Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 21, 2020:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | XMM-Newton reveals giant flare from a tiny starA star of about eight percent the Sun's mass has been caught emitting an enormous 'super flare' of X-rays—a dramatic high-energy eruption that poses a fundamental problem for astronomers, who did not think it possible on stars that small. |
 | How better propulsion systems can improve space explorationAero/Astro engineer Ken Hara is developing computer models to help make a little-known, but widely-used thruster engine more suitable for long-distance missions. |
 | Mars InSight lander to push on top of the 'mole'After nearly a year of trying to dig into the Martian surface, the heat probe belonging to NASA's InSight lander is about to get a push. The mission team plans to command the scoop on InSight's robotic arm to press down on the "mole," the mini pile driver designed to hammer itself as much as 16 feet (5 meters) down. They hope that pushing down on the mole's top, also called the back cap, will keep it from backing out of its hole on Mars, as it did twice in recent months after nearly burying itself. |
Technology news
 | A light-sensitive compound enables heatless membrane modulation in photoswitchesOptical technologies that can be used to modulate neuronal activity are opening up exciting possibilities for research in neuroscience and biology. Optical tools allow neuroscientists to excite and inhibit neurons or areas of the brain at will. They can thus be used to investigate the function of specific brain circuits or regions, as well as to identify new potential treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases. |
 | Offshore wind farms could power much of coastal China: studyUnder the Paris Climate Agreement, China committed to rely on renewable resources for 20 percent of its energy needs by 2030. Currently, the country is on track to double that commitment, aiming to hit 40 percent by the next decade. Wind power is critical to achieving that goal. Over the past 20 years, China's wind power capacity has exploded from 0.3 gigawatts to 161 gigawatts. |
 | How a road sign trick sent a self-driving car into high-speed modeCan a little strip of tape on a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit sign cause a self-driving car to accelerate? Yes—and press attention, too. Researchers from security company McAfee wanted to see if they could dupe a Tesla car into thinking the speed limit was different than posted, and they succeeded. |
 | Scientists finally confirm a 50-year-old theory in mechanicsAn experiment by EPFL researchers has confirmed a theory that has been used in mechanics for over half a century—despite never having been fully validated. The team could now use the theory in bolder and more innovative ways in their quest to develop ever better energy systems. |
 | Emotion recognition has a privacy problem—here's how to fix itWith devices listening everywhere you go, privacy concerns are endemic to advancing technology. Especially sensitive are different techniques powered by audio from your smartphones and speakers, putting consumers in a constant cost-benefit analysis between privacy and utility. |
 | Firm wants to recover the Titanic's iconic telegraph machineThe salvage firm that has plucked silverware, china and gold coins from the wreckage of the Titanic now wants to recover the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Machine that transmitted the doomed ship's increasingly frantic distress calls. |
 | New York ordered to pay $810 million to debt-hit taxi driversNew York must pay $810 million to its debt-ridden cabbies, the state attorney general said Thursday, accusing the city of fraudulently inflating the value of permits needed to drive its famed yellow taxis. |
 | Cyberattacks and the economy: Assessing the damageWhen White House officials needed an expert to examine the economic impact of cybersecurity threats, they called on Anna Scherbina. |
 | Sports not your thing? Streaming options from Philo might be for youSure, the Super Bowl, March Madness and the World Series all are national obsessions, but not everyone craves TV sports. |
 | Google, YouTube should remove murder videos, father of slain journalist tells FTCAndy Parker's daughter, Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television more than four years ago. Now, Andy Parker is taking on YouTube and parent company Google to remove graphic content like the murder videos that still exist of his daughter from the video site. |
 | Google-Fitbit deal could carry data and privacy risks, EU privacy agency saysThe acquisition of Fitbit by Google and its parent company Alphabet could pose privacy concerns for consumers, the European Union's privacy agency said Thursday. |
 | Deep learning AI discovers surprising new antibioticsImagine you're a fossil hunter. You spend months in the heat of Arizona digging up bones only to find that what you've uncovered is from a previously discovered dinosaur. |
 | Coding for uncertainty increases securityRight now, drones are flying over wildlife parks in South Africa, equipped with thermal infrared cameras and smart automatic detection systems that can identify potential poachers. If a poacher is spotted, the drone can alert nearby rangers and flash its lights to send up an alarm. |
