Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 12, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Hubble and Gaia team up to fuel cosmic conundrumUsing the power and synergy of two space telescopes, astronomers have made the most precise measurement to date of the universe's expansion rate. |
 | VERITAS supplies critical piece to neutrino discovery puzzleThe VERITAS array has confirmed the detection of high-energy gamma rays from the vicinity of a supermassive black hole located in a distant galaxy, TXS 0506+056. While these detections are relatively common for VERITAS, this blackhole is potentially the first known astrophysical source of high-energy cosmic neutrinos, a type of ghostly subatomic particle that can be made at astrophysical sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. |
 | NASA's TESS spacecraft continues testing prior to first observationsAfter a successful launch on April 18, 2018, NASA's newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, is currently undergoing a series of commissioning tests before it begins searching for planets. The TESS team has reported that the spacecraft and cameras are in good health, and the spacecraft has successfully reached its final science orbit. The team continues to conduct tests in order to optimize spacecraft performance with a goal of beginning science at the end of July. |
Technology news
 | Cooling buildings worldwideAbout 40 percent of all the energy consumed by buildings worldwide is used for space heating and cooling. With the warming climate as well as growing populations and rising standards of living—especially in hot, humid regions of the developing world—the level of cooling and dehumidification needed to ensure comfort and protect human health is predicted to rise precipitously, pushing up global energy demand. |
 | Research community can go on Facebook AI's NYC conversation tourJason Weston, with doctorate in machine learning at University of London and Douwe Kiela, with doctorate from the University of Cambridge with thesis on grounding semantics in perceptual modalities, are research scientists at Facebook Research and have introduced the world to their formidable team's Talk the Walk. |
 | Researchers use coal waste to create sustainable concreteWashington State University researchers have created a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete using coal fly ash, a waste product of coal-based electricity generation. |
 | Before Trump, the long history of fake newsIn capital letters and with an exclamation mark, "FAKE NEWS!" may have been popularised by Donald Trump in hundreds of his tweets but the concept has existed for centuries. |
 | Comcast, Fox both raise bids as they reach for SkyThe battle for European pay TV service Sky escalated Wednesday as U.S. rivals Comcast and 21st Century Fox took turns upping the ante in their quest to expand their media empires. |
 | Broadcom buys business software firm CA for $18.9 bnSemi-conductor giant Broadcom, which recently failed in a bid to buy US rival Qualcomm, on Wednesday announced a cash deal to buy software and services firm CA Technologies for $18.9 billion. |
 | The online battle for the truthFalse information is saturating political debate worldwide and undermining an already weak level of trust in the media and institutions, spreading further than ever on powerful social networks. |
 | Wimbledon 'Stat Pack' help explain the pointIn subterranean bunkers at the All England Club, statisticians are churning out millions of data nuggets during the Wimbledon championships, gobbled up by tennis nerds, players—and, increasingly, everyday fans. |
 | How a Macedonian town became a 'fake news' epicentreJovan got a pair of Nike sneakers and went on holiday to Greece, his reward for having helped turn the small Macedonian town of Veles into an epicentre of "fake news" during the 2016 US presidential race. |
 | Green energy is the future, according to new reportThe UK should seize a 'golden opportunity' to move away from fossil fuels, towards cheaper, greener energy sources, according to a new report, published by the National Infrastructure Commission. |
Artificial intelligence helps design an ultra-aerodynamic bikeThanks to software developed by Neural Concept, an EPFL spin-off, bicycle engineers can quickly calculate the most aerodynamic shape for a bike. The software – which is being presented in Stockholm today at the International Conference on Machine Learning – applies artificial intelligence to a set of user-defined specifications. Engineers have already used the program to design a bike that they hope will break the world speed record this fall in Nevada. | |
 | How blockchains can empower communities to control their own energy supplyAs the cost of solar panels, wind generation and battery storage falls, individual households and consumers are increasingly generating their own electricity, becoming less reliant on the power grid. This has led to energy systems becoming increasingly decentralised, which helps shift market power from large utility companies to individual "prosumers" – consumers who produce their own electricity. |
 | UK clears way for 21st Century Fox to buy SkyBritain on Thursday cleared the way for Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox to take full control of pan-European TV giant Sky after Fox agreed to address media plurality concerns. |
Research team improves code to benefit industrial engineersThe Ohio Supercomputer Center's (OSC) Karen Tomko, Ph.D., and the University of Illinois/Urbana's Robert Dodds, Ph.D., recently wrapped up a project that will greatly enhance the simulation capabilities of manufacturing engineers. | |
 | New model quantifies communities' vulnerability to the spread of fireFirefighters know all too well that fires spread quickly, igniting chains of forestland made vulnerable by dry weather, and driven by wind. |
 | Report: SEC probes Facebook privacy issuesA report says the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Facebook adequately warned its investors about privacy lapses involving the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica. |
Banned in other cities, these Bird electric scooters have arrived in Kansas CityAbout a hundred Birds flocked to Kansas City. But these Birds don't fly. They scoot. | |
