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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 22, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Stars memorize rebirth of our home galaxyThe Milky Way galaxy has died once before, and we are now in what is considered its second life. Calculations by Masafumi Noguchi (Tohoku University) have revealed previously unknown details about the Milky Way. These were published in the July 26 edition of Nature. |
 | Another way to search for biosignatures of alien life—the material blasted out of asteroid impactsIn recent years, the number of confirmed extra-solar planets has risen exponentially. As of the penning of the article, a total of 3,777 exoplanets have been confirmed in 2,817 star systems, with an additional 2,737 candidates awaiting confirmation. What's more, the number of terrestrial (i.e. rocky) planets has increased steadily, increasing the likelihood that astronomers will find evidence of life beyond our Solar System. |
 | Precise records of baby stars' growth caught at millimeter wavelengthsBabies grow up fast, in the blink of an eye, and thus their parents wish to record their growth without missing any moment. This is true not only for human babies but also for baby stars, called protostars, although the recorders are not parents but astronomers. Protostar ages, or evolutionary stages, have been determined from observations at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. The youngest stage, called Class 0, is defined by non-detection at these wavelengths, corresponding to < 300,000 years old. This definition cannot differentiate younger and older Class 0 protostars. On the other hand, it is expected from studies on even older protostars that they grow up faster at earlier stages than at later stages, as human babies do, implying that many precious moments of their growth are missed. |
 | The 'Gloo' behind James Webb Space Telescopes Spider technologyIt takes a team of talented individuals working in unison to brainstorm, build and deliver what will become the world's most powerful space telescope. Marcelino Sansebastian is a Senior Instrument Technician at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland who has been deeply involved with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope since the project began. Known for his passion, skillset and unique nickname 'Gloo', Sansebastian has had his hand in helping design and invent a long list of mission-critical components that have flown to space over the last 30 years. |
 | Undergraduate student spots a low surface brightness object in the Leo I galaxy groupLast summer, Case Western Reserve University undergraduate student Chris Carr spotted what looked like a "smudge" on deep sky images taken from the university's Burrell Schmidt telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in southwest Arizona. |
 | 'NASA Selfies' and TRAPPIST-1 VR apps now availableThe universe is at your fingertips with two new digital products from NASA. |
 | 15 years in space for NASA's Spitzer Space TelescopeInitially scheduled for a minimum 2.5-year primary mission, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has gone far beyond its expected lifetime—and is still going strong after 15 years. |
 | A simpler approach to black hole description developed by RUDN astrophysicistsRUDN astrophysicists have suggested an approach to simplify calculations of observable effects in the vicinity of black holes to which the mathematical apparatus of Einstein's classic relativity theory does not apply. The results of the work were published in Physical Review D. According to the theory of general relativity, the movement of any massive body causes the occurrence of space-time ripples called gravitational waves. They were first registered in 2015. Gravitational waves are echoes of the merging of massive gravitational objects such as black holes—areas of space-time where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. |
New satellite will bounce light off air to measure winds (Update)Whichever way the wind blows, a new satellite due for launch Wednesday will be watching it. | |
Technology news
 | AI-assisted note-taking for electronic health recordsPhysicians currently spend a lot of time writing notes about patients and inserting them into electronic health record (EHR) systems. According to a 2016 study, doctors spend approximately two hours on administrative work for every hour spent with a patient. Thanks to cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools, this note-writing process could soon become automated, helping doctors to better manage their shifts and relieving them from this tedious task. |
 | Kids connect with robot reading partnersKids learn better with a friend. They're more enthusiastic and understand more if they dig into a subject with a companion. But what if that companion is artificial? |
 | Specially prepared paper can bend, fold or flatten on commandOne of the oldest, most versatile and inexpensive of materials—paper—seemingly springs to life, bending, folding or flattening itself, by means of a low-cost actuation technology developed at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute. |
 | Hackers target smartphones to mine cryptocurrenciesHas your smartphone suddenly slowed down, warmed up and the battery drained down for no apparent reason? If so, it may have been hijacked to mine cryptocurrencies. |
 | These lithium-ion batteries can't catch fire because they harden on impactLithium-ion batteries commonly used in consumer electronics are notorious for bursting into flame when damaged or improperly packaged. These incidents occasionally have grave consequences, including burns, house fires and at least one plane crash. Inspired by the weird behavior of some liquids that solidify on impact, researchers have developed a practical and inexpensive way to help prevent these fires. |
 | Patent talk reveals Walmart's look at virtual reality system for shoppersIf patent applications are anything to go by, then Walmart's wish list apparently includes a virtual reality shopping system—complete with fulfillment center technology. |
 | Engineers develop AI system to detect often-missed cancer tumorsDoctors may soon have help in the fight against cancer thanks to the University of Central Florida's Computer Vision Research Center. |
 | Fisker has designs on solid state battery breakthroughBattery-breakthrough stories continue with expectations that in time we will finally get some answers—that some innovator confronting issues of traditional lithium ion batteries will figure out an economy of manufacture behind new technology to resolve shortcomings. |
 | Facebook uncovers new global misinformation operationsFacebook has identified and banned hundreds of accounts, groups and pages engaged in misleading political behavior, a far larger discovery than a "sophisticated" effort it reported three weeks ago with great fanfare. |
 | Microsoft's anti-hacking efforts make it an internet copIntentionally or not, Microsoft has emerged as a kind of internet cop by devoting considerable resources to thwarting Russian hackers. |
