Dear Reader ,
New Multiphysics Simulation Magazine Now Available >> https://goo.gl/id67co
Explore how engineers in different industries around the world are using multiphysics simulation to innovate in this free eBook.
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 12, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | New accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar discoveredUsing NuSTAR spacecraft and NICER instrument, an international team of astronomers has found a new accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar. The newly discovered object, designated IGR J17591−2342, is the newest addition to a still short list of known accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars. The finding is reported in a paper published August 30 on the arXiv pre-print server. |
 | Astronomers witness birth of new star from stellar explosionThe explosions of stars, known as supernovae, can be so bright they outshine their host galaxies. They take months or years to fade away, and sometimes, the gaseous remains of the explosion slam into hydrogen-rich gas and temporarily get bright again—but could they remain luminous without any outside interference? |
 | Moon rock hunter closes in on tracking down missing stonesA strange thing happened after Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew returned from the moon with lunar rocks: Many of the mementos given to every U.S. state vanished. Now, after years of sleuthing, a former NASA investigator is closing in on his goal of locating the whereabouts of all 50. |
 | Champagne in space: Zero-G bottle lets tourists drink bubblyFuture space tourists may be able to toast the view from orbit with fine champagne, after designers came up with a high-tech bottle made for knocking back bubbly in zero gravity. |
 | A galactic gem: FORS2 instrument captures stunning details of spiral galaxy NGC 3981This wonderful image shows the resplendent spiral galaxy NGC 3981 suspended in the inky blackness of space. This galaxy, which lies in the constellation of Crater (the Cup), was imaged in May 2018 using the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph 2 - FORS2) instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope - VLT). |
 | Astronomers probe 'outstanding mystery' of how galaxies stop building starsGalaxies like our own Milky Way are factories that use gravity to fashion new stars out of molecular hydrogen gas. |
 | Water in small dust grains can explain large amounts of water on EarthWater trapped in dust grains from which the Earth formed can explain the current large amount of water on Earth. |
 | Exploring the solar system? You may need to pack an umbrellaGearing up for its first flight test, NASA's Adaptable Deployable Entry Placement Technology, or ADEPT, is no ordinary umbrella. ADEPT is a foldable device that opens to make a round, rigid heat shield, called an aeroshell. This game-changing technology could squeeze a heat shield into a rocket with a diameter larger than the rocket itself. The design may someday deliver much larger payloads to planetary surfaces than is currently possible. |
Russia denies suspecting US astronauts of drilling hole on space stationRussia on Wednesday reacted angrily to a report that it suspects US astronauts of deliberately drilling a hole on the International Space Station, one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between the countries. | |
Technology news
 | An intuitive physics model to predict the effects of a collisionHumans have the innate ability to predict the effect of collisions, merely using their common sense. In many cases, humans can even predict the results of similar collisions in situations in which mass, friction, or other factors vary. Could machines also attain a similar capability? |
 | Move over, drones. Impossible reaches possible with its flying batteryEndurance, endurance. As the drone market potential faces a hurdle in how it can respond to expectations of getting tasks done versus time in the air before needing to recharge, a newbie drone solution appears in the name of US-1 from California-based Impossible Aerospace, capable of flying 90 minutes to two hours on a single charge |
 | Barriers and opportunities in renewable biofuels productionResearchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have identified two main challenges for renewable biofuel production from cheap sources: First, lowering the cost of developing microbial cell factories, and second, establishing more efficient methods for hydrolysis of biomass to sugars for fermentation. Their study was recently published in the journal Nature Energy. |
 | From music to news, EU moves to protect online copyrightThe European Union wants to shake up the way internet companies handle media, e-books, digital music, news articles and other content posted online by better protecting the rights of the authors and creators. |
 | Artificial intelligence system uses transparent, human-like reasoning to solve problemsA child is presented with a picture of various shapes and is asked to find the big red circle. To come to the answer, she goes through a few steps of reasoning: First, find all the big things; next, find the big things that are red; and finally, pick out the big red thing that's a circle. |
 | String art created by a robotString art is a technique for the creation of visual artwork where images emerge from a set of strings that are spanned between pins. Now, at TU Vienna this work can be delegated to a robot—an example of a complex task that digital fabrication can solve. |
 | Sensors that are literally 'music to one's ears'Researchers have found a new use for a 3,000-year-old African musical instrument: detecting toxic substances and counterfeit medications. The sensor, based on the mbira (pronounced "em-bir'-uh") is inexpensive and easy to operate, allowing its use in developing regions, the researchers say. They report their results in ACS Omega. |
 | Enabling 'internet of photonic things' with miniature sensorsA team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis is the first to successfully record environmental data using a wireless photonic sensor resonator with a whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) architecture. |
 | Wearable ultrasound patch monitors blood pressure deep inside bodyA new wearable ultrasound patch that non-invasively monitors blood pressure in arteries deep beneath the skin could help people detect cardiovascular problems earlier on and with greater precision. In tests, the patch performed as well as some clinical methods to measure blood pressure. |
 | US to take longer to mull Sprint merger with T-MobileThe US Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday told Sprint and T-Mobile it will take more time than first expected to review a proposed merger of the telecommunications firms. |
 | Apple to broaden iPhone lineup with more screenApple on Wednesday was expected to unveil new iPhones, playing up eye-grabbing edge-to-edge screens in a bid to strengthen its position in a largely saturated global smartphone market. |
 | Vote on EU online copyright reform splits usual alliesThe European Parliament votes Wednesday on a highly complex online copyright law that has split natural political bedfellows and pitted music and news companies against Google and Facebook. |
