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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 16, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Gas 'waterfalls' reveal infant planets around young starThe birthplaces of planets are disks made out of gas and dust. Astronomers study these so-called protoplanetary disks to understand the processes of planet formation. Beautiful images of disks made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) how distinct gaps and ring features in dust, which may be caused by infant planets. |
 | New high-mass X-ray binary detected in the Large Magellanic CloudUsing ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has discovered a new, very young high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The newly found HMXB turns out to be associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) MCSNR J0513-6724. The finding is reported in a paper published October 7 on arXiv.org. |
 | NASA unveils flexible, one-size-fits-all space suitsBye bye to bunny hops: when US astronauts next touch down on the Moon, expect them to walk almost as they do on Earth, thanks to a new generation of spacesuits offering key advantages over those of the Apollo-era. |
 | SpaceX seeking many more satellites for space-based internet gridSpaceX wants spectrum access for nearly four times as many satellites as originally planned for its high-speed internet constellation, the company and a UN agency confirmed Wednesday. |
 | Hubble Telescope zooms in on interstellar visitorThe Hubble Space Telescope has captured the best pictures yet of our newest interstellar visitor. |
 | AstroPlant green lightThe latest prototype of the AstroPlant citizen science project has gotten the green light for production. AstroPlant is a desktop greenhouse that allows people to collect data on potential crops to grow in space. |
 | Robotic spiders to explore the moonThere is no doubt that one of the hallmarks of the modern space age is that it is becoming increasingly democratic. In addition to more space agencies entering the fray, private aerospace companies are contributing like never before. It is no surprise, then, that there are innovators and entrepreneurs that want to increase public access and participation in space exploration. |
 | Solar storm surveys by ancient Assyrian astronomersA research team led by the University of Tsukuba combined observations from ancient cuneiform tablets that mention unusual red skies with radioisotope data to identify solar storms that likely occurred around 679 to 655 BCE, prior to any previously datable events. This work may help modern astronomers predict future solar flares or coronal mass ejections that can damage satellite and terrestrial electronic devices. |
 | Scientists closer to understanding nature of ultrahigh-energy cosmic raysWith the help of a multitude of original developments, scientists hope to research the processes of birth and propagation of very-high-energy gamma rays, and in the future, to find mysterious dark matter particles that have so far evaded physicists. |
Technology news
 | Assembler robots make large structures from little piecesToday's commercial aircraft are typically manufactured in sections, often in different locations—wings at one factory, fuselage sections at another, tail components somewhere else—and then flown to a central plant in huge cargo planes for final assembly. |
 | Recovering 'lost dimensions' of images and videoMIT researchers have developed a model that recovers valuable data lost from images and video that have been "collapsed" into lower dimensions. |
 | First smart speaker system that uses white noise to monitor infants' breathingGone are the days when people use smart speakers—like Amazon Echo or Google Home—only as kitchen timers or dinner party music players. These devices have started helping people track their own health, and can even monitor for cardiac arrest. |
 | Kirigami sensor patch for shoulders could improve injury recovery, athletic trainingInspired by a University of Michigan professor's recovery after a cycling crash, an innovative patch could bring the assessment of human joints into the 21st century. |
 | Clingfish biology inspires better suction cupA team of engineers and marine biologists built a better suction cup inspired by the mechanism that allows the clingfish to adhere to both smooth and rough surfaces, such as rocks in the area where the tide comes and goes. |
 | New augmented reality system lets smartphone users get hands-on with virtual objectsA new software system developed by Brown University researchers turns cell phones into augmented reality portals, enabling users to place virtual building blocks, furniture and other objects into real-world backdrops, and use their hands to manipulate those objects as if they were really there. |
 | Patent talk: Plasma compression fusion device ignites curiosity over nuclear fusionThe patent application for a "Plasma Compression Fusion Device" was applied for in March last year. It read, "Application filed by US Secretary of Navy." The patent application was published in September this year. Under discussion is a compact fusion reactor. |
 | Google touts privacy options, but still depends on your dataGoogle's latest phone and smart-home devices came packaged with a not-so-subtle message: Google cares about your privacy. Does it? |
 | Twitter says world leaders 'not above' its rulesTwitter said Tuesday world leaders are "not above" the rules of the online platform and could see their messages removed or demoted for egregious conduct violating its terms of service. |
 | Google says no India launch for radar-enabled Pixel 4 smartphoneGoogle will not launch its newest Pixel 4 smartphone in India, the company has said, disappointing consumers with a decision reportedly based on its refusal to disable a feature that uses a radar frequency barred in the South Asian nation. |
 | Huawei says nine-month revenue up despite US pressureChinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday that its revenue for the first nine months of the year grew by almost a quarter despite a US campaign to isolate the company globally. |
 | Detecting malicious web pagesThere is a lot of malware on the internet, unwitting computer users might be enticed to visit web pages serving such malicious content and as such there is a pressing need to develop security systems that can quickly detect such malicious websites and protect users from having their personal and private data scraped, their logins and bank details assimilated, or their computer or mobile device hijacked for the nefarious purposes of third party criminals. |
