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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 27, 2019:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Study sheds more light on the properties of a Type Ia supernova discovered very youngAn international team of astronomers has conducted follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2017cfd—a Type Ia supernova that was discovered some 38 hours after the fitted first-light time. Results of the new study, presented in a paper published November 18 on arXiv.org, reveal more details about the properties of this source. |
 | A new theory for how black holes and neutron stars shine brightFor decades, scientists have speculated about the origin of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from celestial regions that host black holes and neutron stars—the most mysterious objects in the universe. |
 | Global storms on Mars launch dust towers into the skyDust storms are common on Mars. But every decade or so, something unpredictable happens: A series of runaway storms breaks out, covering the entire planet in a dusty haze. |
 | New image offers close-up view of interstellar cometYale astronomers have taken a new, close-up image of the interstellar comet 2l/Borisov. |
 | Evidence for anisotropy of cosmic accelerationThe observed acceleration of the Hubble expansion rate has been attributed to a mysterious "dark energy" which supposedly makes up about 70% of the universe. Professor Subir Sarkar from the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford along with collaborators at the Institut d'Astrophysique, Paris and the Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen have used observations of 740 Type Ia supernovae to show that this acceleration is a relatively local effect—it is directed along the direction we seem to be moving with respect to the cosmic microwave background (which exhibits a similar dipole anisotropy). While the physical reason for this acceleration is unknown, it cannot be ascribed to dark energy which would have caused equal acceleration in all directions. |
 | Scientists discover unpredicted stellar black holeAn international team headed by Professor LIU Jifeng of the National Astronomical Observatory of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) spotted a stellar black hole with a mass 70 times greater than the sun. The monster black hole is located 15,000 light-years from Earth and has been named LB-1 by the researchers. |
 | Go for lunch: Japanese yakitori chicken gets space thumbs-upJapanese chicken yakitori kebabs, one of the country's most-loved fast foods, will soon be making an appearance in orbit after Japan's space agency cleared them for astronaut meals. |
 | Image: Vega-C fairing's trial by soundThe 10-m high fairing of Europe's inaugural Vega-C launcher atop a structural model of its upper stage, being prepared for acoustic testing within ESA's Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) – which is able to simulate the extreme noise of a rocket take-off. |
 | Dutch-Chinese radio telescope antennas unfolded behind the moonThe three antennas on the Dutch-Chinese radio telescope, which is currently located behind the moon, have been unfolded. This was officially announced today by the Dutch team. The Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer (NCLE) hung in space waiting for over a year. This was longer than initially planned, as the accompanying communications satellite had to assist a Chinese lunar lander for a longer time. |
 | Australian experiment to establish how aggressive cancer cells behave in a zero-gravity environmentUTS researcher Dr. Joshua Chou is looking to replicate the promising results of experiments he has carried out on cancer cells in the zero gravity chamber built by his team in the UTS School of Biomedical Engineering. |
 | Europe faces up to new space challengesEuropean ministers met Wednesday in Spain aiming to defend its top space ranking against challenges from the United States and China, and increasingly from industry disruptors such as Elon Musk's Space X. |
 | New launch communications segment empowers ArtemisAs Artemis astronauts lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, new ground systems will provide them with the communications links needed to ensure safety and mission success. |
 | Impact crater data analysis of Ryugu asteroid illuminates complicated geological historyAnalysis of the impact craters on Ryugu using the spacecraft Hayabusa 2's remote sensing image data has illuminated the geological history of the Near-Earth asteroid. |
| European Space Agency seeks funding boost from member statesThe European Space Agency is asking its 22 member states for more money to be able to carry out ambitious new missions and keep up with growing competition from the private sector. |
Technology news
 | A new model to retrieve images based on sketchesIn recent years, researchers have been developing increasingly advanced computational techniques, such as deep learning algorithms, to complete a variety of tasks. One task that they have been trying to address is known as "sketch-based image retrieval" (SBIR). |
 | A smart, self-powered ping-pong tableA team of researchers from China and the U.S. has built a smart, self-powered ping-pong table. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes how the table was built and how it powers itself. |
 | Amazon will make Alexa good to go with little appliancesAmazon had something big to say about Alexa on Monday. Hardware manufacturers would be especially gratified to know that they can directly have Alexa built-in to their little products with low-powered chips and 1MB of RAM. |
 | Producing better guides for medical-image analysisMIT researchers have devised a method that accelerates the process for creating and customizing templates used in medical-image analysis, to guide disease diagnosis. |
 | New big data algorithms improve earthquake detection; monitor livestock health and agricultural pestsTwo new algorithms could help earthquake early warning systems buy you a few extra seconds to drop, cover, and hold on before the ground begins to shake. |
 | New ethanol conversion approach can reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 40 and 96 percentOne way of increasing sustainability is to reduce carbon fuel emissions within transportation. In 2017 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from this sector surpassed all others in the U.S., accounting for nearly 30% of total GHG emissions, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. |
 | Bytedance: The Chinese company behind global TikTok crazeThe Chinese billionaire behind teen phenomenon TikTok is a 36-year-old tech guru whose eye for youth trends and pioneering use of AI has blasted the app to global success—while working hand-in-glove with censors to control content within China. |
