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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 8, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Scientists further refine how quickly the universe is expandingWielding state-of-the-art technologies and techniques, a team of Clemson University astrophysicists has added a novel approach to quantifying one of the most fundamental laws of the universe. |
 | Mercury putting on rare show Monday, parading across the sunMercury is putting on a rare celestial show next week, parading across the sun in view of most of the world. |
 | Rare transit of Mercury to take place on 11 NovemberA rare transit of Mercury will take place on 11 November, when the smallest planet in our Solar System will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun. The last time this happened was in 2016, and the next will be in 2032. During the transit, which takes place in the afternoon in the UK, Mercury will appear as a dark silhouetted disc set against the bright surface of the Sun. |
 | Researchers investigate interstellar bodies originating from beyond our solar systemAstonishingly, not one but two interstellar asteroids have been detected entering our solar system since 2017. |
 | NASA's Mars 2020 heads into the test chamberIn this time-lapse video, taken on Oct. 9, 2019, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, bunny-suited engineers move the Mars 2020 rover from a high bay in the Spacecraft Simulator Building into the facility's large vacuum chamber for testing in Mars-like environmental conditions. |
 | NASA instrument to probe planet clouds on European missionNASA will contribute an instrument to a European space mission that will explore the atmospheres of hundreds of planets orbiting stars beyond our Sun, or exoplanets, for the first time. |
 | Image: Suitcase-sized asteroid explorerThis replica model of ESA's 'Miniaturised Asteroid Remote Geophysical Observer', or M-Argo, was on display at the Agency's recent Antennas workshop. It is the one of numerous small missions planned as part of ESA's Technology Strategy, being presented at this month's Space19+ Council at Ministerial Level. |
Technology news
 | Firefox: No-exit browser scammers want you to call bogus supportThis week tech watchers were sending out headlines about scammers taking advantage of a Firefox bug to freeze users out of their browser. The punch-up consists of a user getting a warning message and then browser lockout. The scammers tell you to call a number posing as a bogus support line. |
 | Got a weird text? A telecom vendor says it's to blameIf you woke up to a weird text that seemed totally out of place, you aren't alone. A mysterious wave of missives swept America's phones overnight, delivering confusing messages from friends, family and the occasional ex. |
 | Tech firms react to netizens' digital privacy concernsWhistleblowers and digital pioneers have long been sounding the alarm about abuses of our privacy online. |
 | Facebook highlights moves to combat 2020 disinformationFacebook on Thursday spotlighted steps it is taking to combat foreign interference and online disinformation in the 2020 US elections. |
 | A 'worker' that flies: Chinese researchers design novel flying robotSkyscrapers are rising rapidly around the world, continuously transforming city skylines. However, their repair and maintenance is becoming more and more difficult. So, who can safely perform the job? Will a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man help out? |
 | What humans want in an automated carAgreeable, conscientious and stable. These are three human personality traits that, it turns out, we want to see in our driverless cars regardless of whether we possess them ourselves, according to a new study from the University of Michigan. |
 | Smooth and stable electric vehicle chargingSiwar Khemakhem, Mouna Rekik, and Lotfi Krichen of the Control and Energy Management Laboratory at the National Engineering School of Sfax, in Tunisia, are investigating the potential of home energy management based on plug-in electric vehicle power control in a residential smart grid. |
 | Four visions for the future of public transportThe way people get around is starting to change, and as a professor of transport strategy I do rather wonder if the modes of transport we use today will still be around by the turn of the next century. |
 | Tesla's upcoming electric 'Cybertruck' to be unveiled this monthTesla will show the world its first electric pickup truck later this month, Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday. |
 | Southwest Airlines pushes back MAX return until MarchSouthwest Airlines on Friday again pushed back its timeframe for resuming flights on the Boeing 737 MAX, this time through March 6, 2020. |
 | Huawei founder says US sanctions not his toughest crisisFor decades, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei stayed out of sight as his company grew to become the biggest maker of network gear for phone carriers and surpassed Apple as the No. 2 smartphone brand. |
 | Honda first-half net profit slumps 19%, full-year forecast downJapanese carmaker Honda said Friday its first-half net profit dropped 19 percent on negative currency exchange rates and falling motorcycle sales, slightly revising down profit forecasts for the full year. |
 | Beyond lithium-ion: next generation battery research underwayNew smartphones, portable devices and electric cars may get a lot of the public's attention but all of them are dependent on batteries to make them run. Most current devices use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries—technology that was first commercialized in the early 1990s. Lithium-ion batteries offered a longer life span, improved discharge and better efficiency over older rechargeable batteries but also come with some notable disadvantages. Lithium can be relatively expensive and difficult to recycle, and lithium-based batteries can have issues with overheating. |
