Science X Newsletter Thursday, Sep 28

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for September 28, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

'Egg-based electronics' offer surprisingly good electrical performance

Study shows how 'love hormone' oxytocin spurs sociability

Shape-shifting device can walk, roll, sail, and glide using recyclable exoskeletons

Experiment in a box suggests a few cold falling rain drops could lead to a rain shower

Atomistic simulations go the distance on metal strength

New class of molecules may protect brain from stroke, neurodegenerative diseases

Secrets from inside the womb that could provide clues to miscarriage

Drought not dingos behind mainland Australia tiger extinction: study

Scientists test way to stop heart damage after cardiac injury

How brain develops before birth is tightly controlled by RNA modification

How do we sense moonlight? Daylight? There's a cell for that

Study splits incurable childhood brain tumors into 10 new diseases

In people with OCD, actions are at odds with beliefs

Speedy urine test for amphetamines sends results via app

Tsunami enabled hundreds of aquatic species to raft across Pacific

Astronomy & Space news

	Dawn mission celebrates 10 years in space Ten years ago, NASA's Dawn spacecraft set sail for the two most massive bodies in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter: giant asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres. The mission was designed to deliver new knowledge about these small but intricate worlds, which hold clues to the formation of planets in our solar system.
	Supersonic gas streams left over from the Big Bang drive massive black hole formation An international team of researchers has successfully used a supercomputer simulation to recreate the formation of a massive black hole from supersonic gas streams left over from the Big Bang. Their study, published in this week's Science, shows this black hole could be the source of the birth and development of the largest and oldest super-massive black holes recorded in our universe.
	Moon village the first stop to Mars: ESA Setting up a permanent village on the moon is the first step towards exploring Mars, the European Space Agency said Thursday as plans to reach and colonise the Red Planet gathered pace.
	Bursting with starbirth This oddly-shaped galactic spectacle is bursting with brand new stars. The pink fireworks in this image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope are regions of intense star formation, triggered by a cosmic-scale collision. The huge galaxy in this image, NGC 4490, has a smaller galaxy in its gravitational grip and is feeling the strain.
	Unexpected surprise: A final image from Rosetta Scientists analysing the final telemetry sent by Rosetta immediately before it shut down on the surface of the comet last year have reconstructed one last image of its touchdown site.
	A fresh look at older data yields a surprise near the martian equator Scientists taking a new look at older data from NASA's longest-operating Mars orbiter have discovered evidence of significant hydration near the Martian equator—a mysterious signature in a region of the Red Planet where planetary scientists figure ice shouldn't exist.
	Hubble observes the farthest active inbound comet yet seen NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed the farthest active inbound comet ever seen, at a whopping distance of 1.5 billion miles from the Sun (beyond Saturn's orbit). Slightly warmed by the remote Sun, it has already begun to develop an 80,000-mile-wide fuzzy cloud of dust, called a coma, enveloping a tiny, solid nucleus of frozen gas and dust. These observations represent the earliest signs of activity ever seen from a comet entering the solar system's planetary zone for the first time.
	Chinese moon missions delayed by rocket failure: report Two Chinese lunar missions will be delayed by the failed launch of a powerful rocket in July, a state-run newspaper said, in a setback for the country's ambitious space programme.
	NASA's near-Earth asteroid CubeSat goes full sail NASA's Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, a small satellite the size of a shoebox, designed to study asteroids close to Earth, performed a full-scale solar sail deployment test at ManTech NeXolve's facility in Huntsville, Alabama, Sept. 13. The test was performed in an indoor clean room to ensure the deployment mechanism's functionality after recent environmental testing.
	Searching for distant worlds with a flying telescope Researchers from the University of Bern, using an observatory on board a jumbo jet, have observed how the extrasolar Planet GJ 1214b is passing in front of its star, causing a kind of mini-eclipse. The first measurements of this kind with the observatory called SOFIA (short for Stratospheric Observatory for Infra-red Astronomy) prove that the flying observatory is well-suited to the observation of exoplanets.
	New concepts for controlling exploratory rovers A team of researchers at ESA's mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, are investigating new concepts for controlling rovers on a planet and satellites in orbit.
Russian booster rocket launches commercial satellite A Russian Proton-M booster rocket carrying a U.S.-built commercial satellite has had a successful liftoff from Kazakhstan.
	Where are we at? The Square Kilometre Array The low-down on the largest telescope in the world.
	Hawaii land board grants permit to build divisive telescope Hawaii's land board on Thursday granted a construction permit for a giant telescope on a mountain that Native Hawaiians consider sacred, a project that has divided the state.