 | German court to rule on parents' access to dead daughter's FacebookGerman judges will rule Thursday on Facebook users' "digital legacy", or the fate of their private data after they die, in a case pitting the Silicon Valley giant against the grieving parents of a teenage girl. |
 | ZTE shares surge 22% as US sanctions lift moves step closerShares in Chinese telecoms equipment maker ZTE surged more than 20 percent in Hong Kong on Thursday after the company moved a step closer to having a painful US purchase ban lifted. |
 | French carmaker PSA sales speed up on Opel takeoverFrench carmaker PSA on Thursday said its global car sales jumped in the first half by over 38 percent, driven by its takeover last year of Opel and Vauxhall. |
 | 5 things to know about Tesla's China plansElectric vehicle producer Tesla Inc. says it will build its first factory outside the United States in Shanghai. |
 | Superior seismic imaging for better drillingSoftware could transform underground imaging of fossil fuel reserves by providing unprecedented detail in record time. |
 | Safer airport approaches with 3-D satellite-based navigationAs air traffic grows in Europe's skies, so does the challenge to ensure that its airports are safely accessible at all times. BLUEGNSS, a project supported by the EU, has been developing global satellite navigation applications in selected European airports to increase safety and airport accessibility. |
 | Robots are coming to the seafood industry. Here's whyNew England is known for being an excellent source of lobster and other seafood. But while fishing is done locally, much of the processing is outsourced to other countries. A lack of local manpower means scallops caught off the coast of Massachusetts might travel to China or India for processing before they appear on your plate at a restaurant in Boston. |
$7,500 federal tax credit for Tesla buyers to end Dec. 31Tesla Inc. says its customers won't get the full $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit after Dec. 31. | |
 | Team finds many of mobile applications are open to web API hijackingSmartphones, tablets, iPads—mobile devices have become invaluable to the everyday consumer. But few consider the security issues that occur when using these devices. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Light based cochlear implant restores hearing in gerbilsA team of researchers with members from a variety of institutions across Germany has developed a new type of cochlear implant—one based on light. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their new implant and how well it worked in test gerbils. |
 | Why baby's sex may influence risk of pregnancy-related complicatationsThe sex of a baby controls the level of small molecules known as metabolites in the pregnant mother's blood, which may explain why risks of some diseases in pregnancy vary depending whether the mother is carrying a boy or a girl, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. |
 | Researchers discover gene that controls bone-to-fat ratio in bone marrowIn an unexpected discovery, UCLA researchers have found that a gene previously known to control human metabolism also controls the equilibrium of bone and fat in bone marrow as well as how an adult stem cell expresses its final cell type. The findings could lead to a better understanding of the disruption of bone-to-fat ratio in bone marrow as well as its health consequences, and also point to the gene as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of osteoporosis and skeletal aging. |
 | The VIPs of the nervous system—a tiny population of neurons holds a master key to the body's clockTravel by airplane has opened the door to experiencing different cultures and exploring natural wonders. That is, if you can get past the jet lag. |
 | New study highlights Alzheimer's herpes link, experts sayA new commentary by scientists at the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh on a study by Taiwanese epidemiologists supports the viability of a potential way to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. |
 | Nicotine mimics may have therapeutic effect on inflammatory diseasesStanford researchers discovered that a receptor that binds to nicotine and to clusters of beta-amyloid molecules is found on certain types of immune cells that can act as suppressors and regulators of the immune system. |
 | Testing suggests TORC1 inhibitors can boost immune system in the elderlyA team of researchers affiliated with Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research and Biometrics Matters Limited, has found via testing with volunteers that TORC1 inhibitors can boost the immune system in the elderly. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes the study they conducted and the results they found. |
 | Antioxidant benefits of sleepUnderstanding sleep has become increasingly important in modern society, where chronic loss of sleep has become rampant and pervasive. As evidence mounts for a correlation between lack of sleep and negative health effects, the core function of sleep remains a mystery. But in a new study publishing 12 July in the open access journal PLOS Biology, Vanessa Hill, Mimi Shirasu-Hiza and colleagues at Columbia University, New York, found that short-sleeping fruit fly mutants shared the common defect of sensitivity to acute oxidative stress, and thus that sleep supports antioxidant processes. Understanding this ancient bi-directional relationship between sleep and oxidative stress in the humble fruit fly could provide much-needed insight into modern human diseases such as sleep disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. |
 | Chemicals associated with oxidative stress may be essential to developmentSome level of molecules linked to oxidative stress may be essential to health and development, according to new animal studies. |
Study finds no increased risk of womb or breast cancer after fertility treatmentResearchers report no increased risk of womb cancer or invasive breast cancer after assisted reproduction in a study of over 250,000 British women published by The BMJ today. | |