 | Uber hires CFO on the road to IPOUber on Tuesday named a news chief financial officer as the smartphone-summoned ride service remained on the road to a stock market debut next year. |
 | 'Trash is gold' as Benin community turns waste into biogasGarbage has never smelled so sweet for a small village in southern Benin since it opened a pilot waste treatment centre to turn household rubbish into gas—and cash. |
 | Facebook cuts ad-target options to thwart discriminationFacebook said Tuesday it is cutting more than 5,000 ad-targeting options to prevent advertisers from discriminating based on traits such as religion or race. |
 | Is Santa real? A version of Alexa skirts some kid questionsA version of Alexa won't tell kids where babies come from or spill the beans about Santa. It also won't explain some things kids might have heard on the news—like what Stormy Daniels does for a living. |
 | Talking to an android: Meet ERICAWe've all tried talking with devices, and in some cases they talk back. But, it's a far cry from having a conversation with a real person. Now, a research team from Kyoto University, Osaka University, and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute, or ATR, has significantly upgraded the interaction system for conversational android ERICA, giving her even greater dialog skills. |
 | Energy controls platform available in open sourceVOLTTRON is an innovative open source software platform that helps users rapidly develop and deploy new control solutions for a myriad of applications in buildings, renewable energy systems and electricity grid systems. Developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with funding from the Department of Energy, VOLTTRON can be downloaded from the not-for-profit Eclipse Foundation that will steward it as an open source software platform. As part of this move, PNNL has joined the Eclipse Foundation, a global organization with more than 275 members. |
 | Will fake social media followers derail the booming influencer marketing business?Celebrities, social media stars, and other online personalities have taken a hit to their credibility in recent months, as millions of their followers have been exposed as fake or bought. This has created a bigger problem for advertisers and consumers, who no longer can trust in high follower numbers as a measure of influence and credibility. |
 | Facebook, Twitter takedowns show quandary in curbing manipulationFacebook and Twitter unveiled fresh crackdowns on misinformation campaigns from Russia and Iran as analysts warned of more efforts to manipulate public debate ahead of the November US elections. |
 | Ford recalls electric car power cables due to fire riskFord is recalling the charging cords for more than 50,000 plug-in hybrid and electric cars in North America because they could cause fires in electrical outlets. |
 | Volkswagen in dispute with Mexican farmersMexican farming communities accused German auto giant Volkswagen on Tuesday of "arbitrarily" provoking a drought in the central state of Puebla to protect its newly manufactured cars from hail. |
 | Edmunds rounds up today's top hybridsThe Toyota Prius may be synonymous with hybrids, but shopping for a gas-electric car is no longer a choice between that and a handful of also-rans. Today, more than a half-dozen hybrids return 45 mpg or more while offering impressive space, cutting-edge tech and more conventional shapes that don't flaunt their eco credentials quite so blatantly. |
 | Amsterdam's Schiphol airport faces September strikeDutch unions said Wednesday they have called for a strike by security staff next month at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, one of the world's busiest. |
 | Addressing South Africa's cancer reporting delay with machine learningCancer registries hold vital data sets, kept tightly encrypted, containing demographic information, medical history, diagnostics and therapy. Oncologists and health officials access the data to understand the diagnosed cancer cases and incidence rates nationally. The ultimate goal is to use this data to inform public health planning and intervention programs. While real time updates are not practical, multi-year delays make it challenging for officials to understand the impact of cancer in the country and allocate resources accordingly. |
 | New methods developed for designing dynamic object controllersThe words "uncertainty" and "multiple criteria" characterize the relevance and complexity of modern problems related to the control of dynamic objects and processes. In fact, any mathematical model describing complex controlled processes inevitably includes inaccuracies in the description of the perturbations and parameters of the control object. Ignoring such "uncertainty" often leads to fatal errors in the functioning of real control systems. |
Cubans getting early taste of mobile internet in system testOne of the world's least-wired countries is getting a little more connected. | |
 | Walmart teams with Rakuten on digital book shopWalmart on Wednesday launched a digital book shop in a collaboration with Japanese e-commerce powerhouse Rakuten's electronic book service Kobo. |
Medicine & Health news
 | The spotlight of attention is more like a strobeYou don't focus as well as you think you do. That's the fundamental finding of a team of researchers from Princeton University and the University of California-Berkeley who studied monkeys and humans and discovered that attention pulses in and out four times per second. |
 | Found: A destructive mechanism that blocks the brain from knowing when to stop eatingAn international team of researchers has uncovered a destructive mechanism at the molecular level that causes a well-known phenomenon associated with obesity, called leptin resistance. |
 | Moderate drinking associated with lower risk of heart disease but consistency mattersUnstable drinking patterns over time may be associated with a higher risk of heart disease, whereas consistent moderate drinking within recommended health guidelines may have a cardioprotective effect, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine that examined data on 35,132 individuals. |
 | Candidate for universal flu vaccine protects against multiple strainsA universal flu vaccine that protects people against most influenza strains is one step closer to reality, with a study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. |
 | Research finds naps plus sleep may enhance emotional memory in early childhoodIn a new study by sleep researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, neuroscientists led by Rebecca Spencer report for the first time evidence that naps and overnight sleep may work together to benefit memory in early childhood. Details appear today online in Scientific Reports. |
 | Neuroscientists restore significant bladder control to five men with spinal cord injuriesMore than 80 percent of the 250,000 Americans living with a spinal cord injury lose the ability to urinate voluntarily after their injury. According to a 2012 study, the desire to regain bladder control outranks even their wish to walk again. |
 | Ending a 40-year quest, scientists reveal the identity of 'hearing' proteinScientists at Harvard Medical School say they have ended a 40-year-quest for the elusive identity of the sensor protein responsible for hearing and balance. |
