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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 15, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | New 3-D map will help solve long-standing cosmic mysteriesA new study led by ANU has created a 3D map of the magnetic field in a small wedge of the Milky Way galaxy, paving the way for future discoveries that will improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe. |
 | Cooking up alien atmospheres on EarthResearchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are cooking up an alien atmosphere right here on Earth. In a new study, JPL scientists used a high-temperature "oven" to heat a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,100 Celsius), about the temperature of molten lava. The aim was to simulate conditions that might be found in the atmospheres of a special class of exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) called "hot Jupiters." |
 | Three astronauts on Soyuz craft successfully reach ISSA Russian cosmonaut and two US astronauts arrived Friday at the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, five months after the failed launch of a rocket carrying two of the passengers. |
 | SDSS J1430+1339: Storm rages in cosmic teacupFancy a cup of cosmic tea? This one isn't as calming as the ones on Earth. In a galaxy hosting a structure nicknamed the "Teacup," a galactic storm is raging. |
 | A NASA spacecraft may have explored the edges of an early Mars sea in 1997NASA's first rover mission to Mars, the Pathfinder, imaged an extraterrestrial marine spillover landscape 22 years ago, according to a new paper by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Alexis Rodriguez. |
 | InSight lander among latest ExoMars image bountyCurious surface features, water-formed minerals, 3-D stereo views, and even a sighting of the InSight lander showcase the impressive range of imaging capabilities of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. |
Technology news
 | 4-D printing multi-metal products with a desktop electrochemical 3-D printerFour-dimensional (4-D) printing can create complex 3-D geometries that react to environmental stimuli, opening new design opportunities in materials science. A vast majority of 4-D printing approaches use polymer materials, which limit the operational temperature during the process of engineering. In a recent study, Xiaolong Chen and co-workers at the Dyson School of Design and Engineering, Department of Earth Science and Engineering and Department of Materials at the Imperial College of London, U.K., developed a new multi-metal electrochemical 3-D printer. The device was able to construct bimetallic geometries by selectively depositing different metals with temperature-responsive behavior programmed into the printed structure. In the study, they demonstrated a meniscus confined electrochemical 3-D printing approach using a multi-print head design and nickel and copper materials as examples, the ability can be transferred to other deposition solutions. The results are now published in Scientific Reports. |
 | Tesla unveils Model Y SUV, expanding into popular segmentTesla unveiled a new all-electric SUV on Thursday night that the automaker hopes will win over consumers looking for an all-electric alternative in the most popular segment of the auto market. |
 | Short circuit: Tokyo unveils chatty 'robot-eers' for 2020 OlympicsTokyo Olympic organisers on Friday rolled out a pair of chatty robots they will put to work to assist wheelchair users at the 2020 Games as they continue to plug Japan's cutting-edge technology. |
 | Forget flying carpets, flying taxis are coming your wayWe've all dreamed while stuck in traffic jams of being able to just lift off and fly over the gridlock. |
 | Pi has been calculated out to 31.4 trillion decimals, Google announces on Pi DayJust in time for Pi Day, a new world record has been set for calculating the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. |
 | Exploring photos by touch, native iPad support, added to SeeingAIA blog at Microsoft is dedicated for those who can benefit from or are just interested in technologies to see and hear. The Microsoft Accessibility Blog has news this month to update its audience on what is going on with something called "Seeing AI." |
 | Students design 3-D-printed optical mapping systemTwo School of Engineering and Applied Science students designed a 3-D-printed system for optical mapping, a leading tool in cardiac electrophysiology used to study arrhythmia mechanisms. The system can be implemented for a fraction of the cost of commercially available equipment. |
 | New robot hand is soft and strong50 years ago, the first industrial robot arm called Unimate assembled a simple breakfast of toast, coffee, and champagne. While it might have looked like a seamless feat, every movement and placement was coded with careful consideration. |
 | Sweat holds most promise for noninvasive testingMaking a revolutionary biosensor takes blood, sweat and tears. |
 | Boeing upgrades software on crisis-hit 737 MAX after deadly crashBoeing is upgrading the stall prevention software on its 737 MAX, industry sources said Friday, as French investigators scoured black box data from the latest of two deadly crashes involving the aircraft in recent months. |