Immunotherapy doubles survival rates for patients with melanoma brain metastasesCancer immunotherapies and targeted therapy have revolutionized how clinicians take care of patients with advanced skin cancer and have led to long lasting treatment responses for many of them. However, little is known about the survival impact of these therapies for a substantial group of patients. Melanoma patients with cancer that has spread to the brain have been excluded or underrepresented in clinical trials of immunotherapies due to concerns about whether such drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier or will interfere with other forms of treatment. A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital evaluates data from more than 1,500 cancer programs across the country to gather a large enough dataset to determine the effectiveness of checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. The study found that these therapies provided significant improvements in overall survival for patients with melanoma brain metastases. Their results are published this week in Cancer Immunology Research. | |
 | About half of parents use cell phones while driving with young children in the carA new study from a team of researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) found that in the previous three months, about half of parents talked on a cell phone while driving when their children between the ages of 4 and 10 were in the car, while one in three read text messages and one in seven used social media. |
 | Healthy diet reduces asthma symptomsPeople who eat a healthy diet experience fewer asthma symptoms and better control of their condition, according to a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal. |
Automated virtual reality-based psychological therapy may help reduce fear of heightsPsychological therapy delivered by a virtual reality coach can help people with a clinically diagnosed fear of heights overcome their fear, according to a randomised controlled trial of 100 people published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. | |
 | The more you smoke, the greater your risk of a heart rhythm disorderThe more you smoke, the greater your risk of a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation. That's the finding of a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) journal. |
Safety-net clinics adapt integrated systems' best practices to manage blood pressureNearly a third of American adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, putting them at higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and death. A recent estimate from the Centers for Disease Control reports that high blood pressure—and the many conditions associated with it—contribute to over 400,000 deaths and cost the nation more than $40 billion each year. | |
 | Blood biomarker can help predict disease progression in patients with COPDSome patients with COPD demonstrate signs of accelerated aging. In a new study published in the journal CHEST researchers report that measuring blood telomeres, a marker of aging of cells, can be used to predict future risk of the disease worsening or death. Further, they have determined that the drug azithromycin may help patients with short telomeres, an indicator of more rapid biological aging, stave off negative clinical outcomes. |
Rogue molecules provoke out-of-control scar tissue, strangle organsNormal scar tissue forms to heal an internal wound and quietly retreats when the job is done. But in many common diseases—kidney, liver and lung fibrosis—the scar tissue goes rogue and strangles vital organs. These diseases are largely untreatable and ultimately fatal. | |
 | Study shows biomarker panel boosts lung cancer risk assessment for smokersA four-protein biomarker blood test improves lung cancer risk assessment over existing guidelines that rely solely upon smoking history, capturing risk for people who have ever smoked, not only for heavy smokers, an international research team reports in JAMA Oncology. |
Researchers develop easy-to-implement predictive screening tool for retinopathyA multi-hospital collaboration led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has found a simple method of determining which premature infants should be screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The recommendations have the potential to significantly reduce the number of eye examinations being done, easing the burden for babies, parents, nurses, and doctors who are already dealing with other issues associated with premature birth. | |
 | Storytelling, games help young people discuss sexual healthFor young people, discussing sexual and reproductive health can be awkward. In certain parts of the world, those conversations can be downright stigmatizing. |
 | Step-by-step account of systemic lupus erythematosus development revealedSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and tissue damage. SLE can involve many organs and systems and has a poor prognosis. It is one of a large group of autoimmune disorders, which occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs. |
 | New gears in your sleep clockThe circadian cycle, a long-studied factor controlling human sleep cycles, actually has two forms, one that keeps a key protein stable, and another that promotes its degradation. |
LDL quality is a novel, modifiable cardiovascular risk markerA recently published article in the European Heart Journal shows that the presence of sticky, aggregation-prone LDL in circulation is an independent predictor of cardiovascular death. This novel finding indicates that in addition to LDL-cholesterol levels, the quality of the cholesterol-carrying LDL particles also needs to be considered when estimating the cardiovascular risk of a person. | |
Olfactory cells found throughout the body may help or harm depending on locationA review of more than 200 studies reveals that olfactory receptors—proteins that bind to odors that aid the sense of smell—perform a wide range of mostly unknown functions outside the nose. The function of extra-nasal olfactory receptors has the potential to be used in the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions such as cancer. The article is published in the July issue of Physiological Reviews. | |
 | Living in greener neighborhoods is associated with slower cognitive decline in elderlyContact with green space is known to have beneficial effects for mental health. A new study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, suggests that it may also play a positive role against cognitive decline in the elderly. In particular, this research published in Environmental Health Perspectives shows that the common age-related loss in cognitive function is slightly slower in people who live in greener neighbourhoods. |
