Science X Newsletter Thursday, Nov 30

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 30, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Negative piezoelectric effect is not so rare after all

Skin pigmentation is far more genetically complex than previously thought

Combining machine and nanoparticles for better transplant outcome

Exoplanet has smothering stratosphere without water

Reaching for neutron stars: Research group finds predictive framework, thick skin of atomic nucleus

Squeezing light into a tiny channel brings optical computing a step closer

Gravitational waves could shed light on the origin of black holes

Hundreds of pterosaur eggs reveal early life insights

Giant black hole pair photobombs Andromeda galaxy

Uncertainty surrounds US livestock methane emission estimates

Superconducting qubit 3-D integration prospects bolstered by new research

Researchers identify gene variant that protects against Alzheimer's disease

Behind the drama of the world's first heart transplant

First finding of China's DAMPE may shed light on dark matter research

Google patent talk: laptop hinge and auto-align display convenience

Astronomy & Space news

	Exoplanet has smothering stratosphere without water A NASA-led team has found evidence that the oversized exoplanet WASP-18b is wrapped in a smothering stratosphere loaded with carbon monoxide and devoid of water. The findings come from a new analysis of observations made by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.
	Giant black hole pair photobombs Andromeda galaxy It seems like even black holes can't resist the temptation to insert themselves unannounced into photographs. A cosmic photobomb found as a background object in images of the nearby Andromeda galaxy has revealed what could be the most tightly coupled pair of supermassive black holes ever seen.
	First finding of China's DAMPE may shed light on dark matter research The Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE, also known as Wukong) mission published its first scientific results on Nov. 30 in Nature, presenting the precise measurement of cosmic ray electron flux, especially a spectral break at ~0.9 TeV. The data may shed light on the annihilation or decay of particle dark matter.
	Monitoring activity in the geosynchronous belt In the darkness of 2 a.m. on Aug. 26, the sky over Cape Canaveral, Florida, lit up with the bright plume of a Minotaur rocket lifting off from its launch pad. Aboard the rocket, a satellite developed by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory for the U.S. Air Force's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office awaited its deployment into low Earth orbit.
	Blowing in the stellar wind: Scientists reduce the chances of life on exoplanets in so-called habitable zones Is there life beyond Earth in the cosmos? Astronomers looking for signs have found that our Milky Way galaxy teems with exoplanets, some with conditions that could be right for extraterrestrial life. Such worlds orbit stars in so-called "habitable zones," regions where planets could hold liquid water that is necessary for life as we know it.

