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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 31, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Study provides new insights into stellar population and gas outflow in the central region of NGC 1068A new study conducted by French astronomers has delivered new insights about central stellar population and gas outflow in the spiral galaxy NGC 1068. Results of the research, presented in a paper published May 22 on arXiv.org, could be essential in improving our knowledge about physical processes taking place in the inner region of this galaxy. |
 | ExoMars orbiter prepares for Rosalind FranklinOn 15 June, the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) will follow a different path. An "Inclination Change Maneuver' will put the spacecraft in an altered orbit, enabling it to pick up crucial status signals from the ExoMars rover, Rosalind Franklin, due to land on the Red Planet in 2021. |
 | Spitzer captures stellar family portraitIn this large celestial mosaic taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, there's a lot to see, including multiple clusters of stars born from the same dense clumps of gas and dust. Some of these clusters are older than others and more evolved, making this a generational stellar portrait. |
 | SpaceX says 60 Starlink satellites will grow harder to seeSpaceX said Friday that the first 60 satellites in its "Starlink" constellation, which is intended to provide internet from space, will be less and less visible from Earth as they reach their final orbit. |
 | NASA plans to send equipment to Moon from 2020For the first time since the 1970s, the United States is planning to send equipment to the surface of the Moon in 2020 and 2021, in anticipation of a crewed lunar mission in 2024, NASA said Friday. |
 | A European mission control for the Mars roverThe ExoMars rover has a brand new control center in one of Europe's largest Mars yards. The Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) was inaugurated today in Turin, Italy, ahead of the rover's exploration adventure on the Red Planet in 2021. |
 | Flashes on the moonIt happens several times a week. Sometimes it is only short flashes of light that appear on the surface of the moon. Other light phenomena on the Earth's satellite can last longer. And sometimes there are also places that darken temporarily. |
 | Image: Hubble sees a galaxy bucking the trendThis luminous orb is the galaxy NGC 4621, better known as Messier 59. As this latter moniker indicates, the galaxy is listed in the famous catalog of deep-sky objects compiled by French comet-hunter Charles Messier in the 18th century. However, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Koehler is credited with discovering the galaxy just days before Messier added it to his collection in 1779. |
Technology news
 | Maestro: a new attack that orchestrates malicious flows with BGPResearchers at the University of Tennessee have recently identified the Maestro attack, a new link flooding attack (LFA) that leverages plane traffic control engineering techniques to concentrate botnet-sourced distributed denial of service (DDos) flows on transit links. In their paper, recently published on arXiv, the researchers outlined this type attack, tried to understand its scope and presented effective mitigations for network operators who wish to insulate themselves from it. |
 | Shared control allows a robot to use two hands working together to complete tasksA team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin and the Naval Research Laboratory has designed and built a robotic system that allows for bimanual robot manipulation through shared control. In their paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the group explains the ideas behind their work and how well they worked in practice. |
 | Hydrogen-power electric flying vehicle: Long road to liftoffA transportation company is betting its sleek new hydrogen-powered electric flying vehicles will someday serve as taxis, cargo carriers and ambulances of the sky, but experts say they will have to clear a number of regulatory hurdles before being approved for takeoff years in the future. |
 | Patent talk: Apple has foldables, durability on its mindFact of life: Consumers chase the new and shiny, at least enough of them to justify constant trade-ins and barely necessary purchases. |
 | An AI taught itself to play a video game and now it's beating humansSince the earliest days of virtual chess and solitaire, video games have been a playing field for developing artificial intelligence (AI). Each victory of machine against human has helped make algorithms smarter and more efficient. But in order to tackle real world problems—such as automating complex tasks including driving and negotiation—these algorithms must navigate more complex environments than board games, and learn teamwork. Teaching AI how to work and interact with other players to succeed had been an insurmountable task—until now. |
 | Hyphens in paper titles harm citation counts and journal impact factorsAccording to the latest research results, the presence of simple hyphens in the titles of academic papers adversely affects the citation statistics, regardless of the quality of the articles. The phenomenon applies to all major subject areas. Thus, citation counts and journal impact factors, commonly used for professorial evaluations in universities worldwide, are unreliable. |
