Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 20, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers detect synchronous X-ray and radio mode switching of the pulsar PSR B0823+26An international team of astronomers has detected synchronous X-ray and radio mode switching between radio-bright and a radio-quiet modes in the pulsar PSR B0823+26. The discovery marks the second time that such synchronous mode switching has been observed in a pulsar. The finding is detailed in a paper published August 6 on arXiv.org. |
 | Michigan meteor could help researchers understand near-Earth object threatsThe bright flashes that lit up the evening skies near Detroit, Michigan earlier this year were not the only signs of the meteor that disintegrated in the atmosphere on 17 January 2018. The meteor explosion was also captured by infrasonic microphones and seismometers, offering a rare chance to compare these data with satellite and ground camera images. |
 | NASA's InSight passes halfway to Mars, instruments check inNASA's InSight spacecraft, en route to a Nov. 26 landing on Mars, passed the halfway mark on Aug. 6. All of its instruments have been tested and are working well. |
First satellite to measure global winds set for launchA satellite designed to measure Earth's global wind patterns is set to be hoisted into orbit Tuesday from the Arianespace launch site in French Guiana. | |
 | New technology could improve radiation risk warnings for future deep-space astronautsNew technology that detects radiation from the sun in real time and immediately predicts subsequent health risks could protect astronauts on future deep-space missions, according to a new study. |
 | Five reasons to forget Mars for now and return to the moonHopes of colonising Mars rest on the premise that we could terraform the red planet, making it habitable for humans with a breathable atmosphere and clement temperatures. However, a recent study cast doubt on the idea, concluding that terraforming is impossible with present technology. |
Launch of wind tracking satellite delayed—by adverse windsThe launch of a European satellite that will be the first to directly measure wind speeds around the world has been delayed—because of bad weather. | |
Three top Russian space industry execs held for 'fraud' (Update)Three top executives of the Russian space company Energia, which designs and manufactures the Soyuz and Progress spacecrafts, have been arrested for alleged fraud, investigators said on Sunday. | |
Technology news
 | A new artificial neural network framework for gait based biometricsResearchers at Imperial College London have recently devised a new biometric cryptosystem approach for securing wireless communications of wearable and implantable medical devices. Their framework, outlined in a study published on IEEE Explore, uses an artificial neural network (ANN) framework and gait signal energy variations. |
 | A paper battery powered by bacteriaIn remote areas of the world or in regions with limited resources, everyday items like electrical outlets and batteries are luxuries. Health care workers in these areas often lack electricity to power diagnostic devices, and commercial batteries may be unavailable or too expensive. New power sources are needed that are low-cost and portable. Today, researchers report a new type of battery—made of paper and fueled by bacteria —- that could overcome these challenges. |
 | China shows off automated doctors, teachers and combat starsRobots that can diagnose diseases, play badminton and wow audiences with their musical skills are among the machines China hopes could revolutionise its economy, with visitors to a Beijing exhibition offered a glimpse of an automated future. |
 | Renewable resort: Greek island to run on wind, solar powerWhen the blades of its 800-kilowatt wind turbine start turning, the small Greek island of Tilos will become the first in the Mediterranean to run exclusively on wind and solar power. |
 | Patent talk: Siri with personalized responses for nice support chopsDifferent strokes for different folks? An Apple patent idea newly made public could mean Siri would deliver personalized responses depending on who is speaking to it. The patent "User profiling for voice input processing" was made public August 14 but was filed in April last year. The inventor is named as Allen Haughay. The applicant is named as Apple. |
 | 'In-body GPS' system suggests future where doctors could implant sensors to track tumors or dispense drugsMedical processes like imaging often require cutting someone open or making them swallow huge tubes with cameras on them. But what if could get the same results with methods that are less expensive, invasive and time-consuming? |
 | DeepMind sees promising AI results for data center cooling systemBack in March, 3M ran a presentation about data, reminding us there was not going to be anything like a slowing down of data, and then posed the question, ok, so how do we swallow that and at the same time envision a sustainable future? The link: data centers and the challenges they pose to stay up and running and more environmentally friendly. |
 | Under-fire Apple removes 25,000 apps in ChinaApple said Monday it had removed many gambling-related apps from its Chinese app store as the US giant comes under scrutiny amid trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. |
 | Researchers turn tracking codes into unclonable 'clouds' to authenticate genuine 3-D printed partsThe worldwide market for 3-D-printed parts is a $5 billion business with a global supply chain involving the internet, email, and the cloud—creating a number of opportunities for counterfeiting and intellectual property theft. Flawed parts printed from stolen design files could produce dire results: experts predict that by 2021, 75 percent of new commercial and military aircraft will fly with 3-D-printed engine, airframe, and other components, and the use of AM in the production of medical implants will grow by 20 percent per year over the next decade. |
 | Tesla shares tumble after Musk interview sparks fresh fearsTesla shares took a pounding Friday amid fresh fears about the future of the electric carmaker after a wide-ranging interview with chief executive Elon Musk in which he revealed his struggles with exhaustion and a lengthy but unsuccessful effort to find a number two executive. |
 | Privacy group tells FTC Google tracking violated 2011 orderA privacy group said in a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission on Friday that Google has violated the terms of a 2011 settlement because of practices exposed in an Associated Press report this week. |
 | US regulators target Facebook on discriminatory housing adsFederal regulators are alleging that Facebook's advertising tools allow landlords and real estate brokers to engage in housing discrimination. |
