Dear Reader ,
Explore how today's simulation specialists are bringing the power of multiphysics to everyone in this free eBook from COMSOL Multiphysics: https://www.comsol.com/
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 11, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Exoplanets' complex orbital structure points to planetary migration in solar systemsThe four planets of the Kepler-223 star system seem to have little in common with the planets of Earth's own solar system. And yet a new study shows that the Kepler-223 system is trapped in an orbital configuration that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune may have broken from in the early history of the solar system. |
 | Metal content in early galaxies challenges star forming theoryAn International team led by scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland used the W. M. Keck Observatory to study the role of star formation rates in metal contents of distant galaxies. What they discovered is the amount of metals are very similar, irrespective of galaxies' star formation activity, raising new questions about star-forming theory. Their findings were recently published in the Astrophysical Journal. |
 | SpaceX Dragon departs space station, heads home with cargoA SpaceX capsule headed back to Earth on Wednesday with precious science samples from NASA's one-year space station resident. |
 | Silicate stardust traces histories of dust in the galaxyNASA scientists are revealing the histories of dust particles from dying stars that roved the Galaxy for millions of years before the sun and planets formed. These stardust grains survived the harsh environment of deep space and were found in meteorites on Earth. |
 | SpaceX Dragon returns to Earth with precious science loadA SpaceX capsule returned to Earth on Wednesday with precious science samples from NASA's one-year space station resident. |
 | Changes in strength of Earth's magnetic field mappedWith more than two years of measurements by ESA's Swarm satellite trio, changes in the strength of Earth's magnetic field are being mapped in detail. |
 | Galileo satellites fuelled for flightEurope's latest Galileo satellites have been filled with fuel in preparation for their joint launch on a Soyuz rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on 24 May. |
 | New test by deepest galaxy map finds Einstein's theory stands trueBy using Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Subaru Telescope, an international team led by Japanese researchers has made a 3D map of 3000 galaxies 13 billion light years from Earth (Figure 1). Based on this comprehensive survey, the first of such a study at this great distance, the team was able to confirm that Einstein's general theory of relativity is still valid. |
 | Do no harm to life on Mars? Ethical limits of the 'Prime Directive'NASA's chief scientist recently announced that "…we're going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade, and I think we're going to have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years." Such a discovery would clearly rank as one of the most important in human history and immediately open up a series of complex social and moral questions. One of the most profound concerns is about the moral status of extraterrestrial life forms. Since humanities scholars are only just now beginning to think critically about these kinds of post-contact questions, naïve positions are common. |
 | Image: The eye of Saturn's stormSitting at Saturn's south pole is a vortex of monstrous proportions. The dark 'eye' of this feature is some 8000 km across, or about two thirds the diameter of Earth. |
 | Image: Space suit vacuum testScheduled for launch in November, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is travelling the world preparing for his six-month adventure on the International Space Station. At NASA's Johnson Space Center, in Houston, USA, Thomas is putting his spacesuit to the ultimate test on Earth: all the air is pumped out from the Space Station Airlock Test Article to create a vacuum like he would encounter in outer space. |
 | NASA image: Mercury transitOn May 9, 2016, Mercury passed directly between the sun and Earth. |
Technology news
 | Hyperloop Transportation Technologies highlighting passive magnetic levitationHyperloop Transportation Technologies on Monday announced their technology approach to bring a transport levitation system to fruition. They are using something called passive magnetic levitation. |
 | Real-time influenza tracking with 'big data'Early detection and prediction of influenza outbreaks is critical to minimizing their impact. Currently, flu-like illnesses are tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but with a time lag of one to two weeks. Now, a team led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital shows that cloud-based data from electronic health records (EHRs) can be used to pick up cases in real time, at least one week ahead of CDC reporting. |
 | 3-D Printing 101It's been more than 30 years since the invention of 3-D printing, and yet in some ways the technology is still a frontier of unexplored potential. |
 | Technique processes RFID signals rapidly for real-time interactivityRadio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are designed primarily for inventory control, but researchers at Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University have found a way to process the tag signals with sufficient speed to make them suitable for use in games, physical interfaces and other interactive objects. |
 | Altering a robot's gender and social roles may be a screen change awayRobots can keep their parts and still change their gender, according to Penn State researchers, who noted that the arrival of robots with screens has made it easier to assign distinct personalities. |
 | Paper gets 'smart' with drawn-on, stenciled sensor tagsA piece of paper is one of the most common, versatile daily items. Children use it to draw their favorite animals and practice writing the A-B-Cs, and adults print reports or scribble a hasty grocery list. |
 | Samsung Gear expands virtual-reality arsenalVirtual reality specialist Oculus is trying to dazzle consumers by adding more entertainment and educational options to the Samsung Gear headset in hopes of transforming the technological curiosity into a cultural phenomenon. |
 | Hyperloop One test bodes well for transit's fast futureThe possible future of transit zipped along a short track in the desert outside Las Vegas on Wednesday before sliding to a stop in a bed of sand, sending up a tan wave. |
 | French national rail backs futuristic HyperloopHyperloop One startup, intent on zipping people along at near-supersonic speeds in pressurized tubes, announced Tuesday that the French national rail company had joined its growing list of backers. |
 | High-tech devices take cheating to new level in Thai schoolsGlasses with embedded cameras and smartwatches with stored information seem like regular spy equipment for the likes of James Bond, but for three students applying to medical school in Thailand, they were high-technology cheating devices. |
