Science X Newsletter Thursday, Nov 16

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Clothing fabric keeps you cool in the heat

Two brain regions interact to help finches know when and how to tailor their songs for specific situations

Neuroscientists find chronic stress skews decisions toward higher-risk options

Magnetic skyrmions found to hold the potential of storing electronic data

Chimps in the wild modify warnings based on what others in their group already know, study finds

Scientists invent technique to map energy and momentum of electrons beneath a material's surface

How the immune system identifies invading bacteria

High-altitude observatory sheds light on origin of excess anti-matter

Passenger pigeon genome shows effects of natural selection in a huge population

Researchers use 3-D printers to turn century-old theory into complex schwarzites

LIGO and Virgo announce the detection of a black hole binary merger from June 8, 2017

How Snapdragons keep their colour: Signposting trick reveals evolutionary mechanism

Lava or not, exoplanet 55 Cancri e likely to have atmosphere

Replace or wait? Study says swap all incandescent bulbs now, but hold on to CFLs

Amid global electric-car buzz, Toyota bullish on hydrogen

Astronomy & Space news

	High-altitude observatory sheds light on origin of excess anti-matter A mountaintop observatory in Mexico, built and operated by an international team of scientists, has captured the first wide-angle view of gamma rays emanating from two rapidly spinning stars. The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory provided the fresh perspective on high-energy light streaming from these stellar neighbors, casting serious doubt on one possible explanation for a mysterious excess of anti-matter particles near Earth.
	LIGO and Virgo announce the detection of a black hole binary merger from June 8, 2017 Scientists searching for gravitational waves have confirmed yet another detection from their fruitful observing run earlier this year. Dubbed GW170608, the latest discovery was produced by the merger of two relatively light black holes, 7 and 12 times the mass of the sun, at a distance of about a billion light-years from Earth. The merger left behind a final black hole 18 times the mass of the sun, meaning that energy equivalent to about 1 solar mass was emitted as gravitational waves during the collision.
	Lava or not, exoplanet 55 Cancri e likely to have atmosphere Twice as big as Earth, the super-Earth 55 Cancri e was thought to have lava flows on its surface. The planet is so close to its star, the same side of the planet always faces the star, such that the planet has permanent day and night sides. Based on a 2016 study using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists speculated that lava would flow freely in lakes on the starlit side and become hardened on the face of perpetual darkness. The lava on the dayside would reflect radiation from the star, contributing to the overall observed temperature of the planet.
	Our living planet shapes the search for life beyond Earth As a young scientist, Tony del Genio of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City met Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto.
	A familiar-looking messenger from another solar system The visit of the interstellar interloper 1I/2017 U1, recently spotted streaking through the solar system, gives the people of Earth their first chance to study up close an object from another planetary system. In a study carried out with the WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory and the Nordic Optical Telescope in the Canary Islands, astronomers find that despite its foreign origins, U1 is familiar in appearance—its size, rotation, and color are similar to that of asteroids in our solar system. Its familiar appearance supports the long-held view that our solar system once ejected its own flotilla of such messengers out into interstellar space.
	Meteorite's origins point to possible undiscovered asteroid A new analysis of a meteorite called Bunburra Rockhole has revealed that the rock originated from a previously unknown parent asteroid, allowing scientists to understand the geology of the parent body.
	How do you find a star cluster? Easy, simply count the stars In the latter years of the 18th century, astronomers William and Caroline Herschel began to count stars. William called the technique "star gauging" and his aim was to determine the shape of our Galaxy.
	SpaceX poised to launch secretive Zuma mission SpaceX is poised to launch on Thursday a secretive payload known as Zuma for the US government, though the nature of the mission and the agency behind it remain a mystery.
	Images of strange solar system visitor peel away some of the mystery A strange visitor, either asteroid or comet, zipping through our solar system at a high rate of speed is giving astronomers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to examine up close an object from somewhere else in our galaxy.
	NASA detects solar flare pulses at Sun and Earth When our Sun erupts with giant explosions—such as bursts of radiation called solar flares—we know they can affect space throughout the solar system as well as near Earth. But monitoring their effects requires having observatories in many places with many perspectives, much the way weather sensors all over Earth can help us monitor what's happening with a terrestrial storm.
	We've found an exo-planet with an extraordinarily eccentric orbit The discovery of a planet with a highly elliptical orbit around an ancient star could help us understand more about how planetary systems form and evolve over time.
	Fracture swarms on Mars These striking features on Mars were caused by the planet's crust stretching apart in response to ancient volcanic activity.
	Image: Autumn fireball On 14 November 2017 at about 16:45 GMT a football-sized meteoroid entered Earth's atmosphere about 50 km northeast of Darmstadt, Germany. It created a bright fireball in the sky, which was seen by thousands of people in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria and Luxembourg, and was reported widely by media.
	Interstellar visitor shaped like giant fire extinguisher (Update) A newly discovered object from another star system that's passing through ours is shaped like a giant pink fire extinguisher.
	Next generation astronomical survey to map the entire sky The next generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V), directed by Juna Kollmeier of the Carnegie Institution for Science, will move forward with mapping the entire sky following a $16 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The grant will kickstart a groundbreaking all-sky spectroscopic survey for a next wave of discovery, anticipated to start in 2020.