 | China adopts online video game curfew for minors to thwart addictionChina has implemented an online video game curfew for minors, a move meant to prevent addiction to games and to improve health among children and teens. |
 | German crew stage demo on second day of Lufthansa strikeHundreds of Lufthansa flights were cancelled Friday as a strike by German cabin crew stretched into a second day, with workers staging a noisy rally to push their demands for better pay and conditions. |
 | Alibaba sets eyes on $15 bn Hong Kong listing: reportChinese online retail titan Alibaba is hoping to raise up to $15 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, a report said Friday, which would be the city's biggest listing for nine years. |
 | Daimler mulls slashing 1,100 senior jobs: reportGerman luxury carmaker Daimler plans to cut 1,100 management jobs worldwide in fresh efforts to cut costs as it grapples with expensive recalls and a slowing global market, a German newspaper reported Friday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Study finds brains of girls and boys are similar, producing equal math abilityIn 1992, Teen Talk Barbie was released with the controversial voice fragment, "Math class is hard." While the toy's release met with public backlash, this underlying assumption persists, propagating the myth that women do not thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) fields due to biological deficiencies in math aptitude. |
 | From plants, team extracts a better way to determine what our genes doScientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have developed a better way to determine what our genes do, allowing scientists to better probe the genetic causes of diseases and more efficiently determine whether new drugs will act on the intended target exactly as needed. |
 | How the brain regulates variability in motor functionsAnyone who has ever tried to serve a tennis ball or flip a pancake or even play a video game knows, it is hard to perform the same motion over and over again. But don't beat yourself up—errors resulting from variability in motor function is a feature, not a bug, of our nervous system and play a critical role in learning, research suggests. |
 | Genetic 'fingerprint' may ID breast cancer patients likely to benefit from potentially toxic chemo, study findsWomen with early-stage breast cancer that has a specific pattern of gene expression are more likely than others to benefit from treatment with a class of common but potentially harmful chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
 | Simple blood test could better predict both kidney disease and cardiovascular riskResearchers have found a better way to test for kidney disease using a simple blood test that is affordable and although it is available in NHS laboratories is not yet widely used. |
 | Genetic diversity facilitates cancer therapyThe constant battle against infectious pathogens has had a decisive influence on the human immune system over the course of our evolution. A key role in our adaptation to pathogens is played by HLA molecules. These proteins activate the immune system by presenting it with fragments of pathogens that have entered the body. People with a wide variety of different HLA proteins are thus better armed against a large number of pathogens. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, together with colleagues in New York, have been investigating the diversity of HLA genes in cancer patients being treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This form of immunotherapy activates the body's own immune cells to enable them to identify and eliminate tumor cells. The researchers discovered that patients with a wide variety of HLA molecules derive more benefit from this type of therapy. This means that in future, doctors may be able to offer improved individual treatment based on a patient's HLA gene profile. |
 | Building the first holographic brain 'atlas'A team of researchers, led by Case Western Reserve University scientists and technicians using the Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality platform, has created what is believed to be the first interactive holographic mapping system of the axonal pathways in the human brain. |
 | Research: Subset of breast cancers have two PIK3CA mutations on the same alleleA team of researchers affiliated with a large number of institutions in the U.S. has found that a subgroup of breast cancers have two PIK3CA mutations, and that such mutations occur on the same allele. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of the PIK3CA gene and its involvement in the development of cancerous tumors in humans. Alex Toker with Harvard University Medical School has published a Perspective piece in the same journal issue outlining the work done by the team and its possible implications. |
 | Supplements don't preserve kidney health in type 2 diabetesSupplements of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids (often sold as fish oil) do not help people with type 2 diabetes stave off chronic kidney disease, according to findings from the largest clinical study to date of the supplements in this patient population. |
 | New tool predicts five-year risk of chronic kidney diseaseA new risk calculator tool that uses a mix of variables including age, hypertension, and diabetes status can be used to predict accurately whether someone is likely to develop chronic kidney disease within five years. The risk calculator tool was developed by the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium, a large global collaboration led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. |
