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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 17, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Scientists find increase in asteroid impacts on ancient Earth by studying the MoonAn international team of scientists is challenging our understanding of a part of Earth's history by looking at the Moon, the most complete and accessible chronicle of the asteroid collisions that carved our solar system. |
 | Saturn hasn't always had ringsOne of the last acts of NASA's Cassini spacecraft before its death plunge into Saturn's hydrogen and helium atmosphere was to coast between the planet and its rings and let them tug it around, essentially acting as a gravity probe. |
 | New paper indicates potential for primitive life on icy Barnard b super-earth planet if geothermal activity existsBarnard b (or GJ 699 b) is a recently discovered Super-Earth planet orbiting Barnard's Star, making it the second nearest star system to the Earth. Although likely cold (-170 degrees centigrade), it could still have the potential to harbor primitive life if it has a large, hot iron/nickel core and enhanced geothermal activity. That was a conclusion announced by Villanova University Astrophysicists Edward Guinan and Scott Engle at a January 10 press conference held at the 233rd meeting of the American Astronomy Society (AAS) in Seattle, WA. |
 | China's moon cotton experiment ends in freezing lunar nightA cotton seedling that sprouted on the moon has been left to die as China's historic lunar lander continues a freezing night-time nap that will last as long as two earth weeks, scientists said. |
 | Total lunar eclipse meets supermoon Sunday nightHere comes a total lunar eclipse and supermoon, all wrapped into one. |
 | How realistic are China's plans to build a research station on the Moon?The world is still celebrating the historic landing of China's Chang'e-4 on the dark side of the moon on January 3. This week, China announced its plans to follow up with three more lunar missions, laying the groundwork for a lunar base. |
Technology news
 | A two-view network to predict depth and ego motion from monocular sequencesResearchers from the Embedded Systems and Robotics group at TCS Research & Innovation have recently developed a two-view depth network to infer depth and ego-motion from consecutive monocular sequences. Their approach, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, also incorporates epipolar constraints, which enhance the network's geometric understanding. |
 | Using a machine learning technique to make a canine-like robot more agile and fasterA team of researchers with Robotic Systems Lab in Switzerland and Intelligent Systems Lab in Germany and the U.S. has found a way to apply machine learning to robotics to give such machines greater abilities. In their paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the group describes how they applied machine learning to robotics and in so doing gave a canine-like robot more agility and speed. |
 | Measuring AI's ability to learn is difficultOrganizations looking to benefit from the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution should be cautious about putting all their eggs in one basket, a study from the University of Waterloo has found. |
 | Researchers mimic crystal lattices to make stronger 3-D printed objectsA team of researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Sheffield has developed a way to mimic the attributes of crystal lattices to make stronger 3D printed materials. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how they transferred characteristics of microscopic structures to 3D printed polymer and stainless-steel lattices with nodes and struts analogous to the atoms and bonds of crystals. Gang Seob Jung and Markus Buehler with MIT offer a News and Views piece on the work done by the team in Great Britain in the same journal. |
 | Reinforcement learning expedites 'tuning' of robotic prostheticsResearchers from North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina and Arizona State University have developed an intelligent system for "tuning" powered prosthetic knees, allowing patients to walk comfortably with the prosthetic device in minutes, rather than the hours necessary if the device is tuned by a trained clinical practitioner. The system is the first to rely solely on reinforcement learning to tune the robotic prosthesis. |
 | Battle lines forming ahead of a looming US privacy law fightConsumer advocates and the data-hungry technology industry are drawing early battle lines in advance of an expected fight this year over what kind of federal privacy law the U.S. should have. |
 | Applying physics to energy-efficient building designDeveloping a perfectly energy-efficient building is relatively easy to do—if you don't give the building's occupants any control over their environment. Since nobody wants that kind of building, Professor Christoph Reinhart has focused his career on finding ways to make buildings more energy-efficient while keeping user needs in mind. |
 | How AI could help you learn sign languageSign languages aren't easy to learn and are even harder to teach. They use not just hand gestures but also mouthings, facial expressions and body posture to communicate meaning. This complexity means professional teaching programmes are still rare and often expensive. But this could all change soon, with a little help from artificial intelligence (AI). |
 | Robots can go all the way to Mars but they can't pick up the groceriesCambridge researchers are studying the interaction between robots and humans – and teaching them how to do the very difficult things that we find easy. |