Technology news

	Replace or wait? Study says swap all incandescent bulbs now, but hold on to CFLs LED light bulbs are getting cheaper and more energy efficient every year. So, does it make sense to replace less-efficient bulbs with the latest light-emitting diodes now, or should you wait for future improvements and even lower costs?
	Amid global electric-car buzz, Toyota bullish on hydrogen At a car factory in this city named after Toyota, the usual robots with their swinging arms are missing. Instead, workers intently fit parts into place by hand with craftsmanship-like care.
	Firefox Quantum is browser overhaul and tryouts hail speed (Tech Xplore)—Firefox Quantum is here, one year in the making, and the focal point of all things Mozilla in tech-watching sites this week.
	Apple Watch, Fitbit can diagnose hypertension and sleep apnea: study A new study from the University of California, San Francisco and a health startup suggests that Apple Watch and Fitbit can accurately diagnose common health issues such as hypertension and sleep apnea.
	Optically tunable microwave antennas for 5G applications Multiband tunable antennas are a critical part of many communication and radar systems. New research by engineers at the University of Bristol has shown significant advances in antennas by using optically induced plasmas in silicon to tune both radiation patterns and operation frequency.
	Algorithm better at diagnosing pneumonia than radiologists Stanford researchers have developed a deep-learning algorithm that evaluates chest X-rays for signs of disease.
	New motion sensors a major step toward low-cost, high-performance wearable technology Researchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have developed a class of breakthrough motion sensors that could herald a near future of ubiquitous, fully integrated and affordable wearable technology.
	Tesla to enter trucking business with new electric semi After more than a decade of making cars and SUVs—and, more recently, solar panels—Tesla Inc. wants to electrify a new type of vehicle: big trucks.
	Google's Missouri problem mirrors woes in EU As an aggressive antitrust investigation plays out in Europe against Google, its practices have drawn comparatively little scrutiny from regulators on the US side of the Atlantic. But the midwest state of Missouri wants to change that.
Kaspersky Lab releases report into upload of NSA documents Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kasperksy Lab is releasing new details about how its software uploaded classified U.S. documents several years ago. The incident is at the center of a controversy over whether the company's popular anti-virus really works as described.
	Technique uses solar thermal energy to split H2O and CO2 for jet fuel Scientists with the SOLAR-JET Project have demonstrated a novel process to make kerosene, the jet fuel used by commercial airlines. The technique uses a high-temperature thermal solar reactor to create syngas. Shell Global Solutions in Amsterdam refined the solar syngas into jet fuel using the new Fischer-Tropsch method.
	Game theory harnessed for cybersecurity of large-scale nets Researchers have laid the groundwork for a method to improve cybersecurity for large-scale systems like the power grid and autonomous military defense networks by harnessing game theory and creating new intelligent algorithms.
	Bitcoin does not dominate the cryptocurrency market: study The first complete study of the entire cryptocurrency market between 2013 and 2017 has concluded that no cryptocurrency has shown a strong selective advantage over the other and that all cryptocurrencies face an uncertain fate.
	The blockchain does not eliminate the need for trust A common idea about the blockchain, the technology that powers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is that it can "create trust", or allow two parties to make a transaction "without relying on trust".
	Cars and speakers: Baidu speeds up AI progress Chinese web giant Baidu unveiled Thursday a smart speaker model and plans for a self-driving mini-bus, its latest foray into the hyper-competitive field of artificial intelligence.
	'Fake news' becomes a business model: researchers Cyber criminals have latched onto the notion of "fake news" and turned it into a profitable business model, with services starting at under $10, security researchers said Thursday.
	Walmart lifts profit outlook on strong third-quarter results Walmart raised its annual profit outlook Thursday after the world's largest retailer reported third-quarter results that topped Wall Street projections.
	Researchers develop smart, ultra-thin microfibre sensor for real-time healthcare monitoring and diagnosis A research team from National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a soft, flexible and stretchable microfibre sensor for real-time healthcare monitoring and diagnosis. The novel sensor is highly sensitive and ultra-thin with a diameter of a strand of human hair. It is also simple and cost-effective to mass produce.
Phone companies get new tools to block spam calls Phone companies will have greater authority to block questionable calls from reaching customers as regulators adopted new rules to combat automated messages known as robocalls.
	Kaspersky blames NSA hack on infected Microsoft software Embattled computer security firm Kaspersky Lab said Thursday that malware-infected Microsoft Office software and not its own was to blame for the hacking theft of top-secret US intelligence materials.
	Twitter to remove 'verification badge' from some accounts Twitter is changing its policy on "verified" accounts, reserving the right to remove the blue badges from users who violate the online platform's terms of service.
	Google, Facebook join news organizations in 'Trust Project' Google, Facebook and other tech firms joined global news organizations Thursday in an initiative aimed at identifying "trustworthy" news sources, in the latest effort to combat online misinformation.
	High-performance OLED microdisplays for next-generation smart glasses A consistent trend across the tech sector is the one-upmanship of increasingly high screen resolution and larger display size. Yet, the fact that the former increases faster than the latter means that manufacturers must achieve ever-higher pixel density. Large OLED microdisplays developed under the LOMID project could help solve that problem, thereby providing Europe with a competitive edge.
	FCC relaxes limits on owning newspapers, TV stations Federal regulators have weakened rules meant to support independent local media.
	Defining the danger zone: New mapping software makes live-fire training safer To better protect warfighters during live-fire training, the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) TechSolutions program has sponsored the development of a new Google Maps-style software tool to map out training areas in great detail.
Art project lights up iconic 85-year-old Dutch dyke Dutch artists unveiled a design and light show Thursday to highlight one of the country's landmark engineering projects, built more than 80 years ago as part of The Netherlands' famed sea defences.
Verizon online unit cutting 'less than 4%' of workforce Verizon's online unit Oath—which includes the AOL and recently acquired Yahoo brands—is cutting several hundred jobs as part of a reorganization, a source familiar with the move said Thursday.

