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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 26, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Fungal spores harness physics to launch themselves

Four new short-period giant planets discovered

New AI technique creates 3-D shapes from 2-D images

People found able to recognize emotional arousal in vocalizations of land vertebrates

Massive star's dying blast caught by rapid-response telescopes

Novel RNA nanodevices in living cells can sense and analyze multiple complex signals

Strange electrons break the crystal symmetry of high-temperature superconductors

Brain cells found to control aging

Color-shifting electronic skin could have wearable tech and prosthetic uses

Adobe bidding Flash farewell in 2020

Scientists build DNA from scratch to alter life's blueprint

Waterlogged brain region helps scientists gauge damage caused by Parkinson's disease

Archaeologists find key to tracking ancient wheat in frozen Bronze Age box

Researchers overturn wisdom regarding efficacy of next-generation DNA techniques

Researchers develop DNA sunscreen that gets better the longer you wear it

Astronomy & Space news

	Four new short-period giant planets discovered (Phys.org)—Astronomers have detected four new giant exoplanets as part of the Hungarian-made Automated Telescope Network-South (HATSouth) exoplanet survey. The newly found alien worlds are about the size of Jupiter, but less massive. They transit moderately bright stars and have short orbital periods. The findings were presented July 22 in a paper published on arXiv.org.
	Massive star's dying blast caught by rapid-response telescopes In June 2016, an international team of 31 astronomers, led by the University of Maryland's Eleanora Troja and including Arizona State University's Nathaniel Butler, caught a massive star as it died in a titanic explosion deep in space.
	Why looking for aliens is good for society (even if there aren't any) The search for life elsewhere in the universe is one of the most compelling aspects of modern science. Given its scientific importance, significant resources are devoted to this young science of astrobiology, ranging from rovers on Mars to telescopic observations of planets orbiting other stars.
	Mathematical model confirms the hypothesis of the origin of auroral sounds The video is grainy and the sound is scratchy. However, "Clap Sounds of Northern Lights?" is No. 1 on Aalto's YouTube channel with almost a quarter-million views.
	NASA's Venus chamber breaks record with completion of 80-day test After an 80-day test at Venus surface conditions and a two-week cooling period, samples were removed from Glenn's Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, July 13, nearly doubling the facility's previous duration record of 42 days.
	Investigation tests new methods of water recycling in space Sometimes the best solution to a complex problem is the simplest one. That's the approach that the Capillary Structures for Exploration Life Support (Capillary Structures) team took when designing the fluid physics investigation aboard the International Space Station. The Capillary Structures investigation uses capillary action, or the ability for a liquid to flow through a narrow spaces, such as small tubes, to move liquids and gases in microgravity, a task that can't be tested in Earth's gravity environment.
	NASA's webbcam shows Webb telescope chilling in Chamber A The temperature of Chamber A at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is steadily dropping, creating a frigid environment for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope that is in stark contrast to the heat of the city.
From coast to coast, towns anticipate celestial event of a lifetime It looks like an ordinary Nebraska cornfield, but Louis Dorland sees something more: an ideal place to observe the Great American Eclipse.
	NASA tests to produce sonic booms on Florida coast in August Scientific research at Kennedy Space Center could mean some loud booms along Canaveral National Seashore on Space Coast between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville next month, NASA officials said.
	Image: Spectacular aurora from orbit Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA shared photos and time-lapse video of a glowing green aurora seen from his vantage point 250 miles up, aboard the International Space Station.
	Image: Proba-V monitors African Sahel ESA's Proba-V minisatellite reveals the seasonal changes in Africa's sub-Saharan Sahel, with the rainy season allowing vegetation to blossom between February (top) and September (bottom).