 | Siemens, Alstom raise doubts about mega mergerConfidence that the politically sensitive merger of their rail businesses would be waved through by the European Commission was ebbing at both Siemens and Alstom Thursday. |
 | Japan's Hitachi freezes British nuclear projectHitachi said Thursday it would freeze construction of its stalled nuclear power station in Wales due to financing problems, a blow to Britain's nuclear strategy and a costly decision for the Japanese firm. |
 | TIC-TOC technology moves Tactile Internet a step closer to realityResearchers in South Korea have developed extremely fast information processing technologies that can help usher in the next generation of the Internet. Researchers at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) in South Korea have developed technology capable of sending packets of digital information at 25 Gb/s (gigabits per second) – 10 times faster than currently available speeds. The technology, named TIC-TOC, is a critical component of the future Tactile Internet, in which information is sent and received at speeds on par with human perception. |
 | It's time for a new way to regulate social media platformsWhen it came to our online lives, 2018 was revealing in its dysfunction. |
 | Apple's Tim Cook calls for privacy bill with right to delete dataApple chief executive Tim Cook called on US lawmakers Thursday to pass privacy legislation enabling consumers to see and delete their harvested online personal data from a central clearinghouse. |
 | Amazon sets conference on robotics, artificial intelligenceAmazon announced plans Thursday to hold a conference open to the public on robotics, space and artificial intelligence, as well as to discuss future applications of emerging technologies. |
Google to buy power from solar farms in Tennessee, AlabamaGoogle plans to buy power from Tennessee and Alabama solar farms under a deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority. | |
 | Airbus boosts US footprint with new A220 plant in AlabamaEuropean aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Wednesday broke ground on its second assembly line in the southern US state of Alabama, where it plans to build its small A220 jets, as it seeks to swipe market share from rival Boeing. |
 | India gives Volkswagen 24 hours to pay Dieselgate fineIndia's environmental court Thursday threatened Volkswagen executives with arrest and gave the German automaker a day to pay $14 million for violating pollution norms by fudging emission tests. |
 | Facebook closes hundreds of 'inauthentic' Russia-linked pagesFacebook announced Thursday that it has removed more than 500 pages, groups and accounts originating in Russia for engaging in what the social network called "coordinated inauthentic behavior." |
 | Renault 'actively' looking to post-Ghosn futureFrench carmaker Renault on Thursday launched the search for a successor to Chairman Carlos Ghosn, only hours after a Tokyo court quashed his appeal for bail as he faces three charges of financial misconduct. |
 | Philips to shut UK factory over 'geopolitical' concernsDutch multinational Philips announced Thursday the closure of a British factory making baby bottles, threatening 430 jobs, citing "ongoing geopolitical challenges", months after warning about the potential negative effects of Brexit. |
Medicine & Health news
 | New hope for stem cell approach to treating diabetesScientists working to develop more effective treatments for diabetes are turning to stem cells. Such cells can be transformed into cells that produce insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar. |
 | Nearly a quarter of antibiotic prescriptions for children and adults may be unnecessaryOne in 10 children and about one in six adults with private insurance received antibiotics they didn't need at least once in 2016, a new Michigan Medicine study suggests. |
 | Scientists identify gene responsible for spread of prostate cancerA Rutgers study has found that a specific gene in cancerous prostate tumors indicates when patients are at high-risk for the cancer to spread, suggesting that targeting this gene can help patients live longer. |
 | Another piece of Ebola virus puzzle identifiedA team of researchers have discovered the interaction between an Ebola virus protein and a protein in human cells that may be an important key to unlocking the pathway of replication of the killer disease in human hosts. Scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute were part of a nationwide collaborative with scientists at Gladstone Institutes, UC San Francisco and Georgia State University for a study recently published in the journal Cell. |
 | Gene therapy blocks peripheral nerve damage in miceNerve axons serve as the wiring of the nervous system, sending electrical signals that control movement and sense of touch. When axons are damaged, whether by injury or as a side effect of certain drugs, a program is triggered that leads axons to self-destruct. This destruction likely plays an important role in multiple neurodegenerative conditions, including peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). |
 | Investigation evaluates effects of environmental exposures on neurologic disordersBoth genes and the environment shape a person's risk of disease, but while genes are frequently cataloged, perturbed, activated, turned off and systematically tested in the lab, environmental exposures are often studied as one-offs. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed an approach to systematically and simultaneously evaluate the effects of hundreds of environmental factors on the development of neurological diseases. Through a series of investigations, the team has identified environmental factors that boost neurological inflammation, including an herbicide being used in the U.S. that is currently banned in Europe. Details of the team's approach and findings are published in Cell. |
