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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 6, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Galactic 'wind' stifling star formation is most distant yet seenFor the first time, a powerful "wind" of molecules has been detected in a galaxy located 12 billion light-years away. Probing a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its current age, University of Texas at Austin astronomer Justin Spilker's research sheds light on how the earliest galaxies regulated the birth of stars to keep from blowing themselves apart. The research will appear in the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Science. |
 | Juno shows Jupiter's magnetic field is very different from Earth'sA team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S., including NASA and a pair from Denmark has found that Jupiter's magnetic field is quite different from Earth's. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes their study of the planet using data from the Juno spacecraft, and what they found. Chris Jones, with the University of Leeds, offers a News and Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue. |
 | Mysterious 'lunar swirls' point to moon's volcanic, magnetic pastThe mystery behind lunar swirls, one of the solar system's most beautiful optical anomalies, may finally be solved thanks to a joint Rutgers University and University of California Berkeley study. |
 | What on Earth could live in a salt water lake on Mars? An expert explainsTantalising new evidence has suggested that there may be a salty lake below a glacier on Mars. While brine at freezing temperatures does not sound like the most hospitable of environments, it is difficult to resist pondering whether organic life could survive – or even make some kind of living – there. |
 | NASA should lead a large direct imaging mission to study earth-like exoplanets, says new reportTo answer significant questions about planetary systems, such as whether our solar system is a rare phenomenon or if life exists on planets other than Earth, NASA should lead a large direct imaging mission – an advanced space telescope – capable of studying Earth-like exoplanets orbiting stars similar to the sun, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. |
 | Dense metal planets like Mercury are probably rare in the universeThe planet Mercury, the closet planet to our Sun, is something of an exercise in extremes. It's days last longer than it's years and at any given time, it's sun-facing side is scorching hot while its dark side is freezing cold. It is also one of the least understood planets in our solar system. While it is a terrestrial (i.e. rocky) planet like Earth, Venus and Mars, it has a significantly higher iron-to-rock ratio than the others. |
Technology news
 | New real-time localization and mapping tools for robotics, VR, and ARA large group of researchers at Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, and Stanford University have recently collaborated on a project exploring the application of real-time localization and mapping tools for robotics, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Their paper, published on arXiv and Proceedings of the IEEE, outlines the development of methods to evaluate simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, as well as a number of other interesting tools. |
 | Laser-powered-drones may beat endurance hurdlesHmm. Drones that can be recharged by a laser. So how long could they fly before having to land? How about "never mind"? We can look forward to seeing this idea in action. New Scientist had a story on September 3 that the US Army was making a laser-powered drone to beast endurance hurdles. |
 | Adding power choices reduces cost and risk of carbon-free electricity, study findsIn major legislation passed at the end of August, California committed to creating a 100 percent carbon-free electricity grid—once again leading other nations, states, and cities in setting aggressive policies for slashing greenhouse gas emissions. Now, a study by MIT researchers provides guidelines for cost-effective and reliable ways to build such a zero-carbon electricity system. |
 | Robat uses sound to navigate and map a novel environmentA fully autonomous bat-like terrestrial robot, named Robat, can use echolocation to move through a novel environment while mapping it solely based on sound, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology by Itamar Eliakim of Tel Aviv University, and colleagues. |
 | Taking machine thinking out of the black boxSoftware applications provide people with many kinds of automated decisions, such as identifying what an individual's credit risk is, informing a recruiter of which job candidate to hire, or determining whether someone is a threat to the public. In recent years, news headlines have warned of a future in which machines operate in the background of society, deciding the course of human lives while using untrustworthy logic. |
 | All-in-one light-driven water splittingSolar-powered water splitting is a promising means of generating clean and storable energy. A novel catalyst based on semiconductor nanoparticles has now been shown to facilitate all the reactions needed for "artificial photosynthesis." |
 | A cyborg cockroach could someday save your lifeA cockroach no bigger than a large paper clip scurries across the floor of Abhishek Dutta's lab at the University of Connecticut. |
 | Could AI robots develop prejudice on their own?Showing prejudice towards others does not require a high level of cognitive ability and could easily be exhibited by artificially intelligent machines, new research has suggested. |
 | Google AI research scientist announces Dataset SearchGoogle, from Day One, got big by getting into the business of finding information. Years later, Google is talking serious business about datasets. Google is launching a new search engine to help scientists find the datasets they need. |
 | Do you know why and how you forget passwords?Do you frequently forget passwords to a baffling array of accounts and websites? Much depends on a password's importance and how often you use it, according to a Rutgers University-New Brunswick-led study that could spur improved password technology and use. |
 | Facebook to build $1 bn Singapore data centre, first in AsiaFacebook said Thursday it will invest over $1 billion to build a data centre in Singapore, its first in Asia, powered by renewable energy and adapted to the city-state's tropical climate. |
 | Wind turbines could cover 40 percent of the current electricity consumption in GermanyWind power is an important pillar in Germany's energy policy turnaround: According to the German government, the resource should cover 65 percent of German electricity needs by 2030, along with solar, hydropower and biomass. In a recent study, Dr. Christopher Jung and Dr. Dirk Schindler from the University of Freiburg show that it will be possible to cover 40 percent of the current electricity consumption with wind energy alone by the year 2030. The prerequisite is that the operators distribute the plants optimally on the German mainland. To estimate usable wind energy, the researchers have developed a new three-dimensional model. As a basis for their calculation, they used the number of new installations in 2017. If it remains constant until 2030, Germany can reach the calculated value. The team recently published its findings in the journal Energy Conversion and Management. |