 | Turns out there is such a thing as TMI: More information doesn't necessarily help people make better decisionsMaking everyday decisions seems easy enough. People know basic information about health and finances that they can use to inform their decision making. But new research from Stevens Institute of Technology suggests that too much knowledge can lead people to make worse decisions, pointing to a critical gap in our understanding of how new information interacts with prior knowledge and beliefs. |
 | Firm unveils new promises in bid to buy dot-org registryA private equity firm announced Friday what it calls legally binding commitments designed to ease concerns that its proposed $1.1 billion private takeover of the dot-org domain-setting registry would lead to price gouging and censorship. |
 | Renfe inks $6 bn deal to build high-speed train in USSpanish train operator Renfe on Thursday said it had signed a $6-billion deal with US rail developer Texas Central to design, build and run a high-speed rail line in the United States. |
 | Shopify joins nonprofit behind Facebook's Libra currencyOnline commerce platform Shopify on Friday said it has joined the nonprofit association behind Facebook's planned Libra cryptocurrency. |
 | 'Dieselgate' recall of more Mercedes vehicles 'likely'German authorities will "likely" discover software rigging the level of diesel emissions in Mercedes-Benz cars other than those already sanctioned, the Daimler group warned on Friday. |
 | Canada privacy watchdog probes facial recognition startupCanada's privacy watchdog on Friday announced an investigation into a US software startup reportedly capable of matching images of unknown faces to photos it mined from millions of websites and social media networks. |
 | German court says Tesla can fell trees at site of new plantA German court has ruled that the clearing of trees from the site of Tesla Inc.'s first electric car factory in Europe can go ahead, days after it issued an injunction temporarily halting the preparatory work. |
Amazon launches app-based health-care service for Seattle-based employeesIn its most direct foray yet into the $3.8 trillion medical sector, Amazon has launched a pilot program to administer health care services to many of its nearly 54,000 Seattle-area employees and their families. | |
DR Congo govt gives go-ahead to restarting nuclear reactorThe Democratic Republic of Congo has authorised the startup of an experimental nuclear reactor that has been mothballed for more than a quarter of a century. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Dementia gene: Heading soccer balls increases brain risks for certain playersStartling new evidence from medical investigators in New York suggests that "heading" a ball in soccer—in which players propel it with their heads—can lead to cognitive impairment in members of the sport who are endowed with a dementia-associated gene. |
 | Ethnobotanical medicine is effective against the bacterium causing Lyme diseaseLyme disease, also called borreliosis, is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern hemisphere. It is caused by the spirochete (corkscrew-shaped) bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and close relatives and mainly spread through the bite of infected ticks. |
 | Antidepressant harms baby neurons in lab-grown 'mini-brains'Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have demonstrated the use of stem-cell-derived "mini-brains" to detect harmful side effects of a common drug on the developing brain. Mini-brains are miniature human brain models, developed with human cells and barely visible to the human eye, whose cellular mechanisms mimic those of the developing human brain. |
 | Researchers develop label-free microscopic techniques to visualize extracellular vesicles in cancerThe Biophotonics Imaging Lab at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology has developed imaging techniques that investigate tissues without using any staining or labels. The researchers created a unique system using a laser source that can capture more information about a tissue compared to traditional imaging techniques. That system provides better visualization of extracellular vesicles—small packages which are known to increase in number and be associated with cancer—particularly in connection to breast cancer cells. |
 | The fat around your arteries may actually keep them healthyA Michigan State University researcher is adding new evidence to the argument that the fat around our arteries may play an important role in keeping those blood vessels healthy. |
 | Height limits for 'blade runners' baseless, new study suggestsBefore hitting the track to compete in an officially sanctioned race, some elite Paralympic sprinters must do something most runners would find incredibly unsettling: remove their legs and swap them out with ones that make them shorter. |
 | Osteosarcoma profiling reveals why immunotherapy remains ineffectiveComprehensive profiling of tumor samples taken from patients with osteosarcoma shows that multiple factors contribute to the traditionally poor responses observed from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. |
 | Drug cocktail holds promise for spinal injuriesThe early-stage research in rats, by a group of scientists led by Imperial College London, revealed two existing medications can boost the body's own repair machinery, by triggering the release of stem cells from the bone marrow. |
