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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 15, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Trans-galactic streamers feeding most luminous galaxy in the universeThe most luminous galaxy ever discovered is cannibalizing not one, not two, but at least three of its smaller neighbors, according to a new study published today (Nov. 15) in the journal Science and coauthored by scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The material that the galaxy is stealing from its neighbors is likely contributing to its uber-brightness, the study shows. |
 | Auroras unlock the physics of energetic processes in spaceA close study of auroras has revealed new ways of understanding the physics of explosive energy releases in space, according to new UCL-led research. |
 | Astronomers find possible elusive star behind supernovaAstronomers may have finally uncovered the long-sought progenitor to a specific type of exploding star by sifting through NASA Hubble Space Telescope archival data and conducting follow-up observations using W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. |
 | A super-Earth found in our stellar back yardThe potential discovery of a planet orbiting Barnard's Star – the second closest stellar system to the sun – was announced by researchers today in Nature. |
 | Poor weather delays US space cargo launch to FridayCloudy weather and rain pushed back until Friday the planned launch of a US cargo ship loaded with supplies for astronauts living at the International Space Station, NASA said Thursday. |
Technology news
 | A deep learning approach to identify Twitter users' location during emergenciesResearchers at the National Institute of Technology Patna, in India, have recently devised a tool to identify the geographical location of emergencies and disasters, as well as that of the people involved in them. Their approach, outlined in a paper in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, extracts location information from tweets using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model. |
 | What's next for smart homes: An 'Internet of Ears?'Houses have been getting progressively "smarter" for decades, but the next generation of smart homes may offer what two Case Western Reserve University scientists are calling an "Internet of Ears." |
 | Next-gen batteries possible with new engineering approachDramatically longer-lasting, faster-charging and safer lithium metal batteries may be possible, according to Penn State research, recently published in Nature Energy. |
 | Electronic driving systems don't always work, tests showTesting by AAA shows that electronic driver assist systems on the road today may not keep vehicles in their lanes or spot stationary objects in time to avoid a crash. |
 | Waste not: South Africa makes world's first human urine brickOne day, when nature calls, your urine could be put to better use than to be flushed down the loo. |
 | USB form neural compute stick makes debut at developer eventIntel has unveiled the Intel Neural Compute Stick 2. It looks like a standard USB thumb drive, and it runs on a USB 3.0 port, but is oh-more-special. CNET said the new AI "brain" sticks into the side of your PC. |
 | NREL identifies where new solar technologies can be flexibleRigid silicon solar panels dominate the utility and residential markets, but opportunity exists for thin-film photovoltaic and emerging technologies notable for being lightweight and flexible, according to scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). |
 | Merging memory and computation, programmable chip speeds AI, slashes power useBy shifting a fundamental property of computation, Princeton researchers have built a new type of computer chip that boosts the performance and slashes the energy demands of systems used for artificial intelligence. |
 | Japan's SoftBank invests in US office space-sharing WeWorkAmerican office space-sharing company WeWork has obtained $3 billion in funding from Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. |
 | Lockheed Martin awarded $22.7 billion Pentagon contractThe Pentagon on Wednesday announced it had awarded Lockheed Martin a $22.7 billion contract for 255 F-35 fighter jets. |
 | Uber loss tops $1 bn as it seeks to diversifyRide-share company Uber on Wednesday said that its net loss topped a billion dollars in the recently ended quarter as it pumped money into bikes, scooters, freight and food delivery. |
 | Nepal's first robot waiter is ready for orders"Please enjoy your meal," says Nepal's first robot waiter, Ginger, as she delivers a plate of steaming dumplings to a table of hungry customers. |
 | This place is the pits: China opens luxury hotel in quarryA hotel development sunk into a disused quarry in China opened its doors Thursday to deep-pocketed clientele. |
Transit riders, drivers brace for influx of Amazon employeesCommuters beware: New York and Washington's clogged streets and creaky subway systems are about to feel more pain as 50,000 more people descend on the two metro areas when Amazon opens its second headquarters there. | |
 | Diagnostic tool helps engineers to design better global infrastructure solutionsDesigning safe bridges and water systems for low-income communities is not always easy for engineers coming from highly industrialized places. A new discipline called contextual engineering helps engineers think beyond personal values, expectations and definitions of project success when tackling global infrastructure problems. |
 | Innovative method leads to smaller, cheaper IoT sensorsResearchers from the Green IC research group at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have invented a low-cost, no-battery wake-up timer in the form of an on-chip circuit that significantly reduces power consumption of silicon chips for Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes. The novel wake-up timer by the NUS team demonstrates for the first time the achievement of power consumption down to true picoWatt range (1 billion times lower than a smart watch). |
 | Harnessing artificial intelligence for sustainability goalsAs ESA's ɸ-week continues to provoke and inspire participants on new ways of using Earth observation for monitoring our world to benefit the citizens of today and of the future, it is clear that artificial intelligence is set to play an important role. |
 | Space making the virtual a realityWhat do astronauts, Pokémon, wildlife park rangers and surgeons all have in common? |
 | Researchers take steps towards new sustainable battery alternativeA team of researchers led by Professor Thomas Nann from Victoria University of Wellington has created a new electrolyte that could be the key to making safer and more environmentally friendly batteries. |
