Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 26, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Earth's dust cloud satellites confirmedA team of Hungarian astronomers and physicists may have confirmed two elusive clouds of dust, in semi-stable points just 400,000 kilometres from Earth. The clouds, first reported by and named for Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski in 1961, are exceptionally faint, so their existence is controversial. The new work appears in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. |
 | Mars Express keeps an eye on curious cloudSince 13 September, ESA's Mars Express has been observing the evolution of an elongated cloud formation hovering in the vicinity of the 20 km-high Arsia Mons volcano, close to the planet's equator. |
 | Hayabusa2 team prepares for asteroid sample collectionJAXA's (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's) Hayabusa2 mission is on track to return samples from its target asteroid, 162173 Ryugu, a C-type Near Earth Asteroid (NEA). The past month has seen the successful deployment of two rovers and a lander. The mission focus is now on the successful retrieval and return of a surface sample. |
The growing space industry is scrambling to find workers—but it can't take foreignersGlow in the dark stars twinkling inside his childhood bedroom and science fiction books in his lap, Shayan Shirshekar grew up like most kids fascinated by space. When he was old enough to say what he wanted to be when he was older, his answer was always immediate: An astronaut. | |
Technology news
 | Evolving the physical structure of robots to enhance performance in different environmentsResearchers at CSIRO & Queensland University of Technology have recently carried out a study aimed at automatically evolving the physical structure of robots to enhance their performance in different environments. This project, funded by CSIRO's Active Integrated Matter Future Science Platform, was conceived by David Howard, research scientist at Data61's Robotics and Autonomous Systems Group (RASG). |
 | Researchers publish discoveries in battery technologyNJIT researchers are finding alternative solutions to a material that has become an essential, yet costly, building block in the supply chain of today's smart device-driven world—cobalt. |
 | Automatic fall detector attaches to wall, no wearable neededFor the elderly, falling down bears striking differences because, like sticks and stones, falls may well disturb some bones. Falls' outcomes may be a very far cry from a child's plaster on the knee, lollipop and note to the gym teacher. Falls can result in fractures, broken bones or injuries to the head, making it difficult to impossible for independent living. |
 | Snapchat parent pressured by drop in usersSnapchat parent Snap came under selling pressure Thursday after a quarterly report showing a loss of one million users even as it grew revenues and narrowed losses. |
GM proposes nationwide zero-emissions vehicle sales mandateGeneral Motors says it will ask the federal government for one national gas mileage standard, including a requirement that a percentage of auto companies' sales be zero-emissions vehicles. | |
 | Poor Ivory Coast pupils' ray of hope: solar backpacksThe equatorial sun has been up for about an hour as a gaggle of children set off from the Ivorian village of Allepilla on their hour-long trek to school. |
 | Google app tested in Venezuela takes swipe at press censorsGoogle has unveiled a tool meant to help fight press censorship around the world, testing it first in Venezuela, where journalists say they're battling a government bent on burying online stories that expose corruption and human rights abuses. |
 | Armed drones, iris scanners: China's high-tech security gadgetsFrom virtual reality police training programmes to gun-toting drones and iris scanners, a public security expo in China showed the range of increasingly high-tech tools available to the country's police. |
 | Robots learn tasks from peopleIn the basement of the Gates Computer Science Building at Stanford University, a screen attached to a red robotic arm lights up. A pair of cartoon eyes blinks. "Meet Bender," says Ajay Mandlekar, Ph.D. student in electrical engineering. |
 | Researchers use drones to photograph seaweeds: The tidal zone from a bird's-eye viewDrones are the future for nature mapping and monitoring. Compared to satellite pictures, drone images provide 1,000 times better image resolution and one million times more data points, says Kasper Hancke, marine biologist at Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). |
 | Study: Passive investors facilitate activists' ability to be aggressiveThey follow one another in the stock market, often ominously perceived in the way dark clouds bring rain. Passive investors, such as investment-management companies, pension funds, nonprofit institutions and the like, provide a steady hand in ownership stakes of the larger corporations offering stocks. Then gather the activists—the change-makers, if not the rainmakers. |