 | New wheel units could bring vehicle costs downVehicles could be affordably produced for a wide variety of specialized purposes using a sophisticated wheel unit developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo. |
 | Boeing suspends 737 MAX deliveries as France probes black boxesUS aerospace giant Boeing said Thursday it was suspending deliveries of its top-selling 737 MAX as French investigators took delivery of the black boxes from the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 passengers and crew. |
 | Airbus trials drone delivery to shipsAirbus on Friday began trials of drones delivering parcels to ships anchored offshore in Singapore, as the high-tech city rolls out the devices for an array of tasks. |
 | US regulators sue VW over emissions scandalUS stock regulators have sued Volkswagen over the emissions cheating scandal, alleging the German automaker committed fraud by raising billions in corporate bonds while lying to investors about the environmental impact of its cars. |
 | Ethiopian Airlines says analysis of flight recorders beginsAnalysis of the flight recorders of the crashed Ethiopian Airlines plane has begun, the airline said Friday, and The New York Times reported that the pilot requested permission "in a panicky voice" to return to the airport shortly after takeoff as the plane dipped up and down sharply and appeared to gain startling speed. |
Did Ford just tease an electric Mustang as Tesla debuts Model Y?Ford Motor teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday at the same time Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. | |
 | Apple's new TV ad shows they hope you care as much about privacy on iPhones as they doData privacy is an important topic, but will it help sell iPhones? |
 | FAA's close ties to Boeing questioned after 2 deadly crashesFor more than six decades, the Federal Aviation Administration has relied on employees of airplane manufacturers to do government-required safety inspections as planes are being designed or assembled. |
 | Protection against digital gold diggers—software blocks crypto miningCryptojacking describes the creation of cryptocurrencies by a website that executes background mining software on a visitor's computer. Since mining is a very computing-intensive process, this can lead to reduced battery life on mobile devices. The cryptojacked computer runs at full speed, the battery drains quickly, and the profit goes to the attackers. The St. Pölten UAS has now developed the free app CoinEater, which recognises online crypto mining and blocks its execution. |
 | Handling trillions of supercomputer files just got simplerA new distributed file system for high-performance computing available today via the software collaboration site GitHub provides unprecedented performance for creating, updating and managing extreme numbers of files. |
 | Video: Using light to move wireless data faster"We explore a range of projects that turn light into a powerful medium for data communication and object or behavioral sensing," says Xia Zhou, an associate professor of computer science. "Our recent projects include visible light communication systems and applications, smartphone sensing, and efficient spectrum monitoring to enforce the usage of radio spectrum." |
 | Adaptive learning system using big data based machine learningOver the past few decades, many studies conducted in the field of learning science have reported that scaffolding plays an important role in human learning. To scaffold a learner efficiently, a teacher should predict how much support a learner must have to complete tasks and then decide the optimal degree of assistance to support the learner's development. Nevertheless, it is difficult to ascertain the optimal degree of assistance for learner development. |
When Facebook and Instagram are down, small businesses and big brands can sufferFor Maatie Alcindor, Facebook is less about reaching out to old friends and more about connecting with new clients. | |
 | Med-tech trade group launches online cybersecurity toolCybersecurity events like 2016's NotPetya ransomware attack tend to arrive in bursts of confusion and concern, but the hard work of mitigating cybersecurity risks in health care technology is embedded in the daily grind of the medical technology industry, insiders say. |
 | 3-D printing shapes building industry, creates rapid construction potentialA residential and commercial tower under development in Brooklyn that is changing the New York City skyline has its roots in research at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The tower's white precast concrete façade rising from the waterfront site of the former Domino Sugar Factory evokes the form of a sugar crystal – a pattern created from 3D printed molds produced at DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL. |
 | German lawmakers raise hurdle for diesel bansLawmakers in Germany moved Friday to make bans on older diesel vehicles in city centres less likely, angering environmentalists by backing off strict EU-wide pollution thresholds. |
 | Tokyo's Olympics may become known as the 'Robot Games'Tokyo's Olympics may become known as the "Robot Games." |
