Friday, January 18, 2019

Science X Newsletter Friday, Jan 18

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 18, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

A new smartphone user authentication system based on gait analysis

Enhanced NMR reveals chemical structures in a fraction of the time

Ten of the most innovative robotics developments of the past year

Waves in Saturn's rings give precise measurement of planet's rotation rate

Genetic variants implicated in development of schizophrenia

New combination blood test for pancreatic cancer may catch disease earlier

Discovery of enhanced bone growth could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis

Bioethicists call for oversight of consumer 'neurotechnologies' with unproven benefits

Unraveling of 58-year-old corn gene mystery may have plant-breeding implications

Japan satellite blasts into space to deliver artificial meteors

Finders spot Dark Mode in Android Q leak

New study shows physician-targeted marketing is associated with increase in opioid overdose deaths

Why do Hydra end up with just a single head?

Smart fabrics made possible by new metal deposition technique

Artificially produced cells communicate with each other

Astronomy & Space news

Waves in Saturn's rings give precise measurement of planet's rotation rate

Saturn's distinctive rings were observed in unprecedented detail by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, and scientists have now used those observations to probe the interior of the giant planet and obtain the first precise determination of its rotation rate. The length of a day on Saturn, according to their calculations, is 10 hours 33 minutes and 38 seconds.

Japan satellite blasts into space to deliver artificial meteors

A rocket carrying a satellite on a mission to deliver the world's first artificial meteor shower blasted into space on Friday, Japanese scientists said.

Making stars when the universe was half its age

The universe is about 13.8 billion years old, and its stars are arguably its most momentous handiwork. Astronomers studying the intricacies of star formation across cosmic time are trying to understand whether stars and the processes that produce them were the same when the universe was younger, about half its current age. They already know that from three to six billion years after the big bang stars were being made at a rate roughly ten times faster than they are today. How this happened, and why, are some of the key questions being posed for the next decade of research.

NASA and China collaborate on Moon mission

The space agencies of the United States and China are in touch and coordinating efforts on Moon exploration, NASA said Friday as it navigates a strict legal framework aimed at preventing technology transfer to China.

Image: Jupiter-family comet 46P Wirtanen

The ghostly green glow at the very top of this image reveals the presence of 46P Wirtanen – a relatively small comet with an estimated diameter of 1.2 kilometers. Had the path of history taken a different course, we would have much more than estimates about this Jupiter-family comet.

Astronomers aren't pleased about a Russian plan to put billboards in space

It was bound to happen.

Technology news

A new smartphone user authentication system based on gait analysis

A team of researchers at the University of Pretoria and City University of Hong Kong has recently developed a continuous smartphone user authentication system based on gait analysis. This system, outlined in a paper presented at the 44th annual conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, takes advantage of a device's pre-existing hardware, authenticating smartphone users based on their gait patterns.

Ten of the most innovative robotics developments of the past year

Guang-Zhong Yang, an editor at Science Robotics, with help from an international team of contributors, has highlighted ten notable robotics developments that occurred over the past year in the journal's most recent issue.

Finders spot Dark Mode in Android Q leak

The early Android Q build has a dark theme and it is system wide. XDA Developers picked up the leaked Android Q build with February's security patches and flashed it on a Pixel 3 XL. The results: A video showing the changes in action and a flurry of techie headlines quoting a much-quoted story in XDA Developers about the find.

How connected vehicles' windshield wipers could prevent flooding

One of your car's oldest features has been put to a new, high-tech use by University of Michigan researchers.

Technology near for real-time TV political fact checks

A Duke University team expects to have a product available for election year that will allow television networks to offer real-time fact checks onscreen when a politician makes a questionable claim during a speech or debate.

Tesla recalls 14,000 cars in China over Takata airbags

Electric-vehicle maker Tesla will recall over 14,000 Model S cars in China as part of the global automotive sector's effort to replace potentially dangerous airbags made by Takata, China's market regulator announced on Friday.