 | Shining light on dark fiber, other broadband networksOnly a couple of months after they were installed in 2016, New York City decided to cut off internet access to a series of "smart city" kiosks it built to replace old telephone booths after homeless people monopolized them with such socially unpleasant activities as watching pornography and listening to loud music. |
 | A year in, Uber CEO works to rebuild company's reputationEver since he stepped into his role as CEO a year ago, Dara Khosrowshahi has had to deal with wave after wave of major scandals and bad press, much of which he inherited from his predecessor, Travis Kalanick. |
 | Paris official seeks to outlaw Airbnb rentals in city centreThe Paris city council member in charge of housing said Thursday that he would propose outlawing home rentals via Airbnb and other websites in the city centre, accusing the company of forcing residents out of the French capital. |
 | France urges 'wake-up call' on tax for US web giantsFrench Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called Thursday for EU leaders to heed a "wake-up call" on a plan to tax US technology giants, amid signs of growing resistance to the French-led initiative. |
 | Melting glaciers have a limited impact on Swiss hydropower productionA new study quantifies the effect of glacier retreat due to global warming on hydropower production. This detailed analysis of all Swiss water resources shows that only a small percentage is provided by glacier meltwater. Consequently, the reduction of these waters predicted for the end of the 21st century poses no threat to Swiss hydropower production. |
 | MakerLab becoming a hub of 3-D printed shell implants for injured petsThese days, you can 3-D print toys, full-size skeletons, Halloween masks, art projects, mechanical parts and building blocks. You can also print tortoise shells—or, as the MakerLab at Northern Arizona University's Cline Library did recently, implants for damaged tortoise shells to help a couple of local pets survive. |
 | EU clears Apple plan to buy music app ShazamThe EU on Thursday approved US tech giant Apple's plan to buy leading song-recognition app Shazam, saying the move would not reduce choice for music streaming consumers. |
 | Coal does not have an economic future in AustraliaRenewables are stealing the march over coal in Australia, and the international outlook is for lower coal demand. Today the international Coal Transitions project released its findings, based on global coal scenarios and detailed case studies by teams in China, India, South Africa, Australia, Poland and Germany. |
 | New internet of things protocol to transform hotel experienceHotel guests could soon access their rooms and control the lighting, temperature, television and coffee maker through their mobile phones thanks to an innovative protocol for internet of things (IoT) devices developed at the University of Surrey. |
 | Toward animal-friendly robotsSemi-autonomous and autonomous machines and robots can become moral machines using annotated decision trees containing ethical assumptions or justifications for interactions with animals. |
 | US charges govt-linked North Korean in WannaCry, Sony hacksThe US charged a North Korean programmer Thursday with some of the most dramatic global hacking cases of recent years, alleging they were carried out on behalf of the regime in Pyongyang. |
 | British Airways hacked with details of 380,000 bank cards stolenBritish Airways said Thursday that the personal and financial details of customers making bookings between August 21 and September 5 were stolen in a data breach involving 380,000 bank cards. |
 | Study examines pros and cons of hydropowerHydropower can generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases but can cause environmental and social harms, such as damaged wildlife habitat, impaired water quality, impeded fish migration, reduced sediment transport, and diminished cultural and recreation benefits of rivers. A new River Research and Applications study considers these issues as they relate to a hydropower project undergoing relicensing in California. |
 | Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey keeps his cool before CongressA chill, bearded and nose-ringed Jack Dorsey appeared unflappable as he faced hours of questioning from members of Congress Wednesday on issues as wide-ranging as political bias, hate speech, school safety and election manipulation. |
 | Ford recalls 2 mn pickup trucks on fire riskFord is recalling two million pickup trucks in North America because of a defect in its seat belt system that increases the chance of a fire, the company announced Thursday. |
 | Wired Icelanders seek to keep remote peninsula digital-freeThe passenger boat arrives at the bottom of Veidileysufjordur, a short inlet with a long name, to drop off backpackers for a multi-day trek. A weather-beaten group that's completed the trip waits to board, eager to get back to a part of Iceland where they can reconnect with the world via Wi-Fi. |
 | Tencent to check IDs to enforce game limits for minorsChinese tech giant Tencent said Thursday it will launch a real-name identification system in its hit mobile video game "Honour of Kings" to enforce playtime restrictions on underage players. |
 | Uber teams up with Japan taxi firm in bid to crack tough marketUber said Thursday it has teamed up with a local taxi firm in Japan, as the ride-hailing service attempts to muscle its way into Asia's second economy. |
 | UK unveils energy price cap to help 11 mn householdsBritain's energy watchdog on Thursday proposed a temporary price cap on gas and electricity that could benefit 11 million households, notably the most vulnerable exposed to excessive cost hikes. |
 | Roles of web analytics companies in news productionToday, web analytics are increasingly used to gauge the success, present and future, of news content and related news products. Valerie Belair-Gagnon, an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Avery E. Holton, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah, conducted in-depth interviews with the suppliers of those analytics—web analytics companies—to examine how managers for analytics companies understand and position their work in relation to news production. |
 | Heat recovery in steel plants to boost competitivenessKristijan Plesnik, energy manager at the steel production SIJ Metal Ravne in Slovenia, talks to ESCI about economic threats to steel production and how these may affect EU climate targets. Kristijan is also involved in the EU-funded ETEKINA project, which looks at new innovative ways to recover waste heat in energy-intensive industries using heat pipes. During the project, SIJ Metal Ravne will adapt a new heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHE) in one of their plants in order to verify and demonstrate its impact in reducing the plant's overall energy consumption. |