 | Silicon Valley idealism at odds with China marketGoogle workers' outrage over the notion of censoring searches to appease Chinese officials highlights the dilemma US tech companies face in accessing the lucrative market. |
 | Chinese police nab suspects after $87 mn cryptocurrency theftChinese police have arrested three suspects alleged to have stolen assets worth 600 million yuan ($87 million) through hacking, state media reported Sunday, as cyber criminals target holders of bitcoin and other virtual currencies. |
 | Ethiopia opens plant to turn waste into energyEthiopia on Sunday inaugurated a power plant which converts waste into energy, next to a filthy open-air dump in Addis Ababa where a landslide last year killed more than 110 people. |
 | Researcher discusses bike-sharing programsThe yellow-and-green bicycles of the California bike-sharing startup LimeBike have popped up in more than a dozen Massachusetts communities in recent weeks, the latest fleet to follow in the tracks of Blue Bikes, which launched as Hubway in 2011. Anne Lusk studies bike environments, including safety and crashes, as a researcher at the Harvard Chan School. She's also a cyclist. We asked her about the progress of bike-sharing systems. |
 | What makes some connected objects a success and others a flop?Wearing the Oura connected ring on your finger day and night can help you find out how well you sleep. A connected patch diabetics wear on their arms enables them to monitor their blood sugar levels without pricking their fingers. On February 9, these two objects received one of the mobile healthcare trophies presented at Paris-Diderot IUT, awarded by a panel of experts, attesting to their significant added value for users. |
 | Stop worrying about how much energy bitcoin usesThe word "bitcoin" is as likely to garnish feverish excitement as it is glaring criticism. The financial community sees speculative promise in the form of trade that currently has little to no regulation. Meanwhile, others argue that it's a distraction that detracts from the overall longevity of U.S. financial institutions. |
 | Gig economy drivers and riders at heightened risk of traffic collisionsThe pressures that come with being a self-employed courier or taxi driver may significantly increase the risk of being involved in a collision, a new report by UCL finds. |
 | Report: Experts knew Genoa bridge had weakened 20 percentEngineering experts determined in February that corrosion of the metal cables supporting the Genoa highway bridge had reduced the bridge's strength by 20 percent—a finding that came months before it collapsed last week, Italian media reported Monday. |
 | Volkswagen recalls 700,000 SUVs over short circuit riskGerman auto behemoth Volkswagen said Monday it was recalling 700,000 SUVs around the world, warning that lights built into their sunroofs risk short-circuiting if they become wet. |
 | As internet 'spoofing' gets better, you may surf into a sea of sharksIt's easier than ever to get waylaid on the internet, diverted to dangerous territory where scam artists await with traps baited for the unsuspecting user. |
 | Hammering of copper price a worrying signal for global growthThe plunge in the price of copper by more than 20 percent since the beginning of June has worried analysts who see it as a bad signal for the global economy. |
 | South Korean swaps bitcoins for 2 mln euros in fake notesThe deal sounded murky from the start: in exchange for bitcoin worth two million euros ($2.3 million), the wealthy buyer would hand over the equivalent sum in cash in a luxury hotel on the French riviera. |
 | Elon Musk says cutting back on work hours isn't an optionArianna Huffington is calling on Elon Musk to adopt a healthier work-life balance, but the Tesla CEO says that's not an option. |
 | Anger as Zambia announces tax on internet callsZambia will tax phone calls made over the internet to protect traditional telecoms companies, the government said Monday, a move activists warned would stifle freedom of expression. |
 | German prosecutors 'refuse to share dieselgate documents with France'German investigators probing the "dieselgate" pollution scandal at Volkswagen have refused to share their findings with their French counterparts, according to a letter seen by AFP on Monday. |
 | Tesla shares fall again on doubts about go-private dealTesla Motors dropped in early trading on Monday due to rising doubts about Chief Executive Elon Musk's plans to take the electric carmaker private. |
 | Anonymous hackers target Spain sites in Catalonia protestHackers from the Anonymous collective claimed responsibility for bringing down government websites in Spain on Monday in a protest against Madrid's efforts to block Catalonia's separatist drive. |
 | For Generation Z, iPhone, Apple have the most buzz while Coke and Pepsi are fizzlingFor retailers, Generation Z is a force to be reckoned with. |
 | Google confession: Yes, we track your location, even when you turn off Location HistoryGoogle clarified that it does in fact collect users' location data, even if the user's Location History setting is turned off. The admission comes days after a report uncovered the Silicon Valley giant stored the data from smartphones regardless of setting. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Perinatal hypoxia associated with long-term cerebellar learning deficits and Purkinje cell misfiringOxygen deprivation associated with preterm birth leaves telltale signs on the brains of newborns in the form of alterations to cerebellar white matter at the cellular and the physiological levels. Now, an experimental model of this chronic hypoxia reveals that those cellular alterations have behavioral consequences. |
 | Antidepressant restores youthful flexibility to aging inhibitory neurons in miceA new study provides fresh evidence that the decline in the capacity of brain cells to change, called "plasticity," rather than a decline in total cell number may underlie some of the sensory and cognitive declines associated with normal brain aging. Scientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and memory show that inhibitory interneurons in the visual cortex of mice remain just as abundant during aging, but their arbors become simplified and they become much less structurally dynamic and flexible. |
 | E-cigarettes can damage DNAThe popularity of electronic cigarettes continues to grow worldwide, as many people view them as a safer alternative to smoking. But the long-term effects of e-cigarette usage, commonly called "vaping," are unknown. Today, researchers report that vaping may modify the genetic material, or DNA, in the oral cells of users, which could increase their cancer risk. |