Technology news

	Shape-shifting device can walk, roll, sail, and glide using recyclable exoskeletons From butterflies that sprout wings to hermit crabs that switch their shells, many animals must adapt their exterior features in order to survive. While humans don't undergo that kind of metamorphosis, we often try to create functional objects that are similarly adaptive—including our robots.
	Perovskite solar cells reach record long-term stability, efficiency over 20 percent Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can offer high light-conversion efficiency with low manufacturing costs. But to be commercially viable, perovskite films must also be durable and not degrade under solar light over time. EPFL scientists have now greatly improved the operational stability of PSCs, retaining more than 95% of their initial efficiencies of over 20 % under full sunlight illumination at 60oC for more than 1000 hours. The breakthrough, which marks the highest stability for perovskite solar cells, is published in Science.
	Printed meds could reinvent pharmacies, drug research A technology that can print pure, ultra-precise doses of drugs onto a wide variety of surfaces could one day enable on-site printing of custom-dosed medications at pharmacies, hospitals and other locations.
	Apple patent talk: Ultrasound-based force and touch sensing (Tech Xplore)—Apple's patent filing addresses an ultrasound-based force and touch sensor, according to AppleInsider. This could lead to a thinner, less obstructive 3-D Touch mechanism, said the report.
	Team builds flexible new platform for high-performance electronics A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers has created the most functional flexible transistor in the world—and with it, a fast, simple and inexpensive fabrication process that's easily scalable to the commercial level.
	House, Senate inviting social media giants to testify The House and Senate intelligence committees are inviting tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet—the parent company of Google—to appear for public hearings as part of their investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, The Associated Press has learned.
	Underground air-raid shelter feeding London restaurants Under an anonymous back street in south London lies a vast underground air-raid shelter that has been turned into a pioneering urban farm supplying supermarkets and restaurants in the capital.
	Airbnb enters restaurant reservation business Rent-a-room giant Airbnb is now in the restaurant reservation business, hoping to provide customers with a memorable meal before they drift off in their home away from home.
	Troubled Toshiba, Bain finalize sale of memory-chip business Toshiba and a consortium led by Bain Capital Private Equity signed a deal Thursday for the sale of the Japanese electronics company's computer memory chip business, a move long opposed by Toshiba's U.S. joint venture partner Western Digital.
	Turbocharging engine design For scientists and engineers, the process of improving the performance of engines and fuels feels a bit like driving on a one-lane highway. They must often develop and test their designs and prototypes one at a time, which slows the pace of innovation.
	Drones could be used to monitor babies in neonatal care Drone technology is being developed to perform routine health checks remotely in a bid to reduce infection spread in neonatal care.
	Biodegradable microsensors for food monitoring A new generation of microsensors could provide the vital link between food products and the Internet of Things. ETH researchers have developed an ultra-thin temperature sensor that is both biocompatible and biodegradable.
	Big data conquers legal analysis Researchers supported by the SNSF have set up a free and accessible integrated database of legal cases involving international economic law. Their work represents an important milestone for research and practice.
Software glitch caused check-in delays at airports worldwide Authorities say passengers at airports around the world have suffered some delays because of a problem with check-in systems.
	Invention could avert disaster on railroad crossings The damsel in distress, tied up and left on the railroad tracks, is one of the oldest and most clichéd cinema tropes.
	China delays electric car quota until 2019 China announced Thursday that it would delay until 2019 the enactment of a quota requiring automakers to produce a minimum number of electric cars after some foreign firms and Germany raised concerns.
Delivery by drone: Switzerland tests it in populated areas Drones will help deliver toothbrushes, deodorant and smartphones to Swiss homes this fall as part of a pilot project, the first of its kind over a densely populated area.
	German police arrest another Audi employee over 'dieselgate' German prosecutors on Thursday said they had arrested a second employee of luxury carmaker Audi as part of a probe into parent company Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal.
TV-gadget maker Roku climbs after IPO raises $219M Shares of Roku, an early player in streaming-video gadgets, are soaring after its initial public offering of stock raised $219 million.
	Uber will start paying drivers extra for UberPool trips Uber pitched its carpooling service as a way for passengers to save cash. But for drivers, UberPool felt like a raw deal because taking on extra passengers didn't mean they would collect extra payouts.
Microsoft's Nadella gives some glimpses behind the curtain in 'Hit Refresh' The day he introduced himself to his Microsoft co-workers as their new chief executive, Satya Nadella knew he faced a skeptical audience.
	Snap ups its game with sports, weather data Snapchat isn't a resource many turn to for weather and sports scores, but it's spending increasing amounts of money on licensing deals to give users such information.
Skip the checkout lines: Whole Foods, Walmart and other stores embrace online grocery shopping Grocery shopping can feel like you're navigating through an obstacle course filled with crowded parking lots, long lines and screaming kids.
	Microsoft replacing Skype for Business with Teams Microsoft is ending Skype's foray into business communications, packaging its communications tools into Microsoft Teams, the company's challenge to workplace collaboration startup Slack.
Microsoft makes a 'crazy' bet on fuel cells to feed power-hungry data centers In an industrial space tucked off a side street in Seattle's Sodo District, Microsoft is trying to reinvent the data center.
	Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook into a behemoth whose power he underestimates When it comes to business, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is undeniably a visionary.
	China's Baidu, police crack down on 'rumours' Chinese internet giant Baidu has teamed up with the country's cyber police to control the spread of rumors and fake news, the company said Thursday, as authorities continue to tighten censorship ahead a major Communist Party congress next month.
	TV-gadget maker Roku's stock soars after IPO raises $219M Shares of Roku, an early player in streaming-video gadgets, soared Thursday after its initial public offering of stock raised $219 million.
	Russian group spent $274,000 on Twitter ads during US election A Russian media group with links to the Moscow government spent $274,000 in 2016 on Twitter ads which may have been used to try to influence the US election, the social media firm said Thursday.
	Zuckerberg fires back at Trump over Facebook barb Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg fired back at US President Donald Trump on Wednesday after he accused the leading social network of being "always anti-Trump."
	Twitter to talk to House, Senate in Russia probe Social media giant Twitter is visiting Capitol Hill Thursday as part of the House and Senate investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
	Demystifying social entrepreneurship—a data-driven approach Social enterprises present solutions to major social challenges such as climate change, global inequities, educational gaps, and many others through social innovation. In fact, social enterprises attract a growing amount of talent, with an estimated 3.2 percent (global average) of adults between 18 to 64 attempting to start a social enterprise. However, many get lost early on in their journey, with about 83 percent of social enterprises staying operational for less than 3 years. Among key reasons for this failure rate are the unequal opportunity and access to financial, mentoring, and educational resources and opportunities.
	No assembly required? Ikea to buy services site TaskRabbit Ikea is making moves so you don't have to assemble a sofa or bookcase yourself.
New Equifax CEO: Sorry for the hack and bad customer service Equifax, under pressure from a massive data breach, is apologizing and trying again to make amends to consumers. Its new interim CEO—installed this week after the previous chief executive announced his retirement—offered his "sincere and total apology" to the customers impacted, in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.
Gadgets: Nothing to sneeze at! Desktop device monitors indoor air quality. I recently tested the Awair, Air Quality Monitor, which tracks the five key factors of air quality including chemicals such as volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, dust, humidity, and temperature. A lot of the chemicals are in standard products we use for cleaning, and beauty products.

