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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 22, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Revealing the black hole at the heart of the galaxyIncluding the powerful ALMA into an array of telescopes for the first time, astronomers have found that the emission from the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of the galaxy comes from a smaller region than previously thought. This may indicate that a radio jet from Sagittarius A* is pointed almost directly toward us. The paper, led by the Nijmegen Ph.D. student Sara Issaoun, is published in The Astrophysical Journal. |
 | Astronomers use split images of quasars to produce a new estimate of the Hubble constantThe question of how quickly the universe is expanding has been bugging astronomers for almost a century. Different studies keep coming up with different answers—which has some researchers wondering if they've overlooked a key mechanism in the machinery that drives the cosmos. |
 | A fleeting moment in timeThe faint, ephemeral glow emanating from the planetary nebula ESO 577-24 persists for only a short time—around 10,000 years, a blink of an eye in astronomical terms. ESO's Very Large Telescope captured this shell of glowing ionized gas—the last breath of the dying star whose simmering remains are visible at the heart of this image. As the gaseous shell of this planetary nebula expands and grows dimmer, it will slowly disappear from sight. |
 | Milky Way's neighbors pick up the paceAfter slowly forming stars for the first few billion years of their lives, the Magellanic Clouds, near neighbors of our own Milky Way galaxy, have upped their game and are now forming new stars at a fast clip. This new insight into the history of the Clouds comes from the first detailed chemical maps made of galaxies beyond the Milky Way. |
 | Astrophysicists develop technique to locate undiscovered planets, celestial bodiesA revolutionary technique developed by an astrophysicist at Rochester Institute of Technology could allow for a better understanding of the fates of solar systems when their stars cease to shine. |
Technology news
 | A new method to detect false data injection (FDI) attacksResearchers at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) have recently developed a new method to detect false data injection (FDI) attacks on critical infrastructure such as power grids. Their solution, outlined in a paper presented at the 44th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, uses a recurrent neural network (RNN) with several hidden layers, which is harder for FDI attacks to fool. |
 | Motorola foldable dominates patent talk as fresher comebackStories and chatter all whisper "foldables" side by side with the name Motorola, laregly owning to the recent story in The Wall Street Journal and, following that, the spotting of a patent filing enriched with figures showing off a foldable. |
 | Tokyo airport tests driverless bus to shuttle visitorsVisitors pouring into Japan's Haneda airport for the Tokyo Olympics next year may find themselves ferried to and from planes on driverless buses, currently being tested at the major hub. |
 | Proper messaging is vital for autonomous vehicles as the technology emergesFully autonomous vehicles may not be crisscrossing the United States just yet, but they are causing traffic on news sites and social media. New research shows this heavy media coverage influences how the public perceives the vehicles, which can have lasting effects on the emerging technology and society. |
 | WhatsApp limits message forwarding to fight 'fake news'Facebook-owned mobile messaging platform WhatsApp announced Monday it was restricting how many times any given message can be forwarded in an effort to boost privacy and security. |
 | Toyota, Panasonic announce venture for green auto batteriesToyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp. say they are setting up a joint venture to research, manufacture and sell batteries for ecological autos, an increasingly lucrative sector amid concerns about global warming. |
 | Toward more energy-efficient cruise shipsAn EPFL researcher has developed a system based on fuel cells to reduce the carbon footprint and energy consumption of cruise ships, which are increasingly popular among vacation goers around the world. |
 | The robots being readied to enter nuclear no-go zonesRobust, intelligent robots that react to their surroundings are being developed to work in situations that are too dangerous for humans, such as cleaning up Europe's decades-old radioactive waste or helping during a nuclear emergency. |
 | Enhanced video quality despite poor network conditionsProfessor Jinwoo Shin and Professor Dongsu Han from the School of Electrical Engineering developed neural adaptive content-aware internet video delivery. This technology is a novel method that combines adaptive streaming over HTTP, the video transmission system adopted by YouTube and Netflix, with a deep learning model. |
 | Scientists boost stability of low-cost, large-area solar modulesScientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have resolved a fundamental weakness in a promising solar technology known as Perovskite Solar Cells, or PSCs. Their innovations appear to improve both the devices' stability and scalability in one fell swoop and could be key to moving PSCs to market. |
 | Increasing skepticism against robotsIn Europe, people are more reserved regarding robots than they were five years ago. This is shown in a new study published by scientists from Linz and Würzburg. |
 | From toilet to brickyard: Recycling biosolids to make sustainable bricksHow can you recycle the world's stockpiles of treated sewage sludge and boost sustainability in the construction industry, all at the same time? Turn those biosolids into bricks. |
 | Patented technology cloaks location on mobile devices to protect privacyWe agree to give up some degree of privacy anytime we search Google to find a nearby restaurant or use other location-based apps on our mobile devices. |