Medicine & Health news

	Neuroscientists find chronic stress skews decisions toward higher-risk options Making decisions is not always easy, especially when choosing between two options that have both positive and negative elements, such as deciding between a job with a high salary but long hours, and a lower-paying job that allows for more leisure time.
	How the immune system identifies invading bacteria The body's homeland security unit is more thorough than any airport checkpoint. For the first time, scientists have witnessed a mouse immune system protein frisking a snippet of an invading bacterium. The inspection is far more extensive than researchers imagined: the immune system protein, similar to those in humans, scans the bacterial protein in six different ways, ensuring correct identification.
	New painkillers reduce overdose risk Scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed new opioid pain relievers that reduce pain on par with morphine but do not slow or stop breathing—the cause of opiate overdose.
	Research team unlocks secrets of Ebola In a comprehensive and complex molecular study of blood samples from Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, published today (Nov. 16, 2017) in Cell Host and Microbe, a scientific team led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison has identified signatures of Ebola virus disease that may aid in future treatment efforts.
	Molecular guardian defends cells, organs against excess cholesterol A team of researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health has illuminated a critical player in cholesterol metabolism that acts as a molecular guardian in cells to help maintain cholesterol levels within a safe, narrow range. Known as Nrf1, it both senses and responds to excess cholesterol, and could represent a potential new therapeutic target in a multitude of diseases where cholesterol metabolism is disrupted.
	Ancient enzyme could boost power of liquid biopsies to detect and profile cancers Scientists are developing a set of medical tests called liquid biopsies that can rapidly detect the presence of cancers, infectious diseases and other conditions from only a small blood sample. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are developing a new tool for liquid biopsy that could soon provide doctors with a more complete picture of an individual's disease, improving their chances of finding the best treatment, while also sparing patients the pain, inconvenience and long wait times associated with surgical biopsies.
	Study raises possibility of naturally acquired immunity against Zika virus Birth defects in babies born infected with Zika virus remain a major health concern. Now, scientists suggest the possibility that some women in high-risk Zika regions may already be protected and not know it.
	Raising 'good' cholesterol fails to protect against heart disease Raising so-called 'good' cholesterol by blocking a key protein involved in its metabolism does not protect against heart disease or stroke, according to a large genetic study of 150,000 Chinese adults published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.
	A structural clue to attacking malaria's 'Achilles heel' Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) have shed light on how the human immune system recognizes the malaria parasite though investigation of antibodies generated from the RTS,S malaria vaccine—work that could boost the development of a more potent vaccine against the global killer.
	Prototype ear plug sensor could improve monitoring of vital signs Scientists have developed a sensor that fits in the ear, with the aim of monitoring the heart, brain and lungs functions for health and fitness.
	Teenage depression linked to father's depression Adolescents whose fathers have depressive symptoms are more likely to experience symptoms of depression themselves, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
Applying traffic rule exemptions helps emergency vehicles reach patients faster Rapid response (emergency) vehicles can halve the average time it takes to reach a critically injured patient if they apply traffic rule exemptions, which allow them to exceed speed limits, bypass road signs, and pass through red lights, reveals research published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
	Heavy drinking and smoking linked to visible signs of aging Heavy drinking and smoking are linked to visible signs of physical ageing, and looking older than one's years, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Brexit and policy restrictions on immigration could worsen GP workforce crisis Difficulties in replacing a fifth of the general practice workforce in England after Brexit will primarily threaten healthcare in more deprived areas, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. 21.1 per cent of General Practitioners (GPs) employed in English primary care are doctors who qualified outside the UK (4.1% in the EEA and 17% elsewhere). These non-UK qualified doctors work longer hours, tend to be older, serve a larger number of patients in more deprived areas, and appear to be paid slightly less, researchers at the University of Manchester suggest.
Black box warning slows, but doesn't stop, codeine for kids after tonsil removal Despite an FDA black box warning against prescribing children codeine following tonsil and adenoid removal, 1 in 20 children undergoing these surgeries continued to receive the opioid, a new study suggests.
Reversing opioid overdose: Concentrated naloxone nasal spray as good as injection A new study published by the scientific journal Addiction has found that a concentrated 2mg intranasal naloxone spray delivers naloxone as effectively, over the critical first 15 minutes, as the standard 0.4mg intramuscular (IM) naloxone injection. The 2mg spray also maintains blood levels of naloxone more than twice as high as the 0.4mg IM levels for two hours after administration. It should therefore be highly effective in reversing opioid overdose.
Visual perception of summary statistics not following mathematical rules Cognitive psychologists of the Higher School of Economics have experimentally demonstrated that people are capable of estimating the mean size of visible objects and their approximate number simultaneously, showing for the first time that these two cognitive processes are independent of each other and do not follow the rules of mathematical statistics. The results of this experiment, published in PLOS ONE, can inform new approaches to statistical data visualisation and statistical education.
	Developing a new vaccination strategy against AIDS According to the WHO, there are currently more than 36 million people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and a further 2.4 million become infected every year. Despite treatment success against the virus, it is important to find a vaccine. Infection researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have in cooperation with international colleagues tested a new, two-component vaccination strategy against the HIV-related simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in rhesus monkeys.
Count your blessings: Quantitative microbiome profiling A broad range of metabolic and inflammatory diseases is associated with alterations in gut microbiota composition and metabolic potential. Until now, sequencing-based gut microbiota research has described such dysbiotic states in terms of proportional shifts in microbiome composition. However, when it comes to the gut bacterial content and how it relates to health, it's not only percentages that matter, but also numbers. That is according to the latest research by Jeroen Raes (VIB-KU Leuven) and his team, published today in Nature.
