Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for August 18, 2016:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
![]() | Classical nova captured before, during and after exploding(Phys.org)—A team of researchers affiliated with the Warsaw University Observatory has captured for the first time the events that led to a classical nova exploding, the explosion itself and then what happened afterwards. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes how they happened to capture the star activity and why they believe it may help bolster the theory of star hibernation. |
![]() | Venus-like exoplanet might have oxygen atmosphere, but not lifeThe distant planet GJ 1132b intrigued astronomers when it was discovered last year. Located just 39 light-years from Earth, it might have an atmosphere despite being baked to a temperature of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. But would that atmosphere be thick and soupy or thin and wispy? New research suggests the latter is much more likely. |
![]() | Boeing Starliner crew access arm's 'awesome' launch pad installationA new 'Stairway to Heaven' which American astronauts will soon stride along as "the last place on Earth" departure point aboard our next generation of human spaceships, was at long last hoisted into place at the ULA Atlas rocket launch pad on Florida's Space Coast on Monday Aug 15, at an "awesome" media event witnessed by space journalists including Universe Today. |
![]() | Looking from space for nuclear detonationsSandia National Laboratories' Jaime Gomez was too busy to celebrate the successful launch of the latest nuclear detonation detection system—he was already deep into the next generation. |
Video: Massive rocket fuel tank built in a minuteIt took a lot longer than 60 seconds to weld the massive 130-foot rocket fuel tank. This time-lapse video shows the construction and rotation of the liquid hydrogen tank for the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System rocket—the new heavy-lift rocket being built in the Vehicle Assembly Center at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. | |
![]() | Star and planetary scientists get millions of hours on EU supercomputersThe universe is full of mysteries. Mysteries that cannot be solved by observation alone, but researchers can examine them using modelling. However, this requires enormous processing power and is very expensive. Now researchers from Astrophysics and Planetary Science at the Niels Bohr Institute have just been granted 91 million CPU hours on European supercomputers for three major research projects. |
![]() | Specialized cameras capture the Perseid meteor shower from points around the globeTime-lapse images captured during the peak of this summer's Perseid meteor shower have been released by the SkySentinel project, in which students at Florida Institute of Technology monitor the night sky from a network of up-looking, wide-angle cameras around the globe. |
Technology news
![]() | Hybrid system designed to harvest 'full spectrum' of solar energyA new concept could bring highly efficient solar power by combining three types of technologies that convert different parts of the light spectrum and also store energy for use after sundown. |
![]() | Self-driving Uber cars to carry passenger soon in PittsburghIn a few weeks, Uber will start using self-driving cars to carry passengers in Pittsburgh, raising the stakes in the fast-track race to deploy autonomous vehicles. |
![]() | 'Mr. Robot' mobile game launches as phony messaging app"Mr. Robot" is now a video game. |
![]() | 'Auction' of NSA tools sends security companies scramblingThe leak of what purports to be a National Security Agency hacking tool kit has set the information security world atwitter—and sent major companies rushing to update their defenses. |
Railway research into safety at level crossings reaches next stageNetworks of tiny wireless sensors could not only improve safety at railway crossings but would also be much less costly to install and maintain, drawing their electrical power from track vibration. These are among the findings of a UK Government-funded project carried out by rail experts at the University of Huddersfield. | |
![]() | Can photos on social media lead to mistaken identity in court cases?When it comes to identifying someone allegedly involved in a crime there can be risks associated with seeing photos of people on Facebook and other social media, as the recent case involving convicted killer Adrian Bayley highlights. |
![]() | Algorithms can be more fair than humansAmazon recently began to offer same-day delivery in selected metropolitan areas. This may be good for many customers, but the rollout shows how computerized decision-making can also deliver a strong dose of discrimination. |
![]() | Volvo and Uber form driverless car ventureSweden-based manufacturer Volvo Cars said on Thursday it would team up with ride-sharing service Uber in a $300 million (265 million euro) joint venture to develop driverless automobiles. |
![]() | Twitter axes 235,000 more accounts in terror crackdownTwitter on Thursday announced that it has cut off 235,000 more accounts for violating its policies regarding promotion of terrorism at the global one-to-many messaging service. |