Don't be fooled; FCC's set-top box rules good for consumers, industryYou may soon be able to use your Apple TV, Roku box or even your smart television to tune in pay TV programs. | |
Growing firm bringing color to the colorblindFifth-grader Vineeth Prabhuvenkatesh has always had trouble differentiating colors. He is among the 8 percent of males who have some sort of color vision deficiency, which is most often marked by an inability to differentiate particular colors, according to the National Institutes of Health. | |
Uber drivers welcome big settlement, but here's what they're still missingAfter a morning spent driving for Uber in his neighborhood last October, James Welton returned from lunch to find he couldn't get back into the ride service app. Without warning, he'd been deactivated. | |
 | Why people are falling for Amazon's EchoOn Christmas Day, Liz Philips and her two sons Sutton, 8, and Greyson, 10, welcomed a new member into their San Diego home. They called her Alexa, and though not your traditional bundle of joy, she was immediately embraced as a permanent resident and much-loved companion. |
Startups turn to crowdfundingWhen Oakland startup MegaBots needed cash to give its 15-foot-tall, 12,000-pound combat robot more firepower, the company put out a call for help online. | |
System harnesses thousands of network cameras for public safetyPurdue researchers have developed a prototype system that could allow law enforcement and public safety agencies to tap into thousands of cameras located in numerous venues including parking garages, college campuses, national parks and highways. | |
 | Little projectors that pack a big punchAn image projected on a slanted or curved surface appears distorted and can appear out of focus in some areas. A high-intensity mini-projector about the size of a Euro cent coin from the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena, Germany can now correct for this effect. The projector's secret: Hundreds on tiny lenses inspired by the model of an insect's compound eye. |
 | Changes in solar cell technologyA laser-based manufacturing process from the Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg, Germany is revolutionizing the photovoltaics market. For the first time point-contacted solar cells can be manufactured in series. Several million cells with significantly higher efficiency levels are already on the market. |
 | Pedalling into video game futureNicholas Graham (Computing) and his team of researchers in the EQUIS Laboratory have developed a new way to get video game players moving - by turning pedal power from a stationary bike into in-game powerups for players. |
 | Process analysis in real timeThe automated detection of products or by-products directly during the process has become an indispensable part of monitoring production processes. Mass spectrometry is a quick and selective method of analyzing compounds in technical, chemical and biotechnical applications – simultaneously, with a high degree of sensitivity, and over an extremely large measurement range. Besides the identification of compounds, this method also makes it possible to evaluate the ion currents quantitatively. By means of integrated data evaluation, concentrations of the monitored substances can be determined and changes of concentration – for example in chemical or biochemical reactions – can be measured and recorded. |
 | Digital radio for the worldDigital radio makes spherics and crackling interference in radio broadcast a thing of the past. New technologies from Fraunhofer IIS make it possible for digital radio to replace analogue short and medium wave broadcasting around the world. Even local FM transmissions are being converted to digital. As a result, Digital radio listeners benefit from clear reception, a wider range of programming, and additional information via data services without having to pay for a costly Internet connection. |
 | America is 'dropping cyberbombs'—but how do they work?Recently, United States Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work publicly confirmed that the Pentagon's Cyber Command was "dropping cyberbombs," taking its ongoing battle against the Islamic State group into the online world. Other American officials, including President Barack Obama, have discussed offensive cyber activities, too. |
 | Microsoft exec: No silver bullet to fight terror on internet (Update)A Microsoft executive told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that "there is no silver bullet that will stop terrorist use of the Internet." |
 | Microsoft tells UN more can be done to combat digital terrorMicrosoft told the United Nations on Wednesday that technology companies can do more to combat digital terror, but warned there was no single solution to prevent terrorists from using the web. |
 | Seen as global first, Swiss town to accept bitcoin paymentsA Swiss town that is billing itself as a hub for the digital currency industry will accept bitcoin for some payments starting this summer, in what proponents call a worldwide first by a government body and a sign that "crypto finance" is growing in legitimacy. |
 | 'Sextortion,' a new cyber crime, is common: studySextortion—using nude photos of someone to press for even racier content or other goods—is surprisingly common, a US think tank says in what it calls the first in-depth study of another danger lurking in cyberspace. |
The Latest: Firm gives glimpse of super-speed transportationThe Latest on Hyperloop One's demonstration of its propulsion system (all times local): | |
 | Innovative traffic interchanges help drivers avoid crashes, save livesThe state of Missouri is a pioneer in adopting Diverging Diamond Interchanges (DDIs) named for their innovative design. At these interchanges drivers are diverted to the left side of the road prior to merging onto an interstate, freeway or highway. The first such interchange in the U.S. opened in Springfield, Mo. in 2009. Recent studies from the University of Missouri have found that these unusual designs are safer and save lives. |
Solar plane on global trip headed to Oklahoma from ArizonaA solar-powered airplane that landed in Arizona last week after a daylong flight from California is headed to Oklahoma next on the latest leg of its around-the-world journey, project officials announced Wednesday. | |
 | Crowd-augmented cognition: Team develops tools that combine human and machine intelligence to accelerate learningCrowdsourcing has brought us Wikipedia and ways to understand how HIV proteins fold. It also provides an increasingly effective means for teams to write software, perform research or accomplish small repetitive digital tasks. |
In a connected world, privacy becomes a group effortAs the world grows more social and connects more online, privacy management is becoming more collaborative, according to Penn State researchers. | |
