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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 27, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | More support for Planet NineCorresponding with the three-year anniversary of their announcement hypothesizing the existence of a ninth planet in the solar system, Caltech's Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin are publishing a pair of papers analyzing the evidence for Planet Nine's existence. |
 | Anemic galaxy reveals deficiencies in ultra-diffuse galaxy formation theoryA team of astronomers led by the University of California Observatories (UCO) have studied in great detail a galaxy so faint and in such pristine condition it has acted as a time capsule, sealed shortly after the dawn of our universe only to be opened by the newest technology at W. M. Keck Observatory. |
 | New map reveals geology and history of Pluto's moon CharonWhat a difference a planetary flyby makes. Pluto's moon Charon—once no more than a fuzzy blob of pixels beside a larger blob—now has its first geological map, published in AGU's Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. |
 | Why do some galactic unions lead to doom?Three images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope show pairs of galaxies on the cusp of cosmic consolidations. Though the galaxies appear separate now, gravity is pulling them together, and soon they will combine to form new, merged galaxies. Some merged galaxies will experience billions of years of growth. For others, however, the merger will kick off processes that eventually halt star formation, dooming the galaxies to wither prematurely. |
 | Studying how time is perceived in spaceEinstein predicted that time slows down the faster you travel and the time-dilation hypothesis has since been proven by flying atomic clocks on aircraft. |
Technology news
 | An architecture to enable the collaborative coexistence of cognitive radio networks in TVWSA team of researchers at Yale University, Virginia Tech, Temple University and Peking University has recently developed a new approach to enable the collaborative coexistence of cognitive radio (CR) networks over TV white space (TVWS). The term TVWS refers to unused TV channels in between active channels in the VHF and UHF spectra. These unused channels, also known as 'buffer channels,' were originally placed between active channels to minimize broadcasting interference. |
 | Fast, flexible ionic transistors for bioelectronic devicesMany major advances in medicine, especially in neurology, have been sparked by recent advances in electronic systems that can acquire, process, and interact with biological substrates. These bioelectronic systems, which are increasingly used to understand dynamic living organisms and to treat human disease, require devices that can record body signals, process them, detect patterns, and deliver electrical or chemical stimulation to address problems. |
 | Security team discussed weakness in bare-metal servicesBack door open. Never a good sign in a computer security environment. Researchers poking around are sure to call out their discoveries in an instance such as the recent one, where cloud servers looked as if they could be compromised. |
 | Supercomputers can spot cyber threatsIdentifying cybersecurity threats from raw internet data can be like locating a needle in a haystack. The amount of internet traffic data generated in a 48-hour period, for example, is too massive for one or even 100 laptops to process into something digestible for human analysts. That's why analysts rely on sampling to search for potential threats, selecting small segments of data to look at in depth, hoping to find suspicious behavior. |
 | Doctor performs first 5G surgery in step towards robotics 'dream'Next-generation wireless technology is taking the medical world a crucial step closer to robots performing remotely-controlled surgery, a doctor in Spain said Wednesday after carrying out the world's first 5G-powered telementored operation. |
 | Flaws in 4G, 5G networks could let hackers intercept calls, track locationNewly discovered vulnerabilities in 4G and 5G networks could be used to intercept phone calls and track users' locations, according to researchers at Purdue University and the University of Iowa. |
 | Handset makers look to gamers for sales boostSmartphone makers hope video games will help them stand out in a crowded market with dwindling sales, but analysts warn that handsets don't have the power or the screen size to lure hardcore players. |
 | Blinking ground lights developed to ensure pedestrian traffic safetyThe Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Seung Heon Han) has announced the development of its "next-generation pedestrian traffic accident prevention system." The system induces motor vehicles approaching crosswalks to reduce their speed, thereby reducing pedestrians' traffic accidents. |
 | Study finds green certification improves public opinion of oil and gas developmentResearchers at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs found that public opinion of oil and gas development could be improved if firms were "green certified," meaning that they pledged to adhere to stricter environmental standards than required. |
 | Regulating Facebook could hinder small businesses with overseas customersDigital platforms provide a host of challenges for governments. Questions about how to best protect privacy, democracy, and speech online become more pressing every year. |
 | Spiking tool improves artificially intelligent devicesWhetstone, a software tool that sharpens the output of artificial neurons, has enabled neural computer networks to process information up to a hundred times more efficiently than the current industry standard, say the Sandia National Laboratories researchers who developed it. |
 | Millions of Australian homes struggling in record-breaking heatAustralians left with soaring energy bills in the wake of a scorching summer are about to face another harsh reality: the vast majority of the nation's houses do not meet the current minimum energy performance requirements. |
 | FTC zooms in on tech with new antitrust task forceAmid calls for breaking up tech giants, the Federal Trade Commission is launching a task force to focus on monitoring competition in the tech industry. |
 | Sprint's 5G network will go live this May in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas CitySprint users hoping to take advantage of the company's forthcoming 5G network now have a month to look forward to: May. |