Technology news

	Google patent talk: laptop hinge and auto-align display convenience (Tech Xplore)—Google-patent news this week is all about its patent application first filed back in 2013 calling for a motorized laptop hinge. That is where you have the luxury of opening and closing your little machine with the touch of a finger. You also get a display that auto-aligns with your face.
	Wearable computing ring allows users to write words and numbers with thumb With the whirl of a thumb, Georgia Tech researchers have created technology that allows people to trace letters and numbers on their fingers and see the figures appear on a nearby computer screen. The system is triggered by a thumb ring outfitted with a gyroscope and tiny microphone. As wearers strum their thumb across the fingers, the hardware detects the movement.
	Phones vulnerable to location tracking even when GPS services off Demonstrating a potential privacy breach, a team of Princeton University engineers has developed an app that can locate and track people through their smartphones even when access to the Global Positioning System, or GPS, data on their devices is turned off.
	Mozilla releases transcription model and huge voice dataset (Tech Xplore)—Mozilla (maker of the Firefox browser) has announced the release of an open source speech recognition model along with a large voice dataset. The release marks the advent of open source speech recognition development. Sean White, chief executive of Mozilla, suggests in the announcement that it will "result in more internet-connected products that can listen and respond to us than ever before."
	Amazon brings Alexa from the home to the office in a new AI push Amazon announced Thursday it is bringing its Alexa digital assistant to the workplace, expanding artificial intelligence efforts that have gained traction in the home market.
	Hot, sunny days could slow 5G networks, but research offers solutions Hot, sunny weather could degrade future fifth-generation or "5G" cellular transmissions by more than 15%—which could mean more dropped calls in places like Florida and the Middle East—but an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engineer says research will guide solutions.
Bet you don't have this (very) early Apple product Apple fans are known to hold onto the company's products long after they've been eclipsed by new models.
	Alibaba betting on long-term gain from eSports investment The booming eSports industry may not yet attract the sponsors and television rights of real life sports, but Chinese e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba believes it is only a matter of time before its bet on competitive video gaming comes up big.
Backlash grows on 'Star Wars' video game 'loot boxes' A new "Star Wars" video game is drawing fire for a feature that essentially allowed money instead of skill to determine who wins.
	Our exposure to electromagnetic waves—beware of commonly held beliefs For over 10 years, controlling exposure to electromagnetic waves and to radio frequencies in particular has fuelled many debates, which have often been quite heated. An analysis of reports and scientific publications devoted to this topic shows that researchers are mainly studying the possible impact of mobile phones on our health. At the same time, according to what has been published in the media, the public is mainly concerned about base stations. Nevertheless, mobile phones and wireless communication systems in general are widely used and have dramatically changed how people around the world communicate and work.
	Viruses and malware—are we protecting ourselves adequately? Cybersecurity incidents are increasingly gaining public attention. They are frequently mentioned in the media and discussed by specialists, such as Guillame Poupard, Director General of the French Information Security Agency. This attests to the fact that these digital incidents have an increasingly significant impact on our daily lives. Questions therefore arise about how we are protecting our digital activities, and if this protection is adequate. The publicity surrounding security incidents may, at first glance, lead us to believe that we are not doing enough.
	Technologically enhanced humans—a look behind the myth What exactly do we mean by an "enhanced" human? When this possibility is brought up, what is generally being referred to is the addition of human and machine-based performances (expanding on the figure of the cyborg popularised by science fiction). But enhanced in relation to what? According to which reference values and criteria? How, for example, can happiness be measured? A good life? Sensations, like smells or touch which connect us to the world? How happy we feel when we are working? All these dimensions that make life worth living. We must be careful here not to give in to the magic of figures. A plus can hide a minus; something gained may conceal something lost. What is gained or lost, however, is difficult to identify as it is neither quantifiable nor measurable.
	Lawsuit accuses Google of stealing data of 5m UK users A consumer activist launched Thursday a lawsuit accusing Google of illegally collecting data on more than five million British iPhone users, who could possibly see a payout reaching into the hundreds of millions.
	GM to launch self-driving vehicles in big US cities in 2019 General Motors Co. expects to carry passengers and deliver goods with self-driving vehicles in big cities sometime in 2019, telling investors it's moving quickly and plans to be ahead of other automakers and tech companies.
	Google data-saving tool aims to help manage smartphone bills Google is taking aim at the "next billion" internet users with a way to stop smartphone apps from needlessly burning through costly mobile data allowances.
	Google's phones and other gadgets have had a bumpy ride Google, which prides itself on developing simple, intuitive software that seems to know what you want almost before you do, is finding itself in a very different world when it comes to its own phones and other gadgets.
	Lewd comments cause YouTube to pull videos of children YouTube pulled 150,000 videos of children after lewd comments about them were posted by viewers, as the Google-owned platform sought to reassure advertisers their messages would be kept out of compromising situations.
	Startup event in Finland puts spotlight on European tech One of Europe's largest startup events opened Thursday in Finland, with 2,600 companies and 1,500 investors networking and negotiating funding, as the region looks to ramp up an industry that has long struggled to compete with the tech giants of the U.S.
	Video: Lightbulb moment leads to wearable technology for performance dance Fascinated by innovations in wearable technology and driven by a passion for dance, undergraduate Emily Daub developed integrated, responsive lighting systems for costumes that expand the creative possibilities for performance dance.
	Indonesian city to citizens: stop using free WiFi for drugs, prostitution An Indonesian city thought it was doing half a million citizens a good turn by making wireless internet free in government offices.
	Alleged UK hacker fights extradition to the US An alleged computer hacker appealed to British judges on Thursday to block his extradition to the United States, arguing that he'd be subjected to inhuman conditions in the American justice system.
	Holiday shopping: Desire for deals, but some impulse buying As shoppers have bought TVs and toys so far this holiday season, they've shown a desire for deals but also an inclination for some impulse spending, retail experts say.
	Army researchers seek better batteries A team of Army scientists working on more efficient batteries recently published new findings in a peer-reviewed publication from the American Chemical Society.
Wisconsin county settles suit over augmented-reality games Milwaukee County plans to settle a lawsuit from an augmented-reality game developer that challenged an ordinance requiring companies to get local permits for apps like Pokemon Go to be played in parks.

