Dear Reader ,
Be an ACS Industry Insider: http://connect.acspubs.org/Insider?LS=SciX
The ACS Industry Insider provides free, exclusive access to hot content in Electronics, Aerospace and Transportation, Energy, Environment and Agriculture, and Materials Science.
Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 5, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers detect deep, long asymmetric occultation in a newly found low-mass starAn international team of astronomers has observed a deep, day-long asymmetric occultation in a recently detected low-mass star known as EPIC 204376071. In a research paper published February 21 on arXiv.org, the scientists detail their finding and ponder various theories that could explain such peculiar occultation. |
 | Galactic wind provides clues to evolution of galaxiesThe Cigar Galaxy (also known as M82) is famous for its extraordinary speed in making new stars, with stars being born 10 times faster than in the Milky Way. Now, data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, have been used to study this galaxy in greater detail, revealing how material that affects the evolution of galaxies may get into intergalactic space. |
 | Israel's first spacecraft to moon sends selfieAn Israeli spacecraft on its maiden mission to the moon has sent its first selfie back to Earth, mission chiefs said on Tuesday. |
 | Kepler Space Telescope's first exoplanet candidate confirmed, ten years after launchAn international team of astronomers, led by University of Hawaiʻi graduate student Ashley Chontos, announced the confirmation of the first exoplanet candidate identified by NASA's Kepler Mission. The result was presented today at the fifth Kepler/K2 Science Conference held in Glendale, CA. |
 | Mining the moonIf you were transported to the Moon this very instant, you would surely and rapidly die. That's because there's no atmosphere, the surface temperature varies from a roasting 130 degrees Celsius (266 F) to a bone-chilling minus 170 C (minus 274 F). If the lack of air or horrific heat or cold don't kill you then micrometeorite bombardment or solar radiation will. By all accounts, the Moon is not a hospitable place to be. |
 | ESA gives go-ahead for SMILE mission with ChinaThe Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, SMILE, has been given the green light for implementation by ESA's Science Programme Committee. The announcement clears the way for full development of this new mission to explore the sun-Earth connection, which will be conducted in collaboration with China. |
Technology news
 | Generating cross-modal sensory data for robotic visual-tactile perceptionPerceiving an object only visually (e.g. on a screen) or only by touching it, can sometimes limit what we are able to infer about it. Human beings, however, have the innate ability to integrate visual and tactile stimuli, leveraging whatever sensory data is available to complete their daily tasks. |
 | Volvo unveils driverless electric bus in SingaporeVolvo and a Singapore university unveiled a driverless electric bus Tuesday that will soon undergo tests in the city-state, the latest move towards rolling out autonomous vehicles for public transport. |
 | Security: Summer interns see vulnerabilities in visitor management systemsFor business managers, the goal may be to find a technology-driven process that can protect the security and safety of the premises, staff and visitors. Visitor management systems may not only perform check-ins but also control access to restricted areas. |
 | Artificial intelligence digitally stains tissue samples used in pathology, saving labor, time and costHistopathology is one of the main methods used for diagnosis of disease. Following a medical screening process, a patient can undergo a biopsy, in which a piece of tissue is removed for further inspection and diagnostic analysis. This tissue specimen is then sliced into thin sections that are on the order of a few millionths of a meter in thickness. These thin sections of tissue contain at the microscopic scale the diagnostic information regarding the patient's condition. However, they exhibit almost no contrast under standard light microscopy. To reveal these microscopic features embedded inside tissue and bring visible contrast for inspection by a pathologist, various tissue staining methods have been created in pathology dating back to more than 150 years ago. These tissue staining procedures use different types of colored dyes that specifically label micro-scale structures in tissue, forming colorful images of specimens, which have been widely used as a gold standard diagnostic method in modern medicine. |
 | Researchers explore what makes robots 'persuasive' to humansA new study by researchers at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering explores how robots persuade and build trust with humans. The research could guide the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the next generation of socially assistive robots to aid in health care and other fields. |
 | Capturing bacteria that eat and breathe electricityLast August, Abdelrhman Mohamed found himself hiking deep into the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. |
 | Geneva show has electrics, sports cars and a VW dune buggyCarmakers at the Geneva International Motor Show are unveiling new electric vehicles they hope will transform the industry as well as the high-end sports cars that are a fixture at the show. |
 | Facebook scolded for how it protects user phone numbers for securityFacebook is facing new backlash over how it protects user phone numbers when they provide them for security purposes. |
In age of Amazon, services like Birchbox and Dollar Shave Club are getting more popularWhen it comes to shopping, Americans increasingly would rather sit and wait than head out and browse. | |
 | Huawei opens Brussels security lab in bid to reassure EUChinese tech company Huawei on Tuesday opened a cybersecurity lab in Brussels, the heart of the European Union, as it tries to win over government leaders and fight back U.S. allegations that its equipment poses a national security risk. |