Radiation and pulmonary fibrosis Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis—tissue scarring that can permanently impair lung function—limits the delivery of therapeutic radiation doses to non-small cell lung cancer.
	Pharmacoscopy improves therapy for relapsed blood cancer in a first clinical trial Researchers at CeMM and the Medical University of Vienna presented a preliminary report in The Lancet Hematology on the clinical impact of an integrated ex vivo approach called pharmacoscopy. The procedures measure single-cell drug responses of millions of individual cells to hundreds of possible treatments in small biopsies from cancer patients.
	Overeating during the holidays is bad for your kidneys Given all of the delicious foods that are served during holiday meals, many people find it hard to resist eating more than they usually would. But what you may not think about is what all of that extra food is doing to your kidneys. Baylor College of Medicine's Dr. Sreedhar Mandayam explains how overeating during the holidays can impact your kidneys.
	The two obstacles that are holding back Alzheimer's research Thirty years ago, scientists began to unlock the mysteries regarding the cause of Alzheimer's disease. This knowledge ushered in an era of great enthusiasm that scientists could develop new therapies to either prevent Alzheimer's or significantly slow the symptoms once present.
	Possible use for botulinum toxin to treat atrial fibrillation From temporarily softening wrinkles to easing migraines, botulinum toxin has become a versatile medical remedy because of its ability to block nerve signals that can become bothersome or risky.
	Can asthma be controlled with a vitamin supplement? The shortness of breath experienced by the nearly 26 million Americans who suffer from asthma is usually the result of inflammation of the airways. People with asthma typically use albuterol for acute attacks and inhaled steroids to limit chronic inflammation. Both medications come with side effects.
A new test to measure the effectiveness of CF drugs UNC School of Medicine researchers have developed a new laboratory model of the infection- and inflammation-plagued airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The model, described in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, includes primary bronchial epithelial cells from CF patients as well as infectious/inflammatory factors normally found in the CF airways. Pharmaceutical companies are now using the new model to test existing and potential CF therapies.
Developing a positive body image When it comes to body image, we often think of the media as having a big impact on how and what we think about our bodies. However, there are many factors that can influence a person's body image. So what can you do to foster a positive body image? Let's delve into what body image is, how it manifests in your day-to-day life and how you can promote positive body image in yourself, your peers and society.
	Vaping while pregnant could cause craniofacial birth defects, study shows Using e-cigarettes during pregnancy could cause birth defects of the oral cavity and face, according to a recent Virginia Commonwealth University study.
	Preventing adult mental disorders with intervention at kindergarten Primary school teachers could detect children at high risk of developing mental disorders soon after they start school, new research at UNSW Sydney suggests.
Clinical study finds Chinese medicine treatment of hyperthyroidism to be over 80% effective The School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) recently conducted a clinical study on Chinese medicine treatment of hyperthyroidism. The results indicated that Chinese medicine is effective in improving the symptoms of patients with hyperthyroidism and enhancing their quality of life in general.
	Vaping should be part of support to help smokers with mental health conditions quit A group of health bodies and charities has called for more to be done to help smokers with mental health conditions quit, including accessing e-cigarettes and other treatments.
	Diagnosing Alzheimer's with diamonds and PET scans Deep within our brains is a dense forest of 100 billion nerve cells. Each of those cells has about 15,000 dendrites that branch out to connect with dendrites from other nerve cells, generating more than 100 trillion points of connection. Electrical signals race from cell to cell at a rate of 200 times a second, triggering thoughts, memories, actions and feelings. These signals create pathways that transmit 4 billion pieces of information. All of this occurs in the time it takes to blink.
	Stopping the dengue threat Improved disease surveillance at Australian ports and borders is needed to prevent the growing threat of dengue infection spreading across the country, with a new QUT study identifying potential risk factors linked to dengue outbreaks beyond climatic conditions.
	New resources for dietary assessment in health research The links between diet and health are becoming ever more apparent. A detailed understanding of the amounts and types of food people consume is vital to revealing the impact diet has on our health—such as links between sugar consumption, diabetes and obesity.
	Poorer health influences muscle strength in later life Older people with poorer health are more likely to have weaker muscles and experience a decline in muscle strength more quickly than their healthier peers, according to a new study carried out at the University of Southampton.
	Research exploring common biology of cancer, infection and psychiatric disease Nevan Krogan, PhD, is a mapmaker, but the object of his exploration is not any newfound continent or alien world. Instead, he and his colleagues map cells. Rather than cities, towns and interstates, these maps show proteins, genes, and the shifting, convoluted network of interactions between them.
Father's weight is just as relevant as the mother's in determining a child's risk of obesity It's not only women who should be concerned about the impact of their weight on their children's health. A*STAR researchers have identified a set of factors, including the father's weight, that combine to increase a child's risk of obesity by up to 11-fold.
Lupus patients exhibit altered cell proteins, a discovery with potential implications for diagnostics Autoimmune diseases such as lupus—in which the body attacks its own cells and tissues—are on the rise, according to A*STAR's Anna-Marie Fairhurst. Her team is the first to observe that patients with lupus exhibit an increased number of a specific type of protein on the surface of certain white blood cells. This finding may help diagnosticians in detecting the disease, or reveal new avenues of research into its causes.
	New dye gives scientists a clearer insight into the brain Keele University researchers have designed a new dye that can be used to observe the electrical activity of neurons in the brain and could lead to finding a new and more efficient way of treating neurological diseases, as presented at the prestigious Society for Neuroscience annual conference in Washington, D.C. this week.