![]() | No new rate hints as Federal Reserve joins FacebookThe Federal Reserve expanded its communications strategy Thursday by launching a Facebook page, but there were no fresh hints on the direction of interest rates. |
Self-driving car race sees flurry of partnershipsUber announced Thursday that it will partner with Volvo to make autonomous vehicles. The tie-up is the latest between automakers and tech companies hoping to speed driverless cars to market. Here's a rundown of who's working with whom: | |
![]() | Image: Margaret Hamilton's Apollo codeHalf a century ago, MIT played a critical role in the development of the flight software for NASA's Apollo program, which landed humans on the moon for the first time in 1969. One of the many contributors to this effort was Margaret Hamilton, a computer scientist who led the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which in 1961 contracted with NASA to develop the Apollo program's guidance system. For her work during this period, Hamilton has been credited with popularizing the concept of software engineering. |
Discovering electric mobility in a playful wayHow can services help encourage the spread of electric mobility, and how can they be systematically developed? Using four case studies from Finland, Estonia, Denmark and Norway, Fraunhofer IAO presents various approaches to developing e-mobility projects. One of the key research findings was that using game-like methods to involve customers in the development of e-mobility projects helps those business ventures become accepted. | |
![]() | T-Mobile phasing out data limits—but will you save money?T-Mobile is phasing out data limits and pushing people toward unlimited data plans—which will mean higher prices for many new customers. |
![]() | Harley-Davidson in $15m pollution settlement with USMotorcycle giant Harley-Davidson on Thursday entered a $15 million settlement with US authorities who accused the company of making and selling illegal devices that increased air pollution from its bikes. |
New York Times shuts down NYT Now smartphone appThe New York Times is shutting down its NYT Now smartphone app because the company says it hasn't lived up to its hopes in the two years since it was launched in an effort to reach a younger audience. | |
![]() | Gawker.com dies next week, killed by an unhappy subjectGawker.com, the brash New York website that broke new ground with its gossipy, no-holds-barred coverage of media, culture and politics, is shutting down after 14 years, brought low by an unhappy, but deep-pocketed, subject. |
Medicine & Health news
![]() | Unhealthy diet during pregnancy could be linked to ADHDNew research led by scientists from King's College London and the University of Bristol has found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may be linked to symptoms of ADHD in children who show conduct problems early in life. |
![]() | Researchers identify gene associated with age-related hearing lossA large screening programme has identified several genes associated with age-related conditions including hearing loss, retinal degeneration and osteoarthritis. The animal study, published in Nature Communications, may lead to studies of the equivalent human gene and help develop screening programmes to identify the risk of developing an age-related condition many years before symptoms appear. |
![]() | Largest collection of human exome sequence data yields unprecedented tool for diagnosing rare diseaseBased on the largest resource of its kind, members of the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) led by scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard report scientific findings from data on the exome sequences (protein-coding portions of the genome) from 60,706 people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Containing over 10 million DNA variants – many very rare and most identified for the first time – the ExAC dataset is a freely available, high-resolution catalog of human genetic variation that has already made a major impact on clinical research and diagnosis of rare genetic diseases. |
![]() | Zika infection may affect adult brain cellsConcerns over the Zika virus have focused on pregnant women due to mounting evidence that it causes brain abnormalities in developing fetuses. However, new research in mice from scientists at The Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology suggests that certain adult brain cells may be vulnerable to infection as well. Among these are populations of cells that serve to replace lost or damaged neurons throughout adulthood, and are also thought to be critical to learning and memory. |
![]() | Heart muscle made from stem cells aid precision cardiovascular medicine, study showsHeart muscle cells made from induced pluripotent stem cells faithfully mirror the expression patterns of key genes in the donor's native heart tissue, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. As a result, the cells can be used as a proxy to predict whether a patient is likely to experience drug-related heart damage. |