Medicine & Health news

	Study shows how 'love hormone' oxytocin spurs sociability Why is it so much fun to hang out with our friends? Why are some people so sociable while others are loners or seemingly outright allergic to interactions with others?
	New class of molecules may protect brain from stroke, neurodegenerative diseases Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, has discovered a new class of molecules in the brain that synchronize cell-to-cell communication and neuroinflammation/immune activity in response to injury or diseases. Elovanoids (ELVs) are bioactive chemical messengers made from omega-3 very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs,n-3). They are released on demand when cells are damaged or stressed.
	Secrets from inside the womb that could provide clues to miscarriage The major structures of a baby's heart form in just four days, according to new research using the latest imaging techniques.
	Scientists test way to stop heart damage after cardiac injury Early research results suggest scientists might be on to a way to preserve heart function after heart attacks or for people with inherited heart defects called congenital cardiomyopathies.
	How brain develops before birth is tightly controlled by RNA modification A chemical tag added to RNA during embryonic development regulates how the early brain grows, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings are published this week in Cell.
	How do we sense moonlight? Daylight? There's a cell for that Reporting in today's Cell, neuroscientists at Boston Children's Hospital describe an unexpected way that we sense the overall degree of illumination in our environment. They found that neurons in the retina of the eye divvy up the job, with particular neurons tuned to different ranges of light intensity.
	Study splits incurable childhood brain tumors into 10 new diseases Scientists have found that deadly childhood brain tumours are actually 10 different diseases that should each be diagnosed and treated based on their specific genetic faults.
	In people with OCD, actions are at odds with beliefs The repeated behaviors that characterize obsessive-compulsive disorder are a manifestation of an underlying brain dysfunction that is not yet well understood. Now, in a study appearing on September 28 in the journal Neuron, scientists in the UK report the use of a mathematical model that they say will help them get at the root of what causes OCD. They find that people with OCD develop an internal, accurate sense of how things work but do not use it to guide behavior.
	Promising results for two genetic weapons against malaria Two new papers by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Malaria Research Institute report successes for highly promising strategies against malaria, a disease that still kills more than 400,000 people each year, mostly children age five and under in sub-Saharan Africa.
	Range of diseases may result when brain self-regulation goes awry, researchers say After making many thousands of measurements in experiments spanning more than 10 years, scientists at UC San Francisco have discovered that two molecular partners interact at synapses to maintain stable neuronal function. The researchers said the study could help explain how the brain is able to function efficiently and predictably over many decades, and may offer a new approach to a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction.
	Human stem cells used to cure renal anemia in mice (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with Kyoto University and Kagawa University, both in Japan, has cured renal anemia in mice by injecting them with treated human stem cells. In their paper published in Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their approach and how well it worked.
	Researchers discover the key to long-term memory After a 30-year quest, a Brandeis professor has discovered the molecule that stores long-term memories—it's called calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase, or CaMKII for short. The results were published on September 27 in the online edition of Neuron.
	Scientists develop a 10-second HIV test linked to mobile phones The University of Surrey, working with colleagues at University College London, the Africa Health research Institute (South Africa), OJ-Bio (Newcastle), QV (holdings (Netherlands) and the Japan Radio Co Ltd, have developed a mobile test using technology found in smartphones, and it could provide doctors and carers with a virtually instantaneous way of diagnosing someone with HIV. The test uses just a single drop of blood from a patient to produce a positive test within 10 seconds.
	New drug to supercharge immune cells in the fight against cancer A new cancer treatment with the ability to normalise tumour blood vessels and boost the body's immune system has been developed by researchers from The University of Western Australia and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.
	Smart molecules trigger white blood cells to become better cancer-eating machines A team of researchers has engineered smart protein molecules that can reprogram white blood cells to ignore a self-defense signaling mechanism that cancer cells use to survive and spread in the body. Researchers say the advance could lead to a new method of re-engineering immune cells to fight cancer and infectious diseases. The team successfully tested this method in a live cell culture system.
	Neuro-immune crosstalk in allergic asthma Exactly how asthma begins and progresses remain a mystery, but a team led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has uncovered a fundamental molecular cue that the nervous system uses to communicate with the immune system, and may potentially trigger allergic lung inflammation leading to asthma. Their insights into this neuro-immune crosstalk are published in Nature.
	Zika virus mutated around 2013, leading to birth defects: study Zika has been around for decades but only recently began to cause birth defects due to a single mutation the mosquito-borne virus likely acquired in 2013, researchers said Thursday.