 | Some robots walk. Others fly. He built one that can do both.A bipedal robot walks on the surface of a distant planet. Its sensors scan the environment, sending data back to Earth. It comes to a crumbling hillside, flexes its knees and leaps, thrusters whirring, to land safely above the loose rock. |
 | Huawei warns of action against hostile marketsChinese tech giant Huawei said Tuesday it could pull out of partnerships in hostile countries as it seeks to counter security concerns in the West over its 5G technology. |
 | Waymo revs up self-driving car making near Motor CityWaymo on Tuesday announced it will rev up its self-driving car production by establishing a factory devoted exclusively to mass production of autonomous vehicles in Michigan. |
 | Dyson switches HQ from Britain to Singapore: companyBritish electric appliance pioneer Dyson will switch headquarters to Singapore this year due to booming Asian demand but not because of Brexit, the company said Tuesday. |
 | France to seek tougher oversight of 5G network gearFrance will require telecommunications companies to allow more government oversight and control of the equipment required for next-generation 5G wireless networks due to security concerns, a government official said Tuesday. |
 | EasyJet takes £15m hit from London airport drone chaosBritish no-frills airline EasyJet on Tuesday said closure of London's Gatwick Airport before Christmas caused by reported sightings of drones had cost the group £15 million ($19.2 million, 17 million euros). |
 | New technology for machine translation now availableA new methodology to improve machine translation has become available this month through the University of Amsterdam. The project DatAptor, funded by NWO/STW, increasingly advances translation machines by selecting data sets. |
 | Machine learning in action for the humanitarian sectorGovernments across the world came together in Marrakesh this past December to ratify a pact to improve cooperation on international migration. Among other objectives, the Global Compact for Migration seeks to use "accurate and disaggregated data as a basis for evidence-based policies." How can machine learning technologies help with deeply polarizing societal issues like migration? |
Erosion in wind turbine blades solved with the help of artificial intelligenceThe erosion of materials used in wind turbine blades due to the effect of weather conditions is a problem that applies to the whole wind energy sector. VTT's antiAGE project found a functional solution to the material problem with the help of artificial intelligence and 3-D printing. | |
 | Elliott pushes for changes at eBayAn activist shareholder says eBay would be better off without StubHub or its classified ads businesses. |
 | General Electric to cut up to 468 jobs in France: unionsUS energy giant General Electric plans to slash up to 468 jobs across France, union sources said Tuesday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Study shows dopamine plays a role in musical pleasureAn international team of researchers has found evidence of dopamine in the brain playing a role in the pleasure people feel when they listen to music. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes experiments they carried out with volunteers who were given a dopamine precursor or antagonist and what they found. |
 | Alzheimer's disease: It may be possible to restore memory function, preclinical study findsResearch published today in the journal Brain reveals a new approach to Alzheimer's disease (AD) that may eventually make it possible to reverse memory loss, a hallmark of the disease in its late stages. |
 | Erasing memories associated with cocaine use reduces drug seeking behaviorForty to 60 percent of all people treated for substance use disorders relapse, presenting a major challenge to treatment success. New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows that disrupting memories that associate environmental cues with drug use significantly reduces drug seeking behaviors in rats, opening a potential avenue for developing more effective therapies to prevent relapse. |
 | Supplement makes (mouse) moms' milk better; pups benefit for lifeGiving mouse moms a supplement called nicotinamide riboside (NR) while they are nursing provides physical and behavioral benefits to both mothers and pups, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Iowa. |
 | Diet low in added sugars significantly improves fatty liver disease in childrenA randomized clinical study of adolescent boys with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) found that a diet low in free sugars (those sugars added to foods and beverages and occurring naturally in fruit juices) resulted in significant improvement in NAFLD compared to a usual diet. |
 | Heart disease risk begins in the wombHeart disease is the greatest killer in the world today, and it is widely accepted that our genes interact with traditional lifestyle risk factors, such as smoking, obesity and/or a sedentary life to promote an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, a new study in sheep, publishing January 22 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, by a team from Cambridge University, finds that offspring whose mothers had a complicated pregnancy may be at greater risk of heart disease in later life, suggesting that our cards may be marked even before we are born. |
 | Researchers identify neurons in the human visual cortex that respond to facesA world where everyone has the same face would be very different than the one we know, in which faces are different, conveying essential information. For example, most people can instantly recognize a celebrity's face or the face of an old college friend, even after decades apart. Most people can sense the mood of a significant other just based on facial expression. Often, people can establish whether someone is trustworthy by looking at his or her face. Despite intensive research, how the brain conducts all these tasks is still a great mystery. |