 | Toilets of the future must be designed with people in mind, not technologyMost of you reading this article probably have a comfortable toilet that you use on a daily basis. As Steve Sugden wrote: "In more developed areas of the world we have forgotten the horrors of using a disgusting toilet and we now take for granted that toilets are comfortable, well lit, smell-free, private, pleasant places to defecate. They are places where we can go in peace." |
 | Feeling the pressure with universal tactile imagingTouch, or tactile sensing, is fundamentally important for a range of real-life applications, from robotics to surgical medicine to sports science. Tactile sensors are modeled on the biological sense of touch and can help researchers to understand human perception and motion. Researchers from Osaka University have now developed a new approach to pressure distribution measurement using tactile imaging technology. |
 | Sci-fi movies are the secret weapon that could help Silicon Valley grow upIf there's one line that stands the test of time in Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic Jurassic Park, it's probably Jeff Goldblum's exclamation, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." |
 | Social enterprise Ricult uses digital tools to empower rural farmers in developing countriesMore than half of the world's poorest people live on small farms in rural areas of developing countries, accounting for over 2 billion people living on around two dollars a day. |
Human excrement efficiently converted to hydrocharResearchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) demonstrated for the first time that raw human excrement can potentially be converted to a safe, reusable fuel and a nutrient rich fertilizer, solving two major worldwide issues in advance of World Toilet Day on November 19. | |
 | Walmart flexes its muscle against AmazonWalmart, armed with grocery and other online services, is proving it can do battle with Amazon. |
 | Germany tweaks law to limit diesel car bansThe German government will ease air pollution law so as to spare cities that only slightly exceed limits on harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from diesel vehicle bans, ministers agreed Thursday, sparking sharp criticsm by environmentalists. |
Amazon rules, Walmart gains in e-commerce: studyAmazon is extending its dominance in US e-commerce, but Walmart is seeing strong gains and is poised to become the number three online retailer, a market tracker said Thursday. | |
 | Facebook says it's getting better at removing hate speechFacebook said it's making progress on detecting hate speech, graphic violence and other violations of its rules, even before users see and report them. |
 | Does not compute: Japan cyber security minister admits shunning PCsA Japanese minister in charge of cyber security has provoked astonishment by admitting he has never used a computer in his professional life, and appearing confused by the concept of a USB drive. |
 | Can we produce enough green hydrogen to save the world?Around a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions are produced by industries such as steel and cement so if we're going to work towards an emission-free society then this is a good place to start. And one promising technology may have a key role to play. |
 | Taking hydrogen mobility forward in EuropeIn the drive to decarbonise Europe's transport sector, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) offer crucial benefits. For one, their fuel – hydrogen – can be generated from a wide variety of local renewable energy sources, limiting reliance on energy imports. The FCEVs themselves produce no harmful exhaust emissions when driven, which has a positive impact on the environment and human health. Equally important, a growing hydrogen-based transport sector means new businesses and jobs for Europe. |
 | Walmart US CEO talks technology, workersWhen Walmart's Greg Foran took over as CEO of the discounter's U.S. division four years ago, he found messy stores with lots of items that were frequently out of stock. The 57-year-old New Zealand native dove in, making sure shelves were loaded with the most popular products and establishing controls to increase freshness in produce like strawberries. |
 | Emirates Airline half-year profit slides 86% on oil hikeEmirates Airline on Thursday posted an 86 percent drop in half-year profits as the Middle East's leading carrier was hit by a hike in oil prices and currency devaluations. |
 | Five nanosecond decision-making: New chip design to make speedy calculations for researchersComputer scientists develop algorithms that control everything from unmanned aerial vehicles to desktop computers to the cellphones in our pockets. But it can be complicated to match the code they develop to hardware systems that vary so widely. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Why we shouldn't like coffee, but we doWhy do we like the bitter taste of coffee? Bitterness evolved as a natural warning system to protect the body from harmful substances. By evolutionary logic, we should want to spit it out. |
 | New 'SLICE' tool can massively expand immune system's cancer-fighting repertoireImmunotherapy can cure some cancers that until fairly recently were considered fatal. In addition to developing drugs that boost the immune system's cancer-fighting abilities, scientists are becoming expert at manipulating a patient's own immune cells, turning them into cancer-killing armies. But cancers have tricks to evade attack, so scientists are racing to outmaneuver cancer and boost the effectiveness of immune cell therapies. Today's scientists are skilled immune system engineers, but they're working off of an incomplete blueprint: while they know a great deal about how to reprogram immune cell pathways, they often can't determine precisely which circuits they should rewire in order to fabricate a more potent immune system. |
 | DICE: Immune cell atlas goes liveCompare any two people's DNA and you will find millions of points where their genetic codes differ. Now, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are sharing a trove of data that will be critical for deciphering how this natural genetic variation shapes the immune system's ability to protect our health. |
 | Brain, muscle cells found lurking in kidney organoids grown in labScientists hoping to develop better treatments for kidney disease have turned their attention to growing clusters of kidney cells in the lab. One day, so-called organoids—grown from human stem cells—may help repair damaged kidneys in people or be used to test drugs developed to fight kidney disease. |
