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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 19, 2018:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Doomed star in Milky Way threatens rare gamma-ray burstUniversity of Sydney astronomers, working with international colleagues, have found a star system like none seen before in our galaxy. |
 | Rapid 'turn-on' of a nuclear transient observed by astronomersAn international team of astronomers has observed the peculiar activity of a nuclear transient event known as PS1-13cbe. The transient, which occurred in the nucleus of the galaxy SDSS J222153.87+003054.2, experienced a rapid flare-up lasting about 70 days. The finding is reported in a paper published November 8 on arXiv.org. |
 | New space industry emerges: on-orbit servicingImagine an airport where thousands of planes, empty of fuel, are left abandoned on the tarmac. That is what has been happening for decades with satellites that circle the Earth. |
 | Researchers have created a virtual reality simulation of a supermassive black holeThe black hole at the centre of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*, has been visualised in virtual reality for the first time. The details are described in an article published in the open access journal Computational Astrophysics and Cosmology. |
 | Gravitationally lensed quasarsThe path of light is bent by mass, an effect predicted by Einstein's theory of gravity, and when a massive galaxy or cluster lies along our line-of-sight to a more distant galaxy its matter will act as a lens to image the light from that object. So-called strong gravitational lensing creates highly distorted, magnified and often multiple images of a single source. (Strong lensing is distinct from weak lensing which results in modestly deformed shapes of background galaxies.) |
 | How NASA will know when InSight touches downWhat's the sound of a touchdown on Mars? |
 | A solar sibling identical to the sunAn international team led by Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) researcher Vardan Adibekyan used a novel method to detect solar siblings. The article was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. |
 | Exploding stars make key ingredient in sand, glassWe are all, quite literally, made of star dust. Many of the chemicals that compose our planet and our bodies were formed directly by stars. Now, a new study using observations by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reports for the first time that silica—one of the most common minerals found on Earth—is formed when massive stars explode. |
 | Astronomers discover giant relic of disrupted Tadpole galaxyA team of astronomers from Israel, the U.S. and Russia have identified a disrupted galaxy resembling a giant tadpole, complete with an elliptical head and a long, straight tail, about 300 million light years away from Earth. The galaxy is one million light-years long from end to end, ten times larger than the Milky Way. The research is published today in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. |
 | Odd bodies, rapid spins keep cosmic rings closeForget those shepherding moons. Gravity and the odd shapes of asteroid Chariklo and dwarf planet Haumea—small objects deep in our solar system—can be credited for forming and maintaining their own rings, according new research in Nature Astronomy. |
 | NASA picks ancient Martian river delta for 2020 rover touchdownNASA has picked an ancient river delta as the landing site for its uncrewed Mars 2020 rover, to hunt for evidence of past life on Earth's neighboring planet, officials said Monday. |
 | Space station supplies launched, 2nd shipment in 2 daysA load of space station supplies rocketed into orbit from Virginia on Saturday, the second shipment in two days. |
 | Kepler telescope bids 'goodnight' with final commandsOn the evening of Thursday, Nov. 15, NASA's Kepler space telescope received its final set of commands to disconnect communications with Earth. The "goodnight" commands finalize the spacecraft's transition into retirement, which began on Oct. 30 with NASA's announcement that Kepler had run out of fuel and could no longer conduct science. |
 | Image: Hubble hooks a cosmic jellyfishAt first glance, a bright blue crescent immediately jumps out of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. Is it a bird? A plane? Evidence of extraterrestrial life? No—it's a galaxy. |
 | New Arecibo Observatory message challenge announcedIn 1974, the Arecibo Observatory made history by beaming the most powerful radio message into deep space ever made. The famous Arecibo Message was designed by the AO 74's staff, led by Frank Drake, and with the help of the astronomer and famed science communicator Carl Sagan. It contained information about the human race and was intended to be our intergalactic calling card. |
 | Lunar Outpost shows off new moon roverSpace technology company Lunar Outpost has unveiled their new Lunar Prospector rover that will explore the surface of the moon to search for and map resources. The Lunar Prospector is designed to drill for and analyze sub-surface samples. The first of the smallish robots was recently demonstrated on simulated Lunar regolith at the Colorado School of Mines. |
 | Euclid progresses with primary mirror deliveryIn order to observe billions of faint galaxies and investigate the nature of the dark Universe, ESA's pioneering Euclid mission will require state-of-the-art optics. The first optical element to be delivered, the telescope's primary mirror (M1), has arrived at the premises of Airbus Defence & Space in Toulouse. |
 | With each rocket launch, 'I have three heart attacks'Kurt Eberly has hardly any hair and keeps losing more. His job is to launch, two times per year, a metallic cylinder packed with several tons of supplies, at high speeds toward the International Space Station, 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth. |
 | What happens to the brain in zero gravity?NASA has made a commitment to send humans to Mars by the 2030s. This is an ambitious goal when you think that a typical round trip will anywhere between three and six months and crews will be expected to stay on the red planet for up to two years before planetary alignment allows for the return journey home. It means that the astronauts have to live in reduced (micro) gravity for about three years – well beyond the current record of 438 continuous days in space held by the Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov. |
 | Russian, US officials say space cooperation remains strongRussian and U.S. space officials hailed the joint work of their programs Monday and said cooperation remains strong despite political tensions between their countries. |
 | New film celebrates Hubble Space TelescopeOn Friday, November 16, a unique film and musical experience, inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope's iconic Deep Field image, premieres at the Kennedy Space Center. The film, titled Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of our Universe, features a variety of Hubble's stunning imagery and includes 11 computer-generated visualizations of far-flung galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters developed by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), in Baltimore, Maryland. Those visualizations not only depict the awesome beauty of the universe, but also express the three-dimensional nature of celestial objects. |
 | A job and a half for first Eurostar Neo missionESA's Neosat platform developed with Airbus – Eurostar Neo – has found its first mission; supplying two satellites for a role currently being performed by three. |
Technology news
 | WaveGlow: A flow-based generative network to synthesize speechA team of researchers at NVIDIA has recently developed WaveGlow, a flow-based network that can generate high-quality speech from melspectrograms, which are acoustic time-frequency representations of sound. Their method, outlined in a paper pre-published on arXiv, uses a single network trained with a single cost function, making the training procedure easier and more stable. |
 | Oh those GANs: Scanner finger technique could result in fake fingerprintsBiometric systems news: Fake fingerprints can imitate real ones. A neural network has managed to pull off fake fingerprints—those very fingerprints that are designed to work as master keys for your identification. |
 | Persistence a key feature of solar-powered Odysseus autonomous aircraftAurora Flight Sciences is readying a debut flight next year of its solar-powered unmanned aircraft. The debut will deliver special gifts for research and monitoring efforts. |
