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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 15, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Gravitational waves detected from second pair of colliding black holesOn December 26, 2015 at 03:38:53 UTC, scientists observed gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of spacetime—for the second time. |
 | Small planets hiding in giant cloaksHazes and clouds high up in the atmospheres of exoplanets may make them appear bigger than they really are, according to new research by astronomers at the Space Research Institute (IWF) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The team, led by researcher Dr Helmut Lammer, publish their results in a letter to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. |
 | First detection of methyl alcohol in a planet-forming discThe organic molecule methyl alcohol (methanol) has been found by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the TW Hydrae protoplanetary disc. This is the first such detection of the compound in a young planet-forming disc. Its detection helps astronomers understand the chemical processes that occur during the formation of planetary systems and that ultimately lead to the creation of the ingredients for life. |
 | Rover Opportunity wrapping up study of Martian valley"Marathon Valley," slicing through a large crater's rim on Mars, has provided fruitful research targets for NASA's Opportunity rover since July 2015, but the rover may soon move on. |
 | NASA spots single methane leak from space for the first timeFor the first time, an instrument onboard an orbiting spacecraft has measured the methane emissions from a single, specific leaking facility on Earth's surface. The observation—by the Hyperion spectrometer on NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1)—is an important breakthrough in our ability to eventually measure and monitor emissions of this potent greenhouse gas from space. |
 | SpaceX launches satellites but fails to recover rocketSpaceX successfully launched two satellites into orbit on Wednesday, but failed in an attempt to land the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket undamaged on a barge in the Atlantic. |
 | 'Mosh pits' in star clusters a likely source of LIGO's first black holesNorthwestern University astrophysicists have predicted history. In a new study, the scientists show their theoretical predictions last year were correct: The historic merger of two massive black holes detected Sept. 14, 2015, could easily have been formed through dynamic interactions in the star-dense core of an old globular cluster. |
 | Guide to Pluto opposition 2016What an age we live in. This summer marks the very first opposition of Pluto since New Horizons' historic flyby of the distant world in July 2015. If you were like us, you sat transfixed during the crucial flyby phase, the climax of a decade long mission. We now live in an era when Pluto and its massive moon Charon are a known worlds, something that even Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh never got to see. |
 | Scientists find a new way to see inside black holesScientists at Towson University and the Johns Hopkins University are reporting a new way to peer through the event horizons around black holes and visualize what lies beneath. Their results could rewrite conventional ideas about the internal structure of spinning black holes. Current approaches use special coordinate systems in which this structure appears quite simple, but quantities that depend on an observer's choice of coordinates can give a distorted view of reality, as anyone knows who has compared the size of Greenland and the USA on a map. |
Technology news
 | Researchers explore decoding faces from neural activity(Tech Xplore)—What can technology accomplish in reconstructing a face? Scientists have come up with surprising results. Yale Daily News in 2014 reported on a study about how, with a brain scan, a face is reconstructed—neuroscience research providing us "with a way to see the world through other people's eyes." |
 | Half of online users get news from Facebook and other social platformsA wave of disruption has hit news organisations around the world, with potentially profound consequences both for publishers and the future of news production, according to a report by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. |
 | Startup looking to make car rental as easy as using Uber(Tech Xplore)—A new startup based in Paris, France has created a service called Virtuo that allows customers to rent a car without having to visit a rental office—instead, they can do everything they need to do to rent a car by using an app on their smartphone. But, the catch is that the app does not work with existing car rental companies, such as Hertz, Avis, etc., instead the company has their own fleet of vehicles—all of which are diesel Mercedes A-Class cars. |
 | Smartwatches are getting smarter, though not quickly enoughApple and Android smartwatches are getting better as their makers sand off the rough edges that have frustrated many early adopters. But the improvements are just small steps in a long journey to convince people they need a computer on their wrist. |
 | A boost for steel: A smarter and safer way to tackle corrosionA team from Swansea University which is developing a new 'smart release' corrosion inhibitor, for use in coated steel products, has won the Materials Science Venture Prize awarded by The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers. |
Feds announce $82 million for nuclear energy researchU.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced $82 million for nuclear energy projects in 28 states as part of the government's plan to reduce carbon emissions. | |
 | Toyota gets bullish on plug-in hybrids with new Prius PrimeA top engineer at Toyota says the Japanese automaker plans to get as bullish as its rivals in pushing plug-in hybrids with the introduction of its new Prius Prime. |
Two years in prison for man who sent spam to Facebook usersFederal prosecutors say a Las Vegas man has been sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison for sending more than 27 million spam messages to Facebook users and disobeying a court order not to access Facebook. | |
 | LinkedIn mega-deal puts new focus on social mediaAfter the mega-deal for LinkedIn, Twitter's future has come into focus as the industry ponders the outlook for social networks. |
 | E3 video game show comes with rise of celebrity playerNew consoles and blockbuster games always make a big splash at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, but this year the undisputed winners are online stages for video game play and commentary. |
