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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 6, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Astronomers investigate star-forming processes in the young stellar object G29.862–0.044Astronomers have conducted a multiwavelength study of a young stellar object (YSO) known as G29.862–0.044, which provides more hints into star-forming processes. Results of the study, presented in a paper published April 24 on arXiv.org, could be important for improving our general knowledge about how stars form and evolve. |
 | Secrets of the 'blue supergiant' revealedBlue supergiants are the rock-and-roll stars of the universe. They are massive stars that live fast and die young which makes them rare and difficult to study, even with modern telescopes. |
 | Killer asteroid flattens New York in simulation exerciseAfter devastating the French Riviera in 2013, destroying Dhaka in 2015 and saving Tokyo in 2017, an international asteroid impact simulation ended Friday with its latest disaster—New York in ruins. |
SpaceX launches supplies to space station after power delaysSpaceX launched a load of supplies to the International Space Station on Saturday following a pair of power delays. | |
 | Two studies cast doubt on existence of exomoonTwo teams working independently have looked at the possibility of an exomoon circling the exoplanet Kepler-1625b, which orbits the star Kepler-1625. They report little to no evidence supporting its existence. One team, led by Laura Kreidberg, has written a paper describing their work, which is posted on the arXiv preprint server. Another team led by René Heller published a paper in the journal Astronomy Astrophysics. The team that announced possible evidence of the exomoon last year, led by Alex Teachey, has written another paper in response to the findings by the new researchers that is available on arXiv. |
 | SpaceX shipment reaches space station after weekend launchA SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station on Monday following a weekend launch. |
 | Japan's private rocket reaches outer space for first timeA Japanese aerospace startup funded by a former internet maverick successfully launched a small rocket into space Saturday, making it the first commercially developed Japanese rocket to reach orbit. |
 | Stop aging in spaceWrinkles, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a clumsy brain are all natural consequences of getting old. As our cells rust over time, a key to fighting chronic disease may be in tiny, smartly designed particles that have the potential to become an anti-ageing supplement. A European experiment seeking innovative antioxidants is on its way to space. |
 | Constellation of weather satellites to cover the globeWant more accurate weather forecasts? You're in luck: Last month, researchers at CU Boulder saw the fruits of their labors launch aboard a new satellite. That satellite is the first in a planned fleet of Earth-orbiters that the team says will one day record weather data at every point on the globe every 15 minutes. |
 | Six suborbital research payloads from MIT fly to space and backBlast off! MIT made its latest foray into research in space on May 2 via six payloads from the Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative, tucked into Blue Origin's New Shepard reusable space vehicle that took off from a launchpad in West Texas. |
 | Starlink's satellites will be orbiting at a much lower altitude, reducing the risks of space junkAmong Elon Musk's many plans for the future, one of the more ambitious has been the creation of a constellation of satellites that will offer broadband internet access to the entire world. Known as "Starlink," the company's long-term plan is to deploy over 12,000 internet satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO) by the mid-2020s. |
 | Image: Storm in the Teacup quasarThis image shows a quasar nicknamed the Teacup due to its shape. A quasar is an active galaxy that is powered by material falling into its central supermassive black hole. They are extremely luminous objects located at great distances from Earth. The Teacup is 1.1 billion light years away and was thought to be a dying quasar until recent X-ray observations shed new light on it. |
 | Recognising sustainable behaviourSolving the growing problem of space debris will require everyone who flies rockets and satellites to adhere to sustainable practices, which doesn't always happen. Now there will be a way to recognise those who do. |
 | Staying healthy longer in spaceFalling ill while traveling is an unfortunate yet common occurrence. Even a minor bug can ruin an entire trip. But for astronauts, getting sick on a long space voyage would have far more serious consequences than a little spoiled fun. |
Technology news
 | Portrait of a Google AI art project as a poetic youRoses are red violets are blue, AI writing poems? Can't be true. Or can it? And if so, how low can we go in expectations? Brush low expectations aside for now, as Google is on to something special, and that is, AI for self-portrait poetry. |
 | Supply-chain hack attacks are worrying investigatorsWhat do you know about supply-chain attacks? In January, an article in CSO said it's when a weak link in your enterprise security might lie with partners and suppliers. It's when someone infiltrates your system through an outside partner or provider with access to your systems and data. |
 | Google's AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speakerWhen Google launched its now distinctive digital assistant in 2016, it was already in danger of being an also-ran. |
 | AI can detect depression in a child's speechA machine learning algorithm can detect signs of anxiety and depression in the speech patterns of young children, potentially providing a fast and easy way of diagnosing conditions that are difficult to spot and often overlooked in young people, according to new research published in the Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics. |
 | Show your hands: Smartwatches sense hand activityWe've become accustomed to our smartwatches and smartphones sensing what our bodies are doing, be it walking, driving or sleeping. But what about our hands? It turns out that smartwatches, with a few tweaks, can detect a surprising number of things your hands are doing. |
 | No crime in Huawei 5G leak: British policeThe top-secret leak that Britain had conditionally allowed China's Huawei to develop its 5G network, which brought down the defence minister, does not amount to a criminal offence, police concluded Saturday. |
 | Boeing plane skids into Florida river in crash-landing, no fatalitiesA Boeing 737 skidded off a runway into a river after crash-landing during a lightning storm in Florida on Friday, officials said, with terrified passengers all safely evacuated to shore from the stricken jet's wings. |
 | Smart tech the new tool for African farmersHow do you manage the trick of feeding school children better and at a lower cost? |
 | Boeing didn't tell airlines that safety alert wasn't onBoeing said Sunday that it discovered after airlines had been flying its 737 Max plane for several months that a safety alert in the cockpit was not working as intended, yet it didn't disclose that fact to airlines or federal regulators until after one of the planes crashed. |
 | The Pakistani popcorn seller who built his own planeThe engine is from a roadcutter, the wings are burlap, the wheels are borrowed from a rickshaw: a popcorn seller has caught the attention of the Pakistan Air Force by building his own plane. |
 | Public dread of nuclear power limits its deploymentIn the ongoing effort to decarbonize U.S. energy production, there is one energy source that often attracts great controversy. Nuclear power has been a part of the American energy portfolio since the 1950s and still generates one in every five kilowatt-hours of electricity produced in the country. Still, for a number of reasons, including the association between radiation and cancer, the general public has long felt a significant dread about it. And this fear, suggest Carnegie Mellon University Department of Engineering and Public Policy Assistant Research Professor Parth Vaishnav, and Ahmed Abdulla of the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, may cause people to want less of this zero-carbon energy source in the nation's electricity generation mix than they otherwise would. |
 | GaN power ICs with integrated sensors for efficient charging of electric vehiclesA team of Fraunhofer researchers has succeeded in significantly enhancing the functionality of GaN power ICs for voltage converters: the researchers at Fraunhofer IAF integrated current and temperature sensors onto a GaN-based semiconductor chip, along with power transistors, freewheeling diodes and gate drivers. This development paves the way for more compact and efficient on-board chargers in electric vehicles. |
 | Artificial intelligence improves power transmissionTo integrate volatile renewable sources into the energy supply, capacities of the power grid have to be increased. The need for new lines can be reduced by better utilization of existing lines as a function of weather conditions. To this end, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) work on self-learning sensor networks to model the cooling effect of weather based on real data. In favorable conditions, the line's power transmission can be enhanced in this way. |
 | Smart pill bottle keeps drugs safeLow-cost, stretchy sensors can be assembled inside the lid of a drug container to help monitor patient safety. |
 | Six ways robots are used today that you probably didn't know aboutHow many times in the past week do you think your life was affected by a robot? |
 | How to manage your digital afterlife and why it mattersIf you were to die tomorrow, what would happen to your Facebook page? |
 | Why reducing carbon emissions from cars, trucks and ships will be so hardA growing number of cities, states and countries aim to dramatically reduce or even eliminate carbon emissions to avert catastrophic levels of climate change. |
 | Dynamic energy management system for SMBsSolar power, wind power and the lot – the growing use of renewable energy sources is resulting in substantial fluctuations in energy production. Fraunhofer researchers have now made it possible to design industrial processes in small and medium-sized businesses to be demand-responsive. This enables companies to maximize their use of green power from their own power plants, to respond to fluctuations, and, in the future, to contribute to stabilizing the energy supply. |
 | Electric vehicles: A new model to reduce time wasted at charging pointsOver half the time (61.4 percent) that electric vehicles spend connected to public charging stations, they're idly occupying a space that another car could use, according to a JRC-led study of e-vehicle charging times in the Netherlands. |
 | Microsoft offers software tools to secure elections (Update)Microsoft announced an ambitious effort it says will make voting secure, verifiable and subject to reliable audits. Two of the three top U.S elections vendors have expressed interest in potentially incorporating the open-source software into their proprietary voting systems. |
Offshore wind farm increased tourism on Block IslandResearchers at the University of Rhode Island who analyzed AirBnB rental data before and after construction of the Block Island Wind Farm have found that, contrary to some concerns, the turbines have increased tourism on the island. | |
 | Russian plane in deadly fire found few customers worldwideThe Aeroflot-operated SSJ100 passenger jet that caught fire during an emergency landing in Moscow is part of Russia's efforts to maintain a presence in civil aviation in a market dominated by companies like Boeing, Airbus and Embraer. |
 | Swiss court declares driver an Uber employeeA Swiss court has ruled that a former Uber driver was an employee of the ride-sharing firm, not an independent contractor, in a potentially landmark decision, the driver's lawyer said Monday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Researchers identify brain region activated by Pokemon charactersIf your childhood involved countless hours spent capturing, training and battling Pokémon, there may be a wrinkle in your brain that is fond of images of Wobbuffet, Bulbasaur and Pikachu. |
 | Unexpectedly big wins improve two kinds of memoryResearchers have discovered that instances in which outcomes are better than expected—finding an unexpectedly good parking spot, for example, or spotting a $20 bill on the sidewalk—improves memories of specific events. This is in addition to the long-established role that unexpectedly good outcomes have in influencing what are called integrated memories. |
 | A new approach to targeting tumors and tracking their spreadThe spread of malignant cells from an original tumor to other parts of the body, known as metastasis, is the main cause of cancer deaths worldwide. |
 | Form drives function in cancer proliferationA new study finds that the protein responsible for the crawling movements of cells also drives the ability of cancer cells to grow when under stress. |
 | Social media has limited effects on teenage life satisfactionResearchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), part of the University of Oxford, used an eight-year survey of UK households (Understanding Society, part of the UK Household Longitudinal Study) to study how long teenagers spent using social media on a normal school day and their corresponding life satisfaction ratings. |
 | Untangling a cancer signaling network suggests new roadmap to tumor controlIn this advanced age of molecular sleuthing, a research team led by Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center have findings that suggest tumors will eventually become resistant to drug inhibitors of a common cancer pathway (dubbed YAP/TAZ), now in preclinical development. But in the same study, published in Developmental Cell, they posit that pairing those inhibitors with another drug, now on the market, may deliver that desired fatal blow. |
 | A barrier that keeps cancer at bayActivins are proteins involved in a number of important biological functions, including the regulation of the menstrual cycle, cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism, homeostasis, immune response, wound repair, and endocrine function. |
 | Brain injury from low oxygen affects specific cells, study findsLow oxygen levels are a well-known cause of brain injury in premature babies. But the mechanism by which low oxygen hurts the developing human brain has been unclear. |
 | Prostate cancer patients with gene mutation at three times the risk of dyingScientists have identified a gene mutation in the tumours of men with prostate cancer that is linked to very poor survival—and which could be used to pick out patients for more intensive treatment. |
 | 'Google Maps' for cancer: Image-based computer model reveals finer details of tumor blood flowJohns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have developed something akin to a "Google Maps" approach for more accurately computing and visualizing the structural and functional blood vessel changes needed for tumor growth. By pairing high-quality 3-D imaging data of tumor specimens from animal models with sophisticated mathematical formulas, the researchers say they now have a model that accurately represents blood traffic inside tumors, including the complex blood flow, oxygenation and structural changes that occur. |
 | Rheumatoid arthritis drug diminishes Zika birth defects in miceIn experiments with pregnant mice infected with the Zika virus, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have successfully used a long-standing immunosuppressive drug to diminish the rate of fetal deaths and birth defects in the mice's offspring. |
 | Pushing early beta-cell proliferation can halt autoimmune attack in type 1 diabetes modelMany in-development cures for type 1 diabetes have understandably focused on tackling the autoimmune aspect of the disease before figuring out a way to replace the destroyed beta cells. But what if focusing on the beta cells first could prevent their destruction altogether? |
 | Researchers find protein that suppresses muscle repair in miceResearchers report that a protein known to be important to protein synthesis also influences muscle regeneration and regrowth in an unexpected manner. The discovery, reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could one day lead to new methods for treating disorders that result in muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass, the researchers said. |
 | Exercise may improve memory in heart failure patientsTwo-thirds of patients with heart failure have cognitive problems, according to research presented today at EuroHeartCare 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). |
Lung cancer: Less invasive surgery for faster recoveryEvery day, 78 Canadians receive a diagnosis of lung cancer, the most deadly form of cancer in the country. Some of them will have one of the lobes of a lung removed by thoracotomy, a common, but risky surgical procedure that requires months of recovery. However, a less invasive and safer surgical technique exists and could be used more widely. | |
'I'm here for breast cancer. Why are you talking to me about my heart?'Many physicians are not telling cancer patients about the cardiotoxicity risks of treatments and may not be fully aware of the dangers themselves. A new study reveals an urgent need to look after the hearts of these patients. The research is presented today at EuroHeartCare 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). | |
 | Excessive use of skin cancer surgery curbed with awareness effortSometimes a little gentle peer persuasion goes a long way toward correcting a large problem. |
 | Nearly half of public wrongly believe heart failure is normal in old ageLow awareness of heart failure among patients and the public is highlighted in surveys to be presented during Heart Failure 2019 the annual congress of the Heart Failure Association (HFA), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), taking place in Athens, Greece from 25 to 28 May. |
 | Program involving community volunteers shows promise for reducing health care use by seniorsIncorporating community volunteers into the health care system shows promise in reducing health care usage by older adults and shifting health care from hospitals to primary care, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). |
 | Fitness may affect risk of lung, colorectal cancer and survival likelihood after diagnosisIn a recent study, adults who were the most fit had the lowest risk of developing lung and colorectal cancer. Also, among individuals who developed lung or colorectal cancer, those who had high fitness levels before their cancer diagnosis were less likely to die compared with those who had low fitness levels. The findings are published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. |
 | Dataset bridges human vision and machine learningNeuroscientists and computer vision scientists say a new dataset of unprecedented size—comprising brain scans of four volunteers who each viewed 5,000 images—will help researchers better understand how the brain processes images. |
 | Feeling valued, respected appear most important for job satisfaction in academic medicineA survey of physicians in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Department of Medicine finds that feeling valued, being treated with respect and working in a supportive environment were the factors most strongly associated with job satisfaction. A report of the survey is being published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. |
 | Men taking medications for enlarged prostate face delays in prostate cancer diagnosisMen treated with medications for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) experienced a two-year delay in diagnosis of their prostate cancer and were twice as likely to have advanced disease upon diagnosis, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers. |
Direct dispensing of naloxone by pharmacists can cut opioid overdose deaths, study findsAllowing pharmacists to dispense the opioid antidote naloxone without a physician's prescription can sharply reduce the incidence of fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new RAND Corporation study. | |
 | External reference drug pricing could save medicare tens of billionsA new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that prices for brand-name prescription drugs averaged 3.2 to 4.1 times higher in the U.S. when compared with prices in the United Kingdom, Japan and the Canadian province of Ontario. The study also found that the longer the brand-name prescription drug was on the market, the greater the price differential. |
 | Heart failure deaths rising in younger adultsDeath rates due to heart failure are now increasing, and this increase is most prominent among younger adults under 65, considered premature death, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. |
 | A tasty twist on pasta and pesto(HealthDay)—Pesto is a delicious and fast pasta sauce. Because it can be made in advance and served cold, it's also a perfect do-ahead dish. |
 | How to protect your child from choking(HealthDay)—Eating solid foods is a milestone in your child's life. With the right precautions to reduce the risk of choking, you can make this a safe transition. |
 | The surprising lead cause of death for pregnant women(HealthDay)—A major medical group has issued new guidance on detecting and treating the leading cause of death in pregnant women and new mothers in the United States. |
 | Testosterone supplements not all they're cracked up to be(HealthDay News) —Buyer beware: When it comes to testosterone supplements, men should know a new study finds there is precious little evidence to support claims they will boost testosterone levels, sex drive, strength and overall energy. |
 | Does hormone therapy for prostate cancer raise dementia risk?(HealthDay)—When men with prostate cancer have to take drugs that block the testosterone fueling their tumors, they can suffer a host of side effects that include impotence, bone loss, heart trouble and obesity. |
 | Many kids with chronic illness are still happy: Study(HealthDay)—Many children deal with chronic health issues—but it doesn't mean they can't enjoy life as much as other kids, a new study finds. |
 | A question of timeA team led by the Freiburg biologists Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schamel and Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber conducted an experiment in which they controlled the duration of the interaction of a specific protein with T cells, a type of white blood cells, thereby showing how the immune system differentiates between self and non-self molecules. The scientists published their results in the journal eLife. |
 | Opioid crisis burning out doctors, study findsAs the opioid crisis take a deadly toll in human lives, the complex needs of patients in chronic pain are also leaving their doctors increasingly exhausted and overwhelmed, a new Western-led study says. |
 | How grunting influences perception in tennisExceeding noise levels of 100 decibels, the grunting sounds produced by some tennis players when hitting the ball are on a par with motorbikes or chainsaws. While fans react to these impressive exhalations with either annoyance or amusement, the habit has also been a source of intense debate among professionals. For instance, Serena Williams has said that she is not bothered by opponents grunting in the heat of the competition. In contrast, former world number one Martina Navratilova has complained that grunting masks the sound of the racket striking the ball, making it—unfairly—harder to predict the ball's trajectory. The question of whether this common complaint is justified has now been examined in a new study by a team of sport psychologists from Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, led by Dr. Florian Müller and Prof. Rouwen Cañal-Bruland. |
 | Early-stage detection of Alzheimer's in the bloodUsing current techniques, Alzheimer's disease, the most frequent cause of dementia, can only be detected once characteristic plaques have formed in the brain. At this point, therapy is no longer possible. However, the first changes caused by Alzheimer's take place among proteins up to 20 years earlier. A two-tier method developed at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) can detect the disease at a much earlier stage. The researchers from Bochum have published their report in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring. |
 | Study reveals amyloid clumps of a truncated p53 structure related to endometrial cancerBrazilian scientists identify the predominant presence of a truncated variant of the p53 protein in amyloid aggregates in endometrial cancer cells. Such structures are related to the progression of this tumor. |
 | 'Quality' father involvement plays big role keeping abused children away from drugsResearchers have long-known that abused children are at higher risk of adolescent drug use. But a new study shows that having a father in the picture serves as a "protective factor," helping to mitigate early childhood trauma. |
 | Breathing new life into respiratory supportNew research from Massey University's College of Health has shed light on how an emerging therapy for respiratory support works—something that could benefit patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and others that require acute or long-term respiratory support. |
 | Personal stories of mental illness can help others on the road to recoveryInspirational stories of how people have overcome their struggles with mental illness can help others on the road to recovery, a study by researchers at The University of Nottingham has found. |
 | More measles cases reported in Southern CaliforniaAn Orange County infant too young to have been vaccinated and a Long Beach man are the latest confirmed cases of measles in Southern California, officials said Saturday. |
 | Researchers identify a protein that protects against non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease describes several liver dysfunctions of varying severity characterised by the accumulation of fat in hepatic cells and not caused by high alcohol consumption. This disease, one of the most common in developed countries, affects around 25 percent of the population worldwide. A team at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has identified one of the factors that confer protection against this condition, namely the protein Mitofusin. |
| Almost half of people diagnosed with cancer find it hard to ask for help, as many fear being pitiedAccording to new research published by Race for Life today, nearly half (47 percent) of people diagnosed with cancer said they found it hard to ask for help from friends, family and colleagues after they were diagnosed, with 4 in 10 (43 percent) of those admitting they feared being pitied, followed by 3 in 10 (30 percent) naming pressure to stay strong around family and friends. This is despite 81 percent of respondents acknowledging they had a good support network of loved ones around them. |
 | For those with developmental disabilities, dental needs are great and good care is elusiveWhen Ava Terranove began feeling oral pain last July, her parents took her to her regular dentist. The dentist determined that Ava, who has a condition similar to autism, needed two root canal procedures to treat infected teeth. |
 | FDA to end program that hid millions of reports on faulty medical devicesThe Food and Drug Administration announced it is shutting down its controversial "alternative summary reporting" program and ending its decades-long practice of allowing medical device makers to conceal millions of reports of harm and malfunctions from the general public. |
 | Cardio-oncology services growing in number and demand(HealthDay)—Cardio-oncology is an emerging discipline and subspecialty in response to the rapidly growing number of patients with comorbid cardiovascular disease and cancer and the complexity of these conditions, according to a review published in the May 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
 | True grit more about passion than personality, study suggestsThe unrelenting determination often found in successful people appears to be a passion-specific quality and not necessarily an overall personality trait, according to new research from the University of Alberta. |
 | Caster Semenya's impossible situation: Testosterone gets special scrutiny but doesn't necessarily make her fasterA yearslong saga between a middle-distance runner and her sport's ruling body may be nearing something that resembles a conclusion. |
 | AUA: Atenolol linked to drop in low-, intermediate-risk prostate cancer(HealthDay)—Atenolol is associated with a reduction in incident intermediate- and low-risk prostate cancer (PCa), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 3 to 6 in Chicago. |
 | Improving the well-being of heart-failure patientsMany patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are anxious of the shock delivered by the device to stop life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia or fibrillation. First, the electric shock in the chest can be quite painful; second, to know one would possibly be dead without it, is an ambivalent experience. |
 | The taming of polio and the challenge of the fluThe now nearly global eradication of polio through vaccination is a testimonial to the enlightenment of humans dedicated to the alleviation of human disease. In the early 20th century, hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have been paralysed by polio annually. Even Franklin Delano Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio in 1921 —more than a decade before he became president of the United States. |
 | Major differences in the risk of transmission in measles outbreaksResearch that may come to affect contact tracing and infection control measures in future measles outbreaks has now been presented. A study of an outbreak of measles in Gothenburg, Sweden, a year ago shows large differences in the risk of transmission from one patient to another. |
 | New research uncovers how life-threatening fungal diseases adapt to survive in humansA new study from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research has uncovered how serious fungal infections grow in humans by conserving phosphate, highlighting a possible target for treatment. |
 | Researchers advance understanding of atrial fibrillation-related dementiaUniversity of Minnesota Medical School researchers have determined that atrial fibrillation (Afib) is independently associated with changes that occur with aging and dementia. |
 | Soy protein lowers cholesterol, study suggestsSoy protein has the ability to lower cholesterol by a small but significant amount, suggests a new study led by St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. |
 | Making a 'to do' list for trauma docsIn hospital trauma centers, where life-or-death decisions are made in seconds, fractions of a second it takes even the best doctors to remember "what's next?" could be pivotal. With the goal of saving time and lives, Drexel University researchers have been working with doctors from Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. to create and implement the first digital procedural checklist for trauma centers. |
Predicting whether surgery patients will continue to refill opioid 'scriptsAlthough opioids play a key role in reducing pain when recovering from surgery, some patients transition to chronic users and become dependent on them. In order to find out what situations result in patients continuing to refill their opioid prescriptions after a surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers scoured a database of more than 900,000 people who had a surgery scheduled and were prescribed opioids for the first time. | |
 | Researchers discover new diseaseA new immunodeficiency disease caused by a novel genetic mutation has been identified by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus providing unique insights into cell biology. |
Patients reading visit notes report striking benefit over timeA new study of more than 20,000 adult patients, led by Jan Walker, RN, MBA, co-founder of OpenNotes, found that reading office visit notes offers considerable benefits for patients, particularly those from underserved populations. The study, "OpenNotes After 7 Years: Patient Experiences With Ongoing Access to Their Clinicians' Outpatient Visit Notes" published today in the open access Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), is the first large-scale assessment to date of patients' experiences with a broad range of clinicians working in practices where shared notes are well established. | |
 | Immediate HIV treatment initiation: Increased but not yet universal in NYCA new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that immediate treatment initiation for HIV infection has improved since local and federal guidelines began to recommend universal treatment for all persons diagnosed with HIV, regardless of their disease stage. |
 | Huntington drug successfully lowers levels of disease-causing proteinAn international clinical trial has found that a new drug for Huntington disease is safe, and that treatment with the drug successfully lowers levels of the abnormal protein that causes the debilitating disease in patients. |
 | Clinical trial explores opening blood-brain barrier in fight against Alzheimer'sA new clinical trial at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and two other sites is testing an innovative procedure that may provide hope in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. |
 | Study presents drug candidate for reversing mucosal barrier damage by HIVA vaginal microbicide that could prevent sexual transmission of HIV-1 in women has tremendous potential for saving lives and helping staunch an epidemic. But the delicate milieu of microbes that naturally colonize the vagina and maintain a healthy mucosal barrier have made the search for such a microbicide challenging, thwarting clinical trials of the most promising candidates. |
 | Study finds lifestyle factors that could harden arteriesA new study from the University of Georgia pinpoints lifestyle factors that could lead to hardened arteries. |
 | Children with chronic illness can have normal life satisfaction(HealthDay)—Children with chronic illness have lower general health, but their life satisfaction is comparable to that of their peers without chronic illness, according to a study published online May 6 in Pediatrics. |
 | AUA: Marijuana tied to increased risk for LUTS medications in BPH(HealthDay)—Marijuana use is associated with both sperm functional defects and an increased risk for being on a lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) medication among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)/LUTS, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 3 to 6 in Chicago. |
 | Helping Asian-Americans fight their hidden heart risksAt first glance, Anh Vu Sawyer wouldn't appear to be someone at high risk for heart disease or stroke. |
 | E-cigarettes used in 5 percent of U.S. homes with kids(HealthDay)—As e-cigarettes gain fans, children may be losing out. New research suggests that vaping parents expose children to secondhand fumes that may be as harmful as tobacco smoke. |
 | Sunscreen chemicals enter bloodstream at potentially unsafe levels: study(HealthDay)—For years, you've been urged to slather on sunscreen before venturing outdoors. But new U.S. Food and Drug Administration data reveals chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the human body at levels high enough to raise concerns about potentially toxic effects. |
Reduction and loss of SNAP benefits tied to increased food insecurity and poor health among workingFamilies with young children who experienced a reduction or cutoff in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits because of increased income were more likely to experience food insecurity and report poor health following the benefit change, according to new research from Children's HealthWatch, based out of Boston Medical Center (BMC), and published in the May issue of Health Affairs. | |
 | Explainer: Why this Ebola outbreak is a special challengeMore than 1,000 deaths have now been confirmed in eastern Congo's Ebola outbreak, the second-worst in history behind the West African one in 2014-16 that killed more than 11,300 people. Attacks on health workers are badly complicating efforts to contain one of the world's most notorious diseases. At least 85 have been wounded or killed since January. |
 | Germany mulls fines to boost measles vaccination ratesGermany's health minister is proposing fines for parents of school-age children who haven't been vaccinated for measles amid concern that the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease could make a comeback. |
Evaluating the impact of user interface changes on time spent searching for prior examsThe upgraded picture archiving and communication system (PACS) improves over the prior system in reduced time spent searching for prior studies and total time spent reading studies, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI. | |
Comparison between clinicians' and radiologists' understanding and imaging of breast painClinicians need more education in the types of breast pain that necessitate an imaging workup and what imaging to order, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI. | |
Managing architectural distortion on mammography based on MR enhancementHigh negative predictive values (NPV) in mammography architectural distortion (AD) without ultrasonographic (US) correlate or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhancement suggests follow-up rather than biopsy may be safely performed, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI. | |
A survey of fourth-year radiology residents who took the 2018 ABR Core ExamResidents who passed the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Core Examination perceived the value of a range of preparation resources as higher than those who failed, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI. | |
Initial clinical experience of zero TE skull MRI in patients with head traumaZero TE (ZTE) skull magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be a possible option for clinical use in patients with skull lesions and may be helpful in managing radiosensitive trauma patients, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI. | |
Index that tracks impact of pharmaceuticals worldwide to relaunch, focus on more diseasesThe Global Health Impact Index, developed by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York to rank pharmaceutical companies based on their drugs' impact on global health, is launching a new, more-robust model that addresses even more diseases worldwide. | |
 | Five things to know about physician suicidePhysician suicide is an urgent problem with rates higher than suicide rates in the general public, with potential for extensive impact on health care systems. |
High rates of Indigenous people in jail is a health crisisThe overincarceration of Indigenous people in Canada is a health crisis, causing more years of life to be lost than premature death from heart disease, injuries and cancer, argues a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). | |
 | Autism gene linked to brain and behavior deficits in miceMice lacking the gene Shank3 display structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex, finds a study published in JNeurosci. The research advances our understanding of one of the most common genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorders. |
 | New model improves staging and risk predictions for esophageal cancer patientsEsophageal cancer patients with positive lymph nodes benefit from neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgical resection, but limitations in current clinical staging techniques mean lymph node metastases often go undetected preoperatively. A new nomogram for assessing metastatic risk, unveiled today at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery's 99th Annual Meeting, shows promise for more accurate risk-stratification, which is particularly relevant for stage T2 patients. |
Clinical trial shows promise for increasing lung transplant patients' life expectancyA new study, presented today at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery's 99th Annual Meeting, shows that a potential treatment for ischemia- reperfusion injury is safe for humans. Building upon three decades of preclinical animal studies, this NIH-funded trial demonstrated, for the first time, the safety of Regadenoson (an adenosine 2A receptor agonist) in human lung transplant patients. | |
New technique for minimally invasive lung cancer surgery—ultrasonic device safe, effectiveAccording to a new study, an ultrasonic vessel-sealing device can improve patient outcomes by reducing the incidence of thoracotomy conversion for VATS/robotic anatomical lung resection. The trial, which included patients in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, is the first to evaluate the use of ultrasonic sealing for lobectomy, the most common thoracic surgical procedure. | |
Trans-catheter aortic valve replacement can improve outcomes in low-risk surgical patientsFor patients with aortic stenosis that cannot be treated with medication, surgical (SAVR) and transcatheter (TAVR) aortic valve replacement can offer effective treatment. A new study, one of two on the topic released today at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery's 99th Annual Meeting, examines, for the first time, the effects of TAVR with a balloon-expandable valve for low-risk patients. | |
Mongolian couple dies of plague after eating raw marmot meatA Mongolian couple has died of the bubonic plague after eating raw marmot kidney, triggering a quarantine that left tourists stranded in a remote region for days, officials said Monday. | |
 | Generalist nurse practitioners and physician assistants may prescribe disproportionate share of opioidsIn an effort to identify which health care providers may be overprescribing opioids and potentially fueling the opioid epidemic, Johns Hopkins researchers looked at the different type of providers at the front lines of caring for patients—general practitioners. |
First in-vivo trial of subharmonic contrast-enhanced imaging for detection of PCaA new technique for imaging of microbubble ultrasound contrast agents may be useful in detection of prostate cancer (PCa) not found by multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI. | |
Biology news
 | Engineering artificial cell membranes to drive in situ fibrin hydrogel formationRe-engineering the cell membrane for improved biofunction is an emerging, powerful tool in cell biology to develop next-generation cell therapies. The process can allow users to supplement cells with added therapeutic functionalities. Additional functionalities can include cell homing, surface adhesion or resistance to hypoxia for enhanced cellular capabilities. However, the number of such examples on re-engineered plasma-membranes to activate membrane-bound enzymes that promote the assembly of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to promote cell functionalities are limited. |
 | Study reveals how social relationships transform bird flocksFlocks of birds may appear to move with a single mind, but new research shows jackdaws stick with their mates—even though it harms the flock. |
 | Female flies respond to sensation of sex, not just spermFemale fruit flies can feel when a sexual partner is a good fit. Scientists have long known that proteins in a male fly's ejaculate make female flies temporarily lose interest in other partners. It's a trick male flies use to raise the chance that eggs get fertilized with their sperm, not someone else's. But a new study suggests that the sensation of sex—regardless of sperm—can also make females reject other partners, researchers report May 6, 2019, in the journal Neuron. |
 | Rapid bacterial analysis and testing for antibiotic sensitivity demonstratedMedical professionals may soon be able to detect bacteria in patient samples in minutes rather than days thanks to a new approach that traps and tests single cells, according to a team of biomedical engineers. |
 | Banana disease boosted by climate changeClimate change has raised the risk of a fungal disease that ravages banana crops, new research shows. |
 | Even more amphibians are endangered than we thoughtAt least a quarter of the world's approximately 8,000 known species of amphibian are recognized as threatened and at risk of extinction. But due to a lack of data on many amphibian species, only about 44 percent of amphibians have up-to-date assessments on their risk of extinction, compared to nearly 100 percent of both birds and mammals. Now, researchers reporting May 6 in the journal Current Biology have used known ecological, geographical, and evolutionary attributes of these data-deficient species to model their extinction risk—and their assessment suggests that at least another 1,000 species are threatened. |
 | New computational tool enables powerful molecular analysis of biomedical tissue samplesSingle-cell RNA sequencing is emerging as a powerful technology in modern medical research, allowing scientists to examine individual cells and their behaviors in diseases like cancer. But the technique, which can't be applied to the vast majority of preserved tissue samples, is expensive and can't be done at the scale required to be part of routine clinical treatment. |
 | Failure to account for genetic variation can result in overestimating extinction riskNew research led by the University of Southampton has shown that the threat of range losses for some species as a result of climate change could be overestimated because of the ability of certain animals to adapt to rising temperatures and aridity. The researchers have now developed a new approach to more accurately determine vulnerability, which could aid conservation efforts by ensuring they are focussed on species most at risk. Their findings have been published today in the scientific journal PNAS. |
 | Let's mimic termite nests to keep human buildings coolWhen it comes to building sustainable buildings, humans have a lot to learn from termites. A recent study that colleagues and I published in Science Advances explains how some African termites maintain cool and stable temperatures in their nests throughout the year. The answer lies in the wall of the nests, composed of tiny but highly-connected pores. |
 | Messenger cells bring good news for bone healing, study findsHow do bones heal, and how could they heal better? The answer to these questions may lie in a newly discovered population of "messenger" cells, according to a recent USC Stem Cell study published in the journal eLife. |
 | Cryptic mutation is cautionary tale for crop gene editingEven in this "age of the genome," much about genes remains shrouded in mystery. This is especially true for "cryptic mutations"—mutated genes that are hidden, and have unexpected effects on traits that are only revealed when combined with other mutations. Learning from one infamous cryptic mutation in particular, researchers from CSHL share important lessons for breeding or gene editing in crops. |
 | Shipwrecks off NC coast harbor tropical migrantsTropical and subtropical fish are taking up residence on shipwrecks and other sunken structures off the North Carolina coast. This pattern may continue or even accelerate in coming years given predictions of warming oceans under climate change, a new study co-led by Duke University scientists suggests. |
 | UV lights on power lines may help save Sandhill cranesCrane species are declining around the world, and lethal collisions with power lines are an ongoing threat to many crane populations. Current techniques for marking power lines and making them more visible to cranes aren't always effective, but new research published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications shows that adding UV lights—to which many birds are sensitive—can cut crane collisions with power lines by 98%. |
 | Hopping bacteria—New look at behavior upends common assumptions about bacteriaCurrent biological models assume that many bacteria spread in a run-and-tumble pattern of diffusion, based on behavior in liquid laboratory cultures. But new research from Princeton University shows the tiny organisms actually use a hopping motion to move among tight spots in natural surroundings like the human intestine. |
Ash dieback is predicted to cost 15 billion in BritainA team of researchers from the University of Oxford, Fera Science, Sylva Foundation and the Woodland Trust has calculated the true economic cost of ash dieback—and the predictions, published today in Current Biology, are staggering. | |
 | Deer, invasive earthworms gang up to damage forested areasCase Western Reserve biologists say combined effect of two species could be harming Ohio's forest ecosystems; research could inform deer-park management |
 | It's time we stopped human evolution, geneticist claimsMeasles cases in the US have hit a 25-year high, with 78 new infections in the past week alone. In a sign of the times, a cruise ship with hundreds of Scientologists on board was quarantined in St Lucia after one passenger was diagnosed with the disease. It's the sort of news you can expect when parents stop vaccinating their children, which many did from the 1990s onwards for fear that scientists were foisting remedies on them that were more dangerous than the diseases themselves. |
 | Sexual aggression key to spread of deadly tumours in Tasmanian devilsTasmanian devils have a reputation as a fearsome animal – most of the time this is undeserved. When it comes to the mating season, however, it's a fair judgement. Between February and April, mating can be incredibly aggressive, with male and female devils prone to biting one another both during and after the act. |
 | Gray whales starving to death in the Pacific, and scientists want to know whyFrom Baja California to Puget Sound, scientists are seeing signs that gray whales are in distress. And they have no idea why. |
 | Sit! Seek! Fly! Scientists train dogs to sniff out endangered insectsThree very good dogs – named Bayar, Judd and Sasha – have sniffed out the endangered Alpine Stonefly, one of the smallest animals a dog has been trained to successfully detect in its natural habitat. |
 | Researchers discover new strain of canine distemper in wild animals in New Hampshire, VermontA distinct strain of canine distemper virus, which is a widespread virus of importance to wildlife and domesticated dogs, has been identified in wild animals in New Hampshire and Vermont, according to pathologists with the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the University of New Hampshire. No virus in this distinct subgroup of canine distemper virus has yet been reported in a domesticated dog. |
 | Red-legged frogs thriving in Yosemite after long absenceRed-legged frogs made famous by Mark Twain are thriving in Yosemite Valley after a decades-long absence. |
 | Homemade cat food diets could be riskyOne quick Google search can net hundreds of homemade cat food recipes, but a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, finds most are unlikely to provide cats all their essential nutrients. Some recipes could also contain ingredients potentially toxic to cats. |
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