Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Mar 15

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 15, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study sheds light on interactions that change the way heat and electricity move through microchips

Data suggest black holes swallow stellar debris in bursts

New flexible sensor holds potential for foldable touch screens

Protostar blazes bright, reshaping its stellar nursery

Quantum movement of electrons in atomic layers shows potential of materials for ele

Fossil or inorganic structure? Scientists dig into early life forms

Dark matter less influential in galaxies in early universe

Researchers develop groundbreaking process for creating ultra-selective separation membranes

Quantum physics offers insight into music expressivity

Swedish student startup gets deal to build electric cars

European team announces superconductivity breakthrough

Baidu Research is keen on addressing transcription pain points

Philips transforms image-guided therapy with global launch of Azurion Platform

Researchers make major brain repair discovery in fight against multiple sclerosis

Natural measures to prevent floods valuable but not 'a silver bullet'

Astronomy & Space news

	Data suggest black holes swallow stellar debris in bursts In the center of a distant galaxy, almost 300 million light years from Earth, scientists have discovered a supermassive black hole that is "choking" on a sudden influx of stellar debris.
	Protostar blazes bright, reshaping its stellar nursery A massive protostar, deeply nestled in its dust-filled stellar nursery, recently roared to life, shining nearly 100 times brighter than before. This outburst, apparently triggered by an avalanche of star-forming gas crashing onto the surface of the star, supports the theory that young stars can undergo intense growth spurts that reshape their surroundings.
	Dark matter less influential in galaxies in early universe New observations indicate that massive, star-forming galaxies during the peak epoch of galaxy formation, 10 billion years ago, were dominated by baryonic or 'normal' matter. This is in stark contrast to present-day galaxies, where the effects of mysterious dark matter seem to be much greater. This surprising result was obtained using ESO's Very Large Telescope and suggests that dark matter was less influential in the early universe than it is today.
	Mars rover tests driving, drilling and detecting life in Chile's high desert Due to its extreme dryness, the Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the most important environments on Earth for researchers who need to approximate the conditions of Mars.
	Meridional wind on Venus was detected for the first time in both hemispheres The first scientific evidence on Venus of a wind circulation between the equator and the poles, also named meridional wind, was gathered by an international team led by Pedro Machado, of the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) and Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL). This result was published today in the scientific journal Icarus, a reference publication in the field of Solar System research.
	Visualizing debris disk 'roller derby' to understand planetary system evolution When planets first begin to form, the aftermath of the process leaves a ring of rocky and icy material that's rotating and colliding around the young central star like a celestial roller derby. Analogs to our own Solar System's Kuiper Belt, these disks of debris left over from planet formation can be detected by astronomers and studied to help understand the processes that create planetary systems.
	Relativistic electrons uncovered with NASA's Van Allen Probes Earth's radiation belts, two doughnut-shaped regions of charged particles encircling our planet, were discovered more than 50 years ago, but their behavior is still not completely understood. Now, new observations from NASA's Van Allen Probes mission show that the fastest, most energetic electrons in the inner radiation belt are not present as much of the time as previously thought. The results are presented in a paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research and show that there typically isn't as much radiation in the inner belt as previously assumed—good news for spacecraft flying in the region.
	Canada to get its own spaceport Canada is getting its own rocket-launching facility. Maritime Launch Services (MLS) has confirmed its plans to build and operate a commercial launch facility in Nova Scotia, on Canada's east coast. The new spaceport should begin construction in 1 year, and should be in operation by 2022.
	NASA's Webb telescope ghostly 'lights out' inspection What happens when the lights are turned out in the enormous clean room that currently houses NASA's James Webb Space Telescope? The technicians who are inspecting the telescope and its expansive golden mirrors look like ghostly wraiths in this image as they conduct a "lights out inspection" in the Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility (SSDIF) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Technology news

	New flexible sensor holds potential for foldable touch screens Picture a tablet that you can fold into the size of a phone and put away in your pocket, or an artificial skin that can sense your body's movements and vital signs. A new, inexpensive sensor developed at the University of British Columbia could help make advanced devices like these a reality.
	Swedish student startup gets deal to build electric cars A group of Swedish university students that raised 1.2 million euros ($1.3 million) in crowdfunding for their startup to build electric cars has caught the attention of German industrial heavyweight Siemens.
	Baidu Research is keen on addressing transcription pain points (Tech Xplore)—Artificial intelligence powered transcription software? How, where? Professionals in many sectors who may have to cope with transcriptions of interviews and recorded statements know how tiring transcribing can be. Yet assignment have deadlines and feeling tired will be no excuse for not getting the words correctly or leaving off chunks of what the speaker actually said.
	Institute offers chess challenge to public learn more are about how we think (TechXplore)—A team charged with setting up the new Penrose Institute at Oxford has issued a challenge to the general public—overcome a chess challenge printed in the Telegraph and send a note describing how you did it. The challenge, the team at Penrose told the press, was part of a process aimed at learning more about the different ways humans think as compared to how computers arrive at answers.
	Security flaw found in WhatsApp, Telegram: researchers A computer security firm on Wednesday revealed a flaw that could let hackers break into WhatsApp or Telegram messaging accounts using the very encryption intended to protect messages.
	Liquid fuel for future computers Researchers at ETH Zurich and IBM Research Zurich have built a tiny redox flow battery. This means that future computer chip stacks—in which individual chips are stacked like pancakes to save space and energy—could be supplied with electrical power and cooled at the same time by such integrated flow batteries. In a flow battery, an electrochemical reaction is used to produce electricity out of two liquid electrolytes, which are pumped to the battery cell from outside via a closed electrolyte loop.
	The seal whiskerers: Navy looks to sea life for new ships The U.S. Navy is enlisting the help of seals—but not the kind of highly trained special operatives with whom it usually associates.
	Headphone batteries explode on flight to Australia A woman whose headphones caught fire on a plane suffered burns to her face and hands, Australian officials said Wednesday as they warned about the dangers of battery-operated devices in-flight.
'Smart' sex toy maker pays price for unprotected data The maker of a "smart" vibrating sex toy is paying the price for delving too deeply into the private activities of users, without protection.
	Researcher tests fly ash for stronger concrete Portland cement has been around for more than 250 years as the binding material for concrete, mortar and stucco, but a Missouri University of Science and Technology researcher is studying ways to make concrete without the traditional material.
	Why apartments fail the heat stress test If a heatwave hit Melbourne and the power blacked out, most apartment buildings would bake, with indoor temperatures exceeding international health standards, according to a new analysis that calls for Australia to adopt standards to protect occupants against heat stress.
	Is reliable artificial intelligence possible? n the quest for reliable artificial intelligence, EPFL scientist Marcel Salathé argues that AI technology should be openly available. He will be discussing the topic at this year's edition of South by South West on March 14th in Austin, Texas.
	From disaster planning to conservation: mobile phones as a new tracking tool We can learn a lot about things by studying how they move through the world and interact with the environment.
	If surveillance cameras are to be kept in line, the rules will have to keep pace with technology It has been said that Britain has more surveillance cameras than any other country in the world. This proliferation of CCTV cameras led the government to establish a surveillance camera commissioner responsible for overseeing their governance – the only country in the world to do so. In another first, the commissioner has now released a national strategy for England and Wales to set out how CCTV should be operated and to ensure that cameras are used in the public interest.
	A better way to calculate school bus routes Here's a math problem even the brightest school districts struggle to solve: getting hordes of elementary, middle and high school students onto buses and to school on time every day.
	OutoBot, an innovative robot to wash and paint high-rise buildings An innovative robotic system that can clean building exteriors using water jets or give new coats of paint is now ready to serve customers in Singapore.
	The proximity of manufacturing increases the rate of R&D efficiencies According to a recent research, companies should always manufacture technologically demanding products close to the product development. On the other hand, the more standardised the production is, the further it can be moved, even on short notice. Thus, there are more factors than just price that affect the choice of the manufacturing location; often the choice is about the interdependence of the company's operations.
	High-precision, underground visualisation for infrastructure works Utility field work can be a real headache even with precise maps at hand. Admitting that they rapidly manage to locate the sought network, workers may end up damaging grids belonging to someone else. This type of scenario will soon be avoidable thanks to an assistive device developed under the LARA project.
UN agency: China has explosive growth in patent applications The U.N.'s intellectual property agency says China is showing "quite extraordinary" growth in international patent applications, putting Chinese applicants on track to outpace their U.S. counterparts within two to three years.
	Researchers present early warning system for mass cyber attacks Mass attacks from the Internet are a common fear: Millions of requests in a short time span overload online services, grinding them to a standstill for hours and bringing Internet companies to their knees. The operators of the site under attack can often only react by redirecting the wave of requests, or by countering it with an exceptionally powerful server. This has to happen very quickly, however.
	Audi German headquarters searched in emissions probe German authorities searched the offices of luxury automaker Audi on Wednesday in connection with the scandal over cheating on diesel emissions by its parent company, Volkswagen.
Researchers develop automatic security tests for complex systems These tests produce millions of valid program inputs within minutes. In this manner the researchers can automatically extract the required information from the program they are examining. They will present further details at the Cebit computer fair in Hannover in Hall 6, Stand C47.
	US charges two Russian spies in massive Yahoo cyberattack (Update) Two Russian intelligence agents and a duo of hackers were indicted Wednesday over a data breach that compromised 500 million Yahoo accounts in one of the largest cyberattacks in history.
	Renault's entire management implicated in pollution test fraud: probe Renault has used "fraudulent strategies" for over 25 years to cheat on pollution tests for diesel and petrol engines with the knowledge of top management, according to a report by French fraud investigators obtained Wednesday by AFP.
	YouTube users be aware: Your viewing habits can be tracked Despite YouTube's attempts to safeguard user anonymity, intelligence agencies, hackers and online advertising companies can still determine which videos a user is watching, according to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) research.
	Q&A: Change to fuel economy standards could impact consumers President Donald Trump plans to re-examine federal fuel economy requirements for new cars and trucks.
	Cascading effect: One attack led to another at Yahoo Russian hackers working with Russian spies didn't crack Yahoo security all at once.
Tesla to sell $1B in stock and notes to increase capital Electric car and solar cell maker Tesla Inc. wants to raise over $1 billion in new capital by selling stock and five-year convertible notes.
	Engineering a rescue The night Brian Hunt died, volunteer firefighter Cody McKellips vowed to find a better way for fire and rescue teams to speed up water rescues, particularly as flood waters rise.
	New battery model also makes electric cars more reliable Nano satellites weighing just a few kilograms orbit the Earth. Pivotal point of these miniature computers are their solar-powered batteries. Computer scientists at Saarland University have now developed a procedure that allows for better planning of solar battery operations. They are able to predict how much the on-board battery will in fact be utilized in the course of the satellite's mission. The efficiency achieved here is about five times greater than with conventional systems. And electric cars on Earth are already benefiting from the procedure as well. The researchers will present their methods at the Cebit computer fair in Hannover (Hall 6, Stand E28).
Renault denies report of emissions cheating software Renault is denying a report that its vehicles are equipped with software that allowed its vehicles to cheat on emissions testing.
Hackers hijack Twitter accounts over Turkish diplomatic feud Twitter says it has revoked access to block "a third-party app" apparently used to hack a number of accounts to broadcast pro-Turkish messages.
	US launches probe after hoverboard fire kills two-year-old A US safety agency said Wednesday it had launched an investigation into a hoverboard fire that killed a two-year-old girl, the first fatality involving the personal transport devices.