Google acquires Fossil smartwatch tech for $40 mn

Google agreed to pay $40 million for the smartwatch technology of the fashion and accessory group Fossil, the companies said Thursday, enabling the California tech giant to expand in the growing wearable tech market.

Netflix shares slip as spending weighs on profits

Netflix shares swung lower Thursday as spending on original shows at the leading streaming television service weighed on quarterly revenue and competition heated up.

On the road to make an affordable car, Tesla cuts jobs

Tesla will cut 7 percent of its workforce as it tries to lower prices and break out of the niche-car market to produce an electric vehicle that more people can afford.

Austria privacy activists file suit against streaming sites

An Austrian privacy campaign group lodged complaints against eight online streaming services Friday, accusing them of "structural violations" of EU data regulations that came into effect last year.

Light connects two worlds on a single chip

For the first time, researchers of the University of Twente succeeded in connecting two parts of an electronics chip using an on-chip optical link. A light connection could be a safe way of connecting a high-power component and digital control circuitry on one chip without a direct electrical link. Until now, however, an optical link was not possible using standard silicon chip technology. Vishal Agarwal, a UT Ph.D. student, managed to do so. He realized a very small optocoupler circuit that delivers a data rate of Megabits per second in an energy-efficient way.

Data breaches are inevitable – here's how to protect yourself anyway

It's tempting to give up on data security altogether, with all the billions of pieces of personal data – Social Security numbers, credit cards, home addresses, phone numbers, passwords and much more – breached and stolen in recent years. But that's not realistic – nor is the idea of going offline entirely. In any case, huge data-collection corporations vacuum up data about almost every American without their knowledge.

Government can't force people to unlock phones using facial recognition, fingerprints: Federal judge

A federal judge in Oakland ruled that law enforcement agencies cannot force people to use biometric features such as facial-recognition to unlock their phones and other devices in a case that highlights the fight between Big Tech and law enforcement over users' privacy.

Tech to protect children from school shooting? Medical school dropout's Manayunk startup is on it.

Matias Klein is a medical school dropout who is still out to save lives. Orlando "Jahlil Beats" Tucker is a hip-hop producer and songwriter trying to help breathe new life into his beleaguered Delaware County hometown of Chester.

Oxford says no to additional Huawei funding

Oxford University has decided to forgo further funding from Chinese tech giant Huawei as scrutiny grows in Europe over the telecom company's relationship with the Beijing government.

Grand jury charges four Audi managers in emissions case

A federal grand jury in Detroit has indicted four Audi engineering managers from Germany in a widening diesel emissions cheating scandal.

Ghosn received 8m euro in 'improper' payments: Nissan

Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn received nearly eight million euros in "improper payments" from a Netherlands-based joint venture, the Japanese car giant alleged Friday, threatening to sue to recover the funds.

Ryanair blames lower fares for fresh profit warning

Ryanair on Friday cut its annual profit forecast for a second time, blaming lower air fares caused by overcapacity in the European short-haul sector.

Volkswagen says it will pay Indian fine even as it appeals

Volkswagen Group said Friday that it will pay a fine of 1 billion rupees ($14.2 million) imposed by India for installing software on vehicles that allegedly cheated pollution testing devices, though it is still appealing the order.

Renault posts record sales as Ghosn successor sought

French carmaker Renault unveiled record sales Friday of nearly 3.9 million vehicles last year, even as it prepares to turn the page on the era of chief executive Carlos Ghosn who remains behind bars in Tokyo on fraud charges.

Barcelona taxis go on strike, block major street

Dozens of taxis in Barcelona started an indefinite strike on Friday, blocking a major thoroughfare in protest against online ride-hailing services like Uber.

Medicine & Health news

Genetic variants implicated in development of schizophrenia

Genetic variants which prevent a neurotransmitter receptor from working properly have been implicated in the development of schizophrenia, according to research by the UCL Genetics Institute.

New combination blood test for pancreatic cancer may catch disease earlier

A new approach to pancreatic cancer screening may help doctors detect the disease in people at high risk before it reaches more advanced and difficult-to treat stages.

