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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 19, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | WISE1013+6112 is one of the most luminous infrared galaxies, study findsUsing the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), astronomers have investigated the infrared galaxy WISE J101326.25+611220.1 (or WISE1013+6112 for short). The researchers report that WISE1013+6112 is one of the most luminous infrared galaxies known to date. The finding is reported in a paper published December 12 on arXiv.org. |
 | Smelly, poisonous molecule may be a sure-fire sign of extraterrestrial lifePhosphine is among the stinkiest, most toxic gases on Earth, found in some of the foulest of places, including penguin dung heaps, the depths of swamps and bogs, and even in the bowels of some badgers and fish. This putrid "swamp gas" is also highly flammable and reactive with particles in our atmosphere. |
 | Fermi mission links nearby pulsar's gamma-ray 'halo' to antimatter puzzleNASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has discovered a faint but sprawling glow of high-energy light around a nearby pulsar. If visible to the human eye, this gamma-ray "halo" would appear about 40 times bigger in the sky than a full Moon. This structure may provide the solution to a long-standing mystery about the amount of antimatter in our neighborhood. |
 | ESO observations reveal black holes' breakfast at the cosmic dawnAstronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope have observed reservoirs of cool gas around some of the earliest galaxies in the Universe. These gas halos are the perfect food for supermassive black holes at the centre of these galaxies, which are now seen as they were over 12.5 billion years ago. This food storage might explain how these cosmic monsters grew so fast during a period in the Universe's history known as the Cosmic Dawn. |
 | Asteroid collisions trigger cascading formation of subfamilies, study concludesBillions of years ago, asteroid collisions resulted in the ejection of fragments hundreds of kilometers across and sharing similar orbits. The resulting groups are known as asteroid families. |
 | The 'cores' of massive galaxies had already formed 1.5 billion years after the Big BangA distant galaxy more massive than our Milky Way—with more than a trillion stars—has revealed that the 'cores' of massive galaxies in the Universe had formed already 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, about 1 billion years earlier than previous measurements revealed. |
 | 'Cotton candy' planet mysteries unravel in new Hubble observations"Super-Puffs" may sound like a new breakfast cereal. But it's actually the nickname for a unique and rare class of young exoplanets that have the density of cotton candy. Nothing like them exists in our solar system. |
 | Groundbreaking astronaut glove for exploring the moon and MarsNTNU students have developed a smart glove for astronauts that can be used while exploring other planets. NASA partners recently conducted successful testing of the glove at the Haughton Mars Project research station. |
 | Approach to make quicker and more exact analyses of fireball observationsThere is not enough time for more close study of all fireballs observed in the sky. The observation of a bright phenomenon reveals that a meteoroid has entered the atmosphere from space, but does any part of it end up on Earth? Only those with the survived terminal mass will reach the earth, but unfortunately many of them remain undiscovered. |
 | A real-life deluminator for spotting exoplanets by reflected starlightPerhaps you remember the opening scene of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" that took place on Privet Drive. A bearded man pulled a mysterious device, called a deluminator, from his dark robe and one by one the lights from the street lamps flew into it. |
Technology news
 | Randpay: a technology for blockchain micropayments that requires a recipient's consentTwo researchers at Emercoin, a decentralized peer-to-peer (p2p) network providing secure blockchain business services, have recently developed a new technology called Randpay that only allows users to complete payments and transactions with a recipient's consent. Using this new technology, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, users can also safely and easily micropay specific data values derived from sensors, individual stock quotes, downloaded pictures, search engine results, road tolls and other sources. |
 | Robot experiment shows people trust robots more when robots explain what they are doingA team of researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and the California Institute of Technology has found via experimentation that humans tend to trust robots more when they communicate what they are doing. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes programming a robot to report what it was doing in different ways and then showed it in action to volunteers. |
 | 'Inconsistent and misleading' password meters could increase risk of cyber attacksPassword meters are frequently made available to help users secure their personal data against the threats posed by cyber criminals. |
 | Using innovative 3-D printing method, researchers reproduce millimeter-tall Michelangelo's DavidResearchers in Zurich have reproduced Michelangelo's David as a miniature in metal. Their achievement highlights the potential of a special 3-D printing method developed at ETH. |
 | New aqueous lithium-ion battery improves safety without sacrificing performanceAs the lithium-ion batteries that power most phones, laptops, and electric vehicles become increasingly fast-charging and high-performing, they also grow increasingly expensive and flammable. |
 | Model beats Wall Street analysts in forecasting business financialsKnowing a company's true sales can help determine its value. Investors, for instance, often employ financial analysts to predict a company's upcoming earnings using various public data, computational tools, and their own intuition. Now MIT researchers have developed an automated model that significantly outperforms humans in predicting business sales using very limited, "noisy" data. |
 | Open-source system securing software updates 'graduates' to protect leading cloud servicesThe Update Framework (TUF), an open-source technology that secures software update systems, has become the first specification project to graduate from the Linux Foundation's Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). A specification—common examples of which are HTML and HTTP—allows different implementers to create core functionality in a common, precisely defined way to solve a task. Justin Cappos, lead of the TUF project and an associate professor of computer science and engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, is also the first academic researcher to lead a project that has graduated from the CNCF. |
 | Eight-year-old is highest paid YouTuber, earns $26 million in yearEight-year-old Ryan Kaji earned $26 million in 2019 on his YouTube channel, making him the highest-paid creator on the platform, according to a list published Wednesday by Forbes magazine. |
 | China targets tech giants in app privacy crackdownChinese tech companies including social media giant Tencent were ordered by regulators on Thursday to clean up how their apps handle user information or face possible penalties. |
 | Uber to pay $4.4 million to end federal sex harassment probeUber Technologies Inc. will establish a $4.4 million fund to settle a federal investigation into allegations that the San Francisco company allowed a rampant culture of sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Wednesday. |
 | Toyota's humanoid duplicates movements in robotic mobilityToyota Motor Corp.'s upgraded version of the human-shaped robot T-HR3 now has faster and smoother finger movements because the wearable remote-control device has become lighter and easier to use. |
