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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for January 22, 2020:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
Astronomy & Space news
 | Gravitational wave echoes may confirm Stephen Hawking's hypothesis of quantum black holesEchoes in gravitational wave signals suggest that the event horizon of a black hole may be more complicated than scientists currently think. |
 | New models reveal inner complexity of Saturn moonA Southwest Research Institute team developed a new geochemical model that reveals that carbon dioxide (CO2) from within Enceladus, an ocean-harboring moon of Saturn, may be controlled by chemical reactions at its seafloor. Studying the plume of gases and frozen sea spray released through cracks in the moon's icy surface suggests an interior more complex than previously thought. |
 | Astronomers find a way to form 'fast and furious' planets around tiny starsNew astronomy research from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) suggests giant planets could form around small stars much faster than previously thought. |
 | Even planets have their (size) limitsScientists have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets outside of our Solar System, according to NASA's Exoplanet Archive. |
 | NASA sounding rocket observing nitric oxide in polar nightAurora, also known as the northern lights, are a sight to behold as they dance across the sky when solar winds collide with the Earth's atmosphere. |
 | The riddle of the heavenly burstsThis cosmic lightning storm is happening all around us. Somewhere in the earthly sky, there is a pulse that flashes and extinguishes in the next moment. These bursts, which must be measured with radio telescopes and last one thousandth of a second, are one of the greatest mysteries of astrophysics. Scientists doubt that militant aliens are fighting "Star Wars" in the vastness of space. But where do these phenomena—dubbed "fast radio bursts" by the experts—come from? |
 | Canberra astronomer becomes first Australian to win major US science award in 133 yearsLisa Kewley has transformed our understanding of the early years of the Universe, the development of galaxies, and what happens when they collide. |
Technology news
 | Kirigami designs hold thousands of times their own weightThe Japanese art of origami (from ori, folding, and kami, paper) transforms flat sheets of paper into complex sculptures. Variations include kirigami (from kiri, to cut), a version of origami that allows materials to be cut and reconnected using tape or glue. |
 | GM's Cruise heads down new road with new robotaxi conceptGeneral Motors' self-driving car company will attempt to deliver on its long-running promise to provide a more environmentally friendly ride-hailing service in an unorthodox vehicle designed to eliminate the need for human operators to transport people around crowded cities. |
 | Study says that we trust our workplace robotsThe only constant is change. Presumptions harden as truth but then there is occasion to throw presumptions off the table and start again. That's the deal with information technology using AI for business and with robots unleashed in the workplace. The presumptions are that such tech is potentially harmful and that if those robots rebel against you, you're toast. |
 | First fully integrated flexible electronics made of magnetic sensors and organic circuitsHuman skin is a fascinating multifunctional organ with unique properties originating from its flexible and compliant nature. It allows for interfacing with external physical environment through numerous receptors interconnected with the nervous system. Scientists have been trying to transfer these features to artificial skin for a long time, aiming at robotic applications. |
 | Netflix holds its own in the streaming wars—for nowNetflix is holding its ground in the streaming wars, passing its first big test since Apple and Disney launched rival services. |
 | US agency examining Tesla unintended acceleration complaintThe U.S. government's auto safety agency is looking into allegations that all three of Tesla's electric vehicle models can suddenly accelerate on their own. |
 | UK lays out tough child data privacy rulesSocial media sites, games and other online services won't be allowed to "nudge" British kids into revealing personal details or lowering their privacy settings, under tough new rules drawn up by the country's privacy regulator. |
 | Costly 'dieselgate' chokes Daimler results in 2019German auto giant Daimler warned Wednesday that its 2019 earnings could fall short of expectations due to massive new charges over diesel emissions cheating, further clouding the outlook for the vital car sector as a whole. |
 | Trump says Apple 'has to help' on police access to encrypted phonesPresident Donald Trump weighed in Wednesday on Apple's dispute with the US government over giving law enforcement access to encrypted iPhones, saying the company "has to help." |
 | Sustainable markets must be created and defendedCreating sustainable markets poses particular obstacles: A sustainable market must be continuously shaped and reshaped. This is the conclusion of three researchers in business administration and innovation at Linkoping University, who have used the Swedish biogas market as a case. |
 | YouTube's algorithms might radicalize people—but we have no idea how they workDoes YouTube create extremists? A recent study caused arguments among scientists by arguing that the algorithms that power the site don't help radicalize people by recommending ever more extreme videos, as has been suggested in recent years. |
 | Study calls for EU trade policy to anticipate ethical and responsible AI regulationEU trade policy should carve out space for the regulation of ethical and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) in future trade talks. This is the finding of a new study by researchers from the University of Amsterdam's (UvA) Institute for Information Law. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned the study to generate further knowledge about the interface between international trade law and European norms and values when it comes to the use of AI. |
 | One ring to rule them all: Surveillance 'smart' tech won't make Canadian cities saferLast fall, Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, Ont., set out to make the city the first Canadian urban center to connect to the Amazon Ring network, which the company calls "the new neighborhood watch." |
 | How blockchain could prevent future data breachesJust before the new year, approximately 15 million Canadians —about 40 percent of the entire population of Canada —learned that their sensitive personal data, collected by one of Canada's major lab diagnostic and testing services, had been breached. |
 | New research: Human heartbeats help distinguish computer-generated faces from oursRecent advances in computer graphics are making it possible to create computer-generated (CG) representations of human beings that are difficult to distinguish from their real-world counterparts. "Digital human face detection in video sequences via a physiological signal analysis," a paper published today in the Journal of Electronic Imaging (JEI), presents an innovative way to discern between natural humans (NAT) and CG faces within the context of multimedia forensics, using individuals' heart rate as the discriminating feature. JEI is co-published by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T). |