 | Cellular changes lead to chronic allergic inflammation in the sinusChronic rhinosinusitis is distinct from your average case of seasonal allergies. It causes the sinuses to become inflamed and swollen for months to years at a time, leading to difficulty breathing and other symptoms that make patients feel miserable. In some people, this condition also produces tissue outgrowths known as nasal polyps, which, when severe enough, have to be removed surgically. |
 | Stimulation excites the brain to form better memoriesFor the first time, scientists were able to specifically change the way the brain's memory centers form new memories, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. |
 | Receptor protein in the brain controls the body's fat 'rheostat'Scientists at the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University have identified the function of a protein that has been confounding metabolism researchers for more than two decades. And it may have implications both for treating obesity and for understanding weight gain during pregnancy and menopause. |
 | Combination immunotherapy shrinks melanoma brain metastasesCombination immunotherapy shrank melanoma that has spread to the brain in more than half of the patients in a clinical trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine led by an investigator at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. |
 | Researchers find a neural 'auto-correct' feature we use to process ambiguous soundsOur brains have an "auto-correct" feature that we deploy when re-interpreting ambiguous sounds, a team of scientists has discovered. Its findings, which appear in the Journal of Neuroscience, point to new ways we use information and context to aid in speech comprehension. |
 | How the brain suppresses the act of revengeThe desire for revenge can be the consequence of a feeling of anger. But is this the case at the cerebral level? What happens in the human brain when injustice is felt? To answer these questions, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have developed an economic game in which a participant is confronted with the fair behaviour of one player and the unfair provocations of another player. They then observed, through brain imaging, which areas were activated as the study participant experienced unfairness and anger. In a second phase, scientists gave the participant the opportunity to take revenge. They thus identified the location in the brain of activations that are related to the suppression of the act of revenge in the prefrontal dorsolateral cortex (DLPFC). The more active the DLPFC is during the provocation phase, the less the participant takes revenge. These results can be read in Scientific Reports. |
 | Research solves the mystery of how fruit flies avoid dangerA wasp puts its tongue on a fruit fly larva. Sensing danger, the larva quickly reverses. |
 | Protecting against brain injuriesProfessor Antoine Jerusalem of Oxford University's Department of Engineering Science explains how a better understanding of the physical mechanisms behind brain injuries can pave the way for novel therapies and new protective devices. |
 | Newly identified structure in lymph nodes was 'hiding in plain sight'For the first time in decades, researchers have identified a new 'micro-organ' within the immune system—and they say it's an important step towards understanding how to make better vaccines. |
 | Stressed, toxic, zombie cells seen for first time in Alzheimer'sA type of cellular stress known to be involved in cancer and aging has now been implicated, for the first time, in Alzheimer's disease. UT Health San Antonio faculty researchers reported the discovery Monday [August 20, 2018] in the journal Aging Cell. |
 | Head and neck positioning affects concussion riskIf you're about to run headfirst into something, your reflex might be to tense your neck and stabilize your noggin. But according to new research from Stanford University that may not be the best way to stave off a concussion. Instead, the findings suggest that your head's position is more important than whether you are tensing your neck. |
 | Researchers show that in parasitic worm infection both the host and the worm produce cannabis-like moleculesLike mammals, parasitic worms have an endocannabinoid system that may help the worm and the hosts it infects survive by reducing pain and inflammation in the host, according to a "wild" new discovery by an interdisciplinary research team at the University of California, Riverside. |
 | Kids with autism learn, grow with the 'social robot'Robots may hold the keys to social success for kids with autism. |
 | Novel technology may enable more efficient atrial fibrillation monitoring and detectionDespite increasing awareness about atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke continues to be the first manifestation of AF in some patients. Therefore, early detection and regular heart monitoring are important for such patients. Current monitoring technology devices can be cumbersome, some are limited in duration and others are invasive, and many usually require a trip to the doctor's office. With the rise of smart phone-enabled medical peripherals, a new area of focus is ambulatory detection of AF. A study published in HeartRhythm found that a mobile heart monitor, paired with a smart device and an app, and supported by an automated algorithm can effectively and accurately detect AF, especially when supported by physician overread. |
Smartphone apps hold promise for electronic medical record matching, study findsMobile phones and smartphones apps offer a promising approach to ensure that an individual's medical records when shared between different health care providers are matched correctly, according to a new RAND Corporation report. | |
 | Exposure to tobacco smoke significantly impacts teen healthAs little as one hour of exposure to tobacco smoke per week can significantly impact the health of teens, according to a University of Cincinnati study published in the September 2018 issue of Pediatrics. |
 | Medical device managers rely on physicians to screen out defects rather than issue recallsResults of a new behavioral study into what influences the decision to recall a defective product found that medical device firm managers may rely on their physician-customers to screen out detectable defects, in lieu of issuing a recall. |
 | Pain, insomnia, and depression often drive osteoarthritis patients to seek medical carePain was the main driver of seeking medical care in an Arthritis Care & Research study of patients with osteoarthritis. In addition to pain, insomnia and depression increased health care use. |
Carers of terminally ill up to 7 times more likely to have mental health problemsCarers for people with cancer are between 5 and 7 times more likely to have mental health problems than the general population, according to a landmark new study. | |
 | Breastfeeding may help protect mothers against strokeBreastfeeding is not only good for babies, there is growing evidence it may also reduce the risk for stroke in post-menopausal women who reported breastfeeding at least one child, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. |