 | Chile tests floating solar panels to power mine, save waterA floating island of solar panels is being tested in Chile as a way to generate clean energy and reduce water loss at mine operations, a cornerstone of the Andean country's economy that uses huge amounts of electricity and water. |
 | Ford to slash over 5,000 German jobs in European overhaulFord on Friday said it planned to cut "more than 5,000" jobs in Germany as part of a major restructuring to boost profitability at the US car giant's European operations. |
 | Tech companies scramble to remove New Zealand shooting videoInternet companies scrambled Friday to remove graphic video filmed by a gunman in the New Zealand mosque shootings that was widely available on social media for hours after the horrific attack. |
 | Facebook loses longtime product chief as it revamps strategyFacebook is losing its product chief Chris Cox, a top-ranking executive who spent more than a decade at the company, just a week after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a major new direction for the social network. |
 | EU to slap Google with fresh fine: sourcesThe EU's anti-trust regulator is to slap tech giant Google with a new fine over unfair competition practices, sources told AFP on Friday. |
 | Jury rules Apple owes Qualcomm $31M for patent infringementA jury has decided Apple should pay $31 million in damages for infringing on patents for technology owned by mobile chip maker Qualcomm that helps iPhones quickly connect to the internet and extend their battery life. |
 | MtGox 'bitcoin baron' gets suspended sentence for data tamperingA Japanese court on Friday sentenced the former high-flying boss of the MtGox bitcoin exchange to a suspended jail sentence of two and a half years after finding him guilty of data manipulation. |
 | In San Francisco, tech boom has left people priced out of housingIn San Francisco, far from the picturesque, winding streets in the hills, a glistening skyscraper represents how the country's tech titans have transformed the city —and made it one of the world's most expensive places to live. |
 | BMW blames trade headwinds, emissions tests for weaker 2018Profits at German high-end carmaker BMW tumbled in 2018, the firm said Friday, with trade headwinds and tough new EU emissions tests' drag on performance set to last into this year. |
 | Neanderthals didn't need Nintendos: Why we always choose story over technologyPicture the scene – we're in ancient times and a group of cave people are gathered around a fire telling stories about their day (there's evidence of storytelling by way of cave art over 30,000 years ago). |
Medicine & Health news
 | With single gene insertion, blind mice regain sightIt was surprisingly simple. University of California, Berkeley, scientists inserted a gene for a green-light receptor into the eyes of blind mice and, a month later, they were navigating around obstacles as easily as mice with no vision problems. They were able to see motion, brightness changes over a thousandfold range and fine detail on an iPad sufficient to distinguish letters. |
 | Enzyme USP15 may have potential role in future treatment of various cancersResearchers at the George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center found that the enzyme USP15 could potentially lead to new treatments for breast and pancreatic cancer. Their findings were published in Nature Communications. |
 | Higher egg and cholesterol consumption hikes heart disease and death risk: studyCancel the cheese omelet. There is sobering news for egg lovers who have been happily gobbling up their favorite breakfast since the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer limited how much dietary cholesterol or how many eggs they could eat. |
 | Negative emotions can reduce our capacity to trustIt is no secret that a bad mood can negatively affect how we treat others. But can it also make us more distrustful? Yes, according to a new study, which shows that negative emotions reduce how much we trust others, even if these emotions were triggered by events that have nothing to do with the decision to trust. The study was carried out by an international research team from the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University of Amsterdam (UvA). |
 | A possible cure for river blindness and elephantiasisAn international team of researchers has found what might be a cure for river blindness and elephantiasis. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their search for a drug that could kill the parasitic worms behind the diseases, what they found, and how well it worked when tested with animals. |
 | DNA of sperm taken directly from testicles of infertile men is as good as sperm from fertile menScientists have found that sperm DNA from the testicles of many infertile men is as good as that of ejaculated sperm of fertile men. This may explain a major cause of male infertility and opens the possibility of using sperm taken directly from the testicles of these men; to overcome their infertility. |