 | Why a computer will never be truly consciousMany advanced artificial intelligence projects say they are working toward building a conscious machine, based on the idea that brain functions merely encode and process multisensory information. The assumption goes, then, that once brain functions are properly understood, it should be possible to program them into a computer. Microsoft recently announced that it would spend US$1 billion on a project to do just that. |
Inventions including AI-assisted cat door highlighted at GeekWire SummitWhat drives a cat owner to invent a door that automatically closes when pets try to carry prey into the house? Countless nights of waking up at 3 a.m. to euthanize badly wounded small animals his cat would carry into the house, said Ben Hamm, creator of an artificially intelligent (AI)-assisted pet door called Critterblock. The contraption consists of a wood-framed glass door that uses computer vision to detect when Hamm's cat, Metric, tries to sneak a critter through the opening. | |
 | Do we trust artificial intelligence agents to mediate conflict? Not entirelyWe may listen to facts from Siri or Alexa, or directions from Google Maps or Waze, but would we let a virtual agent enabled by artificial intelligence help mediate conflict among team members? A new study says not just yet. |
 | Worried about flying on a 737 Max? Your options may be fewAt some point early next year, air travelers will need to decide if they're willing to take a flight on a Boeing 737 Max. |
 | EU moves against chipmaker Broadcom in latest US tech salvoThe EU's powerful anti-trust authority on Wednesday ordered US chipmaker Broadcom to immediately halt uncompetitive sales practices, using an unprecedented weapon against US big tech. |
 | US agency plans to update auto safety ratings next yearThe government's highway safety agency says it plans a significant update to its automobile crash test ratings next year, and it will look at including new technology to make roads safer. |
 | Italy latest to slap Internet giants with 'digital tax'Italy is to slap internet giants such as Amazon and Google with a three-percent tax, according to the proposed budget it submitted to the European Commission on Wednesday. |
The FCC approves T-Mobile-Sprint deal in party-line voteThe Federal Communications Commission has approved the $26.5 billion combination of Sprint and T-Mobile on a 3-2 party-line vote. | |
 | Netflix's US subscriber growth slowing as competition loomsNetflix's subscriber growth is bogging down even before the leading video streaming service confronts high-powered threats from Apple and Walt Disney Co. |
Intel to pay $5M to settle pay discrimination allegationsThe Labor Department says it has reached a $5 million settlement with chip maker Intel Corp. over allegations of pay discrimination against its female, African American and Hispanic employees. | |
 | Lawmakers: Tech giants have given some of documents soughtLawmakers investigating the market dominance of Big Tech say they've received part of the information they requested from Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple, and expect to get the rest soon. |
 | Chinese snooping tech spreads to nations vulnerable to abuseWhen hundreds of video cameras with the power to identify and track individuals started appearing in the streets of Belgrade as part of a major surveillance project, some protesters began having second thoughts about joining anti-government demonstrations in the Serbian capital. |
 | Revenge of the moderators: Facebook's online workers are sick of being treated like botsReports of Facebook moderators' appalling working conditions have been making headlines worldwide. |
 | New book exposes AI's limitsEver since its origin in post-war research, AI has been subject to profound hyperbole, rapturous prognostications, and projected nightmares. In 2019, things have once again reached fever pitch in what science board co-chair and External Professor Melanie Mitchell wryly notes is a hype cycle that routinely ripples through her fellow computer scientists and those who fund them. Her illuminating new book, Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans, lays bare the inner workings of these potent tools, exposing their realistic limits and patiently detailing our deployment errors. It is a solid history of how we got from pocket calculators to facial recognition and self-driving cars, a lucid tour of how these systems operate, and a tempered read on just how far we have to go before we're obsolete. |
UK antivirus software maker agrees to £3.1bn takeoverBritain's Sophos Group, known worldwide for its antivirus and encryption software, said Monday that it has agreed to a £3.1-billion takeover from US private equity firm Thoma Bravo. | |
 | UAW leaders reach tentative deal with GM to end US worker strikeLeaders of the United Auto Workers union announced Wednesday they have reached a tentative deal with General Motors to end a nationwide strike that began a month ago. |
House bill aims to curtail fake Uber and Lyft driversMembers of Congress are asking ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft to improve safety and clean up their act. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | In a first, scientists pinpoint neural activity's role in human longevityThe brain's neural activity—long implicated in disorders ranging from dementia to epilepsy—also plays a role in human aging and life span, according to research led by scientists in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School. |
 | Scientists shed light on how brains turn pain up or downPain perception is essential for survival, but how much something hurts can sometimes be amplified or suppressed: for example, soldiers who sustain an injury in battle often recall not feeling anything at the time. |
 | Findings bridge knowledge gap between pheromone sensitivity and courtshipJust as humans use their noses for the sense of smell, insects such as fruit flies use their antennae—covered in sensory hairs called sensilla—for olfaction. In flies, the sense of smell plays a fundamental role in courtship. |
 | Inactive receptor renders cancer immunotherapies ineffectiveThe aim of immunotherapies is to enable the immune system to fight cancer on its own. Drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors are already in clinical use for this purpose. However, they are only effective in about one-third of patients. Based on analysis of human tissue samples, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now discovered one reason why this is so: An inactive receptor in cancer cells prevents the drugs from reactivating the immune system. |
