Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Dec 21

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 21, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

High-redshift quasar discovered by Pan-STARRS

Study of 3.5 billion years of Earth's history: A fertilizer dearth foiled animal evolution for eons?

JILA atomic clock mimics long-sought synthetic magnetic state

Sex evolved to help future generations fight infection, scientists show

Mechanism of successful horizontal gene transfer between divergent organisms explained

Heart valves strive to get oxygen one way or another

Salamanders brave miles of threatening terrain for the right sex partner

Robot gives rare glimpse under Antarctic sea ice

Convenience shop items delivered by drone in US

Novel technique helps ID elusive molecules

Threading the RSV vaccine needle

First light for band 5 at ALMA

RNA pathway plays key role in health, lifespan, fly study shows

'Glue' that makes plant cell walls strong could hold the key to wooden skyscrapers

How fair are countries' climate pledges? Incorporating fairness into cutting global emissions

Astronomy & Space news

	High-redshift quasar discovered by Pan-STARRS (Phys.org)—A new luminous high-redshift quasar has been detected by one of the telescopes of the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS). The newly discovered quasi-stellar object received designation PSO J006.1240+39.2219 and is the seventh highest redshift quasar known to date. The findings are presented in a paper published Dec. 19 on arXiv.org.
	First light for band 5 at ALMA ALMA observes radio waves from the Universe, at the low-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum. With the newly installed Band 5 receivers, ALMA has now opened its eyes to a whole new section of this radio spectrum, creating exciting new observational possibilities.
	Astronomers find supercluster of galaxies near Milky Way The Australian National University (ANU) is part of an international team of astronomers that found one of the Universe's biggest superclusters of galaxies near the Milky Way.
	Geologists identify the mineralogy of Mercury For the first time, geologists from the University of Liège have been able to determine the nature of the minerals present on the surface of Mercury - one of the four telluric planets in our solar system. Their study, published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience, is based on experiments conducted in laboratory at extreme temperatures, to reconstitute the conditions observed during the crystallization of magmas. The mineralogy of rocks on the surface of the planets is an excellent indicator of the origin and evolution of the planets since the origins of the solar system.
	Image: Winter moon This gorgeous image shows this month's full moon, also known as a 'cold moon', seeming to hover above a set of satellite tracking dishes on the campus of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA), in the southern part of the Canary Islands' Gran Canaria, at Montaña Blanca.
	Image: International Space Station solar transit This composite image, made from ten frames, shows the International Space Station, with a crew of six onboard, in silhouette as it transits the sun at roughly five miles per second, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016, from Newbury Park, California.

