Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Aug 15

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Machine learning tackles quantum error correction

Nanomaterials help spiders spin the toughest stuff

Pure optical detection of spikes for the ultimate brain machine interface

ATLAS observes direct evidence of light-by-light scattering

Researchers clarify mystery about proposed battery material

'Organismic learning' mimics some aspects of human thought

'Acidic patch' regulates access to genetic information

Unique imaging of a dinosaur's skull tells evolutionary tale

NASA: let's say something to Voyager 1 on 40th anniversary of launch

Precision medicine opens the door to scientific wellness preventive approaches to suicide

Adult brains produce new cells in previously undiscovered area

New genomic insights reveal a surprising two-way journey for apple on the Silk Road

Skewing the aim of targeted cancer therapies

Human intrusion on fruit bat habitats raises exposure risk to Hendra virus in Australia

Artificial blood vessels mimic rare accelerated aging disease

Astronomy & Space news

	NASA: let's say something to Voyager 1 on 40th anniversary of launch NASA is seeking suggestions from the public for a message to beam far, far out into space to the probe Voyager 1 in time for the 40th anniversary of its launch.
	Stardust hitches a ride on meteorites more often than previously thought Even tiny dust particles have stories to tell − especially when they come from outer space. Meteorites contain tiny amounts of what is popularly known as stardust, matter originating from dying stars. Such stardust is part of the raw material from which some 4.6 billion years ago our planets and the meteorite parent bodies, the so-called asteroids, emerged. Peter Hoppe and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz have now discovered that many of the silicate stardust particles in meteorites are much smaller than was previously thought. To date, many of them have therefore probably been overlooked in studies, leading the scientists to believe that the mass of the silicate stardust particles in meteorites is at least twice as large as previously assumed.
	Tracking a solar eruption through the solar system Ten spacecraft, from ESA's Venus Express to NASA's Voyager-2, felt the effect of a solar eruption as it washed through the solar system while three other satellites watched, providing a unique perspective on this space weather event.
	Team redefines cosmic velocity web The cosmic web—the distribution of matter on the largest scales in the universe—has usually been defined through the distribution of galaxies. Now, a new study by a team of astronomers from France, Israel and Hawaii demonstrates a novel approach. Instead of using galaxy positions, they mapped the motions of thousands of galaxies. Because galaxies are pulled toward gravitational attractors and move away from empty regions, these motions allowed the team to locate the denser matter in clusters and filaments and the absence of matter in regions called voids.
	NASA studies CubeSat mission to solve Venusian mystery Venus looks bland and featureless in visible light, but change the filter to ultraviolet, and Earth's twin suddenly looks like a different planet. Dark and light areas stripe the sphere, indicating that something is absorbing ultraviolet wavelengths in the planet's cloud tops.
	Cosmic magnifying lens reveals inner jets of black holes Astronomers using Caltech's Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) have found evidence for a bizarre lensing system in space, in which a large assemblage of stars is magnifying a much more distant galaxy containing a jet-spewing supermassive black hole. The discovery provides the best view yet of blobs of hot gas that shoot out from supermassive black holes.
Lungs in space: research project could lead to new lung therapeutics Space travel can cause a lot of stress on the human body as the change in gravity, radiation and other factors creates a hostile environment. While much is known about how different parts of the body react in space, how lungs are affected by spaceflight has received little attention until now, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Houston Methodist Research Institute.
	Rodents help NASA take the next step to Mars NASA's future deep space exploration – including to Mars – is an unprecedented venture in spaceflight, requiring us to tackle challenges we've never faced before. For instance, we know the human body changes significantly while in space, and we'll need to find ways to address those effects. NASA is conducting research to learn more about the long-term impact of extended human spaceflight. One experiment that just launched, Rodent Research-9, is contributing to this goal by sending rodents to the International Space Station, to study how a lack of gravity in space affects blood vessels, eyes and joints.
	Partial eclipse of the sun visible across UK If the weather is good, viewers across the UK will be treated to a partial solar eclipse on 21 August 2017, just before sunset. In a partial eclipse, a small bite out of the Sun can be seen at the mid-eclipse point, as it is covered by the Moon. A partial solar eclipse is a fascinating natural phenomenon, but is not of any practical scientific use, unlike a total eclipse which provides a special opportunity for studying the solar corona - the tenuous layers of hot gas around the Sun which are much fainter than the familiar yellow disk.
NASA research plane 'kicking off the show' during total eclipse A NASA research plane, with the agency's science director onboard, will fly out of Boeing Field in Seattle on Aug. 21, to capture the first video of the total solar eclipse as it sweeps ashore at the Oregon coast.
	Tyson's solar eclipse tip: Don't video it, experience it Prominent astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has a suggestion for anyone with a view of next week's solar eclipse: Put down your smartphone and take in the phenomenon yourself.
	Image: Highlighting Titan's hazes NASA's Cassini spacecraft looks toward the night side of Saturn's moon Titan in a view that highlights the extended, hazy nature of the moon's atmosphere. During its long mission at Saturn, Cassini has frequently observed Titan at viewing angles like this, where the atmosphere is backlit by the Sun, in order to make visible the structure of the hazes.
	Image: SpaceX CRS-12 cargo mission launch The two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle lifts off Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center carrying the Dragon resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Technology news