 | Precision medicine for pediatric cancer—considering the implications for diagnosis and treatmentResearch performed over the last several decades has led to an increased understanding of the genetics of cancer. The clinical application of this knowledge for pediatric cancer has lagged behind studies performed for adults. In a perspectives article published in the prestigious journal Science, Dr. Jaclyn Biegel, from Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and Dr. Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, of the University of California, San Francisco, survey the landscape of this young field and present opportunities for using genomic information to advance a new era of care for children with cancer. |
 | Seeing through a robot's eyes helps those with profound motor impairmentsAn interface system that uses augmented reality technology could help individuals with profound motor impairments operate a humanoid robot to feed themselves and perform routine personal care tasks such as scratching an itch and applying skin lotion. The web-based interface displays a "robot's eye view" of surroundings to help users interact with the world through the machine. |
UK failing to provide universal health coverage by charging undocumented migrant kidsBy charging undocumented child migrants for healthcare, the UK is failing to provide universal health coverage-in contravention of the Sustainable Development Goals and its obligations under the UN convention on children's rights-argue infectious disease and global health experts in an editorial published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. | |
Alcohol marketing awareness linked to 'higher risk' drinking among UK teensMedium to high awareness of alcohol marketing among UK teens is linked to increased consumption and a greater probability of 'higher risk' drinking among current drinkers, finds a large observational study published in the online journal BMJ Open. | |
 | Soft drink companies copy tobacco playbook to lure young usersTobacco conglomerates that used colors, flavors and marketing techniques to entice children as future smokers transferred these same strategies to sweetened beverages when they bought food and drink companies starting in 1963, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco. |
Bristol provides first long-term look at predictors of suicide attemptsAcademics at the University of Bristol have taken the first long-term look at potential factors that could lead to suicide attempts in high-risk young people. | |
Extremist sympathies more likely in white British and UK-born peopleWhite British people are almost twice as likely to hold extremist views as people of Pakistani heritage in England, according to a study by Queen Mary University of London. | |
Jury still out on what confers survival advantage in female trauma patientsFemale hormones, particularly estrogen, do not seem to explain why women tend to have higher survival rates than men following severe trauma, an 11-year study using data from 815,843 Swedish patients suggests. The findings are published in the open access Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine. | |
Cardiovascular screenings uncover diabetes, high cholesterol in middle schoolersA pilot study of 45 middle school kids shows that more than a third of those screened had abnormal levels of blood sugar or high cholesterol. Two had blood sugar levels (HbA1c) in the diabetes range. | |
 | For older adults, sense of control tied to feeling youngerA recent study finds that older adults feel younger when they feel that they have more control over their daily lives, regardless of stress or health concerns. However, stress and health—not a sense of control—play a significant role in how old younger adults feel. |
Early menopause in smokers linked to bladder cancerResearch shows that experiencing menopause before the age of 45 is associated with a higher risk of bladder cancer. This higher risk was notable if the woman is a smoker. The study, which looked at health outcomes of more than 220,000 US Nurses, is presented at the European Association of Urology congress in Barcelona. | |
Maternal deaths following C-section 50 times higher in Africa compared to high-income countriesC-sections account for one in three operations on average in Africa, and neonatal mortality rate after C-section is double the global average. | |
Discovery of atrial fibrillation subtypes paves way for precision medicineThe discovery of subtypes of atrial fibrillation paves the way for individualised treatment. That's the main message from the joint EHRA/AFNET conference, where new data from the CATCH ME project will be presented, and a consensus reached on personalised medicine approaches to improve patient care. | |
 | Study shows most Catholic hospitals don't advertise religious restrictions on health careIn a survey of Catholic hospitals throughout the country, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found many did not advertise their religious affiliation and the majority did not explain how that affiliation results in health care restrictions. |
 | Few treatment guidelines for heart disease are based on rigorous studyLess than 10 percent of the treatment recommendations U.S. doctors rely on to manage care for heart patients are based on evidence gained from multiple large, randomized clinical trials—the gold standard for obtaining scientific data. |