 | Volvo's Polestar unveils electric car touted as Tesla rivalVolvo's electric performance brand Polestar is unveiling a battery-powered compact car touted as a rival to Tesla's Model 3. |
 | Broadcasters aren't succumbing to Netflix eraIf there is a high point to Netflix's status as the "cool kids" taking over television, it may be remembered as an emotional Chuck Lorre accepting a best comedy Golden Globe last month for "The Kominsky Method," his show on the streaming service. |
 | Facebook says 'clear history' feature ready this yearFacebook's feature allowing users to erase all their data is set to be released this year, many months after it was announced by the leading social network. |
 | Teen video app Musical.ly agrees to FTC fineThe operator of a video-sharing app popular with teenagers agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle federal allegations it illegally collected personal information from children. |
 | UN aviation agency concealed serious hack: mediaThe Montreal-based United Nations aviation agency concealed for months a hack of its computers and allowed malware to spread throughout the airline industry, Canada's public broadcaster reported Wednesday. |
FedEx joins Amazon in delivery robot frayFedEx is testing a new self-driving robotic vehicle that could one day compete with Amazon in delivering packages or pizzas to homes. | |
 | Facial recognition software to identify Civil War soldiersKurt Luther, Virginia Tech assistant professor of computer science, has developed a free software platform that uses crowdsourcing to significantly increase the ability of algorithms to identify faces in photos. |
Tesla to retire $920M in notes with company cashTesla Inc. will retire $920 million worth of convertible notes in cash when they come due on Friday, using up about one quarter of the cash available for capital spending and future debt payments. | |
 | 3-D printed tool cuts through titanium, wins innovation prizePh.D. candidate Jimmy Toton from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, has won the 2019 Young Defence Innovator Award and $15,000 prize at the Avalon International Airshow for the research, which was conducted with Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) and industry partner Sutton Tools. |
 | Bayer faces new marathon after mammoth Monsanto mergerGerman chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer reported plunging profits for 2018 after taking over US agrichemical firm Monsanto, with years of hard work ahead of the group to fight off legal risks related to the merger and to keep profits flowing in its medicines division. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Not all sleep is equal when it comes to cleaning the brainNew research shows how the depth of sleep can impact our brain's ability to efficiently wash away waste and toxic proteins. Because sleep often becomes increasingly lighter and more disrupted as we become older, the study reinforces and potentially explains the links between aging, sleep deprivation, and heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease. |
 | How listening to music 'significantly impairs' creativityThe popular view that music enhances creativity has been challenged by researchers who say it has the opposite effect. |
 | Custom-made proteins may help create antibodies to fight HIVA new way to create proteins that can sneak through HIV's protective coating may be a step toward understanding the key components needed for developing a vaccine for the virus, according to researchers. |
 | Researchers 'bait' pathological proteins underlying many neurodegenerative disordersA single misbehaving protein—called TDP-43—is behind 97 percent of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases and 45 percent of frontotemporal dementia diagnoses. It also is found in 80 percent of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and 60 percent of Alzheimer's disease cases. Now, University of Pittsburgh researchers have found a way to trap TDP-43 so it doesn't form toxic clumps that can cause neurodegeneration. |
 | Applying antimalarial drugs to bed nets could lead to drop in malaria transmissionMosquitoes that landed on surfaces coated with the anti-malarial compound atovaquone were completely blocked from developing Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), the parasite that causes malaria, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. |
 | Infectious diseases could be diagnosed with smartphones in sub-Saharan AfricaThe review, published in Nature, outlines how healthcare workers in low-income countries, like those in sub-Saharan Africa, could use existing smartphones to diagnose, track and control infectious diseases in low-income countries. |
 | Scientists devise strategies to counteract T cell exhaustion in CAR T cancer therapiesA growing number of cancer patients are being offered a promising new treatment called CAR T cell therapy. In this therapy, a patients' own T cells are removed and genetically engineered to better recognize cancer cells. The cells are then returned to the patient's body, where they mount an immune response to destroy the cancer. CAR T-cell therapies have saved lives in patients with blood cancers, but there has been a downside: T cells that enter solid tumors can stop working due to a phenomenon called T cell exhaustion. |
 | First common risk genes discovered for autismA study headed by researchers from the Danish project iPSYCH and the Broad Institute in the U.S., has found the first common genetic risk variants for autism and uncovered genetic differences in clinical subgroups of autism. The discovery means that we will in future be able to determine the genes that separate the diagnostic groups, make more precise diagnoses, and provide better counseling for the individual person suffering from autism disorders. |
 | Cellular alterations increase vulnerability of obese and diabetic individuals to infectionPeople who suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes are more likely to become victims of infectious diseases. Both conditions affect the immune system and hence increase the risk of infections. Scientists have long sought a deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying this weakness in the immune system of obese and diabetic individuals. |