	Researchers clarify mystery about proposed battery material Battery researchers agree that one of the most promising possibilities for future battery technology is the lithium-air (or lithium-oxygen) battery, which could provide three times as much power for a given weight as today's leading technology, lithium-ion batteries. But tests of various approaches to creating such batteries have produced conflicting and confusing results, as well as controversies over how to explain them.
	Patent talk: Car can respond to potential collision by altering car surface rigidity (Tech Xplore)—Google has already emblazoned brand recognition to the phrase "driverless cars" but what about a new twist in soft driverless cars if and when applicable for safety sake?
	Engineer looks to owl wings for bio-inspired ideas for quieter aircraft, wind turbines Anupam Sharma pulled an accordion folder from the bookshelf above his Iowa State University desk. Inside was the carefully collected and preserved wing of a short-eared owl.
	Zinc-air batteries: Three-stage method could revolutionise rechargeability University of Sydney researchers have found a solution for one of the biggest stumbling blocks preventing zinc-air batteries from overtaking conventional lithium-ion batteries as the power source of choice in electronic devices.
	Signs of distracted driving—pounding heart, sweaty nose Distracted driving—texting or absent-mindedness—claims thousands of lives a year. Researchers from the University of Houston and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute have produced an extensive dataset examining how drivers react to different types of distractions, part of an effort to devise strategies for making driving safer.
	As the laid-off struggle, high-tech US plants offer jobs Herbie Mays is 3M proud, and it shows—in the 3M shirt he wears; in the 3M ring he earned after three decades at the company's plant in suburban Cincinnati; in the way he shows off a card from a 3M supervisor, praising Mays as "a GREAT employee."
	Uber board spat over ex-chief Kalanick goes public A bitter fight over control of Uber has intensified in recent days with warring factions battling over the future role, if any, of ousted chief executive Travis Kalanick at the global rideshare titan.
	Facebook samples China's potential with sneaky app Facebook's sneaky launch of a photo-sharing app in China, where its social network is banned, gives it a small taste of the massive market's potential, but it may have to settle for just that for now.
Uber defies Philippine suspension order Ride-hailing giant Uber on Tuesday defied a Philippine government order to shut down, branding the suspension a "blatant violation" of its rights but risking its drivers being apprehended.
	The smart grid analysts ETH spin-off Adaptricity has developed software that can be used to analyse the increasingly intelligent power grids. It will soon be put to the entrepreneurial test, with sales of software licences set to begin this autumn.
	Smarter robot vacuum cleaners for automated office cleaning Can you really use Outlook to make sure your office floor gets vacuumed? Absolutely! Fraunhofer IAO is currently developing an intelligent cleaning concept for smart offices. A robot vacuum cleaner automatically takes care of upcoming cleaning jobs that have been scheduled in Outlook.
	Buildings to generate their own power with innovative glass blocks Buildings could soon be able to convert the sun's energy into electricity without the need for solar panels, thanks to innovative new technology.
	Web firm fights US government over protester data in fresh clash on data A web hosting firm is fighting a demand by US prosecutors for data on visitors to a site organizing a protest during the inauguration of President Donald Trump in a fresh clash over digital privacy rights.
Uber settles complaint over data protection for riders, drivers Uber agreed to implement new data protection measures to settle complaints that it failed to prevent improper snooping on driver and customer information, officials said Tuesday.
	Nanoparticles give solar panels a green color Researchers from AMOLF, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) have developed a technology to create efficient bright green colored solar panels. Arrays of silicon nanoparticles integrated in the front module glass of a silicon heterojunction solar cell scatter a narrow band of the solar spectrum and create a green appearance for a wide range of angles. The remainder of the solar spectrum is efficiently coupled into the solar cell. The current generated by the solar panel is only reduced by 10%. The realization of efficient colorful solar panels is an important step for the integration of solar panels into the built environment and landscape. The new design was published online on August 15, 2017, in Applied Physics Letters.
	Three things Snap needs to figure out before its next earnings report Shares of the Los Angeles company that makes the Snapchat messaging app breached an all-time low Friday, following weaker-than-expected second quarter financial results.
	Judge orders LinkedIn to stop blocking data-scraping firm A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered LinkedIn to stop blocking a startup company from scraping LinkedIn personal profiles for data.
New Facebook data center a boost to Ohio's technology sector Facebook will spend $750 million on a new data center in central Ohio, the company announced Tuesday—marking another boost for the state's growing technology sector.
	Chinese teen internet addict dies after rehab A Chinese teen has died after spending less than 48 hours at a centre that treats internet addicts, shining a spotlight on the controversial facilities that seek to unlatch people from their screens.
Research finds social media disruption impacting on Islamic State propaganda Researchers from the VOX-Pol project at Dublin City University, together with colleagues from the University of Sussex, have found that the social media platform, Twitter is becoming less effective for the so-called 'Islamic State' (IS), due to the rapid take-down rate of pro-IS accounts from the site. It found that IS accounts faced "substantial and aggressive disruption".
Researchers investigate Australia's relationship with smartphones Murdoch researchers are playing a leading role in Australia's Biggest Smartphone Survey—the online project for National Science Week.
In tech, sexism is in the water It's been a very bad summer for Silicon Valley bros.