 | Why tech has been slow to fight wildfires, extreme weatherFor two years running , California's wildfires have sent plumes of smoke across Silicon Valley. So far, that hasn't spurred much tech innovation aimed at addressing extreme-weather disasters associated with climate change. |
 | South Africa's energy crisis has triggered lots of bad ideas for managing utilitiesSince late last year South Africans have, once again, been subjected to power cuts by the power utility, Eskom. The need for what's called loadshedding—planned power outages—led to the recent resignation of Eskom's chairperson and a flurry of concern about the current and future reliability of electricity supply. It has also raised questions about the lack of progress in resolving Eskom's financial and operational crises since Cyril Ramaphosa became the country's president in early 2018. |
 | Dating apps: How to protect your personal data from hackers, advertisersSetting up a profile on most dating apps is simple. |
 | Payout for Musk as Tesla value tops $100 bnTesla's market value hit $100 billion for the first time Wednesday, triggering a payout plan that could be worth billions for Elon Musk, founder and chief of the electric carmaker. |
 | New coalition advocating electric vehicles counts Amazon as a founding memberAmazon is one of the initial members of a new industry group set up to help companies electrify their vehicle fleets and support policies that enable electrification. |
 | Wednesday is deadline for claims in 2017 Equifax data breachWednesday is the deadline to seek cash payments and claim free services as part of Equifax's $700 million settlement over a massive data breach. |
 | GM to spend $3.5B in Michigan under revised tax credit dealMichigan on Wednesday agreed to revise decade-long tax breaks for General Motors in exchange for the company's commitment to spend at least $3.5 billion more over 10 years, including to build electric pickup trucks in Detroit. |
 | Judge orders Microsoft to release tax records in IRS disputeA federal judge says it's likely that Microsoft was trying to avoid or evade paying U.S. taxes and is ordering the company to hand over financial documents from more than a decade ago. |
 | Michigan lifts barriers to Tesla sales, settling lawsuitMichigan has cleared the way for Tesla to sell more electric vehicles in the state and get them serviced under a deal filed Wednesday that settles a lawsuit by the automaker. |
 | EU auto market set for first drop in seven years: carmakersEuropean new car sales are forecast to fall by two percent in 2020, their first drop in seven years, the industry trade association said Wednesday as it urged governments to aid a transition to electric vehicles. |
 | Researchers propose solutions for networking lag in massive IoT devicesThe internet of things (IoT) widely spans from the smart speakers and Wi-Fi-connected home appliances to manufacturing machines that use connected sensors to time tasks on an assembly line, warehouses that rely on automation to manage inventory, and surgeons who can perform extremely precise surgeries with robots. But for these applications, timing is everything: a lagging connection could have disastrous consequences. |
 | Amazon music service tops 55 million subscribersAmazon on Wednesday said that its streaming music service has won more than 55 million subscribers, closing in on Apple Music. |
 | Boeing doesn't expect Max jet to be cleared until summerBoeing said Tuesday that it doesn't expect federal regulators to approve its changes to the grounded 737 Max until this summer, several months longer than the company was saying just a few weeks ago. |
 | New computer system will detect bad ballot design before it reaches the voting boothIn 2000, the infamously confusing butterfly ballot led many voters in Florida's Palm Beach County to mistakenly vote for the wrong presidential candidate, altering the outcome of the election—and American history. |
 | Data mining hyphenated headlines: Improving named entity recognitionData mining and extraction of knowledge from disparate sources is big data, big business. But, how does the search software cope with entities that are mentioned where only part of their name is used or a name is hyphenated when it normally isn't? Research published in the International Journal of Intelligent Information and Database Systems reveals details of a new approach to improving named entity recognition and disambiguation in news headlines. |
 | United Airlines: No Boeing 737 MAX flights this summerUnited Airlines will keep the Boeing 737 MAX out of service for even longer, and does not expect to fly the plane this summer, executives said Wednesday. |
 | Boeing should ditch MAX name says head of top leasing firmBoeing should abandon the MAX name for its latest Boeing 737, the head of the world's top aircraft leasing firm said as the plane remains grounded pending recertification after two fatal accidents. |
 | Boeing expects to resume MAX production before mid-2020Boeing plans to begin ramping up 737 MAX production ahead of winning regulatory approval to resume service on the plane, Chief Executive David Calhoun said Wednesday. |
Medicine & Health news
 | Solving a biological puzzle: How stress causes gray hairWhen Marie Antoinette was captured during the French Revolution, her hair reportedly turned white overnight. In more recent history, John McCain experienced severe injuries as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War—and lost color in his hair. |
 | Suppression of newly found protein could lead to future treatments to slow Alzheimer's progressionResearchers at the Case Western University School of Medicine say they have identified a previously unknown gene and associated protein which could potentially be suppressed to slow the advance of Alzheimer's disease. |
 | Persistent environmental contaminant changes the gut microbiome of miceAn industrial chemical—phased out since 2002, but previously used in stain and water-repellent products and firefighting foam—alters the gut microbiome of mice and could have implications for human health, according to an international team of researchers. |
 | New tool for investigating brain cells, Parkinson's, and moreNMDARs (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors) serve as valves on nerve cells, controlling the flow of electrical signals in the brain. This special group of receptors is suspect in many neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's, epilepsy, stroke, and Parkinson's. Biologists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and chemists from the University of Bristol have joined forces, creating a chemical compound to enable more precise investigation of NMDAR activity. |
 | Sticky antibiotic provides glue for successful treatmentResearchers have found how an antibiotic used to treat a debilitating gut infection stays put inside the body giving it time to effectively treat the problem, a discovery that will pave the way for the development of more effective antibiotic treatments to fight superbugs. |