 | Discovering the mechanisms that underlie prostate cancerNew research has uncovered insights into the mechanisms that underlie prostate cancer, providing potential targets for new cancer therapies. |
 | How to better enable kidney exchanges to save lives and moneyNearly 100,000 people with failing kidneys are on waiting lists for a kidney transplant in the United States, with an average wait of three to five years. |
 | Study questions social media in birthing suitesA Victoria University of Wellington study is investigating how the internet and cellphones, particularly social media, affect mothers connecting with their newborn babies. |
 | Surgery allows young woman paralyzed in fall 10 years ago to walk againAt 16, Yadira Perdomo of Bogotá, Colombia, was often taunted by other students at her high school for her small-town accent and her taste in music. When her mother asked her if she'd like to change schools, she replied that she was determined to stick it out and finish the year. |
 | Breastfeeding has been the best public health policy throughout historyBreastfeeding has long been the gold standard for infant nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and World Health Organization all recommend it. |
 | Mental illness study to explore patients' self-assessmentsAs the mental health community pursues new ways to improve the lives of the severely ill, a University of Texas at Dallas researcher is focusing on what can be learned from patients' answers to a simple question: "How do you think you are doing?" |
 | Nanoparticles for the detection of Alzheimer's disease through magnetic resonance imagingUPM researchers are involved in the development of a new biosensor that can be useful to achieve an early non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using magnetic resonance imaging. |
 | Doctors who focus on the foot and brain team up on a smart insoleProfessors David Armstrong and Charles Liu at first seemed to be an unlikely pair. |
 | Does thinking you look fat affect how much money you earn?Two things people often think about are money and their appearance. Past research has shown that there is a correlation between the two: People subjectively considered attractive earn more. |
 | To reduce stress and anxiety, write your happy thoughts downWriting about positive emotions may help to reduce stress and anxiety, according to our new study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. |
 | Southern diet could be deadly for people with heart diseasePeople with a history of heart disease who eat a traditional Southern diet are more likely to die than those who follow a Mediterranean dietary pattern, according to new research. |
 | Weight loss can protect overweight boys from developing type 2 diabetesA new study shows that overweight seven year olds have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes as adults, but only if they are still overweight by the time they hit puberty and beyond. |
Diet guidelines critical for multiple sclerosis patients, research findsPeople recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis crave and need more advice about recommended foods and diets that will help manage the disease's symptoms, new research led by Curtin University has found. | |
High-intensity exercise in teenagers could ward off heart diseaseNew research published in Experimental Physiology has indicated potential differences in heart health benefits of differing levels of exercise intensity in teenagers. | |
 | Why the left hemisphere of the brain understands language better than the rightNerve cells in the brain region planum temporale have more synapses in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere – which is vital for rapid processing of auditory speech, according to the report published by researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Technische Universität Dresden in the journal Science Advances. There has already been ample evidence of left hemisphere language dominance; however, the underlying processes on the neuroanatomical level had not yet been fully understood. |
 | Frustrated with football's pain fakers? Blame evolution – according to a new studyPsychologists at the University of Sussex have shown that football's pain fakers may be tapping into an evolutionary strategy that aided our ancestors' survival and helped speech emerge. |
Study identifies barriers and enablers of diabetic retinopathy screeningA new study, conducted as part of a NIHR-funded project on diabetic retinopathy screening, has identified important barriers, and enablers, associated with screening attendance. | |
 | Why vaccine opponents think they know more than medical expertsOne of the most contentious areas of health policy over the past two decades has been the safety of vaccination. Vaccines prevent the outbreak of diseases that used to be widespread, like polio, and scientific consensus strongly supports their safety. Yet many Americans refuse or delay the vaccination of their children out of fear that it could lead to autism, even though scientific consensus refutes this claim. |
Survey asks public for insights into ethnic inequalities in mental health careThe first national online survey to give members of the public the opportunity to set the research priorities in the field of ethnic inequalities and severe mental illness has been launched today. | |
 | Allergic reactions to foods are milder in infantsSymptoms of food-induced anaphylaxis in infants are much less severe than in toddlers and older children, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Anaphylaxis is defined as a reaction that involves multiple systems in the body or a presentation with significant cardiac or respiratory symptoms. |
 | Practice imperfect—repeated cognitive testing can obscure early signs of dementiaAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that often begins with mild cognitive impairment or MCI, making early and repeated assessments of cognitive change crucial to diagnosis and treatment. |
 | An orange a day keeps macular degeneration away: 15-year studyA new study has shown that people who regularly eat oranges are less likely to develop macular degeneration than people who do not eat oranges. |
 | Study finds potential link between alcohol and death ratesDrinking heavily results in uncontrolled iron absorption into the body, putting strain on vital organs and increasing the risk of death, according to a new study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. |