 | GOP presses Facebook over links to conservative storiesSenate Republicans on Tuesday demanded an explanation from Facebook after reports that former company staffers excluded links to conservative political stories. |
 | Disney shutting Infinity game unit, cutting 300 jobsDisney said Tuesday it is shutting down its Disney Infinity line of video games, saying the changing market is too risky. |
The clustering effect: Replicating CITyFiED technologies in 11 city districtsThe project's model for evaluation of replication potential is a framework to help CITyFiED city cluster to review their individual replication potential of the technologies implemented on the demo sites. | |
 | EU regulator blocks takeover of UK mobile phone operator O2The European Union's regulator has blocked the $15 billion takeover of British mobile phone operator O2 by CK Hutchison over concerns the deal would have stifled innovation and led to higher prices for consumers. |
New products and solutions to electric commercial vehiclesThere is an increasing need and demand for sustainable and cost-efficient technologies in public transport, logistics and industrial production. Electrification and hybridisation of commercial vehicles and mobile machinery offers cost-effective solutions to these and potential gains for process owners and operators. The ECV project entity, coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has brought together a large number of businesses, research institutions and universities in the field. ECV has contributed in creating domestic products and markets for electric commercial vehicles in the whole value chain from components to systems. The aim of ECV has been to support in the process developing new competitive export products such as electric buses and mobile machinery. | |
Germany to scrap rules on wi-fi network operator liabilityGermany's governing coalition has agreed to scrap rules which hold the operators of private wi-fi networks liable for illegal downloads and other violations of the law by users, paving the way for more hotspots in bars, restaurants and hotels. | |
Facebook tells Thai users their data not given to governmentFacebook is seeking to reassure Thai users that it safeguards their private data, after a series of arrests raised concerns the social network had failed to protect personal information from Thailand's military government. | |
 | Google to ban payday lending ads, calling industry 'harmful'Internet giant Google said Wednesday it will ban all ads from payday lenders, calling the industry "deceptive" and "harmful." |
French teen's streamed suicide on Periscope leads to inquiry (Update)French authorities have opened an investigation after a teenager allegedly live-streamed video of her suicide on the popular app Periscope. | |
 | AP Explains: Bias complaints on Facebook's 'trending' toolWhat's behind the accusations that Facebook is manipulating its "trending topics" feature to promote or suppress certain political perspectives? |
 | Review: You can channel-surf online, but you may miss cableIt might feel cathartic to ditch your cable TV company. But if you're looking to channel-surf online, you're going to find services such as Sling TV or PlayStation Vue coming up short in some respects. |
 | What you get from Dish and Sony online TV channelsDish's Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue both offer ways to watch traditional TV channels over the Internet without a cable box or satellite dish. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Scientists find genes associated with educational attainmentAn international group of 253 scientists has conducted one of the largest genetic studies to date and identified 74 genetic variants that are associated with the years of formal education that an individual completes. |
 | Gut model HuMiX works like the real thingOne of the most complex human organs is the digestive tract: Here, the body comes into contact with all manner of diet-derived compounds and with countless bacteria. Scientists from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg in collaboration with colleagues at the Luxembourg Institute of Health and the University of Arizona in the United States have now proven that a model of the human gut they have developed and patented - HuMiX - is representative of the actual conditions and processes that occur within our intestines. With HuMiX, the researchers can analyse the complex interactions between human cells and bacteria, predict their effects on health or disease onset, and study the action of probiotics and drugs. The researchers publish their findings today in the journal Nature Communications. |
 | Study identifies new gene variants that may be targets for treating arrhythmiaMany diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and schizophrenia, tend to be passed down through families. After researchers sequenced the human genome about 15 years ago, they had high hopes that this trove of information would reveal the genes that underlie these strongly heritable diseases. |
 | Crosstalk between left and right brain is key to language developmentProper communication between the left and right sides of the brain is critical for the development of advanced language skills, according to new research by UC San Francisco scientists. In most people, areas related to language processing are located in the brain's left hemisphere. The researchers suggest that autism-like problems with language comprehension seen in people with defective connections between the two hemispheres may occur because these individuals tend to use the right side of the brain to process language instead of the left. |
 | Study shows new potential marker for obesityA new study led by University of Kentucky researchers and published in Nature shows a potential new biological marker for the development of obesity and a possible target for obesity prevention and treatment. |
 | Mouse models of Zika in pregnancy show how fetuses become infectedTwo mouse models of Zika virus infection in pregnancy have been developed by a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In them, the virus migrated from the pregnant mouse's bloodstream into the placenta, where it multiplied, then spread into the fetal circulation and infected the brains of the developing pups. |
 | Synthetic sugar-based molecule activates the immune system and could serve as a vaccine against C. difficile bacteriaA vaccine against one of the most dangerous hospital germs may soon be available. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and the Freie Universität Berlin have developed a substance that elicits an immune response against the gut bacterium Clostridium difficile. The potential vaccine resembles the sugar structures presented on the surface of the bacterium and therefore primes the immune system to recognize the pathogen itself. C. difficile infects a large proportion of patients in hospitals and kills around 15,000 people a year in the USA alone. Doctors could treat the infection with antibiotics, but the bacterium mutates constantly, allowing it to escape the effects of the drugs. The discovery by the Max Planck researchers may pave the way for developing inexpensive and effective vaccines and drugs against C. difficile. |