 | Facebook applies for patent on technology that allows for linking households for targeted adsFacebook has applied for a patent on technology the company has developed to collect data on people living in the same household by using photographs and other information stored or posted on the social networking site. |
 | Where you go tells who you are—and vice versaNovember 19, 2018—Estimating travel demand in a city is a critical tool for urban planners to understand traffic patterns, predict traffic congestion, and plan ahead for transportation infrastructure maintenance and replacement. For years, researchers have used the classic practice of multiplying the number of trips per day per person for different demographic groups to model activity-based travel demand. But because this method was developed before the current era of ubiquitous sensors—GPS devices, smartphones, cameras on light poles, and connected vehicles, among them—researchers have found it difficult to validate their estimates in real-world situations. |
 | Italy's 'anti-Netflix' law to protect film industryItaly is to introduce an obligatory delay between Italian films screening in cinemas and being shown on streaming services like Netflix, in a bid to protect its domestic film industry. |
 | At what cost? Debate swirls on 'giveaways' after Amazon HQ dealAs the winners of the biggest corporate prize in decades—the new Amazon headquarters—relished their victory, debate was still raging over the billions of dollars in incentives offered to attract the fast-growing US technology colossus. |
 | New tech regulation 'inevitable,' Apple CEO saysApple CEO Tim Cook predicts that new regulations of tech companies and social networks to protect personal data are "inevitable." |
 | New machine aims to end India's sewer death shameHundreds of "manual scavengers" die each year cleaning out sewers in cities across India but a machine unveiled for Monday's World Toilet Day could help to end that tragic record. |
 | How digital media blur the border between Australia and ChinaIn September, the ABC website was blocked from being accessed inside China. The reason given was the ABC's "aggressive" reporting on China. Prime Minister Scott Morrison responded by saying that: "China's a sovereign country. They make decisions about what happens there, we make decisions about what happens here." |
 | Stronger buildings could delay wildfire destruction, but not stop it, professor saysLow humidity and strong winds in California mean that this month's wildfires could strike again. Unfortunately, better building materials and planning can only offer so much protection, says a Purdue University natural hazards engineering expert. |
 | Online platform assures cyber-physical systems research is legit, results don't disappearComputer scientists from around the globe are using a one-stop shop to find research results that could help them move the field of cyber-physical systems forward, improving the relationships between humans, computers and the physical world that can make life safer, energy-efficient and more convenient. |
 | Using your phone on a plane is safe – but for now you still can't make callsOver the Thanksgiving travel period an estimated 30 million Americans plan to fly to enjoy turkey and all the trimmings with far-flung family and friends. The huge increase in air travelers and ever more full – and oversold – flights have made air travel more trying. But it has gotten better in one aspect that most of us in the smartphone-addicted public appreciate: Cellphone use is no longer completely forbidden on planes. |
 | Computer scientists use artificial intelligence to boost an earthquake physics simulatorA team of researchers from the Earthquake Research Institute, Department of Civil Engineering and Information Technology Center at the University of Tokyo, and the RIKEN Center for Computational Science and RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project in Japan were finalists for the coveted Gordon Bell Prize for outstanding achievements in high-performance computing. Tsuyoshi Ichimura together with Kohei Fujita, Takuma Yamaguchi, Kengo Nakajima, Muneo Hori and Lalith Maddegedara were praised for their simulation of earthquake physics in complex urban environments. |
 | Getting rid of sweat at the push of a buttonThe Swiss sportswear manufacturer KJUS presented the world's first ski jacket with an integrated electronic user-controlled membrane on November 15. Thanks to the HYDRO_BOT technology developed together with Empa, the ski jacket actively pumps out sweat from inside the jacket to keep skiers dry and warm. |
 | Enabling fabrication beyond 7nmHow did we get from the Palm Pilots of the 90s to the ultra-powerful smart phones of today? In large part, because of scaling, where integrated circuits are made with smaller feature sizes fitting more and more circuit elements in the same area of silicon at each technology generation. This sets our expectations that in 20 more years, our mobile devices of today will look like the Palm Pilot of yesterday. However, as current semiconductor fabrication processes are nearing fundamental limits, and the emergence of AI is driving demand for non-traditional computing architectures, new methods to fabricate at the nanoscale are required. |
 | Repowering the UK's oldest wind farms could boost energy generation by 171%Wind energy has been identified as having an important role to play in the world's move towards a low-carbon future. But, due to short-term planning rules, it may not have as big a part as it could in the UK's own sustainable energy generation. |
 | Understanding how to best repower wind farms in the drive for cheaper green energyWith lowest cost green energy considered the future, understanding how to 'repower' existing onshore wind farms supports the Scottish government and industry desire to generate affordable wind power in the future. |
 | World Toilet Day highlights global sanitation crisisPoor countries around the world are facing a dangerous shortage of toilets that puts millions of live at risk, according to campaigners marking World Toilet Day by urging governments and businesses to invest more in sanitation. |
 | Russian tech giant dashes hopes for smartphoneRussian internet giant Yandex disappointed tech enthusiasts on Monday by failing to unveil what many hoped would be a highly anticipated Russian-made smartphone. |
 | Bitcoin falls below $5,000 for first time since Oct 2017The value of bitcoin slipped Monday below $5,000 (4,367 euros) for the first time since October 2017 as volatility returned to the cryptocurrency market. |
 | Let's draw! New deep learning technique for realistic caricature artCaricature portrait drawing is a distinct art form where artists sketch a person's face in an exaggerated manner, most times to elicit humor. Automating this technique poses challenges due to the amount of intricate details and shapes involved and level of professional skills it takes to transform a person artistically from their real-life selves to a creatively exaggerated one. |
 | Undersea gas fires Egypt's regional energy dreamsEgypt is looking to use its vast, newly tapped undersea gas reserves to establish itself as a key energy exporter and revive its flagging economy. |
 | Argentine submarine wreck found one year after disappearanceThe crushed wreck of an Argentine submarine has been located one year after it vanished into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean with 44 crew members, in the country's worst naval disaster in decades. |
 | Romania could challenge Russian grip on Europe's energyRomania, one of the EU's poorest members, could emerge as an unlikely challenger to Russia's iron grip on eastern Europe's energy supply thanks to vast oil and gas reserves waiting to be tapped, experts say. |
 | Nissan chief Ghosn arrested over financial misconduct: reportsNissan chairman Carlos Ghosn was reportedly under arrest in Tokyo on Monday, as his firm accused him of "significant acts of misconduct" and said it would seek to oust him. |
Big tech firms pledge training for workers in Southeast AsiaMicrosoft, Google and other major technology companies have promised to help provide training in digital skills for around 20 million people in Southeast Asia by 2020 to make sure the region's burgeoning working-age population is a fit for the future job market. Up to 28 million full-time jobs are subject to being displaced, according to a new estimate. | |
 | Carlos Ghosn, the auto world's 'cost killer'Brazilian-born Carlos Ghosn has long stood out among the world's auto executives as a hard-nosed workaholic able to get a troubled company back on its feet quickly. |
Medicine & Health news
 | How the brain switches between different sets of rulesCognitive flexibility—the brain's ability to switch between different rules or action plans depending on the context—is key to many of our everyday activities. For example, imagine you're driving on a highway at 65 miles per hour. When you exit onto a local street, you realize that the situation has changed and you need to slow down. |