 | Defense against intestinal infection in organism is affected by prostaglandin E2The treatment of intestinal infections caused by some strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli, present in unsanitized or contaminated foods, may have a new ally. |
 | How the Tasmanian devil inspired researchers to create 'safe cell' therapiesA contagious facial cancer that has ravaged Tasmanian devils in southern Australia isn't the first place one would look to find the key to advancing cell therapies in humans. |
 | Gut hormone and brown fat interact to tell the brain it's time to stop eatingResearchers from Germany and Finland have shown that so-called "brown fat" interacts with the gut hormone secretin in mice to relay nutritional signals about fullness to the brain during a meal. The study, appearing November 15 in the journal Cell, bolsters our understanding of a long-suspected role of brown adipose tissue (BAT)—a type of body fat known to generate heat when an animal is cold—in the control of food intake. |
 | Dietary fat is good? Dietary fat is bad? Coming to consensusWhich is better, a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet or a high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet—or is it the type of fat that matters? In a new paper featured on the cover of Science magazine's special issue on nutrition, researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Children's Hospital, and colleagues with diverse expertise and perspectives on the issues laid out the case for each position and came to a consensus and a future research agenda. |
 | Non-coding genetic variant could improve key vascular functionsAtherosclerotic disease, the slow and silent hardening and narrowing of the arteries, is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. It is responsible for more than 15 million deaths each year, including an estimated 610,000 people in the United States. |
 | A 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in newbornsA 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in babies up to two years earlier than current methods. |
Certain diabetes drugs linked to increased risk of lower limb amputationUse of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to treat type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of lower limb amputation and diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious diabetes complication) compared with another group of drugs called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists, finds a study in The BMJ today. | |
 | Study of 2,000 children suggests London air pollution is restricting lung developmentChildren exposed to diesel-dominated air pollution in London are showing poor lung capacity, putting them at risk of lifelong breathing disorders, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London, King's College London and the University of Edinburgh. |
 | New study sheds light on norovirus outbreaks, may help efforts to develop a vaccineOutbreaks of norovirus in health care settings and outbreaks caused by a particular genotype of the virus are more likely to make people seriously ill, according to a new study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Based on an analysis of nearly 3,800 U.S. outbreaks from 2009 to 2016, the research confirms several factors that can make norovirus outbreaks more severe and may help guide efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent this highly contagious disease. |
 | Marijuana use has no effect on kidney transplant outcomesA new study in Clinical Kidney Journal indicates that the usage of marijuana by kidney donors has no measurable effect upon the outcomes of kidney transplants for donors or recipients. This study is the first to investigate the effect of marijuana use by live kidney donors. |
Breakthrough in treatment of Restless Legs SyndromeNew research published in the Journal of Physiology presents a breakthrough in the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). | |
Researchers finds better ways to improve the chances of survival of children with a rare immune deficiencyAn international study published in the journal Blood by researchers led by Dr. Elie Haddad, a pediatric immunologist and researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and professor at Université de Montréal, highlights the urgent need to develop better treatment strategies for patients suffering from severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). | |
 | Parents, kids actually agree about confidential medical careWhen it comes to preventive care and confidential medical services, parents and their adolescent children actually agree with each other. They both believe that preventive care is important, that adolescents should be provided with opportunities to speak with their doctor one-on-one, and that some services should be confidential. |
Dry eye syndrome slows reading rate, study suggestsJohns Hopkins researchers report that chronic dry eye, a condition in which natural tears fail to adequately lubricate the eyes, can slow reading rate and significantly disrupt day to day tasks that require visual concentration for long periods of time. | |
 | Twins separated by surgery are healing, sticking togetherMedical staff say that conjoined twins from Bhutan who were separated at an Australian hospital last week have been healing well, showing their cheeky side, and have become impossible to keep apart. |
 | Protection against malaria: A matter of balanceA balanced production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines at two years of age protects against clinical malaria in early childhood, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). The results also indicate that early exposure to the parasite does not affect the risk of developing the disease, although it could affect the parasite-specific immune response later in life. |
 | Anti-malaria drugs have shown promise in treating cancer, and now researchers know whyAnti-malaria drugs known as chloroquines have been repurposed to treat cancer for decades, but until now no one knew exactly what the chloroquines were targeting when they attack a tumor. Now, researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania say they have identified that target—an enzyme called PPT1—opening up a new pathway for potential cancer treatments. The team also used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to remove PPT1 from cancer cells in the lab and found that eliminating it slows tumor growth. They detailed a potent chloroquine developed at Penn, known as DC661, that can take advantage of this new treatment pathway. Their findings are published in Cancer Discovery today. |