 | A more accurate way to gauge pain in miceFor decades, biomedical researchers have used mouse behavior to study pain, but some researchers have questioned the accuracy of the interpretations of how mice experience pain. |
 | Failure of mitochondrial quality control causes heart diseaseMutations in the gene that encodes a protein called adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) cause a variety of conditions, such as heart disease and weakness of the eye muscles, but the underlying mechanism of how these mutations trigger disease has been unclear. Now, researchers at Penn Medicine discovered that ANT is critical for a quality control process called mitophagy—which helps to ensure the integrity of the mitochondria network by removing damaged mitochondria—and found that mutations that lead to a defective quality control system ultimately cause heart disease. |
 | Smoke signals: Study shows path linking nicotine addiction to increased risk for diabetesResearchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a circuit in rats that links cigarette smoking and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study featured on the cover of the October 17 issue of Nature. |
 | Cultivating joy through mindfulness: An antidote to opioid misuse, the disease of despairNew research shows that a specific mind-body therapy, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), increases the brain's response to natural, healthy rewards while also decreasing the brain's response to opioid-related cues. |
 | Study focuses on repair and reversal of damage caused by Huntington's diseaseA new study examining the role that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes play in Huntington's disease has identified a potential strategy that may halt the disease and repair some of the damage it causes. |
 | 'Short sleep' gene prevents memory deficits associated with sleep deprivationThe UCSF scientists who identified the two known human genes that promote "natural short sleep"—nightly sleep that lasts just four to six hours but leaves people feeling well-rested—have now discovered a third, and it's also the first gene that's ever been shown to prevent the memory deficits that normally accompany sleep deprivation. The researchers believe this latest discovery may one day lead to a druggable target for therapies that improve sleep and treat sleep disorders. |
 | Study shows why even well-controlled epilepsy can disrupt thinkingA study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators may help explain why even people benefiting from medications for their epilepsy often continue to experience bouts of difficulty thinking, perceiving and remembering clearly. |
 | Tackling inequality could save millions of childrenAn unprecedented study mapping child deaths over almost two decades finds that nearly half of the 5.4 million under-five deaths in 2017 can be attributed to differences in child death rates within and across countries. |
 | Hope for millions of Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers as research identifies cause of pain as 'gut itch'This is big news for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients: 11 percent of the world's population suffers from IBS, but the fight against chronic pain has taken a major step forward with scientists identifying receptors in the nervous system which cause the condition in the hope of developing effective treatments. |
 | Scientists link hormone production in baby wallabies to human congenital adrenal hyperplasiaResearch led by the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester has made a connection between the way baby wallabies produce male hormones and how some human girls are born with genitalia that resemble those of a boy. |
 | Breakdown of normal 3-D shape of DNA allows harmful interactions of genes in rare form of gastrointestinal stromal tumorMost cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a type of soft-tissue cancer (sarcoma), are caused by mutations in genes that can be effectively targeted with drugs that inhibit the activity of rogue cancer-promoting enzymes. |
 | Scientists develop test for uncommon brain diseasesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists have developed an ultrasensitive new test to detect abnormal forms of the protein tau associated with uncommon types of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. As they describe in Acta Neuropathologica, this advance gives them hope of using cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF—an accessible patient sample—to diagnose these and perhaps other, more common neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. |
 | Artificial pancreas system better controls blood glucose levels than current technologyA multicenter randomized clinical trial evaluating a new artificial pancreas system—which automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose levels—has found that the new system was more effective than existing treatments at controlling blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes. The trial, based partly at the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology, was primarily funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. |
 | Sweetened drinks represented 62% of children's drink sales in 2018Fruit drinks and flavored waters that contain added sugars and/or low-calorie (diet) sweeteners dominated sales of drinks intended for children in 2018, making up 62 percent of the $2.2 billion in total children's drink sales, according to Children's Drink FACTS 2019, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. |
 | Syphilis infection rates in dialysis patients exceed general populationSyphilis rates, like other sexually transmitted disease rates in the United States, are soaring, and the first known study to examine syphilis rates in patients with kidney failure found an incidence greater than three times that of the general population. |
 | Physical activity in lessons improves students' attainmentStudents who take part in physical exercises like star jumps or running on the spot during school lessons do better in tests than peers who stick to sedentary learning, according to a UCL-led study. |
Osteoarthritis can increase your risk for social isolationWhen older adults become lonely—a condition health professionals call "social isolation"—their health and well-being can suffer. In fact, there may be a link between being socially isolated and osteoarthritis (arthritis) which causes joint pain and can limit your ability to get around. | |