 | US paves way to get 'lab meat' on platesUS authorities on Friday agreed on how to regulate food products cultured from animal cells—paving the way to get so-called "lab meat" on American plates. |
 | New dual-action cancer-killing virusScientists have equipped a virus that kills carcinoma cells with a protein so it can also target and kill adjacent cells that are tricked into shielding the cancer from the immune system. |
 | New drug discovery could halt spread of brain cancerThe tissues in our bodies largely are made of fluid. It moves around cells and is essential to normal body function. |
 | Exploring the genetic contribution to suicide riskResearchers at University of Utah Health identified four gene changes that occur more frequently in people who died by suicide that may point to increased risk in vulnerable individuals. |
 | RNAi therapy mitigates preeclampsia symptomsA collaboration of scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Western Sydney University, have shown that an innovative new type of therapy using small interfering RNAs (siRNA) can temper the symptoms of preeclampsia in an animal model. The research, led by Anastasia Khvorova, Ph.D., and Melissa Moore, Ph.D., of UMass Medical School's RNA Therapeutics Institute and Ananath Karumanchi, MD, of Beth Israel and Harvard Medical School—suggests that RNA interference therapy could be a potential strategy for the treatment of preeclampsia in humans. |
 | Proteins cooperate to break up energy structures in oxygen starved heart cellsDuring a heart attack, the supply of oxygen to heart cells is decreased. This reduced oxygen level, called hypoxia, causes the cell's powerhouses, the mitochondria, to fragment, impairing cell function and leading to heart failure. Until now, few details have been known about how this process occurs. |
 | New insights into how an ordinary stem cell becomes a powerful immune agentHow do individual developing cells choose and commit to their "identity"—to become, for example, an immune cell, or a muscle cell, or a neuron? |
A molecule for fighting muscular paralysisMyotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that leads to muscle paralysis from birth and results in death before two years of age. Although no treatment currently exists, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, – working in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg, France, – have identified a molecule that not only greatly reduces the progression of the disease but also boosts life expectancy in animal models by a factor of seven. Since the molecule – known as tamoxifen – is already used for breast cancer, the researchers hope to soon set up a clinical trial so that patients can be given the medication. You can read all about the results in the journal Nature Communications. | |
 | Signal peptides' novel role in glutamate receptor trafficking and neural synaptic activityGlutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and the postsynaptic expression level of glutamate receptors is a critical factor in determining the efficiency of information transmission and the activity of the neuronal network. Therefore, glutamate receptor trafficking is critical to the physiological function of human brain circuitry. |
 | Skeletal imitation reveals how bones grow atom-by-atomResearchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered how our bones grow at an atomic level, showing how an unstructured mass orders itself into a perfectly arranged bone structure. The discovery offers new insights, which could yield improved new implants, as well as increasing our knowledge of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. |
 | Mutation that causes autism and intellectual disability makes brain less flexibleAbout 1 percent of patients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability have a mutation in a gene called SETD5. Scientists have now discovered what happens on a molecular level when the gene is mutated in mice, and how this changes the mice's behavior. This is an important step towards understanding how mutations in the SETD5 gene may cause cognitive changes in affected patients. The study was led by Gaia Novarino, Professor at IST Austria, and Kyung-Min Noh, Group leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany; Elena Deliu, Niccolo Arecco, Jasmin Morandell and Christoph Dotter share first authorship. The results, which suggest that the brains of mice with a SETD5 mutation may be less flexible, are published today in Nature Neuroscience. |
 | MDMA makes people cooperative, but not gullibleNew research from King's College London has found that MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, causes people to cooperate better—but only with trustworthy people. In the first study to look in detail at how MDMA impacts cooperative behaviour the researchers also identified changes to activity in brain regions linked to social processing. |
 | Widely used reference for the human genome is missing 300 million bits of DNAFor the past 17 years, most scientists around the globe have been using the nucleic acid sequence, or genome, an assembly of DNA information, from primarily a single individual as a kind of "baseline" reference and human species representation for comparing genetic variety among groups of people. |
 | Does air pollution raise autism risk?Traffic-related air pollution may play a role in development of autism, new research suggests. |
 | To resolve inflammation, location mattersHealth conditions that involve inflammation run the gamut, from multiple sclerosis and lupus to arthritis, diabetes, and cancer. While inflammation can serve as a normal response to help the body deal with injury or infection, problems arise when it persists, potentially harming surrounding tissues. |
 | Majority of HIV persistence during ART due to infected cell proliferationA majority of the HIV-infected cells that persist in HIV-infected individuals even during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) originated from cellular proliferation, not viral replication, according to new research published in Nature Communications. |
 | Pharma giant Pfizer to raise some drug pricesPfizer said Friday it would raise US prices on 41 drugs in January, reversing a price freeze implemented over the summer in the face of criticism by President Donald Trump. |
 | Why a salmonella outbreak shouldn't ruin your ThanksgivingThere's no reason to skip Thanksgiving dinner because of a salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey. |
 | New treatment to protect people with peanut allergies ready for FDA reviewThe final research results for a new treatment for protection against accidental exposure to peanut was presented today at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results show it is possible for some people with peanut allergy to protect themselves from accidental ingestion by building up their tolerance to peanut over time. |
One in five kids with food allergies treated in emergency department in past yearResearchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues estimate that nearly 8 percent of U.S. children (about 5.6 million) have food allergies, with nearly 40 percent allergic to more than one food. These findings were based on their latest national food allergy prevalence survey, which assessed over 38,000 children. The study, published in Pediatrics, also reveals striking new statistics that reflect food allergy severity—one in five of children needed treatment in the emergency department (ED) in the past year for a life-threatening reaction to food, while 42 percent reported at least one lifetime food allergy related ED visit. However, only 40 percent of children with food allergies had a current prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector, which is necessary for immediate treatment of a severe allergic reaction. | |
 | Bullying and violence at work increases the risk of cardiovascular diseasePeople who are bullied at work or experience violence at work are at higher risk of heart and brain blood vessel problems, including heart attacks and stroke, according to the largest prospective study to investigate the link, which is published in the European Heart Journal today. |
Preserving shoulder function, quality of life, in breast cancer patientsAfter a prophylactic double mastectomy in 2015, Tina Harrison discovered that she did, indeed, have breast cancer—it just hadn't been detected. | |
 | Does an 'echo chamber' of information impede flu vaccination for children?Parents who decline to get their child vaccinated against the flu may be exposed to a limited range of information, a new national poll suggests. |
