Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 10, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Scientists find evidence for early planetary shake-upScientists at Southwest Research Institute studied an unusual pair of asteroids and discovered that their existence points to an early planetary rearrangement in our solar system. |
 | Hubble peers into a galaxy's dusty hazeThis NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image showcases the galaxy NGC 4036, a lenticular galaxy some 70 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major (the Great Bear). |
 | Team of researchers challenge bold astronomical predictionCalvin College professor of astronomy Larry Molnar made a bold announcement in 2017—he and his team had identified a binary star in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan, that was a strong candidate to merge and explode in the near future. Known by its Kepler mission number, KIC 9832227, the pair of stars is about 1800 light years from Earth and has an orbit so close that it takes just 11 hours to go around once. That first-of-its-kind prediction caught the attention of an international audience, creating excitement within the scientific community and among the general public. |
 | Artificial intelligence helps track down mysterious cosmic radio burstsArtificial intelligence is invading many fields, most recently astronomy and the search for intelligent life in the universe, or SETI. |
NASA technology to be launched from New Mexico spaceportNASA technology designed to protect spacecraft from heat and pressure when entering a planet's atmosphere will be launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico as part of testing. | |
 | The legacy of NASA's Dawn, near end of missionNASA's Dawn mission is drawing to a close after 11 years of breaking new ground in planetary science, gathering breathtaking imagery, and performing unprecedented feats of spacecraft engineering. |
 | Image: Bright spots on CeresBright surface features on the dwarf planet Ceres known as faculae were first discovered by NASA's Dawn spacecraft in 2015. This mosaic of one such feature, Cerealia Facula, combines images obtained from altitudes as low as 22 miles (35 km) above Ceres' surface. The mosaic is overlain on a topography model based on images obtained during Dawn's low altitude mapping orbit (240 miles or 385 km altitude). No vertical exaggeration was applied. The center of Cerealia Facula is located at 19.7 degrees north latitude and 239.6 degrees south longitude. |
 | Scientists sketch out the foundations of a colony on MarsEPFL scientists have mapped out the steps required to build a self-sustaining research base on Mars that would be habitable for the long term. Their work can help researchers set priorities for space programs exploring Mars as well as the solar system as a whole. |
 | Legacy of NASA's dawn, near the end of its missionNASA's Dawn mission is drawing to a close after 11 years of breaking new ground in planetary science, gathering breathtaking imagery, and performing unprecedented feats of spacecraft engineering. |
 | Blast tube tests at Sandia simulate shock wave conditions nuclear weapons could faceYou can learn a lot from a blast tube. You can learn more when you couple blast experiments with computer modeling. |
 | Dark matter clusters could reveal nature of dark energyScientists are hoping to understand one of the most enduring mysteries in cosmology by simulating its effect on the clustering of galaxies. |
 | SDO spots two lunar transits in spaceOn Sept. 9, 2018, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, SDO, saw two lunar transits as the Moon passed in front of the Sun. A transit happens when a celestial body passes between a larger body and an observer. This first lunar transit lasted one hour, from 4:30 pm to 5:30 p.m. EDT and obscured 92 percent of the Sun at the peak of its journey. The second transit happened several hours later at 9:52 p.m. and lasted a total of 49 minutes, ending at 10:41 p.m. EDT. This transit only obscured 34 percent of the Sun at its peak. |
 | Cosmonaut shows space station hole to calm publicA cosmonaut on Monday showed off a hole in the International Space Station that caused loss of oxygen after Russia suggested the leak could have been caused deliberately. |
 | OTELO reveals a population of "ghost galaxies" in the universeThe OSIRIS instrument on the Gran Telescopio Ganarias has made the deepest survey of galaxies to date, the OSIRIS Tunable Emission Line Object survey (OTELO), and the results could change what we currently know about the formation and evolution of galaxies. |
Technology news
 | SCRIM: An innovative method for 3-D concrete printingResearchers at the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and at the Danish Technological Institute have developed a new hybrid construction concept called "Sparse Concrete Reinforcement In Meshworks" (SCRIM). Their method, to be presented at the upcoming ROB|ARCH conference and outlined in a paper on Research Gate , addresses existing limitations in 3-D concrete printing (3DCP) particularly related to the printing of non-extruded geometries, allows for full exploitation of six-axis robotic control and targets the manufacturing of lightweight components. |
 | Facial recognition touted as 'user friendly' system for airportsAs facial recognition technology use generates intense scrutiny, a new system unveiled at Washington's Dulles airport is being touted as a "user friendly" way to help ease congestion for air travelers. |
 | World's largest offshore wind farm Walney Extension swings into action for energyThe world's largest offshore windfarm has officially opened. The project commanding the Numero Uno status is the Walney Extension. An official inauguration was marked as September 6, and it now means that the Walney Extension overtakes the London Array as the world's largest offshore wind farm. |
 | New iPhones aim for momentum in sputtering smartphone marketApple is set to unveil new iPhones, aiming to gain fresh momentum in the premium segment of a global smartphone market showing signs of fatigue. |
 | Robot can pick up any object after inspecting itHumans have long been masters of dexterity, a skill that can largely be credited to the help of our eyes. Robots, meanwhile, are still catching up. Certainly there's been some progress: for decades robots in controlled environments like assembly lines have been able to pick up the same object over and over again. |
 | Quantum Cloud Services is entering arena with big prize offerQuantum computers newsmaker Rigetti Computing has announced Quantum Cloud Services and, along with that, a $1 million contest prize for a conclusive demonstration of quantum advantage. |
 | Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma announces plans to retire at 54Alibaba's charismatic co-founder and chairman Jack Ma plans to retire from the Chinese e-commerce giant on Monday to devote his time to philanthropy focused on education, he told the New York Times in an interview. |
 | EU ministers do 'battle' over digital taxEU finance ministers battled Saturday over a controversial proposal to slap a European tax on US tech giants amid rising worries that it is ineffective and protectionist. |
 | Jack Ma to unveil succession plans, not imminent retirement: SCMPAlibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma will unveil a succession plan on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday, with a company spokesman denying a New York Times report that he would retire that day. |
 | Cyber insurance market to double by 2020, says Munich ReThe market for insurance against cyber threats will double by 2020 to over 8 billion dollars, German reinsurance giant Munich Re told a conference in Monaco on Sunday. |
 | VW faces first big German court date over 'dieselgate'The first major German court case against Volkswagen over the "dieselgate" scandal that has shaken up the car industry gets under way Monday, as investors pursue the world's largest automaker for billions in compensation. |
 | Alibaba's Zhang prepares to step from Jack Ma's shadowBoth in personality and skillset, Alibaba's Daniel Zhang will herald a new era for the Chinese e-commerce giant when he takes over full leadership from charismatic founder Jack Ma. |
 | Google case set to examine if EU data rules extend globallyGoogle is going to Europe's top court in its legal fight against an order requiring it to extend "right to be forgotten" rules to its search engines globally. |
 | First truly black solar modules roll off industrial production lineA 2011 invention made by Aalto University's researchers has proceeded from concept to reality. Just a few years ago the researchers obtained the record efficiency of 22% in the lab for nanostructured solar cells using atomic layer deposition, and now with the help of industrial partners and joint European collaboration, the first prototype modules have been manufactured on an industrial production line. |
 | Video: What Google can learn from your Android phoneGoogle collects data around the clock from the phones of Android users in particular – their location, shopping habits, music, searches and more, a Vanderbilt computer science professor found. |
 | People are more likely to invest in solar energy technology when they see it being used in their communitiesGovernments at all levels need to invest more heavily in promoting renewable energy if they want citizens to adopt these technologies, new research suggests. |
 | EU copyright war 'a shame', says big tech lobbyTech giants and open-internet activists, not always natural bedfellows, are fighting a proposed copyright law that returns for approval at the European Parliament on Wednesday. |
 | Nuclear energy may see role wane, UN agency saysThe UN's nuclear agency on Monday said global capacity for electricity generation through nuclear power may be shrinking over the coming decades. |
 | Most Americans get news from social media, despite doubts: surveyTwo-thirds of American adults get at least some of their news from social media, even though many are skeptical about the accuracy of that information, a survey showed Monday. |
 | US approves Winklevoss dollar-linked cryptocurrenciesNew York state regulators gave the green light Monday to a pair of cryptocurrencies linked to the dollar, providing a boost of credibility to the ventures. |
 | Trade war sees Volvo put brakes on IPO plans: BloombergAuto giant Volvo has fallen prey to growing concerns over the US' rumbling trade war with China, and has had to postpone plans for a share sale, the group's CEO told Bloomberg Monday. |
 | California commits to 100% clean electricity by 2045: governorCalifornia Governor Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation Monday committing his state to a 100 percent clean electricity grid by 2045. |
 | Tesla shares bounce as Musk risk seen as overblownTesla shares bounced Monday following an upbeat analyst note that suggested worries about chief executive Elon Musk and his various controversies were exaggerated. |
Russian accused of massive data theft extradited to USA Russian hacker accused of helping pull off the biggest theft yet of consumer bank data in the United States has been extradited to the U.S. to face charges, federal prosecutors said Friday. | |
 | Trump calls on Apple to move production from China to USUS President Donald Trump called Saturday for Apple to make its products in the US instead of China to avoid suffering the consequences of his trade war with Beijing. |
 | Alibaba's Jack Ma to step down in 2019, pledges smooth transitionAlibaba co-founder Jack Ma announced on Monday he would step down as head of the pioneering Chinese e-commerce giant in one year, a departure already drawing comparisons to the retirement of late Apple founder Steve Jobs. |
 | 007 carmaker speeds towards October listingAston Martin, the luxury British sports car brand driven by fictional spy James Bond, said Monday that it will launch next month on the London stock market. |
 | Half of US foreign profits booked in tax havens: paperAbout half of all the foreign profits of US multinationals are booked in tax havens with Ireland topping the charts as the favorite, according to a new economic study on Monday. |
Syrian War study yields new predictive model for attrition dynamics in multilateral warThree researchers have conducted a study of war, specifically the current conflict in Syria that's been raging since 2011, to arrive at the creation of a new predictive model for multilateral war, which is called the Lanchester multiduel. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | New research shows how we turn on and off languagesA team of researchers has uncovered the distinct computations that occur when we switch between different languages, a finding that provides new insights into the nature of bilingualism. |
 | Finding that links ALS/ataxia to cellular stress opens new approaches for treatmentFew treatments exist for neurodegenerative diseases that progressively rob a person's ability to move and think, yet the results of a new study could potentially open additional approaches for exploration. |
 | Chronic diseases driven by metabolic dysfunctionMuch of modern Western medicine is based upon the treatment of acute, immediate harm, from physical injury to infections, from broken bones and the common cold to heart and asthma attacks. |
 | Researchers unlock secret of deadly brain cancer's 'immortality'UC San Francisco researchers have discovered how a mutation in a gene regulator called the TERT promoter—the third most common mutation among all human cancers and the most common mutation in the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma—confers "immortality" on tumor cells, enabling the unchecked cell division that powers their aggressive growth. |