Hormone therapy associated with improved cognitionEstrogen has a significant role in overall brain health and cognitive function. That's why so many studies focused on the prevention of cognitive decline consider the effect of reduced estrogen levels during the menopause transition. A new study suggests a cognitive benefit from a longer reproductive window complemented with hormone therapy. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). | |
High levels of chronic stress linked to high blood pressure in African-AmericansAfrican Americans reporting high levels of chronic stress tended to develop high blood pressure, or hypertension, more often than those who reported low stress levels, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association. | |
 | Children are more likely to have higher blood pressure by age six if their mother used snus during pregnancyFive to six year old children had higher systolic blood pressure if their mothers used snus, a moist, powdered smokeless tobacco that contains nicotine, while pregnant compared to children of mothers who did not use snus, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association. |
 | Sequencing African genomes yields new data resource with broad applicabilityBy collaborating globally in a new, large-scale effort, researchers have made strong progress in sequencing genomes from regions and countries across Africa. These findings will enable more broadly representative and relevant studies ranging from basic through clinical genetics. The researchers' new data and preliminary observations were presented as a featured plenary abstract at the American Society of Human Genetics 2019 Annual Meeting in Houston. |
 | Researchers glean new insights into biological underpinnings of schizophreniaResearchers have implicated 10 new genes in the development of schizophrenia using a method called whole exome sequencing, the analysis of the portion of DNA that codes for proteins. Working with a global consortium of schizophrenia research teams, Tarjinder Singh, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow affiliated with the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues completed one of the largest of such studies so far, incorporating genetic data from over 125,000 people to gain deeper insights into the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia. The research was presented as a featured plenary presentation at the American Society of Human Genetics 2019 Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas |
 | Brain injury from concussion may linger longer than one year after return to playHow long does it take an athlete to recover from a concussion? New research has found an athlete's brain may still not be fully recovered one year after being allowed to return to play. The study is published in the October 16, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. |
 | Exercise can now be prescribed like medicine for people with and beyond cancerIt's well known that exercise is good for preventing and treating many forms of heart disease, but less commonly known are the benefits of physical activity for people living with and beyond cancer. |
 | Increased risk of tularemia as the climate changesResearchers at Stockholm University have developed a method for statistically predicting impacts of climate change on outbreaks of tularemia in humans. The study has been published in the journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The results show that tularemia may become increasingly common in the future in high-latitude regions. |
 | Hot drinks are the most common cause of burns to young childrenNew research has shown that hot drink scalds were the commonest cause of children under five presenting to emergency departments, and that only one in four children received adequate first aid before getting to hospital. These two key findings have led to the design of a national campaign called SafeTea launched today, Wednesday 16 October, National Burns Awareness Day. |
 | Antibody eradicates leukemia stem cellsThe introduction of the drug imatinib in 2001 revolutionized the treatment of a type of cancer called chronic myelogenous leukemia. In more than 80 percent of people with CML who received the drug, the disease went into complete remission. |
 | Deaf infants more attuned to parent's visual cues, study showsEye gaze helps infants communicate. Through everyday interactions, eye gaze establishes a social connection between parent and child and is linked to early word learning. |
 | Want your kids to be more resilient and empathetic? Try sports, new study saysThe transition to high school is often one of the most difficult changes for youth to make. Unfamiliar peer groups, increased class sizes, exposure to drugs and alcohol and mental health disorders all contribute to high levels of stress and unsafe behaviors among adolescents. A new study from BYU researchers reveals how students can prepare for these challenges by developing levels of resilience through participation in youth sports. |
 | A father's diet could affect the long-term heart health of his offspringA new study has found that a lack of protein in a father's diet affects the quality of his sperm and in turn, could affect the long-term cardiovascular health of his offspring. |
 | New app measures repetitive behaviors in people with autism and intellectual disabilityCOREAT (an acronym for the Spanish version of Autism Repetitive behavior Test) is the first reliable evidence-based application to measure the severity of repetitive behavior in autism and intellectual disability. |
 | Most people don't wash their hands properlyIt's something most people do everyday, often without really thinking about it, but how you wash your hands can make a real difference to your health and the well-being of those around you. |
 | These 3 factors predict a child's chance of obesity in adolescence (and no, it's not just their weight)Three simple factors can predict whether a child is likely to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adolescence: the child's body mass index (BMI), the mother's BMI and the mother's education level, according to our new research. |
 | Exam stress may not be fun, but it can help you get better gradesTwo-thirds of young people experience levels of exam stress that mental health organization ReachOut describes as "worrying." |
 | Pilot study shows even short-term 'vaping' causes inflammation in non-smokersE-cigarette (e-cig) use is rising at concerning levels among both smokers and non-smokers, and new research data suggests that even short-term e-cig use can cause cellular inflammation in never-smoker adults. |