 | EU court boost for activist in Facebook data transfer fightEU regulators must make more effort to stop tech companies from transferring data to countries with weaker data-protection standards, an advisor to the European Union's top court said Thursday. It's the latest in a lengthy and complex legal case involving an Austrian privacy campaigner and Facebook. |
 | Free of heavy metals, new battery design could alleviate environmental concernsToday, IBM Research is building on a long history of materials science innovation to unveil a new battery discovery. This new research could help eliminate the need for heavy metals in battery production and transform the long-term sustainability of many elements of our energy infrastructure. |
 | NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft cleared for final assemblyNASA's first large scale, piloted X-plane in more than three decades is cleared for final assembly and integration of its systems following a major project review by senior managers held Thursday at NASA Headquarters in Washington. |
 | These apps were the most-downloaded of the decadeAs the decade comes to a close, there are mobile apps for just above every time of activity or interest. If you have a smartphone, you certainly have at least a few apps on it. |
 | Facebook's ad delivery system still discriminates by race, gender, ageIn settling five different lawsuits at once, Facebook earlier this year promised to change the way it manages the advertisements for housing, employment, and credit that run on its platform. Advertisers would no longer be able to target an audience by gender, race, or age, in order to prevent against discrimination of legally protected groups. |
 | Uncomfortably sloped toilet designed to flush out procrastinating employeesThat's one way to get a handle on employees procrastinating in the bathroom. |
 | Updated Standard Scenarios Outlook models possible futures for US electricity sectorLike any system of moving parts, the U.S. electricity sector maintains a delicate balance. Any shift in the variety of factors comprising it—whether technology, policy, or market changes—has the potential to steer its future direction. |
 | Brainwave devices can leak sensitive medical conditions and personal informationBrain-computer interfaces are rapidly gaining popularity in consumer markets, especially in the gaming industry. With these devices, people can control their computers using their thoughts. |
 | This 'lemon' could help machine learning create better drugsOne of the challenges in using machine learning for drug development is to create a process for the computer to extract needed information from a pool of data points. Drug scientists must pull biological data and train the software to understand how a typical human body will interact with the combinations that come together to form a medication. |
 | The Internet of Things by satellite will become increasingly accessibleFor some years now, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been a constantly evolving reality. The possibility that machines (nodes) can communicate with each other has paved the way for applications that promise to have a profound impact on our lives. They include smart farming, home automation and communication between vehicles. |
 | Breakthrough innovation enabling cheaper solar energy production is one step closer to the marketWhile the need for renewable energy around the world is growing exponentially, Lithuanian and German researchers have come up with a novel solution for developing low-cost solar technology. Material, synthesised by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Lithuania scientists, which self-assemble to form a molecular-thick electrode layer, presents a facile way of realising highly efficient perovskite single-junction and tandem solar cells. The licence to produce the material has been purchased by a Japanese company. |
 | Dating app Tinder to move out of parent's homeThe popular mobile dating app Tinder will move out on its own next year in a spinoff announced Thursday by corporate parent IAC. |
 | Uber suffers fresh legal setback in GermanyA German court on Thursday barred Uber from offering rides through car hire firms, saying it lacked a licence to do so, in the latest legal setback for the US ride-hailing app. |
 | Facebook bans false information about US censusFacebook on Thursday banned posts or ads that interfere with people taking part in the US census, which will have an online participation option next year for the first time. |
 | Facebook to tackle efforts to interfere with 2020 US censusFacebook plans to clamp down on attempts to use its services to interfere with the 2020 U.S. census, including the posting of misleading information about when and how to participate, who can participate and what happens when people do. |
 | Federal study finds race, gender affect face-scanning techA study by a U.S. agency has found that facial recognition technology often performs unevenly based on a person's race, gender or age. |
 | Electric moped, scooter will get riders pumped at CES 2020Segway-Ninebot will be keen to draw CES show-goers next month over to their new developments in electric transport, namely a brand-new scooter and brand-new moped. |
 | Uber, Lyft to stop Phoenix airport trips over higher feesUber and Lyft said they will make good on their threats to stop taking customers to and from the airport in the nation's fifth-largest city, creating confusion next year for travelers used to opening a phone app to catch a ride after Phoenix decided to raise fees on ride-hailing companies. |
 | ECJ says France can't make Airbnb register as estate agentOnline short-term rental platform Airbnb scored a victory against French hoteliers Thursday when the European Court of Justice ruled that the US giant is not an estate agent. |
 | CNET names 2019's top tech products of the yearA ton of new tech came flying at us again in 2019. But weeding out the minor upgrades and the products that aren't ready for prime time from the stuff that's actually worth your hard-earned money is what CNET's all about. Our team kicked the tires on a lot of new products, and a bunch of those ended up in our roundups of the most interesting things. But only the most significant ones got a full review from our writers, editors and tech experts. And of those, only the cream of the crop earned our Editors' Choice. |
 | Review: Hard-hitting 'Life is Strange 2' veers far away from original"Life is Strange" was never supposed to have a sequel. When Dontnod created the game, the developers imagined it as a standalone project, a one-off. What they didn't anticipate was the success and enormous fan response. |
 | Monkeying about to solve problemsThere are countless computer algorithms that simulate biological behavior from leaping frogs, to bat foraging, from cuckoo search to ant colony optimization. They all have something in common, the algorithm behaves like a collective intelligence, taking on the call and response of a shoal of fish or a murmuration of starlings, and all those other patterns in nature. Writing in the International Journal of Swarm Intelligence, a team from India discusses the state of the art in a unique algorithm based on a biological system—the spider monkey. |
 | Trump called Boeing CEO ahead of MAX shutdown: sourcePresident Donald Trump phoned the head of Boeing ahead of the company's announcement on Monday that it was halting production of the 737 MAX, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. |
 | Senate passes anti-robocalls bill, sending it to TrumpThe Senate approved a bill Thursday to crack down on robocalls, sending to President Donald Trump a measure meant to combat a persistent and costly problem for Americans. |