 | CBS in talks on exit for accused CEO Moonves: mediaThe board of US television giant CBS is negotiating a multi-million-dollar exit for CEO Leslie Moonves, accused of sexual misconduct by at least six women, US media reported Thursday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Study shows how exercise generates new neurons, improves cognition in Alzheimer's mouseA study by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team finds that neurogenesis -inducing the production of new neurons—in the brain structure in which memories are encoded can improve cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Their investigation shows that those beneficial effects on cognition can be blocked by the hostile inflammatory environment present in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease and that physical exercise can "clean up" the environment, allowing new nerve cells to survive and thrive and improving cognition in the Alzheimer's mice. |
 | How olive oil and sleep could stave off heart attacks and strokes—new study examines plasma protein's roleFoods high in unsaturated fats may protect against cardiovascular disease, and new research published today in Nature Communications has uncovered why. |
 | Study reveals communication among organs, tissues regulating body's energyAn international research team led by the University of California, Irvine has identified a system of communication networks that exists among organs and tissues that regulate metabolism. Findings from their study provide, for the first time, a detailed "atlas" illustrating how the body creates and uses energy, and how imbalances in the networks may impact overall health. |
 | How our immune system detects broken DNAOur immune system is working every day to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and parasites, but it can also detect when our own cells are damaged. |
 | Researchers can forecast risk of deadly vascular condition from genome sequenceA new approach that distills deluges of genetic data and patient health records has identified a set of telltale patterns that can predict a person's risk for a common, and often fatal, cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
 | Human gut study questions probiotic health benefitsProbiotics are found in everything from chocolate and pickles to hand lotion and baby formula, and millions of people buy probiotic supplements to boost digestive health. But new research suggests they might not be as effective as we think. Through a series of experiments looking inside the human gut, researchers show that many people's digestive tracts prevent standard probiotics from successfully colonizing them. Furthermore, taking probiotics to counterbalance antibiotics could delay the return of normal gut bacteria and gut gene expression to their naïve state. The research publishes as two back-to-back papers on September 6 in the journal Cell. |
 | Same mutations underpin spread of cancer in individuals, study findsScientists have arrived at a key understanding about how cancers in individual patients spread, or metastasize, a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and other collaborating institutions reports. |
 | Predicting the onset and course of Huntington's diseaseAn MDC research team reports in the journal Molecular Cell that short protein fibers precede the formation of larger deposits that accumulate in the brains of those affected by the incurable Huntington's disease, sometimes called Huntington's chorea. These results could improve diagnosis and aid the search for new medications. |
 | Brainwaves synchronize to the speed of talking, influencing the way we hear wordsHave you ever found yourself finishing someone else's sentences, even though you don't really know them that well? Fortunately, the ability to predict what someone is going to say next isn't the preserve of turtle doves or those in long-term relationships. Our brain processes all kinds of information to estimate what's going to come next, and the speed at which the speaker is talking, or speech rate, plays an important role. |
 | Scientists identify weak point in deadly eye melanomaA natural plant compound exploits a newly identified Achilles' heel in a cancer of the eye, uveal melanoma. In human cancer cells growing in the lab, the compound shuts down the overactive signaling that drives uveal melanoma cell growth, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. |
 | Stray proteins cause genetic disordersThe seizures typically begin in the first months of life. It often takes years, however, before those suffering from the rare glucose transporter type 1 (Glut1) deficiency syndrome obtain a correct diagnosis. If the disorder goes untreated, affected children experience developmental delay and frequently have neurological problems. Various defects in one gene underlie the syndrome. They cause the Glut1 protein to lose its function in the cell membrane: the protein no longer transports glucose from the blood into the brain. |
 | Our brains process irony in emojis, words in the same wayThat winky-face emoji that you use at the end of a text isn't just a fun picture added to your sentence. It can convey linguistic meaning that changes the interpretation of the sentence, a new study finds. |
 | Single-dose drug can shorten flu symptoms by about a day, studies suggestA single dose of a new influenza drug can shorten the duration of the illness in teens and adults, according to a study published today in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Stress wracks worm nerves, leaving lasting memoriesScientists stunted the puberty of male worms by starving them before they underwent sexual maturation. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, the scientists suggested that stress from starvation even days before sexual maturation prevented normal changes in the wiring patterns of key neuronal circuits, which caused adult male worms to act immature. |
 | Novel epigenetic control found for critical brain proteins in memory strengtheningUnderstanding how memories form and are retrieved has applications to psychiatric, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, and may be helpful to attenuate maladaptive memories in psychiatric disorders. |
 | Scientists test new cancer vaccine against melanomaAn experimental cancer vaccine that boosts the immune system's ability to fight cancers could work in tandem with other cancer therapies to fight aggressive tumors, scientists reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
 | Study does not support widespread use of statins in healthy older people to prevent heart diseaseStatins are not associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels) or death in healthy people aged over 75, finds a study published by The BMJ today. |
Common anti-smoking treatment makes no difference in shisha tobacco addictionResearchers at the University of York has shown that a drug commonly used to help smokers overcome addiction to cigarettes does not have the same effect in shisha smokers. | |