 | Findings on eye-signal blending re-examines Nobel-winning researchLook at an object, cover one eye at a time, and the object appears to jump back and forth. Stare at it with both eyes working, and we take for granted a complicated process of the brain combining the signals into one, giving us a clear view and proper depth perception. |
 | Mapping the neural circuit of innate responses to odorsA team of neuroscientists at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown (CCU), in Lisbon (Portugal), has performed one of the first studies into the central neural circuits (or higher brain areas) that underlie innate responses to odors. Their results, some of which are unexpected, were published in the journal PLoS Biology. |
 | Scientists learn how common virus reactivates after transplantationA new study in Science challenges long-held theories of why a common virus—cytomegalovirus, or CMV—can reactivate and become a life-threatening infection in people with a compromised immune system, including blood cancer patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. |
 | Brain's cerebellum found to influence addictive and social behaviorIn a study published online today in the journal Science, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore, prove for the first time that the brain's cerebellum—long thought to be mainly involved in coordinating movement—helps control the brain's reward circuitry. The surprising finding indicates that the cerebellum plays a major role in reward processing and social behaviors and could potentially lead to new strategies for treating addiction. |
 | Researchers discover the brain cells that make pain unpleasantIf you step on a tack, neurons in your brain will register two things: that there's a piercing physical sensation in your foot, and that it's not pleasant. Now, a team of scientists at Stanford University has identified a bundle of brain cells in mice responsible for the latter—that is, the negative emotions of pain. |
 | Engineered probiotic strain of Escherichia coli bacteria can reverse dangerously high levels of blood ammoniaSynlogic, Inc., a clinical stage company applying synthetic biology to beneficial microbes to develop novel, living medicines, today announced the publication in Science Translational Medicine of clinical data from its Phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers and supporting preclinical data from its investigational Synthetic Biotic candidate, SYNB1020. The data support the continued development of SYNB1020 which is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in patients with cirrhosis and elevated blood ammonia. |
 | Scientists are piecing together how genes involved in neural development can affect body weightLeading a unique, collaborative research study with scientists across the globe, investigators at the University of Cambridge and Children's Hospital Los Angeles have pinpointed a set of molecules that wire the body weight center of the brain. |
 | Scientists create a renewable source of cancer-fighting T cellsA study by UCLA researchers is the first to demonstrate a technique for coaxing pluripotent stem cells—which can give rise to every cell type in the body and which can be grown indefinitely in the lab—into becoming mature T cells capable of killing tumor cells. |
 | Experimental drug could be new option for type 2 diabetesAn experimental drug may help people with type 2 diabetes curb their blood sugar without causing it to drop to dangerously low levels. |
Study reveals financial interests of patient organizations assessing NHS treatmentsMore than two thirds of patient organisations involved in assessing treatments for NHS use received funding from the maker(s) or a competitor of that treatment, yet decision makers were aware of less than a quarter of these interests, finds a review in The BMJ today. | |
Study investigates socioeconomic disparities in nitrate levels in US drinking waterThe first nationwide investigation of potential socioeconomic disparities in nitrate concentrations in US drinking water is reported in the open access journal Environmental Health. The authors, from Silent Spring Institute, note that understanding the extent of current exposures—particularly among vulnerable communities—is critical for developing effective strategies to reduce exposure. | |
 | US youth suicides more prevalent in states with higher gun ownershipA new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers finds that states with higher levels of household gun ownership also have higher overall youth suicide rates, with every 10 percentage-point increase in household gun ownership associated with a 26.9 percent increase in the youth suicide rate. |
Financial stress linked to heart disease risk among African AmericansCoronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and African Americans are disproportionately affected. Prior studies have investigated how limited access to material resources due to financial hardship may influence health, but the association between that stress caused by financial hardship and coronary heart disease in African Americans has not previously been examined. | |