 | A negotiation strategy to help cities and organizations minimize losses when their data are held hostageIn ransomware cyberattacks, hackers steal a victim's sensitive data and threaten to publish or block access to it unless a ransom is paid. Across the globe each year, millions of ransomware attacks are carried out on businesses, cities, and organizations, costing billions of dollars total in payments and damages. Many technologies can thwart such cyberattacks, but MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) researchers believe there's more to solving the issue than deploying the latest software. |
 | Virtual reality adds to tourism through touch, smell and real people's experiencesBack in 2001, an acquaintance who worked for Lonely Planet told me about a surprise discovery. The travel guide business had an audience of people who would buy their travel books, but never travel. Lonely Planet dubbed them "virtual tourists". |
 | German market puts brakes on high-frequency tradersGerman stock market operator Deutsche Boerse plans to slow down some kinds of high-frequency trading by 1,000 times in a pilot project designed to reduce "aggressive" behaviour, it told AFP Tuesday. |
 | Maximising influence in a networkFinding ways to maximize influence on social networks is a significant endeavour for a wide range of people including those involved in marketing, election campaigns, and outbreak detection, for instance. Technically in a network scenario, "Influence maximisation deals with the problem of finding a subset of nodes called seeds in the social network such that these nodes will eventually spread maximum influence in the network." |
Weather-responsive intersections could ease traffic congestionCities could ease congestion and improve safety during snowstorms by tweaking the timing of traffic lights to take road conditions into account. | |
 | Autonomous drones can help search and rescue after disastersWhen disasters happen – whether a natural disaster like a flood or earthquake, or a human-caused one like a mass shooting or bombing – it can be extremely dangerous to send first responders in, even though there are people who badly need help. |
 | YouTube's paedophile problem is only a small part of the internet's issue with child sexual abuseYouTube has, yet again, failed to protect children online. Recent investigations by Wired and video blogger Matt Watson have alleged that paedophiles were using the site's comments section to leave predatory messages on videos containing and uploaded by children, and to share links to child sexual abuse material. |
 | After years of promise, battery cars about to go mainstreamFor years, there have been lots of electric cars proudly rolled out at auto shows but few on the streets or at dealers. That could be about to change. |
 | 30 years later, Berners-Lee sees mission to fix internet's illsWorldwide web inventor Tim Berners-Lee said Tuesday he is on a mission to fix the problems of online abuse, misinformation and data protection that were not envisioned when the system was created decades earlier. |
 | Facebook prohibits foreign-funded ads for Indonesia electionFacebook says it will not allow foreign-funded advertisements for upcoming presidential and legislative elections in Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, hoping to allay concerns that its platform is being used to manipulate voting behavior. |
 | Scaling up innovative sensor installation on the Mighty MacThe first 20 prototype infrastructure sensors installed in 2016 on the Mackinac Bridge, powered solely by vibrations from traffic, have proven their durability and performed as intended. Now researchers from Michigan State University and Washington University in St. Louis are ready to roll out the next phase of testing, installing up to 2,000 of the tiny devices to explore the logistics of a large-scale deployment and provide useful monitoring data to the Mackinac Bridge Authority. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Second HIV remission patient rekindles cure hopeFor just the second time ever an HIV patient is in sustained remission from the virus in what was hailed by experts Tuesday as proof that the AIDS-causing condition could one day be curable. |
 | Pregnancy protein could treat geriatric diseasesA powerful protein found in the blood of pregnant women could be used to treat and prevent a range of age-related disorders such as Alzheimer's, arthritis and heart disease. |
Cause of vascular disease in kidney failure reversed in animal modelBy loading a chelation drug into a nano-sized homing device, researchers at Clemson University have reversed in an animal model the deadliest effects of chronic kidney disease, which kills more people in the United States each year than breast or prostate cancer. | |
 | Could genetic breakthrough finally help take the sting out of mouth ulcers?A large breakthrough has been made in the genetic understanding of mouth ulcers which could provide potential for a new drug to prevent or heal the painful lesions. Mouth ulcers affect up to 25 per cent of young adults and a higher proportion of children. Previous research has shown that mouth ulcers are partially heritable, but until now there has been little evidence linking specific genes or genomic regions to mouth ulcers. |
 | A fungus usually found on skin might play a role in Crohn's diseaseA fungus commonly found in human hair follicles also resides in the gut, where it may worsen intestinal disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in patients with a certain genetic makeup, researchers report March 5 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe. |
 | Tissue model reveals how RNA will act on the liverNovel therapies based on a process known as RNA interference (RNAi) hold great promise for treating a variety of diseases by blocking specific genes in a patient's cells. Many of the earliest RNAi treatments have focused on diseases of the liver, because RNA-carrying particles tend to accumulate in that organ. |
 | Fasting-mimicking diet holds promise for treating people with inflammatory bowel diseaseWhat if a special diet could reduce inflammation and repair your gut? |
 | Nutritional supplements cannot prevent depression, research showsA daily intake of nutritional supplements won't help stave off the onset of depression, a new study has revealed. |