 | Conditional release programs often work for criminally insaneAfter being found not guilty by reason of insanity, it's not typically a crime—rather declining mental health or breaking rules of conditional release like not drinking alcohol—that puts people back in a psychiatric hospital or even jail, researchers say. |
 | Volatile combination of issues puts junior doctors at high risk of burnoutPressure to perform, lack of support from senior colleagues and inadequate self-care are a volatile combination of factors increasing the risk of burnout and mental health issues among junior doctors. |
 | New biomarker panel could accelerate autism diagnosesInvestigators at the UC Davis MIND Institute and NeuroPointDX, a division of Stemina Biomarker Discovery, have identified a group of blood metabolites that could help detect some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Part of the Children's Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP), the largest metabolomic ASD study ever attempted, these findings are a key step toward developing an ASD biomarker test. The research was published September 6 in the journal Biological Psychiatry. |
Facial plastic surgeons call for reduction of opioid prescriptions after rhinoplastyA team of surgeons at Massachusetts Eye and Ear found that, of 173 patients undergoing rhinoplasty, a common procedure performed in the facial plastic and reconstructive surgery field, only two refilled their opioid prescriptions after the procedure—with some patients not filling their initial opioid prescription at all. Published online today in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, these results suggest that patients experienced less pain than expected, and that the optimal number of opioid tablets to manage postoperative rhinoplasty pain may be lower than expected. | |
 | Visceral leishmaniasis on the rise in Brazil, study findsThe parasitic disease leishmaniasis is spread to humans through the bites of sandflies, and is endemic in a number of countries, including Brazil. Despite control efforts, the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis—the most severe form of the disease—rose in Brazil between 1990 and 2016, researchers have reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. |
Sleepiness common among black women, may be linked to high blood pressurePoor sleep habits may be related to low levels of physical activity, high blood pressure and obesity among black women, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions, an annual conference focused on recent advances in hypertension research. | |
 | Children with food insecurity at risk for high blood pressureKids with food insecurity, meaning they lack good access to nutritional foods, were more likely to have high blood pressure than kids with secure access to food, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions. |
 | Complete make-over in fight of multidrug-resistant tuberculosisSeveral new medicines have been found to be more effective than traditional ones used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), according to a new international collaborative study led by Dr. Dick Menzies, senior scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal. These findings precipitated a complete overhaul of worldwide TB treatment guidelines, with the results of this work published today in the British medical journal The Lancet. |
 | The paradox of 'suicide in happy places' seems not to existSeveral years ago, a research paper made headlines by finding that the happiest states in the United States also had the highest suicide rates. |
 | Drug shows promise in slowing multiple sclerosisResearch appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine could herald a new treatment approach for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) if confirmed in future studies. The results of a clinical trial, which involved researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), showed that the drug ibudilast slowed the brain shrinkage associated with progressive forms of the disease. |
 | A new theory for phantom limb pain points the way to more effective treatmentDr. Max Ortiz Catalan of Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has developed a new theory for the origin of the mysterious phenomenon of phantom limb pain. Published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, his hypothesis builds upon his previous work on a revolutionary treatment for the condition, which uses machine learning and augmented reality. |
 | Tetris-like program could speed breast cancer detectionResearchers from the University of Adelaide's Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) are developing a fully automated medical image analysis program to detect breast tumours. The program uses a unique style to focus on the affected area. |
 | Researchers harness virtual reality, motion capture to study neurological disordersNeuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have a powerful new state-of-the-art tool at their disposal to study diseases like Autism, Alzheimer's, and traumatic brain injury. The Mobile Brain/Body Imaging system, or MoBI, combines virtual reality, brain monitoring, and Hollywood-inspired motion capture technology, enabling researchers to study the movement difficulties that often accompany neurological disorders and why our brains sometimes struggle while multitasking. |
 | Time to leave leftovers at the tableIf you're hoping to lose weight by just eating half of what's on your plate and saving the rest for later, you could be waiting a while. |
 | Potential for less smoking with new tobacco retailer restrictions, research showsChanging the way tobacco is sold is a crucial step in achieving the Government's 2025 smokefree goal, new University of Otago research suggests. |
 | Metabolism-focused startup aims to shorten time between scientific insight and therapiesOne of the major challenges in modern medicine is the length of time required to turn new scientific insights into treatments that help patients. Now, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is launching an innovative startup company to speed up that process, with an emphasis on metabolism research and related therapies. |
 | Is medicine ready for artificial intelligence?Artificial intelligence can help make medicine more efficient and safer. China is a forerunner in this field; we must not miss the boat, says Walter Karlen. |
 | Daily use of marijuana among non-college young adults at all-time highThe National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced that the latest Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey results on substance use trends as teens transition to adulthood are now available online, comparing substance use patterns of full-time college students to their non-college peers. Most notably, more than 13 percent of young adults not in college report daily, or near daily, marijuana use; alcohol use is more common among college students; some opioid use is declining in both groups; and the most sizeable difference is the higher rate of cigarette smoking in the non-college group. |
 | Brief sleep intervention works long-term to prevent child obesityWhen it comes to obesity prevention, sleep is not usually something that springs to mind, but a University of Otago research team has found we should not underestimate its importance. |