Technology news

	New AI technique creates 3-D shapes from 2-D images A new technique that uses the artificial intelligence methods of machine learning and deep learning is able to create 3-D shapes from 2-D images, such as photographs, and is even able to create new, never-before-seen shapes.
	Adobe bidding Flash farewell in 2020 Adobe on Tuesday said its Flash software that served up video and online games for decades will be killed off over the next three years.
	Measuring distance with a single photo Most cameras just record colour but now the 3D shapes of objects, captured through only a single lens, can be accurately estimated using new software developed by UCL computer scientists.
	Researchers make augmented reality a group experience Sit on Disney Research's Magic Bench and you may have an elephant hand you a glowing orb. Or you might get rained on. Or a tiny donkey might saunter by and kick the bench.
	Robot-driven device improves crouch gait in children with cerebral palsy In the U.S., 3.6 out of 1000 school-aged children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP). Their symptoms include abnormal gait patterns which results in joint degeneration over time. Slow walking speed, reduced range of motion of the joints, small step length, large body sway, and absence of a heel strike are other difficulties that children with CP experience. A subset of these children exhibit crouch gait which is characterized by excessive flexion of the hips, knees, or ankles.
	Scientists map ways forward for lithium-ion batteries for extreme environments Lithium-ion batteries are popular power sources for cellphones and other electronics, but problematic in extreme heat or cold. A Rice University laboratory has suggested ways to extend their range.
	World gears up for electric cars despite bumps in road Technological advances mean fossil fuel in cars could be phased out within decades but switching to electric carries its own environmental and economic concerns as more and more countries announce radical plans.
	DeepMind thinkers test architectures on puzzle game and spaceship navigation game (Tech Xplore)—Agents that imagine and plan: that is the title of a DeepMind discussion earlier this month from six DeepMind team members.
	AT&T tops Wall Street's profit, revenue forecasts Shares of AT&T Inc. rose Tuesday after the company's second-quarter profit and revenue beat industry analysts' projections.
	Google asks US court to block Canadian global delisting order Google on Tuesday asked a California court to block an order from Canada that would require the US internet giant to remove a website from worldwide search results.
	Should you be worried about the rise of AI? Tech titans Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk recently slugged it out online over the possible threat artificial intelligence might one day pose to the human race, although you could be forgiven if you don't see why this seems like a pressing question.
	UniCredit says hackers get data on 400,000 clients UniCredit said Wednesday that hackers obtained informaton on about 400,000 of its Italian customers, but not data that would give them access to bank accounts.
EU court: EU-Canada passenger data deal breaches privacy (Update) The European Union's top court said in a written opinion Wednesday that parts of a deal between the EU and Canada on sharing airline passenger data breaches citizens' privacy and the agreement cannot be concluded in its current form.
	Daimler stands by diesel despite growing controversy German automaker Daimler's profits barely rose and were short of market expectations as its Mercedes-Benz luxury car division boomed while earnings lagged at its truck, van and bus businesses.
	New Virtual Drive Test method improves cellular and internet connection When purchasing a new car, customers demand high-quality cellular and internet access. No matter how good the car, poor wireless communications are no longer accepted and the introduction of connected and driverless cars is increasing the need for strong wireless performance. New research by the University of Bristol, in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover, has developed a new Virtual Drive Testing (VDT) method that is reliable, cost-effective and a repeatable alternative to physical drive tests.
	Toward additive manufacturing Automation, robotics, advanced computer-aided design, sensing and diagnostic technologies have revolutionized the modern factory, allowing the building of complex products, from microchips to cars and even airplanes, with unprecedented cost-efficiency, scale and reliability. The modern factory represents the pinnacle of mass production technology, refined over a hundred years or more, to produce identical items for mass consumption at the lowest cost.
	Solar scientists rough up silicon panels to boost light capture Power generation cost using solar panels depends on getting as much electricity out of the panels as possible while keeping the manufacturing costs low. Anyone who has considered installing solar panels might be aware of the trade-off between efficiency and the initial cost of the panels. Engineers and researchers are finding new ways to obtain power out of solar modules, but doing so without adding to their costs is becoming more and more difficult.