Discovery of enhanced bone growth could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis

UCLA and UC San Francisco life scientists have discovered a dramatic pattern of bone growth in female mice—research that could potentially lead to stronger bone density in women and new treatments for osteoporosis in older women.

Bioethicists call for oversight of consumer 'neurotechnologies' with unproven benefits

The marketing of direct-to-consumer "neurotechnologies" can be enticing: apps that diagnose a mental state, and brain devices that improve cognition or "read" one's emotional state. However, many of these increasingly popular products aren't fully supported by science and have little to no regulatory oversight, which poses potential health risks to the public. In a new piece published in the journal Science this week, two bioethicists from Penn Medicine and the University of British Columbia suggest the creation of a working group that would further study, monitor, and provide guidance for this growing industry—which is expected to top $3 billion by 2020.

New study shows physician-targeted marketing is associated with increase in opioid overdose deaths

Many individuals cite prescription opioids as their gateway to illicit opioid use. However, while prescription opioids are involved in more than one-third of all opioid overdose deaths in the U.S., examining any correlation between prescription opioid overdose deaths and pharmaceutical industry marketing has been limited—until now.

Cholesterol protein discovery raises hope for smarter drugs

Scientists at UNSW Sydney have made a breakthrough discovery about cholesterol transportation in cells that opens the way for new drugs to increase the body's 'good cholesterol' levels.

Common food additives may promote anxiety-related behavior and reduce social behavior in mice, research shows

Food additives known as dietary emulsifiers, commonly found in processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life, may adversely affect anxiety-related and social behaviors in mice, Georgia State researchers have found.

Does being bilingual make children more focused? Study says no

Bilingual children do not have more advantages than monolingual children when it comes to executive function, which includes remembering instructions, controlling responses, and shifting swiftly between tasks, according to a new study published in PLOS One.

Fighting deadly drug resistant bacteria in intestines with new antibiotic

A new antibiotic developed by a Flinders University researcher is being heralded as a breakthrough in the war against a drug resistant superbug.

Researchers discover synaptic logic for connections between two brain hemispheres

Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have developed a new combination of technologies that allows them to identify the functional properties of individual synapses that link the two hemispheres and determine how they are arranged within a neuron's dendritic field.

Placentas adapt when mothers have poor diets or low oxygen during pregnancy

Cambridge researchers have discovered the placenta regulates how much oxygen and nutrients it transports to babies during challenging pregnancies in a study using mice to model conditions in the womb.

Movie violence doesn't make kids violent, study finds

Parents often worry that violent movies can trigger violence in their kids, but a new study suggests PG-13-rated movies won't turn your kids into criminals.

Improved maternity care practices decrease racial gaps in breastfeeding in the US South

A new paper published in Pediatrics links successful implementation of Baby-Friendly practices in the southern U.S. with increases in breastfeeding rates and improved, evidence-based care. The changes were especially positive for African-American women.

Frailty could make people more susceptible to dementia

New research published in The Lancet Neurology journal suggests that frailty makes older adults more susceptible to Alzheimer's dementia, and moderates the effects of dementia-related brain changes on dementia symptoms. The findings suggest that frailty should be considered in clinical care and management of Alzheimer's dementia.

Ultraviolet disinfection 97.7 percent effective in eliminating pathogens in hospital settings

Using ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections eliminated up to 97.7 percent of pathogens in operating rooms (ORs), according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Salad, soda and socioeconomic status: Mapping a social determinant of health in Seattle

Seattle residents who live in waterfront neighborhoods tend to have healthier diets compared to those who live along Interstate-5 and Aurora Avenue, according to new research on social disparities from the University of Washington School of Public Health. The study used local data to model food consumption patterns by city block. Weekly servings of salad and soda served as proxies for diet quality.

New suite of legal data capture US abortion laws

New legal data published to LawAtlas.org today provide a comprehensive look at the contents of US abortion regulations, relevant court cases and Attorneys General opinions that directly impact the provision of abortion services.

