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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 19, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | New research challenges existing models of black holesChris Packham, associate professor of physics and astronomy at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), has collaborated on a new study that expands the scientific community's understanding of black holes in our galaxy and the magnetic fields that surround them. |
 | Sticking to the schedule was difficult for Apollo astronautsNo one plans like NASA, and when it came to exploring the moon, the Apollo program was no different. However, even despite their best efforts, the astronauts consistently demonstrated the challenges of keeping to schedule. |
 | Study of distant galaxies challenges the understanding of how stars formThe most massive galaxies in our neighbourhood formed their stars billions of years ago, early in the history of the universe. At the present day, they produce very few new stars. Astronomers have long believed that is because they contain very little gas – a key ingredient necessary to produce stars. But our new study, published in Nature Astronomy, is now challenging this long held view. |
 | Christa McAuliffe's lost lessons finally taught in spaceChrista McAuliffe's lost lessons are finally getting taught in space. |
 | NASA bumps astronaut off space station flight in rare moveNASA has bumped an astronaut off an upcoming spaceflight, a rare move for the space agency so close to launch. |
 | Machine intelligence on the ISSArtificial intelligence already helping astronauts on the International Space Station is also providing a promising approach for solving crimes. In an era of security concerns across Europe, the smart use of police data is critical for uncovering leads. |
 | Satellites paint a detailed picture of maritime activityESA has helped coastal authorities to track up to 70% more ships and pick up nearly three times more ship positions via satellite than was possible before. |
Brexit costs Britain data center for Europe's satnav systemOfficials have decided to move a data center for the European Union's new satellite navigation system out of Britain because of Brexit. | |
Technology news
 | A small chemical reactor made via 3-D printing allows for making drugs on-demandA team of researchers at the University of Glasgow has developed a system based on 3-D printing reactor modules for creating pharmaceuticals on demand. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how the concept works and offers an overview of using their system to create an actual drug. Christian Hornung with CSIRO Manufacturing in Australia offers a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue and outlines possible uses for such a system. |
 | The wheel according to inventor Mocellin: Good-looking, efficient, foldedInventor Andrea Mocellin is posting a video earlier this month that reflects his desire to spur interest in his multi-year effort to get something right: A foldable wheel with design to make a difference in how people can lead travel-efficient lives. |
 | Let's make a deal: Could AI compromise better than humans?Computers can play a pretty mean round of chess and keep up with the best of their human counterparts in other zero-sum games. But teaching them to cooperate and compromise instead of compete? |
 | Google, Tencent eye collaboration on new technologiesInternet titans Google and Tencent on Friday signalled possible future collaboration on developing new technologies as the US and Chinese firms announced a long-term patent-sharing agreement. |
 | Mesoporous interface mitigates the impact of defects in perovskite solar cellsThe nominal cell operating life of perovskite solar cells is strongly influenced by their inner architecture. This was shown by two scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the Technical University of Munich. They combined experiments with numerical simulations in order to explain this observation. |
 | Identifying structural defects during driving electronic devicesA research team from Korea has discovered the blocking phenomenon of electrons generated during high-speed driving of oxide semiconductors and proved its causes for the first time in the world. It is expected to be used for the commercialization of next-generation intelligent electronic devices. |
Using haptic feedback joysticks to fly dronesA new joystick developed by startup MotionPilot lets users fly drones with just one hand in a fun, intuitive way. One version of this device includes a haptic feedback mechanism that gives users a sense of the drone's position as it moves through the air. Drone aficionados were recently impressed by a prototype, and the device could hit the market soon. | |
 | Detect locally, protect globallyWhen infectious diseases strike, the World Health Organization acts swiftly, coordinating with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its foreign counterparts to contain the threat. But there is no equivalent international organization similarly dedicated to identifying and mitigating a cyberattack. |
 | With cheap solar and wind power, is it time to rethink 'energy efficiency'?The need to cut emissions from the energy sector has motivated the use of hydro, solar and wind power, and the development of more efficient buildings that consume less energy. And these solutions have indeed slightly reduced the world's per-capita energy emissions. But once renewables really do become dominant, the entire concept of "energy efficiency" will become outdated. |
