Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 9, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Scientists capture the sound of sunrise on MarsScientists have created the soundtrack of the 5,000th Mars sunrise captured by the robotic exploration rover, Opportunity, using data sonification techniques to create a two-minute piece of music. |
 | Image: Coronal holesThis image shows dramatic dark areas in the Sun's corona and was acquired by the SWAP instrument on ESA's Proba-2 mission at midday on Wednesday, 7 November. |
 | Video: What is space weather?On the sidelines at European Space Weather Week 2018, in Leuven, Belgium, ESA Web TV caught up with two experts working on the fascinating science of how our Sun's raging activity affects Earth and, ultimately, the infrastructure, networks and satellites on which we rely for daily economic activity. |
 | Multimessenger links to NASA's Fermi mission show how luck favors the preparedIn 2017, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope played a pivotal role in two important breakthroughs occurring just five weeks apart. But what might seem like extraordinary good luck is really the product of research, analysis, preparation and development extending back more than a century. |
 | Image: The frozen wild Dnieper RiverCurling snow drifts are magnified by the terrain around the 1,400 mile Dnieper River, flowing from Russia to the Black Sea. |
 | Parker Solar Probe reports good status after close solar approachParker Solar Probe is alive and well after skimming by the sun at just 15 million miles from our star's surface. This is far closer than any spacecraft has ever gone—the previous record was set by Helios B in 1976 and broken by Parker on Oct. 29—and this maneuver has exposed the spacecraft to intense heat and solar radiation in a complex solar wind environment. |
 | Next US astronaut on Russian rocket confident after mishapsA U.S. astronaut said Friday she has no qualms about riding a Russian rocket next month despite back-to-back mishaps. |
Technology news
 | Robot DE NIRO: A robotics platform for human-centered interactionsIn the future, robots could play a key role in healthcare settings, easing the lives of the elderly and assisting vulnerable individuals. Researchers at Imperial College London have recently created Robot DE NIRO, a robotics research platform that could support caregivers, while also interacting directly with the care recipient. |
 | Chinese state media debuts 'AI' news anchorsChina's state-controlled news broadcasters have long been considered somewhat robotic in their daily recitation of pro-government propaganda and a pair of new presenters will do little to dispel that view. |
 | Google bows to worker pressure on sexual misconduct policyGoogle is promising to be more forceful and open about its handling of sexual misconduct cases, a week after thousands of high-paid engineers and others walked out in protest over its male-dominated culture. |
 | China steps up drone race with stealth aircraftChina is unleashing stealth drones and pilotless aircraft fitted with AK-47 rifles onto world markets, racing to catch up to US technology and adding to a fleet that has already seen combat action in the Middle East. |
 | New Tesla chairwoman's biggest challenge is controlling MuskAustralian telecommunications executive Robyn Denholm brings much-needed financial and auto industry expertise to her new role as Tesla's board chairwoman, but her biggest challenge is whether she can rein in a CEO with a proclivity for misbehavior. |
 | Trouble brewing?: Brexit challenge for Guinness supply chainWith its brown-black hue and cascading creamy head, Guinness is Ireland's most iconic export. |
 | Robots as carers? First we need to assess the pros and consIf you have seen science fiction television series such as Humans or Westworld, you might be imagining a near future where intelligent, humanoid robots play an important role in meeting the needs of people, including caring for children or older relatives. |
 | Aerospace detection technology designed to prevent catastrophic events in energy and extreme environmentsCould new technology from Purdue University researchers have helped save the Titanic? Engineers from Purdue have developed technology to help prevent catastrophic failures involving nuclear, energy and other materials in extreme environments. |
 | Facebook says Portal device not for snoopingPortal, Facebook's talking speaker, is not a snooping device—that's a message the social network says has gotten lost in the coverage leading up to the device's launch. |
Google gets girls into the game by designing apps for your mobile phoneGoogle challenged thousands of teenage girls to design games they wanted to see in the world. And now some of their games are hitting the Google Play store for Android users to play. | |
 | Laser system prevents contamination on aircraft surfacesScientists have developed a laser material processing method to produce textured surfaces that repel dirt and water. This technology will primarily be used in the aerospace industry. |
 | Addressing climate change at a major source—buildingsCan silica gel desiccant packs, often found in shoe boxes and electronics, be the answer to our energy challenges for buildings? A four-year project proves yes, sort of. |
 | French NGO threatens Facebook with privacy lawsuitA French NGO said Friday it was pursuing a class action suit against Facebook, saying the social network was violating users' privacy despite the enactment of strict new EU rules this year. |
 | Eight steps to a stronger cybersecurity strategyIf there's an attack on the country, the military mobilizes. When a natural disaster strikes, recovery plans go into effect. Should an infectious disease start to spread, health officials launch a containment strategy. |