 | New study raises hopes of eradication of malariaAfter major global successes in the battle against malaria, the positive trend stalled around 2015—apart from in Zanzibar in East Africa, where the disease is increasingly rare. In a new study published in BMC Medicine, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden explain why this was and show that new strategies are needed to eradicate the disease. One of the problems is a change in mosquito behaviour and selection in the parasites. |
 | From microfluidics to metastasisCirculating tumor cells (CTCs)—an intermediate form of cancer cell between a primary and metastatic tumor cell—carry a treasure trove of information that is critical to treating cancer. Numerous engineering advancements over the years have made it possible to extract cells via liquid biopsy and analyze them to monitor an individual patient's response to treatment and predict relapse. |
 | Brain biomarkers identify those at risk of severe PTSD symptomsUsing sophisticated computational tools, researchers at Yale University and the Icahn School of Medicine have discovered biomarkers that may explain why symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be so severe for some people and not for others. |
 | Scientists examine how an immune system protein helps suppress HIVMuch of the research on HIV has focused on preventing infection but little is understood about how the body keeps the virus in check post-infection. A new study by Yale investigators reveals the role of a protein that serves to block HIV gene expression once it has entered human cells. |
 | Possible link between rotavirus vaccine and decline in type 1 diabetesA drop in the number of young children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes could be associated with the introduction of routine rotavirus vaccination of Australian infants, according to a new study by Melbourne researchers. |
 | Human respiratory viruses continue to spread in wild chimpanzeesLess than two years after the first report of wild chimpanzees in Uganda dying as a result of a human "common cold" virus, a new study has identified two other respiratory viruses of human origin in chimpanzee groups in the same forest. |
 | New skin test detects prion infection before symptoms appearPrions can infect both humans and animals, causing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, mad cow disease in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in elk and deer. The infectious, misfolded protein particles often go undetected as they destroy brain tissue, causing memory loss, mobility issues, and ultimately death. Preclinical detection of prions has proven difficult, but new research suggests skin samples hold early signs of prion disease that precede neurologic symptoms. |
 | Leaving two-hour gap between dinner and bedtime may not affect blood glucoseLeaving a two-hour gap between the last meal of the day and bedtime doesn't seem to be associated with any discernible difference in blood glucose levels among healthy adults over the long term, suggests Japanese research published in the online journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. |
Widely available food in US workplaces: Perk or hazard?Nearly a quarter of employed adults obtain foods and beverages at work at least once a week, according to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Foods obtained at work are often high in calories, refined grains, added sugars, and sodium. | |
 | Payments to physicians may increase opioid prescribingUS doctors who receive direct payments from opioid manufacturers tend to prescribe more opioids than doctors who receive no such payments, according to new research published by Addiction. The report found that the association between payments and prescribing is strongest for hydrocodone and oxycodone, the most frequently prescribed opioids among Medicare patients (Americans of 65+ years and some younger people with disabilities). The Medicare population is estimated to have the highest and fastest growing prevalence of opioid use disorder in the US. |
 | Artificial intelligence can dramatically cut time needed to process abnormal chest X-raysNew research has found that a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) system can dramatically reduce the time needed to ensure that abnormal chest X-rays with critical findings will receive an expert radiologist opinion sooner, cutting the average delay from 11 days to less than 3 days. Chest X-rays are routinely performed to diagnose and monitor a wide range of conditions affecting the lungs, heart, bones, and soft tissues. |
 | Blood test shows promise for early detection of severe lung-transplant rejectionResearchers have developed a simple blood test that can detect when a newly transplanted lung is being rejected by a patient, even when no outward signs of the rejection are evident. The test could make it possible for doctors to intervene faster to prevent or slow down so-called chronic rejection—which is severe, irreversible, and often deadly—in those first critical months after lung transplantation. Researchers believe this same test might also be useful for monitoring rejection in other types of organ transplants. The work was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. |
 | Liver transplants double for alcohol-related liver diseaseThe proportion of U.S. liver transplants for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) has doubled in the last 15 years, in part due to broader acceptance of waiving the mandated period of sobriety before transplants for this population, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco. |
 | On its own, Trump admin's price disclosure policy unlikely to help curb drug pricesThe Trump administration's proposal to require pharmaceutical companies to publish drug prices in TV ads is unlikely to help control drug prices, according to a study publishing Jan. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine. |
 | China's second gene-edited foetus is 12-14 weeks old: scientistThe second woman carrying a gene-edited foetus in China could now be 12 to 14 weeks into her pregnancy, according to a US physician in close contact with the researcher who claimed to have created the world's first genetically-modified babies last year. |