 | Investigators build a better targeted drug therapy using the power of computationAntibody drug conjugates (ADCs)—cancer drugs that are designed to target and destroy cancerous tissue while leaving healthy cells intact—represent a long sought-after advancement in cancer therapy. ADCs work by attaching a cancer drug to an antibody that is unique to a specific type of tissue, allowing ADCs to deliver treatment directly to the site of a tumor rather than throughout the body. |
 | Researchers find new potential approach to type 2 diabetes treatmentThe protein adipsin, which is produced in body fat, helps protect insulin-secreting cells called pancreatic beta cells from destruction in type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine andNewYork-Presbyterian. Among middle-aged adults, higher levels of the protein in the blood were also associated with protection from type 2 diabetes. |
 | Glutamine-blocking drug slows tumor growth and strengthens anti-tumor responseA compound developed by Johns Hopkins researchers that blocks glutamine metabolism can slow tumor growth, alter the tumor microenvironment and promote the production of durable and highly active anti-tumor T cells. |
 | Intended to help human, planetary health, EAT-Lancet diet too costly for 1.6 billion peopleA new study estimates that a diet meant to improve both human and planetary health would be unaffordable for at least 1.58 billion people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. |
 | Implantable artificial kidney achieves preclinical milestoneThe Kidney Project, a national effort to develop an implantable bio-artificial kidney that could eliminate the need for dialysis, will announce a key milestone in a November 7, 2019 presentation at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2019 conference in Washington, DC. |
 | Older adults find greater well-being in smaller social networks, study findsAre younger adults who cultivate numerous connections with friends, families and acquaintances through online social networks any happier than older adults who have smaller circles of face-to-face relationships? The answer may be no, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Quality social relationships boost well-being and may be as important to people under age 45 as they are to those over age 60. |
 | Increased exercise over the age of 60 reduces risk of heart disease and strokePeople over the age of 60 should do more exercise not less in order to prevent heart disease and stroke, according to findings from a study of over 1.1 million elderly people published in the European Heart Journal today. |
 | Immersion in virtual reality scenes of the Arctic helps to ease people's painWatching immersive 360 videos of icy Arctic scenes helps to relieve intense burning pain and could hold hope for treating chronic pain, a small study has found. |
 | How to spot a psychopathMillions recently flocked to the cinema to watch Joker, the origin story of Batman's notorious nemesis. Many have commented that the film is a portrait of a textbook psychopath. But perhaps the bigger question is how many among the audience have similar traits? Indeed, is it possible that you are a psychopath yourself? |
In hunting for cures, ethics can strengthen clinical trialsClinical trials provide the cornerstone for evaluating the safety and efficacy of new drugs and therapies to treat disease. While trials are designed to follow established ethical and regulatory requirements, Alex John London, the Clara L. West Professor of Ethics and Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University, said he believes there is room for improvement. | |
Improvement needed for care of children with acute gastroTreatment for children with acute gastroenteritis follows clinical practice guidelines 90% of the time but drops to around 50% adherence for best practice diagnosis and ongoing management of the condition. | |
 | Stroke death rate increasing for middle-aged AmericansIn more than half of all counties across the country, a growing percentage of middle-aged Americans are dying of strokes, according to a new study. |
 | The way of making memoriesHow does the brain translate information from the outside world into something we remember? An international team of researchers working in the Human Brain Project have zoomed in on the neuronal circuits in the striatum, a brain structure involved in memory, behavior and reward learning. The findings, published in the PLOS Computational Biology Journal, increase our knowledge of the basic functioning of the nervous system and its ability to learn and adapt to changing conditions. |
 | Study: Security, facilities alleviate loneliness in over-65sLiving in a friendly, secure neighborhood is one of the key ways to keep loneliness and isolation at bay in older age, according to a study of over-65s living on the Kāpiti Coast. |
 | Study: Chronic inflammatory effect in the oral cavity from alcohol, tobacco and caffeineResearchers of the CEU UCH university have published the first pilot study on the alterations to the levels of cytokines in the saliva of frequent consumers of these three stimulating substances |
 | Study: Children with intellectual disability have less access to healthcare than children with autismA study completed by researchers at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine has found that children with Intellectual Disability (ID) have less access to medical care than children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The investigation was led by Kelly Haller, a second-year medical student. |
 | Nutrient supplements significantly reduce child deathsMore than half of child deaths worldwide stem from preventable causes, such as adverse effects from malnutrition. A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, finds that child mortality significantly drops when children receive nutritional supplements rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. It found that supplements may decrease mortality among children 6-24 months old by as much as 27 percent in low- and middle-income countries. The researchers published their findings in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. |
