Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 3, 2020:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Study unveils the nature of young stars near the cometary globule CG 30Using the High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES), astronomers from Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta have investigated the nature of young stars near the cometary globule CG 30. The new study, presented December 20 on arXiv.org, provides important information about the properties of 21 young stars in this area. |
 | Planetary nebula WR 72 has hydrogen-poor knots, study findsUsing the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), astronomers have conducted spectroscopic and imaging observations of the planetary nebula WR 72. They discovered hydrogen-poor knots in the central part of the nebula, which could be helpful in improving knowledge about the nature of this object. The finding is detailed in a paper published December 23 on arXiv.org. |
 | First reported occurrence and treatment of spaceflight medical risk 200+ miles above earthSerena Auñón-Chancellor, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine's branch campus in Baton Rouge, is the lead author of a paper describing a previously unrecognized risk of spaceflight discovered during a study of astronauts involved in long-duration missions. The paper details a case of stagnant blood flow resulting in a clot in the internal jugular vein of an astronaut stationed on the International Space Station. The paper is published in the January 2, 2020 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Scientists pin down timing of lunar dynamo's demiseA conventional compass would be of little use on the moon, which today lacks a global magnetic field. |
 | Research sheds light on the moon's dark cratersThe next wave of robots to fly to Mars in 2020 could offer scientists an unprecedented understanding of Earth's closest neighboring planet. But there are still mysteries to be solved much closer to home, on Earth's own moon. |
 | Scientists find evidence that Venus has active volcanoesNew research led by Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and published today in Science Advances shows that lava flows on Venus may be only a few years old, suggesting that Venus could be volcanically active today—making it the only planet in our solar system, other than Earth, with recent eruptions. |
 | Alien life is out there, but our theories are probably steering us away from itIf we discovered evidence of alien life, would we even realize it? Life on other planets could be so different from what we're used to that we might not recognize any biological signatures that it produces. |
 | Looking back at a New Horizons New Year's to rememberSafe to say, 2020 came in more quietly for many members of the New Horizons mission team than did 2019. |
Technology news
 | AVID: a framework to enhance imitation learning in robotsIn recent years, research teams worldwide have been using reinforcement learning (RL) to teach robots how to complete a variety of tasks. Training these algorithms, however, can be very challenging, as it also requires substantial human efforts in properly defining the tasks that the robot is to complete. |
 | Tests measure solar panel performance beyond established standardsPhotovoltaics used in solar panels are sensitive to environmental factors and often suffer degradation over time. International Electrotechnical Commission standards for accelerated degradation do not include field tests. While some testing facilities have made data available, much of the data needed to make business decisions for PV is not available publicly. |
 | Bosch: Will its lidar tech turn a corner for autonomous driving?Lidar can be the third eye and an essential component for safe driving in your automated car's future. That is the word from Bosch. They want the world to know that two is not ideal company; three is better company. Cameras and radar alone don't cut it. |
 | Supercharging tomorrow: Team develops world's most efficient lithium-sulfur batteryImagine having access to a battery, which has the potential to power your phone for five continuous days, or enable an electric vehicle to drive more than 1000km without needing to "refuel". |
 | Researchers develop new open-source system to manage and share complex datasetsData is often at the heart of science—researchers track velocities, measure light coming from stars, analyze heart rates and cholesterol levels and scan the human brain for electrical impulses. |
 | BP looks to ORNL, ADIOS to help rein in dataResearchers across the scientific spectrum crave data, as it is essential to understanding the natural world and, by extension, accelerating scientific progress. Lately, however, the tools of scientific endeavor have become so powerful that the amount of data obtained from experiments and observations is often unwieldy. |
 | Ex-Googler seeking office urges tech firm regulationA former Google executive running for US Senate called Thursday for tough regulation of tech titans, accusing the internet giant of straying from its "don't be evil" path. |
 | Is your iPhone too bright? You ought to kick off 2020 in dark modeIn 2019, black was the new black. No, not California's power outages or the mood in your Facebook feed. We're talking about the buzzy new feature dark mode. |
 | AI in 2020 and beyond: create a digital replica of your aging parent or yourselfYou're racing to the airport, unaware there's a wreck on the highway ahead. |
 | Your smart TV is spying on you. Here are step-by-step instructions to stop itThose smart TVs that sold for unheard of low prices over the holidays come with a catch. The price is super low, but the manufacturers get to monitor what you're watching and report back to third parties, for a fee. |
 | 3 crashes, 3 deaths raise questions about Tesla's AutopilotThree crashes involving Teslas that killed three people have increased scrutiny of the company's Autopilot driving system just months before CEO Elon Musk has planned to put fully self-driving cars on the streets. |
 | Connecting energy production and storageThe good news is that renewables account for nearly 50 percent of electricity generated in Germany. The bad news is that they lack the flexibility to adapt to the day's fluctuating electricity demand. They only furnish electrical energy when the wind blows or the sun shines. In a perfect world, engineers would find a way to store the vast amounts of energy generated by renewables and coordinate power production and storage. And that is exactly what ES-FLEX-INFRA, a joint project led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAI, aims to do. |
 | Biodegradable bridges: Living structures that respond to the environmentResearchers are looking into new materials to lay the foundations for living structures that respond to their environment. They aim to create self-sustaining infrastructures that can monitor their condition and even repair themselves. |
 | People are too trusting of virtual assistantsAttributing lifelike qualities to virtual assistants could cause people to reveal more personal information to the companies that own them than they otherwise would, according to a new study. |
 | 3-D printing chocolate: Bespoke confectionery gets an innovationBased in the Pennovation Center, Cocoa Press is the fledgling 3D printing operation of Evan Weinstein, a May 2019 graduate and a graduate student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. As a high school student at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Weinstein brainstormed an innovative approach to the chocolate industry. "I felt the technology had so much potential, and I wanted to challenge myself to do something innovative." Why chocolate, though? "I think there's something about food that people really connect to, and especially chocolate." |
 | Declining renewable costs drive focus on energy storageAn oft-repeated refrain—the sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow—is sometimes seen as an impediment to renewable energy. But it's also an impetus toward discovering the best ways to store that energy until it's needed. |
 | Tesla 2019 sales hit goals, rise over 50% from previous yearTesla's global deliveries rose more than 50% last year, meaning the company surpassed the low end of its sales goals for 2019. |
 | Google AI system can surpass human experts in spotting breast cancer, study findsGoogle's artificial intelligence system can identify breast cancer more accurately than radiologists, according to a study published in Nature on Wednesday. |
 | How to spot deceptive drug injury ads like the HIV-related videos Facebook just disabledSome ads can be more than misleading—they can put your health at risk. |
 | E-car sales in Norway reach new record highSales of new electric cars in Norway hit a record high last year, sector experts said Friday, reaching 42.4 percent of all nearly-registered cars in 2019, mostly thanks to strong demand for Tesla's Model 3. |
 | GM reports lower 4Q sales, inventories after strikeGeneral Motors reported lower fourth-quarter car sales Friday as a lengthy US worker strike continued to pinch auto inventories. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Miniaturized, light-adaptive, wireless dosimeters autonomously monitor exposure to electromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure from the sun and artificial lighting systems represent a health risk, therefore personalized methods for EMR dosimetry can guide people toward lifestyle behaviors that ensure healthy levels of exposure. In a recent report on Science Advances, Kyeongha Kwon and a research team in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Statistics, Electronics Convergence Engineering and the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering in the U.S. and Korea developed a millimeter-scale, ultra-low-power digital dosimeter platform. |
 | Experiments show altruistic behaviors reduce painA team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China has found that people who engage in altruistic behaviors feel less pain than they otherwise would. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group outlines the experiments they carried out with volunteers and what they learned from them. |
 | Know thy mitochondria: Autoimmunity to organelles and their DNAThe immune system uses its mitochondria to self-stimulate innate and adaptive responses to infection. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), immunogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and even whole mitochondria are locally mobilized in a delicate balance to create hot spots of inflammatory action. When normal limiting feedback on these processes is compromised, destructive autoimmune reactions often arise. |
 | Researchers identify starting point for designing drugs that cure clostridium difficileA newly published paper in PNAS details a research breakthrough that provides a promising starting point for scientists to create drugs that can cure C. diff—a virulent health care-associated infection that causes severe diarrhea, nausea, internal bleeding, and potentially death. The bacteria affects roughly half-a-million Americans and causes nearly 15,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. |
 | Engrams emerging as the basic unit of memoryThough scientist Richard Semon introduced the concept of the "engram" 115 years ago to posit a neural basis for memory, direct evidence for engrams has only begun to accumulate recently as sophisticated technologies and methods have become available. In a new review in Science, Professors Susumu Tonegawa of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT and Sheena Josselyn of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Toronto describe the rapid progress they and colleagues have been making over the last dozen years in identifying, characterizing and even manipulating engrams, as well as the major outstanding questions of the field. |
 | A new breakthrough in developing effective antimalarial drugsParasites in the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria, are transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. The parasites acclimatize to these two completely different hosts because the plasticity of their genome enables them to adapt as necessary. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS have investigated the epigenetic mechanisms behind this plasticity, in particular, DNA methylation. They identified molecules capable of inhibiting DNA methylation and effectively killing even the most resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites. The results of their research were published on November 27, 2019 in the journal ACS Central Science. |
 | Inflammation predicts response to antidepression medicationChildren and teens with bipolar depression responded better to an antipsychotic medicine if they had increased markers of inflammation in their blood, a new University of Wisconsin–Madison study shows. |
 | Scientists show possible path to improved bone-repair proceduresResearchers are moving closer to a new approach for improving spinal fusion procedures and repairing broken or defective bones that avoids an over-production of bone that commonly occurs in current treatments. |
 | Study explains why some creams and cosmetics may cause skin rashesAllergic reactions in the skin can be caused by many different chemical compounds in creams, cosmetics, and other consumer products, but how they trigger the reaction has remained somewhat mysterious. |
 | Using a machine learning algorithm with cancer methylation signatures to diagnose colorectal cancerA team of researchers affiliated with a large number of institutions in China has used a machine-learning algorithm with cancer methylation signatures to diagnose colorectal cancer. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their new approach to diagnosis and prognostication of colorectal cancer and how well it worked. |
 | Research identifies changes in neural circuits underlying self-control during adolescenceThe human brain is organized into circuits that develop from childhood through adulthood to support executive function—critical behaviors like self-control, decision making, and complex thought. These circuits are anchored by white matter pathways which coordinate the brain activity necessary for cognition. However, little research exists to explain how white matter matures to support activity that allows for improved executive function during adolescence—a period of rapid brain development. |
 | Fat-dissolving bile acids may help regulate gut immunity and inflammationCould bile acids—the fat-dissolving juices churned out by the liver and gallbladder—also play a role in immunity and inflammation? |
HIV patients lose smallpox immunity despite childhood vaccine, AIDS drugsHIV patients lose immunity to smallpox even though they were vaccinated against the disease as children and have had much of their immune system restored with antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. | |
 | New radiotracer offers opportunities for earlier intervention after heart attackInsights into how the heart recovers after myocardial infarction (heart attack) can be obtained with a new radiotracer that targets fibroblast activity prior to it causing permanent damage. According to research published in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 68Ga-FAPI-04 positron emission tomography (PET) can effectively image fibroblast activation after myocardial infarction, identifying a time window during which cardiac fibrosis can be prevented and the disease course altered. |
 | Extra benefit from epilepsy neurostimulators—reducing comorbid neuropsychiatric symptomsPeople with drug-resistant epilepsy also can have deleterious neuropsychiatric symptoms like anxiety, depression, psychosis and impaired memory. These have negative impacts on quality of life, and there is an unmet need to improve therapy for such patients. Diagnosing and monitoring such neurobehavioral symptoms is challenging because their presentation can overlap with seizures. |
 | Mediterranean diet may help preserve the kidney health of transplant recipientsA new study indicates that following the Mediterranean diet may help kidney transplant recipients maintain transplant kidney function. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of CJASN. |
 | China confirms more cases of mystery viral pneumoniaChina on Friday confirmed more cases of a mystery viral pneumonia that has sparked fears about a resurgence of SARS, the flu-like virus that killed hundreds of people more than a decade ago. |
 | Keep exercising: New study finds it's good for your brain's gray matterCardiorespiratory exercise—walking briskly, running, biking and just about any other exercise that gets your heart pumping—is good for your body, but can it also slow cognitive changes in your brain? |
 | A new way to give an old tuberculosis vaccine proves highly effective in monkeysWhat if you could make the tuberculosis vaccine much more powerful, not by altering the ingredients, but just by changing the way it is given to people? It would help prevent the infection that kills more people every year than any other microbe. |
 | Exposing exposure: Finding the connections between air pollution and healthFor years, research has suggested a connection between air pollution and human health issues. Penn State researcher Jeff D. Yanosky searches for those connections. |
 | Artificial intelligence could help breast screening save more livesRight now, the NHS breast cancer screening program saves around 1,300 lives in the UK each year. |
 | Study urges life-saving drug treatment to combat Ukraine's HIV epidemicUniversity researchers finds that scaling up use of methadone and buprenorphine—medications for treating opioid use disorder known as opioid agonist therapies (OATs)—could greatly reduce HIV transmission rates and prevent deaths in Ukraine, where the disease is epidemic among people who inject drugs. |
 | Slashing energy could make cryoEM microscopes affordable for many labs worldwideElectron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM)—which won the 2017 Nobel prize—could be made 10 times cheaper by reducing the energy of the microscope and creating better detectors for imaging low energy electrons, according to a proof-of-principle demonstration by scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB). |
 | Early prevention of neuropathic painAn unpleasant tingling in the hands and feet, numbness, fuzzy and burning sensations—these symptoms may indicate a neuropathy, a disease of the nervous system. If the pain persists for several months, it is referred to as chronic pain. By then, it is very difficult to treat, and the available drugs often have serious side effects. Researchers at the Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME have found a way to prevent the development of neuropathic pain early on. |
 | Patients are overpaying for air ambulance services because of a market failure within the industryTalk about feeling airsick. The charges for air ambulance services in 2016 hovered between 4.1 and 9.5 times the rate allowed by Medicare, according to a study led by Carey Business School researcher Ge Bai. Publicly insured and in-network patients generally escaped paying full cost, but those uninsured and out-of-network were likely to be billed the whole amount, according to the study, which was published in Health Affairs in July. |
 | Noninvasive technique to assess brain tumors in children and make treatment less toxicGround-breaking research by the University of Birmingham has discovered a new technique to assess the aggressiveness of childhood brain tumors. |
 | Biodiversity and our brains: How ecology and mental health go together in our citiesMental health in our cities is an increasingly urgent issue. Rates of disorders such as anxiety and depression are high. Urban design and planning can promote mental health by refocusing on spaces we use in our everyday lives in light of what research tells us about the benefits of exposure to nature and biodiversity. |
 | New year, new you? Why we think a better body will be a better selfIs a better body a better self? Is a perfect body our best self? In the visual culture we inhabit we increasingly believe that a better body will lead to a better life, one where we are happier, have a better job, a better partner, and things go well for us. |
 | Ecotherapy aims to tap into nature to improve your wellbeingAs many as one in six adults experience mental health problems like depression or anxiety every week. And not only is mental ill-health one of the most common causes of disease worldwide—it's also on the rise. Finding ways to improve mental health is therefore essential. |
 | Lower risk for malignant melanoma after bariatric surgeryBariatric surgery is associated with a distinct reduction in skin-cancer risk, a study shows. This finding can be described as a key piece of evidence that substantiates the connection between weight loss and malignant skin cancer. |
 | How perfectionism affects athletes' performance after competitive failureElite athletes are more likely to rise to the occasion after a failure if they keep potential unhelpful consequences of striving for perfection in check, according to a University of Alberta study, the first of its kind to investigate perfectionism and performance following failure in competitive athletics. |
 | 'Baffling' scientific health claims on food unhelpful for shoppersParents say health claims on food are 'baffling' and use own knowledge of food to guide healthy purchases as industry leaders and consumers meet to discuss the need for a change in food labeling, specifically health claims. |
 | National response required for the psychological trauma of Australian bushfiresIt is difficult to overestimate the emotional devastation and mental anguish caused by Australia's current bushfire crisis. |
 | Air pollution can worsen bone healthSome of the effects of air pollution on health are well documented -lung cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, and a long etcetera- but for others there is less scientific evidence. Such is the case of bone health: there are only a few studies and results are inconclusive. Now, a study in India led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has found an association between exposure to air pollution and poor bone health. |
 | Global call to action on FH aims to improve diagnosis and treatmentThe FH Foundation, World Heart Federation, and an international coalition join together to tackle the global burden of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a vastly under-recognized and poorly managed public health concern. A Global Call to Action on familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) was published today in JAMA Cardiology. Authored by a global panel of scientific experts, advocacy leaders, public health officials, and individuals with FH from 40 countries, the report notes glaring gaps in screening and guideline-based care for FH, the most common cause of early and aggressive heart disease. |
 | The importance of individualized models for understanding brain functionNew research conducted by Professor Itamar Kahn, director of the Brain Systems Organization in Health and Disease Lab in the Technion's Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, in collaboration with scientists from France and the U.S., demonstrates the importance of personalized brain models. The research team's findings show that individual variations in the brain's structural connectome (map of neural connections) define a specific structural fingerprint with a direct impact on the functional organization of individual brains. |
 | How diet affects mental health: What's the evidence?A new expert review confirms that diet significantly influences mental health and wellbeing, but cautions that the evidence for many diets is comparatively weak. This, the most up to date overview of the new field of Nutritional Psychiatry, is produced, by the Nutrition Network of the ECNP and is published in the peer-reviewed journal European Neuropsychopharmacology. |
Why bipolar disorder is becoming more 'desirable' than other mental illnessesBipolar disorder is a severe mental health condition. But in recent years it has become the one mental health diagnosis that patients are willing to accept. Research shows that to some people it has actually become "desirable" when compared with other mood disorders. | |
 | The best way to ditch bad habits: What science can teach usIt's a new year and many people are in the mood for making a fresh start. And that often means giving something up (cigarettes, alcohol, junk food). Unfortunately, the odds of sticking with new year resolutions are not good. Come February, 80 percent of people will have given up giving up. So what can we learn from the 20 percent who make it? |
 | Lingonberry juice may lower elevated blood pressureAn experimental study found that long-term consumption of lingonberry juice lowers high blood pressure and improves the function of blood vessels. |
 | 5 things you can do to make your microbiome healthierIt's common for people to focus on their health at the start of the year. But few consider the well being of the microbes that live inside the human gut—the microbiome—which are vital to an individual's good health. |
 | The UK must introduce folic acid fortification in foods, say scientistsAccording to St George's scientists, there is an urgent need to fortify flour and grains with folic acid to prevent spina bifida and other birth defects. |
 | Guidance developed for providing quality STD care(HealthDay)—In a report published in the Jan. 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, recommendations are presented for providing quality sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinical services. |
 | Mental distress, depression prevalent in adults with arthritis(HealthDay)—The prevalence of mental distress is 16.8 percent and the prevalence of depression is 32.1 percent among adults with arthritis, according to research published in the Jan. 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Therapy found to reduce lipoprotein(a) levels(HealthDay)—For patients with elevated lipoprotein(a) levels and established cardiovascular disease, hepatocyte-directed antisense oligonucleotide AKCEA-APO(a)-LRX (APO(a)-LRX) reduces lipoprotein(a) levels, according to a study published online Jan. 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Survivors of childhood cancers at risk for shortened life span(HealthDay)—Survivors of childhood cancer remain at risk for shorter life spans, especially when they receive radiotherapy, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in JAMA Oncology. |
 | Mentholated popsicle can help reduce preoperative thirst(HealthDay)—Use of mentholated popsicles can reduce the intensity and discomfort from thirst during preoperative fasting, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. |
 | New technique improves face-lifts for balding men(HealthDay)—A new method of face-lift surgery eliminates visible scars for bald men undergoing the procedure, according to a study published in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. |
 | Patient experiences modestly worse after hospital acquisition(HealthDay)—Modestly worse patient experiences are seen following hospital acquisition by another hospital, according to a study published in the Jan. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Nurse certification may promote evidence-based practice in ICU(HealthDay)—Nurses with specialty certification may speed translation of evidence-based research into everyday clinical practice, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Critical Care. |
 | How does missed sleep affect your appetite?(HealthDay)—If you need yet another health reason to get enough sleep, here's one that may wake you up: Science shows that a loss of sleep can make you eat more. And that doesn't mean healthful salads and green veggies. |
 | Have a ball with these exercises to strengthen your core(HealthDay)—Pilates is an excellent exercise discipline that develops strength and agility, and you don't need to take formal classes or use Pilates machines to get its benefits. Using a stability ball with floor exercises is tailor made to target your core—the muscles of your abdomen. |
 | New Year's resolutions didn't stick? Try a Monday reset(HealthDay)—You made your resolution—this year was finally going to be the year you lost weight. But then your neighbor stopped by with a plate of cookies, and well, your resolve didn't even last a day. Maybe next year? |
 | Infectious diseases A to Z: What you need to know about pneumoniaPneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs, and can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. Pneumonia can affect anyone, but the age groups at highest risk are children younger than age 2 and people older than age 65. |
 | Thousands of toddlers have ingested vaping liquids, poison control centers sayVaping-related injuries emerged as a public-health crisis in 2019, with thousands of users suffering severe lung problems that required hospitalization. |
 | How to read the new nutrition facts labelThe Food and Drug Administration has updated the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and beverages to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales were required to switch to the new label by Jan. 1, 2020. Here, Angie Murad, a wellness dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, explains some of the key changes. |
 | Quit smoking, add years to your lifeAs resolutions go, quitting smoking could be the most important choice on a smoker's list. |
 | Pittsburgh region's Narcan dose may be waning: More deaths feared as funds dipA veritable flood of naloxone helped to slash opioid overdoses since 2017, but the lifesaving tide may be ebbing, at least in Allegheny County. |
 | Effects of air pollution in St. Louis separate and unequal, study findsResidents of the city's poor, segregated neighborhoods are at a greater risk of cancer from air pollutants, and proximity to heavy traffic accounts for a leading share of that vulnerability, according to a recent study from St. Louis' Washington University. |
 | Drug trial seeking first ever treatment for dangerous side effect of Prader-Willi syndromeOne in every 15,000 children is affected by Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a complex, genetic endocrine condition caused by a disorder of chromosome 15. It's non-inheritable, meaning the condition isn't passed down from a family member. |
 | Using gene therapy to treat chronic traumatic encephalopathyA new study shows the feasibility of using gene therapy to treat the progressive neurodegenerative disorder chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The study, which demonstrated the effectiveness of direct delivery of gene therapy into the brain of a mouse model of CTE, is published in Human Gene Therapy. |
 | Radical treatment of chronic oral infection before stem cell transplantation not necessaryA recently published study indicates that oral infections seem to have no association with the risk of stem cell transplantation patients dying of or getting a serious infection within six months of the procedure. |
 | Kids twice as likely to eat healthy after watching cooking shows with healthy foodTelevision programs featuring healthy foods can be a key ingredient in leading children to make healthier food choices now and into adulthood. |
Biology news
 | Snake-like proteins can wrangle DNAIt turns out the coiled snakes often used to symbolize medical knowledge are more than apt. They also mimic a key to life itself. |
 | First evidence found of tool use by seabirdsThree researchers from the University of Oxford and the South Iceland Nature Research Centre have found evidence of tool use by puffins—the first evidence of tool use by any seabird. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Annette Fayet, Erpur Snær Hansen and Dora Biro describe their evidence of puffins using sticks to scratch a part of their body. |
 | Biggest bloom: 'world's largest' flower spotted in IndonesiaIndonesian conservationists say they've spotted the biggest specimen ever of what's already been billed as one of the world's largest flowers. |
 | Breakthrough study on molecular interactions could improve development of new medicinesA first-of-its-kind study on molecular interactions by biomedical engineers in the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering will make it easier and more efficient for scientists to develop new medicines and other therapies for diseases such as cancer, HIV and autoimmune diseases. |
 | Less offspring due to territorial conflictsBoth humans and chimpanzees can be extremely territorial, and territorial disputes between groups can turn violent, with individuals killing each other. In humans, such between-group competition can escalate to war and devastating loss of human life. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology studied wild Western chimpanzees to find out whether territorial behavior may have shaped counter-strategies. One important strategy that is evident in both humans and chimpanzees, but rare in the rest of the animal kingdom, is the capacity to work together in order to achieve a goal, for example to defend a territory—even if it is together with individuals who are not one's kin. |
 | Study finds dopamine, biological clock link to snacking, overeating and obesityDuring the years 1976 through 1980, 15% of U.S. adults were obese. Today, about 40% of adults are obese. Another 33% are overweight. |
 | Plants can improve your work lifeA study out of the University of Hyogo in Awaji, Japan, details the stress-reducing benefits to office workers that even a small plant situated within easy viewing can impart. |
 | New agents to fight multidrug-resistant germsResistance to antibiotics is on the rise worldwide. Fraunhofer scientists have joined forces with partners in the Phage4Cure project to explore alternatives to antibiotics. One objective is to vanquish multidrug-resistant pathogens with viruses called bacteriophages. Another is to see these phages approved to treat the dreaded hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most frequent bacterial cause of pneumonia. |
 | Novel immunotherapy saves a dog from rare cancerA novel immunotherapy treatment has saved family dog Griffin from a rare type of cancer, thanks to collaborative research at The University of Queensland. |
 | Researchers develop predictive tools to tackle childhood diarrheal disease outbreaksIn 2006, more than 400 children under the age of 5 died during an outbreak of diarrheal disease in Botswana. In what was a 25-fold increase in diarrheal disease mortality for this age group, citizens of the country were devastated. |
Over 65,000 hen to be culled in bird flu outbreak in PolandAuthorities in western Poland say they have ordered the culling of at least 65,000 hen at a farm affected by bird flu that seems to have spread from the east. | |
This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile
No comments:
Post a Comment