Medicine & Health news

	Skin pigmentation is far more genetically complex than previously thought Many studies have suggested that the genetics of skin pigmentation are simple. A small number of known genes, it is thought, account for nearly 50 percent of pigment variation. However, these studies rely on datasets consisting almost entirely of information from northern Eurasian populations—those that reside mostly in higher latitude regions.
	Combining machine and nanoparticles for better transplant outcome By combining the use of drug-carrying nanoparticles with an organ-preserving machine, Yale researchers have developed a procedure that could help improve long-term outcomes for transplant recipients.
	Researchers identify gene variant that protects against Alzheimer's disease Research published Wednesday in Genome Medicine details a novel and promising approach in the effort to treat Alzheimer's disease.
	Behind the drama of the world's first heart transplant It was an operation that earned him acclaim, but the world's first heart transplant also provoked hate mail and outspoken criticism of South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard, 50 years ago.
	Two-drug combination may boost immunotherapy responses in lung cancer patients Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers and colleagues have identified a novel drug combination therapy that could prime nonsmall cell lung cancers to respond better to immunotherapy. These so-called epigenetic therapy drugs, used together, achieved robust anti-tumor responses in human cancer cell lines and mice.
	Researchers devise improved gene-editing process for Duchenne muscular dystrophy Regenerative medicine researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center developed an improved and simplified gene-editing technique using CRISPR/Cas9 tools to correct a common mutation that causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
	Do your ears hang low? The complex genetics behind earlobe attachment A common, hands-on method for teaching genetics in grade school encourages students to compare their earlobes with those of their parents: Are they attached and smoothly mesh with the jawline? Or are they detached and dangly? The answer is meant to teach students about dominant and recessive genes.
	New, long-acting drugs cut frequency of migraine headaches New, long-acting drugs may hold hope for millions of people who often suffer migraines. Studies of two of these medicines, given as shots every month or so, found they cut the frequency of the notoriously painful and disabling headaches.
	Bat cave study sheds new light on origin of SARS virus Genetic recombination between viral strains in bats may have produced the direct evolutionary ancestor of the strain that caused a deadly outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in humans, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens.
	Communication between lung tumors and bones contributes to tumor progression Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have identified a way in which a type of lung cancer co-opts a portion of the immune system to increase tumor progression. In the Dec. 1 issue of Science, the team from the MGH Center for Systems Biology describes a "crosstalk" between lung tumors and bone marrow, which leads to the generation of a type of immune cell that travels to the tumor and promotes its progression.
	Skipping breakfast disrupts 'clock genes' that regulate body weight Irregular eating habits such as skipping breakfast are often associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but the precise impact of meal times on the body's internal clock has been less clear.
	Helping the brain prune bad habits—Fasudil promotes goal-directed behavior in mice A drug that stimulates neuron pruning can nudge mice away from habit-driven behaviors when combined with retraining, neuroscientists have found.
	Discovery puts the brakes on HIV's ability to infect Viewed with a microscope, the virus faintly resembles a pineapple—the universal symbol of welcome. But HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is anything but that. It has claimed the lives of more than 35 million people so far.
	What gives poetry its aesthetic appeal? New research has well-versed answer New psychology research points to the factors that explain why we find particular poems aesthetically pleasing—results that enhance our understanding of "why we like what we like."
	Diet success may depend on your DNA We can add one more thing to the list of traits affected by genetics: how our bodies respond to a particular diet.
	Experts discuss Influenza vaccine challenges and opportunities In a New England Journal of Medicine perspective, experts from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne discuss how the process of preparing seasonal influenza vaccines in eggs may contribute to their limited effectiveness. The authors offer research strategies that might yield more protective vaccine candidates.
Program for offenders with mental health or addiction issues produces positive results A review of a state program launched two years ago to improve recovery and reduce recidivism among felony offenders who have mental health or addiction issues shows the program is producing positive results.
Studies examine the effects of weight on patients with rheumatoid arthritis New research provides insights on the potential effects of weight on the health of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A study published in Arthritis Care & Research examines how overweight and obesity may affect the likelihood of achieving remission in early RA. A separate study in Arthritis & Rheumatology focuses on weight change in early RA and patients' subsequent risk of early death.
Male-pattern baldness and premature graying associated with risk of early heart disease Male-pattern baldness and premature greying are associated with a more than fivefold risk of heart disease before the age of 40 years, according to research presented at the 69th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI). Obesity was associated with a fourfold risk of early heart disease.
People born premature have smaller airways causing respiratory problems People born prematurely may have smaller airways than those born at full term, which can cause respiratory problems. That's according to research published in Experimental Physiology today.
	Study suggests measurable impact of colorectal cancer screening program A new study suggests that an American Cancer Society (ACS) program has been effective in promoting improvements in colorectal cancer screening rates in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The study appears early online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and the authors say it has implications for broader public health efforts to increase cancer prevention and screening.
Blood and fury: Menstrual activism sweeps the world The time for being coy about the time of the month may be over.
HIV denial movement fuels Russian epidemic Fewer than half of Russians with HIV are taking antiretroviral drugs, in part because of a conspiracy theory that the AIDS-causing virus is a myth invented by the West, officials and activists say.
The man with a young woman's heart Fifty years ago South Africa stunned the world: A surgeon in Cape Town, Christiaan Barnard, successfully transplanted the heart of a woman into the chest of a dying man.