 | Solar power—largest study to date discovers 25 percent power loss across UKResearchers at the University of Huddersfield have undertaken the largest study to date into the effectiveness of solar panels across the UK and discovered that parts of the country are suffering an overall power loss of up to 25% because of the issue of regional 'hot spots'. Hot spots were also found to be more prevalent in the North of England than in the south. |
 | "Disney+" service a year away from streaming showsThe Walt Disney Company will launch a "Disney+" streaming service in the United States late next year, boosting it with live-action shows spun from hit "Star Wars" and Marvel hero films. |
Yelp's shares take a beating after revenue missShares of Yelp Inc. took a beating Thursday after the online-reviews site reported soft third-quarter sales and indicated the current period would also be weak. | |
Will new tech taxes in Mountain View, San Francisco, East Palo Alto be contagious?Both sides in the debate over whether Bay Area businesses should pay more taxes to help solve the region's housing, traffic and affordability problems predict that cities will increasingly turn to squeezing Big Tech after voters in three cities approved new levies aimed at tech companies. | |
 | Evolving speech and AI as the window into mental healthMental health and neurological disorders are a growing epidemic. In the U.S., nearly one in every five people has a mental health condition. |
 | Music streaming to music subscriberThe music business has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades since the massive expansion of the internet, the development of music file compression algorithms, and the concept of anonymous file-sharing services. The business has perhaps been slow to respond to the technological change having attempted, often through the law, to try and stem the tide of illicit file sharing with scant regard for the fact that those who use such systems to obtain digital goods, such as music, are now entrenched and rather reluctant to go back to the old model of paying for those goods. |
 | France grounds Ryanair plane to force subsidy repaymentFrench authorities said on Friday they seized a Ryanair plane, forcing 149 London-bound passengers off the aircraft, to get the Irish low-cost airline to repay illegal public aid, the latest in a string of troubles for the carrier. |
 | Thai businessman to buy Fortune magazineThai businessman Chatchaval Jiaravanon agreed Friday to buy Fortune magazine for $150 million in the latest deal for titles from the former Time Inc. family. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Designing a novel cell-permeable peptide chimera to promote wound healingCell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have attracted great interest as delivery vehicles in medicine, with potential for the development of novel therapeutic agents or cosmetic products. Biological membranes are typically impermeable to almost all compounds with a molecular weight greater than 500 Da. In a recent study, Mareike Horn and Ines Neundorf covalently coupled a wound-healing promoting sequence (Tylotoin) with a cell-penetrating peptide to improve covalently coupled delivery of the drug across cell membranes. Cellular uptake of these novel peptide conjugates into keratinocytes was observed with internalization studies to show significantly improved delivery with good tolerability. |
 | Scientists solve century-old neuroscience mystery—answers may lead to epilepsy treatmentScientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have solved a 125-year-old mystery of the brain, and, in the process, uncovered a potential treatment for acquired epilepsy. |
 | How many calories do you burn? It depends on time of dayResearchers reporting in Current Biology on November 8 have made the surprising discovery that the number of calories people burn while at rest changes with the time of day. When at rest, people burn 10 percent more calories in the late afternoon and early evening than in the early morning hours. |
 | Monkey gaze study shows dopamine's role in response inhibitionUniversity of Tsukuba researchers report the importance of the brain's dopaminergic system for inhibiting already-planned actions. They trained monkeys to redirect their gaze toward targets presented on a screen, apart from when presented with signals to avoid such redirection. Simultaneous analysis showed that the activity of dopaminergic neurons correlated with successful refusal to redirect gaze to a new target. These findings could aid the development of treatments for diseases with impaired inhibition such as Parkinson's. |
 | Multiple sclerosis: Accumulation of B cells triggers nervous system damageB cells are important in helping the immune system fight pathogens. However, in the case of the neurological autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), they can damage nerve tissue. When particular control cells are missing, too many B cells accumulate in the meninges, resulting in inflammation of the central nervous system. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) demonstrated the process using animal and patient samples. |
 | Study shows immunotherapy drug helps patients with metastatic melanomaWhen melanoma turns metastatic, it spreads to the brain in more than 40% of patients. A study by Yale Cancer Center researchers published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) shows a checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drug has meaningful benefit for these patients. The study is one of the first clinical trials aimed at treating the brain metastases with this type of cancer drug. |