 | With ADIOS, Summit processes celestial data at scale of massive future telescopeFor nearly three decades, scientists and engineers across the globe have worked on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a project focused on designing and building the world's largest radio telescope. Although the SKA will collect enormous amounts of precise astronomical data in record time, scientific breakthroughs will only be possible with systems able to efficiently process that data. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Psychiatrists most likely to speed while cardiologists most likely to drive luxury cars: studyPsychiatrists are most likely to be fined for extreme speeding, while cardiologists are most likely to drive luxury cars, according to a US study of physician driving behaviors in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. |
 | CBT for social anxiety may have a protective effect on cellsCognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for patients with social anxiety not only helps to reduce anxiety levels but also seems to protect against accelerated cellular ageing, a study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Translational Psychiatry reports. |
 | Scientists discover metabolic feature that allows melanoma cells to spreadResearchers at Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have uncovered why certain melanoma cells are more likely to spread through the body. The discovery opens up a potential new avenue of treatment and could be used to help reduce the proportion of patients who progress from stage 3 melanoma to more-deadly stage 4 cancer. |
 | Is there a link between lifetime lead exposure and dementia?To the medical community's surprise, several studies from the US, Canada, and Europe suggest a promising downward trend in the incidence and prevalence of dementia. Important risk factors for dementia, such as mid-life obesity and mid-life diabetes, have been increasing rapidly, so the decline in dementia incidence is particularly perplexing. |
 | New gene for male infertility discoveredAt least one in five cases of infertility remain unexplained. Male factors contribute to about half of these cases and, much of the time, men lack a specific causal diagnosis for their infertility. Researchers estimate that genetics could explain up to 50 percent of these cases, but many of the genes involved in male infertility remain unknown. A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital identifies a genetic abnormality that may be at fault. Investigators have found that a genetic rearrangement and variants affecting a gene known as SYCP2 are associated with low sperm count and report the first cases implicating the gene in four men with infertility.The team's findings are published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. |
 | Why your first battle with flu matters mostHow successfully a person can fend off the flu depends not only on the virus' notorious ability to change with the season, but also on the strain first encountered during childhood, according to new research published in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. |
 | Engineers develop a less invasive way to study the brainOptogenetics, a tool for controlling neurons with light, has given neuroscientists the ability to flip brain cells on and off more or less at will, revolutionizing neuroscience. |
 | Researchers study the mechanism controlling brain statesIt might be complicated, but the concept is as simple as a light switch. |
 | Study may explain how infections reduce autism symptomsFor many years, some parents have noticed that their autistic children's behavioral symptoms diminished when they had a fever. This phenomenon has been documented in at least two large-scale studies over the past 15 years, but it was unclear why fever would have such an effect. |
 | Mice subjected to shift work schedule start developing diabetesExposing mice to a light-dark cycle meant to mimic the schedule of human shift workers changes insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in the animals, according to a study published December 18, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Bo Zhang of Southern Medical University, China, and colleagues. |
 | Glutamine may decrease obesity-linked inflammationGlutamine could help people with obesity reduce inflammation of fat tissue and reduce fat mass, according to a new study at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Oxford in the U.K. The researchers also show how glutamine levels can alter gene expression in several different cell types. However, more research is needed before glutamine supplementation may be recommended as a treatment for obesity. The study is published in the journal Cell Metabolism. |
 | Advanced imaging tips T cell target recognition on its headT cells represent a key component of our immune system, and play a critical role in protecting us against harmful pathogens like viruses and bacteria, and cancers. The more we understand about how they recognise, interact with and even kill infected or cancer cells moves us closer to developing therapies and treatments for a range of conditions. |
 | Fibroblasts involved in healing spur tumor growth in cancerThe connective tissue cells known as fibroblasts are vitally important for our recovery from injury. Sensing tissue damage, they gravitate to the site of a wound, instigating an inflammatory response that mends damaged tissue. |
 | A surprising new source of attention in the brainAs you read this line, you're bringing each word into clear view for a brief moment while blurring out the rest, perhaps even ignoring the roar of a leaf blower outside. It may seem like a trivial skill, but it's actually fundamental to almost everything we do. If the brain weren't able to pick and choose what portion of the incoming flood of sensory information should get premium processing, the world would look like utter chaos—an incomprehensible soup of attention-hijacking sounds and sights. |
 | Walking and cycling to work linked with fewer heart attacksWalking and cycling to work were associated with fewer heart attacks across 43 million adults in England, according to a new national study. |
 | Sex in an MRI scanner—a look back at one of the most popular BMJ articles of all timeThis Christmas marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of "Magnetic resonance imaging of male and female genitals during coitus and female sexual arousal" in The BMJ. |
 | Engaging with the arts linked to longer lifeRegular visits to museums, art galleries, the theatre or concerts is linked to a longer life, finds a study of older adults in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. |
 | A career in healthcare not as 'honorable' as sports, arts or mediaUK healthcare workers are less likely to receive an honour than sportspeople, politicians, and those working in the arts, media or business, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. |
 | Large UK study shows teenage girls far more likely to self-harmTeenage girls are suffering far worse mental health and wellbeing issues than boys, according to a major new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Research Papers in Education. |
Augmenting attention treatment therapies for difficult-to-treat anxiety in children and adolescentsBetween 30 to 50 percent of youth in the United States diagnosed with an anxiety disorder fail to respond to cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that computer-based attention training could reduce anxiety in children and adolescents. | |
 | Battery-powered headgear could short-circuit joint painTired of living with painful arthritic knees, 54-year-old Deborah Brown's interest was piqued when she saw a recruitment flyer for a clinical trial on an innovative pain treatment at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). |
 | 'Turning point' as number of male smokers drops: WHOThe number of male tobacco users is falling for the first time, the World Health Organization said Thursday, hailing a "major shift" in efforts to kick the world's deadly tobacco addiction. |