Study links BAP1 protein to tumor suppression in kidney, eye, bile duct and mesothelioma cancersResearchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown how BRCA-associated protein 1 (BAP1) serves as a tumor suppressor gene in kidney, eye, bile duct, mesothelioma and other cancers by regulating a form of cell death called ferroptosis, opening up a potential new area of therapy research. Findings from the study, led by Boyi Gan, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, were published in the Sept. 10 online issue of Nature Cell Biology. | |
 | Study prevents cognitive decline in older blacks with memory lossWith nearly twice the rate of dementia as whites, blacks are at a higher risk for developing diseases like Alzheimer's, but there has been little research on how to reduce this racial health disparity. A new study in black participants with mild cognitive impairment—often a precursor to dementia—shows that a behavioral intervention can reduce the risk of future memory loss by increasing social, cognitive, and/or physical activity. The results of this randomized, controlled clinical study were published in JAMA Neurology September 10th 2018. |
 | Study identifies an unexpected cell population key to blood cancer relapseMcMaster University researchers have provided evidence of new cancerous cells they have termed cancer regenerating cells, which are responsible for the return of acute myeloid leukemia after remission. |
 | Toddlers prefer winners—but avoid those who win by forceThey have only just learnt to walk and talk—and have only just started to develop social relationships with children of their own age. Yet, these tiny toddlers already use cues of social status to decide which people they prefer or would rather avoid. This has just been established by researchers from Aarhus BSS and the University of California, Irvine, through experiments carried out on toddlers aged 21 to 31 months. |
 | Bioadhesive, wirelessly-powered implant emitting light to kill cancer cellsScientists from Waseda University, the National Defense Medical College, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency have developed a new bioadhesive, wirelessly powered light-emitting device that could better treat cancers in delicate organs. |
 | Pediatric robot patient offers new level of realism for doctors in trainingA team of researchers and engineers at Gaumard Scientific has unveiled a new robot that raises the bar on medical training devices. The robot, called HAL, has been made to look like a five-year-old male patient and offers unprecedented training options. |
 | Boys and girls share similar math abilities at young ages, study findsThere has been much speculation about whether lower female participation rates in STEM fields can be traced to an innate male superiority in math and science. But a new University of Chicago study wanted to test whether boys and girls actually show different mathematical abilities at their earliest developmental stages. |
 | Brain's support cells may play a central role in repetitive behaviors related to OCDRepetitive behavior disorders are relatively common. One of the best known in this family is obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, which affects more than 2 percent of the U.S. population. Existing treatments, often medications, may not bring adequate relief for about half of those with the disorder. |
 | Changes in the architecture around cancer cells can fuel their spreadUCLA researchers have found that the extracellular matrix, the dense network of proteins and carbohydrates that surround a cell, can influence how cells move within the body by regulating their sugar consumption. The study shows that acute changes in a single component of the extracellular matrix can trigger a very rapid change in the metabolism and migration of the cell. |
 | Conserved networks of collateral susceptibility to antibiotics in Escherichia coliLSTM's Dr. Adam Roberts is a co-author on a new paper published in Nature Communications which reports conserved collateral susceptibility to antibiotics in the human pathogen Escherichia coli. |
 | Quick learners remember more over timeHealthy adults who learn information more quickly than their peers also have better long-term retention for the material despite spending less time studying it, a new study from psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis finds. |
 | Study links widely-used drug azathioprine to skin cancersA drug used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and vasculitis as well as to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients has been identified as an important contributor to skin cancer development, in a research study carried out at the University of Dundee, Queen Mary University of London and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. |
 | Scientists block RNA silencing protein in liver to prevent obesity and diabetes in miceObesity and its related ailments like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease pose a major global health burden, but researchers report in Nature Communications that blocking an RNA-silencing protein in the livers of mice keeps the animals from getting fat and diabetic conditions. |
 | Decisions recruiting gut feelings seen as reflection of true self, more assuredly held, study saysWhy do some people trust their gut instincts over logic? It could be that they see those snap decisions as a more accurate reflection of their true selves and therefore are more likely to hold them with conviction, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. |
 | Device to corral viable sperm may speed IVF processFor couples hoping for a baby via in vitro fertilization, chances have improved. A process that once took hours now takes minutes: Cornell University scientists have created a microfluidic device that quickly corrals strong and speedy sperm viable for fertilization. |
 | Optimizing technologies for discovering cancer cell mutationsCancer cells often have mutations in their DNA that can give scientists clues about how the cancer started or which treatment may be most effective. Finding these mutations can be difficult, but a new method may offer more complete, comprehensive results. |
 | Researchers decode mood from human brain signalsBy developing a novel decoding technology, a team of engineers and physicians at the University of Southern California (USC) and UC San Francisco have discovered how mood variations can be decoded from neural signals in the human brain—a process that has not been demonstrated to date. |
 | Simple new blood test reveals your body's precise internal clock to guide treatments, improve healthThe first simple blood test to identify your body's precise internal time clock as compared to the external time has been developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists. |