 | E-bikes provide intense exercise, but it doesn't feel like a workoutWhile many traditional cyclists are critical about the growing popularity of e-bikes, a surprising new study from three BYU public health professors finds pedal-assist bikes can provide essentially the same level of workout as conventional bikes. |
 | Risk for carbon monoxide poisoning increases in winterEach year, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is responsible for more than 50,000 emergency department visits, resulting in more than 400 deaths according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans ages 65 and older are among the highest fatalities. In Utah, there were 176 emergency department visits and four deaths reported in 2018 for CO poisoning. As winter approaches, the risk for CO poisoning increases. The agencies noted in this press release are collaborating to remind Utahns about the symptoms of CO poisoning and provide tips to prevent it. |
 | Number of 'potentially excess deaths' up in nonmetropolitan countiesDuring 2010 to 2017, nonmetropolitan counties had higher percentages of potentially excess deaths from five leading causes than metropolitan counties nationwide, according to research published in the Nov. 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | More awareness of Choosing Wisely campaign needed for nursesGreater awareness of Choosing Wisely recommendations among nurses could promote high-value care for acute and critically ill patients, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Critical Care. |
 | Oh, oh, oh! The clitoris certainly gives pleasure. But does it also help women conceive?New research reported in the media says the clitoris plays an important role in fertility and reproduction, making it more than an organ that exists purely for sexual pleasure. |
 | Critics challenge study's finding that water fluoridation damages children's IQA recent study showed that community water fluoridation was associated with lower IQ scores in young children. Opponents of water fluoridation jumped on the study, claiming that it confirms the dangers of fluoride on the developing brain. |
 | Researchers find walking a dog to be especially good behavior for nursing studentsAuburn University researchers recommend nursing students take a dog for a walk to improve the students' own health and wellness. |
Study shows biomarker accurately diagnoses deadly infant diseaseA diagnostic study of 136 premature infants found that a protein involved in managing harmful bacteria in the human intestine is a reliable biomarker for the noninvasive detection of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Led by researchers and clinicians at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, this is one of the largest prospective clinical studies in premature infants yet. Results of the study are published online in JAMA Network Open. | |
 | Study finds key Alzheimer's gene (APOE) acts differently in Caribbean HispanicsResearchers looking to unlock the mysteries of Alzheimer's disease have revealed new insights from old variants. |
 | Kidney disease outcomes differ between severely obese kids vs. adults after bariatric surgeryAdolescents with Type 2 diabetes experienced more hyperfiltration and earlier attenuation of their elevated urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) after gastric bypass surgery compared with adults. This finding contrasts with adolescents or adults who did not have diabetes prior to surgery, according to research presented Nov. 8, 2019, during the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2019, the world's largest gathering of kidney researchers. |
 | Air pollution in India is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseaseThe association between ambient and household air pollution and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a marker of atherosclerosis, has been explored for the first time in a population of a low-and-middle income country by a team led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by "la Caixa." The study, performed in a periurban area in southern India, shows that people most exposed to fine particles have a higher CIMT index, which means they are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack. |
 | Stress hormone helps control the circadian rhythm of brain cellsAs day turns into night, and night turns into day, the vast majority of living organisms follow a fixed circadian rhythm that controls everything from sleep needs to body temperature. |
 | Researchers discover enzyme's role in 'natural killer T cell lymphoma'Natural killer T cell lymphoma (NKTL) is an aggressive form of cancer with very poor treatment outcomes in the advanced stages. NKTL generally affects the upper airways and digestive tracts in patients, but can also involve the gastrointestinal system, skin and other soft tissues. NKTL is rare but relatively prevalent in Asian and Latin American populations. |
 | High numbers of youth report using prescription opioids in the past yearA new analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health finds a surprisingly high prevalence of prescription opioid use among youth. As recently as 2015-2016, 21 percent of adolescents and 32 percent of young adults said they had used these drugs in the past year. |
 | Researchers study social communication in pediatric traumatic brain injuryKessler Foundation researchers conducted a pilot study to determine ways to assess social communication difficulties in children with impaired social functioning caused by moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The article, "The relationship between social communication and social functioning in pediatric TBI: A pilot study" was epublished on August 14, 2019 by Frontiers in Neurology. |