 | New genetic variants predict outcome in dilated cardiomyopathy patients of African descentGenetic testing is a powerful diagnostic tool that is increasingly being used for the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart becomes enlarged, making it difficult to pump blood. Cardiomyopathy affects more than 3.5 million people in the United States. African Americans are at especially high risk but have been underrepresented in genetic studies, often due to socioeconomic barriers and other health disparities. |
Unexplained illness in Tanzania puts pathogen discovery to the testWhen patients presented with unexplained fever at Mwananyamala Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, scientists compared two genetic sequencing methods used to identify the potential viruses behind the illnesses: VirCapSeq-VERT, a method developed at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and unbiased high-throughput sequencing. Both methods yielded similar results. However, VirCapSeq-VERT was more efficient. | |
 | Experimental drug takes aim at cancers associated with Epstein-Barr virusEpstein-Barr Virus (EBV) doesn't directly cause cancer, but infection with this common herpes virus brings an increased risk of some cancers, including fast-growing lymphomas. This week in mSphere, researchers report on a new drug that works by targeting EBV-positive tumors. |
 | Mixed trends in teenage 'new smoker' rates in EuropeIn most of Europe, the rates of smoking initiation among older teens have declined since the 1970s, while "new smoker" rates among younger teens have risen in recent years, according to a study published August 22, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by an international team of researchers involved in the Ageing Lungs in European Cohorts (ALEC) study, coordinated by Deborah Jarvis, Imperial College of London, UK. |
Noninvasive brain stimulation may help treat symptoms of rare movement disordersElectrical stimulation of the brain and spinal cord may help treat the symptoms of rare movement disorders called neurodegenerative ataxias, according to a study published in the August 22, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. There are several types of these disorders, which can be hereditary or occur randomly, including spinocerebellar ataxia, multiple system atrophy and Friedreich's ataxia. Symptoms of ataxias include a lack of coordination that can cause clumsy movements of arms and legs, problems with speech clarity, and sometimes problems with vision, thinking and memory abilities. | |
 | Dying elderly need comforting, not rescuing, according to studyUNSW medical researchers are calling for restraint on the use of aggressive life-saving treatments for frail elderly patients at the end of their lives, saying the focus should instead be placed on making patients' last days comfortable and dignified. |
 | Study calls for more regulation to prevent youth access to e-cigarettesE-cigarettes may have the potential to reduce smoking, but big tobacco's involvement and a general lack of restriction to youth access are cause for concern, according to a university study. |
 | New ethical framework released for global health researchThe author of a new ethical framework for global health research aims to support researchers and their partners to better engage disadvantaged and marginalised communities when setting research priorities. |
 | Living close to urban green spaces is associated with decreased breast cancer riskAn increasing number of studies are reporting the health benefits of contact with urban green spaces. A new study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has conducted the first study of the relationship between exposure to green spaces and breast cancer. The study, which analysed data from more than 3,600 women in Spain, concluded that the risk of breast cancer is lower in women who live closer to urban green spaces like parks or gardens. |
 | Ask the right questions before opting for plastic surgeryMaking the decision to undergo plastic surgery should not be taken lightly, according to Dr. Shayan Izaddoost, associate professor in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and in molecular and cellular biology at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of plastic surgery at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. |
 | Newly identified drug target in rheumatoid arthritis paves way for development of new therapiesUniversity of Melbourne researchers have identified a protein involved in rheumatoid arthritis-induced inflammation that could lead to new drug treatments for people who do not respond to current therapies. |
 | People with low muscle strength more likely to die prematurelyIndividuals with weaker muscles do not typically live as long as their stronger peers, according to new research from the University of Michigan. |
 | Rethinking the health and weight debateSwinburne researchers are part of a new wave of health professionals challenging our perception of weight and health. While it's long been thought that fatness is unhealthy, and skinniness is healthy, research shows this isn't the whole truth. |
 | Parents, don't panic—your picky eater is in good healthResearch findings using data from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s study should reassure parents that their fussy toddlers can grow up with a healthy height and weight. |
 | How meditation affects the brain to help you stress lessIn Australia, about one in six adults practise meditation, while one in ten practise yoga. People often turn to yoga or meditation as a way to to take time out and manage the stress of their day-to-day lives. |
 | How meditation can help sufferers of schizophrenia"I felt a sense of dissolving, disappearing completely." "My body and mind melted and merged with the universe." "I ceased to exist." These are excerpts of what I occasionally hear from the students who come to my yoga and meditation classes. |
 | The lies we tell on dating apps to find loveNearly one-fourth of young adults are looking for love through dating websites or apps. |
 | Popularity of apps like Natural Cycles highlights serious issues with contraceptives todayMany women have made a dramatic change in their use of contraceptives of late. Specifically, use of "contraceptive apps" such as Natural Cycles, a smartphone app that predicts the days on which a woman is fertile and can be used for contraception (as well as planning pregnancy), is on the rise. By closely tracking a woman's cycle and temperature, such apps designate unprotected sex safe or unsafe each day. When unsafe, the use of barrier methods of protection is advised. |
 | Potatoes are out of favour – but they have strong roots in a healthy lifestylePotatoes are apparently far from being flavour of the month. Rejected by young people and "clean eaters", sales are plummeting. But what has the potato done to deserve being treated so distastefully? |
 | Why most people with hearing loss don't use hearing aidsBefore going out with friends, Jacqueline Cummine used to write out a list of questions about a topic—like a football game—to use as a conversation starter. That way, she knew she'd be able to at least take part, even if she couldn't hear everything. |