 | A study asks: Too much folic acid a cause of autism?For decades, pregnant women and women who may become pregnant have been advised to take folic acid to help prevent certain birth defects. |
 | Brazilian Zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental modelsResearchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Brazil and Senegal, have described the first "direct experimental proof" that the Brazilian strain of Zika virus can actually cause severe birth defects. The findings are published in the May 11 online issue of Nature. |
 | Brain imaging links Alzheimer's decline to tau proteinA buildup of plaque and dysfunctional proteins in the brain are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. While much Alzheimer's research has focused on accumulation of the protein amyloid beta, researchers have begun to pay closer attention to another protein, tau, long associated with this disease but not studied as thoroughly, in part, because scientists only recently have developed effective ways to image tau. |
 | Survey: Common asthma warnings overlookedA new national asthma survey commissioned by National Jewish Health shows that many adults are unaware of common symptoms of asthma in adults. Doctors say that the findings explain why many adults with asthma may not realize that they have the disease, and don't seek treatment that can help them. |
 | Why bad experiences are remembered out of contextBad experiences can cause people to strongly remember the negative content itself but only weakly remember the surrounding context, and a new UCL study funded by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust has revealed how this happens in the brain. |
 | Level of self-control linked to environmentWhat should you do after a difficult day at work? Many people would take a peaceful walk in nature, but this may not be a wise choice for everyone. |
 | Link between weekend hospital staffing and patient deaths represents 'major oversimplification', say two new studiesThe 'weekend effect' - that patients admitted to hospital over the weekend are at an increased risk of death - overshadows a much more complex pattern of weekly changes in quality of care, which are unlikely to be addressed by simply increasing the availability of hospital doctors on Saturdays and Sundays, according to two new studies published in The Lancet. |
 | Agreement high for prognostic cancer screening tools(HealthDay)—For cancer screening in Medicare beneficiaries, there is substantial agreement for different prognostic tools for short- and long-term survival, according to a study published online April 30 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. |
 | What a change in DEA's pot rules might mean for medical research(HealthDay)—Most doctors approach medical marijuana with a great deal of uncertainty, because drug laws have hindered researchers' ability to figure out what pot can and can't do for sick patients. |
 | Legal limits for driving on pot not backed by science, study showsLegal blood limits for marijuana are not an accurate way to measure whether someone was driving while impaired, and can lead to unsafe drivers going free while others are wrongfully convicted, according to a new study. |
Walking ability predictor of adverse outcomes following cardiac surgeryAmong more than 15,000 patients who underwent cardiac surgery, slow gait speed before surgery was associated an increased risk of death following surgery, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology. | |
Self-harm, unintentional injury in bipolar disorder for patients on lithium, other drugsTaking lithium was associated with reduced rates of self-harm and unintentional injury in patients with bipolar disorder compared with other commonly prescribed maintenance treatments, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry. | |
 | Is addiction a brain disease?The opioid abuse epidemic is a full-fledged item in the 2016 campaign, and with it questions about how to combat the problem and treat people who are addicted. |
Study could boost effectiveness of chemotherapy in the treatment of lymphomaA study by scientists at the University of Glasgow, which reveals the critical role a common cancer-associated gene plays in lymphoma development, could lead to improved treatments for a range of cancers. | |
 | When patients choose, they lose weight and reduce diabetes riskMore than 80 million Americans have prediabetes, increasing their chances of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
Algorithms that can predict epileptic seizuresComputer scientists and mathematicians at the CEU Cardenal Herrera University in Valencia have developed a prediction model that can warn epileptic sufferers of an upcoming seizure with 20 minutes notice. | |
 | Stem cell gene therapy for fatal childhood disease ready for human trialScientists in Manchester, who have developed a stem cell gene therapy to reverse a fatal childhood illness, have agreed to work with a new therapeutics company to test it in a human trial. |
 | Fetal mice with Zika infection get microcephalyMouse fetuses injected with the Asian Zika virus strain and carried to term within their pregnant mothers display the characteristic features of microcephaly, researchers in China report May 11 in Cell Stem Cell. As expected, the virus infected the neural progenitor cells, and infected brains reveal expression of genes related to viral entry, altered immune response, and cell death. The authors say this is direct evidence that Zika infection causes microcephaly in a mammalian animal model. |
 | Salt reduction yields extra benefits for type 2 diabetes patientsIn these patients, a reduction in salt intake led to a significant fall in blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion, a marker of cardiovascular disease. The reduction in urinary albumin excretion may carry additional benefits in reducing cardiovascular disease above the effects on blood pressure. |
Early walking in toddlers linked to stronger bonesChildren who start to walk and jump earlier are more likely to have stronger bones later on in life, research shows. | |
 | Repair cartilage potentially can heal horribly broken bonesStem cells could one day be stimulated to make a special type of cartilage to help repair large, hard-to-heal bone fractures – a potential boon for doctors treating big-money athletes, USC researchers say. |
 | Greater social media use tied to higher risk of eating and body image concernsLogging on to social media sites frequently throughout the week or spending hours trolling various social feeds during the day is linked to a greater risk of young adults developing eating and body image concerns, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analysis discovered. |
New brain research may help treat single-sided deafnessA new discovery could help people suffering with single-sided deafness (SSD) find a treatment quicker - and could potentially lead to a cure. | |