Five key numbers on AIDS Ahead of World AIDS Day on Friday, here is a snapshot in numbers, based on UN data, of the deadly disease which was identified in the early 1980s.
Nigeria's flourishing 'miracle cure' business for HIV/AIDS Blessing wanted to believe the advert on Facebook that promised "a cure for AIDS".
	PrEP: A shield against AIDS "It's magic," said Francois, smiling. "Every time I take a pill I think about the people who aren't so lucky as to have this option."
The world's first organ transplants Fifty years after the first heart transplant in South Africa, here is look back over the history of human organ transplants.
	Brain's appetite regulator disrupted in obese teens Researchers using advanced MRI to study obese adolescents found disrupted connectivity in the complex regions of the brain involved in regulating appetite, according to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
	Emergency radiologists see inner toll of opioid use disorders Emergency radiologists are seeing a high prevalence of patients with complications related to opioid use disorders, according to results from a 12-year study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said the findings underscore the need for radiologists to play a role in the care continuum for these patients.
	Smartphone addiction creates imbalance in brain Researchers have found an imbalance in the brain chemistry of young people addicted to smartphones and the internet, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
	Mu­sic and nat­ive lan­guage in­ter­act in the brain Finnish speakers showed an advantage in auditory duration processing compared to German speakers in a recent doctoral study on auditory processing of sound in people with different linguistic and musical backgrounds. In Finnish speakers, musical expertise was associated with enhanced behavioral frequency discrimination.
	The rise of ampicillin resistance in the 1960s Researchers from the Institut Pasteur have shed light on the rise of ampicillin resistance in the 1960s. Through the genome sampling of historical Salmonella strains, they proved that antibiotic resistance can be traced back prior to the release of ampicillin on the U.K. market. As such, their discovery suggests that low doses of penicillin routinely fed to livestock in the 1950s in North America and Europe may have encouraged antibiotic-resistant bacteria to evolve and spread. These results will be published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on Wednesday, November 29th.
	Study reveals cancer therapy's double-edged sword... and how to blunt it Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Systems Biology have discovered that the remains of tumor cells killed by chemotherapy or other cancer treatments can actually stimulate tumor growth by inducing an inflammatory reaction. The study, which will be published November 30 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, also reveals that a family of molecules called resolvins can suppress this unwanted inflammatory response, suggesting new ways to enhance the effectiveness of existing cancer therapies.
Immune-boosting antibody combination could improve lymphoma survival Combining two different immunotherapy treatments could dramatically improve lymphoma survival, according to a Cancer Research UK funded study published in Cancer Cell today (Thursday).
	New method for suppressing lung cancer oncogene Researchers at Okayama University describe in Oncotarget an approach for suppressing the expression of the SOX2 protein, an oncogene associated with both lung and esophageal cancer. The procedure, based on the targeted delivery of a specially designed artificial protein, may signify an important step towards new cancer therapies.
	Blind in the mind—why some people can't see pictures in their imagination Imagine an apple floating in front of you. Now see if you can rotate it around in your mind. Look at it from the top, bottom – does it have any blemishes? How clearly can you see it?
	Living and aging well with HIV—new strategies and new research A generation ago, a list of tips for aging well with AIDS would have seemed a cruel joke. It also would have not been useful. Life expectancy immediately following the identification of the virus in 1984 was often months after diagnosis.
	Healthy Buffs: 4 tips to improve focus With fall break behind us and the holiday season ahead, these last few weeks of the semester can feel overwhelming. Having a plan for your health and wellness can help you stay focused and finish strong. CU Boulder Today interviewed the registered dietitians at Wardenburg, Kathleen Farrell and Jane Reagan, to find out where to start.
	Study reads between the lines in children's vocabulary differences The nation's 31 million children growing up in homes with low socioeconomic status have, on average, significantly smaller vocabularies compared with their peers.
Tobacco control through the lens of moral psychology The tobacco control debate can get testy at times as advocates on both sides of the issue—those who favor abstinence-only approaches to cigarettes and other tobacco products and those who support harm reduction—wage spirited campaigns in support of their respective positions.
	Study shows people with mental health conditions more likely to have coverage, access through Affordable Care Act Individuals with mental illnesses were more likely to have health insurance and be able to access health care and mental health services after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to new research. The gains were present both in states that had expanded Medicaid coverage and those that did not.
	Hepatitis C 'treatment as prevention' strategy examined in new study Hepatitis C infection is a global phenomenon that affects millions worldwide, with an estimated 30,500 new cases in the United States alone each year. Expanding treatment, however, could go a long way toward preventing transmission of the virus among high-risk individuals who inject drugs, according to new Yale-led research.
	Birth outcomes improve after implementation of coordinated care organizations, study finds Oregon women on Medicaid were more than 10 percent less likely to have babies with low birthweight or abnormal conditions following the state's implementation of coordinated care organizations, a new study from Oregon State University has found.
How to help children recover from the trauma of disaster In any culture, children hit by a natural disaster will see family members undergo huge amounts of stress and worry. They may be forced to live in temporary accommodation, and experience many changes to their usual routines and social circles. And on top of all this, many treasured possessions – including family pets – may be lost or damaged forever.
	Designer proteins—the new generation of HIV vaccines being put to the test South Africa has made tremendous advances in providing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for HIV infected people. The country has the largest treatment programme in the world.
	Uncovering how dabbing cannabis can impair driving ability Researchers studying how an intense cannabis consumption method could impair driving ability have turned to a simple device that many people have lying around their homes.