Medicine & Health news

	Philips transforms image-guided therapy with global launch of Azurion Platform (Medical Xpress)—Image-guided therapy is one of the more rapidly expanding fronts of modern medicine. While many immense hardware challenges in this field have already been overcome, several thorny software issues continue to be cumbersome. For example, poor interoperability and system integration, steep learning curves, and non-intuitive user experiences are all endemic in the business. A powerful new platform from Philips called Azurion is set transform the way medical procedures are done in the interventional lab.
	Researchers make major brain repair discovery in fight against multiple sclerosis Queen's University Belfast scientists have discovered that specific cells from the immune system are key players in brain repair – a fundamental breakthrough that could revolutionise the treatment of debilitating neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
	Hepatitis C mutations 'outrun' immune systems, lab study shows Unlike its viral cousins hepatitis A and B, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has eluded the development of a vaccine and infected more than 170 million people worldwide. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that a novel laboratory tool that lets them find virus mutations faster and more efficiently than ever before has identified a biological mechanism that appears to play a big role in helping HCV evade both the natural immune system and vaccines.
	Genetic variant accelerates normal brain aging in older people by up to 12 years Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have discovered a common genetic variant that greatly impacts normal brain aging, starting at around age 65, and may modify the risk for neurodegenerative diseases. The findings could point toward a novel biomarker for the evaluation of anti-aging interventions and highlight potential new targets for the prevention or treatment of age-associated brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
	Changes of the cell environment are associated with certain eye diseases Ischemic disorders of the retina are a frequent cause of blindness. The surrounding cellular protein scaffold might play a crucial role in this process.
	The way the brain processes speech could serve as a predictor of early dementia Early dementia is typically associated with memory and thinking problems; but older adults should also be vigilant about hearing and communication problems, suggest recent findings in a joint Baycrest-University of Memphis study.
	Putting autoimmune disease genetic links to the test Studies of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases have identified hundreds of genetic regions thought to be associated with these conditions. At the same time, studies of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) have revealed the abundance of inherited variations in gene expression levels in the normal human population. While it is widely believed that the majority of disease-associated loci influence disease risk through regulatory variations in gene expression, this hypothesis has not been formally tested by verifying whether most of genetic loci influencing disease risk are also detectable as eQTLs. In an effort to examine this hypothesis, investigators at BWH and their colleagues took approximately 270 genetic loci associated with seven diseases and tried to map them back to causal genes using eQTLs in key immune cells.
	Researchers make headway toward understanding Alexander disease Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made a surprising and potentially crucial discovery about Alexander disease, a rare and fatal neurological disorder with no known cure.
	Antibody fights pediatric brain tumors in preclinical testing, study finds Five types of pediatric brain cancer were safely and effectively treated in mice by an antibody that causes immune cells to engulf and eat tumors without hurting healthy brain cells, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
	The genes and neural circuits behind autism's impaired sociability Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have gained new insight into the genetic and neuronal circuit mechanisms that may contribute to impaired sociability in some forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Led by Matthew P. Anderson, MD, PhD, Director of Neuropathology at BIDMC, the scientists determined how a gene linked to one common form of autism works in a specific population of brain cells to impair sociability. The research, published today in the journal Nature, reveals the neurobiological control of sociability and could represent important first steps toward interventions for patients with autism.
	Researchers map pathways to protective antibodies for an HIV vaccine A Duke Health-led research team has described both the pathway of HIV protective antibody development and a synthetic HIV outer envelope mimic that has the potential to induce the antibodies with vaccination.
	Imagining dialogue can boost critical thinking Examining an issue as a debate or dialogue between two sides helps people apply deeper, more sophisticated reasoning, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Scientists zoom in on AIDS virus hideout French scientists said Wednesday they had found a way to pinpoint elusive white blood cells which provide a hideout for the AIDS virus in people taking anti-HIV drugs.
'Dreamers' policy may have reduced depression in eligible individuals A team of researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reported that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program appears to have reduced depression among eligible undocumented immigrants, often referred to as the "Dreamers." These timely findings come on the heels of ongoing debates around the future under the Trump Administration of immigration policies, including the DACA program, which provides renewable, temporary work permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. Thus far, over 750,000 individuals have been enrolled.
	Better air quality standards in China could save 3 million early deaths each year Adopting and enforcing tighter air quality standards in China could save 3 millionpremature deaths each year and may bring about tremendous public health benefits, say experts in The BMJ today.
Combining opioids with anti-anxiety medicines linked to greater risk of overdose Taking opioids (strong prescription painkillers) together with benzodiazepines (widely used to treat anxiety and sleep problems) is associated with greater risk of opioid overdose, finds a study in The BMJ today.
'Low-content' nutritional claims on packaged goods misleading for consumers No fat, no sugar, no salt? What does it mean? Today, supermarket shelves are filled with products that make a variety of claims related to their perceived health benefits. As many Americans try to make better food choices, companies have been quick to adopt packaging that makes "low-content" nutrient claims such as "low-fat" or "low-sodium." Because there is no uniformity to what these statements mean, consumers are often left confused and ill informed. A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that simply making a low-content claim on the label was not a reliable indicator of a product's actual nutritional quality and that these claims may give consumers a false sense of confidence about the healthfulness of their food.
Study clusters health behavior groups to broaden public health interventions For the most part, public health initiatives focus on stemming one type of unhealthy behavior: Anti-smoking campaigns, curbing alcohol abuse, or ramping up exercise, for example.
	'Harmless' painkillers associated with increased risk of cardiac arrest Painkillers considered harmless by the general public are associated with increased risk of cardiac arrest, according to research published today in the March issue of European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy.
Australian blogger guilty over cancer claims: court A health blogger who lied about having brain cancer and curing herself through natural therapies was Wednesday found guilty by an Australian court of misleading the public.
	Does lactate, the bane of athletes, help drive cancer? For decades, lactate has been studied largely in the context of exercise, painted as a nagging metabolic byproduct that accumulates in the tissues and blood during workouts, stiffening muscles and hindering performance.
	Are cooling caps the solution to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy? Hair loss—one of the most-feared side effects of cancer treatment—may have met its match. Scientists have known since the 80s that cooling a person's scalp can prevent significant hair loss during chemotherapy. A cooling device called DigniCap was approved for women with breast cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015. This cap was tested in a clinical trial at UCLA led by Dr. Sara Hurvitz, director of hematology and oncology breast cancer program at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
	Study finds focus on spouse an indicator of strong, healthy relationship Achieving marital quality could seem daunting, even impossible to any couple, let alone a couple in which one of the partners is dealing with a serious illness. But a new study by Megan Robbins, psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, may hold the answer.
	Older women taking statins face higher risk of diabetes Older Australian women taking cholesterol-lowering statins face a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes, according to a University of Queensland study.
Delirium in critically ill children admitted to hospitals is common One out of every four children admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for critical illness develops delirium, according to an international study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators. The researchers also found the prevalence of delirium nearly doubles after five days of hospitalization in a pediatric ICU, underscoring the need for routine monitoring of delirium with children.
	Illness that's as lethal as heart attack but often missed Almost everyone has a delirium story, although they don't always know it's called that. Most will recall the experience of a grandmother, a father, a child, a friend who became very confused in hospital, and in some cases died or was never the same again.
Vitamin E may decrease the risk of acute kidney injury after coronary catheterization Acute kidney injury is quite a common adverse effect that associates with coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions. Vitamin E may decrease the risk of acute kidney injury by up to 62% according to a meta-analysis of three randomized trials published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
	Dangerous generalisations in medical research Drugs are taboo during pregnancy. That's the guiding principle. But the reality is different. According to an international study that was published in 2014 in the British Medical Journal, 80 percent of all women take drugs during pregnancy. So it's all the more important for medical personnel to know which substances could be dangerous to the unborn child, and which are safe. But pregnant women are often excluded from medical studies because no one is prepared to take a deliberate risk with the health of the foetus.
	Stress of major life events impacts women more than men, shows poll of 2,000 people New research has highlighted the potential gender gap in stress, with women reporting higher stress from life events such as death of a loved one, illness, losing their smartphone and Brexit.
	Team advances research on metabolic syndrome Building on their recent research focusing on a peptide, pNaKtide, designed to block the oxidant amplifying function of the cellular sodium-potassium pump, researchers at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine have successfully demonstrated that pNaKtide, can attenuate the development of experimental nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atherosclerosis.
	Support for health law up to 48 percent in February (HealthDay)—Support for the health law is increasing, with most Americans feeling that Medicaid should continue as it is today, according to a report published by Kaiser Health News.
Use of computerized systems to help physicians assess patients linked with decreased risk of blood clot The use of computerized clinical decision support systems among surgical patients are associated with a significant increase in the proportion of patients with adequately ordered treatment to prevent blood clots, and a significant decrease in the risk of developing a blood clot, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
Study details death risks associated with long-term antiplatelet therapy A study by a multi-institutional research team has tracked the long-term incidence of death following ischemic and bleeding events occurring in patients more than one year after placement of a coronary stent. Their study appearing in the current issue of JAMA Cardiology found that ischemic events - those caused by a blockage in blood flow to the heart or brain - occurred more frequently than bleeding events in the 12 to 33 months after stenting and that both types of events incurred a serious mortality risk.
	Drug combination delivered by nanoparticles may help in melanoma treatment The first of a new class of medication that delivers a combination of drugs by nanoparticle may keep melanoma from becoming resistant to treatment, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
Female cyberbullies and victims feel the most negative about school and learning Involvement in cyberbullying among girls triggers negative perceptions of the importance of school and the value of learning, a new Nottingham Trent University study suggests. Psychologists, writing in the Springer journal Sex Roles, found that 11-15 year-old girls who were most involved in cyberbullying—as perpetrator, victim, or both—felt the least accepted by their peers. This then had a knock-on effect of spilling over into how important they felt school and learning were, the researchers found.
	Some veggies each day keeps the stress blues away Published today in the British Medical Journal Open, the longitudinal study of more than 60,000 Australians aged 45 years and above measured participants fruit and vegetable consumption, lifestyle factors and psychological distress at two time points, 2006-08 and 2010.
	City living can make asthma worse for poor children, study finds Results of a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers using national data add to evidence that living in inner cities can worsen asthma in poor children. They also document persistent racial/ethnic disparities in asthma.
An epidemic of epipens Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found that prescriptions of adrenaline autoinjectors (commonly called 'epipens') for children with allergies have increased markedly in the last decade, with nearly four devices a year provided per child.
	Researchers explore a potential therapeutic approach against cancer stem cells Many cancer patients that receive chemotherapy go into remission at first, but relapse after treatment is discontinued. There is increasing evidence that this is due to the presence of cancer stem cells—cells that reproduce indefinitely and may seed new tumors. A research group from Milan, Italy, now devised a strategy to specifically target cancer stem cells in some cancers and reduce their tumor-generating potential. The results are published today in EMBO Molecular Medicine.
More IV fluids, fewer c-sections Labor is an intensely strenuous activity, with the uterine muscle contracting every few minutes to reposition a baby through the pelvis and down the birth canal. Even low levels of dehydration can seriously compromise normal physiological function, yet recent studies looking at hydration in laboring women via the rates of intravenous (IV) fluid showed conflicting results. By pooling the data of several studies, Thomas Jefferson University researchers showed that a higher rate of IV fluids not only decreased c-section rates, but also shortened the overall length of labor by one hour, as well as shortened the pushing phase. The results were published online as an accepted article in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.
	Researchers find yoga and controlled breathing reduce depressive symptoms A new study demonstrated that individuals with major depressive disorder had a significant reduction in depressive symptoms during a 12-week integrative health intervention that included Iyengar yoga classes and coherent breathing. Participants who took three yoga classes a week were more likely to achieve lower depression scores after 12 weeks than subjects who took two classes, according to the study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
	Study links sulfide-producing bacteria and colon cancer in African-Americans A new study reveals that African-Americans have measurable differences in the number and type of bacteria that live in the colon - and those differences are related to their higher-than-average colon cancer risk.
Less invasive procedure may benefit certain heart valve patients New recommendations clarify which patients who have malfunctioning heart valves may benefit from artificial valves replaced through a minimally invasive procedure; clarify the need for antibiotics for some patients prior to a dental procedure; and expand the age range for choosing tissue valve replacement.
	Model warns deep-sea divers on severity of decompression sickness Researchers have created a new model for predicting decompression sickness after deep-sea dives that not only estimates the risk, but how severe the symptoms are likely to be.
Detecting blood clot risk using biomarkers Cancer is one of the hardest medical conditions to overcome, and for those who do so, the battle often does not stop at remission. Many cancers predispose patients to develop blood clots, particularly patients who are diagnosed at a late stage, which often complicates their treatment and reduces survival rates.
	Researchers use new computational method to define immune cell interactions Immunotherapy, harnessing a patient's immune system to help fight cancer, has shown much promise as a potential cancer treatment. In a newly published study, a research team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) illustrates that complex interactions between different immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment play meaningful roles in patient survival. The team used a new computational method to infer immune cell infiltration from patient gene expression data, enabling them to quickly calculate the personal immune response profile for thousands of patients. Their findings, Systematic Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals Immune Cell Interactions in the Tumor Microenvironment will be published in the next issue of Cancer Research.
	New driver, target in advanced mucosal melanoma Not all melanomas are created equal. While most melanomas appear on the skin as the result of sun exposure, a small subset of melanomas arise spontaneously from mucosal tissues. And while targeted treatments and immunotherapies have dramatically improved the prognosis for many patients with sun-associated melanomas, these treatments are ineffective in the mucosal form of the disease. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published today in the journal Melanoma Research uses the unique resource of over 600 melanoma samples collected at the university to demonstrate, for the first time, novel mutations involved in mucosal melanoma, paving the way for therapies to treat this overlooked subtype.
High uric acid levels in young children may result in higher blood pressure later on A new article published in the American Journal of Hypertension finds that very young children with increased uric acid levels had higher blood pressure at 3 years of age.
At some hospitals, kids with suspected appendicitis get worse care at night At some hospitals, children receive better care in the daytime than they do at night for suspected appendicitis. This is the finding of a study to be published in the April 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.
	Refugees with PTSD regulate stress differently New Michigan State University research has found that refugees diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder regulate stress differently than those who don't have the disorder, but may have experienced similar suffering.
Intensive medical treatment can reverse type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with intensive medical treatment using oral medications, insulin and lifestyle therapies, according to a study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Whole-body vibration may be as effective as regular exercise A less strenuous form of exercise known as whole-body vibration (WBV) can mimic the muscle and bone health benefits of regular exercise in mice, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's journal Endocrinology.
Undergoing hip replacement improves five-year quality of life Patients undergoing total hip replacement experience meaningful and lasting improvements in quality of life (QOL) through at least five years after the procedure, reports a study in the March 15 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
	Treating childhood traumatic brain injury early to avoid lifelong cognitive deficits Children with delayed visual perception as a result of serious head injuries may end up with structural changes in their brains that interrupt normal development, a new Keck School of Medicine of USC study shows.
Glioblastoma clinical trial shows combined therapy extends life for patients 65 and older Treating older patients who have malignant brain cancer with the chemotherapy drug temozolomide plus a short course of radiation therapy extends survival by two months compared to treating with radiation alone, show clinical trial results published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Care received at end of life varies drastically by state People with serious illness or frailty in Oregon are more likely to have their end-of-life care wishes honored, and, consequently, less likely to be hospitalized and more likely to use home hospice services compared with Washington state and the rest of the country, according to data published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Doctors say unproven stem cell treatment blinded three women Three women were left nearly or totally blind by a vision treatment at a stem cell clinic, in what doctors call a dramatic illustration of how risky such clinics can be.
	U.S. medical groups sound the alarm on climate change (HealthDay)—Climate change is not only an environmental issue, but a major threat to public health, according to 11 U.S. medical societies.
	Another obesity downside: higher esophageal cancer risk (HealthDay)—Overweight 20-somethings dramatically increase their risk of esophageal and stomach cancer if they become obese later in life, a new study suggests.
	Black Americans more likely to skip flu shot (HealthDay)—More than half of American adults don't get an annual flu shot, and black Americans are even less likely to do so because of concerns about side effects, researchers report.
	Nearby day cares don't pose health risks to kids: study (HealthDay)—Living near a day care center won't increase your child's risk of catching contagious illnesses like whooping cough, new research suggests.
	Economic benefit for lifestyle modification in prediabetes (HealthDay)—For individuals with prediabetes, participation in lifestyle modifications such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is associated with economic benefit, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Population Health Management.
	No benefit for activity restriction post prolapse surgery (HealthDay)—For women undergoing reconstructive prolapse surgery, satisfaction is similarly high three months after surgery for those instructed to liberally resume activities and for those instructed to restrict their activities, according to a study published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Weaponisation of health care: Using people's need for health care as a weapon of war over 6 years of Syrian conflict Authors warn that the weaponisation of health care in Syria - a strategy of using people's need for health care against them by violently denying access - sets a dangerous precedent that the global health community must urgently address.
Racism as a public health threat Black History Month came and went all too quickly—while it gave our nation a spotlight for the accomplishments and contributions of the black community, it also reminded us to reflect and focus on the threats facing African-Americans all year around. Beyond the month of February, civil rights advocacy continues to address racial disparities in voting rights, education and criminal justice, but discrimination also impacts the black community in ways that aren't typically seen as social issues. This is particularly true in public health and should be addressed by doctors and nurse practitioners.
Egypt: 2,262 children fell ill in suspected food poisoning Egypt's Health Ministry says hundreds of schoolchildren have been admitted to hospital in a suspected mass food poisoning this week.
Predicting long-term cognitive decline following delirium Evidence suggests that experiencing delirium after surgery can lead to long-term cognitive decline in older adults. However, not everyone who experiences delirium will suffer this fate. After a recent study, researchers at Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research and Brigham and Women's Channing Division of Network Medicine (both Harvard Medical School affiliates) have discovered that we can predict cognitive decline after postoperative delirium using pre-surgery information from patients, particularly information on pre-surgery cognitive function.
	Baycrest creates first Canadian Brain Health Food Guide for adults Baycrest scientists have led the development of the first Canadian Brain Health Food Guide to help adults over 50 preserve their thinking and memory skills as they age.
	Gov't report: More than 12M signed up for 'Obamacare' The government says more than 12 million people have signed up for coverage this year under former President Barack Obama's health care law, even as the Republican-led Congress debates its repeal.
Number of Zika, dengue and chikungunya cases drop in Brazil The number of cases of Zika, dengue and chikungunya reported in Brazil during the first 6 ½ weeks of the year is nearly 90 percent less than in the same period in 2016, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
Age not a factor in success of shoulder replacement surgery Whether you're younger than 65 or older than 75, age may not be a discernible factor in the success of shoulder replacement surgery, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Mali doctors' strike paralyses hospitals A nearly week-long strike over pay in Mali's public hospitals has brought services in major cities to a near standstill.

Biology news

	Smart sharks have robust social networks and learn to avoid capture Sharks form strong social networks that are relatively unaffected when several members leave the group, and members also learn how to avoid capture, new research released today has found.
	Milkweed defensive strategy drives away friends of enemies Over millions of years under attack from insects, milkweed plants have developed considerable defenses. These include incredible toxicity – sufficient to kill a horse or sheep – which emanates from a milkweed's leaves in a sticky liquid.
	Protein doppelgangers are long-lost cousins A 60-year-old mystery has been solved by biochemists at The University of Western Australia investigating the origin of a type of digestion-inhibiting proteins thought only to exist in two plant families that contain the important legume and cereal crops.
	Fiddler crab found to use waving and drumming to demonstrate fitness to mate (w/ video) (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers with Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K. and the Australian National University has found that the male fiddler crab uses its oversized claw to get the attention of a prospective mate and then uses drumming to demonstrate its degree of physical fitness. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Sophie Mowles, Michael Jennions and Patricia Backwell describe their study of the crab and what they found.
	From skin to brain: Stem cells without genetic modification A discovery, several years in the making, by a University at Buffalo research team has proven that adult skin cells can be converted into neural crest cells (a type of stem cell) without any genetic modification, and that these stem cells can yield other cells that are present in the spinal cord and the brain.
	Soft coral exhibit strikingly different patterns of connectivity around British Isles The evolution of land animals has been shaped by barriers such as oceans and mountains which have divided them and sent them down different genetic paths.
	Flower-rich habitats increase survival of bumblebee families New research led by the UK's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has revealed for the first time that flower-rich habitats are key to enhancing the survival of bumblebee families between years.
	Team finds new way that bacteria lay siege to neighboring cells by hijacking two factors involved in protein synthesis So they can't use smartphones or WiFi, but bacteria have evolved some seriously complex strategies to communicate with one another. And the resulting interactions are a delicate balance of cooperation and, in some cases, competition.
	Researchers make discovery that could increase plant yield in wake of looming phosph Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have pinpointed a key genetic switch that helps soil bacteria living on and inside a plant's roots harvest a vital nutrient with limited global supply. The nutrient, phosphate, makes it to the plant's roots, helping the plant increase its yield.
	Antarctic penguin numbers double previous estimates: scientists Almost six million Adelie penguins are living in East Antarctica, more than double the number previously thought, scientists said Wednesday in findings that have implications for conservation.
	How a kernel of corn may yield answers into some cancers Driving down a country highway in the Midwest can seem an endless ribbon flanked by green walls of corn, neatly planted in stately rows. But who would guess that a plant that feeds a planet might hold clues that could help us better understand, or perhaps cure, insidious human diseases?
	Anomalous ocean conditions in 2015 may bode poorly for juvenile Chinook salmon survival Fisheries managers have been predicting a slightly below-average run of spring Chinook salmon on the Columbia River this year but a newly published suggests that it may be worse.
	Large freshwater species among those most threatened with extinction on the planet Freshwater megafauna such as river dolphins, crocodilians and sturgeons play vital roles in their respective ecosystems. In a recent scientific publication, researchers of the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin have teamed up with international colleagues to illustrate the factors that currently threaten these large vertebrates. The authors also call for a more comprehensive assessment on these large freshwater animals and for a more targeted conservation plan. Also, a wider range of freshwater species and freshwater ecosystems suffering from biodiversity decrease have the potential to benefit from such megafauna-based actions.
	Oribatid mite uses hydrogen cyanide for defence The common oribatid mite species Oribatula tibialis is an extremely clever poisoner, as an interdisciplinary team of researchers under the leadership of the TU Darmstadt has shown and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The mite uses hydrogen cyanide to defend itself against predators. This is something of a sensation, because this toxin is not generally present in the arsenal of the 80,000 known species of arachnids.
New software tools streamline DNA sequence design-and-build process Synthetic DNA allows scientists to expand the breadth and depth of their genomic research. In this study researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) have developed a suite of build-optimization software tools (BOOST) to streamline the design-build transition in synthetic biology engineering workflows. BOOST can automatically detect "difficult" sequences (of nucleotides) and redesign them for DNA synthesis, addressing DNA sequences with certain problematic characteristics (e.g., extreme %GC, sequence patterns, and repeats), which decrease the success rate of DNA synthesis.
No mid-day nap for northern flies Fruit flies from warm regions have a siesta, whereas their Nordic counterparts do not. Biologists from the University of Würzburg reset the circadian clock of African flies in an experiment. As a result, these insect also reduced the length of their siesta.
	Researchers decipher how the body controls stem cells Stem cells are unspecialised cells that can develop into any type of cell in the human body. So far, however, scientists only partially understand how the body controls the fate of these all-rounders, and what factors decide whether a stem cell will differentiate, for example, into a blood, liver or nerve cell. Researchers from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg and an international team have now identified an ingenious mechanism by which the body orchestrates the regeneration of red and white blood cells from progenitor cells. "This finding can help us to improve stem cell therapy in future," says Dr. Alexander Skupin, head of the "Integrative Cell Signalling" group of LCSB.
	Popular weedkiller doesn't cause cancer: EU agency The EU's chemicals agency said Wednesday that glyphosate, one of the world's most widely used weedkillers, should not be classed as a carcinogen.
	Some bed bugs are better climbers than others Not all bed bugs are created equal, and some of the leading bed bug traps used by pest management professionals are ineffective against species with better climbing abilities than others.
	Wildly stronger sunflowers Beauty and utility in one bright package, sunflowers are one of just a few commercial crops with origins in the United States.
	Eyeless catfish named for discoverer's daughter You've just discovered a unique, eyeless catfish from the murky bottoms of the Amazon River. What do you do?
	How to conserve polar bears—and maintain subsistence harvest—under climate change Polar bears are listed as a threatened species as the ice-covered ocean they depend on for hunting and transportation becomes scarce. Changes in the Arctic Ocean are also affecting the humans who have called this area home and hunted across the landscape for thousands of years.
Scientists analyze dispersal of parasites by birds in the Americas Monitoring and understanding the dispersal of potentially pathological microorganisms are constant concerns for sanitary and epidemiological authorities worldwide. The risks involved are evident, given the possibility of outbreaks of emerging diseases in humans or in domestic animals and livestock.

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