 | Carve out some time to stay active this holiday seasonThis holiday season, planning ahead can help you establish a workout routine so you can enjoy your favorite holiday treats with less guilt. A sports medicine expert at Baylor College of Medicine says to start now and offers safety tips to help avoid injury. |
 | How to end an unhealthy relationshipOur relationships with people, whether they are between friends, significant others or family, are an essential part of life. But some relationships may be toxic, and one Baylor College of Medicine expert discusses the importance of being able to end an unhealthy relationship. |
 | The puzzle of a mutated gene lurking behind many Parkinson's casesGenetic mutations affecting a single gene play an outsized role in Parkinson's disease. The mutations are generally responsible for the mass die-off of a set of dopamine-secreting, or dopaminergic, nerve cells in the brain involved in physical movement. |
 | Antibiotic prescribing influenced by team dynamics within hospitalsAntibiotic prescribing by doctors is influenced by team dynamics and cultures within hospitals. |
 | Study finds mindfulness apps can improve mental healthA University of Otago study has found that using mindfulness meditation applications (apps) on phones is associated with improvements in people's mental health. |
 | Can video games improve the health of older adults with schizophrenia?According to the National Institute of Mental Health, schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders affect an estimated 820,000 to 2.1 million people in the United States, many of whom have co-occurring disorders like heart disease or diabetes that contribute to an increased risk of premature death. Heather Leutwyler, associate professor of Physiological Nursing at the UC San Francisco School of Nursing, aims to lower the toll these disorders have on older people with schizophrenia and improve their functioning by getting them up and moving. |
 | Bringing artificial limbs to patients who need themAfter Johnny Matheny lost his left arm to cancer in 2008, he was determined to find a worthy replacement. But he eventually had to choose between giving up on available prosthetic arms, which were uncomfortable and caused severe skin problems, or betting on a new technology that hadn't yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). |
 | Uncovering the whole story in diabetesMore than 400 million people worldwide suffer from type 2 diabetes, a disease characterised by increased blood glucose levels, because the body's normal way of controlling insulin release breaks down. |
 | A new brain imaging study challenges the dominant theoretical model of autism spectrum disordersAutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by communication disorders, altered social interactions and sensory and behavioral abnormalities. Research in genetics and brain imaging suggests that abnormalities in the development of the brain concerning, in particular, the formation of neural networks and the functioning of synapses could be involved in the onset of ASD. |
 | Despite new findings, the jury is still out on whether omega-3 supplements reduce heart attacksA recent widely-reported study has reignited debate around whether omega-3 supplements reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. The study showed a particular form of omega-3 oil lowered the risk of people with heart disease experiencing a major "end point" event by 25%. This end point is one or a combination of several serious issues such as fatal or non-fatal heart attack, stroke, angina (chest pain) and coronary surgery. |
 | Why early diagnosis of autism should lead to early interventionResearch suggests children can be reliably diagnosed with autism before the age of two. It also shows that many of the behavioural symptoms of autism are present before the age of one. |
 | Improvement needed in gestational diabetes education: StudyShanna McCutcheon, 32, was shocked and fearful after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in her second trimester. |
Surgery and combination therapy optimizes results in aggressive prostate cancer managementMen presenting with aggressive prostate cancer—Gleason Score of 9 or 10—comprise most of those who will die from prostate cancer worldwide, and despite surgical removal of the prostate (radical prostatectomy), their cancer will recur more than 80 percent of the time. | |
 | Human activity may influence the distribution and transmission of Bartonella bacteriaBartonella bacteria are disease-causing, blood-borne pathogens found in various mammal species. A study in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases by Hannah Frank and colleagues at Stanford University, California suggests that humans play an important role in disease risk, infection patterns, and distribution of Bartonella, advancing current understanding of Bartonella's evolutionary history and how the bacteria may be transmitted between humans and other animal species. |
 | HIV latency differs across tissues in the bodyMechanisms that govern HIV transcription and latency differ in the gut and blood, according to a study published November 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Steven Yukl of San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues. According to the authors, the findings could inform new therapies aimed at curing HIV. |
 | Gut microbiota of mouse pups regulated by hydrogen peroxide produced through lactationA recent animal study published in The FASEB Journal explores the uncharted territory of how the gut microbiome develops in infancy. It was well known that breast-fed mouse pups have a simple bacterial population dominated by the health-promoting Lactobacillus bacteria. But the molecular mechanism of how mouse mother's milk suppresses a more diverse gut microbiome has been unclear. |
 | No link between 'hypoallergenic' dogs and lower risk of childhood asthmaGrowing up with dogs is linked to a lower risk of asthma, especially if the dogs are female, a new study from Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University in Sweden shows. However, the researchers found no relation between 'allergy friendly' breeds and a lower risk of asthma. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports. |
 | Deciding not to resuscitate: Nurses' and physicians' perspectivesWhen deciding not to resuscitate patients in cardiac arrest, ethical issues arise. Nurses and physicians conflicting perspectives often cause frustration. In a new doctoral thesis from Uppsala University, Mona Pettersson examines clinical and ethical perspectives on "DNR orders" in cancer care. |