![]() | More evidence that 'healthy obesity' may be a mythThe term "healthy obesity" has gained traction over the past 15 years, but scientists have recently questioned its very existence. A study published August 18 in Cell Reports provides further evidence against the notion of a healthy obese state, revealing that white fat tissue samples from obese individuals classified as either metabolically healthy or unhealthy actually show nearly identical, abnormal changes in gene expression in response to insulin stimulation. |
![]() | Study shows how mutations disrupt ALS-linked proteinIn amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aggregates of the protein TDP-43 are almost always found in afflicted neurons and glial cells. Meanwhile, about 50 ALS-linked mutations are known to affect a particular region of TDP-43. Yet scientists have never understood how those two associations connect. A new study in the journal Structure shows how ALS mutations disrupt the protein at the atomic level, preventing it from executing its proper function and instead leading to those aggregates. |
![]() | New clues found to how norovirus gets inside cellsNorovirus is the most common viral cause of diarrhea worldwide, but scientists still know little about how it infects people and causes disease. Research has been hindered by an inability to grow the virus in the lab. |
![]() | Team identifies genes responsible for CMD riskIn a study being published in the August 19 issue of Science, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with scientists from Tartu University Hospital in Estonia, the Karolinska Institutet and Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) in Sweden, and AstraZeneca, have identified a profound new level of complexity and interaction among genes within specific tissues responsible for mediating the inherited risk for cardiometabolic diseases, including processes that lead to heart attack and stroke. |
Team identifies strategy to reverse the disease dyskeratosis congenitaDyskeratosis congenita, or DC, is a rare, inherited disease for which there are limited treatment options and no cure. Typically diagnosed in childhood, the disorder causes stem cells to fail, leading to significant problems including bone marrow failure, lung fibrosis, dyskeratosis of the skin and intestinal atrophy and inflammation. Patients are also at heightened risk of several types of cancer. | |
![]() | Olympic stomach upsets—leaky gut symdrome?A number of competitors at the Rio Olympics have reported stomach problems. Team GB officials have denied that athletes have fallen victim to food poisoning at the Olympic athletes' village in Rio, despite a number complaining of upset stomachs. |
![]() | MRI offers 100% screening certainty for diagnostic exclusion of breast cancerMedUni Vienna researchers from the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy have conducted a meta analysis of more than 2,300 patients from 14 international studies and have been able to show, for the very first time, that if performed as a follow-up procedure in the event of equivocal breast cancer screening findings, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is able to rule cancer out with 100 percent certainty. "If the MRI scan does not reveal a tumour, any further risk can be virtually excluded. The affected women can then sleep peacefully once again – their fears are allayed," explain molecular biologist and radiologist Barbara Bennani-Baiti and radiologist Pascal Baltzer. |
Cognitive offloading—how the internet is increasingly taking over human memoryOur increasing reliance on the Internet and the ease of access to the vast resource available online is affecting our thought processes for problem solving, recall and learning. In a new article published in the journal Memory, researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign have found that 'cognitive offloading', or the tendency to rely on things like the Internet as an aide-mémoire, increases after each use. We might think that memory is something that happens in the head but increasingly it is becoming something that happens with the help of agents outside the head.Benjamin Storm, Sean Stone & Aaron Benjamin conducted experiments to determine our likelihood to reach for a computer or smartphone to answer questions. Participants were first divided into two groups to answer some challenging trivia questions - one group used just their memory, the other used Google. Participants were then given the option of answering subsequent easier questions by the method of their choice. | |
![]() | Breakthrough in cancer cell screening advances personalised treatment of childhood leukaemiaResearchers at Newcastle University have been able to accurately predict how children whose cancer returns after treatment for leukaemia are likely to respond to further treatment. |
![]() | Critics: UK plan to cut child obesity lacks muscleBritain unveiled a plan Thursday to battle rising child obesity by taxing sodas, urging food manufacturers to cut down on sugar and getting schoolchildren to exercise more. |