 | The cost of accessing academic research is way too high—this must changeIn the last week of October each year, libraries and open access activists around the world celebrate Open Access Week. It's a week dedicated to increasing access to knowledge resources hosted by libraries, such as online journals and academic books. |
 | Study shows natural gas, wind and solar to be cheapest technologies for generating electricityChanging market conditions have made natural gas, wind and solar energy the lowest-cost technologies for new electricity generation for most of the U.S., according to updated research released today by The University of Texas at Austin's Energy Institute. |
 | Highly efficient wet-processed solar cells with molecules in the same orientationResearchers at Kanazawa University report in the journal Organic Electronics documents a new method for controlling the orientation of conducting molecules in organic solar cells that results in the enhanced light adsorption and performance of the cells. |
 | Low cost, energy-saving radiative cooling system ready for real-world applicationsUniversity of Colorado Boulder and University of Wyoming engineers have successfully scaled up an innovative water-cooling system capable of providing continuous day-and-night radiative cooling for structures. The advance could increase the efficiency of power generation plants in summer and lead to more efficient, environmentally-friendly temperature control for homes, businesses, utilities and industries. |
Africa needs to beef up cyber security urgently: expertsAfrica is being increasingly targeted by hackers and must invest in cyber security, industry leaders said at the third Africa Cyber Security Conference closing Friday in Ivory Coast. | |
 | Facebook blocks Iran-linked bid to sway US, British politicsFacebook said Friday it had taken down accounts linked to an Iranian effort to influence US and British politics with posts about charged topics such as immigration and race relations. |
 | Switzerland's Richemont, China's Alibaba team upSwiss luxury goods group Richemont announced Friday a partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to develop platforms in China for high-end products. |
 | Google, Amazon suffer market setbacks on sales outlookInternet titans Google and Amazon came under an investor cloud after posting disappointing sales updates, with the search leader also on the defensive for reportedly hushing up sexual misconduct. |
 | A Chinese farmer couldn't fly a plane, so he built oneWhen a Chinese garlic farmer's dream of flying an airplane didn't pan out, he decided to build one instead. |
 | Trump complains about Twitter removing his followersUS President Donald Trump complained Friday that Twitter is removing some of his followers and has made it harder to join, an apparent critique of the social network's efforts to weed out fake and abusive accounts. |
 | EU opens anti-trust probe against RyanairEuropean Union anti-trust authorities on Thursday opened an investigation into whether Ryanair benefited from measures at a German airport that give the Irish low-cost carrier an unfair leg-up over competitors. |
 | France positive after talks with Germany on digital taxFrance's economy minister said Friday he expects to reach agreement with Germany in the coming weeks on a European digital tax targetting US tech giants. |
Lawmaker sued for banning 2 constituents from Facebook pageA Washington state lawmaker has been sued by two constituents who argue their First Amendment rights are being violated because they've been banned from commenting on the state lawmaker's Facebook page. | |
Medicine & Health news
Making moves to understand cognitive function in the brainIt is known that certain areas of the brain are responsible for certain functions of the body. The cerebellum, a structure found in the back of the skull, is known to be important for the control of movement, while the frontal cortex is responsible for cognitive functions such as short-term memory and decision making. However, as researchers continue to unlock the mystery of how billions of neurons in the brain interact, it is becoming more apparent that it is not that black and white. | |
 | Researchers discover a novel method to block immunosuppression in cancerBelgian research groups from the UCLouvain and WELBIO, VIB and Ghent University, and the biotechnology company argenx elucidated the three-dimensional structure of an assembly of proteins operating on cells that dampen immune responses. They also discovered how an antibody can block this assembly and the immunosuppression it induces downstream. Such an antibody could serve to stimulate immunity against tumor cells in cancer patients, triggering the destruction of their tumors by immune cells. The study is published in the authoritative journal Science. |
 | Surprising network activity in the immature brainOne of the outstanding mysteries of the cerebral cortex is how individual neurons develop the proper synaptic connections to form large-scale, distributed networks. Now, an international team of scientists including researchers from Goethe University and the FIAS have gained novel insights from spontaneously generated patterns of activity by local networks in the early developing visual cortex. Apparently these form the basis for long-range neural connections that are established through brain activity over the course of cortical development. |