 | Solar energy expert shares blueprint for a carbon-free future in PV-tech powerLast year, California set the nation's most ambitious energy goal—deriving 100 percent of its electrical power from renewable sources by 2045. Many other states have since joined with similar goals, including New York, with Gov. Cuomo's "Green New Deal" calling for 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040. |
 | To get a high-renewable electric grid, build more solar and wind than neededThe famous inventor Edwin Land said, "It's not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas." He seemed to be telling us that solutions lie just beyond our old habits of thinking. |
 | Deliveroo on trial in Madrid over workers' statusOnline food delivery group Deliveroo went on trial in Madrid on Friday, accused of wrongly hiring more than 500 of its riders as self-employed contractors instead of regular workers, which costs less for the firm. |
 | Uber posts $1 bn loss in Q1 on growing revenueRide share giant Uber on Thursday reported a $1 billion loss in the first quarter of this year despite rising revenue and monthly users. |
 | Empowering African farmers with dataWith a couple billion more people estimated to join the global population in the next few decades, world food production could use an upgrade. Africa has a key role to play: Agriculture is Africa's biggest industry, but much of Africa's agricultural land is currently underutilized. Crop yields could be increased with more efficient farming techniques and new equipment—but that would require investment capital, which is often an obstacle for farmers. |
 | ARCHANGEL: Securing UK national archives with AI and blockchainThe University of Surrey is using its state-of-the-art blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies to secure the digital government records of national archives across the globe—including the UK, Australia and the United States of America. |
 | Vulnerability of cloud service hardware uncoveredField-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are kind of like a computer manufacturer's Lego bricks: electronic components that can be employed in a more flexible way than other computer chips. Even large data centers that are dedicated to cloud services, such as those provided by some big technology companies, often resort to FPGAs. To date, the use of such services has been considered as relatively secure. Recently, however, scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) uncovered potential gateways for cyber criminals, as they explain in a report published in the IACR journal. |
 | Desalinating water in a greener and more economical wayWe know that excessive consumption, industrial activity and growth in the global population are some of the factors threatening access to drinking water for an increasing proportion of people around the world. According to UNESCO figures from 2012, almost 700 million people suffer from limited access to water—and that number could rise to 1.8 billion by 2025. Desalination and the treatment of industrial wastewater can produce large amounts of drinking water, and these methods are already used in many countries and regions such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China, Europe and the U.S.. However, existing systems are costly and use a lot of energy. Jeff Ong, from EPFL's Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis, has developed a water treatment machine that combines the benefits of all of the main technologies currently being used while offering improved performance. For example, the prototype removes more than 99.9 percent of the salt from seawater with the same throughput but using less energy. The system will be tested in real-world conditions this year. |
 | Understanding identity in online worldsFor Rosa Mikeal Martey, professor in Journalism and Media Communication, the relationship between identity in the offline world and identity construction in a virtual world has always been of research interest. For her dissertation, Martey studied gender identity and perception in online job applications. Her current research involves understanding how social norms develop in digital spaces. "I'm interested in the way people interact with, use, and respond to technology as they perform and craft those identities," she says. "Identity is a fluid category that emerges in different spaces and is influenced by the space itself." |
 | G20 digital tax takes step closerGlobal efforts to impose a unified tax policy on Google, Facebook and other internet giants have cleared a major hurdle ahead of a G20 summit in Japan, officials said Friday. |
 | Tornado outbreaks reminder to make smartphones disaster-readyTornadoes have torn their way across the country as the natural disaster season starts, leaving hundreds displaced from their homes and lives in disarray. |
 | Facebook loses bid to block landmark ECJ data security hearingIreland's supreme court on Friday dismissed a bid by Facebook to block a landmark data security case from progressing to the European Court of Justice. |
New mail and messaging tools expected for iPhones, WWDCNew iPhones won't be out until the fall. But Monday, we'll get a sneak peek at what new features Apple has planned for us, not just for the next models but recent iPhones and iPads as well. | |
 | Renault says board will meet Tuesday to respond to Fiat Chrysler bidRenault's board of directors will meet Tuesday to formulate its response to a merger proposal by Fiat Chrysler, which is likely to lead to talks aimed at creating the world's third-largest automaker, the company said. |