Social objects in the brainA new study from IMC researchers Kristian Tylén, Riccardo Fusaroli, and Andreas Roepstorff, published in the scientific journal NeuroImage, used LEGO bricks to investigate the neurocognitive underpinnings of our engagements with symbolic objects. The study suggests that we experience symbolic objects as social entities. | |
 | Heart attacks trending down, but low-income communities still lagging behindWhile heart attack rates across all income levels have declined significantly over the last 15 years, people living in low-income communities are still more likely to be hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a new study published by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the journal JAMA Cardiology. |
Validation of an IHC screening tool for ROS1 gene rearrangementsImmunohistochemistry (IHC) is an effective tool that can be used for identifying proto-oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) gene rearrangements and screening patients for the administration of the targeted therapy crizotinib, a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor. | |
Ways to improve patient comfort during skin cancer screeningNew research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests two simple ways dermatologists can make patients more comfortable during full-body skin cancer checks: respect patient preferences for the physician's gender as well as whether, and how, they prefer to have their genitals examined. The findings are published online today in JAMA Dermatology. | |
 | New research shows sensitivity to oxidative stress is not always linked to agingA study published in the US journal, Aging by the University of Surrey and University of Rochester has made an important breakthrough in understanding the impact of oxygen exposure on the aging process of mammal cells. The findings of the research could pave the way for better understanding of the ageing process in humans and new treatments against ageing-associated diseases. |
Doctors raise concerns after elderly Indian woman gives birthDoctors in India on Wednesday raised ethical and health concerns after a woman gave birth to her first child in her 70s, following two years of IVF treatment. | |
 | Skeptics question study suggesting folate link to autismSkeptics were quick to urge caution Wednesday about US research that suggested too much of an important B vitamin, folate, in pregnancy may raise the risk of autism. |
 | Canadian professor: Olympics should be postponed due to ZikaWith the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro less than three months away, a Canadian professor has called for the Olympics to be postponed or moved because of the Zika outbreak, warning the influx of visitors to Brazil will result in the avoidable birth of malformed babies. |
 | A 'communication breakdown' during general anesthesiaIt's a topic that has long captivated doctors, scientists and the public—what exactly happens in your brain when you're oblivious on the operating table? |
 | Lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assay for detecting TB in HIV+ adultsAn international review team has prepared a Cochrane systematic review to assess the accuracy of a point-of-care urine test for diagnosing and screening tuberculosis (TB) in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). |
 | When Zika hits, a push for birth control and abortion?There's little doubt: Zika is coming to the continental United States, bringing frightening birth defects—and, most likely, newly urgent discussions about abortion and contraception. |
 | As exposure to chemical rises, so does risk of ending breastfeeding earlyIn recent years, the ubiquitous industrial chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has come under scrutiny for a variety of possible health problems including cancer and increased child adiposity. Now a study links maternal blood levels of the substance to early termination of breastfeeding. |
Same-day HIV treatment improves health outcomes, study findsA clinical trial of same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV patients in South Africa led to a higher proportion of people starting treatment and to better health outcomes, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher. | |
 | Quality of life meets cure for prostate cancer treatmentRemember the game Operation? You need to carefully remove the body part without nicking the sides or the buzzer will sound. |
 | Genetic variants may put some soldiers at higher risk of PTSDIn a massive analysis of DNA samples from more than 13,000 U.S. soldiers, scientists have identified two statistically significant genetic variants that may be associated with an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an often serious mental illness linked to earlier exposure to a traumatic event, such as combat and an act of violence. |
 | Treating sleep apnea could reduce emergencies in hospitalized patientsAccording to research published today in PLOS ONE, treating high-risk hospitalized patients for sleep apnea may decrease the frequency of emergency rescues from hospital personnel, known as rapid response events. |
Neighborhoods with more takeaways amplify social inequalities in unhealthy eating and obesityPeople who live or work near to a greater number of takeaway outlets are more likely to eat more takeaway food and to be overweight, but new research indicates that neighbourhoods that are saturated with fast food outlets may be particularly unhealthy for people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. | |
 | A brief history of syphilis points to a neglected disease in sub-Saharan AfricaIt is known that syphilis rates have varied much between different countries and populations over the past 100 years. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases collates a history of the disease and finds that while rates dropped world-wide in the post-penicillin era after 1945, they remained, up until recently, much higher in Sub-Saharan Africa compared with other regions. |
US stroke hospitalizations drop overall, but increase for young people and African-AmericansNationwide, fewer people overall are being hospitalized for ischemic strokes, which are caused by artery blockages, but among young people and African-Americans, stroke hospitalizations are rising, according to new observational research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. | |
Stroke in younger Danish adults spiked over the past two decadesHospital admissions for first-time stroke increased in young adults in Denmark during the past two decades, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. | |
MS ddug mitoxantrone may be linked to increased risk of colorectal cancerThe multiple sclerosis (MS) drug mitoxantrone may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the May 11, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Mitoxantrone suppresses the immune system. It was first developed as a chemotherapy drug for certain cancers. | |