 | Amazon raises monthly Prime membership fees by 20 percentAmazon is raising the price of its Prime membership monthly plan by nearly 20 percent. The fee of $99 for an annual membership will not change, the company said Friday. |
 | Instagram, Google+ join EU group fighting hate speechFacebook's Instagram and the Google+ social network have agreed to join an EU-sponsored group of US internet giants to combat online extremism, EU officials said Friday. |
 | More self-driving tech in VW's next-generation GolfThe world's biggest carmaker Volkswagen said Friday it would stuff even more technology into the next generation of its top-selling Golf model, bringing so-called "connected driving" deeper into the mainstream. |
 | Microsoft, Alibaba AI programs beat humans in a Stanford reading testFirst, they beat us at chess. Then it was Go. Now it's basic reading comprehension. |
Visa joins other major credit cards in getting rid of signature requirementThe days of signing the receipt after a credit card purchase are numbered. | |
 | SEC letter shows bitcoin funds won't happen soon, if everIt may be a while, if ever, before investors can buy an exchange-traded fund made up of bitcoin and other digital currencies. |
 | Maybe next time: Cities see failed Amazon bids as trial runsFor some of the 200-plus cities knocked out of the running for Amazon's second headquarters, the effort may turn out to be a trial run for other opportunities. But they're advised not make the same kind of promises to just anyone. |
 | Amazon's potential HQ2 sites leaves many cities disappointedAmazon's move to whittle its list for a second headquarters leaves more than 200 municipalities disappointed. Here are statements from some of the places that didn't make the tech giant's cut to 20 contenders: |
 | HSBC in $100 million forex fraud settlementBritish financial giant HSBC has agreed to pay more than $100 million to US authorities after admitting to defrauding clients during multi-billion-dollar foreign exchange transactions, the Justice Department announced Thursday. |
 | UK retail sales slide in December after Black Friday boostBritish retail sales slid 1.5 percent in December from the previous month after consumers had brought forward their Christmas shopping, official data showed Friday. |
 | Engineers invent tiny vision processing chip for ultra-small smart vision systems and IoT applicationsA team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a novel microchip named EQSCALE that can capture visual details from video frames with extremely low power consumption. The video feature extractor uses 20 times less power than existing best-in-class chips, so it only requires a tiny battery. It could reduce the size of smart vision systems down to the millimetre range. For example, it can be powered continuously by a millimetre-sized solar cell without the need for battery replacement. |
 | Asocial mediaThe incidence of abusive commentary on social media is rising. Media specialists Carsten Reinemann and Christoph Neuberger are exploring the grounds for this development, and have invited journalist Dunja Hayali to discuss the issue. |
 | India's Reliance posts 25% rise in profits, Jio turns profitableIndian oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries on Friday beat analyst estimates to post a 25 percent rise in consolidated net profit, aided by its telecom start-up Jio turning profitable within 17 months of its launch. |
 | Melted nuclear fuel seen inside second Fukushima reactorThe operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said Friday that a long telescopic probe successfully captured images of what is most likely melted fuel inside one of its three damaged reactors, providing limited but crucial information for its cleanup. |
Workers at Apple supplier complain of unsafe conditionsFor the second time in three months, Apple is facing questions about working conditions at its Chinese suppliers. | |
Dallas-based Skratch app helps busy teens find jobs in their neighborhoodsMiranda Alfaro said she's had a difficult time finding a part-time job that fits her busy academic schedule. | |
California congressman wants to ask Intel, AMD and ARM about Meltdown and SpectreA California congressman wants to meet with the Top 3 microchip makers to better understand the implications of two security flaws that affect almost all computing devices in the world. | |
Facebook 'fix' needed, early investor Roger McNamee saysRoger McNamee, founding partner of Elevation Partners and an early investor in Facebook, is making lots of noise about how to "fix" Facebook. | |
Medicine & Health news
 | Women run faster after taking newly developed supplement, study findsA new study found that women who took a specially prepared blend of minerals and nutrients for a month saw their 3-mile run times drop by almost a minute. |
 | Researchers illustrate how muscle growth inhibitor is activated, could aid in treating ALSResearchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine are part of an international team that has identified how the inactive or latent form of GDF8, a signaling protein also known as myostatin responsible for limiting muscle, is activated. |