 | US proposes rules to vet all telecoms-related purchasesThe Department of Commerce has proposed requiring case-by-case approvals of all purchases of telecommunications equipment in a move likely to hit major Chinese suppliers like Huawei. |
 | Political microtargeting: the good, bad and uglyOnline services have upended the world of advertising by enabling marketers, including political campaigns, to refine their pitches to specific groups of people or geographic areas. |
 | Facebook buys maker of hit VR game 'Beat Saber'Facebook-owned Oculus on Tuesday said it is buying the studio behind hit virtual reality game "Beat Saber" as it looks to expand VR technology to wider audiences. |
 | Edmunds' experts pick their favorite must-have car featuresThe average person owns a vehicle for about six and a half years. When it's time to buy a new one, chances are there's a lot of new technology to catch up on. Even in the short span of a three-year lease, tech features and creature comforts evolve fast. It can be difficult to keep track of all the changing tech. |
 | The internet's founder now wants to 'fix the web', but his proposal misses the markOn March 12, the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, the internet's founder Tim Berners-Lee said we needed to "fix the web." |
 | Visualizing multiple dimensions for big-picture analysis of wing stresses and performanceBending, buckling, twisting, and plunging are just a few of the ways vehicles perform when in flight. Rather than analyzing these and more variables individually, aerospace engineers used a system-of-systems approach to mathematically model the stresses for a big-picture understanding of what's happening to a portion of a vehicle (a spar) in flight—then used a unique protocol to visualize all of the variables together. |
 | Black Friday: What streaming video device is best for you and can you get a deal?Streaming video has become a staple in U.S. homes, with seven out of 10 homes subscribing to a subscription streaming service. |
 | Research highlights need to safeguard drones and robotic cars against cyber attacksRobotic vehicles like Amazon delivery drones or Mars rovers can be hacked more easily than people may think, new research from the University of British Columbia suggests. |
 | Could drone deliveries help the environment? Let's unpack thatIn the era of e-commerce, it takes a single click to order anything you'd like. But it takes a lot of energy to bring it to your door. |
 | PlayStation VR roundup: 'Stardust Odyssey,' 'Audica' highlight holiday offeringsPlayStation VR is still going strong going in its fourth year. The peripheral has seen a fair amount of great games since then developers get a grasp of the maturing medium and create higher-quality experiences. |
 | Fuselage of new Boeing 777X ruptured in pressure testsThe fuselage of one of Boeing's new 777X aircraft completely ruptured in pressure tests in September, a previously unreported major setback that could delay the arrival of the long-haul jet to global skies, AFP has learned from informed sources. |
 | Amazon to double holiday hiring to 200,000Amazon plans to hire 200,000 people for the busy holiday shopping season, double the number of workers it hired a year ago. |
 | Under pressure, Apple shows annexed Crimea as Russia on appsUS tech giant Apple has complied with Moscow's demands to show Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as Russian territory on its apps, lawmakers said Wednesday. |
 | Gadgets: Wireless is the hot earbud these days—with good reasonEarbuds or headphones make great gifts for yourself or a loved one during the holiday season. Every year, out of curiosity, I search for "headphones" on Amazon and this year I got more than 90,000 results. Obviously there's a lot to choose from and it gets confusing. Keeping your budget in mind, here is a bunch of great choices and some specific features on each. |
 | Amazon's cloud computing will help Seattle Seahawks tackle data for 'a competitive edge'The most difficult completion through the first 11 weeks of the NFL season was a Russell Wilson-to-Tyler Lockett touchdown in the final minute of the first half against the Rams. The Seahawks quarterback scrambled on the play action pass and then lofted the ball to a well-covered Lockett, who hauled it in and made a Pacific Northwest Ballet-worthy toe-tap at the back corner of the end zone. |
 | Make cord cutting easier with these ideasCutting down the expense of TV content (cord cutting) is a hot topic, and for good reason. |
 | Artificial intelligence: Towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanismsThe automatic identification of complex features in images has already become a reality thanks to artificial neural networks. Some examples of software exploiting this technique are Facebook's automatic tagging system, Google's image search engine and the animal and plant recognition system used by iNaturalist. We know that these networks are inspired by the human brain, but their working mechanism is still mysterious. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Simulating amino acid starvation may improve dengue vaccinesEating a low-calorie diet can help you live longer and prevent age-related diseases—and even improve the immune system's function. A new study finds that, in mice, a compound used in herbal medicine can give a similar immune boost if given before vaccination—no dieting required. |
 | Mental practice may improve golfers' putting performanceResearchers from Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, hosted at University of Limerick (UL), are lending support to Arnold Palmer's famous assertion that golf is predominantly played in "the six inches between the ears". |
 | What protects killer immune cells from harming themselves?White blood cells, which release a toxic potion of proteins to kill cancerous and virus-infected cells, are protected from any harm by the physical properties of their cell envelopes, find scientists from UCL and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. |
 | Using machine learning tools to reveal how memories are coded in the brainResearchers working in The N.1 Institute for Health at NUS, led by Assistant Professor Camilo Libedinsky from NUS Psychology, and Senior Lecturer Shih-Cheng Yen from the Innovation and Design Programme at NUS Engineering, have discovered that a population of neurons in the brain's frontal lobe contain stable short-term memory information within dynamically-changing neural activity. |