 | In animal models, a 'shocking' step toward a potential HIV cureIt's a leading research strategy for eliminating HIV from the body: "shock and kill." The idea is to activate the dormant virus from within the immune cells where it hides, then eliminate it. One obstacle has been finding a safe way to wake up the virus. |
 | Researchers regrow damaged nerves with polymer and proteinUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers have created a biodegradable nerve guide—a polymer tube—filled with growth-promoting protein that can regenerate long sections of damaged nerves, without the need for transplanting stem cells or a donor nerve. |
 | Antiviral treatments inspire researchers to develop a new kind of cancer drugStanford virologist Jeffrey Glenn did not set out to tackle cancer. For years, he and his lab have worked to develop new ways of battling viruses like the ones that cause hepatitis delta and the common cold—but the lessons they've learned fighting viruses has led to a new kind of drug that has been effective at treating cancer in mice. |
 | Mosquito-borne diseases could be prevented by skin creamA skin cream used to treat warts and skin cancer could help protect people against viral diseases such as Zika and dengue, according to new research from the University of Leeds. |
 | 'Love hormone' improves attachment issues in people with autismOxytocin, often dubbed the "love hormone," is known to promote social bonding. Researchers at KU Leuven have now discovered that administering oxytocin to adult men with autism makes them more open to close emotional bonds with others. The hormone has positive long-term effects as well. The researchers published their findings in the journals Molecular Autism and Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. |
 | Locomotor engine in the spinal cord revealedResearchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have revealed a new principle of organization which explains how locomotion is coordinated in vertebrates akin to an engine with three gears. The results are published in the scientific journal Neuron. |
 | How to keep boron inside cells during radiotherapy: A novel approach to cancer treatmentThe growing knowledge about cancer biology has enhanced the development of many therapeutic strategies that involve selective targeting and killing of cancer cells. One such therapeutic option is boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a radiotherapy process involving transferring boron into cancer cells and exposing it to neutron particles, causing it to undergo nuclear fission, which kills the cancer cells. If clinicians can ensure that boron is present only in cancer cells, they can specifically destroy only cancer cells without harming the normal cells of the body. |
 | Study finds presence of another person diminishes fear responses in womenA team with several members from the University of Wurzburg and one from Peking University has found that women respond less strongly to aversive sounds if there is another person nearby. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes experiments they conducted with female volunteers and what they learned from them. |
 | Potential way to halt blinding macular degeneration identifiedResearchers have successfully treated age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in mice after finding an unexpected link between the two main forms of the blinding eye disease, the leading cause of vision loss in people 60 and older. |
 | Researchers trace coronavirus outbreak in China to snakesEmerging viral infections—from bird flu to Ebola to Zika infections—pose major threats to global public health, and understanding their origins can help investigators design defensive strategies against future outbreaks. A new study provides important insights on the potential origins of the most recent outbreak of viral pneumonia in China, which started in the middle of December and now is spreading to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. The findings are published early online in the Journal of Medical Virology. |
 | Adults with pain at greater risk for cannabis use disorder, finds studyA new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons found that non-medical cannabis use—including frequent or problematic use—is significantly more common in adults with pain than in those without pain. |
Gut bacteria may be one culprit for increase of colorectal cancer in younger peopleA bacteria typically linked to periodontal disease, Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nuc), could play an important role in the rising incidence of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 45. Another type of bacteria, Moraxella osloensis, has been found in colorectal cancer tumors at a nearly four-fold higher rate in people over 75 than in those under 45 years of age, pointing out how differences in the bacteria that comprise what is known as the body's microbiome could affect cancer outcomes to varying degrees. | |
 | Possible Parkinson's treatment successfully targets two major nerve systemsScientists have discovered that a non-invasive technique which could one day be used to treat Parkinson's disease, can successfully target a highly specific group of brain cells which play a key role in development of the condition. |
 | Drug combo reverses arthritis in ratsPeople with osteoarthritis, or "wear and tear" arthritis, have limited treatment options: pain relievers or joint replacement surgery. Now, Salk researchers have discovered that a powerful combination of two experimental drugs reverses the cellular and molecular signs of osteoarthritis in rats as well as in isolated human cartilage cells. Their results were published in the journal Protein & Cell on January 16, 2020. |
 | New tool assesses risk of depression in adolescenceA study involving researchers from King's College London, has developed a predictive tool that can recognise adolescents who are at high or low risk of depression in young adulthood. |
 | Doubts raised about effectiveness of HPV vaccinesA new analysis of the clinical trials of HPV vaccines to prevent cervical cancer raises doubts about the vaccines' effectiveness. The analysis, published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, assessed 12 published Phase 2 and 3 randomised controlled efficacy trials of the HPV vaccines Cervarix and Gardasil. |
 | Bend and snap: New interventions for rib fracturesWhen an arm snaps, a leg cracks or a wrist twists, physicians set the bone to ensure it heals properly and with as little discomfort to the patient as possible. But the same cannot be said for most rib fractures. |
Study examines a new model for older adult wellnessCommunity-based wellness instructors can provide tailored wellness care to older adults, according to researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. A randomized controlled trial assessing whether community self-management with wellness coaching could improve participants' overall wellbeing was the foundation to outline the components of a new model of community-based wellness called the Person-centered Wellness Home (PCWH). The PCWH helps patients manage chronic diseases and maintain wellness. Findings were published in a special issue on aging and public health in Innovation in Aging, a publication of the Gerontological Society of America. | |