Persistent childhood asthma linked to COPDThe development of persistent childhood asthma - characterized by having trouble breathing on an almost daily basis - is not well understood. In most cases, childhood asthma resolves with time, but as many as 20 percent of children with asthma will go on to have potentially severe symptoms in adulthood. In the largest and longest U.S. analysis of persistent asthmatics to date, investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) found a link between persistent childhood asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in early adulthood. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on May 12, found that early lung function predicts lung growth later in life, regardless of asthma treatment and smoking exposure. | |
 | Caregivers of ICU survivors at high risk of developing depression, emotional distressA new Canadian study focusing on caregiver outcomes of critically ill patients reveals that caregivers of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, who have received mechanical ventilation for a minimum of seven days, are at a high risk of developing clinical depression persisting up to one year after discharge. |
 | Children of depressed parents at high risk of adverse consequences into adulthoodThe latest report from a 30-year study of families at high- and low-risk for depression reveals that the offspring of depressed parents have a higher risk for depression, morbidity and mortality that persists into middle age. While major depression typically begins during adolescence in both high- and low-risk individuals, children with a family history are more likely to have recurrent episodes of depression and poor outcomes as they mature. |
 | Could flies help us understand brain injuries?Each year, an estimated 1.7 million people in the United States sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These injuries occur most frequently from falling, but can also result from military combat, car accidents, contact sports or domestic abuse. Recently, physicians and researchers have become increasingly concerned that even mild cases of repetitive brain trauma could have long-term, unanticipated consequences. |
 | Researchers target on-off switch of cardiac contractionCalcium is most associated with bones, but it's also a key player in the heart. |
The fast casual conundrumDieters looking to cut calories may believe it's best to pick a fast casual restaurant over a fast food chain, but new research from the University of South Carolina shows that may not be the best choice. | |
 | PTSD linked to low levels of fat hormoneIndividuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relive past traumas again and again, bound in a virtual prison of their memories. |
 | Study probes heart of synthetic heart valvesThe quest for a synthetic heart valve that faithfully mimics the original is a step closer to its goal with the Rice University find that a natural polymer called hyaluronan, one of the chief components of skin and connective tissue, can serve as a versatile template for growing spongiosa, the middle tissue layer in the valve's leaflets. |
New PSA test examines protein structures to detect prostate cancersTuesday, May 10, 2016, San Diego: A promising new test is detecting prostate cancer more precisely than current tests, by identifying molecular changes in the prostate specific antigen (PSA) protein, according to Cleveland Clinic research presented today at the American Urological Association annual meeting. | |
 | Nearly 1 million more kids have health coverage after Obamacare(HealthDay)—Nearly 1 million U.S. children gained health insurance the first year after the Affordable Care Act—also called Obamacare—was fully implemented, a new report shows. |
How urban living affects children's mental healthLower social cohesion among neighbors and higher crime rates contribute to higher rates of psychotic symptoms among urban children, a new study from researchers at Duke University and King's College London finds. | |
 | Researcher gives surgeons a guiding hand with roboticsGuidance systems, similar to those used by rearview cameras, could make learning to perform robotic surgery as simple as backing up a car. That's the basic idea behind research by University Distinguished Professor Jerzy Rozenblit in the University of Arizona department of electrical and computer engineering. |
Computer model helps physicians prescribe stroke preventing therapyPhysician-researchers in the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati have developed a computerized decision support tool that uses a combination of patient information and characteristics to assist physicians and patients with decisions about blood thinning treatment to prevent strokes in individuals with atrial fibrillation. | |
 | Cracking the da vinci DNA code(HealthDay)—It is called the "Leonardo Project," and its primary aim is to reconstruct the genetic makeup of one of the greatest minds in history. |
 | Study: ex-NFL players aren't at greater risk for suicide(HealthDay)—Professional football players aren't at greater risk of suicide than the general U.S. population, federal health officials report, although players are far likelier to suffer concussions. |
 | Zika symptoms may vary, so testing is crucial(HealthDay)—Zika infection isn't always obvious. In one recent case, a rash, bloodshot eyes and spots in the mouth were key symptoms of infection with the mosquito-borne virus, researchers report. |
Alone and at risk: Sierra Leone's baby-faced mothersDizzy and sweating, 15-year-old Isatu Koroma sits with her eyes closed in the maternity ward in Sierra Leone where she has spent the last 10 days, as her tiny little daughter begins to cry. | |
 | Brief report on mucocutaneous findings, course in adult with Zika virus infectionWhat are the mucocutaneous (skin and mucous membrane) features of a 44-year-old man who returned from a six-day vacation to Puerto Rico with confirmatory testing for Zika virus? |
 | New investigation of endovenous laser ablation of varicose veinsLaser ablation for varicose veins is an effective and minimally invasive technique for the treatment of varicose. However, this kind of therapy is associated with significant collateral damage because of the high output power of the laser. Therefore, it is an important issue in vein surgery to optimize the laser characteristics for ablation. |
Bone loss during menopause transition predicted by levels of anti-mullerian hormoneFocusing on levels of anti-mullerian hormone, which is produced by cells in the ovarian follicles and is a marker of ovarian functioning, researchers analyzed data from 474 participants in the multi-ethnic, multi-site Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. The women were between 42 and 52 years old, were pre- or early perimenopausal, had an intact uterus with one or two ovaries, and were not taking supplemental sex hormones. | |