 | Study finds that lack of oxygen during pregnancy can cause schizophreniaLack of oxygen during the period anticipating child birth, a condition that may affect children of pregnant women subjected to a high blood pressure disorder called pre-eclampsia, has been found to be a cause of schizophrenia. In an article published in Scientific Reports, researchers at Santa Casa de São Paulo Medical School (FCM-SCSP) in Brazil described how this phenomenon, called hypoxia, affects astrocytes, one of the most abundant types of brain cell. |
 | New research challenges theory explaining the effects of diet on lifespanNew research from the University of Sheffield has discovered that switching to a rich diet after eating a restricted diet can decrease life expectancy and have negative effects on health. |
 | Study builds predictive model for how attention fluctuates over timeThose are the sorts of questions that a University of Chicago neuroscientist asks in an innovative new study—one that examines brain scans to uncover how attention is sustained over time, and when it might fluctuate. |
 | Childhood trauma changes your brain, but it doesn't have to be permanentIn the early 1990s, more than 100,000 children in Romania were living in overcrowded, under-funded orphanages. They suffered from severe neglect, having little interaction with caretakers. |
 | Major discovery in the genetics of Down syndromeResearchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal have discovered a new mechanism involved in the expression of Down syndrome, one of the main causes of intellectual disability and congenital heart defects in children. The study's findings were published today in Current Biology. |
 | Adding an adjuvant boosts vaccines ability to fight multiple flu strainsA team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University and Fudan University has found that adding a certain adjuvant to a vaccine increased its ability to fight multiple strains of influenza. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes using lipid components of a pulmonary surfactant to encapsulate the adjuvant to allow lung-resident alveolar macrophages to recognize it. Susanne Herold and Leif-Erik Sander with the Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center and the Berlin Institute of Health, respectively, have published a Perspective piece describing the work by the team in the same journal edition. |
 | Researchers discover Mediterranean diet ingredient may extend lifeResearchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School discover a potential new way in which diet influences aging-related diseases. |
 | Newly discovered immune cell type may be key to improving pancreatic cancer immunotherapyImmunotherapy is showing great promise for treating cancer. But so far, this approach has been effective in only about 20% of all cancers. To advance those results, researchers are looking for new ways to mobilize the immune system to destroy tumors. |
 | Study detects abnormally low levels of a key protein in brains of young men with autismUsing cutting-edge imaging technology, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have shown that the brains of young men with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have low levels of a protein that appears to play a role in inflammation and metabolism. This surprising discovery, which published online today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry provides an important new insight into the possible origins of ASD, which affects one in 59 children. |
 | Changing what heart cells eat could help them regenerateSwitching what the powerhouses of heart cells consume for energy could help the heart regenerate when cells die, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers suggests. The finding, published in the Feb. 20, 2020, Nature Metabolism, could open whole new avenues for treating a variety of conditions in which heart muscle becomes damaged, including heart failure caused by viruses, toxins, high blood pressure, or heart attacks. |
 | Hormone adjustment may lead to new ways to prevent and treat lung damage in premature infantsPrematurely born babies often need oxygen therapy to prevent brain damage or death. Unfortunately, excessive oxygen can damage immature lungs and cause severe life-long problems including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). A new study in the American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, provides insights into the important role that the hormone adrenomedullin plays in the development, recovery, and prevention of BPD and PH. |
 | Iron in brain shows cognitive decline in people with Parkinson'sA cutting-edge MRI technique to detect iron deposits in different brain regions can track declines in thinking, memory and movement in people with Parkinson's disease, finds a new UCL-led study. |
 | Traditional biomass stoves shown to cause lung inflammationTraditional stoves that burn biomass materials and are not properly ventilated, which are widely used in developing nations where cooking is done indoors, have been shown to significantly increase indoor levels of harmful PM2.5 (miniscule atmospheric particulates) and carbon monoxide (CO) and to stimulate biological processes that cause lung inflammation and may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. |
 | Delivering bad news: 'Patients remember these conversations forever'We've all feared hearing a doctor say, "We need to talk." |
 | DIY virus protection: Hong Kongers making own masks amid shortagesWith chronic face mask shortages in the midst of a virus outbreak, Hong Kongers have started making their own—with a pop-up production line and seamstresses churning them out on sewing machines. |