Novel genomic tools provide new insight into human immune systemWhen the body is under attack from pathogens, the immune system marshals a diverse collection of immune cells to work together in a tightly orchestrated process and defend the host against the intruders. For many decades, immunologists sorted these cells into ever growing numbers of different types and subtypes mainly based on their morphology and phenotype to understand their function. But novel genomic tools are beginning to reveal new, rare cell types as well as unexpected variability and plasticity within groups upending the traditional view of immune cells assigned to the same category as unvarying entities that behave in a constant manner. | |
 | Creation of synthetic horsepox virus could lead to more effective smallpox vaccineUAlberta researchers created a new synthetic virus that could lead to the development of a more effective vaccine against smallpox. The discovery demonstrates how techniques based on the use of synthetic DNA can be used to advance public health measures. |
 | Prescription drug labels provide scant dosing guidance for obese kidsDespite the U.S. Congress providing incentives to drug manufacturers to encourage the study of medications in children, few approved drugs include safe dosing information for obese kids. |
 | Americans are getting more sleepAlthough more than one in three Americans still don't get enough sleep, a new analysis shows first signs of success in the fight for more shut eye. According to data from 181,335 respondents aged 15 and older who participated in the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) between 2003 and 2016, most Americans averaged an extra 7.5 hours of sleep each year over the 14-year period. The study, by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was published online this month in the journal Sleep. |
 | Don't sweat it: Bikram yoga is no more effective than yoga practiced at room temperatureBikram yoga, a hot yoga style, is no more effective at improving health than the same yoga postures at room temperature - that's what research published in Experimental Physiology and carried out by Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin, USA, has found. |
 | Rocky start for Alzheimer's drug research in 2018The year 2018, barely underway, has already dealt a series of disheartening blows to the quest for an Alzheimer's cure. |
'Trainspotting generation': Alarm as Scotland drug deaths spikeScotland has seen a sharp rise in the number of drug deaths as years of abuse by the so-called "Trainspotting generation" finally take their toll, prompting calls for a rethink on drug policy. | |
Study ends debate over role of steroids in treating septic shockThe results from the largest ever study of septic shock could improve treatment for critically ill patients and save health systems worldwide hundreds of millions of dollars each year. | |
 | Proinflammatory diet linked to increased colorectal cancer risk(HealthDay)—Proinflammatory diets are associated with increased colorectal cancer risk for men and women, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in JAMA Oncology. |
 | Falls more common in elderly with cognitive impairment(HealthDay)—Increasing evidence shows that cognitive therapies may help reduce falls in older adults, according to a review published online Jan. 10 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. |
 | ADHD drug use soars among young women(HealthDay)—Though drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are typically taken by children and young teens, scores of women of childbearing age are now using the medications, a new government report shows. |
 | Teens eating detergent 'pods': latest web fad brings big dangers(HealthDay)—You've gotta be kidding me. That's gotta be fake. |
 | Telemedicine tied to faster ER care in rural areas(HealthDay)—Telemedicine cuts emergency department door-to-provider time in rural hospitals, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in Telemedicine and e-Health. |
 | Longer duration of post-op opioid use associated with misuse(HealthDay)—Each refill and week of opioid prescription following surgery is associated with an increasing risk of opioid misuse among opioid naive patients, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in The BMJ. |
 | Anti-smoking plan may kill cigarettes—and save Big TobaccoImagine if cigarettes were no longer addictive and smoking itself became almost obsolete; only a tiny segment of Americans still lit up. That's the goal of an unprecedented anti-smoking plan being carefully fashioned by U.S. health officials. |
 | Blasting dental plaque with microbubblesTooth loss can cause many inconveniences. Dental implants such as crowns, however, have allowed people to overcome most of these and live a better quality of life. But just like normal teeth, dental implants require proper care and oral hygiene to prevent further complications, such as the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the implants. While the buildup of dental plaque sticks mainly to the crown, it also adheres to the exposed parts of the screw that holds the dental fixture in place, and these are much harder to clean because they contain microgrooves that make them fuse into the upper or lower jaw bones. |
