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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 28, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Study corroborates the influence of planetary tidal forces on solar activityOne of the big questions in solar physics is why the sun's activity follows a regular cycle of 11 years. Researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), an independent German research institute, now present new findings, indicating that the tidal forces of Venus, Earth and Jupiter influence the solar magnetic field, thus governing the solar cycle. The team of researchers present their findings in the journal Solar Physics. |
 | Chandra finds stellar duos banished from galaxiesScientists have found evidence that pairs of stars have been kicked out of their host galaxies. This discovery, made using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, is one of the clearest examples of stellar pairs being expelled from their galactic base. |
 | Russian space sector plagued by astronomical corruptionWith millions of dollars missing and officials in prison or fleeing the country, Russia's space sector is at the heart of a staggering embezzlement scheme that has dampened ambitions of recovering its Soviet-era greatness. |
 | ExoMars PanCam filtersThis may look like a collection of colorful contact lenses, and in some respects there are some similarities: these are the filters through which the ExoMars rover—named Rosalind Franklin—will view Mars in visible and near infrared wavelengths. |
 | Getting ready for Mars on the Space StationFrom disrupted biological clocks to radiation and contamination hazards, Europe is running experiments on the International Space Station to take human exploration one step closer to Mars. |
 | Getting to Mars, whatever it takesSending manned missions to Mars is essential, according to Pierre Brisson, the president of Mars Society Switzerland, "because we can." We spoke with him about this challenge while he was at EPFL recently to give a talk. |
 | Lights in the sky from Elon Musk's new satellite network have stargazers worriedUFOs over Cairns. Lights over Leiden. Glints above Seattle. What's going on? |
 | Giant planets and comets battling in the circumstellar disk around HD 163296In a study appearing today in the Astrophysical Journal, an INAF-lead team of researchers explored whether the anomalous features in the dust and gas distributions of HD 163296's disk revealed by ALMA's observations could arise from the interaction of the giant planets with planetesimals, a component of the disk previously unaccounted for. |
 | Evidence of new magnetic transitions in late-type dwarfs from Gaia DR2Since the second Gaia data release on the 25th April 2018, astrophysicists have had at their disposal an unprecedented wealth of information not only on distances and motions of stars in the galaxy, but also on many other stellar parameters that came along by exploiting the instrumentation aboard the satellite and the unique characteristics of the mission. Multiple observations of the same star, required to derive its distance and motion, also produced parameters related to stellar variability. Data for stars with spots on the surface similar to those on our Sun, in particular, provide information on their rotation period and on their surface magnetic fields. Stellar spots generated by magnetic fields at the surface modulate the stellar brightness as it rotates, making it possible to derive the star's rotation period and to provide an indication of its magnetic activity. The large number of stars observed made it possible to produce, with just the first 22 months of Gaia observations, the largest dataset on rotation to date, with rotation period and modulation amplitude of some 150,000 solar-like stars. |
 | Stolen comets and free-floating objectsOur solar system may contain alien comets that were stolen from another star flying past 4.5 billion years ago. Far away in a distant cluster of young stars, a similar close encounter might have also sent the inter-stellar visitor "Oumuamua" flying on its way toward us, and there must be many more of these free-floating objects in the galaxy. These are results of a new study by astrophysicists at the University of Zurich. |
 | Ultra-small microbes exhibit extreme survival skills in Ethiopia's Mars-like wonderlandThe first study of ultra-small bacteria living in the extreme environment of Ethiopia's Dallol hot springs shows that life can thrive in conditions similar to those thought to have been found on the young planet Mars. An international team of researchers lead by Dr. Felipe Gómez from Astrobiology Center in Spain (CAB (CSIC-INTA)) has found a strain of the Nanohaloarchaeles Order bacteria embedded in samples taken from a salt chimney deposited by supersaturated water at temperatures of 89 degrees Celsius and at the extremely acidic pH of 0.25. |
 | Centuries-old drawings lead to better understanding of fan-shaped aurorasPhysics researchers and literature researchers have joined together to better understand the rare natural phenomenon of white and red auroras fanning across the night sky in Japan. Armed with drawings and descriptions dating back to the 1700s, microfilm from the 1950s, and today's spectral image data, they've confirmed the accuracy of the older depictions. They've also started to understand how the fan-shaped auroras appear, both in the sky and to the eye. |
 | Pushing stargazing to the limits with the world's largest gamma-ray observatoryTo discover the secrets of exploding stars or black holes, scientists have been focusing on the gamma rays they emit. However, gamma rays don't pass through the Earth's atmosphere, making them difficult to study. To find what high-energy process a gamma ray originates from, scientists have been observing the cascades of secondary particles produced when these rays hit the atmosphere. The cascades—which create blue flashes of light called Cherenkov light after the Russian physicist who discovered them—only last a few billionths of a second and are invisible to the naked eye. What's more, they're very rare, producing one gamma-ray photon per m2 yearly (for bright sources) or per century (for faint sources). |
Technology news
 | PULP Dronet: A 27-gram nano-UAV inspired by insectsResearchers at ETH Zürich and the University of Bologna have recently created PULP Dronet, a 27-gram nano-size unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a deep learning-based visual navigation engine. Their mini-drone, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, can run aboard an end-to-end, closed-loop visual pipeline for autonomous navigation powered by a state-of-the-art deep learning algorithm. |
 | Stanford Doggo: a highly agile quadruped robotResearchers at Stanford University have recently created an open-source quadruped robot called Stanford Doggo. Their robot, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv and set to be published by IEEE Explore, exceeds the performance of many state-of-the-art legged robots in vertical jumping agility. |
 | Bipedal robot Digit seen as final step in autonomous delivery systemSelf-driving cars for delivering packages is already familiar enough as a "vision." As Ford continues sketching out the self-driving car as part of the transportation future, the delivery system that needs to fulfill the customer's one-click shopping wish adds to its interest. |
 | Release of solar panel dataset helps cities make power grids more safe, reliableSolar power researchers have traditionally only used the power measurements from single residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to estimate the power generated within a city. But one installation isn't a good representation of all the rooftops in the city, where the time of day, panel direction, and shade cast by trees and clouds affect power production. |
 | New aqueous electrochemical energy storage battery could pave the way for grid-scale energy storageA team of researchers with the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new aqueous electrochemical energy storage battery that they believe could pave the way for grid-scale energy storage. In their paper published in the journal Nature Energy, the group describes how they built their new battery and how well it worked when tested. Lauren Marbella with Columbia University has published a News and Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue. |
 | Alibaba eyes $20 bn second listing in HK: reportChinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group is exploring a potential second listing in Hong Kong that could raise $20 billion as Beijing seeks to encourage its tech titans to list closer to home, a report on Tuesday said. |
 | Facebook use eroding in US as social media under pressureFacebook's efforts to crack down on misinformation and sensational content have reduced the time spent at the leading social network eroding, researchers said Tuesday. |
 | German prosecutors raid Porsche in corruption probeProsecutors in Stuttgart said they raided German sports carmaker Porsche on Tuesday on suspicion that an auditor working for the authorities received bribes to pass information to the tax advisor of the Volkswagen subsidiary. |
 | Immersive ethics tool helps developers avoid Internet of Things dystopiaGoogle's infamous "Don't be evil" motto laid out the core values of its founders in the simplest terms (whether or not you think they have stuck to their promise is another conversation). But is being tech-ethical as simple as just stating your values, or does it require further introspection throughout the process of development? |
 | Passwords serve a personal purposeA Victoria University of Wellington study has shown that people build their passwords from personal information for a variety of reasons including to invoke important memories or achieve future goals. |
 | Replacing diesel with liquefied natural leads to a fuel economy of up to 60%The substitution of diesel oil with liquefied natural gas (LNG) for cargo transportation in São Paulo would possibly lead to a significant reduction in fuel costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—as well as other pollutants—in São Paulo State, Brazil. This was presented in a study by the Research Centre for Gas Innovation (RCGI) supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP—and Shell. |
 | MacKenzie Bezos pledges half her fortune to charityMacKenzie Bezos, who finalized her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos earlier this year, is pledging to give away half her fortune to charity. |
 | Army project develops agile scouting robotsIn a research project for the U.S. Army, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley developed an agile robot, called Salto that looks like a Star Wars Imperial walker in miniature and may be able to aid in scouting and search-and-rescue operations. |
 | Apple unveils first new iPod model in four yearsApple on Tuesday introduced its first new iPod model in four years, highlighting music and games as it continued to make a priority of serving up digital content. |
 | Baltimore says it will not pay ransom after cyberattackThe US city of Baltimore, a victim this month of a cyberattack that paralyzed part of its computer network, will not pay a ransom to undo the damage, Mayor Bernard Young said Tuesday. |
 | Ramadan in Mideast is for fasting and Facebook, data showsThe Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with its long days of fasting and prayer meant to draw worshippers closer to God and away from worldly distractions, is being reshaped by technology. |
 | In Houston, tech and health are cures for the oil 'curse'In the heart of Texas oil country, the city of Houston rode high on the oil boom, but then fell hard when the bottom dropped out of crude prices. |
 | Pilot strike drags SAS net loss further downScandinavian airline SAS announced Tuesday that its second-quarter earnings were severely impacted by a week-long pilot strike in late April, saying it would lower its forecast for the year. |
 | Researcher discusses social implications and responsibilities of computingSince February, five working groups have been generating ideas about the form and content of the new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing. That includes the Working Group on Social Implications and Responsibilities of Computing, co-chaired by Melissa Nobles, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and a professor of political science, and Julie Shah, associate professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and head of the Interactive Robotics Group of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. MIT News talked to Shah about the group's progress and goals to this point. |
 | GE to cut over 1,000 jobs in French power operationsUS industrial conglomerate General Electric said Tuesday that it would cut more than 1,000 jobs mainly at its gas turbine operations in eastern France, part of a wave of European layoffs as it tries to stem losses in its power generation business. |
 | Global Payments buying Total System Services in $21.5B dealGlobal Payments will buy Total System Services in an all-stock deal valued at $21.5 billion, the third major acquisition in the payment technology sector this year. |
Walmart hires former Google, Amazon exec for new tech roleWalmart has hired a tech veteran whose resume includes stints at Amazon, Microsoft and Google for a newly elevated position of chief technology officer and chief development officer. | |
 | Canadian lawmakers blast Facebook's execs for snubCanadian lawmakers have voted to serve a summons on Facebook executives Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg that would compel them to appear before them the next time either visits Canada. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Lost in translation: The medium is the message for a healthy heartbeatResearchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion have revealed how a genetic message to produce healthy heart tissue is altered in the body during stress and aging to contribute to sudden cardiac death. |
 | High LDL linked to early-onset Alzheimer'sResearchers with the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Emory University have found a link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The results could help doctors understand how the disease develops and what the possible causes are, including genetic variation. |
 | New study reveals an unexpected survival mechanism of a subset of cancer cellsEmbedded at the ends of chromosomes are structures called telomeres, which in normal cells become shorter as cells divide. Progressive shortening triggers cell proliferation arrest or death. Cancer cells adopt different strategies to overcome this control mechanism that keeps track of the number of times that a cell has divided. One of these strategies is the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway, which guarantees unlimited proliferation capability. |
 | Drug-resistant cancer cells create own Achilles heelThe cells of most patients' cancers are resistant to a class of drugs, called proteasome inhibitors, that should kill them. When studied in the lab, these drugs are highly effective, yet hundreds of clinical trials testing proteasome inhibitors have failed. Now scientists may have solved the mystery of these cells' surprising hardiness. The key: Resistant cancer cells have shifted how and where they generate their energy. Using this new insight, researchers have identified a drug that resensitizes cancer cells to proteasome inhibitors and pinpointed a gene that is crucial for that susceptibility. |
 | Opioid prescriptions to teens, young adults still commonEven amid an epidemic of abuse, opioid painkillers are still commonly prescribed to teenagers and young adults for conditions like tooth and back pain, a new study finds. |
 | New evidence: It's not necessary to fast before complete cholesterol testA new study adds to the growing body of evidence that it is unnecessary for most patients to fast before having bloodwork done to measure lipid levels to determine risk of future cardiovascular events. Since the 1970s, studies have suggested that fasting and nonfasting before a complete cholesterol test, otherwise known as lipid level testing, may make little difference in assessing who is at risk for a future heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event. But most of these studies were conducted by comparing groups of people at a population level rather than in the same individuals. This left a lingering question about how well nonfasting lipid levels can predict future events for patients. A large study led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Imperial College provides robust evidence that nonfasting lipid levels were similar to fasting lipid levels in the same individuals, predicting cardiovascular risk just as well. The results are published in JAMA Internal Medicine. |
 | Inconsistent choice-making a normal part of how the brain evaluates options, new study findsEconomists have noticed that people can behave inconsistently when making choices. According to economic theory, people should choose the same things every time, under the same circumstances, because they are recognized as holding the same value as before. But people don't always do that. Sometimes consumers will switch their preferences, known in industry terms as "customer churn." While economists have previously called that an error in rationality, a new study says an important part of inconsistent choice-making is due to idiosyncratic activity in the brain areas that assess value. |
 | Synthetic version of CBD treats seizures in ratsA synthetic, non-intoxicating analogue of cannabidiol (CBD) is effective in treating seizures in rats, according to research by chemists at the University of California, Davis. The synthetic CBD alternative is easier to purify than a plant extract, eliminates the need to use agricultural land for hemp cultivation, and could avoid legal complications with cannabis-related products. The work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. |
 | Study finds how prostate cancer cells mimic bone when they metastasizeProstate cancer often becomes lethal as it spreads to the bones, and the process behind this deadly feature could potentially be turned against it as a target for bone-targeting radiation and potential new therapies. |
 | Children from disadvantaged backgrounds do less vigorous physical activityChildren from disadvantaged backgrounds and certain ethnic minority backgrounds, including from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds, have lower levels of vigorous physical activity, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge. |
 | What is known—and not known—about heart muscle diseases in childrenCardiomyopathies (heart muscle diseases) in children are the focus of a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association that provides insight into the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases as well as identifying future research priorities. It will be published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. |
 | Thousands of US kindergartners unvaccinated without waiversStates are heatedly debating whether to make it more difficult for students to avoid vaccinations for religious or philosophical reasons amid the worst measles outbreak in decades, but schoolchildren using such waivers are outnumbered in many states by those who give no excuse at all for lacking their shots. |
 | Vaccine is a cost-effective solution for countries burdened by typhoidIntroducing a typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) into routine child vaccine schedules and conducting a catch-up campaign to vaccinate all children up to age 15 is a cost-effective solution for many low- to middle-income countries severely burdened by typhoid, a new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health finds. |
 | Drones support remote village medical treatmentAn international team of health-care investigators is piloting a new medical-delivery system that uses a "surgical strike" approach to solve pandemic problems. |
 | Misreporting the science of lab-made organs is unethical, even dangerousI work in the field of bioprinting, where the aim is to build biological tissues by printing living cells into 3-D structures. |
 | Measuring brain activity associated with social behavior in miceExisting electrophysiological and fluorescence-based brain imaging techniques in mice are generally invasive, require head fixes or cables, and are not suitable for long-term recordings. While there have been recent advances in imaging methods in freely moving animals, these are major limitations for researchers that are interested in the brain correlates of social behaviors. |
 | Childhood trauma tied to tooth loss later in lifeEven if children grow up to overcome childhood adversity, the trauma they experience in early life causes them to be at greater risk for tooth loss, according to University of Michigan researchers. |
 | Thirty years after anorexia onset, fewer ill than healthyA study that started in 1985 followed some 50 people who had become anorexic in their teens. It shows that 30 years later, the majority were healthy but some had persistent eating disorders. The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, was carried out at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. |
 | A newly discovered mechanism reveals how Parkinson's disease can spread between brain cellsTiny channels between nerve cells are involved in a newly discovered mechanism of how Parkinson's disease can spread throughout the brain, according to new research from Linköping University, Sweden. The results demonstrate that harmful protein aggregates, or deposits, can bind and "hitch a lift" with channel-forming proteins, and in this way spread to healthy cells. The study has been published in Acta Neuropathologica. |
 | New evidence supports surgery for rare type of brain lymphomaThrough a systematic review of published studies going back 50 years, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have identified a distinct subtype of primary central nervous system (PCNS) lymphoma that should be considered for surgical removal, suggesting a major shift in how this type of tumor is evaluated and managed. |
 | NMR structure of a key anticoagulant protein may help prevent thrombosisA collaboration between researchers from Brazil and the United States may open new avenues for the treatment of thrombosis, the leading cause of death among cancer patients. In a study to be published in Blood, the scientists describe the Ixolaris structure, an important anticoagulant protein found in tick saliva, and its interaction with Factor Xa, a key enzyme in the process of blood clotting. |
 | Doping soldiers so they fight better—is it ethical?The military is constantly using technology to build better ships, warplanes, guns and armor. Shouldn't it also use drugs to build better soldiers? |
 | The little patches that can make managing diabetes a whole lot easierDiabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia. At least 1.2 million Australians live with diabetes, and about 10% of them have type 1 diabetes. |
 | Is coffee good for you?If you love coffee but aren't really sure whether it's good for you, drink up—research suggests there are several ways coffee appears to boost our health beyond the buzz that keeps us energized enough to power through the day. |
 | You're having a heart attack. Why not ask for help?A perceived inability to act on symptoms could signify a life-threatening situation, according to research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). |
 | Deletion in mouse neutrophils offers clues to pathogenesis in multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the insulating sheaths of nerve cells of the central nervous system. People with the disease can lose vision, suffer weak limbs, show degenerative symptoms and exhibit impaired cognition. |
 | Why kids should be encouraged to play more than one sportWhile many parents are heeding the advice of experts and resisting the urge to have their kids focus exclusively on one sport too early in life, a University of Alberta professor who specializes in youth development is advising parents to keep their children's activities in balance. |
 | Limiting screen use is not the way to tackle teenage sleep problemsBoth in Europe and the US, more than 90% of adolescents have their faces buried in screens before bed. Often, this comes at a cost to sleep. Frequent screen users are much more likely to report falling asleep later, sleeping less, and waking during the night. Such difficulties are linked not only to poorer academic performance, but also increased risk of health issues such as diabetes and heart disease in later life. |
Could the Stanley Cup spread disease?A lot of traditions have developed around the Stanley Cup since it was first awarded to hockey champions in 1893. One of those traditions is for members of the winning team to drink from the Cup, which raises the question: could the Stanley Cup spread disease? | |
 | CBD: The next weapon in the war against opioid addiction?CBD, or cannabidiol, is everywhere, with word on the street saying that it can cure everything from a bad mood to cancer. However, most of these claims are not based on scientific evidence. Animal studies suggest that CBD might be beneficial for some health indications, such as pain, inflammation, arthritis and anxiety. |
 | Stiffening arteries in teenagers with persistent obesityChildren and adolescents with long-term obesity have increased arterial stiffness by their late teens, a study of more than 3,000 children followed from age 9 to 17 shows. These results, in the researchers' view, call for more initiatives to reduce teenage obesity. |
 | Study: High rates of food insecurity found in southern Appalachia collegesCollege students in southern Appalachia are affected by food insecurity at a higher rate than the national average, which can translate into poor academic performance and unhealthy spending habits and coping mechanisms, according to a new study coauthored by researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and published in Current Developments in Nutrition. |
Research suggests improvements to put youngsters at heart of NHS careA major national study based in the North East has recommended a number of improvements which would place young people with long-term health conditions at the heart of their NHS care. | |
Researchers find 28% of 35- to 50-year-old men studied are at-risk for osteoporosisResearch published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found 28 percent of men and 26 percent of women between 35 and 50 years of age had osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis. | |
 | Health paradox: New US diabetes cases fall as obesity risesThe number of new diabetes cases among U.S. adults keeps falling, even as obesity rates climb, and health officials aren't sure why. |
 | 'Mindreading' neurons capable of having expectations about the behavior of the othersPsychologists and philosophers have long suggested that simulation is the mechanism whereby humans understand the minds of others. However, the neural basis of this complex process had not been identified. The amygdala is involved in various functions related to social behaviour as well as in autism. However, it was not known whether the amygdala neurons contributed to advanced social knowledge, such as simulating the decisions of other individuals. A recent study identifies a type of neuron that had not previously been described that actively and spontaneously learns from decision-making by other individuals and simulates their mental processes. |
 | Immune discovery set to boost cancer therapies, study suggestsCancer therapies that use immune cells to trigger the body to attack tumours could be improved by a molecule that boosts their function. |
Young carers' futures look bleak without flexible school supportYoung Australians providing care for family members with mental illnesses, alcohol and drug addictions are struggling to keep up with their studies, according to new research. | |
 | Put more father friendly cues in OB/GYN offices, study suggestsThe saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" might be just what the doctor ordered for expecting fathers. |
 | Steroids can reduce lung cancer risk in COPD patientsFor many people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, a steroid inhaler is a daily necessity to keep their airways open and help them to breathe. Now, a new UBC analysis shows that these medicated devices may also reduce patients' risk of lung cancer by as much as 30 per cent. |
 | Pollen allergies occur more frequently in anxiety sufferersSeasonal allergies to different types of grass or tree pollen are more common in people with anxiety disorders, while patients with depression are more likely to suffer from perennial allergies triggered by allergens such as animal hair. These are the findings of a team of researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Conversely, food and drug allergies were unaffected by these psychosocial disorders. |
 | Bariatric surgery can be safe and effective for adolescentsPediatricians are often reluctant to recommend bariatric surgery for teen-agers, but a Rutgers-led study concludes it is a justifiable treatment for adolescents with persistent extreme obesity if they can maintain a healthy lifestyle afterward. |
 | How stress leads to Facebook addictionFriends on social media such as Facebook can be a great source of comfort during periods of stress. However, if they don't receive any support offline, stressed users are at risk of developing a pathological dependence on the social networking site—the so-called Facebook addiction. This is the result of a study conducted by a team of the Mental Health Research and Treatment Center at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), headed by Dr. Julia Brailovskaia. The group has published its findings in the journal Psychiatric Research on 13 May 2019. |
 | Researchers identify novel oncogenic function for receptor linked to Alzheimer's diseaseCommon and rare SORLA single nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. So far, SORLA has been mainly studied in neurons, but the new study focused on SORLA's role in cancer cells. Led by Academy Professor Johanna Ivaska, researchers from the University of Turku in Finland observed that SORLA was highly expressed in HER2 positive cancers. Removing SORLA from cancer cells severely impaired the oncogenic fitness of HER2 positive cancers. |
 | WHO agrees watered down resolution for clearer drug pricesThe World Health Organization's member states adopted on Tuesday a watered down resolution on improving drug price transparency that leading medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) criticised as insufficient. |
 | French watchdog bans sale of common pesticideThe French food safety agency ANSES on Tuesday barred the sale of epoxiconazole, a widely-used pesticide, citing a "worrying danger" to humans. |
 | Eyeing Europe, Beyond Meat announces Dutch plantFast-growing Beyond Meat is going beyond the United States in producing its plant-based sausages, hamburgers and other items. |
 | Fewer than 60% of young women diagnosed with STIs in emergency departments fill scriptsFewer than 60% of young women diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the emergency department fill prescriptions for antimicrobial therapy to treat these conditions, according to a research letter published online May 28, 2019, by JAMA Pediatrics. |
 | The message that addiction is a disease makes substance users less likely to seek helpResearch finds that people with substance-use problems who read a message describing addiction as a disease are less likely to report wanting to engage in effective therapies, compared to those who read a message that addiction behaviors are subject to change. The finding could inform future public and interpersonal communication efforts regarding addiction. |
 | Genome-wide association study identifies new risk loci for harmful alcohol useA genome-wide association study has identified five new genetic risk loci that can pass on risk for harmful alcohol use from parents to children, and confirmed one previously identified risk locus. The findings were published in Biological Psychiatry. |
 | Does being seen really make cyclists safer on the road?Researchers from UBC Okanagan have determined motorists tended to give cyclists wearing high-visibility vests more room on the road, compared to cyclists without high-visibility clothing. |
Does your health in middle age predict how healthy you'll be later in life?Cognitive decline is the medical term for a decline in your abilities to think, remember, and make decisions. Researchers know now that cognitive decline may begin in midlife and can develop over a period of 20 years or so. In a new study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), researchers identified factors associated with brain health in middle age in order to identify ways to preserve brain function when people are older. | |
How interval training affects 'belly fat' in obese 70-year-oldsBy today's estimates, one-third of adults aged 65 or older are obese. This growing obesity trend, along with the decrease in our level of physical activity as we age, seriously raises our risk of diseases and death. | |
 | Landmark US opioid trial begins in OklahomaThe first civil trial that could end up holding a drug company responsible for the US opioid epidemic began Tuesday in Oklahoma, in a landmark case that might impact thousands of others like it. |
 | FDA approves first gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy(HealthDay)—The first gene therapy has been approved to treat children younger than 2 years with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday. |
 | First PI3K inhibitor approved for metastatic, advanced breast cancer(HealthDay)—Piqray (alpelisib) tablets were approved for the treatment of hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with fulvestrant, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday. |
 | Guidance updated for sedation in pediatric dental patients(HealthDay)—In conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance for monitoring and managing pediatric dental patients during sedation; the guidelines were published online May 28 in Pediatrics. |
 | Poverty ups risk for amputation after knee replacement(HealthDay)—Lower socioeconomic status is associated with an increased risk for above-knee amputation (AKA) after periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the knee, according to a study recently published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. |
 | Cancer consultation low in noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma(HealthDay)—Many patients with noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma do not have a specialized cancer consultation and most do not receive cancer-directed therapy, according to a study published online May 27 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association. |
 | Antiplatelets do not up recurrence in intracerebral hemorrhage(HealthDay)—For patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, those who start antiplatelet therapy do not have an increased risk for recurrence, including those with cerebral microbleeds, according to two studies published online May 22 in The Lancet and The Lancet Neurology. |
 | Report seeks answers about mysterious, dangerous heart disease in kidsAfter an uneventful pregnancy, Amanda Blanchfield thought she had delivered a healthy baby, a boy she and her husband named Cash. |
 | Computer-assisted diagnostic procedure enables earlier detection of brain tumor growthA computer-assisted diagnostic procedure helps physicians detect the growth of low-grade brain tumors earlier and at smaller volumes than visual comparison alone, according to a study published May 28 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Hassan Fathallah-Shaykh of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues. However, additional clinical studies are needed to determine whether early therapeutic interventions enabled by early tumor growth detection prolong survival times and improve quality of life. |
 | Children better off today than 20 years ago: reportA report on the state of the world's children released Tuesday notes major progress in health, education and safety in dozens of countries over the past two decades. |
 | E-cigs and heated tobacco products are harmful and do not help smokers to quitIn a new statement published by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Tobacco Control Committee, an international coalition of respiratory doctors and scientists have warned that tobacco harm reduction strategies which support the use of alternative nicotine delivery products for smoking cessation are not effective and are based upon incorrect assumptions and undocumented claims. |
Microbes on explanted pedicle screws: Possible cause of spinal implant failurePedicle screws are often used to secure surgically implanted hardware to the spine in patients with spinal disease or spinal trauma. In some cases, these screws loosen over time, leading to spinal instability and consequent pain. This is a common complication of spine surgery. One reason suggested for pedicle screw loosening is implant-associated infection, but until now there has been little clinical evidence to support this theory. | |
 | Altered brain activity in antisocial teenagersTeenage girls with problematic social behavior display reduced brain activity and weaker connectivity between the brain regions implicated in emotion regulation. The findings of an international study carried out by researchers from the University of Zurich and others now offer a neurobiological explanation for the difficulties some girls have in controlling their emotions, and provide indications for possible therapy approaches. |
 | New method for analyzing genes activity helps predict cancer patients survivalAn international research team has developed a new method for determining cell types in a tissue sample. The scientists determined the link between the activity of genes in the same cell type and made a model capable of "recognizing" different cell types in mixed samples based on this relation. This approach works for all tissues, so it can be used to understand the proportions of which cell types are associated with the survival of patients with different types of cancer, for example. The results are published in Nature Communications. |
 | Robot-assisted surgery: Few advantages, high costsClinical studies on robot-assisted surgery for indications in the thorax and abdomen have so far shown few advantages for this cost-intensive surgical method. This is the result of a recent analysis by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Health Technology Assessment, which examined relevant international clinical studies. In fact, the data situation is currently very unsatisfactory, as there are few larger, high-quality studies available. |
Texture-modified foods for people with dysphagiaA study by the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country is calling for an effort to bring various thickeners into line with standard guidelines, which would offer increased clinical safeguards. | |
 | 7 tips to prevent accidents at your home(HealthDay)—When it comes to your home, safety first is a good rule to follow. And there are many steps you can take to limit home accidents. |
 | Secrets to picking the freshest seafood(HealthDay)—You know how important it is to eat seafood twice a week, but buying fresh fish and shellfish can seem daunting. You'll find that it's a lot easier if you remember a few simple rules. |
 | Coronary artery disease diagnosis improved by deep learning analysis of SPECT MPIA multicenter international study has demonstrated for the first time that diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease can be improved by using deep learning analysis of upright and supine single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The research is featured in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. |
 | Aid group: Most new Ebola cases were not known contactsThe World Health Organization emphasized progress in the fight against Ebola in eastern Congo even as Doctors Without Borders warned Tuesday that efforts to trace new cases to previous ones are largely failing. |
 | Can a business owner require staffers to get vaccinated?Small business owners worried about the spread of measles may want to be sure their staffers have been vaccinated, but before issuing any orders, they should speak with a labor law attorney or human resources consultant. |
Biology news
 | Light at night is harmful for amphibians, new research showsLight at night might be convenient for humans, but it's having a detrimental effect on amphibian populations, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. |
 | Africa's elephant poaching rates in decline, but iconic animal still under threatElephant poaching rates in Africa have started to decline after reaching a peak in 2011, an international team of scientists have concluded. |
 | New tool for understanding cells in health and diseaseA first-of-its-kind data analysis platform is enabling researchers to select the best tool for interpreting the overwhelming amounts of data generated by single-cell research. |
 | Cranberries join forces with antibiotics to fight bacteriaThe global spread of antibiotic resistance is undermining decades of progress in fighting bacterial infections. Due to the overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, we are on the cusp of returning to a pre-antibiotic era in which minor infections can once again become deadly. Therefore, countering the fall in antibiotic efficacy by improving the effectiveness of currently available antibiotics is a crucial goal. |
 | Finding a cell's true identityScientists have long sorted cells into different varieties based on their appearance under a microscope or, for differences that are more visually subtle, based on the behavior of a handful of genes. But in a bid to reveal even more distinctive differences and similarities, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Genetic Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Department of Neuroscience developed two new artificial intelligence methods that decipher complex gene activity controlling cell fate decisions in retina development and relate this gene activity to what occurs in other tissues and across different species. |
 | Domino effect of species extinctions also damages biodiversityThe mutual dependencies of many plant species and their pollinators mean that the negative effects of climate change are exacerbated. As UZH researchers show, the total number of species threatened with extinction is therefore considerably higher than predicted in previous models. |
 | New mutations for herbicide resistance rarer than expected, study findsAfter exposing more than 70 million grain amaranth seeds to a soil-based herbicide, researchers were not able to find a single herbicide-resistant mutant. Though preliminary, the findings suggest that the mutation rate in amaranth is very low, and that low-level herbicide application contributes little—if anything—to the onset of new mutations conferring resistance, researchers say. |
 | Stem cell identity unmasked by single cell sequencing technologyScientists from The University of Queensland's Diamantina Institute have revealed the difference between a stem cell and other blood vessel cells using gene-sequencing technology. |
 | Study reveals structure of a 'master switch' controlling cell divisionUnregulated cell division is a hallmark of cancer, and one of the key proteins involved in controlling cell division is called FoxM1. Abnormal activation of FoxM1 is a common feature of cancer cells and is correlated with poor prognosis, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy. |
 | New genetic engineering strategy makes human-made DNA invisibleBacteria are everywhere. They live in the soil and water, on our skin and in our bodies. Some are pathogenic, meaning they cause disease or infection. To design effective treatments against pathogens, researchers need to know which specific genes are to blame for pathogenicity. |
 | AccessLab: New workshops to broaden access to scientific researchA team from the transdisciplinary laboratory FoAM Kernow and the British Science Association detail how to run an innovative approach to understanding evidence called AccessLab in a paper published on May 28 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The AccessLab project enables a broader range of people to access and use scientific research in their work and everyday lives. |
 | Two rare white tiger cubs find new home in NicaraguaTwo white tiger cubs have been taken to their new home at the Nicaragua National Zoo, where the playful pair will join a menagerie of rare big cat species. |
 | Climate change puts commercial viability of citrus, vineyards and olive trees at riskClimate change threatens the medium-term commercial viability of citrus fruits, vines and olives. A study by the Ecophysiology and Biotechnology research group at the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (UJI) - carried out in collaboration with scientists from France, Greece and the United Kingdom—warns that the effects of global warming will reduce the productivity of these three species of traditional and iconic fruit trees in the Mediterranean area. The conclusions of this review are published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science. |
 | Rapid water quality tests better protect beachgoersPlanning a trip to the beach? Along with looking forward to some summer fun, beachgoers may be thinking about the safety of their waterfront destination. Will the water be clean enough for swimming, surfing, wading and all the other ways people enjoy the nation's shoreline? |
 | Threatened beetles benefit from forest thinningWood-living beetles that use oak trees are a species-rich and threatened animal group in modern forestry and agriculture in southern Sweden. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that management with conservation thinning can be an effective way to promote these beetles in the long term. |
 | How climate change could affect some of West Africa's iconic bird speciesIf scientists know how particular species are responding to the realities of global climate change, they can help to recommend better conservation strategies. |
 | The mysterious case of the disappearing pencil cedarIs it too early to talk about Christmas? Some might consider midway through May to be slightly premature, to put it mildly. But when it comes to saving critically endangered trees, there's no time like the present. Having said that, we first need to delve briefly into the past in order to provide some context. |
 | High-tech fishing gear could help save critically endangered right whalesMany fish, marine mammals and seabirds that inhabit the world's oceans are critically endangered, but few are as close to the brink as the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Only about 411 of these whales exist today, and at their current rate of decline, they could become extinct within our lifetimes. |
 | Iconic Australian working dog may not be part dingo after allResearchers at the University of Sydney have found no genetic evidence that the iconic Australian kelpie shares canine ancestry with a dingo, despite Australian bush myth. |
 | Save the bees (and time and money) by creating a bee lawnFlowering "bee lawns" that attract pollinators are a compromise between fastidious turf management and the more casual yard approach. They add biodiversity to the landscape and need less maintenance. That makes them cost-effective, too. |
 | New snake species in Europe named after a long-forgotten Iron Age kingdomAn international team of scientists identified the snake and its range, which includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, and Russia including a small region extending into the corner of Europe. Based on the genetic and morphological data, the researchers were able to say that the Blotched Rat Snake (Elaphe sauromates) is actually comprised of two different species and includes a cryptic species that has been named after the old kingdom of Urartu. |
 | Researchers advance search for laboratory test to predict spread of breast cancerResearchers at The Johns Hopkins University and other institutions report that a new laboratory test that induces cancer cells to squeeze through narrow spaces has the potential to accurately predict which breast cancers and other solid tumors are likely to spread, or metastasize, to other sites. The test, they say, might also help clinicians select the best drugs to prevent cancer's spread. |
 | Fruit bat hunting also harms humansAccording to the report of the World Biodiversity Council IPBES 2019 on the global state of biodiversity, one million animal and plant species are acutely threatened with extinction. In addition, the overexploitation of the last 50 years has led to a massive decline in the performance of many ecosystems. One example of this is the ecological services of flying foxes in Africa, which are affected by the hunting of animals. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell have calculated the financial value of a colony of palm fruit bats in Ghana for local people. |
 | Researchers study the warming effect of consumed gingerGinger is a widely used spice, particularly in the cuisine of East and South Asia. It is known to have some physiological effects and is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Writing in the International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design, Guang Zheng, Fei Hou, Jinghu Wang, and Nannan Wang of Lanzhou University, China, focus on one of the spice's most well-known properties: its warming effect on the body. |
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