 | Helper protein worsens diabetic eye diseaseIn a recent study using mice, lab-grown human retinal cells and patient samples, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they found evidence of a new pathway that may contribute to degeneration of the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The findings, they conclude, bring scientists a step closer to developing new drugs for a central vision-destroying complication of diabetes that affects an estimated 750,000 Americans. |
 | New diagnostic approach rapidly identifies the right antibioticsPatients with bacterial infections who are promptly diagnosed and treated with the most effective antibiotic fare better than those who wait. But current methods of identifying which drug will kill the pathogen take days to yield results, and thus patients are often prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics while waiting for a diagnosis. The overuse of these types of antibiotics has driven the emergence of drug-resistant microbes, which kill 35,000 Americans each year, according to a recent CDC estimate. |
 | Humans co-evolved with immune-related diseases—and it's still happeningSome of the same mutations allowing humans to fend off deadly infections also make us more prone to certain inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease. In a Review published November 27 in the journal Trends in Immunology, researchers describe how ancestral origins impact the likelihood that people of African or Eurasian descent might develop immune-related diseases. The authors also share evidence that the human immune system is still evolving depending on a person's location or lifestyle. |
 | Stem cell therapy helps broken hearts heal in unexpected wayStem cell therapy helps hearts recover from a heart attack, although not for the biological reasons originally proposed two decades ago that today are the basis of ongoing clinical trials. This is the conclusion of a Nov. 27 study in Nature that shows an entirely different way that heart stem cells help the injured heart—not by replacing damaged or dead heart cells as initially proposed. |
 | New high-resolution images show how malaria parasites evade frontline drugsMalaria parasites are rapidly developing resistance to front-line drugs across the world, threatening to undo years of progress in reducing deaths from the disease. |
 | Study: For babies born with HIV, start treatment right awayWhen babies are born with HIV, starting treatment within hours to days is better than waiting even the few weeks to months that's the norm in many countries, researchers reported Wednesday. |
 | How do scars form? Fascia function as a repository of mobile scar tissueAbnormal scarring is a serious threat resulting in non-healing chronic wounds or fibrosis. Scars form when fibroblasts, a type of cell of connective tissue, reach wounded skin and deposit plugs of extracellular matrix. Until today, the question about the exact anatomical origin of these fibroblasts has not been answered. |
 | Activation of opioid receptor uncoveredTogether with colleagues from Shanghai, Brussels, Canada and the USA, researchers from the University of Bonn have uncovered the binding mechanism of an important pain receptor. The results facilitate the development of new active substances. The opioids used today to treat severe pain can be addictive and sometimes have life-threatening side effects. The results of this new research are published in the renowned journal Science Advances. |
 | Alcohol and tobacco policies can reduce cancer deaths: studyPolicies aimed at cutting alcohol and tobacco consumption, including the introduction of random breath testing programs and bans on cigarette advertising, have resulted in a significant reduction in Australian cancer death rates, new research shows. |
 | Experts call for more active prevention of tooth decay for children's teethA dentist's drill might not be the best way to tackle tooth decay in children's teeth, a new study has concluded. |
Recovery from years of inactivity requires focusing on doing resistance exercises rapidlySeveral years of hospitalisation, one example of muscle inactivity, causes a disproportionate decline in the muscle strength known to affect balance, increase the risk of joint injuries, and hinder movements involved in sports. That's according to research from the University of Roehampton, published today in Experimental Physiology. Thus, rehabilitation programmes should work to build the strength involved in these types of activities, using typical resistance exercises (e.g., leg press), but with the attention of lifting the resistance as rapidly as possible. | |
Study pinpoints possible cause of noise-related blood vessel damage, heart diseaseLong-term exposure to environmental noise—think planes, trains, and automobiles—has been linked in multiple studies to adverse health effects such as poor sleep, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanisms linking noise to such diseases has not been well understood. Now, investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and colleagues have identified a potential mechanism through which long-term exposure to noise leads to inflammation, blood vessel damage, and heart disease. | |
Aerobic exercise and heart-healthy diet may slow development of memory problemsCognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), or mild cognitive impairment, is a condition that affects your memory and may put you at risk for Alzheimer's disease and dementia. According to the U.S. National Library for Medicine, signs of mild cognitive impairment may include frequently losing things, forgetting to go to events and appointments, and having more trouble coming up with words than other people of your age. | |
 | Drugmakers, distributors facing federal opioid probeAt least a half-dozen companies that make or distribute prescription opioid painkillers are facing a federal criminal investigation over whether they violated federal law as they shipped more drugs amid the growing nationwide addiction and overdose crisis. |
 | Deportation worries may increase high blood pressure riskIn a four-year study of Mexican-born women who reside in an agricultural area of California, the worry of deportation appears to double their risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association. |
 | FDA-approved drug shows promise against ALS in miceThe cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—a disabling neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and leads to weakened muscles and early death—is not fully understood, but accumulating evidence suggests that inflammatory processes may play a role in the initiation and progression of the condition. In research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in Scientific Reports, treatment with an anti-inflammatory drug delayed the onset of disease in a mouse model of ALS. |