 | Bibliotherapy: How reading and writing have been healing trauma since World War IBibliotherapy – the idea that reading can have a beneficial effect on mental health – has undergone a resurgence. There is mounting clinical evidence that reading can, for example, help people overcome loneliness and social exclusion. One scheme in Coventry allows health professionals to prescribe books to their patients from a list drawn up by mental health experts. |
 | How to help people with dementia retain the power of choiceDeterioration in the ability to produce complex speech or understand what people are asking, can make it difficult for people with dementia to make choices in conventional ways. It can be simple things like deciding which clothes to wear, or what to have for dinner. But when a person is in the more advanced stages of dementia, and may not be able to speak at all, it can be difficult for those caring for them to work out what their preferences would be. |
 | Six surprising drug interactions you should know aboutAs the UK population grows older, more and more people are using a combination of drugs to treat multiple conditions. This can lead to interactions and side effects that we all need to be aware of. |
 | Fine particle air pollution is a public health emergency hiding in plain sightAmbient air pollution is the largest environmental health problem in the United States and in the world more generally. Fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 millionths of a meter, known as PM2.5, was the fifth-leading cause of death in the world in 2015, factoring in approximately 4.1 million global deaths annually. In the United States, PM2.5 contributed to about 88,000 deaths in 2015 – more than diabetes, influenza, kidney disease or suicide. |
 | Animal welfare breakthrough helps to accelerate brain and diabetes researchA pioneering breakthrough in the way animal research is conducted will help to accelerate studies of the brain. |
A new 'buddy system' of nurse education gets high marks from studentsA new "buddy system" of nursing education—in which two students work together as one nurse to share ideas, set priorities and make clinical decisions for patient care in the "real world" of nursing—is effective, according to a study by Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas. | |
 | African ancestry associated with risk factors for heart failureAfrican-Americans are known to have certain cardiac conditions that are linked to a greater occurrence of heart failure at a younger age than Caucasians. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center analyzed data from the Dallas Heart Study to determine why. |
 | FDA to crack down on menthol cigarettes, flavored vapesIn a major new effort to curb smoking, a top U.S. health official pledged Thursday to try to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and tighten rules governing the sale of most flavored versions of electronic cigarettes. |
 | New promising compound against heart rhythm disorders and clogged arteriesA new pharmacological agent demonstrates promising results for the prevention of a wide range of heart rhythm disorders, including both cardiac and brain injury-induced arrhythmias. Furthermore, the compound (SS-68) demonstrates significant activity in conditions of reduced blood flow to the heart caused by obstructed arteries. |
 | Race plays role in regaining weight after gastric bypass surgeryAfrican Americans and Hispanic Americans who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are at greater risk to regain weight as compared to Caucasians. To date, no study has addressed the effect of race on weight regain over the long term. Identifying the risk factors for weight regain is an important first step in improving the long-term clinical outcomes of bariatric surgery. |
 | Sidestep these menu minefields(HealthDay)—People with food allergies aren't the only ones who need to be aware of menu minefields when eating out. If you're trying to lose weight, it's important that you don't fall prey to these temptations. |
 | Molecular subtypes linked to outcomes in acute kidney injury(HealthDay)—Two molecularly distinct sub-phenotypes of acute kidney injury (AKI) are associated with different clinical outcomes and response to vasopressin therapy, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. |
 | Consensus statement issued on management of foot, ankle gout(HealthDay)—The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners-Orthopedics Specialty Practice Group have issued a new joint clinical consensus statement on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of gouty arthritis of the foot and ankle; the consensus statement was published in the November-December issue of the Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery. |
 | Red cross issues urgent call for blood ahead of the holidays(HealthDay)—There is an urgent need for blood and platelet donations in the United States because donations during September and October fell 21,000 units short of hospital needs, the American Red Cross says. |
 | AMA to collect data on suicide among doctors-in-training(HealthDay)—By collecting data on suicides by medical students, residents, and fellows, the American Medical Association hopes to identify ways to reduce suicides among doctors-in-training. The data collection policy was approved at a meeting yesterday. |
 | Heart disease leading cause of death in low-income counties(HealthDay)—The leading cause of death varies with income in the United States, with heart disease still the leading cause of death in low-income counties, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | 2017 hepatitis A outbreaks tied to drug use, homelessness(HealthDay)—Investigations of hepatitis A outbreaks in four states in 2017 suggested a shift toward increasing person-to-person transmission of hepatitis A, according to research published in the Nov. 2 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | AHA: guidelines stress healthy lifestyle for lowering cholesterol(HealthDay)—A healthy lifestyle for lowering cholesterol should be emphasized for reducing cardiovascular risk across the life course, according to a guideline published online Nov. 14 in Circulation to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, held from Nov. 10 to 12 in Chicago. |
Juice displaces milk and fruit in high school lunchesHigh school students participating in school meal programs are less likely to select milk, whole fruit, and water when fruit juice is available, which on balance may decrease the nutritional quality of their lunches, according to a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. | |