 | Snapshots of the future: Tool learns to predict user's gaze in headcam footageThe miniaturization of video cameras has led to an explosion in their use, including their incorporation into a range of portable devices such as headcams, used in scenarios ranging from sporting events to armed combat. To analyze tasks performed in view of such devices and provide real-time guidance to individuals using them, it would be helpful to characterize where the user is actually focusing within footage at each moment in time, but the tools available to predict this are still limited. |
 | AI-based research toward autonomous robots and dronesWhat if a parent could feel safe allowing a drone to walk their child to the bus stop? |
 | Social media have 1 hour to remove terror propaganda: EU billThe European Union on Wednesday proposed steps to force social networks and websites to remove terrorist propaganda within an hour of receiving the order from authorities, or companies like Facebook and Twitter could face massive fines. |
 | Wind farm performance-prediction and optimization spotlightThe U.S. wind industry is growing—up nearly 9 percent in 2017 as developers added enough capacity to power 27 million American homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association. |
 | Why it's so hard to reach an international agreement on killer robotsFor several years, civil society groups have been calling for a ban on what they call "killer robots". Scores of technologists have lent their voice to the cause. Some two dozen governments now support a ban and several others would like to see some kind of international regulation. |
 | Whacking the mole: how Australia scrambles to regulate Chinese technologyDid you ever go to your local show as a child? Remember that infuriating game where to win you had to hit every mole which popped its head out of a hole? I imagine Australia's government feels like it's playing whack-a-mole in regulating Chinese information and communications technology right now. |
 | Are ride-hailing platforms keeping their drivers honest?The rise of digital ride-hailing company Uber and its clashes with traditional taxi services is often cited as one of the classic stories of digital disruption, but is the platform also helping keep passengers from getting ripped off? |
 | How machine learning can break down language and trade barriersSteep tariffs, challenging geography, government subsidies, and restrictive quotas come to mind when we think about the barriers to international trade. But there are lots of different languages in the world, and translation problems can slow things down, too. |
 | California aims to become carbon-free by 2045—Is that feasible?California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a new law mandating that the electricity the state consumes not cause carbon emissions by 2045. |
 | Mastercard tries to erase borders for smaller businessesMastercard rolled out a digital trade platform Wednesday designed to make it easier for companies to do business around the world. |
 | Airbnb hits back at Paris ban threatRent-a-room giant Airbnb on Wednesday accused the Paris official seeking to ban the service in the city of electioneering and insisted it enjoys widespread support in the French capital. |
 | France to run driverless mainline trains within five yearsFrench railway operator SNCF said Wednesday it was planning to introduce prototypes of driverless mainline trains for passengers and freight by 2023, and include them in scheduled services in subsequent years. |
 | Apple unveils new premium iPhone XS, health features for watch (Update)Apple on Wednesday unveiled updated versions of its priciest iPhones along with a new smartwatch that allows users to take their own electrocardiograms, as the US tech giant looks to boost its momentum in a sputtering market. |
Amazon's business-to-business unit turns into a $10 billion businessAmazon.com is having some luck getting buyers of corporate office supplies to shop like teenagers armed with their parents' credit card. | |
 | Amazon has patented a system that would put workers in a cage, on top of a robotA patent Amazon has received would pair humans and machines. In this case, the humans would be in a cage. |
Bose launches sleepbuds based on tech from EvoNexus startupIn June, Bose launched a new line of noise-canceling smart earbuds based on technology it discovered at the EvoNexus startup incubator in San Diego. | |
 | New research can identify extremists online, even before they post dangerous contentNew research has found a way to identify extremists, such as those associated with the terrorist group ISIS, by monitoring their social media accounts, and can identify them even before they post threatening content. |
 | Bigger, pricier iPhone shown at Apple event WednesdayApple unveiled three new iPhones on Wednesday, including its biggest and most expensive model yet, as the company seeks to widen the product's appeal amid slowing sales. |
 | Updated Apple system takes on smartphone addictionApple's polished iPhone line-up comes with tools to help users dial back their smartphone obsessions, amid growing concerns over "addiction" and harmful effects on children. |
 | 'Googley' does not mean 'young,' Google claims in age-bias lawsuitGooglers are supposed to be Googley, but what exactly that means has become a key point of contention as the tech giant seeks to gut an age-discrimination lawsuit against the company. |
Panel endorses bills for online sales tax special sessionSouth Dakota would start collecting sales taxes from many out-of-state internet retailers this fall under a bill the Legislature's budget-writing committee endorsed Tuesday ahead of this week's special legislative session to implement a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the changes. | |
 | German strike plunges Ryanair into fresh turmoilGerman pilots and cabin crew for budget Irish carrier Ryanair walked off the job Wednesday, disrupting travel for thousands of passengers in the latest flare-up of a bitter Europe-wide battle for better pay and conditions. |
 | Reasons behind Ryanair strikesRyanair has suffered unprecedented disruption over the past year, with thousands of flights cancelled due to strikes in several countries, including one in Germany on Wednesday, as the airline is mired in a damaging dispute with its pilots and cabin crew. |
 | Top VW shareholder faces investor fury in own 'dieselgate' suitA German court on Wednesday began hearing a lawsuit pitting Porsche SE, the majority shareholder in Volkswagen, against angry investors who say they were told too late about the diesel emissions cheating scandal. |
Apple's secretive self-driving car program suffers first reported crashThe first rule in Apple's self-driving car program called "Project Titan" is you don't talk about Project Titan. But thanks to California regulations, if a company's autonomous vehicle gets in a crash on a public road in this state, the company must talk about it in a report to the DMV. | |
Apple sets recall of some defective iPhone 8 devices, but there could be a catchIf you have an iPhone 8, and have been having problems with your phone, you might be able to get it replaced for free by Apple. | |
 | Armstrong out at Verizon's Oath after integrating AOL, YahooTim Armstrong, head of the Verizon unit that included faded internet stars AOL and Yahoo, is leaving the company at the end of the year, the telecom and media giant announced Wednesday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Brain has natural noise-cancelling circuitTo ensure that a mouse hears the sounds of an approaching cat better than it hears the sounds its own footsteps make, the mouse's brain has a built-in noise-cancelling circuit. |
