between hormone therapy and risk of vascular side effectsA recent study coordinated by researchers at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and led by the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente colleagues in Georgia and northern California found a link between cross-sex hormone use in transwomen and an increase in vascular side effects, such as stroke and venous thromboembolism (VTE). These findings are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. | |
Allow women in England to take abortion pills at home, healthcare leaders urge Jeremy HuntWomen in England should be allowed to take both the pills required for an early medical abortion at home, just like their peers in Scotland and now Wales, argue healthcare leaders, in an editorial published online in BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health. | |
 | Helping your child adjust to college(HealthDay)—College is a unique stage in a young person's development. But newfound independence coupled with the pressures of classwork and the need to fit in can make this a very emotional time. |
 | Which workout is best for you: High or low intensity?High-intensity interval training has become a big deal among workout enthusiasts, who like the short bursts of intense exercise alternated with longer periods of rest. |
 | To reduce your risk of obesity, it helps to have a mom who follows five healthy habitsMothers lead the way for their children. And new research finds that the paths that moms walk (or the couches they sit and smoke on) make a powerful difference in their children's propensity to become obese. |
Quality of life at diagnosis may predict survival for patients with aggressive lymphomaSelf-reported quality of life among patients diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma can predict overall survival and event-free survival, a Mayo Clinic study has found. The results were presented at the 56th American Society of Hematology annual meeting, in San Francisco. | |
 | Swimming pools, hot tubs are more likely than lakes to make you sick, studies findTaking a cool, refreshing dip in a lake or swimming pool is one of summer's enjoyments and sometimes a necessary escape from the stifling heat. |
5 steps for lifesaving CPRMore than 350,000 people had sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital in 2017. Those who received CPR were two to three times more likely to survive. | |
 | New study finds that e-cigarettes increase cardiovascular risk as much as cigarettesThe usage of e-cigarettes containing nicotine has a significant impact on vascular functions claims new study. Research published in the SAGE journal, Vascular Medicine, has brought new research to light on the significant health risks of e-cigarettes with nicotine. The study revealed that smokers of e-cigarettes experienced the same, if not higher level of cardiovascular elevation for prolonged periods after smoking the e-cigarette. The findings have significant implications for our understanding of the use of e-cigarettes on long-term cardiovascular risk. |
 | Majority of drivers don't believe texting while driving is dangerousPeople who text while driving are six times more likely to be involved in a car crash. To combat this problem, more and more states are adopting driving laws that require people to use hands-free devices in the car. Yet a new study shows that many drivers are still willing to take the risk, as 'fear of missing out' and separation anxiety keep them from abiding by the law. The study, published in Risk Analysis: An International Journal, reveals that many drivers don't perceive texting and driving to be dangerous in certain driving scenarios. |
 | Teenagers can thank their parents' positive attitude for avoiding obesityTeenagers are less likely to be overweight if their mum or dad had a positive attitude during pregnancy, a new study by the University of Bristol and Emory University revealed today. |
Insights from metabolites get us closer to a test for chronic fatigue syndromeA study led by researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health has identified a constellation of metabolites related to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Combining this data with data from an earlier microbiome study, the researchers now report they can predict whether or not someone has the disorder with a confidence of 84 percent. | |
 | Can we get the immune system to tolerate organ transplants?Currently, people receiving organ transplants must take drugs to suppress the inflammatory immune response that leads to rejection. Even so, almost all recipients eventually lose their transplant. A new approach, which maintains a population of immune cells that naturally temper immune responses, could greatly enhance people's long-term tolerance for transplants, report researchers at Boston Children's Hospital. |
 | Mammography use tied to other preventive tests in older women(HealthDay)—Women enrolled in Medicare who undergo screening mammography seem to have increased awareness and use of other preventive screening measures, according to a study published online June 5 in Radiology. |
 | Higher visceral fat ratio seen with recurring urolithiasis(HealthDay)—Recurrent stone-forming patients have high visceral fat ratios compared to first-time stone-forming patients, according to a study published in the June issue of the International Journal of Urology. |
 | Mucus protects airborne flu virus at all humidities(HealthDay)—Influenza virus aerosols remain infectious at all humidity levels, according to a study published online June 7 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. |
 | Obesity paradox seen in T2DM modified by smoking status(HealthDay)—Smoking status heavily modifies the obesity paradox observed in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online July 3 in Diabetes Care. |
 | Doctors usually empathetic in pediatric ICU care conferences(HealthDay)—Physicians frequently respond with empathy during pediatric intensive care unit care conferences, though their responses are often buried within other data or missed, according to a study published online July 6 in JAMA Network Open. |
 | Budesonide with saline solution helpful for rhinosinusitis(HealthDay)—The addition of budesonide to a saline nasal lavage for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis provides clinically meaningful benefits, according to a study published online June 7 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. |
 | High-risk APOL1 not tied to CVD, stroke in older black women(HealthDay)—For postmenopausal African-American women, high-risk APOL1 genotype seems not to be associated with coronary heart disease, stroke, or mortality, according to a study published online July 3 in JAMA Cardiology. |