 | Our ability to detect patterns might stem from the brain's desire to represent things in the simplest way possibleDuring their first year of life, infants can recognize patterned sound sequences. As we grow, we develop the ability to pick out increasingly complex patterns within streams of words and musical notes. Traditionally, cognitive scientists have assumed that the brain uses a complicated algorithm to find links between disparate concepts, thereby yielding a higher-level understanding. |
 | Researchers discover an unexpected organization of antimicrobial molecules that amplifies immune responseIn autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis or lupus, the immune system goes into overdrive in response to people's own DNA being released from damaged cells—a reaction that can cause severe inflammation in the body. |
 | What makes people willing to sacrifice their own self-interest for another?In a new Northwestern University study, researchers show that people are more willing to sacrifice for a collaborator than for someone working just as hard but working independently. |
 | Breast cancer cells rely on pyruvate to expand in new tissuesMost patients who die of breast cancer die of metastasis, the process by which cancer cells spread to other organs of the body. Cancer cells alter their metabolism to grow and expand across other organs. A new study by Prof. Sarah-Maria Fendt from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology and her Ph.D. student Ilaria Elia has shown that breast cancer cells require the nutrient pyruvate to do this. |
 | Sleep increases chromosome dynamics that clear out DNA damage accumulated during waking hoursWhy do animals sleep? Why do humans "waste" a third time of their lives sleeping? Throughout evolution, sleep has remained universal and essential to all organisms with a nervous system, including invertebrates such as flies, worms, and even jellyfish. But the reason that animals sleep, even despite the continuous threat of predators, remains a mystery, and is considered among the most important unanswered questions in life sciences. |
 | New strategy to tackle 'don't eat me' signal on cancer cellsMyeloid immune cells kill cancer cells by eating them but cancer cells prevent this from happening by giving out a 'do not eat me' signal. Led by immunologists Ton Schumacher (Netherlands Cancer Institute and Oncode) and Ferenc Scheeren (Leiden University Medical Center), researchers from various research institutes have discovered a new method to inhibit the 'don't eat me' signal, and have therefore found a new target for immunotherapy. |
 | Genetic 'usual suspects' identified in researchers' new listIt's no secret that our genes are what makes us... us! But genes are often also the basis for debilitating diseases. One of the major clues to understanding any illness is seeing which genes are acting unusually during disease onset. But it's not often clear if unusual gene activity is unique to the disease at hand, or is merely a more general symptom of an unhealthy body. Now, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have crafted a ranked list of usual suspects that could prove invaluable for researchers and clinicians. |
 | 'Broken heart' syndrome may originate in the brainScientists have shown for the first time that the brain is involved in the development of a heart condition called Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). They found that regions of the brain responsible for processing emotions and controlling the unconscious workings of the body, such as heart beat, breathing and digestion, do not communicate with each other as well in TTS patients as in healthy people. |
 | TIGER mouse debuts as model for neurological ailmentsNew research published today in Scientific Reports has devised a way to track tiny message-carriers in the brain that could prove useful in diagnosing and treating injuries, infections or diseases. |
 | HIV prevention study finds universal 'test and treat' approach can reduce new infectionsNew HIV infections declined by 30 percent in southern African communities where health workers conducted house-to-house voluntary HIV testing, referred people who tested positive to begin HIV treatment according to local guidelines, and offered other proven HIV prevention measures to those who tested negative. Local guidelines evolved during the study from offering HIV treatment based on immune health to offering immediate treatment for all. |
 | Why the brain can be blamed for children unknowingly being left to die in a hot carMore than 50 children died in hot cars in 2018, making it the deadliest year on record. Many of the cases involve parents who unknowingly left a child behind, often for an entire day. University of South Florida Psychology Professor David Diamond has studied this phenomenon for over a decade and has served as an expert witness on many high-profile cases. In his latest publication, he describes the psychological and neural basis of how responsible people make such fatal errors. |
AIDS in key datesAIDS emerged as a mysterious disease in the 1980s to spread across the world and claim millions of lives. For only the second time a patient has now been found in long-term remission—and most likely cured—from HIV, the virus that causes the disease. | |
 | Study confirms and quantifies Zika-microcephaly link in BrazilWomen infected with Zika virus early in pregnancy are almost 17 times more likely to have a child with microcephaly, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Oliver Brady of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, and colleagues. |
More immediate concerns beat heart health in the priorities and behaviors of young womenAlthough young women strive to be healthy, few perceive themselves as at risk for heart disease and they worry far more about stress and mood disorders than their heart health, according to two preliminary studies presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2019, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in population-based cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians. | |
 | Gaining a little weight after quitting tobacco is offset by the benefits for people with diabetesTwo new studies point to yet more reasons to kick the tobacco habit. In one, researchers found quitting smoking is worth it for people with diabetes despite worries about potential weight gain. In the other, scientists discovered smoking might have a much greater impact on the cognitive function than originally thought. Both studies were presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2019, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in population-based cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians, held in Houston this week. |