 | US announces plan to import drugs from northern neighbor, Canada objectsDonald Trump's administration unveiled a plan Wednesday to allow imports of lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada and other countries, but it was opposed by Ottawa, which said the scheme threatened its own medicine stocks. |
 | Study estimates that half of US adults will be obese by 2030There's no way to sugarcoat this news: Nearly half of American adults will be obese within a decade and one-quarter will be severely so, a new report predicts. |
 | Long work hours at the office linked to both regular and hidden high blood pressureOffice workers who spend long hours on the job are more likely to have high blood pressure, including a type that can go undetected during a routine medical appointment, according to a new study published today in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension. |
 | Nearly 9 million injured worldwide by fire, heat, and hot substances in 2017Heat-related incidents resulted in nearly 9 million injuries and more than 120,000 deaths worldwide in 2017, according to a new scientific study. |
Researchers investigate factors influencing visceral leishmaniasis deathIn the Americas, more than 96% of cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL)—the most severe form of leishmaniasis— occur in Brazil, where the fatality rate has risen in recent years. Now, researchers report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that age, HIV status and urban or rural setting affect the timeliness of premature death by VL in Brazil. | |
 | Rapid diagnostic tests accurately diagnose Chagas diseaseChagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is the neglected tropical disease with the highest burden in Latin America. Now, researchers report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that two commercially-available rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) can be combined for conclusive diagnosis of Chagas disease. |
Meta-analysis indicates that one-fifth of the world's population exposed to ToxocaraHuman toxocariasis—a neglected tropical disease found worldwide, can cause a range of allergic, neurological, cardiac, and other symptoms. However, it also goes unnoticed in many people who contract the infection. Now, researchers report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that about 19 percent of the world's human population carries antibodies against Toxocara. | |
 | Study finds less-aggressive chemotherapy after initial treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer to be more beneficialA Mayo Clinic study involving 5,540 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer finds that maintenance chemotherapy after initial treatment is more beneficial for patients whose disease is under control, compared with more aggressive treatment. |
 | Social bots tweet dodgy claims about pot, diluting solid scienceA USC analysis of tens of thousands of cannabis-related posts on Twitter found that social bots regularly perpetuated bogus health claims on the platform, illustrating how false statements may drown out solid science on social media. |
 | Number of youth who start vaping at 14 or before has tripledThe number of e-cigarette users who began vaping at age 14 or younger has more than tripled in the last five years, say University of Michigan researchers. |
 | Affordable Care Act led to improved treatment of colorectal cancer among young adultsAn Affordable Care Act provision that allowed young adults to be covered under their parents' insurance led to a shift to earlier-stage diagnosis and more timely receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy among young colorectal cancer patients, according to a new American Cancer Society study. The study appears in JNCI. |
 | Reducing mouse allergens may improve lung growth in asthmatic childrenLowering exposure to allergens from mice may lead to improved lung growth for children with asthma living in low-income neighborhoods, helping them avoid lung ailments and possibly live longer, according to newly published research in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. An allergen is any substance that can cause an allergic reaction. |
 | Novel methodology to predict spinal fractures in patientsOsteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) are a prevalent skeletal condition in the elderly, occurring due to a net loss in bone density with the inevitable onset of aging. Unfortunately, they are largely under-diagnosed until detected by clinicians through radiological scans. These fractures have a huge impact on daily lifestyle as the spine is responsible for bodily movements and stability. However, the mechanism behind these fractures remain unclear due to the complex physiological interplay between spinal segments. As such, the fractures are asymptomatic and clinically overlooked until reported by patients. |
 | Immune to influence: How attitudes toward the flu vaccine are shaped by online sourcesTo vaccinate, or not to vaccinate? Online forums receive a lot of blame for jeopardizing public health by highlighting what they call the dangers of vaccination and discrediting the benefits. At least, that's how the rhetoric goes. |
 | Only 1 in 10 suicide prevention apps cover all the recommended strategies, study findsMost (93 percent) mobile apps for suicide prevention and depression management do not provide all the six suicide prevention strategies that are commonly recommended in international clinical guidelines, a study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found. |
 | Addition of maintenance olaparib slows advanced ovarian cancer(HealthDay)—Compared with placebo, the addition of olaparib to maintenance therapy with bevacizumab is associated with a significant progression-free survival benefit for patients with advanced ovarian cancer, according to a study published in the Dec. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | What parents need to know about pink eyeA case of conjunctivitis—also known as pink eye—used to mean a trip to the doctor's office, antibiotics and keeping your child home from school. That's no longer the case. Dr. Marcie Billings, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician, explains what parents should know about this common viral infection. |
 | Tips for exercising outdoors in winterFrigid temperatures can discourage even the most motivated exercisers. Without motivation, it's easy to pack away your workout gear for the winter. But you don't have to let cold weather spell the end of your fitness routine. Try these tips for exercising during cold weather to stay fit, motivated and warm. |
 | The dirtiest things you touchAt this time of year, cold and flu season mixes with holiday shopping, parties and travel. That means extra opportunities to share holiday cheer—and germs and viruses. However, you may be surprised by how germ-filled common objects and places are that you encounter every day along the way. |
 | Moms reach out to breastfeeding appsMobile phone apps are increasingly being used to support breastfeeding decisions—sometimes at a cost, a Flinders University study indicates. |
 | First-in-human trial for new lung cancer immunotherapyCancer Research UK and Vaccitech Oncology Limited (VOLT), today (Wednesday) announce a new partnership to bring a novel immunotherapeutic vaccine strategy to patients with lung cancer. |
 | Study finds group medical meetings help low-income patients with chronic pain, depressionA study by UMass Medical School integrative medicine expert Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH, finds that patients with chronic pain and depression who participated in medical group visits in which they learned mindfulness techniques were able to reduce their use of pain medications and made fewer emergency room visits. |
 | Genetics a poor predictor of risk for most diseases, study suggestsIn most cases, your genes have less than five percent to do with your risk of developing a particular disease, according to new research by University of Alberta scientists. |