 | Noise pollution in hospitals—a rising problemIn an editorial published today in the BMJ, researchers from King's College London and the University of the Arts London (UAL) argue that it is a worsening problem, with levels regularly exceeding international recommendations. |
Women more resilient to extreme physical activity than previously reportedWomen that underwent extreme physical training and completed a transantarctic expedition did not show any more negative health effects than would be expected in men, according to a study presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Glasgow. The study is the first to suggest that women are not more susceptible to the negative effects of physical exertion and, that with appropriate training and preparation, can be as resilient as men in undertaking arduous physical activity. | |
 | Sexual orientation identified as a risk factor in opioid misuseMen and women who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more likely to misuse opioids when compared with those who identify as heterosexual, a new study shows. |
 | Growing number of state laws limit local government control over food and nutritionIn recent years, more than a dozen states have passed laws limiting local governments' ability to create food and nutrition policies and more than two dozen states previously enacted laws preventing obesity-related lawsuits against food businesses, finds a new analysis led by NYU College of Global Public Health. These laws are examples of preemption, a legal mechanism in which a higher level of government withdraws or limits the ability of a lower level of government to act on an issue. |
 | Negligible risk of transmitting HIV during sex when viral load is suppressedThere is a negligible risk of transmitting HIV during sex when a person living with HIV is on antiretroviral therapy and maintains a viral load under a specific threshold, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). |
 | Spanking in developing countries does more harm than goodSpanking may be increasingly harmful for children on a more global scale than previously known, a new University of Michigan study indicates. |
New blood pressure guideline could prevent 3 million cardiovascular events over 10 yearsIn 2017, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released new blood pressure guidelines, lowering hypertension threshold to 130/80 mm Hg from the previous 140/90 mm Hg. A new study predicts that achieving and maintaining the 2017 guideline blood pressure goals could prevent more than 3 million cardiovascular disease events over ten years. The results of the study will appear online in the November 19 issue of Circulation. | |
 | Residual inflammation risk affects outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventionPatients who have persistently high levels of inflammation following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease are significantly more likely to die from any cause or to have a heart attack within a year, according to a study of 7,026 patients published in the European Heart Journal. |
Common tactics for health promotion at work may be detrimental to employees with obesityWorkplace health promotion programs that encourage employees to take responsibility for their own weight may have detrimental effects for employees with obesity, reveals a new study. These range from feeling increasingly responsible for their weight but perceiving they have less control over it, to increased workplace weight stigma and discrimination. Ironically, these effects could even lead to increased obesity and decreased wellbeing. Published in Frontiers in Psychology, the study finds these pitfalls could be avoided through programs focusing on the employer's responsibility to maintain employee health. | |
 | Shoulder 'brightness' on ultrasound may be a sign of diabetesA shoulder muscle that appears unusually bright on ultrasound may be a warning sign of diabetes, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). |
Emotional abuse may be linked with menopause miserySmoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle have long been linked to heightened symptoms of menopause. Now, a study headed by UC San Francisco has identified another factor that may add to menopause torment: an emotionally abusive partner or spouse. | |
 | Healthcare providers—not hackers—leak more of your dataYour personal identity may fall at the mercy of sophisticated hackers on many websites, but when it comes to health data breaches, hospitals, doctors offices and even insurance companies are oftentimes the culprits. |
Two thirds of required pediatric post-marketing drug studies are missingThe FDA requires clinical studies of new drugs in pediatric populations, since many drugs developed for use in adults are also used in children. These studies are often requested after the drug is approved in adults, as "post-marketing" trials. However, a study from Boston Children's Hospital finds that only about a third of these mandatory trials were completed within an average of seven years. As a result, most new drug labels continue to lack information needed for use in children, and most FDA-approved medications remain untested in children. | |
 | How AI could help veterinarians code their notesA team led by scientists at the School of Medicine has developed an algorithm that can read the typed-out notes from veterinarians and predict specific diseases that the animal may have. |
 | New blood test detects early stage ovarian cancerResearch on a bacterial toxin first discovered in Adelaide has led to the development a new blood test for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer—a disease which kills over 1000 Australian women and 150,000 globally each year. |
 | Almost half of deaths of people with disability are linked to how documentation is handledResearch released by the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, and the Graduate School of Health, UTS, shows that almost half of people with disability living in residential care were exposed to risk of death or died related to failures in information sharing and communication. |
Researcher finds gender disparities in admissions, treatment for heart attack patients, earns nomination for AHA awardA new study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal, Circulation, shows that that the dramatic decrease in mortality from heart attack in recent decades is not evident in younger age groups, especially younger women. The study, led by UNC School of Medicine cardiology fellow Sameer Arora, MD, looked at data collected by the Atherosclerosis Risk in Community (ARIC) study, a hospital surveillance of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients aged 35-74 years old in four U.S. cities. Analysis for Arora's study was limited to nearly 9,000 patients aged 35-54 years old from 1995 to 2014. | |
 | Study explains behavioral reaction to painful experiencesExposure to uncomfortable sensations elicits a wide range of appropriate and quick reactions, from reflexive withdrawal to more complex feelings and behaviors. To better understand the body's innate response to harmful activity, researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, have identified activity in the brain that governs these reactions. Using heat as the source of discomfort, experiments conducted by the center's intramural program showed that bodily responses to pain are controlled by a neural pathway involving heightened activity in the spinal cord and two parts of the brainstem. Results of the study were published in the journal Neuron. |
 | New study finds link between smell and obesityUniversity of Otago researchers have broken new ground by identifying a link between smell and obesity. The findings will be published today in the international Obesity Reviews journal. |
 | Specialised molecular profiling could allow more accurate prognosis and treatment of brain tumoursMeningiomas, a type of brain tumour, are usually easy to treat. However, there are a few subtypes that follow a very aggressive course and have high recurrence rates, i.e. there is a high risk of them coming back after treatment. These subtypes need to be treated using a specific treatment concept. Researchers from the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital have now demonstrated that, in addition to conventional tissue analysis (histology), a specific type of molecular DNA analysis can help to identify the subtype of the meningioma, thus facilitating more accurate prognosis and allowing more effective treatment planning. |
 | Research leads to new way of caring for pre-cancerous conditionA University of Manchester study of care provisions for patients diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition, has resulted in improvements in local NHS care, which may form a blueprint for other hospitals. |