 | Non-invasive stent monitoring techniques testedA multi-institutional collaborative of researchers has created a new field probe for noninvasive and non-ionizing monitoring of the presence of metallic stents as well as their potential structural failures through microwave spectrometry (MWS). The results are published in the journal Scientific Reports. |
 | Testing cells for cancer drug resistanceBiophysicists at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have demonstrated that Raman microscopy can be used to detect the resistance of tumour cells to cancer drugs. Unlike conventional approaches, this method does not require any antibodies or markers. It detects the response of cells to administered drugs and therefore could determine the effect of drugs in preclinical studies. |
 | New approach to cancer immunotherapy overcomes toxicity hurdleIn an effort to develop more effective cancer treatments, scientists are looking for therapies that supercharge patients' immune systems. One possibility is to use antibodies that activate CD40, an immune-cell protein that, when triggered, prompts the rest of immune system to spring into action. |
 | Public health officials warn of danger if genetic sequence data is included under the Nagoya ProtocolA trio of public officials is issuing a warning in a Policy Forum piece in the journal Science regarding the call to include genetic sequence data under the Nagoya Protocol. In their essay, Carolina dos S. Ribeiro, Marion P. Koopmans and George B. Haringhuizen with the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment and Erasmus Medical Center, suggest that such a move could jeopardize international efforts to combat a future pandemic. |
 | Researchers find bacteria residing in guts of mice come from mother and remain nearly constant over many generationsA team of researchers at the University of California has found that bacteria residing in the guts of mice are mainly obtained from their mothers and their microbiome makeup remains nearly the same over many generations. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their experiments with house mice and what they learned. |
 | 3D 'organ on a chip' could accelerate search for new disease treatmentsResearchers have developed a three-dimensional 'organ on a chip' which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research. |
 | When it comes to respiratory effects of wood smoke, sex mattersExposure to wood smoke can have different effects on the respiratory immune systems of men and women—effects that may be obscured when data from men and women are lumped together, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine by scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. |
Medicaid expansion linked to reduced mortality among dialysis patientsIn the first three years of Medicaid expansion due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the number of patients with end-stage kidney disease who died within a year of starting dialysis decreased in states that expanded Medicaid compared to non-expansion states, new research found. | |
 | Canadian doctors to start prescribing museum visitsA group of Canadian doctors are to begin prescribing trips to an art gallery to help patients suffering a range of ailments become a picture of health. |
Tobacco giant Altria pulls some vaping products from marketAmerican tobacco giant Altria, maker of major brands like Marlboro and Chesterfield, said Thursday it will remove certain vaping products from the market amid concerns they may appeal to underage smokers. | |
 | Small risks may have big impact on breast cancer odds of childhood cancer survivorsSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital researchers have evidence that common genetic variations can help to identify pediatric cancer survivors who are at increased risk for developing breast cancer while relatively young. The findings appear today in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. |
 | Researchers calculate priority index for leptospirosis risk in BrazilResearchers from NC State and the University of São Paulo want to reduce Leptospirosis in Brazil, where the disease is a major public health concern. So they've developed a risk-based priority index for all 26 Brazilian states, to help public health officials target areas most likely to be affected. The priority index ranks the states according to which ones would benefit most from improvements in both public awareness and disease-prevention funding. |
Are immigration policies adversely affecting citizen children?Before the family separation policy of the Trump administration created a flash point in the ongoing immigration debate, state legislatures enacted more than 1,500 pieces of increasingly punitive immigration legislation dating back to 2005. In a research paper published in the Harvard Medical Student Review, UNC School of Medicine student Sebastian Werner, synthesized existing research to outline the acute and long-term health impacts these policies have had and may continue to have on Latinx citizen-children. | |