 | Engineer modifies robotic exoskeleton glove to help cerebral palsy diagnosis in childrenIt's not often a mechanical engineer will tell you the highly complicated piece of diagnostic hardware they are working on needs to appeal to 12- to 36-month-old children to be effective. But, to be fair, it's not often they are designing a robotic exoskeleton to fit on a child's hand. |
 | Dutch probe cross-border nuclear safetyThe Dutch safety board announced on Wednesday it is launching an investigation into how the Netherlands works with its neighbours to prevent and handle any cross-border nuclear power accidents. |
 | Microsoft adding new ways for likeminded gamers to team upMicrosoft is making it easier for gamers who share the same passions or even gender to meet and play with each other online, a step toward curbing online harassment. |
 | Research proves the improbable can be made possibleMicroprocessors are at the heart of devices such as computers, smart phones and iPads. In the Texas Architecture and Compiler Optimization (TACO) lab at Texas A&M University, Dr. Daniel Jiménez, professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, has revolutionized the way research on this technology is conducted. |
 | Malware, data theft, and scams: Researchers expose risks of free livestreaming websitesMillions of people use free livestreaming websites to watch sports and other live events online, but this comes with a considerable security risk. Researchers from KU Leuven-iMinds and Stony Brook University have found that viewers are often exposed to malware infections, personal data theft, and scams. As much as 50% of the video overlay ads on free livestreaming websites are malicious. |
 | New generation of high-efficiency solar thermal absorbers developedResearchers from the Universities of Bristol and Exeter are one step closer to developing a new generation of low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells. The structure is one of the world's first examples of a tri-layer metasurface absorber using a carbon interlayer. |
 | Digital is not rescuing troubled US newspapersThe grim news for newspapers: digital is doing little to rescue them from their deepening woes. |
 | A guide to understanding new light-bulb terms, LEDs and moreAnyone who has stood in confusion in the light-bulb aisle (and that's most of us) knows that technology and the push to save energy are continuing to flip the script on home lighting options. |
 | Virtual reality, new tools let you redecorate from the couchStop moving around the new sofa to try to figure out where it fits. Forget about trying to judge a paint color from tiny samples against the wall. New tools like virtual reality measuring apps and online mood boards are trying to help consumers find easier and quicker ways to decorate homes and apartments. |
 | Team uses smart light to track human behaviorUsing the power of the light around us, Dartmouth College researchers have significantly improved their innovative light-sensing system that tracks a person's behavior continuously and unobtrusively in real time. |
 | New study highlights power of crowd to transmit news on TwitterThe tiny fraction of headlines that news editors push out on Twitter draw a large share of eyeballs, but it's the stories recommended by friends that trigger more clicks. |
 | Video game giant Ubisoft thinking young at age 30French video game star Ubisoft is still diving into new worlds at the age of 30. |
 | Napster is back as digital music service Rhapsody rebrandsNapster, the brand that popularized online music sharing in the early days of the Internet, is back. |
Facebook rolls out suicide prevention to users worldwideFacebook said Wednesday that it will extended its suite of anti-suicide tools to users worldwide, simplifying the process for worried users to flag postings by friends who may be considering harming themselves. | |
 | Home Depot: US credit card firms slow to upgrade securityVisa and MasterCard are using security measures prone to fraud, putting retailers and customers at risk of thieves, The Home Depot Inc. says in a new federal lawsuit. |
 | University of Pittsburgh and ANSYS develop new computing tools to push the boundaries of additive manufacturingFrom energy-efficient jet engines to personalized medical devices, companies can quickly and easily design and manufacture cutting-edge, safe and reliable products thanks to a new collaboration between ANSYS and the University of Pittsburgh. The partnership will further education and research to solve some of the industry's toughest additive manufacturing problems. |
Guilty plea in terrorists' hack of US military informationTwenty-year-old Ardit Ferizi readily admitted his crime: hacking computers to obtain personal data of more than 1,300 U.S. government and military personnel, then turning the data over to the Islamic State group. But he couldn't explain why. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Scientists discover protective strategy against pesticide-linked Parkinson's diseaseExposure to a group of common pesticides, called dithiocarbamates, has long been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, although the mechanism by which the compounds exert their toxicity on the brain has not been completely understood. A new UCLA study sheds light on the toxicity of the compounds while also suggesting a strategy that may help protect against the disease. |
 | Antibiotics increase availability of nutrients in the gut, enabling growth of pathogensResearch led by Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical immunology and microbiology at UC Davis Health System, has identified a new mechanism explaining how antibiotics change the gut microbiota, increasing nutrients that benefit the growth of pathogens, like Salmonella. |
 | Study reveals impact of antibiotic treatment, other factors on the infant gut microbiomeA comprehensive analysis of changes in the intestinal microbial population during the first three years of life has revealed some of the impacts of factors such as mode of birth - vaginal versus cesarean section - and antibiotic exposure, including the effects of multiple antibiotic treatments. In the June 15 issue of Science Translational Medicine, the team led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute describes findings that may help understand how the gut microbiome is established and how the combination of microbes in individual children may contribute to the risk of developing conditions like type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease. |
 | Very hot drinks 'probably' cause cancer: UN agency (Update)Very hot drinks probably increase the risk of cancer, a UN agency said Wednesday, but coffee—once feared to be a carcinogen—is safe if enjoyed at "normal" temperatures. |
 | Study provides up-close insight on connections between retina and thalamusCrack open just about any biology textbook to read up on the thalamus, and you'll find that its function is mainly to serve as a relay station, handing off sensory input to the cerebral cortex for processing. |