Long periods of undisturbed sleep during pregnancy may be associated with stillbirth

Sleeping more than nine hours per night during pregnancy may be associated with late stillbirth, a new Michigan Medicine-led international study suggests.

Home-based hypertension program produces 'striking' results

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a widespread clinical problem affecting nearly half of all adults. Despite the serious consequences that can result from hypertension, which puts patients at increased risk for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events, elevated blood pressures often remain untreated or undertreated for years, and the control rate for hypertension hovers at just 50 percent. Seeing opportunities for improvement, innovators and clinicians at Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a new home-based, care-delivery program aimed to improve hypertension control rates quickly and at significantly lower cost than traditional, office-based blood pressure programs. The new approach, piloted among 130 participants, helped 81 percent of patients bring their blood pressures under control in, on average, just seven weeks. The results of the pilot study are published this week in Clinical Cardiology.

No substantial benefit from transplantation reported for a high-risk leukemia subtype

Checking for minimal residual disease early in treatment can help some young high-risk leukemia patients avoid bone marrow transplantation without compromising their long-term survival A St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigator led the international retrospective analysis that appears today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Swine flu kills 40 in western India

At least 40 people have died and more than 1,000 have tested positive for swine flu since the beginning of this year in a western Indian state popular with foreigners, authorities said Friday.

Poor sleep and heart-related death

Elderly men who experience extended episodes of interrupted breathing while asleep have a high risk of heart problems. Research shows for the first time that poor blood oxygenation is a good indicator of the chance of heart-related death, which cannot be attributed to sleep apnoea alone.

Orthodontics no guarantee of long-term oral health

A commonly held belief among the general public is orthodontic treatment will prevent future tooth decay. Research undertaken at the University of Adelaide has found that this is not the case.

Worms and plants could reveal how neurological drugs work

There are drugs derived from plants to treat epilepsy, to prevent migraines and to halt manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. But in many cases, no one knows exactly how those and other neurological drugs work – what chemical processes in the brain those drugs alter, or sometimes even what the active ingredients are.

Both DNA, environment make us 'only the lonely'

In the relationship equivalent of the Whack-A-Mole carnival game, we doggedly swipe right, tap 'like' and share photos that vanish within seconds – relentlessly hitting at superficial connections with as many people as possible, while missing deeper connection with any.

Study points to alternate therapy for rare form of diabetes

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers say an unexpected finding during the cellular analysis of human pancreatic tissue has revealed new information about a rare type of diabetes and underscores the importance of genetic testing for some individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Why integrated teaching is important for dental professionals

A new paper published in the British Dental Journal highlights how dental hygiene therapists can be successfully trained alongside dentists, thanks to a pioneering model of teaching at the University of Plymouth.

Waiting longer for mental health care may help college students, report finds

As the demand for mental health services among college students nearly doubled over the last decade, advocates championed a common refrain: get students into treatment now.

Johnson & Johnson teams with Apple on Apple Watch study to help reduce the risk of strokes

Apple and Johnson & Johnson are teaming up on a study to determine whether the latest Apple Watch, in conjunction with an app from the pharmaceutical company, can accelerate the diagnosis of a leading cause of stroke.

Killing tumours by targeting their viral DNA

Epstein-Barr virus infects more than 95 percent of people, usually without symptoms. But sometimes its persistence in cells can lead to tumour formation. Now, researchers from Hong Kong and the UK have developed a fluorescing, molecular-sized probe, called L2P4, which can inhibit Epstein-Barr-related tumour growth while allowing researchers to see the targeted tumour cells.

Protecting seniors from scammers

(HealthDay)—It seems as though every day brings warnings about phone and internet scammers, with older Americans being particularly vulnerable.

Ditch your leisure to-do list

(HealthDay)—If the fun is often missing from your social activities or play feels like work, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have an explanation: You're probably overplanning.