Scientists identify potential target genes to halt progression of thyroid cancerThyroid cancer is a disease with good cure rates in most cases. In 5 percent of patients, however, the tumor becomes refractory to the available therapies and may spread all over the body, causing death. | |
 | Paleolithic diet healthier for overweight womenOverweight women after menopause who eat the Paleo Diet can maintain weight loss in the long term. The levels of risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases also decrease. This according to a study at Umeå University in Sweden. |
 | Revellers ready for festival drug checks, study findsA study of the attitudes and behaviours of young people at music festivals found that a majority were in favour of drug checking, and would reconsider taking a drug if they were aware of its contents. |
Zika Contraception Access Network supports 21,000 Puerto Rican women at height of Zika outbreakA program designed to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce birth defects during the height of the 2016-17 Zika virus outbreak in Puerto Rico successfully served more than 21,000 women during a 16-month period. Supported by the CDC Foundation, with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and led by an Emory University faculty member working with CDC, the Zika Contraception Access Network (Z-CAN) provided women who wanted to prevent pregnancy access with a full range of contraceptive options, free of charge, on the same day of their initial clinic visit. | |
 | A prescription for fruits and veggiesA new study led by researchers at UNC, including Dana Neutze, MD, of the Department of Family Medicine, and NC State University will give a weekly allotment of locally grown vegetables to low-income, high-risk patients at The UNC Family Medicine Center, in addition to connecting them with existing nutrition education programs. |
Narrowing the gap toward precision medicine for pancreatic cancerUniversity of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Jen Jen Yeh, MD, is working to understand the complicated relationship between one of the deadliest cancers and the web of connective tissue that can surround the tumors. | |
 | Cystic fibrosis bacterial burden begins during first years of lifeCystic fibrosis (CF) shortens life by making the lungs prone to repeated bacterial infections and associated inflammation. UNC School of Medicine researchers have now shown for the first time that the lungs' bacterial population changes in the first few years of life as respiratory infections and inflammation set in. |
Astronauts' circulation woes can cue better health for allA little more time on the treadmill may be just what the doctor ordered for Canada's astronauts battling microgravity's effects on circulation, according to one Western researcher. | |
Investigators eye new target for treating movement disordersBlocking a nerve-cell receptor in part of the brain that coordinates movement could improve the treatment of Parkinson's disease, dyskinesia and other movement disorders, researchers at Vanderbilt University have reported. | |
 | Intensive behavior therapy no better than conventional support in treating teenagers with antisocial behaviorResearch led by UCL has found that intensive and costly multisystemic therapy is no better than conventional therapy in treating teenagers with moderate to severe antisocial behaviour. |
 | Children's milk drinking habits analysedNew research shows a direct relationship between the consumption of cow's milk, and socio-demographic factors. |
 | The terrible toll tennis can take on top players who play too muchMuch of the tennis world was looking to the 2018 Australian Open to be the story of comebacks. |
Remaining kidneys of overweight donors less able to adapt to pregnancyFemale kidney donors who are overweight may be at a higher risk for preeclampsia during pregnancy, according to a new study. The increased risk is due to a reduction in a type of kidney function called renal functional reserve (RFR). The article is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology. | |
Treating eczema could also alleviate asthmaScientists from VIB-UGent have discovered insights for a possible new therapy for eczema that also reduces the severity of asthma. The findings are an important next step in understanding the relationship between the two inflammatory diseases and to developing effective therapies. The results of the study are published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. | |
The Down's syndrome 'super genome'Down's syndrome – also known as trisomy 21 – is a genetic disorder caused by an additional third chromosome 21. Although this genetic abnormality is found in one out of 700 births, only 20 percent of foetuses with trisomy 21 reach full term. But how do they manage to survive the first trimester of pregnancy despite this heavy handicap? Researchers from the Universities of Geneva (UNIGE) and Lausanne (UNIL) have found that children born with Down's syndrome have an excellent genome – better, in fact, than the average genome of people without the genetic abnormality. It is possible that this genome offsets the disabilities caused by the extra chromosome, helping the foetus to survive and the child to grow and develop. You can find out more about these discoveries in the journal Genome Research. | |