 | New ways to conquer sleep apnea compete for place in bedroomEvery night without fail, Paul Blumstein straps on a mask that prevents him from repeatedly waking up, gasping for air. |
 | Scientists find protein exploited by virus ravaging West AfricaA research team from several institutions being led by the University of California San Diego has deciphered a key component behind a rising epidemic of pathogens that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently added to its list of critical emerging diseases. |
 | Researchers narrow in on genetic factors that cause preterm birthMutations in a gene involved in steroid signaling likely contribute to preterm birth, report Johanna Huusko of the University of Oulu and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and colleagues, in a study of European women who had experienced at least one early delivery. The researchers report their findings July 12th in PLOS Genetics. |
 | Citizen science supports tick-borne disease researchA nationwide investigation of the prevalence and distribution of ticks and exposure to tick-borne diseases highlights the value of public participation in science. The study, published on July 11th in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, was conducted by Nathan Nieto of Northern Arizona University and colleagues, and funded by Bay Area Lyme Foundation. |
 | Developed and developing: An outdated classification for countries?Countries have traditionally been divided into two broad categories according to their capacity to innovate. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases say these categories are overly simplistic and leave out the key roles that a group of Innovative Developing Countries (IDCs) play in the public health arena. |
 | Gammaherpesviruses linked to tumors in macaques with simian immunodeficiency virusViruses known as gammaherpesviruses may raise the risk of cancer in macaques infected with Simian Immunodeficiency Virus or Simian Human Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV/SHIV), according to new research published by Vickie Marshall of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Maryland, and colleagues. |
Intensive care patients' muscles unable to use fats for energyThe muscles of people in intensive care are less able to use fats for energy, contributing to extensive loss of muscle mass, finds a new study co-led by UCL, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. | |
A gene required for addictive behaviorCocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain's reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors. Alban de Kerchove d'Exaerde from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and his colleagues have now uncovered that a gene called Maged1 plays a crucial role in controlling these pathological changes. This finding, published today in EMBO Reports, opens the door to further investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying addiction-associated adaptations in the brain. | |
 | New method reveals how well cancer drugs hit their targetsScientists have developed a technique that allows them to measure how well cancer drugs reach their targets inside the body. It shows individual cancer cells in a tumour in real time, revealing which cells interact with the drug and which cells the drug fails to reach. |
 | Imaging technique illuminates immune status of monkeys with HIV-like virusFindings from an animal study suggest that a non-invasive imaging technique could, with further development, become a useful tool to assess immune system recovery in people receiving treatment for HIV infection. Researchers used single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and a CD4-specific imaging probe to assess immune system changes throughout the bodies of macaques infected with SIV, a simian form of HIV, following initiation and interruption of antiretroviral therapy (ART). They evaluated pools of CD4+ T cells, the main cell type that HIV infects and destroys, in tissues such as lymph nodes, spleen and gut. |
| Providing smoking cessation for patients in hospital will save livesA major new report by the Royal College of Physicians calls for a radical change in the way the NHS treats smoking, by providing opt-out cessation services as a routine component of all hospital care. |
Novel therapy delays muscle atrophy in Lou Gehrig's disease modelSupplementing a single protein found in the spinal cord could help prevent symptoms of Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Researchers found high levels of the protein—called mitofusion 2 or Mfn2—prevented nerve degeneration, muscle atrophy, and paralysis in a mouse model of the disease. Since Mfn2 is often depleted during Lou Gehrig's, the new study suggests supplementing it could be a novel therapeutic approach for the disease. | |
 | Study: Obesity alone does not increase risk of deathResearchers at York University's Faculty of Health have found that patients who have metabolic healthy obesity, but no other metabolic risk factors, do not have an increased rate of mortality. |
 | Researchers turn exercise into a game and see encouraging resultsA majority of American workers spend most of their day sitting and don't get enough exercise, putting them at risk for a variety of chronic diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer. |
Wearable device can predict older adults' risk of fallingEvery year, more than one in three individuals aged 65 and older will experience a fall. | |
 | Machine learning helps to predict the treatment outcomes of schizophreniaCould the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders one day be aided through the help of machine learning? New research from the University of Alberta is bringing us closer to that future through a study published in Molecular Psychiatry. |
 | Purdue startup developing device that detects mosquito-borne diseasesA startup created by Purdue University professors is developing a sensor that can detect dangerous mosquito-borne tropical diseases faster and at a lower cost than current methods, giving health officials time to take action before the viruses are transmitted to humans. |
 | Half of Americans trying to slim down(HealthDay)—In a country where four out of 10 adults are obese, it's probably good news that half of U.S. adults say they've recently tried to shed some pounds. |