 | HIV rates lower in states that target intimate partner violenceStates that aggressively target intimate partner violence (IPV) in their health care systems have lower rates of HIV infection among women, according to a new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health. |
 | 'Demedicalization' of mental illness often leaves homeless in the lurchAn article published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine discusses the case of a homeless California man who was a frequent visitor to a local emergency room. Six times over the course of a few months the man, who had been previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, presented with auditory hallucinations and suicidal thoughts after losing his medication. Each time, he was released back to the streets without extended psychiatric care. |
 | Use genetic data to predict the best time of day to give radiotherapy to breast cancer patients, say researchersA new clinical study led by the University of Leicester and conducted in the HOPE clinical trials facility at Leicester's Hospitals has revealed the pivotal role that changing the time of day that a patient receives radiotherapy could play in altering radiotherapy toxicity. The findings could be used to optimise the treatment to reduce side effects for some breast cancer patients. |
 | Mouse model aids study of immunomodulationBecause mice do not respond to immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), preclinical therapeutic and safety studies of the effects of IMiDs have not been possible in existing types of mice. This has led to an inability to accurately assess the mechanism of these drugs in mice. This in turn has led to several notable worldwide medical scandals, such as the one involving thalidomide in the late 1950s and early 1960s, wherein thousands of children suffered birth deformities not indicated in the tested mice. Since then, many studies have attempted to understand and overcome this limitation in assessment of IMiDs; none have been successful, until now. |
 | Needless treatments: anti-fungal creams or tablets don't always work for vaginal itchMany women who experience persistent vaginal itch or discharge assume they have vaginal thrush (vulvolvaginal candidiasis). Treatments for thrush are available without a prescription. Since having a vaginal condition can be embarrassing, it's sometimes preferable to buy creams or tablets from the chemist and treat yourself. |
 | Aspirin could reduce HIV infections in womenWith nearly two million new infections and one million associated deaths each year, the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) pandemic is alive and well. Thirty-seven million people are now living with HIV, more than half of whom are women. |
 | Long-term exposure to road traffic noise may increase the risk of obesityLong-term exposure to road traffic noise is associated with increased risk of obesity. This was the conclusion of a study recently published in Environment International. |
 | Psychology team conducts research indicating that backward motion improves memoryA team of Roehampton academics from the Department of Psychology have conducted research showing that backwards movement, whether real or imaginary, can improve short-term memories of eyewitness information, word recall and picture recall. |
 | Check urine to ensure patients are taking blood pressure tablets, researchers urgeA research team led by scientists and doctors in Leicester and the Netherlands has shown that a urine test to measure whether patients are taking their medications will save the NHS money. |
 | Why women get PMS and why some are more affectedWomen have been menstruating throughout history. So it's curious the earliest documented record of what we now know to be premenstrual syndrome (PMS) appeared pretty late in the game. In 1931, psychoanalyst Karen Horney described increased tension, irritability, depression and anxiety in the week preceding menstruation in one of her patients. |
 | No more needle phobia with virtual realityCan virtual reality help reduce the pain of medical procedures? |
 | Studies examine sexual and reproductive empowerment in sub-Saharan AfricaWomen in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda are often pressured by family and through societal expectations to have more children, but commonly resort to covert or indirect means of contraception to maintain some reproductive autonomy. This is a central finding from a cross-country study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. |
 | How to get rid of head lice without spending loads of moneyParents are being warned there could be a big rise in head lice outbreaks in schools this winter. The health charity Community Hygiene Concern has predicted that low-income families will be hit hardest after a change in NHS England guidance, means GPs are now routinely prevented from prescribing any treatment for the parasites. |
 | Three ethical reasons for vaccinating your childrenAcross the country, billboards are popping up suggesting that vaccines can kill children, when the science behind vaccination is crystal clear – vaccinations are extremely safe. |
 | Why people become vegans: The history, sex and science of a meatless existenceAt the age of 14, a young Donald Watson watched as a terrified pig was slaughtered on his family farm. In the British boy's eyes, the screaming pig was being murdered. Watson stopped eating meat and eventually gave up dairy as well. |
 | Limiting screen time for your kid? It's harder than it looksIt is Saturday morning, and 10-year-old Henry Hailey is up at the crack of dawn. Still in PJs, his microphone-equipped headphones glowing blue in the dim basement, he fixates on the popular online game "Fortnite" on a large screen. |
 | Drug used for PTSD may worsen nightmares, not reduce suicidal thoughtsNightmares and insomnia often accompany posttraumatic stress disorder and increase suicide risk. |
 | Researchers a step closer to understanding how deadly bird flu virus takes hold in humansNew research has taken a step towards understanding how highly pathogenic influenza viruses such as deadly bird flu infect humans. |
 | 'Boomeranging' back to a parents' home negatively affects young adults' mental healthThe number of young adults living in their own household has dropped dramatically in the last decades in the United States for a number of economic and social reasons. In a study that will soon be published in the peer-reviewed journal Society and Mental Health, MPIDR researcher Jennifer Caputo investigated the effects of moving back home after a period of independence on young adults' mental health. She found that young adults who "boomeranged" back to a parental home experienced an increase in depressive symptoms. |
Public perspectives on food risksRoughly half of Americans (51%) say the average person faces a serious health risk from food additives over their lifetime, while the other half (48%) believes the average person is exposed to potentially threatening additives in such small amounts that there is no serious risk, according to a new study released today by Pew Research Center. | |
 | Targeted Hepatitis C testing misses substantial number of cases in correctional settingResults from a new study led by Boston Medical Center (BMC) found routine Hepatitis C testing identified a significant number of cases that would have been missed by targeted testing among a population of individuals in Washington State prisons. Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the authors recommend routine testing in correctional facilities to best identify and treat the disease as part of the national strategy to eliminate Hepatitis C transmission. |
Cannabis youth prevention strategy should target mental wellbeingHigh school students with positive mental health are less likely to consume cannabis, a recent University of Waterloo study has found. | |
Older, frail heart attack patients at greater risk of bleedingMany older patients who are considered frail by medical standards receive anticoagulants (blood thinners) and undergo cardiac catheterization during a heart attack. While these treatments can be helpful, they also can cause major bleeding, and frailty is an important bleeding risk factor according to a study published today in in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. | |
Diabetes patients with high deductible health plans experience delays in seeking careResearch from the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute finds that a population of people with diabetes who were switched to high-deductible health plans had associated delays in care for dangerous blood vessel diseases. The study, "High-deductible Insurance and Delay in Care for the Macrovascular Complications of Diabetes," appears in the November 20 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. | |