 | Scientists develop new way to identify telltale markers for breast cancer tumorsA research team led by USC scientists has developed a new way to identify molecular markers of breast cancer tumors, a potentially life-saving breakthrough that could lead to better treatment for millions of women. |
 | Patient beware: Researchers diagnose crowdsourced hospital ratingsConsumers can go to Google, Yelp and Facebook for crowdsourced insight about the experiences they'll have at a hospital, but they shouldn't expect foolproof guidance on the quality of care they will receive, according to new Indiana University research. |
 | A simple blood test provides personalised therapy for cancer patientsResearchers have developed a simple blood test that can select cancer patients where therapies that use the body's own immune system (immunotherapies) are more likely to be effective. |
We need to talk about sexuality after strokeStroke survivors and their partners are not adequately supported to deal with changes to their relationships, self-identity, gender roles and intimacy following stroke, according to new research from the University of Sydney. | |
 | Climate change will increase deaths by suicideExtreme heat has gripped the northern hemisphere in recent months, and the year 2018 is on track to be among the hottest ever recorded. Higher global temperatures are expected to have detrimental effects on our natural environments and our physical health, but what will they do to our mental health? |
 | 50 shades whiter: What you should know about teeth whiteningThe effect of teeth whitening was discovered quite by accident. In the past, dentists tried to treat gum disease with mouth rinses containing hydrogen peroxide. They noticed teeth became whiter over time following use of these mouthwashes. |
 | Social media, social problemsScott Caplan is a big fan of face time. |
 | Studies uncover flaws in youth sports concussion lawsAll 50 states have passed a youth sports concussion law to help athletes and parents. But two new studies from the University of Minnesota suggest these laws are not giving athletes and parents the information they need to make informed decisions. |
 | How to tell if someone likes youMysteries around what behaviours signal attraction and answers to one of life's more pressing questions—are they into me?—are slightly clearer thanks to a new study by a University of Alberta researcher. |
 | Marijuana use continues to grow among baby boomersMarijuana use is becoming more prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, with 9 percent of adults aged 50-64 and nearly 3 percent of adults 65 and older reporting marijuana use in the past year, according to a study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine and the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. |
Sleep apnea found to be prevalent, undiagnosed in African-American communitySleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and other chronic health disorders. About 80 to 90 percent of individuals with sleep apnea are undiagnosed and a large number of them are African-Americans. | |
 | How attention orchestrates groups of nerve cells to enrich the brain's symphonySilence in the concert hall. The conductor raises the baton and the strings begin. They play the first four bars of Mozart's "A Little Night Music". All together they play a single melody, which is probably one of the best known in the music world. Then the voices divide. Different string instruments play separate melodies and the "Little Night Music" thus becomes a complex work of art. Scientists from the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen and Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences in Tehran, Iran, recently discovered in a study with rhesus monkeys that nerve cells assume the role of musicians in visual perception in our brain. Usually many cells are active together (synchronously) when they process simple stimuli from our environment. The researchers were able to show that visual attention desynchronizes these nerve cells' activity and thus enables more complex information processing. Such insights into the neural mechanisms of attention in the healthy state may provide evidence of mechanisms underlying neuronal diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism BMC Biology. |
 | Brain function impacts how experiences contribute to depressionA study in adolescent girls reports that recent life events impact depressive symptoms differently, depending on how the brain responds to winning and losing. A strong brain response to winning boosted the beneficial impact of positive experiences on symptoms, whereas a strong response to losing enhanced the detrimental impact of negative experiences on symptoms. |
 | When is a colonoscopy necessary?A recent study found around 30% of all procedures performed in a New South Wales hospital were either unhelpful or harmful. Some of these, which included performing a colonoscopy for constipation, were becoming more prevalent. |
 | Penicillin was discovered 90 years ago – and despite resistance, the future looks good for antibioticsWhen the NHS turned 70 this year, I was reminded of another anniversary which has had an enormous impact on health care over many years. Penicillin is 90 this year. |
 | Walking: Still the starting line for fitness(HealthDay)—Being physically active is one of the most important steps people of all ages can take to improve their health. |
 | Recent increase in contraception use noted among U.S. teenagers(HealthDay)—Among U.S. adolescents, there were increases in contraceptive use from 2007 to 2014, including dual-method use and long-acting reversible contraception, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. |
 | Spreading the word: Noninvasive brain stimulation may soon reach more aphasia patientsSometimes in research, a smaller finding can open the door to big possibilities. |
 | Past memory cues help people juggle numerous pieces of informationMany everyday tasks require people to represent and combine information from multiple sources. For example, when a person checks the rearview mirror while driving it is important that they maintain information about how far they are from the car in front of them. This information is stored in working memory, a limited-capacity system that allows humans to represent relevant information over short intervals. Information stored in working memory can be assigned different levels of importance. For instance, heavy traffic requires a person to maintain accurate representations of how far they are from other cars on the road. In addition, the relative importance of different sources of information might change at a moment's notice, like if a car suddenly cuts a person off or if they hear a horn. |
 | Longer daily fasting times improve health and longevity in miceIncreasing time between meals made male mice healthier overall and live longer compared to mice who ate more frequently, according to a new study published in the Sept. 6, 2018 issue of Cell Metabolism. Scientists from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reported that health and longevity improved with increased fasting time, regardless of what the mice ate or how many calories they consumed. |