 | Healthy eating over the holidaysBetween bountiful buffets and "food-pushing relatives," the winter holidays hold landmines for those trying to eat healthy. |
 | We are programmed to be lazyIf you have to force yourself up off your couch to try to get in some physical activity, rest assured, you are not the only one in this situation. For decades, communication campaigns have encouraged us to exercise, yet an estimated 30% of adults aren't active enough. And this inaction is constantly increasing everywhere on the planet. |
 | As drug deaths rise in rural Australia, we must do more to prevent overdosesRural Australians are more likely than their city counterparts to drink alcohol at harmful levels. They're also higher consumers of cannabis, ice and the prescription opioids oxycodone and fentanyl. |
 | Climate change driving expansion of Lyme disease in the USWarmer winter temperatures are leading to an increase in cases of Lyme disease in the United States, according to new research. |
 | Scientists discover potential medicinal cannabis substitute for treating Parkinson's diseaseA drug that provides the benefits obtained from medicinal cannabis without the "high" or other side effects may help to unlock a new treatment for Parkinson's disease. |
 | Impact of meth use depends on your genesNew research led by La Trobe University has uncovered genetic clues which could explain why some people have more severe side effects from long-term methamphetamine use than others. |
 | Food labeling must be stepped up to stem rising tide of diet-related diseaseOutcomes of the five year review of the Health Star Rating (HSR) take Australia and New Zealand's nutrition labels a step closer to being world-leading, according to an analysis of front-of-pack labeling published in BMJ Global Health. |
 | New app will open eyes to vision issues in babiesAn app that helps student midwives detect rare eye conditions in newborns has been developed by a lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). |
 | Here's what happens in the brain when we disagreeWe've all been there. You are in the middle of a heated disagreement when you lose respect for the opposing party. Whether it is about the latest election or childcare, you feel like your considered arguments are not appreciated—perhaps even ignored. But did you ever wonder what exactly is happening in the mind of the person on the other side? |
 | Should you avoid meat for good health? How to slice off the facts from the fictionMore than half of Americans who make New Year's resolutions resolve to "eat healthier." If you're one, you might be confused about the role meat should play in your health. |
 | Skin and mucous membrane lesions as complication of pneumoniaPainful inflammatory lesions of the skin and mucous membranes may occur in children who develop bacterial pneumonia. A research group at the University Children's Hospital Zurich has recently developed a new diagnostic blood test, which reliably diagnoses bacteria as the causative pathogen at an early stage, allowing more specific treatment and prediction about prognosis. |
 | Light pollution can suppress melatonin production in humans and animalsResearchers from Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in an international team have analyzed data on the impact of light pollution on melatonin formation in humans and vertebrates. |
Strongest link yet between nitrites and cancerResearchers from Queen's University Belfast have questioned the World Health Organisation's blanket classification of processed meat as carcinogenic after finding significant evidence gaps between processed meat treated with nitrites and nitrite-free processed meat. | |
 | New insights into our multi-millenia battle with malariaHumans have long been thwarted by 'the fever'. References to malaria's infamous febricity are found across antiquity, from writings by the four thousand-year-old Vedic sages of ancient India to the Greek physician Hippocrates. But the disease, caused by a group of parasites belonging to the Plasmodium genus, has troubled our ancestors and close relatives for much longer. A range of malaria species infect apes, monkeys and birds across the tropical world and we now know that about 50,000 years ago the ancestors of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for most of the current human burden of the disease, transformed from infecting gorillas to parasites that can infect us. |
 | Scientists identify potential drug target for BRCA-mutated tumoursA new study has uncovered a previously unknown role for the enzyme EXD2, identifying it as a potential drug target for cancer therapy. |
 | How to maintain your mental wellness during the holidaysThere are things people who are at risk of depression should keep in mind as they enter the holiday season, but Christmas isn't necessarily the mental health threat it's made out to be. |
 | Developmental changes in the brain may influence how often adolescents get drunkA new study led by researchers at King's College London has found that adolescents with particular patterns of brain development report an increased frequency in drunkenness. The research was published today in JAMA Psychiatry. |
 | AI's future potential hinges on consensus: NAM reportThe role of artificial intelligence, or machine learning, will be pivotal as the industry wrestles with a gargantuan amount of data that could improve—or muddle—health and cost priorities, according to a National Academy of Medicine Special Publication on the use of AI in health care. |
 | Type 1 diabetes: A new starting point to delay autoimmune responseRegulatory T cells (Tregs) prevent excessive immune reactions in healthy people. In the development of autoimmune type 1 diabetes, this protection is not sufficiently effective. Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and LMU Munich have now deciphered a mechanism that impairs Treg differentiation and stability. |
 | Bacteria spread by ticks affected by humidity and mutual competitionResearchers at the University of Helsinki, the University of Zurich and the University of Exeter have carried out modelling on how environmental factors affect the occurrence of human-pathogenic bacteria found in the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), a tick species common in Europe. |
 | Extending Medicare Part D rebates to beneficiaries would save seniors $29 billion over seven yearsA new assessment of the Medicare Part D program based on a proposal from the West Health Policy Center finds that Medicare beneficiaries would save $29 billion if drug manufacturer rebates were used to reduce their out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter through the Part D benefit—as long as these rebate savings are not also used to reduce Part D manufacturer liability. In contrast, pharmaceutical companies would profit and taxpayers would face additional costs if manufacturer rebates were directly applied to insurers' pharmacy prices. |
 | Acid reflux affects nearly a third of US adults weeklyGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive disorder that causes heartburn and other uncomfortable symptoms, may affect nearly a third of U.S. adults each week, and most of those who take certain popular medications for it still have symptoms, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study. |
 | Researchers identify potential formula for blood cancer vaccineResearchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a way to move precision immunotherapy forward by using genomics to inform immunotherapy for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, according to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, in December. |