 | Researchers identify the neural basis of threatening and aggressive behaviors in DrosophilaYou can always tell when two guys are about to get into a fight. It starts with angry stares, puffed-out chests, arms tossed out to the side, and little, aggressive starts forward. Neuroscientists call the combination of these physical movements "threat displays," and they are seen in countless organisms, from humans to tiny Drosophila fruit flies. Caltech researchers have now identified a small cluster of neurons in the male fly brain that governs this threatening behavior. Their work provides a starting point that may lead to greater understanding of threatening behaviors and aggression in humans. |
 | High fat diet has lasting effects on the liverConsuming a high-fat, high-sugar diet causes a harmful accumulation of fat in the liver that may not reverse even after switching to a healthier diet, according to a new study by scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. |
 | Cellphone technology developed to detect HIVThe management of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV), an autoimmune disorder that cripples the immune system by attacking healthy cells, remains a major global health challenge in developing countries that lack infrastructure and trained medical professionals. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have designed a portable and affordable mobile diagnostic tool, utilizing a cellphone and nanotechnology, with the ability to detect HIV viruses and monitor its management in resource-limited regions. The novel platform is described in a paper published recently in Nature Communications. |
 | Nearly one in ten Americans struggles to control sexual urges(HealthDay)—The #MeToo movement has given many Americans a glimpse into an unfamiliar world that may have left many wondering, "What were they thinking?" |
 | Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease share common genetics in some patientsGenetics may predispose some people to both Alzheimer's disease and high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol, a common feature of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study by an international team of researchers led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. |
 | Researchers find new pathway to regulate immune response, control diseasesResearchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found a potential new pathway to regulate immune response and potentially control inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system such as meningitis and sepsis. |
Anopheles mosquitoes could spread Mayaro virus in US, other diverse regionsMosquitoes of the genus Anopheles are well known as primary vectors of malaria. But a new study suggests that Anopheles species, including some found in the United States, also are capable of carrying and transmitting an emerging pathogen, Mayaro virus, which has caused outbreaks of disease in South America and the Caribbean. | |
 | Breast screening linked to 60 per cent lower risk of breast cancer death in first 10 yearsWomen who take part in breast screening have a significantly greater benefit from treatments than those who are not screened, according to a study of more than 50,000 women, led in the UK by Queen Mary University of London. |
 | Baby 'boom' and 'bust': Nations' rates of childbirth vary significantlyNinety-one nations are not producing enough children to maintain their current populations, while the opposite is true in 104 countries where high birth rates are driving population increases, according to a new scientific study. |
 | Latest disease estimates, combined with health worker shortfall, show that global progress in health is not inevitableLatest global estimates for the state of the world's health from the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) estimate that: |
 | Psychological science can make your meetings betterDrawing from almost 200 scientific studies on workplace meetings, a team of psychological scientists provides recommendations for making the most out of meetings before they start, as they're happening, and after they've concluded. Their report is published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
 | Hypertonic saline may help babies with cystic fibrosis breathe betterBabies with cystic fibrosis may breathe better by inhaling hypertonic saline, according to a randomized controlled trial conducted in Germany and published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. |
Investigational urate elevation does not appear to raise hypertension riskA study from a group of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may reduce the concern that elevating levels of urate, an approach being investigated to treat several neurodegenerative disorders, could increase the risk of hypertension. The study authors—several of whom previously conducted a phase 2 trial finding that the drug inosine safely elevated urate levels in patients with early Parkinson disease—are reporting their most recent findings in EBioMedicine, an open-access journal published by The Lancet. | |
 | Conjoined Bhutanese twins separated in Australia surgeryAustralian surgeons on Friday successfully separated 15-month-old Bhutanese twins, Nima and Dawa, who had been joined at the torso. |
 | Medicare expands access to in-home support for seniorsIn a harbinger of potentially big changes for Medicare, seniors in many states will be able to get additional services such as help with chores, safety devices and respite for caregivers next year through private Medicare Advantage insurance plans. |