 | At any skill level, making art reduces stress hormonesWhether you're Van Gogh or a stick-figure sketcher, a new Drexel University study found that making art can significantly reduce stress-related hormones in your body. |
 | First direct evidence for ultra-fast responses in human amygdala to fearAn international team lead by researchers from CTB-UPM shows that the amygdala of the human brain is able to detect possible threats in the visual environment at ultra-fast time scales. |
 | Researchers first to grow living bone that replicates original anatomical structureA new technique developed by Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia Engineering and professor of medical sciences (in Medicine) at Columbia University, repairs large bone defects in the head and face by using lab-grown living bone, tailored to the patient and the defect being treated. This is the first time researchers have grown living bone that precisely replicates the original anatomical structure, using autologous stem cells derived from a small sample of the recipient's fat. The study is published today in Science Translational Medicine. |
 | A broken calorie sensing pathway: How overeating may lead to more eatingResearch is finally beginning to shed light on some of the reasons that extra weight is difficult to shed permanently. Now, a new study has uncovered another method by which the gut senses how much food a person eats and relays that to the brain. When the gut senses too many calories, a pathway that promotes the feeling of fullness becomes blocked. The new research was published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, published by Nature. |
 | Simulations describe HIV's 'diabolical delivery device'From a virus's point of view, invading our cells is a matter of survival. The virus makes a living by highjacking cellular processes to produce more of the proteins that make it up. |
 | Super-resolution microscopy reveals unprecedented detail of immune cells' surfaceWhen the body is fighting an invading pathogen, white blood cells—including T cells—must respond. Now, Salk Institute researchers have imaged how vital receptors on the surface of T cells bundle together when activated. |
Higher intake of whole grains associated with lower risk of major chronic diseases and deathA higher intake of whole grain foods is associated with reduced risk of major chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as lower risk of death from a range of diseases, show findings published by The BMJ today. | |
Consistent links between capacity to delay gratification and ADHD, obesityTwo new studies led by researchers at McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton have found that individuals diagnosed with ADHD or obesity are more likely to choose smaller immediate rewards over larger future rewards. | |
 | Chemotherapy may boost immunotherapy power in ovarian cancerWomen with advanced ovarian cancer may benefit more from immunotherapy drug treatments if they are given straight after chemotherapy, according to a new study published in Clinical Cancer Research today. |
One-third of patients with low flow aortic stenosis do not improve with transcatheter aortic valve replacementAortic stenosis (AS), the narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart which causes restricted blood flow, is one of the most common and serious valve disease problems. For patients with one type of AS - low flow - transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure which corrects the damaged aortic valve, is often the best option for restoring the heart's normal pumping function. However, approximately one-third of low flow AS patients treated with TAVR continue to suffer persistent low flow AS even after the procedure, ultimately increasing their risk of death. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have examined this high-risk patient population to determine the cause of this persistent low flow AS and to evaluate their risk of dying during the year following the procedure. Their findings are detailed in a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association - Cardiology. | |
Spain, the eldorado of fertility treatment"Making parents out of our patients," reads an ad in Madrid's metro for one of Spain's many fertility clinics that have opened their doors to husbands and wives, same-sex couples and single women thanks to lenient laws. | |
 | High rate of patient factors linked to hospital readmissions following general surgeryAn analysis of risk factors for hospital readmission following general surgery finds that a large number of readmissions were not caused by suboptimal medical care or deterioration of medical conditions but by issues related to mental health, substance abuse, or homelessness, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery. |
 | Four paths to the end of life—one far more expensive than others—emerge in new studyLast-ditch, high-tech heroic treatments. Days in the hospital intensive care unit. You might think this is what makes dying in America so expensive - and that it's where we should focus efforts to spend the nation's healthcare dollars more wisely. |
Sleep disorders may predict heart events after angioplastyPeople who have had percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, for acute coronary syndrome could be at higher risk of death, heart failure, heart attack and stroke if they have sleep-disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. | |
 | World's first vaccine developed against toxic shock syndromeToxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a severe circulatory and organ failure caused by bacterial toxins, usually triggered by bacteria from the Staphylococcus group. Researchers from MedUni Vienna's Department of Clinical Pharmacology, in collaboration with the company Biomedizinische Forschungsgesellschaft mbH in Vienna, have now developed the world's first safe and effective vaccine against this disease and successfully tested it in a Phase I trial. The promising results were recently published in the leading journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. |
Scientists identify method of action for common chemotherapy drugsA study by scientists at Duke Health is providing insight into how certain commonly-used chemotherapy drugs work, potentially opening new ways to enhance the benefits of treatment for cancer patients. | |
 | Coffee struck from list of possible cancer-causing agentsGo on, have another cup. Coffee is now off the list of things that could possibly cause cancer. |