 | Researchers explain how viral protein promotes deadly infection by Nipah and Hendra virusesResearchers have identified how a viral protein, which plays a major role in causing deadly Nipah and Hendra virus infections, targets a critical function in human cells to suppress immune responses and promote fatal disease. |
 | New sensors track dopamine in the brain for more than yearDopamine, a signaling molecule used throughout the brain, plays a major role in regulating our mood, as well as controlling movement. Many disorders, including Parkinson's disease, depression, and schizophrenia, are linked to dopamine deficiencies. |
 | ADHD may increase risk of Parkinson's disease and similar disordersWhile about 11 percent of children (4-17 years old) nationwide have been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the long-term health effects of having ADHD and of common ADHD medications remains understudied. Researchers at University of Utah Health found that ADHD patients had an increased risk of developing Parkinson's and Parkinson-like diseases than individuals with no ADHD history. The results are available online on September 12 in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. |
 | Shedding light on 100-year-old cancer mysteryFor almost a century, scientists have observed a strange behavior in cancer cells: They prefer a less-efficient pathway to produce energy. While normal cells utilize aerobic glycolysis to use glucose to produce 36 energy-storing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules, most cancer cells, despite the presence of oxygen, switch to anaerobic glycolysis, which only produces two ATPs. |
 | Scientists isolate neurons in the brain that could be targeted to dampen pain from touchA study led by Boston Children's Hospital and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) may open up new opportunities for treating neuropathic pain, a difficult-to-treat type of chronic pain due to damage to the nervous system that can make the lightest touch intensely painful. In a report today in Nature, scientists led by Zhigang He, Ph.D., and Clifford Woolf, Ph.D., of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Boston Children's, demonstrate that neurons that originate in the brain's cortex influence sensitivity to touch. |
 | Researchers solve a central mystery of a baffling high-risk leukemiaSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have unraveled the origins and identified mutations associated with a perplexing form of acute leukemia. The landmark study appears today as an advance online publication in the journal Nature and lays the foundation for more effective treatment of patients with the high-risk cancer. |
 | Thousands of breast cancer gene variants engineered and analyzedA new scientific analysis of nearly 4,000 mutations deliberately engineered into the BRCA1 gene will immediately benefit people undergoing genetic testing for breast or ovarian cancer risk. |
 | Blood and brain fluid change first in Huntington's diseaseA simple blood test can detect the earliest changes caused by Huntington's disease, even before scans can pick up any signs in the brain, a new UCL-led study has found. |
 | Discovery of a cancer promoter offers pathway to overcome drug resistanceGeneticists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered a previously unknown cell growth mechanism that makes a wide range of cancers resistant to rapamycin and related drugs. The finding offers the promise of new drug therapies that can overcome that resistance to treat cancers including leukemia and tumors in the brain and other organs. |
 | Timing may be everything when taking medsUsing new bioinformatics tools to analyze thousands of human tissue samples, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center created a new database of daily rhythms in human gene activity—including many genes that regulate how drugs work. |
 | What catches our eyeUnconscious gaze is controlled by an automatic selection process computed by a neural network in the brain. Details of this computation have now been studied by an international team collaborating with the Technical University of Munich (TUM). This finding could soon become relevant for robotic implementations. |
 | Discovery of new neurons in the inner ear can lead to new therapies for hearing disordersResearchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified four types of neurons in the peripheral auditory system, three of which are new to science. The analysis of these cells can lead to new therapies for various kinds of hearing disorders, such as tinnitus and age-related hearing loss. The study is published in Nature Communications. |
 | To flee or not to flee: How the brain decides what to do in the face of dangerThough it has been many millennia since humans were regularly threatened by predatory wild animals, the brain circuits that ensured our survival then are still very much alive within us today. "Just like any other animal in nature, our reaction to a threat is invariably one of the following three: escape, fight or freeze in place with the hope of remaining unnoticed," says Marta Moita, who together with Maria Luisa Vasconcelos led the study conducted at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. |
 | Reproductive hormones related to how attractive a woman smellsReproductive hormones control a woman's monthly cycle and regulate fertility. Reproductive hormones are also related to how attractive a woman smells a study now shows. Researchers at the University of Bern demonstrate that some women smell better to men than others—namely those who are "fittest" for reproduction. |
 | Mitochondria come together to kill cancer cellsTargeting a pathway that controls the movement of mitochondria, the powerhouses of all cells, could reduce cancer invasiveness and resistance to radiotherapy. |
 | 3-D virtual simulation gets to the 'heart' of irregular heartbeatsIn a proof of concept study, scientists at Johns Hopkins report they have successfully performed 3-D personalized virtual simulations of the heart to accurately identify where cardiac specialists should electrically destroy cardiac tissue to stop potentially fatal irregular and rapid heartbeats in patients with scarring in the heart. The retrospective analysis of 21 patients and prospective study of five patients with ventricular tachycardia, the researchers say, demonstrate that 3-D simulation-guided procedures are worthy of expanded clinical trials. |
 | Corruption is hard to hide if you're a politician whose face is wideAn old joke says if you want to know if a politician is lying, see if their lips are moving. New research shows that people can predict something about a politician's honesty just by looking at them, but it's not the lips they're noticing. |
 | Genetic testing helps predict disease recurrence in myelodysplastic syndromeA DNA-based analysis of blood cells soon after a stem cell transplant can predict likelihood of disease recurrence in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a group of cancerous disorders characterized by dysfunctional blood cells, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such a practice could help doctors identify patients at high risk of disease recurrence early after a transplant and help guide treatment decisions. |
North-South chronic 'pain divide' evident in EnglandEngland has a North-South 'pain divide', with a clear geographical split in the prevalence and intensity of chronic pain and the use of potentially addictive opioids for symptom relief, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Given the public health concerns associated with the long term use of opioids and doubts about their ability to effectively treat chronic pain, better guidance for clinicians on how to manage these symptoms is essential, say the researchers. | |