 | Zika virus strips immune cells of their identityMacrophages are immune cells that are supposed to protect the body from infection by viruses and bacteria. Yet Zika virus preferentially infects these cells. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have now unraveled how the virus shuts down the genes that make macrophages function as immune cells. |
Lifestyle changes reduce the need for blood pressure medicationsMen and women with high blood pressure reduced the need for antihypertensive medications within 16 weeks after making lifestyle changes, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions, an annual conference focused on recent advances in hypertension research. | |
 | Monitoring at home yields better blood pressure controlHome blood pressure monitoring improved hypertension control and saved medical costs, according to results of a pilot initiative presented at the American Heart Association's Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions. |
 | Family genetics vital for understanding autism progressionWhether an individual develops a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism or ADHD and the severity of that disorder depends on genetic changes beyond a single supposedly disease-causing mutation. A new study led by researchers at Penn State reveals that the total amount of rare mutations—deletions, duplications, or other changes to the DNA sequence—in a person's genome can explain why individuals with a disease-associated mutation can have vastly different symptoms. A paper describing the study appeared today in the journal Genetics in Medicine. |
 | New blood pressure appMichigan State University has invented a proof-of-concept blood pressure app that can give accurate readings using an iPhone—with no special equipment. |
 | S. Korea reports first MERS case in three yearsSouth Korea reported its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in three years, health officials said on Saturday. |
 | 150 pneumonia cases spark health alert in north ItalyAuthorities have issued health alert after 150 cases of pneumonia were recorded in a week, mainly in towns near the northern Italian city of Brescia. |
Patients with sepsis at higher risk of stroke, heart attack after hospital dischargePatients with sepsis are at increased risk of stroke or myocardial infarction (heart attack) in the first 4 weeks after hospital discharge, according to a large Taiwanese study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). | |
Smart technology to help diagnose sepsis in children in CanadaSmart technology and artificial intelligence could be used to improve detection of sepsis in children in Canada, write authors of a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). | |
Social support is critical to life satisfaction in young patients with cancerAmong adolescents and young adults with cancer, social support was the most decisive factor associated with life satisfaction. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings indicate that social support and how young cancer patients process the experience of being ill have far greater importance for their life satisfaction than sociodemographic or medical factors do. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. | |
 | One in four older adults prescribed a benzodiazepine goes on to risky long-term useThey may start as well-intentioned efforts to calm anxiety, improve sleep or ease depression. But prescriptions for sedatives known as benzodiazepines may lead to long-term use among one in four older adults who receive them, according to new research. |
 | Study finds increased risk of second HPV-associated cancers among survivors of HPV-associated cancersA retrospective study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health found that survivors of HPV-associated cancers have a high incidence of developing second HPV-related cancers. Their findings, which were reported today in JAMA Network Open, suggest the need for increased screening for HPV-associated precancerous and early cancerous lesions among people who are survivors of the disease. |
 | Spying on the virus: Development to increase effectiveness of viral cancer therapyScientists have learned how to observe the processes of oncolytic viruses in cancer cells in real time. For the first time ever, a group of scientists from NUST MISIS and the University of Calgary (Canada) has applied intravital microscopy to study the interaction of oncolytic viruses with both tumor cells and healthy cells. With the technology, researchers can visualize how the virus behaves in the tissues of a living organism. The research results have been published in international scientific journal Molecular Therapy Oncolytics. |
 | A new generation of pain medicationUniversitätsmedizin Berlin and the Zuse Institute Berlin have developed a new generation of pain medication. The researchers used computer simulations to develop new opioids that will only work at sites affected by injury or inflammation. These drugs can prevent the occurrence of brain- and gut-related side effects typically associated with conventional opioids and have been proven successful in preclinical studies. Results from this research have been published in Pain and Scientific Reports. |
 | Emotional scars increase the risk of sports injuryActive top-flight athletes who have experienced sexual or physical abuse at some time in their life run a greater risk of sports-related injury. A new study from the Athletics Research Center at Linköping University in Sweden has shown an association between lifetime abuse experience and injury risk in female athletes. |
 | New innovation improves the diagnosis of dizzinessHalf of over-65s suffer from dizziness and problems with balance. But some tests to identify the causes of such problems are painful and can risk hearing damage. Now, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a new testing device using bone conduction technology that offers significant advantages over the current tests. |
 | Special antibodies could lead to HIV vaccineAround one percent of people infected with HIV produce antibodies that block most strains of the virus. These broadly acting antibodies provide the key to developing an effective vaccine against HIV. Researchers from the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich have now shown that the genome of the HIV is a decisive factor in determining which antibodies are formed. |
 | Five types of food to increase your psychological well-beingWe all know eating "healthy" food is good for our physical health and can decrease our risk of developing diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease. What is not as well known is that eating healthy food is also good for our mental health and can decrease our risk of depression and anxiety. |