Technology news

	Convenience shop items delivered by drone in US US drone delivery service Flirtey on Monday announced that its self-piloting flying machines have whisked flu medicine, hot food and more from 7-Eleven convenience stores to customers' homes.
	Analysis finds autonomous trucks that drive in packs could save time and fuel As driverless cars merge into our transportation system in the coming years, some researchers believe autonomous vehicles may save fuel by trailing each other in large platoons. Like birds and fighter jets flying in formation, or bikers and race car drivers drafting in packs, vehicles experience less aerodynamic drag when they drive close together.
	What drives decisions by autonomous vehicles in dire situations? Despite dramatic reductions in accident-related fatalities, injuries and damages, as well as significant improvements in transportation efficiency and safety, consumers aren't as excited about the promise of autonomous vehicles as the auto industry is. Research shows that people are nervous about life-and-death driving decisions being made by algorithms rather than by humans. Who determines the ethics of the algorithms?
	Researchers launch tool to understand spread of fake news The Observatory on Social Media at Indiana University has launched a powerful new tool in the fight against fake news.
	Scientists build bacteria-powered battery on single sheet of paper Instead of ordering batteries by the pack, we might get them by the ream in the future.
	Cryptography: Security engineers announce Project Wycheproof (Tech Xplore)—"Many of the algorithms used in cryptography for encryption, decryption, and authentication are complicated, especially when asymmetric, public key cryptography is being used," said Peter Bright on Monday in Ars Technica. "Over the years, these complexities have resulted in a wide range of bugs in real crypto libraries and the software that uses them."
	Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement Nokia announced Wednesday it is suing Apple in German and US courts for patent infringement, claiming the US tech giant was using Nokia technology in "many" products without paying for it.
	Facebook dials in live audio streaming option Facebook on Monday began testing a live audio streaming service that will let people essentially broadcast radio-style on the leading online social network.
Report: Facebook's unmanned aircraft crashed in test flight An unmanned aircraft that is part of Facebook's plan to send internet signals to remote parts of the world crash-landed in the Arizona desert over the summer because of strong winds, investigators said.
	Huge solar plant beams power, hope to rural Uganda When power goes out in the rural town of Soroti in eastern Uganda, store manager Hussein Samsudin can only hope it won't go on so long it spoils his fresh goods.
	Here's how we can protect ourselves from the hidden algorithms that influence our lives In political terms, 2016 has been a year of uncertainty. Yet, it has also seen the rising dominance of algorithms, complex mathematical calculations that follow a pre-set pattern and are increasingly used in technology designed to predict, control and alter human behaviour.
	Obstacle avoidance—the challenge for drone package delivery The world's first drone deliveries have begun trial runs in the United Kingdom and the U.S. Once primarily used by militaries, small quadcopter and octocopter drones are now so commonplace they are for sale at home improvement stores and toy stores. People are flying drones for fun, for entertainment and for commercial purposes as diverse as filmmaking and farming.
	A unique additive for the ideal concrete Whether it's for drying time, hardness, or uniformity, a new additive developed at EPFL can give concrete, mortar, and cement the desired consistency, all in one shot. Made from inorganic compounds, the additive can also extend buildings' lifetimes. A startup called Nanogence has just been created to develop and market the innovation.
EU court rules against UK data retention laws The European Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that governments must not indiscriminately collect and retain people's emails and electronic communications, dealing a blow to Britain's contentious new cyber-surveillance law.
	Review: Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 3700 is affordable upgrade to your home viewing experience There's nothing like the feeling when the lights go down and the movie starts.
California adopts nation's first energy-efficiency rules for computers The California Energy Commission has passed energy-efficiency standards for computers and monitors in an effort to reduce power costs, becoming the first state in the nation to adopt such rules.
Seattle's cloud-computing boom is new force driving regional economy Western Washington state's economy has long been driven by companies that build complex systems, from Boeing's airplanes to cellular networks and the personal computer operating systems that gave rise to Microsoft.
How Microsoft emerged from the darkness to embrace the cloud The winter of 2010 brought some of Microsoft's darkest days. Bing, the search engine Microsoft built to challenge Google, was burning cash with little to show for it. Smartphones for the first time surpassed the personal computer, Microsoft's comfort zone, as the world's most popular computing device. The must-have tech gadget that holiday season was Apple's new iPad.
	In Apple's backyard, iPads ignite furor in schools In the shadow of Apple's headquarters, an initiative requiring public middle schoolers to use iPads in class and at home has added to a battle over education in the digital age.
What is cloud computing? Its tech tentacles reach everywhere Cloud computing, the technology-industry joke goes, is a marketing term for "other people's computers." The quip is not far from the truth.
5th-grader tests 3-D printed robotic arm to help other kids The soon-to-be 11-year-old left the Washington University School of Medicine lab with an instruction manual for her new robotic arm. Don't get it wet. Turn it off when not in use. Change the two 9-volt batteries.
	Tech on wheels: Acura NSX returns as gas-electric hybrid After a 12-year absence, the Acura NSX returns for 2017 as the first gasoline-electric hybrid supercar, mixing exotic looks and sports-car handling with the latest engine and electric power technology.
	Don't get cyber-Scrooged! Tips for safe online shopping 'Tis the season to be jolly—but it's also the season for identity theft, phishing and credit card fraud.
Honda, Google in talks on self-driving vehicle partnership Honda is in talks with Google to install the tech company's self-driving technology in Honda vehicles.
NIST asks public to help future-proof electronic information The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is officially asking the public for help heading off a looming threat to information security: quantum computers, which could potentially break the encryption codes used to protect privacy in digital systems. NIST is requesting methods and strategies from the world's cryptographers, with the deadline less than a year away.
	Canada launches online hotline to report bad drone drivers Expecting a spike in drone sales for Christmas, Canada's transportation ministry on Wednesday launched an online hotline to report bad drone pilots.
US puts Alibaba back on 'notorious markets' blacklist Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is back on the U.S. government's annual list of "notorious markets" that sell pirated goods.