 | Drop in childhood pneumococcal, Hib deaths from 2000 to 2015(HealthDay)—Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) deaths in children decreased between 2000 and 2015, following introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and Hib vaccine, according to a study published in the July issue of The Lancet Global Health. |
 | Free weights or machines?(HealthDay)—Resistance or strength training isn't just for bodybuilders—it's for everyone, and it's essential to combat the natural tendency to lose muscle mass with age. |
 | New guidelines mean almost 800,000 more U.S. kids have high blood pressure(HealthDay)—There's good news and bad news from a new report when it comes to high blood pressure among America's children. |
 | Study reveals opioid patients face multiple barriers to treatmentIn areas of the country disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis, treatment programs are less likely to accept patients paying through insurance of any type or accept pregnant women, a new Vanderbilt study found. |
 | Asthma, uncontrolled asthma associated with risk of A-fib(HealthDay)—There is a correlation for asthma and lack of asthma control with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online July 11 in JAMA Cardiology. |
 | Women often unaware of their hospital's religious affiliation(HealthDay)—Women of reproductive age are often unaware of their hospital's religious affiliation, according to a study recently published in Contraception. |
 | Polio-rhinovirus promising for malignant glioma patients(HealthDay)—Intratumoral infusion of recombinant nonpathogenic polio-rhinovirus chimera (PVSRIPO) can be delivered safely and is tied to higher survival rates than those of historical controls, according to a study published in the July 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | High incidence of myopia among chinese schoolchildren(HealthDay)—The incidence of myopia among Chinese students may be as high as 20 to 30 percent each year from first grade onward, according to a study published online July 5 in JAMA Ophthalmology. |
 | Peer-led education helps physicians save time with EHRs(HealthDay)—A peer-based education program can improve the efficiency of electronic health record (EHR) use, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire. |
 | Potential new surgical options for women with multiple ipsilateral breast cancerA new multi-institutional clinical trial compared outcomes of women with multiple ipsilateral breast cancer, or more than one site of disease in the same breast, who underwent breast-conserving surgery, with outcomes of those who converted to mastectomy. Out of 198 eligible women in the trial, 184 (92.9%) successfully completed breast-conserving surgery, 134 of those with a single operation. These findings have just been published online first in Annals of Surgical Oncology. |
 | Hospitals may take too much of the blame for unplanned readmissionsA major goal of hospitals is to prevent unplanned readmissions of patients after they are discharged. A new study reveals that the preventability of readmissions changes over time: readmissions within the first week after discharge are often preventable by the hospital, whereas readmissions later are often related to patients' difficultly accessing outpatient clinics. |
 | Massive genome havoc in breast cancer is revealedIn cancer cells, genetic errors wreak havoc. Misspelled genes, as well as structural variations—larger-scale rearrangements of DNA that can encompass large chunks of chromosomes—disturb carefully balanced mechanisms that have evolved to regulate cell growth. Genes that are normally silent are massively activated and mutant proteins are formed. These and other disruptions cause a plethora of problems that cause cells to grow without restraint, cancer's most infamous hallmark. |
 | Whole genome sequencing reveals cluster of resistant bacterium in returning travelersThirteen patients with OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST392 have been reported by Sweden and Norway between January and April 2018—all returning travellers with prior hospital admission in Gran Canaria, Spain. Whole genome sequencing showed tight clustering between the bacterial isolates from the cases. |
Concussion may bring greater risks for athletes with ADHDAthletes who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at greater risk for experiencing persistent anxiety and depression after a concussion than people who do not have ADHD, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's Sports Concussion Conference in Indianapolis, July 20 to 22, 2018. ADHD is a brain disorder that affects attention and behavior. | |
Direct oral anticoagulants linked with higher bleeding risk in kidney disease patientsCertain blood thinners approved to treat atrial fibrillation may put patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at a higher risk of bleeding, according to the results of a study in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). | |
New study finds 93 million people vulnerable to death from snakebitesA new scientific study finds 93 million people live in remote areas with venomous snakes and, if bitten, face a greater likelihood of dying than those in urban settings because of poor access to anti-venom medications. | |
Probe into Samoa infant deaths after vaccine jabsInternational health experts launched an investigation Thursday into why two Samoan infants died shortly after receiving childhood vaccination injections in a tragedy that has rocked the close-knit Pacific nation. | |
High prevalence of restrictive lung disease in people with type 2 diabetesBreathlessness and conditions of restrictive lung disease (RLD), such as pulmonary fibrosis, may be a late complication of type 2 diabetes. These are the key findings of a joint study undertaken by researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) under the leadership of the University Hospital Heidelberg. The latest results have been published in the journal Respiration. | |
 | Building bones with a 3-D printerStrand by strand, and layer by layer, Daniel Chen's research team is inching closer to repairing and rebuilding bones with the use of 3-D printing technology. |
Novel personal narrative therapy to help people with aphasia tell their storyResearchers from City have launched a new project aimed at helping people with aphasia tell their story, and improve their ability to carry out everyday conversation following a stroke. | |