	Going to the gym in later life could lower dementia risk Early results from a new study led by ANU indicate that people aged in their 60s and early 70s could lower their risk of dementia if they maintained a healthy weight by going to the gym to retain muscle mass.
	Genetic technology is 'changing the way we do medicine' Aldgate schoolboy Angus Bond is the human face of the genomic revolution being led by South Australian researchers.
	Behavior not indicative of pain in stressed babies In stressed newborn babies, behaviour alone is not a reliable way of assessing pain, according to new UCL and UCLH research.
	Invasive cells in head and neck tumors predict cancer spread Head and neck tumors that contain cells undergoing a partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition—which transforms them from neatly organized blocks into irregular structures that extrude into the surrounding environment—are more likely to invade and spread to other parts of the body, according to a new study led by researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. In a report published online in Cell, the researchers have created the first atlas of head and neck cancer, revealing the many different kinds of cells, cancerous and non-cancerous, in primary head and neck tumors and their metastases. The findings provide important clues as to how head and neck cancers metastasize, and may have implications for other common cancers as well.
	New dengue vaccine could worsen disease in some people Drugmaker Sanofi says that its dengue vaccine, the world's first, should only be given to people who have previously been sickened by the virus, according to new long-term data.
	New techniques needed to help children with gut disease in developing countries Imperial experts discuss a new way of combating EED, a debilitating disease in children that is prevalent in the developing world.
	Regular bedtimes stop children getting 'jet lag' What happens in the early years of a person's life has a profound effect on how they fare later on. Thousands of research papers – many of them using the rich data in the British Birth Cohort studies – have shown that children who get a poor start in life are much more likely to experience difficulties as adults; whether that's to do with poor health, or their ability to enjoy work and family life.
	Research finds patients with post-traumatic stress disorder respond differently to certain sounds Scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Amsterdam hope to have found a new neurobiological marker to help recognise patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
	A new research agenda to accelerate malaria elimination and eradication More than 180 scientists, malaria programme leaders and policy makers from around the world have come together through a consultative process to update the research agenda for malaria elimination and eradication, first published in 2011. The outcome is a series of seven 'malERA Refresh' (malaria eradication research agenda) papers that have been published as a special collection in PLOS Medicine. The aim of this exercise, coordinated by the Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance (MESA) with headquarters at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), was to define a forward-looking research and development agenda that will accelerate progress towards malaria elimination and global eradication.
	Global health committee issues report on heart disease burden The United States must prioritize its health resources toward detecting and treating noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, while maintaining and expanding prevention and eradication of infectious diseases on a global scale, according to a report modified from U.S. global health recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (previously the Institute of Medicine) published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Shifting protein networks in breast cancer may alter gene function A given gene may perform a different function in breast cancer cells than in healthy cells due to changes in networks of interacting proteins, according to a new study published in PLOS Computational Biology.
	Judging a 'clean face' for trachoma Part of the control strategy for trachoma—repeated eye infections caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis—is facial cleanliness. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have shown that properly trained graders can reliably reproduce assessments of facial cleanliness. The findings suggest that measures of facial cleanliness can be added to trachoma surveys in the developing countries where the infection is a public health problem.
	New treatment investigated for brain tapeworm infection Treating neurocysticercosis (NCC), an infection of the brain with tapeworm larvae, often leads to inflammation and seizures when the parasites in the brain die. Now, researchers have reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, using an animal model, that pretreatment with the anti-tumor necrosis factor drug etanercept (ETN) is a viable strategy to manage this post-treatment inflammation.
	Global risk of Madagascar's pneumonic plague epidemic is limited Mathematical models have proven the risk of the on-going pneumonic plague epidemic in Madagascar spreading elsewhere in the world is limited, with the estimated number of exported cases staying below 0.1 person in each country between August 1 and October 17.
	HIV directly impacts brain in early stages of infection Stellenbosch University (SU) researchers have discovered that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) directly impacts the brain in the early stages of the infection.
Co-founder of 'Ice Bucket Challenge' dies after ALS battle The ALS Association says a man credited as one of the co-founders of the viral "Ice Bucket Challenge" that swept social media in 2014 has died after a yearslong battle with the condition known as Lou Gerhig's disease. Anthony Senerchia was 46.
	Time management for busy families (HealthDay)—You want your kids to enjoy many experiences, but between afterschool programs, music lessons and team sports, your schedule can go haywire.
	New vaccine technique effectively fights breast cancer in mice A new vaccine technique can fight a certain type of breast cancer in mice. So-called HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for between 20 and 30 per cent of all cases of breast cancer in humans. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Bologna now show that the same type of cancer can be fought in mice with help of their new vaccine.
	Recurring nightmares could reflect your daily frustrations People who are frustrated because their basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness and feeling competent are not met are more likely to have a recurring bad dream and to analyze their dreams negatively. This is according to Netta Weinstein of the University of Cardiff in the UK, who is lead author of an article on dreams published in Springer's journal Motivation and Emotion.
	'Aggressive' surgery is best treatment option for early stage lung cancer Patients with early stage lung cancer live longer when they receive a lobectomy—the most common type of operation for the disease—rather than a less extensive operation or radiation treatment, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Type 1 diabetes as common in adults as children, but many adults misdiagnosed Type 1 diabetes is not predominantly a 'disease of childhood' as previously believed, but is similarly prevalent in adults, new research published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows.