 | Agile Implementation reduced central line-associated blood stream infections by 30 percentA new study has found that Agile Implementation, an easy to localize and apply change methodology that enables fast, efficient, effective, scalable and sustainable implementation of evidence-based healthcare solutions, reduced central-line associated blood stream infections by a striking 30 percent. Central line-associated bloodstream infections are among the most common hospital-acquired infections and can have serious consequences including death. |
Protein central to immune system function new target for treating pulmonary hypertensionA protein with a role in sensing cell damage and viral infections is a new target for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, or increased blood pressure in the lungs, according to research led by Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. | |
New guidelines for early detection and treatment of sarcopeniaNewcastle University experts are chairing a national session on new guidelines for the early detection and treatment of sarcopenia—a loss of muscle strength that affects many older people in the UK. | |
 | Social media is affecting the way we view our bodies—and not in a good wayYoung women who actively engage with social media images of friends who they think are more attractive than themselves report feeling worse about their own appearance afterward, a York University study shows. |
 | Drug candidate may recover vocal abilities lost to ADNP syndromeActivity-dependent neuroprotective protein syndrome (ADNP syndrome) is a rare genetic condition that causes developmental delays, intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder symptoms in thousands of children worldwide. There is no known remedy for the disorder. |
 | Ashkenazi Jewish founder mutation identified for Leigh SyndromeOver 30 years ago, Marsha and Allen Barnett lost their sons to a puzzling childhood disease that relentlessly attacked their nervous systems and sapped their energy. After five-year-old Chuckie died suddenly in 1981, doctors provided a name for the disease: Leigh syndrome. Leigh syndrome is a complex disorder typically caused by dysfunctional mitochondria, the tiny batteries inside all cells that generate our energy. Two years later, the same disease killed Michael, Chuckie's older brother, when he was 10 years old. |
 | When melanoma spreads to the brain, patients with BRAF or MEK mutations can find novel treatmentCancer used to be thought of as a disease of the anatomy, but these days it increasingly is understood as a disease of the genes—one that theoretically can be treated with drugs engineered to target the genetic mutations driving a patient's cancer. |
 | Ulcers from diabetes? New shoe insole could provide healing on-the-goDiabetes can lead to ulcers that patients don't even feel or notice until the sight of blood. And because ulcers can't heal on their own, 14 to 24 percent of diabetics in the U.S. who experience them end up losing their toes, foot or leg. |
 | Researchers discover important connection between cells in the liverUniversity of Minnesota Medical School researchers have made a discovery which could lead to a new way of thinking about how disease pathogenesis in the liver is regulated, which is important for understanding the condition nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is incredibly common and growing. It is apparent that about 30 percent of Americans and are at risk to advance to more severe conditions such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease, or even liver cancer. |
 | The jobs that carry the highest suicide risk(HealthDay)—The rate of suicide among U.S. workers has jumped 34 percent since 2000, and certain occupations seem to be riskier than others, government health researchers report. |
 | Caring for loved one with heart failure even tougher for rural AmericansLiving in a rural area increases the difficulty of caring for someone with heart failure, according to new research. |
 | Breast cancer recurrence rate not up with autologous fat transfer(HealthDay)—For patients with breast cancer, reconstruction with autologous fat transfer (AFT) seems not to increase the rate of locoregional recurrence versus conventional breast reconstruction, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in JAMA Surgery. |
 | Option found for retreatment of chronic hep C infection(HealthDay)—Combined treatment with glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (G/P) is highly effective in treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype-1 infections that failed to respond to direct-acting antiviral therapy, according to a study presented at The Liver Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held from Nov. 9 to 13 in San Francisco. |
 | Many patients do not engage health care provider during MS relapse(HealthDay)—The rate and frequency of relapse vary for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and many report not visiting a health care provider during relapse, according to a study published in the November issue of Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. |
 | Achilles tendon may be window into heart disease severityFor people with coronary artery disease, the thickness of the Achilles tendon may be an indicator of the severity of their disease and how likely they are to have a heart attack, new research suggests. |
 | CDC: Many Americans may have prediabetes and not know it(HealthDay)—More than one-third of Americans have prediabetes, but 90 percent of them do not know they have it, medical experts say. |
 | Lasting benefit for CABG in diabetes, multivessel disease(HealthDay)—For patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with multivessel coronary disease (MVD), coronary revascularization with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with lower all-cause mortality than percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (PCI-DES) in the long term, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The research was published to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, held from Nov. 10 to 12 in Chicago. |
 | New research finds omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of premature birthA new Cochrane Review published today has found that increasing the intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) during pregnancy reduces the risk of premature births. |