Having poor vision can raise risk for falls among older adultsVision impairment and blindness affect one in 11 Americans age 65 and older. Because our population is aging, the number of older adults with vision problems is predicted to rise. Older adults who have impaired vision may be at risk for decreased independence, poorer well-being, and an increased risk of falls. For example, in any given year, approximately 30 percent of adults over age 65 will fall. Having impaired vision more than doubles this risk. | |
 | Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. kids has a food allergy(HealthDay)—Almost 8 percent of American children have food allergies, and 1 in 5 of those kids suffers an allergic reaction severe enough to wind up in the hospital, a new study finds. |
 | Five ways to get more whole grains into your diet(HealthDay)—Making the switch to whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta are good ways to get more unrefined grains (and needed fiber) into your diet. |
 | A slam dunk: late-night tweets harm NBA players' performance(HealthDay)—Late-night tweeting leads to poorer next-day performance by professional basketball players, according to a new study that highlights how social media can affect sleep. |
 | Secondhand pot smoke found in kids' lungs(HealthDay)—If you're a pot-smoking parent and you think your kids aren't affected, think again. |
 | How to avoid suitcase strain this holiday season(HealthDay)—With holiday travel comes the risk of injury from toting heavy luggage. |
 | Teens increasingly choose pot over alcohol, cigarettesThe "gateway pattern" of adolescent substance use is changing, and marijuana is increasingly the first substance in the sequence of adolescent drug use, according researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Traditionally, students experiment with cigarettes and alcohol before cannabis, but since 2006, less than 50 percent of adolescents try cigarettes and alcohol before they try cannabis for the first time. The findings are published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. |
Study finds 45 minutes of patient education improves chronic disease managementJust 45 minutes of patient education can improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases, according to a study in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. | |
 | In-person, but not online, social contact may protect against psychiatric disordersIn-person social contact seems to offer some protection against depression and PTSD symptoms, but the same is not true of contact on Facebook, suggests a study by Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System and Oregon Health and Science University researchers. The results are online now and slated to appear in the Jan. 15, 2019, issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders. |
New research questions role of gut parasite in intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndromeNew University of Kent-led research on the way a common gut parasite behaves could help lead to a better understanding of its role in the development of intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. | |
 | Scientists trained a computer to classify breast cancer tumorsUsing technology similar to the type that powers facial and speech recognition on a smartphone, researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have trained a computer to analyze breast cancer images and then classify the tumors with high accuracy. |
 | Drug overdose mortality rates highest in US(HealthDay)—In 2015, the United States had higher drug overdose mortality rates than those of many other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries, according to a research letter published online Nov. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Higher risk for amputation, DKA with SGLT2 inhibitors for T2DM(HealthDay)—Use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors is associated with an increased risk for lower-limb amputation and diabetic ketoacidosis compared with use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in The BMJ. |
 | CDC: 8.8 percent uninsured in US in first half of 2018(HealthDay)—In the first six months of 2018, 8.8 percent of U.S. individuals of all ages were uninsured, which was not significantly different from 2017, according to a report published Nov. 15 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics. |
 | AAP updates management of sport-related concussion(HealthDay)—Recommendations have been developed for the diagnosis and management of pediatric sport-related concussion (SRC), according to a clinical report published online Nov. 12 in Pediatrics. |
 | Burden of liver cancer rising in medicare patients(HealthDay)—Both hospitalizations and deaths are increasing among Medicare recipients with liver cancer, according to a study presented at The Liver Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held from Nov. 9 to 13 in San Francisco. |
 | Epinephrine personal autoinjectors cost-effective at $24(HealthDay)—In a simulation of children with peanut allergy, epinephrine personal autoinjectors are cost-effective at $24, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in JAMA Network Open. |
 | CDC: Increase seen in Salmonella illnesses from ground beef(HealthDay)—There have been 126 more cases of illness added to an investigation into a Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled ground beef products from JBS Tolleson Inc., bringing the total to 246 cases in 25 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. |
 | For Down syndrome adults, death and dementia often come together(HealthDay)—Seven in 10 people with Down syndrome show evidence of dementia when they die, new research from Britain reveals. |
 | Have diabetes? Make sure to manage cholesterol, tooFor people with diabetes, blood sugar isn't the only important measurement. New cholesterol guidelines suggest the more than 110 million U.S. adults with diabetes or prediabetes also should manage their cholesterol. |
 | Patient outcomes tied to valve replacement volume(HealthDay)—Hospitals with high caseloads of both surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have the best outcomes, according to a study published online Oct. 31 in JAMA Cardiology. |
Researchers offer perspective on legal, ethical implications of lost eggs and embryosOn March 3, 2018, a liquid nitrogen storage tank at the University Hospitals Fertility Center in Cleveland failed. Dr. Eli Adashi, a professor of medical science at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School, characterized the event as a "tragic accident" in which 950 patients lost more than 4,000 frozen eggs and embryos. | |
Scientists identify novel target for neuron regeneration and functional recovery in spinal cord injuryRestoring the ability to walk following spinal cord injury requires neurons in the brain to reestablish communication pathways with neurons in the spinal cord. Mature neurons, however, are unable to regenerate their axons to facilitate this process. Now, in new research, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) show that this limitation may be overcome by targeting liver kinase B1 (LKB1) protein. In mice with spinal cord injury, targeted LKB1 upregulation stimulated long-distance neuron regeneration, leading to gains in functional recovery. | |
 | Response to daily stressors could affect brain health in older adultsTaking typical daily annoyances such as a long wait at the doctor's office or a traffic jam on the freeway in stride may help preserve brain health in older adults, while emotional reactions could contribute to declines in cognition, a new study from Oregon State University has found. |
 | Study measures effectiveness of online communication tools in combatting depression among socially isolated seniorsImagine your family has moved across the state or across country. You're retired, and your spouse has passed away. Lacking the social connections previous generations once found in church or fraternal organizations, it doesn't take much time to begin feeling isolated and alone. |
 | Kindergarten difficulties may predict academic achievement across primary gradesIdentifying factors that predict academic difficulties during elementary school should help inform efforts to help children who may be at risk. New Penn State research suggests that children's executive functions may be a particularly important risk factor for such difficulties. |
 | Human images from world's first total-body scanner unveiledEXPLORER, the world's first medical imaging scanner that can capture a 3-D picture of the whole human body at once, has produced its first scans. |