Molecule plays dual role in bowel health and disease A molecule that controls intestinal cell growth plays a dual role maintaining gut health and promoting diseases such as cancer, says a study in eLife.
CRF1 stress receptor is regulator of mast cell activity during stress A new study published online in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology provides new insight into how stress, through signaling of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), interacts with cells in the immune system to cause disease. Specifically, the study identified a new role for the stress receptor CRF1, which is expressed on mast cells (critical immune cells implicated in many stress-related gastrointestinal and immune disorders such as allergy). The results showed that mast cell CRF1 is a master regulator of mast cell activity during different types of stressful challenges, including psychological stress and anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction. The study could have direct implications for treatment of common and debilitating disorders including allergy, asthma, and gastrointestinal diseases.
	Patients more prone to complain about younger doctors (HealthDay)—Patients apparently are more likely to complain about younger doctors. Case in point: ophthalmologists.
	Magnesium boosts environmental enrichment in Alzheimer's (HealthDay)—The combination of environmental enrichment (EE) and magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) is more effective than either treatment alone for improving cognition and spatial memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published online Nov. 10 in CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics.
	No difference for standard, high-pulse picosecond laser treatment (HealthDay)—There is no significant difference between standard and high-pulse coverage with picosecond laser treatment for wrinkles and acne scarring, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
	FODMAP diet beats general dietary advice for IBS (HealthDay)—While both improve gastrointestinal symptoms, the low Fermentable Oligo-Di-Mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet shows greater benefit for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than general dietary advice (GDA), according to a study published online Nov. 20 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	What leads certain people to seek vengeance? Sadism, according to a new study People who enjoy hurting others and seeing them in pain are more likely to seek revenge against those who have wronged them, according to a new study led by a Virginia Commonwealth University psychology professor.
	Global longitudinal study confirms obesity increases dementia risk People who have a high body mass index (BMI) are more likely to develop dementia than those with a normal weight, according to a new UCL-led study.
Study identifies genes involved in tolerance following kidney transplantation A new study provides insights on the mechanisms that allow an individual's immune system to accept, rather than reject, a donor kidney. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), point to markers that could be monitored to asses and track the health of organs following transplantation.
Novel transcriptomic signature of type 2 diabetic islets identified Type 2 diabetes, which affects >0.5 billion people worldwide, results from the inability of beta cells in the pancreatic islets to provide the body with enough insulin to maintain blood glucose levels within the range for a healthy life.
	Rising levels of HIV drug resistance HIV drug resistance is approaching and exceeding 10% in people living with HIV who are about to initiate or reinitiate first-line antiretroviral therapy, according to the largest meta-analysis to date on HIV drug resistance, led by researchers at UCL and the World Health Organization (WHO) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the WHO.
	Researchers map brain activity to improve prosthetic design High-tech prosthetics allow amputees to engage more fully in everyday life, even to compete in sporting events. Researchers from the University of Houston have demonstrated how brain activity is used to identify different terrains - level ground and stairs, for example - a key step in developing prosthetics that allow the user's prosthesis to automatically adjust to changing ground conditions in real time.
	Speaking up against bigotry can reduce bad behavior If you're sitting around the holiday table and one of your curmudgeonly uncles says something unintentionally bigoted, your inclination may be to ask for more mashed potatoes and get on with the feast. But Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers say that might be a mistake.
People with disabilities more likely to be arrested People with disabilities face all sorts of discrimination every day. New Cornell University research suggests they may also face it while interacting with the police.
Vulnerability identified for subtypes of glioblastoma Glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer, typically fails to respond to treatment or rapidly becomes drug resistant. In a paper published online in the journal Cancer Cell on November 30, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified a strategy that pinpoints a genetically distinct subpopulation of patients with glioblastoma that is particularly sensitive to drugs like cilengitide that target a cell adhesion receptor known as integrin αvβ3.
	Mindfulness training and therapy can reverse jail time's negative psychological effects Just four months in prison can negatively affect a person's cognitive abilities and impulse control, according to findings published in Criminal Justice and Behavior from University of Pennsylvania criminologists Adrian Raine and Rebecca Umbach. The good news is, some combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness training can reverse the damage.
Cigarette smokers are 10 times more likely to be daily marijuana users Daily marijuana use has been on the rise over the past decade. Now, a new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, found that cigarette smokers are 10 times more likely to use marijuana on a daily basis. Marijuana use occurred nearly exclusively among current cigarette smokers—daily or non-daily smokers—compared with former smokers and those who have never smoked. However, even among non-smokers, daily marijuana use is increasing, particularly among youth and female cigarette smokers. The findings are published online in the American Journal of Public Health.
	Caught in the act: Papillomaviruses promote non-melanoma skin cancer UV radiation has been known for a long time to be a risk factor for the development of skin cancer. Simultaneous infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV) has also been suspected to promote skin cancer, particularly in organ transplant recipients. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now been able to show for the first time in a natural system that papillomaviruses associated with UV light promote the development of non-melanoma skin cancer. The investigators provide an explanation why the viruses can be detected in benign human cancer precursors but not in advanced carcinoma.