Mismatch between research funding and what is needed to improve health, report findsA new report calling for a rebalancing of healthcare investment in order to fund crucial research into factors that are known to significantly affect people's health and wellbeing has been published by researchers at the University of Sheffield. | |
Andorra vows to kick habit of cigarette advertisingThe tax haven of Andorra has long been a favourite destination for smokers looking to stock up on cheap cigarettes, but the enclave said Thursday that it would soon stop advertising the fact. | |
More studies needed to determine impact of air pollution on gynecologic healthWhile initial studies suggest a potential relationship between air pollution and both infertility and menstrual irregularity, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) believe more studies are needed to validate these findings in other populations. | |
In Medicaid patients, high opioid doses and concurrent sedative use are risk factors for fatal opioid overdoseAmong Medicaid recipients taking prescription opioids, high opioid doses and concurrent treatment with benzodiazepine sedatives are among the key, potentially modifiable risk factors for fatal overdose, reports a study in the August issue of Medical Care. | |
 | FDA to more aggressively tackle disruptive drug shortagesThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to more aggressively fight medication shortages that recently have led to rationing of some drugs and disrupted hospital operations. |
Biology news
 | Solved protein puzzle opens door to new design for cancer drugsResearchers at Oregon State University have solved a longstanding puzzle concerning the design of molecular motors, paving the way toward new cancer therapies. |
 | Finding the proteins that unpack DNAA new method allows researchers to systematically identify specialized proteins that unpack DNA inside the nucleus of a cell, making the usually dense DNA more accessible for gene expression and other functions. The method, developed by a team of researchers at Penn State, and the shared characteristics of these proteins are described in a paper that appears online on July 12th in the journal Molecular Cell. |
 | Turbulence allows clinical-scale platelet production for transfusionsTurbulence is a critical physical factor that promotes the large-scale production of functional platelets from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), researchers in Japan report July 12 in the journal Cell. Exposure to turbulent energy in a bioreactor stimulated hiPSC-derived bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes to produce 100 billion platelets—blood cell fragments that help wounds heal and prevent bleeding by forming blood clots. Moreover, transfusion of these platelets in two animal models promoted blood clotting and prevented bleeding just as well as human donor platelets. |
 | Rice plants evolve to adapt to floodingAlthough water is essential for plant growth, excessive amounts can waterlog and kill a plant. In South and Southeast Asia, where periodic flooding occurs during the rainy season, the water depth can reach several meters for many months. |
 | Parental chromosomes kept apart during embryo's first divisionIt was long thought that during an embryo's first cell division, one spindle is responsible for segregating the embryo's chromosomes into two cells. EMBL scientists now show that there are actually two spindles, one for each set of parental chromosomes, meaning that the genetic information from each parent is kept apart throughout the first division. Science publishes the results—bound to change biology textbooks—on 12 July 2018. |
 | Invasive plants adapt to new environments, study findsInvasive plants have the ability to adapt to new environments – and even behave like a native species, according to University of Stirling research. |
 | New control of cell division discoveredWhen a cell divides, its constituents are usually evenly distributed among the daughter cells. University of Zurich researchers have now identified an enzyme that guarantees that cell constituents that are concentrated in organelles without a membrane are properly distributed. Their discovery opens up new opportunities for the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging processes and viral infections. |
 | Tree shrews can tolerate hot peppers: Mutation in pain receptor makes peppery plant palatableAlmost all mammals avoid eating chili peppers and other "hot" foods, because of the pain they induce. But not the tree shrew, according to a study publishing July 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Yalan Han of the Kunming Institute of Zoology in China, and colleagues. The researchers found that this close relative of primates is unaffected by the active ingredient in chili peppers due to a subtle mutation in the receptor that detects it. They speculate that this is an evolutionary adaptation to enable tree shrews to cope with a peppery plant that makes up part of their diet. |
 | International collaboration finds land plant genes in ancient aquatic algaLand plants, which split from their aquatic relatives 500 million years ago, are an extraordinarily diverse group of living organisms—from tall redwoods to fragrant roses to carpets of moss. |
 | Understanding the social dynamics that cause cooperation to thrive, or failExamples of cooperation abound in nature, from honeybee hives to human families. Yet it's also easy enough to find examples of selfishness and conflict. Studying the conditions that give rise to cooperation has occupied researchers for generations, with implications for understanding the forces that drive workplace dynamics, charitable giving, animal behavior, even international relations. |
 | Fuzzy yellow bats reveal evolutionary relationships in KenyaAfter Halloween, people tend to forget about bats. But, for farmers, residents of Kenya, and scientists, bats are a part of everyday life. While North America has 44 species, Kenya, a country the size of Texas, has 110 bat species. Many of these species also contain subspecies and further divisions that can make the bat family tree look like a tangled mess. Researchers set out to cut the clutter by sorting the lineages of yellow house bats and in the process found two new species. |