 | When nutrition isn't on the tableA Kenyan woman shakes dirt out of her skirt and rolls up her sleeves, preparing to load up a basket with the produce that she picked from her sack garden. She spreads a layer of cowpeas along the bottom, then adds bushels of leafy greens, such as amaranth, black nightshade, and spider plant. |
 | Being in nature is good for learning—here's how to get kids outsideContrary to the belief we Aussies are a nature-loving outdoor nation, research suggests we're spending less and less time outdoors. This worrying trend is also becoming increasingly apparent in our educational settings. |
 | Small new shoe sensor may be a driving 'force' to help prevent injuries, improve athletic performanceJustin Markel and Quinton Lasko know what it's like to be competitive athletes and the cost of being injured on the field. Now, the Purdue University alumni have turned their passions for sports and engineering into a new technology they hope will be an athlete's solution to worrying about preventable non-contact injuries. |
 | Can you cut your cancer risk by eating organic?A new study out this week has shoppers wondering whether it's worth paying more for pesticide-free organic food. |
 | Keeping phosphorus under control to improve the quality of patients with renal failureThe FGF23 (Fibroblast growth factor 23) hormone originates in bone to communicate with the kidney, whose duty it is to excrete excess phosphorus that the bone detects. Its main function is bone-kidney communication to eliminate phosphorus, but what happens when the person has renal failure and kidneys that do not work in addition to an impaired excretion ability? The failing kidney is unable to abide by FGF23. Nevertheless, the bone keeps producing this hormone because it does not detect that the kidney has stopped working, resulting in a build-up of FGF23 in the blood. |
 | Treating gum disease may help manage Type 2 diabetesTreating periodontitis (gum disease) could help people with Type 2 diabetes manage their blood glucose levels, according to a new study led by UCL. |
 | The incidence of gastrointestinal disease increases with heat and coldHeat increases the number of gastroenteritis-related hospital admissions by 21 percent, while cold increases them by 7 percent. A new study performed by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by "la Caixa" Foundation, analysed for the first time the association between climate and hospitalisations due to the infection over a 17 year-period in Spain. |
Deciphering the biological clockResearchers at LUMC are trying to decipher the biological clock. This knowledge can help deal with luxury problems, such as jetlag, but can also counter diseases. Molecular neurobiologist Erno Vreugdenhil explains. | |
 | New five-minute milk scan for dairy industryLower costs, less wastage and higher-quality milk on the horizon for dairy farmers, thanks to a new optical sensor that scans for contaminants and proteins in 5 minutes. |
 | A new therapeutic avenue for treating insomniaInsomnia is one of the major sleep problems with an estimated prevalence of 10 percent to 15 percent in the general population and 30 percent to 60 percent in the older population. Moreover, insomnia frequently co-occurs with a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including depression and anorexia. The most widely prescribed agents for the treatment of insomnia are benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines, which are central nervous system depressants that enhance signaling of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid. These medications, however, are plagued by a wide range of adverse effects, including muscle relaxation, rebound insomnia, changes in appetite, next-day sedation, cognitive impairment, amnesic effects, and development of drug tolerance and dependence. A new paper published on October 15, 2018 in the journal Neuropharmacology finds that enhancing endogenous signaling of adenosine A2A receptors may be an alternative strategy for treating insomnia. |
One-third of Kiwis may drink hazardously their entire adult livesMany of us assume that risky drinking is something we 'grow' out of as we age, but new research shows that this might not be the case. | |
 | Do family interventions for psychosis translate in China?A study published in the Community Mental Health Journal examines the potential application of family interventions for psychosis (FIP) within a Chinese context. The study's researchers, led by Dr. Jeremy Dixon of the University of Bath's Centre for Analysis of Social Policy, investigated Chinese mental health service managers' views of FIP and found that FIP must be modified in a number of ways if it is to be implemented in China. Recommended changes include embracing cultural values of interdependence by supporting client recovery within the family home, and recognizing the influential role stigma and families' need to "save face" would likely play in Chinese family-oriented mental health care. |
 | No safe suntan, but research suggests there may be a way to reduce 'old leathery' lookGetting a tan may not depend on how much sun people get, but rather when they get it. This is the finding from a new international research project. The study, published in Molecular Cell, found that sun exposure every other day was more effective for tanning and caused less DNA damage than daily exposure. |