Ablation better than drugs for reducing Afib, improving QOL, but not for reducing deathAtrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia that affects an estimated 30 million people worldwide. New research shows that catheter ablation, a common cardiovascular procedure, appears no more effective than drug therapy to prevent strokes, deaths and other complications in patients with atrial fibrillation. But patients who receive catheter ablation experience much greater symptom relief and long-term improvements in quality of life. And they have fewer recurrences of their atrial fibrillation and fewer hospitalizations than those who receive only drugs. You can learn more about this new research in the March 15 issue of JAMA. | |
Heart procedure for AFib better than drug therapy for reducing episodes, but not for reducing death or strokeThe 33 million people with atrial fibrillation worldwide not only suffer from bothersome symptoms, but also face a fivefold increased risk of stroke and a twofold increased risk of death. Research teams led by Mayo Clinic published three connected studies on Friday, March 15, clarifying the benefits of catheter ablation versus rate- or rhythm-control medications to treat atrial fibrillation. | |
 | Light physical activity linked to lower risk of heart disease in older womenLight physical activity such as gardening, strolling through a park, and folding clothes might be enough to significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease among women 63 and older, a new study has found. This kind of activity, researchers said, appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease events such as stroke or heart failure by up to 22 percent, and the risk of heart attack or coronary death, by as much as 42 percent. |
 | Heart attacks fall by one-third among older AmericansA groundbreaking new study holds heartening news for older Americans. |
 | Rejection of transplanted organs: Long-awaited structure offers new insightsThe consequences of organ rejection in transplant patients can be devastating. Professor A. Vathsala, co-director of the National University Centre for Organ Transplantation at the National University Hospital (NUH) and professor of medicine, says that between 30 percent to 40 percent of kidney transplants are lost over time to rejection. She and Associate Professor Paul MacAry of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at NUS Medicine recently collaborated on addressing one major clinical problem at NUH's NUCOT: how to make transplanted organs last longer. |
 | Bullying evolves with age and proves difficult to escape fromBullying is a harmful antisocial behavior present in schools all over the world. Involvement in bullying, as either perpetrators or victims, have serious short-term and long-term consequences for all the members of the school community, family and society in general, causing future problems related to depression and difficulty with social relationships. Moreover, studies on bullying link it to drug use and even offending. |
 | Cancer pain can be eased by palliative radiation therapyRadiation therapy is, along with chemotherapy and surgery, one of the three main components of cancer treatment. It is often misunderstood and carries negative connotations. |
 | How can we make families safer? Get men to change their violent behaviourDomestic violence creates an unhealthy and toxic family environment that devastates the lives of all members of the family. |
 | New treatment in the works for disfiguring skin disease, vitiligoIn many parts of the world there is great shame and stigma tied to vitiligo, an autoimmune disease of the skin that causes disfiguring white spots, which can appear anywhere on the body. In some societies, individuals with vitiligo, and even their family members, are shunned and excluded from arranged marriages. The rejection is so crippling that one person suffering from the disease even requested an amputation of his forearm affected by vitiligo because he could marry with only one arm, but could not with vitiligo. |
 | Taking the reins on multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis doesn't have to be an ending. With proper treatment and management, patients can manage the disease's often unpredictable nature. |
 | Wake up call on pre-teen mobile phone use at nightThis World Sleep Day (March 15), Australia is waking up to the fact that around a quarter of children aged 7-8 are using mobile phones at night (between 10pm and 6am) when they should be sleeping. |
 | Stopping cholera in its tracks with bacteriophagesCholera strikes almost 3 million people each year worldwide, causing 95,000 deaths. An acute diarrheal infection, it's prevalent in regions with inadequate access to clean water and sanitation. |
 | AAP: Nasal spray vaccine against flu acceptable in 2019 to 2020(HealthDay)—The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) plans to advise families to vaccinate children against influenza with either the flu shot or nasal spray vaccine during the 2019 to 2020 flu season, in contrast to the academy's preference for the injected vaccine over the nasal spray during the previous two flu seasons, the AAP announced today. |