 | Decrease in new type 2 diabetes cases in NorwayType 2 diabetes is one of the major chronic diseases and the patient group has increased year upon year, "therefore, it is great to see the decline in the number of new cases among all the age and education groups, and among most of the immigrant groups," says Paz Lopez-Doriga Ruiz, main author of the study and Ph.D. fellow at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and Oslo University Hospital. |
 | Researchers demonstrate safe, non-invasive way to open blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's patientsIn the first peer-reviewed published report of its kind, University of Toronto researchers have demonstrated that focused ultrasound can be used to safely open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in patients with Alzheimer's disease. |
 | More than half of people in Britain, France, Italy still wrongly link autism and vaccinesOne of the most frustrating misperceptions in our many studies on what people commonly get wrong is the enduring myth that vaccines pose a risk to healthy children. It's particularly maddening because it has direct and long-lasting consequences. |
 | What is resignation syndrome and why is it affecting refugee children?Reports from Nauru are raising concerns about an outbreak of a severe trauma-related mental disorder known as traumatic withdrawal syndrome, or resignation syndrome. |
 | How does mental illness affect sentencing?Just last week, the Victorian Court of Appeal significantly reduced the sentence given to Akon Guode, a mother who killed three of her children after driving her car into a lake in Melbourne. The main reason for the 8½ year sentence reduction was that the trial judge had not sufficiently taken Guode's major depression into account. |
 | Promoting HIV self-testing via text message to sex workers in KenyaAcross the globe, HIV prevalence among sex workers is estimated to be as much as 12 times that of the general population. In Kenya, HIV prevalence among sex workers is about 30 percent compared to 5.4 percent in the general population. A number of studies have found that bringing HIV self-testing to potential users can increase HIV testing rates among key populations such as sex workers. |
 | Chickenpox, shingles and vaccines—expert discusses what you need to knowChickenpox and shingles generally won't kill you, but for some adults, they could result in a trip to the hospital. So with a new shingles vaccine now available, should you consider vaccination to avoid chickenpox and shingles as an adult? |
 | Virtual reality tool corrects errors in brain scan dataIn recent years, virtual reality technology has begun proving its worth outside the world of gaming, with applications in education, health care, military training and beyond. Now researchers at the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the Keck School of Medicine of USC are exploring a new frontier: VR as a tool for processing brain scan data. |
 | How brains of doers differ from those of procrastinatorsResearchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have analysed why certain people tend to put tasks off rather than tackling them directly. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they identified two brain areas whose volume and functional connectivity are linked to an individual's ability to control their actions. The research team headed by Caroline Schlüter, Dr. Marlies Pinnow, Professor Onur Güntürkün, and Dr. Erhan Genç from the Department of Biopsychology published the results in the journal Psychological Science on 17 August 2018. |
 | Imaging the inner ear promises to be new gold standard for hearing researchersHer interest in providing people who suffer from sensorineural hearing loss with a richer music-listening experience has led a young Harvard researcher to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and to a discovery that opens the door to exciting new avenues for the study and diagnosis of human inner ear diseases. |
 | Being too intelligent and easygoing may harm chances of finding loveIntelligence and easygoingness are commonly regarded as attractive qualities in a prospective mate, but is there a point at which elevated levels of these characteristics start to become less attractive? |
 | Antibiotics best paediatric treatment for children's chronic wet coughA new study has confirmed the use of antibiotics for prolonged wet cough in children is the most effective treatment to prevent the illness from getting worse. |
 | Do persistent babies make for successful adults?If you parent a child, teach a child, or heck, even know a child, chances are you've heard that grit will make that young person a happier and more successful adult. |
 | Psychological link between conspiracy theories and creationismAsk a three-year-old why they think it's raining, and she may say "because the flowers are thirsty." Her brother might also tell you that trees have leaves to provide shade for people and animals. These are instances of teleological thinking, the idea that things came into being and exist for a purpose. |
Standard hypothyroidism treatment falling shortWhat if the standard treatment for hypothyroidism—insufficient thyroid hormone—is inadequate in controlling some crucial aspects of the condition? That's the provocative question asked, and answered affirmatively with objective data, in a study led by a Rush researcher presented this week in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. | |
 | Lifestyle factors linked to brain health of young adultsResearchers from the University of Oxford, in collaboration with researchers from Canada and the Universities of Bristol and London, have used advanced magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether factors such as blood pressure, fitness, smoking and alcohol intake during young adult life are associated with changes in the blood vessels inside the brain. |
 | When kids focus on one sport, overuse injuries rise(HealthDay)—Young athletes specializing in one sport may hope it's a ticket to an athletic scholarship in college, but a new analysis suggests the practice might also doom them to overuse injuries. |
 | Live tumour testing provides short cut to cancer drug developmentA technique using live human cancer tissue to develop the next generation of cancer drugs is being developed in South Australia. |
 | How to prevent your child from getting bullied—or being a bully(HealthDay)—With the start of a new school year, bullying will become an issue for many children and their parents. |
 | Taking a stand at work(HealthDay)—Many studies have pointed to the serious health threats of long periods of uninterrupted sitting at home or at work. |
 | Patient education urged to prevent opioid OD after sobriety(HealthDay)—The American Medical Association (AMA) encourages patient education to raise awareness of the risks associated with opioid use after a prolonged period of sobriety, according to a report in the organization's AMA Wire. |
 | FDA extends EpiPen expiration dates to tackle shortage(HealthDay)—The expiration dates of certain batches of EpiPens have been extended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in an effort to reduce shortages of the life-saving devices. |