 | What's behind the increase in bowel cancer among younger Australians?Bowel cancer mostly affects people over the age of 50, but recent evidence suggests it's on the rise among younger Australians. |
 | Lifespan brain study adds possible clue in predicting Alzheimer'sNew research from The University of Texas at Dallas suggests that periodic evaluation of changing amyloid levels in certain brain structures may offer an important clue into who may be on a trajectory toward Alzheimer's disease. |
 | Campaign reduces unnecessary tests and antibiotic use, study findsA Hutt Valley District Health Board campaign to cut the number of urine tests being carried out on hospital patients not only significantly reduced the number of unnecessary tests being ordered but also lowered the level of antibiotic prescribing, a study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal has found. |
 | Mental health claimants more than twice as likely to lose their benefit as non-psychiatric claimantsPeople who are mentally ill are 2.4 times more likely than claimants with non-psychiatric conditions to lose their existing benefit following a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility assessment, research has found. |
 | A memory pill? Cognitive neuroscience's contributions to the study of memoryDuring the first weeks of the new year, resolutions are often accompanied by attempts to learn new behaviours that improve health. We hope that old bad habits will disappear and new healthy habits will become automatic. |
 | As work gets more ambiguous, younger generations may be less equipped for itWe work in a world of increasing ambiguity. |
 | Pre-emptive decision on post-workout snack may fight indulgenceYou've just exercised for an hour, tracking the burned calories with a sense of satisfaction. Then comes a choice: munch on an apple or indulge in the chocolatey goodness of a brownie? |
 | Call the midwife if the doctor doesn't objectEvery morning at Watsonville Community Hospital in Northern California, the labor and delivery team divvies up its patients—low-risk ones go to the midwives and high-risk ones to the physicians. Then, throughout the day, the doctors and midwives work together to ensure the births go smoothly. |
 | UN: 2 polio cases in Mozambique caused by virus from vaccineGlobal health officials say they have identified two cases of polio in Mozambique caused by a mutated virus in the vaccine, marking another setback for attempts to eradicate the crippling disease. |
 | Branched-chain amino acids regulate the development and progression of cancerResearchers at A*STAR's Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) have discovered that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in tumours can be targeted to prevent and treat cancer. Together with collaborators from the United States and National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), they found that some cancers potently suppress the catabolism (breakdown) of BCAAs. This leads to BCAAs accumulating in tumours and activating a known pro-oncogenic pathway called mTOR. Researchers also found that dietary BCAA intake was directly linked to tumour development, suggesting that diets low in BCAAs could limit tumour progression and enhance overall survival. |
 | Millennial burnout: Building resilience is no answer – we need to overhaul how we workIn a popular BuzzFeed article, Anne Helen Petersen describes how millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) became "the burnout generation". She describes some of the stark consequences of edging towards burnout and identifies what she calls "errand paralysis", marked by a struggle to do even simple or mundane tasks. |
 | Discovery of bacterial signature of intestinal diseaseResearchers from the Department of Biomedical Research of the University of Bern and the University Clinic of Visceral Surgery and Medicine of the Inselspital Bern, Switzerland, have discovered that changes in the composition of the intestinal bacteria in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease affect the severity of the disease and the success of therapy. The advance provides an important basis to improve treatment of these diseases. |
 | Novel medical device harnesses magnetic field to speed up muscle recoveryThe journey of muscle rehabilitation can be long and arduous, and requires strong perseverance from the patient. Now, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) are making the recovery process much easier for patients with an ingenious medical device capable of regenerating muscles in a non-invasive and painless manner. The device, named MRegen, makes use of specific magnetic field to trigger and amplify the biological effect of exercise, hence accelerating muscle recovery. |
 | The metabolism of the intestinal microbiota in the first year of lifeA research team with the participation of the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio) of the University of Valencia, together with FISABIO and CIBERESP, has carried out the first metatranscriptomic study of the gut microbiota of babies, which extends knowledge of the metabolism of intestinal bacterial communities during the first year of life with an unprecedented level of detail. |
 | Are microbes causing your milk allergy?In the past 30 years, food allergies have become increasingly common in the United States. Changes to human genetics can't explain the sudden rise. That is because it takes many generations for changes to spread that widely within a population. Perhaps the explanation lies in changes to our environment, particularly our internal environment. Shifting lifestyle practices over the last half-century – increasing antibiotic and antimicrobial use, surface sterilization, air filtration and changes to diet – have changed our internal environment and wiped out important bacteria with beneficial health effects. |
 | It's cold! A physiologist explains how to keep your body feeling warmWhether waiting for a bus, playing outside or walking the dog – during the colder winter season, everyone is looking for ways to stay warm. Luckily, the process your body uses to break down foods serves as an internal heater. |