Aspirin and omega-3 reduce pre-cancerous bowel polypsBoth aspirin and a purified omega-3, called EPA, reduce the number of pre-cancerous polyps in patients found to be at high risk of developing bowel cancer, according to new research. | |
UK needs to redesign health policies for menUK health policies should be redesigned to become more accessible for men, according to a new report by the Work Foundation. | |
 | Debate: Is the gut or the brain more important in regulating appetite and metabolism?Whether gut or brain hormones are more important for the regulation of appetite and metabolism is not clearly defined. Imbalances in the control of appetite and metabolism can lead to obesity and diabetes, which have a negative impact on people's health and healthcare costs. In a live debate to be held at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Glasgow, leading experts will debate this issue in a session entitled, 'This house believes that the gut is the conductor of the endocrine orchestra.' The experts will explore the evidence supporting the roles of gut and brain hormones in metabolism, and discuss how best to target future research and treatment strategies for overweight and diabetic patients. |
 | Concomitant use of sleeping pills and strong painkillers is common among people with Alzheimer's diseaseOne in five people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who use a benzodiazepine are also concomitant users of an opioid, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Concomitant use was more common in comparison persons, but those with AD used strong opioids more frequently. About half of all concomitant users were prolonged users whose use of these drugs had continued for more than three consecutive months. |
 | A programme of personalised physical exercise reverses functional decline in the over-75sA programme of personalised physical exercise implemented over a three-year period and involving 370 people over the age of 75 admitted to the Geriatric Service of the Hospital Complex of Navarre (CHN) has turned out to be "safe and effective" in reversing the functional deterioration associated with hospitalisation to which patients in this age group are subjected. Other aspects such as cognitive status and life quality also benefitted. |
New survey highlights digital health challengesAs health system leaders look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the coming year, they are increasing their spending to defend against cyberattacks, expressing optimism about reimbursement for telehealth services, and feeling anxiety about Apple, Amazon and Google entering the health care space. | |
Alcohol-impaired driving and drinking at private residencesAlthough drunk driving prevention and enforcement programs often focus on people who drink at bars and restaurants, drinking at home is strongly associated with driving after drinking and impaired driving, and may account for about a third of all drink driving events, according to a new study from the Prevention Research Center at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. | |
 | WHO: Malaria reductions stall after progressThe World Health Organization says progress in reducing the number of people contracting malaria has stalled after several years of global declines. |
New report outlines cancer screening's future potentialCancer screening has contributed substantially to reduced incidence, morbidity, and mortality, but issues like access and quality care and have kept screening from fulfilling its full potential, according to a new report. The report, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, is the latest installment in the ACS's blueprint for cancer control. The authors summarize the status of cancer screening and propose key areas where attention is needed to further advance screening's contribution to cancer control. | |
 | Where the brain turns quality and quantity into valueResearchers have pinpointed a part of the human brain responsible for "on-the-fly" decision-making. According to the findings published in JNeurosci, the anterior cingulate cortex integrates disparate information about the desirability and amount of an option to inform choice. |
 | Research focuses on a new frontier in circadian rhythmsA new frontier in the science of circadian rhythms—whose disruption is linked to major diseases like cancer and diabetes—suggests a previously unknown mechanism at work in our daily biological cycle. In a project supported by the National Institutes of Health, researchers will explore the enigmatic role of an unstructured protein in regulating circadian function. |
 | High risk of death in the year after ICU discharge; more hospital days linked to higher mortalityNearly one in five intensive care unit (ICU) survivors die within one year, and increased hospital use is among the factors associated with a higher risk of death, reports a UK population-based study in the January 2019 issue of Critical Care Medicine. |
 | Screening tool is effective for identifying child sex trafficking victims in a pediatric EDAn initial screening tool can be used effectively in a busy, inner?city emergency department to identify child sex trafficking victims presenting with high?risk health complaints. That is the finding of a study to be published in the November 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). |
 | What to expect as 1st pot shops in East finally openThe long wait for recreational marijuana sales to begin in Massachusetts is almost over with the first commercial pot shops set to open on Tuesday. |
Researchers find multisystem disorder caused by CCDC47 variantsResearchers and clinicians through a multicenter collaboration have identified a novel multisystem disorder caused by bi-allelic variants in the CCDC47 gene. Their findings are reported in the American Journal of Human Genetics. | |
Biology news
 | Activating a new understanding of gene regulationRegulation of gene expression—turning genes on or off, increasing or decreasing their expression—is critical for defining cell identity during development and coordinating cellular activity throughout the cell's lifetime. The common model of gene regulation imagines the nucleus of the cell as a large space in which molecules involved in DNA transcription float around seemingly at random until they stumble across a DNA sequence or other transcriptional machinery to which they can bind, in other words, a haphazard approach. |
 | Jumping genes shed light on how advanced life may have emergedA previously unappreciated interaction in the genome turns out to have possibly been one of the driving forces in the emergence of advanced life, billions of years ago. |
 | The scoop on how your cat's sandpapery tongue deep cleansCat lovers know when kitties groom, their tongues are pretty scratchy. Using high-tech scans and some other tricks, scientists are learning how those sandpapery tongues help cats get clean and stay cool. |
 | Eyeing echidnas: Study models echidna forelimbs to help shed new light on mammal evolutionThese days, mammals can use their forelimbs to swim, jump, fly, climb, dig and just about everything in between, but the question of how all that diversity evolved has remained a vexing one for scientists. |
 | Rare and diverse giant viruses unexpectedly found in a forest soil ecosystemUntil recently, scientists thought of viruses as mostly small infectious agents, tiny compared to typical bacteria and human cells. So imagine the surprise when biologist Jeff Blanchard and Ph.D. student Lauren Alteio at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with others at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), discovered giant viruses—relatively speaking the size of Macy's parade day balloons—in soil at Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts. |
 | Geneticists solve long-standing finch beak mysteryBridgett vonHoldt is best known for her work with dogs and wolves, so she was surprised when a bird biologist pulled her aside and said, "I really think you can help me solve this problem." So she turned to a mystery he'd been wrestling with for more than 20 years. |
 | 4,000-year-old termite mounds found in Brazil are visible from spaceResearchers reporting in Current Biology on November 19 have found that a vast array of regularly spaced, still-inhabited termite mounds in northeastern Brazil—covering an area the size of Great Britain—are up to about 4,000 years old. |
 | Monitoring real time changes during cell divisionScientist have cast new light on the behaviour of tiny hair-like structures called cilia found on almost every cell in the body. |
 | Researchers discover how 'cryptic' connections in disease transmission influence epidemicsDiseases have repeatedly spilled over from wildlife to humans, causing local to global epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, and Nipah. |