 | German government expands electric car incentive programThe German government is extending a system of incentives to buy electric cars by 18 months until the end of 2020. |
 | Sprint launches mobile 5G network in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Kansas CitySprint is still sweating out regulatory approval for its would-be merger with T-Mobile. |
Google's rebellious employees take aim at contractor firmsGoogle workers on Thursday expanded their rebellion against company practices, sending letters to three firms they say provide contract workers to Google, asking them to end mandatory arbitration for those workers. | |
 | Lab-grown diamonds: Technology is disrupting the diamond businessForget what you know about cubic zirconia, crystals and any simulated diamonds. This isn't about that. |
 | Report: Huawei cuts meetings with US, sends US workers homeThe Financial Times reported Friday that tech giant Huawei has ordered its employees to cancel technical meetings with American contacts and has sent home numerous U.S. employees working at its Chinese headquarters. |
 | Mark Zuckerberg's security chief faces racism complaintThe head of personal security for Mark Zuckerberg was on leave Friday pending a probe into complaints of sexual harassment and racism, some of it involving the Facebook chief's wife. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Changes to immune genes link paternal smoking with childhood asthmaChildren exposed to paternal tobacco smoking before birth are more likely to develop asthma—and associated changes to immune genes predict the level of risk. |
 | Research deepens understanding of gut bacteria's connections to human health, diseaseResearchers at Oregon State University have made an important advance in understanding the roles that gut bacteria play in human health. |
 | International team identifies potential therapeutic target for sepsisAn international collaboration led by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center has identified a potential new therapeutic target for sepsis, a life-threatening disease that can quickly spread through the body damaging organs. |
 | A small electrical zap to the brain could help you retrieve a forgotten memoryA study by UCLA psychologists provides strong evidence that a certain region of the brain plays a critical role in memory recall. The research, published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, also shows for the first time that using an electrical current to stimulate that region, the left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex, improves people's ability to retrieve memories. |
 | Improved diabetes in spite of obesityEating too much fat and sugar causes weight gain and reduced health. But why is that, and is there a remedy? In a study published in the journal Cell, Prof. Jens Brüning's research group at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne has shown that altering fat metabolism in the liver can make obese mice thinner despite eating an unhealthy diet. The process also improves the glucose metabolism of the mice. This is achieved by switching off a protein called ceramide synthase 6. |
 | The flu virus's ability to mutate may sometimes be its downfallOne of influenza virus's main weapons is actually a double-edged sword. |
 | Scientists develop gel-based delivery system for stem cell-derived factorsIn ongoing research to find a treatment for acute kidney injury, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) scientists have further advanced a promising approach using therapeutic factors produced by stem cells by creating a more efficient delivery method that would improve tissue regeneration. |
 | Radio-wave therapy proves effective against liver cancer cellsA new targeted therapy using non-thermal radio waves has been shown to block the growth of liver cancer cells anywhere in the body without damaging healthy cells, according to a study conducted by scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Health. |
 | Certain antidepressants could provide treatment for multiple infectious diseasesSome antidepressants could potentially be used to treat a wide range of diseases caused by bacteria living within cells, according to work by researchers in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and collaborators at other institutions. |
 | Children who nap are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems: studyAsk just about any parent whether napping has benefits and you'll likely hear a resounding "yes," particularly for the child's mood, energy levels, and school performance. New research from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Irvine, published in the journal Sleep backs up that parental insight. |
 | Astrocytes protect neurons from toxic buildupAstrocytes are overtaxed neurons' pit crew. |
 | Dating app users may be more likely to control their weight in unhealthy waysUse of dating apps may be associated with an increased risk of unhealthy weight control behaviors, including vomiting, laxative use, or diet pill use, a study in the open access Journal of Eating Disorders suggests. |