![]() | Study identifies how Zika virus infects the placentaIn a new study, Yale researchers demonstrate Zika virus infection of cells derived from human placentas. The research provides insight into how Zika virus may be transmitted from expectant mother to fetus, resulting in infection of the fetal brain. |
Rates of early prostate cancer continue decline after USPSTF recommendationIncidence rates of early prostate cancer have continued to drop since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in all men, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology. | |
Greater intake of dietary omega-3 fatty acids associated with lower risk of diabetic retinopathyIn middle-aged and older individuals with type 2 diabetes, intake of at least 500 mg/d of dietary long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, easily achievable with 2 weekly servings of oily fish, was associated with a decreased risk of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology. | |
![]() | New flu strains and old antibodies: How sinful is 'original antigenic sin'?Immune memory ensures a quick and specific response to previously encountered pathogens. However, for rapidly evolving pathogens like influenza virus, there is concern that recalled ('old') antibodies dominate and compromise the response against a changed ('new') infectious strain. A study in mice published on August 18th in PLOS Pathogens reports that while influenza exposure history does influence the antibody response to a circulating flu virus, this does not appear to compromise the defense against the new strain. |
![]() | Insecticide treatment of cattle to kill sand flies and combat leishmaniasisWith an estimated 500,000 human infections and 50,000 deaths annually, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the second most prevalent parasitic killer, behind malaria. Leishmania parasites are transmitted through the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases makes the case that fighting the insects by treating cattle with the long-lasting insecticide, fipronil, could substantially reduce VL in areas where people and cattle live in close proximity. |
Gallstone disease may increase heart disease riskA history of gallstone disease may increase your risk of coronary heart disease, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. | |
![]() | Study shows standing up for beliefs in face of group opposition is worth the effortGoing with the flow might appear easier than sticking up for yourself when confronted with unanimous disagreement. |
Expert discusses MDMA researchNeuroscientist Robert Malenka, MD, PhD, the Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has conducted trailblazing inquiries into the nature of the brain's reward circuitry. This archipelago of interacting brain structures is responsible for generating sensations of pleasure in connection with survival-enhancing behaviors, such as mating and eating, but also with self-destructive behaviors, such as the use of addictive drugs. | |
![]() | Professional golfers more likely to have hip joints shaped differently than most of the populationLack of success on the fairway may not be due to your swing – it could be your hips that are to blame. |
Novel therapy holds promise of remission in relapsed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomaA phase 2 clinical trial of a novel therapy for patients who have experienced a relapse of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) resulted in extended remission, averaging 14.5 months, and longer than three years in exceptional cases. The drug, which targets histone-modifying enzymes (HME), was shown to be effective against a particular genetic mutation. The trial was initiated, designed, and coordinated by Dr. Sarit Assouline, a hematologist oncologist at the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital and clinician-scientist at the Lady Davis Institute. The results were published in Blood. | |
![]() | Doctors paid by drug companies more likely to use those companies' medsOphthalmologists who receive money from pharmaceutical companies are more likely to prescribe medications promoted by those companies than similar drugs that are less costly, a new study shows. |
Concussion rates rising significantly in adolescentsThe number of Americans diagnosed with concussions is growing, most significantly in adolescents, according to researchers at UC San Francisco. They recommend that adolescents be prioritized for ongoing work in concussion education, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. | |
Childhood adversity looms large for older homeless adultsA new UC San Francisco report on an understudied population – older homeless adults – reveals that adverse childhood experiences have long-lasting effects. The researchers found that childhood adversities, such as abuse, neglect and parental death, have a strong association with mental health outcomes in a group of 350 homeless adults over the age of 50 in Oakland, Calif. The results indicate that early life challenges have a persistent ripple effect, even in an already challenged population. | |
![]() | New study finds homebound, elderly patients missing out on in-home careThe saying goes that "what is old is new again." Many elderly Americans are hoping that proves true. |