Sex Ed before college can prevent student experiences of sexual assaultStudents who receive sexuality education, including refusal skills training, before college matriculation are at lower risk of experiencing sexual assault during college, according to new research published today in PLOS ONE. The latest publication from Columbia University's Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) project suggests that sexuality education during high school may have a lasting and protective effect for adolescents. | |
 | Mandatory health screen to rule out risk of sudden death in footballers not fail-safeA mandatory health screen before the start of a season, to rule out heart problems associated with a heightened risk of sudden death in professional footballers, isn't a fail-safe, no matter how comprehensive it is, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. |
DNA-encoded PCSK9 inhibitors may provide alternative for treating high cholesterolResearchers at The Wistar Institute have developed novel synthetic DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies (DMAbs) directed against PCSK9, a protein key to regulating cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Results of preclinical studies showed a significant cholesterol decrease, opening the door for further development of this approach as a simple, less frequent and cost-effective therapy, as reported in a paper published online in Molecular Therapy. | |
Difficult-to-treat bowel cancers respond in first study of new drug combinationEarly results from a phase I trial in a small group of patients with advanced cancer using two drugs (nivolumab and pixatimod) that stimulate the immune system report that patients with bowel cancer may benefit from the combination. | |
Drug combination makes cancer disappear in mice with neuroblastomaResearchers investigating new treatments for neuroblastoma—one of the most common childhood cancers—have found that a combination of two drugs made tumours disappear in mice, making it more effective than any other drugs tested in these animals. | |
Combination of two immunotherapies shows activity in non-small cell lung cancer patientsA combination of two drugs, which prompt the body's immune system to identify and kill cancer cells, is a safe treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and has shown some signs of efficacy. | |
 | Researchers detect the most efficient salivary biomarkers for detecting oral cancerOver 90 percent of malign tumours in the head and neck are originated from carcinomas of squamous cells that appear in superficial areas of the oral cavity. Their detection with salivary biomarkers can contribute to early treatment, before they transform into tumours. Researchers at the Oral Microbiology Research Group of the CEU Cardenal Herrera university (CEU UCH) in Valencia, Spain, have conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the salivary markers that show the highest efficacy for the early detection of oral cancer in different clinical trials. The results have just been published in the Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine, the official magazine of the International Association of Oral Pathogens in the field of Dentistry, Oral Surgery and Medicine. |
 | How anti-black bias in white men hurts black men's healthResearchers have documented "large, pervasive and persistent" racial inequalities in the U.S. Inter-group relations are among the factors that contribute to such disparities, many of which manifest themselves in gaps in health care. |
Vietnam veterans and agent orange exposure—new reportThe latest in a series of congressionally mandated biennial reviews of the evidence of health problems that may be linked to exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War found sufficient evidence of an association for hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). The committee that carried out the study and wrote the report, Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 11 (2018), focused on the scientific literature published between Sept. 30, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2017. | |
 | Home-based visits benefit rural patients with kidney diseaseHome visits by trained health representatives in the community can help rural patients become more involved in their own daily diabetes and kidney disease care, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). |
Biology news
 | New maps hint at how electric fish got their big brainsHelmet-heads of the freshwater fish world, African mormyrid fishes are known for having a brain-to-body size ratio that is similar to humans. |
 | Orangutan mothers found to engage in displaced referenceA pair of researchers with the University of St Andrews has observed orangutan mothers engaging in displaced reference after observation of a perceived threat. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, Adriano Lameira and Josep Call describe experiments they carried out with wild orangutans and what they learned from them. |
 | Solar panels for yeast cell biofactoriesGenetically engineered microbes such as bacteria and yeasts have long been used as living factories to produce drugs and fine chemicals. More recently, researchers have started to combine bacteria with semiconductor technology that, similar to solar panels on the roof of a house, harvests energy from light and, when coupled to the microbes' surface, can boost their biosynthetic potential. |
 | Animal populations are shrinking due to their high-risk food-finding strategiesA study using animal-attached technology to measure food consumption in four very different wild vertebrates has revealed that animals using a high-risk strategy to find rarer food are particularly susceptible to becoming extinct, as they fail to gather food for their young before they starve. |
 | Researchers discover novel 'to divide or to differentiate' switch in plantsScientists from VIB and Ghent University under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Jenny Russinova have uncovered a novel mechanism in plants that controls an important decision step in stomatal lineage to divide asymmetrically or to differentiate. This is a decisive step for the formation of stomata, tiny pores on the plant surface, produced by asymmetric cell division. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, they identified a scaffolding protein, POLAR, and demonstrated that POLAR brings a subset of GSK3-like kinases to their interacting partners at the polarized end of the stomatal precursor cell to initiate asymmetric cell division. This surprising regulation through scaffolding might be a more common mechanism to control GSK3-like kinases functions in plants. |