 | 40-50% response rate for brigatinib after other next-gen ALK inhibitorsCrizotinib was the first drug licensed to treat ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (ALK+ NSCLC). Since then, a range of next-generation ALK-inhibitors including ceritinib, alectinib, and brigatinib have earned FDA approval as second-line therapies after treatment with crizotinib. However, each of these next-generation ALK-inhibitors can also be used in the first-line setting, and an important question becomes which, if any, remain useful when given after another next-generation drug? A study by the Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigators' Consortium (ATOMIC) presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2019 shows 40 percent response rate in 20 patients treated with brigatnib after first-line treatment with another next-gen ALK inhibitor (ASCO abstract 9027). A French retrospective study of 104 patients also presented at ASCO similarly demonstrated a 50 percent response rate in patients treated with brigatinib after two previous lines of ALK inhibitor therapy. |
 | To curb infection, bacteria direct their defenses against themselvesSometimes, the best defense against hostile invaders is a good, long nap. Or at least, that strategy seems to work for bacteria. |
 | Child deaths in Brazil fall following comprehensive smoking banChild deaths have fallen in Brazil following complete smoking bans in public places, according to a new study. |
 | Classification system based on co-occurring conditions may provide insight into autismChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often affected by co-occurring conditions, such as epilepsy, immune disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and developmental delays. According to research published today in Autism Research, creating a classification system for ASD based on co-occurring conditions could provide useful insights into the underlying mechanics of ASD and these conditions. |
 | Most biomedical research is done on male animals—that's a public health problemAccording to 60 years of scientific research, when rats are scared, they freeze. Or at least, the male rats do. |
 | Scientists trial 'pregnancy test' for chest infectionA new test which could detect your risk of getting a chest infection in minutes has been trialed by scientists at the University of Dundee. |
 | A common skin bacterium put children with severe eczema at higher risk of food allergyIn a new study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, scientists from King's College London have found that young children with severe eczema infected with Staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacterium, are at a higher risk of developing a food allergy. |
 | Amid fentanyl crackdown, Mexico risks 'balloon effect'President Donald Trump says China's new ban on all fentanyl-related substances will be a "game-changer" in the deadly US opioid crisis, but experts warn it may just shift production elsewhere—particularly Mexico. |
 | US risks losing measles elimination status with record casesThe United States risks losing its measles "elimination status" if current outbreaks continue, US health authorities said Thursday. |
 | Why thousands are getting hit with unexpected medical billsHardly a week goes by without another story in the media covering a family somewhere in America dealing with an outrageous medical bill. Yet, in more and more cases, these families don't have junk insurance, or lack coverage altogether. Indeed, they have what Americans would consider decent coverage, either through their employer or an Affordable Care Act marketplace. They also followed, or so they thought, the rules of their insurance policy requiring them to seek care inside their provider network. Yet, they are slapped with surprise bills, and often threatened by bankruptcy. |
 | Study links racism to chronic inflammation and disease risk among African AmericansA new study indicates that racism is toxic to humans. |
 | Early genome catastrophes can cause non-smoking lung cancerCatastrophic rearrangements in the genome occurring as early as childhood and adolescence can lead to the development of lung cancer in later years in non-smokers. This finding, published in Cell, helps explain how some non-smoking-related lung cancers develop. |
 | Companies report progress on blood tests to detect cancerA California company says its experimental blood test was able to detect many types of cancer at an early stage and gave very few false alarms in a study that included people with and without the disease. |
 | Naked mole rat genes could hold the secret to pain relief without opioidsAnyone with an annoying roommate story knows that a difficult living situation can change you in many ways. Now, imagine that instead of just eating all of your food from the refrigerator, that annoying roommate could actually cause genetic changes designed to make the "future you" more tolerant of their behavior. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, this is exactly what has happened in the case of some African rodent species that live in harsh conditions characterized by acidic air, stinging insects and pungent food sources. |
 | The pitfalls of too much screen timeToo much screen time can cause health problems for an adult. Insomnia, social disconnection and lack of exercise are just a few. Mix it with the turmoil of teen years—or the plasticity of a preschooler's brain—and it can lead to conditions ranging from obesity to mental health disorders. |
 | Yoga improves health in later life, study saysOlder adults who practice yoga are more likely to be in better mental and physical shape, research suggests. |