 | Whooping cough vaccine: The power of first impressionsThe current whooping cough vaccine was universally adopted in the US in 1996 to replace the original vaccine based on killed Bordetella pertussis because of a stronger safety profile. The new formulation was found to be effective in preventing whooping cough during vulnerable stages in the lifespan but the kind of pertussis vaccine used to prime the immune system leaves a lasting impression. In their latest study, researchers at La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (LJI) report that individuals who had been inoculated with the newer vaccine as part of their initial series of shots, mount a weaker recall response when receiving booster shots later on. |
 | Alarming trend shows first-time smoking among young adultsMillennials living more dangerously and settling down later could be creating a new generation of addicted smokers and e-cigarette users, according to the surprising results of research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). |
 | Depression screening rates among adults increased slightly in recent years, but remain lowRates of routine screening of U.S. adults for depression have increased slightly in recent years, but remain very low. Adults were screened in about 3 percent of office visits in 2015, up from a low of less than 1 percent in 2008, according to a study published online today in Psychiatric Services in advance. Routine screening for depression among all adults has been recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force since 2009. |
 | Synthetic surfactant could ease breathing for patients with lung disease and injuryHuman lungs are coated with a substance called surfactant which allows us to breathe easily. When lung surfactant is missing or depleted, which can happen with premature birth or lung injury, breathing becomes difficult. In a collaborative study between Lawson Health Research Institute and Stanford University, scientists have developed and tested a new synthetic surfactant that could lead to improved treatments for lung disease and injury. |
 | Can fasting improve MS symptoms?People with multiple sclerosis (MS) can find an abundance of conflicting advice suggesting that special diets—everything from avoiding processed foods to going low-carb—will ease their symptoms. But the evidence is scanty that dietary changes can improve fatigue or other MS symptoms. |
New pediatric asthma yardstick has treatment guidance for children of every ageAlthough about 10 percent of school-aged children in the United States have asthma, there are few comprehensive U.S. guidelines for treating pediatric asthma. The Pediatric Asthma Yardstick, a new guideline from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), offers a user-friendly "operational document". It helps health care professionals understand which controller treatments are right for which age groups and identifies when a step up is needed. | |
Medicare Advantage rankings penalize plans serving disadvantaged populations, study findsNew research from Brown University suggests that federal rankings of Medicare Advantage plans may unfairly penalize those that enroll a disproportionate number of non-white, poor and rural Americans. | |
 | Rare pediatric skin conditions often get expensive, inconsistent careResearchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago are the first to conduct a large-scale analysis of treatments and outcomes for children with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), rare skin conditions caused by medications and infections. |
 | New way to regenerate hearts after a heart attackResearchers funded by the British Heart Foundation have identified how a new treatment in mice can regenerate the heart after a heart attack—preventing the onset of heart failure. |
Candidate drug may be effective against broader class of brain cancersA Ludwig Cancer Research study explains why a particular mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a cell surface protein, results in more aggressive tumors and poorer overall survival of patients diagnosed with the brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). | |
Following pitch count guidelines may help young baseball players prevent injuriesYoung pitchers who exceed pitch count limits are more prone to elbow injuries, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in San Diego. Season statistics of players were compared relative to pitch count limits established by the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine. | |
DNA tests have potential to transform next 70 years of NHS care, experts sayPatients in Scotland could benefit from a revolution in personalised healthcare, thanks to major investments in gene sequencing technology. | |
 | Childhood obesity—local data feeds local solutionsChildhood and adolescent obesity are alarming nearly everywhere in Europe. However, a closer look reveals telling differences in regional, local and socio-economic patterns. |
Haemophilia A/sialorrhoea: Comparator therapies not implemented, added benefit not provenTwo of the four dossier assessments that were published by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 2 July 2018, and which deal with completely different therapeutic indications, have one notable thing in common: In both cases, an added benefit is not proven due to a lack of suitable study data, although there are randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showing effects of the drugs. The reason: Treatment in the comparator arms of the studies fell short of current standards of care and did not concur with the appropriate comparator therapies (ACTs) specified by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) for the early benefit assessments. | |
 | New insights on mosquitoes that spread diseaseThe Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is a highly invasive species and a vector of multiple pathogens including various viruses, such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika. A new Medical and Veterinary Entomology study that evaluated the relationship between the mosquito's presence and habitat variables at a small scale provides important information for planning effective prevention and control campaigns. |
 | New treatment option available for men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasiaPhysicians at UC San Diego Health are now offering prostate artery embolization (PAE) as a new treatment option for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate. The minimally invasive procedure is an alternative to surgery, with no hospital stay, little operative pain and lower cost. |
Biology news
 | Cross species transfer of genes has driven evolutionFar from just being the product of our parents, University of Adelaide scientists have shown that widespread transfer of genes between species has radically changed the genomes of today's mammals, and been an important driver of evolution. |