Increasing number of adolescents receive a psychiatric or neurodevelopmental diagnosisAccording to a national register study comparing Finnish birth cohorts from 1987 and 1997, an increasing number of adolescents receive a psychiatric or neurodevelopmental diagnosis. The number of diagnosed adolescents increased especially for girls in the younger cohort. The results of the study were published in The Lancet Psychiatry. | |
 | Children who travel to school independently are more satisfied and perform better in schoolTraveling to school is just not about getting from home to school. A new doctoral thesis from Karlstad University shows how the choice of mode of transport and activities during the trip affects children's well-being and achievement in school. |
 | Toward a fast and reliable method for diagnosing respiratory infectionsAs a child, Krisna Bhargava Ph.D. '15 made frequent visits to the doctor's office, seeking relief for his ongoing coughs, colds and asthma. |
Current mental health screenings alone not accurate enough to help elementary students, study findsThe Missouri Department of Mental Health reports that more than 80 percent of the 97,000 young Missourians who needed treatment for serious mental health problems in 2015 did not receive public mental health support. Many educators, counselors and social workers are working to improve practices to identify children who need help through risk assessments such as mental health screenings. In a recent study, Melissa Maras, a research consultant at the University of Missouri Assessment Resource Center, found a high degree of variance between teacher reports when using these screenings. Maras says creating a more holistic view of a student's behavior may be the key to identifying more children who need additional support. | |
 | Blood test can detect eight different cancers in their early stagesResearchers have developed a blood test that can detect the presence of eight common cancers. Called CancerSEEK, the blood test detects tiny amounts of DNA and proteins released into the blood stream from cancer cells. This can then indicate the presence of ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreatic, oesophageal, bowel, lung or breast cancers. |
 | Sexual assault and the princess industry are all part of the same systemSince Harvey Weinstein's case, sexual harassment and sexual assault have been condemned by almost everyone. The #MeToo movement went viral and thousands agreed with it. But recently, a backlash to #MeToo led by French actress Catherine Deneuve and others like Margaret Atwood has surfaced. |
 | How to prioritize exercise, healthy eating goals in 2018As January comes to a close, the reality of just how hard it can be to adopt healthy habits in the new year is starting to set in for many resolutioners. |
 | Tolerating distractionA constant complaint in our unpredictable world is that we live in an age of distraction. |
 | Caffeine's sport performance advantage for infrequent tea and coffee drinkersA study led by sports scientists at Dublin City University has found that the performance enhancing benefits of caffeine are more apparent in athletes who do not drink caffeine-rich drinks such as tea, coffee, and energy drinks on a daily basis. |
Adaptive immune response: new cofactor of roquin identifiedRoquin has a key role in the adaptive immune response. It controls the activation and differentiation of T cells and thus helps to make the decisions whether or not and which type of immune response will be mounted. Now, a team of scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München in cooperation with scientists of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig have identified NUFIP2, a protein with a previously unknown function, as cofactor of Roquin and discovered that NUFIP2 enhances Roquin's regulatory function. | |
 | Adhesives developed to prevent bracket stains on teethResearchers from Valencia, London and Sul, Brazil, have performed research to develop adhesive materials that will prevent white stains from appearing on the teeth of people who use brackets. |
Promising malaria vaccine testedAn international research team has conducted successful phase II clinical tests of a new anti-malaria medication. The treatment led to a cure in 83 cases. The new combination of drugs was developed by Professor Peter Kremsner of the Tübingen Institute of Tropical Medicine and the company DMG Deutschen Malaria GmbH. The study was recently published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and is freely accessible. | |
 | Frequent family meals promote good nutritional health in childrenSuccessful obesity prevention starts at home – at the family dinner table. The results of a meta-analysis conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the University of Mannheim have been published in Obesity Reviews. |
 | Protecting older people in the winterEvery year, Minnesota's severe winter weather conditions—blizzards, extreme cold, ice storms—grip media attention and public consciousness. Yet how everyday winter weather shapes health and well-being is often overlooked. The impact of weather on older adults who are potentially more vulnerable to climactic conditions requires much more attention. |
 | Factor that doubles the risk of death from breast cancer identifiedResearchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that the risk of death from breast cancer is twice as high for patients with high heterogeneity of the oestrogen receptor within the same tumour as compared to patients with low heterogeneity. The study, which is published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, also shows that the higher risk of death over a span of 25 years is independent of other known tumour markers and also holds true for Luminal A breast cancer, a subtype with a generally good prognosis. |