Medicine & Health news

	Precision medicine opens the door to scientific wellness preventive approaches to suicide Researchers have developed a more precise way of diagnosing suicide risk, by developing blood tests that work in everybody, as well as more personalized blood tests for different subtypes of suicidality that they have newly identified, and for different psychiatric high-risk groups.
	Adult brains produce new cells in previously undiscovered area A University of Queensland discovery may lead to new treatments for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). UQ Queensland Brain Institute scientists have discovered that new brain cells are produced in the adult amygdala, a region of the brain important for processing emotional memories.
	Skewing the aim of targeted cancer therapies Headlines, of late, have touted the successes of targeted gene-based cancer therapies, such as immunotherapies, but, unfortunately, also their failures.
	Artificial blood vessels mimic rare accelerated aging disease Biomedical engineers have grown miniature human blood vessels that exhibit many of the symptoms and drug reactions associated with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome—an extremely rare genetic disease that causes symptoms resembling accelerated aging in children.
	Prematurity leaves distinctive molecular signature in infants' cerebellum Premature birth, which affects one in 10 U.S. babies, is associated with altered metabolite profiles in the infants' cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls coordination and balance, a team led by Children's National Health System clinician-researchers report Aug. 15, 2017 in Scientific Reports. Pre-term infants in the study had significantly lower levels of a chemical marker of nerve cell integrity and significantly higher concentrations of a chemical marker of cellular membrane turnover.
	Plant-produced polio vaccines could help eradicate age old disease Plants have been used to produce a new vaccine against poliovirus in what is hoped to be a major step towards global eradication of the disease.
	Heavily used pesticide linked to breathing problems in farmworkers' children Elemental sulfur, the most heavily used pesticide in California, may harm the respiratory health of children living near farms that use the pesticide, according to new research led by UC Berkeley.
	How a nutrient, glutamine, can control gene programs in cells The 200 different types of cells in the body all start with the same DNA genome. To differentiate into families of bone cells, muscle cells, blood cells, neurons and the rest, differing gene programs have to be turned on or off.
	Evolved masculine and feminine behaviors can be inherited from social environment The different ways men and women behave, passed down from generation to generation, can be inherited from our social environment - not just from genes, experts have suggested.
	Modular approach found to improve consistency of organoids (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers from the U.S. and Australia working at the Yale Stem Cell Center report that they have met with some success in improving the usefulness of organoids. In their paper published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the team describes their work using a modular approach to building more useful organoids.
	Chewing gum rapid test for inflammation Dental implants occasionally entail complications. Six to 15 percent of patients develop an inflammatory response in the years after receiving a dental implant. This is caused by bacteria destroying the soft tissue and the bone around the implant, in the worst case.
	Research finds brain responses to lip-reading can benefit cochlear implant users A world-first study has found that lip-reading may have a beneficial effect on the brain and on a person's ability to hear with a cochlear implant, contrary to what was previously believed.
	A metabolic treatment for pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer is now the third leading cause of cancer mortality. Its incidence is increasing in parallel with the population increase in obesity, and its five-year survival rate still hovers at just 8 to 9 percent. Research led by Nada Kalaany, PhD, at Boston Children's Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, now suggests a novel approach to treating this deadly cancer: targeting an enzyme that tumors use to get rid of nitrogen.
	The lining of our intestines uses an approach known to business to quickly process food Every time we swallow food, cells that line the intestines must step up their activity in a sudden and dramatic manner. According to a new study by Weizmann Institute of Science researchers, reported in Science, they rise to the challenge in the most economic fashion.
	Eating habits affect skin's protection against sun Sunbathers may want to avoid midnight snacks before catching some rays.
	'Fat but fit' are at increased risk of heart disease Carrying extra weight could raise your risk of heart attack by more than a quarter, even if you are otherwise healthy.
	Clinical appearance and unusual imaging findings of pediatric ketamine overdose Perhaps the saddest drug abuse stories are about unsuspecting children who inadvertently ingest dangerous substances in the home. Fortunately, the case described in this report has a happy ending due to fast action on the part of the response team and pediatric emergency physicians and neurosurgeons. Detailed information on the case can be found in the article, "Severe bilateral cerebellar edema from ingestion of ketamine: case report," by Nicolas Villelli, MD, and colleagues, published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics .
	Does stronger initial response to cancer treatment predict longer overall survival? It seems like such a simple question: Do patients whose tumors shrink more in response to targeted treatment go on to have better outcomes than patients whose tumors shrink less? Actually, the answer seems simple too. In short, the answer is yes—a deeper initial response leads to a longer overall response. But the implications of a recent study demonstrating this relationship are anything but simple and could influence both the design of future clinical trials and the goals of oncologists treating cancer.
	An immune signaling pathway for control of Yellow Fever Virus infection Princeton University researchers have uncovered a critical role for a new immune signaling pathway in controlling infection by the flavivirus Yellow Fever Virus (YFV). The paper describing this discovery appeared in the journal mBio.