 | Research shows not all low nicotine cigarettes reduce harmSwitching to reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes may not necessarily reduce harm to smokers, according to new research conducted by Penn's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction (CIRNA). Smokers also tend to ignore cautions contained in warning box labels, the authors found in a separate study. The study results were published recently in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention and Drug and Alcohol Dependence. RNC cigarettes are a new type of cigarette that contain varying levels of low nicotine and are constructed differently than light cigarettes. |
 | New insight into role of amyloid beta in Alzheimer's diseaseNew Alzheimer's disease research details a technique that speedily measures levels in the brain of a damaging protein fragment, and insight into why mutations in a specific gene increase the risk of developing the disease. |
 | Legions of immune cells in the lung keep Legionella at bayA team of specialist researchers in Melbourne believe they have found a major response that helps keep the Legionella infection at bay. |
Soft-core pornography viewers 'unlikely to hold positive attitudes towards women'Frequent viewers of soft-core pornography, such as photographs of naked and semi-naked female models, are unlikely to think positively about women and are likely to have become desensitised to soft-core pornography common in newspapers, advertising and the media. | |
New health law website vital for doctors, patients making end-of-life decisionsDoctors are trained to treat and cure. It's the key reason why many say they have given futile treatment to dying patients, a QUT study of 96 Brisbane doctors who make end-of-life treatment decisions has found. | |
Single-cell analysis reveals how immune cells are related and which ones accumulate in the tonsils during childhoodT follicular helper (TFH) cells are a heterogeneous group of immune cells, commonly found in the tonsils, but also detectable in blood. A*STAR scientists have developed a method to distinguish the different types of TFH cells and analyze how they are interrelated. This knowledge may be useful in the future to treat autoimmune diseases and to increase the effectiveness of vaccination. | |
Nature and nurture work in unexpected ways to determine obesity and diabetes risk even before birthfew too many sugary treats during pregnancy put children at higher risk of becoming overweight, A*STAR research shows, but only if their mothers are not already obese. "It is interesting to see how nature and nurture interact to affect a child's outcomes," says principal investigator Yung Seng Lee, from the A*STAR Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS). | |
 | Once hepatitis C viral infection has healed, high-risk portal vein hypertension also diminishesHepatitis C viral infection of the liver causes inflexible scar tissue to form. This in turn impedes blood flow through the organ, with resulting hypertension in the portal vein. Portal hypertension is responsible for most of the lethal complications of liver cirrhosis. A research group led by hepatologists Mattias Mandorfer and Karin Kozbial of MedUni Vienna's Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology have now demonstrated that portal vein hypertension also diminishes once the viral infection is healed. This is a relief for patients, because it means they can stop taking drugs with unpleasant side-effects and they do not need to undergo stressful check-ups quite as frequently. |
 | Surgeon discusses rise in vape pen injuriesA quick search of "vape pen injuries" turns up a slew of hits: CBS News, Denver Post, Reddit, AOL. There is no shortage of stories of electronic cigarettes or vaporizer devices that exploded or caught on fire. |
Study highlights need for affordable, accessible adaptive clothing for people living with disabilitiesThe U.S. clothing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, but for the millions of Americans with disabilities and their families, a lack of options in the apparel industry presents daily challenges. Now researchers from the University of Missouri are looking at the relationship between apparel and marginalization for people with disabilities. Allison Kabel, assistant professor of health sciences in the School of Health Professions, found that the lack of adequate, accessible apparel created barriers for people with disabilities from engaging in their communities. She identified the need for innovation in design, production, distribution and sale of adaptive clothing. | |
Scientists block action of hallmark dementia protein in miceA research team at King's College London has used a new approach to study a hallmark dementia protein called tau in mice, revealing that a drug called phenylbutyrate can protect against damage caused by the protein. | |
New genetic research can significantly improve drug developmentAccording to a new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology this week, genetic research in large-scale prospective biobank studies can significantly improve the drug development pipeline and reduce costs. | |
 | Antidepressive treatment during pregnancy can affect newborn brain activityA new Finnish study shows that fetal exposure to commonly used SRI drugs may affect brain activity in newborns. The researchers suggest that the effects of drugs on fetal brain function should be assessed more carefully. Furthermore, indications for preventive medication should be critically evaluated, and non-pharmacological interventions should be the first-line treatment for depression and anxiety during pregnancy. |
 | Researchers unlock key to real-time hay fever trackingResearchers from Keele University have found that Twitter could provide a more accurate way of tracking hay fever in the UK than current Met Office pollen counts and NHS data, paving the way for sufferers to be able to access free real-time hay fever information based on their precise location. |
 | Scientists map the global spread of HIV – through the Western world and beyond – for the first timeFor the first time, an international team of scientists from the European Society for Translational Antiviral Research (ESAR) has mapped the spread of the HIV virus around the globe after it reached the United States in the early 1970s. |
 | Mixed news on drinking and heart health(HealthDay)—Texans living in "dry" counties are more likely to suffer heart attacks and congestive heart failure than people living in nearby "wet" counties, where alcohol sales are legal, a new study reports. |
 | USPSTF finds evidence lacking for sleep apnea screening(HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has found insufficient evidence for the benefit of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening in asymptomatic populations. These findings form the basis of a draft recommendation statement, published online June 14 by the USPSTF. |