Zika and Chikungunya viruses: Diagnostic pitfalls

Millions of people have contracted Zika and chikungunya virus infections since the outbreaks that have been striking Latin America since 2013. Zika-related malformations in newborns particularly warrant reliable diagnostics. DZIF scientists from the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have demonstrated the problems with currently available diagnostics, particularly for Zika virus detection, and report new, combined testing methods that have higher reliability.

Seniors with secrets seem to be more satisfied

Fifty-year-olds who walk around with a secret seem to be more satisfied with their lives than seniors who share their secrets with others. Yet not everyone is happily old with a secret—invaders and worriers suffer from it. This is shown by researchers (Joyce Maas, Andreas Wismeijer and Marcus van Assen) from the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB).

Exercise can fast-track your workplace well-being – here's how

Exercise has been found to reduce stress, increase positive mood, decrease anxiety and alleviate depression. But you may not know that the emotional well-being associated with exercise is also linked to key attributes that can help us while we work.

Scientists search for new methods to cure neurodegenerative diseases

Most neurons in the human brain are generated from neural stem cells during embryonic development. After birth, a small reservoir of stem cells remain in the brain that keeps on producing new neurons throughout life. However, the question arises as to whether these new neurons really support brain function? And if so, can we improve brain capacity by increasing the number of neurons? The research group of Prof. Federico Calegari at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) of TU Dresden has answered these questions, now published in the renowned EMBO Journal.

Scaring smokers into stopping starts to pay dividends

Smokers once used to turn a blind eye to health warnings on cigarette packets. But now researchers at the University of Huddersfield have used eye-tracking technology to prove that new-style packs have shifted the focus so that the message about the dangers of smoking is getting through more effectively.

Researchers design algorithms to improve detection of early cognitive impairment

Researchers at the Pharmacy and Mathematics departments of the CEU UCH University in Valencia have collaborated on the design of two artificial intelligence algorithms that improve the screening of positive cases in the early detection of cognitive impairment in chemists. These algorithms also make it possible to identify the main risk factors of developing some type of dementia in the future. The study was published by scientific journal Frontiers of Pharmacology.

Sex differences seen in pursuit of interventional cardiology career

(HealthDay)—Unique factors dissuade female fellows-in-training from pursuing a career in interventional cardiology (IC), according to a study published online Jan. 16 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

WHO: Vaccine hesitancy a major global health threat

(HealthDay)—Vaccine hesitancy is among the top 10 health threats facing the world in 2019, the World Health Organization says.

Opioid addiction is a public health crisis—the way we're talking about it isn't helping.

The misuse of and addiction to opioids is a public health crisis in the United States. Part of solving that crisis, say two Northeastern researchers, is changing how we talk about addiction.

Research shows UK waste collection systems causing significant musculoskeletal issues for workers

Waste collection systems used throughout the UK could be causing significant long-term musculoskeletal issues for workers, research has shown.

The shifting age of peak binge drinking

Young adults in the U.S. are engaging in binge drinking later into their 20s, according to a recent analysis from the long-term Monitoring the Future study that has tracked the attitudes and behaviors of young adults since the 1970s. The analysis, led by University of Minnesota Professor Megan Patrick, Ph.D., was recently published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Gene therapy promotes nerve regeneration

Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN) and the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) have shown that treatment using gene therapy leads to a faster recovery after nerve damage. By combining a surgical repair procedure with gene therapy, the survival of nerve cells and regeneration of nerve fibers over a long distance was stimulated for the first time. The discovery, published in the journal Brain, is an important step towards the development of a new treatment for people with nerve damage.

Take a deep breath: the art of mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness has been a hot topic recently, but what does mindfulness actually mean and how does one practice it? One Baylor College of Medicine expert discusses this.

How the human brain works during simultaneous interpretation

Researchers at the Centre for Bioelectric Interfaces and the Centre for Cognition & Decision Making of the Higher School of Economics utilized electroencephalogram (EEG) and the event-related potential (ERP) technique to study neural activity during simultaneous interpretation of continuous prose.

A new hope in treating neurodegenerative disease

Korean researchers have identified the inhibition of autophagy in microglia, brain immune cells. It is expected to help develop treatments for Alzheimer's disease which occur due to the inhibition of autophagy.