 | One-month regimen noninferior for preventing HIV-related TB(HealthDay)—For HIV-infected patients, a one-month regimen of rifapentine and isoniazid is noninferior to nine months of isoniazid alone for preventing tuberculosis, according to a study published in the March 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | AAOS: Underweight status increases shoulder arthroplasty complications(HealthDay)—Underweight patients have a high number of adverse events and postoperative infections after total shoulder arthroplasty, even compared with super morbidly obese patients, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, held from March 12 to 16 in Las Vegas. |
 | Prenatal high-dose vitamin D not linked to asthma at age 6(HealthDay)—High-dose vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy is not associated with a child's risk for asthma at age 6 years, according to a research letter published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
 | 'Brain vital signs' detect concussion-related changes(HealthDay)—Brainwave monitoring can detect concussion-related brain changes as well as subclinical impairment in hockey players, according to a study recently published in Brain. |
 | New plant-based vaccine at the forefront of more affordable HPV preventionDo you change the channel when you see an ad for the Gardasil vaccine? Maybe you are a man and don't think you are at risk of acquiring cancer from HPV, maybe you aren't sexually active, or maybe you don't have the resources to get the vaccine. |
 | Dementia rates fall in Australia ahead of expected surgeDementia rates among older Australians are falling, sparking suggestions that measures aimed at improving the physical health of older people may also be having positive cognitive effects. |
 | Novel YSPH framework helps identify genes associated with diseaseA powerful analytical tool, known as UTMOST, developed by Hongyu Zhao, Ph.D., the Ira V. Hiscock Professor of Biostatistics at the Yale School of Public Health, and colleagues could allow researchers to design therapeutic drugs that more effectively combat disease. |
 | Canola oil gets undeserved bad rapIn response to a recent column in which I suggested canola oil as one good choice for popping corn "since it is low in saturated fat and has a high enough smoke point not to burn at higher temperatures," a reader from Capitola writes: "The circle of people I associate with would prefer avocado oil, coconut oil or ghee as these three oils also take a high smoke point. Canola oil deservedly or not has received a bad rap." |
 | Researchers find epigenetic loss that changes how cells obtain energy from cancerIt has been known for decades that cancer cells have an altered metabolism, and it is seen in several biochemical pathways and in particular, in the way they get energy for their survival. |
 | How to keep your kids safe from cyberbullying(HealthDay)—No type of bullying is acceptable, but cyberbullying can be harder for parents to spot because it takes place via cellphone, computer or tablet, often through social media. |
 | How to protect your kids from drowning(HealthDay)—Drowning can be swift and silent, making it a leading cause of accidental death among children. |
 | What do we mean by meaning? Science can help with thatMost of us want our lives to have meaning. But what do we mean by meaning? What is meaning? |
 | Are enhanced waters better for your health?(HealthDay)—You'll find plenty of nutrient-enriched flavored waters on grocery shelves, but are they any better for your diet than a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon? |
 | The effect of climate change on diseaseJust as snowbirds flock to warmer climes when winter settles in, wild creatures seek out weather that suits them. But a changing climate is moving that comfort zone for many animals, including disease-carrying mosquitoes that kill about 1 million people a year. |
 | Why some people can't stop running, according to sport psychologyAlex has a problem with running; he has become addicted to it. "I have to get out and run, whether my family like it or not," he says. "It's just who I am." |
 | Marijuana is a lot more than just THC—a pharmacologist looks at the untapped healing compoundsMedical marijuana is legal in 33 states as of November 2018. Yet the federal government still insists marijuana has no legal use and is easy to abuse. In the meantime, medical marijuana dispensaries have an increasing array of products available for pain, anxiety, sex and more. |
 | AI and MRIs at birth can predict cognitive development at age two, study findsResearchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine used MRI brain scans and machine learning techniques at birth to predict cognitive development at age 2 years with 95 percent accuracy. |
 | How to catch ovarian cancer earlierFewer than half of ovarian cancer patients survive until five years after diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, this is because only about one-fifth of ovarian cancer cases are detected early, when the chances of successful treatment and recovery are highest. |