 | Most preventive antibiotics prescribed by dentists are unnecessaryA new study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and published in JAMA Network Open has found that 81% of antibiotics prescribed by dentists—who are among the top prescribers in the U.S., accounting for about 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions—to prevent infections prior to dental visits are unnecessary. |
 | Seven key health measures help predict future risk of heart diseaseSeven key measures of heart health may help predict future risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers. They added that improving these measures may also help decrease the risk of CVD in the future. |
 | Media reporting of unused opioid medication disposalProper and timely disposal of unused prescription opioid medication can prevent accidental overdose or misuse of these medicines. However, the debate surrounding unused opioid medicines and whether people can flush unused medicines down the toilet or drain—especially when it comes to environmental harm—can make proper disposal confusing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends toilet or drain disposal of a small subset of pain medicines when a drug take-back program is not readily available, primarily due to the risk to human health from accidental exposure or misuse. |
 | How the enzyme lipoxygenase drives heart failure after heart attacksHeart failure after a heart attack is a global epidemic leading to chronic heart failure pathology. About 6 million people in the United States and 23 million worldwide suffer from this end-stage disease that involves dysfunction of the heart, a change that clinicians call cardiac remodeling. Despite medical advances, 2 to 17 percent of patients die within one year after a heart attack due to failure to resolve inflammation. More than 50 percent die within five years. |
 | Examining perceptions of accessibility symbolsRecent research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Occupational Therapy has assessed individual comprehension and perceptions of nine existing and newly created accessibility pictograph symbols, and it identified one that represented universal access to fitness equipment. |
 | We don't have a cure for monkeypox virus, but the body can heal itselfNews of a recent case of monkeypox in Singapore has made countries in Southeast Asia wary about the spread of the disease. |
 | How to make anti-smoking campaigns more persuasiveThe damaging effects of smoking on our health are well known, and governments are curbing tobacco advertising to reduce the number of smokers. But, in Indonesia, the number of teens and adults who smoke continue to grow at a rate higher than any other country. |
 | Could a Mediterranean diet and exercise reduce dementia risk?Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are launching a new study to see whether eating a Mediterranean-style diet and being more active could improve brain function and reduce dementia risk. |
 | A new molecular mechanism could explain the origins of the depressive symptoms in Huntington's diseaseAbout 40 percent of the affected patients with Huntington's disease—a neurodegenerative pathology- show depression symptoms, even in early stages before the apparition of the typical motor symptoms of the disease. An altered function of Cdk5 kinase—an essential enzyme in several cell signalling pathways- could explain the physiopathology of the depressive-like behaviour in Huntington's disease, according to a pre-clinical study in which the UB experts Sílvia Ginés, Verónica Brito, Albert Giralt and Jordi Alberch, from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UBNeuro) have taken part. |
 | The hidden but preventable epidemic of lung cancer in womenThe use of tobacco products, like smoking cigarettes, is the leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide. And lung cancer is still a leading cause of global deaths. |
 | Pancreatic cancer specialist explains treatment advances and challengesWith Alex Trebek's recent announcement that his pancreatic cancer is in remission, many people have wondered if this difficult cancer is now easier to treat. Pancreatic cancer remains a major cancer killer, but advances are happening. |
 | Childhood adversity linked to early puberty, premature brain development, mental illnessGrowing up in poverty and experiencing traumatic events like a bad accident or sexual assault can impact brain development and behavior in children and young adults. Low socioeconomic status (L-SES) and the experience of traumatic stressful events (TSEs) were linked to accelerated puberty and brain maturation, abnormal brain development, and greater mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis, according to a new study published this week in JAMA Psychiatry. The research was conducted by a team from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) through the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI). |
 | 3-D 'bioprinted' stem-cell tissue to be used to develop new ways to treat kidney disease3-D bioprinted stem-cell tissue could one day be used to treat end-stage kidney disease—the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the Royal Children's Hospital have announced that they will collaborate with a San Diego biotech company to create the bioprinted tissue. |