 | Heart attacks more frequent in colder weatherHeart attacks happen more frequently in winter, a major Swedish study has confirmed. |
 | Researchers explain how LSD changes perceptionPsychedelic drugs such as LSD have a profound impact on human consciousness, particularly perception. Researchers at Yale and the University of Zurich provide new insight into the psychedelic effects of LSD on the brain and potential therapeutic uses of the drug. |
Kiwis failing to slip into shade and slap on a hat for sun protection, researchers findAn alarming proportion of New Zealanders are neither wearing hats nor seeking shade to protect themselves from the sun, University of Otago research reveals. | |
Automated liver cancer detectionThe examination of CT scans (computerised tomography scans), which are essentially a type of X-ray image can be used to provide clinicians with a detail view of our internal organs often of the diagnosis of various forms of cancer. The use of CT in liver cancer diagnostics is stymied to some degree by the variations of liver shape and structure between individuals and the similarity of tissues in adjoining organs in the CT image. | |
 | Fatty liver changes the distribution and activity of proteinsChronic excessive caloric intake leads to the deposition of fat droplets in the liver. This condition, known as fatty liver, can cause permanent damage to the organ. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried have now investigated the effects of this fat overflow on liver proteins. They showed that fatty liver is associated with changes in the location and activity of numerous cellular proteins. The study shows the effect of lipid deposition on fundamental cellular processes in the liver. |
A healthy does of subjectivityIn comparing these three healthcare spaces and the assumptions around them, Sociology Professor Kevin Dew's research is uncovering some interesting truths about how ideas and practices gain legitimacy in healthcare and medicine. | |
 | Why do some people hurt more than others?Anyone who came of age in the 1990s remembers the "Friends" episode where Phoebe and Rachel venture out to get tattoos. Spoiler alert: Rachel gets a tattoo and Phoebe ends up with a black ink dot because she couldn't take the pain. This sitcom storyline is funny, but it also simply illustrates the question that I and many others in the field of "pain genetics" are trying to answer. What is it about Rachel that makes her different from Phoebe? And, more importantly, can we harness this difference to help the "Phoebes" of the world suffer less by making them more like the "Rachels"? |
 | New epilepsy warning device could save thousands of livesA new high-tech bracelet, developed by scientists from the Netherlands detects 85 percent of all severe night-time epilepsy seizures. That is a much better score than any other technology currently available. The researchers involved think that this bracelet can reduce the worldwide number of unexpected night-time fatalities in epilepsy patients. They published the results of a prospective trial this week in the scientific journal Neurology. |
 | Why we will probably never have a perfect clockThe time has come again when many of us switch our clocks from summer or daylight-saving time back to winter time. And the usual confusion sets in, is it an hour forwards or back? Why do we need to change the time at all? Indeed, EU member states have been asked if they would like to simply skip daylight saving time. |
Gut microbiota products can favor diabetesA study published in the journal Cell shows that the gut microbiota has the ability to affect how cells respond to insulin, and can thus contribute to type 2 diabetes. The findings demonstrate an hereto unknown pathological mechanism. | |
Meth and other psychostimulant-related overdose deaths grow by over 5,000 percent in OhioThe number of overdose deaths involving methamphetamines and amphetamines in the state of Ohio increased more than 5,000 percent over the course of eight years, according to data collected by the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health. | |
 | DNA sequencing is inadvertently exacerbating social biases and inequalitiesAt the cutting edge of modern science, DNA sequencing promises to transform many aspects of human life. It's already playing a significant role in law enforcement, as well as medical and historical research. But there's a growing inequality in its impacts and in the chances of your genetic data being recorded – whether that's by choice, for research or medical benefit, or by compulsion by the state. |
Obesity problem starts early phase of therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemiaChildren with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) gain weight during treatment, and researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that this problem starts during remission-induction treatment and suggests that early intervention should be considered. | |