	Clinical trial uses a genetically engineered virus to fight cancer Sanford Health is the first site in the United States to launch a clinical trial using a genetically-engineered virus that aims to destroy therapy-resistant tumors.
	How Gata4 helps mend a broken heart During a heart attack, blood stops flowing into the heart; starved for oxygen, part of the heart muscle dies. The heart muscle does not regenerate; instead it replaces dead tissue with scars made of cells called fibroblasts that do not help the heart pump. The heart weakens; most people who had a severe heart attack will develop heart failure, which remains the leading cause of mortality from heart disease.
Long-term diabetes complication: Liver inflammation raises cholesterol levels Inflammatory processes in the liver lead to elevated cholesterol levels in people with diabetes, thus promoting subsequent vascular diseases. This is the conclusion of a study by scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technische Universität München (TUM) and the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1118 at Heidelberg University Hospital. The paper has now been published in the journal Cell Reports.
	Clustering for health When functioning appropriately, the immune system protects against multiple threats such as pathogens, disease-causing microbes, and tumors. However, when the immune system is inappropriately activated, it attacks the body, causing autoimmune syndromes. In the classical view, autoimmunity is considered to be a result of a hyperactive immune system. However, it has recently become clear that autoimmunity can also occur as a result of a weakened immune response. This new view is crucial for the strategy of therapeutic intervention—immune suppression versus immune stimulation. Within the framework of this new concept, Dr. Susana Minguet and colleagues searched for models in which a weakened immune response was associated with autoimmunity, thus identifying the membrane protein Caveolin-1 as a key regulator of this paradoxical scenario.
	What does it take to thrive in elite sports? Usain Bolt. Serena Williams. Cristiano Ronaldo. Those at the top of their sporting game put their heart and soul into doing their best, but new research has shed light on why thriving at elite sports is far more complex than it appears.
	Findings pave way for three-drug combination treatment for childhood leukemia UCLA researchers have developed a new approach that could eventually help young people respond better to treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The scientists discovered in mice that when the production of nucleotides—also known as the building blocks of life—is stopped, a "DNA replication stress response" is activated. The replication stress response is a cellular monitoring system that usually senses and resolves DNA damage, but instead allows cancer cells to survive.
	Researchers team with fire departments to examine on-site health threats Harvard researchers have teamed up with local fire departments to tackle a health care mystery: How does the firehouse itself increase cancer risk among firefighters?
Refugee and migrant women require additional sexual and reproductive health support A Western Sydney University report has revealed that a cycle of misinformation, shyness and fear is preventing migrant and refugee women from receiving adequate sexual and reproductive health care and support.
	The hidden stories of medical experimentation on Caribbean slave plantations In the natural course of events, humans fall sick and die. Patients hope for miraculous remedies to restore their health.
	Cooling helmet, supplement show potential as concussion healers A brain cooling device and an oral supplement made from pine bark extract both have potential to expedite concussion recovery, according to two new studies by Penn State researchers.
Socio-economic factors influence student-athlete identity, study finds Think high school sports are played on a level field? Think again. A new study finds that young men's identities as student-athletes are heavily influenced by precisely the socio-economic factors that sports supposedly transcend.
	Changes to high-risk medical devices often supported by low-quality research Clinical trials that test changes in the design or use of high-risk medical devices are often poorly designed, and can rely on inadequate or potentially biased data, according to a new study by researchers at the UC San Francisco and Yale School of Medicine.
California demand for primary care providers to exceed supply by 2030 California is expected to face a statewide shortfall of primary care providers in the next 15 years, with acute shortages in the Central Valley, Central Coast and Southern Border areas, due to the uneven distribution of care across the state, according to a report released Aug. 15, 2017, by Healthforce Center at UCSF.
Intensive lifestyle intervention provides modest improvement in glycemic control, reduced need for medication A high amount and intensity of exercise along with a diet plan resulted in a modest reduction in blood glucose levels among adults with type 2 diabetes, but was accompanied by reductions in the use of glucose-lowering medications, according to a study published by JAMA.
	Study examines quality of evidence for drugs granted accelerated FDA approval Among drugs granted accelerated approval by the FDA in 2009-2013, efficacy was often confirmed in subsequent trials a minimum of 3 years after approval, and the use of nonrandomized studies and surrogate measures, instead of clinical outcomes, was common, according to a study published by JAMA.
	Violence against women in resource-limited settings: A WHO behavioral intervention A randomized controlled trial has shown that a brief behavioral treatment delivered by community lay workers significantly reduced psychological distress in women exposed to gender-based violence. In a study published in PLOS Medicine, Richard A. Bryant of the University of New South Wales, Australia, and colleagues tested the five-session intervention on 421 women in Kenya.
	Evidence does not support the use of gabapentinoids for chronic low back pain Existing evidence on the use of gabapentinoids in chronic low back pain (CLBP) is limited, and demonstrates significant risk of adverse effects with no benefits on pain relief, according to a meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine by Harsha Shanthanna from McMaster University, Canada, and colleagues.