 | Soda, sugar-sweetened beverages linked to more severe symptoms for people with multiple sclerosisFor people with multiple sclerosis (MS), drinking around 290 calories per day of soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages, or the equivalent of about two cans of non-diet soda, may be tied to more severe symptoms and a higher level of disability compared to people with MS who seldom consume sugar-sweetened beverages, 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. People who seldom drank sugar-sweetened beverages consumed an average of seven calories in sugar-sweetened beverages per day, or the equivalent of one-and-a-half cans of non-diet soda per month. Soda and other sweet beverages were the only type of food that was related to MS symptoms in the study. |
 | Alzheimer's treatment holds promise for primary progressive aphasia patientsNorthwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that an existing therapy frequently used to treat Alzheimer's disease might also work on patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), a type of dementia that destroys language and currently has no treatment. |
 | New studies aim to improve melanoma diagnosisA pair of studies led by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers could aid in improved diagnosis for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. |
 | Ending HIV transmission by 2030After four decades of fighting AIDS and the human immunodeficiency virus that causes it, the U.S. government is pressing forward with a plan to end HIV transmission in the country by 2030. |
 | A quick path to antimalarial resistanceResistance to antimalarial drugs is thought to result mainly from changes in the parasite's genome. However, P. falciparum can also develop resistance to some antimalarial compounds by epigenetic changes, according to a new study led by ISGlobal, an institution supported by "la Caixa", and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp. This is of concern because resistance acquired at the epigenetic level can arise quickly, even during the course of a single infection. |
 | A common genetic signature has been discovered among three cancer prone rare skin diseasesThrough a global gene expression analysis (transcriptomic), the researchers were able to find and confirm a genetic signature common to genodermatoses in patients' cells. The profile targets cellular activation and alteration of the dermal microenvironment (lower layer of the skin) which could favour the progression of the disease, as well as skin cancer. |
 | Discovery of the genetic 'conductor' of brain stem cellsOur brain comprises 85 billion nerve cells and just as many so-called glial cells, which work in close contact with the former to guarantee their proper function. All originate from brain stem cells. But what decides when and how many of them become neurons or glial cells? A new study led by the Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Development of SISSA has shown how the Foxg1 gene, already involved in numerous processes of cerebral development and in rare disorders like Rett and West syndromes, plays a fundamental role in piloting the differentiation of stem cells, guaranteeing that neurons and glial cells are produced in the right quantity and at the right moment. The work, published in Cerebral Cortex and conducted in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, opens new roads to understanding and treating incurable genetic diseases. |
 | Want to quit a bad habit? Here's one way to compare treatmentsWhether it's quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake or making healthier dietary choices, many of us have habits we'd like to change. But it's really hard to know which treatment path to take. |
 | Peptide derived from fungi kills TB bacteriaThe discovery of the peptide as a possible future antibiotic was made by researchers who screened different antimicrobial peptides' ability to prevent the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The peptide they found comes from a fairly common fungus, Pseudoplectania nigrella. |
 | Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers have a distinctive signature of gut bacteriaPeople who suffer from stress-related irritable bowel syndrome have a distinctive microbial signature in their gut. However, holistic psychosomatic therapy using hypnosis is significantly more effective at treating their condition than symptomatic or probiotic treatment alone. This is the finding of studies conducted by a research group at MedUni Vienna's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. |
 | Study: To protect a good mood, people play it safeWhat does it take to stay in a good mood? |
 | Personalised online environments lead us to judge others more harshlyMany of today's online environments provide personalisation options. Social media is such an environment that is filled with personalised content. UT researcher Jan Bats says this has a direct effect on the way we interact with each other in these environments. On March 1, the University of Twente will award Bats a Ph.D. for his work, which includes a thesis exploring our behaviour online. Bats' thesis explains how, in personalised online environments, we form opinions about others much faster and more harshly, experience interpersonal contact differently, and assert our own interests more. This provides a new explanation for how we interact with each other online. |
 | Good boy! New Zealand researchers using dogs to sniff out prostate cancerThe University of Otago and K9 Medical Detection NZ are working together to investigate using dogs as a diagnostic tool to sniff out prostate cancer. |
 | Researchers find window of opportunity for treatment of early cystic fibrosis lung infectionsA new study, recently published in Nature Communications, has looked at infections in Danish youth with cystic fibrosis (CF) over a period of 10 years. This is the largest longitudinal study to date of the evolution involving both traits and genes of the disease-causing microbes that persistently infect young CF patients. |