	Why Freud was right about hysteria A 35-year-old woman loses the use of her legs, suddenly becoming paralysed from the waist down. In another case, a woman feels an overwhelming compulsion to close her eyes, until eventually she cannot open them at all. After numerous tests, nothing physically wrong was found with these patients, so what caused their symptoms?
	Stem cells may offer hope for children with Hurler syndrome A new therapy involving stem cells may offer a better quality of life for patients with Hurler syndrome, a rare genetic disease that can cause crippling physical conditions and lead to early death.
	Investigators compare effects of nicotine with and without menthol on brain and behavior A new study from UMass Medical School researchers at the Center for Comparative Neuroimaging explores the link between mentholated tobacco and nicotine addiction. They found that menthol administered with nicotine alters connectivity patterns in an area of the brain associated with drug reward and addiction and results in behavioral changes.
	What you need to know about honey bee stings A Victorian man died yesterday after being stung by several bees. While bee sting deaths are rare (bees claim around two Australian lives each year), bees cause more hospitalisations than any venomous creature.
	Popular e-cigarette liquid flavorings may change, damage heart muscle cells Chemicals used to make some popular e-cigarette liquid flavorings—including cinnamon, clove, citrus and floral—may cause changes or damage to heart muscle cells, new research indicates.
	'Macho men' skewing pain studies Hyper masculine men, who exhibit traits such as competitiveness and aggressiveness, may be more likely to take part in pain research – and it could be skewing our understanding of how women and men experience pain differently.
	New talking therapy could help cancer survivors cope after treatment Even though cancer survivors may be in good physical health or in long-term remission, the impact of cancer and its treatment can be very difficult. The researchers hope that the new therapy will transform aftercare for those living with and beyond cancer.
	Researchers discover an Achilles heel in a lethal leukemia Researchers have discovered how a linkage between two proteins in acute myeloid leukemia enables cancer cells to resist chemotherapy and showed that disrupting the linkage could render the cells vulnerable to treatment. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists led the research, which could lead to drugs to enhance chemotherapy in patients with AML, colon and breast cancers and the brain tumor medulloblastoma.
	The psychological impact of incontinence We rarely hear or speak about incontinence. But the condition – the involuntary loss of urine or faecal matter – is frighteningly common.
	Higher risk of dementia among frail older adults The risk of developing dementia is around 3.5 times higher in frail older adults than in their non-frail peers, according to a new study from UCL.
Inclusion in mainstream school can exacerbate feelings of being 'different' in pupils with autism spectrum conditions Negative school experiences can have harmful long term effects on pupils with autism spectrum conditions, a new study in the journal Autism reports.
Discovery of a promising medication for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Researchers from the University of Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) and the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) at the University of Calgary have discovered a medication that could make it possible to treat individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.
	Intervention becomes first to successfully reduce risk of dementia Computerized brain-training is now the first intervention of any kind to reduce the risk of dementia among older adults. The breakthrough results from a randomized controlled trial were just published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. The article, "Speed of Processing Training Results in Lower Risk of Dementia", reports on the latest findings from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Has the Mental Health Act had its day? Patients with a "mental disorder" in England and Wales can be detained and treated against their will under the Mental Health Act (MHA). The United Nations has said the UK should repeal legislation authorising compulsory treatment in healthcare.
	Midwifery care at hospitals is associated with fewer medical interventions In a new, hospital-level analysis by health policy researcher Laura Attanasio at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Katy Kozhimannnil at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, they report that women who gave birth at hospitals that had a larger percentage of midwife-attended births were less likely to have two specific medical interventions, cesarean delivery and episiotomy.
	Progression from infection to pulmonary tuberculosis follows distinct timeline Researchers have uncovered a sequence of biological processes that occur in humans infected with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the infection progresses to pulmonary tuberculosis, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens.
	New model estimates odds of events that trigger sudden cardiac death A new computational model of heart tissue allows researchers to estimate the probability of rare heartbeat irregularities that can cause sudden cardiac death. The model, developed by Mark Walker and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, is presented in PLOS Computational Biology.
Newly found immune defence could pave way to treat allergies Scientists have made a fundamental discovery about how our body's immune system clears harmful infections.
	Study shows therapy improves quality of life in people who have sleep apnea A new study shows that positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy improves quality of life measures in people who have obstructive sleep apnea.
	When vegetables are closer in price to chips, people eat healthier, study finds When healthier food, like vegetables and dairy products, is pricier compared to unhealthy items, like salty snacks and sugary sweets, Americans are significantly less likely to have a high-quality diet, a new Drexel University study found.
	'Wooden shoe' rather wear sneakers? Research shows long-lasting issues from inflexible clogs Bio-archeologists have discovered a pattern of unusual bone chips in the feet of clog-wearing 19th-Century Dutch farmers—injuries that offer clues to the damage we may unwittingly be causing to our own feet.
Listening to the patient's voice: A more patient-centered approach to medication safety Communication between patients and clinicians that is patient-centered, taking into account patient concerns and preferences has important implications for patient safety.
Naturally occurring molecule may help prevent and treat atherosclerosis and gum disease Resolvin E1, a molecule produced naturally in the body from an omega -3 fish oil, topically applied on gum tissues not only prevents and treats gum disease as previously shown (Hasturk et al 2006 and 2007), but also decreases the likelihood for advanced arterial atherosclerotic plaques to rupture and form a dangerous thrombus or blood clot.