Mapping climate corridorsThe corridors of land vital for many wildlife species in the face of climate change often are unprotected. Now, a recently published study from a University of Montana ecology professor and other researchers has tracked these shifting North American habitats. | |
 | The highly complex sugarcane genome has finally been sequencedSugarcane was the last major cultivated plant to have its genome sequenced. This was because of its huge complexity: The genome comprises between 10 and 12 copies of each chromosome, while the human genome has just two. It was an international team coordinated by CIRAD that achieved this milestone, as reported in Nature Communications on July 6. It will now be possible to modernize the methods used to breed sugarcane varieties. This will be a real boon to the sugar and biomass industry. |
 | The first endemic Baltic Sea fish species received its nameThe Baltic flounder Platichthys solemdali is the first fish species shown to be native only to the Baltic Sea, i.e., the first endemic fish described from the area and one of the only two known endemic species when considering any organism. The fact that a new vertebrate species is found and described from European waters, and especially from the species-poor Baltic Sea still after more than a century of biological research in the area, makes this finding significant. |
 | Dodder genome sequencing sheds light on evolution of plant parasitismMost plants absorb sunlight and CO2 with their leaves, take up water and minerals from the soil through roots, and are fully autotrophic. However, parasitic plants are a special class of plants that extract water and nutrients from other plants. The origin and evolution of plant parasitism as well as the specific physiology and ecology of parasitic plants are very interesting topics and much remains to be studied. |
 | Researchers detail plant self-recognition system that prevents self-fertilizationSelf-fertilization is a problem, as it leads to inbreeding. Recognition systems that prevent self-fertilization have evolved to ensure that a plant mates only with a genetically different plant and not with itself. The recognition systems underlying self-incompatibility are found all around us in nature, and can be found in at least 100 plant families and 40 percent of species. Until now, however, researchers have not known how the astonishing diversity in these systems evolves. A team of researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) has made steps toward deciphering how new mating types evolve in non-self recognition self-incompatibility systems, leading to the incredible genetic diversity seen in nature. The results are published in this month's edition of Genetics. |
 | Researchers identify sequence leading to release of malaria parasites from red blood cellsThe vacuole, a compartment inside human red blood cells in which malaria parasites reproduce and develop, takes on a distinct spherical shape just minutes before its membrane ruptures, leading to the release of parasites into the blood stream, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Their study appears in Cellular Microbiology. |
 | Moving fish farms enables seagrass meadows to thrive, study showsCommercial fish farms should be moved away from seagrass meadows in order for both to thrive in the future, according to new research. |
 | Cinnamon oil could be key in preventing superbugsAs antibiotics become less effective against superbugs, a Swinburne researcher has been focusing on traditional agents to modify the behaviour of bacteria rather than killing bacteria. |
 | Research shows decline in biodiversity of suburban ecosystemsWorried about your lawn drying up in the summer heat? A bigger threat may lie next door, in your neighbor's—and his or her neighbor's—lawns. They all look alike, and that may not be a good thing. |
 | Organ regeneration is no longer a distant dreamMany organs arise from simple sheets and tubes of cells. During development, these sheets bend and deform into the more complex final shape of the organ. This can be seen, for example, in the hindgut of fruit flies (Drosophila), which is an organ equivalent to our intestines. |
 | Mapping species range shifts under recent climatic changesMarine species in the eastern Bering Sea are not shifting their distribution ranges fast enough to keep track of current changes in climate, according to a study led by researchers at Hokkaido University. |
 | Investigations of prey patterns fail to explain why whale sharks aggregate off the coast of Saudi ArabiaThe availability of tiny prey near a coral reef in the eastern Red Sea seems not to be the reason that whale sharks aggregate there every spring. |
 | Light receptors determine the behaviour of flashlight fishBiologists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum characterized new, unknown photoreceptors from the bioluminescent flashlight fish Anomalops katoptron. The photoreceptors known as opsins allow the fish to detect light with a specific wavelength. As published on the 11th July 2018 in Plos One the scientists found new opsin variants, which are specialized to detect low intensity blue light in the wavelength range of bioluminescent light emitted by the fish. The blue light can be used to influence the fish behaviour. |
 | Polyps will let unrelated 'others' fuse to them and share tissue, scientists discoverWe humans will put up with a lot from our relatives. Yet most of us are less charitable with people outside of our family circle. |
 | Rhino sperm from the coldA new mixture of cryoprotectives allows for an unprecedented high motility of frozen rhinoceros sperm after thawing, report scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in Berlin, Germany. These new cryoprotectives can increase the prospects of utilising assisted reproduction techniques for many endangered wildlife species. The study, based on three rhinoceros species, has now been published in the journal PLOS ONE. |
 | Gene cluster identification made easy through data miningAn updated web server will improve analysis of genetic material. This will help researchers optimise bacteria for the industrial production of novel antibiotics, vitamins and food-related compounds. |
 | Three tips on how to distinguish an edible mushroom from a poisonous oneServed fresh or fried, lots of wild mushrooms go from forest to the table—but know which ones are safe when harvesting this summertime delicacy. |
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