 | Hard food, strong jaw: Jawbone structure responds to forceful chewingResearchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University(TMDU), the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and Kyoto University found that mice that ate foods requiring higher chewing force showed increased bone formation, impacting jawbone shape. |
 | The magic behind the medalsWhen the Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen hung up her skis for the last time in April 2018, she was the winningest winter Olympian ever, with 8 Olympic gold medals, 18 world championship titles and 114 World Cup victories. |
 | Guidelines for managing anaphylaxis in children need an updateTreatment guidelines for managing anaphylaxis in children should be reassessed, according to a new Canadian study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. |
 | How much coffee is too much?(HealthDay)—From cappuccinos to cold brew, coffee is a morning must for many Americans, but is it healthy and how much is too much? |
 | FDA approves first test for Zika in human blood(HealthDay)—The first test to detect the Zika virus in human blood has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. |
 | Many immunosuppressed persons join in hurricane cleanup(HealthDay)—About half of immunosuppressed persons reported participating in cleanup activities following Hurricane Harvey, and less than half of those who performed heavy cleanup reported wearing a respirator, according to research published in the May 31 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Mammogram benefits seen as more important than harms(HealthDay)—Generally, women perceive the potential benefits of mammograms as more important than the potential harms, according to a study published in the June issue of Preventive Medicine. |
 | Pediatric nurse practitioner shortage looming(HealthDay)—There is a looming critical shortage of pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs), according to a white paper published in the May-June issue of the Journal of Pediatric Health Care. |
 | What's the deal with breakfast?(HealthDay)—A new research review published in the BMJ has added to the debate over the merits of breakfast. It has long been regarded as "the most important meal of the day"—and probably still is for growing children—but what about adults who are trying to lose weight? |
 | Researchers avoid 'messy' hormonal female mice, and that hurts womenIs sexism getting in the way of good science? |
 | Dog owners more active than others, study findsDog owners, maybe you already know this, but your furry friend might be making you more active. |
 | 'Miracle baby': Woman gets pregnant after having fallopian tubes removedElizabeth Kough had been pregnant before. She knew how it felt. She just couldn't believe it had happened this time. |
 | US holds CBD hearing as fans, sellers await legal clarityCBD products have surged in popularity despite confusion around their legal status . Now U.S. regulators are exploring ways to officially allow the hemp ingredient in food, drinks and dietary supplements. |
 | More than half of patients in pain management study took no opioids after operationsThe opioid epidemic has become a public health crisis in the U.S. While primary care physicians have been writing fewer opioid prescriptions over the last several years, new opioid prescriptions by surgeons increased 18 percent from 2010-2016. However, many surgeons are now diligently working to change their prescribing practices. One approach has been to try reducing excessive opioid prescriptions by exploring pain management strategies that include fewer or no opioids at all for surgical patients. |
 | Occupational hazards account for more than one in ten people with range of lung diseasesMore than 1 in 10 people with a range of non-cancerous lung diseases may be sick as a result of inhaling vapors, gas, dust or fumes at work, according to a joint American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society statement published in the ATS's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. |
 | Research reveals role of fat storage cells in anti-obesity interventionNew research from a team at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine establishes a role of adipocyte Na/K-ATPase signaling in worsening obesity and its companion diseases, including neurodegeneration and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), that was enhanced by specific targeting of NaKtide, an antagonist of Na/K-ATPase signaling, to the adipocyte. |
 | Violent video games, unlocked guns a dangerous combo for kids(HealthDay)—Shoot 'em up video games might be making your children far too comfortable with how they approach and handle real-life firearms, a new study argues. |
 | Is it fatigue or a stroke? Women shouldn't ignore these warning signsStroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., and women make up nearly 60% of all stroke deaths. |
 | Guidelines updated for radiotherapy after prostatectomy(HealthDay)—Clinical guidelines on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy have been updated, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Urological Association. |
 | Exercise, therapy may improve depression, diabetes outcomes(HealthDay)—Exercise and/or behavioral treatment interventions may provide clinically meaningful improvements in depression outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and major depressive disorder (MDD), according to a study published online May 21 in Diabetes Care. |