 | Doctors often not discussing risk factors with patients(HealthDay)—Patients report that doctors are routinely not discussing known risk factors for common causes of death, according to a survey conducted by ImagineMD. |
 | Why are young adults wasting so much food? Study looks at perceptions and food behaviorsGlobally, there has been much attention on avoiding or reducing food loss and food waste. But recent research has shown that young adults—18-to 24-year-olds—have a higher tendency to waste compared to other age groups. |
 | The long-term financial toll of breast cancerThe financial fallout from breast cancer can last years after diagnosis, particularly for those with lymphedema, a common side effect from treatment, causing cumulative and cascading economic consequences for survivors, their families, and society, a study led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers suggests. |
 | People pick gifts that will 'wow' rather than satisfy recipientsGift givers tend to focus on the "big reveal," leading them to choose whichever gift is more likely to surprise and delight the recipient in the moment—even when other options are more likely to bring recipients the greatest satisfaction, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
Physical therapy after a fall may help reduce emergency department revisitsFalls are the leading cause of illness and death among Americans aged 65 and older. In 2014, some 2.8 million older adults visited the emergency department (ED) for a fall-related injury. And over time, the ED visit rate for falls among older adults has grown to 68.8 per 1,000 older adults (as of 2010). | |
 | Risk of heart attacks is double for daily e-cigarette usersUse of e-cigarettes every day can nearly double the odds of a heart attack, according to a new analysis of a survey of nearly 70,000 people, led by researchers at UC San Francisco. |
 | UN warns of a possible new cholera epidemic in YemenThe United Nations is warning of a possible "third wave" of the cholera epidemic in Yemen, which is already "the largest outbreak on record." |
Improving health insurance literacy aids Missourians' ACA enrollmentCommunity outreach and educational support for navigating health insurance options available in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace are crucial for helping people choose the best plan based on their individual needs, according to researchers, health policy experts and community partners across Missouri—one of 19 states that hasn't expanded Medicaid eligibility. | |
Brown researcher first to describe rapid-onset gender dysphoriaFor individuals with gender dysphoria, the conflict between experienced gender identity and sex observed at birth produces significant emotional distress. | |
 | Lower long-term survival for in-hospital cardiac arrests in blacks(HealthDay)—Older black survivors of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) have worse long-term survival than whites, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in Circulation. |
 | Paramedic-led intervention cuts ambulance calls(HealthDay)—For low-income older adults who live in subsidized housing, the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic), a paramedic-led, community-based health promotion program to prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and falls for residents 55 years of age and older, lowers the number of ambulance calls and improves quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), according to a study recently published in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association. |
 | National provider identifiers are vulnerable to theft(HealthDay)—National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) are vulnerable to identity theft, according to an article published in Physicians Practice. |
 | Advantages for HDHP enrollees in large versus small firms(HealthDay)—Workers in small firms are more likely to have higher deductible levels and lack employer contributions to help pay for out-of-pocket expenses compared to workers in larger firms, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs. |
 | Spinal manipulation plus exercise effective for teen low back pain(HealthDay)—Twelve weeks of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) combined with exercise therapy (ET) is more effective than ET alone over a one-year period for adolescents with chronic low back pain (LBP), according to a study published in the July issue of Pain. |
 | Glycans at the 'I' of the storm in humoral immunity and melanoma progressionTwo new studies have unveiled how a peculiar molecule impacts how antibody-producing cells develop and function as well as how normal melanocytes progress to melanoma malignancy. |
Healing after harm: Addressing the emotional toll of harmful medical eventsInjuries and deaths resulting from medical errors can have profound long-term consequences on patients and families. Seriously harmed patients and/or family members who have lost a loved one may describe feelings of neglect, isolation, fear, anger, and despair, among other emotions, many of which can be heightened by organizational silence and withholding of information. | |
AMP addresses clinical relevance of DNA variants in chronic myeloid neoplasmsThe Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global molecular diagnostics professional society, today published consensus, evidence-based recommendations to aid clinical laboratory professionals with the management of most Chronic Myeloid Neoplasms (CMNs) and development of high-throughput pan-myeloid sequencing testing panels. The report, "Clinical Significance of DNA Variants in Chronic Myeloid Neoplasms (CMNs): A Report of the Association for Molecular Pathology," was released online ahead of publication in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. | |
 | Low birth weight linked to obesity, diabetes, and hypertension later in lifeThe findings, which come from a Journal of Diabetes analysis of 11,515 men and 13,569 women in China, indicate that nutrition in early life may play a role in the development of subsequent metabolic disorders. |
 | Can work stress contribute to Parkinson's disease risk?Results from a Movement Disorders study suggest that occupational stress is associated with Parkinson's Disease risk, such that having a high-demand occupation is a risk factor and low control is protective. |
Sleep disorder linked with abnormal lipid levelsIn the Respirology study, investigators identified strong associations between several measures of OSA severity and higher total cholesterol, higher LDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and lower HDL-cholesterol. Lipid status was influenced by geographical location with the highest total cholesterol concentration recorded in Northern Europe. | |
 | Maternal depression may alter stress and immune markers in childrenNew research suggests that depression in women may affect their children's stress and physical well-being throughout life. |