	Spanking linked to increase in children's behavior problems Children who have been spanked by their parents by age 5 show an increase in behavior problems at age 6 and age 8 relative to children who have never been spanked, according to new findings in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Rebuilding spinal cords with an engineer's toolkit Like an earthquake that ruptures a road, traumatic spinal cord injuries render the body's neural highway impassable. To date, there are neither workable repairs nor detours that will restore signal flow between the brain and limbs, reversing paralysis.
	Study: For older women, every movement matters Folding your laundry or doing the dishes might not be the most enjoyable parts of your day. But simple activities like these may help prolong your life, according to the findings of a new study in older women led by the University at Buffalo.
	Paraplegic rats walk and regain feeling after stem cell treatment Engineered tissue containing human stem cells has allowed paraplegic rats to walk independently and regain sensory perception. The implanted rats also show some degree of healing in their spinal cords. The research, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, demonstrates the great potential of stem cells—undifferentiated cells that can develop into numerous different types of cells—to treat spinal cord injury.
	Separating side effects could hold key for safer opioids Opioid pain relievers can be extremely effective in relieving pain, but can carry a high risk of addiction and ultimately overdose when breathing is suppressed and stops. Scientists have discovered a way to separate these two effects—pain relief and breathing—opening a window of opportunity to make effective pain medications without the risk of respiratory failure. The research, published today in Cell, was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
	FDA to crack down on risky stem cell offerings U.S. health authorities announced plans Thursday to crack down on doctors pushing stem cell procedures that pose the gravest risks to patients amid an effort to police a burgeoning medical field that previously has received little oversight.
	Study shows video games could cut dementia risk in seniors Could playing video games help keep the brain agile as we age?
	FDA OKs new therapy for some hemophilia patients U.S. regulators have approved the first new treatment in nearly two decades to prevent internal bleeding in certain patients with hemophilia, an inherited blood-clotting disorder.
	California officials probe source of Legionnaires' cases Three new cases of Legionnaires' disease have been identified in Southern California and officials are looking at the possibility there may be a source outside Disneyland, where at least 11 of the patients visited in September, according to reports.
	Old World monkeys could be key to a new, powerful rheumatoid arthritis therapy In the quest for a new and more effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC looked to a primate that mostly roams the land in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It was a particular peptide only found in Old World monkeys, called θ-defensin 1 (RTD-1), that the researchers believed had the potential to stop—or even reverse—the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects about 1.5 million people in the United States. The promising results of their study were published today in PLOS ONE.
Computer program finds new uses for old drugs Researchers at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have developed a computer program to find new indications for old drugs. The computer program, called DrugPredict, matches existing data about FDA-approved drugs to diseases, and predicts potential drug efficacy. In a recent study published in Oncogene, the researchers successfully translated DrugPredict results into the laboratory, and showed common pain medications—like aspirin—can kill patient-derived epithelial ovarian cancer cells.
Environmental factors may trigger lupus onset and progression While genetics play a role in the development of Lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease that can attack any organ system in the human body, so do environmental triggers, such as particulates in air pollution and ultraviolet light, explains Gaurav Gulati, MD, a physician-researcher at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.
Workplace sexual harassment 'a chronic problem,' says APA president Sexual harassment in the workplace is a pervasive, chronic problem that can cause enduring psychological harm, according to the president of the American Psychological Association.
	Using social media big data to combat prescription drug crisis Researchers at Dartmouth, Stanford University, and IBM Research, conducted a critical review of existing literature to determine whether social media big data can be used to understand communication and behavioral patterns related to prescription drug abuse. Their study found that with proper research methods and attention to privacy and ethical issues, social media big data can reveal important information concerning drug abuse, such as user-reported side effects, drug cravings, emotional states, and risky behaviors.
	Research reveals biological mechanism of a leading cause of childhood blindness Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute (VTCRI) have revealed the pathology of cells and structures stricken by optic nerve hypoplasia, a leading cause of childhood blindness in developed nations.
	CDC wants America to eat its fruits and veggies (HealthDay)—Fruits and vegetables can be delicious and nutritious—but too many Americans are still passing them by, a new report finds.
	FDA seeks to speed development of 'regenerated' organs for medical use (HealthDay)—Using stem cells to grow new heart tissue, and even whole organs, used to be the stuff of science fiction.
	Breathing dirty air may raise miscarriage risk (HealthDay)—Smog might raise a woman's risk of miscarriage early in her pregnancy, a new study suggests.
	One type of diet can add years to your life (HealthDay)—Obese people who follow a low-fat weight-loss plan could tack extra years onto their life, a new review of medical evidence suggests.
	Preventing sports injuries (HealthDay)—Simple steps can help keep you from being sidelined by a sports injury.
	Heterogeneity of PET/CT imaging phenotype prognostic in mCRPC (HealthDay)—Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has heterogeneity in positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging phenotype, which has clinical relevance, according to a study published online Nov. 9 in JAMA Oncology.
	HPV vaccine tied to reduced respiratory papillomatosis rate (HealthDay)—The incidence of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP) in Australia decreased from 2012 to 2016 after implementation of a quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for females aged 12 to 26 years in 2007-2009, according to a study published online Nov. 9 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
	Peer review policy cuts atypical antipsychotic use in children (HealthDay)—For young children, implementation of a peer review prior authorization (PA) policy can reduce the use of atypical antipsychotic (AAP) medications, according to a research letter published online Nov. 15 in JAMA Psychiatry.