 | Imaging uncovers secrets of medicine's mysterious ivory manikinsLittle is known about the origins of manikins—small anatomical sculptures thought to be used by doctors four centuries ago—but now advanced imaging techniques have offered a revealing glimpse inside these captivating ivory dolls. Researchers using micro-CT successfully identified the material composition and components of several ancient ivory manikins, according to a new study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). |
 | Gunshot injuries have long-term medical consequencesResearchers are trying to identify injury patterns and predict future outcomes for victims of gun violence who are seen in the emergency room and later readmitted to the hospital, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). They found that patients who had gunshot injuries to the chest or abdomen were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital. |
 | Beware of swimming if you use deep brain stimulation for Parkinson'sResearchers have identified nine cases of people who lost their ability to swim after having a deep brain stimulation device implanted to control symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The new research is published in the November 27, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. All nine people had been good swimmers even after their Parkinson's disease diagnosis. But once they had deep brain stimulation surgery, researchers found while other movement symptoms improved, their swimming skills deteriorated. |
 | Diabetic foot wounds kill millions, but high-tech solutions and teamwork are making a differenceWhat if someone told you that there's a disease you could catch where you couldn't feel any symptoms coming on? And that this occurs every 1.2 seconds somewhere in the world? |
 | Medical errors still harm too many people—but there are glimpses of real changeIn late November 1999, a TV producer called me about an alarming report that 44,000 to 98,000 Americans were being killed each year by preventable errors in hospitals and another 1 million were being injured. |
 | Are you as grateful as you deserve to be?As a physician, I have helped to care for many patients and families whose lives have been turned upside down by serious illnesses and injuries. In the throes of such catastrophes, it can be difficult to find cause for anything but lament. Yet Thanksgiving presents us with an opportunity to develop one of the healthiest, most life-affirming and convivial of all habits—that of counting and rejoicing in our blessings. |
 | Bladder cancer treatment rejected for routine use on NHS in EnglandAn immunotherapy treatment for some people with bladder cancer, currently available through the Cancer Drugs Fund, has been given an initial "no" for routine use in England. |
 | Study highlights 'worrying' increase in misuse of non-opioid medicationsA major new analysis of the non-opioid medications, gabapentin and baclofen, shows "worrying" increases in related suicide attempts and hospital admissions in US adults since 2013—coinciding with a decrease in opioid prescriptions. |
 | Patient's place of residence matters when choosing cost-effective anticoagulation therapyAppropriately selected anticoagulation therapy can help to reduce the medical costs of patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that direct oral anticoagulants can be a more cost-effective alternative than traditional warfarin therapy when the patient's place of residence is taken into consideration. Published in Geospatial Health, the study used GIS data to create a geospatial model comparing the costs of different anticoagulant therapies. The patient's travel, time-loss and medication costs were used parameters to determine the overall costs of therapy. |
 | Inadequacies in current early-stage lung cancer treatment revealedResearchers from Tohoku University and Tohoku University Hospital have revealed why some existing cancer treatments are ineffective in tackling the early-stages of lung cancer. A team led by Professor Tetsuya Kodama investigated the ability of anti-cancer agents to affect early-stage lung metastatic tumors. |
 | Genetic alterations in skin stem cells can trigger psoriasisPsoriasis is not a congenital disorder—it only occurs later on in life and has various causes, such as stress or UV irradiation, some of which have not yet been explored. In biomedical science, this frequently occurring inflammatory skin disease is usually associated with a disorder in the immune system, in which the body's immune response is directed against healthy skin cells. Now, a research team from the Department of Dermatology and the Clinical Institute for Laboratory Medicine has shown that a genetic change in the hair follicles of the skin stem cells can trigger psoriasis. |
 | Your big brain makes you human: Count your neurons when you count your blessingsHere's something new to consider being thankful for at the dinner table: the long evolutionary journey that gave you your big brain and your long life. |
 | These memoirs show us the role women had in eradicating smallpox from IndiaSmallpox is one of the only diseases to have been eradicated by sustained human effort. But before it was eradicated in 1977, it claimed an estimated 300 million lives in the 20th century alone. The highly contagious disease was characterized by fever and a spotted skin rash. Although most people recovered, about three in every ten people died from smallpox. |
 | Women who suffered child abuse have worse menopause symptomsHot flushes or night sweats—called vasomotor symptoms or VMS—might be more than just a nuisance for menopausal women. |
 | Physiotherapy 'postcode lottery' uncoveredThe amount of physiotherapy available following hip and knee replacements comes down to a 'postcode lottery' according to new research led by the University of East Anglia in collaboration with the universities of Bristol and Oxford. |
 | Drill or no drill—'the end of the dentist's dilemma'A dentist's drill might not be the best way to tackle tooth decay in children's teeth, a new study has concluded. |
 | Coloured nutritional labels could help consumers make healthier choicesThe effectiveness of the Health Star Rating system in helping consumers make healthier food choices could be increased by using colour, new research led by Curtin University has found. |
 | Exploring drug repurposing to treat glioblastomaMALT1 blockers have long been in clinical use for the treatment of blood cancers. A study suggests that these drugs could potentially also be developed as a treatment option for glioblastoma, the most common and lethal type of brain tumor. |