 | Tailor-made radiation therapyRadiation therapy is one of the most essential elements in cancer treatment. But properly planning radiation therapy is a highly complex task. Fraunhofer mathematicians have joined an alliance with medical physicists and physicians to improve the therapy planning process. In doing so they have helped improve patient's chances of recovery. |
Fasting and probiotics may help prevent diabetesVery low calorie diets and probiotics may both help prevent Type2 diabetes and a scientific trial to investigate this will be underway in Auckland this year. | |
 | How cancer patients can manage painStudies suggest between 20 to 50 percent of cancer patients are in pain when they are first diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 80 percent of patients with advanced cancer say they are in moderate to severe pain. But not all health care providers properly address pain in these patients. |
 | New UK-wide clinical trial aims to improve muscle strength in older peopleA UK-wide clinical trial is set to examine whether a commonly used heart pill and a food supplement could improve the health of older people across the UK by improving muscle strength. |
 | Open neuroscience: Collaborative Neuroimaging Lab finalist for the Open Science PrizeDespite the abundance of digital neuroimaging data, shared thanks to all funding, data collection, and processing efforts, but also the goodwill of thousands of participants, its analysis is still falling behind. As a result, the insight into both mental disorders and cognition is compromised. |
Australia-wide autism report calls for 'agile' response in classroomsA report investigating the educational needs of students with autism has identified social and emotional needs as the top priority to ensure success at school. | |
Children with swollen, painful knees: Is it Lyme disease or septic arthritis?Septic or infectious arthritis of the knee and Lyme disease have similar symptoms in children but require different immediate treatment to ensure optimal recovery. A new study in the May 4 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery identifies four symptoms that are predictive of septic arthritis when the condition presents itself in a child's knee—an important distinction in areas where Lyme disease is prevalent. | |
Doctors use Bitcoin tech to improve transparency in clinical trial researchTheir successful application of this method to a recently reported, randomised clinical trial on cardiovascular diabetes & ethanol, is outlined in a paper that has just passed peer review on open science publishing platform F1000Research. | |
 | Ontario rotavirus hospitalizations drop 71 percent after launch of infant vaccine programImmunizing babies against rotavirus in Ontario led to a 71% drop in hospitalizations for the infection, new research from Public Health Ontario (PHO) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) has shown. |
Access to care improves when orthopaedic surgeons travel to treat rural patientsPatients living in rural areas are more likely to be older, overweight and less physically active—all risk factors for orthopaedic conditions. And yet, with few orthopaedic surgeons practicing in rural areas, access to care is limited. A new study in the May 4 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery assessed the impact of visiting consultant clinics (VCCs), staffed by orthopaedic surgeons, who routinely travel to meet with patients in rural areas. | |
 | CDC study looks at link between age at first solid foods and later child obesityDoes the timing of introducing solid foods to the infant diet affect a child's risk of being obese by 6 years of age? A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data on infant feeding practices, with a 6-year follow-up to determine obesity, and also explored the potential impact of breast versus formula feeding. The results are reported in Childhood Obesity. |
 | Psychologist shares warning signs for suicide in youthAccording to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. suicide rates have surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years. |
Biology news
 | Coral death stops fish from learning predatorsIn a world first study researchers have found that coral bleaching and death can have dramatic repercussions for how small reef fish learn about and avoid predators. The new results are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. |
 | The anatomy of flower colorRoses are red, violets are blue. Everybody knows that, but what makes them so? Although plant breeders were aware of some of the genes involved, there was as yet no quantitative study of how pigment turns a flower red, blue or yellow. Casper van der Kooi conducted just such a study, combining biology and physics. |
 | Legal culling of wolves increases poaching: studyAllowing the legal culling of wild wolves in order to discourage illegal poaching is counter-productive, researchers reported Wednesday in a study that challenges long-practised conservation strategy. |
 | Monkeys and humans share staring behaviorFollowing another's gaze is a hallmark of human learning and socialization from infancy to old age. Humans change how they follow gazes throughout life, and disruptions in the ability to follow someone's gaze are warning signs of autism and other social deficits. |
 | Study suggests spawning at birth location boosts pike offspring successIndividuals face the dilemma of whether to stay at home or to move and seek their fortune elsewhere. It is common in nature that animals return and reproduce at the place of birth, but the reasons for such homing behavior are often obscure. A study of pike in the Baltic Sea coastal areas of Sweden reveals that if individuals spawn at the same place they were born, their offspring have a better start in life. |
 | Study reveals traits and evolutionary history of carnivorous bats(Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with the University of Washington has found similarities between different types of carnivorous bats compared to those that are insectivores or those that eat fruit, nectar or of course blood. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Sharlene Santana and Elena Cheung describe their study and analysis of multiple species of bats and what they found by doing so. |
 | Twin study finds that gut microbiomes run in familiesA genome-wide association analysis of over 1,000 twins in the UK supports that some parts of our microbiomes are inherited and shaped—not through a spread of microbes from parent to child, but through our genes. The results, revealing new examples of heritable bacterial species—including those related to diet preference, metabolism, and immune defense—appear May 11 in Cell Host & Microbe's special issue on the "Genetics and Epigenetics of Host-Microbe Interactions." |
 | Chicken coops, sewage treatment plants are hot spots of antibiotic resistanceAntibiotic-resistant bacteria most often are associated with hospitals and other health-care settings, but a new study indicates that chicken coops and sewage treatment plants also are hot spots of antibiotic resistance. |