 | New insights into what drives organ transplant rejectionWhen it comes to transplant rejection, some organs are far trickier than others. Some transplantable organs, such as the liver, are readily accepted by the recipient's immune system, rarely triggering an immune response and rejection. But the skin is a very different matter: Skin grafts have a high rate of rejection for unknown reasons. |
 | Short chromosome tips linked to lower physical function in the elderlyElderly people with short chromosome caps, or telomeres, are more likely to have difficulty performing daily activities such as carrying groceries, climbing stairs and walking, finds a new study of more than 1,200 people from five European countries. Published in Frontiers in Physiology, the finding holds true regardless of geographical location, age, sex or weight—suggesting that short telomeres are an independent risk factor for age-related functional decline. The study opens the possibility that efforts to slow telomere shortening may have a positive effect on physical ability in old age. |
 | How to 'jumpstart' rhythmic breathing at birthThe common expression, 'As easy as breathing,' is truly misleading. Breathing, as it is performed by higher vertebrates, is a complex biological function involving many types of neurons. It requires chemosensory neurons to sense oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood and motor neurons to control muscle movement. It also needs specialized neurons to establish correct breathing rhythms at birth and subsequently maintain it throughout life. The mechanism by which actions of these diverse groups of neurons are finely orchestrated to produce precise breathing rhythms has remained a mystery. |
 | Study finds high rates of stress events, suicidality among college studentsFor college-bound students and their families, the start of the school year can be a time of excitement and optimism, but a new study brings to light that the college years are also a time of increased risk of stressful events and a wide range of accompanying mental health challenges, including risk of suicide. Published online today in Depression & Anxiety, a study of more than 67,000 college students from across more than 100 institutions has found that while racial/ethnic, sexual or gender minorities are especially vulnerable, high rates for stress events, mental health diagnoses and the risk of suicide or suicidal thoughts were reported among all students surveyed. |
 | Total ankle arthroplasty offers patients greater range of motion and less painSurgical reconstruction is a life changer for people with end-stage ankle arthritis, a painful condition that limits patients' abilities to go up and down stairs, get out of a car and even walk. Now researchers from The Rothman Orthopedic Institute at Jefferson Health demonstrate that surgical reconstruction boosts patients' range of motion by more than 60 percent and that translates to significantly less pain and better function completing everyday activities with improvement continuing for at least the first two years following surgery. |
 | Blocking glycogen, a key energy source, could slow or prevent ovarian cancer spreadIn nearly 80 percent of women with ovarian cancer, the disease has already spread to the omentum before it was diagnosed. Within the omentum—a large, energy-dense fat pad that covers the intestines—the cancer grows even faster. |
 | Perinatal mortality rates remain unchanged from 2014 to 2016(HealthDay)—Rates of perinatal mortality remained unchanged from 2014 to 2016, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. |
 | Gaps in prevention, management of tickborne diseases identified(HealthDay)—Though the incidence of tickborne infections in the United States has risen significantly within the past decade, prevention and management are hampered by inadequate diagnostics as well as a lack of treatment options and vaccines, according to a perspective article published in the Aug. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Publication characteristics tied to treatment effects(HealthDay)—Published trials have larger treatment effects than unpublished trials, while trials published in a language other than English have larger treatment effects versus those published in English, according to research published online Aug. 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Increase observed in hearts from drug-intoxicated donors(HealthDay)—Heart transplants using drug-intoxicated donors have significantly increased, but their use does not seem to adversely impact post-transplant survival, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Transplantation. |
| Synthetic DNA vaccine effective against influenza A virus subtypeCurrently available vaccines for the prevention of seasonal influenza virus infection have limited ability to induce immunity against diverse H3N2 viruses, an influenza A subtype that has led to high morbidity and mortality in recent years. |
Gender identities disrupted—and reinforcedNew Northwestern University research analyzing the ways children's gender narratives reinforce or disrupt gender inequality found that older children—and girls—are more likely to tell alternative narratives that disrupted the gender status quo. | |
 | Excessive daytime sleepiness linked with brain protein involved in Alzheimer's diseaseAnalysis of data captured during a long-term study of aging adults shows that those who report being very sleepy during the day were nearly three times more likely than those who didn't to have brain deposits of beta amyloid, a protein that's a hallmark for Alzheimer's disease, years later. |
A first step toward cracking the genetics of strabismusStrabismus is a common condition in which the eyes do not align properly, turning inward, outward, upward or downward. Two to four percent of children have some form of it. Some cases can be treated with glasses or eye patching; other cases require eye muscle surgery. But the treatments don't address the root causes of strabismus, which experts believe is neurologic. | |
 | Obese/overweight pregnant women can safely control weight gain through diet and exerciseMany overweight and obese women gain too much weight during pregnancy, further ratcheting up their already-increased risk of serious complications for themselves and their babies. |
 | Building a better brain-in-a-dish, faster and cheaperWriting in the current online issue of the journal Stem Cells and Development, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine describe development of a rapid, cost-effective method to create human cortical organoids directly from primary cells. |