 | Your genes determine how your heart rate responds to exerciseYour genes can determine how your heart rate and blood pressure respond to exercise—and may act as an early warning of future problems with your heart or blood vessels—according to new research published in The Journal of Physiology. |
 | Caffeine consumption may extend life expectancy for people with kidney diseaseA new study in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation indicates that consuming more caffeine may help reduce the risk of death for people with chronic kidney disease. |
 | Dairy consumption linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortalityDairy consumption of around three servings per day is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality, compared to lower levels of consumption, according to a global observational study of over 130,000 people in 21 countries, published in The Lancet. |
 | Researchers discover critical differences in the clots that cause a strokeThere are two main treatments for stroke caused by a clot in a blood vessel in the brain. One treatment, mechanical thrombectomy, involves pulling the clot out with a specialized catheter that is inserted into the artery in the groin and guided by imaging to the clot. This procedure is only performed at hospitals that specialize in these techniques. The other treatment, which is more widely accessible, involves giving a patient a clot-busting drug that helps the body dissolve the clot. |
 | Rising European life expectancy undermined by obesity: WHOLife expectancy in Europe continues to increase but obesity and the growing proportion of people who are overweight risks reversing this trend, the World Health Organization warned Wednesday. |
 | Cancer in Europe: more cases but fewer deathsThe number of cancer cases has continued to rise across Europe, however mortality rates from the disease have fallen, according to the World Health Organization's "European Health Report", published Wednesday. |
 | First-of-kind study reveals public and physician attitudes toward recording clinical visitsWith over three-quarters of Americans now owning a smartphone, healthcare researchers have speculated that the number of patients recording visits with their doctor was increasing. However, a new study by researchers from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice is the first to measure the prevalence of recording of clinical visits in the United States. The first-of-its-kind study, recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, also assesses the attitudes of doctors and the public toward recording, and surveys 49 of the largest health systems in the U.S. to determine whether they currently have in place policies on the sharing of recordings for doctors and patients. |
Carrier status matters in foot-and-mouth diseaseFoot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is believed to be one of the most contagious pathogens of animals in its acute form; however, there is still controversy over whether it is transmissible from asymptomatic, long-term carriers. Despite the lack of evidence for transmission by direct contact with FMDV carrier cattle, there is demonstrable contagion associated with these animals, according to a new study published in the journal mSphere. The findings impact the way countries manage foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a viral disease of livestock with substantial impact on agricultural production and subsistence farming on a global scale. | |
Contrary to popular belief, ALS does affect the mindIt's known as the disease that attacks the body but leaves the mind unaffected. But a new study shows that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, does affect the mind, especially later in the disease. The study is published in the September 12, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. | |
 | Research exposes pitfalls of opening up on social mediaOpening up about your feelings on social media has an association with lower self-esteem, mood, paranoia and opinions about the self in comparison to others according to a new study. |
 | Researchers find answers as to why some people are at risk of goutUniversity of Otago researchers have helped characterise a genetic variant that enables new understanding of why some people are at risk of gout, a painful and debilitating arthritic disease. |
 | Study finds that kids are more likely to drink healthier beverages if adults speak the truth—subtlyWhat's the best way to persuade children to drink water instead of unhealthy, sugar-laced beverages? Do you: |
 | New research shows sexual abuse unique risk factor for teenage pregnancyChildren who suffer childhood sexual abuse early are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, adolescent pregnancy, and teenage motherhood, according to new Penn State research. |
 | Very few sexually active gay and bisexual men use prophylactic drug to prevent HIV transmission, study findsOnly 4 percent of sexually active gay and bisexual men in the United States use Truvada, a highly effective medication used to prevent the transmission of HIV, according to the results of a first-of-its-kind study. |
 | Rethinking an inflammatory receptor's obesity connectionToll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a protein that plays a vital role in the body's immune response by sensing the presence of infection. It has long been thought to also sense particular types of fats, which suggested a mechanism linking high-fat diets to the inflammation that is a feature of metabolic disease. However, new research by an international team has undermined that link by showing that dietary fatty acids cannot interact directly with TLR4. |
 | Club drug users on PrEP at increased risk of contracting bacterial sexually transmitted infectionsClub drug (ketamine, ecstasy, GHB, cocaine, and methamphetamine) use has been documented to be higher among gay and bisexual men (GBM) and has been shown to increase the risk of HIV transmission due to its connection with sexual behavior |
 | Myth: Healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy foodThe idea that healthy food costs more than junk food is something I hear a lot. Students tell me they'd like to eat better but can't afford to. There is a strong belief that cooking from scratch costs a fortune, and with takeaway meals priced as low as £1, they have little incentive to change their behaviour. |
 | Fear of police stop and search can deter opioid users from carrying anti-overdose kitsThe levels of fatal overdose in the UK are catastrophic. More than 4,500 people died of a drug-related death in 2017 alone. In Scotland, the figure totalled 934, the highest ever annually recorded. Drug mortality rates in Scotland per head of population are roughly two and half times higher than the UK average, and among the highest in Europe. The vast majority of these deaths continue to involve opioids such as heroin, morphine and methadone. |
 | Is that 'midlife crisis' really Alzheimer's disease?Imagine you tell your 55 year-old mom you're going to get married and she's too disorganized to help you with the wedding preparations. Or you put your kids on the bus to elementary school and the 57 year-old driver forgets the route. |
 | Happiness hinges on personality, so initiatives to improve well-being need to be tailor-madeHappiness, it's been said, is the goal of all human endeavour. Why else do we strive to improve medicine, strengthen economies, raise literacy, lower poverty, or fight prejudice? It all boils down to improving human well-being. |
