Science X Newsletter Sunday, Nov 10

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 10, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study points to new weapon in fight against lethal fungi

Fossil suggests apes, old world monkeys moved in opposite directions from shared ancestor

Fake news via OpenAI: Eloquently incoherent?

Opioids won't help arthritis patients long-term: study

Fall madness: MIT's Mini Cheetah robots play soccer

Technology news

	Fake news via OpenAI: Eloquently incoherent? OpenAI's text generator, machine learning-powered—so powerful that it was thought too dangerous to release to the public, has, guess what, been released.
	Fall madness: MIT's Mini Cheetah robots play soccer The Nov. 6 video posted by Biomimetics Robotics Lab at Mass Institute of Technology in Killian Court does not need a text narrative and it has none, but that won't stop you thinking along the lines of in-video bystander reactions: "Oh God." "Whoooo."
	Twitter spy case highlights risks for big tech platforms The allegations of spying by former Twitter employees for Saudi Arabia underscore the risks for Silicon Valley firms holding sensitive data which make the platforms ripe for espionage.
	Top antitrust enforcer warns Big Tech over data collection The Justice Department's top antitrust official warned Big Tech companies Friday that the government could pursue them for anticompetitive behavior related to their troves of user data, including for cutting off data access to competitors.
	Instagram test of hiding 'likes' spreading to US Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Friday said that a test of hiding "likes" at the image and photo sharing social network will spread to the US.
	Trundling into trouble: Singapore targets e-scooters after accidents Tiny Singapore had embraced electric scooters in a big way, but deaths and fires linked to the two-wheelers have prompted authorities to introduce tough rules that could put a brake on their runaway success.
	Russian e-commerce booms despite economic doldrums Moscow photographer Galina Goryushina says that online shopping has changed her life.
	Tech companies rush to fight misinformation ahead of UK vote Facebook is opening up a war room to quickly respond to election hoaxes. Twitter is banning political ads. Google plans to crack down on bogus videos on YouTube.