 | Strawberries could help reduce harmful inflammation in the colonInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a set of painful conditions that can cause severe diarrhea and fatigue. Treatments can include medications and surgery. But now researchers report that a simple dietary intervention could mitigate colonic inflammation and improve gut health. In this case, a strawberry—or rather, less than a cupful of strawberries—a day could help keep the doctor away. |
 | Research team develops predictor for immunotherapy response in melanomaIn a new study, researchers developed a gene expression predictor that can indicate whether melanoma in a specific patient is likely to respond to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a novel type of immunotherapy. The predictor was developed by Noam Auslander, Ph.D., with other researchers in the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; and the University of Maryland, College Park. The study was published August 20, 2018 in Nature Medicine. |
 | Could vitamin B3 treat acute kidney injury?Acute kidney injury, an often fatal condition without a specific treatment, affects up to 10 percent of all hospitalized adults in the United States and 30-40 percent in low-income countries. The condition causes a build-up of waste products in the blood and an imbalance of fluids throughout the body. Acute kidney injury can occur from ailments that place the body into extreme stress—putting already hospitalized patients, particularly those in intensive care units, at risk. |
 | Fluidically linked blood-brain barrier and Organ Chips offer new method for studying effects of drugs on the brainThe human brain, with its 100 billion neurons that control every thought, word, and action, is the most complex and delicate organ in the body. Because it needs extra protection from toxins and other harmful substances, the blood vessels that supply the brain with oxygen and nutrients are highly selective about which molecules can cross from the blood into the brain and vice versa. These blood vessels and their unique network of supporting pericyte and astrocyte cells comprise the blood-brain barrier (BBB). When the BBB is disrupted, as happens with exposure to methamphetamine ("meth") and other drugs, the brain's sensitive neurons become susceptible to harmful damage. |
 | Beauty is simpler, and less special, than we realizeBeauty, long studied by philosophers, and more recently by scientists, is simpler than we might think, New York University psychology researchers have concluded in a new analysis. Their work, which appears in the journal Current Biology, offers a new perspective on the value of aesthetics. |
 | Core thinking error underlies belief in creationism, conspiracy theories: studyIt's not uncommon to hear someone espouse the idea that "everything happens for a reason" or that something that happened was "meant to be." Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on August 20 have found that this kind of teleological thinking is linked to two seemingly unrelated beliefs: creationism, the belief that life on Earth was purposely created by a supernatural agent, and conspiracism, the tendency to explain historical or current events in terms of secret conspiracies or conspiracy theories. |
 | Children with brain tumors who undergo radiation less likely to recall recent eventsChildren with certain types of brain tumors who undergo radiation treatment are less likely to recall the specifics of events they experienced after radiation than to remember pre-treatment happenings, according to a Baylor University study comparing them to children with healthy brains. |
 | Researchers find potential new gene therapy for blinding diseaseThe last year has seen milestones in the gene therapy field, with FDA approvals to treat cancer and an inherited blinding disorder. New findings from a team led by University of Pennsylvania vision scientists, who have in the past taken gene therapies into clinical trials, are proving successful, this time treating a form of retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that progressively robs people of their night and peripheral vision before blindness develops. |
 | Study shows how to make (and destroy) a metastatic cancer cellMany cancers become especially dangerous only when they metastasize from their site of origin to faraway tissues such as lung, brain or bone. Now, a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes a new strategy against these metastatic cells: By turning off an important step of cellular recycling, metastatic cancer cells become unable to survive the stresses of traveling through the body to seed sites of metastasis. |
 | 'Liquid biopsy' predicts lymphoma therapy success within days, study findsA blood test can predict which patients with a type of cancer called diffuse large B cell lymphoma are likely to respond positively to initial therapy and which are likely to need more aggressive treatment, according to a multicenter study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
 | Sitting for long hours found to reduce blood flow to the brainA team of researchers with Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K. has found evidence of reduced blood flow to the brain in people who sit for long periods of time. In their paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the group outlines the experiments they carried out with volunteers and what they found. |
 | The molecular mechanism underlying hypertrophic cardiomyopathyA study led by Stanford Medicine researchers shows why so many mutations associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disorder, alter a key constituent of muscle cells in a way that makes it work overtime. |
 | Female mice are immune to cognitive damage from space radiationHumankind still dreams of breaking from the bounds of Earth's atmosphere and venturing to the moon, Mars and beyond. But once astronauts blast past the International Space Station, they become exposed to one of the many dangers of deep space: galactic cosmic radiation. |
 | Researchers unravel why people with HIV suffer from more neurologic diseasesHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which the HIV virus can cause, continue to be one of the world's greatest health problems. |
 | New study explains why genetic mutations cause disease in some people but not in othersResearchers at the New York Genome Center (NYGC) and Columbia University have uncovered a molecular mechanism behind one of biology's long-standing mysteries: why individuals carrying identical gene mutations for a disease end up having varying severity or symptoms of the disease. In this widely acknowledged but not well understood phenomenon, called variable penetrance, the severity of the effect of disease-causing variants differs among individuals who carry them. |