 | Researchers report new insights into Parkinson's disease-related mortalityBy following a group of newly diagnosed patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) for a decade or more, researchers have been able to identify several factors never before reported that appear to be associated with higher mortality rates in PD patients compared to the general population. As reported in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, these factors are early onset of PD, early impairment of memory and thinking, and early motor symptoms requiring the start of drug therapy. |
 | Study vaccine protects monkeys against four types of hemorrhagic fever virusesScientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed an investigational vaccine that protected cynomolgus macaques against four types of hemorrhagic fever viruses endemic to overlapping regions in Africa. The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and Profectus BioSciences of New York are developing and testing the candidate quadrivalent VesiculoVax vaccine, with support from NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Redeemer's University in Nigeria. |
 | Depressed MS-patients suffer debilitating symptoms earlierPeople with multiple sclerosis (MS) who also have depression are more likely to suffer debilitating symptoms early than people with MS who are not depressed, according to a study at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that is published in the journal Neurology. The findings highlight the need for early recognition and treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with MS. |
 | Patients with cirrhosis have considerable financial burden(HealthDay)—The considerable financial burden of cirrhosis medical care is associated with lower surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a study presented at The Liver Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held from Nov. 8 to 12 in Boston. |
 | Lung cancer incidence rates generally declined from 2007 to 2016(HealthDay)—The incidence rates of lung cancer declined in most age and sex groups from 2007 to 2016, with the smallest decrease seen among women living in nonmetropolitan counties, according to research published in the Nov. 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. |
 | Many multiple sclerosis patients considering stem cell transplant(HealthDay)—Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are considering autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) as a treatment option, according to a study published in the January 2020 issue of Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. |
 | Plastic surgery trainees may delay plans to have children(HealthDay)—The demands of training may negatively affect family planning and reproductive health for both female and male plastic surgery residents and fellows, according to a study published in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. |
 | Kratom may cause liver damage: study(HealthDay)—The popular herbal supplement kratom may cause liver damage, researchers warn. |
 | The essential upper arm shape-up(HealthDay)—Just because your upper arms are temporarily hidden under sweaters and jackets doesn't mean you should neglect them. Here's how to tone them with weights for better definition now and when they're fully back in view. |
 | A tasty and nutritious way to prepare fish(HealthDay)—Want to get more fish in your diet with a lot more flavor? This two-step technique yields a crispy outside and flaky fish within. |
 | Give newborn to mom right away—after moving the electrodes(HealthDay)—Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers is encouraged, but poses some potential risks in cases of cesarean birth, researchers say. |
 | On Chicago's South Side, revitalization aims for 'culture of health'Washington Heights, a historic neighborhood on Chicago's far South Side, faces the modern-day challenge of boosting health, education and economic opportunities for its residents. |
 | Scientists develop method to standardize genetic data analysisMIPT researchers have collaborated with Atlas Biomedical Holding and developed a new bioinformatics data analysis method. The developed program, EphaGen, can be used for quality control when diagnosing genetic diseases. The team published the article in Nucleic Acid Research. |
 | New technique to identify a common cause to TMA diseases for which there is a treatmentThere is a group of diseases whose symptoms have a common origin: a lesion in the endothelial tissue that covers the inside of the blood vessels. This lesion, called TMA (Thrombotic Microangiopathy), causes a migration of platelets to cover the wound. Smaller blood vessels collapse, producing a series of symptoms such as anaemia, hypertension, and failure in organs such as the kidney, the central nervous system, or the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. |
 | Study finds new option for liver transplant patientsA drug commonly used to treat both asthma and inflammatory bowel disease, budesonide, may also be useful as an anti-organ rejection medication for liver transplant patients leading to fewer serious side effects than the most commonly used therapy, according to a University of Cincinnati researcher. |
 | Trump wants to raise minimum age for vaping to 21US President Donald Trump on Friday said he supported raising the minimum age for the purchase of e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 as part of a plan to curtail youth vaping. |