 | Shared traffic zones may pose potential barrier to people with disabilitiesPeople with intellectual disabilities or autism may be reluctant to use shared traffic zones in the community, new research led by Curtin University has found. |
 | Striking increase in mental health conditions in children and young peopleThe proportion of children and young people saying they have a mental health condition has grown six fold in England over two decades and has increased significantly across the whole of Britain in recent years, new research reveals. |
 | The toxic legacy of parent shaming – and the damage it does to childrenIntensive parenting has become the latest target of parent shaming. Having been instructed to constantly supervise their children, parents are now being lectured about the dangers of doing just that. |
 | Overweight mothers are more likely to stop breastfeedingOverweight mothers are more likely than those classed as being of a healthy weight to stop breastfeeding in the first week after having a baby and less likely to continue past four months, according to a new study from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Auckland. |
 | Families shape learning difficulties researchYoung people with learning difficulties and their families have helped to identify key areas of research that could improve their lives. |
 | Engineers and cardiologists develop low-cost wireless AI heart monitorA Cambridge start-up has developed a low-cost next-generation wearable heart and cardiovascular function monitor which uses AI to diagnose heart rhythm and respiratory problems in real time. |
 | Heart attack: Substitute muscle thanks to stem cellsMyocardial infarction – commonly known as a heart attack – is still one of the main causes of death. According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 49,00 people died of its consequences. And yet the mortality after heart attack has greatly decreased over the past decades: As compared to the early 1990s, it has more than halved until 2015, according to the German Society of Cardiology (DGK). The reasons for this include better prevention, therapy and rehabilitation. |
 | Anti-ageing drugs are coming – an expert explainsThere will be almost 10 billion people living on Earth by 2050 and 2 billion of them will be over the age of 60. Growing old is the primary risk factor for multiple chronic and life threatening conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. This burdensome morbidity is the most distressing aspect of old age – compromising individual independence and straining collective healthcare systems. |
One percent of children aged 9-10 self-identify as gay, transgenderIn a study into the sexual orientation and gender identity development of thousands of youth across the nation, a San Diego State University team found that about 1 percent of 9 and 10-year old children surveyed self-identified as gay, bisexual or transgender. | |
 | Report reveals growing impact of cannabis on young peopleThe number of young people admitted to hospital for cannabis-related mental health problems has risen by 54 percent, according to a new report involving researchers from the University of York. |
 | Study: Antibiotics destroy immune cells and worsen oral infectionNew research shows that the body's own microbes are effective in maintaining immune cells and killing certain oral infections. |
 | Six questions you can ask a loved one to help screen for suicide riskSuicide rates in the United States have increased by 25-30 percent since 1999. This is particularly true for youth ages 12-24, with increases of approximately 30 percent over the same period. In Alachua County, Florida, where I teach and practice at the University of Florida, the base rate for suicides among youth ages 12-17 had been about five per 100,000 for many years, below the base national rate of 13 per 100,000. However, in the year 2017 that rate of completed suicides increased to 27 per 100,000, and for 2018 we are at a pace that will likely equal 2017. |
 | Delayed childbearing is a growing source of multiple births, study showsStarting in the 1980s, the number of multiple births—twins, triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets—steadily increased from about 20 sets per 1,000 live births to almost 35 sets per 1,000 live births in the 2010s. |
 | Study finds air purifiers may benefit fetal growthA new study led by SFU health sciences researchers Prabjit Barn and Ryan Allen reveals fetal growth may improve if pregnant women use portable air purifiers inside their homes. |
 | Immediately limiting nicotine in all cigarettes could reduce smokingThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advanced notice of a proposed rule in March that would reduce nicotine in all cigarettes and possibly other burned tobacco products sold in the U.S. to minimally addictive levels. Reducing nicotine in cigarettes does not make the cigarette safer, but because nicotine is the addictive chemical in tobacco, nicotine reduction would reduce the progression towards tobacco dependence and make it easier for smokers to quit smoking. |
 | Could a placebo pill help ease your back pain?(HealthDay)—With millions of pain-plagued Americans looking for an alternative to opioids, the solution for some might be no medicine at all. |
 | The cat's meow: the emotional boost of cute videos(HealthDay)—The numbers surrounding the continuing cat video craze are astounding. In one year alone, more than 2 million cat videos were posted on YouTube and had close to 26 billion views. |
 | Update on diagnosis, therapy for Chagas cardiomyopathy(HealthDay)—Health care providers need to be equipped to recognize, diagnose, and treat Chagas disease, which is growing in prevalence in the United States, according to an American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published online Aug. 20 in Circulation. |
 | Chest radiograph effective for excluding pediatric pneumonia(HealthDay)—A negative chest radiograph (CXR) accurately excludes pneumonia in the majority of children, according to a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics. |
 | Rituximab plus lenalidomide effective in follicular lymphoma(HealthDay)—Rituximab plus lenalidomide has similar efficacy to rituximab plus chemotherapy among patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma, according to a study published in the Sept. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Tai chi effective at reducing number of falls in older adults(HealthDay)—Tai chi is more effective than conventional exercise at preventing falls among high-risk, older adults, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine. |
 | New tool to detect fatty liver disease before liver damageA new test may soon be available to predict advanced fibrosis in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). |
 | New tool screens online health ads for deceptionThe internet is rife with ads for health products, from weight-loss systems to arthritis cures—but whether they actually work can be difficult to discern. Now, experts at the University of British Columbia have devised a simple screening tool to evaluate if the products popping up on your newsfeed are likely to be scams. |
 | Experts reveal 'football vision' as important as ball skillsYoung footballers would become better players if coaches spent more time training them to scan the field and less on focusing on the ball. |