 | New research reveals how the body clock controls inflammationResearchers at RCSI and Trinity College Dublin have revealed insights into how the body clock controls the inflammatory response, which may open up new therapeutic options to treat excess inflammation in conditions such as asthma, arthritis and cardiovascular disease. By understanding how the body clock controls the inflammatory response, we may be able to target these conditions at certain times of the day to have the most benefit. These findings may also shed light on why individuals who experience body clock disruption such as shift workers are more susceptible to these inflammatory conditions. |
 | Two molecules offer great potential to combat cancer and chronic infectionsTo fight viral infections, your immune system calls on CD8 T cells to kill the infected cells. The CD8 T cells can also be used in immunotherapy approaches to kill cancer cells, including the CAR T cell therapy currently attracting broad public attention. |
 | Experiences at first sexual encounter impact risk of HIV and violence for women in KenyaAdolescent girls and young women in Mombasa, Kenya are more likely to experience higher risks of HIV and gender-based violence when they are involved with sex work venues or have sexual experiences at a young age, suggests a study co-led by St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Manitoba in Canada. |
 | Students more likely to eat school breakfast when given extra time, new study findsPrimary school students are more likely to eat a nutritional breakfast when given 10 extra minutes to do so, according to a new study by researchers at Virginia Tech and Georgia Southern University. |
 | A wilderness expert's keys to safety in the great outdoors(HealthDay)—Some simple steps can reduce danger when you venture into the great outdoors, an expert says. |
 | EHR review can measure diagnostic uncertainty(HealthDay)—Retrospective review of clinician documentation in the electronic health record (EHR) can help identify diagnostic uncertainty with moderate reliability, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. |
 | Psych screening beneficial in pediatric abdominal pain(HealthDay)—Systematic screening for anxiety, disability, and pain can increase psychological referral rates among pediatric patients with abdominal pain, according to a study published in the August issue of Pediatrics. |
 | U.S. measles outbreak hits 107 cases in 21 states, D.C.(HealthDay)—A measles outbreak that's so far affected 21 states and the District of Columbia is being investigated by U.S. health officials. |
 | Teen tattoos: Half of parents concerned about negative health effects, impact on employmentSeventy-eight percent of parents in a national poll had a clear answer when asked how they would react if their own teen wanted a tattoo: absolutely not. |
Socioeconomic status may explain racial and ethnic disparities in childhood cancer survivalA new study provides insights into the degree to which socioeconomic status explains racial and ethnic disparities in childhood cancer survival. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may inform where to allocate resources to best reduce racial and ethnic survival disparities for each of the major types of childhood cancer. | |
 | New assay to detect genetic abnormalities in sarcomas outperforms conventional techniquesSarcomas are rare tumors that are often misdiagnosed. Specific recurrent chromosomal rearrangements, known as translocations, can serve as essential diagnostic markers and are found in about 20 percent of sarcomas. Identification of these translocations helps establish a correct diagnosis and guides treatment. A report in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a new assay, anchored multiplex PCR (AMP)-based targeted next-generation-sequencing (NGS), with superior diagnostic utility compared to conventional techniques. This includes the ability to analyze numerous target genes simultaneously and identify new fusion partners. In four cases, the assay diagnosed sarcoma in samples deemed falsely negative by conventional tests. |
 | Largest oral HPV study in England shows infection rates lower than expectedInfection rates of high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) oral infection in England are lower than expected, compared to previous US studies. |
 | Consuming milk at breakfast lowers blood glucose throughout the dayA change in breakfast routine may provide benefits for the management of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Journal of Dairy Science. H. Douglas Goff, Ph.D., and the team of scientists from the Human Nutraceutical Research Unit at the University of Guelph, in collaboration with the University of Toronto, examined the effects of consuming high-protein milk at breakfast on blood glucose levels and satiety after breakfast and after a second meal. Milk consumed with breakfast cereal reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with water, and high dairy protein concentration reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with normal dairy protein concentration. The high-protein treatment also reduced appetite after the second meal compared with the low-protein equivalent. |
#MeToo and the medical professionThe medical profession is not immune to bullying, harassment and discrimination, and in this #MeToo era, it is time that physicians, medical schools and institutions aim to abolish these behaviours, argue the authors of an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). | |
 | Simple score to diagnose heart attacks is safer, faster than current methodsAn international team of researchers has developed a simple laboratory score that is safer and faster at diagnosing patients who visit the emergency department with heart attack symptoms. The score, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), can also identify patients at risk of subsequent heart issues after discharge. |
Young, healthy people still vulnerable to CVD if their LDL cholesterol is highYoung, healthy people may still face a lifetime risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease if they cannot keep their cholesterol levels in check, according to new observational research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. | |
| Chagas disease, caused by a parasite, has spread outside of Latin America and carries a high risk of heart diseaseChagas disease, caused by infection with a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi (T cruzi), causes chronic heart disease in about one third of those infected. Over the past 40 years, Chagas disease has spread to areas where it had not traditionally been seen, including the United States, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. |