 | Expert alert: Some common youth sports injuries are avoidableAs fall and winter sports are in full swing, youth athletics will see a rise in injuries. Tens of millions of children and teens participate in organized sports, and more than 3.5 million sports injuries occur every year. |
 | First case of dengue spread by sex confirmed in SpainSpanish health authorities confirmed Friday a case of a man spreading dengue through sex, a world first for a virus which until recently was thought to be transmitted only by mosquitos. |
 | DNA technology as a novel strategy for delivery of anti-HIV antibodiesScientists at The Wistar Institute applied synthetic DNA-based technology to drive in vivo production of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies in small and large-animal models, providing proof of concept for a simple and effective next generation approach to HIV prevention and therapy. These results were published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. |
 | Best practice treatment guidelines help doctors identify, treat vaping-associated lung injuriesAs the outbreak of lung injuries and deaths associated with e-cigarettes, or vaping, continues to spread across the U.S., researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City have effectively developed a best practice treatment guide to quickly identify and treat patients who develop the new and potentially fatal respiratory injury, according to a new study. |
 | US officials identify 'strong culprit' in vaping illnessesU.S. health officials announced a breakthrough Friday into the cause of a mysterious outbreak of vaping illnesses, reporting they have a "very strong culprit." |
 | Doctors don't realize hair care prevents many African-American women from exerciseNew research from The Ohio State University Wexner Medicine Center identifies a gap in doctor knowledge and understanding of hair care as a barrier to exercise among African American female patients. |
 | Researchers publish preclinical data on new drug combination to treat neuroblastomaNeuroblastoma is the most common cancer outside of the brain in infants and young children and often fails to respond to therapy. Though it can appear in several areas of the body, it commonly develops as a solid tumor most frequently found in or adjacent to the adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys. |
 | Many teens have low iron, B12 levels years after bariatric surgeryThe good news: bariatric surgery can be a life-changer for severely obese teens. Not only do young people experience dramatic weight loss, they also benefit from near-immediate improvement of diabetes plus longer-term reductions in heart health risks. |
 | Physicians create guide for identifying, treating vaping lung illnessAs lung injuries from vaping continue to rise across the United States, Rochester physicians and New York health leaders developed a new tool to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI). |
 | Family history of cancer associated with asthma diagnosis in childrenIt's well known there's a genetic component to cancer, and that cancer often runs in families. A new study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Houston shows an association between a family history of cancer and a childhood asthma diagnosis. |
Allergy shots may be an effective treatment for pediatric pollen food allergy syndromeWe know that children with pollen food allergy syndrome (PFAS) also suffer from seasonal allergies. A new study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Houston shows that allergy shots (subcutaneous immunotherapy) can be effective in reducing PFAS symptoms for pediatric patients. | |
How prenatal diet, delivery mode and infant feeding relate to pediatric allergiesMany pregnant women spend time before their baby arrives thinking about how they can prevent allergies in their child, especially if they themselves suffer from allergies or asthma. Two new studies being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Houston contain new information on how prenatal diet, the way the baby is delivered, and infant feeding practices can affect the risk of allergy. | |
Breaking news on oral food challengesOral food challenges (OFCs) are the gold standard for allergists when diagnosing a food allergy. The person being tested is given a very small dose of the food by mouth under the supervision of a board-certified allergist to test for a severe reaction. | |
Breaking news on penicillin allergyAt some point you may have had a reaction to penicillin and were told you were allergic. And there's a good chance it has stayed in your chart throughout your childhood and into adulthood. But 9 of 10 Americans who think they have a penicillin allergy have either outgrown it or never had it in the first place. That said, it's important to get tested by an allergist to know if you have a true penicillin allergy so you know whether to avoid the drug. | |
Allergy patients equally satisfied with telemedicine and in-person appointmentsTelemedicine visits may still seem like a futuristic idea for many. But a new study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Houston showed most parents of pediatric patients were more or equally satisfied with the treatment their children received during telemedicine visits for allergies and asthma. | |
Social media alternative facts on food allergies can negatively impact medical decisionsThe social media stream on food allergies is never-ending. Your Facebook and Twitter friends seem to know what they're talking about. And why shouldn't you believe all those news articles—even if you've never heard of some of the sources? Is there any harm in listening to what they have to say? Yes, according to a presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Houston. | |