 | Autism is associated with zinc deficiency in early development—now a study links the twoThe emergence of autism in children has not only been linked to genes encoding synaptic proteins—among others—but also environmental insults such as zinc deficiency. Although it is unclear whether zinc deficiency contributes to autism, scientists have now defined in detail a possible mechanistic link. Their research shows how zinc shapes the connections or 'synapses' between brain cells that form during early development, via a complex molecular machinery encoded by autism risk genes. Published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, the findings do not directly support zinc supplementation for the prevention of autism—but extend our understanding of its underlying developmental abnormalities, towards an eventual treatment. |
 | Thai lawmakers back legalizing medical marijuanaThailand's legislature has officially proposed allowing the licensed medical use of marijuana, making it a potential trailblazer in Asia in legalizing what used to be regarded strictly as a dangerous drug. |
 | Hidden estrogen receptors in the breast epitheliumEstrogens are hormones that play central roles in the development and the physiology of the breast, but also are involved in breast cancer. Like all hormones, estrogens exert their biological effects by binding to dedicated receptors in the target cell. |
 | One in four Australians are lonelyOne in four Australians are lonely, our new report has found, and it's not just a problem among older Australians – it affects both genders and almost all age groups. |
 | The benefits and pitfalls of working in isolationIn October a researcher at the remote Bellingshausen Station in Antarctica allegedly stabbed a colleague. Some reports attributed the incident to the victim giving away the endings of books the attacker was reading. |
 | Body's cellular 'recycling system' implicated in chronic asthmaCurrent asthma treatments are quite effective in reducing patient symptoms in the short term however the structural changes in an asthmatic's airways, caused by persistent and chronic inflammation, is difficult to reverse. |
 | Vitamin C protects brain from seizuresAlzheimer's patients are five to 10 times more likely to suffer unprovoked seizures compared to healthy individuals. Alzheimer's patients often also have reduced levels of ascorbate, or vitamin C. |
 | Novel methods to treat glaucomaGlaucoma is characterized by degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, leading to irreversible vision loss. Currently, the only treatable glaucoma risk factor is increased intraocular pressure. While lowering this pressure can slow vision loss, it does not completely halt progression of the disease. Therefore, determining more direct mechanisms to prevent retinal cell degeneration are essential. |
 | Obesity negates beneficial drug effectsBlocking CETP—a protein that shuttles cholesterol and triglycerides between lipoproteins such as HDL and LDL—has been shown to improve levels of the "good" cholesterol HDL. Outcomes from clinical trials of CETP inhibitors, however, have not demonstrated robust decreases in the risk of cardiovascular disease. |
 | Research could lead to better understanding of pancreatic cancerSurrey's BioProChem group has developed a biomaterial based complex synthetic tissue, which is aimed at replicating the way pancreatic cancer tumours develop within the body. |
 | A major role for a small organ in the immune response during pregnancyThe immune system of a pregnant woman is altered during pregnancy, but not in the way previously believed, according to results from a study at Linköping University, Sweden. This study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, shows that the thymus, an organ of the immune system located close to the heart, plays an important role during a normal pregnancy in ensuring that the mother's immune system protects against infection while at the same time tolerating the fetus. |
 | To better treat COPD, scientists look to tailored approaches for deadly lung diseaseValerie Chang kept waking up breathless in the middle of the night. As a regular swimmer and non-smoker, she figured it was a fluke, a remnant of her childhood asthma, perhaps. |
 | New marker provides insights into the development of type 2 diabetesSmall chemical changes in the DNA building blocks, which may be influenced by lifestyle factors, can reduce the amount of IGFBP2. A DIfE / DZD research team has now reported in the journal Diabetes that these epigenetic changes increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, people with high blood levels of the binding protein IGFBP2 are less likely to develop diabetes. The changes in the blood are detectable a few years prior to the onset of the disease. |
 | Simple scoring system could help patients avoid diabetes, study suggestsA simple scoring system can track the reduction in diabetes risk produced by lifestyle changes and medication in people with pre-diabetes, a new study has found. The findings suggest the potential that the tool could be a good way to motivate patients to stick with diet and exercise changes that could save them from developing full-blown diabetes. |
 | Immune cells trigger OCD-like behaviour in multiple sclerosis, study findsA class of cells that defends the body against invaders also triggers obsessive-compulsive behaviour that appears in autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has found. |
 | Skin ages when the main cells in the dermis lose their identity and functionWith age, tissues lose their function and capacity to regenerate after being damaged. A study published today in Cell by scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico of the Center for Genomic Regulation(CNAG-CRG) explains how dermal fibroblasts age. |