 | China says coronavirus vaccine trials to start around late AprilChina could start clinical trials for a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus around late April, an official said Friday. |
 | South Korea coronavirus cases jump over 200 as sect infections spikeSouth Korea's coronavirus cases nearly doubled Friday, rising above 200 and making it the worst-affected country outside China as the number of infections linked to a religious sect spiked. |
 | Virus hotspots emerge in Chinese prisonsMore than 500 cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in prisons across China, officials said Friday, fuelling concerns about new clusters of the epidemic. |
 | Two Australian evacuees positive for virus after being cleared in JapanTwo Australians evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for coronavirus on their return home despite being cleared in Japan, authorities said Friday. |
 | Young Chinese doctor dies of coronavirusA 29-year-old doctor at the epicentre of China's new coronavirus outbreak has died from the disease, one of the youngest known fatalities of the epidemic and the latest among medical workers. |
 | New virus outbreaks in China and abroad rekindle concernsAn eruption of new coronavirus cases in South Korea, Iran and Chinese hospitals and prisons rekindled concerns Friday about the spread of a deadly disease that has killed more than 2,200 people. |
 | ER patients may care less about a doctor's race and gender than previously thoughtWhen a patient arrives at an American emergency room today, they have a higher chance than ever before of seeing a doctor who's a woman or a person of color. And they're also more likely than ever to get a survey after they go home, asking how satisfied they were with their ER care. |
 | Study examines why colon cancer is more deadly in pediatric and young adult patientsColon cancer is more likely to be lethal in children and young adults than middle-aged adults. In a single-institution study, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Tex., found that differences in mortality rates persist regardless of whether pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients (aged 24 and younger) were born with a predisposition for colon abnormalities or disease and for the first time conclude that young people are more likely to have metastases outside the colon, into the abdominal cavity, when they are diagnosed. Their findings put families, clinicians, and surgeons on alert to be sure abdominal complaints in young people are thoroughly and carefully evaluated when first reported, and aggressively treated if cancer is discovered. Study findings appears in an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print. |
 | A nutraceutical formulation to fight hypertensionAdding a combination of three natural extracts to standard pharmacological treatments could help to fight hypertension, improving cardiovascular function, especially in those patients whose blood pressure is not well controlled. These are the conclusions of a study conducted by the Vascular Pathophysiology Laboratory of I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli, in collaboration with the Medical University of Salerno, Federico II University in Naples, I.R.C.C.S. Multimedica in Milan, and Sapienza University of Rome. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. |
 | 7-year study finds 40% increase in Medicare patients hospitalized with sepsisThe number of elderly Americans hospitalized for sepsis has surged in recent years, placing a significant financial strain on the nation's health care providers, according to a new federal study led by an Emory University critical care specialist Timothy Buchman, MD, PhD, FCCM. |
 | The US birth rate keeps declining: 4 questions answeredOver the last few decades, birth rates have decreased across the globe. |
 | Boomers have a drug problem, but not the kind you might thinkBaby boomers – that's anyone born in the U.S. between 1946 and 1964—are 20% of the population, more than 70 million Americans. Decades ago, many in that generation experimented with drugs that were both recreational and illegal. Although boomers may not be using those same drugs today, many are taking medications, often several of them. And even if those drugs are legal, there are still risks of interactions and side effects. |
 | Coronavirus: We need to start preparing for the next viral outbreak nowThe coronavirus outbreak is officially a crisis—let's not waste it. |
| What are viruses anyway, and why do they make us so sick?You may sometimes have felt like you "have come down with a virus," meaning that you became sick from being exposed to something that could have been a virus. In fact, you have a virus—actually, many—all the time. Some viruses cause the common cold, and some are crucial to human survival. New viruses can also emerge, and they typically create illness in humans when they have very recently jumped from another species to humans. As world health leaders try to determine how to respond to the new coronavirus, virus expert Marilyn J. Roossinck answers a few questions: |
 | Study shows impact of paternal marijuana exposure on the brains of offspringA male's marijuana use appears to alter sperm prior to mating, causing offspring to develop distinct abnormalities in areas of the brain that help govern learning, memory, reward and mood, according to a Duke-led study conducted on rats. |