 | ADA: Empagliflozin linked to reduction in T2DM nephropathy(HealthDay)—For patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, empagliflozin is associated with a reduction in incident or worsening nephropathy, according to a study published online June 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the American Diabetes Association's 76th Scientific Sessions, held from June 10 to 14 in New Orleans. |
 | Emotionally positive situations boost memory for similar future eventsRewarding learning today can improve learning tomorrow; this is one of the conclusions reached by researchers from the Cognition and Brain Plasticity research group of the Institute of Biomedical Research of Bellvitge (IDIBELL) and the University of Barcelona (UB) in their last work on the impact of emotions on the way we remember things. The study, published in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory journal, demonstrates for the first time in humans that the effects of the association of positive emotions in the process of acquisition and consolidation of memories extend selectively and prospectively over time. |
Americans are getting heart-healthier: Coronary heart disease decreasing in the USCoronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. A new study evaluating recent trends in the prevalence of CHD in the U.S. population aged 40 years and older showed that CHD rates have decreased significantly, from 10.3% in 2001-2002 to 8.0% in 2011-2012. These results are reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. | |
 | Scientists provide proof of concept for potential new class of cancer drugsA recent study led by scientists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in collaboration with the Univerity of Maryland School of Pharmacy and StemSynergy Therapeutics, Inc., has identified a small-molecule inhibitor of the Notch pathway, paving the way for a potential new class of personalized cancer medicines. Aberrant activity in the Notch pathway contributes to the initiation and maintenance of cancer stem cells. The study was published online in the journal Cancer Research. |
The Muffin Study: Mono- vs. polyunsaturated fats in patients with metabolic syndromeIt's hard to think of the typical muffin, often loaded with saturated fat and a high calorie count, as a healthy food option. But a batch of muffins, made with a special recipe formulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), yielded unexpected health benefits during a first-of-its-kind clinical study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. | |
 | Piping hot drinks may lead to cancer of the esophagusDrinking piping hot coffee, tea and the caffeine-infused beverage yerba mate probably causes cancer, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday. |
Arthritis linked to suicide attemptsOne in every 26 men with arthritis have attempted suicide compared to one in 50 men without arthritis. Women with arthritis also had a higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts than women without arthritis (5.3% vs 3.2%), according to a recent study from the University of Toronto. | |
 | Study compares manual versus robotic approach to treating dangerous heart arrhythmiaWhether ablation of the highest-risk heart arrhythmia is best handled by a robot or the hands of an electrophysiologist should be answered by an international comparison of the two. |
Study finds intervention helps newborns get screened for hearing lossResearchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found that targeted intervention helps improve follow-up rates by more than 70 percent for newborns who fail initial hearing screenings at birth hospitals. | |
 | Research shows promising results for a device designed to protect athletes from sports-related brain injuriesTwo new studies involving high school football and hockey players indicate wearing a specifically designed compression collar around the neck may prevent or reduce the devastating effects of head collisions in sports. The neck device, called a Q-Collar, is designed to press gently on the jugular vein to slow blood outflow increasing the brain's blood volume. The resulting effect of the increased blood volume helps the brain fit tighter within the skull cavity, reducing the energy absorbed by the brain during collisions. |
 | In-hospital mobility program proves successful for patients' posthospital functionDecreased mobility during hospitalization for older adults is associated with increased risk of death, nursing home admission and functional decline. University of Alabama at Birmingham investigators found that patients who participated in a mobility program were less likely to experience a decline in mobility when compared to the usual care provided during hospilization. |
Asking patients where they want to die when admitted to hospice linked to fewer hospitalizationsPatients who were asked where they wanted to die upon entering hospice had lower rates of hospitalization at the end of life, as did those in hospices that monitored symptoms more frequently, according to a new study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published online today in the July issue of the journal Medical Care, the study also determined that for-profit hospices have persistently high rates of hospitalization regardless of preferred practice implementation. | |
Shorter radiation course recommended for early-stage breast cancer patientsEarly-stage breast cancer patients receiving a shorter course of whole breast radiation with higher radiation doses per fraction reported equivalent cosmetic, functional and pain outcomes over time as those receiving a longer, lower-dose per fraction course of treatment, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. | |
 | Age, obesity, dopamine appear to influence preference for sweet foodsAs young people reach adulthood, their preferences for sweet foods typically decline. But for people with obesity, new research suggests that the drop-off may not be as steep and that the brain's reward system operates differently in obese people than in thinner people, which may play a role in this phenomenon. |
 | Adolescent sleep duration is associated with daytime moodA new study of adolescents suggests that obtaining an insufficient amount of sleep increases variability in sadness, anger, energy and feelings of sleepiness. The study also showed that nightly fluctuations in sleep in healthy adolescents predict worse mood the next day, and worse mood any given day largely predicts unusually bad sleep the next night. |
EU closes in on hormone-disrupting chemicalsThe European Union set broad criteria Wednesday for identifying potentially harmful chemicals which can interfere with the normal functioning of human hormones and cause a range of health problems. | |
 | Spiraling drug costs prompt call for major Medicare changesCalling the rising cost of drugs "unsustainable," congressional advisers on Wednesday recommended major changes to Medicare's popular outpatient prescription program, now 10 years old. |