 | Study: Minimum dose of hydromethylthionine could slow cognitive decline in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer'sIn a paper published in today's online issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, TauRx has reported unexpected results of a pharmacokinetic analysis of the relationship between treatment dose, blood levels and pharmacological activity of the drug hydromethylthionine on the brain in over 1,000 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. These results showed that, even at the lowest dose of hydromethylthionine previously tested in two Phase 3 global clinical trials (8 mg/day), the drug produced concentration-dependent effects on cognitive decline and brain atrophy. |
 | Flavonoid metabolite helps fight colorectal cancerEating fruits and vegetables is more important than ever. |
 | Chinese-born seniors share views on elder abuseA new study from U of T Mississauga highlights an important information gap that may leave some seniors in Canada vulnerable to abuse and neglect. |
 | Artificial intelligence-based algorithm for intensive care of traumatic brain injuryA recent Finnish study published in Scientific Reports presents the first artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm designed for use in intensive care units for treating patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The project is a collaborative project between three Finnish university hospitals: Helsinki University Hospital, Kuopio University Hospital and Turku University Hospital. |
 | Study weighs impact of sugar vs. whole fruit on blood pressureBrace yourselves, folks. Another firehose of holiday menu choices is rushing your way. Savvy eaters are planning ahead, deliberating over age-old questions: Go for the cider and pumpkin cookies? Or opt for an apple and some of that fruit salad? |
 | Not seeing the trees for the forestResearchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have shown that it is possible that objects stand out less when they are surrounded by similar objects. This surround-suppression effect is caused by feedback from higher visual brain areas. The results of this research are important for a better understanding of the way in which the brain transforms incoming light into a cohesive image. The paper has been published in the scientific journal Current Biology. |
 | More E. coli illnesses linked to tainted romaine lettuceMore Americans have been sickened with E. coli after eating romaine lettuce thought to be grown in Salinas, Calif., federal health officials said Tuesday. |
 | Technique targets cancer cells and leaves healthy ones aloneIt is a feeling that many who receive a cancer diagnosis can identify with: heartbreak and fear, followed by hopes that chemotherapy will save the day. Unfortunately, for many patients, chemo's painful side effects cause them to stop treatment prematurely. |
 | Why ageing should be classified as a diseaseSince the time of the ancient Greeks, doctors and philosophers have argued whether ageing is a disease or a natural process. Many authors of the Hippocratic Corpus argued that growing old invariably leads to frailty, disability and death, hence they saw ageing as a progressive and incurable disease. But the Roman physician Galen argued that while diseases are abnormal, ageing is universal, so ageing is a natural process rather than a disease. This dichotomy persists to this day and frames our conceptions of the problems of ageing and our proposed solutions. |
 | Suicides and overdoses among factors fueling drop in US life expectancyIt's official: Americans are dying much sooner in life. |
 | Can obesity limit antiarrhythmic drug effectiveness?Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is the most common type of irregular heartbeat, and it is associated with increased mortality. While researchers have identified a causal link between obesity and AFib, the underlying mechanism of how obesity contributes to the heart arrhythmia is still unknown. |
 | Newly approved sickle cell drug ushers in an era of therapeutic breakthroughsTerri Booker's worst sickle cell crisis almost killed her. |
 | Inside the new colorectal cancer screening guidelines for average-risk patientsThe American College of Physicians has produced a guidance statement for colorectal cancer screening for patients who are at an average risk. This statement is based on a critical review of existing national guidelines. |
 | This gym franchise is bringing 'smart' exercise equipment to fitness centers"Smart" gyms? |
 | An MRI developed by a Yale professor could make healthcare more affordableA serial inventor in Connecticut has come up with a portable MRI intended, like his other devices, to make health care more affordable and accessible. |
 | Guidebooks or grandmas? Where most moms get their pregnancy adviceAs bookstores and libraries continue to line their shelves with self-help literature, most month-by-month pregnancy guides have one thing in common—recommendations to follow medical guidance over mom's advice, often arguing for a "generational disconnect" between pregnant women and their mothers. |
 | Breast milk could help prevent heart disease caused by premature birthEarly use of breast milk could play a vital role in preventing heart disease in prematurely born infants, according to a paper led by researchers at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and the Rotunda Hospital. |
 | Better way to interpret blood tests to diagnose pulmonary embolismA study led by Hamilton researchers has found a new way to interpret blood test results in patients who are investigated for blood clots in their lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism. |
 | Study finds three anti-seizure drugs equally effective for severe form of epilepsyThere are three treatment options commonly used by doctors in the emergency room to treat patients with refractory status epilepticus, severe seizures that continue even after benzodiazepine medications, which are effective in controlling seizures in more than two-thirds of patients. New findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveal that the three drugs, levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, and valproate, are equally safe and effective in treating patients with this condition. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health. |
 | Screening tech advances early detection of Parkinson's diseaseScreening technology to catch Parkinson's disease in its earliest stages could be available within three years, following an agreement between RMIT University and start-up company Jesse Medical. |
 | South Africa to launch advanced new HIV drugSouth Africa on Wednesday said it was introducing an affordable, cutting-edge drug to fight HIV in the country with the largest number of people living with the AIDS-causing virus. |