	Scientists identify gene that controls immune response to chronic viral infections For nearly 20 years, Tatyana Golovkina, PhD, a microbiologist, geneticist and immunologist at the University of Chicago, has been working on a particularly thorny problem: Why are some people and animals able to fend off persistent viral infections while others can't?
	Bowel cancer deaths drop by a third in 20 years The rate of people dying from bowel cancer in the UK has plummeted by more than 30 per cent in the last 20 years, according to new figures released today by Cancer Research UK.
	Which research results in mice will help humans with multiple sclerosis? Now there's a way to tell People with multiple sclerosis (MS) know all too well the frustration of hearing that success in treating the disease in mice had little or no effect in humans.
	Birth defects, cancer linked Some children born with birth defects may be at increased risk for specific types of cancer, according to a new review from the Brown School and the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.
	New discovery could help prevent preterm birth in at-risk pregnant women Otago University researchers have discovered a new trigger that stimulates the release of oxytocin from the brain in pregnancy – the hormone responsible for contracting the uterus during birth.
	State standards do little to improve access to specialists in Medicaid More needs to be done to eliminate the gap in access to specialty care for Medicaid patients, a new Yale School of Public Health study in JAMA Internal Medicine concludes.
	The science of being 'nice'—how politeness is different from compassion The word "nice" has an unusual history in the English language.
	What neuroscience can tell us about the Google diversity memo Everybody seems to have an opinion about Google's recent sacking of its malware software engineer James Damore for circulating a memo arguing that women and men are suitable for different roles because they are intrinsically different. The debate so far has centred mainly on the pros and cons of diversity programmes, which partly sparked Damore to construct his document, and whether Google was right to fire Damore.
Dementia education on risk inspires people in midlife to consider healthier lifestyles 75 percent of people said advice on dementia risk reduction would encourage them to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Three quarters of people in midlife would make lifestyle changes now to reduce their risk of developing dementia in future, the UK's biggest dementia charities have found. The news follows a pilot of dementia risk reduction messaging in NHS Health Checks for those aged 40-64.
	What causes depression? What we know, don't know and suspect The term and even diagnosis of "depression" can have different meanings and consequences. Depression can be a normal mood state, a clinical disorder, and even a disease.
	No, combination vaccines don't overwhelm kids' immune systems No parent likes seeing their child have injections. Yet, around 93% of parents across Australia protect their children against 15 serious diseases by giving them all the recommended vaccines on the National Immunisation Program Schedule. This success is due in part to the value of combination vaccines, which protect against two or more diseases in one go.
	'Payment by results' for drug misuse treatment gets mixed reception A team of University of Manchester academics has published an evaluation of the impact of the Government's pilot Payment By Results scheme for drug misuse treatment – giving it a mixed reception.
	Organ donation clubs aren't the solution to transplant shortages Anyone in the UK, of any age, can sign the Organ Donor Register, and give permission for their organs and tissue to be donated after death. How you register your wishes depends on where you live: in Northern Ireland and England, one must sign a register to opt in, while Wales currently operates an opt-out system, and Scotland plans to follow suit.
	Pharmacies could do more to help improve everyone's health Most people aren't aware that high street pharmacies offer much more than dispensing and selling medicines. Many also provide a wide range of services designed to improve public health, like supporting people to stop smoking, providing emergency contraception and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Some also offer the national NHS Health Check, which identifies people with high blood pressure diabetes and chronic kidney disease and gives them information about the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. This gives people the opportunity to make changes to protect their health.
	Children who sleep an hour less at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, says study A study has found that children who slept on average one hour less a night had higher risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including higher levels of blood glucose and insulin resistance.
	Will ketamine treat your depression? Check your activity monitor During a depressive episode, people often report having reduced energy, feeling slowed down and having reduced interest in activities. As their mood lifts, energy and activity return to their usual levels. A new study in Biological Psychiatry reports altered measures of daily activity in patients whose depressive symptoms improved in response to the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine. The differences were present before starting treatment, suggesting that activity patterns may help identify patients who would benefit from the drug.
	Study finds women in gender-equal countries have better cognitive skills – here's how to understand it Read the title above once, then cover it and write down word for word what you remember. Having difficulties? How well you do may be down to which country you live in.
	Team identifies weight-gain receptor linked to antipsychotic drugs Many schizophrenic and depressed patients experience weight gain and type 2 diabetes in their quests for the life-changing benefits of a major class of antipsychotic drugs.
	Surgeons study 'awake aneurysm surgery' for better outcomes In a first time study published in the August edition of the Journal of Neurosurgery, Saint Louis University surgeons and researchers report that the use of conscious sedation - also called "awake brain surgery" - allowed them to make adjustments mid-surgery to lower risks during aneurysm surgery.