 | How the immune system maintains a healthy gut microbiotaResearchers from Universitätsmedizin Berlin have uncovered a critical mechanism that controls immune reactions against microorganisms in the intestine. The results of the international study may contribute to the development of new therapies for chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The study is published in the journal Nature Immunology. |
 | Mother's behavioral corrections tune infant's brain to angry toneThe same brain network that adults use when they hear angry vocalizations is at work in infants as young as six months old, an effect that is strongest in infants whose mothers spend the most time controlling their behavior, according to a new study in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Chen Zhao of the University of Manchester, UK, and colleagues. The study indicates that the network recruited in adult vocal emotion processing is up and running quite early in life, and that its sensitivity to anger is partly a result of maternal interactions. |
 | Typhoid vaccine may protect against other infectionsNew research by the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine shows that vaccination with weakened strains of Salmonella may also protect against other infections. |
 | New mechanism of bone growth discoveredIn a paper published in the journal Nature, an international research team led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reports that bone growth in mice takes place in accordance with the same principles as when new cells are produced in blood, skin and other tissue. This contradicts the previous understanding that bone growth depends on a finite number of gradually consumed progenitor cells. If the new findings also apply to humans, they could make an important contribution to the treatment of children with growth disorders. |
 | Scientists discover predictors that determine toxic fats in the liverAccumulation of fat in the liver, known as fatty liver disease, is experienced by over 5.5 million Australians, including more than 40% of all adults over the age of 50. |
 | Researchers determine how nerve fibers enter spinal cord during early developmentNew research into the way nerve fibers enter the wall of the spinal cord during early development in zebrafish could lead to regenerative therapies for people with injuries to their brachial plexus, a group of nerves that starts at the spinal cord and goes into the arm. |
 | Pioneering trial offers hope for restoring brain cells damaged in Parkinson'sResults from a pioneering clinical trials programme that delivered an experimental treatment directly to the brain offer hope that it may be possible to restore the cells damaged in Parkinson's. |
 | China drafts rules on biotech after gene-editing scandalChina has unveiled draft regulations on gene editing and other potentially risky biomedical technologies after a Chinese scientist's claim of helping to create gene-edited babies roiled the global science community. |
Study suggests novel biomarker for predicting AFib progressionA human study published in The FASEB Journal suggests a novel type of biomarker to predict the progression of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common form of irregular heart rhythm. Despite inconsistent evidence to date, one idea that has surfaced is that AF may be regulated by alterations in circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), which regulate cell-to-cell communication. If this hypothesis were correct, by better understanding such alterations, scientists could potentially monitor the progression of heart disease. | |
How young adults experience pain affects self-injury, study findsTeen-agers and young adults who intentionally hurt themselves engage in such behavior based, in part, on how they experience pain and their emotional distress, according to a Rutgers study. | |
Worldwide estimates suggest that nearly 1 in 2 children with cancer are left undiagnosed and untreatedA modelling study published in The Lancet Oncology journal estimates that there are almost 400,000 new cases of childhood cancer annually, while current records count only around 200,000. | |
Mini miracle: 'Record-breaking' preemie leaves Tokyo hospitalA baby born in Tokyo weighing the same as a large onion has gone home healthy, become the smallest newborn boy in the world to leave hospital safely. | |
 | Researchers develop model to predict suicide risk in at-risk young adultsSuicide is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among those aged 15 to 34 years and yet, despite years of mental health research, our ability to predict suicidal behavior is only slightly better than chance. Research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine provides a new approach to tackling the problem, showing that fluctuation and severity of depressive symptoms are much better at predicting risk of suicidal behavior in at-risk young adults than using psychiatric diagnoses alone. |
 | Do soccer players have an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?Playing professional soccer may be linked to an increased risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, May 4 to 10, 2019. The study also found that soccer players may develop the disease 21 years earlier than people in the general population do. |
 | A better understanding of how ALS spreadsRemember the Ice Bucket Challenge? The social media campaign that had everyone from celebrities to politicians dumping buckets of icy water over their heads? Behind the viral videos that saturated our social media feeds was an effort to promote research on ALS, like that being conducted by the EU-funded ExItALS project. |
 | Resistance training even as little as once per week benefits older individualsAccording to a recent study, resistance training improves the health of over 65-year-olds, and the benefits occur even when training as little as once per week. The benefits include improvements in blood values, muscle strength and mental well-being. |
 | Converting naloxone to OTC expected to increase sales(HealthDay)—The demand for naloxone is relatively inelastic with respect to changes in its out-of-pocket price, and conversion to an over-the-counter medication is expected to increase naloxone pharmacy sales, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in Health Services Research. |
 | Up to 400,000 WA patients could be seen by GPs instead of hospitalsA study investigating hospital emergency department presentations in Western Australia has found that between 20 and 40 per cent of all patients could have been managed instead by general practitioners. |
