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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 16, 2020:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Possible discovery of a new super-Earth orbiting Proxima CentauriAstronomers have discovered another candidate exoplanet orbiting our neighbor Proxima Centauri. A paper announcing these results was just published in the journal Science Advances. If confirmed, it will be the second exoplanet discovered to be orbiting the star. |
 | How we spotted a potential new planet around the sun's neighboring starMost exoplanets—bodies orbiting stars other than the sun—are too far away for us to be able to send probes to. So it's no wonder that the discovery of a possible habitable planet around the sun's nearest neighbor star, Proxima Centauri, a few years ago generated a lot of excitement. Now we have spotted what we think is a second planet around this star. |
 | Behind howls of solar wind, quiet chirps reveal its originsThere's a wind that emanates from the sun, and it blows not like a soft whistle but like a hurricane's scream. |
 | Nearly barren Icelandic landscapes guide search for extraterrestrial lifeNew research on microbial lifeforms living in nearly barren volcanic landscapes in Iceland may help scientists understand how best to search for life on other planets. |
 | ExoMars Rover completes environmental testsThe Rosalind Franklin rover of the joint ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars mission completed a series of environmental tests at the end of 2019 at Airbus, Toulouse, France. This included final thermal and vacuum tests where the Rover is heated and cooled to simulate the temperatures of its journey through space and on the surface of Mars. For example, Rosalind Franklin can expect temperatures dropping to –120°C outside, and –50 °C inside the rover once on Mars. It must also be able to operate in less than one hundredth of Earth's atmospheric pressure—and in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. |
Technology news
 | 'PigeonBot' brings aircraft closer to feathered-flightSince the dawn of the aviation era, inventors have strived to build aircraft that fly as nimbly as birds, whose morphable wings allow for faster, tighter turns and more efficient gliding. |
 | Brain-like network uses disorder to detect orderA disordered network that is capable of detecting ordered patterns: This sounds contradictory, but it comes close to describing the way the brain works. Researchers of the University of Twente have developed a such brain-inspired network based on silicon technology that can be operated at room temperature. It makes use of material properties that electronic designers usually like to avoid. Thanks to "hopping conduction," the system evolves to a solution without making use of predesigned elements. The researchers publish their work in Nature on January 15, 2020. |
 | Patent talk: Mobile device with solar panelsAre we to expect to see a future Surface Pro with solar panels? Microsoft has thought about a solar power idea as apparent in a patent that the tech giant filed with the USPTO, namely, "Mobile device cover with integrated solar panel." Tech watchers are poised to think this will be seen, if at all seen, in the Surface Pro. |
 | Photoelectrochemical water-splitting efficiency hits 4.5%Solar-to-fuel conversion offers a promising technology to solve energy problems, yet device performance could be limited by undesired sunlight absorption. Researchers show copper thiocyanate can assist hole transport in oxide photoelectrodes and enable a 4.55 percent solar-to-hydrogen efficiency in tandem devices. |
 | 'Invisible computing' startup unveils smart contact lensA startup focused on "invisible computing" Thursday unveiled a smart contact lens which delivers an augmented reality display in a user's field of vision. |
 | Improved brain chip for precision medicineThe Akay Lab biomedical research team at the University of Houston is reporting an improvement on a microfluidic brain cancer chip previously developed in their lab. The new chip allows multiple-simultaneous drug administration, and a massive parallel testing of drug response for patients with glioblastoma (GBM), the most common malignant brain tumor, accounting for 50% of all cases. GBM patients have a five-year survival rate of only 5.6%. |
 | Toyota investing $400 million in flying car companyJapanese car giant Toyota said Thursday it is investing nearly $400 million in a company working on commercialising electric flying cars for "fast, quiet and affordable air transportation services". |
 | UK police use of facial recognition tests public's toleranceWhen British police used facial recognition cameras to monitor crowds arriving for a soccer match in Wales, some fans protested by covering their faces. In a sign of the technology's divisiveness, even the head of a neighboring police force said he opposed it. |
 | Apps may soon be able to predict your life expectancy, but do you want to know?This question has endured across cultures and civilizations. It has given rise to a plethora of religions and spiritual paths over thousands of years, and more recently, some highly amusing apps. |
 | Screen time: Conclusions about the effects of digital media are often incomplete, irrelevant or wrongThere's a lot of talk about digital media. Increasing screen time has created worries about media's impacts on democracy, addiction, depression, relationships, learning, health, privacy and much more. The effects are frequently assumed to be huge, even apocalyptic. |
 | The pitfalls of eco-efficiencyThe saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" can be applied to many situations, and among them are companies' efforts to preserve natural resources. For example, changes intended to reduce resource use can in the end have the opposite effect. |
 | Hydrogen is blowing up: From science experiment to export industryRemember those science experiment cars powered by water? That technology could help Australia decarbonize its economy and become a major player in a zero-emissions world. |
 | Remember DVDs? Two studios have a plan to preserve the near-dead formatThe market for DVD and Blu-ray discs has been on life support for years, as streaming has become the technology of choice for home video customers. |
 | What we can learn about ourselves from studying financial trading botsIn 2019, the world fretted that algorithms now know us better than we know ourselves. No concept captures this better than surveillance capitalism, a term coined by American writer Shoshana Zuboff to describe a bleak new era in which the likes of Facebook and Google provide popular services while their algorithms hawk our digital traces. |