 | Listening to 'noisy knees' to diagnose osteoarthritis: The first human cohort studyA new way of diagnosing and assessing knee osteoarthritis (OA) has moved a step closer with a major study paving the way for its use in research and clinical practice. |
 | Menu labeling linked to less fat and salt in food at major UK restaurant chainsFood sold at restaurants whose menus display energy information are lower in fat and salt than that of their competitors, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. |
 | Meat study authors have financial ties to beef industryThe authors of a recent study downplaying the health risks of red meat have financial ties with meat producers. The international group of researchers has received funding from a university program partially backed by the beef industry, the Washington Post reported Monday. |
 | Herpes vaccine is a winner in animals. Next up: Testing on humans.For nearly a century, efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent genital herpes have failed. At least nine prospects, including several that made it to late-stage human testing, have flopped in the last decade. |
 | California's new transparency law reveals steep rise in wholesale drug pricesDrugmakers fought hard against California's groundbreaking drug price transparency law, passed in 2017. Now, state health officials have released their first report on the price hikes those drug companies sought to shield. |
 | Is climate change to blame for New England's EEE outbreak?The question shadows the current outbreak of Eastern equine encephalitis in Southern New England: Is the high number of human cases of the mosquito-borne virus this year part of a natural cycle, or is it linked to the changing climate? |
 | Nearly half of people who regularly consume ecstasy have tested their drugsThe Drug Trends program at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney, has surveyed people who regularly use illicit drugs about drug checking (often referred to as pill testing) the contents of their illicit drugs, and their illicit drug use at Australian music festivals. |
 | Alcohol preloading leads to increased intoxicationPeople who preload alcohol before a night out drink more than they predict and are more intoxicated at the end of the night a Griffith University study has found. |
 | Researchers enlist the cloud to wipe out malariaThe Monash scientists who developed the small game-changing device that can rapidly screen blood in minutes to detect disease-causing pathogens have now confirmed the successful operation of a cloud-based system based on spectroscopy. |
 | Drug that blocks blood vessel growth could treat rare sarcomasAn experimental targeted drug could treat a rare type of cancer usually affecting the limbs, a clinical trial led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has shown. |
 | Memory is damaged by air pollution, researchers findNew research from the University of Warwick shows that human memory is significantly worse in parts of England with high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and air particulates (PM10). The difference in memory quality between England's cleanest and most-polluted areas is equivalent to the loss of memory from 10 extra years of aging. |
 | Protein misfolding as a risk marker for Alzheimer's diseaseIn symptom-free individuals, the detection of misfolded amyloid-β protein in the blood indicates a considerably higher risk of Alzheimer's disease—up to 14 years before a clinical diagnosis is made. Amyloid-β folding has proven to be superior to other risk markers evaluated, as shown by scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), the Saarland Cancer Registry, and the Network Aging Research at Heidelberg University. |
 | New web-based tool to improve football developmentAn innovative sports science tool—based on the research of a University of Stirling academic—is aiming to revolutionize talent identification and development in youth football players. |
 | AI system more accurately identifies collapsed lungs using chest X-raysNew assistive technology can diagnose collapsed lungs from chest X-rays with a higher degree of accuracy than radiologists. |
 | Cognitive decline and periodontitisCognitive functioning and dementia can dramatically affect the conditions for oral health. A new dissertation by researcher Helena Nilsson reveals after she participated in a unique global study on aging. |
 | Improving cancer screening: what does the latest review recommend?Screening people for cancer saves thousands of lives every year. And these programmes will play a vital role in achieving NHS England's ambition to diagnose 3 in 4 cancers early by 2028. |
 | Stimulants: Using them to cram for exams ruins sleep and doesn't help test scoresAlong with a steeper financial burden and an increasingly competitive academic environment, this year's incoming freshman university class will likely be confronted with the pressure to take a little pill that some popular culture references say will make you "awesome at everything." Or they may eschew the temptation and rely on the standard practice of study, sleep, repeat. |
 | Expert explains why there will be no designer babies in the near futureThe first genetically modified humans were born in China in 2018. Now scientists and politicians in Russia are discussing whether using CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the genome of human embryos should be permitted. Stefan Mundlos, of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, is a member of the Genome Editing working group within the Ethics Council of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. The scientist, who himself uses CRISPR/Cas in his research, believes the concern over uncontrolled manipulation of the human genome is exaggerated. |
 | Young adults not seeking treatment for substance use disordersA growing number of young adults are dealing with a substance use disorder—in some cases, multiple substance use disorders—and not seeking help, according to a study published in the Journal of American College Health. |
 | Society is rejecting facts; medical researchers can helpOne study says coffee is good for you, while another study says that it's not. They're both right, within context. This dichotomy together with an environment of distrust spurred by anecdotes, fake news, and to a large extent, social media, has created a skeptical and misinformed public. As a result, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators say society is rejecting the facts. Now more than ever, medical researchers must help the public understand the rigorous process of science, which has been around for thousands of years. In return, the public has to pay attention, realize that one size doesn't fit all, and understand that the answers are not just black or white. Lives are depending on it. |