 | A new battle: Veterans more likely to have heart diseaseAfter the war is over, veterans face a new threat. They are more likely to have heart disease at a younger age than nonveterans, and this could herald a new health crisis on the horizon. |
Periodontitis may raise the risk for developing dementiaGum disease (gingivitis) that goes untreated can become periodontitis. When this happens, the infection that affected your gums causes loss in the bone that supports your teeth. Periodontitis is the main cause of tooth loss in adults.Interestingly, periodontitis is also a risk factor for developing dementia, one of the leading causes for disability in older adults. A United Nations forecast estimates that 1 in 85 individuals will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia, by the year 2050. Reducing the risk factors that lead to dementia and Alzheimer's disease could potentially lower older adults' chances of developing those conditions. | |
 | Overweight kids at higher risk for blood clots as adultsOverweight children may be more likely than normal-weight children to develop life-threatening blood clots as adults, a new Danish study suggests. The good news is, getting to a healthy weight by age 13 eliminated the extra risk. |
 | ASCO: guidelines released for early detection, treatment of CRC(HealthDay)—Expert guidance has been provided on the early detection of colorectal cancer and on treatment and posttreatment follow-up; the two guidelines were recently published online in the Journal of Global Oncology. |
 | Testosterone therapy in hypogonadism can prevent progression to T2DM(HealthDay)—Testosterone therapy (TTh) can prevent progression to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in men with prediabetes and hypogonadism, according to a study published online March 12 in Diabetes Care. |
 | AAOS: supplement use low in patients with osteoporosis, hip fracture(HealthDay)—Of patients diagnosed with osteoporosis who have a history of hip fracture, only 14 percent are receiving appropriate calcium and vitamin D supplementation, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, held from March 12 to 16 in Las Vegas. |
 | Induction for late-term pregnancies at 41 weeks tied to small benefits(HealthDay)—There may be a small benefit to labor induction in low-risk woman at 41 weeks versus expectant management, though the chances of a good perinatal outcome are high with both strategies, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in The BMJ. |
 | Influences on new NIH policy for age limits in research explored(HealthDay)—Authors of a paper recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society describe factors that influenced the new National Institute of Health policy that requires funded scholars to eliminate arbitrary age limits in their work. |
 | Nursing work environment shapes relationship between EHR and quality of careIn the decade since the federal government's electronic health record (EHR) initiatives first became law, nearly all U.S. hospitals have adopted some form of EHR technology. Now, focus is on how a comprehensive EHR can enhance outcomes. Yet, little is known about the sociotechnical factors that can shape the relationship between advanced EHR adoption and quality of care. |
 | Components in carrots, green tea could reverse Alzheimer's symptoms, study saysWhile scientists have not found a cure for Alzheimer's disease, they may be able to reverse the symptoms with some key compounds, according to a new report. |
 | Diabetics more likely to experience high blood sugar after joint surgeryPeople with diabetes who undergo joint replacement surgery are at sharply higher risk of experiencing elevated blood sugar after the operation, increasing their chances of developing infections and other complications, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City and The Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. |
 | Finally, people with disabilities will have a chance to tell their stories – and be believedThe draft terms of reference for the royal commission into the abuse and neglect of people with disabilities, released for comment this week, outline the commission's plan to investigate all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities. |
 | What is the real link between bacterial vaginosis and HIV risk in women?An international team of researchers presents a comprehensive and renewed focus on the common, yet poorly understood condition of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and how the microbial make-up of the vagina can affect a woman's risk of acquiring HIV and AIDS. A Perspectives article, with the goal of standardizing how BV clinical and research findings are discussed, is published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. |
Current training of physicians to care for LGBTQ individuals is falling shortNot enough is being done to prepare physicians to care for the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) patients. Better physician training on their unique clinical needs may eliminate many of the health disparities among this growing segment of the population according to a new study. | |