 | Nearly two in five teen drivers text while drivingCellphone use while driving has been estimated to increase crash risk by 2-9 times and texting while driving may be especially risky because it involves three types of driver distraction: visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off the wheel), and cognitive (attention away from driving). |
 | Study finds women with pregnancy-related nausea, vomiting use marijuana moreA Kaiser Permanente study, published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that women with mild and severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy were significantly more likely to have used marijuana during pregnancy than women without these symptoms. |
Prevention and cessation best options to reduce tobacco-related heart diseaseTobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the world and encompasses a variety of products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Combustible cigarettes remain the most common tobacco product used by U.S. adults, but studies have shown no level of cigarette consumption is safe. A new review—published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology—examines policies to achieve complete cigarette abstinence as part of efforts to reduce the risk of heart disease. | |
 | Growing drug resistance will lead to long-term harmDrugs that fight many common infectious diseases are becoming less effective because of increased antibiotic resistance, a direct consequence of persistent high levels of community antibiotic use in New Zealand. |
 | More than 1,600 extra trauma victims alive today says major new studyThe NHS in England has saved an additional 1,600 patients with severe injuries since major trauma centres were established in 2012. |
 | New guidelines to revolutionise patient heart careTwo Australian clinical guidelines, co-authored by Western Sydney University's Dr. Caleb Ferguson and Professor Phillip Newton, are set to revolutionise the care that patients receive for atrial fibrillation, as well as provide Australian health professionals with the latest evidence in the prevention, diagnosis and management of adults with heart failure. |
 | Risk factors for faulty rhythmsArrhythmias—disruptions in the rhythm of the heartbeat—after congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery in children are common and contribute to increased morbidity and mortality. |
 | YAP after acute kidney injuryAcute kidney injury (AKI)—sudden and rapid failure of the kidneys—affects up to 20 percent of hospitalized patients, and up to 70 percent of ICU patients. |
 | Low levels of vitamin D3 and periodontitis may trigger the onset of Type 2 diabetesIn a rare study of its kind, new University of Toronto research has identified how vitamin D3 and periodontitis influence Type 2 diabetes. |
 | Balanced advice needed to address 'screen time' for children, study showsParents, health professionals and educators need clear and balanced information to help manage young children's use of mobile touch-screen devices in Australia, new research by Curtin University has found. |
 | Why do I get a headache when I haven't had my coffee?Caffeine is our favourite drug. But if we miss out on our fix, it can be a real headache, in more ways than one. |
 | Six things you should do when reading with your kidsThere is magic in stories. We all remember hearing them as children, and we loved them. Imaginary adventures set in faraway places. Tales about how the dishwasher isn't working. It doesn't matter! Whether made up by parents or read from books, kids love to hear stories. |
 | Bilingual children who speak native language at home have higher intelligenceChildren who regularly use their native language at home while growing up in a different country have higher IQs, a new study has shown. |
 | Areas with more alcohol vendors have higher hospital admission ratesAreas with a high density of alcohol outlets have higher drink-related hospital admission rates, a new study from the University of Sheffield has found. |
 | Opioid epidemic – the global spread explainedThe US has been in the grips of an "opioid epidemic" since the 1990s, with massive rises in the use – and misuse – of opioids such as morphine and codeine. There has also been a parallel rise in the number of opioid-related deaths, from 8,048 in 1999 to 42,249 in 2016. Now, there are signs that the problem is spreading to other nations – including the UK. |
 | Age shouldn't be a barrier to playing competitive sportsTo stay healthy and fit, older people have traditionally been advised to take up gentle activities, such as walking and tai chi. But it's time we added competitive sports to the mix. |
 | Genetically modified mosquitoes may be best weapon for curbing disease transmissionMosquitoes are some of the most deadly creatures on the planet. They carry viruses, bacteria and parasites, which they transmit through bites, infecting some 700 million people and killing more than 1 million each year. |
 | Europe sees sharp rise in measles: 41,000 cases, 37 deathsThe World Health Organization says the number of measles cases in Europe jumped sharply during the first six months of 2018 and at least 37 people have died. |
 | Proposal seeks to improve assessment of drug risksA drug policy researcher is proposing a suite of changes to overhaul the Multi-Criteria Drug Harm Scale (MCDHS), which informs drug policies across Europe. The changes focus on addressing use and abuse separately, collecting input from a broader range of stakeholders, and targeting substance-specific experts for drug review panels. |
 | Rogue proteins may underlie some ALS and frontotemporal dementia cases, says studyALS—amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, slowly robbing its victims of their ability to walk, talk, breathe and swallow. In a cruel twist, some ALS patients also develop frontotemporal dementia, a disease that destroys an entirely different set of brain cells—cortical neurons—leading to personality changes, among other effects. |
 | In teen friendships, misery does love companyA new study on adolescent friendships offers support for the belief that misery really does love company. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators examined the degree to which internalizing symptoms—anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and submissiveness—predicted the dissolution of teen friendships. Do friendships end because of one child's mental health problems or do they end because of differences between friends on the degree to which each friend suffers from these problems? |