 | Vaccine effectiveness 45 percent for flu virus linked to ARIThe overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) against any influenza virus associated with medically attended acute respiratory illness (ARI) is 45 percent for the current influenza season, according to research published in the Feb. 21 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Flu season that's sickened 26 million may be at its peakIt's been overshadowed by the new coronavirus outbreak in China, but this year's flu season could be near its peak after surging throughout the United States for months. |
 | 'Significant step' in COVID–19 vaccine questA University of Queensland team has met a key milestone in their fast-tracked research to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, COVID-19. |
 | New report shows illicit drug GHB deaths could be preventedGHB has gained popularity as an illicit recreational drug. A total of 74 GHB (Gamma hydroxybutyrate)-related deaths identified between 2000-2019 have been examined in a new report by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney. |
 | Post-transplant diabetes may be reversiblePost-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM), a common complication of immunosuppressive drugs that are given to prevent transplant rejection, may be reversible and at least partially preventable, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center report. |
 | Protein interactions and brain functionForty years since its discovery, much remains to be discovered about an enzyme called CaMKII that plays a key role in shaping learning and memory in the brain. |
 | Primary care services ease pressure on crowded emergency roomsNew research by Dr. Edward Pinchbeck from the Department of Economics at City, University of London provides evidence on the link between primary care and A&E use. |
 | Vaccines: How we make them, how they work, why we need themBetween the coughing, sneezing, stuffy noses and watery eyes, it's clear that we're in the midst of cold and flu season, which serves as an annual reminder of the critical role vaccines play in the fight against the spread of infectious disease. |
 | Secondhand smoke may be fueling rise of chronic liver disease in children and adultsSecondhand smoke, which is linked to cancer and other serious illnesses, may also be contributing to soaring rates of chronic liver disease in adults and children, a new USC study finds. |
 | Without more detail, it's premature to say voluntary assisted dying laws are 'working well'The Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board has this week published a report detailing the first six months of the legislation in action in Victoria. |
 | Is pain in your body or mind? How the answer can help guide your treatmentPeople often use the phrase "mind over matter" to describe situations where aches and pains in the body are overridden using the mind. A gardener comes in from gardening and is surprised to discover a nasty cut on her hand, something she wasn't aware of while focused on her plants. Or a soldier in Afghanistan is wounded by a bullet but feels little pain until he is safe in the infirmary. If pain was directly and entirely linked to bodily injury, these examples would be impossible. A cut would always lead to mild pain, whereas a gunshot wound would immediately cause severe pain. But this is not always the case. |
 | Using machine learning to find new antibioticsDespite growing concerns about antibiotic resistance, the discovery of new antibiotic drugs has slowed as new molecules become increasingly difficult to identify. But in a paper publishing February 20 in the journal Cell, researchers demonstrate a method to uncover new antibiotics quickly and efficiently through machine learning. |
 | A better diagnosis of rare diabetes to adapt treatmentDiabetes affects more than 400 million people worldwide and is a major public health problem. Although commonly referred to as a single disease, it actually constitutes a group of metabolic disorders with hyperglycaemia as a common feature. Of all its forms, monogenic diabetes—due to a mutation in one of the genes involved in the management of blood sugar levels—affects 1% to 4% of all cases of diabetes. Often confused with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, more than 90% of monogenic cases are misdiagnosed. A study carried out by scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Vilnius with more than 1,200 young diabetics allowed to accurately identify the proportion of monogenic diabetes in the whole pediatric diabetes population. Consequently, treatments were adjusted according to the genetic characteristics of the disease in order to improve patients' quality of life. The results that can be read in the journal Diabetes, highlight the need for precision medicine in the management of metabolic diseases. |
 | Mental health challenges four times higher in young mothersNew research from McMaster Children's Hospital shows that two out of three young mothers have at least one mental health problem. |
 | Study finds certain genetic tests not useful in predicting heart disease riskA Polygenic Risk Score—a genetic assessment that doctors have hoped could predict coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients—has been found not to be a useful predictive biomarker for disease risk, according to a Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
 | Cross-talk between enzymes that read and correct recipes in the cookbook of lifeDNA is the hereditary material in humans, a unique cookbook of who we are. This is where you'll find the answer as to why you have your specific eye and hair colour, or perhaps why you sunburn easily. |