	Simpler tool promising for atherosclerosis prediction (HealthDay)—The ideal cardiovascular health score (ICHS) and the Fuster-BEWAT (blood pressure, exercise, weight, alimentation, and tobacco) score (FBS) are similar in their ability to predict subclinical atherosclerosis, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Heart murmur disappearance on standing can rule out pathology (HealthDay)—For children aged 2 and older, disappearance of a heart murmur on standing is a reliable tool for excluding pathologic murmur, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Model predicts development of chronic kidney disease (HealthDay)—A multivariable model that uses routine laboratory data is able to predict advanced chronic kidney disease after hospitalization with acute kidney injury, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Sentinel lymph node biopsy underused in high-risk SCC (HealthDay)—Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is underused for high-risk squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin, according to a research letter published online Nov. 15 in JAMA Dermatology.
A new way to reduce surgery complications stemming from high blood sugar Researchers identified a new way to lower the risk of complications after joint surgery, using a simple blood test. Patients with diabetes are more likely to need joint replacement surgery but also have a greater risk of serious complications after surgery, including heart attack, stroke, and wound infections, because of their underlying diabetes. Current guidelines suggest testing diabetic patients for stable glucose control prior to surgery, but the recommended blood test or marker is slow to detect change, and does not correlate well with risk of surgical complications. Now, Thomas Jefferson University researchers have found that a different blood-sugar marker is able to predict patients - both diabetic and non-diabetic -with highest risk of complications more accurately, and detect changes in glucose control much faster, which could potentially change clinical practice.
	One health researchers identify hot spots of tick-borne diseases in Mongolia Given the critical role livestock play in Mongolia, transmission of tick-borne diseases can have very real health and economic implications for livestock and the herders that tend to them. Dr. Michael von Fricken explored this association using a multidisciplinary One Health research approach, which focused on the interaction between nomadic herders, the livestock they own, and the tick-borne diseases they are exposed to. von Fricken spent a year living in Ulaanbataar as a postdoc with Duke University, under Dr. Greg Gray, working alongside veterinarians from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and the National Center for Zoonotic Diseases.
Lower cost, higher quality primary care practices are distinguished by six attributes Six attributes of primary care delivery are associated with high value, according to a new study: decision support for evidence-based medicine, risk-stratified care management, careful selection of specialists, coordination of care, standing orders and protocols, and balanced physician compensation.
To keep girls in school, Ethiopians open up about menstruation There's one room at the Sheno primary school in rural Ethiopia that's different from all the others, starting with the sign over the door reading: "Menstruation is a gift from God."
	What to expect from lung cancer surgery Surgery remains the primary treatment for early-stage lung cancer, and most commonly that means a procedure called lobectomy, which removes about one-third to one-half of the lung with the tumor.
	Air Force diabetes prevention program shows promising results "I wish I knew this 30 years ago," is a common feeling among Air Force veterans after receiving diabetes education. Like most of the 89 million Americans with prediabetes, many active duty Airmen do not know the ways they can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
GPs trained in compression ultrasonography accurately diagnose deep vein thrombosis General practitioners trained in compression ultrasonography have excellent accuracy and agreement in diagnosing symptomatic proximal deep vein thrombosis.
Philippines to implement family planning law in blow to church A long-awaited Philippine family planning law to provide free hormonal contraceptives is finally going ahead, health officials said Thursday, ending a two-year impasse in which the Supreme Court demanded proof that they did not cause abortions.
AMP Iissues consensus guideline recommendations for NGS bioinformatics pipelines The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, non-profit molecular diagnostics professional society, today published 17 consensus recommendations to help clinical laboratory professionals achieve high-quality sequencing results and deliver better patient care. The report, "Standards and Guidelines for Validating Next Generation Sequencing Bioinformatics Pipelines: A Joint Recommendation of the Association for Molecular Pathology and College of American Pathologists," was released online ahead of publication in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
Why are minorities underrepresented in genetic cancer studies? Socio-cultural and clinical factors as well as healthcare processes were important drivers of a woman's willingness to provide saliva specimens for future cancer research. This is according to Vanessa B. Sheppard of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine, lead author of a study in Springer's Journal of Cancer Survivorship.
Tax reform proposal has serious implications for older Americans Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) advised members of Congress that the U.S. House of Representative's tax reform bill (the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," or H.R. 1) would result in automatic cuts to key federal programs, including a $25 billion cut to the Medicare program in 2018 as a result of existing Congressional "pay-go" rules. Pay-go rules require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make automatic cuts to mandatory spending when the deficit hits a certain level. With 55 million people already relying on Medicare for their well-being, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes any legislative proposal that would reduce access to Medicare for us all as we age.
	David Bowie and the art of slow innovation: A new strategy for global precision medicine With what strategies should developing countries invest in for emerging biotechnologies and precision medicine? This timely question on biotechnology global development was discussed in an innovation analysis published in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology. The analysis, co-authored by Vural Özdemir, MD, PhD, DABCP (Toronto, Canada) and George P. Patrinos (Patras, Greece), notes that an "astutely global, and yet customized strategy for applications of omics and biotechnology innovations across countries and populations is sorely missing. Such globalization of science cannot be 'one-size-fits-all-countries', however, in much the same way drug treatments need to be customized through precision medicine."
Redefining obesity in postmenopausal women There is no doubt the prevalence of obesity has increased significantly across all age groups, creating greater health risks. What exactly constitutes obesity, however, is subject to debate, especially for postmenopausal women who have a different body composition than younger women. A study published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), demonstrates that the long-accepted BMI definition for obesity may no longer be accurate.