New study shows LSD's effects on languageThe consumption of LSD, short for lysergic acid diethylamide, can produce altered states of consciousness. This can lead to a loss of boundaries between the self and the environment, as might occur in certain psychiatric illnesses. David Nutt, professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College, leads a team of researchers who study how this psychedelic substance works in the brain. | |
![]() | Personalised wearable tech can help adults diagnosed with autism manage anxietyPersonalised wearable digital technology can help adults diagnosed with autism understand and manage their anxiety. |
Digitally simulating sun damage and premature ageing is most effective at promoting sun safe behaviour, new study findsIn a new study published today in the journal Cogent Psychology, researchers from the University of Surrey examined the way sun safe messages are conveyed to young women, and found that visual communication using technology to age participant's faces to emphasis sun damage and premature ageing is most effective. | |
![]() | Detecting hearing loss, vertigo via blood testsThere are more than 30 blood tests in clinical practice today to confirm disease. For heart attacks, cardiologists test the blood for cardiac enzymes; for osteoporosis, proteins in the blood can signal thinning bones. |
![]() | Scientists find potential treatment for 'painful blindness' form of dry eyeA new study in animal models, led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), suggests that the eye's lacrimal glands can be repaired by injecting a kind of regenerative "progenitor" cell. |
![]() | Eye test may detect Parkinson's before symptoms appearA new low-cost and non-invasive eye test could detect Parkinson's disease before symptoms including tremors and muscle stiffness develop, according to new research in rats led by scientists at UCL. |
![]() | Natural compound from a deep-water marine sponge found to reduce pancreatic tumor sizeScientists at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute found that a deep-water marine sponge collected off of Fort Lauderdale's coast contains leiodermatolide, a natural product that has the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells as well as block cancer cells from dividing using extremely low concentrations of the compound. |
![]() | Not all tumor cells are equalA new study led by Dr. Manel Esteller, Director of the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program (PEBC) of Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), ICREA researcher and Professor of Genetics at University of Barcelona (UB) discovers that colorectal tumors present epigenetic heterogeneity that relates to the clinical course of the disease. The paper describing this finding has been published in the journal Gastroenterology. |
Thyroid cancer 'epidemic' down to overdiagnosis: studyA reported epidemic of thyroid cancer in rich countries is in fact mainly due to overdiagnosis driven by new technologies, the UN's cancer research agency said Thursday. | |
Polyunsaturated fat in adipose tissue linked to lower mortalityIn a study from Uppsala University, published in the American journal JAMA Cardiology, the fatty acid linoleic acid (Omega 6) in subcutaneous adipose tissue was linked to lower mortality among older men followed over a 15-year period. | |
Study highlights importance of regular lung cancer screenings for those at high riskLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women. It is also one of the most complex cancers, both at the molecular level and through its clinical behavior. Screening is paramount as it helps physicians diagnose and treat the disease in its earliest stages. | |
![]() | Diabetes drug may also offer vascular protectionObesity and Type 2 diabetes are associated with vascular stiffening and the development of cardiovascular disease. Obese and diabetic premenopausal women are most at risk - even more than men of the same age who have similar health issues. A study by University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers found that a diabetes medication offered protection against arterial stiffness in overweight female mice, a finding that may have future implications for disease prevention in humans. |
![]() | Volunteers sought as race to develop a Zika vaccine heats upWanted: Volunteers willing to be infected with the Zika virus for science. |
Postoperative telephone clinic can be used in lieu of in-person care for some patientsImplementation of a telephone postoperative clinic at a Veterans Affairs facility significantly improved utilization of surgeon and facility resources while maintaining satisfactory patient outcomes, according to study results published as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website ahead of print publication. | |
Unexplained developmental disorder linked to gene involved in essential cellular processesA neurodevelopmental disorder for which there was no known cause has been linked to SON, a gene that is involved in essential mechanisms a cell uses to translate DNA into protein, as well as in DNA replication and cell division. A multidisciplinary, international team of researchers from 10 institutions published the results in today's issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. | |