A major new report has developed a global diet that could improve health and reduce further damage to the planet

An international team of researchers, including academics from City, University of London, has developed a new diet it says can improve health while ensuring sustainable food production.

Rationality: Research shows we're not as stupid as we have been led to believe

Suppose you toss a coin and get four heads in a row – what do you think will come up on the fifth toss? Many of us have a gut feeling that a tails is due. This feeling, called the Gambler's Fallacy, can be seen in action at the roulette wheel. A long run of blacks leads to a flurry of bets on red. In fact, no matter what has gone before, red and black are always equally likely.

Neuronal cytoskeletons involved in Alzheimer's disease

A researcher at the UPV/EHU participated in a study describing the loss of dynamics and subsequent impairment of the dendritic spines in Alzheimer's disease. Dendritic spines are the compartments of neurons responsible for receiving nerve impulses from other neurons. The researchers report on the role played by the actin cytoskeleton of these compartments and how it responds in the presence of beta-amyloid peptides, the component most commonly associated with Alzheimer's.

Back to work? Take lunch from home to save time and money – and boost your mood

Heading back to work after the holidays means turning your thoughts to what's for lunch. Are you a meticulous lunch planner, or do you only make a decision once those first hunger pangs signal it's lunchtime?

Preventing breast cancer just got easier. Will more women give these drugs a try?

Breast cancer will strike 1 in 8 women in her lifetime. But women who face an increased risk of being that one unlucky patient may improve their chances with three prescription medications, according to a new report.

Living like a caveman won't make you thin—but it might make you healthy

If you vowed to exercise more in an effort to lose weight this year, the cards are stacked against you.

Video: Researchers discover rare genetic brain disorder

An international team of researchers, led by MCRI, have identified a rare genetic brain disorder that causes severe neurological damage in children after a mild episode of fever or illness.

Researchers find short bouts of stairclimbing throughout the day can boost health

It just got harder to avoid exercise. A few minutes of stair climbing, at short intervals throughout the day, can improve cardiovascular health, according to new research from kinesiologists at McMaster University and UBC Okanagan.

'Happiness' exercises can boost mood in those recovering from substance use disorder

Brief, text-based, self-administered exercises can significantly increase in-the-moment happiness for adults recovering from substance use disorders, report researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Recovery Research Institute. The study, published online in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, is the first of its kind to test whether positive psychology exercises boost happiness in persons recovering from substance use.

Liver cancer patients can be treated for Hep C infection

A large, multi-center study refutes earlier suggestions that antiviral drugs for treating hepatitis C may lead to a higher recurrence of liver cancer.

Researchers identify specific cognitive deficits in individuals with spinal cord injury

A multidisciplinary team of researchers has identified specific cognitive deficits in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Their findings support the theory of accelerated aging after SCI, and have important implications for further research.

Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart

Flu has so far infected more than 6 million Americans this season, and winter colds are making their rounds. If you've been hit by either, you may be thinking about heading to your local pharmacy to relieve your aches, pains and congestion.

Radiographic knee osteoarthritis tied to increased risk for death

(HealthDay)—Radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA) is associated with an increased risk for mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and renal diseases, but self-reported OA is not, according to a study published in the December issue of the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Mandated neonatal abstinence reporting helps quantify cases

(HealthDay)—Mandated neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) surveillance and reporting allows state health departments to quantify incidence and informs programs and services, according to research published in the Jan. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

FDA panel has tie vote on new type 1 diabetes drug

(HealthDay)—A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel vote on whether to recommend approval of the first oral medication for type 1 diabetes ended in an 8-8 tie Thursday.

FDA investigating paclitaxel-coated balloons, paclitaxel-eluting stents

(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration alerted health care providers on Thursday that the agency is investigating the use of paclitaxel-coated balloons and paclitaxel-eluting stents to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the femoropopliteal artery because of a potentially increased mortality risk in the long term.