 | In Baltimore, lower income neighborhoods have bigger mosquitoesLow-income urban neighborhoods not only have more mosquitoes, but they are larger-bodied, indicating that they could be more efficient at transmitting diseases. So reports a Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies-led study, published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, investigating how socioeconomics influences mosquito-borne disease risk in Baltimore, Maryland. |
 | Changes in chromosome caps may be a marker for tumor aggression in neurofibromatosis type 1Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report that their study of tumor samples from people with the rare genetic syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) has uncovered novel molecular clues about which tumors are most likely to be aggressive in those with NF1. According to the researchers, the clues could advance the search for more customized and relevant treatments that spare patients exposure to treatments unlikely to work. |
 | Scientists identify genetic variation linked to severity of ALSA discovery made several years ago in a lab researching asthma at Wake Forest School of Medicine may now have implications for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease with no known cure and only two FDA-approved drugs to treat its progression and severity. |
 | To better understand racial trauma, expert says we must also acknowledge skin toneAs the country continues to grapple with racism, one University of Missouri professor suggests that bias related to skin tone can lead to negative health and relationships for African Americans. Antoinette Landor, assistant professor of human development and family science, and a leading expert on colorism, says discrimination based on skin tone plays a significant role in the lives of African Americans. |
Weight gain in early adult life linked to increased risk of premature deathGaining weight from your mid-20s into middle age is associated with an increased risk of premature death, finds a study of US adults published by The BMJ today. | |
Report: Progress in global cancer fight is not only possible, but achievableThe Cancer Atlas, 3rd edition, a comprehensive global overview of cancer around the globe, concludes that progress in the fight against cancer is not only possible, but achievable. The report was produced by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It was released at the World Cancer Leaders' Summit in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. | |
Clinical research improves health of UK economy and NHSThe value of clinical research to the NHS, the UK economy and jobs market has been evaluated in a new report, which provides an assessment of the economic impact of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network's (NIHR CRN) activities to support clinical research in England. | |
 | Millet: A whole grain you might be overlookingDon't let the names of exotic grains like millet keep you from trying them. They're as easy to make as standard white rice yet far more nutritious. |
 | A guide to good etiquette at the gymUniversal gym etiquette includes steps like turning off your cellphone whenever you're working out, being courteous when using shared equipment in the weight room, taking thoughtful steps such as not wearing heavy perfume, and wiping off your sweat after working out on a machine. |
 | I study teen suicide and believe clinical science can predict who is at riskPeople often ask me what I do for a living. In the past, I would start with something vague, saying things like "I'm a researcher; I work at the university. I work with teenagers." Inevitably, people wanted to know more. And then I told them, "Actually, I research why teenagers are dying by suicide." |
 | New human reference genome resources help capture global genetic diversityScientists have assembled a set of genetic sequences that enable the reference genome to better reflect global genetic diversity. The new sequences improve the utility of the human reference genome, a touchstone resource for modern genetics and genomics research, and were presented at the American Society of Human Genetics 2019 Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas |
 | Toxoplasmosis: Preventing mother-to-child transmissionProfessor Maritza Jaramillo knows a thing or two about parasites—she has spent most of her life studying them. "During my bachelor's degree in Colombia, I did an internship at a lab specializing in parasitic infections. I was amazed by the range and complexity of the survival strategies developed by single-celled parasites. Then I realized what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!" says the researcher, who has been working at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) since 2012. |
 | Quantifying Hispanic and Latinx populations' interest in genetic research participationResearchers are increasingly prioritizing the need for diversity in genetics and genomics research. To help make such studies more inclusive, José G. Pérez-Ramos, MPH and Timothy D.V. Dye, Ph.D., research scientists at the University of Rochester examined Hispanic and Latinx populations' desire to participate in genomics research. Mr. Pérez-Ramos presented the findings at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2019 Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas. |
 | Exploring the link between daily stress, depression, and Facebook addiction disorderResearchers have demonstrated a close positive association between daily stress, depression symptoms, and Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD). High daily stress can lead individuals to turn to Facebook use as a coping strategy, with depression symptoms serving as a moderator of this association, according to a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. |
UCLA opens CAR T clinical trial targeting most common types of lymphoma and leukemiaThe field of immunotherapy has revolutionized the way people with incurable cancers are treated, saving the lives of many people whose disease would have otherwise been seen as a death sentence. Despite its success in treating people with deadly forms of leukemia and lymphoma, there are still many people who do not benefit from the treatment or eventually experience a relapse of their cancer. Researchers from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are actively trying to develop new ways to make this therapy work better for more people. | |