	No evidence to support claims that telephone consultations reduce GP workload or hospital referrals Telephone consultations to determine whether a patient needs to see their GP face-to-face can deal with many problems, but a study led by researchers at the Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research (University of Cambridge and RAND Europe), found no evidence to support claims by companies offering to manage these services or by NHS England that the approach saves money or reduces the number of hospital referrals.
Should we welcome plans to sell off wasted NHS land? With the NHS under severe financial pressure, should we welcome plans to raise capital by selling off inefficiently used land and buildings owned by the health service? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today.
Interventions for alcohol and hypertension could save hundreds of lives across EU Routine screening and interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol use for people with hypertension in primary care could save hundreds of lives across the European Union, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
Achieving National HIV/AIDS Strategy targets would save lives, be cost effective An analysis led by a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators shows that achieving the treatment targets of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) by 2020 not only would prevent hundreds of thousands of new infections and deaths but also would demonstrate excellent value. Their study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, finds that meeting the NHAS goals - 90 percent of HIV infected individuals know their diagnosis, 80 percent of whom achieve virologic suppression through antiretroviral drug treatment (ART) - would save more than two million years of life over the next 20 years.
Having an older sibling poses risk of serious flu for babies and toddlers Children under two years are more likely to be admitted to hospital with influenza if they have an older sister or brother, according to research published today (Thursday) in the European Respiratory Journal.
Strong family ties improve employment options for people with childhood-onset disabilities Family and close friends play an integral role in helping people with childhood-onset disabilities attain quality employment as adults, a new study from Oregon State University has found.
	Adding drug to standard care may prolong lymphoma survival (HealthDay)—Long-term treatment with the drug rituximab (Rituxan) may extend the lives of some patients with a rare form of blood cancer, a new clinical trial finds.
Successful correction of genetic mutation in stem cells offers promise for lung diseases For the first time, researchers have developed a way to coax pluripotent stem cells into a specific type of mature lung cell called "alveolar epithelial type II cells" (AEC2s) and to correct a mutant gene whose dysfunction in these cells is known to cause respiratory distress in infants.
	For boys at risk of psychopathy, laughter isn't so contagious For most people, laughter is highly contagious. It's nearly impossible to hear or see someone laughing and not feel the urge to join in. But researchers reporting in Current Biology on September 28 have new evidence to show that boys at risk of developing psychopathy when they become adults don't have that same urge.
	Study establishes a timeline of obesity When investigating the factors associated with the growing epidemic of obesity in the world over the last decade, scientists have identified two events that greatly contribute to weight gain. One is an alteration in the profile of bacteria that make up the intestinal flora. Studies published from 2005 to 2007 showed that obese people generally present a set of microorganisms that stimulate the absorption of nutrients from food. That means an apple can be more fattening to an obese person than to a lean person. But we still do not know for sure whether this is the cause or the consequence of being overweight.
	How tuberculosis bacteria hide in the body Tuberculosis bacteria hide in the very cells that would normally kill them. Now we know more about how they evade recognition. Tuberculosis affects millions of people worldwide. Treatment is often prolonged, from six months to two years. Therefore, researchers seek better treatment methods by understanding how the bacterium works.
Middle age brings weight gain without increased physical activity The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä has examined how changes in the daily step count are related to changes in the body mass index (BMI).
	Researchers explore why humans don't purge lethal genetic disorders from the population The human population carries around more deadly genetic diseases than would be expected based on a simple comparison of mutation rates and deaths of affected individuals. Carlos Eduardo Guerra Amorim of Stony Brook University and colleagues, explore potential explanations in a paper published September 28th, 2017 in PLOS Genetics.
	Meditation might be useful addition to heart-healthy lifestyle and medical treatment Meditation has the potential to reduce some risk factors for heart disease, but the gold standard for lowering risk remains a heart-healthy lifestyle and following medical recommendations, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
	Molecular fingerprint of breast tumors linked to immune response in bloodstream Using newly developed software, researchers have shown that genes and molecular processes in breast cancer tumor cells are tightly linked to genes and processes in blood cells, including immune system cells. The findings are published in PLOS Computational Biology.
	Male hormones may promote infection by virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma Male hormones may facilitate infection with a virus that can cause a type of cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma. This finding, published in PLOS Pathogens by Ke Lan's group of the State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, China, could help explain why men have an increased risk of developing Kaposi's sarcoma.
