Science X Newsletter Thursday, Dec 8

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 8, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Particles self-assemble into Archimedean tilings

Water soluble gold nanoparticle supraspheres can hold 2 million guest molecules

Dad's exposure to phthalates in plastics may affect embryonic development

This is 'year zero' of a virtual reality revolution say filmmakers

Egyptian mummies virtually unwrapped in Australia

Oxygen can wake up dormant bacteria for antibiotic attacks

Scientists track chemical and structural evolution of catalytic nanoparticles in 3-D

Scientists examine bacterium found 1,000 feet underground

New study finds mammals during age of dinosaurs packed a powerful bite

With prefabricated panel system, house goes up in less than a day

Will Earth still exist 5 billion years from now? Old star offers sneak preview of the future

Scientists uncover potential driver of age- and Alzheimer's-related memory loss

Strong churning technique produces more uniformly structured large aluminum casts

Researchers say school kids can do safe and simple biological experiments over the internet

Nano-calligraphy on graphene

Astronomy & Space news

	Will Earth still exist 5 billion years from now? Old star offers sneak preview of the future What will happen to Earth when, in a few billion years' time, the sun is a hundred times bigger than it is today? Using the most powerful radio telescope in the world, an international team of astronomers has set out to look for answers in the star L2 Puppis. Five billion years ago, this star was very similar to the sun as it is today.
	Amateur astronomer helps uncover secrets of unique pulsar binary system A professional astrophysicist and an amateur astronomer have teamed up to reveal surprising details about an unusual millisecond pulsar (MSP) binary system comprising one of the fastest-spinning pulsars in our Galaxy and its unique companion star.
	Under construction: Distant galaxy churning out stars at remarkable rate Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes to show that a recently-discovered galaxy is undergoing an extraordinary boom of stellar construction. The galaxy is 12.7 billion light years from Earth, seen at a critical stage in the evolution of galaxies about a billion years after the Big Bang.
	ESA to supply service module for first crewed Orion mission ESA and NASA are extending their collaboration in human space exploration following confirmation that Europe will supply a second Service Module to support the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft.
	NASA scientists see asteroid through the eyes of a robot Retrieving an asteroid sample is no easy task. Doing the job blindfolded is even more challenging. That's why scientists equipped the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft with a set of eyes to watch it all unfold.
	Keeping a sharp eye on the environment from space On Nov. 19, 2016, America's most advanced weather satellite rocketed into orbit carrying six new, state—of-the-art instruments, dramatically enhanced observation capabilities, and some crucial NIST calibrations.
	Image: Space selfie from XMM-Newton X-ray observatory Launched on 10 December 1999, XMM-Newton is an X-ray observatory designed to investigate some of the most violent phenomena in the Universe. Sources that emit large amounts of X-rays include remnants of supernova explosions and the surroundings of black holes.
	John Glenn, the 1st American to orbit Earth, has died at 95 John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died Thursday. The last survivor of the original Mercury 7 astronauts was 95.
All 'Original Seven' American astronauts now dead John Glenn's passing on Thursday means that the first seven American astronauts chosen to lead the fledging US space program in 1959 are now dead, ending a groundbreaking chapter in American history.
	Trump meeting puts NASA funding in question Since the election of Donald Trump, NASA has had its share of concerns about the future. Given the President-elect's position and past statements on climate science, there has been speculation that his presidency will curtail funding to some of their research efforts, particularly those that are maintained by the Earth Science Directorate.
	All-American John Glenn: Astronaut, fighter pilot, senator John Glenn was the ultimate all-American hero.

Technology news

	This is 'year zero' of a virtual reality revolution say filmmakers The first wave of virtual reality cinemas, heralding what their creators claim will be an entertainment revolution, rolls out across the world this month.
	With prefabricated panel system, house goes up in less than a day (Tech Xplore)—Rome was not built in a day, we are warned, but new housing conditions call for here-and-now creative thinking. In China, the People's Architecture Office is doing just that.
Study finds people willing to pay more for new biofuels When it comes to second generation biofuels, Washington State University research shows that consumers are willing to pay a premium of approximately 11 percent over conventional fuel.
Congress cracks down on 'bots' that snap up concert tickets Congress sent legislation to President Barack Obama that could make it easier to get tickets to popular shows, sports events and concerts.
	Drones help monitor health of giant sequoias Todd Dawson's field equipment always includes ropes and ascenders, which he and his team use to climb hundreds of feet into the canopies of the world's largest trees, California's redwoods.
	Why artificial intelligence has not yet revolutionised healthcare Artificial intelligence and machine learning are predicted to be part of the next industrial revolution and could help business and industry save billions of dollars by the next decade.
	Protect your privacy during turbulent times—a hacker's guide to being cyber-safe Protecting individual privacy from government intrusion is older than American democracy. In 1604, the attorney general of England, Sir Edward Coke, ruled that a man's house is his castle. This was the official declaration that a homeowner could protect himself and his privacy from the king's agents. That lesson carried into today's America, thanks to our Founding Fathers' abhorrence for imperialist Great Britain's unwarranted search and seizure of personal documents.
	New sensor technology for e-vehicle batteries Engineers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have developed a new concept for current and voltage sensors for batteries that might become particularly relevant for electric vehicles (EV). An EV battery is made up of individual blocks, each of which contain up to twelve cells. Typically, each cell is monitored by its own voltage sensor. Designed by Philip Dost, the new system requires only one single voltage sensor, thus reducing overall weight and costs.
Chinese firm scraps German tech deal after US block A Chinese company on Thursday said it had scrapped plans to purchase German semiconductor equipment maker Aixtron after US President Barack Obama blocked a key element of the deal on security concerns.
	Every grain of sand: Method efficiently renders massive assemblies of granular materials Be it sand, snow or a bowl of spices, rendering massive aggregations of granular materials is a challenge for animators. A new method developed by researchers from Disney Research, ETH Zurich and Dartmouth College, however, makes it possible to simulate the appearance of a variety of grains or their mixtures, and to do so with unprecedented computational efficiency.
	Jefferson Lab-NVIDIA collaboration uses Titan's to boost subatomic particle research Scientists are only beginning to understand the laws that govern the atomic world.
	Banking on change: Tech startups target financial services It may not be much longer before bank branches join video-rental stores and record shops as relics of a bygone era.
	Pebble discontinuing smartwatches after its sale to Fitbit Pioneering smartwatch maker Pebble is no longer manufacturing or selling any of its devices after the bulk of the company was bought by Fitbit.
	Researchers show viability of 5G communication with record-setting data rates Keysight Technologies, with the University of California San Diego today announced the world's longest bidirectional phased-array link in the 60 GHz band. At a link distance of 300 m, the 32-element array achieved a data rate of greater than 2 Gbps over all scan angles up to ±45 degrees. Data rates were 4 Gbps at 100 m and 500 Mbps at 800 m over most scan angles. Initial tests by a leading wireless provider suggest the system can deliver content to eight homes at a time at up to 300 m.
	Scientists determine how much damage memory devices can take in mass transit accidents While investigating mass transit accidents, especially in air travel, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials often rely on digital clues left behind in flash memories of any and all electronic devices—both personal and professional—at a crash site. With the physical forces and high-temperature fires associated with many crashes, memory units are often damaged and sometimes unreadable.
	US election was most 'talked about' in 2016: Facebook The US presidential election was the most "talked about" topic on Facebook in 2016, in a year filled with discussion and debate on issues that were both serious and light-hearted.
	Review: Sony's PlayStation VR shows virtual reality's promise and problems In these early days of virtual reality, Sony's new PlayStation VR seems like the ideal product.
	Review: Is LG V20 the next big thing in smartphones? What goes into choosing a new smartphone?
Honeywell app gives workers more control over office environments The office too cold? Too hot? Forgot your office ID badge?
	Love in the time of Trump: Dating sites for politically passionate The encounter had seemed promising enough, but the couple brought together by an online dating site failed to connect because of one glaring, irreconcilable difference: He was a Donald Trump supporter, she was not.
	Technology for measuring magnetic properties under stress using piezoelectric device Fujitsu Laboratories today announced the development of technology for measuring the magnetic properties of materials when force (stress) is applied. This will be vital to enabling more advanced large-scale simulations of the kinds of magnetic fields found in the motors of electric vehicles (EV). EV engines, which have numerous operating conditions, such as their rotational speed, need to be prototyped and tested repeatedly under these different conditions. Computer simulations could help make the design process more efficient and increase motor performance, but the simulations need to be able to accurately model energy losses arising from the magnetic fields of different materials, which can change considerably when stress is applied. This creates a need for a technology that can accurately measure the effects of stress.
	Nissan Juke uses onboard cameras to set world-first 'blind' J-turn record The record-breaking Nissan Juke has done it again. This time the popular compact crossover has established the world's first 'blind' J-turn record with the driver using only the car's Intelligent Around View Monitor (AVM) on-board camera technology for guidance.
	EU starts legal action against 4 states over VW emissions The European Union is starting legal action against Britain, Germany, Spain and Luxembourg for not imposing penalties against Volkswagen for using illegal software to hide vehicle emissions.
	Researchers building flow battery prototype to augment grid Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are scaling up a prototype iron-flow battery to provide cleaner and cheaper power when renewable energy sources are ebbing or demand is peaking. The battery would also efficiently store excess electricity when use is low.
	Germany's ThyssenKrupp hit by sustained hacking attack German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp says it suffered a "massive" and sustained cyberattack aimed at stealing industrial secrets.
Navy's futuristic-looking USS Zumwalt arrives in homeport The U.S. Navy's biggest, most expensive and most technologically advanced destroyer arrived at its homeport on Thursday after a nearly four-month transit that included some hiccups, such as a high-profile breakdown in the Panama Canal.
Harvard reaches goal of cutting gas emissions by 30 percent Harvard University says it has achieved a 2008 goal to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent.
NBC to shutter 'Breaking News' service NBC News said Thursday it was shutting down its popular Breaking News services for alerts on developing stories at the end of December, citing a lack of revenue.

Medicine & Health news

	Dad's exposure to phthalates in plastics may affect embryonic development A new study led by environmental health scientist Richard Pilsner at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, one of the first to investigate whether preconception exposures to phthalates in fathers has an effect on reproductive success via embryo quality, found that exposures from select chemicals tested were associated with "a pronounced decrease in blastocyst quality" at an early stage in embryo development.
	Scientists uncover potential driver of age- and Alzheimer's-related memory loss Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made an important discovery toward the development of drugs to treat age-related memory loss in diseases like Alzheimer's. They found that reduced levels of a protein called Rheb result in spontaneous symptoms of memory loss in animal models and are linked to increased levels of another protein known to be elevated in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients.
	Key regulator of bone development identified Loss of a key protein leads to defects in skeletal development including reduced bone density and a shortening of the fingers and toes—a condition known as brachydactyly. The discovery was made by researchers at Penn State University who knocked out the Speckle-type POZ Protein (Spop) in the mouse and characterized the impact on bone development. The research, which appears online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Dec. 5, redefines the role of Spop during bone development and provides a new potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
	Researchers find DNA mutation that led to change in function of gene in humans that sparked larger neocortex (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute has found what they believe is the DNA mutation that led to a change in function of a gene in humans that sparked the growth of a larger neocortex. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the team describes how they engineered a gene found only in humans, Denisovans and Neanderthals to look like a precursor to reveal its neuroproliferative effect.
	Honeybee memories: Another piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle? A breakdown of memory processes in humans can lead to conditions such as Alzheimer's and dementia. By looking at the simpler brain of a honeybee, new research published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, moves us a step towards understanding the different processes behind long-term memory formation.
	Smallpox, once thought an ancient disease, may have emerged in more recent times New genetic research from an international team including McMaster University, University of Helsinki, Vilnius University and the University of Sydney, suggests that smallpox, a pathogen that caused millions of deaths worldwide, may not be an ancient disease but a much more modern killer that went on to become the first human disease eradicated by vaccination.
	Transplanted interneurons can help reduce fear in mice The expression "once bitten, twice shy" is an illustration of how a bad experience can induce fear and caution. How to effectively reduce the memory of aversive events is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Scientists in China are reporting that by transplanting mouse embryonic interneurons into the brains of mice and combining that procedure with training to lessen fear, they can help to reduce the fear response. The study is being published December 8 in Neuron.
	Artificial beta cells Researchers led by ETH Professor Martin Fussenegger at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) in Basel have produced artificial beta cells using a straightforward engineering approach.
	Neurons that control judgment of time discovered in the mouse brain Time flows, time flies, time stands still. All these expressions show just how highly variable, depending on multiple factors, our perception of the passage of time can be. How is this subjective experience embodied in the human brain? Scientists in Portugal have begun to unravel this fundamental question.
	Scientists track restoration of communication in minimally conscious patient A severely brain injured woman, who recovered the ability to communicate using her left eye, restored connections and function of the areas of her brain responsible for producing expressive language and responding to human speech, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine scientists.
	Scientists develop new drug screening tool for dystonia Duke University researchers have identified a common mechanism underlying separate forms of dystonia, a family of brain disorders that cause involuntary, debilitating and often painful movements, including twists and turns of different parts of the body.
	Illusion reveals that the brain fills in peripheral vision What we see in the periphery, just outside the direct focus of the eye, may sometimes be a visual illusion, according to new findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings suggest that even though our peripheral vision is less accurate and detailed than what we see in the center of the visual field, we may not notice a qualitative difference because our visual processing system actually fills in some of what we "see" in the periphery.
	Personality traits and psychiatric disorders linked to specific genomic locations A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has identified six loci or regions of the human genome that are significantly linked to personality traits, report researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine in this week's advance online publication of Nature Genetics. The findings also show correlations with psychiatric disorders.
One specific gene explains many diseases Genetic differences in the FADS1 gene determine the risk for many different diseases. The ability to produce polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 and omega-6 differs between individuals and this affects the risk for disturbed metabolism, inflammatory diseases and several types of cancer. Scientists at Uppsala University/SciLifeLab in Sweden have clarified this in detail and the work is published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.
	US life expectancy falls, as many kinds of death increase A decades-long trend of rising life expectancy in the U.S. could be ending: It declined last year and it is no better than it was four years ago.
	Scientists develop exciting new option for targeted cancer therapy Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have uncovered a new class of compounds - glyconaphthalimides - that can be used to target cancer cells with greater specificity than current options allow.
	Contraception influences sexual desire in committed relationships Sex is quite wonderful when the goal is to have children. But sex can also serve as a "glue" in a committed relationship.
	DNA methylation biomarker for prostate cancer shows promise for accurately determining patient risk Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and other biomarkers are essential tools for diagnosing and monitoring prostate cancer. However, biomarkers to selectively identify patients with high risk of recurrence, those who might benefit from intervention, and those who can safely choose active surveillance, are lacking. A report in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a biomarker, PITX2 DNA methylation, which is capable of distinguishing cancerous tissue from non-cancerous tissue and predicting the risk of cancer recurrence using only small amounts of tissue obtained from core needle biopsies.
Early life stressors adversely influence brain development New brain imaging evidence was advanced in a series of presentations at the recent meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology supporting the long-held belief that stressful early life experiences, such as preterm birth, poverty and lack of familial support, adversely affect brain development. Using functional brain imaging, the speakers focused on how these stressors affect the development of vulnerable brain areas that mediate emotional responses and mood.
Brain metastasis persists despite improved targeted treatment for HER2 breast cancer While new targeted treatments developed across the past two decades have led to dramatic survival improvements for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and collaborators report that rates of breast cancer brain metastasis for women with this disease have not substantially declined.
Dietary magnesium associated with reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes A diet rich in magnesium may reduce the risk of diseases including coronary heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes according to a new meta-analysis published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. This analysis of the evidence on dietary magnesium and health outcomes is the largest to date, involving data from more than one million people across nine countries.
Genetic alterations more common in tumors of older patients with metastatic breast cancer A University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led analysis has found that women who are 65 years or older with metastatic breast cancer were more likely to have a cancer-linked genetic alterations in their tumors, and had a larger total number of genetic alterations, than younger patients overall.
	Yoga reduces blood pressure in patients with prehypertension Yoga reduces blood pressure in patients with prehypertension, according to a study presented at the 68th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI).
Copeptin levels associated with renal and cardiac disease in type 1 diabetes patients Type 1 diabetes patients with elevated albumin in their urine had three times the risk of life-threatening kidney and cardiac disease as those with normal levels, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Scientists developing model to predict if chemotherapy will work for breast cancer University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and collaborators are working to predict, before treatment, whether an aggressive type of breast cancer will respond to chemotherapy.
	Surgeon General sounding alarm on teens' use of e-cigarettes The U.S. surgeon general is calling e-cigarettes an emerging public health threat to the nation's youth.
Lost and found: Japan tags dementia sufferers with barcodes A Japanese city has introduced a novel way to keep track of senior citizens with dementia who are prone to getting lost—tagging their fingers and toes with scan-able barcodes.
Forget dieting—retrain your brain to beat stress and lose weight A QUT neuroscientist internationally acclaimed for her research on alcohol and sugar addiction claims brainpower rather than willpower is the key to living healthily.
Scientists can now better diagnose diseases with multiple genetic causes Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor Genetics, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Texas Children's Hospital are combining descriptions of patients' clinical features with their complex genetic information in a unified analysis to obtain more precise diagnoses of complex diseases, particularly those that involve more than one gene causing the condition.
	Higher BMI in adolescence may affect cognitive function in midlife Overweight and obesity in adolescents have increased substantially in recent decades, and today affect a third of the adolescent population in some developed countries. While the dangers posed by high adult BMI on cognitive function in later life have been documented, the association of adolescent BMI with cognitive function in midlife has not yet been reported. (BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a calculation of a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.)
	Study highlights heart disease risk for pregnant women Pregnant women and those who have recently given birth need to be aware of the symptoms of heart disease, says a major new report from researchers at the University of Oxford.
Scientists investigate cancer radiotherapy to make improvements A University of Rochester Medical Center study shows that when tumors are treated with radiotherapy, the benefits can be hijacked by the treatment's counteraction to also trigger inflammation and dampen the body's immune response.
	It's safe for pregnant women to go to the dentist According to research from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in 2011 about two-thirds of pregnant women had their teeth cleaned in the year prior to delivery, but only about one-half had their teeth cleaned during pregnancy. While plenty of factors may keep pregnant women from getting to the dentist, some may avoid going because they are unsure if it's safe.
	Depression in pregnancy—why doing nothing about it may be a bad idea Pregnant women face a number of choices. Most are pretty noncontroversial: Don't smoke or use drugs; avoid raw fish and eggs; get lots of rest. But one dilemma some pregnant women face is less intuitive: whether and how to treat their minds and bodies if they are depressed.
	New clues to myelination could help identify ways to intervene in neurodegenerative diseases Researchers at the University at Buffalo have identified a critical step in myelination after birth that has significance for treating neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, in which myelin is lost or damaged. Myelin is the protective coating that neurons need to function.
Adding Veliparib to chemotherapy improved response rates among patients with BRCA-mutant breast cancer Adding the investigational poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor veliparib to carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy improved the overall response rate without increasing adverse events among patients who had locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, according to data from a phase II clinical trial presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 6–10.
	Adding everolimus to fulvestrant improved outcomes for postmenopausal patients with HR-positive breast cancer Progression-free survival was more than doubled for patients with metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer resistant to aromatase inhibitor therapy by adding everolimus (Afinitor) to treatment with the endocrine therapeutic fulvestrant (Faslodex), according to data from the PrECOG 0102 phase II clinical trial presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 6–10.
	Opioid users treated in drug detention centers more likely to relapse Individuals who are dependent on opioids are more likely to relapse after treatment in a compulsory drug detention center versus a voluntary drug treatment center that provides methadone therapy, say the Yale authors of a new global study.
Heavy alcohol use changes adolescents' brains Heavy alcohol use during adolescence alters the development of brain, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital. Cortical thinning was observable in young people who had been heavy drinkers throughout their adolescence. The findings were published in Addiction.
	Sports gambling creeps into kids' consciousness A national study involving Curtin and Deakin universities has found that three-quarters of Australian children view sports betting as normal, and even positive.
	Innovative device could offer new hope for heart patients A UConn graduate student is developing a new micro-scale power source that is significantly smaller and more efficient than the batteries currently used in most cardiac pacemakers today.
	Link between antibodies and schizophrenia may offer hope for a cure in some patients For the first time specific antibodies have been found to be associated with the onset of schizophrenia. A study published in The Lancet Psychiatry, reveals that certain kinds of antibodies appear in the blood of a significant percentage of people presenting with a first episode of psychosis. These antibodies, including those against the 'NMDA receptor', have previously been shown to cause encephalitis, a life threatening inflammation of the brain. This study now shows for the first time, that these same antibodies are also found in people with early presentations of schizophrenia.
Research suggests stigma could inhibit access to HIV prevention drug The first study to explore United Kingdom men's perceptions of PrEP – a new HIV prevention treatment – has found that their opinions are negatively influenced by social stigma. The article published in Cogent Medicine provides alarming new evidence that the fight against AIDS in the UK is still being undermined by common misconceptions and social stigma. The article calls on the medical profession and media to do more to improve perceptions and understandings of the potentially life-saving drug.
	Search engines 'could help young people find best mental health resources' Search engines and content providers could have a role to play in helping young people find the most reliable mental health resources online, research at the University of Strathclyde has found.
Localised immunotherapy new possibility to treat bladder cancer Antibody-based immunotherapy is a new promising method to treat cancer. Unfortunately, today's treatments can result in adverse side effects. New findings from IGP show an alternative way to administer the therapy, which has the same effect on the tumour but less impact other parts of the body.
New biomarker is higher in suicide attempters and associated with stress response Researchers at Lund and Malmö universities in Sweden have measured a biomarker in cell-free blood plasma which can be linked to an overactive stress system in suicidal individuals. This biomarker can hopefully be used in future psychiatric studies.
	EEG reveals information essential to users For the first time, information retrieval is possible with the help of EEG interpreted with machine learning.
Newly discovered bacteria-binding protein in the intestine Deficiency in a certain protein in the gastrointestinal tract has been shown to lead to both inflammation and abdominal fat accumulation in mice. The discovery provides yet another piece of the puzzle of how humans are affected—or not—by the large quantities of intestinal bacteria we carry with us.
	Mother-child HIV transmission at all time low in U.K. and Ireland The number of mothers passing the HIV virus to their babies has fallen to a new record low in the UK and Ireland thanks to the very high take-up of antenatal HIV screening and treatment which reduces virus levels in the pregnant women, according to research led by UCL.
	Drug use strong predictor for postpartum mental health problems New research from North Carolina State University and the University of British Columbia finds that a woman's lifetime history of drug use can help predict whether the woman will suffer from problems with stress and anxiety after childbirth. The finding could help health-care providers screen pregnant women for mental health problems and provide relevant treatment.
	GPs not dissatisfied with performance-related pay, study finds Linking GPs' pay to their performance has no discernible effect on their job satisfaction, a University of Manchester study of almost 2,000 UK doctors over a four-year period has found.
Insomnia prevalent in patients with asthma A team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh has found that insomnia is highly prevalent in adults with asthma and is also associated with worse asthma control, depression and anxiety symptoms and other quality of life and health issues. The study results are published in the current issue of the journal CHEST.
UK bans online ads for junk food targeting children Britain will ban junk food ads aimed at children from both print and social media from next year, the advertising rules watchdog said Thursday, a move welcomed by campaigners against child obesity.
	Role of protein in pancreatic secretion suggests potential method for treating diabetes Movement of secretory molecules, such as hormones and digestive enzymes, out of the cell is known as exocytosis. This process is guided by SNARE proteins, which help the fusion of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane. Thirty-eight human SNARE proteins have been identified, each with its own tissue expression and intracellular localization.
Scientists unlock genetic code of diseased lung cells to find new treatments for IPF Researchers cracked the complete genetic code of individual cells in healthy and diseased human lung tissues to find potential new molecular targets for diagnosing and treating the lethal lung disease Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).
	Researchers find the incident commander in the brain's defence system Imagine seeing a building on fire. You grab the phone and call the fire service. What happens next can be compared to the discovery made by researchers from Aarhus University. They have discovered that a specific type of cell in the brain, microglia, acts as the incident commander in the defence against the invading virus, for example a herpes virus.
	Study examines potential effect of regular marijuana use on vision A small, preliminary study has found an abnormality involving the retina that may account for altered vision in regular cannabis users. The results are published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
Tumor found in a 255-million-year-old mammalian ancestor A tumor in a 255-million-year-old mammalian ancestor called a gorgonopsian is detailed in a new research letter published online by JAMA Oncology.
	Blood-borne HPV antibodies indicate head, neck cancer prognosis People with head and neck cancers with evidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection generally have a better prognosis than people without evidence of infection. A new study in JAMA Oncology suggests that to produce a strong, reliable prognostic signal, all that's needed is a blood serum test for two specific HPV antibodies, rather than lab work on a biopsy. Further, the researchers said, the study shows that this blood-based biomarker is predictive of outcome for all types of head and neck cancer.
Study shows new treatment strategy in head and neck cancer not better than current standard Results of the largest Canadian clinical trial to date comparing standard treatment for locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer with an experimental treatment did not show the new treatment is superior.
People with traumatic brain injury approximately 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated People who have suffered a traumatic brain injury are approximately 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated in a federal correctional facility in Canada than people who have not, a new study has found.
Mechanisms underlying direct programming of stem cells into motor neurons could lead to cell-replacement therapies A team of scientists has uncovered details of the cellular mechanisms that control the direct programming of stem cells into motor neurons. The scientists analyzed changes that occur in the cells over the course of the reprogramming process. They discovered a dynamic, multi-step process in which multiple independent changes eventually converge to change the stem cells into motor neurons.
	Researchers question lifelong immunity to toxoplasmosis Medical students are taught that once infected with Toxoplasma gondii—the "cat parasite"—then you're protected from reinfection for the rest of your life. This dogma should be questioned, argue researchers in an Opinion published December 8 in Trends in Parasitology. Their concerns stem from a handful of case studies in which expectant mothers in their late 20s and early 30s were known to have been infected by T. gondii at birth but were actually found to lack immunological protection during screening.
New test to identify obese women at high risk of developing diabetes in pregnancy In 2014, around seven million women in the UK were classified as obese. By 2025, it is expected to affect 1 in 5 women in the world. Obesity is a major risk factor for gestational diabetes, increasing the likelihood of the disorder three - five fold. Women with the disorder require intensive antenatal care to control blood glucose and to identify other common complications, particularly fetal macrosomia - a newborn who's significantly larger than average.
	Fast test can monitor drug resistance in hookworms More than 2 billion people around the world are infected with intestinal helminths, parasitic worms that can cause disease, complicate pregnancies, and stunt the growth of children. A number of drugs are currently used to treat hookworms, one of the most common helminths to infect humans, but many worry that prolonged use of the drugs could lead to drug-resistant worms. Now, researchers have described, in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, a rapid test that can monitor hookworm DNA for drug resistance mutations.
	New method helps compare cholera vaccine costs Every year around the world, up to 4 million people are diagnosed with cholera, an acute diarrheal disease that's usually spread through contaminated water in developing countries. In the long term, advances in water supply and sanitation are thought to be the ideal way to control the spread of the disease, but a handful of vaccines have also been developed—or are in development—to prevent cholera. Now, researchers have described, in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, a standardized method to analyze the full costs for the implementation and delivery of cholera vaccines in low and middle income countries. The approach, they hope, will be a boon to programs planning or reviewing vaccination efforts.
	Control of emerging Ebola infections could be aided by new monitoring method New research on the 2014 Ebola epidemic tracks the rate at which infections move from one district to another and how often infections cross the borders between countries. This study, published in PLOS Computational Biology, could be used to analyze breakouts of new infectious diseases - even when little is known about the transmission characteristics of the new infection.
	Genetic variant determines if stallions become carriers of equine arteritis virus Following natural infection equine arteritis virus (EAV) establishes a long-term carrier state in the reproductive tract of stallions without any evidence of clinical signs. These carrier stallions maintain and perpetuate the virus in the equine population between breeding seasons. Sexual transmission of the virus can lead to outbreaks of equine viral arteritis characterized by abortion and respiratory disease in horses.
	Protection against Zika just as important during winter Just because temperatures are cooling down as winter approaches, it's no time to let your guard down when it comes to mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus. James Diaz, MD, DrPH, Professor and Program Director of Environmental/Occupational Health Sciences at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health, details characteristics of the mosquitoes capable of transmitting the Zika virus in the United States, their habitats and biting behaviors, as well as control measures, in a paper published in the December 2016, issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.
	More complications, less satisfaction in breast cancer patients who get radiation, implants Many breast cancer patients who have a mastectomy will consider breast reconstruction. But for a portion of these women, radiation therapy is also recommended - and that can alter the tissue around the breast, impacting reconstruction efforts.
	Anxiety measure for children with autism proven reliable A new method devised by a Drexel University professor to diagnose children on the spectrum for anxiety symptoms—which tend to be masked by symptoms of autism—was proven effective in a recent study.
New tool to help predict dementia risk in older people Preventing dementia is a major public health priority worldwide, and intense work is being conducted to formulate effective preventive strategies. Healthy lifestyle changes may help prevent cognitive decline and dementia, but the challenge is to detect early on those who are most at risk and to choose the most relevant preventive measures.
Collaboration between media and medical journals often leads to misinformation and hysteria When flawed clinical research is reported in the media with hype and sensationalism, it has the potential to have a devastating effect on patients, physicians, the scientific community and eventually society as a whole.
	California conjoined twins separated in successful surgery Conjoined California twins Eva and Erika Sandoval have become two separate toddlers following a 17-hour marathon surgery and are recovering "quite well," officials said Thursday.
	Prostate cancer patients more likely to die of other diseases, say 15-year PLCO results Starting in 1993 and ending in 2001, ten academic medical centers in the United States screened 76,685 men and 78,216 women for prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers. The question was whether yearly screening could catch cancers early and thus decrease mortality from these diseases. Fifteen-year follow-up results focusing on prostate cancer were published this month in the journal Cancer, and show little difference in mortality between men screened annually and the control group, some of whom chose to be screened occasionally. According to researchers, the results don't necessarily negate the value of prostate cancer screening, but imply that within the data of this massive trial are clues that inform personalized decisions for subsets of this prostate cancer population.
E-cigarettes a 'major public health concern': US surgeon general (Update) E-cigarette use is exploding among young people and is now "a major public health concern," the US Surgeon General warned Thursday, sparking disagreement from experts in Britain where the devices are seen more favorably.
In Colorado, self-harm is leading cause of death in new mothers Self-harm was the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in Colorado from 2004 to 2014, ahead of car crashes, medical conditions and homicide, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
	Rising price of opioid OD antidote could cost lives: study (HealthDay)—Escalating prices of the drug naloxone may threaten efforts to reduce opioid-related deaths across America, a team from Yale University and the Mayo Clinic warns.
More pregnant women getting flu shot, but improvement needed (HealthDay)— Getting a flu shot during pregnancy can protect both a mom-to-be and her baby. And while the percentage of pregnant American women who got the vaccine has doubled in recent years, too many still go without the shot, researchers say.
Shooting, gang violence exposure leads to PTSD The violence that women in disadvantaged neighborhoods experience and witness can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and full diagnoses, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study that examined a disadvantaged Chicago neighborhood.
	Scientists discover first 'off-switches' for CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is quickly revolutionizing biomedical research, but the new technology is not yet exact. The technique can inadvertently make excessive or unwanted changes in the genome and create off-target mutations, limiting safety and efficacy in therapeutic applications.
	Immune system's 'workaround' may explain heart disease in psoriasis patients Psoriasis is well-known for causing too many skin cells on elbows, knees, and across the body, but people living with psoriasis may also be at an increased risk of heart disease. Effects of overactive immune cells in the skin can spread system-wide and inflame arteries, causing heart attacks and strokes. Treatment of psoriasis and its deadly comorbidities costs an estimated $135 billion annually in the United States, and up to $26,000 per patient, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. For the 1 in 50 people worldwide living with psoriasis, there is an urgent need to understand how painful, thickened skin can lead to such fatal complications.
	Titanium exposure tied to yellow nail syndrome in pediatric patient (HealthDay)—In a case report published online Dec. 7 in Pediatrics, yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is described in a 9-year-old girl who had titanium detected in her nail clippings.
	Sleep duration, efficiency linked to inpatient hyperglycemia (HealthDay)—For hospitalized patients, additional sleep and increased sleep efficiency correlate with lower odds of hyperglycemia and impaired fasting glucose, according to research published online Nov. 30 in Diabetes Care.
	Osimertinib bests platinum-pemetrexed in T790M+ NSCLC (HealthDay)—Osimertinib is more effective than platinum-pemetrexed therapy in patients with T790M-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed during first-line epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer, held from Dec. 4 to 7 in Vienna.
	Heart rate recovery could predict mortality in older adults (HealthDay)—Orthostatic heart rate recovery (HRR) predicts mortality in adults aged 50 and older, according to findings published online recently in Circulation Research.
	Could regular pot smoking harm vision? (HealthDay)—Smoking pot regularly may be linked to a limited degree of vision impairment, a new French study suggests.
	Alzheimer's patients' use of painkilling patches cause for concern (HealthDay)—Long-term use of powerful opioid painkillers may be common among Alzheimer's disease patients and could be a cause for concern, researchers report.
	Researchers identify potentially druggable mutant p53 proteins that promote cancer growth Discovered in the 1970s, tumor suppressors are among the most important proteins in the body. A master regulator of growth—"the guardian of the genome"—the p53 protein monitors cell growth for errors. We rely on suppressors like p53 to defeat cancer before it takes root. Indeed, cancer cells cannot survive unless p53 is mutated or non-functioning.
	Rights group, worried about HIV, urges Philippines action A human rights group says the Philippines is facing one of the fastest growing epidemics of HIV in the Asia Pacific, fueled by government policies that restrict intervention, including access to condoms by men who have sex with men.
	Biomedical research doesn't reflect diversity of American public Steven Mendoza was five weeks old when he first landed in the emergency room. His skin was dusky gray, his eyes were rolling back in his head.
	Taking quantitative approach to immune system study, researchers gain deeper understanding of T cell behaviour Although our immune system is largely responsible for fighting disease and regulating our overall health, it can sometimes use a little help. The EU-funded QUANTI (Quantitative T cell Immunology) project intends to provide this help by shifting the immunology research landscape away from a qualitative approach and towards a quantitative one.
Review examines rates and predictors of recurrence following surgery for Crohn's disease Some patients with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract, require surgery to remove part or all of the large intestine; however, surgery does not cure the condition and many patients relapse after surgery. A new review and analysis of published studies provides insights on the rates of relapse and predictors of relapse among Crohn's disease patients who underwent surgical removal of the entire large intestine (total colectomy) and the creation of a permanent ileostomy (an opening in the abdominal wall).
Psychoanalysts need a better understanding of human sexuality to help their patients "Psychoanalysts were once thought to be experts on sexual issues, but that is less true today. The rift between psychoanalysis and scientific sexology that occurred in the mid-20th century may be partly responsible," states Mark J. Blechner, PhD, author of "Psychoanalysis and Sexual Issues," a new article available from Contemporary Psychoanalysis, the official publication of the William Alanson White Institute and the William Alanson White Psychoanalytic Society.
Striking Kenyan doctors threaten to shut private hospitals Kenyan doctors and nurses warned Thursday they will extend a strike crippling public hospitals to private clinics as well next week, unless the government offers them more in a pay dispute.
	Researchers identify biomarkers of response to treatment in invasive breast cancer Why do some breast cancers respond to treatment while others resist it? A study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center may provide insight into this important question.
	As Obama's term winds down, resistance to Obamacare diminishes (HealthDay)—Public support for full repeal of Obamacare is softening, with most Americans saying they'd rather leave the law as is or have it improved by changing some parts of it, according to the latest HealthDay/Harris Poll.
	With Trump in charge, what's the prognosis for Obamacare? (HealthDay)—President-elect Donald Trump's oft-stated pledge to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act suggests big changes lie ahead for the health insurance marketplace and Americans who rely on it.
Antidepressant effects of ketamine New preclinical evidence was put forward by investigators in a series of presentations at the recent meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology suggest that the a metabolite of ketamine can produce antidepressant-like effects in a mouse model of depression. The metabolite is produced when ketamine is broken down in the body. This finding may lead to further research to better understand ketamine's efficacy in depression and its potential side effects.
Study investigates link between bedside nursing and avoidable readmissions for older black patients As many as a quarter of all older adults discharged from an acute hospitalization will return within thirty days. Readmissions like these result in increased healthcare costs, functional decline and greater need for skilled nursing when transitioning back to community settings. Older black patients bear a disproportionate risk of readmissions according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and no single approach has been repeatedly effective in reducing readmissions for older black patients.
Treating cancer, mental health neglect in rural America Jennifer Lycette, M.D., understands the importance of treating patients with cancer at home in their in rural communities. It allows them to spend more time with their families and to focus on their treatment and recovery, not traveling.
Kids' characters to vanish from unhealthy Dutch foods Famous children's characters such as Dora the Explorer may soon disappear from some commercial food packaging in The Netherlands to discourage unhealthy eating habits, food industry representatives said Thursday.

Biology news

	Study of human migration could help understand cancer metastasis What could cancer cells and drug-resistant bacteria possibly have in common with Stone Age settlers of the Americas? They're all migratory, and at one time or other, each finds the going a bit easier in a specific direction.
	High altitudes hamper hummingbirds' ability to manoeuvre Hummingbirds' ability to accelerate and turn diminishes at high altitudes, but it isn't a lack of oxygen to the body that limits the birds' performance—it's physics.
	Who needs a body? Not these larvae, which are basically swimming heads Graduate student Paul Gonzalez at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station recently became a hunter, breeder and farmer of a rare marine worm, all to fill in a considerable gap in our understanding of how animals develop. He knew that some animals go through a long larval stage, a developmental strategy known as indirect development, and this rare worm was his chance to better understand that process.
Scientists reveal 'safety catch' within all dividing cells Researchers have made a major discovery about how cells control when to divide - representing a step forward in scientists' understanding of one of the most fundamental processes of life.
	Evolution in action: A fish adapts quickly to lethal levels of pollution Evolution is working hard to rescue some urban fish from a lethal, human-altered environment, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis, and published Dec. 9 in the journal Science.
	The song of silence Like humans learning to speak, juvenile birds learn to sing by mimicking vocalizations of adults of the same species during development. Juvenile birds preferentially learn the song of their own species, even in noisy environments with a variety of different birdsongs. But how they can recognize their species' song has, until now, remained a mystery. In a collaborative study, neuroscientists and a physicist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have uncovered an innate mechanism for species identification based on the silent gaps between birdsong syllables.
	An anti-CRISPR for gene editing Researchers have discovered a way to program cells to inhibit CRISPR-Cas9 activity. "Anti-CRISPR" proteins had previously been isolated from viruses that infect bacteria, but now University of Toronto and University of Massachusetts Medical School scientists report three families of proteins that turn off CRISPR systems specifically used for gene editing. The work, which appears December 15 in Cell, offers a new strategy to prevent CRISPR-Cas9 technology from making unwanted changes.
	Protein disrupts infectious biofilms Many infectious pathogens are difficult to treat because they develop into biofilms, layers of metabolically active but slowly growing bacteria embedded in a protective layer of slime, which are inherently more resistant to antibiotics. Now, a group of researchers at Caltech and the University of Oxford have made progress in the fight against biofilms. Led by Dianne Newman, the Gordon M. Binder/Amgen Professor of Biology and Geobiology, the group identified a protein that degrades and inhibits biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the primary pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) infections.
	Proving the effectiveness of shark nets in reducing attacks likely to be difficult Shark nets are being trialled at five locations in northern New South Wales in response to a recent spate of shark attacks in this area.
Study points to potential monitoring approach for personalized treatment of spinal cord injuries Researchers have developed a urine test revealing the presence of a neurotoxin that likely worsens the severity and pain of spinal cord injuries, suggesting a new tool to treat the injuries.
	How to grow an evolutionary tree You've seen them in popular science news, biology textbooks, wall plaques in museums, perhaps even as tattoos. Evolutionary trees are among the most instantly recognisable, ubiquitous and iconic images of science.
	Fair-weather badgers—how appearances can be deceptive in climate change ecology How many people cycle to work in Oxford? Census the number of people cycling in on a sunny summer day and you will surely get a higher estimate than if you count cyclists on a rainy winter day.
	Identifying genes that make plants more resistant to stress factors In the past 70 years, the world's population tripled to more than seven billion and average global temperature increased by nearly one degree Celsius. Population growth and climate change are associated with big challenges facing modern agriculture. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) combines computer science and biology to identify genes that make plants more resistant to stress factors, such as drought and saline soils.
	Giraffes 'threatened with extinction' Wild giraffe numbers have plummeted by 40 percent in the past three decades and the species is now "vulnerable" to extinction, a top conservation body said Thursday.
	Jumping water striders know how to avoid breaking of the water surface Water striders spend all their life on the surface of water, and the secrets of their ability to "skate" on the water surface have been discovered more than a decade ago. It is only recently that scientists began to study the biomechanics of nearly vertical jumps that water strider perform on water surface to escape from underwater predators such like fishes or backswimmers (Koh and Yang et al. Science 2015). But do they always succeed?
	Valuable Caribbean spiny lobsters get their food from an unexpected source In the typical food web that most of us learned in school, the sun is the ultimate source of energy. Plants use energy from the sun to produce their own food via photosynthesis. Animals eat those plants or other animals. But in marine environments, some organisms instead get their energy from chemosynthetic bacteria, which produce their own food from simple chemicals in the environment. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on December 8 have found that chemosynthesis plays an unexpectedly essential role even in shallow waters, supporting populations of one of the most lucrative fishery species in Central America: the Caribbean spiny lobster.
	Climate change is already causing widespread local extinction in plant and animal species Extinctions related to climate change have already happened in hundreds of plant and animal species around the world. New research, publishing on December 8th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, shows that local extinctions have already occurred in 47% of the 976 plant and animal species studied.
	Sniffing out your dinner in the dark: How miniature predators get their favourite soil bacteria Tiny predators in the soil can literally sniff out their prey: soil bacteria, which communicate with each other using scent. A team of researchers from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has discovered that these predators - called protists - 'eavesdrop' on the bacteria's communication. It's a discovery that opens up perspectives for agriculture. The results are available online this month in The ISME Journal, from the publishers of Nature.
RNA modification important for brain function Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have shown that a new way of regulating genes is vital for the activity of the nervous system. They found that this form of regulation, a chemical modification on RNA called m6A, is also important in influencing whether flies become male or female. This study clearly shows that RNA modifications play an important role.
	The 2016 Ocean Health Index shows no major declines—and few real improvements The results are in, and while the world's oceans show no significant decline over the past year, their condition should not be mistaken as a clean bill of health.
	Fishery bycatch rapidly driving Mexico's vaquita to extinction, new studies find One of the most sophisticated networks of acoustic detectors ever developed for wildlife science has documented a devastating 34 percent per year decline of Mexico's critically endangered vaquita porpoise, according to a new study published this week in the journal Conservation Biology.
Researchers map neural circuitry of songbird learning How do juvenile songbirds learn to sing in a way that preserves both the unique features of local song culture and their specifics-specific song "signature"? Researchers have begun to map the brain circuitry responsible for cultural transmission and species specificity in birdsong.
Study finds less fragmentation in muzzleloading and black powder cartridge rifles A new study found that traditional bullets for muzzleloading rifles and black powder rifle cartridges fragment less upon impact and may leave far fewer lead fragments in game than a modern high-velocity rifle bullet.
Paris rat catchers deployed to tackle rodent scourge Paris officials have announced a crackdown on rats which blight parks and gardens around the City of Light and are thought to easily outnumber humans.
Shark's 8,500-mile odyssey ends on a NC fisherman's hook A mako shark caught by commercial fishermen off North Carolina traveled more than 8,500 miles after a tracking device was attached 18 months earlier, an ocean research group says.

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