 | A technology for embedding data in printed objectsA team from Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), composed of Ph.D. Student Arnaud Delmotte, Professor Yasuhiro Mukaigawa, Associate Professor Takuya Funatomi, Assistant Professor Hiroyuki Kubo, and Assistant Professor Kenichiro Tanaka, has developed a new method to embed information in a 3-D printed object and retrieve it using a consumer document scanner. Information such as a serial ID can be embedded without modifying the shape of the object, and be simply extracted from a single image of a commercially available document scanner. |
 | VW has 'one shot' to survive shift to digital era: CEOVolkswagen needs to make urgent changes to become more of a tech company as the industry enters the digital era, CEO Herbert Diess said Thursday, warning that the German car giant had just "one shot" at staying in the game. |
 | Microsoft: 'carbon-negative' by 2030 even for supply chainMicrosoft is pledging to become 100% "carbon-negative" by 2030 by removing more carbon from the environment than it emits. |
 | European carmakers build out charging network for electricsEuropean automakers' network of highway charging stations for battery-powered vehicles is taking shape ahead of an expected surge in electric car sales as manufacturers strive to meet new emission limits. |
 | Group finds US aircraft approval process effective and safeA government committee reviewing how the Federal Aviation Administration certifies new passenger planes for flight has determined that the system is safe and effective but small changes need to be made. |
 | Britain's green energy sector brightens: survey dataGreen energy has boomed in Britain over the last three years, according to survey data published Thursday which also highlighted accelerating investment in wind power. |
 | Nanoparticle levitated by light rotates at 300 billion rpmA dumbbell-shaped nanoparticle powered just by the force and torque of light has become the world's fastest-spinning object. |
 | European auto market grew by 1.2% in 2019: ACEAThe European auto market grew by 1.2 percent last year, with a push in December raising the total number of sales to 15.3 million vehicles, sector association ACEA said Thursday. |
 | Detecting and mitigating network attacks with a multi-prong approachTo solve a problem, you must first see the problem. More than that, whatever fallout the problem is causing must be controlled while you solve it. That's the approach an international team of researchers has taken for combating network attacks. They have published their results in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica. |
 | Will electric cars continue to be mainly for affluent buyers?A column from Charles Lane of The Washington Post, which ran in print in The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jan.2, argued that excitement and belief in electric vehicles is overblown. |
 | What CES 2020 taught us about this year's phones: Cheaper foldables, 5G and moreThe phones of CES weren't many, but they were informative, hinting at important trends we'll see in 2020—including cheaper applications of 2019's most expensive features. Typically, the CES showing settles on midrange devices, but this year also brought us some interesting concepts to chew over, and a realistic look at what we can look forward to. |
 | Southwest delays resumption of Boeing 737 MAX flightsSouthwest Airlines announced Thursday it will once again delay resumption of Boeing 737 MAX flights until June 6, because of continued uncertainty over the troubled aircraft's return to service. |
 | NBC to give price, details on new Peacock streaming serviceNBCUniversal is expected Thursday to unveil the price and other details of its upcoming streaming service, Peacock. |
 | Austria fails to win over neighbours for nuclear phase-outAustrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, on his first trip abroad Thursday since being re-elected, failed to persuade the governments of four central European countries to give up on nuclear energy which they largely depend on. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Molecular understanding of drug interactions suggests pathway to better malaria treatmentsThe process of crystallization is central to drug development, petrochemical processing and other industrial actions, but scientists say they still are learning about the complex interactions involved in the building and dissolution of crystals. |
 | With these neurons, extinguishing fear is its own rewardWhen you expect a really bad experience to happen and then it doesn't, it's a distinctly positive feeling. A new study of fear extinction training in mice may suggest why: The findings not only identify the exact population of brain cells that are key for learning not to feel afraid anymore, but also show these neurons are the same ones that help encode feelings of reward. |
 | How decisions unfold in a zebrafish brainSome things we do appear almost automatic, like opening the fridge when feeling hungry or flipping on the air conditioning when the temperature rises. Although such decisions don't seem to take much thought, they are in fact generated by millions of neurons and numerous interactions among several brain regions—a dynamic system so complex that scientists aren't able to observe it fully and in real time, even in simple organisms. |
 | Zika virus' key into brain cells ID'd, leveraged to block infection and kill cancer cellsZika virus infection can stunt neonatal brain development, a condition known as microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. To determine how best to prevent and treat the viral infection, scientists first need to understand how the pathogen gets inside brain cells. |
 | Stage is set to develop clinically relevant, senescence-based biomarkers of agingSenescent cells, which stop dividing under stress, are long- recognized drivers of multiple diseases of aging. Mouse studies have shown that targeted removal of these cells and the inflammatory factors they secrete, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), has beneficial results on multiple organ systems and functions. Success in the laboratory has given rise to companies and research projects aimed at developing either senolytics, drugs that clear senescent cells, or senomorphics, drugs that suppress the SASP. But drug development and clinical utilization require simple, reliable biomarkers to assess the abundance of senescent cells in human tissues. Publishing in PLOS Biology, researchers at the Buck Institute have extensively profiled the SASP of human cells and have generated a curated database available for use in the field. |
 | Mosquitoes engineered to repel dengue virusAn international team of scientists has synthetically engineered mosquitoes that halt the transmission of the dengue virus. |
 | No clear evidence of increase in adolescent suicide after '13 Reasons Why'Contrary to the findings of a 2019 study that associated the release of the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" with an increase in monthly suicide rates among adolescent boys, a reanalysis of the data by the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds no evidence of contagion. The reanalysis, published today in PLOS ONE, found that after controlling for the dramatic increase in adolescent suicide in recent years, the show's release had no clear effect. |