 | Study finds racial disparities in prescribing opioids for chronic painYale researchers have identified racial disparities in the treatment of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Black patients who receive opioids long-term are more likely than whites to be tested for illicit drug use. Of those who test positive, blacks are more likely to have their opioid prescriptions discontinued, said the researchers. |
 | What comes first: warm-up or stretching?(HealthDay)—Sports-medicine research has called into question the value of warm-ups and cool-downs, and cast doubt on whether they really prevent muscle soreness. |
 | Getting kids ready for the new school year(HealthDay)—There are a number of things you can do to ensure your kids have a smooth start to the new school year. |
 | Research reveals problems in the law on enforced mental health detainmentThe current law on involving and informing the relatives or carers of people who are detained against their will on mental health grounds is not working well, according to new research. |
Helping surgical patients taper off opioids safely and successfullyA unique pain program is helping complex surgical patients wean off opioids safely and effectively, while offering alternative ways to cope with their pain and improve how they function. | |
 | More than half of stores sampled in Colorado study still selling cigarettes to minorsA study published today in the journal JAMA Pediatrics reports that the method federal regulators use to monitor illegal underage tobacco sales fails to detect most stores that sometimes sell cigarettes to adolescents. |
 | Kids stress over public acts of discrimination, study findsIn a sign of the times, new USC research shows that some kids stressed out over recent public acts of discrimination show increased behavioral problems. |
 | New medical specialty needed to manage growing number of Americans with diabetesThe emerging field of diabetology—a sub-specialty of endocrinology focused on the treatment of people with diabetes—is intended to address an emerging crisis in health care: Nearly one-third of Americans has a type 2 diabetes diagnosis or has prediabetes. |
 | Study details effect of radiation exposure on hormone deficienciesIn a new study, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, have detailed the effect of radiation exposure on the development of hormone deficiency in pediatric and young adult patients treated for brain tumors. |
 | Number of opioid prescriptions remains unchanged, research findsDespite increased attention to opioid abuse, prescriptions have remained relatively unchanged for many U.S. patients, research led by Mayo Clinic finds. The research, published in The BMJ, shows that opioid prescription rates have remained flat for commercially insured patients over the past decade. Rates for some Medicare patients are leveling but remain above where they were 10 years ago. |
Hospitals battle for control over fast-growing heart-valve procedureWhen Medicare in 2011 agreed to pay for a revolutionary procedure to replace leaky heart valves by snaking a synthetic replacement up through blood vessels, the goal was to offer relief to the tens of thousands of patients too frail to endure open-heart surgery, the gold standard. | |
 | Doctor's orders: Let children just playImagine a drug that could enhance a child's creativity, critical thinking and resilience. Imagine that this drug were simple to make, safe to take, and could be had for free. |
 | Poor sleep + type 2 diabetes = Slower wound healingPeople with Type 2 diabetes who don't sleep well could need more time to heal their wounds, according to a new study published by researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. |
 | Men place less value on care-oriented careers like nursingMen assign less importance to care-oriented careers than women do, possibly because men internalize different values than women, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia. |
New report confirms East Chicago lead troublesNorthwestern Indiana residents and environmental advocates say they're concerned that a federal agency took two years to release its first report about blood-lead levels in children who live at a lead-tainted Superfund site. | |
 | Good news, bad news in U.S. breastfeeding report(HealthDay)—Most new mothers in the United States start out breastfeeding, but many stop sooner than recommended, a new federal government report says. |
 | Doctors not talking about newer meningitis vaccine(HealthDay)—Many U.S. doctors aren't telling teenaged patients and their parents about a newer vaccine for potentially deadly bacterial meningitis infections, a new study finds. |
 | U.S. political climate frightening for teens: study(HealthDay)—Donald Trump's America might be harming the mental health of teens, especially minority teens, a new study suggests. |
 | Many children with asthma do not have medications ready(HealthDay)—Many low-income urban preschool-aged children with asthma do not meet the criteria for home medication readiness, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in Pediatrics. |
 | Lumpectomy + radiation may cut breast cancer mortality in DCIS(HealthDay)—Treatment with lumpectomy and radiotherapy is associated with a reduction in breast cancer mortality versus lumpectomy or mastectomy alone among patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to a study published online Aug. 10 in JAMA Network Open. |
 | AAP outlines appropriate pediatric nephrology testing(HealthDay)—As part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, a list of specific nephrology tests and procedures that are commonly ordered but not always needed when treating children for kidney-related conditions has been released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). |
 | Heat-driven air conditioning may contribute to additional deaths(HealthDay)—In what can be described as a vicious catch-22, approximately 5 to 9 percent of exacerbated air-pollution-related deaths will be due to increases in power sector emissions from the extra air conditioning use resulting from climate change, according to a study published online July 3 in PLOS Medicine. |
 | Cognitive disability most prevalent type in young adults(HealthDay)—Cognitive disability is the most prevalent disability type among young adults, while middle-aged and older adults have the highest prevalence of mobility disability, according to a report published in the Aug. 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
Adults play a key role in children's participation in school recess, researchers suggestWhen adults are participants in school recess—leading games, monitoring play and ensuring conflicts are mediated quickly—children are more likely to be engaged in recess activities, a new study has found. | |