 | Intervention is essential for reducing loneliness and social isolation in ASDThroughout typical development children must be surrounded by peers both for their well-being and for ample growth of their cognitive, linguistic, and social skills. In children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), peer interaction is a core deficit. More specifically, young children with ASD (preschoolers) do not appear to show the same patterns as their typically developing counterparts along the three key domains associated with efficient peer interaction—social interactive skills, play, and conversation. |
 | Autism eye scan could lead to early detectionA new eye scan could help identify autism in children years earlier than currently possible. |
| WHO says window of opportunity to stem virus 'narrowing' as cases soarThe World Health Organization warned Friday that the window to stem the deadly coronavirus outbreak was shrinking, amid concern over a surge in cases with no clear link to China. |
 | The practice of meditation leaves marks in the brainA new study conducted at IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca, shows that the subjective feeling of well-being experienced by many people with the practice of meditation is correlated with specific changes in the brain. The research, which appeared in Brain and Cognition, examined the effects of the technique known as Transcendental Meditation (TM), which consists of silent repetition of a meaningless sound, a "mantra." |
 | Despite burdens most pediatricians very supportive of national vaccination programDespite bureaucratic hurdles, the vast majority of pediatricians want to keep participating in a national program that provides vaccinations at no cost to children who are on Medicaid, uninsured, or who are American Indian/Alaska Native, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. |
 | CDC: 19.2 percent of unpaid caregivers in fair, poor health(HealthDay)—Almost 20 percent of informal caregivers in the United States report being in fair or poor health, with considerable variation between states, according to research published in the Feb. 21 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | AI imaging analysis prognostic in coronary artery disease(HealthDay)—Reduced myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) are prognostic for patients with coronary artery disease, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Circulation. |
 | Dengue virus infection may increase risk for developing leukemia(HealthDay)—Dengue virus infection is associated with an increased risk for leukemia, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. |
 | Can men dine their way to higher sperm counts?(HealthDay)—Listen up, guys: A healthy diet is good for your brain and heart, and also your sperm, new research suggests. |
 | Dermatopathologists favor making pathologic reports available(HealthDay)—Most dermatopathologists perceive that making pathologic test result reports available to patients is a good idea, although they are concerned about increasing patient worry and confusion, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in JAMA Dermatology. |
 | New coronavirus cases shutter Italian villageBars, schools and offices in a small northern Italian town are shutting down for up to five days to try to quell fears over six cases of the new coronavirus. |
 | Walking together: Personal traits and first impressions affects step synchronizationWalking is one of our most natural, daily actions. Now, a new study led by a Tohoku University researcher suggests that walkers use step synchronization as a form of non-verbal social communication. The results lend credence to the effects of psychological traits on movement interaction between humans. |
 | Mayo researchers recommend all women with breast cancer diagnosis under age 66 be offered genetic testingA study by researchers at Mayo Clinic published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that all women with a breast cancer diagnosis under the age of 66 be offered germline genetic testing to determine if they have a gene mutation known to increase the risk of developing other cancers and cancers among blood relatives. Current guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommend germline testing for all women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 46 regardless of their family history and breast cancer subtype. |
 | When should you get a cardiologist?As we get older, it's hard not to notice that an increasing number of our peers and older friends start having heart attacks. |
 | Brush your way to heart healthPoor oral health has been debated as a possible cause of heart disease for many years. Some research suggests that heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke might be linked to the inflammation and infections caused by oral bacteria. |
 | Study: Optimism after stroke may speed up healingStroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States, according to the American Stroke Association. But initial research shows that being optimistic in the period after it happens indicates a faster recovery and reduced disability is possible. |
 | For weight-loss surgery patients who quit smoking, relapse is commonAlthough 1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes the year prior to undergoing weight-loss surgery, nearly all successfully quit at least a month before their operation. However, smoking prevalence steadily climbs to pre-surgery levels within seven years, according to new research led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. |