 | Researchers develop mini kidneys from urine cellsScientists from Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht and Hubrecht Institute have successfully created kidney organoids from urine cells. This could lead to a wide range of new treatments that are less onerous for kidney patients. The results of the research will be published in Nature Biotechnology today. |
 | Shock wave device revamps treatment for painful kidney depositsSurrounded by high-voltage electrical boxes, foot pedal controls and sleek computers, UCI Health's new kidney stone pulverizer is both a step into the future and a blast from the past. |
 | 'Deep learning' software automatically detects diseasesUniversity of Saskatchewan PhD student Yi Wang developed software that can get higher image quality. It improves current computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) technology, which assists doctors to detect diseases from medical imaging scans such as ultrasound, computer tomography (CT) and retinal fundus imaging, which captures photos of the back of the eye. |
 | How much sleep do teenagers really need?Parents worry about whether their teenagers are getting enough sleep. Research studies suggest that teenagers are suffering an "epidemic of sleep deprivation" globally —one that will have long-term health impacts. |
 | Low-dose aspirin does not cut death from prostate cancer(HealthDay)—Low-dose aspirin use does not appear to reduce the overall risk for prostate cancer death, according to a study published online March 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Shortages of essential medicines for pediatric cancer patients threaten outcomesShortages of essential chemotherapy drugs for children undergoing cancer treatment has been an increasingly frequent obstacle for patients and hospitals across the country. In a new position paper in JAMA Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine's Drs. Stacey Berg and Brooke Bernhardt address this issue and call for the development of an essential medicines list for this group of patients to help ensure reliable access and forecast future shortages. |
 | Too few seniors are getting their memory tested(HealthDay)—Most seniors expect their doctor to recommend testing of thinking and memory when it's needed. |
 | How much coffee is OK?(HealthDay)—It seems as though every day brings a new study on the merits—or the risks—of coffee. So what's the real scoop? |
 | An outdoor plan for walking and running(HealthDay)—Sweating it out on a treadmill is great, especially when the weather is bad. You might even be motivated by watching exciting vistas on an interactive panel. But to keep a walking or running routine from becoming stale, kick it up a notch by taking your workout outside. |
 | Study examines how consumers respond to surprise medical billsWhen it comes to having a baby, that bundle of joy may bring an unexpected price tag that can affect parents' future health care choices. |
 | Mindful parenting shapes emotional health of youth, study showsYoung adults who were raised by parents who were supportive of them expressing emotions tend to be more emotionally healthy and report lower levels of depression and anxiety, according to a study led by a Georgia State psychology researcher. |
 | Life after death at a metabolic level – and it's the heart that goes onLife continues at a metabolic level after death according to new research – which has found that the heart has the most activity in the day after demise. |
 | Vulnerable narcissists more susceptible to eating disordersVulnerable narcissists are more likely to develop eating disorders, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU). |
 | A silver lining like no otherVaccinations are the world's frontline defence against infectious diseases yet despite decades of interventions, unsafe injection practices continue to expose billions of people to serious infection and disease. |
 | Study looks to limit secondhand smoke in homes with childrenA San Diego State University study found some parents who smoke at home can be nudged outdoors with a combination of coaching, lights and sound. |
 | Women scientists get less federal funding than men, new study findsFirst-time women principal investigator scientists received considerably less funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) compared to first-time male principal investigators, even at top research institutions, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the Kellogg School of Management. |
Creating more potent cancer therapy using 'theranostics'A City of Hope scientist and his colleagues have developed a user-friendly approach to creating "theranostics—therapy combined with diagnostics—that target specific tumors and diseases. | |
Study finds robots can detect breast cancer as well as radiologistsA new paper in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that artificial intelligence systems may be able to perform as accurately as radiologists in the evaluation of digital mammography in breast cancer screening. | |
Menstrual cycle phase influences cocaine cravingMenstrual cycle may influence addiction risk in women, according to a new study in Biological Psychiatry by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Maryland School of Medicine. In female rats, craving for cocaine during abstinence from the drug was stronger during estrus—the phase in which ovulation occurs—than non-estrus, and female rats were more prone to relapse of cocaine use than male rats. This new link between menstrual cycle and drug craving may help explain differences between men and women in cocaine seeking and vulnerability to relapse after quitting. | |
 | Training beyond exhaustion can prevent learningResearchers have found that muscle fatigue caused by overexertion when practicing a skill can affect the task in hand and impair learning afterwards. |
 | New studies report drug focused approach insufficient to manage ICU deliriumThe results of two new Regenstrief Institute trials published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society underscore and confirm the need to look to options other than medication to lower the duration or severity of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. |
 | Advice on salt, hidden in an array of foods, gets specificIt can be hidden in bread, pizza, soup and other packaged foods and restaurant meals. Now, advice to watch out for salt is coming with a more specific reason. |