 | More opioids given than prescribed in emergency department(HealthDay)—The rate of emergency department visits with opioids only given during the visit is higher than the rate for visits with opioids only prescribed at discharge and for visits with opioids given and prescribed, according to a May data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics. |
 | Excess cause-specific mortality tied to chronic proton pump inhibitor use(HealthDay)—Taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with an excess of cause-specific mortality, according to a study published online May 30 in The BMJ. |
 | CDC: reported measles cases reach 971(HealthDay)—Five months into 2019, the number of measles cases in the United States has now reached 971, the largest number since 1992 when 963 total cases were reported for the year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. |
 | A new way to predict complications after larynx cancer surgeryA technique that illuminates blood flow during surgery predicted which head and neck cancer patients were likely to have issues with wound healing. It could enable surgeons to make adjustments during surgery or recovery to improve outcomes. |
 | Men who choose active surveillance for early prostate cancer often don't follow monitoring rulesPreliminary results from a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center study found that just 15 percent of a group of men in North Carolina with early-stage prostate cancer who choose active surveillance instead of treatment followed the recommended monitoring guidelines. |
 | Prescription drug costs steadily soar, yet price transparency is lackingAfter reviewing tens of millions of insurance claims for the country's 49 most popular brand-name prescription drugs, a team from Scripps Research Translational Institute found that net prices rose by a median of 76 percent from January 2012 through December 2017—with most products going up once or twice per year. |
Clinical calculator could spare breast cancer patients five years of unnecessary hormone therapyNew research confirms that an algorithm, called CTS5, can accurately identify patients who are at a significantly low risk of their breast cancer returning at a later stage. In doing so it means some patients may need to take hormone therapy for five years, rather than 10, something that researchers say could have a huge impact both psychologically and physically. | |
Health progress threatened by neglect of genderThe Sustainable Development Goals offer the prospect of ensuring healthy lives for the world's population by 2030. But this ambition will not be realised without eliminating gender inequality and changing society's attitudes to women and men. | |
 | Who are the 1 in 4 American women who choose abortion?The abortion debate is at the center of U.S. political dialog. Voices from both sides flood social media feeds, newspapers, radio and television programs. |
 | A novel psychotherapeutic approach to schizophrenia based on psychological well-beingA randomized controlled trial published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics introduces a new psychotherapeutic approach to schizophrenia, based on psychological well-being. Negative symptoms are frequent in patients with schizophrenia and are associated with marked impairments in social functioning. The efficacy of drug-based treatments and psychological interventions on primary negative symptoms remains limited. |
 | Novel approach to test the adverse impacts of man-made chemical mixturesConcerns over our seemingly constant exposure to chemical mixtures of all kinds have been growing in the past two decades. This is because endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in various materials such as pesticides, metals, additives in food and personal care products are believed to be associated with various health risks. These include altered reproductive function in males and females, increased incidence of breast cancer, abnormal growth patterns and neurodevelopmental delays in children. |
Pre-surgical immunotherapy shows promise in trial for patients with early stage lung cancerFor patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pre-surgical "neoadjuvant" treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor was well tolerated and, in many cases, caused significant tumor cell death in a large, multicenter clinical trial involving investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and nine other research centers. Interim results of the trial will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. | |
 | Variations on the plank: popular exercise for your core(HealthDay)—The plank is one of the most popular exercises, surpassing sit-ups and crunches for effective core work. |
 | Can cannabinoids help treat obsessive-compulsive disorder?The body's endocannabinoid system, due to the critical role it plays in regulating neurotransmitter signaling, is an enticing target for drug development against disorders associated with anxiety, stress, and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A comprehensive new review article that provides an overview of this complex system, endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids, results of animal studies and human trials to date, and recommendations for future directions is published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. |
 | Finally, a tool to predict response to chemotherapy before bladder cancer surgeryUniversity of Colorado Cancer Center led clinical trial data show that a predictive tool called COXEN may show which bladder cancer patients will respond to pre-surgical chemotherapy, a step towards allowing doctors to offer such chemotherapy to patients likely to respond, while moving more efficiently to other treatment options with patients unlikely to benefit. Results will be presented Monday, June 3 at 8:00am as oral abstract at the 2019 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (ASCO abstract #4506). |
Biology news
 | A combination of agrochemicals shortens the life of bees, study showsA new study by Brazilian biologists suggests that the effect of pesticides on bees could be worse than previously thought. Even when used at a level considered nonlethal, an insecticide curtailed the lives of bees by up to 50 percent. The researchers also found that a fungicide deemed safe for bees altered the behavior of workers and made them lethargic, potentially jeopardizing the survival of the entire colony. |
 | Billions of fungi belong to just a few types (and some are carnivorous)Pick up a handful of soil and you'll be holding a vast, rich community of microbes numbering in their billions. Scientists have recently begun to analyze the microbial "fingerprint" of these organisms to determine which types and how many of each are present. |
 | New records show spread of parasitic deer flies across the U.S.With flattened bodies, grabbing forelegs and deciduous wings, deer keds do not look like your typical fly. These parasites of deer—which occasionally bite humans—are more widely distributed across the U.S. than previously thought, according to Penn State entomologists, who caution that deer keds may transmit disease-causing bacteria. |
 | Bird personalities influenced by age and experience, study showsDifferences in the personalities of birds are related to both age and experience, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists. |
 | New tool reveals how the different shapes of organisms growA new tool has been created to explain how tissue growth leads to the range of plant and animal forms we see around us. |
 | Native plant species may be at greater risk from climate change than non-nativesAs spring advances across the Midwest, a new study looking at blooming flowers suggests that non-native plants might outlast native plants in the region due to climate change. |
 | Scientists demonstrate plant stress memory and adaptation capabilitiesRussian and Taiwanese scientists have discovered a connection between the two signaling systems that help plants survive stress situations, demonstrating that they can remember dangerous conditions that they have experienced and adapt to them. This memory mechanism will help improve agricultural plants, making them more resistant to drought, flooding, high humidity and extreme temperatures. |
 | Tree of life brought to scale by Yale scientistsExamples of biological scaling are everywhere. The paw of a mouse is smaller than the human hand. Our own organs and limbs typically scale with our body size as we develop and grow. |
 | In hot pursuit of dinosaurs: Tracking extinct species on ancient Earth via biogeographyOne researcher at the University of Tokyo is in hot pursuit of dinosaurs, tracking extinct species around ancient Earth. Identifying the movements of extinct species from millions of years ago can provide insights into ancient migration routes, interaction between species, and the movement of continents. |
 | Fighting malaria with fungi: Biologists engineer a fungus to be deadlier to mosquitoesBed nets. Insecticides. Sterile and genetically modified insects. Now scientists are adding a genetically engineered toxic fungus to the arsenal of weapons to wipe out mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite. |
 | Birds prefer to live in luxury than in poor areas, study findsA unique study of birdlife in South African cities has found that birds prefer wealthy areas to poorer ones but will move out if things get too cramped. The study was conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Turin, Italy and the Universities of Cape Town (UCT) and the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Their findings were published this week in the international journal of Global Change Biology. |
 | Nature's first aid kit: A fungus growing on the sides of birch treesIf you've ever stopped to admire a birch tree, you may unknowingly have something in common with a 5,300-year-old mummy called Ötzi. In 1991, hikers found Ötzi in an alpine glacier on the Austrian-Italian border, and perfectly preserved with him were pieces of fungus attached to leather cords, safely stowed in his bag. That fungus is the same one you can see growing on birch trees today: the birch polypore. |
 | Feds to investigate spike in gray whale deaths on West CoastU.S. scientists will investigate why an unusual number of gray whales are washing up dead on West Coast beaches. |
 | Seoul: North Korea confirms African swine fever outbreakSouth Korea said Friday that it is scrambling to prevent the spread of the highly contagious African swine fever on its pig industry after North Korea confirmed an outbreak at a farm near its border with China. |
30 dead deer found at Utah landfill starved, died of diseaseUtah officials have determined that more than 30 deer found near a landfill in northeastern Utah died from starvation, diseases and other causes. | |
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