Antibiotics still routinely prescribed in the ER for infants with viral lung infectionsDespite recommendations first issued more than a decade ago, antibiotics are still routinely prescribed in U.S. emergency rooms for infants with bronchiolitis, a common viral lung infection. Published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the findings highlight a concerning lag in translating evidence-based guidelines into clinical practice and underscore the need to continue educating health care providers and the public about appropriate antibiotic use. | |
World Trade Center responders at increased risk for head and neck cancersA Rutgers study has found a significant increase in head and neck cancers among workers and volunteers who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), pointing to newly emerging risks that require ongoing monitoring and treatment of those who were exposed during the initial response. | |
 | Diet, food production must radically change to improve health, avoid potentially catastrophic damage to the planetTransformation of the global food system is urgently needed as more than 3 billion people are malnourished (including people who are undernourished and overnourished), and food production is exceeding planetary boundaries—driving climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution due to over-application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, and unsustainable changes in water and land use. |
 | Immune cell clues offer hope to hypertension patients, study suggestsScientists have pinpointed cells in the immune system that could be key to tackling high blood pressure. |
 | Lentils with a side of rice: the save-the-world diet?Coming to dining tables everywhere by 2050: porridge for breakfast, rice for lunch, a dinner of lentils and vegetables, and a single hamburger every few weeks, as a treat. |
Study finds dangerous increases in patients mixing opioids, benzodiazepines or Z-drugsThe number of Americans taking a dangerous combination of both opioids and benzodiazepines—a group of drugs commonly prescribed for pain, insomnia and anxiety—increased by 250 percent over a 15-year period, while there was an 850 per cent increase in patients taking both benzodiazepines and so-called Z-drugs, which act similarly to benzodiazepines, according to a new study published in the journal Sleep. | |
 | Many hepatitis infections go undiagnosed in cancer patientsResults from the largest study of hepatitis B and C and HIV infection prevalence in cancer patients show an alarmingly high rate of undiagnosed acute and chronic hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis B and C are serious but treatable viral infections that cancer patients should know they have—because these viruses can cause life-threatening complications when certain cancer treatments are used. |
 | Alternations in gut microbiota in pregnancy and lactationRecent studies have shown that maternal gut microbiota in humans primes the offspring's immune and metabolic development during pregnancy and lactation. Due to environmental factors that are impractical to control in human studies, however, much remains unknown around changes in maternal gut microbiota during these stages. A new study published in The FASEB Journal utilized a pig model to enable exploration of maternal gut microbiota change due to pregnancy and lactation. |
 | Research team documents potential new treatment path for breast cancerImmunotherapies that take off the "brakes" on the adaptive anti-tumor response have worked well in melanoma and lung cancer but less so in breast cancers. That could change. |
 | Study links smoking during pregnancy with increase in obesity later in baby's lifeUniversity of Kentucky researchers have identified a potential cellular mechanism that connects a mother's smoking while pregnant with an increased risk in the offspring's obesity later in life. |
 | New blood tests for TB could accelerate diagnosisRapid blood tests used by the NHS are unable to rule out tuberculosis (TB) and should be replaced with a new, more accurate test, a study has found. |
 | The causes and complications of snoringNearly half of adults habitually snore when they sleep. |
 | Child survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma have increased risk of second cancerSurvivors of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma are at an increased risk of developing an entirely new cancer later in life, according to new research published in Cancer—the American Cancer Society's international peer-reviewed scientific journal—and conducted at University of Alabama at Birmingham. |
 | Engineered immune cells target broad range of pediatric solid tumors in miceImmune cells engineered to attack childhood cancers were able to eradicate different types of pediatric tumors in mice, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
 | New risk score far more effective for diabetes diagnosisA new way of screening babies and adults for future risk of type 1 diabetes will be much more effective at identifying the condition than current methods, new research has concluded. |
 | Blocking hormone uptake burns more fatA newly discovered regulatory mechanism helps the body control the rate of fat metabolism, according to a new study publishing on January 17 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Ligong Chen of Tsinghua University in Beijing and colleagues. The finding may lead to new drugs to help burn stored fat and reduce weight. |
 | Combination therapy treats leishmaniasis, HIV patientsCoinfection with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been observed in at least 35 countries on four continents and requires special case management. Currently, the World Health Organization recommends AmBisome monotherapy for treatment. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have showed that a combination therapy of AmBisome and miltefosine is more effective. |