Officials say death of Montana teenager was vaping-relatedHealth officials say a teenager in Montana has died of a lung disease associated with a national outbreak of vaping-related illnesses. | |
 | New international exercise guidelines for cancer survivorsFor the rising number of cancer survivors worldwide, there's growing evidence that exercise is an important part of recovery. But how much, and what type of exercise, is needed? |
Scrutiny of vaccine exemptions banishes some from schoolsCarl and Kerri Schwartz say they have good medical reason for not vaccinating their disabled 11-year-old son, Thorn, and until recently his local public school went along with their family doctor's advice. | |
Florida commission says mental health system needs overhaulFlorida's mental health system is underfunded and needs to be overhauled, with better coordination between providers, law enforcement and educators, the commission investigating last year's high school massacre recommended to the legislature Wednesday. | |
 | How does fathers' physical and mental health status impact their children?A new study has shown that children of fathers with poor mental health had a 2.6 times greater risk of having poor mental health. The study, which also found a 3.1 times higher risk of poor overall health among children of fathers with poor overall health, is published in Health Equity. |
 | Digital breast tomosynthesis increases cancer detection over full-field mammographyAn ahead-of-print article forthcoming in the March 2020 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) comparing cancer detection rates (CDR) for screening digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) versus full-field digital mammography (FFDM) found that DBT results in "significantly increased CDR"—irrespective of tumor type, size, or grade of cancer. |
Biology news
 | Engineering biomimetic microvascular meshes for subcutaneous islet transplantationTo successfully engineer cell or tissue implants, bioengineers must facilitate their metabolic requirements through vascular regeneration. However, it is challenging to develop a broad strategy for stable and functional vascularization. In a recent report on Nature Communications, Wei Song and colleagues in the interdisciplinary departments of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Medicine, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Clinical Sciences and Bioengineering in the U.S. described highly organized, biomimetic and resilient microvascular meshes. The team engineered them using controllable, anchored self-assembly methods to form microvascular meshes that are almost defect-free and transferrable to diverse substrates, for transplantation. |
 | Scientists discover skin keeps time independent of the brainSquids, octopuses, cuttlefish, amphibians, and chameleon lizards are among the animals that can change the color of their skin in a blink of an eye. They have photoreceptors in their skin that operate independently of their brain. The photoreceptors are part of a family of proteins known as opsins. |
 | Fido's raw meat pet food may be loaded with harmful bacteria: studyIncreasingly popular raw meat meals for dogs and cats may be full of multi-drug resistant bacteria, posing a serious risk to animals and humans, scientists reported Wednesday. |
 | Computational 'match game' identifies potential antibioticsComputational biologists at Carnegie Mellon University have devised a software tool that can play a high-speed "Match Game" to identify bioactive molecules and the microbial genes that produce them so they can be evaluated as possible antibiotics and other therapeutic agents. |
 | First widespread chytrid fungus infections in frogs of Peruvian Amazon rain forestsUniversity of Michigan biologists have documented, for the first time, the widespread presence of the notorious chytrid fungus in 80 species of frogs from lowland rain forest sites in the Peruvian Amazon. |
 | Assessing the rationality of time investment when rock ants choose a nest siteA team of researchers from the University of Oxford and Arizona State University has carried out experiments with rock ants to assess their rationality of time investment when they choose a new nest site. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the group describes their experiments with the ants and what they learned from them. |
 | Study: Biodiversity improves crop productionEcologists and biologists compared data of about 1,500 agricultural fields around the world, including corn fields in the American plains, oilseed rape fields in southern Sweden, coffee plantations in India, mango plantations in South Africa and cereal crops in the Alps. They analyzed two ecosystem services (i.e., processes regulated by nature that are beneficial and free for humans): the pollination service provided by wild insects and biological pest control service, which is the ability of an environment to use predatory arthropods present in the ecosystem to defend itself from harmful insects. |
 | Warmer nights prompt birds to lay eggs earlierAs climate change continues to cause temperatures to rise, the breeding patterns of birds such as blue tits are being altered as evenings in spring get warmer, researchers say. |
 | 'Industrial melanism' linked to same gene in three moth speciesThe rise of dark forms of many species of moth in heavily polluted areas of 19th and 20th century Britain, known as industrial melanism, was a highly visible response to environmental change. But did the different species rely on the same gene to adapt? |
 | Rice blast fungus discovery will drive crop innovationA secret weapon used by the killer rice blast fungus to infect host plants has been discovered in new research. |
 | X marks the spot: recombination in structurally distinct chromosomesTwo years ago, scientists from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research reported the 3-D structure of the synaptonemal complex in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This large protein complex is a critical player in the segregation of chromosomes during meiosis, a process of cell division that gives rise to reproductive cells. The synaptonemal complex functions in humans and sexually reproducing animals toward achieving normal, healthy pregnancies. |
 | Galapagos study highlights importance of biodiversity in the face of climate changeAs the world's climate continues to change, biologically diverse communities may be most capable of adapting to environmental challenges. |
 | A secret in saliva: Food and germs helped humans evolve into unique member of great apesTwo million years of eating meat and cooked food may have helped humans shift further from other great apes on the evolutionary tree. The evidence is in our saliva, according to new research from the University at Buffalo. |