	Central America 'kissing bug' carries two main subtypes of Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, is divided into six strains, each of which differs in where they are found and in how important they are in human infections.. Now, researchers have found that most T. cruzi parasites in Central America belong to just two of those strains. The results are detailed this week in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
	App-based citizen science experiment could help researchers predict future pandemics A new app gives UK residents the chance to get involved in an ambitious, ground-breaking science experiment that could save lives.
	Mold a long-term problem after flooding and disasters One of the biggest issues surrounding flooding after natural disasters is mold, a problem that can stay with a structure long after floodwaters have receded. Considering that over 17 percent of homes already have some physical condition that contributes to leaks and that mold grows in temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 100°F, there is no wonder that we see mold and mildew problems after a disaster that brings flooding in homes and buildings.
	Finding the root causes of healthy behaviors Doing healthy things can feel like a battle between the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The devil impels me to order the bacon burger for lunch, but the angel nudges my hand toward the salad.
	Twitter a hotbed of anti-vaccine sentiment, study finds Anti-vaccine sentiment is alive and growing in social media, with California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania showing the most negative tweets of any states, according to a new five-year CU Boulder study.
	Report highlights scale of dementia epidemic in Africa Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) has published its first report on the impact of dementia in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), at its 4th Sub-Saharan African Regional Conference. The report, co-authored by researchers from the Global Observatory for Ageing and Dementia Care at King's College London, calls for a transformation in the response to dementia, citing a 63 per cent increase in the number of people expected to be living with dementia in the region by 2030 – and an increase of 257 per cent by 2050.
	New research shows hearing aids change lives and improve health Groundbreaking research published by a team from the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, led by Dr Melanie Ferguson, shows the life-changing impact of hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
	Be alert to the deadly danger of heatwaves With Queensland and other parts of Australia experiencing unseasonal heatwave conditions, a QUT health expert has warned people to stay cool and well hydrated and check on family and friends, particularly infants, those who may be ill and the elderly.
	Don't rely on mixed messages to change health behaviors Self-improvement edicts to lose weight, quit smoking or eat more fruits and vegetables can fall on deaf ears if the intervention message is mixed, says new research co-written by a University of Illinois expert in social psychology.
	COPD action plan shortens duration of flare-ups and reduces hospital admissions The University of Twente carried out the first study worldwide that shows patients with COPD (lung disease caused by smoking) and other illnesses (heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and depression) have better outcomes if they follow a self-management programme with a customised action plan. Anke Lenferink of UT recently obtained a doctoral degree on this subject.
	New brain visualisation of Alzheimer's at different ages holds out hope for faster diagnosis and treatment As Alzheimer's disease is associated with a wide variety of symptoms, usually observed through patients' behaviour and actions, effective and timely treatment has proven elusive. An EU-funded project has contributed towards the capture of images which show the changes a brain with Alzheimer's undergoes, at different ages, with promise for future diagnostics and treatment.
	Prototype equipment can detect rheumatoid arthritis According to a first clinical study published in the scientific journal Photoacoustics, the University of Twente and various European partners have designed a device that shows the difference between healthy fingers and arthritic fingers. The University of Twente and Ziekenhuis Groep Twente researchers responsible for the development of the compact device believe that it may in time help doctors to objectively diagnose the degree of inflammation in joints.
	Seasonal changes in climate may muddle results of malaria interventions in Africa New studies released today in a special supplement of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene add to the evidence that over the last decade, global malaria control efforts have saved millions of children's lives in areas most affected by malaria.
	Do we have to clean out our pores? Many of us would have seen, if not tried, various products claiming to clean the dirt out of our pores. From scrubs to cleansers to plasters that stick to our faces, there are many tools at our disposal.
New digestive / liver disease gene identified by international team In a study published this month in Hepatology, a multinational team of researchers describes a newly identified cause of congenital diarrhea and liver disease in children.
	More children getting the right dose of antibiotics since prescribing changes Changes to national prescribing guidelines have led to fewer children receiving too small a dose of antibiotics.
	Will binge-watching TV increase your risk for Alzheimer's disease and diabetes? A recent study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise was reported in many media outlets as a bringer of "bad news" to television watchers, with the Herald Sun noting:
	Diabulimia issues uncovered by research Initial findings from an Abertay University counselling project looking specifically at issues for young people with type 1 diabetes has pinpointed a need for greater emotional support for those struggling to cope.