 | DIY crop speed breeding system to boost drought researchPlant speed breeding could be part of the solution to minimise the devastating effects of drought and climate change on crops in the future, according to a University of Queensland researcher. |
 | Mite genomes reveal 'mighty surprising' fragrant and colourful secretsScientists at the University of Liverpool have uncovered some unexpected 'foreign' genes in the tiny itch-inducing chigger mite and its more benign but enormous cousin, the giant velvet mite. |
 | From the Arctic to the tropics: Researchers present unique database on Earth's vegetationWhich plant species grow where, alongside which others—and why? The diversity of global vegetation can be described based on only a few traits from each species. This has been revealed by a research team led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. In a new study published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, they present the world's first global vegetation database which contains over 1.1 million complete lists of plant species sampled across all Earth's ecosystems. The database could help better predict the consequences of global climate change. |
 | How female hyaenas came to dominate malesIn most animal societies, members of one sex dominate those of the other. Is this, as widely believed, an inevitable consequence of a disparity in strength and ferocity between males and females? Not necessarily. A new study on wild spotted hyaenas shows that in this social carnivore, females dominate males because they can rely on greater social support than males, not because they are stronger or more competitive in any other individual attribute. The main reason for females having, on average, more social support than males is that males are more likely to disperse and that dispersal disrupts social bonds. The study by scientists of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW, Germany) and the Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM, France) was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. |
 | Researchers develop mathematical model that questions long-held assumptions about gene expressionResearchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a mathematical model that sheds new light on the fundamental processes of gene expression in cells. |
 | Researchers discover a new gear in life's clock: Vitamin DNew research from Portland State University finds vitamin D, or a lack thereof can trigger or suspend embryonic development in a species of fish. The study also provides evidence suggesting the vitamin is critical to the early development of vertebrates generally. |
 | Sumatran elephant found dead with missing tusks in IndonesiaA Sumatran elephant has been found dead with its tusks removed in an apparent poaching case targeting the critically endangered animal, an Indonesian conservation official said Friday. |
 | Channels for the supply of energyWorking in cooperation with international colleagues, researchers from the University of Freiburg have described how water-insoluble membrane proteins are transported through the aqueous space between the mitochondrial membranes with the aid of chaperone proteins. The membrane proteins enable the cellular powerhouses to import and export small biomolecules. Thus the team led by Prof. Dr. Nils Wiedemann from Freiburg and Dr. Paul Schanda from Grenoble (France) together with researchers from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) and the University of Tübingen has answered a fundamental question about the formation of mitochondria. The European Research Council (ERC) funded the research with both a Consolidator Grant and a Starting Grant. The scientists have published their results in the science journal Cell. |
 | Human pharmaceuticals change cricket personalityCrickets that are exposed to human drugs that alter serotonin levels in the brain are less active and less aggressive than crickets that have had no drug exposure, according to a new study led by researchers from Linköping University. The findings have been published in Scientific Reports. |
 | Tiny teeth tell the story of two fish species' rapid evolutionElizabeth Sibert is rewriting the story of how the asteroid impact that killed off the dinosaurs affected fish, and she's doing it one tooth at a time. |
 | Species and environment affect which frogs are infected by parasitic fungusAn aquatic parasitic fungus causes lethal infections in amphibians and is thought to be one of the reasons for a global decline in toad and frog populations. A new study by researchers from Uppsala University shows a wide variation among different species in the number of infections and that the surrounding environment has an impact. |
 | A sharing economy for plants: Seed libraries are sprouting upThanksgiving may be uniquely American, but its core spirit was exported from harvest festivals stretching back for millennia. Its essence is being grateful for what one has, while noting a duty to share one's good fortune. |
 | Mom's teeth tell her history of giving birth and raising babies in Asian black bearsScientists from Japanese institutions among Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Picchio Wildlife Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, and Tokyo University of Agriculture have discovered that width of surface layers coating tooth's roots correlates with reproductive histories of female Asian black bears. When a female bear raised cubs, the layers of her teeth were much narrower compared to those when she was not. Thus, measuring layer width of female bears' teeth can be a useful index for their reproductive histories. This research was published online in the journal Mammal Study. |
Google data shows public interest in conservation is risingThe public's interest in conservation is rising, according to a new analysis led by Princeton University. | |
 | Translocating frogs to lakes where disease wiped out previous populations may be the key to recoveryIn a box, within a canister, surrounded by snow, tucked tightly into a backpack strapped to one determined ecologist. Twenty at a time they travel, these unassuming, iconic frogs, departing places where they're thriving for sites from which their species has vanished. Their mission: population recovery. |
 | As climate and land-use change accelerate, so must efforts to preserve California's plantsAs the IPCC warns that we have only 12 years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half or risk significantly greater impacts from climate change, University of California, Berkeley, scientists are charting the best course to save California's native plants from these human threats. |
Swifts ride air currents to catch a free lunchOnce an adult swift (Apus apus) leaves its breeding colony and takes to the air migrating south, it won't touch down again until returning home to nest 10 months later. "Common swifts are exceptional in their level of adaptation to aerial life," says Emmanuel de Margerie, a biologist from the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) at the University of Rennes, France, adding, "Foraging, sleeping, preening and all other daily activities are performed in mid-air, day after day, week after week." So, when de Margerie decided to learn how the expert aviators manoeuvre in their aerial domain, he contacted biomechanist Tyson Hedrick from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, who snapped up the opportunity. "Their basic flight capabilities have been well studied in wind tunnel experiments," says Hedrick. However, birds in wind tunnels never share the sky with others or contend with unexpected gusts of wind. de Margerie had filmed swifts soaring and swerving while foraging to feed their chicks and the movies provided the ideal opportunity to find out how much exertion it takes to keep an acrobatic swift on the wing in real life. They publish their discovery that swifts essentially hitchhike on rising currents to make their flight costs almost zero in Journal of Experimental Biology. | |
 | Rare Sumatran tiger rescued from beneath shop in IndonesiaA rare Sumatran tiger that was trapped beneath the floor of a shop for three days has been rescued, an Indonesian official said Saturday. |
Special journal issue highlights research uses for biological collections and the importance of their preservationMore than a century ago, when botanists and naturalists were in the field collecting plant and animal specimens, they couldn't have imagined that scientists would one day be able to extract DNA from samples to understand how plants and animals are related to one another. | |
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