 | How tracking people moving together through time creates powerful dataAre you in a cohort? Perhaps a posse of friends, a sporting team, the "class of 1989" Facebook group from your former school? |
 | New study points to strategies to reduce maternal deathThe number of severe maternal morbidities (SMM) a pregnant woman has is highly linked to her risk of maternal death, according to a new study by researchers at ICES and St. Michael's Hospital. |
Possible treatment for rare polio-like illness shows no benefitResearchers have been searching for possible treatments for the polio-like illness causing paralysis in children, called acute flaccid myelitis. But a new study shows no signal of efficacy for one potential treatment, the antidepressant fluoxetine. The study is published in the November 9, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. | |
A poliolike illness is on the rise again. But why?At first, it seemed like just a bad cold, with a fever that came and went. | |
The cancer-preventing HPV vaccine a dozen years on: Progress, fear and loathingA dozen years after the debut of the HPV vaccine, its track record of warding off infections that cause cervical cancer and other malignancies keeps getting better. | |
 | Girls and women need more time in nature to be healthySupporting girls and women in their efforts to be physically active must become a global public health priority. Preliminary results from our research at Dalhousie University suggests that access to nature may be key to achieving this. |
 | Bad molars? The origins of wisdom teethOur grandparents and parents tell stories about the time when kids routinely had their tonsils removed. But for people born in the 1960s and later, their routine surgery stories are about having third molars, a.k.a. wisdom teeth, taken out. |
 | Study finds alcohol advertising rules may fail to protect Australian kidsRegulations introduced to restrict the placement of alcohol advertising are unlikely to reduce young people's exposure to alcohol marketing in Australia, new research led by Curtin University has found. |
 | Report finds bullying and emotional and behavioural problems impact on primary students' learning abilityNew research has found that a large percentage of Australian eight to 12 year olds are being bullied and/or experiencing emotional difficulties – and these children are falling behind their peers in numeracy and reading in the classroom. |
 | Obesity prevention among low-income, diverse preschool-aged children and parentsChildhood obesity is a serious health problem and disproportionately affects children of lower income and racial/ethnic minorities. |
 | Portable microwave tech used in treating skin lesionsA new method of using a Scottish company's portable microwave technology to treat sun-damaged skin conditions is being tested by researchers at the University of Dundee. |
 | Even adverts for 'healthy' fast food are bad for children – here's why they should be bannedTelevision adverts for foods which are high in fat, salt or sugar are banned from children's television schedules. Yet a McDonald's "Happy Meal" advert was recently ruled to be exempt from these restrictions. |
 | Could consciousness all come down to the way things vibrate?Why is my awareness here, while yours is over there? Why is the universe split in two for each of us, into a subject and an infinity of objects? How is each of us our own center of experience, receiving information about the rest of the world out there? Why are some things conscious and others apparently not? Is a rat conscious? A gnat? A bacterium? |
 | Oh, really? Insects are unpopular choice for alternative foodDespite years of TV exposure courtesy of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here, research shows that the British public are yet to acquire an appetite for edible insects. |
 | What mass shootings do to those not shot: Social consequences of mass gun violenceMass shootings seem to have become a sad new normal in the American life. They happen too often, and in very unexpected places. Concerts, movie theaters, places of worship, schools, bars and restaurants are no longer secure from gun violence. |
Leading researchers call for a ban on widely used insecticidesPublic health experts have found there is sufficient evidence that prenatal exposure to widely used insecticides known as organophosphates puts children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. | |
 | Yelp reviews reveal strengths and weaknesses of emergency departments and urgent careYelp reviews reveal that emergency departments are viewed as being higher quality but lacking in service as compared to urgent care centers, which patients rate the opposite, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study results, published this month in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, provide a unique opportunity for researchers and clinicians to learn from online reviews, which provide a raw narrative from consumers. |
 | Elagolix reduces menstrual bleeding from most common uterine tumorsA new oral drug significantly reduced menstrual bleeding for women with the most common gynecologic tumors in the United States—benign tumors that disproportionately affect African-Americans, an international clinical trial found. |
 | Soy formula feeding during infancy associated with severe menstrual pain in adulthoodNew research suggests that infant girls fed soy formula are more likely to develop severe menstrual pain as young adults. The finding adds to the growing body of literature that suggests exposure to soy formula during early life may have detrimental effects on the reproductive system. The study appears online in the journal Human Reproduction. |