 | Guidelines for clinicians to address youth vapingIn response to the pressing public health issue of vaping, clinicians of all disciplines are being asked to address this issue with youth, families and community members, despite minimal youth-focused screening or treatment guidelines. Physicians from Boston Medical Center and the University of Montreal have developed a set of recommendations that provide important insights about how clinicians can best screen, counsel and treat youth for vaping. Published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, the recommendations were created based on existing resources for nicotine dependence. Well-studied models used for screening youth for tobacco, including tools such as Screening to Brief Intervention (S2BI) and the Brief Screener for Tobacco, Alcohol, and other Drugs (BSTAD) can be adapted to inquire about e-cigarettes and other vaping products. |
 | New research shows domestic animals link virus spread among humans and wildlifeOur domesticated animals—both pets and livestock—hold the key to the spread of viruses among humans and wildlife according to new research involving Swansea University. |
 | Artificial intelligence can now predict long-term risks of heart attack and cardiac deathA new study in Cardiovascular Research finds that machine learning, the patterns and inferences computers use to learn to perform tasks, can predict the long-term risk of heart attack and cardiac death. Indeed, machine learning appears to be better at predicting heart attacks and cardiac deaths than the standard clinical risk assessment used by cardiologists. |
 | Study finds racial/ethnic disparities in pain treatment by emergency respondersWhether or not a patient receives pain treatment when seeking emergency medical services may depend, in part, on their race or ethnicity, according to a new study by Portland State researchers. The study was published in the journal Medical Care and was led by PSU Sociology Ph.D. student Jamie Kennel and Associate Professor of Sociology Hyeyoung Woo. |
 | When it's story time, animated books are better for learningResearchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that digital storybooks that animate upon a child's vocalization offer beneficial learning opportunities, especially for children with less developed attention regulation. |
 | New classification system for tumors can guide diagnosis and treatment options for cancerBased on the largest study of cancer patients of its kind, scientists have created a new way of classifying tumours. Clinicians can use genome sequencing to assign their patients' tumours to one of sixteen groups in the new classification system, ten of which provide important information for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, like whether an individual will respond to immunotherapy. |
 | Watching TV makes us prefer thinner womenThe more TV we watch the more we prefer thinner female bodies, according to a new comprehensive study on body image. |
 | Variability in lumbar fusion surgery driven by patient factors(HealthDay)—Variations across hospitals and surgeons in patient-reported outcomes following elective lumbar fusion surgery are mainly driven by differences in patient populations undergoing surgery, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in Spine. |
 | Are you drinking enough during winter months?Remembering to drink enough water is easy during the summer, when higher temperatures and outdoor activities drive the point home. But staying adequately hydrated is just as important during the winter. |
 | Routine ear wax 'flush' leaves woman's face paralyzed(HealthDay)—In what doctors say is an extremely rare occurrence, a woman in her 70s went to her doctor to have impacted ear wax removed and wound up with permanent paralysis in her face. |
 | Love museums, theater? The arts might extend your life(HealthDay)—If you're a senior who loves to take in the latest art exhibit or check out a new musical, it might do more than stimulate your senses: New research suggests it could lengthen your life. |
 | Form of severe malnutrition linked to DNA modificationA group led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has identified significant differences at the epigenetic level—the chemical tags in DNA that help regulate gene expression—between two clinically distinct forms of acute childhood malnutrition known as edematous severe acute malnutrition (ESAM) and non-edematous SAM (NESAM). |
Dangerous bone marrow, organ transplant complication explainedFor the first time, scientists have discovered the molecular mechanism behind how a common virus can wreak havoc on bone marrow and organ transplant patients, according to a paper published in the journal Cell & Host Microbe. The finding could help researchers develop better drugs to prevent related transplant complications. | |
 | Watermelon supplements bring health benefits to obese miceEating watermelon in the form of powdered supplements helped adult obese mice avoid some detrimental health effects of an unhealthy diet, according to a new Oregon State University study. |
 | A new role for a triple-negative breast cancer targetUnlike almost every other organ, the mammary gland does not develop until after birth. And it's unusually dynamic, shape-shifting during menstrual cycles, puberty, pregnancy, and lactation. |
 | Researchers predict 10-year breast cancer recurrence with MRI scansDiverse diseases like breast cancer can present challenges for clinicians, specifically on a cellular level. While one patient's tumor may differ from another's, the cells within the tumor of a single patient can also vary greatly. This can be problematic, considering that an examination of a tumor usually relies on a biopsy, which only captures a small sample of the cells. |
 | US raises tobacco and e-cigarette purchase age from 18 to 21The US Congress voted Thursday to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 across the country, a move intended to stem the rising tide of youth vaping. |
 | Food poisoning cases linked to hard-boiled eggs sold in bulkPregnant women, people over the age of 65 and people with weakened immune systems should throw away store-bought hard-boiled eggs because of a food poisoning outbreak linked to a Georgia company, health officials said Thursday. |
 | New 'tooth-on-a-chip' could lead to more personalized dentistryA so-called "tooth-on-a-chip" could one day enable more personalized dentistry, giving dentists the ability to identify dental filling materials that work better and last longer based on a patient's own teeth and oral microbiome. |
 | Which is more effective for treating PTSD: Medication, or psychotherapy?A new study that sought to find out whether serotonin reuptake inhibitors or trauma-focused psychotherapy is more effective in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) concluded there is insufficient evidence at present to make that determination. |
FDA warns of breathing risks with popular nerve drugsU.S. health regulators are warning that popular nervous system medications can cause dangerous breathing problems when combined with opioids and certain other drugs. | |
 | Samoa law embeds compulsory measles shotsSamoa has passed a law to make childhood vaccinations compulsory as the Pacific nation continues efforts to contain a devastating measles outbreak that by Thursday had killed 77 people, most of them infants. |
Racial/ethnic differences in mortality for dialysis patients in US territories and statesA recent analysis found differences in mortality rates for various racial/ethnic groups among patients undergoing dialysis in the U.S. territories vs. the 50 U.S. states. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of CJASN, point to the need for research into the causes of these disparities. | |
 | Study examines safety-net care for US patients on maintenance dialysisNew research indicates that non-profit/independently-owned and hospital-based dialysis facilities care disproportionately for uninsured patients with kidney failure and those who quality only for Medicaid. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of JASN. |