 | A new spinal cord injury treatment is getting patients back on their feetMatt Wetschler was bodysurfing at Ocean Beach in San Francisco when he went for a wave and didn't come back up. Some other surfers saw his body floating like a log and pulled him ashore. |
 | Southwest passengers may have been exposed to measles(HealthDay)—Passengers and crew on four Southwest Airlines flights within Texas in late August are being notified that they may have been exposed to measles. Officials said a passenger who took the four flights over two days was later diagnosed with measles, USA Today reported. |
 | Physician assistants match medical residents in ICU skills(HealthDay)—Physician assistants (PAs) exhibit equal performance on clinical skills as medical residents (MRs) with six to 24 months of experience in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. |
 | Four habits that lead to better food choices(HealthDay)—The choices you make every day, both big and small, influence your weight and your health. |
 | Researchers provide compelling evidence for multiple STI-detecting deviceUsing mathematical modelling, researchers within the Applied Diagnostics Research and Evaluation Unit at the university concluded that a bespoke point-of care diagnostic device could significantly reduce the number of return clinical visits and the average time-to-cure from about a week to one day. |
 | Making sense, pictures of medical dataA woman goes to the doctor for a mammogram. The result comes back positive. "This doesn't necessarily mean you have cancer, false positives are common," her doctor might say. Maybe the patient is also given a pamphlet with some statistics about mortality and survival rates. |
 | Emotions like anger and sadness may cause pain as well as being a result of itWhile emotions such as anger or sadness are often thought of as being a result of stress or pain, findings recently published by Penn State researchers suggest that negative or mixed emotions could function as stressors themselves. |
 | Humans might not be altruistic 'avengers' after all, study findsPicture this: You're walking down the street when you overhear someone spewing nasty insults at a stranger. Would you intervene, even if it meant putting yourself in harm's way? |
 | Gender stereotypes begin at age 10Last year in Shanghai, the grandmother of an 11-year-old girl pondered her granddaughter's future. "Girls should be economically independent," the woman said. But, she added, marrying a rich man is also an important goal, and once betrothed, a girl must work hard because a man "will divorce you if you don't do housework." |
 | Study eyes gap in aiding fall-prone seniorsA newly published study shows London-area paramedics are spending at least a month's worth of time each year literally picking up seniors who have called emergency services after a fall. And those numbers will increase unless better ways are adopted both to help fall-prone seniors and prioritize emergency resources. |
 | IVF births at highest number ever, says reportIn 2016/17, 15,198 IVF babies were born in Australia and New Zealand as a result of cycles undertaken in 2016 – the highest number ever in IVF's 40-year history, a UNSW report released today shows. |
 | Life-saving epinephrine underused during anaphylaxis outside of hospital, study findsFewer than half of adults and children experiencing food-induced anaphylaxis use their epinephrine autoinjector (EAI) before being treated at a hospital emergency room, according to a new Canadian study. |
 | Insulin tracked through cell using new method combining database, experimental resultsHigh or low concentrations of insulin activate different cell signaling pathways, according to a new scientific method that combines data from multiple databases and large-scale lab experiments. This ongoing research project may help unveil better approaches to understand the causes of and potential therapies for type 2 diabetes. |
 | Body clock could be key to better asthma treatmentThe human body clock could have a significant impact on the way doctors are able to diagnose and treat asthma, according to new research. |
Neuromuscular changes are to blame for lower-back pain during pregnancyNew research shows that neuromuscular changes during pregnancy lead to bouts of lower-back pain and not an increase in the lumbar curvature, as has traditionally been thought | |
 | C-section children run increased risk of developing food allergies – as opposed to very preterm childrenChildren born by caesarean, or C-section, more often develop food allergies. The opposite applies to very preterm children. This is shown in a study of more than one million children conducted by researchers at Örebro University and Karolinska institutet, published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. |
 | Low fitness may indicate poor arterial health in adolescentsA recent Finnish study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä showed that adolescents with better aerobic fitness have more compliant arteries than their lower fit peers do. The study also suggests that a higher anaerobic threshold is linked to better arterial health. The results were published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. |
 | Experts address the rapidly rising number of deaths from Parkinson's diseaseDeaths associated with Parkinson's disease and related disorders increased substantially between 2001 and 2014. Parkinson's disease was in fact the most common cause of death associated with a neurological condition, according to a report by Public Health England. International experts reporting in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease evaluate these findings and address important implications for future healthcare needs. |
 | Detecting depression in teensToday is World Suicide Prevention Day. According to WHO 2014 Mental Health Atlas, suicide rates in Southeast Asia, which includes Indonesia, are the highest in the world, reaching 20 per 100,000 people annually. The global suicide rate is estimated to be 10.5 per 100,000 people. |
 | Binge drinking affects male and female brains differentlyGene expression in an area of the brain linked to addiction is affected differently by repeated binge drinking in males and females, finds a new study published today in Frontiers in Genetics. It reveals for the first time that genes associated with hormone signaling and immune function are affected by repeated binge drinking in female mice, whereas genes associated with nerve signaling are affected in males. These findings have significant implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder as they emphasize the importance of tailoring effective therapies towards male and female patients. |