 | UN: Measles cases spike in numerous outbreaks worldwideThe World Health Organization says cases of measles are continuing to spike globally, with multiple large outbreaks being reported across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. |
 | Flu prevention strategies beyond getting a shot and washing your handsIt's cold and flu season, and the usual advice is being dispensed: Get the influenza vaccine, wash your hands regularly and avoid contact with anyone who's already sick. |
 | Asthma exacerbations may worsen pregnancy outcomes(HealthDay)—For women with asthma, asthma exacerbation (AE) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for pregnancy complications, adverse perinatal outcomes, and early childhood respiratory disorders, according to a study published online Nov. 26 in the European Respiratory Journal. |
 | U.S. adults with ASCVD report skipping meds due to costs(HealthDay)—More than 12 percent of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) report nonadherence to medications due to costs, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in Circulation. |
 | Study supports PSA screening for male BRCA2 carriers(HealthDay)—Systematic prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is advised for men who are carriers of the BRCA2 mutation, which is associated with a higher incidence of prostate cancer, younger age at diagnosis, and clinically significant tumors, according to the interim results of a study published in the December issue of European Urology. |
 | Study of intestinal bacteria of insects may reveal strategies for combatting themMore than half the world's population runs the risk of contracting infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in the next few years. With climate change, these so-called arboviruses—once a problem concentrated in the planet's tropical regions—appear to also be occurring in places with a temperate climate. |
 | New strategy for treating the most aggressive type of brain cancerResearchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have developed a strategy for treating the most aggressive type of brain cancer in adults that combines a photoactive molecule and a chemotherapeutic agent—both encapsulated in protein-lipid nanoparticles. |
 | National group publishes approach to improve pediatric sepsis surveillanceSepsis is a major public health problem, contributing to substantial disability, death, and healthcare costs in the United States among both adults and children. Though sepsis is the focus of worldwide prevention and quality improvement efforts, tracking sepsis rates and outcomes is challenging because a definitive diagnostic test does not yet exist. Sepsis is particularly difficult to track in infants and children because of age-related differences in responses to infection and treatment approaches. |
 | Scholars find that irregularly shaped parks reduce mortality riskSome community parks are square, a reflection of the city block where they're located—but irregularly shaped parks reduce the mortality risk of residents who live near them, concluded a study by Huaquing Wang, a Ph.D. Urban and Regional Sciences student and Lou Tassinary, professor of visualization. |
 | Most shoppers unaware of major risk factor for most common form of glaucoma in UKNew study suggests that less than a fifth of shoppers were aware of the need for tests of the pressure inside their eyes (intraocular pressure), when measured at a Pop-Up health check station set up across eight shopping centres in England. |
 | No more menthol cigarettes: New ban on tobacco, vape flavorsMassachusetts became the first state to ban flavored tobacco and nicotine vaping products, including menthol cigarettes, after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Wednesday a bill that's meant to reduce the appeal of the products to young people amid a rash of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping. |
 | Prostate cancer 'super responders' live for two years on immunotherapySome men with advanced prostate cancer who have exhausted all other treatment options could live for two years or more on immunotherapy, a major clinical trial has shown. |
 | Air pollution linked to several new causes of hospital admissionsShort term exposure to fine particulate matter in the air (known as PM2.5) is associated with several newly identified causes of hospital admissions, even at levels below international air quality guidelines, finds a US study published by The BMJ today. |
 | Hopes Samoa measles epidemic close to peakingThe death toll from a measles epidemic in Samoa edged up to 33 Wednesday, as experts expressed hope the outbreak in the Pacific island nation was close to "burning itself out". |
 | Washington DC sues e-cigarette firm Juul for targeting minorsWashington DC has joined the states of New York and California in suing Juul labs, the United States' largest electronic cigarette manufacturer, for targeting youngsters with its marketing campaigns. |
Hospital: Kidney went to wrong transplant patientA New Jersey hospital says a kidney meant for one patient was mistakenly transplanted into another with the same name who was farther down the priority list. | |
 | Changes in pupils after asymptomatic high-acceleration head impacts indicate changes in brain functionResearchers from the University of Michigan found significant pupillary changes in high-school football athletes after they had sustained a high-acceleration head impact. The changes were detected using a noninvasive, hand-held, quantitative pupillometry device, which potentially could be used in a nonclinical setting for a quick assessment of possible brain injury. Detailed findings on this subject are found in the article, "Pupillary changes after clinically asymptomatic high-acceleration head impacts in high school football athletes," by Jacob R. Joseph, M.D., and colleagues, published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery. |
 | New method enables easier and faster detection of celiac disease antibodiesPoint-of-care (POC) testing is a rapidly growing sector, bringing medical testing from central laboratories to where the patient is receiving care. |
 | Investigation solidifies role of vitamin E in vaping lung injuriesLab tests performed in Minnesota on illicit THC vaping products have solidified the role of vitamin E acetate in an outbreak of severe lung injuries among e-cigarette users across the nation this year. |
Arizona company starts Venmo-like service for medical marijuanaOhio's cannabis dispensaries deal largely in cash because banks and credit card companies are leery of working with medical marijuana companies. An Arizona company is aiming to fill the gap for those who prefer cashless payments. | |