Program reduces narcotic prescriptions after surgery with over-the-counter pain medicineSurgeons at Houston Methodist Hospital are stemming the tide of addiction to prescription opioids by managing patients' pain after surgery. By using long-acting local anesthetics at the site of surgery and scheduled non-narcotic pain medicine, they decreased opioid prescriptions from 87% to 10% after surgery. | |
 | E-cigarette popularity on Instagram is still growing despite an FDA anti-vaping campaignPromotional vaping Instagram posts outnumber anti-vaping content 10,000 to 1, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Communication. |
Mental health problems persist in adolescents five years after bariatric surgery despite substantial weight lossLong-term study of adolescent mental health following bariatric surgery suggests that although the surgery can improve many aspects of health, alleviation of mental health problems should not be expected, and a multidisciplinary team should offer long-term mental health support after the operation. | |
 | Cyberbullying linked to increased depression and PTSDCyberbullying had the impact of amplifying symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in young people who were inpatients at an adolescent psychiatric hospital, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study addressed both the prevalence and factors related to cyberbullying in adolescent inpatients. |
 | Japanese maker pushes umami overhaul for much-maligned MSGUmami-bomb or toxic allergen? There are perhaps few condiments as controversial as MSG, but most scientists say it's safe, and now a Japanese firm is trying to give it a reputation overhaul. |
 | Cases of new viral respiratory illness rise sharply in ChinaChinese health authorities urged people in the city of Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings, after warning that a new viral illness that has infected more than 400 people and killed at least nine could spread further. |
 | China warns virus could mutate and spread, steps up precautionsA new virus that has killed nine people, infected hundreds and reached the United States could mutate and spread, China warned Wednesday, as authorities urged people to steer clear of the city at the heart of the outbreak. |
Wuhan urges people to stay away in bid to contain China virusThe Chinese city at the centre of the fight against a SARS-like virus outbreak has told people to stay away, cancelling major Lunar New Year events as medical staff handled patients in full-body protective suits and officials used fever scanners to screen travellers. | |
 | Study first to show pharmacological chaperone therapy prevents Alzheimer's in miceLike pieces of tape that crumple, stick together, and can be turned into a ball, proteins that begin to lose their shape become sticky and tend to clump together. When this happens, rather than being transported to recycling sites within cells, old or dysfunctional proteins instead become trapped within cellular compartments. Eventually, they accumulate to the point that they gum up cellular machinery, causing major problems. |
 | Reducing dangerous swelling in traumatic brain injuryAfter a traumatic brain injury, the most harmful damage is caused by secondary swelling of the brain compressed inside the skull. There is no treatment for this. |
 | Breastfeeding and childbearing linked to lower early menopause riskResults of a new epidemiological analysis of more than 108,000 women observed a lower risk of early menopause among women who had at least one pregnancy lasting at least six months and among those who had breastfed their infants. Further, risk was lowest among those who breastfed exclusively. The work is by first author and Ph.D. student Christine Langton, with her advisor Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's School of Public Health and Health Sciences. |
 | Community-based counselors help mitigate grief among children orphaned in East AfricaA first-of-its-kind clinical trial involving more than 600 children in Kenya and Tanzania, in which community members were trained to deliver mental health treatment, showed improvement in participants' trauma-related symptoms up to a year after receiving therapy, new research shows. |
 | On the menu at China virus market: rats and live wolf pupsThe food market where China's deadly virus surfaced was a smorgasbord of exotic wildlife ranging from wolf pups to species linked to previous pandemics such as civets, according to vendor information and a Chinese media report. |
 | Researchers reverse HIV latency, important scientific step toward cureApproximately 38 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, about 1.1 million people in the United States. Currently, people with HIV take antiretroviral therapy (ART), which can suppress HIV to undetectable levels in blood, but the virus persists throughout the body in latently infected resting CD4+ T cells. The immune system cannot recognize these cells and no current therapies can eliminate them. When ART is stopped, viral loads spike in blood. This is why people with HIV must take ART continuously, and this latent reservoir is considered the greatest obstacle to a cure. |
 | Study: Young black, Latino people fare better than white people after bleeding strokeDoes race play a role in how well someone recovers after stroke? New research focused on younger people who have had a hemorrhagic stroke found that young black and Latino people may be less likely than young white people to be disabled or even die within three months after a stroke. The new study is published in the January 22, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. |
 | Medicare may overpay for many surgical proceduresMedicare appears to be overpaying surgeons for many medical procedures, according to a new RAND Corporation analysis. |
 | Veterans, refugees and victims of war crimes are all vulnerable to PTSDMental health is often used in political discourse and arguments. Post-traumatic stress disorder was the subject Jan. 8, when Rep. Ilhan Omar (D.-Minn.), herself a Somalian refugee who had spent years in a refugee camp in Kenya, said: "Every time I hear conversations around war, I find myself being stricken with PTSD." |
 | Feeling sick? When to take a break from the gymYou just worked out all of the kinks in your workout routine and now… you're sick. What do you do? Do you sweat through it or forsake the gym for a much-needed nap? Follow these tips for working out when you're sick. |
 | Long hours double junior doctors' risk of mental illness and suicideMore than a quarter of junior doctors (JDs) are working unsafe hours that double their risk of developing mental health problems and suicidal ideation, according to Australian-first research led by the Black Dog Institute and UNSW Sydney. |
 | Can't go in a public restroom? You're not alone—and there's helpMost of us don't give much thought to going to the toilet. We go when we need to go. |
 | Does social media make us more or less lonely? Depends on how you use itHumans are more connected to each other than ever, thanks to smartphones, the web and social media. At the same time, loneliness is a huge and growing social problem. |
 | Safety of novel cancer-specific PET probe confirmed in clinical researchA group of researchers led by Assistant Professor WATABE Tadashi of the Graduate School of Medicine of Osaka University achieved the stable domestic production of automatic synthesis modules for positron emission tomography (PET) probe F-18 NKO-035, a LAT1-selective amino acid derivative radiolabeled with 18F (Table 1), confirming its safety in first-in-human clinical studies conducted at Osaka University Hospital in November 2019. |
 | How five short intentions can help people recovering from depression stay on trackAbout one in six people in England report experiencing anxiety or depression in any given week, and depression is a major cause of disability worldwide. |
 | How do you know you've been prescribed the right antibiotics?In the days before antibiotics, deaths from bacterial infections were common. Seemingly minor illnesses could escalate in severity, becoming deadly in a matter of hours or days. |
 | Want to be a wise guy in old age? Take testosteroneTaking testosterone supplements can boost men's brain health into old age, a new research review has found. |
 | New drug limits cancer spreadingA research team that recently invented a drug to stop blood vessels from forming a treatment resistant barrier around some cancers has now discovered the drug can be used to prevent the cancer from spreading. |
 | Compound lights up brain receptors in PET scansA radiotracer specifically binds to a major class of brain receptors when injected into living rats and humans, lighting them up in PET scans. The compound, called [11C]K-2, was designed and tested by a large team of scientists in Japan, led by Professor Takuya Takahashi of the department of physiology at Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine. It shows promise for diagnosing and treating epilepsy and for improving understanding of psychiatric diseases. Details of the team's findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine. |
 | Poor mental health both cause and effect of school exclusionChildren with mental health needs require urgent support from primary school onwards to avoid exclusion, which can be both cause and effect of poor mental health, new research concludes. |
 | Years after SARS, a more confident China faces a new virusAs a viral outbreak spread from the central Chinese city of Wuhan this week, the ruling Communist Party's central political and legal affairs commission issued a stern warning: "Whoever deliberately delays and conceals reports will forever be nailed to history's pillar of shame." |
 | Evidence lacking for identifying optimal primary care panel sizeThere is insufficient evidence for making recommendations about the optimal primary care panel size for achieving the most beneficial health outcomes, according to a review published online Jan. 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. |
 | ACP: Medicare for All needed to fix 'ill' U.S. healthcare systemThe American College of Physicians (ACP) says the U.S. health care system "is ill and needs a bold new prescription" that includes coverage for all Americans and lower costs. |
 | Decline in late stage cancer diagnoses after health reform lawAdvanced stage cancer diagnoses declined following health insurance expansion in Massachusetts, likely due to increased access to screening and diagnostic services that identified cancers earlier, according to new research led by health economists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. |
 | Kids born to moms with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia at greater risk for obesityChildhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States. For children, obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.5% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 meet this criteria. |
 | Study results will inform immunization programs globallyThe results of the B Part of It study—the largest meningococcal B herd immunity study ever conducted—are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
 | Hope for patients with a rare genetic condition linked to severe infectionsA team of researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal has shed light on the mechanisms that underlie a rare genetic condition by creating the first cellular model of the disease. The study's findings were published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. |
 | PET/MRI identifies notable breast cancer imaging biomarkersResearchers have identified several potentially useful breast cancer biomarkers that indicate the presence and risk of malignancy, according to new research published in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. By comparing healthy contralateral breast tissue of patients with malignant breast tumors and benign breast tumors, researchers found that multiple differences in biomarkers can be assessed with PET/MRI imaging, which could impact risk-adapted screening and risk-reduction strategies in clinical practice. |
 | Are BMD and CT-FEA effective surrogate markers of femoral bone strength?A new International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) position paper reviews experimental and clinical evidence showing that hip bone strength estimated by bone mineral density (BMD) and/or finite element analysis (FEA) reflects the actual strength of the proximal femur. The paper "Perspectives on the non-invasive evaluation of femoral strength in the assessment of hip fracture risk," published in Osteoporosis International, is authored by experts from the IOF Working Group on Hip Bone Strength as a Therapeutic Target. |
 | Male fertility after chemotherapy: New questions raisedA pilot study conducted by INRS researchers highlights the effect of chemotherapy on male fertility before and after puberty. |
 | A roadmap for adding ivermectin to the malaria toolboxA group of experts led by Regina Rabinovich and Carlos Chaccour from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has published a roadmap to evaluate—and subsequently implement—ivermectin as a complementary vector control tool against malaria. The Ivermectin Roadmap, published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, includes a foreword signed by Nobel laureate William C. Campbell, co-discoverer of the drug. |
 | Blood tests can predict timing of final menstrual periodBlood tests could replace menstrual periods as a gauge for when a women is nearing menopause, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. |
 | This year's flu season taking deadly aim at kids(HealthDay)—How bad or how long this year's flu season will be remains to be seen. But one thing is already clear: It's proving to be an especially lethal season for infected children. |
 | Can social media be good for your health?Combine the vast power and reach of social media, the unlimited resources of websites and apps, and the unquenchable thirst for health information and motivation. The result is a powerful tool for researchers, health care providers and patients. But like many aspects of the internet, it can be a mixed blessing. |
 | Are antibiotics a recipe for obesity in childhood?(HealthDay)—Children who receive multiple antibiotic prescriptions early in life may be vulnerable to obesity, two new studies suggest. |
 | Study finds meth use interferes with opioid treatmentWhen Dr. Judith Tsui moved from Boston to Seattle five years ago, she immediately recognized something she didn't see much back East: People seeking treatment for opioid use disorder were also using methamphetamine. |
 | Feds investigate causes of a norovirus outbreak at YosemiteEric Reynolds was sleeping after a day supervising middle-schoolers in Yosemite Valley when he was startled awake by the sound of someone pounding on his cabin door. |
 | What you don't know about pneumonia: It is the 'big killer' for people of any ageFor six hours in a Saint Luke's Hospital emergency room recently, Dakota Allen worried that he might become a fatal pneumonia statistic. He'd been coughing for weeks. |
 | Depression common during perimenopause but not regularly assessed by providersAlmost 40% of women experience symptoms of depression during perimenopause, yet it often goes undetected and untreated because many healthcare providers aren't screening for it and aren't prepared with treatment options. A new study analyzed screening practices by women's healthcare providers and their management of depression during perimenopause. Study results are published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). |
 | Light at the end of the tunnel for most individuals with low-visionProgress in research and technology is giving rise to an optimistic future for compensation and restoration of low vision, according to research in a special issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, published by IOS Press. Seven studies explore different aspects of vision loss after damage to the retina, optic nerve or brain due to diseases such as glaucoma or optic neuropathy. Remarkable progress is being made to treat conditions of partial blindness that have previously been considered irreversible. |
 | Spikes in blood pressure among young adults spell trouble in mid-ageWide swings in blood pressure readings among young adults are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease by middle age, a new analysis led by Duke Health researchers shows. |
 | What it's like to live without a sense of smellThe smell of cut grass, freshly baked bread, childhood memories, lost loved ones, Christmas. What happens when it's all gone? |
 | Climate change could unlock new microbes and increase heat-related deathsThe Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) recently published "Viewpoint" articles by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine professors who warn that global climate change is likely to unlock dangerous new microbes, as well as threaten humans' ability to regulate body temperature. |
 | Scientists isolate biomarkers that can identify delirium risk and severityRegenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have identified blood-based biomarkers associated with both delirium duration and severity in critically ill patients. This finding opens the door to easy, early identification of individuals at risk for longer delirium duration and higher delirium severity and could potentially lead to new treatments of this brain failure for which drugs have been shown to be largely ineffective. |
 | Study explores cognitive function in people with mental illnessA study funded by the Veterans Administration and directed by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has shown few differences in the profiles of genes that influence cognition between people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and the general population. This surprising finding could provide new insights into therapies designed to improve cognition. The study was published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. |
 | Is it time to stop ringing the cancer bell?It's a scene that some cancer patients dream about: they celebrate the end of a course of radiation or chemotherapy by ringing a bell, surrounded by family and cheering cancer clinic staff. Indeed, many patients say they love the graduation-like ceremony and the sense of closure it gives them. |
 | Both simple and advanced imaging can predict best stroke patients for thrombectomyBoth simple and advanced computed tomography (CT) were effective in accurately predicting which stroke patients would benefit from endovascular thrombectomy to remove a large cerebral clot, but together they were even better, reported researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). |
Europe boosts China flight checks as killer virus spreadsEuropean airports from London to Moscow stepped up checks Wednesday on flights from the Chinese city at the heart of a new SARS-like virus that has killed 17 people and spread to the United States. | |
 | 'No doubt' e-cigarettes harmful: WHOElectronic cigarettes are harmful both to users and bystanders exposed to the fumes, the World Health Organization says in a report warning they can damage growing foetuses and impact teenagers' brains. |
| China virus death toll jumps to 17, officials say avoid epicentre cityThe death toll from a new SARS-like virus that has infected hundreds in China rose to 17 on Wednesday, as authorities urged people to steer clear of the city at the centre of the outbreak. |
Study highlights effectiveness of behavioral interventions in conflict-affected regionsA new study, published in The Lancet Global Health, highlights the effectiveness of behavioural intervention in reducing psychological distress in conflict-affected regions. | |
China virus city in transport shutdown as WHO extends talksChina said it was halting flights and trains from Thursday out of Wuhan, the city of 11 million people at the centre of a deadly SARS-like virus outbreak, as the UN extended emergency talks on the disease. | |
Testing rules out Chinese virus in Australian caseTests have found a man suspected of contracting a SARS-like disease while visiting China does not have the new coronavirus, Australian health officials said Wednesday. | |
 | Taiwan urges China to release all information on new virusTaiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged China on Wednesday to release all information about the outbreak of a new virus and work with Taiwan on curbing its spread. |
Masks, disinfectants in low supply as China virus spreadsPharmacies in Beijing and Shanghai were running low on surgical masks and disinfectants Wednesday as a deadly new SARS-like virus spread ahead of the busy Lunar New Year travel period. | |
UK steps up checks on flights from China virus centreBritain on Wednesday enhanced monitoring of flights from the central China city at the heart of a new SARS-like virus that has killed nine people and spread to the United States. | |
Global health emergencies: A rarely used call to actionThe World Health Organisation (WHO) is holding emergency talks Thursday in Geneva to decide whether a deadly virus outbreak in China constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern". | |
 | China's recent history of deadly epidemicsChina has been the origin of several major viral epidemics over recent decades, with the current outbreak of a new deadly coronavirus emerging in the central city of Wuhan. |
 | Dynamic personalize care: Implementing an in-clinic mathematical prediction appThe DASPO-group for data analysis and survival for personalized oncology has developed an app that provides dynamic predictions of survival for patients suffering from soft tissue sarcoma. Patients with soft tissue sarcoma often have a poor prognosis even after surgery to remove the primary tumor. Local recurrence (tumor growth at site of surgery) and distant metastasis (tumor growth at a different site) are of great concern and are important indicators for a patient's future prognosis. The developed app allows for inclusion of updated patient information, such as development of a local recurrence or distant metastasis during follow-up. The app provides updated predictions from different time points during follow-up. |
 | How Philly plans to combat the nation's worst big-city opioid crisis in 2020Philadelphia is home to the worst urban opioid crisis in America. More than 3,000 people have died of drug overdoses here in the last three years, and the city health department estimates that tens of thousands of Philadelphians are addicted to opioids. As the epidemic has worsened, city officials, hospitals, and outreach workers have scrambled to address a complicated public health crisis with few easy answers. |
 | Hand sanitizers, flu shots—businesses' defense against fluAs this winter's flu outbreak intensifies, small business owners try to keep their companies from being overwhelmed by employee absences. |
 | Unusual study details woes among veterans of foster careAmericans who have spent time in foster care are far more likely than other adults to lack a college degree, health insurance and a stable health care provider, according to a new federal analysis that is unprecedented in its scope. |
Biology news
 | Multivariate patterning of human pluripotent cells reveals induced paracrine factors in kidney organoid developmentBioengineers have shown great promise in creating complex multicellular kidney organoids (tiny, self-organized tissues) in the lab using pluripotent stem cells . They can further improve the procedure for different outcomes, including patterning and maturation of specific cell types, although such experiments are limited by standard tissue culture approaches. Now writing in Science Advances, Nick R. Glass and an interdisciplinary research team at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics and Biomedical Manufacturing in Australia detailed a new full factorial microbioreactor array-based method to perform complex differentiation in the lab. |
 | Vomiting bumblebees show that sweeter is not necessarily betterAnimal pollinators support the production of three-quarters of the world's food crops, and many flowers produce nectar to reward the pollinators. A new study using bumblebees has found that the sweetest nectar is not necessarily the best: too much sugar slows down the bees. The results will inform breeding efforts to make crops more attractive to pollinators, boosting yields to feed our growing global population. |
 | Caterpillar loss in tropical forest linked to extreme rain, temperature eventsUsing a 22-year dataset of plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions collected within a patch of protected Costa Rican lowland Caribbean forest, scientists report declines in caterpillar and parasitoid diversity and density that are paralleled by losses in an important ecosystem service: biocontrol of herbivores by parasitoids. |
 | Domesticated wheat has complex parentageCertain types of domesticated wheat have complicated origins, with genetic contributions from wild and cultivated wheat populations on opposite sides of the Fertile Crescent. Terence Brown and colleagues at the University of Manchester report these findings in a new paper published January 22, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. |
 | The yellow black-faced triplefin deflects sunlight to break predator camouflageSmall fish use light for active sensing to detect potential predators. The yellow black-faced triplefin (Tripterygion delaisi) can reflect downwelling sunlight sideways with its iris, illuminating its immediate surroundings. A team headed by Professor Nico Michiels from the Institute of Evolution and Ecology at the University of Tübingen has now shown that the fish actively reflects light to locate predators such as the Black Scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus). When the deflected sunlight hits the eyes of a scorpionfish, it is reflected back ‒ and warns the triplefin to keep a safe distance. The results of Michiels' team have been published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B. |
 | Carcasses important for plants and insects in the Oostvaardersplassen Nature ReserveAllowing the carcasses of dead deer to remain in the Oostvaardersplassen Nature Reserve has a positive effect on biodiversity in the area. Not only do the carcasses attract many more insects and other arthropods in the short term, but also in the long term, due to increased plant growth. Plants located near animal carcasses became five times bigger than usual, leading to a surge in the number of plant-eating invertebrates on the plants and, therefore, also in the number of their predators. |
 | Ranging behavior found to impact motor self-regulation in free-range chickensA team of researchers from Yncréa Hauts-de-France and Université de Tours, has found that the ranging behavior of free-range chickens can impact their motor self-regulation. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the group describes their study of free-range chicken personality and how it impacted their impulse control. |
 | First mushrooms appeared earlier than previously thoughtAccording to a new study led by Steeve Bonneville from the Université libre de Bruxelles, the first mushrooms evolved on Earth between 715 and 810 million years ago, 300 million years earlier than the scientific community had believed until now. The results, published in Science Advances, also suggest that mushrooms could have been important partners for the first plants that colonized the continental surface. |
 | Melting reveals drug targets in a living organismDeveloping new medicines and understanding how they target specific organs often gives a crucial advantage in the fight against human diseases. An international team led by researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Cellzome, a GSK company, has developed a technology to systematically identify drug targets in living animals. In their results, published in Nature Biotechnology on 20 January, the scientists mapped protein-drug interactions in rat organs and blood. Their research opens pathways in drug discovery, fundamental biology, and personalized medicine. |
 | Researchers slash pre-drug screening time from years to daysResearchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) have developed a powerful tool that will streamline and accelerate the development of disease therapies, transforming a multi-year process into just a few days. |
 | The color of your clothing can impact wildlifeYour choice of clothing could affect the behavioral habits of wildlife around you, according to a study conducted by a team of researchers, including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. |
 | Scientists identify gene that puts brakes on tissue growthThe planarian flatworm is a simple animal with a mighty and highly unusual ability: it can regenerate itself from nearly every imaginable injury, including decapitation. These tiny worms can regrow any missing cell or tissue—muscle, neurons, epidermis, eyes, even a new brain. |
 | Autoimmunity may explain why an important immune system is absent in many bacteriaNew findings from University of Exeter researchers reveal how bacterial immune systems can be harmful for their hosts and explain why they are not found in many bacteria. |
 | Surprise discovery shakes up our understanding of gene expressionA group of University of Chicago scientists has uncovered a previously unknown way that our genes are made into reality. |
 | Biologists recommend urgent action to protect California spotted owlsIn the Pacific Northwest, the range expansion of Barred Owls has contributed to a conservation crisis for Northern Spotted Owls, which are being displaced from their old-growth forest habitat. How will this interaction between species play out in the Sierra Nevada, where Barred Owls are just starting to move into the range of the California Spotted Owl? New research published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications suggests that wildlife managers may still be able to head off similar problems in critical areas of the Golden State—if they act now. |
 | Study reveals pre-Hispanic history, genetic changes among indigenous Mexican populationsAs more and more large-scale human genome sequencing projects get completed, scientists have been able to trace with increasing confidence both the geographical movements and underlying genetic variation of human populations. |
 | Study shines light on spread of Candida aurisCandida auris is capable of forming high burden biofilms, which may help explain why this fungal pathogen is spreading in hospitals worldwide, according to a study published this week in mSphere, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The research also establishes a new model to investigate the spread of this emerging fungal pathogen that causes invasive infections and is an emerging problem in hospitals worldwide. |
 | Increased inbreeding in thoroughbreds may compromise future sustainability of breedInbreeding in the global thoroughbred population has risen significantly over the last 45 years and if left unchecked may compromise the future sustainability of the breed, according to research published in Scientific Reports. |
 | Deep-sea osmolyte makes biomolecular machines heat-tolerantResearchers have discovered a method to control biomolecular machines over a wide temperature range using deep-sea osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). This finding could open a new dimension in the application of artificial machines fabricated from biomolecular motors and other proteins. |
 | Neutron source enables a look inside dino eggsDid the chicks of dinosaurs from the group oviraptorid hatch from their eggs at the same time? This question can be answered by the length and arrangement of the embryo's bones, which provide information about the stage of development. But how do you look inside fossilized dinosaur eggs? Paleontologists from the University of Bonn used the neutron source of the Technical University of Munich at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) in Garching. This showed that oviraptorids developed at different speeds in their eggs and that they resemble modern birds in this respect. The results have been published in the journal Integrative Organismal Biology. |
 | Fighting microbes with microbesThe intestinal commensal microbial community (or microbiota) is composed of several microorganisms that, among other functions, are beneficial for the protection against infectious agents. When the microbiota is altered many bacteria are lost, compromising the protective ability and enabling invasion by harmful bacteria. Antibiotics, despite being the best way to treat infections, can lead to changes in the microbiota and to the loss of some of these protective bacteria. |
 | Most rehabilitating sea turtles with infectious tumors don't surviveCaused by a herpesvirus, fibropapillomatosis (FP) is the most significant infectious disease affecting sea turtle populations worldwide. It is widespread in warmer climates like Florida, where almost 70 percent of sea turtles in a population have FP in some places; it has been documented in the Caribbean, South America, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and beyond. The disease leads to the formation of tumors on the turtles' eyes, flippers and internal organs, which often debilitate them by inhibiting feeding and movement, obscuring vision, and/or leading to organ failure. |
 | New survey results reveal the experts and public's attitude towards gene-edited cropsExperts' interest in utilizing gene editing for breeding crops has seen revolutionary growth. Meanwhile, people's awareness of food safety has also been increasing. To understand the attitudinal difference among experts and public towards gene-edited crops, a team of Japanese researchers, led by Dr. Naoko Kato-Nitta, a research scientist at the Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research and The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, Japan, conducted a survey of perceptions of the Japanese experts and public to gene editing versus other emerging or conventional breeding techniques in Japan, where the production of genetically modified crops is strictly regulated and not readily accepted. |
 | Genetic identification of human remains from the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorshipIt is estimated that around 114,000 people disappeared throughout Spain during the Spanish Civil War and subsequent dictatorship. Unfortunately, eight decades on, only a small percentage of these people have been found or identified, with around 9,000 victims from 700 mass graves (of which it is thought there are approximately 2,000) being recovered in the last fifteen years. As time goes by and the samples themselves continue to deteriorate, conventional methods are no longer precise enough to identify the remains of all these unknown people. However, genetic analyses constitute an effective tool for this purpose. |
 | Fungal diversity and its relationship to the future of forestsIf you indulge in truffles, or porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, you have enjoyed a product of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Forming symbiotic relationships with plants—including pine, birch, oak and willow tree species—these fungi have existed for millions of years, their sprawling filaments supporting ecosystems throughout their reach. |
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