Medicine & Health news

	Heart valves strive to get oxygen one way or another As the valves in a heart stretch with each beat, their cells take in life-giving oxygen. But if the supply is cut off, aortic and mitral valves use different strategies to compensate, according to Rice University scientists.
	Threading the RSV vaccine needle Crafting a vaccine against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) has been a minefield for 50 years, but scientists believe they have found the right balance.
	Young and old use different strategies to estimate passage of time, study finds A song is just a song, but as time goes by, something as random as a song's length could be the difference in whether you miss an important deadline or arrive late for an appointment, suggests time-management research from Washington University in St. Louis.
	Cutting through the clamor—how the brain helps us understand spoken words in noisy settings Humans are exquisitely skilled at perceiving spoken words, even when speakers' voices are intermittently overwhelmed by noise, as happens in the din of construction sites or on busy urban streets. Now, in a study conducted in a group of patients preparing for brain surgery, UC San Francisco scientists have discovered an unexpected mechanism the brain uses to seamlessly compensate when speech sounds are obscured by noise.
	Speeding up comprehension with grasping actions Hearing or seeing a word doesn't mean that it is immediately understood. The brain must first recognize the letters as such, put them together, and "look up" what the word means in its mental lexicon. In an experiment, cognitive psychologists at Bielefeld University's Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) have shown how word comprehension can be sped up – namely by having study participants grasp objects while reading at the same time. Privatdozent Dr. Dirk Koester and his colleagues reported the findings of their discovery in the research journal PLOS One. According to the researchers, the method could offer an approach for new therapies, such as treating stroke patients.
	Experiments show people who feel socially inferior yearn for fattier foods (Medical Xpress)—A pair of researchers affiliated with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the Chinese University of Hong Kong has found that when people are made to feel socially inferior, they tend to crave fattier foods. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Bobby Cheon and Ying-Yi Hong describe four studies they carried out that led to the same conclusions—feelings of social inferiority can cause people to want to eat more food and food that has a lot of fat in it.
	Distinctive brain pattern may underlie dyslexia A distinctive neural signature found in the brains of people with dyslexia may explain why these individuals have difficulty learning to read, according to a new study from MIT neuroscientists.
	Store and supply: How the brain saves time Neurons in the brain store RNA molecules—DNA gene copies—in order to rapidly react to stimuli. This storage dramatically accelerates the production of proteins. This is one of the reasons why neurons in the brain can adapt quickly during learning processes. The recent results of a research group at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have been published in the current issue of Neuron.
	New disease could signal hope for sufferers of brain ageing conditions A new genetic disease which results in neurodegeneration has been discovered by experts at the University of Sussex.
	Research could lead to blood test to detect Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease The detection of prions in the blood of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease could lead to a noninvasive diagnosis prior to symptoms and a way to identify prion contamination of the donated blood supply, according to researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
	Children can 'catch' social bias through non-verbal signals expressed by adults Most conscientious adults tend to avoid making biased or discriminatory comments in the presence of children.
	Team examines the molecular basis of brain plasticity and the manner in which neurons 'learn' UC Santa Barbara neuroscientist Kenneth S. Kosik has been studying the brain for decades. His UC Santa Barbara neurobiology lab focuses on the evolution of synapses that connect neurons and the genetics of Alzheimer's disease. In particular, Kosik's team is interested in the underlying molecular basis of plasticity and how protein translation at synapses affect learning.
	Epigenetic change ties mitochondrial dysfunction to tumor progression Mitochondria, the mighty energy factories of the cell, often malfunction in cancer, as well as in other conditions such as aging, neurodegenerative disease and heart disease. Whether these changes in mitochondria actually contribute to the spread of cancer, however, has been controversial.
	Toeing the line: Study finds brain cells that signal path of travel Imagine you're navigating a city like New York, or any other that's laid out on a grid. Suppose you run into a roadblock as you're heading north. How do you know that you can turn to your left, say, and then take a right at the next intersection to continue in your original direction? According to research from the University of California San Diego, it may be thanks to some newly identified neurons in an area of your brain called the subiculum.
	Pittsburgh teen girls take barely half the steps recommended for health Teenage girls in Pittsburgh lag far behind the expected levels of physical activity for U.S. adolescent females, according to a new analysis based on a representative sample of that population. This study was led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health.
Sharp fall in GP visits for acute gastroenteritis after rotavirus vaccination introduction The study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine with Public Health England, found that the fall in visits was biggest among young children (the age group that receives the rotavirus vaccination), but there was also a decrease in visits by older children and adults. This suggests herd immunity from the vaccination programme; individuals were protected even if unvaccinated due to the decrease in circulating rotavirus.
	Inside the DEA: A chemist's quest to identify mystery drugs No one knew what was in the baggie. It was just a few tablespoons of crystalline powder seized back in April, clumped like snow that had partially melted and frozen again.
Addictive cravings still detectable after death A protein known as FosB in the reward centre of the brain alters in chronically ill people suffering from an addictive disorder (e.g. heroin addiction). It is genetically modified, split off and shortened. This modification under the stimulus of the drug results in the protein stability and therefore remains longer in this part of the brain than in its original form – even as much as several weeks after withdrawal of the drug. This means that a craving for the drug persists. This addictive craving is stored as a sort of "memory" function and, surprisingly, can still be detected after death. This has now been demonstrated by MedUni Vienna scientists from the Department of Forensic Medicine.
Study reveals way that scans can track previously unseen rapid oscillations Researchers have long understood that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful tool for understanding both brain structure and activity, but new research suggests it is a good deal more potent than they thought.
	Prior miscarriage, weight affect exercise, well-being in pregnant women Women with a history of miscarriage and women who are overweight or obese prior to pregnancy tend to have poorer psychological health and lower motivation to exercise during their next pregnancy compared to women without a history of miscarriage and those who are at a healthy weight before pregnancy.
New model could benefit liver cancer transplant patients A simple blood test may better predict which patients diagnosed with liver cancer will experience disease recurrence, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine scientists. The findings may help physicians determine who would benefit most from a liver transplant.
Research finds daily discrimination sickens African-Americans By midlife, many African-Americans have experienced enough day-to-day forms of mistreatment – being followed around stores or stopped without cause by police – to make them sick: clinically, chronically and even fatally sick.
	Study investigates genetic, environmental factors in alcohol use disorder and divorce Alcohol use disorder and divorce are strongly correlated, meaning that experiencing one makes it more likely to experience the other in one's lifetime, according to a new study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Epigenetic changes promoting cancer metastasis identified Latest University of Otago research is shedding new light on why and how cancer cells spread from primary tumours to other parts of the body. This phenomenon – known as metastasis – causes about 90 per cent of all cancer deaths.
	Gastric sleeve may become the new gold standard for morbid obesity For many patients suffering from severe obesity, a gastric sleeve (reducing the stomach) is an ideal alternative to a gastric bypass (bypassing the stomach and the first part of the intestine), which is currently the preferred solution. That is the conclusion reached by researcher and surgeon in training Pim van Rutte who has studied many aspects of this surgical intervention. On Wednesday 21 December, Van Rutte will be awarded his PhD at TU Delft for his work on the subject.
One in three children investigated for abuse/neglect by 18 The first academic study to estimate the cumulative lifetime risk of a child maltreatment investigation, completed by researchers at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, reveals that 37 percent of U.S. children prior to their 18th birthday are the subject of an investigated child neglect and abuse report—and 53 percent of black children.
	Why you can't fry eggs (or testicles) with a cellphone A minor craze in men's underwear fashions these days seems to be briefs that shield the genitals from cellphone radiation. The sales claim is that these products protect the testicles from the harmful effects of the radio waves emitted by cellphones, and therefore help maintain a robust sperm count and high fertility. These undergarments may shield the testicles from radiation, but do male cellphone users really risk infertility?
	Combating health paranoia on the internet The general practitioner is no longer the first port of call when people take ill. "More and more people are making decisions on their health alone, outside any kind of medical consultation," says Nicola Diviani of the University of Lucerne, who is studying how people get online information on their health. Instead, patients look for diagnoses and second opinions on the Internet.
A simple blood test could help identify people at risk of a heart attack, a study has found Research shows the troponin test – currently used to help diagnose a heart attack – could be used to assess future heart disease risk.
	Opinion: How the 'Santa lie' helps teach children to be good little consumers It's that time of year – the season when parents, schools and retailers sell one of the most magical lies to children: Santa Claus. But far from being a harmless way to fire children's imagination at Christmas, the "Santa lie" undermines children's understanding of the world, their savviness and their real imagination in favour of wrapping them up in cotton wool and consumerism.
	Why we become more forgetful with age – and what you can do about it How is it that we are able to remember some events in great detail whereas other memories seem to fade away over time? Our memory changes with age, so that we may have a memory slip on a trip to fetch something from the next room, but we're still able to recall important events from history with great detail. But why?
International trial shows pelvic floor exercise benefit for preventing prolapse Researchers, including several University of Otago academics, have conducted the first trial of pelvic floor muscle training for the prevention of prolapse symptoms in women with early signs of prolapse several years after childbirth, publishing their findings in the world's leading medical journal The Lancet.
For older adults, poor vision can lead to physical decline and cognitive problems Nearly 65 percent of adults aged 50 and over have vision problems. Although we know that poor vision can lessen an older adult's ability to function, until now not much has been known about how poor vision impacts an older adult's physical and cognitive (or mental health) abilities.
Study finds substantial rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy when procedure not indicated In a survey of women who underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer in one breast, contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM; both breasts are surgically removed, the breast that contains cancer and the healthy breast) use was substantial among patients without clinical indications but was low when patients reported that their surgeon recommended against it, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery. Many patients considered CPM, but knowledge about the procedure was low and discussions with surgeons appeared to be incomplete.
	The challenge of defining maturity when the brain never stops changing Neuroscientists don't know when your brain is a legal adult. While the law has to draw a line between adolescence and maturity, ranging globally from 10 to the early 20s, different parts of the brain mature at different rates, rather than growing up entirely overnight. In an Opinion published December 21 in Neuron, Harvard psychologist Leah Somerville argues that using current neuroscience tools to define when a brain "reaches maturity" is much trickier than it may seem. First, researchers would have to agree about what would characterize a brain as "mature" in the first place.
	One more piece in the puzzle of liver cancer identified Manuela Baccarini and her team at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna are one step closer to unraveling the mechanisms behind liver cancer. The researchers discovered that RAF1, a protein known as an oncogene in other systems, unexpectedly acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma. The study is published in the renowned journal Nature Communications.
Routine drug screening should be part of primary care settings, study recommends The misuse of both prescription and illicit drugs is so prevalent in Tijuana and East Los Angeles that community clinics in those areas should routinely, though discreetly, screen for it, according to new UCLA research.
	Biomarker for oxidative stress plays a major role in hepatic inflammation Diet-related diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are known to have a major inflammatory component. However, the molecular pathways linking diet-induced changes with inflammation remained elusive. In a new study, scientists at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Medical University of Vienna identified crucial inflammatory processes in NAFLD. Moreover, the study published in Hepatology shows that malondialdehyde (MDA), a biomarker for oxidative stress, plays a key role in the development of NAFLD and can be neutralized by specific natural antibodies - a novel approach towards a potential therapy for the prevalent disease.
	Rejuvenating the brain's disposal system A characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of so called amyloid plaques in the patient's brain - aggregates of misfolded proteins that clump together and damage nerve cells. Although the body has mechanisms to dispose these aggregates, it apparently cannot keep up with the load in the diseased brain. Researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich and the Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) Munich have now discovered a strategy to help the brain remove amyloid plaques. More precisely: they uncovered a factor that can activate microglial cells to engulf newly forming clumps in the brain. Microglia are the scavenger cells of the brain's immune system that function in keeping the brain tidy and free of any damaging material. The work is published today in The EMBO Journal.
	Uninsured rate hits new low due to Obamacare: report (HealthDay)—More Americans now have health insurance than ever before, with the uninsured rate declining across all 50 states because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund released Wednesday.
	Holiday decor can be hazardous (HealthDay)—Christmas lights, ornaments and other festive decorations are beautiful to look at, but parents need to remember that little ones are drawn to those shiny, glittering objects too, and those decorations may not always be safe to touch.
	Give kids a safe, stress-free holiday (HealthDay)—With all the parties, outings and family gatherings during the holidays, it's easy for kids to get overwhelmed or lost in the shuffle, a leading group of pediatricians says.
Young doctors could work 28 hours straight under new plan, despite possible dangers The private group that oversees physician training in the United States has proposed rolling back rules so that young doctors just out of medical school can work shifts as long as 28 hours.
What causes erectile dysfunction and should it be checked? Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it easy to determine a direct cause of erectile dysfunction? My husband is 51 and refuses to see his doctor even though I know it's bothering him. Does erectile dysfunction ever go away on its own, or is treatment always necessary?
Hospital's tiniest surviving preemie heads home for the holidays When Kacie Mormance was born in May, she weighed just 14 ounces - slightly more than three sticks of butter - but the smallest surviving preemie to be born at Northwest Community Hospital already has found a way to give her parents a present for the holidays.
Cardiology workforce is aging, male-dominated, survey finds Cardiologists are highly satisfied in their careers; however, disparities remain between the career experiences of men and women, according to the American College of Cardiology's third Professional Life Survey published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The College has conducted the Professional Life Survey every 10 years since 1996 to capture how changes in cardiovascular medicine have impacted the experiences of cardiologists in both their personal and professional lives.
New appropriate use criteria for coronary revascularization released The American College of Cardiology, along with several partnering organizations, today released updated appropriate use criteria for performing coronary revascularization in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
	School attendance improves when girls are given free sanitary pads and puberty lessons Oxford University researchers say they have the first robust findings from a large-scale trial on the effects of giving puberty lessons and free sanitary products to girls in African countries. They have found that both the interventions are equally effective in improving girls' attendance levels at schools. The results are significant given the amount of resources that governments, international organisations and local charities invest in these interventions for girls in developing countries. The paper, published in the journal, PLOS ONE, shows that there is now good evidence to back up such efforts to improve the education of girls and women, thereby raising their esteem and job prospects.
Recovery from brain injury and better sleep go hand in hand After a traumatic brain injury (TBI), people also experience major sleep problems, including changes in their sleep-wake cycle. A new study shows that recovering from these two conditions occurs in parallel. The study is published in the December 21, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Police-led addiction program in Gloucester shows first-year success, study finds About 95 percent of individuals with substance-use disorders who came to the Gloucester Police Department for help accessing addiction treatment were placed in detoxification or substance-use treatment programs during the first year of a widely publicized initiative aimed at combating the opioid epidemic, according to a report by Boston University researchers.
Team reports on study of waitlisted opioid-dependent adults In rural states like Vermont, opioid-dependent adults desperate for treatment often find themselves stuck on a wait list, sometimes for eight months or more, increasing their risk of continuing to use illicit opioids, contract an infectious disease, overdose and prematurely die. However, this problem isn't limited to Vermont—a full 96 percent of states in the U.S. have opioid dependence rates that exceed medication-assisted treatment availability, according to a 2015 study in the American Journal of Public Health.
	Food supplement may be key to treatment of rare disease A new Tel Aviv University study finds that a popular food supplement called phosphatidylserine may be instrumental in reversing the detrimental effects of Familial Dysautonomia (FD), a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately 1 in 31 Jewish people of Eastern European, or Ashkenazi, ancestry. FD affects aspects of the autonomic nervous system such as swallowing, sweating, and pain sensitivity, and places patients at increased risk for pulmonary and gastrointestinal complications.
Music in the brain: The first imaging genetic study linking dopaminergic genes to music Sounds, such as music and noise, are capable of reliably affecting individuals' moods and emotions, possibly by regulating brain dopamine, a neurotransmitter strongly involved in emotional behavior and mood regulation.
Scientists uncover cellular process behind premature aging In a new study, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have shown how two genes "balance" each other to maintain normal cell function. A disruption in one of the genes, called spns1, can induce degradation and premature "senescence"—or aging—while the other gene, called atp6v0ca, can jump in to suppress that degradation.
	Huntington's disease linked to dysfunction of brain structure Northwestern Medicine scientists identified a link between Huntington's disease and dysfunction of the subthalamic nucleus, a component of the basal ganglia, a group of brain structures critical for movement and impulse control.
	Vitamin D improves gut flora and metabolic syndrome It is well known that a diet high in fat can trigger a metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that pose as risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. Scientists have now discovered that vitamin D deficiency is necessary for this syndrome to progress in mice, with underlying disturbances in gut bacteria.
	HIV patients have nearly twice the heart attack risk Current methods to predict the risk of heart attack and stroke vastly underestimate the risk in individuals with HIV, which is nearly double that of the general population, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.
	New guideline addresses male urethral stricture (HealthDay)—A new guideline by the American Urological Association, published in the January issue of The Journal of Urology, provides a clinical framework for the diagnosis and treatment of male urethral stricture.
	Serum biomarker that reflects use, dose of metformin identified (HealthDay)—The growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a novel biomarker for the use and dosing of metformin, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in Diabetes Care.
	24/7 intensivist in pediatric ICU improves patient outcomes (HealthDay)—Having a 24/7 intensivist in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) is associated with improved patient outcomes, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Higher AlphaB-crystallin levels linked to diabetic retinopathy (HealthDay)—Vitreous levels of alphaB-crystallin are significantly higher in eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) compared to the eyes of controls without diabetes, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.
	Incidence of nontyphoidal Salmonella infections estimated (HealthDay)—There are about 6,200 resistant culture-confirmed nontyphoidal Salmonella infections annually, according to a study published in the January issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases.
	Risk of uterine fibroids found to be lower in women using statins (HealthDay)—The use of statins is associated with a lower risk of uterine fibroids and fibroid-related symptoms, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Researchers confirm molecule's role in kidney formation Research in the laboratory of Rebecca Wingert, the Gallagher Family Associate Professor of Adult Stem Cell Research in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, has confirmed the key role of a certain small molecule in the development of kidney structures in zebrafish, a widely used model for human kidneys. The discovery could help advance understanding to address issues such as birth defects and repair of the kidney after illness or injury.
	New insight for developing more effective drugs to combat inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine that includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It is commonly treated with one of several available biological drugs that block an inflammatory molecule called Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-alpha), but not everybody is helped by this treatment.
	New drug could help prevent artery disease in high-risk patients According to the American Heart Association, approximately 2,200 Americans die each day from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. The most common cause is blocked blood vessels that can no longer supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart and brain. A recent study by researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine has shown that a protein inhibitor drug prevents these blockages, and could be a new therapeutic approach to prevent heart attack, stroke and other diseases caused by blocked blood vessels.
	Cancer cells' transition can drive tumor growth, researchers find As cancerous tumors fester in the body, they need an ever-increasing blood supply to deliver the oxygen and nutrients that fuel their growth. Now, a team led by University of Florida Health researchers has established how some tumors bolster their own blood supply.
	Challenges remain in HIV care in Africa Barriers to diagnosis and lack of access to modern medications have combined to place caregivers and HIV-positive patients in sub-Saharan Africa between a rock and a hard place. A new study shows that physicians are often forced to choose between controlling seizures, which can occur if the disease goes undiagnosed for too long, or treating the underlying HIV infection.
	Study shows discrimination interacts with genetics and impacts health It's no secret that discrimination is stressful for those who experience it, but turns out the issue is more than skin deep—these stressors can interact with our genetics to negatively impact our health, a new University of Florida study shows.
	Don't cut the cord too fast; a pause benefits most newborns Don't cut that umbilical cord too soon: A brief pause after birth could benefit most newborns by delivering them a surge of oxygen-rich blood.
	Reducing antibiotic duration does more harm than good for ear infections in young children In a landmark trial conducted at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researchers have demonstrated that when treating children between 9 and 23 months of age with antibiotics for ear infections, a shortened course has worse clinical outcomes without reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance or adverse events.
	A novel approach: Fighting painkiller addiction at home People hooked on prescription painkillers were able to use a drug at home to curb cravings and prevent abuse while waiting to get in a treatment program, finds a small study that gives hope for a new way to fight the opioid problem.
	After worry, joy arrives for mother of quintuplets The new mother of quintuplets kept her excitement in check for the first six months of her pregnancy—even putting off setting up a nursery.
	Five things to know about America's synthetic-opioid epidemic Government scientists say they're seeing the emergence of a new class of deadly drugs built to mimic the potent prescription painkiller fentanyl. What you need to know:
Medicinal Cannabis—harms or benefits? Who decides? Wellington researchers are calling for doctors to be more involved in the debate around cannabis as a medicine.
Study examines melanoma incidence, death A new research letter published online by JAMA Dermatology updates information on trends in melanoma incidence and death in the United States since 2009.
After-hours ER care may come with a doctor's surcharge If an emergency department is open 24 hours a day, why would patients be charged extra for coming in "after hours"?
Food withdrawal results in stabilization of important tumor suppressor Tumor suppressors stop healthy cells from becoming cancerous. Researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Medical University of Graz and the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbruecke have found that p53, one of the most important tumor suppressors, accumulates in liver after food withdrawal. They also show that p53 in liver plays a crucial role in the body's metabolic adaptation to starvation. These findings may provide the foundation for the development of new treatment options for patients with metabolic or oncologic disorders. Results of this study have been published in The FASEB Journal.
Rat study provides insights on tendon overuse injuries In research conducted in rats, investigators have shown for the first time the effect of rotator cuff tendon overuse, or tendinopathy, on surrounding tissues.
	New drug target for inflammatory disease is all the RAGE Researchers have shown that Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) helps to regulate a key signaling pathway known to promote both acute and chronic inflammation. The development of therapeutic drugs targeted to RAGE could be used to treat a range of inflammatory diseases such as asthma, infection, atherosclerosis, and arthritis, as described in an article in DNA and Cell Biology.
Study finds state tort reforms linked to decreases in radiography utilization According to new research from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, state tort reform has been associated with a decrease in physician ordering of radiographs. The study, published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), examines the extent to which radiography use is influenced by malpractice liability pressure among office-based physicians.
Senators urge action to block drastic drug price hikes Angered by skyrocketing drug prices, a pair of senators on Wednesday urged Congress to block companies from cornering the market on old, off-patent drugs.
JDR studies examine the trends and impact of NIH research funding to dental schools Today, the International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) published three articles in the Journal of Dental Research that focus on the trends and impact of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding to dental schools and institutions.
	'Obamacare' holding its own: 6.4M signed up so far "Obamacare" seems to be holding its own. The administration said Wednesday that 6.4 million people have enrolled for subsidized private coverage through HealthCare.gov, ahead of last year's pace.
Tissue, organ research institute to benefit injured soldiers The Department of Defense is providing $80 million to establish a bio-research and manufacturing institute in Manchester, New Hampshire, to develop transplant tissues and organs for injured American soldiers and other patients.
	Snickers maker criticizes industry-funded paper on sugar Mars Inc., the maker of Skittles and M&M's, is breaking ranks with other food companies and denouncing an industry-funded paper that says global recommendations on limiting sugar are based on weak evidence.

Biology news

	Sex evolved to help future generations fight infection, scientists show Why does sex exist when organisms that clone themselves use less time and energy, and do not need a mate to produce offspring? Researchers at the University of Stirling aiming to answer this age-old question have discovered that sex can help the next generation resist infection.
	Mechanism of successful horizontal gene transfer between divergent organisms explained The transfer of genes from one organism to another is potentially a rapid way for evolution to occur and for complicated novel functions to emerge. However, even when the two organisms in question are in close proximity to each other, such as in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship, the transfer of genetic material and its introduction into a new genome only marks the initial step for successful horizontal gene transfer. It is also necessary for the gene to be expressed in a way that benefits the new host and ensures that it is passed down through the generations.
	Salamanders brave miles of threatening terrain for the right sex partner Most salamanders are homebodies when it comes to mating. But some of the beasts hit the road, traversing miles of rugged terrain unfit for an amphibian in pursuit of a partner from a far-away wetland.
	RNA pathway plays key role in health, lifespan, fly study shows Humans and other animals carry rogue sequences of DNA in their genomes called transposable elements (TEs). To prevent passing TEs to their offspring, they employ the piRNA pathway in their reproductive organs to block the elements from being active in their sperm and eggs. With a new study in flies, Brown University biologists are the first to show that the anti-TE activity of the piRNA pathway also operates in a normal non-reproductive body tissue, the fly fat body, and that it helps to sustain the life of the animal.
	Researchers crack genetic code determining leaf shape in cotton Researchers know that the variation in leaf shapes can mean big differences in a farmer's bottom line. Now, a new discovery gives plant breeders key genetic information they need to develop crop varieties that make the most of these leaf-shape differences.
	Direct transfer of learned behavior via cell fusion in non-neural organisms It isn't an animal, a plant, or a fungus. The slime mold (Physarum polycephalum) is a strange, creeping, bloblike organism made up of one giant cell. Though it has no brain, it can learn from experience, as biologists at the Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CNRS, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier) previously demonstrated.1 Now the same team of scientists has gone a step further, proving that a slime mold can transmit what it has learned to a fellow slime mold when the two combine. These new findings are published in the December 21, 2016, issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
	Human interactions with dolphins proving to be dangerous to the marine animals (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from institutions in Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. has found evidence that suggests increased dolphin familiarity with humans has led to an increase in injury and death to the marine mammals. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the team describes their study and why they believe current trends could lead to a drop in the dolphin population along the Florida coast. In a related paper in the same journal, a team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Australia reports on an unusual mortality event (UME) involving cases of morbillivirus in several types of dolphins and offer a theory regarding why it may have occurred.
	Variation in butterfly eggs is driven by female promiscuity The eggs of some butterfly and moth species vary to give females control over the paternity of their offspring, according to new research published today.
	Magnetic force pulls baby reef fish back home Baby reef fish have an internal magnetic 'compass' that directs them home at night, world-first research has revealed.
	Fish sperm race for reproductive success Norwegian researchers show that the sperm of Arctic char, a cold-water fish common to alpine lakes, swim at different speeds in different fluids, depending on whether the fish are dominant or submissive. The finding published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution illustrates the complexity and competitive nature of reproductive biology.
	Live cell imaging using a smartphone A recent study from Uppsala University shows how smartphones can be used to make movies of living cells, without the need for expensive equipment. The study is published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, making it possible for laboratories around the world to do the same thing.
	Molecular Velcro boosts microalgae's potential in biofuel, industrial applications Michigan State University scientists have engineered "molecular Velcro" into to cyanobacteria, boosting this microalgae's biofuel viability as well as its potential for other research.
	Really big brains can evolve only if constraints on energy intake are lifted As a species we're so brain-proud it doesn't occur to most of us to ask whether a big brain has disadvantages as well as cognitive benefits.
	Declining male offspring further imperil endangered flycatchers in southern California A new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications documents the steep decline of a population of endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatchers over 16 years—and the change in the sex ratio that has left the birds' future hanging on a dwindling number of males.
	The evolutionary secret of H. pylori to survive in the stomach Professor Frédéric Veyrier's most recent research, in collaboration with the team of Professor Hilde De Reuse at the Institut Pasteur, has shed light on key genes essential to the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori bacterium, which causes gastric infections. Like other microorganisms, this pathogen underwent genetic modifications through the course of evolution that enabled it to adapt to its environment.
	Deadly disease can 'hide' from a Tasmanian devil's immune system The Tasmanian devil facial tumour (DFT) cells may use a molecular deception – common in human cancers – that could allow the deadly disease to avoid the animal's immune system, according to our new research published this month.
	133 new species described by the California Academy of Sciences in 2016 In 2016, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added 133 new plant and animal species to our family tree, enriching our understanding of Earth's complex web of life and strengthening our ability to make informed conservation decisions. The new species include one bee fly, 43 ants, 36 beetles, one sand wasp, four spiders, six plants, 23 fishes, one eel, one shark, seven nudibranchs, five fossil urchins (and one fossil sand dollar), one coral, one skate, one African lizard, and an alarming new bird virus. More than a dozen Academy scientists—along with several dozen international collaborators—described the discoveries.
	Researchers reveal the secret code language of bacteria Antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a growing global challenge. Danish researchers have now discovered that bacteria use a code language to avoid being controlled. Understanding this code language will be paramount to developing new antibiotics in the future.
	Hawaii's newest species named in honor of President Obama Today, scientists from the Bishop Museum, NOAA, and the Association for Marine Exploration published the description of a new species of coral-reef fish that they named in honor of President Barack Obama. The fish, which now bears the formal scientific name Tosanoides obama, was discovered during a June 2016 NOAA expedition to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The study is published in the open-access scientific journal ZooKeys.
	Newly discovered mechanism in cells can regulate the immune system Special proteins are important for the function of cells and play an important role in processes and effectiveness of the immune system. Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have observed how concentrations that vary over time can affect cells and they have demonstrated the existence of a mechanism, which is a new way of controlling the production of proteins that are related to processes which are important in order to avoid serious diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's. The results have been published in the scientific journal, Cell Systems.
	A library for food security: Cowpeas (black-eyed peas) move forward on the shelves Tim Close has found himself, happily, stuck in a library. But it's not your typical library with shelves and books. It's a genetic library of cowpea varieties, also known as black-eyed peas. This genetic library tells us stories about the crop's unique qualities.
	Stressed snakes strike first Whether a wild cottonmouth snake will attempt to strike in an encounter depends on its baseline stress level, according to a team of scientists led by undergraduate researcher Mark Herr.
	Exotic to mainstream: Australians wild about unusual pets The proud owner of dingo 'Kimba', James Bornstein, is part of the new wave of Australian exotic pet lovers whose unconventional companions are growing in popularity.
	Survival of the unfittest: Vietnam's disappearing elephants Baby elephant Gold has come a long way since he was found trapped in a well in central Vietnam earlier this year.
	Jaws open long–term shark population information An international study led by University of Queensland researchers seeks to understand how white and tiger shark populations have changed over time.
	The dirt on packaged rhino beetles Bags of potting soil have become love hotels and nurseries for the highly invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle on the island of Guam.

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