 | Farming fish alter 'cropping' strategies under high CO2Fish that 'farm' their own patches of seaweed alter their 'cropping' practices under high CO2 conditions, researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia have found. |
 | Fighting back: New study reveals unprecedented details of plant-pathogen co-evolutionThe co-evolution of plant—pathogen interactions has been revealed in unprecedented detail in a study of one of the world's deadliest crop killers. This is the rice blast pathogen, which destroys enough food to feed more than 60 million people every year—almost the population of the UK. |
 | Genome editing reduces cholesterol in large animal model, laying human trial groundworkUsing genome editing to inactivate a protein called PCSK9 effectively reduces cholesterol levels in rhesus macaques, a species of monkey, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This is the first demonstration of a clinically relevant reduction of gene expression in a large animal model using genome editing. The team published their study this week in Nature Biotechnology, in which they describe a possible new approach for treating heart disease patients who do not tolerate PCSK9 inhibitors—drugs that are commonly used to combat high cholesterol. |
 | Releasing our inner jellyfish in the fight against infectionMucus is able to protect us from infection thanks to ancient genes that have been conserved throughout 350 million years of evolution—dating back to our days as a jellyfish. |
 | Research confirms a new way for cells to conserve energyBy proving a theory that was first proposed almost 40 years ago, researchers have confirmed a new way that cells conserve energy. |
 | In responding to predation risk, secondhand experience can be as good as newThroughout the living world, parents have many ways of gifting their offspring with information they will need to help them survive. A new study in Nature Ecology and Evolution examining the effects of exposure to predators across two generations of stickleback fish yielded a surprising insight into how such transgenerational information is used. |
 | Fluorescent fish genes light path to neuroblastomaA new type of zebrafish that produces fluorescent tags in migratory embryonic nerve precursor cells could help a Rice University neurobiologist and cancer researcher find the origins of the third-most common pediatric cancer in the U.S. |
 | Scientists show how energy landscape algorithm details DNA's interphase dynamicsThe nuclei of cells are never static, even when the chromosomes they contain appear to be at rest. Theorists at Rice University have detailed the combination of forces that drive their constant motion. |
 | Jury set to hear Roundup case on pesticide cancer link (Update)A California man dying of cancer makes his case to a jury Monday in a trial against agrochemical giant Monsanto that could have sweeping ramifications. |
 | Eco-warriors battle glyphosate in Argentine countryside"They can't spray!" screamed Sofia Gatica, waving her arms before police led her away from the soybean field, handcuffed for having illegally entered private property. |
 | First quolls born in Australian wild in half a centuryThe first eastern quolls in 50 years have been born in the wild on the Australian mainland, with the rice grain-sized pups offering hope to a species of marsupial devastated by foxes. |
Monsanto known for controversial chemicalsThe Monsanto company name has become so strongly associated with being an enemy of nature that a tribunal in The Hague once called for a law making "ecocide" a crime. | |
 | Japanese knotweed—not such a knotty problem?Ecologists can find no evidence Japanese knotweed causes significant structural damage. |
 | We need a bank of DNA from dirt and water to protect Australia's environmentMeasuring biodiversity used to mean laboriously collecting samples and manually identifying the plants, animals and fungi. This might involve careful inspection under a microscope to spot identifying features. This takes a lot of time and generally requires an expert who has specific knowledge of each group of organisms. |
 | New test procedures will save dairy cows from Mycoplasma bovis diseaseMette Bisgaard Petersen, Liza Rosenbaum Nielsen and Matt Denwood |
 | Insectivorous birds consume annually as much energy as the city of New YorkInsectivorous birds, represented by more than 6,000 species, are found across the world in all major land ecosystems. The fact that they are extremely useful as natural enemies of herbivorous insects had been known for some time. Zoologists at the University of Basel, the University of Utah (Salt Lake City), the University of Illinois (Chicago), and Koç University (Istanbul) have now used calculations to highlight their global ecological importance. |
 | Protein function repairing genetic damage in spermatogenesis identifiedResearchers from the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology and the Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (IBB-UAB) have unmasked the function of a protein involved in DNA repair, ATR, in the meiotic recombination process which takes place during the development of spermatocytes – sperm precursor cells– and how inhibiting this protein causes anomalies which block spermatogenesis. |
 | Long-term use of some pesticides is killing off dung beetle populationsNew research led by scientists at the University of Bristol has uncovered that long-term use of some pesticides to treat cattle for parasites is having a significantly detrimental effect on the dung beetle population. |
 | Kissing bugs kiss their hiding spots goodbye, thanks to tiny radio transmittersWith the continuing advance of technology, radio tracking devices keep getting smaller and smaller. And that's bad news for stealthy insects like kissing bugs. |
 | Study examines what lives in the Gulf of Mexico after BP disasterEight years ago, when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank off Louisiana, one of the big problems facing scientists trying to assess the damage caused by the oil spill was that no one knew much about what lives in the Gulf of Mexico. |
 | Forest ecology shapes Lyme disease risk in the eastern USIn the eastern US, risk of contracting Lyme disease is higher in fragmented forests with high rodent densities and low numbers of resident fox, opossum, and raccoons. These are among the findings from an analysis of 19 years of data on the ecology of tick-borne disease in a forested landscape, recently published in the journal Ecology. |
 | West African states in joint fight against root crop 'Ebola'Researchers from half a dozen states in West Africa have joined together in a battle against what one expert calls a root crop "Ebola"—a viral disease that could wreck the region's staple food and condemn millions to hunger. |
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