![]() | How genomic sequencing may be widening racial disparities in cancer careAs scientists learn more about which genetic mutations are driving different types of cancer, they're targeting treatments to small numbers of patients with the potential for big payoffs in improved outcomes. |
![]() | Study supports new strategy to fight cocaine addictionAn international team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found strong evidence supporting a new strategy against drug addiction. The researchers showed that a compound that inhibits the activity of certain brain-cell receptors can reverse signs of cocaine dependency in rodents. |
![]() | Fruit flies could be key to fighting cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirusHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States and has been identified as a primary cause of cervical cancer in women. Now, an international team of researchers led by the University of Missouri has completed studies on fruit flies with a condition that mimics a form of HPV-induced cancer. The fly models the team developed may help scientists understand the underlying mechanism by which this virus can cause cancer as well as identify potential drug treatments. The study appears in today's issue of PLoS Pathogens. |
Over-the-counter laser pointers a threat to eyesightLaser pointers bought legally for less than $AU30 are a threat to eyesight - with one pointer found to be 127 times over the Australian legal limit. | |
New oral diabetes drugs may also protect patients' kidney healthA recent study indicates that a new class of oral diabetes drugs may help protect patients' kidney health in addition to lowering their blood sugar levels. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). | |
![]() | Researchers provide recommendations to stop violence against clinicians in ChinaChen Zhongwei, the retired Director of Oral Health at Guangdong General Hospital in China, was attacked this spring and killed by a patient whom he treated more than two decades earlier. The former patient, who claimed that he should receive compensation for a discolored tooth, followed the dentist home where he stabbed him over 30 times. This tragic story is the latest of a number of episodes in which Chinese patients kill health professionals. |
![]() | Study confirms long-term effects of 'chemobrain' in miceWomen undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer have long complained of lingering cognitive impairments after treatment. These effects are referred to as "chemobrain," a feeling of mental fogginess. A new study from the University of Illinois reports long-lasting cognitive impairments in mice when they are administered a chemotherapy regimen used to treat breast cancer in humans. |
![]() | Smoking marijuana provides more pain relief for men than womenResearchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that men had greater pain relief than women after smoking marijuana. |
![]() | In cells, some oxidants are neededWithin our bodies, high levels of reactive forms of oxygen can damage proteins and contribute to diabetic complications and many other diseases. But some studies are showing that these reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules sometimes can aid in maintaining health—findings now boosted by a surprising discovery from Joslin Diabetes Center researchers. |
![]() | After years of war, Afghans wary to talk of mental healthSoheila Hashemi has hardly slept since a suicide bomber targeted a rally in the Afghan capital last month, killing more than 80 people and wounding scores in the deadliest attack in Kabul since the war with the Taliban began 15 years ago. |
![]() | Why parental leave is more than a perk—it's a necessityI recently became a father to a beautiful little girl. As an ECR and first time parent living in Sweden, this means that I am now entitled to parental benefits, i.e. money that I receive from the government to subsidize my expenses so I am able to be at home with my child instead of working, applying for a new job, or studying. Therefore, I did not have to make a choice between prioritizing my family and my professional development, but instead could let the two develop simultaneously and benefit each other. In spite of strong evidence that supports the overwhelming benefits paid parental leave affords families, these policies are not universal. I hope that by sharing my positive experience with parental leave (which, granted is a special case), it can help other ECRs factor this in to the considerations they make when building a career. |
![]() | Researchers successfully use Parsortix system in ovarian cancer drug trialsANGLE plc's Parsortix, which was granted a European patent in March 2016, harvests circulating cancer cells from blood for further medical analysis. Its use is an essential step in research under the GANNET53 project, which bets on a second generation Hsp90 inhibitor to improve metastatic ovarian cancer survival rates. |