 | First clinical study shows mavoglurant improves eye gaze behavior in fragile X syndrome patientsResearchers at Rush University Medical Center and the MIND Institute at UC Davis have found that mavoglurant, an experimental drug known as an mGluR5 negative modulator, can positively modify a key characteristic behavior in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). |
 | Stress fracture? Your foot hitting pavement wasn't the main problemIt starts as a persistent and irritating pain in the foot or lower leg, then it gets more intense, maybe with swelling, and soon a runner knows she's being sidelined by one of the most common running injuries: a stress fracture. These tiny cracks in the bone can halt training for months or even end a sports season. |
 | Women's fertility: does 'egg timer' testing work, and what are the other options?As every unattached woman in her twenties or thirties out there is well aware, the most important factor determining her chance of achieving pregnancy is age. In broad terms, fertility starts to decline when women are in their early 30s, the rate of decline speeds up at around age 35 and by age 40 and beyond, the chance of pregnancy is slim and the risk of miscarriage high. This is because, as women age, the quantity and quality of their eggs decrease. |
 | Scientists generate high-quality human vascular cells through genome editing technologyScientists from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Peking University and the Institute of Zoology of CAS have generated the world's first genetically enhanced human vascular cells by targeting a single longevity gene, FOXO3. The study was recently published in Cell Stem Cell. |
 | Boost kids' skills and memories with weekly game nightThe winter months are an ideal time to turn your attention inward and think of how you can establish something new for your family to do together indoors. If you can find the right thing, perhaps it will become a family ritual. |
 | Resist! TAK1 enables endothelial cells to avoid apoptosisCell death is an important aspect of tissue homeostasis, as well as inflammation and disease pathogenesis related to infection, injury, and tumor growth. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) coordinates cell death in a variety of tissues; however, endothelial cells within blood vessels show a unique resistance to the action of TNFα. This resistance has been poorly understood, until now. |
 | Addressing expected challenges after resumption of HPV vaccinationIn Japan, an HPV vaccination program started in 2010, and the HPV vaccine became a nationally recommended routine immunization for girls aged 12–16 years in April 2013. However, because cases of young girls with widespread pain and movement disorders after vaccination were reported in the media in June 2013, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) announced the suspension of its recommendation for routine HPV immunization. |
 | Mindfulness may ease menopausal symptomsMindfulness may be associated with fewer menopausal symptoms for women, according to a Mayo Clinic study recently published in Climacteric: The Journal of the International Menopause Society. Researchers discovered that being mindful may be especially helpful for menopausal women struggling with irritability, anxiety and depression. |
 | Adoption of advanced health IT capabilities inconsistent(HealthDay)—Adoption of advanced health information technology (HIT) capabilities is inconsistent across health care systems, with electronic health record (EHR) standardization being the strongest predictor of advanced capabilities, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Managed Care. |
 | When to treat varicose veins(HealthDay)—About half of the population will one day have a vein problem. |
 | In limbo: Leftover embryos challenge clinics, couplesTens of thousands of embryos are stuck in limbo in fertility clinics, leftovers from pregnancy attempts and broken dreams of parenthood. |
 | Looming global crisis means people's diets must change: experts(HealthDay)—The average person's daily diet will need to change drastically during the next three decades to make sure everyone is fed without depleting the planet, a panel of experts has concluded. |
 | When your medications are the news(HealthDay)—Would you stop taking a medication if you heard a negative news story about it? |
 | Risk for developing more than one mental health disorder revealedThe risk of developing a second mental health disorder after an initial diagnosis is increased, according to new research led by Professor John McGrath from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute and Aarhus University. |
 | Multiple sclerosis treatments delay progression of the diseaseAn international study finds multiple sclerosis treatments have long-term benefits, and that early treatment is important. |
 | HPV vaccination rates remain critically low among younger adolescents in the USOnly about 16 percent of U.S. adolescents have been fully vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) by the time they turn 13, despite national recommendations that call for vaccination at 11 to 12 years of age. Published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, the new findings highlight the need for stronger efforts to encourage HPV vaccination and to improve immunization rates in this key age group. |
 | Brightlamp launches smartphone app that can rapidly monitor the brain for signs of concussionThe Brain Injury Research Institute reports that high school athletes who sustain a concussion are three times more likely to sustain a second concussion, and a lack of proper diagnosis and management of concussion may result in serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death. |
New survey identifies the social influences in people attending A&EA survey of 20 disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the North West (UK) has revealed the social influences on why people attend their local Accident & Emergency department. | |
 | Epigenetics contribute to male and female differences in fear memoryIn a mouse model of traumatic memory, male mice recall fear-related memories better than female mice, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry. The difference between sexes was attributed to a gene important for creating fear memories and stress behavior, called cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), which was naturally activated in male but not in female mice. The findings could help explain why fear and stress-related disorders affect men and women differently. |
Whole genome sequencing method may speed personalized treatment of drug-resistant infectionsResearchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have added to evidence that rapid resistance gene sequencing technology can accurately speed the identification of specific antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains that sicken and kill some patients. A report on a proof of concept study, published in the January 2019 issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, suggests the technology has the potential to hasten the "personalized" choice of antibiotics critically ill patients need. | |
 | Population study finds striking disparities in health behaviors and screening in IndianaA population health study from IUPUI and the Regenstrief Institute has identified striking socioeconomic and racial disparities in health behavior and in the receipt of cancer screening in the 34 Indiana counties with cancer death rates higher than the state's average. Overall, the state of Indiana ranks high—11th nationally—in cancer deaths. |
 | New study identifies specific obesity-related risk factors for kidney cancerA new study confirms the long-suspected role of obesity as a risk factor for developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of kidney cancer, and identifies several specific obesity-related factors. |
Psychological distress is a risk factor for dementiaA new study suggests that vital exhaustion—which can be perceived as an indicator of psychological distress—is a risk factor for future risk of dementia. | |
 | Researchers see possible link between opioids, birth defectHealth officials are looking into a possible link between prescription opioids and a horrific birth defect. |
 | Still too many highway deaths tied to speeding(HealthDay)—Speeding is a factor in nearly one-third of U.S. traffic deaths, but doesn't get enough attention as a traffic safety issue, a new Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report says. |
 | Opioid prescriptions almost twice as likely for rural vs. urban Americans(HealthDay)—As the United States battles an epidemic of opioid abuse, people living in rural areas have nearly two times the odds of being prescribed the painkillers when compared to their urban peers. |
 | Are some breads getting a bad rap?There may be no dietary staple more in need of a public relations makeover than bread. Concerns over carbs, sodium and gluten sometime overshadow what can be a simple, tasty way to add important vitamins and minerals as well as fiber to daily meals. |
First generic version of epilepsy drug sabril approved(HealthDay)—The first generic version of Sabril (vigabatrin) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent complex partial seizures in adults and children 10 and older with epilepsy. | |
 | Hemochromatosis mutation linked to other morbidity(HealthDay)—HFE p.C282Y homozygosity, the most common gene mutation causing hereditary hemochromatosis (type 1), is associated with other morbidity in men and women, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in The BMJ. |
 | Nerve transfer promising for acute flaccid myelitis patients(HealthDay)—Two patients diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis and upper-extremity neuropathy who were treated with peripheral nerve transfer continue to demonstrate functional recovery at two years, according to a case series recently published in Pediatric Neurology. |
 | Risk for uninsurance in AMI patients reduced with Medicaid expansion(HealthDay)—Medicaid expansion was associated with a reduced risk for uninsurance among acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in JAMA Cardiology. |
 | Asthma undiagnosed in one in five urban adolescents(HealthDay)—The prevalence of undiagnosed asthma is 20.2 percent among urban adolescents, according to a study published online Jan. 15 in the Journal of Urban Health. |
 | Ertugliflozin seems safe, effective for type 2 diabetes treatment(HealthDay)—Ertugliflozin appears safe and effective at improving long-term glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled on metformin, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. |
 | Prevalence of knee OA lower with menopausal hormone therapy(HealthDay)—For postmenopausal women, the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis is lower with menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in Menopause. |
 | Otherwise healthy and think you have the flu? Avoid the emergency roomThe Centers for Disease Control reports that influenza activity in Alabama is now widespread and likely to increase. Alabama's Department of Public Health also reports that almost every Alabama county is experiencing significant flu activity. |
Soft drinks + hard work + hot weather = possible kidney disease riskNew research suggests that drinking sugary, caffeinated soft drinks while exercising in hot weather may increase the risk of kidney disease. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. | |
 | New PET probe could improve detection of primary and metastatic melanomaA new nuclear medicine method for detecting malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive skin cancers, has been successfully tested for the first time in humans and could improve detection of both primary and metastatic melanoma. The research is featured in the January 2019 print issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. |
Gene sequencing may help tailor treatments for young kidney transplant recipientsNearly one third of pediatric kidney transplant recipients in a recent study had a genetic cause of their kidney disease that investigators identified through a technique called whole-exome sequencing (WES). The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), suggest that such genetic analyses may be useful for guiding the care of many young kidney transplant patients. | |
 | Brain vital signs capture undetected impairments in ice hockey players with concussionsA team of Canadian and U.S. brain researchers have published results from a multi-year hockey concussion study, which tracked the brain function of young Junior A male ice hockey players using a new brainwave monitoring method called "brain vital signs." |
 | Novel same-day Type 2 diabetes treatment study launches in USA same-day procedural therapy to improve glucose control for Type 2 diabetes patients will be investigated in a pilot study at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Absalon D. Gutierrez, MD, and Nirav C. Thosani, MD, are among the first physician-researchers in the country to assess the safety and effectiveness of The Revita System, designed to help improve blood sugar levels without the need for additional medications. |
Advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Pembrolizumab prolongs survivalSquamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common cancers of the skin and mucosa. Treatment options for the advanced stage have been very limited for patients with tumours of the head and neck, i.e. in the mouth, the pharynx or the larynx: If recurrences or metastases occur during or after platinum-based chemotherapy, the disease is generally considered incurable. The goal is then to prolong the remaining lifetime while maintaining the best possible quality of life. | |
 | Air pollution increases ER visits for breathing problemsAs levels of ozone and fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) rise, more patients end up in the ER with breathing problems, according to the largest U.S. study of air pollution and respiratory emergency room visits of patients of all ages. The study was published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. |
Combination therapy more effective in treating patients with leishmaniasis and HIVThe results of clinical trials conducted in Ethiopia by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the University of Gondar, and Addis Ababa University, open the way for more effective and safer treatments for people with both HIV and visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a group of patients who have historically suffered from poor treatment options. The results were published today in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. | |
Biology news
 | Researchers uncover a group of introns in yeast that possess surprising stability and functionA research team from Whitehead Institute has uncovered a surprising and previously unrecognized role for introns, the parts of genes that lack the instructions for making proteins and are typically cut away and rapidly destroyed. Through studies of baker's yeast, the researchers identified a highly unusual group of introns that linger and accumulate, in their fully intact form, long after they have been freed from their neighboring sequences, which are called exons. Importantly, these persistent introns play a role in regulating yeast growth, particularly under stressful conditions. |
 | Fruit fly promiscuity alters the evolutionary forces on malesResults, published in Nature Communications, have shown that the nature of the evolutionary forces which act on male fruit flies depend on how many mates a females has. |
 | Individual lichens can have up to three fungi, study showsIndividual lichens may contain up to three different fungi, according to new research from an international team of researchers. This evidence provides new insight into another recent discovery that showed lichen are made up of more than a single fungus and alga, overturning the prevailing theory of more than 150 years. |
 | Scientists accidentally engineer mice with unusually short and long tailsResearchers from two groups studying mouse development have accidentally created mice with unusually long and unusually short tails. Their findings, publishing January 17 in the journal Developmental Cell, offer new insight into some of the key aspects controlling the development of tails in mice and have implications for understanding what happens when developmental pathways go awry. |