 | Mechanical clot removal without clot busters may be sufficient stroke treatmentSkipping IV clot-busters and using mechanical clot removal alone for strokes may be just as good as the combination of both treatments, with less risk of brain bleeding, according to late breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020. |
 | Surgeons successfully treat brain aneurysms using a robotUsing a robot to treat brain aneurysms is feasible and could allow for improved precision when placing stents, coils and other devices, according to late breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020 . |
 | Lipid signaling from beta cells can potentiate an inflammatory macrophage polarizationDo the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas unwittingly produce a signal that aids their own demise in Type 1 diabetes? |
| 10 Italian towns in lockdown over coronavirus fearsAuthorities in northern Italy on Friday ordered the closure of schools, bars and other public spaces in 10 towns following a flurry of new coronavirus cases. |
 | South Korea becomes newest front in shifting virus outbreakCases of a new virus swelled Friday in South Korea, making the country the newest front in a widening global outbreak centered in China and now reverberating elsewhere. |
 | Iran reports 2 more deaths, 13 new cases of new coronavirusIranian health authorities on Friday reported two more deaths from the new virus that emerged in China and said the fatalities were from among 13 new confirmed cases of the virus in Iran. |
 | Guidelines for thyroid surgery publishedThe first set of comprehensive, evidence-based clinical guidelines for surgical treatment of thyroid disease - developed by an expert panel assembled by the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) - was published today by Annals of Surgery. |
| Lebanon announces first novel coronavirus caseThe first case of the novel coronavirus in Lebanon was confirmed on Friday, the health minister said, adding that two other suspected cases were being investigated. |
 | Israel confirms first coronavirus case in cruise ship returneeIsrael confirmed Friday its first case of new coronavirus in a citizen who flew home from Japan earlier this week after being quarantined on the stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess. |
Leg pain medication may prevent re-blockage of neck arteries after a stentAdding cilostazol—an antiplatelet medication used to treat leg pain—tended to prevent re-blockage of carotid artery stents within two years, according to late breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020. | |
Secondary analysis confirms safety of blood thinning agentTreatment with the blood thinner apixaban was associated with a lower risk of bleeding, death and hospitalization compared with warfarin, regardless of history of prior stroke or blood clot, according to a secondary analysis presented as late breaking science today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020. | |
Study finds trend toward benefit in using blood-clotting agent for bleeding strokeA common medication that reduces bleeding could be a treatment for bleeding stroke, particularly if administered quickly, according to late breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020. | |
 | Telemonitoring plus phone counseling lowers blood pressure among black and Hispanic stroke survivorsAdding phone-based lifestyle counseling to home blood pressure telemonitoring is an effective strategy to improve long-term blood pressure control among minority stroke survivors with uncontrolled high blood pressure, according to late breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020. |
Biology news
 | Newly found bacteria fights climate change, soil pollutantsCornell researchers have found a new species of soil bacteria—which they named in memory of the Cornell professor who first discovered it—that is particularly adept at breaking down organic matter, including the cancer-causing chemicals that are released when coal, gas, oil and refuse are burned. |
 | Smaller animals faced surprisingly long odds in ancient oceansA new fossil study from Stanford University shows extinction was unexpectedly common among smaller sea creatures in the deep past. |
 | We must prioritize the protection of ecosystemsPrioritising and tracking the protection of countries' ecosystems—from wetlands to reefs, forests and more—is critical to protecting Earth's biodiversity. |
 | Seafloor images reveal the secret lives of spongesYou might think that deep-sea sponges would be about as active as the one sitting in your kitchen sink. But when it comes to motion at the bottom of the ocean, there is more than meets the eye. Time-lapse photography taken over 30 years reveals that certain seafloor animals once thought to be static are actually expanding, contracting, tumbling, and rolling across the seafloor—just very slowly. |
 | Genetic study uncovers clues to explain how killifish stop aging during diapauseA team of researchers at Stanford University working with others from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and The University of British Columbia has uncovered some clues regarding how the African killifish is able to pause the aging process during a diapause. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes a genetic analysis they conducted with the fish and what they learned from it. Marc Van Gilst with the University of Washington has published a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue. |
 | Frozen bird turns out to be 46,000-year-old horned larkScientists have recovered DNA from a well-preserved horned lark found in Siberian permafrost. The results can contribute to explaining the evolution of sub species, as well as how the mammoth steppe transformed into tundra, forest and steppe biomes at the end of the last Ice Age. |
 | Tools used to study human disease reveal coral disease risk factorsIn a study published in Scientific Reports, a team of international researchers led by University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa postdoctoral fellow Jamie Caldwell used a statistical technique typically employed in human epidemiology to determine the ecological risk factors affecting the prevalence of two coral diseases—growth anomalies, abnormalities like coral tumors, and white syndromes, infectious diseases similar to flesh eating bacteria. |
 | Why do whales migrate? They return to the tropics to shed their skin, scientists sayWhales undertake some of the longest migrations on earth, often swimming many thousands of miles, over many months, to breed in the tropics. The question is why—is it to find food, or to give birth? |
 | Brain cells protect muscles from wasting awayWhile many of us worry about proteins aggregating in our brains as we age and potentially causing Alzheimer's disease or other types of neurodegeneration, we may not realize that some of the same proteins are aggregating in our muscles, setting us up for muscle atrophy in old age. |
 | DNA-tagging strategy for early detection of disease signaturesResearchers can uncover how proteins interact with other proteins with far greater sensitivity and in a more natural context than conventional methods, thanks to an analytic technique developed by a RIKEN team. This will make it easier to discover the roles that protein-coding genes play and to diagnose conditions such as autoimmune diseases. |
 | How do we protect our unique biodiversity from megafires?This summer's devastating Australian fires and their continuing impact on biodiversity serve as a stark reminder of the challenges in nature conservation as we head into an increasingly volatile future driven by climate change. |
 | Forest management that factors in stream distance would help protect arthropodsThe structure of vegetation and stream distance are important factors to consider in order to protect the biodiversity of forest arthropods, as stated in an article now published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management. The study concludes that farther from a river course, the conditions are better for the communities of arthropods in the forests, since they need a cool and wet microclimate. |
 | 'Feline grimace scale' publishedWhen your cat folds back its ears, closes its eyes, puts its whiskers forward or tucks its head between the shoulders, it's most likely a sign that it's feeling pain. But how much pain? |
 | Antibiotics in animals: More research urgently neededA special issue of Animal Health Research Reviews turns the spotlight on the science underlying this growing crisis—looking at the evidence base for using antibiotics to prevent illness in beef and dairy cattle, swine, and broiler poultry. |
 | New torula yeast product as digestible as fish meal in weanling pig dietsStarting weanling pigs off with the right diet can make all the difference for the health and productivity of the animal. A new University of Illinois study shows amino acids from a new torula yeast product are more digestible by young pigs than amino acids from fish meal. |
 | Deciphering the mechanism that determines organ size and shapeA study by IRB Barcelona's Development and Growth Control Laboratory, headed by ICREA researcher Marco Milán, reveals how Dpp and Wg morphogens regulate organ proportions and patterning of the fly wing through independent mechanisms. Given that these morphogens are present in vertebrates, these results are highly significant for understanding the development and growth of human limbs. "The regulatory mechanism that we describe in this study may pave the way to new research lines on malformations and congenital diseases in humans," says Marco Milán. |
 | Study reveals hidden risks of estuary development for young salmonA Simon Fraser University-led research team has found significant evidence that human activity in estuaries is impacting juvenile Pacific and Atlantic salmon. The team's review of 167 peer-reviewed studies (from an initial search of 13,000) identified negative impacts from several stressors, including the effects of flood-protecting tidal gates, pollution and habitat modification. |
 | The strategy of cells to deal with the accumulation of misfolded proteins is identifiedA new article by the Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle research group at UPF identifies the main strategy of cells to deal with the accumulation of misfolded proteins. In the paper, published today in the journal Cell Reports, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe yeast model has been used to investigate the protein quality control process. The study was led by Elena Hidalgo, and postdoctoral researchers Margarita Cabrera and Susanna Boronat are its first authors. |
 | Transporter mutation alters cell energyThe cotransporter NKCC1 moves sodium, potassium and chloride ions across the cell membrane and has roles regulating cell volume, epithelial transport and neuronal excitability. |
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