How to help care for someone with Alzheimer's or dementiaNearly 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to increase to nearly 14 million by 2050. Aside from the disease's burden to the patient, it also impacts family caregivers. According to the Alzheimer's Association, 16.1 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias, accounting for an estimated 18.4 billion hours of care. | |
 | Protecting the littlest lungsIt's one of the most common respiratory infections in children, second only to the common cold. (By age three, just about every kid has been exposed at least once.) But for some young patients, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, can be highly dangerous, causing severe breathing problems and landing them in the hospital or worse. |
A new way to detect hidden urinary tract infectionsResearchers in infection biology have developed a new way to detect hidden urinary tract infections. The research was led by Professor Agneta Richter-Dahlfors, head of the Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center at Karolinska Institutet and published in NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes. | |
New data provides guidance for management of moderately dysplastic molesDiagnosed more frequently in the United States than all other cancers combined, skin cancer will affect one in five Americans by the age of 70. Atypical moles—larger moles of irregular shape and color—can be challenging to examine and monitor given that they can mimic melanoma. Because patients with atypical moles are at an increased risk for melanoma, atypical moles with any suspicious features are often biopsied and given a grade describing the degree of abnormality. There is little data about clinical outcomes and the risk these moles pose long term, so no guidelines for management for dysplastic moles biopsied with positive histologic margins exist. Dermatologists are divided about the optimal management strategy; half of experts favor a second excision procedure and half prefer to monitor the biopsy site. | |
The body weight bias in salesDespite today's laws and public attitude against overt discrimination, subtle forms of prejudice are still active in the marketplace—often without our awareness. Previous research has shown that overweight or obese customers can experience less eye contact, friendliness and smiling from sales personnel as well as longer wait times. | |
Sex, drugs and estradiol: why cannabis affects women differentlyCannabis use is riding high on a decade-long wave of decriminalization, legalization and unregulated synthetic substitutes. As society examines the impact, an interesting disparity has become apparent: the risks are different in females than in males. | |
Fruit fly study challenges theories on evolution and high-carb dietsA single mitochondrial DNA mutation common in animals could play a role in obesity and other health problems associated with a diet high in carbohydrates. | |
 | Turning cells against pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer has a grim prognosis. It is usually detected after the disease has spread, and chemotherapy tends to do little to slow the cancer's growth. Even with treatment, most patients live only about six months after they are diagnosed with the disease. |
 | Congo hospitals openly jail poor patientThe most surprising thing about the fact that Congolese hospitals detain patients who fail to pay their bills is that it's no secret: Administrators, doctors and nurses openly discuss it, and the patients are held in plain sight. |
High on the highway—stoned-driving on the increaseGetting behind the wheel after cannabis use is on the rise in the US, and THC, not alcohol, is now the most commonly detected intoxicant in US drivers. Detecting levels of THC, however, is challenging and the methods used so far cannot accurately determine a person's level of impairment. | |
 | Fueling up with functional foods(HealthDay)—Though the term "functional foods" currently has no legal definition, it's more than just a clever marketing catchphrase. |
 | Pneumococcal vaccine recs cause confusion among docs(HealthDay)—While primary care physicians overwhelmingly recommend pneumococcal vaccines, there is a gap in their knowledge of how to implement related vaccine recommendations, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. |
 | Bill to fight U.S. opioid crisis signed into law(HealthDay)—A bipartisan bill meant to combat the United States' opioid abuse epidemic was signed into law Oct. 24 by President Donald Trump. |
 | Cigarette pictorial warning labels most effective when including body parts, testimonialsAt least 120 countries around the world require pictorial warning labels on cigarette packages—for example, gangrene feet or a dead body—but the United States is notably missing from the list. Despite a 2009 Congressional act instructing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement pictorial warning labels, American cigarette packs still contain text-only warnings. A new court order issued in September 2018 says the FDA must speed up its timeline for the implementation of pictorial warning labels. |
 | 'Navigator' neurons play critical role in sense of smellResearchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified "navigator" neurons that are key to setting up connections in the system responsible for the sense of smell. The new study builds on a breakthrough 2014 report from the laboratory of Stowers Investigator Ron Yu, Ph.D., which showed a critical period in olfactory wiring using mice as a model system. |