Researchers correlate spinal muscular atrophy disease expression with haplotypesA natural history study has provided the first comprehensive clinical description of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) within the Amish and Mennonite communities and correlates ancestral chromosome 5 haplotypes and SMN2 copy number with disease severity. SMA is a devastating genetic disease that affects the motor neurons that control movement, eating, and breathing. It represents the leading genetic cause of infant death worldwide, with an incidence of approximately 1 per 10,000 newborns worldwide and as many as 1 per 2,800 babies of Mennonite descent. The observations were conducted within a population-specific framework to elucidate subtle differences in disease expression and the subsequent impact of disease-modifying therapies administered early in life. Forty-two Mennonite and fourteen Amish patients with SMA were included in the study by practitioners and researchers at theClinic for Special Children in Strasburg, PA. The study is published online today in PLOS ONE. | |
 | Bee venom may help treat eczemaBee venom and its major component, melittin, may be effective treatments for atopic dermatitis (or eczema), according to a British Journal of Pharmacology study. |
Unnecessary medicine use in patients with lung cancer at the end of lifeIndividuals with advanced lung cancer often have other comorbid conditions, and many may be on complex, costly, and even inappropriate medication regimens. A new British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study examined the extent to which such patients are prescribed medications with questionable benefit. | |
 | Would global warming increase childhood viral infection rates?Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood viral infection that is most common in warmer summer months. A new International Journal of Dermatology review of published studies reveals a positive relationship between HFMD and temperature and humidity. No significant relationship was identified between HFMD and precipitation, wind speed, and/or sunshine. |
 | Smoking linked to higher dementia riskIn an Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology analysis of nationwide health claims from Korea, men who smoked had an elevated risk of dementia. |
 | Study uncovers link between better sleep quality and a healthy dietSleep quality, but not sleep duration, was positively associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a Geriatrics & Gerontology International study of 1639 adults >65 years old. |
 | Greener neighborhoods may be good for children's brainsChildren living in urban greener neighborhoods may have better spatial working memory, according to a British Journal of Educational Psychology study. Spatial working memory is responsible for recording information about one's environment and spatial orientation, and it is strongly inter-related with attentional control. |
 | What are the effects of alcohol access on risky behaviors in young adults?Results from a recent analysis reveal that the availability of alcohol associated with turning 21 years old may have relatively large effects on risky behaviors, especially in men. The findings are published in Contemporary Economic Policy. |
 | New evidence to support the importance of psychosocial factors in determining type 2 diabetes riskThe research findings 'Understanding the complexity of glycaemic health – Systematic bio-psychosocial modelling of fasting glucose in middle-age adults; a DynaHEALTH study' have recently been published in the International Journal of Obesity. |
US housing subsidy may improve adolescent girls' binge drinking but worsen boys'A housing subsidy treatment that enables low-income families in US cities to move from public to private housing appears to reduce adolescent girls' binge drinking but increase adolescent boys' binge drinking. The reasons for these differential gender effects are not yet clear. | |
 | New radiation technology raises a stirNothing less than a breakthrough. That's how researchers at UMC Utrecht see their MRI device with built-in irradiation. With this device, doctors can irradiate the tumour more accurately, because they can map the tumour tissue live on the MRI scans. After a development period of twenty years, the first cancer patients successfully finished a complete radiation programme. |
Telehealth helps promote safe antibiotic prescribing practices in remote healthcareA pilot project at two rural VA medical centers demonstrated that telehealth videoconferencing promoted antibiotic stewardship efforts by linking remote facilities to infectious diseases-trained professionals, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Antibiotic stewardship helps promote safe prescribing practices to prevent adverse medication events and reduce antibiotic resistance. | |
 | International neurointerventional societies outline new criteria for facilities that treat strokeThe Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) today joined 12 other neurointerventional societies to release new guidelines outlining the criteria for Level 1, 2 and 3 stroke centers that provide acute ischemic stroke interventions (AISIs) to stroke patients. The standards are published in the September issue of the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. |
Biomarker tests in breast cancer: New study data indicate advantage for certain patientsThe German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) reinvestigated the benefit of biomarker tests to support the decision for or against adjuvant systemic chemotherapy in certain breast cancer patients, that is, women with primary hormone receptor-positive, HER2/neu-negative breast cancer and 0 to 3 affected lymph nodes. | |
 | Understanding family involvement in Chinese immigrant women's health and healthcareChinese immigrant women from Chicago's Chinatown report that their adult children support their health and healthcare utilization by helping them overcome barriers related to language and transportation, making and affirming decisions, and providing advice regarding nutrition. However, the women expressed concerns about burdening their children and preferred to limit their involvement in health-related matters. Beliefs about filial piety also informed the women's attitudes regarding their children's involvement in their health and healthcare. The women's expectations of their spouse's involvement in their healthcare were low and may be constrained by their preferences to avoid family conflict, as reported in an article published in Health Equity. |
 | Rapid weight gain during infancy possible risk factor for later obesity in kids with autismChildhood obesity is a serious public health concern that can have a profound impact on children's health and well-being. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more likely to have obesity compared to their peers with typical development, data show. Until recently, little has been known about why children with ASD are at increased risk for developing obesity. |
 | Ebola death toll rises to 88 in DR CongoThe death toll from an outbreak of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 88, the health ministry said Thursday, as the virus spread to the city of Butembo, an important commercial hub of one million people. |