More US kids in foster care; parental drug abuse a factor The number of children in the U.S. foster care system has increased for the fourth year in a row, with substance abuse by parents a major factor, according to new federal data released on Thursday.
Nutrition may play a key role in early psychosis treatment Early psychosis is associated with nutritional deficiencies, new research from Australia has found, potentially presenting new avenues for improving health among the millions of people affected worldwide.
An anti-aging protein could be targeted to rejuvenate immune cells Anti-aging proteins have long been shown to protect against age-related diseases, such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular disease. A study by researchers at the Gladstone Institutes now reveals that one such protein could also be targeted to rejuvenate cells in the immune system.
	Fish oil component preconditions vision cells to survive future injury or disease A team of LSU Health New Orleans scientists discovered that a component of fish oil not only protects cells critical to vision from potentially lethal initial insults, but also from those that occur in the future. The study showed that the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, and its derivatives "precondition" photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to survive. The results are published in the November 2017 online issue of the journal Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology.
	Residents of major Pakistan city are exposed to harmful pesticides Residents and workers in a major Pakistan city are exposed to harmful levels of pesticides, new research reveals.
Postsurgery guideline could reduce opioid prescriptions by as much as 40 percent Rising rates of opioid prescriptions have been linked to the opioid epidemic, and a significant number of opioid deaths have been linked to prescriptions written by surgeons. However, new study results suggest that a more vigilant prescribing guideline for surgeons could reduce by as much as 40 percent the number of opioid pills prescribed after operations, and still meet patients' pain management needs. Study findings were published as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website ahead of print.
	Some chemicals in smoke may be even more dangerous than previously thought It's no surprise that chemicals in smoke cause cancer, but a new study published in the Archives of Toxicology shows that some chemicals in cigarette smoke and industrial processes may be more dangerous than previously thought. Though most "low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons" (LMW PAHs) have not been shown to cause cancer alone, the study shows that in common combinations, these chemicals can help to spark the disease.
	NIH launches HIV prevention trial of long-acting injectable medication in women The first large-scale clinical trial of a long-acting injectable medication for HIV prevention in sexually active women has begun. The study in southern and eastern Africa will examine whether a long-acting form of the investigational anti-HIV drug cabotegravir injected once every eight weeks can safely protect women at risk for HIV infection. The only drug regimen currently licensed for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is the anti-HIV medication Truvada taken daily as an oral tablet. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the trial, and the NIH-funded HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) is conducting the study, called HPTN 084.
NIH and partners launch HIV vaccine efficacy study The National Institutes of Health and partners have launched a large clinical trial to assess whether an experimental HIV vaccine regimen is safe and able to prevent HIV infection. The new Phase 2b proof-of-concept study, called Imbokodo, aims to enroll 2,600 HIV-negative women in sub-Saharan Africa. Of 1.8 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2016, 43 percent occurred in eastern and southern Africa, with women and girls disproportionately affected.
	Organs on microchips for safe drug testing Miniaturized organs on a chip enable drug tests prior to application to humans. At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the team of Professor Ute Schepers has developed such an organ-on-a-chip system with accurately modeled blood vessels. In the category of "Young Researcher," doctoral candidate Vanessa Kappings, who is involved in the further development of the "vasQchip," has now been granted the 2017 LUSH PRIZE supporting animal-free testing in the amount of EUR 12,000 for her project.
French NGO helps African mums shake off AIDS stigma To young African migrant women seeking help at a centre outside Paris, AIDS is much more than a disease. It is social death.
Further advances in HIV prevention, treatment and cure from PLOS Medicine's special issue This week, guest editors Steven G. Deeks of the University of California San Francisco, USA; Sharon Lewin of the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia; and Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa sum up PLOS Medicine's special issue on Advances in HIV Prevention, Treatment and Cure in an Editorial published to coincide with World AIDS Day on December 1. While it may appear that "the goal of ending the epidemic is in our grasp", they caution that "the remarkable progress, activism, resources, ingenuity and sheer fortitude that have brought us this far will be needed in at least equal measure to take us to the end."
New document guides hospitals in responding to infectious disease outbreaks A new expert guidance document for hospitals to use in preparing for and containing outbreaks was published today by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The guide was published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Regional breast cancer guidelines needed in the Middle East and North Africa Researchers surveying breast cancer management in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have identified significant barriers to applying international guidelines in this area, and are calling for localised best practice.
	Researchers report altered brain functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorder A new study in adolescent and young adult males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) showed significant differences in the functional architecture and interactivity of the default mode network (DMN)—brain regions linked to social-cognitive impairment in ASD—compared to DMN functional connectivity measurements in young adult males without ASD. These findings, which could lead to the development of new imaging-based diagnostic markers, are described in an article published in Brain Connectivity.
Making medicines affordable: New report calls for government negotiation of drug prices Consumer access to effective and affordable medicines is an imperative for public health, social equity, and economic development, but this need is not being served adequately by the biopharmaceutical sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report offers eight recommendations with 27 actions for their implementation (a sample of actions in each area appears below) to improve the affordability of prescription drugs without discouraging the development of new and more effective drugs for the future.