 | Gaps in health professionals' knowledge about HPV and cervical screeningThe first New Zealand study of health professionals' knowledge and understanding about the human papillomavirus (HPV) has identified significant gaps, particularly about the role of HPV testing in the New Zealand National Cervical Screening Programme. |
 | Inability to integrate reward information contributes to undervalued rewards in schizophreniaPeople with schizophrenia have a hard time integrating information about a reward—the size of the reward and the probability of receiving it—when assessing its value, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. The inability to integrate the two factors correlated with more severe motivational deficits, suggesting that the impairment may contribute to decreased value placed on a reward, and thus reduced motivation to complete the task required to receive it. |
 | Children who had a dengue infection could be protected from symptomatic ZikaA prior dengue virus infection could protect children from symptomatic Zika virus infection, according to a study by an international group of researchers including those from the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley. |
 | Urine testing of people with HIV for tuberculosis can save lives and be cost-effectiveScreening all hospitalized patients with HIV for tuberculosis (TB) using urine tests would improve life expectancy and be cost-effective in Malawi and South Africa. These findings from an international team of investigators have been published in The Lancet Global Health and could influence international guidelines on TB testing. |
 | Unfit people are more physically active because of Sweatcoin the app that pays you to walkMore people are physically active due to the Sweatcoin app which rewards you for walking – researchers at the Institute of Digital Healthcare, WMG at the University of Warwick have found. Sweatcoin gets people outdoors and walking to earn a virtual currency to spend in their marketplace. |
 | Noninvasive light-sensitive recombinase for deep brain genetic manipulationA KAIST team presented a noninvasive light-sensitive photoactivatable recombinase suitable for genetic manipulation in vivo. The highly light-sensitive property of photoactivatable Flp recombinase will be ideal for controlling genetic manipulation in deep mouse brain regions by illumination with a noninvasive light-emitting diode. This easy-to-use optogenetic module made by Professor Won Do Heo and his team will provide a side-effect free and expandable genetic manipulation tool for neuroscience research. |
 | Faulty molecular master switch may contribute to AMDA signaling pathway controlled by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) could be involved in the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have found that interrupting TGF-beta signals to immune cells called microglia causes the cells to enter an activated, inflammatory state. These activated microglia damage the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. This damage is similar to cellular effects observed in AMD, a common cause of vision loss among older Americans. The study was published today in the journal eLife. |
 | Gene changes may predict breast cancer relapse, study suggestsScientists have identified genetic changes that may predict the likelihood of breast cancer relapse in women taking a common type of hormone therapy. |
 | Invisible labor can negatively impact well-being in mothersKnowing who needs to be where, on what day and at what time. Buying a bigger pair of pants before a child outgrows what is currently hanging in the closet. Always having a jar of unopened peanut butter on hand. |
 | Study uncovers cause of bone loss in joint implant patientsRutgers researchers have discovered the long-sought reason that many people with joint replacements experience harmful inflammation and bone loss. |
 | Researchers show synthetic flaxseed derivative helps heart function in septic miceSepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that develops in response to infection. One of its major complications is cardiovascular dysfunction, in which deterioration of the heart muscle, driven by decreased energy production resulting from reduced oxygen and nutrient supplies, frequently ends in organ failure. Now, in a new study published online in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) are the first to show that a novel synthetic compound derived from flaxseed, a whole grain celebrated for its potent antioxidant properties, can reverse this deterioration and improve heart function in mice with sepsis. |
 | Four exercises for a better back(HealthDay)—To strengthen your back—the most commonly injured part of the body—it's important to condition both the muscles in it and the ones that support it, notably the abs. |
 | How to fight norovirus, the 'cruise ship' germ(HealthDay)—Whether it's infiltrating a cruise ship, a restaurant or a college dorm, the norovirus is often in the news. It's the leading cause of illness from contaminated food in the United States. |
 | HPV vaccine even helps women who didn't get it: study(HealthDay)—The vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) is highly effective in young women—and may even offer some protection to those who don't get it, a new study suggests. |
 | Study confirms one-hour discharge rule for patients given naloxone after opiate overdoseSuspected opioid overdose patients treated with naloxone are safe for discharge from the emergency department after one hour. That is the conclusion of a study to be published in the January 2019 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). |
 | Test for esophageal cancer could save millions of livesCancer of the esophagus claims more than 400,000 lives around the world each year. With no efficient, reliable method of screening for the disease, by the time symptoms become apparent, it's often too late to save the patient. |
 | Frequent use of aspirin can lead to increased bleedingA new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that taking aspirin on a regular basis to prevent heart attacks and strokes, can lead to an increase risk of almost 50% in major bleeding episodes. |