Variation in revascularization for asymptomatic SIHD unexplained

(HealthDay)—For asymptomatic patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), there is considerable variation in revascularization practice that is not explained by known factors, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Automated text messages improve outcomes after joint replacement surgery

An automated text messaging system increases patient engagement with home-based exercise and promotes faster recovery after total knee or hip replacement surgery, reports a study in the January 16, 2019 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

A new kind of mosquito repellent that comes from bacteria

People may soon have a new weapon in the battle against mosquitoes, and it comes from an unusual source: bacteria.

The influence of endocrine disruptors on the male and female thyroid

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are a class of chemicals used to produce everyday materials, such as some plastics, tin cans, electrical and household appliances, cosmetics, pesticides, etc. EDs are, however, not without danger. These molecules interfere with the endocrine system, disrupting the physiological production and target effects of hormones. In particular, EDs have proven effects on the reproductive system and an incidence on the occurrence of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases during aging.

New device achieves better blood sugar control in young children with type 1 diabetes

The number of people living with type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide, particularly among young children. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there were more than one million children with type 1 diabetes in 2017. In this disease, which cannot be prevented or cured, the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, making it impossible for the body to regulate blood sugar levels on its own. Poor management of blood sugar levels can lead to loss of eyesight, heart and kidney disease, and even loss of life if glucose levels drop too much.

Perdue recalls chicken nuggets due to wood contamination

Perdue is recalling more than 68,000 pounds (30,844 kilograms) of chicken nuggets because they may be contaminated with wood.

Breakthrough in identifying new genes in age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness

Fight for Sight funded research published this week in Clinical Epigenetics, has identified new genes linked to the development of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the UK.

Telling stories using rhythmic gesture helps children improve their oral skills

Gesture is an inherent part of human communication, and speakers of all ages tend to gesticulate when they speak. In children, gesture acquires special importance, since it is an important precursor and predictor of language and cognitive development.

Biology news

Unraveling of 58-year-old corn gene mystery may have plant-breeding implications

In discovering a mutant gene that "turns on" another gene responsible for the red pigments sometimes seen in corn, researchers solved an almost six-decades-old mystery with a finding that may have implications for plant breeding in the future.

Why do Hydra end up with just a single head?

Often considered immortal, the freshwater Hydra can regenerate any part of its body, a trait discovered by the Geneva naturalist Abraham Trembley nearly 300 years ago. Any fragment of its body containing a few thousands cells can regenerate the entire animal The one-centimeter polyp has a developmental organizer center located at the head level, and another located in the foot. The head organizer performs two opposite activities: activating, which causes the head to differentiate, and inhibiting, which prevents the formation of supernumerary heads.

Scientists discover natural fitness watch in fishes that records their activity levels

An international research team including scientists from the University of Southampton have shown for the first time that the energetic cost of living (the metabolic rate) of fish can be measured in structures that grow in their ears. This new tool can be used to show how fish are influenced by and adapt to changes in their environment, including climate change.

Biologists discover deep-sea fish living where there is virtually no oxygen

Oxygen—it's a basic necessity for animal life. But marine biologists recently discovered large schools of fishes living in the dark depths of the Gulf of California where there is virtually no oxygen. Using an underwater robot, the scientists observed these fishes thriving in low-oxygen conditions that would be deadly to most other fish. This discovery could help scientists understand how other marine animals might cope with ongoing changes in the chemistry of the ocean.

Potential biotech and health applications with new knowledge on bacteria and viruses

University of Otago research to better understand how bacteria and their viruses interact and evolve will enable future studies to exploit the use of bacteria and their viruses for potential biotechnology and health applications.

Researchers come face to face with huge great white shark

Two shark researchers who came face to face with what could be one of the largest great whites ever recorded are using their encounter as an opportunity to push for legislation that would protect sharks in Hawaii.