 | Novel theranostic reagent could enhance detection and therapy of prostate cancerA recently discovered prostate cancer-selective antigen has been identified as a useful molecular imaging target for the detection and targeting of metastatic prostate cancer lesions, as reported in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Using a novel radiotracer, researchers were able to effectively image STEAP1 (six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate-1) in tumors and localize a large number of lesions. |
 | A step forward in the struggle against neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancerA group of researchers from the University of Seville and the Seville Biomedicine Institute (Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla—IBiS) has published a study in which they determine that a protein called CD44 makes it possible to identify the population of mother cells that are responsible for the aggressive nature and low survival rate of neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer that mainly affects children of two and three years old. |
 | Utah set to become 19th state banning 'conversion therapy'Utah is set to become the 19th state to ban the discredited practice of conversion therapy in January after state officials came up with a proposal that has the support of the influential Church of a Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. |
Samoa measles death toll rises to 37 amid anti-vax push: WHOA measles epidemic raging in Samoa has killed 37 people, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, blaming an anti-vaccine messaging campaign for leaving the Pacific island nation vulnerable to the spread of the virus. | |
 | UK health service 'lagging behind' other high income countriesThe UK National Health Service (NHS) shows pockets of good performance, but spending, patient safety, and population health are all below average to average relative to ten other high income countries, according to a study published by The BMJ today. |
Biology news
 | Scientists now know what DNA's chaperone looks likeIt's long been known that the proteins that package DNA, like students at a high school dance, require a chaperone. But what exactly that guardian looks and acts like has been a mystery—until now. |
 | Unique sledge dogs helped the Inuit thrive in the North American ArcticA unique group of dogs helped the Inuit conquer the tough terrain of the North American Arctic, major new analysis of the remains of hundreds of animals shows. |
 | Habitat restoration alone not enough to support threatened caribou: studyNew UBC research suggests restoring habitat may not be enough to save threatened woodland caribou—an iconic animal that's a major part of boreal forests in North America and a key part of the culture and economy of many Indigenous peoples in Canada. |
 | Swiss army knife for genome researchIt is the the dream of every molecular geneticist: an easy-to-use program that compares datasets from different cellular conditions, identifies enhancer regions and then assigns them to their target genes. A research team led by Martin Vingron at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin has now developed a program that does all of this. |
 | Researchers show how feathers propel birds through air and historyBirds of a feather may flock together, but the feathers of birds differ altogether. |
 | New algorithm rapidly finds anomalies in gene expression dataComputational biologists at Carnegie Mellon University have devised an algorithm to rapidly sort through mountains of gene expression data to find unexpected phenomena that might merit further study. What's more, the algorithm then re-examines its own output, looking for mistakes it has made and then correcting them. |
 | Linkage between evolution of pregnancy and cancer spread explainedScientists at Yale have explained a potentially important connection in the evolution of mammalian pregnancy and the spread of cancer. |
 | Strategy to help cells get rid of disease-related debrisTohoku University researchers have developed a strategy that could help cells get rid of disease-related debris. Further research could lead to treatments for neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, Down syndrome, and maybe even aging-related diseases. The findings were published in the journal Molecular Cell. |
 | Researchers use deep learning method to delve into predicting RNA structures in world firstIn a world-first, a team of Griffith University researchers has used an artificial intelligence method to better predict RNA secondary structures, with the hope it can be developed into a tool to better understand how RNAs are implicated in various diseases such as cancer. |
 | Bottlenose dolphins found to have right-side biasA team of researchers with the Dolphin Communication Project, St. Mary's College of Maryland and Hunter College, has found evidence that indicates bottlenose dolphins have a right-side bias. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes their study of bottlenose dolphins living off the coast of Bimini, The Bahamas, and what they learned about them. |
 | World's oldest comma shrimp was way ahead of the curveScientists have discovered the world's oldest "comma" shrimp, a tiny crustacean shaped like its punctuation namesake. |
 | Laboratory-evolved bacteria switch to consuming CO2 for growthOver the course of several months, researchers in Israel created Escherichia coli strains that consume CO2 for energy instead of organic compounds. This achievement in synthetic biology highlights the incredible plasticity of bacterial metabolism and could provide the framework for future carbon-neutral bioproduction. The work appears November 27th in the journal Cell. |
 | Gene discovery in fruit flies could help search for new treatments for mitochondrial diseaseScientists have identified a protein in fruit flies that can be targeted to reverse the effects of disease-causing mutations in mitochondrial genes. The discovery could provide clues about how to counteract human mitochondrial diseases, for which there is currently no cure. |
 | Why do we freeze when startled? New study in flies points to serotoninA Columbia University study in fruit flies has identified serotonin as a chemical that triggers the body's startle response, the automatic deer-in-the-headlights reflex that freezes the body momentarily in response to a potential threat. Today's study reveals that when a fly experiences an unexpected change to its surroundings, such as a sudden vibration, release of serotonin helps to literally—and temporarily—stop the fly in its tracks. |