 | Study examines how nurses understand and deal with racism in healthcareFew studies have explored health professionals' understanding of racism in healthcare, and how they manage it in practice. A new Journal of Advanced Nursing study examined the issue through five focus group discussions with 31 maternal, child, and family health nurses working across metropolitan South Australia. These clinicians represent the core professional group working with infants and families in the first years of life. |
Congo approves 4 experimental Ebola treatments in outbreakCongo has approved the use of four more experimental treatments in the Ebola virus outbreak in its northeast, as health officials try to contain the spread amid the threat from armed groups in the region. | |
 | Cardiologists study new aspects of vascular ageingA team of scientists from the Medical Institute of RUDN University compared two factors of vascular aging—CF-PWV and CAVI. Both of these parameters determine arterial stiffness, the main indicator of vascular aging, with high precision. However, they are influenced by age and certain metabolism abnormalities in different ways. The study is expected to help cardiologists find effective diagnostic methods for individual patients. The results of the work were published in the Journal of Hypertension. |
 | Corn, obesity, and navigating healthy eating choices as a parentI asked my three-year-old, curly-headed son if he knew where corn came from. "Yes. The store," he said tilting his head downward, keeping his eyes on mine. I chuckled a bit, reminding myself to stay in mom mode and that I was talking to a little guy. "The store" wasn't a response I was expecting considering the amount of time we spend growing small things at home such as herbs and jalapeños. But, he was right, we did get the corn from the store. |
 | Study documents limited access to orthopaedic care for La. Medicaid patientsA study led by Christopher Marrero, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, reports that despite Medicaid expansion, access to outpatient orthopaedic care in Louisiana remains significantly limited for patients with Medicaid insurance. The findings are published online as an Article in Press in the Journal of the National Medication Association. |
 | From mindfulness to medical education: Penn radiation oncology explores the potential of VRAs your eyes scan the horizon, the starry nightscape gives way to the first hints of light as the sun peeks above the point where the ocean meets the sky. As the sun rises over the water, you glance to your right and notice a swing hanging from a tree that's lightly rocking in the gentle breeze, a breeze you can hear as it rustles leaves and calmly plays through the wind chimes on the deck of the house nearby. You look down and to the left, and you see a fish swim by the dock in the water beneath you. Somewhere, a bird sings, greeting the new day. Once the sun is up, a voice tells you it's time to go. You remove your headset and find yourself in the hospital waiting room where you've been sitting the whole time. |
 | Big data and technology in disasters: Better integration needed for effective responseDisasters are becoming more commonplace and complex, and the challenges for rescue and humanitarian organizations increase. Increasingly these groups turn to big data to help provde solutions. The authors wished to examine how ICT tools and big data were being used in disaster responses. By conducting a structured literature search and developing a data extraction tool on the use of ICT and big data during disasters they showed that some important gaps exist which should be part of a future research focus. |
 | Llosing loved ones to heart disease moves woman to fight for her healthThree days after Christmas, Yolanda Thompson was at work when she got the call she hoped she would never receive. Her husband, Aaron, had suffered a massive heart attack. |
Louisiana, Mississippi top nation in illness from West NileLouisiana and Mississippi are leading the nation in the number of people who have become seriously ill from West Nile virus this year. State health departments are warning residents to take precautions against mosquitoes, which spread the virus. | |
Biology news
 | New research suggests evolution might favor 'survival of the laziest'If you've got an unemployed, 30-year-old adult child still living in the basement, fear not. |
 | Researchers identify structural changes that occur in enveloped viruses before invading hostThe critical, structural changes that enveloped viruses, such as HIV, Ebola and influenza, undergo before invading host cells have been revealed by scientists using nano-infrared spectroscopic imaging, according to a study led by Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. |
 | Epigenetic patterns determine if honeybee larvae become queens or workersScientists at Queen Mary University of London and Australian National University have unravelled how changes in nutrition in the early development of honeybees can result in vastly different adult characteristics. |
 | Ant-y social: Study of ants reveals the evolutionary benefits of group livingCommon wisdom suggests that two heads are better than one. Yet, two heads can also butt—and when resources are scarce, competition may seem more attractive than collaboration. With that in mind, biologists have long wondered how civil societies evolve. |
 | Study of Chinese pangolins shows their natural habitat has been cut in halfA team of researchers from China and the U.K. has found that the natural habitat available for the Chinese pangolin has been cut in half over the past half-century. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes their study of the mammal, its habitat and its chances for survival. |
 | Macaws may communicate visually with blushing, ruffled feathersParrots—highly intelligent and highly verbal—may also ruffle their head feathers and blush to communicate visually, according to a new study published August 22 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Aline Bertin of the INRA Centre Val de Loire, France and colleagues. The study extends the understanding of the complex social lives of these remarkable birds. |
 | Depression marks on seafloor suggest whales might be visiting prospective mining sitesA trio of researchers with the National Oceanography Centre in the U.K. has found depression marks on the sea floor in a very deep part of the ocean—they suggest the marks may have been made by deep-diving whales. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Leigh Marsh, Veerle Huvenne and Daniel Jones describe how they found the marks, and why they believe they might have been made by whales. |
 | High-throughput fluorescence assay for monitoring Cas9 activityGene editing technology could one day eliminate diseases currently considered incurable. Thanks to a new test developed by Sandia National Laboratories scientists, that day is closer to dawning. |
 | Study finds loss of biodiversity exacerbates pressures on social beesScientists have assumed that habitats with intensive agricultural use are generally bad for bees, because of the exposure to pesticides and the very limited choice of food resources and nesting places. The worldwide extinction of bees was to some extent attributed to this factor. But bees are well able to thrive in agricultural areas, as long as they have access to so-called "habitat islands" with a high plant biodiversity. |