 | Toward an 'ultra-personalized' therapy for melanomaWith new immunotherapy treatments for melanoma, recovery rates have risen dramatically, in some cases to around 50%. But they could be much higher: A new study led by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science showed, in lab dishes and animal studies, that a highly personalized approach could help the immune cells improve their abilities to recognize the cancer and kill it. The results of this study were published today in Cancer Discovery. |
 | Cancer to kill 10 mn in 2018 despite better preventionCancer will kill nearly 10 million people this year, experts said Wednesday, warning the disease's global burden continues to rise in spite of better prevention and earlier diagnosis. |
New Yorkers who use drugs report changing behaviors to avoid overdosePeople who use drugs in New York City have adjusted their behaviors to avoid overdose, finds a study by the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU Meyers College of Nursing and NYU College of Global Public Health. | |
 | Cocaine addiction traced to increase in number of orexin neuronsA study in cocaine-addicted rats reports long-lasting increases in the number of neurons that produce orexin—a chemical messenger important for sleep and appetite—that may be at the root of the addiction. The study, performed by researchers at Rutgers University, New Jersey, was published in Biological Psychiatry. Restoring the number of orexin neurons to normal, or blocking orexin signaling in the brain, made the rats no longer addicted, suggesting the increased orexin neurons to be essential brain changes that cause the addicted state. |
 | Calling teen vaping 'epidemic,' officials weigh flavor banU.S. health officials are sounding the alarm about teenage use of e-cigarettes, calling the problem an "epidemic" and ordering manufacturers to reverse the trend or risk having their flavored vaping products pulled from the market. |
 | Sugar pills relieve pain for chronic pain patientsSomeday doctors may prescribe sugar pills for certain chronic pain patients based on their brain anatomy and psychology. And the pills will reduce their pain as effectively as any powerful drug on the market, according to new research. |
 | Older adults fitted with cochlear implants exhibit poor brain functionOlder adults fitted with a cochlear implant to compensate for severe hearing loss have significantly poorer cognitive function than their normal-hearing counterparts, reveals a new study. Hearing loss is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, so this new finding suggests cochlear implants cannot fully compensate for this deterioration in brain function. Publishing in Frontiers in Neuroscience, the study authors suggest that rehabilitation should be adjusted to the cognitive profile of the cochlear implant patient. Moreover, further long-term studies are vital for determining the impact of cochlear implants on cognition and its decline. |
 | At the molecular level, aging is not always a matter of 'pay later'A new USC Dornsife study indicates that aging may have originated at the very beginning of the evolution of life, at the same time as the evolution of the first genes. |
Childhood trauma linked to impaired social cognition later in life for patients with major psychiatric disordersA new report published in European Psychiatry identified a significant association between childhood adversity and impaired social cognitive functioning among adults diagnosed with major psychiatric disorders. Through a comprehensive review of all research conducted to date, the investigators established that a traumatic early social environment frequently leads to social cognitive problems and greater illness severity for individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder. | |
 | Scientists map interactions between head and neck cancer and HPV virusHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is widely known to cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer. However, you might not know that HPV also causes 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancer, a subset of head and neck cancers that affect the mouth, tongue, and tonsils. Although vaccines that protect against HPV infection are now available, they are not yet widespread, especially in men, nor do they address the large number of currently infected cancer patients. |
Study first to report sexual behavior norms for US adults with dementia living at homeThe majority of partnered, home-dwelling people in the U.S. with dementia are sexually active, according to a University of Chicago Medicine study out this week in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In addition, people with cognitive impairment and dementia often have bothersome sexual function problems they don't discuss with a doctor. | |
Ohio awards latest prizes in opioid science challengeOhio awarded another round of prizes totaling $2.4 million Wednesday in its global technology challenge seeking scientific breakthroughs to address the U.S. opioid crisis. | |
 | New combination treatment targets pre-leukemia stem cellsYour body's blood cells are manufactured by hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow. But just as regular, mature cells can become cancerous, so too can stem cells. When hematopoietic stem cells mutate in specific ways, the result can be damaged stem cells that create a type of pre-leukemic condition known as myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS. On its own, MDS is a chronic condition that results in symptoms like anemia. In early stages, MDS can usually be managed with supportive care. However, as the disease progresses, about one in three cases of high-risk MDS will evolve into acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an extremely dangerous form of blood cancer that can be lethal. |
Global AIDS, TB fight needs more money: health fundThe fight against epidemics such as AIDS and tuberculosis needs greater funding and cooperation in order to wipe out the diseases, a leading aid group said Wednesday. | |
 | CDC: tobacco product use varies by race among U.S. teens(HealthDay)—From 2014 to 2017, ever-use and current use of any tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students were highest among Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and lowest among Asians, according to research published in the Aug. 31 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Six-step analysis can help improve practice logistics(HealthDay)—A six-step analysis can help redesign and improve the outpatient health care process, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. |
 | Single, fixed-dose combo pills improve hypertension outcomes(HealthDay)—Single-pill, fixed-dose combination (FDC) treatment may be more effective for improving blood pressure control in older patients, according to a study recently published in PLOS Medicine. |
 | Medicaid benefits for addiction treatment expanded after ACA(HealthDay)—The Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have prompted state Medicaid programs to expand addiction treatment benefits in alternative benefit plans, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs. |
 | Banned supplement remains a concern in weight-loss products(HealthDay)—Weight-loss and energy supplements sold in the United States may contain potentially harmful and inaccurately labeled levels of the banned stimulant higenamine, a new study finds. |
 | Obesity tops 35 percent in seven U.S. states: report(HealthDay)—Americans continue to fatten up, with obesity rates topping 35 percent in seven states, a new report reveals. |