Study reveals 'dark motives' behind brain teaser questions in job interviewsA new Applied Psychology study asks why brain teaser questions are often used in employment interviews despite their known lack of validity and reliability. The authors provide evidence that these questions may be used because they give the interviewers power and speak to their 'dark personality traits.' | |
 | A 'reset' of regulatory T-cells reverses chronic heart failure in mouse modelA heart attack triggers an acute inflammatory response, followed by resolution of inflammation and wound healing. A severe heart attack, however, can cause chronic and sustained inflammation that leads to heart failure and death. |
 | Following Twitter conversations around hacked diabetes tools to manage blood sugarThe diabetes online community is leading grassroots efforts focused on accelerating the development, access and adoption of diabetes-related tools to manage the disease. Researchers at University of Utah Health examined the community's online Twitter conversation to understand their thoughts concerning open source artificial pancreas (OpenAPS) technology. The results of this study are available online in the September 10 issue of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. |
 | Primary care is an untapped resource for depression screeningHazardous alcohol use and depression often go hand-in-hand. Yet when a patient is screened by their doctor for hazardous alcohol use, rarely are they also screened for depression. |
 | Often-overlooked natural killer cells may be key to cancer immunotherapyImmune checkpoint inhibitors are revolutionizing the treatment of cancer, but new research challenges the central dogma of how these drugs work. This research, published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows for the first time that often-overlooked immune cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in responding to checkpoint inhibitors. |
 | Clinical need absent, unclear in nearly 30 percent of outpatient opioid prescriptionsNearly 30 percent of outpatient opioid prescriptions in the United States lack documented clinical reasons that justify the use of these potent drugs, according to a national analysis of physician visit records conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the RAND Corporation. |
Fitness, physical activity and low sedentary time all associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetesNew research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) shows that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), high-intensity physical activity (HPA) and low sedentary time (ST) are all associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The study is by Jeroen van der Velde and Annemarie Koster, Maastricht University, Netherlands, and colleagues. | |
 | Significant amount of cancer-causing chemicals stays in lungs during e-cigarette use, researchers findE-cigarettes have become increasingly popular as a smoke-free alternative to conventional tobacco cigarettes, but the health effects of "vaping" on humans have been debated in the scientific and tobacco manufacturing communities. While aldehydes—chemicals like formaldehyde that are known to cause cancer in humans—have been identified in e-cigarette emissions by numerous studies, there has been little agreement about whether such toxins exist in large enough quantities to be harmful to users. |
 | Positive psychological well-being can improve overall heart healthMaintaining positive thoughts and feelings through intervention programs can help patients achieve better overall outcomes when it comes to their cardiovascular health, according to a review paper published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. This paper is part of an eight-part health promotion series where each paper will focus on a different risk factor for cardiovascular disease. |
 | You probably made a better first impression than you thinkAfter we have conversations with new people, our conversation partners like us and enjoy our company more than we think, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
 | Researchers identify molecule with anti-aging effects on vascular system, study findsA molecule produced during fasting or calorie restriction has anti-aging effects on the vascular system, which could reduce the occurrence and severity of human diseases related to blood vessels, such as cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by Georgia State University. |
 | Talking to baby might boost middle school success(HealthDay)—Time spent reading to toddlers or having "conversations" with them helps boost their intelligence and thinking skills, even a decade later, new research shows. |
 | What's a dangerous level of blood pressure in pregnancy?High blood pressure rates could nearly double in women of childbearing age if the latest guidelines are used, according to a new study. But researchers say more investigation is needed to see if those lower blood pressure targets in pregnant women are safe—or effective. |
 | Many with supposed drug-resistant blood pressure aren't taking medsFor about one in five people with what appears to be hard-to-treat, or resistant, high blood pressure, they simply aren't taking prescribed medications, new research suggests. |
 | Tai chi: an ancient art may work best to prevent falls in old age(HealthDay)—The ancient practice of tai chi may beat strength training and aerobics for preventing falls among seniors, a new trial shows. |
 | Docs, consumers agree on benefits of virtual care(HealthDay)—Physicians and consumers agree on the benefits of virtual care, but physician adoption of virtual care technologies is low, according to a report on the Deloitte 2018 Survey of U.S. Physicians. |
 | New bronchoscopic option used for severe emphysema(HealthDay)—Temple University Hospital has become the first center in the U.S. to perform bronchoscopic lung volume reduction using implantation of the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve (Zephyr EBV) to treat hyperinflation associated with severe emphysema. The hospital is also the first to offer training to U.S. physicians for care and management of patients who undergo this procedure. |
 | Robotic surgeries up, but cost questions remain(HealthDay)—Use of robotic surgery is continuing to increase, according to a research letter published in the Aug. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
 | NICU antibiotic use rates declined from 2013 to 2016(HealthDay)—Antibiotic use rates (AURs) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are declining, but practice variation is still largely unexplained, according to a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics. |