![]() | Opinion: Government's Childhood Obesity Strategy 'disappointing'Dr Emma Boyland is a Lecturer in appetite and obesity at the University of Liverpool's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society and Trustee of the UK Association for the Study of Obesity. |
Haiti cholera victims welcome UN recognizing role in outbreakThe United Nations' belated acknowledgement it played a role in a cholera epidemic in Haiti that has killed nearly 10,000 people was hailed by victims' advocates Thursday as vindication of their efforts to hold the world body accountable. | |
An imaging method to quantify dermal fatMammals contain two main varieties of fat: white adipose tissue (WAT), which is used to store energy, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is involved in the regulation of body temperature, particularly in infants. Dermal WAT (dWAT) is the layer of WAT is immediately adjacent to the dermis and is known to accumulate in response to ambient cold, hair growth, and exposure to bacteria in mice, but little is known about this tissue in humans. | |
Cell therapy promotes axon remyelination in a mouse modelDemyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophy, are characterized by damage to the protective myelin sheath that surrounds the axons of neurons. This demyelination can be caused by an autoimmune response or impaired myelin production by oligodendrocytes. | |
Afatinib in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung: Added benefit not provenAfatinib (trade name: Giotrif) has been approved since April 2016 for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of squamous histology who have already received chemotherapy. In an early benefit assessment, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined whether in these patients this drug offers advantages over the appropriate comparator therapy. According to the findings, an added benefit of afatinib for these patients is not proven. | |
New report presents bundled payment model for breast cancer screeningAccording to a new report by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, mammography may present an opportunity for the expanded use of bundled payments in radiology. The study, published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), reports that breast cancer screening provides a framework for radiologist-led bundled payment models, and can be implemented with different services included in the bundle depending upon a practice's specific patient panel. | |
Ramucirumab in stomach cancer: Added benefit not provenRamucirumab (trade name: Cyramza) is a monoclonal antibody, which blocks a receptor, reducing the growth of blood vessels and so reducing blood supply to the tumours. This aims to slow the growth of the tumours. As a so-called orphan drug, i.e. a drug for the treatment of rare diseases, ramucirumab was initially exempt from proof of an added benefit. With several expansions of the therapeutic indication, it has lost this special status. | |
![]() | Regenstrief project assembles health information from different electronic medical recordsIf you are rushed to a hospital in an emergency, is your complete medical record available to those caring for you? Will they know all medications you have been prescribed and whether you are taking them as directed? Does your primary care physician know your complete medical history? |
Emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide in HIV infection: Added benefit not provenThe drug combination emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide is approved in combination with other antiviral agents for the treatment of adults and adolescents infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). In an early benefit assessment, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined whether in these patients this combination offers advantages over the appropriate comparator therapy. According to the findings, such an added benefit is not proven: No data were available for two of four research questions; the studies submitted for the third research question deviated from the appropriate comparator therapy; greater harm for certain patients was shown in the fourth research question. | |
Brivaracetam in epilepsy: Added benefit still not provenBrivaracetam (trade name: Briviact) has been approved since January 2016 as add-on therapy for adults and adolescents from 16 years of age with epileptic seizures. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) had already examined the drug in an early benefit assessment published in May. For several reasons, the indirect comparisons presented by the drug manufacturer were unsuitable to assess an added benefit in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy. Among other things, the manufacturer had not analysed all relevant outcomes. In the commenting procedure, the manufacturer presented a further indirect comparison. | |
Nivolumab in advanced lung cancer: Indication of major added benefitNivolumab has been approved since April 2016 as a checkpoint inhibitor for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have already undergone chemotherapy. In an early benefit assessment, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined whether in these patients this monoclonal antibody offers advantages over the appropriate comparator therapy. | |