 | California's large minority population drives state's relatively low death rateHigh poverty rates, low education and lack of insurance are all social determinants that are expected to lead to high mortality rates and negative health outcomes. Despite a 62 percent minority population with these characteristics in California, the state's health profile was significantly better than the nation's as a whole. This profile was largely driven by the state's minority population. California's death rate from all causes in 2016 was 619.1 per 100,000 population, compared with the nation's 729.9. Broken down by racial/ethnic group, death rates were 686.4 for non-Hispanic whites, 514.4 for Latinos, 807.6 for African-Americans, 394.5 for Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 380.2 for American Indian/Alaska Natives. |
Biology news
 | Study reveals big game animals must learn to migrate and pass knowledge across generationsA team of scientists at the University of Wyoming has provided the first empirical evidence that ungulates (hooved mammals) must learn where and when to migrate, and that they maintain their seasonal migrations by passing cultural knowledge across generations. |
 | Bird bacteria study reveals evolutionary arms raceA study of a songbird and a bacterium that infects it has revealed how species in conflict evolve in response to each other. |
 | Researchers study how a hormone helps plants build leaves' ventilation systemAs the world heats up, plants face a dilemma—the same tiny holes they have to open to exchange gases also let out water. They can close the holes, called stomata, to stay hydrated in hotter, drier conditions but, in doing so, may miss out on critical carbon dioxide. |
 | Adaptable lizards illustrate key evolutionary process proposed a century agoSide-blotched lizards in most of the Mojave Desert have tan and brown markings that blend in well with their desert surroundings. On the Pisgah Lava Flow, however, one finds a very different population of side-blotched lizards, as black as the rocks they live on. |
 | Unravelling the reasons why mass extinctions occurScientists from the University of Leicester have shed new light on why mass extinctions have occurred through history—and how this knowledge could help in predicting upcoming ecological catastrophes. |
 | Cassava with improved starchUsing the famous CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors, plant biotechnologists at ETH Zurich have been able to improve cassava. The new variety has amylose-free or 'waxy' starch, which is preferred by industry. |
 | Nitrogen fixation engineering in cereal crops moves a step closerA new way of engineering nitrogen fixation has been discovered by a UK-China research team, bringing us one step closer to realising the goal of engineering a range of crops to fix their own nitrogen. |
 | Research identifies properties of stem cells that determine cell fateResearchers from the University of California, Irvine have identified intrinsic cell properties that influence the fate of neural stem cells, affecting what type of brain cell they will form: neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. This discovery could give scientists a new way to predict or control the fate of stem cells, improving their use in transplantation therapies. |
 | Common pesticide inhibits brain development in frogsNew research published in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry reveals that low doses of a commonly used pesticide potentially harm the Northern Leopard frog by inhibiting their brain development. |
 | Bees coordinate strategy for defending colony, study revealsThe Brazilian stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula (jataí in Portuguese) deploys a different strategy for defending its nests from other social insect species. In addition to posting sentinels at the nest entrance, as do most social insects, colonies of this species also have guards that hover near the entrance at all times. |
 | Elucidating the Chara genome: Implications for emergence of land plants in Paleozoic eraCharophyceae, relatives of land plants, have genomes that present important information to understand how land plants evolved from their ancestors in the Paleozoic era. Here, we report the draft genome of Chara braunii from Charophyceae, and its comparison to land plants, Klebsormidium nitens, and other green algae. The comparison revealed acquisition of genes before and after the divergence of Charophyceae in the lineage leading to land plants, as well within Charophyceae. |
 | Oral traditions show that early Māori recognised extinctionMuseums throughout Aotearoa New Zealand feature displays of enormous articulated skeletons and giant eggs. The eggs are bigger than two hands put together. This is all that remains of the moa. |
 | Defining a pan-genome for Antarctic archaeaHaloarchaea flourish in hypersaline environments, and researchers are interested in learning how these microbes have learned to adapt from marine to hypersaline conditions by studying the microbial communities in Antarctic lakes, some of which have salinities 10 times that of seawater. To shed light on the global biogeography in the haloarchaeal gene pool, a team led by University of New South Wales (UNSW)-Sydney professor Rick Cavicchioli compared two strains of haloarchaea from different Antarctic lakes. To assess the genomic variation in haloarchaea, they also characterized metagenomes (collections of partial genomes) from six hypersaline Antarctic lakes. |
 | Why leaf-eating Asian monkeys do not have a sweet toothAsian colobine monkeys are unable to taste natural sugars, and in fact have a generally poor sense of taste. This is according to research led by Emiko Nishi of the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University in Japan. Nishi and her colleagues found that the receptors on the tongues of colobine monkeys do not function in the same way as for fruit-eating monkeys, who are sensitive to sweet tastes. The study is published in the Springer Nature branded journal Primates, which is the official journal of the Japan Monkey Centre. |
 | Japan's whale kill 'frustrating' – marine researcherAs Japan comes under fire from international conservation groups alleging more than 50 minke whales were killed inside Antarctic's Ross Sea Marine Protected Area, New Zealand scientists say important research on whale populations is being undertaken without the need to hunt. |
 | Study reveals impact of habitat fragmentation on migrant birdsExperts at the University of Stirling have shed new light on the impact of habitat fragmentation on migrant birds. |
 | Crop-eating pest could hit Africa food supplies: expertsUnpredictable weather patterns and the spread of crop-destroying fall armyworm caterpillars could lead to "no food at all" for communities across Africa, experts have warned. |
 | Birds retreating from climate change, deforestation in Honduras cloud forestsThe cloud forests of Honduras can seem like an otherworldly place, where the trees are thick with life that takes in water straight from the air around it, and the soundscape is littered with the calls of animals singing back and forth. |
 | Protecting rice plants by exploiting their natural defencesAn analysis of the chemical signals sent out by rice plants under attack by the brown planthopper could help in natural control of this insect pest. |
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