 | Your office may be affecting your healthWorkers in open office seating had less daytime stress and greater daytime activity levels compared to workers in private offices and cubicles, according to new research led by the University of Arizona. |
 | Healthy diet linked to healthy cellular aging in womenEating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in added sugar, sodium and processed meats could help promote healthy cellular aging in women, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. |
 | Ebola deaths in DR Congo rises to 49 with 2,000 feared 'contacts'The deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has now claimed 49 lives since the start of the month, the government has said, and the World Health Organization expects more cases. |
 | To find and disarm: Scientists develop platform to kill cancer cellsThe new treatment will serve as both diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. This breakthrough in the technologies of cancer diagnosis and treatment was made by an interdisciplinary Russian-German collaboration of chemists, physicists and biologists from NUST MISIS, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU), and the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany). |
 | 'K-Flex' makes a splash as a flexible endoscopic surgical robotK-FLEX, a flexible endoscopic surgical robot developed by the KAIST Future Medical Robotics Research Center, opens a new chapter for minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery with its precision control of 3.7 mm diameter robotic arms. The two arms, placed at the end of flexible endoscopes, offer precision control with robust mini-joint design technologies. |
 | Blood cancer patients least likely to understand their diagnosisPeople with blood cancer are less likely to understand their diagnosis than those with any other type of cancer, according to a new analysis by Bloodwise. |
 | Ill health forces Dutch Olympian to halt long-distance swimMaarten van der Weijden beat leukemia and went on to win an Olympic gold swimming medal in Beijing, but even his powers of endurance weren't enough to complete his latest challenge. |
 | Thrombospondin-1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for thoracic aortic aneurysmsResearchers at the University of Tsukuba and Kansai Medical University in Japan reveal matricellular protein Thrombospondin-1 (Thbs1) contributes to the development of aortic aneurysm in mice and humans. |
Drug and alcohol use by pregnant women: the evolution of state policiesPolicymakers and public health experts have long recognized the harm that can come to fetuses if women use drugs during pregnancy. As U.S. states legalize marijuana and as governmental attention focuses on the "opioid crisis," state policies pertaining to drug use during pregnancy are increasingly important. A new study examines the scope of state policies targeting drug use during pregnancy, how they have evolved, and how they compare to policies related to alcohol use during pregnancy. | |
| Blood management program safely reduces transfusions in orthopedic patientsA patient blood management program designed to limit the amount of transfused blood orthopedic patients undergoing common surgeries such as hip and knee replacement receive was associated with fewer transfusions, reduced blood use and improved outcomes, reports a study published in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). |
 | Bioengineered tooth replacement opens doors to new therapiesTooth loss is a significant health issue currently affecting millions of people worldwide. While artificial dental implants are the existing standard tooth replacement therapy, they do not exhibit many properties of natural teeth and can be associated with complications leading to implant failure. Two articles published in the September 2018 issue of the Journal of Dental Research share recent advances in bioengineering teeth. |
 | Listeria surveillance: New EU-wide study reveals that most outbreaks remain undetectedMore than half of the severe listeriosis cases in the European Union belong to clusters, many of which are not being picked up fast enough by the current surveillance system, suggests a new article published in Eurosurveillance. The large-scale study looked into listeriosis epidemiology through whole genome sequencing and found that this method, when implemented at EU-level, could lead to faster detection of multi-country outbreaks, saving up to 5 months of the investigations. |
 | New results support continued development of AAV-based human factor VIII gene therapyGene therapy using an optimized adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver the human factor VIII gene to cynomolgus macaques showed a substantial increase in hFVIII expression and no detectable antibody response for 30 weeks in some animals. These promising data combined with evidence that the optimized vector AAVhu37 is suitable for manufacturing and purification at scale, suggests that AAVhu37-based gene therapy has the potential to advance to the clinic to treat hemophil-ia A, according to an article published in Human Gene Therapy. |
Global surgeons provide value through innovation, professionalism, and educationAn estimated 30 percent of all diseases globally require surgical care and expertise, yet global surgeons based in academic health centers (AHCs) often face institutional barriers that make it difficult for them to take the time to offer their services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, a new position paper from the Association of Academic Surgeons (AAS) Global Affairs Committee, the Society of University Surgeons Committee on Global Academic Surgery, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Operation Giving Back (OGB) program contends that surgeons from AHCs have much to gain, including professional education, research experience, and an opportunity to enhance their institution's reputation when AHCs support academic global surgeons from their institutions. The position paper appears as an "article in press" on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print. | |
Impact of osteoporosis on the risk of dementia in almost 60,000 patientsOsteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women across the world. In Germany, the prevalence of this chronic disease among people aged 50 years and older is around 15%. In recent decades, several authors have analyzed the impact of osteoporosis on the risk of cognitive decline, but, most of these studies have been conducted outside Europe. The goal of the present study was to investigate the impact of osteoporosis on the risk of developing dementia in almost 60,000 patients followed for up to 20 years in more than 1,200 general practices in Germany. | |