 | Contributors to delay of multiple sclerosis diagnosis ID'd(HealthDay)—First symptoms and disease type are contributors to delays in multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, according to a study recently published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. |
 | Neuroscientists discover neural mechanisms of developmental dyslexiaDevelopmental dyslexia is one of the most widespread learning disabilities. Different therapeutic approaches and learning strategies are used to tackle the reading and writing difficulties associated with dyslexia, but to-date it is impossible to cure. Furthermore, for many affected individuals it takes a long time until they receive a dyslexia diagnosis. Children with dyslexia have considerable problems at school and are under great emotional pressure both at school and in the family. Adults with dyslexia frequently feel ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it from their social and professional environment. But why do seemingly completely normally developed children and adults have such problems with reading and/or writing? |
 | Patient-reported symptoms offer insight for clinical trialsUniversity of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and collaborators found that allowing patients to write, in their own words, about treatment-related symptoms they experienced while participating in clinical trials can provide valuable information. |
 | Skype hypnotherapy is effective treatment for IBSSkype hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for people with severe irritable bowel syndrome, a new study has found. |
 | Is kidney failure a man's disease?A new analysis of the ERA-EDTA Registry reveals a striking gender difference in the incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease. Two thirds of all dialysis patients in Europe are male. It seems beyond hormonal effects that hypertension, diabetes and glomerulonephritis/sclerosis are the main driver of the gender gap. However, it is possible to prevent and treat hypertension and diabetes effectively and thus reduce the number of patients requiring dialysis. |
 | New continuity of care tracking method for GPsNew research has outlined a simple way to measure continuity of care for GPs, to benefit patients. |
 | Crohn's disease study reveals huge potential for personalised treatment to help more patientsThe largest study ever to look at why an expensive and commonly used group of drugs fails patients with Crohn's disease has concluded that standardised drug doses are often too low. |
 | Research changes GP guidelines on frailty in diabetesNew guidelines will help GPs get the best outcomes for older people with diabetes after they were changed to include specific advice around frailty. |
 | New mothers reduce their alcohol intake, but this change is short-livedMost women dramatically reduce their alcohol intake on learning they are pregnant, but by the time their child is five they are back to their pre-pregnancy drinking levels, a new international study has found. |
 | Elite runners achieve speed through 'bouncing'Casual runners could knock chunks off their 10K times by improving their bounce, say scientists in the UK. |
 | Painless ways to limit your kids' screen time(HealthDay)—If you're in a frequent tug of war with your kids over turning off their gadgets, it could be the tactic you use when you try to persuade them to disengage. |
 | Easy recipes for your food processor(HealthDay)—Your food processor can help you get a healthy and hearty dinner on the table with a quick flick of a switch. Here are two taste-pleasers. |
 | Long work weeks may be depressing, especially for women(HealthDay)—Feeling trapped behind a desk, a counter or on the factory floor does no favors for the mind. |
 | A parent-to-parent campaign to get vaccine rates upIn 2017, Kim Nelson had just moved her family back to her hometown in South Carolina. Boxes were still scattered around the apartment, and while her two young daughters played, Nelson scrolled through a newspaper article on her phone. It said religious exemptions for vaccines had jumped nearly 70 percent in recent years in the Greenville area—where they had just moved from Florida. |
 | A cell atlas of the aging lungAging promotes lung function decline and increases susceptibility to diseases of the respiratory tract. In order to understand these effects in detail, researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), analyzed the aging process in the lung at single-cell level using AI approaches. They have now presented this Atlas of the Aging Lung in Nature Communications. |
 | A gentle method for unlocking the mysteries of the deep brainThe subcortical areas of the brain, situated in its deepest reaches, remain a mystery. Scientists are aware of the critical role they play in motor, emotional and associative activity but do not know precisely how they work. A number of serious diseases are directly linked to these areas, including Parkinson's, Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Existing treatments for regulating and measuring the activity of the subcortical areas are highly invasive, and sometimes work without us really knowing how. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and Cologne University (Germany) decided to see whether a non-invasive method – electroencephalography (EEG) – could be employed in tandem with mathematical algorithms to measure this brain activity externally. They proved for the first time that this technique is able to record signals usually only seen by implanting electrodes in the brain. The results, published in Nature Communications, pave the way for new, precision clinical applications. |
 | Using machine learning to eradicate the tsetse fly in sub-Saharan AfricaThe tsetse fly has wreaked devastation across large swaths of sub-Saharan Africa. About the size of a housefly, the insect transmits a parasite that can be lethal to both humans (sleeping sickness) and animals (nagana)—especially cattle. In many countries of the sub-Sahara, there are large regions where farmers cannot raise cattle; most eventually die as a result of infection caused by the trypanosomiasis parasite. And if farmers take the risk of raising cattle, they must live with the constant fear that their livestock will be infected by the parasite. The tsetse has caused many farmers to lose their livelihoods as well as an essential source of nutrition for their villages. Across the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, cattle deaths from trypanosomiasis can cause billions of dollars of production and economic losses. |
 | Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?Yes. Weight gain can occur as a side effect of some beta blockers, especially the older ones, such as atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL). The average weight gain is about 2.6 pounds (about 1.2 kilograms). |
 | New York State health insurers now required to cover PSA blood testA new law quietly went into effect in January that requires health insurers to cover the cost of routine screening for prostate cancer, a measure aimed at encouraging more men to consider the benefits of being tested. |
 | Q&A: Do opioids actually help with chronic pain? The FDA wants to knowScott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told The Washington Post this week that his agency will require drug companies to study whether opioids that are already on the market actually work for chronic pain. While these drugs often have been prescribed for patients with chronic pain, particularly in the past, there is controversy about how much good they do beyond the first few weeks after an injury. |
 | The happiest mode of transportation? That would be cycling.When it comes to a daily commute, what makes a person happier? That's the question a University of Minnesota researcher asked as she sought to better understand the connections between daily travel behavior and emotional well-being. |
 | Get the dirt on germsGerms are lurking all around us, and they may be hiding in places that you had not even considered. Baylor College of Medicine's Isabel Valdez, physician assistant and instructor of general internal medicine, sheds light on these hidden dirty places and items. |
 | Theories underpinning psychological practice 'wrong'A computer game devised by University of Manchester psychologists has called into question the theories which have been the basis of psychology for over a century. |
 | Why a common antibiotic treating diarrhea is failingIn the world of superbugs (bacteria that has grown resistant to antibiotics) Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis, is among the most stubborn. In 2013 the Centers for Disease Control called C. diff an "urgent threat" after causing 30,000 deaths in 2011. It is often picked up by patients over 65 who are hospitalized and receive broad spectrum antibiotics. |
 | Super-enhancers: novel target for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaDifferential H3K27AC marks were identified at enhancer regions of genes including c-MYC, MED1, OCT-4, NANOG, and SOX2 that can act as super-enhancers (SE), cluster of genes in non-cancerous, cancerous and metastatic PDAC cell lines. GZ17-6.02 affects acetylation of the genes, reduces transcription of major transcription factors, sonic hedgehog pathway proteins, and stem cell markers. |
Research suggests that medications for kidney transplants increase risk of skin cancerA study led by researchers at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) has analysed the pattern of skin cancer rates in kidney transplant patients, which suggests the increased risk is related to the anti-rejection medications. | |
 | Researchers uncover why environmental cues make drug addiction extra hard to beatIt's known environmental cues can be strong triggers for those trying to kick a drug habit because those cues activate the brain's emotional and stimulus-response systems. |
 | Health insurance is not assurance of healthcareBecause of high out-of-pocket expenses, Ohioans who purchase subsidized health-exchange insurance often can't afford the care they need when they need it. That is a central finding of a new study from researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. |
 | Muscle gene mutations implicated in human nasal/sinus cancerBy sequencing the entire genomes of tumor cells from six people with a rare cancer of the nose and sinus cavity, Johns Hopkins researchers report they unexpectedly found the same genetic change¾one in a gene involved in muscle formation¾in five of the tumors. |
 | Latest anti-retroviral drug regimens provide 'Lazarus Effect' for HIV patientsTreatment of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has seen remarkable advancements with the advent of the latest anti-retroviral drug therapy and powerful tools to test for drug resistance, making the infection almost "undetectable" in patients who strictly comply with their medication therapy, a just-published perspective article by a clinical team at the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Tucson points out. |
 | New tech taking telemedicine to the next levelTelemedicine has gone way beyond conference calls: new technologies allow doctors to monitor blood pressure and other vital signs—take x-rays even—and assist with operations from miles away. |
 | Smoking and alcohol: Double trouble for the brain?Along with many other harmful health consequences, smoking tobacco causes chemical changes, oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. Excessive alcohol use can have similar effects. Surprisingly, however, very few studies have examined the combined impact of smoking and alcohol on the brain. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Chemical Neuroscience have shown that in rats, the joint use of tobacco and alcohol could increase neural damage in particular brain regions. |
Complex medication regimens create challenges for home health careMedically high-risk patients and communication breakdowns between providers contribute to the difficulty of medication management for older adults receiving home health care, finds a study led by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. The findings are published in the journal Medical Care Research and Review. | |
 | Thirty years of fast food: Greater variety, but more salt, larger portions, and added caloriesDespite the addition of some healthful menu items, fast food is even more unhealthy for you than it was 30 years ago. An analysis of the offerings at 10 of the most popular US fast-food restaurants in 1986, 1991, and 2016, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, demonstrates that fast-food entrees, sides, and desserts increased significantly in calories and sodium and entrees and desserts in portion size over time. It also shows that while the variety of entree, sides, and dessert options soared by 226 percent, new or discontinued items tended to be less healthy than those available throughout the study period. |