Optimized fasting times beneficial in pediatric anesthesia(HealthDay)—For children younger than 36 months of age, introduction of an optimized preoperative fasting management (OPT) during induction of anesthesia can improve the metabolic and hemodynamic condition, according to a study published online June 13 in Pediatric Anesthesia. | |
 | Reoperation rate 4 percent for mesh-based prolapse surgery(HealthDay)—For women undergoing mesh-based prolapse surgery, the reoperation rate is 4.0 percent at a median of 1.17 years, with reduced risk for patients of surgeons with very high volume, according to a study published in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. |
 | Economic impact of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury measured(HealthDay)—The management of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury has a considerable economic impact, according to a study published online June 5 in Head & Neck. |
 | Pet turtles continue to spread salmonella(HealthDay)—Kissing a turtle may be more than just yucky—sometimes it can literally be sickening. |
 | HIV infection negatively affects bone acquisition(HealthDay)—HIV infection with T cell activation is associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) and stiffness, according to a study published online June 10 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. |
 | Four-step strategy suggested for boosting practice quality of care(HealthDay)—Four steps can help doctors improve patient care and office efficiency, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA). |
 | Postpartum depression least severe form of depression in mothersPostpartum depression—a household term since actress Brooke Shields went public in 2005 about her struggle with it—is indeed serious. But depression that begins before or during pregnancy is often more severe because it lasts longer and usually goes undetected until the doctor screens for it after the birth of the baby, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. |
 | Engineering the immune system to kill cancer cellsIn late 2015, former President Jimmy Carter announced that he was free of the metastatic melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain. In addition to surgery and radiation, Carter was treated with an immunotherapy drug, a new approach in cancer treatment that has a promising outlook. |
Depressed, out of work? Study suggests skills to help land a jobUnemployed people were more likely to land a job if they used skills commonly taught as part of cognitive therapy for depression, a new study found. | |
 | Zika infections late in pregnancy led to no defects in studyWomen infected with the Zika virus late in their pregnancies had babies with no apparent birth defects, according to a study in Colombia that seems to confirm that the greatest risk to infants comes early in pregnancy. |
 | Researchers find potential key to preventing heart attacks, strokes in older adultsAs men and women grow older, their chances for coronary heart disease also increase. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the arteries, which can lead to serious problems, including heart attacks, strokes or even death. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), a protein that is naturally found in high levels among adolescents, can help prevent arteries from clogging. They say that increasing atherosclerosis patients' levels of the protein could reduce the amount of plaque buildup in their arteries, lowering their risk of heart disease. |
 | Helping children survive the aftermath: Nine tips on how to cope with large-scale traumatic eventsKatrina. Nepal. Sandy Hook. The Boston Marathon. The World Trade Center. Orlando. All are synonymous with tragic loss, inexplicable catastrophe and an overwhelming sense of vulnerability. All, large-scale traumatic events—some man-made, others the result of Mother Nature's wrath, the rest orchestrated by terror or hate. All, unforgettable. |
CT-based calculations improve accuracy of PET for cancer patientsCancer patients often experience significant fluctuations in weight and lean body mass (LBM). Neglecting to account for these changes can prevent clinicians from obtaining precise data from molecular imaging, but a new method of measuring LBM takes changes in individual body composition into account for better staging of disease and therapy monitoring, say researchers at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). | |
New imaging technique could ID additional ovarian tumors not visible to surgeons' eyesA newly devised tumor-specific fluorescent agent and imaging system guided surgeons in real time to remove additional tumors in ovarian cancer patients that were not visible without fluorescence or could not be felt during surgery. | |
Presurgery chemotherapy may make advanced ovarian cancers responsive to immunotherapyBottom Line: Metastatic ovarian cancer patients treated with chemotherapy prior to surgery had altered immune cells in their tumors, and specific alterations identified suggest that immunotherapy given after chemotherapy may help in preventing the cancer from coming back. | |
Novel portable diagnostic tool pairs optical and gamma imagingBigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to a new and surprisingly portable molecular imaging system that combines optical imaging at the surface level and scintigraphy, which captures the physiological function of what lies beneath, announced developers at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). | |
El Salvador confirms first Zika-linked birth defectEl Salvador on Tuesday confirmed its first case of microcephaly in a baby that was linked to a Zika infection in the mother. | |
 | Indian city on alert as polio strain found in sewage waterA city of nearly 7 million people in southern India has declared a "high alert" for polio after an active strain of the virus was found in samples of sewage water, an official said Wednesday. |
 | Report: New evidence of rising 'Obamacare' premiumsPremiums for popular low-cost medical plans under the federal health care law are expected to go up an average of 11 percent next year, said a study that reinforced reports of sharp increases around the country in election season. |
 | The Zika allianceChikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses are transmitted by the same mosquito species—Aedes Aegypti and Aedes albopictus—and exhibit similar symptoms in infected patients. But, compared with the painful fever, headache and joint pain often associated with chikungunya, which means 'to walk bent over' in the Kimakonde language, and dengue, also known as 'breakbone' or 'breakheart' fever, Zika is like a mild flu, and often comes and goes unnoticed. |