Surgical home program for spinal fusion achieves long term successA standardized care pathway for children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing spinal fusion surgery reduces the need for opioid pain medications and shortens hospital stays at Children's National Health System. | |
 | Excessive posting of photos on social media is associated with increase in narcissismA new study has established that excessive use of social media, in particular the posting of images and selfies, is associated with a subsequent increase in narcissism. |
New ablation treatment for ventricular tachycardia reaches deeper into heart muscleLoyola Medicine is among two centers in the world offering a novel catheter ablation system intended to improve treatment outcomes for a life-threatening heart rhythm disorder called ventricular tachycardia (VT). | |
 | Scalpel-free surgery enhances quality of life for Parkinson's patients, study findsA high-tech form of brain surgery that replaces scalpels with sound waves improved quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease that has resisted other forms of treatment, a new study has found. |
 | FDA will ban many flavored e-cigarettes(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will soon announce a ban on sales of most flavored electronic cigarettes in retail stores and gas stations across the United States, according to media reports. |
 | Defibrillators can help kids survive cardiac arrest, tooSudden cardiac arrest—when the heart stops beating—is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. To help save lives, automated external defibrillators, which shock the heart back into a regular beat, have been placed in many public places. |
 | Flu season can send more heart failure patients to hospitalGetting the flu may not only make you feel crummy, it also might land you in the hospital for heart problems. |
 | Another weight loss tip: A quick fridge and pantry remodel(HealthDay)—Eating healthier requires a mindset change. But it also helps to make changes in your home environment to encourage a new and better way of approaching food—starting in the kitchen. |
 | Income, lifestyle may contribute to disparity in cancer deaths(HealthDay)—Socioeconomic and health-related behaviors contribute to county-level disparities in cancer deaths, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in JAMA Network Open. |
 | Progress toward goals in global health is slowing(HealthDay)—Global progress in health has slowed, and improvements in health have been unevenly distributed, according to a series of articles published in a special issue of The Lancet, highlighting the fact that global progress in health is not inevitable. |
 | CDC: about one in three adults with prediabetes has arthritis(HealthDay)—About one in three adults with prediabetes has arthritis, and half of those with both conditions are physically inactive and/or obese, according to research published in the Nov. 9 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | EMR data can predict myopia development(HealthDay)—Big data and machine learning approaches can improve prediction of myopia in Chinese children, according to a study published online Nov. 6 in PLOS Medicine. |
Mild blast forces cause brain pathology and deficits, despite lack of macroscopic damageAs many as 300,000 United States service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 have suffered traumatic brain injury due to explosions. The vast majority of these blast-induced traumatic brain injuries, or bTBIs, were classified as mild. | |
 | Improving city parks may be one path to help make residents more activeHelping residents become more physically fit may not just be a walk in a park, it could also be a walk to a park, according to a team of Penn State researchers. |
Community choirs reduce loneliness and increase interest in life for older adultsAn innovative San Francisco program of community choirs for older adults found that singing in a choir reduced loneliness and increased interest in life, but did not improve cognition or physical function, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco. | |
 | How did orthodontists sell orthodontics?Why do Canadians, especially younger Canadians, have such straight, white teeth? Why are so many parents and so many adults willing to invest in expensive orthodontic treatment? |
 | Nursing science could help reduce firearm violence and its impactFirearm violence is a significant public health problem worldwide. In the United States, firearms are used to kill almost 100 people daily. Yet despite the staggering impact of firearm violence, there is limited research directed at preventing or addressing its impact on individuals, families and communities. |
 | Students with vision impairment face a cliff edge when entering the workforceThe University of Birmingham have published the results of a longitudinal transition study, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, following the experiences of young people with vision impairment from secondary school into further education and employment. Findings from the study show that whilst participants are inching closer to the labour market, common challenges were identified: |
Biology news
 | Re-inventing the hook: Orangutans spontaneously bend straight wires into hooks to fish for foodThe bending of a hook into wire to fish for the handle of a basket is surprisingly challenging for young children under eight years of age. Now, cognitive biologists and comparative psychologists led by Isabelle Laumer and Alice Auersperg observed hook tool-making for the first time in a non-human primate species—the orangutan. To the researchers' surprise, the apes spontaneously manufactured hook tools out of straight wire within the very first trial and in a second task unbent curved wire to make a straight tool. |