 | World's fastest ant hits recording breaking speed of 855mm/sAccording to Noël Coward, mad dogs and Englishmen are the only creatures that go out in the midday sun, but Harald Wolf from the University of Ulm, Germany, would add another animal: Saharan silver ants (Cataglyphis bombycina). Venturing from their nests to scavenge the corpses of less-fortunate creatures at the peak of the day—when the sand can reach 60°C—these resilient ants had always fascinated Wolf. 'Even among desert ants, the silver ants are special', he says, explaining that the insects were reputed to hit speeds approaching 1 m/s. But little was known about how the ants scamper at such blistering speeds across the sand. During an earlier trip to the salt pans of Tunisia—to study the silver ant's cousin, Cataglyphis fortis—Wolf, Sarah Pfeffer, Verena Wahl and Matthias Wittlinger had taken a detour to Douz to search for the enigmatic desert dwellers. After finding silver ants thriving in the dunes, the team returned in 2015 to film them in action. The team publishes their discover that Saharan silver ants are the fastest ants ever recorded, reaching speeds of 0.855m/s (855mm/s) by swinging their legs at speeds of up to 1300mm/s in Journal of Experimental Biology. |
 | Artificial intelligence and farmer knowledge boost smallholder maize yieldsFarmers in Colombia's maize-growing region of Córdoba had seen it all: too much rain one year, a searing drought the next. Yields were down and their livelihoods hung in the balance. |
 | Abandoned Chernobyl villages could save a rare speciesAccording to a research team at the University of Georgia, abandoned dwellings in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone provide shelter for an endangered equine species and a resource for conservationists who want to ensure their survival. |
 | How tiny creatures are reshaping the very rivers they live inWhat shapes a river? People typically imagine large-scale processes such as storms and floods or human modifications like dams or fortified banks. But the shape of our rivers today is also a result of the cumulative impact of millions of tiny invertebrates, often small enough that most people don't even notice them. |
 | Tackling E. coli infectionsMonash scientists have identified a survival mechanism of bacteria that cause disease in plant and animals, including highly virulent E. coli (Escherichia coli) related diseases. |
 | Scientists find new way to develop drought-resilient cropsAustralian research could help breeders develop more drought-resilient crops that can produce more food and more profit with less water. |
 | Researchers uncover novel virus type that may shed light on viral evolutionViruses are nonliving creatures consisting of genetic material encased in a protein coat. Once the virus infects a living organism, it can replicate itself and continue on. But what happens if a virus lacks the proper tools to infect an organism? How can it propagate? |
 | Researchers develop machine learning tool to refine personalized immunotherapyLudwig Cancer Research scientists have developed a new and more accurate method to identify the molecular signs of cancer likely to be presented to helper T cells, which stimulate and orchestrate the immune response to tumors and infectious agents. The study, led by David Gfeller and Michal Bassani-Sternberg of the Lausanne Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, is reported in the current issue of Nature Biotechnology. |
 | One deer's journey: An epic migration is revealed in new mapsIn the spring of 2016, a determined mule deer did something that, as far as anyone knows, no other mule deer had done before: She traveled a whopping 242 miles from southwest Wyoming to eastern Idaho in the greatest migration in recorded mule deer history. |
 | Thames Humpback whale killed by ship: The casualty of a global problemA humpback whale was recently spotted in the River Thames near London. This unusual sighting sparked national media interest, similar to "Benny" the beluga who also called the river home for several weeks last year. However, while Benny eventually left the Thames and headed home to the Arctic, the humpback whale was not so lucky. Ironically, despite the human-interest factor, the whale died as a result of human impact. In doing so, it had the dubious honor of being the first humpback whale known to have died in UK waters from being hit by a vessel. |
 | First genome of spotted lanternfly built from a single insectAgricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, in cooperation with Pacific Biosciences and Penn State University, have published the first genome of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in the journal Gigascience and they did it from a single caught-in-the-wild specimen. |
 | Respiratory diseases linked with high blood pressure in lungsPulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the lungs of both animals and people. When tiny vessels in the lungs become narrowed or blocked, it becomes harder for blood to flow through and can cause the heart to weaken or fail. |
 | Study helps pinpoint what makes species vulnerable to environmental changeThe fabled use of canaries in coal mines as an early warning of carbon monoxide stemmed from the birds' extreme sensitivity to toxic conditions compared to humans. |
AAFP releases updated Feline Zoonoses GuidelinesThe American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) today released updated Feline Zoonoses Guidelines to the veterinary community. These are published Online First, and will appear in the November issue of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. In publishing these Guidelines, the AAFP aims to provide accurate information about feline zoonotic diseases to owners, physicians, and veterinarians to allow logical decisions to be made concerning cat ownership. There are many benefits of having pet cats; however, education is key to prevention of these common diseases, which are transmittable between animals and humans. With these Guidelines, the AAFP also aims to address the misinformation that exists about cats and disease transmission. | |
 | Our land abounds in nature strips: Maximizing Australia's urban green spaceYou may mock the national anthem by singing "Our land abounds in nature strips" but what you might not know is how true that is. In Melbourne, for example, more than a third of all public green space is nature strips. (That figure includes roundabouts, medians and other green bits of the street.) |
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