 | Ebola death toll in DR Congo rises to 50The Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has now claimed 50 lives since the start of the month, the authorities said Monday, as the government announced free treatment against the disease for the next three months. |
Newer HIV therapies have led to dramatic gains in viral suppression rates over the past 2 decadesViral suppression rates have nearly tripled in the U.S. over the past 2 decades, but disparities still exist for younger persons and blacks living with HIV. Researchers say that newer, better-tolerated treatment regimens, such as fixed-drug combinations that include integrase strand transfer inhibitors (ISTIs), have likely contributed to these dramatic gains. Findings from an observational cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. | |
Biology news
 | California plain shows surprising winners and losers from prolonged droughtThe Carrizo Plain National Monument is a little-known ecological hotspot in Southern California. Though small, it explodes in wildflowers each spring and is full of threatened or endangered species. |
 | A timescale for the origin and evolution of all of life on EarthA new study led by scientists from the University of Bristol has used a combination of genomic and fossil data to explain the history of life on Earth, from its origin to the present day. |
 | Making aquafeed more sustainable: Scientists develop feeds using a marine microalga co-productDartmouth scientists have created a more sustainable feed for aquaculture by using a marine microalga co-product as a feed ingredient. The study is the first of its kind to evaluate replacing fishmeal with a co-product in feed designed specifically for Nile tilapia. The results are published in the open access journal, PLOS ONE. |
 | Sightings, satellites help track mysterious ocean giantThe sight of a basking shark's brooding silhouette gliding through the waters off western France is more than just a rare treat for sailors—it is a boon for scientists trying to trace its secretive migrations across the globe. |
 | Love vine sucks life from wasps, leaving only mummiesEarly this spring, Rice University evolutionary biologist Scott Egan stood in a patch of live oak scrub habitat in South Florida and scanned the trees for something he'd never seen outside his lab—a wispy, orange vine twining itself around swollen stems or pea-sized growths on the underside of oak leaves. |
 | To float or not to float? Mystery solved as to why algae balls float and sinkScientists from the University of Bristol have uncovered the age-old mystery of why marimo algae balls sink at night and float during the day. |
 | Ape parasite genomes reveal origin, evolution of leading cause of malaria outside AfricaThe genome sequences of ape parasites related to Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax), the main source of mosquito-borne malaria outside Africa, provide insights on the origin and early evolution of the human parasite. This finding could have implications for better comprehending and eradicating malaria infection worldwide, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Edinburgh, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
 | Discovery can help farmers combat stink bugs, save money on pest controlFor stink bugs to attract a mate or to communicate that they have found food, they use their own chemical language: pheromones. |
 | Scientists identify enzyme that could accelerate biofuel productionResearchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology report on an enzyme belonging to the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) family as a promising target for increasing biofuel production from the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. |
 | Research reveals link between warming and lobster diseaseAn earlier spring may sound nice, unless you're a New England lobster. |
 | Getting policy right—why fisheries management is plagued by the panacea mindsetFisheries management has often been characterized by regulatory policies that result in panaceas—broad based policy solutions that are expected to address several problems, which result in unintended consequences. An international research team shows how one size fits all policies like individual transferable quotas may be doomed from the onset, as these policies perpetuate "the panacea mindset." The team calls for a more customized policy approach in a new piece in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
 | Predictive models for gene regulationIn the field of systems biology, "big data" refers to the massive amounts of information that can be collected, stored and analyzed computationally and which can reveal previously unseen patterns or associations important to understanding, treating or preventing disease. |
 | Orangutan Kalimantan survey in Sebangau National Park—Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park CorridorThe population of orangutan in Sebangau National Park according to WWF-Indonesia are 5,826 individuals (WWF Central Kalimantan, 2015). Based on that number, the population is the largest within conservation areas in Central Kalimantan. Although based on Population and Habitat Viability Assessment Orangutan (2016) using Vortex Analysis, this number will last for next 100 years, there will be an effort to connect the orangutan habitat to other habitats so that the survival of this population is maintained. |
 | Worst anthrax outbreak in 20 years hits French farmsMore than 50 cows, sheep and horses have died in France's most serious outbreak of anthrax in two decades, according to officials who have warned of a vaccine shortage. |
 | Let's count orangutan nestsKnown for their distinctive red fur, orangutans are the largest arboreal mammal, spending most of their time in trees. They even build nests in trees every evening to sleep! |
 | A dog's life: fitness trackers help put fat pets on a dietWhen Czech entrepreneur Robert Hasek began jogging with his dog, Darwin, the three-mile runs were making the bull terrier sick with fatigue. |
 | Malaysia makes record $12-mn rhino horn seizureMalaysia has made a record seizure of 50 rhino horns worth an estimated $12 million at Kuala Lumpur airport as they were being flown to Vietnam, authorities said Monday. |
Fires prompt sage grouse hunting ban in part of NevadaDestruction of sage grouse habitat by a series of large wildfires has prompted a ban on hunting for the game bird this fall across a stretch of north-central Nevada nearly twice as big as the state of Delaware. | |
This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile
No comments:
Post a Comment