Researchers provide resource for patient care in chemical and biological attacksThe neurologic effects and treatment options for exposure to biologic and chemical agents are outlined in a newly published article by neurologists from the University of Colorado School of Medicine who collaborated on the article with military physicians. | |
Diagnosing strokes is complicated by 'mimics' and 'chameleons'Stroke specialists often see conditions known as stroke "mimics" and "chameleons" that can complicate accurate diagnoses, Loyola Medicine neurologists report in the November 2018 issue of Neuroimaging Clinics of North America. | |
 | Millions with high blood sugar face TB riskMillions of people with high blood sugar may be at greater risk of tuberculosis than previously thought, scientists said Friday, warning that diabetes and TB could combine to create the "perfect storm" of disease. |
 | Researchers combine separate technologies to develop new digital stethoscope designResearchers developed a new digital stethoscope that combines precision sensors, electrocardiogram technology and machine learning applications into one piece of equipment to better detect heart ailments and problems that might occur with an implanted heart pump. |
Easier treatment for blinding eye disease shows promise in clinical trialA new study shows that an implantable delivery system for a widely used medication to treat a blinding eye disease has enabled some patients to go 15 months in between treatments. This represents a vast improvement over the typical regimen of nearly monthly eye injections. The researchers involved in the Phase II clinical study say the implant is not just about convenience; a more consistent treatment will also help people keep more of their vision. They are presenting their research today at AAO 2018, the 122nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. | |
 | Acute kidney injury linked to higher risk of dementiaAcute kidney injury (AKI) is linked with a higher risk of developing dementia, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2018 October 23-October 28 at the San Diego Convention Center. |
 | Study reveals racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric kidney transplantation outcomesAlthough there have been considerable reductions in disparities in adult kidney transplant outcomes in the United States, a new study found that disparities in long-term patient survival among pediatric kidney transplant recipients have worsened. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2018 October 23-October 28 at the San Diego Convention Center. |
Certain physical disabilities may affect outcomes in kidney transplant recipientsVisual and walking disabilities in kidney transplant recipients were linked with poor outcomes in a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2018 October 23-October 28 at the San Diego Convention Center. | |
Does obesity have an impact on kidney transplant outcomes?A new study sheds light on the potential impacts of obesity on health outcomes in kidney transplant recipients. The study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2018 October 23-October 28 at the San Diego Convention Center. | |
New investigational antibiotic effective against drug-resistant bacteria in phase 2 trialResults from a phase 2 randomised trial suggest that a new investigational antibiotic is as effective as the current standard-of-care antibiotic for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by several multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. | |
 | France suspends use of popular pesticide after dozens sickenedThe French government on Friday ordered a three-month ban of a widely used pesticide after dozens of people, many of them farm workers, fell ill in western France in recent weeks. |
Premature baby dies, bacterial infections probedHealth officials are investigating bacterial infections in the neonatal intensive care unit at a New Jersey hospital following the death of a premature baby. | |
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Understanding multiple sclerosisDear Mayo Clinic: What causes multiple sclerosis, or MS, in people who don't have it in their family? | |
4 more cases confirmed in viral outbreak at pediatric centerNew Jersey health officials say they've confirmed four more cases of adenovirus in an outbreak at a pediatric rehabilitation center that killed seven people. | |
Biology news
 | CRISPR opens door to new type of medicine—'genome surgery'Within a few years, Jim Johnsen and Delaney Van Riper may be among the first to benefit from CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, a breakthrough that has already revolutionized biology research and promises to resurrect gene therapy. |
 | Scientists find great diversity, novel molecules in microbiome of tree rootsResearchers with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered that communities of microbes living in and around poplar tree roots are ten times more diverse than the human microbiome and produce a cornucopia of novel molecules that could be useful as antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, or for agricultural applications. |