Liquid biopsies find distinct genomic profiles in most patients with carcinoma of unknown primary Bottom Line: Next-generation sequencing of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) identified distinct genomic profiles with potentially targetable alterations in 99.7 percent of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) who have detectable alterations.
Long-term testosterone therapy improves urinary, sexual function and quality of life A new study shows a significant improvement in both sexual and urinary function as well as quality of life for hypogonadal men who undergo long-term testosterone replacement therapy.
	How decision-making habits influence the breast cancer treatments women consider A new study finds that more than half of women with early stage breast cancer considered an aggressive type of surgery to remove both breasts. The way women generally approach big decisions, combined with their values, impacts what breast cancer treatment they consider, the study also found.
Epigenetic drugs show promise as antivirals Some epigenetic pharmaceuticals have the potential to be used as broad spectrum antivirals, according to a study reported in a recent issue of the journal mBio. The study demonstrated that histone methyltransferases EZH2/1 inhibitors, which are being used in cancer clinical trials, have activity against a variety of viruses, including herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Two in Dutch court over tainted-eggs scandal Two Dutch men appeared in court Tuesday in connection with the tainted-eggs scandal that swept Europe this month, which saw millions of eggs destroyed and caused tens of millions of euros in damages.
	New Machine Learning program shows promise for early Alzheimer's diagnosis A new machine learning program developed by researchers at Case Western Reserve University appears to outperform other methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease before symptoms begin to interfere with every day living, initial testing shows.
	Givers really are happier than takers (HealthDay)—Generosity really is its own reward, with the brain seemingly hardwired for happiness in response to giving, new research suggests.
	Review: cannabis may alleviate neuropathic pain (HealthDay)—Cannabis may alleviate neuropathic pain, but is not associated with benefit for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to two reviews published online Aug. 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Trend of drinking hydrogen peroxide can be deadly, doctors warn It's meant to boost your health but Minnesota doctors caution that this alternative health remedy can send you or a loved one to the emergency room.
	Obesity and depression are entwined, yet scientists don't know why About 15 years ago, Dr. Sue McElroy, a psychiatrist in Mason, Ohio, started noticing a pattern. People came to see her because they were depressed, but they frequently had a more visible ailment as well: They were heavy.
	Asthma, more deadly with age, takes heavy toll on older adults In early June, Donna Bilgore Robins stood on a patio in Beaver Creek, Colo., under a crystal-clear blue sky and tried to catch her breath.
	Food safety tips for summer Foodborne illness peaks in the summer, because bacteria that are present throughout the environment and in the bodies of people and animals grow faster in the warm summer months. And outdoor activities increase. More people cook outside - without the safety controls of a kitchen.
Dallas doctor finds the root of balding and graying hair and is working on treatment When the mice went gray and bald, the doctor knew he was onto something.
Smartphone app may help older adults manage serious mental illness and chronic health conditions The use of new technologies in geriatric psychiatry shows promise for advancing personalized medicine and improving patient care. A new study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry describes the successful adaptation of an integrated medical and psychiatric self-management intervention to a smartphone application for middle-aged and older adults with serious mental illness.
	Marijuana use amongst youth stable, but substance abuse admissions up While marijuana use amongst youth remains stable, youth admission to substance abuse treatment facilities has increased, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
	Child's home learning environment predicts 5th grade academic skills Children whose parents provide them with learning materials like books and toys and engage them in learning activities and meaningful conversations in infancy and toddlerhood are likely to develop early cognitive skills that can cascade into later academic success, finds a new study by NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
	Electroconvulsive therapy for depression in older patients may not relieve their insomnia Older people receiving electroconvulsive therapy for their depression likely will need an additional treatment if insomnia is one of their symptoms, researchers report.
Compounds in desert creosote bush could treat giardia and 'brain-eating' amoeba infections Researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that compounds produced by the creosote bush, a desert plant common to the Southwestern United States, exhibit potent anti-parasitic activity against the protozoa responsible for giardia infections and an amoeba that causes an often-lethal form of encephalitis.
	Therapeutic fusion protein could mitigate blood vessel damage from cardiovascular disease Scientists from Boston Children's Hospital Vascular Biology Program have revealed an engineered fusion protein that could recover blood vessel health following the onset of hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases. The findings were published today in Science Signaling.
	US antidepressant use jumps 65 percent in 15 years (HealthDay)—The number of Americans who say they've taken an antidepressant over the past month rose by 65 percent between 1999 and 2014, a new government survey finds.
	Graft survival similar for kidneys from octogenarians (HealthDay)—Graft survival is similar for recipients of kidneys from >80-year-old donors and donors aged ≤60 years, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
	Fecal calprotectin is best marker for discriminating pediatric IBD (HealthDay)—Fecal calprotectin adds most to discrimination between pediatric patients with and without inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a meta-analysis published online Aug. 14 in JAMA Pediatrics.
	Can previous exposure to west Nile alter the course of Zika? West Nile virus is no stranger to the U.S.-Mexico border; thousands of people in the region have contracted the mosquito-borne virus in the past. But could this previous exposure affect how intensely Zika sickens someone now?
Weekend child deaths push India hospital toll to 85 Twenty-five children died over the weekend at a northern India government hospital that suffered oxygen shortages, taking the overall death toll to 85, authorities told AFP .
Genome sequencing method can detect clinically relevant mutations using five CTCs Whole genome sequencing using long fragment read (LFR), a technology that can analyze the entire genomic content of small numbers of cells, detected potentially targetable mutations using only five circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a patient with metastatic breast cancer.
High sugar consumption gives rise to dental costs in the billions Worldwide, people are eating far too much sugar. This has negative consequences for dental health. At the global level, the costs of dental treatment are currently running at around $172 billion U.S. (€128 billion). In Germany alone, these amount to €17.2 billion ($23 billion U.S.) per year. These are the results of a joint study conducted by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG (BRAIN AG) published in the International Journal of Dental Research.
	Contaminated eggs show continuing problems with supply chain Another food scandal: this time eggs used for making sandwiches and other processed products that contain traces of an insecticide called fipronil. Fipronil is banned in human food production because it can be harmful to human health if ingested in sufficiently large quantities.
	Research links severe hunger at residential schools to today's health of Indigenous peoples The severe hunger and malnutrition that many Indigenous children suffered at Canadian residential schools have contributed to Indigenous peoples' elevated risk of obesity and diabetes, according to University of Toronto public health and anthropology researchers.
The sex workers who are stopping HIV It's late when we reach Inhamízua on the outskirts of the city.
Meta-analysis evaluates the effect of post-primary PCI Bivalirudin I A study has examined the efficacies of various post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) bivalirudin doses on net adverse clinical events (NACEs) and mortality. Patients recovering from PCI with bivalirudin are at a lower risk of bleeding, but also suffer an increased risk of acute stent thrombosis (ST). Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor that can prevent blood clots during and after an angioplasty procedure. Previous research concluded that continuing bivalirudin infusion at full doses for four hours post-PCI eliminates acute ST risk while maintaining the bleeding benefit. The results of the current study determined that full-dose bivalirudin infusion post-PCI for four hours is also associated with improved NACEs and all-cause mortality. Details of the entire study are outlined in the Editor's Choice article of the August 2017 issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.
	South Carolina sues drug manufacturer over opioid crisis South Carolina has become the latest state to accuse a drug manufacturer of exacerbating its opioid drug crisis by using deceptive marketing, with the state's top prosecutor suing the maker of OxyContin.
	Does intracranial pressure monitoring improve outcomes in severe traumatic brain injury? A new study has shown that use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) was associated with a significant decrease in mortality, but it did not improve the rate of favorable outcomes. Although ICP monitoring was linked to more aggressive therapy, the researchers concluded that current therapies cannot adequately control increased ICP, as reported in Journal of Neurotrauma.
	Date nights for overbooked parents (HealthDay)—You might not think it's possible to squeeze a date night into your hectic schedule, especially if your family includes young children.
	Herpesvirus study in mice leads to discovery of potential broad-spectrum antiviral After herpesviruses infect a cell, their genomes are assembled into specialized protein structures called nucelosomes. Many cellular enzyme complexes can modulate these structures to either promote or inhibit the progression of infection. Scientists studying how one of these complexes (EZH2/1) regulated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection unexpectedly found that inhibiting EZH2/1 suppressed viral infection. The research group, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health, then demonstrated that EZH2/1 inhibitors also enhanced the cellular antiviral response in cultured cells and in mice.
	Empowering patients effectively improves physician hand hygiene Armed with new tools, patients and parents felt empowered to remind healthcare providers to perform hand hygiene, successfully improving compliance rates, but just over half of physicians felt that patients should be reminding providers, according to a new study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Visitors flock to Belgium's giant omelette festival despite scandal About a thousand people flocked to the small Belgian town of Malmedy on Tuesday to eat a giant omelette made of 6,500 eggs, despite the country being at the centre of a scandal involving tainted eggs.
Research on substance use among transgender students in California Chapman University has published research on substance abuse among transgender students in California. The research looked at students in middle and high schools in nearly every school district in California. Results showed transgender adolescents were more than two times more likely to engage in substance use in their lifetimes. The paper appears in the Journal of School Health.
Hungary pulls tainted egg products from shelves Hungary on Tuesday became the latest European country to withdraw egg products imported from Germany containing the insecticide fipronil.
	Report: Higher premiums if Trump halts 'Obamacare' subsidies Premiums for a popular type of individual health plan would rise sharply, and more people would be left with no insurance options if President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to stop "Obamacare" payments to insurers, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.