 | How our cellular antennas are formedMost of our cells contain an immobile primary cilium, an antenna used to transfer information from the surrounding environment. Some cells also have many mobile cilia that are used to generate movement. The 'skeleton' of the cilium consists of microtubule doublets, which are 'pairs' of proteins essential for their formation and function. Defects in the assembly or functioning of the cilia can cause various pathologies called ciliopathies. Scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have developed an in vitro system capable of forming microtubule doublets, and have uncovered the mechanism and dynamics of their assembly. Their study, published in the journal Science, reveals the crucial role of tubulin, a real building block, in preventing the uncontrolled formation of ciliary structures. This method will make it possible to discover and exploit possible differences between the cilia of human cells and those of pathogens, allowing for the development of new treatments. |
 | Soil bacteria found to produce mosquito repelling chemical stronger than DEETA trio of researchers at the University of Wisconsin has discovered that a common soil bacterium produces a chemical that is more effective in repelling mosquitoes than DEET. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, Mayur Kajla, Gregory Barrett-Wilt and Susan Paskewitz describe their search for the chemical made by the bacteria and their hopes for its future. |
 | Sea slug study illuminates how mitochondria moveYour cells have an amazing ability—they can build their own energy factories, called mitochondria. Once built, mitochondria must move where needed in the cell. Defects in mitochondrial transport are a suspected cause of diseases including Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's and Parkinson's. |
 | Size matters—to livebearer fish, big fins are a big dealTo female molly and Limia fish, nothing is hotter than a male with a large dorsal fin. But these fins aren't just decorations to attract females. |
 | Orchards in natural habitats draw bee diversity, improve apple productionApple orchards surrounded by agricultural lands are visited by a less diverse collection of bee species than orchards surrounded by natural habitats, according to a new Cornell University-led study, published in the journal Science. |
 | Penguins, starfish, whales: Which animals will win and lose in a warming Antarctic?Marine Antarctic animals closely associated with sea ice for food or breeding, such the humpback whale and emperor penguin, are most at risk from the predicted effects of climate change, finds a new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Using risk assessments like those used for setting occupational safety limits in the workplace, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey determined the winners and losers of Antarctic climate-change impacts, which includes temperature rise, sea-ice reduction and changes in food availability. They show that seafloor predators and open-water feeding animals, like starfish and jellyfish, will benefit from the opening up of new habitat. |
 | Bee-killing mite isn't a vampire after allVarroa mites may be mighty small – about the size of the head of a pin – but the parasites are a primary cause of colony collapse disorder, a large problem for honey bee populations worldwide. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today debunks the long-held belief that the mites feed on "bee blood" – AKA hemolymph. |
 | Emperor penguins' first journey to seaEmperor penguin chicks hatch into one of Earth's most inhospitable places—the frozen world of Antarctica. Childhood in this environment is harsh and lasts only about five months, when their formerly doting parents leave the fledglings to fend for themselves. |
 | DNA analyses show a dynamic coevolutionary relationship between birds and their feather mitesA genetic study uncovers that birds maintain a dynamic coevolutionary relationship with their feather mites. The study has involved the participation of the Estación Biológica de Doñana from the CSIC, and its results have just been published in the journal Molecular Ecology. |
 | Wasps, cockroaches and crickets are pollinators tooWasps, cockroaches and crickets are widely disliked, but for a certain species of plant on the Japanese island of Yakushima they play a vital role. While studying the non-photosynthetic Mitrastemon yamamotoi plant, Associate Professor Kenji Suetsugu revealed that these insects were responsible for its pollination. Suetsugu is a member of the Kobe University Graduate School of Science, and these findings were published in the January 2019 edition of Plant Biology. |
 | Artificial intelligence applied to the genome identifies an unknown human ancestorBy combining deep learning algorithms and statistical methods, investigators from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG-CRG) of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Institute of Genomics at the University of Tartu have identified, in the genome of Asiatic individuals, the footprint of a new hominid who cross bred with its ancestors tens of thousands of years ago. |
 | More animal species under threat of extinction, new method showsCurrently approximately 600 species might be inaccurately assessed as non-threatened on the Red List of Threatened Species. More than a hundred others that couldn't be assessed before, also appear to be threatened. A new more efficient, systematic and comprehensive approach to assess the extinction risk of animals has shown this. The method, designed by Radboud University ecologist Luca Santini and colleagues, is described in Conservation Biology on January 17th. |
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