 | Nearly 40% of species are very rare and are vulnerable to climate changeAlmost 40% of global land plant species are categorized as very rare, and these species are most at risk for extinction as the climate continues to change, according to new University of Arizona-led research. |
 | Puffins stay cool thanks to their large beakTufted puffins regulate their body temperature thanks to their large bills, an evolutionary trait that might explain their capacity to fly for long periods in search for food. |
 | New method accelerates development of protein therapeuticsGlycosylation—the attachment of sugars to proteins—plays a critical role in both cellular function and in the development of therapeutics, like vaccines. |
 | Invasive species set to exploit climate change in AntarcticaIn the tiny part of Antarctica where the snow melts in springtime, mosses, lichens and grasses grow alongside flies, mites and colonies of micro-organisms that have fed and reproduced for millions of years. |
 | Discovering hidden plant medicines on your doorstepEI is part of the global effort to sequence the DNA all of the known species of animals, plants and fungi on earth, known as the Earth BioGenome Project. Contributing to the UK arm Darwin Tree of Life Project, one aspect from EI is unearthing useful new medicines that are produced in plants by decoding their genomic data profile. |
Woody plants with undesirable tendenciesA literature review out of Oklahoma State University focused on notable woody plants that can disrupt biodiversity by behaving as a weed or an invasive plant. | |
 | Moose: Like having wild livestock in the woodsMoose prefer to browse on deciduous trees. Then conifers take over and affect the species diversity in the forest. One researcher contends that Norwegian wildlife management is not good enough to address what happens in the wake of these large herbivores. |
Thailand reverses ban on weed killer linked to cancerThailand reversed a decision Wednesday to ban a controversial weedkiller and extended the permitted use of two other pesticides for six months, following pushback from its multi-billion dollar agriculture industry. | |
 | Wildlife are exposed to more pollution than previously thoughtSometimes, pollution is blatantly obvious: the iridescent slick of an oil spill, goopy algae washing up on a beach or black smoke belching from a smokestack. But, more often than not, pollution is more inconspicuous. |
 | Floating nurseries and robotic fleet deliver coral babies to damaged parts of Great Barrier ReefCoral experts have scaled up their advanced technological approach to restoring baby corals on damaged areas of the Great Barrier Reef, using large inflatable 'coral nurseries' to help grow coral babies and a robotic 'LarvalBoat' to help disperse them back onto damaged sections of reef. |
 | Japanese anime and zoos boost public interest in conservation of real-life animal charactersAnimated shows with animal characters can increase public interest in real wildlife, including boosting donations to conservation programs at zoos. A new national analysis in Japan highlights the potential of entertainment-conservation partnerships to increase public interest in the natural world even as communities become increasingly urbanized. |
 | Coordinating the removal of RNA-DNA hybridsTwo research teams led by Professors Brian Luke and Helle Ulrich at the Institute of Molecular Biology have deciphered how two enzymes, RNase H2 and RNase H1, are coordinated to remove RNA-DNA hybrid structures from chromosomes. RNA-DNA hybrids are important for promoting normal cell activities like gene regulation and DNA repair, but having too many is also a risk for DNA damage and can lead to neurodegenerative disease and cancer. |
 | Photosynthesis: Living laboratoriesLudwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich biologists Marcel Dann and Dario Leister have demonstrated for the first time that cyanobacteria and plants employ similar mechanisms and key proteins to regulate cyclic electron flow during photosynthesis. |
 | Oyster deaths: American slipper limpet is innocentNatural history collections are unique archives of biodiversity. They document how living things transform over time and what effects aspects like climate change or other man-made environmental changes have on their distribution. A good example is the decline in numbers of the European oyster (Ostrea edulis) in the North Sea, which has been continuing for over 100 years. Researchers from Kiel University (CAU), in cooperation with the NORe museum association for the North and Baltic Sea region and the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, have now managed to shine some light on this phenomenon. They have concluded that the occurrence of the invasive American slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) is not one of the main causes for the European oyster dying out—unlike previously assumed. The researchers published their study in the renowned journal PLOS ONE in October. |
 | The eagles have landed: Singapore shows off rare Philippine raptorsSingapore showed off two critically-endangered eagles Wednesday that were loaned from the Philippines as part of a breeding programme to reverse the dwindling numbers of the feathered giants. |
 | Antimicrobials are now more effective against canine bacteria in Finland thanks to antibiotic regulationAntimicrobial resistance in bacteria from dogs is decreasing, according to the latest FINRES-Vet report. One likely reason is the diminished use of antimicrobials, which have been linked to the development of resistance in bacteria. Bacteria from cats are still more susceptible to antibiotics compared to bacteria from dogs. |
 | Neonicotinoids: Despite EU moratorium, bees still at riskSince 2013, a European Union (EU) moratorium has restricted the application of three neonicotinoids to crops that attract bees because of the harmful effects they are deemed to have on these insects. Yet researchers from the CNRS, INRA, and the Institut de l'Abeille (ITSAP) have just demonstrated that residues of these insecticides—and especially of imidacloprid—can still be detected in rape nectar from 48% of the plots of studied fields, their concentrations varying greatly over the years. An assessment of the risk posed to bees, based on health agency models and parameters, has revealed that for two out of five years, at least 12% of the fields were sufficiently contaminated to kill 50% of the bees and bumblebees foraging on them. The researchers' findings are published in Science of the Total Environment (28 November 2019). |
 | Turtles and tourists share the same beach on a Tunisian islandBetween plastic chairs on a crowded Tunisian tourist beach, a sign indicates where another species shares the sand: a nest is buried below. |
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