 | Infant sleep duration associated with mother's level of education and prenatal depressionA new study analyzing data from Canadian parents has found that babies sleep less at three months of age if their mothers do not have a university degree, experienced depression during pregnancy or had an emergency cesarean-section delivery. |
 | US debates exemptions for child vaccination rulesA measles outbreak in the US has triggered debate on the ease with which parents can opt out of mandatory vaccine rules. |
 | Opioid use in the family may influence adolescents' opioid risk after surgeryHaving a family member with persistent opioid use may be a risk factor for young adults continuing prescriptions long after their own surgeries, a new Michigan Medicine study suggests. |
 | US health experts say measles resurgence 'unacceptable'US public health experts sounded the alarm Wednesday over a resurgence of measles in recent years, principally in communities where people reject vaccinations and obtain exemptions for religious or "personal" reasons. |
 | Prenatal vitamins might lower risk of second child with autism(HealthDay)—Something as simple as taking prenatal vitamins during the first month of pregnancy might lower the odds of having a second child with autism. |
 | Kidney disease affects revascularization outcomes(HealthDay)—The presence of comorbid chronic kidney disease (CKD) negatively impacts myocardial revascularization outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | Rate of opioid rx stable after pediatric outpatient surgery(HealthDay)—From 2013 to 2017, the rate of receiving a take-home opioid prescription remained stable after pediatric outpatient surgery as did the dose prescribed, but the maximum take-home dose declined, according to a study recently published in Pain Medicine. |
 | Achievement of targets in T2DM varies by season(HealthDay)—There is seasonal variation in achievement of the guideline targets for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Diabetes Care. |
Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol may not improve thinking and memoryWhile drugs that lower blood pressure and cholesterol have been shown to be beneficial for heart health, a new study has found that two such drugs may not provide a similar benefit to the brain. The study, published in the February 27, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that when older people took candesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide to lower blood pressure or rosuvastatin to lower cholesterol, or a combination of the two, the drugs did not slow decline in thinking and memory. | |
 | Liquid biopsy as effective as tissue biopsy for non-small cell lung cancer: studyA multi-center study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed that a liquid biopsy test called Guardant360, is comparable to standard tissue biopsies in detection of guideline recommended biomarkers in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), has a faster turn-around time, and has the potential to support identification of more patients who can be treated with targeted therapy. |
 | First semi-identical twins identified in pregnancyYoung Brisbane twins, a boy and a girl, have been identified as only the second set of semi-identical, or sesquizygotic, twins in the world—and the first to be identified by doctors during pregnancy. |
 | Many antibiotic courses for common infections not in line with guidelinesMany antibiotic courses prescribed for common infections treated in English primary care (general practices and community services) exceed the recommended guidelines, reveals a study in The BMJ today. |
 | How 'completely avoidable' measles cases continue to climbThe U.S. has counted more measles cases in the first two months of this year than in all of 2017—and part of the rising threat is misinformation that makes some parents balk at a crucial vaccine, federal health officials told Congress Wednesday. |
 | Zoonoses: Antimicrobial resistance shows no signs of slowing downData released today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reveals that antimicrobials used to treat diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, such as campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, are becoming less effective. |
 | Researchers create new device to detect antibiotic allergiesThe detection of allergies to antibiotics is currently conducted with a series of in vivo skin tests that are invasive and therefore entail inconveniences. Although in vitro methods do exist, they are not sufficiently sensitive, and can lead to an inaccurate diagnosis. Furthermore, only a small number of allergens are analysed, and tests are slow and expensive. |
 | This Ebola drug is heading to the Congo. Can it be tested during civil war?As the fast-moving Ebola virus sweeps through eastern Congo, scientists are braving war zones hoping to test new medicines on sick patients there. |
Plant-based meals improve insulin and incretin secretion in those with type 2 diabetesA plant-based diet improves the secretion of insulin and incretin hormones in those with type 2 diabetes, according to new research published in Nutrients. | |
Team improves emergency care for patients with chest painEmergency physicians at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California reduced hospital admissions and cardiac stress testing by using new criteria to assess the level of risk patients with chest pain have for subsequent cardiac events. | |
 | Weeks after 2030 HIV pledge, report shows US headway stalledThree weeks after President Donald Trump announced a campaign to end the U.S. HIV epidemic by 2030, new government data show that progress against the disease stalled recently. |
5,000 cases of tropical parasite in Libya: ministryAt least 5,000 cases of a potentially deadly tropical disease have been registered in Libya in the past six months, the country's health ministry said Wednesday. | |
 | German pharma Merck makes bid for US group VersumGerman pharmaceutical group Merck KgaA said Wednesday it had offered to buy electronics industry supplier Versum Materials for 5.3 billion euros ($6 billion), its biggest purchase in four years. |