 | Occupational therapy improves health, quality of life of young adults with diabetesNew results from a University of Southern California-led research study demonstrates the distinct value of occupational therapy for improving the health and quality of life of young adults living with diabetes. |
Mortality of surgery vs. targeted radiation in early lung cancer patientsA University of Colorado Cancer Center study published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology explores mortality in the window following the use of surgery or focused radiation to treat early-stage lung cancer. The study analyzed cases from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) and included 76,623 patients treated with surgery and 8,216 treated with focused radiation. The analysis showed low rates of post-treatment mortality overall - 2.1 percent of patients receiving surgery passed away within 30 days of treatment, compared with 0.7 percent of patients treated with focused radiation. However, the difference in post-treatment mortality between these two treatments widened with age. Among patients older than 80 years, 3.9 percent receiving surgery passed away within this 30-day post-treatment window, compared with 0.9 percent of patients receiving focused radiation. | |
 | Second face transplant for Frenchman in world-firstA man whose body rejected a face transplant he received seven years ago has been given a second donor face after living nearly two months without one, French medical agencies said Friday. |
 | Postoperative wound monitoring app can reduce readmissions and improve patient careA new smartphone app called WoundCare is successfully enabling patients to remotely send images of their surgical wounds for monitoring by nurses. The app was developed by researches from the Wisconsin Institute of Surgical Outcomes Research (WiSOR), Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, with the goal of earlier detection of surgical site infections (SSIs) and prevention of hospital readmissions. The study results appear as an "article in press" on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print. |
 | Older hospitalized adults are infrequently tested for influenzaThis year's flu season is shaping up to be an especially serious one, and it's important for clinicians to promptly recognize, diagnosis, and treat influenza in hospitalized patients, especially in vulnerable populations such as older individuals. A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, however, indicates that adults aged 65 years and older who are hospitalized with fever or respiratory symptoms during influenza seasons are less likely to have a provider-ordered influenza test than younger patients. |
Study finds cognitive behavioral therapy is cost-effectiveCognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) delivered in a primary care setting is a cost-effective way to treat adolescents with depression who decline or quickly stop using antidepressants, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Pediatrics. | |
 | Former NFL pros push for end to kids' tackle football(HealthDay)—A group of former National Football League greats—including Hall of Famers Harry Carson of the New York Giants and Nick Buoniconti of the Miami Dolphins—is urging parents not to let their children play tackle football until they're at least 14 years old. |
 | 1 in 4 U.S. stillbirths might be prevented(HealthDay)—About 1 in every 160 pregnancies in the United States ends in stillbirth. Now, a new study suggests many of these tragedies are "potentially" avoidable. |
 | How to fight the flu this season(HealthDay)—The flu is causing widespread misery across the United States this winter, but the American Lung Association says there are things you can do to avoid being felled by the virus. |
 | PMS: an update on solutions(HealthDay)—Up to 75 percent of women experience PMS (premenstrual syndrome) with symptoms like anxiety, irritability and fatigue, health experts say. |
 | Almost one in four stillbirths potentially preventable(HealthDay)—Almost one in four stillbirths are potentially preventable, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. |
 | Cognitive behavioral therapy cost-effective in depressed teens(HealthDay)—For adolescents with depression who declined or quickly stopped using antidepressants, a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program is cost-effective, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in Pediatrics. |
 | Interactive simulation can affect activity intentions in T2DM(HealthDay)—An interactive, personalized simulation can change behavioral intentions among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published in the January to June issue of JMIR Diabetes. |
 | Increase in employment among patients starting dialysis(HealthDay)—The probability of employment has increased in recent years among patients initiating dialysis but is still low, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. |