 | Blocking toxic-protein production in ALSPatients with ALS frequently have a string of repeated DNA code in the cells of their brain, carrying hundreds to thousands of copies within the gene C9orf72. New research looks at what triggers these repeated sequences to eventually produce the toxic proteins that are associated with ALS, frontotemporal dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases in patients carrying the C9orf72 mutation, the most common cause of inherited ALS. The work finds that neuronal excitation and stress trigger the protein production in cells, and reveals that targeting this stress response with a known drug could reduce toxic protein production. |
Health literacy linked to blood pressure medication adherence among HispanicsGood health literacy is associated with better adherence to blood pressure medications among Hispanic individuals with high blood pressure, finds a study by NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Columbia University School of Nursing. However, the majority of this population lacks health literary and has poor adherence to their medications. | |
 | To halt malaria transmission, more research focused on human behavior neededWherever possible, researchers should not just focus on mosquito behavior when working to eliminate malaria, but must also consider how humans behave at night when the risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito is highest, new findings from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) suggest. CCP is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. |
Study offers promise for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in preemiesResearchers at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues, discovered a promising direction toward understanding the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating intestinal disease commonly affecting premature infants, in order to treat it. Studying the early cellular events leading to NEC in a mouse model, they found that activation of a key protein (transcription factor NF-κB), which responds to stimuli like bacterial products, triggers inflammation in the intestine prior to the presence of intestinal injury. Blocking NF-κB activity prevented recruitment of bone marrow-derived monocytes (a type of white blood cells) into the intestine and their subsequent differentiation into macrophages (immune cells involved in the inflammatory response but also tissue damage when unregulated). This process decreased the development of NEC. Their findings were published in the American Journal of Pathology. | |
 | Breastmilk sugars differ in pregnant women on probioticsThe complex sugars found in human breastmilk, long believed to be fixed in their composition, may change in women who are taking probiotics, according to new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). |
Physicians: Treat eSport players as college athletesWith more than 80 US colleges offering varsity eSport teams, physicians writing in the British Journal of Medicine say collegiate players should be treated as athletes, with an appropriate level of medical care to promote continuing health. | |
White blood cells related to allergies may also be harnessed to destroy cancer cellsA new Tel Aviv University study finds that eosinophils—white blood cells that may have played an evolutionary role in combating parasites, but which are today responsible for chronic asthma and modern allergies—may be used to eliminate malignant colon cancer cells. | |
 | Negative experiences on social media tied to higher odds of feeling lonelyPositive interactions on social media are not making young adults feel more connected, whereas negative experiences increase the likelihood of them reporting loneliness, scientists with the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Media Technology and Health (MTH) report today in the American Journal of Health Promotion. |
 | Repeat tubal procedures up after hysteroscopic sterilization(HealthDay)—Hysteroscopic sterilization is associated with an increased risk for additional tubal intervention within seven years compared with laparoscopic sterilization, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. |
 | Messages for increasing parental confidence in HPV vaccine ID'd(HealthDay)—Providing information on the benefits of vaccination, including cancer prevention, and avoiding expressing urgency to vaccinate can increase parent confidence in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Pediatrics. |
 | Bleeding risks may offset aspirin's benefit vs heart diseaseShould healthy people take aspirin to ward off heart disease? |
Nigeria's new outbreak of Lassa fever kills 16Nigerian health authorities on Tuesday declared a new outbreak of Lassa fever that has killed 16 people since early January, despite successfully containing the disease last year. | |
Aspirin may lower stroke risk in women with history of preeclampsiaMiddle-aged women with a history of preeclampsia have a greater risk of stroke, and aspirin may be able to reduce the risk, according to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. The study was published today in the journal Neurology, along with an accompanying editorial and podcast. | |
 | Stressed? Having a partner present—even in your mind—may keep blood pressure downWhen faced with a stressful situation, thinking about your romantic partner may help keep your blood pressure under control just as effectively as actually having your significant other in the room with you, according to a new study by University of Arizona psychologists. |
Outbreak of paralyzing disease linked to non-polio enterovirusThe Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, has identified a polio-like virus as a potential cause of an outbreak of a disease known as Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), a crippling condition that causes muscle weakness and paralysis usually among children. | |