	Study debunks conventional wisdom pointing to gender bias in heart surgery Women with heart disease typically receive less complete surgical revascularization with arterial grafts than men do, but not because of gender bias. Instead, factors such as delayed diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women may contribute to the differences in treatment, according to a new study published online today in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Fatal glandular cancer will soon be possible to treat A new combination of existing drugs has been shown to block the cancer gene behind a fatal form of glandular cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma. The findings from the Sahlgrenska Academy can lead to new treatment for patients with this disease relatively soon.
	Type 2 diabetes successfully managed online People with type 2 diabetes could improve their health by using a new web-based self-management tool, according to UCL-led research.
	Researchers identify intriguing link between sleep, cognition and schizophrenia More than 3.2 million Americans suffer from schizophrenia; about 100,000 people are newly diagnosed every year. The disease includes a wide range of symptoms including visual and auditory hallucinations, cognitive problems and motivational issues. A key issue with the disease, and one that gets less attention than other symptoms, is cognitive problems. Many with the disease have trouble with learning and memory. For many, this is the first sign of the disease.
	Study suggests an answer to young people's persistent sleep problems A collaborative research project involving James Cook University and the University of Queensland indicates high rates of sleep problems continuing through teenage years and into early adulthood - but also suggests a natural remedy.
Women with suspected HPV adverse effects more often suffered from psychiatric disorders New research from Aarhus University shows that women who are referred to an HPV centre more often have had psychiatric medicine prescribed or been hospitalised for psychiatric conditions up to five years before they received the vaccine.
	New triage tool helps doctors save lives when resources are most limited In situations where medical resources are most limited, doctors are often forced to make life-or-death decisions with very little information and very little time. But now an international team of researchers has developed a simple way for healthcare providers to quickly identify and prioritize patients at the greatest risk of death.
	Fever during labor may present risk to mother Intrapartum fever—fever that occurs during labor—occurs in approximately 1-2% of deliveries and is often associated with maternal and neonatal complications. But the precise reasons for the fever and its different outcomes are unclear.
Plague kills 19 in Madagascar An outbreak of plague in Madagascar has killed 19 people and may have infected 85 others in just two months, the Indian Ocean island nation's health minister said Thursday.
	Children with craniofacial defects face most difficult social pressures in grade school UCLA researchers found that elementary school children with craniofacial anomalies show the highest levels of anxiety, depression and difficulties in peer interactions when compared to youths with craniofacial defects in middle and high schools. The findings suggest that keeping a close watch for these signs and educating the child's peers about their condition may be necessary for this age group.
End to circus in plastic surgery social media videos? The circus atmosphere of plastic surgeons donning costumes, dancing and juggling breast implants during live surgery videos on social media may soon change.
Why are many dialysis patients readmitted to the hospital soon after discharge? A new analysis found that nearly one-quarter of dialysis patients who are admitted to the hospital are readmitted soon after discharge, often for a diagnosis that is different than the one that led to the initial hospitalization. The analysis, which appears in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), also identified certain patient characteristics linked to hospital readmissions.
Uncovering why psoriasis recurs New research by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Rockefeller University helps address a longstanding question about the inflammatory skin condition psoriasis: Why do skin lesions that have resolved with therapy recur in the same locations after a patient stops using topical steroids? According to BWH physician scientist Rachael Clark, MD, PhD, of the Department of Dermatology, researchers have been searching for years for a cell population that continues to smolder after psoriasis appears to resolve. It's been challenging to zoom in on the population of T cells driving the disease in part because when psoriasis is active, lesions are flooded with diverse T cells. But Clark and her colleagues have taken a new approach: instead of looking during the height of activity, they examined lesion sites after treatment, and identified T cell receptors of cells at these sites that were shared across psoriatic patients but not found in healthy individuals or those with other skin conditions.
Acculturation may be a predictor of psychological birth trauma adolescent Latina moms Acculturation may play a key role in psychological birth trauma among young Latina mothers, according to a study by a researcher at the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
	Study says zinc can halt the growth of cancer cells Zinc supplements can significantly inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Texas at Arlington researcher.
	Highly virulent bacterium causes rampant caries in some children Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have made a novel discovery connecting highly variant types of the caries bacterium Streptococcus mutans and their adhesive function to children with rampant caries and increased risk of dental caries. The results, which can lead to a better way of identifying high-risk patients and treat their caries, are published in the journal EBioMedicine.
	FDA OKs continuous blood sugar monitor without finger pricks (Update) U.S. regulators have approved the first continuous blood sugar monitor for diabetics that doesn't need backup finger prick tests.