 | What the 'London patient' means for HIV/AIDS researchThe "London Patient" is only the second person known to have shaken off the HIV virus during a 40-year AIDS epidemic that has infected 70 million people and killed half of them. |
 | A new way to map cell regulatory networksFaster results. Lower costs. Fewer cells. |
 | Attitudes about health affect how older adults engage with negative health newsTo get older adults to pay attention to important health information, preface it with the good news about their health. That's one takeaway from a study that found older adults are more willing to engage with negative health information when they have a positive attitude about their health. |
Kids with cochlear implants since infancy more likely to speak, not signResearchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago present further evidence that deaf children who received cochlear implants (implanted electronic hearing device) before 12 months of age learn to more rapidly understand spoken language and are more likely to develop spoken language as their exclusive form of communication. In their study, published in Otology and Neurotology, this was true even for children with additional conditions often associated with language delay, such as significantly premature birth. Researchers also showed that implantation surgery and anesthesia were safe in young children, including infants. | |
 | Study shows success of measles vaccine campaigns in IndiaA mass measles vaccination campaign saved tens of thousands of children's lives in India between 2010 and 2013, according to a report published today in eLife. |
Heroin users aware of fentanyl, but at high risk of overdosingMost heroin users in Baltimore, a city heavily affected by the opioid epidemic, recognize that the heroin they buy is now almost always laced with the highly dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. | |
 | Integrated therapy treating obesity and depression is effectiveAn intervention combining behavioral weight loss treatment and problem-solving therapy with as-needed antidepressant medication for participants with co-occurring obesity and depression improved weight loss and depressive symptoms compared with routine physician care, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
 | Mom-to-mom phone calls lift breastfeeding rateAn Australian study of more than 1200 women has found regular phone calls between first time mothers and other volunteer mothers with previous breastfeeding experience may be the key to boosting national breastfeeding rates. |
 | Staph infections drop, but levels still worry U.S. health officials(HealthDay)—Dangerous staph infections are declining in America, but they still pose a significant public health threat, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. |
 | Top CEOs offer strategies to improve workplace mental healthMore than 40 leading CEOs from around the country have issued a step-by-step plan to improve mental health in the workplace. |
 | FDA poised to approve ketamine-like drug to ease depression(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration could give its approval this week to esketamine—a relative of the "club drug" and anesthetic ketamine—against severe depression. |
 | U.S. deaths from suicide, substance abuse reach record high(HealthDay)—Deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide in the United States hit an all-time high in 2017—more than 150,000 in all. |
 | Problems identified with gaps in EHR functionality in morning rounds(HealthDay)—There is a considerable amount of variability in the ways in which electronic health records (EHRs) are used during morning rounds, resulting in extensive use of workarounds and problems with team communication, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in PLOS ONE. |
 | Recommendations developed for ulcerative colitis management(HealthDay)—Recommendations have been developed for management of adults with ulcerative colitis (UC); the American College of Gastroenterology clinical guideline was published online Feb. 21 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. |
 | Program in peds rheumatology clinic ups education on teratogenic Rx(HealthDay)—A series of interventions introduced through a quality improvement project can increase the frequency of both teratogen education and urine pregnancy screening in patients taking teratogenic medications for rheumatic disease, according to a study published online March 5 in Pediatrics. |
 | Methanol toxicity can result from occupational exposure(HealthDay)—Methanol toxicity can occur as a consequence of occupational exposure, according to a research letter published online March 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Stereotactic body RT promising for low-, intermediate-risk PCa(HealthDay)—In men with low-risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, stereotactic body radiotherapy is associated with low rates of severe toxic events and high rates of biochemical control, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in JAMA Network Open. |
 | Children with atopic dermatitis have worse sleep quality(HealthDay)—Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) have worse sleep quality, according to a study published online March 4 in JAMA Pediatrics. |
| BU conducts first experimental evaluation of pharmaceutical industry-led access programStudy of Novartis Access program in Kenya demonstrates it is possible to evaluate major pharmaceutical companies' access programs using robust, 'gold standard' methods. |
 | Niger launches campaign to protect 6 mn children from meningitisThe impoverished Sahel state of Niger on Tuesday launched a campaign to vaccinate six million children against meningitis, which killed nearly 200 people two years ago. |
 | One in three students with ADHD receive no school interventions, study findsAt least one in five students with ADHD receive no school services despite experiencing significant academic and social impairment, a gap particularly evident for adolescents and youth from non-English-speaking and/or lower-income families, researchers found in the largest study of children and teens with ADHD ever conducted. |