Biology news

	Reconciling taxon senescence with the Red Queen's hypothesis In a new publication in the journal Nature, Indre Zliobaite and Mikael Fortelius from the University of Helsinki and Nils Christian Stenseth from the University of Oslo present a new interpretation of one of the classic hypotheses of evolutionary theory, the Red Queen's Hypothesis, proposed by Leigh Van Valen in 1973.
	Migration makes breeding harder for seabirds An international collaboration has for the first time revealed the key drivers of seabird migration. The new study suggests that puffin colonies that travel great distances during the winter often find it more difficult to breed than others, and that escaping your habitat with far flung migration therefore carries a cost.
	New research robustly resolves one of evolutionary biology's most heated disputes New research led by the University of Bristol has resolved evolutionary biology's most-heated debate, revealing it is the morphologically simple sponges, rather than the anatomically complex comb jellies, which represent the oldest lineage of living animals.
	Public resource boosts drug discovery and offers insights into protein function Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have taken the Connectivity Map—a widely used resource of tools and data—to new heights with a massively scaled-up version. For this new platform, the researchers have also improved its accessibility for the scientific community, enabling studies of small molecule and gene function and informing clinical trials.
	Age of mothers influences genetic similarity between twins Does the age of a mother influence the traits and characteristics of her progeny, and how? A team of scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have addressed these questions by studying tiny, genetically identical C. elegans worms. Their results have been published today in Nature.
	Antibiotics may reduce the ability of immune cells to kill bacteria Antibiotics normally act in concert with an organism's immune system to eliminate an infection. However, the drugs can have broad side effects, including eliminating "good" bacteria in the course of fighting off a pathogen. A new study led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, MIT, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering has shown that antibiotics can also reduce the ability of mouse immune cells to kill bacteria, and that changes to the biochemical environment directly elicited by treatment can protect the bacterial pathogen. The work was published today in Cell Host & Microbe.
	Interrupted reprogramming converts adult cells into high yields of progenitor-like cells A modified version of iPS methodology, called interrupted reprogramming, allows for a highly controlled, potentially safer, and more cost-effective strategy for generating progenitor-like cells from adult cells. As demonstrated November 30 in the journal Stem Cell Reports, researchers in Canada converted adult mouse respiratory tract cells called Club cells into large, pure populations of induced progenitor-like (iPL) cells, which retained a residual memory of their parental cell lineage and therefore specifically generated mature Club cells. Moreover, these cells showed potential as a cell replacement therapy in mice with cystic fibrosis.
	New software can verify someone's identity by their DNA in minutes In the science-fiction movie Gattaca, visitors only clear security if a blood test and readout of their genetic profile matches the sample on file. Now, cheap DNA sequencers and custom software could make real-time DNA-authentication a reality.
	Designer molecule points to treatment for diseases caused by DNA repeats Using a molecule designed to overcome a roadblock formed by a common type of genetic flaw, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made progress towards novel molecular treatments for Friedreich's ataxia—a rare but fatal disorder—in the laboratory dish and in animals.
	Parasitic worms don't just wait to be swallowed by new hosts Contrary to widespread assumptions, parasitic nematodes that spread among mice via food may not wait passively to be swallowed. Instead, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens, these tiny worms may use odors from host mice as cues to position themselves where they have a higher chance of being eaten.
	Scallops have 200 eyes, which function like a telescope: study Scallops may look like simple creatures, but the seafood delicacy has 200 eyes which function remarkably like a telescope, using mirrors to focus light, researchers said Thursday.
Feces from entangled North Atlantic right whales reveals 'sky-high' stress levels In a new study published this week in Endangered Species Research, North Atlantic right whale scientists found that whales who undergo prolonged entanglements in fishing gear endure "sky-high hormone levels," indicating severe stress, which researchers discovered using a pioneering technique of examining scat from live, entangled, and dead whales over 15 years.
	Wound healing or regeneration—the environment decides? An earthworm cut in two parts can survive and regenerate. For humans, the loss of limbs is a severe problem that can only be treated by complex surgery. However, among animals, there are numerous examples of self-healing mechanisms, especially among invertebrates. How these regeneration mechanisms function genetically and biochemically is one of the most exciting research questions in developmental biology and medicine.
	Antidepressants from urine are making fish less afraid of predators Antidepressants are making their way into our lakes and rivers—and they're making freshwater fish less fazed by predators.
	To proliferate or not to proliferate? A cellular spring replies The epithelium, a tissue made up of closely juxtaposed cells, forms the glands and covers the outer surface of the human body as well as its internal cavities, such as the lungs or intestines. There are different types of epithelia, depending on the surfaces they cover and the functions they carry out. These tissues are subjected to multiple types of mechanical stretch, such as those caused by passing food or filling a bladder. The mechanical input strongly influences the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells, whether healthy or cancerous, but the underlying processes remain poorly understood. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered that the proteins Zonula Occludens-1 and -2 (ZO-1 and ZO-2), which contribute to the tightness of the epithelium, perceive these physical signals and activate different cellular responses accordingly.
	How local ecological knowledge can save endangered and rare animals From knowing where animals live, to which plants provide what medicinal benefits, communities around the world hold expert levels of knowledge on their local environments.
How blood-sucking insects find dark-coated cattle in the dark Last year, biologist Susanne Åkesson at Lund University in Sweden, together with researchers in Hungary, received the Ig Nobel Prize in Physics. The prize was awarded to them for their research showing that dark-coated horses suffer more from blood-sucking horseflies compared to their white counterparts. Now, the researchers know why animals with a dark, smooth coat are particularly vulnerable - even in a dark environment.
	Sonic Kayaks: Environmental monitoring and experimental music by citizens Researchers have rigged kayaks with underwater environmental sensors and speakers to create an environmental monitoring tool suitable for citizen scientists. Instructions for the hardware and open-source software for making the "Sonic Kayak" are presented in a paper publishing 30 November in the open access journal PLOS Biology. The system was conceived by researchers at the transdisciplinary laboratory FoAM Kernow, and the Bicrophonic Research Institute.
	UN dishes up prickly pear cactus in answer to food security The prickly pear cactus, considered an essential food in Mexico, could be the answer to much of the world's food security woes, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Thursday.
	Despite forest loss, an African protected area still has potential to support tens of thousands of elephants, 1K lions Despite some forest loss, Mozambique's sprawling Niassa National Reserve has the potential to support tens of thousands of elephants and 1,000 lions according to a new land-use study published in the journal Parks.
Research uncovers new weed control options for strawberry growers Since the 2005 ban of methyl bromide by federal regulators, winter strawberry growers have had limited options for managing broadleaf weeds, grasses and nutsedge species. But new research featured in the journal Weed Technology shows drip-applied herbicides may help to fill the gap.

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