Biology news

	Two brain regions interact to help finches know when and how to tailor their songs for specific situations Researchers at UC San Francisco have shown how the Bengalese finch, a domesticated songbird, can learn to tweak its song in specific ways depending on context, which could shed light on how the human brain learns to apply different rules depending on the situation, and have implications for understanding human language and movement disorders.
	Chimps in the wild modify warnings based on what others in their group already know, study finds (Phys.org)—A trio of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Germany, Uganda, the U.K. and Switzerland has found via experimentation that wild chimps are aware of what other chimps know and behave accordingly. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the group describes experiments they carried out with fake snakes and wild chimps and what they learned by doing so.
	Passenger pigeon genome shows effects of natural selection in a huge population The passenger pigeon is famous for the enormity of its historical population in North America (estimated at 3 to 5 billion) and for its rapid extinction in the face of mass slaughter by humans. Yet it remains a mystery why the species wasn't able to survive in at least a few small, isolated populations.
	How Snapdragons keep their colour: Signposting trick reveals evolutionary mechanism A study of the colour patterns among wild flowers in a mountain valley has yielded a clue about how nature controls fundamental evolutionary change in all species.
	More than a numbers game: New technique gauges microbial communities by biomass A new technique devised by researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Calgary provides a more in-depth look at the composition of and activity within microbial communities - the microscopic life within our bodies and all around us.
	Genomic study explores evolution of gentle 'killer bees' in Puerto Rico A genomic study of Puerto Rico's Africanized honey bees - which are more docile than other so-called "killer bees" - reveals that they retain most of the genetic traits of their African honey bee ancestors, but that a few regions of their DNA have become more like those of European honey bees. According to the researchers, these changes likely contributed to the bees' rapid evolution toward gentleness in Puerto Rico, a change that occurred within 30 years.
	Team's advance allows gene editing with surgical precision Yale researchers report they have created a more precise and efficient technology to edit the genomes of living organisms, an ability that is transforming medicine and biotechnology. The new method, described Nov. 16 in the journal Cell, eliminates some of the drawbacks of genome editing technologies, which enables scientists to insert or eliminate genes within DNA.
	Microbial resident enables beetles to feed on a leafy diet An international team including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has described a bacterium residing in a species of leaf beetles which has an unexpected feature: it provides the beetle with the enzymes required to break down certain plant cell wall components. The genome of the bacterium is the smallest ever sequenced of any organism living outside a host cell. It contains genes that are responsible for the production of pectinases, the enzymes that break down pectin, an essential component of the plant cell wall. The production of pectinases is therefore the primary function of these bacteria. Without bacterial symbionts the beetles could not to gain access to the nutrients inside the plant cells and hence would be unable to survive. The study is reported today in Cell.
	Secrets of succulents' water-wise ways revealed Plant Scientists at the University of Liverpool have revealed new insights into the mechanisms that allow certain plants to conserve water and tolerate drought.
	Researchers create 3-D cell arrays for more realistic experimental biological environments Paving the way for testing experimental drugs in more realistic environments, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered how to make tiny colonies of cells grow in useful new ways inside petri dishes.
	Researchers find diffusion plays unusual signaling role in Drosophila embryos Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that diffusion plays an unexpected role in cell differentiation during the early stages of development in the embryos of Drosophila, or fruit flies. Instead of spreading a molecular signal out, it was found that diffusion, facilitated through a carrier molecule, actually concentrates the signal in one place. This "facilitated diffusion" mechanism has previously been found in other systems, and the new finding indicates it may be more widespread than previously thought.
	Kill switches for engineered microbes gone rogue Synthetic biologists are fitting the genomes of microorganisms with synthetic gene circuits to break down polluting plastics, non-invasively diagnose and treat infections in the human gut, and generate chemicals and nutrition on long haul space flights. Although showing great promise in the laboratory, these technologies require control and safety measures that make sure the engineered microorganisms keep their functional gene circuits intact over many cell divisions, and that they are contained to the specific environments they are designed for.
	Scientists present a novel method to directly and rapidly destroy any protein in any kind of cell In our bodies, proteins carry out almost all essential processes, and protein malfunction causes many diseases. To study the function of a protein, researchers remove it from the cell and subsequently analyze the consequences. The two methods they could typically use currently are genome editing by CRISPR/Cas, and RNA interference. They act on the level of DNA or RNA, respectively. However, their influence on protein amounts is indirect and takes time. Scientists from Germany and the UK now present a new method, called Trim-Away, which makes it possible to directly and quickly deplete a protein from any cell type. As Trim-Away can distinguish between different variants of a protein, it also opens up new venues for the therapy of diseases.
	Gene discovery may halt worldwide wheat epidemic University of California, Davis, researchers have identified a gene that enables resistance to a new devastating strain of stem rust, a fungal disease that is hampering wheat production throughout Africa and Asia and threatening food security worldwide.
	Cyanobacterial studies examine cellular structure during nitrogen starvation Using nondestructive neutron scattering techniques, scientists are examining how single-celled organisms called cyanobacteria produce oxygen and obtain energy through photosynthesis.
	Are petite poplars the future of biofuels? Studies say yes In the quest to produce affordable biofuels, poplar trees are one of the Pacific Northwest's best bets—the trees are abundant, fast-growing, adaptable to many terrains and their wood can be transformed into substances used in biofuel and high-value chemicals that we rely on in our daily lives.
	Donkeys need more protection from winter than horses Donkeys are not as able to keep warm as horses in the UK's cold, damp winters, according to a new study.
	Image stabilization in vertebrates depends on contrast between objects Contrast has an impact on the optokinetic reflex, which enables us to clearly perceive the landscape from a moving train. LMU researchers have now shown that visual features that modulate this ability are encoded in the retina.
	Navy efforts to protect whales have limited effect Naval efforts to protect endangered whales by gradually increasing the noise levels of sonar have limited benefit, researchers at the University of St Andrews have found.
	Gene drive technologies for ecosystem conservation: Use with care Scientists working in the vanguard of new genetic technologies have issued a cautionary call to ensure that possible applications in conservation will only affect local populations. In an article publishing 16 November in the open access journal PLOS Biology, Neil Gemmell from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and Kevin Esvelt of MIT examine the possible consequences of the accidental spread of existing self-propagating gene drive systems.
	Indonesia smugglers stuffed exotic birds in pipes: police Smugglers who allegedly stuffed 125 exotic birds into drain pipes have been arrested in Indonesia, officials said Thursday, as part of a bid to clamp down on a lucrative illegal trade in wildlife.
	Seals and our shores Scottish legend is full of tall tales of selkies, the mythical and beautiful seal-folk who shed their skins to become people, leaving sea for shore. Such popular, lasting stories show how important seals were to remote coastal communities across Scotland in the past. Marine mammals were a vital source of food and of oil, for heat and light, which islanders, in particular, relied upon.
Species in the north are more vulnerable to climate change For the first time, researchers have proposed the hypothesis that animals that live in climate zones at a safe distance from both the poles as well as the tropics have the most to gain from acclimating to changes in climate. The findings contradict previous research in the field.
Production timings could stem illegal wildlife laundering The legal trade in captive bred animals and artificially propagated plants is often used by criminals to launder illegally collected wildlife. In many cases this is an easy way to bypass wildlife trade regulations as it can be very difficult for both buyers and customs officers to tell whether an item is of wild-origin.

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