 | Kids with heart defects joined Jackie Kennedy, LBJ to raise awarenessWEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2019 (American Heart Association News)—On Feb. 1, 1961, twins Debbie and Donna Horst arrived at the White House to fanfare. The 6-year-olds, decked out in fancy dresses and satin sashes, found themselves surrounded by a pressing crowd and a sea of blinding flashbulbs as they made their way to see Jacqueline Kennedy. |
In tobacco state, students testify about youngsters' vapingTwelve-year-old Hannah Piedad first encountered vaping—an electronic form of smoking—at a New Year's party. It was the smell that got her attention. | |
Biology news
 | Put eggs all in one basket, or spread them around? Birds know bestIn the tropical jungle of Central America where predators abound, a species of cuckoo has found safety in numbers by building communal nests guarded by two or three breeding pairs. |
 | Yeast produce low-cost, high-quality cannabinoidsUniversity of California, Berkeley, synthetic biologists have engineered brewer's yeast to produce marijuana's main ingredients—mind-altering THC and non-psychoactive CBD—as well as novel cannabinoids not found in the plant itself. |
 | Plastic found in deepest ocean animalsAnimals living in the deepest ocean trenches have been found with plastic fragments in their gut, according to new research published Wednesday showing how manmade pollution reaches into the bowels of the planet. |
 | Biologists find the long and short of it when it comes to chromosomesA team of biologists has uncovered a mechanism that determines faithful inheritance of short chromosomes during the reproductive process. The discovery, reported in the journal Nature Communications, elucidates a key aspect of inheritance—deviation from which can lead to infertility, miscarriages, or birth defects such as Down syndrome. |
 | Evolutionary rotation of fly genitalia tied to mating successIn the order Diptera, more-primitive species such as mosquitos generally do their deed in the end-to-end position. Higher (more evolved) species such as flies tend toward the male mounting the female from behind (male-above position). |
 | Identification of genes responsible for sour taste in citrus fruit may enable the creation of new, sweeter varietiesA team of researchers, including two from the University of California, Riverside, has identified the genes responsible for the hallmark sour taste of many citrus fruits. Published Tuesday, Feb. 25 in Nature Communications, the research could help plant breeders develop new, sweeter varieties. |
 | Risk remains low despite rise in global shark attacksSharks have always struck at the heart of people's most primal fears of the ocean. Cue: JAWS theme song. However, a new study led by LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Assistant Professor Stephen Midway shows that although the number of shark attacks has increased over time, the rate of attack is low and the risk of being attacked by a shark is highly variable across the globe. Midway and his collaborators conducted the first statistical analysis of shark attacks worldwide using data collected over a 55-year period from 1960 to 2015 from the International Shark Attack File housed in the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. |
 | Sibling rivalries lead to friendly finchesA new study has revealed that growing up with lots of siblings – and fighting over food – makes zebra finches more sociable in later life. In contrast, finches with fewer siblings become pickier about who they hang out with, and are less outgoing. |
 | Return of the wolves: How deer escape tactics help save their livesAs gray wolves continue to make a strong comeback in Washington state, their presence can't help but impact other animals—particularly the ones these large carnivores target as prey. |
 | Spiders that pretend to be ants keep their spiderly proportions to attract matesSpiders that pretend to be ants to fool predators have an unusual problem when it comes to sex. |
 | When temperatures drop, Siberian Miscanthus plants surpass main bioenergy varietyPhotosynthesis drives yields, but in cold conditions, this process that turns sunlight into biomass takes a hit. Miscanthus is a popular, sustainable, perennial feedstock for bioenergy production that thrives on marginal land in temperate regions. A new study in GCB Bioenergy from the University of Illinois and Aarhus University assessed Miscanthus collected on a Siberian expedition to identify three new accessions (a term for plants collected from a particular area) with exceptional photosynthetic performance in chilling temperatures that outstrip the industry favorite. |
 | French vineyards say ready to break glyphosate addictionThe vaunted terroirs of France's vineyards have for decades been saturated with the world's most widely used weedkiller, but grape growers say the day is soon coming when glyphosate will no longer be part of the fine wine process. |
 | New survey raises concerns about elephant poaching in BotswanaBotswana has an elephant poaching problem. The numbers far exceed previous years according to a new survey. The survey was conducted between July and October 2018 by conservation group Elephants without Borders, in collaboration with Botswana's Department of Wildlife and National Parks. |
 | Researchers uncover mechanism behind DNA damage controlDNA damage is occurring in our cells all the time due to external agents, such as exposure to sun, or internal agents, like reactive oxygen species. To detect and repair DNA lesions, cells have evolved DNA damage response. Activation of this response underpins genome integrity, which is crucial for preventing the onset of many human pathologies, including hematological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. |
 | 'Ibiza is different', genetically"Ibiza is different." That is what the hundreds of standard-bearers of the "hippie" movement who visited the Pitiusan Island during the 60s thought, fascinated by its climate and its unexplored nature. What they did not imagine was that the most unique feature of the island was in its inhabitants. Now a study led by Francesc Calafell, principal investigator of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) - a mixed center of the UPF and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) reveals that the genes of Ibiza natives are really different. Yes indeed, the island is unique. |