 | Antibiotic resistance without the antibioticsAntibiotic resistance is a global threat that leads to more than 23,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Over-exposure to antibiotics has long been blamed, but Assistant Professor Mary Dunlop (BME) is flipping that idea on its head, finding that bacteria can also develop resistance without being exposed to antibiotics. |
 | Super-fast flying machines defy body logicThe size of a tiny insect brain bears no comparison to the super capacity of its killer instinct and flying skills and speed. |
 | Human footprint driving mammal extinction crisisHuman impacts are the biggest risk factor in the possible extinction of a quarter of all land-based mammals, according to a University of Queensland study. |
 | Scientists simplify and accelerate directed evolution bioengineering methodIn a process known as directed evolution, scientists reengineer biomolecules to find ones that perform beneficial new functions. The field is revolutionizing drug development, chemical engineering and other applications, but to realize its promise involves painstaking and time-consuming laboratory work. |
 | How does Listeria develop antimicrobial resistance in food products?A research project by Surrey's BioProChem group reveals crucial evidence about the way Listeria grows in foods – particularly when novel, milder processing techniques are applied – which could have implications for the food processing industry. |
 | Parents' guts tell tales to their childrenResearchers at Umeå university in Sweden have published a new study showing that the gut bacteria can carry information of past experiences of an altered environment from parents to offspring. Eggs and sperm are not the only information carriers from one generation to the next. |
 | Transmission of antibiotic resistant E. coli mapped in wild giraffe social networksA team from the University of Minnesota has shown that antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli bacteria in wild giraffes most likely come from anthropogenic sources, such as local cattle herds and humans. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. |
 | Mangroves can help countries mitigate their carbon emissionsGeographers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have found that coastal vegetation such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes may be the most effective habitats to mitigate carbon emissions. |
 | A narwhal frolics with the belugas: Why interspecies adoptions happenSince the age of the Roman Empire and the story of how the twins Romulus and Remus were raised by a wolf, tales of interspecies adoptions have captivated the human imagination. The story that emerged from Canada's St. Lawrence River in July of 2018 was no exception. While researching belugas, a group of scientists captured drone footage of a young male narwhal, more than 1,000 kilometres south of his Arctic home, swimming with a pod of belugas. |
 | Protein profiles for individual pigs enable producers to determine the cut of meat via geneticsEU research has investigated protein profiles for individual pigs so the producer will be able to determine the cut of meat from the genetics of the pig. With genomic analysis, there has been considerable progress made in determining the variability of genomes in all main livestock species. However, linking the genome with its phenotype in terms of meat quality and type for the producer remains challenging. |
 | Scientist describes first known use of colored rocks in fish nest decorationCutlip minnows, a species of small fish that inhabit streams, could be described as the master interior decorators of the fish world. |
 | As Arctic ship traffic increases, narwhals and other unique animals are at riskMost Americans associate fall with football and raking leaves, but in the Arctic this season is about ice. Every year, floating sea ice in the Arctic thins and melts in spring and summer, then thickens and expands in fall and winter. |
 | Pollution in cities damaging insects and ecosystemsHigh levels of pollution found in many of the world's major cities are having negative effects on plants and insects, according to new research from the University of Sheffield. |
 | Freshwater turtles navigate using the sunBlanding's turtle hatchlings need only the sun as their compass to guide them on their way to the nearest wetland—and a place of safety. This is according to John Dean Krenz of Minnesota State University in the US, lead author of a study in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. The study focused on how this freshwater turtle, native to the US and Canada, is purposefully able to travel in a relatively straight line once it has hatched. |
 | Evading cell deathCancer cells can develop resistance to the treatments designed to eliminate them. Several studies have linked stress granules (SGs), cell organelles that form transiently in response to extracellular stress, to this phenomenon. However, how SGs protect cancer cells remains unclear. |
 | How to care for your houseplants during winterA scattering of houseplants adds much-needed greenery to long Alberta winters, so if they turn brown or draw clouds of bugs, think twice about just tossing them out, says a University of Alberta plant expert. |
 | Protests at Joburg zoo over widowed elephantJohannesburg Zoo is under mounting pressure to send a lonely elephant to an animal sanctuary after her male companion died last month. |
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