 | Propofol may decrease delay in neurocognitive recovery(HealthDay)—For older cancer patients undergoing major cancer surgery, propofol-based general anesthesia may reduce the incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery versus sevoflurane-based general anesthesia, according to a study published in the September issue of the British Journal of Anesthesia. |
 | Better classification of dry eye disease will aid diagnosis, Tx(HealthDay)—Attention to the subtypes of dry eye disease may better equip clinicians to diagnose and treat cases, according to a review article recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Residents working long hours can increase alertness(HealthDay)—Medical residents can take steps to maintain their energy and alertness during long shifts, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire. |
 | Guideline-discordant prostate cancer imaging up with Medicare(HealthDay)—Patients with prostate cancer receiving care in a Medicare-only setting are more likely to receive guideline-discordant imaging, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in JAMA Network Open. |
Does using extra oxygen really help football players recover, or is that hot air?In these steamy days of late summer, when large men in pads batter one another on the playing field, some try to speed their recovery on the sidelines by breathing pure oxygen. | |
Is a low carb diet dangerous?Pasta. Sourdough. Mashed potatoes. If you are one of the legions of dieters out there who have been religiously cutting carbs in an attempt to get lean and fit, you may be surprised by a recent study that showed that low carb diets may not be healthy after all. In fact, they may be unsafe. | |
Avoidable sepsis infections send thousands of older patients to gruesome deathsShana Dorsey first saw the purplish wound on her father's lower back as he lay in a suburban Chicago hospital bed a few weeks before his death. | |
 | Researchers look to brain images to predict who will attempt suicideTherapists working with people at risk for suicide rely on the patient's words to determine how serious they might be. They can't look inside the patient's mind to know for sure. Researchers in Pittsburgh are hoping to change that. |
 | With flu season on the horizon, Q&A on this year's vaccineSchool's back, summer's over, and area pharmacies are enticing customers with low-cost flu vaccinations on every corner. |
Home remedies: Can herbs and supplements enhance fertility?My husband and I have been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant. I've seen many ads for fertility herbs and supplements. Do they work? | |
 | An old drug finds new purpose against retinal neovascularizationResearchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) have found that the anti-malaria drug amodiaquine inhibits the apelin receptor protein, which helps drive the vascularization behind diabetic retinopathy, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other conditions. Because the drug has been approved to treat malaria for decades, it could move relatively quickly through the pipeline to help patients. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE. |
Chicago sudden infant death cases never make the newsWhile news media reporting traffic crashes and fire-related deaths of infants and children is routine and often leads to preventative measures to reduce these deaths, there is little or no news coverage of sleep-related or sudden infants deaths, which contributes to the lack of efforts to prevent these deaths, according to a Rush physician. | |
NEJM Perspective: How state attorneys general can protect public healthGun violence, obesity, and the misuse of opioids and alcohol are responsible for roughly 374,000 deaths—15 percent of all deaths—each year in the United States. To protect the public from harmful products, legal action can be used against industries, one example of which—a settlement with the tobacco industry—offers useful lessons for confronting several of today's public health epidemics. | |
Veterans overtreated for blood pressure on leaving hospitalOne in seven older veterans with hypertension is discharged with increased blood pressure medications, despite half of those having well-controlled blood pressure prior to their hospital stay, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco and the affiliated San Francisco VA Health Care System. | |
 | Among body shapes, pears are healthier than applesWhether we like it or not, everyone accumulates fat. |
 | Poorest Americans most likely to have used prescription opioids—and most users view opioids positivelyAmong older Americans, the poorest are the most likely to have used prescription opioids, according to a University at Buffalo study providing new insights into unexplored contours of the opioid crisis. |
Pilot study identifies strain of bacteria as chief risk factor for stomach cancerResearchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have found a specific strain of Helicobacter pylori strongly correlated with stomach cancer. The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, could eventually be used to shape treatment and screening strategies for patients. | |
AACR releases annual Cancer Progress ReportThe American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) today released its annual Cancer Progress Report highlighting how federally funded research discoveries are fueling the development of new and even more effective ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer. | |
 | New hope for PKDL patients in Africa as clinical trial aims to make treatment safer and easierA clinical trial to find a better treatment for severe or chronic cases of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in Africa has begun in Dooka, Sudan. The objective of this clinical trial, which is being conducted by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit research and development organization, and the Institute for Endemic Diseases (IEND) at the University of Khartoum, is to shorten the length of hospitalization for PKDL and deliver a treatment that is safer to use and easier to administer. |
 | New genetic compound marker could help early diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancerA research team at the University of Turku in Finland discovered a link between the interplay of certain simultaneously occurring genetic changes in the HOXB13 and CIP2A genes, aggressiveness of prostate cancer, high risk of developing the disease, and poorer survival rates of patients. Prostate cancer is a major challenge in health care, causing over 1 million new cases and 300,000 deaths each year worldwide. |
 | Cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe's capital escalates; 21 deadZimbabwe's police said Wednesday that they are banning "public gatherings" in Harare in an effort to curb a cholera outbreak that has killed 21 people. |
 | Egypt says E.coli caused the death of two British touristsTests showed that e.coli bacteria were behind the death of two British tourists in a hotel in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the country's chief prosecutor said on Wednesday. |
 | Back-to-school tips: Childhood test anxietyIt's normal for both adults and children to feel nervous once in a while. A little anxiety prior to an event like a presentation or test is common—and normal. |
Biology news
 | Hundreds of electricity-generating bacteria found, including pathogenic, probiotic and fermenting bacteriaWhile bacteria that produce electricity have been found in exotic environments like mines and the bottoms of lakes, scientists have missed a source closer to home: the human gut. |