 | Gender minorities less engaged in health-promoting behaviors(HealthDay)—Lesbian and bisexual women and transgender adults have lower participation in health-related behaviors than heterosexual men and women, according to research published in the Aug. 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Naloxone rarely administered by layperson in opioid deaths(HealthDay)—From July 2016 to June 2017, bystanders were documented in 44 percent of opioid overdose deaths, but naloxone was rarely administered by a layperson, according to a study published Aug. 31 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Maternal holding with glucose or breastfeeding best analgesic(HealthDay)—Maternal holding of newborns, combined with oral glucose and in breastfeeding, is associated with the greatest analgesic effect in infants, according to a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics. |
 | Physician burnout rates vary by medical specialty(HealthDay)—Nearly half of physicians report being burned out, but rates vary substantially by medical specialty, according to an article published in AMA Wire. |
New guidelines for traumatic brain injury—built with input from rehabilitation professionalsClinical practice guidelines play a critical role in promoting quality care for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). A new set of guidelines for rehabilitation of patients with moderate to severe TBI—incorporating insights from the rehabilitation professionals responsible for providing care from initial assessment through long-term follow-up—is introduced in the September issue of the The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR), official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America. | |
 | DR Congo says latest Ebola outbreak under controlHealth authorities in Kinshasa declared the Ebola virus under control five weeks after the latest outbreak left 89 people dead in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. |
Acute critical illness increases risk of kidney complications and deathAcute critical illness in people without previous renal disease puts them at risk of kidney complications as well as death, according to a study in published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). | |
Italy health authorities investigate pneumonia outbreakHealth authorities in northern Italy are investigating whether bacteria—including the one that causes Legionnaires' disease—inhaled from the water supply is behind an outbreak of pneumonia that has afflicted nearly 150 people. | |
 | In Congo, a new and less isolating Ebola treatment centerTwo times a day, Kasereka Mulanda comes to a new kind of Ebola treatment center to visit his wife, easing the isolation of a highly contagious disease. |
 | Biochemists described a new mechanism for autoimmunity suppressionRUDN biochemists suggested a new mechanism by which the human body prevents the development of autoimmune diseases, allergies and implant rejection. They report that regulatory T-cells are able to suppress the reproduction of autoimmune cells. The work was published in Molecular Immunology. |
 | Artificial intelligence in opthamologyAround six years ago, high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) was jointly developed by MedUni Vienna's Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Technology and its Department of Ophthalmology. OCT is an imaging technique that, like ultrasound – but contact-free – displays accurate stratified images of the retina. With the aid of algorithms recently developed at the Medical University of Vienna, it can be used to diagnose retinal diseases at an early stage within only a few seconds, so that the appropriate treatment can be given. Vienna is therefore regarded as a pioneer and also a driver of the digital revolution in ophthalmology, which now stands on the brink of a global breakthrough. |
 | Early-stage clinical trial of antimalarial drug beginsEnrollment has begun in a Phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety of a new investigational drug designed to treat malaria, as well as its effect on the human body. The first-in-human study is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is being conducted at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. |
 | Mental imagery manages pain independent of opioid systemMentally reframing pain as a pleasant experience is an effective regulation strategy that acts independently of the opioid system, finds new human research published in JNeurosci. The study supports clinical use of mental imagery techniques, such as imagining a new context or consequence of a painful event, in conjunction with pain-relieving drugs. |
 | Immune cells destroy healthy brain connections, diminish cognitive function in obese miceObesity leads to cognitive impairment by activating microglial cells, which consume otherwise functional synapses in the hippocampus, according to a study of male mice published in JNeurosci. The research suggests that microglia may be a potential therapeutic target for one of the lesser known effects of this global health epidemic on the brain. |
 | Chronic pain may be an important contributor to suicideChronic pain may be an important contributor to suicide. Nearly 9 percent of people who died by suicide in 18 states from 2003 to 2014 had documentation of chronic pain in their incident records. Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. |
Cholera claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe: officialAt least 18 people have died over the past week in the Zimbabwe capital Harare and scores fallen ill after a cholera and typhoid outbreak in some areas, authorities said Monday. | |
Internists tell CMS not to proceed with changes to payments for E/M servicesProposed changes to payments for evaluation and management (E/M) codes do not appropriately recognize the value of cognitive care required to treat complex patients, and the proposal should not be implemented, says the American College of Physicians (ACP). The changes are part of the proposed 2019 Medicare Fee Schedule (MFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules. In comments to the agency, ACP noted that while they are supportive of the proposal to reduce documentation burden for E/M services—something that ACP has been asking CMS to address for several years—that those improvements should not be contingent on acceptance of the payment changes, and CMS should take the time to work with physicians to "get it right," rather than hastily imposing an arbitrary deadline next summer. | |
Biology news
 | New technique reveals how Zika virus interacts inside our cellsScientists have developed a new technique that can determine how viruses interact with a host's own RNA. As well as providing insight into how viruses direct the host cell to create new virus particles, this technique, published today in Nature Methods, could allow researchers to design artificial molecules capable of blocking the virus replication process and preventing the virus spreading. |