Niger sounds alarm over 'fake' meningitis vaccineHealth authorities in Niger said Friday they had found a fake version of a meningitis vaccine after the country had launched a campaign to innoculate millions of children against the disease. | |
EPA bans consumer sales of paint stripper linked to deathsThe Environmental Protection Agency is banning consumer sales of a paint stripper after personal appeals by families of men who died while using the product. | |
Biology news
 | Wolves cooperate with humansWolves lead, dogs follow—and both cooperate with humans. The statement is a bold one, especially as wolves have received a lot of negative attention in recent years. A recent study conducted by behavioural researchers at Vetmeduni Vienna, however, shows that dogs and wolves both work equally well with humans, albeit in different ways. The allegedly unequal brothers are thus much more similar than often assumed. |
 | Bacteria may help frogs attract matesBrazilian scientists have discovered that the strong odor released by some amphibian species is produced by bacteria and that attracting a mate is one of its purposes. |
 | Study proves importance of bird poo in enhancing coral growthA University of Otago study has shown the positive impact bird poo, or guano, has on coral growth in tropical seas. Published online in the respected scientific journal Scientific Reports, the study Seabird nutrients are assimilated by corals and enhance coral growth rates demonstrates that seabird nutrients can significantly boost coral growth rates, offering a positive news story in a decade that has documented dramatic declines in reef health and percentage cover. |
 | Uncovering uncultivated microbes in the human gutA tree's growth is dependent on nutrients from the soil and water, as well as the microbes in, on, and around the roots. Similarly, a human's health is shaped both by environmental factors and the body's interactions with the microbiome, particularly in the gut. Genome sequences are critical for characterizing individual microbes and understanding their functional roles. However, previous studies have estimated that only 50 percent of species in the gut microbiome have a sequenced genome, in part because many species have not yet been cultivated for study. |
 | Dormant viruses activate during spaceflightHerpes viruses reactivate in more than half of crew aboard Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions, according to NASA research published in Frontiers in Microbiology. While only a small proportion develop symptoms, virus reactivation rates increase with spaceflight duration and could present a significant health risk on missions to Mars and beyond. |
 | Diving to new depths for Antarctic scienceA University of Canterbury scientist is using Kiwi technology in her Antarctic research to capture fascinating footage of life beneath the surface in McMurdo Sound. |
 | Soluble epoxide hydrolase in mammals diminishes the body's ability to self-repairIn the 1980s, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, were looking for a way to control insects and found an enzyme—called JHEH—that, when inhibited, prevents caterpillars from becoming butterflies. This work led to the discovery of an equivalent enzyme in mammals, called soluble epoxide hydrolase or sEH. |
 | How a mitochondrial enzyme can trigger cell deathCytochrome c is a small enzyme that plays an important role in the production of energy by mitochondria. It is also involved in signaling dangerous problems that warrant apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Using solid-state NMR, University of Groningen Associate Professor of Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy Patrick van der Wel and colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh have discovered that the signal induced by cytochrome c is more controlled than expected. The results were published in the journal Structure on 14 March. |
 | As climate continues to warm, study finds several barriers to northward tree migrationExtensive land development, invasive species and too many deer may make it difficult for tree migration to keep pace with climate change in the Northeast, according to newly published research. |
 | Cuddly polar bear cub makes splash in Berlin debutBerlin's latest zoo celebrity, a fluffy polar bear cub, made her first tentative steps on the public stage Friday, with media hungry to anoint her the rightful successor to late lamented superstar Knut. |
 | California science exhibit explains the dog-human friendshipDid people domesticate dogs or was it the other way around? And why do these two species seem to think so much alike, act so much alike and get along so well? |
 | Feds to ease land restrictions across US WestThe Trump administration is finalizing plans to ease restrictions on oil and gas drilling and other industries that were meant to protect an imperiled bird species that ranges across the American West, federal officials said Thursday. |
 | New book by biochemist David Deamer explores the origins of lifeIn his new book, Assembling Life, David Deamer challenges the consensus that life began in the ocean and presents an alternative scenario, based on his research, in which life began in freshwater hot springs. |
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