 | A single gene mutation may have helped humans become optimal long-distance runnersTwo to three million years ago, the functional loss of a single gene triggered a series of significant changes in what would eventually become the modern human species, altering everything from fertility rates to increasing cancer risk from eating red meat. |
 | Spring is advancing unevenly across North AmericaSpring is arriving earlier in many parts of North America, but this advance is not happening uniformly across the migration routes of many birds, according to a study by Eric Waller at the US Geological Survey in California and colleagues, publishing September 12 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. |
 | Bioinformaticians examine new genes the moment they are bornAccumulating evidence suggests that new genes can arise spontaneously from previously non-coding DNA instead of through the gradual mutation of established genes. Bioinformaticians at the University of Münster (Germany) are now, for the first time, studying the earliest stages in the emergence of these "genes out of thin air," also known as de novo genes. |
 | Virus may combat fire ants, but caution is neededNative to South America, imported red fire ants were introduced accidentally into the United States in the early 20th century. These ants subsequently invaded other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, and more recently, Japan and South Korea. |
 | How infectious bacteria hibernate through treatmentDisease-causing bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics which are then no longer effective in treating infection, yet they also have another tactic to avoid being killed off by antibiotic treatment. Some cells of the population quietly hide in a dormant state and wait for the danger to subside. Then they return to full function. For example, some urinary tract infections flare up again even after apparently successful treatment with antibiotics. Maja Semanjski, Katrin Bratl and Andreas Kiessling, led by Professor Boris Maček of the University of Tübingen's Proteom Centrum, and in collaboration with Elsa Germain and Professor Kenn Gerdes of the University of Copenhagen, have investigated such persistent forms of E. coli bacteria. Variations of an enzyme indicated which processes initiate the dormant state. This provides the researchers with possible starting-points at which to seek active substances to combat the dormant cells. The study is published in the latest edition of Science Signaling |
 | Researchers show bacteriophages can affect melioidosis disease acquisitionAn international research team from the University of Leicester, Lomonosov Moscow State University(MSU), and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology(MIPT) from Russia has developed a mathematical model for monitoring and controlling the spread of melioidosis in Southeast Asia. |
 | Turtle species decline may impact environments worldwideApproximately 61 percent of the world's 356 turtle species are threatened or already extinct, and the decline could have ecological consequences. |
 | Royal Botanic Garden seeks respect for world's fungusThe scientists at the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are trying to correct an injustice: They don't believe fungus gets the respect it deserves. |
 | Mini video cameras offer peek at hard-to-observe bird behaviorFledging behavior—when and why baby birds leave the nest—is something scientists know very little about. Rarely is someone watching a nest at just the right moment to see fledging happen. To get around this, the researchers behind a new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances deployed miniature video cameras to monitor over 200 grassland bird nests in Alberta, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and they found that fledglings' decision-making process is more complex than anyone guessed. |
 | Researchers show how toxins of the bacterium Clostridium difficile get into gut cellsTreating bacterial infections with antibiotics often kills intestinal flora, leading to diarrhoea and inflammation of the gut. Often it is bacteria known as Clostridium difficile which are responsible; they proliferate when the normal microbiome is killed by antibiotics. A working group headed by Professor Dr. Dr. Klaus Aktories of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Freiburg, collaborating with Professor Dr. Andreas Schlosser of the Rudolf Virchow Center in Würzburg, has shown how the microbes' poisonous proteins penetrate intestinal cells. The results of their study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
 | New plant species discovered in museum is probably extinctA single non-photosynthetic plant specimen preserved in a Japanese natural history museum has been identified as a new species. However, it is highly possible that this species is already extinct. These findings will be published on September 13 in Phytotaxa. |
 | Political actions are required to address biodiversity loss, not additional scientific knowledgeOver 15 years, almost 13,000 scientific papers have been published in leading conservation science journals. Yet biodiversity remains threatened at a global scale. Two CNRS researchers have focused on this worrisome paradox by taking a deeper look at this large volume of literature. One of the major problems is that decisions are usually more favorable to human activities than to nature protection. Their study appears in Trends in Ecology and Evolution. |
 | Grasshoppers an unexpectedly important player in salt marsh ecosystemAs efforts are being undertaken to protect salt marshes – and the threatened salt marsh sparrow – from the rising seas, scientists may be ignoring an unexpectedly important player in this environmental drama: grasshoppers. |
 | How naming poison frogs helps fight their illegal tradeDart frogs from the rainforests of Central and South America make their powerful poison by eating toxic bugs. Their bold colours warn predators: "Do not eat me or you will regret it." |
 | Keeping honeybees doesn't save bees – or the environmentIt's no secret that bee populations are in decline across the UK and Europe. There has also been a fantastic increase in public awareness over the past few years, leading many to set up hives in their gardens and on their roofs. But this might not be as helpful as you may think. |
 | The world needs death and decompositionWhat if roadkill piled beside the road and never decomposed? What if massive fish kills washed up on beaches and remained for eternity? |
 | Operation Tsukiji: Tokyo battles rats as iconic market shutsThe operation must be ruthless, thorough and silent. Without alerting the watchful enemy, a unit of highly trained Japanese agents will throw up a ring of steel to block any escape from the vast battleground. |
Experts weigh next steps, possible capture to save ill orcaA young, sick whale is skinnier than ever and in poor condition nearly two months after an international team of experts began taking extraordinary measures to save her. | |
 | After elephant killings, Botswana mulls lifting hunting banBotswana launched a review Wednesday of a 2014 hunting ban imposed to reverse a decline in elephants and other wildlife. |
 | IWC vote backs new quotas for aboriginal whale huntsIn a rare moment Wednesday, the International Whaling Commission voted overwhelmingly to back whale hunting, but strictly for small subsistence hunts undertaken by some communities, mostly in the Arctic. |
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