Bee surveys in newest national park could aid pollinator studies elsewhere

Declines in native bee populations are widely reported, but can existing data really analyze these trends? In the Jan. 17, 2019, online edition of PLOS One, Utah State University and USDA researchers report findings about pollinator biodiversity in California's Pinnacles National Park derived from data collected from three separate surveys spanning 17 years. Their results documented 450 species of wild, native bees at Pinnacles, including 48 new to the area since 2002, and 95 detected at the site in the 1990s, but now missing.

Two tiny beetle fossils offer evolution and biogeography clues

It is well-known that living fossils exhibit stasis over geologically long time scales. Examples are the panda and ginkgo. Now, two tiny beetles trapped in 99-million-year-old amber may join this group.

With fire, warming and drought, Yellowstone forests could be grassland by mid-century

The fires in Yellowstone National Park began to burn in June 1988. A natural feature of the landscape, park managers expected the fires to fizzle out by July, when rains historically drenched the forests and valleys of the world's first national park.

More data, lower cost – DIY electronics tackle global change

Scientific research can be a costly undertaking, oftentimes so much so that projects become cost-prohibitive. So what happens when the research is too expensive, but the data is too important to leave uncollected?

A 'decathlon' for antibiotics puts them through more realistic testing

The environments where bacteria thrive in our bodies are very different from those in which they're tested in the lab, and that can be a problem. Sriram Chandrasekaran, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, is using advanced computer simulations to study how different environments affect antibiotic performance.

Florida pulls Keys' ospreys from endangered animals list as numbers climb statewide

The Florida Keys' ospreys, the fierce fish hawks whose massive nests dot utility poles, channel markers and nesting platforms up and down the ribbon of islands, will no longer be listed as an imperiled species by the state.

A new way to transfer energy between cells

Researchers from the Catalonian Institute of Bioengineering (Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña) and the Seville Chemical Research Institute (Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas de Sevilla) have described a new method for the transmission of electrons between proteins that refutes the evidence from experiments until now. This process, involved in the generation of energy in both animal and plant cells, will permit better understanding of the behaviour of proteins in the cells, as well as giving a deeper understanding of the energy dysfunctions that cause diseases.

Sloths are far more adaptable than we realised

Unless you live in the tropical rainforests of South or Central America, most of the sloths you'll encounter will be two-toed sloths. This is because they are able to eat quite a varied diet and are therefore relatively easy to keep in captivity. Their relatives, the three-toed sloths, on the other hand, have a very restricted diet, subsisting solely on Cecropia: a group of fast-growing tree species with soft wood and large, juicy leaves.

Mediterranean freshwater fish species susceptible to climate change

Climate change will strongly affect many European freshwater fish species. This is particularly the case for species in the Mediterranean region, according to the latest findings of an international team of researchers from institutions including IGB, the University of Girona in Spain, the Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) and the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Is winter miserable for wildlife?

While the weather outside may indeed get frightful this winter, a parka, knit hat, wool socks, insulated boots and maybe a roaring fire make things bearable for people who live in cold climates. But what about all the wildlife out there? Won't they be freezing?

Bison are back, and that benefits many other species on the Great Plains

Driving north of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, an extraordinary landscape comes into view. Trees disappear and an immense landscape of grass emerges, undulating in the wind like a great, green ocean.

Global change could also affect hake fisheries in Tierra del Fuego

A scientific study published in the journal Global Change Biology suggests snoek (Thyrsites atun) can recolonize the marine area of the Beagle Channel and South-Western Atlantic waters, an area in the American continent where this species competed with the hake (Merluccius sp.) to hunt preys in warmer periods.

As shutdown drags on, scientists scramble to keep insects, plants and microbes alive

Three days a week, Don Weber shows up to work at the U.S. Department of Agriculture campus in Beltsville, Md. The parking lot is empty and the hallways are dark. Like other federal facilities across the country, the lab is closed because of the partial government shutdown.

Feds failed to protect habitat of endangered bee found in Illinois, lawsuit says

Federal agencies failed to follow the law in protecting the habitat of an endangered bumblebee that continues to be found in Illinois despite major population loss nationwide, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Washington, D.C., by an environmentalist group.


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

ga

No comments: