Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 2, 2020:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | GMRT discovers a gigantic ring of hydrogen gas around a distant galaxyA team of astronomers at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) in Pune, India have discovered a mysterious ring of hydrogen gas around a distant galaxy, using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). The ring is much bigger than the galaxy it surrounds and has a diameter of about 380,000 light-years (about 4 times that of our Milky Way). |
New device in New Mexico turns back clock on astronomyA newly forged steel instrument that can pinpoint the path of stars and planets across the night sky using the naked eye is a throwback to the years just before the advent of telescopes, returning stargazers in the hills of northern New Mexico to the essentials of astronomy in the past. | |
 | India targets new moon mission in 2020India plans to make a fresh attempt to land an unmanned mission on the moon in 2020 after a failed bid last year, the head of the country's space programme said Wednesday. |
 | UNC expert helps treat astronaut's blood clot during NASA mission"My first reaction when NASA reached out to me was to ask if I could visit the International Space Station (ISS) to examine the patient myself," said Stephan Moll, MD, UNC School of Medicine blood clot expert and long-time NASA enthusiast. "NASA told me they couldn't get me up to space quickly enough, so I proceeded with the evaluation and treatment process from here in Chapel Hill." |
 | Astronomers say SpaceX's satellites are too bright in the sky. Friday's launch will try to fix thatThey were seen sparkling across the skies of Montana right around Christmas: a tidy row of lights that some mistook to be UFOs. The glowing celestial train has been spotted in California, Texas, in the Netherlands and even Chile. |
Technology news
 | Patent talk: Apple proposes speaker-illusion gift of enhanced audioWhat about enjoying enhanced virtual surround sound audio? That is a gift to the ears that has been proposed by inventors at Apple, in the form of a patent filing focused on a type of audio system, fundamentally, virtual surround sound. |
 | Tech show offers big and flashy, up-close and (very) personalThe screens will be bigger and bolder, the cars will be smarter and some of the technology will be up-close and personal—even intimate. |
 | Once again, iPhones top tech seller of the year, but AirPods the hitOnce again, the Apple iPhone ended the year as the best-selling tech product, with sales of some 185 million units, according to Wedbush Securities. |
 | This simple trick stops Google, Amazon and Facebook from listening to you all the timeSmart home devices from Google, Amazon and Facebook are engineered to listen for your commands and respond to them. Usually, they only engage when you say your "wake" word such as "OK, Google" or "Hey, Google." |
 | Volkswagen in talks to settle German 'dieselgate' mass lawsuitCar giant Volkswagen said Thursday it would open talks on a possible settlement in a mass lawsuit brought by hundreds of thousands of German diesel car owners over emissions cheating. |
Tech review: Are two screens better than one? LG's answer to flagship phone raceI've got to hand it to LG. They are trying hard to keep up in the flagship phone race. | |
 | Trump administration says it will approve largest solar farm in USFederal officials plan to approve a massive solar farm with energy storage in the desert outside Las Vegas, paving the way for a $1-billion project that will provide electricity to Nevada residents served by billionaire Warren Buffett's NV Energy. |
 | Amazon and Google to hit CES with digital assistants in towThe world's biggest technology companies are heading to Las Vegas for the annual CES trade show next week, with even Apple Inc. making a rare official appearance. But don't expect any breakthrough new hardware. |
 | In 2020, Californians will have new privacy rights online. But they might have to show IDThe internet is going to look, and work, a little different starting today. That's because Californians have new rights over how their personal information is gathered, stored and sold by any company operating in the state as of Jan. 1, thanks to the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA. |
On University of Texas at Dallas' growing campus, meal-delivering robots make splashy debutTopped with a ball cap and sporting six wheels, one of the newest members of the University of Texas at Dallas introduced itself to students and staff at the campus' annual fashion show. | |
 | Feds will investigate deadly Tesla crash in CaliforniaThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the crash of a speeding Tesla that killed two people in a Los Angeles suburb, the agency announced Tuesday. |
Expect faster cell phones, better weather forecasts and cashier-less stores in 2020Better weather forecasts. Faster cellular service. Quicker wildfire detection. Easier ways to buy MTS passes. And speedy, cashier-free convenience stores. | |
Should Amazon pay warehouse workers while they wait for security screenings? Pa. Supreme Court will decideDoes Amazon have to pay its warehouse workers for the time they spend going though security checks after their shifts? | |
Has AT&T actually stopped selling your location data? We could find out in 2020A digital rights nonprofit is pressuring a U.S. district court to force AT&T to turn over evidence that it no longer sells customers' location data collected by mobile phones to third party aggregators. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Delivering TB vaccine intravenously dramatically improves potency, study showsWorldwide, more people die from tuberculosis (TB) than any other infectious disease, even though the vast majority were vaccinated. The vaccine just isn't that reliable. But a new Nature study finds that simply changing the way the vaccine is administered could dramatically boost its protective power. |
 | Alzheimer 'tau' protein far surpasses amyloid in predicting toll on brain tissueBrain imaging of pathological tau-protein "tangles" reliably predicts the location of future brain atrophy in Alzheimer's patients a year or more in advance, according to a new study by scientists at the UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. In contrast, the location of amyloid "plaques," which have been the focus of Alzheimer's research and drug development for decades, was found to be of little utility in predicting how damage would unfold as the disease progressed. |
 | Heart attack discovery could give hope to people not able to be treatedHeart disease remains the largest killer in Australia and around the world. A new study has shown that a protein therapy- recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-AB (rhPDGF-AB) - could improve outcomes following heart attack. |
 | AI beats human breast cancer diagnosisA computer programme can identify breast cancer from routine scans with greater accuracy than human experts, researchers said in what they hoped could prove a breakthrough in the fight against the global killer. |
 | Some learning is a whole-brain affair, study showsResearchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully used a laser-assisted imaging tool to "see" what happens in brain cells of mice learning to reach out and grab a pellet of food. Their experiments, they say, add to evidence that such motor-based learning can occur in multiple areas of the brain, even ones not typically associated with motor control. |
 | Researchers determine how a specific protein regulates tumor growthImmune checkpoints are surface proteins that cancer cells use to evade immune response. These surface proteins are critical for cancer cell growth and drugs targeting these proteins have revolutionized the management of patients with a wide array of cancers. Finding a mechanism to degrade these immune checkpoints may allow the immune system to kill cancer cells. |
Pro-lifers exploiting civil rights struggles in bid to ban abortions, says new researchPro-lifers are using civil rights protections to lobby against early abortions, according to research published in the peer-reviewed journal Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. | |
 | Health ranks as top concern for veterans immediately after military serviceIn the months after separating from military service, most veterans are less satisfied with their health than with their work or social relationships, found a study by Veterans Affairs researchers. While the veterans surveyed were mostly satisfied with their work and social well-being, a majority were dealing with chronic physical health conditions and a third reported chronic mental health conditions. |
 | Tips to keep New Year's resolutions(HealthDay)—Lose weight. Eat healthier. Quit smoking. These are all popular New Year's resolutions that are often only kept for a short time, if at all. |
 | How are your newborn's ears working? Early hearing test is a must(HealthDay)—When you have a baby, it seems like you visit the doctor all the time for checks on weight and length and to get needed vaccinations. But are you as aware of the guidelines regarding hearing checks for your little one? |
 | New workflow could improve imaging assessment in research(HealthDay)—Institutional imaging cores may help provide unbiased and reproducible measurements and enable a leaner workflow in assessing tumor measurements for patients participating in clinical trials, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. |
 | Endoscopic approaches feasible in surgery for sinonasal cancer(HealthDay)—Endoscopic approaches are feasible for the surgical resection of sinonasal cancer, according to a study published online Dec. 24 in Head & Neck. |
 | fMRI measures may predict psychiatric symptoms in children(HealthDay)—Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures may be able to predict symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or major depressive disorder in children, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Psychiatry. |
 | Antiepileptic drug exposure low in breastfeeding infants(HealthDay)—Among infants breastfed by mothers who are receiving drug therapy for epilepsy, antiepileptic drug (AED) concentrations in infant blood samples are substantially lower than those in maternal blood samples, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Neurology. |
 | Study shows link between atopic dermatitis and vitiligo(HealthDay)—Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with vitiligo, according to a review and meta-analysis published online Dec. 24 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. |
 | Machine learning system makes more alerts for med errors(HealthDay)—A machine learning system can generate clinically valid alerts for medication errors that might be missed with existing clinical decision support (CDS) systems, according to a study published in the January issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. |
 | Nurses can help manage drug interactions in HIV/Hep C treatment(HealthDay)—Drug interactions between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) pose a clinical challenge in patients with HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection, according to an article published online Dec. 17 in the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. |
 | Frailty score may predict outcomes in multiple myeloma(HealthDay)—A frailty scale that includes Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) may predict outcomes for transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), according to a study published in the January issue of Leukemia. |
 | Expectations for new star wars movie could sway your viewing pleasure(HealthDay)—Millions of Americans have filled movie theaters over the holidays to watch the latest in the Star Wars saga, but a new study suggests that enjoyment of the film may be governed by prior expectations. |
 | Few pharmacies provide correct info on medication disposal(HealthDay)—Fewer than half of California pharmacies provide correct information about disposal of antibiotics and opioids, and few report take-back programs, according to a research letter published online Dec. 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Incidence of early-onset gastric cancer increasing in the U.S.(HealthDay)—The incidence of early-onset gastric cancer has been increasing in the United States, and it seems to be distinct clinically and genetically from late-onset gastric cancer, according to a study recently published in Surgery. |
 | The 'supercells' that cured an infant's grave genetic illnessWhen a person's immune system is impaired by a genetic disease, a bone-marrow transplant can be a powerful therapeutic tool, but with a major downside: during the first few months the recipient's defenses against viruses are severely weakened. The slightest infection can lead to a hospital trip. |
 | Closer to identifying leukemic stem cellsAcute myeloid leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in adults. It is characterized by the pathological expansion of immature cells (myeloblasts) that invade the bone marrow and expand into the blood, affecting the production of the rest of the healthy cells. Although patients usually respond well to chemotherapy-based treatments, a large proportion of them eventually relapse or show resistance to these procedures. |
Diabetes can independently lead to heart failure, population study showsHeart problems are a common development for people with diabetes. In fact, about 33% of people in the U.S. admitted to the hospital for heart failure also have diabetes. Heart failure may be the result of a co-condition, such as hypertension or coronary heart disease, but not always. | |
Unattainable standards of beauty for today's womanWhile the average American woman's waist circumference and dress size has increased over the past 20 years, Victoria's Secret fashion models have become more slender, with a decrease in bust, waist, hips and dress size, though their waist to hip ratio (WHR) has remained constant. | |
 | Half the amount of chemo prevents testicular cancer from coming back, new trial showsTesticular cancer can be prevented from coming back using half the amount of chemotherapy that is currently used, a new clinical trial has shown. |
 | Harnessing the microbiome to improve stroke recoverySupplementing the body's short chain fatty acids can improve stroke recovery, according to research in mice recently published in JNeurosci. Short chain fatty acid supplementation may be a non-invasive addition to stroke rehabilitation therapies. |
 | Hearing through lip-readingBrain activity synchronizes with sound waves, even without audible sound, through lip-reading, according to new research published in JNeurosci. |
 | Writing out your worries really works wonders(HealthDay)—As much as people often love to talk about their feelings, it might be more productive to skip the conversations and write about your worries instead, according to research done at Michigan State University (MSU). |
 | 3 easy deskside stretches to keep muscle pain at bay(HealthDay)—If you're not taking regular breaks to move around during your workday, your muscles may rebel after being scrunched in your desk chair hour after hour. |
 | One way to help ease A-fib: give up drinking(HealthDay)—If you have atrial fibrillation (a-fib)—a potentially dangerous irregular heart rhythm—giving up alcohol could ease your symptoms. |
 | Trump administration to ban most flavored E-cigarettes(HealthDay)— After months of delay, the Trump Administration is expected to announce this week that it will ban mint-, fruit- and dessert-flavored e-cigarette cartridges, while allowing the continued sale of menthol- and tobacco-flavored vapes. |
 | Study: Hearing develops in tandem with form and functionNew research reveals a key insight into the development of hair bundles, the intricately complex assemblies in the inner ear responsible for hearing. |
Mayo Clinic Q and A: understanding binge eating disorderWhat is binge eating disorder? I've heard of anorexia and bulimia. But I'd never heard binge eating described as a disorder until my nephew was diagnosed with it. How is it treated? | |
 | Few people consider religious affiliation of hospital they chooseA small minority of Americans surveyed consider the religious affiliation of the hospitals that treat them, but a majority said they didn't want religious doctrine dictating their healthcare choices, according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. |
 | FDA approves UVA-developed artificial pancreasThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an artificial pancreas system—based on technology from the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology—that automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose levels. |
Anguished, armed and impulsive: A deadly mix fuels rising teen suicidesOn a spring morning near Orlando, a 17-year-old typed "I love you guys" on her Instagram page. Struggling with depression, distraught over a breakup, and fighting back tears, she walked out of class and into the empty high school auditorium. She pulled her grandfather's Glock 45 from her small brown purse and killed herself. | |
A prospective, multicentric study indicates a new feature of cluster headache attacksA prospective study recently published in the journal Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, extends the idea behind cluster headache chronicity. The study, entitled "Temporal changes of circadian rhythmicity in cluster headache", was first-authored by Dr. Mi Ji Lee, from the Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. | |
Deal will let more companies make overdose antidote sprayMore companies could begin making an easy-to-use version of an opioid overdose antidote under a deal announced Thursday by New York's attorney general. | |
 | A breakfast fit for making your New Year's resolutions(HealthDay)—New Year's Day is typically when you vow to start a new diet to take off any weight you put on over the holidays or have been carrying. This year, make your resolutions attainable—slight changes that improve health without making impossible-to-meet demands on yourself. |
 | Illinois sees first legal sales of recreational marijuanaThe sale of marijuana for recreational purposes became legal Wednesday in Illinois to the delight of pot fans—many who began lining up hours early at dispensaries. |
 | Fired British vegan files landmark discrimination caseA British employment tribunal began a landmark hearing Thursday on whether a strict form of veganism is a philosophical belief that must be protected in law. |
Biology news
 | Starry eyes on the reef: Color-changing brittle stars can seeScientists have shown for the first time that brittle stars use vision to guide them through vibrant coral reefs, thanks to a neat colour-changing trick. |
 | Taking the measure of glycansWhen Lorna De Leoz invited laboratories to participate in her glycomics study, she hoped for 20 responses. Instead, she was deluged by emails from around the world. |
 | Palau bans 'reef-toxic' sunscreenPalau's pioneering ban on "reef-toxic" sunscreens took effect Wednesday as the tiny Pacific island nation introduced strict environmental measures that also include one of the world's largest marine sanctuaries. |
About 5,000 golden eagles winter in eastern U.S.Golden eagles are back from Canada, spending the winter in the eastern U.S. | |
 | Once unloved, threatened storks given new hope in Indian zooThe hatching of two storks on a bamboo platform in a remote Indian zoo has raised hopes that one of the world's most threatened bird species can be saved, experts say. |
 | Dozens of monkeys die in German zoo fireFlames from flying New Year's Eve lanterns might have sparked a blaze that killed dozens of monkeys at a zoo in northwestern Germany, management and security services said Wednesday. |
Bird flu kills 25,000 turkeys in eastern Poland, sparks cullAuthorities in eastern Poland say bird flu is responsible for the deaths of at least 25,000 turkeys in poultry farms near the country's borders with Ukraine and Belarus. | |
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