 | LDL-C still high in autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia(HealthDay)—For patients with autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels remain high despite intensive treatment, according to a study published in the Jan. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | Pharmacist participation in stroke response cuts door-to-needle time(HealthDay)—Having a pharmacist at bedside during acute ischemic stroke is associated with significantly shorter door-to-needle (DTN) times, according to a study published recently in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy. |
 | Risk of psychotic experiences up with teen cannabis use(HealthDay)—The risk of psychotic experiences is increased with cannabis use during adolescence, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in JAMA Psychiatry. |
Inside the global race to deliver a vital radioactive isotope used to detect cancerIn a cornfield here, past the shuttered General Motors plant and the Janesville Terrace trailer home park, a facility not seen in the United States in three decades could soon rise: a manufacturing plant that will make a vital radioactive isotope used to detect cancer and other potentially fatal maladies in millions of people every year. | |
Getting a bone marrow transplant could give you new DNA, tooQ: Does a bone marrow transplant change your DNA? | |
'Explosive evolution' of techniques to restore blood flow to the brainRecent decades have seen an "explosive evolution" of techniques to restore blood flow to areas of the brain endangered by stroke or clogged arteries, according to a report by Loyola Medicine neurologists and neurosurgeons. | |
Patients who live alone can safely be sent home after joint replacementMost patients who live alone can be safely discharged home from the hospital to recover after hip or knee replacement surgery, suggests a study in the January 17, 2018 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. | |
 | Time to stop using 9 million children as a bargaining CHIPSince the inauguration of President Donald Trump, health care has been front and center in American politics. Yet attention has almost exclusively focused on the Affordable Care Act and congressional Republicans' slew of attempts to repeal and replace it. |
Opinion: The term 'LGBTI' confuses desire, behaviour and identity – it's time for a rethinkThe rise of sexually transmissible diseases made front-page news in The Age, which tried to make sense of the rise among "gay men" and "heterosexual people." | |
 | After two-year wait, Uganda gets its new cancer machineUganda's only radiotherapy machine was officially replaced Friday, nearly two years after the previous one broke down, giving hope to cancer patients who had been denied a crucial tool against the disease. |
Free online access to millions of documents on chemical toxicityMillions of pages of internal corporate and trade association documents relating to the introduction of new products and chemicals into the workplace and commerce have been compiled into a free searchable online database called ToxicDocs. The history and future outlook for this database is now the subject of a free to view special section in the Journal of Public Health Policy which is a Palgrave Macmillan journal and is published by Springer Nature. | |
National school lunch program aces safety testThe National School Lunch Program's strict safety standards work, which is good news for millions of children who participate in the program daily, according to a new University of Connecticut study. | |
Biology news
 | Bacterial biofilm cellulose found to differ from plant celluloseA team of researchers with members from the U.S., Germany and Sweden has discovered that the cellulose found in bacterial biofilms differs from the cellulose in plants. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how they found the difference and what their findings might mean for developing new ways to combat bacterial infections. Michael Galperin with NIH in the U.S. and Daria Shalaeva with Moscow State University offer a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue. |
 | Craving carbs? Blame your brain, Japan study findsUnder pressure and gobbling pizza or chocolate? It may not be your fault, according to Japanese researchers who have isolated the neurons that drive a craving for carbs. |
 | More genes are active in high-performance maizeWhen two maize inbred lines are crossed with each other, an interesting effect occurs: The hybrid offspring have a significantly higher yield than either of the two parent plants. Scientists at the University of Bonn have now investigated a number of genetically distinct hybrids. They showed that the offspring had many more active genes than the original parents. These results may help in the cultivation of even higher-yielding maize varieties. They are published in the journal Current Biology. |
 | Hot weather is bad news for bird spermA new study led by Macquarie University and spanning Sydney and Oslo has shown that exposure to extreme temperatures, such as those experienced during heatwave conditions, significantly reduces sperm quality in zebra finches, an iconic Australian bird adapted to life in arid environments. These findings, published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggest that rising global temperatures and increases in the frequency of extreme heat events could be a concern for male fertility and reproductive success in some birds. |