 | Eight tips for promoting men's healthWith November comes Movember, putting the spotlight on men's health. UBC nursing professor John Oliffe has a few tips that can help ensure the success of men's health programs. He recently led a study that reviewed community-based programs in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., the U.S. and other regions to see what worked and what didn't. |
Leading risk factors, causes of death underrepresented in NIH-supported prevention researchA study by National Institutes of Health scientists in the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) examined NIH grants and cooperative agreements during fiscal years 2012 through 2017 to determine the alignment of prevention research across NIH institutes and centers with leading risk factors and causes of death and disability in the United States. The study found that while the top-10 risk factors for death are associated with more than half of the deaths in the United States, only a third of NIH-supported prevention research measured those risk factors as exposures or outcomes. Similarly, while 7 out of every 10 Americans die from the 10 leading causes of death, fewer than 3 in 10 prevention research projects supported by the NIH measure these causes of death as exposures or outcomes. The study was published today in the journal JAMA Network Open. | |
 | Quinn on Nutrition: Coffee and tea questions"Greetings from Canada," a reader from Ontario wrote. He then politely corrected me on a grammatical error he found in a recent column published in the Toronto Star. |
Bacteria that killed 3 infants traced to hospital equipmentA Pennsylvania hospital said Friday it has discovered the source of a waterborne germ that sickened at least eight premature infants, killing three. | |
Biology news
 | Creating fake rhino horn with horse hair to help in saving the endangered rhinoPublished today in Scientific Reports they hope their method will provide a blueprint to create credible fakes that could eventually flood a market which has decimated the wild rhino population. |
 | Millions of seabirds rely on discarded fishMillions of scavenging seabirds survive on fish discarded by North Sea fishing vessels, new research shows. |
 | Belgium's first wolf in 100 years is presumed dead – have hopes of coexistence died with her?When Naya arrived in Belgium in January 2018, she was the first wolf to be tracked in the country for at least 100 years. She'd been followed with a radio collar since she was a cub, so scientists knew when she left her family pack in eastern Germany to start a new life across the border. They also knew when she met another interloper, the male wolf, August, in August 2018. |
 | Microscopic biological motors using magnetotactic bacteriaSince their discovery in the 1970s, scientists have developed a strong interested for magnetotactic bacteria, an intriguing microorganism that moves along the magnetic field lines due the magnetite particles they grow in their body. How this property can be used to induce collective behavior and create a microscopic engine? This is the work done by a team of researchers from the PMMH Laboratory (ESPCI Paris -PSL, Sorbonne University, CNRS) in collaboration with researchers from the FAST laboratory in Orsay and the University of Chile. In their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, they managed to create reversible vortices in drops filled with these bacteria when subjected to a magnetic field. |
 | Saving Australia's sea lion populationA world-first trial is under way to treat the Australian sea lion with a topical anti-parasitic in an attempt to rid the endangered species of debilitating hookworm infestation. The experiment is led by Dr. Rachael Gray, from the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science. |
 | Targeted gene modification in animal pathogenic chlamydiaResearchers at Umeå University (Sweden), in collaboration with researchers at the University of Maryland and Duke University (U.S.), now for the first time successfully performed targeted gene mutation in the zoonotic pathogen Chlamydia caviae. |
 | Chimera formation could favor the expansion of invasive species in the marine environmentA new article published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals 44% of the colonies of Didemnum vexillum—a marine invertebrate tagged as invasive species—in the Ebro Delta (Tarragona, Spain) are formed by gene chimera: that is, cells with a different gene pool. According to the study, this ability to create chimera could be a determining factor in promoting genetic diversity and the colonizing success of this exotic species in natural ecosystems worldwide. |
 | New tool facilitates genetic mapping of polyploid plantsAn innovative genetic mapping system for polyploid species promises to facilitate the work of scientists and plant breeders who use genomics to develop varieties that are more productive and resistant to disease or drought. Polyploids are organisms with more than two sets of chromosomes. Many plant species of economic value such as potato, wheat, cotton and sugarcane, are polyploids. |
 | Are sheep hanging around waterways?Massey researchers are looking into the behaviour of sheep around waterways and how this impacts on water quality across the seasons. |
 | Emperor penguins could march to extinction if nations fail to halt climate changeThe concept of a canary in a coal mine – a sensitive species that provides an alert to danger—originated with British miners, who carried actual canaries underground through the mid-1980s to detect the presence of deadly carbon monoxide gas. Today another bird, the emperor penguin, is providing a similar warning about the planetary effects of burning fossil fuels. |
 | Russian goat who made unlikely friends with tiger diesA Russian goat named Timur whose unusual friendship with a tiger won him nationwide fame, has died, the director of the safari park where the pair lived, said Friday. |
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