 | Infectious disease researchers unveil the secret life of flesh-eating bacteriaUsing a tool first used for strep throat in horses, Houston Methodist researchers unveiled the secret life of flesh-eating bacteria and learned how it causes severe disease while living deep within muscle. |
Early detection of prediabetes can reduce risk of developing cardiovascular diseaseA diagnosis of prediabetes should be a warning for people to make lifestyle changes to prevent both full-blown diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine. | |
 | Design team creates a naloxone dispenserLike many cities across the country, Cincinnati has been rocked by the opioid epidemic, with an ever-fluctuating range of 50 to 80 overdoses per week across the Tristate. Many of those victims are revived by the overdose reversal medication, naloxone, which has proven to be a crucial lifesaving tool during this crisis. |
 | How psychological science is benefiting the worldTechnological advances have allowed psychological scientists to measure everything from cognitive impairments to everyday decision-making. Now, the scientists are using their research to inform tools, programs, and interventions that are helping to cultivate a healthier, happier, and more sustainable world. |
 | Too much of this in the blood could predict unhealthy agingA hormone found in the blood that's commonly linked to heart disease also might signal when someone is more likely to grow weaker or lose their ability to balance before they're 70. |
 | Scientists seek genetic causes of condition that can result in absent uterus and vaginaA percentage of females are born with a missing or underdeveloped vagina and uterus, and scientists are working to analyze the genes of hundreds of them to get a better idea about causes, improve genetic counseling and ideally treatment. |
Timely referral to kidney transplant may improve survival for patients with lupus nephritisPatients with lupus nephritis and end stage renal disease may benefit from timely kidney transplant, as transplantation was associated with a significant increase in survival in a nationwide cohort study. The main reason for the overall survival benefit was fewer deaths due to cardiovascular disease and infections. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. | |
Bangladeshi 'Tree Man' dreams of cure as rare skin disease returnsA Bangladeshi dubbed "Tree Man" because of bark-like growths on his skin will need aggressive surgery to remove them, doctors said Tuesday, after dozens of attempts failed to cure the extremely rare genetic condition. | |
 | How to develop personalised diabetes treatmentDiabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, lower limb amputation and premature death. It was the seventh leading cause of death in 2016, according to the World Health Organization. The Diabetes Atlas of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) predicts that by 2045, some 629 million people (aged 20-79) will have diabetes if no action is taken. The IDF also notes that in high-income countries, about 87 percent to 91 percent of all people with diabetes are estimated to have type 2 diabetes, compared with 7 percent to 12 percent who are estimated to have type 1 diabetes. Considering the fact that type 2 diabetes is rising across all regions in the world and that the effectiveness of existing therapies varies significantly between individuals, scientists are increasingly focusing on targeted treatments. |
Investigators close in on best treatment guidelines for critical limb ischemiaCritical limb ischemia (CLI), a manifestation of peripheral arterial disease, is a debilitating and increasingly common disease that puts patients at a high risk for leg amputation, cardiovascular complications, and death. A new report in the Journal of Vascular Surgery chronicles a multi-site randomized controlled trial that seeks to compare treatment efficacy, functional outcomes, cost effectiveness, and quality of life for 2,100 patients suffering from the condition. | |
Significant disparities between educational groups in smoking during pregnancyWith the help of a multidisciplinary register and questionnaire study, Finnish researchers at the University of Turku showed that both the educational level and its occupational orientation predict the mother's smoking during early pregnancy. | |
Resisting the exploitation of black women's reproductive labor in the United StatesIn "Milk Money: Race, Gender, and Breast Milk 'Donation,'" published in Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Laura Harrison demonstrates the exploitative, racially charged nature of Milk Money, a failed pilot program by the Mothers Milk Cooperative and their business partner, Medolac Laboratories. The program, which was a Clinton Global Initiative Foundation "Commitment to Action," targeted African American mothers in Detroit to sell their breast milk at one dollar per ounce to Medolac, who would then process it and sell it at a 600 percent markup. | |
 | Fewer than half of adults and youth with type 1 diabetes in the US achieve treatment goalsA new study has shown that only a minority of patients in the U.S. with type 1 diabetes (T1D) achieve target levels of hemoglobin A1c, a measure of blood glucose management over time. In fact HbA1c levels have increased in young adults and teens in 2016-2018 compared to 2010-2012 according to the study published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT). |
Older caregivers report worse well-being when providing minimal assistanceProviding less than an hour of help to an elderly person can take a surprising emotional toll on older caregivers, says a University of Michigan researcher. | |
Biology news
 | The diversity of rural African populations extends to their microbiomesOur microbiome, the complex community of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and other microorganisms in and on our bodies, reflects the way we live. If we own a pet, we likely share microbes with them. If we eat meat, the microbiome in our intestines may look different from that of a vegan. |
 | Antarctic krill population contracts southward as polar oceans warmThe population of Antarctic krill, the favourite food of many whales, penguins, fish and seals, shifted southward during a recent period of warming in their key habitat, new research shows. |