Biology news

	'Acidic patch' regulates access to genetic information Chromatin remodelers—protein machines that pack and unpack chromatin, the tightly wound DNA-protein complex in cell nuclei—are essential and powerful regulators for critical cellular processes, such as replication, recombination and gene transcription and repression. In a new study published Aug. 2 in the journal Nature, a team led by researchers from Princeton University unravels more details on how a class of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, called ISWI, regulate access to genetic information.
	New genomic insights reveal a surprising two-way journey for apple on the Silk Road Centuries ago, the ancient networks of the Silk Road facilitated a political and economic openness between the nations of Eurasia. But this network also opened pathways for genetic exchange that shaped one of the world's most popular fruits: the apple. As travelers journeyed east and west along the Silk Road, trading their goods and ideas, they brought with them hitchhiking apple seeds, discarded from the choicest fruit they pulled from wild trees. This early selection would eventually lead to the 7,500 varieties of apple that exist today.
	Human intrusion on fruit bat habitats raises exposure risk to Hendra virus in Australia There is a rising risk of human and domestic animal exposure to deadly Hendra virus (HeV) carried by fruit bats in Eastern Australia due to human intrusion into their habitats, human proximity to woodlands and vegetation loss, a new study reveals.
	A way to stabilize haploidy in animal cells The emergence in recent years of the first mammalian haploid cell lines has raised great expectations in the scientific community. Despite their potential, these cultures present some issues that complicate their use because haploidy is unstable and can be lost quickly. The Genomic Instability Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has offered an explanation of this phenomenon and proposes a way to overcome it. This work has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
	How head-on collisions of DNA protein machines stop replication A new study describes how head-on collisions between protein machines on chromosomes can disrupt DNA replication and boost the rate of gene mutations that help bacteria survive hostile environments, resist antibiotics, and blunt attacks by immune defenses.
	Pigments made by beets may help boost resistance to disease and the nutrition value of crops Color in the plant kingdom is not merely a joy to the eye. Colored pigments attract pollinating insects, they protect plants against disease, and they confer health benefits and are used in the food and drug industries. A new study conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has now opened the way to numerous potential uses of betalains, the highly nutritious red-violet and yellow pigments known for their antioxidant properties and commonly used as food dyes.
	Using experimental and computational methods, researchers reveal workings of bacterial defense system Central to understanding why bacteria become antibiotic resistant is knowing how bacteria respond to the drugs trying to kill them. In a new study, Boston College researchers report that antibiotics disrupt the genetic defensive responses in lethal bacteria.
	Global megafauna study calls for conservation rethink It's hard to imagine an Australia ruled by hippopotamus-sized wombats (Diprotodon) and three-metre-tall kangaroos (Procoptodon golian). The continent lost all native megafauna to the Pleistocene extinctions, tens of thousands of years ago.
	How home security resembles dancing honeybees The earliest forms of biological communication between single-celled organisms have survived evolution to exist in all species, including humans.
	Two new beetle genera and four new species from the Australopacific in a new monograph Amid his ongoing revisionary work on a number of hister beetle genera, the Slovakian-born naturalised Dutch entomologist and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation researcher, Dr. Tomáš Lackner, Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, together with fellow entomologist Dr. Richard Leschen, Landcare Research, discovered two new genera and a total of four new species from the Australopacific Region. The newly described endemic insects are featured in an extensive monograph published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
	Rare crocodile eggs hatched at Cambodian conservation center Nine eggs of an endangered crocodile species found in the wild in June and taken to a conservation center in southern Cambodia have hatched, conservationists announced Tuesday.
Five researchers share $500,000 prize for work on gene editing Five researchers will share a $500,000 medical prize for their roles in developing a groundbreaking gene-editing tool that lets scientists alter the DNA of living cells.
Scientists keep an eye on green sea turtles adapting to life in the San Gabriel River's murky flows When scientists confirmed their existence in the San Gabriel River in 2008, the green sea turtles were thought to be oddballs or lost wanderers.
	Adding silicon to soil to strengthen plant defenses To help plants better fend off insect pests, researchers are arming them with stones.
A moth and its flame: Mate selection found to evolve from response to flower odors For moths, love is literally in the air through the action of pheromones to attract mates.
	The key to drought-tolerant crops may be in the leaves A solution to help farmers to grow crops in dry areas or during stretches of drought may depend on breeding and cultivating plants that protect themselves with a thicker layer of leaf wax, a new study shows.
	Mercury is altering gene expression The mercury found at very low concentrations in water is concentrated along the entire food chain, from algae via zooplankton to small fish and on to the largest fish—the ones we eat. Mercury causes severe and irreversible neurological disorders in people who have consumed highly contaminated fish. Whereas we know about the element's extreme toxicity, what happens further down the food chain, all the way down to those microalgae that are the first level and the gateway for mercury? By employing molecular biology tools, a team of researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has addressed this question for the first time. The scientists measured the way mercury affects the gene expression of algae, even when its concentration in water is very low, comparable to European environmental protection standards. The research is published in Scientific Reports.
	Accidental deaths of endangered whale threatens its survival A high number of accidental deaths this year among the endangered North Atlantic right whale threaten the survival of the species, according to conservation groups and marine scientists.

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