 | Seasonal influenza assessment for 2019The first virus detections for the 2019/2020 season indicate co-circulation of influenza types A (71%) and B (29%) viruses in the WHO European Region. This is a mix which potentially could result in high mortality in elderly patients and a heavy burden on healthcare services, warns the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe in a joint assessment issued today. |
 | Night eating, lower diet quality during pregnancy associated with greater weight gain and retentionA study led by researchers from KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) has found evidence that pregnant women who consume more of their daily food intake after 7:00 PM, and who consume lower quality diets during pregnancy, are more than three times more likely to experience postpartum weight retention of five kilogrammes or more 18 months after giving birth. |
 | Adulthood with autismThe independence that comes with growing up can be scary for any teenager, but for young adults with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers, the transition from adolescence to adulthood can seem particularly daunting. Tasks such as managing one's own health insurance or applying for a car loan can be especially challenging for individuals with developmental disabilities. |
Biology news
 | Mitonuclear interactions in the control of life historyMitonuclear interactions are believed to play an important role in the so-called "life history" of Eukaryotic organisms. Unfortunately, no one has come up with any sort of general concrete theory that can predict or even describe these interactions. A recent thematic issue of Philosophical Transaction of the Royal Society comprises a series of articles that attempt the formidable task of linking mitochondrial genotype to phenotype. Of note among them is an article that uses specially crafted populations of fruit flies to explore mitonuclear interactions in life history responses to changes in an organism's environment. |
 | MAGIC system allows researchers to modulate the activity of genes acting in concertGenomic research has unlocked the capability to edit the genomes of living cells; yet so far, the effects of such changes must be examined in isolation. In contrast, the complex traits that are of interest in both fundamental and applied research, such as those related to microbial biofuel production, involve many genes acting in concert. A newly developed system will now allow researchers to fine-tune the activity of multiple genes simultaneously. |
 | Scientists uncover world's oldest forestScientists have discovered remnants of the world's oldest fossil forest in a sandstone quarry in Cairo, New York. |
 | Novel 3-D microscopy technique reveals new phenomena in living cellsCombining image analysis with a three-dimensional microscopy technique allows researchers to quantify new or little-understood cell biology phenomena, according to a new study publishing December 19 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Mathieu Frechin of the Swiss company Nanolive and colleagues. The technique is likely to help explain little-understood aspects of the behavior of cell organelles—the functional compartments within a cell. |
 | Mathematical models provide a snapshot of the human gut microbial communityMicrobial communities can be found everywhere—from lakes to the soil on the ground, they are omnipresent yet invisible to the naked eye. Within those environments there exist dynamic communities which fluctuate in response to environmental changes. One such example is the human gut microbiome, which is comprised of microbes that influence the overall landscape of the gut. |
 | New algorithm reveals many previously unknown potential antibiotics in the human gutWe typically think about antibiotics as drugs that our doctors prescribe. But they are actually molecular bullets that bacteria use to kill each other—humans merely borrowed and adapted these bioactive compounds to fight infections. Since many bacteria produce bioactive compounds the question arises whether ≈1000 bacterial species inhabiting our gut also produce antibiotics. If yes, does the continuous exposure to these antibiotics lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in the human microbiome? |
 | Finding your way in the dark depends on your internal clockHow mammals perceive light changes between night and day. Researchers at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki discovered that mice were better at finding a dim light in pitch-darkness in experiments done at night compared to those conducted during the day. The scientists were surprised to find that this effect had very little to do with any changes in the eye itself, and was instead controlled by how the mice actually searched for light in the dark, and how their brains processed signals at night vs. day. The results are exciting for neuroscientists interested in how animals and humans can see, and biologists interested in how the time of day alters our bodies, including sensory processing. |
 | Research finds positive community action can help coral reef healthNew research has found that positive community action can boost fish numbers in coral reefs and safeguard fish numbers there in the future. |
 | How genetics and social games drive evolution of mating systems in mammalsTraditional explanations for why some animals are monogamous and others are promiscuous or polygamous have focused on how the distribution and defensibility of resources (such as food, nest sites, or mates) determine whether, for example, one male can attract and defend multiple females. |
 | Mowing urban lawns less intensely increases biodiversity, saves money and reduces pestsThe researchers combined data across North America and Europe using a meta-analysis, a way of aggregating results from multiple studies to increase statistical strength. They found strong evidence that increased mowing intensity of urban lawns—which included parks, roundabouts and road verges—had negative ecological effects, particularly on invertebrate and plant diversity. Pest species, on the other hand, benefitted from intense lawn management. |
 | Study reveals domestic horse breed has third-lowest genetic diversityA new study by Dr. Gus Cothran, professor emeritus at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), has found that the Cleveland Bay (CB) horse breed has the third-lowest genetic variation level of domestic horses, ranking above only the notoriously inbred Friesian and Clydesdale breeds. This lack of genetic diversity puts the breed at risk for a variety of health conditions. |
 | Acidified oceans may corrode shark scalesProlonged exposure to high carbon dioxide (acidified) seawater may corrode tooth-like scales (denticles) covering the skin of puffadder shysharks, a study in Scientific Reports suggests. As ocean CO2 concentrations increase due to human activity, oceans are becoming more acidic, with potential implications for marine wildlife. Although the effects of acidified water have been studied in several species, this is the first observed instance of denticle corrosion as a result of long-term exposure. |
 | Gene drives work faster than non-drive approaches to control problem insectsWhen controlling mosquitoes that spread malaria, gene drives, which force genetic changes to proliferate in a population, are faster and more efficient than simply releasing mosquitoes that are immune to the parasite, according to a new study published December 19th in PLOS Genetics by Anthony James at University of California, Irvine and colleagues. |
 | Can a special diet save the endangered southern corroboree frog?A University of Wollongong-led research team has released 115 southern corroboree frogs into a remote part of Kosciusko National Park. They are studying whether frogs fed dietary carotenoids in captivity have improved rates of survival and reproduction once released into the wild. |
 | Math model helps rangers protect national parks despite tight budgetsMathematics can help reduce poaching and illegal logging in national parks, researchers have found. |
 | Spreading the seeds of Indigenous knowledgeIndigenous wisdom and modern science are helping to bring a highly nutritious seed to the world's attention. |