	Students know about learning strategies—but don't use them Many university students don't use common learning strategies, despite knowing that they exist, finds a study in open-access journal Frontiers in Psychology. Specific training on how and when to use learning strategies could help more students to maximize their academic potential.
	The cold truth about cold cuts (HealthDay)—They may seem like an easy solution for lunch, but pre-packaged sliced meat and processed deli counter options aren't just short on nutrition, they also pose health risks, health experts say.
	Psychosocial intervention ups adherence to antidepressants (HealthDay)—A psychosocial intervention can improve early adherence to antidepressants among middle-aged and older adults, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry.
	Treatment of buccinator with botox is safe, effective (HealthDay)—Treatment of the buccinator muscle with botulinum toxin is safe and effective, and three commercially available botulinum toxin neuromodulators are similar for treatment of facial synkinesis, according to two studies published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Central neck dissection underused in some thyroid CA (HealthDay)—Only about one-third of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) undergo initial central neck dissection, which is associated with a reduced rate of reoperation, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in JAMA Surgery.
'A-fib' heart problem more common than thought, doctor finds Several million older Americans have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, the abnormal heart rhythm abbreviated as A-fib, because they experienced symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
	To improve melanoma treatment, researchers look to block deletion of 'self-reactive' immune cells Researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center are using what they know about a rare, inherited autoimmune disease to turn the body's defenses against melanoma.
	New role for fragile X protein could offer clues for treatment The protein behind fragile X syndrome acts as a genetic conductor, orchestrating a symphony of genes that help shape DNA's 3-D structure.
	Whooping cough shot works, but many moms-to-be skip it: CDC (HealthDay)—Tdap vaccination during pregnancy prevents whooping cough in about three-quarters of newborns—but only about half of mothers-to-be get the shot, a new U.S. study reveals.
	Transcranial electrical stimulation shows promise for treating mild traumatic brain injury Using a form of low-impulse electrical stimulation to the brain, documented by neuroimaging, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and collaborators elsewhere, report significantly improved neural function in participants with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
	Breakdown of brain cells' metabolic collaboration linked to Alzheimer's disease Researchers have discovered that impairing a critical partnership between brain cells can lead to neurodegeneration. The study published in Cell Metabolism reports a mechanism by which two types of brain cells, neurons and glia, normally support each other's functions. The researchers discovered that when this mechanism fails, neurodegeneration follows, opening a path to a better understanding of disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
Working group urges better access to safe abortion, in developing world On International Safe Abortion Day, Sept. 28, an international research group reports in a new paper with senior author Leontine Alkema at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that out of the 55.7 million abortions that are estimated to have occurred each year between 2010 and 2014, almost half (45.1%) were unsafe.
Fake Australian cancer blogger gets hefty fine An Australian blogger who faked brain cancer and professed to have cured the disease with natural therapies was fined Aus$410,000 (US$320,000) on Thursday over the false claims.
First lady listens and learns about opioid crisis (Update) Melania Trump is listening and learning about the nation's opioid epidemic.
	Making surgical screws from bones Biomechanical engineers from TU Graz are developing surgical screws from donated human bone material for foot and jaw surgery together with Surgebright, a start-up from Linz, Austria.
	Medication that treats parasite infection also has anti-cancer effect Osaka researchers, in partnership with other Japanese and U.S. scientists, report a new gene target, KPNB1, for treatment against epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). EOC is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and has a particularly grim outlook upon diagnosis. They also find that ivermectin exerts an anti-tumor effect on EOC cells by interacting with the KPNB1 gene. Because ivermectin is already approved to treat parasitic infections in patients, experiments for its effectiveness in an anti-cancer regimen is expected to significantly lower costs compared to untested drug compounds. The study can be read in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Get your flu shots, US urges amid concerns about bad season It's flu shot time, and health officials are bracing for a potentially miserable fall and winter.
	Understanding connection between HIV transmission and racial/ethnic/geographical differences The health effects of where people live, work, and interact are well documented, as are the value of neighborhood-level structural interventions designed to improve health. But place-based characteristics that contribute to disparities in HIV transmission and disease burden are poorly understood, possibly resulting in less-effective HIV risk reduction interventions and programming.
	Washington state, Seattle are latest to sue opioid makers Washington state and the city of Seattle on Thursday joined more than two dozen other government entities across the country suing to hold opioid makers accountable for an addiction crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.
Illinois governor agrees to allow Medicaid for abortions Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says he'll sign legislation that would provide state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions.