 | First interactive model of human cell divisionMitosis—how one cell divides and becomes two—is one of the fundamental processes of life. Researchers at EMBL have now produced the first interactive map of proteins that make our cells divide, allowing users to track exactly where and in which groups the proteins drive the division process forward. This first dynamic protein atlas of human cell division is published in Nature on 10 September 2018. |
 | A study of ants provides information on the evolution of social insectsOne of the great puzzles of evolutionary biology is what induced certain living creatures to abandon solitary existence in favor of living in collaborative societies, as seen in the case of ants and other social, colony-forming insects. A major characteristic of so-called eusocial species is the division of labor between queens that lay eggs and workers that take care of the brood and perform other tasks. But what is it that determines that a queen should lay eggs and that workers shouldn't reproduce? And how did this distinction come about during the course of evolution? Evolutionary biologist Dr. Romain Libbrecht has been considering these problems over the past years and in cooperation with researchers at Rockefeller University in New York City has found a completely unexpected answer: one single gene called insulin-like peptide 2 (ILP2), which is probably activated by better nutrition, stimulates the ovaries and triggers reproduction. |
 | Superbugs jumping frequently between humans and animalsMRSA staphylococcus is an example of a superbug. These bacterial strains are resistant to most antibiotics and can cause serious infections. |
 | Mechano-sensing and resistance during development of the fruitfly wingResearch about mechanical control of tissue development is published in Nature Communications this week. The article identifies the protein that regulates cell rearrangement in response to increasing tissue tension. This protein, AIP1, and its cofactor cofilin, could be involved in tissue tension-driven cell rearrangement across species, and the activity could apply to cell proliferation and death. |
 | Active participation in group-hunts earns wild chimpanzees meat accessWild chimpanzees of the Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, hunt in groups to catch monkeys. By observing group-hunts and meat sharing, an international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, found that chimpanzee hunting behavior is a cooperative act that earns participants a fair share of the prey. |
 | Jumping genes drive sex chromosome changes in strawberriesThe transfer of gene cassettes across generations of strawberry plants has been shown to drive changes in sex chromosomes, according to a team led by a researcher from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences. |
 | Aquafarmers on the front linesMany of the world's future farmers will likely be farming oceans, as aquaculture—the cultivation of fish and other aquatic species—continues its expansion as the fastest growing food sector. New research shows that in order for this next generation of farmers to thrive, there is an urgent need to prepare them for climate change. |
 | Devil in the deep blue sea a rare sightVideo footage of a rare, protected fish in water almost twice the depth it is thought to inhabit has raised questions about how marine life is responding to climate change and how much we really know about the deep ocean. |
 | Evaluation of fitness for transport of cull cows variesAssessment of whether a cull cow is fit for transport to the slaughterhouse can vary according to who is doing the assessment. This was indicated in a study carried out by researchers from Aarhus University, in which they asked farmers, livestock drivers and veterinarians to evaluate cow lameness and fitness for transport based on video sequences. |
 | Three new species of fish discovered in the extreme depths of the Pacific OceanAn exploration to one of the deepest places on earth has captured rare footage of what is believed to be three new species of the elusive Snailfish. |
 | Birds help each other partly for selfish reasonsUp to now, researchers have believed that birds stay at home and altruistically help raise younger siblings because this is the only way to pass on genes when you cannot breed yourself. But this idea is only partially true. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that birds benefit from being helpful because it also increases their chances of reproducing in the future. |
 | Evolutionary changes in the genetic code of yeastsYeasts are some of the most important microbes used in biotechnology. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the type of yeast used for making bread and beer, is just one representative of more than 1,500 yeast species found around the world. Currently, only a fraction of these yeasts has been harnessed for biotechnological applications. However, researchers studying various "non-conventional" yeast species aim to capitalize on yeast physiology and genetic features to drive biotechnology. In the future, yeasts may play a large role in developing palm oil substitutes, ethanol products, and feedstocks, for example. As discussed below, yeasts are also unique in terms of their genetic code. |
 | Global warming pushing alpine species higher and higherFor every one-degree-Celsius increase in temperature, mountaintop species shift upslope 100 metres, shrinking their inhabited area and resulting in dramatic population declines, new research by University of British Columbia zoologists has found. |
 | Startup developing software to anazlyze vast data of microbiomesA Purdue University-affiliated startup is developing an intelligent software platform aimed at helping biologists to use microbes, the microscopic organisms that live in, on and around humans, plants, animals and more to cure diseases, improve crops and make livestock healthier. |
 | Climate change conflicts are here – and 'scallop wars' are just the beginningAs the planet warms, species are moving further north to climate zones which are closer in temperature to what they originally evolved in. The oceans have absorbed most of this temperature increase, and so many marine species, including commercially fished scallops, are under particular stress to migrate northwards to cooler waters. |
Japan culls livestock after hog cholera outbreakJapan is suffering its first outbreak of pig cholera in more than 25 years, authorities said Sunday after culling more than 600 animals and suspending pork exports. | |
 | Nations lock horns as whalers, opponents meet in BrazilPro- and anti-whaling nations locked horns Monday as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) began meeting in Brazil amid outrage over Japan's proposal to end a three-decade moratorium on commercial whale hunting. |
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