	Taking cue from nature, researchers design machines that bend Replacing rigid joints and linkages with mechanisms that bend offers a number of potential advantages, even as it makes designing devices more difficult. A computational design tool developed by Disney Research promises to make this transition from rigid to compliant mechanisms easier.
	At hacker summit, a new focus on preventing brazen attacks Against a backdrop of cyberattacks that have grown into full-fledged sabotage, Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos brought a sobering message Wednesday to hackers and security experts at the Black Hat conference.
	Whole Foods sales struggle shows Amazon buying a fixer-upper Amazon is set to have a fixer-upper on its hands, with Whole Foods reporting that a key sales figure declined again.
	Intelligent animation—engineers collaborate to incorporate AI into a computer-based rendering system Modern films and TV shows are filled with spectacular computer-generated sequences computed by rendering systems that simulate the flow of light in a three-dimensional scene and convert the information into a two-dimensional image. But computing the thousands of light rays (per frame) to achieve accurate color, shadows, reflectivity and other light-based characteristics is a labor-intensive, time-consuming and expensive undertaking. An alternative is to render the images using only a few light rays. That saves time and labor but results in inaccuracies that show up as objectionable "noise" in the final image.
	Experts: Software theft shows threat of mercenary hackers On an October morning in 2012, the system administrator of a tiny Vermont defense contractor arrived at work to find the business' computers had been hacked and a sophisticated software program stolen. Prosecutors later concluded the thieves were a group of Iranians who sold the software to organizations within the Iranian government.
	New York eyes 'textalyzer' to bust drivers using phones Police in New York state may soon have a high-tech way of catching texting drivers: a device known as a "textalyzer" that allows an officer to quickly check if a phone has been in use before a crash.
	Now hiring at Amazon: Thousands of people in one day Amazon plans to make thousands of job offers in just one day as it holds a giant job fair next week at nearly a dozen warehouses across the U.S.
Uber's going big into trucking business, and nowhere bigger than Texas One of the biggest technology disruptors when it comes to shuttling people is now trying to transform the way goods are moved around the country.
	Google pledges $50 million to help people land jobs Google is pledging $50 million over the next two years to prepare workers for a 21st century job market that's being dramatically reshaped by powerful forces, including Google itself.
	For women called Alexa, it's funny, frustrating to share name with Amazon device Since Amazon introduced the Alexa-enabled Echo device in 2014, the jokes have become so omnipresent that Alexa Philbeck, 29, briefly considered changing, or at least obscuring, her name.
KC team comes up with a chatbot to corral your drug bill You leave your doctor's office with a prescription that the physician's office sends to your regular pharmacy.
	Facebook's ads just keep creeping into new apps Scrolling through an ad-free Instagram is now a distant memory, much like the once ad-free Facebook itself. Soon, users of its Messenger app will begin to see advertisements, too—and WhatsApp may not be too far behind.
	Somersaulting simulation for jumping bots In recent years engineers have been developing new technologies to enable robots and humans to move faster and jump higher. Soft, elastic materials store energy in these devices, which, if released carefully, enable elegant dynamic motions. Robots leap over obstacles and prosthetics empower sprinting. A fundamental challenge remains in developing these technologies. Scientists spend long hours building and testing prototypes that can reliably move in specific ways so that, for example, a robot lands right-side up upon landing a jump.
Authorities warn virtual kidnapping scams are on the rise The caller who rang Valerie Sobel's cellphone had a horrifying message: "We have Simone's finger. Do you want to see the rest of her in a body bag?"
VW directors mull cartel claims, no comment on details Automaker Volkswagen says its management has informed its supervisory board about "the current situation regarding possible cartel law issues" following a report that Germany's biggest car makers colluded for years over diesel technology and other issues.
	Gadgets: Easy-to-use devices analyze, watch, and retouch The pocket-sized (4.0-by-2.0-by-0.6-inches) Alcomate Revo is a great device for accurately reading an individual's blood-alcohol level.
Trump set to unveil $10 bn investment from Apple supplier Foxconn President Donald Trump on Wednesday will unveil a $10 billion US investment by Apple supplier Foxconn to build a plant in Wisconsin, the White House said.

Medicine & Health news

	Brain cells found to control aging Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that stem cells in the brain's hypothalamus govern how fast aging occurs in the body. The finding, made in mice, could lead to new strategies for warding off age-related diseases and extending lifespan. The paper was published online today in Nature.
	Waterlogged brain region helps scientists gauge damage caused by Parkinson's disease Scientists at the University of Florida have discovered a new method of observing the brain changes caused by Parkinson's disease, which destroys neurons important for movement. The development suggests that fluid changes in a specific brain area could provide a way to track that damage. The study, published in the journal Brain, was supported by the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
	Cellular roots of anxiety identified From students stressing over exams to workers facing possible layoffs, worrying about the future is a normal and universal experience. But when people's anticipation of bad things to come starts interfering with daily life, ordinary worry can turn into an anxiety disorder. About one in four adults will struggle with anxiety at some point in their lives, making it one of the most common mental disorders in the United States.
	How genetically engineered viruses develop into effective vaccines Lentiviral vectors are virus particles that can be used as a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to fight against specific pathogens. The vectors are derived from HIV, rendered non-pathogenic, and then engineered to carry genetic material into the body's immune cells; the genes program the cells to fight specific pathogens. New research from the laboratory of David Baltimore, president emeritus and the Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology, shows that additional materials acquired during the vector's formation—namely, proteins and human genomic DNA—play an important role in activating the immune system. Understanding how lentiviral vectors interact with the immune system is critical to improving vaccines so as to maximize the immune response, and to understanding infectious processes occurring in natural pathogens.
	Laser used to reawaken lost memories in mice with Alzheimer's disease (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at Columbia University has found that applying a laser to the part of a mouse brain used for memory storage caused the mice to recall memories lost due to a mouse version of Alzheimer's disease. In their paper published in the journal Hippocampus, the team describes their experiments with mice and what their results might mean for human patients.
	Talking to yourself can help you control stressful emotions The simple act of silently talking to yourself in the third person during stressful times may help you control emotions without any additional mental effort than what you would use for first-person self-talk – the way people normally talk to themselves.
	Diabetes can be tracked with our Google searches The emergence of Type 2 Diabetes could be more effectively monitored using our Google searches—helping public health officials keep track of the disease and halt its spread—according to research by the University of Warwick.
	Understanding cell segregation mechanisms that help prevent cancer spread Scientists have uncovered how cells are kept in the right place as the body develops, which may shed light on what causes invasive cancer cells to migrate.
	Heart rate study tests emotional impact of Shakespeare In a world where on-screen violence has become commonplace, Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company is turning to science to discover whether the playwright can still make our hearts race more than 400 years on.
	'Residual echo' of ancient humans in scans may hold clues to mental disorders Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have produced the first direct evidence that parts of our brains implicated in mental disorders may be shaped by a "residual echo" from our ancient past. The more a person's genome carries genetic vestiges of Neanderthals, the more certain parts of his or her brain and skull resemble those of humans' evolutionary cousins that went extinct 40,000 years ago, says NIMH's Karen Berman, M.D. NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Study sheds light on how body may detect early signs of cancer Fresh insights into how cells detect damage to their DNA - a hallmark of cancer - could help explain how the body keeps disease in check.
	Scientists regenerate retinal cells in mice Scientists have successfully regenerated cells in the retina of adult mice at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
	Post-stroke patients reach terra firma with new exosuit technology Upright walking on two legs is a defining trait in humans, enabling them to move very efficiently throughout their environment. This can all change in the blink of an eye when a stroke occurs. In about 80% of patients post-stroke, it is typical that one limb loses its ability to function normally—a clinical phenomenon called hemiparesis. And even patients who recover walking mobility during rehabilitation retain abnormalities in their gait that hinder them from participating in many activities, pose risks of falls, and, because they impose a more sedentary lifestyle, can lead to secondary health problems.
	Stem cell therapy attacks cancer by targeting unique tissue stiffness A stem cell-based method created by University of California, Irvine scientists can selectively target and kill cancerous tissue while preventing some of the toxic side effects of chemotherapy by treating the disease in a more localized way.
	Study may explain failure of retinoic acid trials against breast cancer Estrogen-positive breast cancers are often treated with anti-estrogen therapies. But about half of these cancers contain a subpopulation of cells marked by the protein cytokeratin 5 (CK5), which resists treatment—and breast cancers with higher CK5 expression have poorer prognosis. These cells, which have characteristics of stem cells, often survive treatment to drive or even restart cancer growth. Previous work has shown that retinoic acid, a chemical that results from the body's natural breakdown of vitamin A, should act against these CK5+ cells, but clinical trials of retinoids against breast cancer have been largely unsuccessful.
	Male hepatitis B patients suffer worse liver ailments, regardless of lifestyle Why men with hepatitis B remain more than twice as likely to develop severe liver disease than women remains a mystery, even after a study led by a recent Drexel University graduate took lifestyle choices and environments into account.
	Pharmaceutical company Celgene settles suit for $280 million Celgene Corp. has agreed to pay $280 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging the pharmaceutical company committed fraud promoting a drug with a notorious history that was re-purposed to treat leprosy and another therapy for unapproved cancer treatments, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
	A large-scale 'germ trap' solution for hospitals When an infectious airborne illness strikes, some hospitals use negative pressure rooms to isolate and treat patients. These rooms use ventilation controls to keep germ-filled air contained rather than letting it circulate throughout the hospital. But, in the event of an epidemic, these rooms can quickly fill up.
	Understanding the constant dialogue that goes on between our gut and our brain Just past midnight on Sept. 26, 1983, Lt. Colonel Stanislav Petrov, a member of the Soviet Air Defense Forces serving as the command-center duty officer for a nuclear early-warning system, faced a decision with unimaginable consequences.
	The hidden extra costs of living with a disability Disability is often incorrectly assumed to be rare. However, global estimates suggest than one in seven adults has some form of disability.
	Effective treatment halts HIV transmission among homosexual couples, study finds Results from the largest study to analyse HIV transmission risk among homosexual couples with differing HIV status have shown that HIV positive men who are on treatment that makes the virus undetectable, do not transmit HIV to their partners.
	A visionary solution to dry-eye syndrome Physicist Hermann Wellenstein spends a lot of time thinking about what happens when subatomic particles smash together at nearly the speed of light. A member of Brandeis' high-energy physics group, Wellenstein and his colleagues conduct research at the Large Hadron Collider, near Geneva, Switzerland.
First roadmap of stomach cancer super-enhancers paves the way for new treatments A*STAR researchers have homed in on a potential new way to diagnose and treat stomach cancer, through the mapping of an unprecedented catalog of almost 3,800 super-enhancers from stomach cancer tumor cells.
Genetically modifying zebrafish for detection of harmful compounds in drug candidates The common zebrafish is a useful proxy for testing whether drug candidates cause organ damage. Now, researchers in Singapore have created two modified types of the fish, one that glows when experiencing toxicity, and another that metabolizes drugs in a similar way to humans. Combined, these may help pharmaceutical companies develop less toxic therapeutics.
	Do you expect service with a smile? There's a dark side to putting on a happy face As I was walking through the V&A museum in London a few days ago, two statues immediately grabbed my attention. It was Heraclitus and Democritus, a couple of Greek thinkers known as the "weeping and laughing philosophers". Heraclitus got his name from being melancholic and sad, whereas Democritus always wore a mask of cheerfulness.
	Do we need separate his and hers medicine cabinets? One difference between the sexes that medical professionals take seriously is the susceptibility to certain diseases.
	Body ownership is not impaired in schizophrenia Schizophrenia patients often experience an altered sense of self, e.g. as if someone else is controlling their actions. This impairment is described as a deficit in the "sense of agency", and while it has been well established and linked to problems with sensorimotor brain signals, another category has been left unexplored: the "sense of body ownership" by which we feel that our bodies belong to ourselves. Using a full-body illusion experiment, EPFL scientists have now determined that body ownership is not affected in schizophrenia. The study is published in the Schizophrenia Bulletin.
	Study finds mental health court curbs recidivism A new study from Florida Institute of Technology has found that criminal defendants who graduated from mental health court demonstrated substantially reduced re-arrest rates a full three years following their release, the longest period of post-program behavior examined in a published study involving mental health courts and the clearest indicator yet of the potential for diversionary programs to ease the burden on the nation's overcrowded prison system.
	How rhyming helps reading When, in the nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill go up a hill, they're teaching children more than how to fetch a pail of water. They're also improving their reading skills.
Gene therapy to correct surfactant protein B deficiency in newborns An article published in Experimental Biology and Medicine (Volume 242, Issue 13, July, 2017) reports that gene therapy may be used to as an intermediate therapy for newborns with surfactant protein deficiencies until lung transplantation becomes an option. The study, led by Dr. David Dean in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Rochester in Rochester NY reports that electroporation-mediated delivery of the surfactant B gene to deficient mice improves lung function and survival.
	Helping your children navigate activities of interest In today's world, children are very active, being pushed and pulled into various extracurricular activities. Parents sometimes struggle with listening to their children to determine their likes, dislikes, wants and needs, while helping navigate their children through a well-rounded childhood.
	Competition for survival signals maintains immune balance According to a new study published in the journal Immunity, two types of immune cells compete for a shared source of proteins that allow them to survive. The "contestants" are the recently discovered and ultra-rare innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and the abundant T cells: ILCs are more effective. Director of the Academy of Immunology and Microbiology (AIM) in Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Charles D. Surh, led this international effort with researchers from La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology and The Scripps Research Institute. These findings could promote our understanding of immune memory in vaccines and aging.
	Risk for bipolar disorder associated with faster aging New King's College London research suggests that people with a family history of bipolar disorder may 'age' more rapidly than those without a history of the disease.
	Scientists propose new approach to hitting the gym James Cook University sports scientists are warning that fatigue from weight training can carry over to endurance training and the two activities must be better coordinated to maximise athletes' performance.
	What are risk factors for melanoma in kidney transplant recipients? Kidney transplant patients appear to be at a greater risk of developing melanoma than the general population and risk factors include being older, male and white, findings that corroborate results demonstrated in other studies, according to a new article published by JAMA Dermatology.
Delaying bariatric surgery until higher weight may result in poorer outcomes Obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery were more like to achieve a body mass index (BMI) of less than 30 one year after surgery if they had a BMI of less than 40 before surgery, according to a study published by JAMA Surgery.
	Risk of suicide attempts in army units with history of suicide attempts Does a previous suicide attempt in a soldier's U.S. Army unit increase the risk of other suicide attempts?
	New global aging index gauges health and wellbeing of aging populations Researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, with the support of The John A. Hartford Foundation, have developed a new barometer that estimates how countries are adapting to the dramatic increases in the number and proportion of older persons. The Index is composed of specific measures across five social and economic Indicators that reflect the status and wellbeing of older persons in a country and which can be followed over time and used to compare across nations.
Incorporating 12-step program elements improves youth substance-use disorder treatment A treatment program for adolescents with substance-use disorder that incorporates the practices and philosophy of 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) produced even better results than the current state-of-the art treatment approach in a nine-month, randomized trial. The results of the study, led by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) psychologist, are being published online in the journal Addiction.
	With new ventures to show, MIT Hacking Medicine shares its model for success Since 2010, MIT Hacking Medicine has grown from a one-time event to a global brand, with more than 80 healthcare hackathons being hosted this year, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Quito, Ecuador. The programs are open to everyone, but are particularly popular with 20- to 30-something engineers, doctors, researchers, and entrepreneurs who form teams under mentorship and identify healthcare issues to solve. At least 15 groups have started companies and raised more than $100 million in venture funding after meeting at a Hacking Medicine event. In a commentary published July 26 in the journal Cell Systems, the organizers describe how their model stands apart from typical hackathons.
	Do all people experience similar near-death-experiences? No one really knows what happens when we die, but many people have stories to tell about what they experienced while being close to death. People who have had a near-death-experience usually report very rich and detailed memories of the event. Although such experiences can take many different shapes, some of the well-known phenomena include seeing a bright light, experiencing a feeling of peace, having an out-of-body experience and perceiving a tunnel. New research, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, examines how frequently and in what order these different aspects of self-reported near-death-experiences occur.
	UA mobile app tracks Zika virus for summer travelers Just because Zika isn't in the news as much lately, doesn't mean the mosquito-borne infection no longer is a health threat. Researchers at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and public health officials continue to seek a better understanding of how Zika may spread and if and where it may become endemic.
	Longer cooling does not harm and may even help out of hospital cardiac arrest patients A five per cent difference in favour of the 48 hours. This is the result of a study from Aarhus University that has spent several years examining the possible benefits of cooling down patients suffering cardiac arrest to 33°C for 48 hours, instead of the 24-hours that is standard practice in most places.
	Around 9 million Europeans are affected by chronic hepatitis B or C An estimated 4.7 million Europeans are living with chronic hepatitis B and almost 4 million (3.9) with chronic hepatitis C infection. However, large numbers of them are not even aware of their infection as they have not yet been tested and diagnosed. On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day on 28 July, ECDC Director Andrea Ammon highlights the need for Europe to scale-up coverage of testing, prevention interventions and linkage to suitable treatment services in order to achieve the target of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health issue by 2030.
	Biomarkers for identifying tumor aggressiveness Early-stage colon cancer patients could benefit in the future from specific genetic tests that forecast their prognosis and help them make the right decision regarding chemotherapy. Two of the biomarkers involved are the MACC1 gene, high levels of which promote aggressive tumor growth and the development of metastasis, and a defective DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) system, which plays a role in tumor formation. Life expectancy is longer for patients with dMMR tumors and with low MACC1 gene activity.
SA child living with HIV maintains remission without ARVs since 2008 Dr Avy Violari, head of pediatric research at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, reported the case on 25 July 2017 at the 9th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Science in Paris, France.
Drug combination shows better tolerance and effectiveness in metastatic renal cell cancer A new cooperative research study including Norris Cotton Cancer Center's Lionel Lewis, MB BCh, MD, finds that nivolumab plus ipilimumab therapy demonstrated manageable safety, notable antitumor activity, and durable responses with promising long term overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC). The multi-institutional study known as the CheckMate 016 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in combination and found that the combination treatment showed enhanced antitumor activity compared with monotherapy in tumor types such as melanoma.
	Compound shows promise in treating melanoma While past attempts to treat melanoma failed to meet expectations, an international team of researchers are hopeful that a compound they tested on both mice and on human cells in a petri dish takes a positive step toward creating a drug that can kill melanoma cancer cells without harming nearby healthy cells.
	Study uncovers potential 'silver bullet' for preventing and treating colon cancer In preclinical experiments, researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center have uncovered a new way in which colon cancer develops, as well as a potential "silver bullet" for preventing and treating it. The findings may extend to ovarian, breast, lung, prostate and potentially other cancers that depend on the same mechanism for growth.
	A rogue gene is causing seizures in babies—here's how scientists wants to stop it Two rare diseases caused by a malfunctioning gene that triggers seizures or involuntary movements in children as early as a few days old have left scientists searching for answers and better treatment options.
	Is it Alzheimer's disease or another dementia? A new method may help determine whether a person has Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia, two different types of dementia that often have similar symptoms, according to a preliminary study published in the July 26, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Phase 3 trial confirms superiority of tocilizumab to steroids for giant cell arteritis A phase 3 clinical trial has confirmed that regular treatment with tocilizumab, an inhibitor of interleukin-6, successfully reduced both symptoms of and the need for high-dose steroid treatment for giant cell arteritis, the most common form of blood-vessel inflammation. Results of the trial are being published in the New England Journal of Medicine and were the basis for the Food and Drug Administration's approval of tocilizumab to treat giant cell arteritis in May.
New study recommends alternative pain relief for knee replacement patients A new study led by researchers at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust and the University of Warwick has recommended an alternative method of pain relief for patients undergoing knee replacement surgery.
	Time to catch up on reading, writing ... and routine shots (HealthDay)—Of all the items on your child's back-to-school checklist, getting vaccinated is probably your kid's least favorite. But those shots are essential for keeping children healthy, pediatricians say.
	Teaching an old brain new tricks (HealthDay)—You might pride yourself on your ability to multitask. But research shows that brain health may suffer when multitasking involves many gadgets, such as surfing the web or playing a video game on your phone while you're also watching TV.
	Opioid abuse down in younger americans, but up among older adults (HealthDay)—While opioid abuse has fallen among younger Americans, the same cannot be said for older adults, a new government report shows.
	Infection is most common complication of prostate biopsy (HealthDay)—The most common complication of prostate biopsy is infection, with mild bleeding also reported, according to an update of the American Urological Association White Paper published in the August issue of The Journal of Urology.
	Left ventricular mass index predicts all-cause mortality (HealthDay)—Left ventricular (LV) mass index independently predicts all-cause mortality and the need for revascularization in patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography, according to a study published online July 19 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
	Health benefits of healthy lifestyle quantified in U.S. (HealthDay)—For people age 50 years and older, having a favorable behavioral profile is associated with increased life expectancy and delayed onset of disability compared with the whole U.S. population, according to a study published online July 19 in Health Affairs.
	Hyaluronic acid filler deemed safe, effective for neck lines (HealthDay)—Hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injection seems to be efficacious and safe for the treatment of horizontal neck lines, according to research published online July 20 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	This 'smart pill' can help patients remember their meds Forget to take your medication? Now you can get a reminder to find your pills - sent by the pill itself.
Using birth control before starting a family Dear Mayo Clinic: My husband and I are both in our early 20s and would like to wait about five years to begin our family. What type of birth control would you recommend? Does using birth control for a long time make it harder to conceive down the road?
WeConnect's app helps addicts navigate the journey to recovery Daniela Luzi Tudor was running her first tech startup in California when her co-founder confronted her: Tudor needed to get help for a drug and alcohol addiction. Until she did, her co-founder said, their close friendship would have to take a step back.
ACA reduced disparities in health care access, report shows The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped to close the gap in health care access between residents of poor and higher-income households, a new report by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers shows.
As more adults are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, radiologists look for patterns Marked improvements have been made over the past few decades in managing cystic fibrosis, but as more adults are diagnosed with the disease radiologists can do more to monitor the wide spectrum of CF in adults, including nonclassic imaging findings, according to an article published in the July 2017 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).
	Accounting for human immune diversity increases clinical relevance of fundamental immunological research Mouse models have advanced our understanding of immune function and disease in many ways but they have failed to account for the natural diversity in human immune responses. As a result, insights gained in the lab may be lost in translation. In their latest study, researchers at La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, developed a new approach to model human immune variation in the lab that overcomes the limitations of traditional mouse models.
FDA panel: Not enough data to OK "abuse-deterrent" opioid A panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers voted against approving a new opioid painkiller with a unique feature for deterring abuse: It releases a deep-blue dye if someone tries to get high by crushing, chewing or snorting pills.
	Blowing smoke? E-cigarettes might help smokers quit People who used e-cigarettes were more likely to kick the habit than those who didn't, a new study found.
US Senate advances health care bill, tough debate looms Donald Trump's drive to abolish Obamacare scraped through a key Senate vote Tuesday, with John McCain coming to the US president's rescue in a dramatic return to Congress following cancer surgery.
Differences in subtypes of gastric cancer may determine prognosis and response to treatment Molecular classification of the four distinct subtypes of gastric cancer could potentially shape tailored treatment options by helping to predict survival outcomes and patients' response to chemotherapy.
Understanding Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome People who have Down syndrome may develop Alzheimer's disease at a younger age than people without Down syndrome. Recently, however, research showed that some people with Down syndrome might not develop dementia at all. Doctors and researchers are still trying to learn why some people with Down syndrome develop dementia, either earlier or later, while others don't.
	Neurology professor discusses sleep findings Ying-Hui Fu, a UCSF professor of neurology and a pioneer in the study of sleep and genetics, explains the science behind strange sleep patterns and shares why shut-eye is more important than you think.
Drugmaker GSK launches £1.0bn cost-cutting (Update) British pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday launched a fresh drive to slash costs—by £1.0 billion ($1.3 billion, 1.1 billion euros).
Bangladeshi twins born joined at skull to undergo surgery Bangladeshi twins born conjoined at the skull will undergo a difficult and potentially dangerous operation to separate them, surgeons said Wednesday as they appealed for help from global medical experts.
Hospitals should examine physician call coverage at stroke centers Stroke centers average mechanical thrombectomies once every five days with nearly 60 percent of the procedures occurring during non-work hours, according to a new study presented today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 14th Annual Meeting. This finding could have implications for physician staffing at stroke centers and the patients receiving treatment.
80% of Yemen children in need of immediate aid: UN A vicious combination of war, cholera and hunger has left 80 percent of Yemeni children in desperate need of aid, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
	Is extended-release guanfacine effective in children with chronic tic disorders? A new study assessed the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of extended-release guanfacine in children 6-17 years of age who have chronic tic disorders including Tourette's disorder. Researchers designed the randomized trial to determine whether guanfacine would reduce tic severity compared to placebo and to identify the most common adverse effects of treatment, as described in an article published in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
Quantifying lower limb muscle weakness in Osteogenesis Imperfecta type IV Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a heritable disorder characterized by increased bone fragility.
Research evaluates impact of surgical modality on breast-specific sensuality Does the type of surgery used to treat breast cancer impact a woman's sensuality and sexual function in survivorship? New research from Women & Infants Hospital analyzed the association of surgical modality with sexual function and found that breast-specific sensuality and appearance satisfaction are better with lumpectomy and may correlate with improved sexual function post-operatively.
	Researchers engineer 3-D hydrogels for tissue-specific cartilage repair Unlike the one-size-fits-all, homogeneous approach to tissue engineering for cartilage replacement, a new study reports the ability to encapsulate cartilage-forming chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells in 3D hydrogels within a stiffness gradient. Researchers describe the formation of articular cartilage that shows zonal organization of the cells as it appears in native cartilage, as reported in an article be published in Tissue Engineering, Part A.
Involvement of prescription opioids in fatal car crashes climbs sevenfold The percentage of fatally injured drivers who tested positive for prescription opioids rose sevenfold from 1 percent in 1995 to over 7 percent in 2015, according to a new study at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The findings appear online in the American Journal of Public Health.
Double blow convulses Republican bid to reform US health care (Update) US Senate Republicans suffered a second stinging setback in as many days Wednesday in their efforts to uproot Obamacare, when a plan to repeal the health care law—with no replacement at the ready—failed to advance in the chamber.
DAWN of a new day for stroke patients as study promises new options and a wider treatment window Results of the first study showing some acute stroke patients could benefit from neuroendovascular surgery 6 to 24 hours after a stroke will be presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 14th Annual Meeting.
Uruguayans registering to buy legal weed up almost 50% in a week The number of people registering to buy newly legalized marijuana in Uruguay jumped by almost 50 percent in the first week of sales, according to official figures released Wednesday.
	Man's mammogram: AP writer gets test usually done on women When I arrived for my first mammogram it didn't take long for my sense of secrecy to shatter.

Biology news

	People found able to recognize emotional arousal in vocalizations of land vertebrates (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from Germany, France, the Netherlands and Canada has found that human beings are able to accurately recognize emotionally based vocalizations made by a wide variety of land vertebrates. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team describes experiments they conducted with volunteers listening to recorded animal sounds and what they learned by doing so.
	Scientists build DNA from scratch to alter life's blueprint At Jef Boeke's lab, you can whiff an odor that seems out of place, as if they were baking bread here.
	Researchers overturn wisdom regarding efficacy of next-generation DNA techniques Metagenomics enables us to investigate microbial ecology at a much larger scale than ever before and sheds light upon the previously invisible diversity of microscopic life. A new study appearing in Scientific Reports reveals that a favored method for measuring microbial biodiversity is not as accurate as previously thought.
	New shark species glows in the dark, weighs two pounds and has a huge nose Like finding a needle in a haystack, a team of scientists has discovered a new species of shark measuring less than a foot long and weighing under 2 pounds full-grown. This miniature, "glow-in-the-dark" shark is a member of the Lanternshark family (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae), which was serendipitously found 1,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It has taken more than 17 years to identify this new species (Etmopterus lailae ) since it was first discovered but was well worth the wait as this elusive creature is yet to be seen in the wild.
	Social cues are key to vocal learning in birds and babies When a baby bird learns a song, is it simply mimicking and practicing its father's tune? Or do chicks learn by first putting out nonsensical sounds – akin to a human infant's babble – which they then build upon based on their parent's response?
	Researchers prove existence of unique but ill-fated New Zealand black swan New Zealand once had its own species of black swan but, like the moa, it was hunted to extinction soon after humans arrived in the late 13th century.
	Optic lobe of giant squid found proportionally smaller than for other cephalopods (Phys.org)—A team of researchers in Taiwan has found that despite having outsized eyes, giant squid do not have an overly large optic lobe to match. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes carrying out a study of a giant squid captured alive by local fishermen and what they found upon examining the vision processing parts of its brain.
	Visualization of transcription initiation at single-molecule resolution A novel approach developed at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) has allowed scientists in Dirk Schübeler's group to dissect and quantify the individual steps of transcription initiation. Unexpectedly, they observed that RNA polymerases frequently dissociate from the DNA template, rather than pause, before transcription continues. They thus gained new mechanistic insights into gene regulation.
	How plant architectures mimic subway networks It might seem like a tomato plant and a subway system don't have much in common, but both, it turns out, are networks that strive to make similar tradeoffs between cost and performance.
	How bacteria maintain and recover their shape Bacteria come in all shapes and sizes—some are straight as a rod, others twist like a corkscrew. Shape plays an important role in how bacteria infiltrate and attack cells in the body. The helical shape of Helicobacter pylori, a species of bacteria which can cause ulcers, may help it penetrate tissues.
	Fifty years on, the Breeding Bird Survey continues to produce new insights In 1966, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist named Chan Robbins launched an international program designed to measure changes in bird populations using volunteers recruited to count birds on pre-set routes along country roads. The result, the North American Breeding Bird Survey or BBS, is still going strong more than five decades later. This month The Condor: Ornithological Applications is publishing a special set of research papers to honor the program's fiftieth anniversary.
	New virus discovered in migratory bird in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Researchers at the University of São Paulo's Biomedical Science Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil have discovered a new virus in a migratory bird species. This is such a rare find that it can be considered a stroke of luck, especially because the virus in question is avian paramyxovirus 15, which belongs to the same family as avian paramyxovirus, the pathogen that causes Newcastle disease. This disease is not a health hazard for humans, but can be lethal to wildfowl and domestic poultry.
	Researchers identify the component that allows a lethal type of bacteria to spread resistance to antibiotics Antibiotic resistance of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for 11,300 deaths a year in the United States alone—a figure that corresponds to half of all deaths caused by gram-positive resistant bacteria in that country. Such high mortality is related to the speed at which the bacterium acquires resistance to antibiotics. A study performed at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and involving the collaboration of the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC) in Madrid has identified the key component of the machinery that S. aureus uses to acquire and transfer genes that confer resistance to antibiotics. The work has been published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
	Bienvenue! French zoo announces first ever panda pregnancy Delighted French zoo officials were bursting with joy Wednesday at the news their female panda is pregnant—a first for France.
Chatting coordinates heterogeneity Bacterial cells communicate with one another by using chemical signal molecules, which they synthesize and secrete into their surroundings. By this means, the behavior of an entire population can be controlled and coordinated. Biophysicists led by Professor Erwin Frey, who holds the Chair of Biological and Statistical Physics at LMU, have now shown theoretically how this can be accomplished even when only a subset of cells actually emits the requisite signals. The new findings appear in the online journal eLife.
	How scientists redesign DNA codes Scientists are working to create yeast that operates with custom-made DNA.
	Sharks revealed as the great protectors of seagrass Sharks, marine scientists say, are often misunderstood, described as ravenous man-eaters. In reality, sharks are critically important to the health of the world's oceans, yet a quarter of all shark species are threatened with extinction.
	Birds get new wings at Brazil rehab center Not a single wing flutters in the Seropedica aviary near Rio de Janeiro, where aras and others parrots are learning how to fly again after they were rescued from traffickers.
	Measuring an animal's pain A new device designed by engineers and veterinarians at Massey University seeks to change the way we understand animal pain, starting with sheep.
	Thais free 1,066 turtles to celebrate King's birthday Hundreds of Thai schoolchildren and naval officers sent 1,066 turtles scuttling into the sea on Wednesday in a ceremony aimed at bringing good fortune to the new King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who turns 65 on Friday.
	User research at BER II: Lupin roots observed in the act of drinking Lupins produce colourful blossoms and nutritious beans. Just how these plants draw water has now for the first time been observed in three dimensions by a University of Potsdam team at the HZB-BER II neutron source in Berlin. They improved the temporal resolution of neutron tomography more than onehundred-fold and obtained a detailed 3D image every ten seconds. This ultrafast neutron tomography is suitable as well for analyses of dynamic processes in other materials.
Diffusion dynamics play an essential role in regulating stem cells and tissue development Gradients of molecular signaling factors play an essential role in numerous events in embryonic development, from patterning limb and organ formation to the intricate shaping of the brain and neuroanatomical architecture. These gradients are a consequence of diffusion dynamics in tissues, and newly published work describes two vital aspects of these diffusion processes in tissue development—first, the influence of molecular diffusion gradients on stem cell signaling pathways is described in detail, including a summary of recent discoveries in how gas and nutrient concentrations can influence stem cell potency, differentiation, and metabolism. Secondly, the paper describes novel applications of diffusion equations to model concentration gradients of nutrients and signaling factors in three-dimensional (3D) tissue constructs under a variety of conditions, including with or without cellular metabolism of the diffusing substance.
	Things looking up as Los Angeles Zoo unveils baby giraffe Things are looking up at the Los Angeles Zoo, where visitors are getting their first glimpses of a baby giraffe.

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