 | Bacteria: Protein researchers decipher resistance mechanismWorldwide, resistance to antibiotics is on the rise. In order to understand why bacteria are becoming immune to previously well-functioning drugs, scientists are penetrating ever deeper into the molecular structure of cells. A research group at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has now succeeded in isolating a membrane protein from the E. coli bacterium and shed light on its molecular structure. Armed with this information, they have been able to show how the bacterium manages to rid itself of the antibiotic by forcing out the drug. The paper has been published in Nature Communications. |
 | Plants find ways to survive no matter the terrainResearchers from Royal Holloway, University of London, together with the University of Osnabrück in Germany, have discovered that a fascinating plant employs two mechanisms to survive, no matter where it grows. |
 | Scientists identify protein that controls leaf growth and shapeIn autumn, it is not only the colours that catch the eye, but also the different sizes and shapes of leaves. But what makes leaves of different plants differ so much in their shapes? Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne have now discovered how a protein called LMI1 can control leaf growth and shape. |
 | You are the company you keep—A new screening method detects direct biomolecule interactionsProteins are the building blocks of the cell. They do most of the work and are essential for the structure, function and dynamic regulation of the cell and body's tissues and organs. Proteins rarely work alone, they interact, form protein complexes or bind DNA and RNA to control what a cell does. These complexes are key pieces of many important reactions within the cell, such as energy metabolism or gene regulation. Any change in those interactions, which can for example be caused by a mutation, can make the difference between health and disease. Hence, for understanding how cells operate, or what might go wrong in ill cells, it is essential to know how their building blocks interact. |
 | Animal migration requires both movement corridors and foodAn analysis of mule deer migration routes in two areas of Wyoming documents the idea that the animals choose readily traversable pathways where they also can find food. |
 | Daddy cool: Same-sex penguin couple become parentsTwo male penguins who paired up as a "same-sex couple" have successfully incubated a baby chick and are "doting" on their tiny offspring, an Australian aquarium announced Friday. |
 | Who am I? Hunt for heritage drives Chinese to DNA testsChinese executive Miao Qing spits into a specially designed container, destined for a lab where her saliva will be analysed and sequenced, offering an insight into her genetic make-up and—more importantly—her ancestry. |
 | Importance of growth factor diffusion in sensory organ developmentA multi-disciplinary team consisting of NUS biophysicists along with scientists from New York University and National Institutes of Health have discovered that the protein Anosmin1 controls the diffusion of fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) in the formation of sensory organs in zebrafish models. |
 | Coconut the snow leopard recovers from eyelid surgeryCoconut, the snow leopard cub born at the Sacramento Zoo earlier this year, underwent a rare eyelid surgery on Wednesday, October 24.. UC Davis veterinary specialists and the Sacramento Zoo veterinary team collaborated to correct a congenital eyelid defect known as colombas. This ocular deformity is sometimes documented in snow leopards under human care. Coconut was also born with other birth defects that impact his mobility. |
 | On the DNA trail of the platypusWe all leave traces of our presence behind as we move through our environment. |
 | Ancient fish evolved in shallow seas – the very places humans threaten todayYou walk and talk and live on land, but your ancient relatives were fish. |
 | Southern right whale superpod blows a hole in the record booksA comprehensive aerial survey of whales and dolphins off the coast of South Africa supported by a range of organisations including Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has recorded an astounding 1,106 southern right whales, including 536 calves, an all-time record. |
Groundbreaking research reveals some hard truths about work in horse stablesIn the first-ever research of its kind, a new study by a Brock University Labour Studies professor has examined labour issues for Ontarians working with horses. | |
 | Conservationists predict bear/human conflict hot-spots in new studyA new study by WCS, American Museum of Natural History, and other partners uses long term data on bear mortality to map high-probability hot-spots for human-bear conflicts. The authors say this is a critical tool for wildlife managers to reduce mortality of bears as they recolonize their former range in the Great Basin and in other parts of the country. |
This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile
No comments:
Post a Comment