 | Microbial communities demonstrate high turnoverWhen Mark Twain famously said "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes," he probably didn't anticipate MIT researchers would apply his remark to their microbial research. But a new study does just that. |
 | How light pollution lures birds into urban areas during fall migrationOn their fall migration south in the Northern Hemisphere, scores of birds are being lured by artificial light pollution into urban areas that may be an ecological trap, according to the University of Delaware's Jeff Buler. |
 | Study describes structure of herpes virus linked to Kaposi's sarcomaUCLA researchers have provided the first description of the structure of the herpes virus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, a type of cancer. |
 | Breakthrough study shows how plants sense the worldPlants lack eyes and ears, but they can still see, hear, smell and respond to environmental cues and dangers—especially to virulent pathogens. They do this with the aid of hundreds of membrane proteins that can sense microbes or other stresses. |
 | Researchers identify a new chromatin regulatory mechanism linked to SirT6Researchers from the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), led by Dr. Àlex Vaquero, have proposed a new regulation mechanism of the NF-κB pathway, which is associated with accelerated cellular aging, based on the analysis of the function of the SirT6 protein. The results of their work, published in Nature Communications, indicate a double mechanism of inhibition of the pathway linked to the action of SirT6 on chromatin. |
 | Novel hypothesis on why animals diversified on EarthCan tumors teach us about animal evolution on Earth? Researchers believe so, and now present a novel hypothesis of why animal diversity increased dramatically on Earth about a half-billion years ago. A biological innovation may have been key. |
 | Hunting dogs as possible vectors for the infectious disease tularaemiaTularaemia is an infectious bacterial disease that is life-threatening for rodents, rabbits and hares, but which can also infect humans and dogs. While contact with contaminated blood or meat makes hunters a high-risk group, the frequency of infections among hunting dogs has not been much studied. Researchers from Vetmeduni Vienna have now confirmed a relevant prevalence of infections in Austrian hunting dogs following a serological study in which seven percent of the animals tested positive. This could lead to more intense debate as to whether the often asymptomatic animals represent an additional risk of infection for people. |
Conserving our biodiversity—priorities for well-connected protected areasThe Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's science and knowledge service, has measured progress and shortfalls in the connectivity of protected areas in countries across the world, identifying the main priorities to sustain or improve connectivity in each country. | |
 | How plants see lightPlants react sensitively to changes in their surroundings and possess the ability to adapt to them. They use the photoreceptor protein phytochrome B to see light and then regulate processes such as seed germination, seedling development, longitudinal growth and flower formation. A team led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Hiltbrunner from the Institute of Biology II at the University of Freiburg has recently conducted a study that shows that both proteins PCH1 and PCHL influence this receptors' photosensitivity. The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Nature Communications. |
 | Fanconi anemia: Insight from a green plantFanconi anemia is a human genetic disorder with severe effects, including an increased risk of cancer and infertility. Work in animal systems has identified many factors involved in Fanconi anemia and showed that these factors function in repair of DNA. However, despite extensive analysis in mammalian somatic cell lines, in-depth studies on the germ cells, which make egg and sperm cells, have been nearly impossible in animal model systems. Now, Peter Schlögelhofer's group at the University of Vienna, in collaboration with groups across Europe and the U.S., have used a model plant to investigate the role of a key protein, Fanconi anemia D2 protein (FANCD2), in a system where they can examine its function in germ cells. They found that FANCD2 is required for the exchange of genetic material by a previously unknown pathway that has implications for understanding this disease in humans. |
 | Facebook top choice for Philippines wildlife traders: monitorFacebook has emerged as the top site for wildlife trafficking in the Philippines, a watchdog said Friday, with thousands of endangered crocodiles, snakes and turtles illegally traded in just three months. |
 | Marine scientists steer trawlers away from sensitive sea floorsBottom trawling, where fishing boats drag a heavy net along the seafloor, can devastate marine habitats and cause fish stocks to plummet, but scientists have developed new eco-friendly techniques to support the sustainability of an industry employing tens of thousands of people. |
 | Hippo-y birthday to Fiona! The popular preemie is turning 1Some days, it's more like being a Hollywood star's agent than a communications official for the zoo. That's what happens when your prematurely born hippopotamus becomes a global celebrity. |
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