Medicine & Health news

	Opioids won't help arthritis patients long-term: study (HealthDay)—Opioid painkillers may temporarily ease the discomfort of arthritis, but they have no clear lasting benefit, a research review finds.
PERL concludes reduced uric acid has no impact on kidney disease in type 1 diabetes Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains one of the most intractable complications of diabetes. Progress has been made using glycemic and blood pressure control, but the search continues for improved treatments for the estimated one in four adults with diabetes who has some level of nephropathy and continues at risk for eventual kidney failure.
	Oral health for older adults Older adults are at an especially high risk for mouth and tooth infections and the complications that can come with these problems. Losing teeth, which is mainly caused by infection, not only leads to changes in our appearance but may also make it harder to chew certain foods. That can make it harder to receive the nourishment we need to function. Complete loss of all teeth (also known as edentulous) is less common now in developed countries like the U.S., but it still becomes more common as we age regardless of where we may live.
	US identifies likely culprit of vaping illness outbreak US health officials said Friday they had identified vitamin E acetate as the likely culprit behind a vaping-linked lung injury epidemic that has killed 39 people and sickened more than two thousand.
	Common muscle relaxant causes severe confusion in patients with kidney disease One in 25 patients with very low kidney function were admitted to hospital with severe confusion and other cognitive-related symptoms a few days after being prescribed a common muscle relaxant.
Neurosurgery in Brazilian Amazon is possible Low- and middle-income countries in remote locations with little access to care can create sustainable neurosurgical programs by recruiting and training young, local doctors, according to a Rutgers study.
Hospitalizations among dialysis patients are higher in areas with more black residents Patients with kidney failure who receive hemodialysis at US clinics located in residential areas with a high percentage of Black residents are more likely to be hospitalized than those who receive hemodialysis in communities with a lower percentage of Black residents. The findings come from a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2019 November 5-November 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
Rising rates of kidney injury in women who are hospitalized during pregnancy A recent analysis reveals increasing rates of acute kidney injury in women who are hospitalized during pregnancy, especially among those with diabetes. Also, women with pregnancy-related acute kidney injury were much more likely to die while in the hospital than those without kidney injury. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2019 November 5-November 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
Biologics offer similar disease activity improvement for elderly and young-onset RA patients According to new research findings presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, both patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose disease onset occurred at an older age and those whose disease onset occurred earlier in life have similar improvements in clinical disease at 48 weeks after starting biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, as well as similar drug maintenance and adverse events discontinuation rates (Abstract #1345).
Some people with RA treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for cancer have flare, most able to continue treatment A new study found that cancer patients with a pre-existing autoimmune disease receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors as treatment are likely to experience a flare. However, their rate of experiencing an immune related adverse event is at a rate similar to patients without an autoimmune disease. The study sought to determine the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Details of this study will be presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting (Abstract #1339).
Methotrexate reduces joint damage progression over placebo in erosive hand OA According to new research findings presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, methotrexate did not demonstrate superior efficacy over placebo for pain relief and function evolution at three and 12 months in patients with erosive hand osteoarthritis, but did significantly reduce the progression of joint damage over placebo and seems to facilitate bone remodeling in these patients (Abstract #1759).
ADA2 is a specific biomarker for MAS in systemic JIA According to new research findings presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) in the peripheral blood is a sensitive, specific biomarker for macrophage activation syndrome, a potentially life-threatening complication of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (systemic JIA) (Abstract #920).
Children with Down syndrome at increased risk for inflammatory, erosive arthritis A new study finds that children with Down syndrome are at an increased risk of an associated form of arthritis. Additionally, researchers recommend changing the name to Down syndrome-associated arthritis to more accurately reflect the inflammatory and erosive nature of the condition. Details of this study will be presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting (Abstract #1817).
Post-market price changes alone account for most recent spending growth for biologics New research findings presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting found that annual spending on biologic DMARDS (biologics) by U.S. public programs and beneficiaries nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016. The study showed post-market drug price changes alone account for the majority of recent spending growth, and manufacturers' rebates have little impact on rising costs (Abstract #2731).
Low-dose oral prednisolone substantially improves pain and function in hand OA Research presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting found that a six-week treatment with low-dose oral prednisolone substantially improves pain and decreases signs of inflammation in patients with painful hand osteoarthritis (Abstract #1760).
Limited access to SLE lab tests in developing nations affects usefulness According to new research findings presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, supportive laboratory assays to diagnose lupus, specifically the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, are less often offered in developing nations due to a relative lack of resources. This greatly reduced the diagnostic utility of ANA as an entry criterion for lupus classification in Ghanaian and Nigerian cohorts compared to African American cohorts in the United States. This emphasizes an urgent need for broader clinical trials and ANA testing to participants in developing countries (Abstract #705).
Additional medications to treat children with JIA are urgently needed According to new research findings presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, there is a profound ongoing need for additional medications to control the signs and symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), despite the availability of several approved biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (biologics) (Abstract #1813).
Physicians should consider HCQ to reduce the risk of recurrent congenital heart block New research findings presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting discovered that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) significantly reduces the recurrence rate of congenital heart block in subsequent pregnancies of women with anti-SSA/ Ro antibodies, regardless of their health status. (Abstract #1761).
Gadolinium-enhanced MRI improves diagnostic accuracy and predicts polymyalgia rheumatica According to new research findings presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, use of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in shoulders of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica may contribute to more accurate diagnosis and prediction of recurrence. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI displayed capsulitis, rotator cuff tendinitis and focal osteitis in shoulders that was relatively specific to patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (Abstract #1161).
Atmospheric and environmental changes impact organ-specific lupus flares New research findings presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting found a strong association between changes in atmospheric and environmental variables 10 days before a clinic visit and organ-specific lupus flares in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (Abstract #695).
Tocilizumab more effective than Rituximab in RA patients with low B-cell levels New research discovered that tocilizumab is more effective than rituximab in achieving low disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose synovial tissue show a low level of B cell infiltration and did not respond to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (conventional synthetic DMARDs) or tumor necrosis factor (TNFi) inhibitors first (Abstract# 2911).
Psoriasis onset determines if psoriatic arthritis patients develop arthritis or psoriasis first In a new study presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, researchers found that the age of psoriasis onset determines whether arthritis or psoriasis starts first in people with psoriatic arthritis. Additionally, they found that pustular psoriasis is associated with arthritis onset two years earlier than the intercept interval; and there is an increased delay for nail involvement, plaque psoriasis or family history of psoriasis from psoriasis to arthritis by approximately two years for each characteristic. (Abstract #2854).
Down syndrome arthropathy diagnosis delayed a year, optimal treatments still unclear A new study found that patients with Down syndrome arthropathy continue to have an approximate year-long delay in diagnosis from the onset of their symptoms, and that optimal therapy for this condition remains unclear (Abstract # 2722). Details of this research will be presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
Ultrasound to guide treatment strategy not beneficial in early RA According to new research findings presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, a treatment strategy guided by ultrasound information use does not appear to provide better treatment decisions in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. The study didn't find any additional reduction in MRI inflammation or structural damage when compared to a conventional treat-to-target strategy (Abstract #280).
SLE Medicaid patients have higher 30-day death rate compared to those with diabetes New research found that the 30-day death rate for Medicaid patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who underwent coronary revascularization procedures for cardiovascular disease was double that of patients with diabetes mellitus who underwent the same procedures. This study will be presented at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting (Abstract # 897).
Opioid use hospitalization rates increased for patients with common rheumatic diseases New research findings presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting show an increase in opioid-use disorder (OUD) hospitalizations among patients with five musculoskeletal conditions, trends that healthcare providers, policy makers and patients need to be more aware of to help prevent opioid use disorder-related morbidity and mortality (Abstract #2047).
Babies exposed to TNFi or tofacitinib in utero experience very few serious infections A new study found that very few serious infections were seen in children born to mothers with chronic inflammatory diseases who used non-TNFi biologics or tofacitinib during pregnancy compared to children not exposed to these drugs and children exposed to TNFi biologics in utero. These findings are being presented this week at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting (Abstract #1901).
	Combined tests can predict kidney injury risk in critically ill children Combining 2 tests can improve predictions of severe acute kidney injury in children in intensive care. The findings come from a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2019 November 5-November 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Biology news

Nevada reviews possible mining threat to unique wildflower Nevada is launching a comprehensive review of the status of a desert wildflower that isn't known to exist anywhere else in the world because of concerns about potential effects from new mining exploration.
	Russia releases last belugas from 'whale jail' The last whales held in a notorious facility dubbed the "whale jail" in Russia's Far East were released on Sunday, the institute overseeing the operation said.

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