 | Crowd-sourced computer network delves into protein structure, seeks new disease therapiesWhen Greg Bowman presents a slideshow about the proteins he studies, their 3-D shapes and folding patterns play out as animations on a big screen. As he describes these molecules, it might be easy to miss the fact that he can't really see his own presentation, at least not the way the audience does. |
 | Shark researcher names new species of deep-sea shark after daughterUniversity of Rhode Island shark researcher Bradley Wetherbee is best known for his studies of mako sharks, the fastest swimming sharks in the world. But when it came to identifying and describing a new species of shark, the process was anything but fast. |
 | Stress and habitat linked to koala recoveryNew research led by Western Sydney University Stress Lab's Dr. Edward Narayan, has found the psychological state of wild koalas and the location they are rescued from, can have significant impacts on their chances of recovery and rehabilitation. |
 | Australia can 'rewild' swathes of territory by focusing on what makes it uniqueSince colonisation, a dizzying array of Australia's native species and ecosystems have been altered or removed altogether. It therefore seems natural to consider the idea of restoring what's been lost – a process termed "rewilding." |
 | Right- or left-handed? Gene expression tells the story of snail evolutionSnails, like humans, can be right-handed or left-handed, and the swirl etched into the shell of a snail can reveal a lot about them, down to their genetic makeup. |
 | Bats migrate at the most energy-efficient flying speed for maximum rangeAerial migration is the fastest, yet most energetically demanding way of seasonal movements between habitats. A new study led by scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) investigated the energy requirements and travel speeds of migrating Nathusius' bats (Pipistrellus nathusii). Using a wind tunnel experiment to determine the exact energy demands of different flying speeds and a field study to record actual travel speeds of migrating bats, the scientists demonstrated that bats travel at the speed where their range reaches a maximum, enabling them to cover long distances with a minimum amount of energy. How the researchers tracked down this cruise control is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. |
 | A rare assemblage of sharks and rays from nearshore environments of Eocene MadagascarEocene-aged sediments of Madagascar contain a previously unknown fauna of sharks and rays, according to a study released February 27, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Karen Samonds of Northern Illinois University and colleagues. This newly-described fauna is the first report of sharks and rays of this age in Madagascar. |
 | Cultured meat seems gross? It's much better than animal agricultureThe world is in the grips of a food-tech revolution. One of the most compelling new developments is cultured meat, also known as clean, cell-based or slaughter-free meat. It's grown from stem cells taken from a live animal without the need for slaughter. |
 | Here's how Britain's changing weather is affecting wildlifeThe Beast from the East, a polar vortex which brought freezing conditions to the UK, arrived on February 26 2018. Two days later there was a minimum temperature of -11.7°C (10.9˚F) at South Farnborough in Hampshire, and a maximum of only -4.8°C (23.4˚F) at Spadeadam in Cumbria. |
 | In the game of love, local salmon have a home-ground advantageSalmon spawning in their home rivers have the edge in mating over those born in other streams. This was the discovery of a new study examining the sex lives of Atlantic salmon in northern Finland. The results show that the local salmon produce vastly more offspring than salmon trying their luck on unfamiliar spawning grounds. |
 | Comparing antioxidants levels in tomatoes of different colorNaturally occurring antioxidants have been of great interest in recent years due to their recognizable health benefits. A study out of Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico has clarified differing antioxidant levels by focusing on eight tomato genotypes with different-color fruit. |
 | New buzz around insect DNA analysis and biodiversity estimatesIn the face of declining numbers of insects across the globe, scientists continue to expand our knowledge about invertebrate organisms and their biodiversity across the globe. Insects are the most abundant animals on planet Earth—they outweigh all humanity by a factor of 17. Their abundance, variety, and ubiquity mean insects play a foundational role in food webs and ecosystems, from the bees that pollinate the flowers of food crops to the termites that recycle dead trees. With insect populations dwindling worldwide, there are still new species being discovered. |
 | Chelated calcium benefits poinsettiasVegetatively propagated unrooted cuttings of annual ornamentals are typically grown in equatorial locations and shipped via airfreight to propagators located in temperate climates. Cutting quality, defined as the resistance to external forces—such as physical damage and pathogen infection—has an impact on postharvest durability during shipping and propagation. |
Improving ecosystems with aquatic plantsResearchers Lyn Gettys and Kimberly Moore conducted a study and a series of experiments at the University of Florida to determine whether littoral aquatic plants could be grown effectively using a variety of substrates and irrigation methods similar to techniques used by traditional greenhouses for large-scale plant production. | |
 | The trials of turfgrass breedersA study out of the University of Minnesota investigated the practices and challenges of turfgrass breeders and distributors. Chengyan Yue led a team of researchers that unveiled important insight regarding breeding and distribution practices and management in the turfgrass industry. |
 | Smugglers arrested in Malaysia with over 3,000 rare turtlesSmugglers were arrested in Malaysia on Wednesday with some 3,300 endangered turtles aboard their boat, officials said, as the country battles to clamp down on the burgeoning illicit wildlife trade. |
Noisier waters linked to behaviour change, hearing loss in whalesStudies investigating whale-watching boats and the inner ears of marine mammals could soon provide new insight into the effects of noisier oceans on cetaceans – dolphins, whales and porpoises – who depend on their hearing for navigating, finding food and communicating underwater. | |
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