 | No link found between MMR vaccine and autism, even among children with other risk factors for autismA nationwide cohort study of all children born in Denmark to Danish-born mothers between 1999 through 2010 concluded that the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine does not increase the risk of autism, does not trigger autism in susceptible children, and is not associated with clustering of autism cases following vaccination. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | Skoltech scientists unveil a new cardiac monitoring gadgetA team of Skoltech researchers has created a device that can monitor a cosmonaut's cardiovascular system during pre-flight training, space mission and after-flight rehabilitation. The results of their study were published in the international journal Acta Astronautica. |
Life-threatening birth complication rate increasing across US racial, ethnic groupsRacial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity—life-threatening maternal complications associated with childbirth—have persisted and increased at high rates among U.S. women, according to an analysis of nearly 20 years of California hospital records funded by the National Institutes of Health. Known risk factors for these complications—such as blood pressure disorders, asthma and Caesarean birth—do not fully explain the increase or why the disparities remain. | |
Research investigates impact of herbal medicine product on bedwetting in childrenA new clinical trial investigating whether an herbal medicine product can benefit school-age children experiencing bedwetting is being led by a collaboration between researchers from the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) at the University of Technology Sydney and the Office of Research at Endeavour College of Natural Health. | |
 | Study to investigate how sexual trauma increases HIV susceptibility in womenThe link between sexual violence and HIV risk is well-known, extensively documented through behavioral research. But there is growing evidence that sexual trauma also poses a heightened biological risk for HIV infection, especially in adolescents and young women. |
 | Nuclear medicine imaging monitors effectiveness of therapy for melanoma patientsNuclear medicine imaging with PET/CT can monitor the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatment for metastatic melanoma and predict outcome. In this way, a patient's therapy can be more effectively tailored to his or her personal response. |
 | Michigan's first patient treated with thalamic deep brain stimulation for epilepsyA 32-year-old man is the first in Michigan with a complete Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system surgically implanted for the treatment of epilepsy. Neurosurgeon Jason Schwalb, M.D., with help from the team at the Henry Ford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, implanted targeted electrodes in Steven Rennie's brain on Feb. 12, and a pacemaker-like device known as an internal pulse generator in his chest on Feb. 28. |
Niger busts fake medicines labPolice in Niger said Tuesday they had closed down a lab in the capital Niamey making bogus drugs and fake beauty products for sale in local markets and neighbouring Nigeria. | |
 | FDA chief Scott Gottlieb steps down after nearly 2 yearsFood and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is stepping down after nearly two years leading the agency's response to a host of public health challenges, including the opioid epidemic, rising drug prices and underage vaping. |
Biology news
 | Biologists experimentally trigger adaptive radiationWhen naturalist Charles Darwin stepped onto the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he encountered a bird that sparked a revolutionary theory on how new species originate. From island to island, finches had wildly varied beak designs that reflected their varied diets. The so-called Darwin's finches are an emblem of adaptive radiation, which describes when organisms from a single lineage evolve different adaptations in response to competitors or predators. |
 | Electrical signals kick off flatworm regenerationUnlike most multicellular animals, planarian flatworms can regrow all their body parts after they are removed. This makes them a good model for studying the phenomenon of tissue regeneration. They are also useful for exploring fundamental questions in developmental biology about what underlies large-scale anatomical patterning. |
 | Global analysis of billions of Wikipedia searches reveals biodiversity secretsAn international team of researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Birmingham and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have found that the way in which people use the internet is closely tied to patterns and rhythms in the natural world. This finding, publishing March 5 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology suggests new ways to monitor changes in the world's biodiversity. It also reveals new ways to see how much people care about nature, and which species and areas might be the most effective targets for conservation. |
 | Tricks to reduce DNA base editor's mistakesResearchers at the Center for Genome Engineering, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, South Korea) have identified the mistake rate of DNA editing tools known as adenine base editors, which are based on CRISPR. Assessing the genome-wide target specificity of these innovative techniques is essential to harness their applications in clinics and biotechnology. The findings were published in Nature Biotechnology. |
 | Small brains, big picture: Study unveils C. elegans' microscopic mysteriesIt's the small pieces that make the big picture, and in this case, the pieces can't be seen by the naked eye. New research at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) used microscopy techniques to piece together the brain of the millimeter-long Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing that their neurons fire action potentials—a spike in voltage when neurons transmit sensory information in the cell membrane. Their results could lead to better understanding of nerve signal transmission in the organism and serve as a future model for neuronal information processing in other animals, including humans. |
 | Harnessing synthetic biology to co-produce high-value terpenoid biomaterials and biofuel in plantsMichigan State University scientists have developed synthetic biology tools to co-produce high-value compounds in plants. The study is published today in the journal Nature Communications. |