 | Controlling molecular glue protects connections between brain cellsA way in which some connections between brain cells can resist degeneration—a hallmark of traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases—has been discovered by researchers at The University of Queensland. |
 | Whooping cough evolving into a superbugWhooping cough bacteria are becoming smarter at colonizing and feeding off unwitting hosts, strengthening calls for a new vaccine, according to UNSW researchers. |
 | Researchers demonstrate how the brain assesses and predicts physiological states of the bodyInteroception is the self-awareness of physiological states; it's how animals and humans know they're hungry or thirsty, and how they know when they've had enough to eat or drink. But precisely how the brain estimates the state of the body and reacts to it remains unclear. In a paper published in the journal Neuron, neuroscientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shed new light on the process, demonstrating that a region of the brain called the insular cortex orchestrates how signals from the body are interpreted and acted upon. The work represents the first steps toward understanding the neural basis of interoception, which could in turn allow researchers to address key questions in eating disorders, obesity, drug addiction, and a host of other diseases. |
New point-of-care diagnostic test may revolutionize early diagnosis of Mediterranean rickettsiosis spotted feverRickettsiae are bacteria that cause severe, potentially lethal human infections, including Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Delays in diagnosing and treating MSF can cause significant morbidity and mortality, due in part to the lack of a test for early detection. A new study in the American Journal of Pathology reports the discovery of a sensitive and specific marker that may enable early diagnosis, treatment, and accurate public health notification of spotted fever rickettsial infections including MSF. | |
Obesity crisis blamed for a rise in fatty liver disease amongst young adultsOne in five young people have fatty liver disease (steatosis), with one in 40 having already developed liver scarring (fibrosis), research published today [15 January] has found. The study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, is the first to attempt to determine the prevalence of fatty liver disease and fibrosis in young healthy adults in the UK. | |
 | Blue light can help heal mild traumatic brain injuryEarly morning blue light exposure therapy can aid the healing process of people impact by mild traumatic brain injury, according to new research from the University of Arizona. |
 | Patient in Japan confirmed as having new virus from ChinaJapan's government said Thursday a man treated for pneumonia after returning from China has tested positive for the new coronavirus identified as a possible cause of an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan. |
 | 1st malaria vaccine tried out in babies in 3 African nationsA pinch in the leg, a squeal and a trickle of tears. One baby after another in Malawi is getting the first and only vaccine against malaria, one of history's deadliest and most stubborn of diseases. |
 | Hookah smoke may be associated with increased risk of blood clotsFor the first time, in a study conducted in mice, researchers found that tobacco smoke from a hookah caused blood to function abnormally and be more likely to clot and quickly form blood clots, which can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB). |
 | Study contests use of smoked cannabis in treatment of cocaine addictionA Brazilian study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence shows that cannabis smoked recreationally does not work as a harm reduction strategy for crack and cocaine addicts undergoing rehabilitation. Instead of reducing their craving for cocaine, whether nasally insufflated in powder form or smoked in the form of crack crystals, cannabis use made the patients' clinical condition worse. |
 | Von Willebrand factor antigen for assessing the urgency of a liver transplantLike most other countries, Austria—as part of the Eurotransplant organization—allocates organs to patients on the liver transplant waiting list on the basis of medical urgency. Currently, patients are listed according to urgency using a score made up of three laboratory parameters—the Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. However, the MELD score has obvious limitations and the rate of mortality of patients on the waiting list continues to be approximately 20 percent. |
 | Keeping your immune system healthy is a way to keep the flu bug awayGetting a good night's sleep and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are two ways to battle the flu bug, as its presence increases across the nation. |
 | Partnership with China prompts change in care for high-risk type of leukemiaResearchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Chinese Children's Cancer Group led the first randomized, Phase III clinical trial comparing targeted therapies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) driven by the Philadelphia chromosome. Results showed that the drug dasatinib provides more benefit than the standard of care, which led to changes in the way this leukemia is treated. The findings were reported today in JAMA Oncology. |
 | Comparing cancer costs is challenging, despite new price transparency rulesComparison shopping for airfare, a TV or a car can be straightforward online. The same cannot be said for checking what hospitals charge for a standard radiation treatment for prostate cancer, according to a report published in JAMA Oncology. |
 | Study gauges efficacy of drugs against pork tapewormTaenia solium—also called pork tapeworm—is a parasite which causes disease around the world, particularly in very poor communities with deficient santiation and where pigs roam free. Researchers have now analyzed the efficacy and adverse effects of three chemotherapeutics against T. solium and report their results in a review published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. |
 | Do studies underestimate the prevalence of typhoid?Blood culture surveillance programs are critical for estimating the prevalence of typhoid and paratyphoid fevers, but cases can be missed when patients don't seek medical care, or seek medical care and don't have a blood culture test. Researchers writing in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have now calculated inflation factors that can be used to adjust these incidence rates to account for under-detection. |
 | Judges deny abortion care to teensMinors seeking abortions without notifying their parents in states that require it are denied by judges as much as 13% of the time, suggests a new CU Boulder-led study published Jan. 16 in the American Journal of Public Health. |
 | Death rates plunge in older people with diabetes, but not younger peopleNew research covering the entire population of Hong Kong shows that while death rates from any cause (all-cause mortality), cardiovascular disease and cancer are plummeting overall and in adults with diabetes aged 45 to 74 years, those in younger adults aged 20 to 44 years are barely changing. |
 | Researchers investigate molecule, VISTA, which keeps immune system quiet against cancerResearchers led by Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center are studying a valuable target in regulating the immune response in cancer and autoimmunity. VISTA is a tempering molecule that hinders T cells in the immune system from activating against self-antigens such as cancer cells. Their new publication describes how VISTA controls T-cell responses. |
 | German researchers develop first test for new virus from ChinaGerman researchers said Thursday they have developed the first diagnostic test for a new virus that has emerged in central China. |
 | NIH panel: We need improved preventive services and reduced health disparitiesAn independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health recommends enhanced research to assess and address disparities in access to health care and use of clinical services that prevent disease. The panel urges scientists to explore interventions with multiple components and to engage stakeholders inside and outside the health care system. |
 | Healthy commercial ads don't change teens' desire to eat junk foodHow teens' brains respond to TV commercials for fast food can predict what they are going to eat for dinner, according to new University of Michigan research. |
 | Estrogen may facilitate the growth of liver metastases in non-sex-specific cancersIt is known that the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the progression of cancer. But could estrogen present in this microenvironment facilitate the growth of liver metastases in women affected by colon, pancreatic and lung cancers? This is what a team of researchers from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) suggests, in a study that shows for the first time that the liver immune microenvironment reacts to metastatic cells differently in male and in female mice and that, indeed, the main female hormone estrogen can indirectly contribute to the growth of metastases. Their findings, recently published in Nature Communications, provide a rationale for further exploration of the role of sex hormones in female cancer patients and the potential benefits of anti-estrogen drugs such as tamoxifen in the treatment of hormone-independent cancers that metastasize to the liver. |
 | Study suggests parents with terminally ill children tend to hide emotional pain from their spousesA study of families in Singapore with terminally ill children found that parents tend to defer discussing their psychological pain with their spouses to protect them from emotional distress. |
 | Easy treatments can help lift winter bluesFor many people, the winter months bring a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). |
 | CDC: Romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak overIt is safe again to buy and eat romaine lettuce grown on farms around Salinas, California, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. |
 | FDA: Weight-control drug lorcaserin may raise cancer riskThe prescription weight control medicine lorcaserin (Belviq, Belviq XR) may increase the risk for cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial assessing the safety of the drug, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. |
 | Brainwave activity that reveals knowledge of crimeAn innovative research project that detects brain activity revealing individuals' knowledge of criminal behavior is delivering positive results for a University of Canterbury (UC) led research team. |
 | Activation of a distinct genetic pathway can slow the progress of metastatic breast cancerMetastasis, the spread of tumor cells to distant sites, is the major cause of death for people impacted by cancer. With no therapeutic cure available, it is clear that new treatments are needed urgently. |
 | Menthol ban could increase health equityCurrent policies that include restrictions on the sale of menthol flavored tobacco and nicotine products are less likely to reach those that would benefit from them the most, according to new research from the University of Kentucky's College of Medicine published in Health Promotion Practice Jan. 7. |
 | Body's natural signal carriers can help melanoma spreadA new study from Finland sheds fresh light on how melanoma cells interact with other cells via extracellular vesicles they secrete. The researchers found that extracellular vesicles secreted by melanoma cells use the so-called hedgehog signaling pathway to intensify the malignant properties of the cells they are targeting. The discovery can help in the development of better treatment and diagnostics for melanoma. Published in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, the study was carried out in collaboration between researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki. |
 | Cancers engaged in evolutionary arms race with immune systemAggressive, highly mutated cancers evolve escape routes in response to immune attacks in an "evolutionary arms race" between cancer and the immune system, a new study reports. |
 | Being bilingual may help protect cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis patientsBilingual speakers may benefit from protection against cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis according to a new study. |
 | More evidence HPV vaccine reduces precancerous lesionsThe HPV vaccine has led to a significant reduction in the rate of cervical abnormalities in young New Zealand women, which is likely to result in reduced rates of cervical cancer in future, new University of Otago research reveals. |
 | Media overrepresent drug treatments for chronic painMedia reports on chronic pain are focusing on treatments involving opioids and cannabis at the expense of best practice non-drug treatments, researchers have found. |
 | What changes in temperature mean for Africa's tsetse flyIn a world of changing climate, would nature's insect "vampire," the tsetse fly, perish or change its hunting ground? |
 | Scientists discover link between ALS genesThe enzyme Gemin3 was identified as the molecular 'bridge' between genes whose mutation or disruption causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a new study in Nature's Scientific Reports from scientists at the University of Malta. |
 | B cells linked to effective cancer immunotherapyCancer patients responded better to immunotherapy and had a better prognosis if their melanoma tumors contained specific clusters of B cells, according to new research from Lund University in Sweden. The study is published in Nature. |
 | Study uses eye movement test to confirm brain ageing effectsA new study, published in PeerJ, shows how University of Liverpool researchers have used a newly developed eye movement test to improve the understanding of how parts of the brain work. |
 | Lifetime suicide risk factors identifiedA review of studies into suicide risk factors at different stages of peoples' lives, as well as of the effectiveness of assessment and treatment approaches, has found that while some factors such as genetics and family history play a part in suicide risk throughout life, other factors including clinical depression, substance misuse, lack of social support and economic factors become stronger after adolescence. |
 | Why you need more vitamin D in the winterWinter is upon us and so is the risk of vitamin D deficiency and infections. Vitamin D, which is made in our skin following sunlight exposure and also found in oily fish (mackerel, tuna and sardines), mushrooms and fortified dairy and nondairy substitutes, is essential for good health. Humans need vitamin D to keep healthy and to fight infections. The irony is that in winter, when people need vitamin D the most, most of us are not getting enough. So how much should we take? Should we take supplements? How do we get more? And, who needs it most? |
 | Walnuts may be good for the gut and help promote heart healthWalnuts may not just be a tasty snack, they may also promote good-for-your-gut bacteria. New research suggests that these "good" bacteria could be contributing to the heart-health benefits of walnuts. |
 | Research collaboration reveals promising drug candidate for treatment of blood cancersToday, OncoTartis, Inc. and Children's Cancer Institute jointly announced the publication of two research manuscripts in a leading onco-hematological journal Leukemia, both devoted to the OncoTartis' clinical drug candidate OT-82. |
 | Sleep linked to language skills in neurodevelopmental disordersNew research has discovered that Down's syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and Williams syndrome are all linked to sleep disruption in very young children, and that sleep plays a crucial role in the development of these children's language skills. |
 | New method detects toxin exposure from harmful algal blooms in human urineBlooms of toxin-producing algae exploded in both fresh and salt water ecosystems in southern Florida during the summer months of 2018, impacting wildlife and humans living in these marine environments. During harmful algal blooms, species of cyanobacteria release toxic peptides, including microcystins and nodularin into waterways. |
 | Hormone resistance in breast cancer linked to DNA 'rewiring'Epigenetic changes occur in the DNA of breast cancer cells that have developed a resistance to hormone therapy, an effective treatment for ER+ breast cancer, which accounts for 70% of all diagnoses. |
 | Why can't Bertrand Might cry? Scientists offer an answer: missing water channelsScientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that cells from children with NGLY1 deficiency—a rare disorder first described in 2012—lack sufficient water channel proteins called aquaporins. The discovery was published in Cell Reports and may help explain the disorder's wide-ranging symptoms—including the inability to produce tears, seizures and developmental delays—and opens new avenues to find therapies to treat the disorder. |
 | Progress in unraveling the mystery of the genomics of Parkinson's diseaseThe International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC) has now been in existence for ten years. In an article published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease the consortium reviews the progress made over the past decade in the genomics of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders including Lewy body diseases, progressive supranuclear palsy, and multiple system atrophy and looks ahead at its future direction and research priorities. |
New hospital-based data contradicts HUD estimates on homelessnessResearchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago report that in Illinois hospital visits associated with homelessness have tripled since 2011. | |
 | Action needed to improve poor health and disadvantage in the youth justice systemChildren and adolescents detained in the youth justice system experience poor health across a range of physical and mental health domains, according to new research. |
 | Cesarean rates no higher for diabetes patients induced in 38th week(HealthDay)—In women with prepregnancy type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (PDM), induction of labor (IOL) is not associated with increased cesarean section rates compared with expectant management beyond 39 weeks, but it is associated with certain neonatal adverse outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. |
 | High-dose erythropoietin no benefit for extreme preemies(HealthDay)—For extremely preterm infants, high-dose erythropoietin treatment from 24 hours after birth does not result in a reduced risk for severe neurodevelopmental impairment or death at age 2 years, according to a study published in the Jan. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | ACA tied to narrowing of disparities in access to care(HealthDay)—The Affordable Care Act has reduced disparities in access to health care among black, Hispanic, and white adults, according to a January data brief released by the Commonwealth Fund. |
 | Average normal body temperature isn't 98.6 anymore, and it's getting lower, research showsFor centuries, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 C) was said to be the average, normal body temperature. It's not. |
 | Lyme disease is caused by bacteriaLyme disease is caused by four main species of bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii cause Lyme disease in the United States, while Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are the leading causes in Europe and Asia. The most common tick-borne illness in these regions, Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, commonly known as a deer tick. |
 | Most youths surviving opioid overdose not getting timely treatment to avoid recurrenceA study of more than 4 million Medicaid claims records during a recent seven-year period concludes that less than a third of the nearly 3,800 U.S. adolescents and young adults who experienced a nonfatal opioid overdose got timely (within 30 days) follow-up addiction treatment to curb or prevent future misuse and reduce the risk of a second overdose. |
 | Research shows that older patients with untreated sleep apnea need greater medical careObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common and costly medical condition leading to a wide range of health risks such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, diabetes and even premature death. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) found that the medical costs are substantially higher among older adults who go untreated for the disorder. |
 | Less active infants had greater fat accumulation, study findsLess physical activity for infants below one year of age may lead to more fat accumulation which in turn may predispose them to obesity later in life, suggests a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. |
 | Mortality rate is cut in half by a lung rescue teamA specialized Lung Rescue Team established by clinicians at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to evaluate and treat patients with obesity receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) due to acute respiratory failure (ARF) has significantly reduced the risk of mortality compared to standard treatment. In a paper published in the journal Critical Care, MGH investigators reported that by individualized treatment for patients in the intensive care unt the Lung Rescue Team reduced by half the risk of death for up to a year in patients with acute respiratory failure. |
 | Study unravels new insights into a Parkinson's disease proteinResearch by University at Buffalo biologists is providing new insights into alpha-synuclein, a small acidic protein associated with Parkinson's disease. |
 | Cancer study may accidentally help researchers create usable blood stem cellsA massive research effort over more than a quarter century has tried to make personalized blood stem cells for use in treating leukemias, among many other uses. One way researchers have gone about this is to sample a patient's adult cells and then "deprogram" them to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are capable of forming any of the body's cell types, including blood cells. Unfortunately, these iPSCs also have the potential to become cancer. So researchers have largely refocused their efforts on making hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which can't make any cell type, but can produce many types of blood cells. The good news is that HSCs don't seem to cause cancer like iPCs. The bad news is that researchers have been unable to create HSCs that can take hold and grow in the body. |
 | Are bigger brains better?When it comes to certain parts of the brain, bigger doesn't necessarily equate to better memory. According to a new study led by Michigan State University, a larger hippocampus, a curved, seahorse-shaped structure embedded deep in the brain, does not always reliably predict learning and memory abilities in older adults. |
 | Sepsis associated with one in five deaths globally, double previous estimateTwice as many people as previously believed are dying of sepsis worldwide, according to an analysis published today in The Lancet and announced at the Critical Care Reviews annual meeting in Belfast. Among them are a disproportionately high number of children in poor areas. |
 | Belgian brain doctor awarded for easing coma survivors' returnNot all patients who fall into a coma return, and when they do it can mark a moment of joy for their loved ones—but their troubles are rarely over. |
 | Survivors of firearm violence worse long-term outcomes than motor vehicle crash survivorsIn 2017, for every victim who died of a firearm injury in the U.S, three individuals survived. But the burden of firearm injuries is not limited to death. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital finds that 6-to-12 months after traumatic injury, rates of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other poor physical and mental health outcomes were alarmingly high among survivors of firearm violence—even higher than among survivors who had sustained similar injuries in motor vehicle crashes. The study, which highlights the need for following survivors after discharge and providing continued care, is published in Annals of Surgery. |
 | Low doses of radiation used in medical imaging lead to mutations in cell culturesCommon medical imaging procedures use low doses of radiation that are believed to be safe. A new study, however, finds that in human cell cultures, these doses create breaks that allow extra bits of DNA to integrate into the chromosome. Roland Kanaar and Alex Zelensky of Erasmus University Medical Center and Oncode Institute and colleagues report these new findings in a study published 16th January in PLOS Genetics. |
 | Brain imaging may improve diagnosis and treatment of mental health disordersBrain imaging may one day be used to help diagnose mental health disorders—including depression and anxiety—with greater accuracy, according to a new study conducted in a large sample of youth at the University of Pennsylvania and led by Antonia Kaczkurkin, Ph.D. and Theodore Satterthwaite, MD. |
 | New study identifies potential path forward for brachial plexus injury recoveryOn average, an estimated three out of every 1,000 newborns will suffer a brachial plexus injury during birth, damaging the bundle of nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the shoulders, arms and hands. In the most traumatic cases, even with surgery and physical therapy as an infant, there is no treatment that can guarantee a full recovery. |
Texas abortion patients' more likely to attempt to end their pregnancy on their ownA new study by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) finds that approximately seven percent of patients seeking abortion at Texas clinics had tried to end their current pregnancy on their own before coming to the clinic. This is higher than the national rate of 2.2 percent. The article was recently published in BMC Women's Health. | |
 | German parliament votes against new system for organ donorsGerman lawmakers on Thursday rejected a proposal that would have made most people potential organ donors unless they objected, instead backing a less radical plan to tackle a shortage of donor organs. |
 | Pakistan says Facebook to help in fight against polioPakistan says Facebook will help the country in its fight against polio after authorities blamed anti-vaccine content posted last year on the social network site for a leap in the number of cases. |
 | Vaping emergencies may initially go unrecognizedDiagnosing EVALI—the e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury illness that's recently garnered national attention—can be challenging. Initial symptoms may resemble pneumonia or go unrecognized, according to case analysis in the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians (JACEP) Open, a new open access journal. |
 | Pulling the plug on calcium pumps—potential new treatment strategy for pancreatic cancerUK scientists have identified a new way to kill pancreatic cancer cells by 'pulling the plug' on the energy generator that fuels calcium pumps on their cell surface. The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, reports how switching off the cancer's energy supply causes the pancreatic cancer cells to become 'poisoned' by an irreversible build-up of calcium. |
 | Larotrectinib in tumours with NTRK gene fusion: Data are not yet sufficientIn the summer of 2019, larotrectinib was approved as the first drug in Europe to be used in numerous different solid tumours if the tumour tissue displays a so-called NTRK gene fusion. Since such a fusion of a neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase gene with another gene leads to increased proliferation of the tumour cells, the aim is to selectively block the corresponding signal pathway. The new inhibitor was approved for cases in which the disease is locally advanced or metastatic and there are no other satisfactory treatment options. |
 | Virtual physical therapy after knee replacement brings similar outcomes, lower costsA virtual system for in-home physical therapy (PT) provides good outcomes for patients undergoing rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA)—with lower costs than traditional in-person PT, reports a study in the January 15, 2020 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. |
 | Mayo Clinic Minute: Boost optimismAn increasing body of research suggests that optimistic people are healthier and happier than those who are pessimistic. But even if you are a negative thinker, you can teach yourself to make happiness a habit. Dr. Richa Sood, a Mayo Clinic general internist, has tips on how you can become more optimistic. |
Biology news
 | Competing crabs don't fight over 'homes'Two hermit crab species which live on the same beach have adapted to coexist by selecting differently shaped shells as their homes, according to a study in the open access journal BMC Ecology. |
 | Male songbirds can't survive on good looks alone, says a new studyBrightly coloured male songbirds not only have to attract the female's eye, but also make sure their sperm can last the distance, according to new research. |
 | The mysterious, legendary giant squid's genome is revealedHow did the monstrous giant squid—reaching school-bus size, with eyes as big as dinner plates and tentacles that can snatch prey 10 yards away—get so scarily big? |
 | Discovery reveals how remora fishes know when to hitch a ride aboard their hostsRemoras are among the most successful marine hitchhikers, thanks to powerful suction discs that allow them to stay tightly fastened to the bodies of sharks, whales and other hosts despite incredible drag forces while traveling through the ocean. But how do these suckerfish sense the exact moment when they must "stick their landing" and board their speedy hosts in the first place? |
 | Jumping genes threaten egg cell qualityA woman's supply of eggs is finite, so it is crucial that the quality of their genetic material is ensured. New work from Carnegie's Marla Tharp, Safia Malki, and Alex Bortvin elucidates a mechanism by which, even before birth, the body tries to eliminate egg cells of the poorest quality. Their findings describing this mechanism are published by Nature Communications. |
 | Scientists uncover how an explosion of new genes explain the origin of land plantsThe new study, led by scientists from the universities of Bristol and Essex and published today in Current Biology, challenge the established view of the origin of plants on land, and reveal that compared to the origin of animals, plants are better at inventing new genes during periods of evolution. |
 | Glimpse into ancient hunting strategies of dragonflies and damselfliesDragonflies and damselflies are animals that may appear gentle but are, in fact, ancient hunters. The closely related insects shared an ancestor over 250 million years ago—long before dinosaurs—and provide a glimpse into how an ancient neural system controlled precise and swift aerial assaults. |
 | How cells assemble their microtubule skeletonMicrotubules, filamentous structures within the cell, are required for many important processes, including cell division and intracellular transport. A research team led by scientists from Heidelberg University recently discovered how the spiral-shaped, modular microtubules are formed and how their formation is controlled. These processes were visualized using state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). |
 | Researchers decode the circuitry of neuromuscular organoidsThe Gouti lab from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) has developed functional neuromuscular organoids (NMOs) that self-organize into spinal cord neurons and muscle tissue. Together, the two cell types form a complex neuronal network that directs muscle tissue to contract. The neuromuscular organoids, described in the journal Cell Stem Cell, represent a breakthrough for the study of human neuromuscular system development and disease. |
 | Scientists unexpectedly witness wolf puppies play fetchWhen it comes to playing a game of fetch, many dogs are naturals. But now, researchers report that the remarkable ability to interpret human social communicative cues that enables a dog to go for a ball and then bring it back also exists in wolves. The study appears January 16 in the journal iScience. |
 | Mobile protected areas needed to protect biodiversity in the high seasWorld leaders are currently updating the laws for international waters that apply to most of the world's ocean environment. This provides a unique opportunity, marine scientists argue this week, to introduce new techniques that allow protected zones to shift as species move under climate change. |
 | New mechanisms describe how the genome regulates itselfAn organism's genome contains all of the information necessary for each of its cells and tissues to develop and function properly. Written in DNA, each individual gene encodes for something, whether it is a structural protein that helps define a tissue's shape, an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactions of life, or a signaling protein that cells use to communicate. |
 | Scientists create decoy molecule that neutralizes arenavirusesA host of disease-causing viruses called arenaviruses lurk in animal populations in various parts of the world, sometimes crossing over into humans. When they do cross over, they can be lethal, and only very few treatments exist. Researchers led by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have now devised a clever decoy for these viruses that may keep them from spreading in the body. |
 | Blue-green algae found to produce greenhouse gas methaneAn international team of researchers has found that cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce the greenhouse gas methane. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes tests they carried out with blue-green algae in their lab and what they found. |
 | Incubated Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum samples may provide clues about origin of eukaryotic cellsA team of researchers affiliated with a large number of institutions in Japan has found a possible link between primitive archaea and the development of eukaryotes. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes culturing Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum samples and what they learned by studying them. |
 | Physicists design 'super-human' red blood cells to deliver drugs to specific targets within the bodyA team of physicists from McMaster University has developed a process to modify red blood cells so they can be used to distribute drugs throughout the body, which could specifically target infections or treat catastrophic diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's. |
 | 'Living fossil' may upend basic tenet of evolutionary theoryThe field of evolutionary biology has seen its share of spirited debates. But if there's one principle that virtually every expert in the field agrees on, it's that natural selection occurs at the level of the genome. |
Terrain may help identify habitats that are resilient to the effects of climate changeA new paper in The Condor: Ornithological Applications, published by Oxford University Press, finds that models which use terrain features offer both practical and theoretical advantages in identifying climate resilient habitats for migratory birds whose populations are impacted by climate change. | |
 | Experts say Med Sea altered by Suez Canal's invasive speciesAs Egypt marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Suez Canal, marine biologists are bemoaning one of the famed waterway's lesser known legacies—the invasion of hundreds of non-native species, including toxic jellyfish and aggressive lionfish. |
 | New software to better understand conversations between cellsOne of the most fascinating and important properties of living cells is their capacity for self-organization. By talking to each other, cells can, among other things, determine where they are in relation to each other and whether they need to turn certain genes on or off. Thus, large groups of cells are able to work together and organize into all kinds of tissues. Researchers at Delft University of Technology have now developed software that can predict and visualize conversations between cells on the basis of the molecules involved. |
 | Trees struggle when forests become too smallAs forest areas shrink and become fragmented, many tree species face problems. They often rely on animals that can no longer disperse their seeds effectively. |
 | New model shows how crop rotation helps combat plant pestsA new computational model shows how different patterns of crop rotation—planting different crops at different times in the same field—can impact long-term yield when the crops are threatened by plant pathogens. Maria Bargués-Ribera and Chaitanya Gokhale of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany present the model in PLOS Computational Biology. |
 | Potential to adapt is revealed by evolutionary genomicsGlobal climate change is going to drastically alter the environmental conditions for humans and nature. Animals and plants unable to cope with the new conditions are thus forced to shift their range to different areas or to adapt genetically. Otherwise they are in danger of extinction. Mobile species such as birds can change their migration routes and colonize new, more suitable habitats. Earth worms, on the other hand, are much more stationary and therefore heavily rely on adaptation. However, in most cases the actual reaction of a given species has not been clarified to date. |
 | Worst marine heatwave on record killed one million seabirds in North Pacific OceanThe common guillemot (known as the common murre in North America) breeds in both the Pacific and the Atlantic and is among the most abundant seabirds in the northern hemisphere. But like many other seabirds, its numbers have declined over the last few decades. Part of that decline is due to the marine environment—a seabird's home and hunting ground—becoming increasingly unpredictable and difficult to survive in. |
 | What should we do with the millions of animals killed by bushfires?Bushfires this season have left an estimated 1 billion dead animals in their wake, their carcasses dotting the blackened landscape. |
 | Bird species are facing extinction hundreds of times faster than previously thoughtExtinction, or the disappearance of an entire species, is commonplace. Species have been forming, persisting and then shuffling off their mortal coil since life began on Earth. However, evidence suggests the number of species going extinct, and the rate at which they disappear, is increasing dramatically. |
 | Cells protect themselves against stress by keeping togetherCell-to-cell contacts are necessary for the survival of human cells under protein-damaging conditions and stress. This was one of the conclusions made by a research team working under the leadership of Lea Sistonen, Professor in Cell and Molecular Biology at Åbo Akademi University. The results of their research were recently published in the Cell Reports journal. |
 | Bartonella bacteria found in hemangiosarcoma tumors from dogsResearchers from North Carolina State University have found a very high prevalence of Bartonella bacteria in tumors and tissues—but not blood samples—taken from dogs with hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels. The work further supports the connection between persistent infection and some types of cancer and adds to the evidence that Bartonella can remain and thrive, undetected, within tissue. |
 | Banking on a new community isotope databaseStable isotopes act like fingerprints or fibers in forensics, capturing details of where someone or something lived, what it ate or breathed, and how its environment changed over time. |
 | Tiny Seychelles island coaxes bird back from brinkGiant tortoises amble across Cousin Island as rare birds flit above. |
 | Nanopore sequencing of African swine fever virusAfrican swine fever (ASF) is one of the most pathogenic viral diseases in pigs caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). The fatality rate is almost 100%, which brings huge economic losses to the hog industry in countries with epidemics. China was the first Asian country to have an ASF epidemic, and it spread quickly across the country after the first epidemic was reported in August 2018. After that, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia and North Korea also reported on the ASF epidemic in succession. |
 | Organs-on-Chips Centre opens in UK for advancements in medical research and drug developmentA new research centre which aims to revolutionise medical research and drug development using microengineered Organs-on-Chips has opened at Queen Mary University of London. |
 | Factors that ensure cellular protein productionDefects in tRNA biogenesis influence gene expression and are associated with many types of human diseases, such as cancer and neurological diseases. In his thesis, Fu Xu contributes to new knowledge about the factors that modulate tRNA-biogenesis. |
Crop residues are a potential source of beneficial microorganisms and biocontrol agentsWhile studies of the microbiomes (which comprises all the microorganisms, mainly bacteria and fungi) of the phyllosphere and the rhizosphere of plants are important, scientists at INRA believe more attention should be given to the microbiomes of crop residues. | |
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