 | Epic genetic: the hidden story of wheatGlobally, wheat, together with maize and rice, provides the most human nutrition. It can thrive in a whole range of different environments, even within a similar geographical region. |
 | Plant virus alters competition between aphid speciesIn the world of plant-feeding insects, who shows up first to the party determines the overall success of the gathering; yet viruses can disrupt these intricate relationships, according to researchers at Penn State. |
 | Getting to the root of plant evolutionDespite plants and vegetation being key to the Earth's ecosystem, little is known about the origin of their roots. However in new research, published in Nature, Oxford University scientists describe a transitional root fossils from the earliest land ecosystem that sheds light on how roots have evolved. |
 | Study reveals how enzyme detects ultraviolet light damageDamage to DNA is a constant threat to cellular life, and so it is constantly monitored and detected by a family of enzymes called RNA polymerases, resulting in subsequent repair to maintain genome integrity. In a paper published this week in the journal PNAS, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Spain and Finland, describe for the first time how one type of RNA polymerase gets stalled by DNA lesions caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. |
 | Bat signal: Fireflies' glow tells bats they taste awfulFireflies flash not just for sex, but survival, a new study suggests. |
 | For exotic pets, the most popular are also most likely to be released in the wildAmong pet snakes and lizards, the biggest-selling species are also the most likely to be released by their owners—and to potentially become invasive species, according to a Rutgers study published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology. |
 | Orphaned elephants have a tougher social lifeYoung female orphan elephants have a tougher social life than non-orphans, a new study suggests, adding to a growing body of evidence of how the impacts of poaching cascade through elephant societies. |
 | Woodpeckers and development coexist in SeattleThe two largest woodpeckers in North America, the Imperial Woodpecker and Ivory-billed Woodpecker, are believed to have gone extinct during the twentieth century. Can their surviving cousin, the Pileated Woodpecker, persist when standing dead trees and other crucial resources are lost to urbanization? A new study published by The Condor: Ornithological Applications tracked birds in suburban Seattle and found that as long as tree cover remains above a certain threshold, Pileated Woodpeckers and housing developments can coexist. |
 | CasPER—a new method for diversification of enzymesA new study published in the Metabolic Engineering Journal describes a method based on CRISPR/Cas9, which enables flexible engineering of essential and nonessential enzymes without additional engineering. This has multiple applications, including the development of bio-based production of pharmaceuticals, food additives, fuels and cosmetics. |
 | Call for citizen scientists to help unravel the mysteries of South Sudan's forestsConservationists from Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and Bucknell University biology researchers have teamed up with government and conservation authorities to capture more than 425,000 images through a camera wildlife survey in South Sudan. The Bucknell team has launched a website where volunteers can view the images to identify and verify animal species. |
 | Up close with the largest animal on EarthIt's certainly sad when to learn of a whale's death, given they are some of the ocean's most majestic mammals. While no doubt tragic, researchers on Dalhousie's Agricultural Campus are looking for the silver lining. |
 | Oral vaccination protects Africa's most endangered carnivoreOver the past month, a team from Oxford's Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) has implemented the first oral vaccination campaign to pre-empt outbreaks of rabies among Ethiopian wolves, the world's most endangered canid, in their stronghold in the Bale Mountains of southern Ethiopia. |
 | What makes some species more likely to go extinct?Though they say "'tis impossible to be sure of anything but death and taxes," a bit of financial chicanery may get you out of paying the taxman. But no amount of trickery will stop the inevitability of death. Death is the inescapable endpoint of life. |
 | Pointy eggs more likely to stay put in birds' cliffside nests, study findsNatural selection—that merciless weeder-outer of biological designs that are out of step with the times—also is a wily shaper of traits. Exhibit A is the pointy murre egg, according to new research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. |
 | Parrots' economicsAn economic decision-making involves weighing up differently beneficial alternatives to maximise profits. This sometimes requires foregoing one's desire for immediate rewards. Not only does one have to control one's own impulses, but also to assess the expected outcomes in order to decide whether waiting is worthwhile. |
 | Evolution and the concrete jungleNew research conducted by evolutionary biologists worldwide paints cities as evolutionary "change agents", says a trio of biologists from the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) who selected and edited the studies. |
 | Policy pivot: A new emphasis on restoration to protect Puget SoundFor years, a commonly used tactic for protecting threatened and endangered animals in Puget Sound was to cordon off areas to fishing. More than 100 marine protected areas exist around the Sound to protect shoreline critters and help fish populations such as rockfish recover to healthy numbers. |
 | Japan fleet catches 177 whales in latest huntA fleet of Japanese whaling ships caught 177 minke and sei whales during a three-month tour of the northwestern Pacific, the government said Wednesday. |
 | China culls thousands of pigs as African swine fever spreadsMore than 14,500 pigs have been culled in an eastern Chinese city, officials said Wednesday, as the world's largest pork producer scrambles to contain an outbreak of African swine fever. |
 | Spanish police smash Europe's 'biggest' illegal turtle farmSpanish police said Wednesday they had dismantled Europe's biggest illegal turtle and tortoise farm, seizing over 1,100 of the animals, including several highly endangered species. |
 | Austria allows shooting wolves with rubber bulletsAustria has authorised shooting wolves with rubber bullets to deter attacks on livestock, a regional authority said Wednesday. |
 | New paper addresses human/wildlife conflict through use of social and ecological theorySuccessfully limiting human-wildlife conflicts requires an understanding of the roles of both animal and human behavior. However, it is difficult to understand both of these things, because researchers struggle to collect data that is similar, communicate with other specialties, and apply information about human behavior to conservation actions. |
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