 | Hand anatomy has no influence on emotional reactions during stone tool handlingWithin the framework of electrodermography studies applied to cognitive archaeology, the Paleoneurology team of the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), led by Emiliano Bruner, has published an article in the American Journal of Human Biology on the influence of the anatomy of the hand on haptic (or tactile) perception while handling stone tools |
 | Global study unearths myriad meanings for 'nature' in different culturesA study involving researchers from 30 countries across the globe underlines the extent to which "nature" means different things to different cultures, which highlights why framing unified environmental and conservation policies is so hard. |
 | Study: Yes, even wild tigers struggle with work/life balanceA new study by a team of Russian and American scientists revealed the first-ever detailed analysis of a tigress from the birth of her cubs through their first four months. What did they find? Tiger motherhood involves lots of frantic running around, big meals instead of small ones, and constantly checking on the little ones. |
 | Predatory lacewings do not care whether their prey detoxifies plant defenses or notChemical defenses of plants not only affect the growth and development of herbivores, but also, indirectly, the next consumers in the food chain. A new study shows that herbivores and their predators have evolved efficient strategies to deal with toxic plant secondary metabolites. Caterpillars of the diamondback moth deploy a specific gut enzyme to render the toxic substances of their host plant harmless. Without the activity of this enzyme, growth, survival and reproduction are impaired. Nevertheless, predatory lacewing larvae feed on poisoned caterpillars without serious negative consequences, because they have their own detoxification mechanism. Research findings are published in the journal eLife. |
 | Amazon forest regrowth much slower than previously thoughtThe regrowth of Amazonian forests following deforestation can happen much slower than previously thought, a new study shows. |
 | Understanding the mechanisms of seemingly chaotic synchronization in treesThe synchronization of seed production by trees has garnered attention due to its importance in agriculture, forestry and ecosystem management. Acorns shed by oak trees, for example, are an important source of food for wildlife, while crop trees such as citrus and pistachio nuts contribute to both human nutrition and the economy. Both oaks and citrus trees show synchronization of seed production, yet the cycles differ, with oaks showing irregular seed synchronization, while citrus show a distinct two-year cycle, known as alternate bearing. |
 | Easy prey: The largest bears in the world use small streams to fatten up on salmonIt's a familiar scene to anyone who's watched footage of brown bears catching sockeye salmon in Alaska: They're standing knee-deep in a rushing river, usually near a waterfall, and grabbing passing fish with their paws or jaws. |
 | Understanding why songbirds choose their homesNew research by University of Alberta biologists uses a new approach to modelling the populations of six species of songbirds in Canada's boreal forest—and the results show that standard modeling methods may not be accurately capturing species distribution patterns. |
 | Integrating social and ecological science for effective coral reef conservationWhile many conservation plans focus on only environmental indicators for success, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)'s coral reef program is trying a relatively new approach: focusing on both social and ecological processes and outcomes to ensure a long-term future for coral reef systems, according to a newly published study. |
 | Forecast to help shellfish growers weather toxicityThe same technology that powers facial recognition and self-driving cars may soon help Maine's shellfish industry protect people from the dangerous effects of harmful algal blooms. A recent paper reports how researchers can use these deep learning algorithms to forecast shellfish toxicity, just like meteorologists forecast the weather. |
 | African swine fever kills nearly 30,000 pigs in IndonesiaTens of thousands of pigs have died from African swine fever in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, officials said Thursday, the first time the virus has been detected in the country. |
 | 1 ranch, 26 wolves killed: Fight over endangered predators divides ranchers and conservationistsWhen Washington ranchers find that gray wolves have attacked their cattle, they can call the state wildlife agency, which has killed 31 of the protected predators since 2012 under a program intended to save vulnerable livestock. |
 | Delaware firefly, Gulf Coast bee move toward endangered species protectionThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it will move forward with considering Endangered Species Act protection for the Bethany Beach firefly and Gulf Coast solitary bee. |
 | Reimagining ocean conservationA tiny Pacific Island nation is reimagining ocean conservation with guidance from Stanford researchers and international experts. In January Palau is closing 80 percent of its ocean waters to fishing, creating one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. It is the largest percentage of a country's exclusive water with a fully protected designation—an area twice the size of Mexico. |
 | Willow-dominated wetlands of Lapland fells are resilient to reindeer grazingA long-term study across the Finnish-Norwegian border in Lapland proved wetland vegetation to be resilient to reindeer summer grazing. The reindeer fence along the national border, built in 1950s, provided a chance to study the long-term effects of reindeer grazing. The study included also experimental fences that excluded reindeer grazing for 13 years on the Finnish side of the border. In Finland, reindeer graze in wetlands of the fells, the Lappish mountains, in summer. In Norway, summer grazing has been prohibited in the fells since the late 1950s, in order to protect winter pastures from overgrazing, and reindeer migrate to coastal areas for summer. |
 | Biodiversity has substantially changed in one of the largest Mediterranean wetlandsThe Camargue in southern France is widely recognised as one of the largest and most biodiverse wetlands in the Mediterranean region. |
 | Mining metagenomics: A faster and more efficient method to compare metagenomesMicrobiomes can contain thousands of bacteria species, hinting at the complex ecosystem that houses the microbiome as well as the one contained within the microbiome. Yet, until now, researchers have been limited in the tools they have to precisely compare those microbiomes. |
 | 81 horses culled on Turkish island amid disease outbreakAuthorities have culled 81 horses on an island off Istanbul following an outbreak of a fatal equine disease, local officials said Thursday. |
 | Research validates new control tactic for herbicide-resistant weeds in US soybean cropsAustralian growers have made significant inroads against herbicide-resistance weeds in recent years by focusing on harvest-time weed seed controls. One of the most popular strategies is the use of an impact mill that intercepts chaff as it exits the harvester. The mill destroys weed seeds and then deposits the residue on the field for moisture conservation and nutrient cycling. |
 | When good plants go badA study out of the University of Florida offers a comparison between introduced species that attempt to outcompete native plants within an ecosystem and certain native plant species that mimic that behavior to create similar undesirable results. Lyn Gettys explored this phenomenon within aquatic ecosystems to reveal the consequences of excessive aquatic plant growth, regardless of the origin of the species. |
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