![]() | Researchers find prenatal infection may create risk for later disordersThe Zika virus now active in numerous countries, and the severe birth defects associated with it, makes it clear that infection in pregnant women can have immediate and devastating effects on the developing baby. |
Osteoblastic metastases distinguished from enostoses using CT attenuation measurementsA team of Boston researchers found that CT attenuation measurements can be used to distinguish untreated osteoblastic (bone-related) metastases from enostoses (benign bone lesions). Based on this conclusion, some biopsies and additional radiologic studies could be avoided, according to a paper published in the August 2016 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. |
Biology news
![]() | Engineers program human cells to store complex histories in their DNAMIT biological engineers have devised a way to record complex histories in the DNA of human cells, allowing them to retrieve "memories" of past events, such as inflammation, by sequencing the DNA. |
![]() | A biofortified rice high in iron and zinc is set to combat hidden hunger in developing countriesRice is the staple food for billions of people throughout the developing world. But beyond easing hunger pains and providing carbohydrates for energy, it has little nutritional value. |
![]() | Most island vertebrate extinctions could be averted, new study concludesEight of every ten species extinctions has occurred on islands, and invasive mammals are the leading reason for those losses. Currently, 40 percent of species at risk of global extinction are island inhabitants. |
![]() | New technologies show how cancer cells protect chromosomes from decayAs the rope of a chromosomes replicates, it frays at the ends. No problem: A chromosome's ends have extra twine so that fraying doesn't reach into the body of the rope where the important information resides. This extra twine is called a "telomere". Over time and across replications, this telomere twine breaks down until the chromosome loses its protective ends and this "fraying" reaches into the rope, wrecking the chromosome and resulting in the death of the cell. |
![]() | Neural stem cells control their own fateTo date, it has been assumed that the differentiation of stem cells depends on the environment they are embedded in. A research group at the University of Basel now describes for the first time a mechanism by which hippocampal neural stem cells regulate their own cell fate via the protein Drosha. The journal Cell Stem Cell has published their results. |
![]() | 'Baby, it's hot outside': Why birds sing to eggsMuch like parents who talk to a pregnant woman's belly, some birds sing to their eggs before they hatch, and the reason may be to prepare them for a warming world, researchers said Thursday. |
![]() | Researchers create information technology tool for pest managementThe heat of summer brings to mind various timeless activities: diving into the crisp waters of a lake, sunning on the sandy shores of a beach and, for many, shucking green husks to reveal golden ears of sweet corn. |
![]() | Genetic influence in juvenile songbird babblingsResearchers from Hokkaido University have discovered familial differences in the earliest vocal babblings of juvenile songbirds, suggesting a possible genetic basis for the variations. |
![]() | Wildlife in hedgerows suffers when next to roads or pavementsA citizen science study has revealed that being next to just one hard surface reduces the diversity of plants and animals in hedgerows. |
![]() | Game of catfish and mouse in Pilbara riverLarge catfish in a desert river in the Pilbara are eating native mice when available, Murdoch University researchers have found. |
![]() | Homosexual termite regicideTermites not only raid people's homes, but also the humble abodes of other happy termite couples. |
Canine babesiosis outbreak in UK under control—but needs monitoringScientists at the University of Liverpool are using the health records of dogs to monitor the status of a potentially fatal tick-borne disease that appears to have been imported into the UK. | |
![]() | Urbanization affects diets of butterfliesA study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) revealed that most tropical butterflies feed on a variety of flower types, but those that are 'picky' about their flower diets tend to prefer native plants and are more dependent on forests. These 'picky' butterflies also have wings that are more conspicuous and shorter proboscis. The reduction in native plants due to urbanisation affects the diet of such butterflies, and researchers suggest that intervention may be needed to manage their preferred flower resources. |
Bee rescue mounted after hospital breaks out in hivesIt was a sticky situation. | |
![]() | Biologists remove dead conjoined twin from endangered turtleMarine biologists in southern Italy have separated conjoined twin loggerhead turtles and released the surviving newborn into the Mediterranean Sea. |
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