 | Researchers report breakthrough inhibition of colon tumors in mice modelsScientists from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have successfully inhibited the growth of colon tumors in mice with mismatch repair deficiency. The research team, headed by the Center's director MYUNG Kyungjae, made the announcement in a manuscript published in the American Association for Cancer Research on June 6th. It is a significant breakthrough for the future treatment of colon cancer patients; specifically for those with DNA mismatch repair (MMR) deficient tumors. |
Opinion: America's gun epidemic and what public health can (and should) do to end itJames Michiel is an American public health technologist and writer. He holds an MPH in Epidemiology from the Boston University School of Public Health, is currently a Senior mHealth Analyst at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health and also serves as a Senior Technical Consultant for NCDFREE. In this brief essay, he responds to the Orlando tragedy with an examination of the impact of America's epidemic of gun violence and how we might use Public Health and Policy to change it. | |
 | Opinion: Why we need to support Aboriginal women's choice to give birth on countryAround 9.6 out of every 1,000 Aboriginal babies are stillborn, or die in childbirth or the first 28 days of life, compared with 8.1 non-Aboriginal babies. Getting maternity care right for Aboriginal women is critical to closing this gap. |
 | Telemedicine holds out hope for better disease managementThe EU CHROMED project has been researching telemedicine care models for chronic diseases, offering the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment alongside a reduction in the socioeconomic burden. |
How can hospitals possibly prepare for disasters? With practice and planningThe tragic shooting in Orlando brought dozens of victims to emergency rooms. Now, several of those people have been admitted and are clinging to life. Many across the nation are praying for them and other victims. Without quick response and high-quality emergency medical care, many more than the 49 already reported may have died. | |
Hurricane Sandy: Collection of post-disaster studies published by DMPHP journalHurricane Sandy, later to be renamed Superstorm Sandy, made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 29, 2012. Over 1000 miles wide, the storm impacted 24 states, with the greatest impact felt by New Jersey and New York City. The damage and destruction that followed made Sandy the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, whose financial impact was second only to Hurricane Katrina. The damage to buildings and other infrastructures is well documented in the media, but there was less documentation of the impact on public health following the storm. | |
MRSA detection technology developed by TGen-NAU is granted first patentAntibiotic-resistant infections should be easier to detect, and hospitals could become safer, thanks to a technology developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Northern Arizona University (NAU), and protected under a patent issued by Australia. | |
 | PET/CT imaging of prostate cancer proves accurate biopsy guideProstate cancer is the leading cancer among men, second only to skin cancer. With surgical removal at the frontline of defense, oncologists are considering prostate-specific molecular imaging at the point of initial biopsy and pre-operative planning to root out the full extent of disease, researchers revealed at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). |
 | SNMMI Image of the Year: Novel PET imaging shows tau buildup link to neurodegenerationPositron emission tomography (PET) with three different radiotracers can now measure amyloid plaques, tau tangles and metabolic activity in the brains of living Alzheimer's patients. This multimodal study shows significant correlation between increased tau and decreased metabolic activity in the brain—a clear sign of neurodegeneration—reveal researchers at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). |
Panama health minister resigns amid deadly swine flu outbreakPanama's health minister resigned on Wednesday, the government said, amid a swine flu outbreak that has claimed 22 lives and sparked a panicked rush for vaccinations. | |
Biology news
 | Modern mussel shells much thinner than 50 years agoShells of California mussels collected from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington in the 1970s are on average 32 percent thicker than modern specimens, according to a new study published by University of Chicago biologists. |
 | 'Mountain passes are higher in the tropics'—Divergent climate tolerances play crucial roles in how species evolveIn tropical climes, animals and plants aren't adapted to surviving freezing temperatures - and why would they be? It's never all that cold near the Equator, even at altitude. But in places like the Rocky Mountains, where temperatures can climb into the 100s and dip below freezing, species are hardier and more equipped to deal with such fluctuations. |
 | Defining the consequences of genetic variation on a proteome-wide scaleCombining two emerging large-scale technologies for the first time—multiplexed mass spectrometry and a mouse population with a high level of natural genetic diversity —researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) can crack an outstanding question in biology and medicine: how genetic variants affect protein levels. |
 | Male banana fiddler crabs may coerce mating by trapping females in tight burrowsWhile male banana fiddler crabs (Uca mjoebergi) in Australia typically court females, some may coerce mating by waiting for females to enter their burrows and then trapping them there, according a study published June 15, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Christina Painting from The Australian National University, Canberra, and colleagues. |
 | A male-killing bacterium results in female-biased sex ratios in green lacewingsA maternally transmitted Spiroplasma bacterium is the likely cause of the green lacewing's female-biased sex ratio, according to a study published June 15, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Masayuki Hayashi from Chiba University, Japan, and colleagues. |
 | Research reveals what turns bumblebees into copycatsNew research on the bumblebee by a University Manchester biologist has thrown light on the biology of why animals decide to copy each other, confirming its status as one of nature's cleverer insects. |
 | Diarrhoeal pathogen measures human body temperature with RNA thermometerUsing cutting-edge high-throughput sequencing methods, researchers have mapped all RNA structures of a diarrhoeal pathogen at once. In the process, they identified a number of temperature-responsive structures, so-called RNA thermometers. "To date, we only ever discovered individual RNA thermometers following a tedious search, and painstakingly analysed one after the other," says project manager Prof Dr Franz Narberhaus from Ruhr-Universität Bochum. |