 | Scouting out bacterial defences to find new ways to counter-attack antibiotic resistanceResearch led by the University of Bristol has begun to unpick an important mechanism of antibiotic resistance and suggest approaches to block this resistance. |
 | Researchers unraveling the mystery of how sperm cells navigateResearchers have found that a protein in the cell membranes of sperm plays a key role in how they find their way to eggs. The PMCA protein may also help explain how egg cells only interact with sperm from the same species. PMCA may even be a target of drug discovery. |
 | Hemimastigotes found to represent a major new branch on evolutionary tree of lifeA team of researchers at Dalhousie University has found evidence that suggests hemimastigotes represent a major new branch of evolutionary life. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes their genetic study of the dirt-dwelling microbe. |
 | Seeing and smelling food prepares the mouse liver for digestionThe sight or smell of something delicious is often enough to get your mouth watering, but the physiological response to food perception may go well beyond your salivary glands. New research in mice shows that the sight and smell of food alone may be enough to kickstart processes in the liver that promote the digestion of food. The study appears November 15 in the journal Cell. |
 | Variance in gut microbiome in Himalayan populations linked to dietary lifestyleThe gut bacteria of four Himalayan populations differ based on their dietary lifestyles, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and their collaborators. |
 | Killer whales share personality traits with humans, chimpanzeesKiller whales display personality traits similar to those of humans and chimpanzees, such as playfulness, cheerfulness and affection, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. |
 | Disrupting parasites' family planning could aid malaria fightMalaria parasites know good times from bad and plan their offspring accordingly, scientists have found, in a development that could inform new treatments. |
Scientists find mysterious family of proteins are cellular pressure sensorsScientists at Scripps Research have discovered that a mysterious family of cellular proteins called OSCAs and TMEM63s are a novel class of mechanosensitive ion channels. | |
 | Drop your weapons! Autotomy, the shedding of a body part, reveals the hidden cost of conflictAnimal weapons such as antlers, tusks and limbs specialized for fighting require a large energy expenditure to produce and may cost even more to maintain. Because the leaf-footed bug sheds its large hind limbs, used as weapons in male-male battles, scientists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama could measure energy use of live bugs with and without hind legs to calculate the hidden energetic cost of weapons' maintenance. |
 | Farm animals may soon get new features through gene editingCows that can withstand hotter temperatures. Cows born without pesky horns. Pigs that never reach puberty. |
 | 'Very serious': African swine fever spreads in ChinaAfrican swine fever has spread rapidly to more than half of China's provinces despite measures to contain it, the government said, warning that a situation previously described as under control had become "very serious." |
 | Study provides framework to measure animal and plant traits for sustainability goalsResearchers have outlined a plan to detect and report changes in global biodiversity. The monitoring of species traits will improve natural resource management. |
 | New research studies adhesiveness in ants as a way to improve synthetic adhesivesMany of us are used to encountering ants scampering across a sidewalk, a trail path or even in our kitchen floor. But in many parts of the world, like the tropical regions of Central America, ants live their lives up in trees and utilize adhesive pads and claws to scurry from their colonies to tree limbs, branches and leaves in search of food. While foraging for food, wingless worker ants encounter significant environmental challenges like rain and wind. Villanova University biology assistant professor, Alyssa Stark, Ph.D., set out to find how ants adhere to surfaces under different conditions. |
 | Songbirds set long-distance migration recordResearchers at Lund University in Sweden have studied flight routes to determine how far willow warblers migrate in the autumn. The results show that the willow warbler holds a long-distance migration record in the ten-gram weight category – with the small birds flying around 13,000 kilometres or longer to reach their destination. |
 | Humpback whales arrive in the Mediterranean to feed themselvesAlthough the presence of humpback whales in the Mediterranean has been considered unusual, it is known that their visits have increased in the last 150 years. Until now, there had been no clear reason, with various hypotheses being considered, including disorientation, the migratory routes of other species, etc. However, a recently published study by experts from the University of Seville and the Biological Research Area from the Seville Aquarium indicates that the actual motivation is the search for food. |
 | California recommends restrictions for popular pesticideCalifornia regulators recommended new restrictions Thursday on a widely used pesticide blamed for harming the brains of babies. |
Population of rare Stone's sheep 20% smaller than previously thoughtThe already-rare Stone's sheep of the Yukon is 20 per cent less common than previously thought, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists. | |
 | Cubs of Indian tiger shot in controversial hunt spotted aliveThe orphaned cubs of a man-eating tiger killed in a state-sanctioned hunt have been spotted in a forest in western India and could be rescued and rehabilitated, officials said Thursday. |
 | Chinese scientists develop novel instrument for rapid profiling of antimicrobial resistanceWidespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the associated rise of "superbugs" is a major public health threat. A leading cause is the misuse or overuse of antibiotics due to the paucity of rapid assays for clinical AMR. |
 | Recent study documents damage to rice crops by three fall-applied residual herbicidesFall-applied residual herbicides are a commonly used control for glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass—one of the most troublesome weeds in Mid-South row crops. But research published in the journal Weed Technology shows rice growers need to be cautious. Some residual herbicides can have a negative impact on rice crop performance. |
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