Biology news

	Drought not dingos behind mainland Australia tiger extinction: study The mystery loss of Tasmanian tigers from mainland Australia was likely caused by climate change and not wild dogs or hunting by Aborigines, scientists said Thursday.
	New study highlights the impacts of a global strategy to reduce antibiotic consumption in food animal production A new study in Science by researchers at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) and partners analyzes and describes a comprehensive strategy for preserving antibiotic effectiveness by reducing antibiotic use in farm animals up to 80 percent globally by the year 2030. The study was co-authored by researchers at the Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University (USA); Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Switzerland); the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium); and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Italy).
	A biobank of reversible mutant embryonic stem cells Scientist at IMBA developed a biobank of revertible, mutant embryonic stem cells, published in the current issue of Nature. This cell bank – called Haplobank - contains over 100,000 mutated, conditional mouse embryonic stem cell lines, targeting about 70 percent of the protein-coding genome.
	New approach to study of bird navigation leads to development of animal decision-making model (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers with the University of Tokyo and Nagoya University, both in Japan, has developed what they describe as a new model for use in the study of animal decision making. In their paper uploaded to the open-access site Science Advances, the group describes their study of navigation by birds flying over the ocean and the development of their model.
	Exploring an ancient event in pumpkin, gourd and melon evolution The next time you bite into that perfect, sweet and succulent watermelon, you may want to appreciate that it's a product of millions of years of evolution in the making.
	Chimpanzees can learn how to use tools without observing others New observations have lead researchers to believe that chimpanzees can use tools spontaneously to solve a task, without needing to watch others first.
	Scientists create endocytosis on demand by 'hotwiring' cells A solution to the problem of creating endocytosis on demand is being compared to 'hotwiring' a car.
	New gene editor used to fix disease in embryos: study Chinese scientists used an adapted version of a controversial gene-editing technique to correct a disease-causing mutation in human embryos, a medical first cautiously hailed by other experts Thursday.
	Bed bugs are trying to get into your dirty laundry Like a pining lover, bed bugs will seek out your smell and snuggle up to your worn clothes when you are not around, researchers said Thursday.
	How molecular scissors cut in the right place A research group at Uppsala University has found out how CRISPR-Cas9—also known as 'molecular scissors'—can search the genome for a specific DNA sequence. Cas9 already has many applications in biotechnology and is also expected to revolutionise medicine. The new research findings show how Cas9 can be improved to make the molecular scissors faster and more reliable. The study is being published in Science.
	Mosquito gut bacteria may offer clues to malaria control Mosquitoes harbor gut bacteria just like people do—and the bugs inside the bugs may hold a key to fighting malaria.
	Hunt is over for one of the 'Top 50 Most-Wanted Fungi' In a step toward bridging the gap between fungal taxonomy and molecular ecology, scientists from several institutions including Los Alamos National Laboratory have characterized a sample of "mystery" fungus collected in North Carolina and found its home in the fungal tree of life.
	New clues from brain structures of mantis shrimp Taking a close look at the neural systems of mantis shrimp, top arthropod predators of the coral reef, researchers led by Nick Strausfeld at the University of Arizona and Gabriella Wolff, now at the University of Washington, discovered brain structures that—according to textbook wisdom—shouldn't be there.
	Examining the lifestyles of microbes Microbes are everywhere—in humans they protect us from harmful bacteria and help us digest food; in soils, they provide nutrients and encourage growth of plants. Microbes even live in sediments below the seafloor where they play a key role in the underwater ecosystem.
	Two new crustacean species discovered on Galician seabed The seabed of the continental shelf and slope is home to rich communities of fauna. But the fauna of deep seabeds tends to be relatively unknown due to the difficulty of collecting samples at great depths. A research team from the A Graña Marine Biology Station in Galicia undertook four oceanographic expeditions in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009 in the waters off the northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
Cover crops increase destruction of weed seed in fields, shed light on predator interactions Cover crops have been promoted for their abilities to reduce erosion and retain or enhance soil nutrients. Now there is evidence that they can significantly reduce weed seeds from entering the soil seed bank.
New mechanism points the way to breaking ribosome antibiotic resistance Research groups from the University of Groningen have revealed a novel mechanism of ribosome dimerization in the bacterium Lactococcus lactis using cryo-electron microscopy. As this dimerization renders ribosomes more resistant to antibiotics, this study provides the necessary structural basis to design new generations of antibiotics. The results are published in Nature Communications on Sept. 28.
Continental controls needed to maintain fightback against tree diseases Tighter controls on timber and plant movements into Europe are necessary to prevent further disastrous effects of plant diseases, a new study of the ash-dieback pathogen advises.
	Home on the range: Antelope get new digs in New Orleans A few tiny herds of African antelope have a new home on ranges in New Orleans, and zookeepers hope they will take advantage of the extra space away from curious crowds of humans to relax and reproduce.
	We faced abuse for asking people to kill wasps for science – here's why it was worthwhile When we launched a citizen science project earlier this year, we didn't expect to get in so much trouble.

---

This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com