 | The expanding universe of methane metabolisms in archaeaMethane is a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Billions of years ago, methane-producing archaea likely played a key role in determining the composition of the Earth's atmosphere and regulating the global climate for life to flourish. |
 | How new species arise in the seaFor a new species to evolve, two things are essential: a characteristic—such as a colour—unique to one species and a mating preference for this characteristic. For example, individuals from a blue fish species prefer blue mates and individuals from a red fish species prefer red mates. If the two species interbreed, the process of sexual recombination is expected to destroy the coupling between colour and mate preferences and form red individuals with a preference for blue mates and vice versa. This will prevent the two species from diverging, and this is one of the reasons why it has been thought for a long time that new species can only evolve in absolute isolation, without interbreeding. |
 | Modern beer yeast emerged from mix of European grape wine, Asian rice wine yeastFor thousands of years brewers made beer using specialized strains of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The historical origins of brewer's yeast are not well understood, however, as brewing predates the discovery of microbes. A new study publishing March 5 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, led by Justin Fay at the University of Rochester, shows that modern brewing strains were derived from a mixture of European grape wine and Asian rice wine strains. This finding points to the emergence of beer yeast from a historical East-West transfer of fermentation technology, similar to the transfer of domesticated plants and animals by way of the Silk Route. |
Study: Climate change is leading to unpredictable ecosystem disruption for migratory birdsUsing data on 77 North American migratory bird species from the eBird citizen-science program, scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology say that, in as little as four decades, it may be very difficult to predict how climate change will affect migratory bird populations and the ecosystems they inhabit. Their conclusions are presented in a paper published in the journal Ecography. | |
 | Thirteen mammal extinctions prevented by havensA stocktake of Australia's animal havens – conservation areas free of cats and foxes – has found that they have already prevented 13 mammal extinctions. |
 | In search of new 'sugar cleavers'Complex sugars play multiple and essential roles in the living world as structural elements (cellulose), reserve substances (starch), and molecular signals (such as those of blood types), among others. This variety of functions is based on structures that are equally diverse, due to a multiplicity of building blocks and the different ways in which they can be arranged. The degradation of these carbohydrates therefore requires a variety of specific enzymes, which are far from being identified in their entirety, especially in the microbial world: the human genome contains only a dozen, but our intestinal microbiota has 60,000-70,000! |
 | Biodiversity crisis: Technological advances in agriculture are not a sufficient responseRapid population and economic growth are destroying biological diversity—especially in the tropics. This was reported by a research team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in Nature Ecology & Evolution. A growing demand for agricultural products requires new cultivated areas. Even though technological advances are making agriculture more efficient, growing populations quickly absorbs these increases. According to the study, an effective nature conservation policy needs concepts to curb population growth and for sustainable consumption. |
 | Male dolphins swim in family bachelor groupsWhen it comes to wooing the 'ladies," it turns out male bottlenose dolphins seem to employ similar tactics to some human groups. |
 | Adders are facing near extinction in Britain according to study of national adder population trendsThe adder could all but disappear from the UK countryside by 2032, according to new research conducted with the help of citizen scientists. |
 | Large and branched root systems can speed up growth of sprucesThe growth rate of trees varies: some trees grow slower and others faster by nature. The amount of nutrients and water a tree receives depends on its root system and the symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi growing in the root system. Earlier studies have determined that fast-growing spruce clones have more diverse selection of symbiotic fungi in their root systems. One cannot determine based on this result whether the diversity is the underlying reason for the fast growth rate or its consequence, however. |
Dingoes should remain a distinct species in AustraliaSince the arrival of British settlers over 230 years ago, most Australians have assumed dingoes are a breed of wild dog. But 20 leading researchers have confirmed in a new study that the dingo is actually a unique, Australian species in its own right. | |
 | Owls against owls in a challenge for survivalScientists are puzzling out how to address the declining numbers of northern spotted owls (NSO) in their Pacific Northwest forest habitat. A new study in the Ecological Society of America's journal Ecological Applications explores the reasons why spotted owls are losing a foothold in their habitat, forecasts future habitat conditions and species interactions, and suggests best management practices. |
 | Zymography shows only 20% of soil ferments—biologists report solutionRUDN pedologists improved the method of zymography used to evaluate the activity of ferments in the soil. The researchers found out that the standard method was imprecise and suggested improvements to it. The development would broaden the range of tasks that can be solved using zymography. The results of the experiments were described in Soil Biology and Biochemistry. |
 | Caught in the crossfire – Tapirs in tiger territoryWhen we hear scientists talking about accidental bycatch, we tend to think of turtles entangled in fishing nets, or an albatross impaled on a longline trawler's fish hook. |
This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile
No comments:
Post a Comment