Science X Newsletter Tuesday, May 16

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 16, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Stars as random number generators could test foundations of physics

How scientists turned a flag into a loudspeaker

3-D printed ovaries produce healthy offspring

Astronomers characterize two 'super-Earths' in a distant planetary system

Flexible soft gripper mimics gecko to pick up objects with curved surfaces

Wait for it: A smartphone charge in five minutes

Scientists take first tentative steps to explore potential climate of Proxima B

Why did hunter-gatherers first begin farming?

IMF austerity has consequences for children's health: study

New ATLAS precision measurements of the Higgs Boson in the 'golden channel'

Swirling swarms of bacteria offer insights on turbulence

Making brain implants smaller could prolong their lifespan

Nicotine enhances bees' activity

Study unveils T cell signaling process central to immune response

Antibody biosensor offers unlimited point-of-care drug monitoring

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers characterize two 'super-Earths' in a distant planetary system (Phys.org)—An international team of astronomers led by Eike W. Guenther of the Thuringian State Observatory in Tautenburg, Germany, has characterized two "super-Earth" exoplanets orbiting a distant star designated K2-106, determining their size, mass and density. The new findings were presented in a paper published May 11 on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Scientists take first tentative steps to explore potential climate of Proxima B The quest to discover whether a planet orbiting our closest neighbouring star, Proxima Centauri (4.2 light years or 25 trillion miles from Earth), has the potential to support life has taken a new, exhilarating twist.
	Mars rover Opportunity begins study of ancient valley's origin NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has reached the main destination of its current two-year extended mission—an ancient fluid-carved valley incised on the inner slope of a vast crater's rim.
	Obscured supermassive black holes in galaxies Most if not all galaxies are thought to host a supermassive black hole in their nuclei. It grows by accreting mass, and while feeding it is not hidden from our view: it generates X-ray emission and ultraviolet that heats the dust which in turn radiates in the infrared. During the evolutionary phase in which it is most active, the object is known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The vast majority of AGN reside in normal galaxies in which the activity of star formation co-evolves with the black hole accretion, but astronomers disagree about the nature of the host galaxies, and in particular whether they resemble normal star forming galaxies in their overall structure.
	Peering into the heart of planet formation For the first time, astronomers have been able to peer into the heart of planet formation, recording the temperature and amount of gas present in the regions most prolific for making planets.
	New study reveals how changes in Martian rainfall shaped the planet Heavy rain on Mars reshaped the planet's impact craters and carved out river-like channels in its surface billions of years ago, according to a new study published in Icarus. In the paper, researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory show that changes in the atmosphere on Mars made it rain harder and harder, which had a similar effect on the planet's surface as we see on Earth.
SpaceX launches Inmarsat communications satellite SpaceX on Monday launched a communications satellite for Inmarsat, marking its first launch for the London-based mobile broadband company.
	Finding alien megastructures around nearby pulsars During the 1960s, Freeman Dyson and Nikolai Kardashev captured the imaginations of people everywhere by making some radical proposals. Whereas Dyson proposed that intelligent species could eventually create megastructures to harness the energy of their stars, Kardashev offered a three-tiered classification system for intelligent species based on their ability to harness the energy of their planet, solar system and galaxy, respectively.
	NASA to create first-ever space-based sodium lidar to study poorly understood mesosphere A team of NASA scientists and engineers now believes it can leverage recent advances in a greenhouse-detecting instrument to build the world's first space-based sodium lidar to study Earth's poorly understood mesosphere.

Technology news

	Flexible soft gripper mimics gecko to pick up objects with curved surfaces (Tech Xplore)—A small team of researchers with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Carnegie Mellon University has improved the design of robot grippers based on synthetic microfiber arrays—it allows for picking up objects with curved surfaces rather than just those with flat surfaces. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their approach, the gripper they created and how well it works.
	Wait for it: A smartphone charge in five minutes Charging time endured is just a fact of life when you are depending on your mobile gadget. Now there is news of a phone that charges fully in just five minutes—and it could be on the scene next year.
	Interview: Surfer worked from bedroom to beat cyberattack As a vast "ransomware" attack raced from computer to computer, infecting tens of thousands around the world, a young tech expert worked from his bedroom in England to bring the rampage to a halt.
	Laser printing with nanoparticles holds promise for medical research Electronic devices that can not only be implanted in the human body but also completely dissolve on their own – known as "bioresorbable" electronics – are envisioned by many as one of medical technology's next frontiers. A new study by Missouri University of Science and Technology researchers suggests that a laser printing technique using nanoparticles could help unlock a more cost-effective approach to building sturdier and safer components.
	Weaponizing the internet for terrorism Terrorism is a fact of life as are the collectives and networks to which counter-terrorism organizations and the media have given various labels and names. These networks are well versed in exploiting modern information technology through social media awareness, marketing and recruitment campaigns. However, there is the more insidious use by terrorists groups of online networks and exploits in the creation of so-called bots (computers that have been compromised through the implementation of malware and control over which has been assumed by a third party, or more likely a third party control a lot array of such bots in a botnet.
	3-D-printed, soft, four legged robot can walk on sand and stone Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed the first soft robot that is capable of walking on rough surfaces, such as sand and pebbles. The 3D-printed, four-legged robot can climb over obstacles and walk on different terrains.
	What is bitcoin? A look at the digital currency It's worth more than an ounce of gold right now, it's completely digital and it's the currency of choice for the cyberattackers who crippled computer networks around the world in recent days.
	China denies universities hit hard by ransomware Chinese authorities have said 66 of the country's universities were affected by the global ransomware attack, but have rejected reports of widespread damage in higher-education computer systems as "malicious" hype.
	Bell Canada customers hit by hackers Bell Canada has been hacked and its customers' emails accessed illegally, the telecoms giant said Monday, stressing there was no link to the "WannaCry" malware case.
	Whiz kid who foiled cyberattack They are called white hats—the good guys in the Wild West of the internet—and they ride to the rescue as in the case of the 22-year-old British expert who helped stop the WannaCry cyberattack.
	'Too early' to say if N. Korea behind cyberattacks: Europol The European police agency said Tuesday it was still too early to say whether North Korea was linked to a massive cyberattack which has caused global computer chaos.
	China's fondness for pirated software raises risks in attack China's fondness for pirated software left it especially vulnerable to the latest global cyberattack.
	Thermal hydraulic researchers build largest transparent fuel test assembly in the world Advanced reactor technologies have generated interest for their potential to reduce fossil fuel emissions, improve energy efficiency and cut down on nuclear waste. Researchers with the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University have provided new insights into the workings of an advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel assembly, having used a specialized test facility to measure hydraulic parameters and validate computational tools used in reactor design and testing. The fast reactor assembly design used is significant, not only because of the complex inner knowledge it can provide about advanced reactors, but also because the Texas A&M experiment is using the largest transparent test fuel assembly of its kind to date.
	Cancer researchers tap human intuition of video gamers in quest to beat cancer Video gamers have the power to beat cancer, according to cancer researchers and video game developers at Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
	Expert discusses the future of human-centered robotics Science and technology are essential tools for innovation, and to reap their full potential, we also need to articulate and solve the many aspects of today's global issues that are rooted in the political, cultural, and economic realities of the human world. With that mission in mind, MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences has launched The Human Factor—an ongoing series of stories and interviews that highlight research on the human dimensions of global challenges. Contributors to this series also share ideas for cultivating the multidisciplinary collaborations needed to solve the major civilizational issues of our time.
	Why installing software updates makes us WannaCry The global ransomware attack called "WannaCry," which began last week and continues today, could have been avoided, or at least made much less serious, if people (and companies) kept their computer software up to date. The attack's spread demonstrates how hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 150 countries are running outdated software that leaves them vulnerable. The victims include Britain's National Health Service, logistics giant FedEx, Spanish telecom powerhouse Telefonica and even the Russian Interior Ministry.
	World's first thin-silicon implantable chip for high-precision haptic prosthetics Imec announced today its success in fabricating a prototype implantable chip that aims to give patients more intuitive control over their arm prosthetics. The thin-silicon chip is a world's first for electrode density and was developed in collaboration with researchers at the University of Florida, as part of the IMPRESS project funded by the DARPA's HAPTIX program to create a closed-loop system for future-generation haptic prosthetics technology.
	Self-learning neuromorphic chip that composes music Today, at the imec technology forum (ITF2017), imec demonstrated the world's first self-learning neuromorphic chip. The brain-inspired chip, based on OxRAM technology, has the capability of self-learning and has been demonstrated to have the ability to compose music.
	Opinion: How an open approach to patents could build a sustainable future To sustain a population of 9.7 billion people by 2050 the world is going to need innovations that make careful use of the available resources, human and environmental. Key industry sectors such as energy, water, agriculture and transport are already under pressure to move to more sustainable methods of production and consumption. However, there are barriers in the way.
	Why using AI to sentence criminals is a dangerous idea Artificial intelligence is already helping determine your future – whether it's your Netflix viewing preferences, your suitability for a mortgage or your compatibility with a prospective employer. But can we agree, at least for now, that having an AI determine your guilt or innocence in a court of law is a step too far?
	Family TV viewing and SMS texting could help cut internet energy use Scrapping automatically-playing videos in apps and reversing trends of instant messaging and on-demand services could be key to cutting the growing energy demand of the Internet.
	Delphi joins BMW-Intel-Mobileye autonomous car partnership Automotive parts and electronics maker Delphi Corp. has joined with BMW, Intel and Mobileye to develop the building blocks of autonomous vehicles.
	Amazon's streaming software powers new smart TVs Amazon's streaming TV software will appear on a new line of smart TVs designed to blend streaming TV services and over-the-air channels, but not cable packages.
	HP Enterprise unveils computer 'for era of Big Data' Researchers from Hewlett-Packard Enterprise on Tuesday unveiled what they claimed was a breakthrough in computing with a new machine capable of handling vast amounts of data at supercomputing speeds.
	Bathroom scales will inform about life threatening conditions Weighing oneself has become one of the most common morning rituals. However, your weight is not the only message that can be delivered by your bathroom scales: the team of researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Institute of Biomedical Engineering are developing the multifunctional scales, which can monitor your health and inform about potentially dangerous life conditions, such as arteriosclerosis or cardiac arrhythmia. "Hospitals are fully equipped with advanced technologies for diagnosing illnesses and critical conditions, but it is too expensive to use this equipment for everyday health monitoring. On the other hand, people do not have many devices for personal health monitoring at home, and these devices could be very practical", says Vaidotas Marozas, the Director of the KTU Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
	Experts see possible North Korea links to global cyberattack Cybersecurity experts are pointing to circumstantial evidence that North Korea may be behind the global "ransomware" attack: the way the hackers took hostage computers and servers across the world was similar to previous cyberattacks attributed to North Korea.
Disney Research transforms movie-quality animations for interactive viewing Cinema-quality animations and virtual reality graphics that need to be rendered in real-time are often mutually exclusive categories, but Disney Research has developed a new process that transforms high-resolution animated content into a novel video format to enable immersive viewing.
Public divides over environmental regulation and energy policy A 54% majority of U.S. adults believe that "government regulations are necessary to encourage businesses and consumers to rely more on renewable energy sources," while 38% support the notion that "the private marketplace will ensure that businesses and consumers rely more on renewable energy sources, even without government regulations," according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
UK prison moves to stop drone deliveries of contraband A British prison will install anti-drone technology to stop contraband being smuggled through the skies, the jail's governor told AFP on Tuesday.
Under cyber attack: UH researchers look at how to catch a 'phisher' As cybersecurity experts scramble to stop another wave of ransomware and malware scams that have infected computers around the world, computer science experts at the University of Houston are "phishing" for reasons why these types of attacks are so successful. The research findings, presented last month at the ACM Asia Conference on Computer and Communications Security, are being used to develop the next generation of email filters to better identify and defend against this type of cyber attack.
	Cyber kid stuns experts showing toys can be 'weapons' An 11-year-old "cyber ninja" stunned an audience of security experts Tuesday by hacking into their Bluetooth devices to manipulate a teddy bear and show how interconnected smart toys "can be weaponised".
	Thailand backs down on Facebook ban over royal posts Thai authorities Tuesday backed down on their threat to ban Facebook over posts deemed critical of the royal family after officials said the social networking giant had agreed to expunge such content.
	Microrobots inspired by nature A revolutionary design mimics the rowing action of the cilia on single-celled Paramecium, demonstrating much faster movement than conventional microrobots.
	Global ransomware attacks—the impact and the response A global cyberattack unleashed Friday has reportedly affected more than 200,000 computers across more than 150 countries. The "ransomware," called "WannaCry," exploits a vulnerability in the Windows operating system. The attacks hit companies and governments, encrypting users' computers and demanding bitcoin payments in exchange for unlocking the files. Asia was hit particularly hard Monday, because many businesses there had closed when the attack first struck on Friday.
	France fines Facebook for data protection breaches France's data protection agency said Tuesday it had fined Facebook for collecting information on users without their knowledge, following a probe of the social network in cooperation with other European regulators.

Medicine & Health news

	3-D printed ovaries produce healthy offspring The brave new world of 3-D printed organs now includes implanted ovary structures that, true to their design, actually ovulate, according to a study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and McCormick School of Engineering.
	Making brain implants smaller could prolong their lifespan Many diseases, including Parkinson's disease, can be treated with electrical stimulation from an electrode implanted in the brain. However, the electrodes can produce scarring, which diminishes their effectiveness and can necessitate additional surgeries to replace them.
	Study unveils T cell signaling process central to immune response The immune system cells known as T cells play a central role in the body's ability to fight infections and cancer. For decades, however, details of the molecular signaling process that leads to T cell activation have remained a mystery.
	Humans rely more on 'inferred' visual objects than 'real' ones Humans treat 'inferred' visual objects generated by the brain as more reliable than external images from the real world, according to new research published in eLife.
	Patient's cells used to replicate dire developmental condition The blood-brain barrier is biology's proverbial double-edged sword.
	An immunity gene evolved in Southeast Asia to protect against leprosy A mutation in an immune system gene rapidly rose in frequency in Southeast Asia approximately 50,000 years ago because it likely conferred protection against leprosy, which spread to the region from Africa around the same time. The findings, published May 16th in Cell Reports, show that the gene variant, called HLA-B*46:01, encodes a protein that binds to molecules derived from the bacterium that causes leprosy—a chronic infection of the skin and peripheral nerves. This HLS protein then presents these foreign molecules to the immune system, which destroys the infected cells.
	Switching to a low-glycemic diet may stop age-related eye disease, study suggests A study in mice finds that development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could be arrested by switching from a high-glycemic diet (starches as are found in white bread) to a low-glycemic (starches found in whole grains). For the same amount of total carbohydrate, high-glycemic diets release sugar into the blood stream more rapidly than low-glycemic diets.
	Adolescent impatience increases as testosterone levels rise In a series of studies conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, researchers have examined risky and impulsive decision behavior in adolescence. A study recently published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology is the first to investigate the influence of testosterone on adolescents' decisions.
	The genetic architecture of risk for autism spectrum disorder A new study of inherited genetic risk indicates that common genetic variations throughout the genome act in addition to rare, deleterious mutations in autism-associated genes to create risk for autism.
	Single cell focus reveals hidden cancer cells Researchers have found a way to identify rogue cancer cells which survive treatment after the rest of the tumour is destroyed, by using a new technique that enables them to identify and characterise individual cancer cells.
	'Moral enhancement' technologies are neither feasible nor wise, study says A recent study by researchers at North Carolina State University and the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) finds that "moral enhancement technologies" – which are discussed as ways of improving human behavior – are neither feasible nor wise, based on an assessment of existing research into these technologies.
	Scientists shed light on the tight connection between mental and physical health How do you feel right now, in general? Pleasant or unpleasant? Crummy, calm, or jittery? Somewhere in between?
	Children in Head Start who miss more preschool show fewer academic gains A new study has found that children in Head Start who miss 10% or more of the school year have fewer gains in academics than their peers who attend preschool more regularly. Many researchers see high-quality preschool programs as a way to reduce long-term disparities in education. Placing an emphasis on attendance in preschool programs may be important to maximizing benefits.
More than 1.2 million adolescents die every year, nearly all preventable More than 3000 adolescents die every day, totalling 1.2 million deaths a year, from largely preventable causes, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners. In 2015, more than two thirds—some 855 000 10 to 19-year-olds—died in low- and middle-income countries of the African and South-East Asia Regions. Road traffic injuries, lower respiratory infections and suicide are the biggest causes of death among adolescents.
Adolescent boys treated at urban ER for violent injury want mental health care Adolescent males of color treated for violent injury and discharged from an urban pediatric emergency department (ED) overwhelmingly identified a need for mental health care, according to research from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)'s Violence Intervention Program (VIP), published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
	Year-round flu vaccinations promote healthier infants in subtropics Vaccinating pregnant mothers year-round against flu in the resource-challenged region of subtropical Nepal reduced infant flu virus infection rates by an average of 30 percent, increased birth weights by 15 percent and resulted in babies having less influenza, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Clinics should choose women's breast screening appointment times to improve attendance For women who miss a breast screening appointment, giving a fixed date and time for a new appointment could improve poor attendance and be a cost-effective way to shift national participation trends, according to an analysis led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
	Three-year-olds understand, value obligations of joint commitment The ability to engage in joint actions is a critical step toward becoming a cooperative human being. In particular, forming a commitment with a partner to achieve a goal that one cannot achieve alone is important for functioning in society. Previous research has shown that children begin collaborating with others between ages 2 and 3 years. However, it's less clear whether they understand the concept of joint commitments with binding obligations. A new study looked at this phenomenon and suggests that children as young as 3 understand and value the obligations that accompany a joint commitment - and that they resent a partner who breaks a commitment for selfish reasons.
	Clot removal therapy effective outside six-hour window for some stroke patients Results of a randomized controlled trial show that endovascular treatment (ET) to remove a stroke-causing blood clot in the brain is effective in some patients even when performed within 6 to 24 hours after a stroke. Current guidelines for acute stroke treatment endorse clot removal only when performed within six hours of a stroke. The findings are presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference 2017 in Prague.
High-dose iron pills do not improve exercise capacity for heart failure Among patients with a certain type of heart failure and iron deficiency, high-dose iron pills did not improve exercise capacity over 16 weeks, according to a study published by JAMA.
Findings do not support steroid injections for knee osteoarthritis Among patients with knee osteoarthritis, an injection of a corticosteroid every three months over two years resulted in significantly greater cartilage volume loss and no significant difference in knee pain compared to patients who received a placebo injection, according to a study published by JAMA.
	Substantial differences between US counties for death rates from ischemic heart disease, stroke Although the absolute difference in U.S. county-level cardiovascular disease mortality rates have declined substantially over the past 35 years for both ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, large differences remain, according to a study published by JAMA.
	Prototype drug uses novel mechanism to treat lung cancers Cells are constantly turning proteins on and off via molecular switches—phosphate molecules—that have become common drug targets. in a new study, lung cancer tumors were prevented in mice by a novel small molecule that directly activates a tumor suppressor protein. Dr. Goutham Narla of Case Western Reserve University says, "All the drugs we currently have to treat our cancer patients target what we call kinases, which attach phosphate molecules to proteins. But equally important to this are the enzymes that take the phosphate off."
	Researchers discover tumor cells stiffen before becoming invasive A study recently published in Nature Communications shows that breast cancer cells undergo a stiffening state prior to becoming malignant. The discovery, made by a research team led by Florence Janody, from Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC; Portugal), identifies a new signal in tumor cells that could be applicable in the design of cancer-targeting therapies.
	Responders to recent West Africa Ebola epidemic show little evidence of infection Responders to the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016 who returned to the UK and Ireland included many who reported possible Ebola virus exposure or Ebola-associated symptoms, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Catherine F. Houlihan of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK and colleagues, also reports that the vast majority showed no evidence of Ebola virus infection.
Medical abortions obtained through online telemedicine shown to be effective, safe Women in Ireland and Northern Ireland acquiring medical abortion pills through online telemedicine report successful terminations with low rates of adverse effects, according to new research published in The BMJ by Princeton University, the University of Texas at Austin and Women on Web.
	Fainting and the summer heat: Warmer days can make you swoon, so be prepared Over one million Americans faint every year, and countless more do worldwide. Fear, pain, the sight of blood or prolonged standing – think the long lines of summer travel – can trigger fainting.
	Study of sisters helps explain dad's influence on risky sexual behavior What is it about a father that affects his teenage daughter's likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behavior?
	Young women's gradual weight gain raises pregnancy blood pressure danger Researchers are challenging women to start thinking about pre-pregnancy health sooner, with the finding that years of gradual weight gain more than doubles the risk of blood pressure disorders in pregnancy.
	Expert cites urgent need to reconsider steroid use as a public health issue The use of image and performance enhancing drugs – in particular steroids – is a growing area of concern globally.
	How to rein in the widening disease definitions that label more healthy people as sick In the early 1990s a small meeting of experts, part-funded by drug companies, decided on a new definition of the bone condition osteoporosis. Historically, the label was limited to people who had fractures, but with the coming of new technology that could see someone's bone density, doctors started broadening the definition to include healthy people considered at risk of a fracture.
	BMI not the only reliable indicator of heart disease Waist-to-hip ratio may be a stronger indicator of some cardiovascular illnesses than the commonly-used measure BMI, according to a new UCL-led study.
	The Tinder trap, or, why meeting people can make them more attractive The old saying that beauty is only skin deep is borne out by a new study from a team of University of Kansas researchers, the results of which should give Tinder users pause before they swipe left.
	Sugar and cancer – what you need to know There's a lot of confusing information and advice out there around sugar.
	Social contagion in the exam room—peer influence and cancer surgeons' use of breast MRI A new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has found that surgeons' use of a new imaging test is influenced by the practice style of their peers.
	Using poetry to bring back memories for people with dementia Students from the School of English at the University of Nottingham have been helping to bring back the memories of people with dementia by reading poems aloud to them.
Personal mobility phone app suite can inform physician diagnoses A new suite of phone apps developed at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) uses Android smart phones to monitor the physical mobility and stability of older people.
	Fast break for antibiotic resistance testing A team of scientists from The University of Western Australia has developed a screening test that quickly confirms antibiotic efficacy. Their method is able to ensure the most effective antibiotics are prescribed sooner.
	Electrically stimulating your brain can boost memory – but here's one reason it doesn't always work The first time I heard that shooting electrical currents across your brain can boost learning, I thought it was a joke.
	The link between memory perceptions and Alzheimer's risk Over 20 percent of older adults suffer from subjective memory impairment, where a person reports having trouble remembering things with no evidence of actual memory loss. Now Penn State researchers are looking into the growing evidence that subjective memory impairment can lead to Alzheimer's disease in some older adults.
	Can yogurt each day keep the doctor away? Diabetes, heart disease and inflammatory disorders threaten the health of many Americans. University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are investigating the gut microbiome in search of answers.
	Memory insight may prove beneficial for those with brain damage Scientists have discovered that there is more than one way to strengthen your memory, opening up the possibility of new treatment strategies for brain damage.
	Spread of tau protein measured in the brains of Alzheimer's patients In a new study presented in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have measured how deposits of the pathological protein tau spread through the brain over the course of Alzheimer's disease. Their results show that the size of the deposit and the speed of its spread differ from one individual to the next, and that large amounts of tau in the brain can be linked to episodic memory impairment.
	Immunotherapy against bee stings in some cases incomplete The preparations that are used for allergen immunotherapy against bee sting allergies do not always contain all the relevant venom components. This was the conclusion of an examination conducted by allergy experts at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). According to their report in Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, this could possibly influence the treatment results.
Clinical trials pave way to new cystic fibrosis drug Imagine breathing through only a tiny straw. That is what life is like for people with cystic fibrosis, which includes about 30,000 people in the United States, making cystic fibrosis the most common lethal genetic disease in the country.
	Infertility in men could point to more serious health problems later in life Poor sperm quality affects about one in ten men and may lead to fertility problems. These men also have an increased risk of developing testicular cancer, which is the most common malignant disease of young males. And, even if they don't develop testicular cancer, men with poor sperm quality tend to die younger than men who don't have fertility problems.
Odds of a hookah non-smoker taking first puff A positive attitude toward and desire to take up hookah smoking are the most likely predictors of a young adult becoming a hookah tobacco smoker, University of Pittsburgh researchers found in the first nationally representative analysis of hookah use by young adults over an extended follow-up period.
	Depression less deadly than previously thought Over three decades of research suggest that depression increases the odds of death. However, a new research paper throws doubt on this presumed link after finding no evidence of a direct association between depression and all-cause mortality. The paper, authored by a research team from Johns Hopkins University, Federation University Australia and the University of Amsterdam (UvA), involved the largest ever analysis on the topic and is published in the latest edition of World Psychiatry.
	Key stem cells for repairing knee joints identified Stem cells that seem key for maintaining and repairing the body's knee joints have been identified by scientists.
	Key to 'superbug' antibiotic resistance discovered An international study led by Monash University has discovered the molecular mechanism by which the potentially deadly superbug 'Golden Staph' evades antibiotic treatment, providing the first important clues on how to counter superbug antibiotic resistance.
	Stiffer soles are making life more comfortable for some diabetic patients There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach when choosing the right footwear or inner sole to take away pressure from diabetic patients' feet. The body mass index (BMI) of diabetics indicates how stiff or soft the cushioning material in shoes should be. In an article in Springer's journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering, research led by Panagiotis Chatzistergos of Staffordshire University in the UK provides the first scientific evidence to help healthcare professionals provide bespoke footcare to their diabetic patients.
	Popular weight-loss surgery puts patients at high risk for alcohol problems One in five patients who undergo one of the most popular weight-loss surgical procedures is likely to develop problems with alcohol, with symptoms sometimes not appearing until years after their surgery, according to one of the largest, longest-running studies of adults who got weight-loss surgery.
	Loss of pericytes deteriorates retinal environment Inside the eye, at the interface between blood vessels and the retina, lies a boundary that prevents harmful substances present in the blood from entering the retina. Researchers at the Center for Vascular Research, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) are studying the role of cells called pericytes, which protectively wrap the retinal vessels building up this blood-retinal barrier. This new study published in Nature Communications, revealed how the loss of pericytes aggravates the retinal environment and function in a mouse experimental model. These findings could contribute to the development of new therapies for blindness-causing diseases, such as diabetic eye disease (diabetic retinopathy).
How to accurately assess use of new psychoactive drugs such as 'bath salts' Hundreds of new psychoactive substances have emerged in recent years, and determining their prevalence is essential to cultivating effective prevention efforts. One example of new street drugs is synthetic cathinones, a.k.a.: "bath salts." "Bath salts" are new amphetamine-like stimulants, and researchers and users know little about their effects. The "bath salt" called "Flakka" (alpha-PVP) has been linked to widespread and bizarre incidences of behavior in Florida.
	World first self-donning system for surgical gowns In the health care setting, there is an increasing need for a self-donning surgical gown that health care personnel can don without the need for any assistance. Also, in the context of Crisis Management for the Ebola virus and other severe infectious diseases, use of a gown that can be donned and removed quickly and safely as infection protection to prevent onwards transmission to environmental infection is more important than ever.
How doubts about getting better influence chronic pain treatment success A leading psychology professor at The University of Texas at Arlington has focused international attention on how a chronic pain patient's irrational doubts about never getting better can influence both his reactions to pain and even treatment outcomes.
Scientists discover uncommon superbug strain in greater Houston area Houston Methodist Research Institute scientists used genome sequencing to discover that an otherwise rare strain of a superbug was found in more than one-third of the Houston patients studied. This strain is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics.
Warm weather increases the incidence of serious surgical site infections Surgical site infections, a common healthcare-associated infection, are seasonal - increasing in the summer and decreasing in the winter-according to new research published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Temperatures above 90°F were associated with 28.9 percent increased odds for hospitalization with a surgical site infection (SSI) compared to temperatures less than 40°F.
Complications from thyroid cancer surgery more common than believed, study finds As thyroid cancer rates rise, more people are having surgery to remove all or part of their thyroid. A new study suggests complications from these procedures are more common than previously believed.
Link found between donor, infection in heart, lung transplant recipients The way in which heart and lung transplant recipients acquired a specific species of bacteria, Mycoplasma hominis, had been previously undefined, and the bacterium was difficult to test. Originally, this bacterium was considered to reside exclusively in, and be a potential pathogen of, the area of the reproductive and urinary organs - the genitourinary tract.
Photoreceptor cell death leads to blindness in CLN5 form of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have discovered a likely cause for visual impairment and eventual loss of vision in the Finnish variant of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL). Visual impairment associated with the Finnish variant of NCL may be caused by impaired retinal waste management system, including autophagy, leading primarily to the death of photoreceptor cells that are of essential for vision.
After receiving bad advice, bullying victims say they would give same bad advice to others Targets of workplace bullying get plenty of advice from coworkers and family on how to respond to the situation and make it stop. While well intentioned, much of the advice victims receive is impractical or only makes their situation worse, said Stacy Tye-Williams, an assistant professor of communication studies and English at Iowa State University.
Higher mass transit use associated with lower obesity rates Healthy mass transit systems could contribute to healthier communities, according to a new study by University of Illinois researchers that determined higher mass transit use was correlated with lower obesity rates in counties across the United States.
	Inflammatory signature of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease A team of investigators led by Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS, of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has identified key inflammatory cells involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Current treatment for the disorder involves changes to diet, yet no medication has been approved for treatment. Findings from this study provide a potential therapeutic target and offer the possibility for developing a treatment. The study will be published on May 16 in the journal Hepatology Communications.
	Exercising can protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease The evidence is clear. Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, says a panel of researchers and not-for-profit leaders, led by UBC's Okanagan campus.
New clinical trial framework tests 'natural' cures for cancer A University of Colorado Cancer Center clinical trial is now recruiting prostate cancer patients who would otherwise be on a watch-and-wait protocol to test the ability of grape seed extract to slow the rise of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a common marker of prostate cancer progression. The trial is the result of a series of CU Cancer Center studies demonstrating the promise of grape seed extract in preclinical models of prostate cancer, in collaboration with doctors at University of Colorado Hospital who treat the condition. In addition to testing grape seed extract, the trial provides the framework to test other promising compounds in this setting, potentially including additional compounds derived from natural sources.
	App that tracks bipolar manic, depressive episodes wins award A team led by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, along with collaborators at the University of Michigan and Sage Bionetworks, has won the Mood Challenge for ResearchKit, a contest that called on researchers to come up with new ways to study mood disorders using Apple's ResearchKit, an open-source platform for creating iOS apps.
	UK researchers identify macrophages as key factor for regeneration in mammals A team of University of Kentucky researchers has discovered that macrophages, a type of immune cell that clears debris at injury sites during normal wound healing and helps produce scar tissue, are required for complex tissue regeneration in mammals. Their findings, published today in eLife, shed light on how immune cells might be harnessed to someday help stimulate tissue regeneration in humans.
Investing in drug safety monitoring could avoid complications—and save medical costs Increased investment in "pharmacovigilance surveillance"—systems to proactively monitor safety problems with new medications—has the potential to avoid harmful drug effects while lowering healthcare costs, according to a study in the June issue of Medical Care.
Weekly steroids strengthen and repair muscles Weekly doses of glucocorticoid steroids, such as prednisone, help speed recovery in muscle injuries, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The weekly steroids also repaired muscles damaged by muscular dystrophy.
	Gov't report: Efforts to reduce US uninsured stalled in 2016 After five consecutive years of coverage gains, progress toward reducing the number of uninsured Americans stalled in 2016, according to a government report that underscores the stakes as Republicans try to roll back Barack Obama's law.
	How HIV became a matter of international security Richard Holbrooke sat in a blue striped chair in the meeting room of the United Nations Security Council. It was a rainy, unseasonably warm January day in New York City, just ten days into the new millennium. Many people were still relieved that the Y2K millennium bug hadn't wreaked havoc on computers, as some experts had feared. And yet, during the council's seven-hour meeting, it was clear that a bigger, real threat was looming.
	Hypnosis, medicine and Freud There has always been a fascination with hypnotism throughout the centuries. The latest special issue of Notes and Records examines the history of hypnotism in Europe and we asked one of the Guest Editors, Andreas-Holger Maehle, some questions about his research.
Defective intercellular connections cause hydrocephalus About one in 2,000 babies are born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cannot flow towards the spinal column and builds up instead in the cavities (ventricles) of the brain. This causes the head to swell like a balloon and puts pressure on the brain. Various neurological symptoms can occur as a result including headache, vomiting, impaired vision, loss of coordination, seizures and cognitive difficulties. There are various causes of hydrocephalus. In some cases the condition is caused by a genetic abnormality.
	New Zika virus inhibitor identified New research led by Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., associate professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), and Alex Strongin, Ph.D., professor at SBP, could be a first step toward a drug to treat Zika infections. Publishing in Antiviral Research, the scientific team discovered a compound that prevents the virus from spreading.
	Groups quietly bypass Venezuela's ban on humanitarian aid In a stuffy, second-floor store room, a volunteer sorts through boxes of imported medicines and arranges them one by one on metallic shelves in alphabetical order. There's Euthyrox for thyroid problems, Clexane to stop blood clots and over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen.

Biology news

	Why did hunter-gatherers first begin farming? The beginnings of agriculture changed human history and has fascinated scientists for centuries.
	Nicotine enhances bees' activity Nicotine-laced nectar can speed up a bumblebee's ability to learn flower colours, according to scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
	New Zealand's mainland yellow-eyed penguins face extinction unless urgent action taken Iconic Yellow-eyed penguins could disappear from New Zealand's Otago Peninsula by 2060, latest research warns. Researchers call for coordinated conservation action.
	New study upends established models of forecasting coextinction in complex ecosystems A study from Iowa State University researchers casts new light on how biologists understand the likelihood of coextinction among plants and animals that depend on one another for survival.
	Study shows 'pretty' termites do the most damage Termites may be "pretty" in the eyes of a scientist, but don't let good looks fool you: The prettier termites are more destructive than their uglier counterparts, a University of Florida researcher says.
	Gene matches could aid science, but raise privacy concerns How much could one really figure out about a person from 13 tiny snippets of DNA? At first glance, not much – in the world of genetics, 13 is tiny. But a new study suggests it may be enough to infer hundreds of thousands more markers, potentially revealing a wealth of genetic information, Stanford biologists report May 15 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	How plants tell time Findings of a new study solve a key mystery about the chemistry of how plants tell time so they can flower and metabolize nutrients.
	Egyptian vultures found to engage in puzzling cosmetic mud bathing rituals (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers working at the Doñana Biological Station in Spain has found that Egyptian vultures living in the Canary Islands dip their head, neck and chest in red soil to color themselves. In their paper published in in the journal Ecology, Thijs van Overveld, Manuel de la Riva and José Antonio Donázar describe their observations, a small experiment they conducted, and offer some opinions regarding the reason for the unique behavior of the birds.
	Pufferfish and humans share the same genes for teeth Human teeth evolved from the same genes that make the bizarre beaked teeth of the pufferfish, according to new research by an international team of scientists.
	Scientists decode genome of deadly tropical snail Scientists from the University of Aberdeen are part of an international team which has been working to better understand the biology of a snail species that transmits a disease infecting 200 million people, killing around 200,000 each year in developing countries.
	Bacteria harness the lotus effect to protect themselves Dental plaque and the viscous brown slime in drainpipes are two familiar examples of bacterial biofilms. Removing such bacterial depositions from surfaces is often very difficult, in part because they are extremely water-repellent. A team of scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now been able to show how such biofilms adapt their surface texture to repel water—similar to leaves.
Don't count on your chickens counting Clocks and calendars, sports scores and stock-market tickers - our society is saturated with numbers. One of the first things we teach our children is to count, just as we teach them their ABCs. But is this evidence of a biological drive? No, says cognitive scientist Rafael Nunez of the University of California San Diego. It is evidence of our cultural preoccupations. "Numerical cognition," he says, "is not biologically endowed."
	Researchers find conflicting effects of climate, vector behavior on spread of plant disease A top challenge of mitigating the impact of climate change on agricultural production is knowing the exact ways in which higher temperatures and altered precipitation regimes affect the many aspects of agroecosystems. This is especially the case with insect pests and crop diseases.
Researchers help protect Peru's river dolphins River dolphins and Amazonian manatees in Peru will benefit from new protection thanks to a plan developed with help from the University of Exeter. Researchers from the university's Penryn Campus in Cornwall worked with Peruvian officials for more than two years to develop a new protection law.
	The superhighway threatening Nigeria's tropical rainforest When bulldozers rolled into their forest at the start of last year, the Ekuri community in southeast Nigeria protested: "Indigenes say no!"
	Venom becomes more potent as brown snakes age The "blood nuking" capabilities of adult brown snake venom only come about after an amazing transformation.
	Researchers uncover new way of growing stem cells Research led by The University of Western Australia has discovered a new, simple and less expensive way of growing human stem cells.
	Researchers develop a 'molecular needle' using a simplified biological system Minimalism is an increasingly popular lifestyle choice that encourages individuals to decrease the overall number of possessions owned and live more simply. According to minimalist philosophy, the reduction of unnecessary clutter enables one to live a more functional and purposeful existence. IMP-IMBA Group Leader and Centre for Structural Systems Biology scientist Thomas Marlovits, in collaboration with colleagues from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discovered that a minimalist approach can also be applied to complex biological systems, such as the type III secretion system. The findings of this collaborative study have been published in the scientific journal, Nature Communications.
	Using dogs to find cats—overcoming the challenges of tracking cheetahs Cheetahs are Africa's rarest big cat. Only an estimated 7,000 individuals are thought to survive in the wild. They're spread across 32 populations covering a vast area of more than 3 million square kilometres. Cheetah densities are never higher than two or three cheetahs per 100km2 and can be as low as one cheetah per 4,000km2. Lion density can be up to about 16.85 lions per 100km2. What's more, in areas where cheetahs are persecuted, due to conflict with livestock and game keepers, they may flee before you are ever likely to even see them.
	Cockatoos keep their tools safe Only a few animal species such as New Caledonian crows or some primates have so far been found to habitually use tools. Even fewer can manufacture their own tools. Nevertheless, the Goffin's cockatoo, an Indonesian parrot, exhibit both abilities while seemingly lacking a genetic adaptation for tool use. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and the University of Vienna have now shown yet another tool-related ability in these clever parrots.
	Catchy names for exotic algae Unicellular algae, to which the so-called dinophytes belong, are important primary producers in marine and freshwater habitats and, as such, they provide a vital source of food for other organisms. They also serve as indicator organisms, and are used to monitor the status of fish populations, as well as playing an important role in ecosystem modeling. Many dinophyte species are under certain circumstances capable of dominating planktonic communities – giving rise to so-called algal blooms, which are often accompanied by the local accumulation of algal toxins. Given their potential ecological impact, monitoring of changes in dinophyte diversity and population dynamics is advisable – and this of course requires the ability to identify and quantify the present algal species. Researchers led by LMU's Professor Marc Gottschling, in collaboration with Chinese colleagues, have now identified two new genera of dinophytes, which they named Blixaea and Unruhdinium in honor of the Berlin industrial musicians Blixa Bargeld and N.U. Unruh. These findings appear in the journal Phytotaxa.
Fishing can cause slowly reversible changes in gene expression Cohort after cohort, fishing typically removes large fish from the population and can lead to rapid evolutionary changes in exploited fish populations. A new study from the University of Turku, Finland, shows that removing the largest individuals from the population can lead to massive gene expression changes in an experimentally exploited fish population. The study was funded by the Academy of Finland.
	Scientists find that 'fathers do matter' for the wandering albatross One of the predicted consequences of climate change is a shift in body mass distributions within animal populations. Yet body mass, an important component of the physiological state of an organism, can affect key life-history traits such as survival, chick mass and breeding success and population dynamics. Variation in body mass distribution is expected to have consequences for the conversation of particular species.
Researcher discovers new species of South American rabbit A Portland State University researcher discovered that a rabbit known for centuries to exist in South America is different enough from its cousins to be its own unique species.
	Travel distances of juvenile fish key to better conservation Marine reserves—sections of the ocean where fishing is prohibited—promote coral reef sustainability by preventing overfishing and increasing fish abundance and diversity. But to be effective, they need to be sized right, and in a way that accounts for how far juvenile fish travel away from their parents after spawning.
	American chestnut rescue will succeed, but slower than expected The nearly century-old effort to employ selective breeding to rescue the American chestnut, which has been rendered functionally extinct by an introduced disease—Chestnut blight, eventually will succeed, but it will take longer than many people expect.
	Endangered vaquita marina porpoise could be extinct by 2018: WWF The vaquita marina, a tiny porpoise native to Mexico, could be extinct by next year if urgent action including a ban on gillnets is not taken, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature warned.
	3-D models reveal hidden details of zebrafish behavior Zebrafish have become increasingly popular model animals in preclinical and neurobehavioral research due to their genetic similarity to humans and rapid rate of reproduction. Studies of zebrafish behavior have shed light on social and biological phenomena ranging from the dynamics of collective animal behavior, such as shoaling and schooling, to anxiety, fear, and leadership. Borrowing from decades of work on mice and rats, most observations of zebrafish are conducted using a two-dimensional approach, despite the fact that zebrafish swim in three-dimensional (3D) space.
	Plants call 911 to help their neighbors When Harsh Bais, a botanist at the University of Delaware, emailed Connor Sweeney to tell the high school student he would be willing to mentor him on a research project, Sweeney, a competitive swimmer, was so ecstatic he could have swum another 200-meter butterfly at practice.
	Reward offered for info on 'White Lady' wolf shot at Yellowstone A conservation group on Monday more than doubled a reward for information on who was behind last month's shooting of a rare white wolf at Yellowstone National Park.

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