 | Small trees are among the oldest in Congolese rainforestForest giants have long been considered the oldest trees in tropical forests, but new research shows small trees can also be very old, and can even grow older than the big ones. |
 | How sex pheromones diversify: Lessons from yeastMany organisms including insects, amphibians and yeasts use sex pheromones for attracting individuals of the opposite sex, but what happens to sex pheromones as new species emerge? New research publishing January 22 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology from Taisuke Seike and Hironori Niki at the National Institute of Genetics, Japan and Chikashi Shimoda at Osaka City University, Japan studies sex pheromones in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, revealing an "asymmetric" pheromone recognition system in which one pheromone operates extremely stringently whereas the other pheromone is free to undergo a certain degree of diversification, perhaps leading to a first step towards speciation. |
 | Scientists demonstrate effective strategies for safeguarding CRISPR gene-drive experimentsResearchers have demonstrated for the first time how two molecular strategies can safeguard CRISPR gene-drive experiments in the lab, according to a study published today in eLife. |
 | Long-read DNA analysis can give rise to errors, experts warnAdvanced technologies that read long strings of DNA can produce flawed data that could affect genetic studies, research suggests. |
 | Researchers uncover migratory schedule of swallows, new studyEach year, migratory birds journey from their breeding grounds to their wintering grounds, making pit stops along the way. |
 | Bird beaks did not adapt to food types as previously thought, study suggestsA study, led by the University of Bristol, has shed some new light on how the beaks of birds have adapted over time. |
 | Trout, salamander populations quickly bounce back from severe drought conditionsPopulations of coastal cutthroat trout and coastal giant salamanders in the Pacific Northwest show the ability to rebound quickly from drought conditions, new research by Oregon State University suggests. |
 | Possible Oahu populations offer new hope for Hawaiian seabirdsThe two seabird species unique to Hawaii, Newell's Shearwaters and Hawaiian Petrels, are the focus of major conservation efforts—at risk from habitat degradation, invasive predators, and other threats, their populations plummeted 94% and 78% respectively between 1993 and 2013. However, a new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications offers hope of previously undetected colonies of these birds on the island of Oahu, from which they were believed to have vanished by the late 1700s. |
 | Armed with affection, octogenarian is an 'octopus whisperer'Wilson Menashi palmed a squid in his left hand and extended his arm into an aquarium tank, watching as a giant Pacific octopus stretched out arms to greet him like a friend. |
 | Why we don't know if Irukandji jellyfish are moving southReports that Irukandji jellyfish might be moving south may be panicking people unnecessarily. It's almost impossible to tell where the tiny jellyfish are along our coast, but that could change with new technology that can "sweep" the ocean for traces of DNA. |
 | Otago researcher contributes piece to the puzzle of baleen whales' evolutionAn Otago researcher has added another piece to the puzzle of the evolution of modern baleen whales with a world-first study examining the teeth and enamel of baleen whales' ancestors. |
 | Plants blink: Proceeding with caution in sunlightPlants have control mechanisms that resemble those in human senses. According to a new Weizmann Institute of Science study, plants adjust photosynthesis to rapid light changes using a sophisticated sensing system, much in the way that the human eye responds to variations in light intensity. This sensory-like regulation operates at low light intensities, when the photosynthesis machinery is most efficient but also most vulnerable to sudden light increases. |
 | Study looks at ranger motivation in dangerous African parkA new study by WCS looks at the job satisfaction of front line conservation rangers working in challenging conditions at a national park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and identifies ways to improve motivation to make them more effective at enforcing the law. |
 | Without habitat management, small land parcels do not protect birdsDesignating relatively small parcels of land as protected areas for wildlife with no habitat management—which has frequently been done in urban-suburban locales around the world—likely does not benefit declining songbird species, according to a team of researchers who studied a long-protected northeastern virgin forest plot. |
 | Researchers identify gene essential for plants to survivePhenylalanine amino acid must be included in the human diet, but it is also essential for plants, determining many of their characteristics, such as the colour and scent of flowers, healing powers and antioxidant properties, and the strength of wood. A team of researchers from the UMA has now demonstrated that ADT2 gene is essential for plants to produce phenylalanine, conditioning their survival. |
 | Emerging significance of gammaherpesvirus and morbillivirus infections in catsEmerging infectious diseases comprise a substantial fraction of important human infections, with potentially devastating global health and economic impacts. A 2008 paper in Nature described the emergence of no fewer than 335 infectious diseases in the global human population between 1940 and 2004. In the veterinary field, just as in the medical field, advanced molecular techniques and sophisticated computer-based algorithms for genetic sequence assembly and analysis have revolutionised infectious disease research. They have also raised important questions, as the potential pathogenic role of novel viruses can be difficult to determine. |
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