 | Researcher studies behavioural flexibility in the great-tailed grackleHave humans underestimated the intelligence of birds? A new study suggests one species of bird - the great-tailed grackle - may be able to learn to adapt its behaviour when faced by new challenges. |
 | Study shows shoes change spring-like foot mechanics when people run(Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the University of Queensland's Centre for Sensorimotor Performance has found that running shoes alter the natural spring-like mechanics of the foot while a person is running. In their paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the group describes experiments they conducted with volunteers running on treadmills, and the differences they observed in foot mechanics when comparing runners running barefoot, versus wearing running shoes. |
 | Bee vampire picks the right host to suckNew insights into the reproductive secrets of one of the world's tiniest and most destructive parasites - the Varroa mite - has scientists edging closer to regulating them. |
 | How the butterfly got its spotsBy tweaking just one or two genes, Cornell University researchers have altered the patterns on a butterfly's wings. It's not just a new art form, but a major clue to understanding how the butterflies have evolved, and perhaps to how color patterns - and other patterns and shapes - have evolved in other species. |
 | When it comes to evolution, testes may play a key role, studies findA pair of studies led by Indiana University researchers provide new evidence that when it comes to evolution, the testes may play a key role. |
 | Study resolves long-disputed theory about stem cell populationsAdult stem cells represent a sort of blank clay from which a myriad of different cell and tissue types are molded and as such are of critical importance to health, aging and disease. In tissues that turn over rapidly, such as the intestines, the self-renewing nature of stem cells and their susceptibility to cancer-causing mutations has led researchers to postulate that these cells also act as the cell of origin in cancers. The rarity of adult stem cells relative to their differentiated daughter cells has, however, made them historically difficult to study. |
 | Sanctuary offers hope for endangered Philippine eagleSurprisingly loud chirps accompany a clumsy flurry of tiny wings as a wispy-haired chick breaks through its shell, its birth offering rare cause for celebration in the struggle to save the Philippine eagle from extinction. |
 | Researchers identify gene required for sperm production in blood flukesScientists can interfere with sperm production in the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni by blocking expression of the Nuclear Factor Y-B gene (NF-YB). The new study by Harini Iyer and Phillip A. Newmark of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Illinois and James Collins (now at UT Southwestern) appears on June 15 in PLOS Genetics. |
Plants more vulnerable to nanoparticles when parents grown in contaminated soilPlants are more vulnerable to toxic nanoparticles if their parents were grown in contaminated soil, according to the first multi-generational study on the safety of cerium oxide nanoparticles in agriculture, published in NanoImpact. The results highlight the importance of improving and increasing research on the impact of nanomaterials on plants. | |
 | New Zealand could reduce outbreaks of invasive species by selectively choosing trade partnersNew Zealand could dramatically reduce outbreaks of invasive species if it selectively chose its international trade partners, research from Victoria University of Wellington suggests. |
 | EU targets harmful chemicals after two year delayEuropean Union regulators on Wednesday set criteria for identifying harmful chemicals used in everyday products, but more than two years late after a fierce debate with lobbyists and activists. |
 | Collaboration reveals a new mechanism for protein secretionA UK research team has discovered that a cell's protective layer acts like a turnstile, allowing proteins to be exported while preventing them from moving back in. |
 | Misleading images in cell biologyLight cannot be used to image any structures smaller than half its wavelength - for a long time, this was considered to be the ultimate resolution limit in light microscopy. The development of superresolution microscopy, however, showed that there are certain loopholes to this rule. By imaging individual molecules at different points in time, their exact positions can eventually be combined to one clear picture. In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for this idea. Since then, superresolution microscopy techniques, such as STORM and PALM, have become popular methods to study the organization of proteins in the cell membrane. |
Invasive Asian carp respond strongly to carbon dioxideAdding carbon dioxide gas to water, a process similar to making carbonated soda water, could help control the movement and behavior of invasive carp in the Great Lakes basin, according to a recent study. | |
 | Marine biologists discover that shark traffic in and out of a remote Pacific island's lagoon peaks just after duskHalfway between Hawaii and American Samoa lies a group of small islands and inlets. Among them is Palmyra Atoll, an almost 5-square-mile ring of coral. |
How red-eyed treefrog embryos hatch in secondsWhen they come under attack by a predatory treesnake, red-eyed treefrog embryos must escape in seconds or risk becoming lunch. However, most frog embryos take hours to hatch. Intrigued by the treefrogs rapid emergence, scientists from Boston University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have discovered that the minute escapologists rapidly release egg membrane degrading enzymes from their snouts, which digest a small hole in the structure through which the escapees can wriggle to freedom. | |
Bob Paine, ecologist who introduced 'keystone species,' diesRobert "Bob" Paine, an influential ecologist best known for introducing the concept of "keystone species" and who nurtured a generation of scientists, has died. He was 83. | |
 | Scientists identify the cause of pink discolouration defects in cheeseScientists at Teagasc and University College Cork have identified a heat-loving bacterium as the cause of pink discolouration defects in cheese. |
Rules on GMO crops in Hawaii heads to US appeals courtThe fight over regulating genetically engineered crops and pesticides in three Hawaii counties will be back in a federal courtroom Wednesday as some agricultural giants look to protect their research farms from bans against modified food in paradise. | |
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