 | Study reveals fox squirrels' tell-tail signs of frustrationFox squirrels flick their tails when they can't get a cherished nut in much the same way that humans kick a vending machine that fails to deliver the anticipated soda or candy bar, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. |
 | Mysterious mounds created by earthwormsMysterious spectacular mounds found in the earth in tropical wetlands in South America are created by earthworms, researchers have found. |
 | Researchers unveil new, detailed images of DNA transcriptionAn unprecedented molecular view of the critical early events in gene expression, a process essential for all life, has been provided by researchers at Georgia State University, the University of California at Berkeley and Northwestern University. |
 | You are what you eat: Biologists map genetic pathways of nutrition-based species traitsBiologists at Indiana University have significantly advanced understanding of the genetic pathways that control the appearance of different physical traits in the same species depending on nutritional conditions experienced during development. |
 | Using gene-editing technology for faster, cheaper antiviral drug developmentIn an advance that could lead to the development of better treatments for viral pathogens, such as Zika, a team of scientists at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA are developing a more accurate and more cost-effective DNA-screening system based on gene-editing technology. |
 | Why do strawberries have their seeds on the outside?"Why do strawberries have their seeds on the outside, instead of on the inside?" That was the question one of my daughters asked recently. I had no idea, so I reached out to Chris Gunter, an associate professor of horticultural science at NC State. And the answer surprised me. |
 | Possum personality is key to survivalA groundbreaking approach to predicting the behaviour of wild animals after relocation may provide a major boost to conservation programs in Australia. |
 | Five facts about bison, the new US national mammalKansas State University's Jill Haukos, director of education at Konza Prairie Biological Station, shares five facts about bison at Konza Prairie Biological Station in honor of the National Bison Legacy Act. President Barack Obama signed the act into law May 9. It makes the American bison the U.S. national mammal. |
 | What mountain gorillas reveal with their teethMountain gorillas from Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda eat up to 30 kilos of plants a day and their diet is highly varied in a habitat that is becoming increasingly fragmented as a result of illegal hunting and deforestation. For the first time, a study shows how dental morphology adapts to the food that is available. The information from the wear on their teeth is used to identify specimens that disappear. |
 | MRI imaging moves from hospitals to forests to help sick treesDr Brendan Choat from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment is using advanced imaging techniques normally used for human patients to gain insights into the way plants deal with severe droughts, and how quickly different species recover. |
 | A plant cell recycles its resources in times of scarcityTo cope with changes in its aquatic environment and the nutrient deficiencies that may result, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a mobile single-cell alga, must adapt its metabolism for subsistence, notably in terms of sugar. The latter is produced by photosynthesis. To this end, plants and algae use internal cell structures called chloroplasts, which are equipped with protein complexes, the photosystems. If certain nutrients are missing, such as iron, the alga temporarily dismantles its photosystems to recycle some of their components. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have identified a protein that plays a distinctive role in this recycling. Their results are described in the journal the Plant Cell. |
 | Why do tomatoes smell 'grassy'? Researchers identify enzymes that convert the grassy smell into a sweeter scentA Japanese research group has identified the enzymes that change the grassy odor of plants into a sweeter "green" fragrance. This discovery can potentially be used to grow sweet tomatoes with less of a grassy odor. These findings were published on April 29 in The Journal of Biological Chemistry. |
 | The first long-horned beetle giving birth to live young discovered in BorneoA remarkably high diversity of the wingless long-horned beetles in the mountains of northern Borneo is reported by three Czech researchers from the Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Apart from the genera and species new to science, the entomologists report the first case of reproduction by live birth in this rarely collected group of beetles. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys. |
 | Wolf pups more likely to play on equal terms with similarly aged partnersWolf puppy play behaviors may be influenced by their play partner's age, according to a study published May 11, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jennifer Essler from the Messerli Research Institute (Vetmed Vienna) and the Wolf Science Center, Austria, and colleagues. |
Study finds some birds process sound much as people do, suggesting stream segregation is not a uniquely human abilityWhile analyzing and untangling multiple environmental sounds is an important social tool for humans, for animals that analysis is a critical survival skill. Yet humans and animals use similar cues to make sense of their acoustic worlds, according to new research from the University at Buffalo. | |
 | How can you tell if an animal is happy or sad?It's easy to tell when your friends and family are ecstatic or upset. People are human-centric, and hardwired to pick up the physical cues and social signals that indicate relaxed or stressed states. |
 | Using portable nanopore DNA sequencers to combat wildlife crimeA team from the University of Leicester has been awarded a prize for their proposal to crack down on wildlife crime using a portable DNA sequencing device, the MinION - developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies - to read the 'barcode genes' of animals affected by illegal trafficking. |
 | New measures to improve the welfare of captive elephants in UKExperts at The University of Nottingham have designed a new system of evaluating the welfare of the UK's captive elephants. |
Dolphin trapped for 3 weeks herded out of Mississippi bayouEmployees of three Mississippi marine agencies have herded a dolphin trapped for three weeks in Simmons Bayou back into the Mississippi Sound. | |
South African rhino named Hope gets facial reconstructionA year ago, a South African rhino survived a horrific attack by poachers who hacked off her horns and part of her face. This month, the rhino dubbed Hope is undergoing new facial reconstruction to reduce the wound over her exposed sinus cavities. | |
This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment