Science X Newsletter Monday, Dec 18

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 18, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Cheap, sustainable battery made from tree bark tannins

Team reveals inner workings of victorious AI: Libratus AI defeated top pros in 20 days of poker play

Alien object 'Oumuama was a natural body visiting from another solar system

New grazing transiting 'hot Jupiter' detected by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey

Oldest fossils ever found show life on Earth began before 3.5 billion years ago

Can brain lesions contribute to criminal behavior?

Direct amygdala stimulation can enhance human memory

Understanding enzyme cascades key to understanding metabolism

Star mergers: A new test of gravity, dark energy theories

'Quantum material' has shark-like ability to detect small electrical signals

Researchers create skeletal muscle from stem cells

MiNT protein a fresh target to attack disease

Scientists discover unexpected side effect to cleaning up urban air

Study prompts new ideas on cancers' origins

Patent talk: Apple looks at voice assistance in whispers

Astronomy & Space news

	Alien object 'Oumuama was a natural body visiting from another solar system Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have led worldwide investigations into a mysterious object that passed close to Earth after arriving from deep interstellar space.Since the object was spotted in October, Professor Alan Fitzsimmons and Dr Michele Bannister from the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queen's University have led an international team of astronomers to piece together a profile of the strange visitor, which has been named `Oumuamua.
	New grazing transiting 'hot Jupiter' detected by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey (Phys.org)—An international group of astronomers has found a new grazing transiting "hot Jupiter" alien world as part of the Qatar Exoplanet Survey (QES). The newly discovered extrasolar planet, designated Qatar-6b, is about the size of Jupiter, but less massive than our solar system's gas giant. The finding is reported in a paper published December 8 on arXiv.org.
	'Dragon back' as cargo reaches space station SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship docked on Sunday with the International Space Station, bringing supplies and experiments for the astronauts in orbit.
	Orbital mayhem around a red dwarf In the collective imagination, planets of a solar system all circle in the equatorial plane of their star. The star also spins, and its spin axis is aligned with the spin axes of the planetary orbits, giving the impression of a well-ordered system. But nature is capricious, as an international team led by researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has detected a planetary system turned upside down. This discovery is published this week in the prestigious journal Nature.
	Mars and Earth may not have been early neighbors A study published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters posits that Mars formed in what today is the Asteroid Belt, roughly one and a half times as far from the sun as its current position, before migrating to its present location.
	A new approach for detecting planets in the Alpha Centauri system Yale astronomers have taken a fresh look at the nearby Alpha Centauri star system and found new ways to narrow the search for habitable planets there.
Two rookie astronauts, cosmonaut blast off to ISS A three-man space crew featuring American and Japanese rookie astronauts as well as an experienced Russian cosmonaut blasted off on Sunday for a six-month mission at the International Space Station.
	ISS oxygen-recycling experiment takes flight When resources are limited, you have to work with what you have – especially in the harsh environment of space. Though the International Space Station is regularly restocked by cargo vessels, like today's Dragon, self-sufficient spaceflight in the future will require us to recycle and reuse precious resources like oxygen. An experiment on its way to space will look into doing just that.
	Study of starspot lifetimes based on light-curve amplitude and spectral type sunspots are regions on the sun's photosphere that appear darker than surrounding areas because they are cooler, usually by one or two thousand degrees Celsius. These spots are temporary phenomena caused by magnetic activity that results from the sun's rotation and the complex circulation of hot gas below its surface, and they are accompanied by solar flares, mass ejections and other energetic phenomena. Other stars have similar regions, called starspots, and there have been some suggestions that in comparison the sun is comparatively quiescent. Starspots are interesting to stellar astronomers because they are informed by the star's rotation and circulation, details that are otherwise difficult to discern. Although starspots are too small to be imaged directly by current telescopes, they can be inferred from variations in a star's light.
	Image: Hubble's cosmic fireflies Galaxies glow like fireflies in this spectacular NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. This flickering swarm of cosmic fireflies is a rich cluster of galaxies called Abell 2163.
	NASA laser communication payload undergoing integration and testing NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) mission has begun integration and testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The mission will demonstrate how a transition from radio to laser communications will exponentially improve the way we connect with astronauts and spacecraft.
	Piercing the mystery of the cosmic origins of gold Where does gold, the precious metal coveted by mortals through the ages, come from? How, where and when was it produced? Last August, a single astrophysical observation finally gave us the key to answer these questions. The results of this research were published on October 16, 2017.
	No sign of alien life 'so far' on the mystery visitor from space, but we're still looking The mystery object discovered earlier this year travelling through our solar system is showing no signs of any alien life, despite plenty of efforts to look and listen for a signal.
	Zero gravity plant growth experiments delivered to space station The latest resupply mission to the International Space Station delivered hundreds of seeds to the spacefaring research lab Sunday, Dec. 17, to test how plants grow in the stressful environment of zero gravity.
	A model of Mars-like protoplanets shed light on early solar activity A scientist from Siberian Federal University (SFU) and his colleagues from Austria and Germany constructed a physical and mathematical model of Mars- and Venus-sized planet formation. The team concluded that Mars had no chances to develop a thick atmosphere and biosphere. In the case of Venus, it depended on solar activity: According to the scientists, it managed to keep its atmosphere due to the fact that young sun was not very active. The study was published in Icarus.
	Team proposes new space-weather forecasting method Scientists from Skoltech, the University of Graz and the Royal Observatory of Belgium have developed a method to forecast the strength of the 11-year solar activity cycle. The results of this study may shed light into the process by which magnetic fields are generated on the sun. This is key, as these magnetic fields affect health and the operability of various earthbound devices.
	Image: Tracking aerosols from California's fires The new Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite captured the presence of elevated absorbing aerosols – caused by fires – in the atmosphere off the west coast of the US on 12 December 2017.

Technology news

	Team reveals inner workings of victorious AI: Libratus AI defeated top pros in 20 days of poker play Libratus, an artificial intelligence that defeated four top professional poker players in no-limit Texas Hold'em earlier this year, uses a three-pronged approach to master a game with more decision points than atoms in the universe, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report.
	Patent talk: Apple looks at voice assistance in whispers (Tech Xplore)—Tell us another one. If you are at all like the rest of us, you wish the Siri-caller conversation could just stop, because you are working in the next cubicle or trying to read and re-read a paragraph in a library or about to crawl out the window in a packed commuter train.
	AI looks at what gets you pumped in video storytelling (Tech Xplore)—"Wow. Pass me a tissue. That was a great story. Oscar worthy. Who wrote the script? What?"
	Yes you can: Chrome beta will let you mute autoplay video (Tech Xplore)—Google Chrome beta says happy holidays in a way that will make many people happy. The beta delivers a mute tool for autoplay video. You can get this by downloading the Chrome 64 beta.
	Graphene unlocks the promise of lithium sulfur batteries Many battery scientists are interested in the potential of lithium sulfur batteries because, at least in theory, they offer a high energy density at relatively low cost. However, lithium sulfur batteries face a number of challenges, including the low electrical conductivity of sulfur and the tendency of the cathode to expand significantly in size during the discharge cycle—a tendency that prevents the cathode material from being packed as densely in the battery as scientists would like.
	Disney-Fox deal may create a new nerdy nirvana The coming union of the Disney and Fox media empires is set to create a new nirvana for fanboys and -girls, one that reunites superheroes and sci-fi characters long separated by an energy barrier of corporate legalism.
	Inflammatory letter sheds light on Uber's alleged misconduct A former Uber security specialist accused the company of dispatching a team of spies to steal its rivals' trade secrets and using shady tactics to thwart its competition in the ride-hailing market, according an inflammatory letter unsealed Friday by a federal judge.
French aerospace giant Thales acquires SIM maker Gemalto French aerospace and defence group Thales said Sunday it has bought European SIM manufacturer Gemalto in a bid to become a global leader in digital security.
	Toyota planning 10 purely electric vehicles by 2020s Toyota plans to offer more than 10 purely electric vehicle models in its lineup by the early 2020s, marking the Japanese automaker's commitment to that growing technology sector.
	Bitcoin futures slide after trading debut on CME Another security based on the price of bitcoin, the digital currency that has soared in value and volatility this year, began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Sunday.
	New Bitcoin-based security slightly higher in debut on CME (Update) A new security based on the price of the digital currency bitcoin was trading slightly higher Monday after its debut on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, a week after another such security launched on a rival exchange.
	China's Huawei to expand in US smartphone market next year Chinese smartphone brand Huawei will start sales through U.S. carriers next year, a Huawei executive said Monday, stepping up the No. 3 global handset seller's presence in the home market of rival Apple Inc.
	Research reveals de-identified patient data can be re-identified In August 2016, Australia's federal Department of Health published medical billing records of about 2.9 million Australians online. These records came from the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) containing 1 billion lines of historical health data from the records of around 10 per cent of the population.
	How AI can make us better at arguing The ability to argue, to express our reasoning to others, is one of the defining features of what it is to be human.
	How do you spot a Russian bot? Answer goes beyond Kremlin watching, new research finds A team of researchers has isolated the characteristics of bots on Twitter through an examination of bot activity related to Russian political discussions.
	Twitter rolls out stricter rules on abusive content Twitter has begun enforcing stricter policies on violent and abusive content like hateful images or symbols, including those attached to user profiles.
	Scientists develop a new technology of energy generation from bituminous coal Bituminous coal comprises over 90 percent of organic fuels in the lithosphere of the Earth. Burning coal and other fossil fuels powers electricity generation (which is mainly happening at HPPs). However, the existing generation methods are not efficient, bad for the environment, and extremely resource-demanding (i.e. producing a lot of waste). Coal production and burning result in soil and air pollution, and adversely influence flora and fauna.
Hyperspectral camera detects counterfeit medicine and traces of blood Specim Oy, a VTT spin-off, has developed the world's first mobile hyperspectral camera for the fast, high-level analysis of a range of samples. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland contributed its own expertise to the development project, in the form of fast measurement data processing algorithms and methods. The extremely high-precision hyperspectral camera, which resembles a normal digicamera, recognises materials and their differences from an image and provides results immediately on-site. Such information can be used to detect plant diseases, skin diseases, counterfeit art, faults in food and medicines, or detecting and identifying traces of blood and other samples at crime scenes.
	Twitter suspends white nationalists as it enforces new rules Twitter suspended the accounts of well-known white nationalists Monday, moving swiftly to enforce its new rules aimed at reducing what it deems abusive content.

Medicine & Health news

	Can brain lesions contribute to criminal behavior? New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that lesions to brain areas in individuals exhibiting criminal behavior all fall within a particular brain network involved in moral decision-making. Previous studies have shown that the brains of some criminals exhibit abnormalities, but in most cases, it is unclear whether these abnormalities are the cause of, effect of, or simply coincide with criminality.
	Direct amygdala stimulation can enhance human memory Direct electrical stimulation of the human amygdala, a region of the brain known to regulate memory and emotional behaviors, can enhance next-day recognition of images when applied immediately after the images are viewed, neuroscientists have found.
	Researchers create skeletal muscle from stem cells UCLA scientists have developed a new strategy to efficiently isolate, mature and transplant skeletal muscle cells created from human pluripotent stem cells, which can produce all cell types of the body. The findings are a major step towards developing a stem cell replacement therapy for muscle diseases including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which affects approximately 1 in 5,000 boys in the U.S. and is the most common fatal childhood genetic disease.
	Study prompts new ideas on cancers' origins Rapidly dividing, yet aberrant stem cells are a major source of cancer. But a new study suggests that mature cells also play a key role in initiating cancer—a finding that could upend the way scientists think about the origin of the disease.
	'Simple, but powerful' model reveals mechanisms behind neuron development All things must come to an end. This is particularly true for neurons, especially the extensions called axons that transmit electrochemical signals to other nerve cells. Without controlled termination of individual neuron growth, the efficient and accurate construction of a nervous system is in serious jeopardy.
	How much people earn is associated with how they experience happiness People who earn more money tend to experience more positive emotions focused on themselves, while people who earn less take greater pleasure in their relationships and ability to connect with others, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
	We overstate our negative feelings in surveys, new research shows We tend to overstate our negative feelings and symptoms in surveys, shows a new study by a team of psychology researchers. This bias wears off over time, but the results point to the possibility that measurements of health and well-being, which are vital in making medical assessments and in guiding health-related research, may be misinterpreted.
	Minorities don't receive same health benefits of college completion as white peers A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finds that black and Hispanic young adults from disadvantaged childhoods do not enjoy the same health-promoting benefits of college completion as their upwardly mobile white peers. The paper is the first to document improved mental health but worse physical health risk associated with college completion among disadvantaged minority young adults and it illustrates the importance of programs and policies that support the upward mobility of minorities.
	No interventions proven to prevent late-life dementia There is no proven intervention for preventing late-life dementia. Researchers from the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) reviewed published research to determine if physical activity, prescription medications, over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, or cognitive training interventions could help to prevent dementia in patients who did not have it at the time of the studies. The vast majority of research showed that none of the interventions worked. Findings from four systematic evidence reviews are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Mindfulness training reduces stress during exam time, study finds Mindfulness training can help support students at risk of mental health problems, concludes a randomised controlled trial carried out by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
	Could cognitive interventions be useful in treating depression? A new study by experimental psychologists from the University of Bristol has examined whether cognitive bias modification (CBM) for facial interpretation, a digital health intervention that changes our perception for emotional expressions from negative to positive, might be useful in treating depression.
	How electroconvulsive therapy relieves depression per animal experiments In a study using genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered some new molecular details that appear to explain how electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) rapidly relieves severe depression in mammals, presumably including people. The molecular changes allow more communication between neurons in a specific part of the brain also known to respond to antidepressant drugs.
	Researchers repurpose immune-activating cytokine to fight breast cancer The most lethal form of breast cancer could have a new treatment option, according to new research out of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers showed triple-negative breast cancer cells are highly vulnerable to interferon-β—a potent antimicrobial that also activates the immune system. The new study shows interferon-β impairs breast cancer cells' ability to migrate and form tumors. The study also suggests interferon-β treatment could improve outcomes for certain breast cancer patients.
	Thinking about germs makes people concerned about how they look Simply thinking about potential infection seems to increase people's concerns about their own physical appearance, especially if they are chronic germ worriers, according to new research in Psychological Science. The findings suggest that the possibility of contagion activates the so-called "behavioral immune system," leading individuals to focus not only on their vulnerability to disease but also how they appear to others.
	Fruit fly breakthrough may help human blindness research For decades, scientists have known that blue light will make fruit flies go blind, but it wasn't clear why. Now, a Purdue University study has found how this light kills cells in the flies' eyes, and that could prove a useful model for understanding human ocular diseases such as macular degeneration.
	Screening could catch a quarter of hip fractures before they happen Community screening for osteoporosis could prevent more than a quarter of hip fractures in older women - according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Third of people not taking their prescribed diabetes medication due to side effects Diabetes patients who take the most commonly prescribed diabetes drug, metformin, are the least likely to follow medical advice regarding their medication due its side effects, a new article in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism reports.
WHO certifies Gabon as polio-free The World Health Organization has declared Gabon a "polio-free country", given the lack of new reported or suspected cases in the central African country.
	A CDC ban on 'fetus' and 'transgender?' Experts alarmed (Update) Health leaders say they are alarmed about a report that officials at the nation's top public health agency are being told not to use certain words or phrases in official budget documents, including "fetus," ''transgender" and "science-based."
Researchers find racial disparities in intensity of care at the end of life African Americans at the end of life have significantly higher rates of hospital admission, emergency department (ED) visits, and discontinuing (also known as disenrolling from) hospice care than whites, according to a new study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published today by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
New RCT shows no benefit from probiotics, xylitol chewing gum in alleviating sore throats The use of probiotics and xylitol chewing gum to alleviate sore throat symptoms—as an alternative to antibiotics—appears to have no effect, according to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Risk of 'dirty' turkey after Brexit if UK strikes a US trade deal Consumers could be eating "dirty" chlorinated turkey at Christmas if the UK agrees a post-Brexit trade deal with the USA, according to a new briefing paper by leading food policy experts.
What factors affect quality of life in older patients with cancer? A new study provides insights on the factors that affect health-related quality of life in older adults with cancer. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings support the importance of addressing persistent symptoms, managing comorbidities, promoting leisure-time physical activity, and addressing financial challenges.
Early diagnosis can save babies' lives: A guide to severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) A new review provides guidance on a deadly, but rare, disease that is potentially curable if identified early. Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), known as the "bubble boy disease" in the 1970s, is treatable with a stem cell transplant, gene therapy and other treatments if identified at birth or soon after.
	Are parents doing enough to prepare 'substitute' babysitters over the holidays? As parents tackle their holiday lists, one item may be especially important- finding a babysitter.
	Copper excess in diabetes hinders our ability to make healthy blood vessels It's a metal we worry thieves will steal from our air conditioners or power lines, but inside our bodies too much copper can result in a much larger loss.
	Tracking effects of a food preservative on the gut microbiome Antimicrobial compounds added to preserve food during storage are believed to be benign and non-toxic to the consumer, but there is "a critical scientific gap in understanding the potential interactions" they may have with the hundreds of species of microbes in our intestines, say David Sela, a nutritional microbiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and colleagues.
	Abuse and adversity in childhood linked to more cardiovascular risk in adulthood Children and teens who are abused, witness violence, are bullied or face other adversities are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases in adulthood, according to a new scientific statement by the American Heart Association published in the Association's journal Circulation.
	Simple tool may expedite transplants in kids with kidney failure An easy-to-use tool to predict the likelihood of a child with kidney disease progressing to kidney failure has a high degree of accuracy and could be used to reduce the burden of dialysis and increase transplantations, according to a study led by researchers at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.
	Distinct human mutations can alter the effect of medicine Every person has a unique DNA sequence. Now, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge have tried to quantify what these differences in the genome mean in the context of genes targeted by drugs.
Vitamin deficiency in later life One in two persons aged 65 and above has suboptimal blood levels of vitamin D. This is the conclusion of an investigation conducted by researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, as part of the population-based KORA-Age study in the region of Augsburg. Moreover, as the authors of the study report in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients, one in four older adults has suboptimal vitamin B12 levels.
	Team develops technology to find optimum drug target for cancer A KAIST research team led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering developed technology to find the optimum drug targets for specific types of cancer cells. The team used systems biology to analyze molecular network dynamics that reflect genetic mutations in cancer cells and to predict drug response. The technology could contribute greatly to future anti-cancer drug development.
Self-injury more about coping than a cry for help New research has revealed that most people who harm themselves do it as a way to deal with their emotional pain, rather than a cry for help.
	Researchers find one in six U.K. parents allow young teens to drink alcohol Seventeen percent of parents in the United Kingdom allow their 13- to 14-year olds to drink alcohol, according to study results recently published by Penn State researchers.
	Restless leg syndrome risk factor for heart-related death Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related death among women, according to research published online today (Dec. 15) in the January 2018 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	Pregnancy doesn't 'cure' endometriosis, so where does this advice come from? Many Australian women with endometriosis are reporting they're being advised a reliable treatment or even possible cure for their endometriosis is to "go away and have a baby". This message is consistent with what women from other countries are also being told by a wide range of sources from self-help books to web forums to medical professionals.
	Policy and early intervention can curb obesity rates More information and emphasis on dietary lifestyle changes that prevent obesity, and its comorbidities, have not reduced the rise in obesity in U.S. adults and adolescents, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Study reveals factors that influence participation in bowel cancer screening A new, Australian-first study by Cancer Council NSW has shed light on the factors that influence whether or not someone participates in bowel cancer screening. The analysis of almost 100,000 people showed that smokers, disadvantaged groups and those with non-English speaking backgrounds were among the groups less likely to access screening.
	Opportunities to vaccinate young women against HPV missed at alarming rate Two-thirds of young women aged 18-26 who were eligible to receive Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine have missed at least one opportunity to receive the vaccine during a visit to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic, Yale researchers report.
	Study links mental health to poor school results A national survey led by The University of Western Australia has painted a bleak picture of the effect of mental disorders on Australia's school students with the results revealing poorer academic outcomes, more absences from school and more likelihood of self-harm.
	Mini brains may wrinkle and fold just like ours Flat brains growing on microscope slides may have revealed a new wrinkle in the story of how the brain folds.
Immune system—the body's street sweepers A new study by medical researchers at LMU extends the list of tasks performed by the smallest blood cells known as platelets: At sites of infection, actively migrating platelets sweep bacteria into aggregates for disposal by phagocytic cells.
	Using viruses to fight viruses: New approach eliminates 'dormant' HIV-infected cells While Ottawa researchers are known for their work on cancer-fighting viruses, one team is applying these viruses to a new target: HIV.
	Tougher state laws curb vaccine refusers (HealthDay)—A Washington state law aimed at discouraging nonmedical childhood vaccine exemptions seems to have worked, a new study finds.
	Don't play around when it comes to toy safety (HealthDay)—There's nothing like a child's expression when getting a new toy. But toy safety belongs at the top of your holiday shopping list.
	H. pylori infection found to be related to gallbladder diseases (HealthDay)—Gallstones are less common with Helicobacter pylori infection among a Chinese population, according to a study published Nov. 27 in the Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
	Nerve injury ID'd after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HealthDay)—High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for skin laxity can cause facial nerve injury, according to a case study published online Nov. 22 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
	Doctors must report on at least 1 patient, 1 measure for MACRA (HealthDay)—In order to meet the 2017 Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) participation reporting deadline and avoid a Medicare payment penalty in 2019, physicians must report on at least one patient and one measure by Dec. 31, and submit to Medicare no later than Feb. 28, 2018, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
New 'checkpoint' model that could identify potential drugs to treat genetic disorders A new 'checkpoint' model which can be used to identify potential treatments for genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been proposed by a team of Bradford scientists.
	US health officials to target high-risk alternative remedies U.S. health officials plan to crack down on a growing number of unproven alternative remedies, focusing on products containing dangerous ingredients that have occasionally been linked to serious injury and death.
Behavioral intervention improves sleep for hospitalized pregnant women A study shows that a hospital-based behavioral intervention protocol including components of sleep hygiene and cognitive behavioral therapy successfully improved sleep in women who were hospitalized for a high-risk pregnancy.
Tiny bilirubin-filled capsules could improve survival of transplanted pancreatic cells By encapsulating bilirubin within tiny nanoparticles, researchers from North Carolina State University and the Ohio State University have improved the survival rates of pancreatic islet cells in vitro in a low-oxygen environment. The work has implications for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes in both canine and human patients.
	Teens who help strangers have more confidence, study finds Tis the season for helping at a soup kitchen, caroling at a care facility or shoveling a neighbor's driveway.
Making heart transplants obsolete with small removable pump On this 50th anniversary of the first heart transplant, which occurred in December 1967, a University of Houston biomedical engineer is creating a next-generation heart pump for patients suffering with heart failure. Results are so promising that Ralph Metcalfe, professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, who oversees the research project with William Cohn, director of the Center for Technology and Innovation at the Texas Heart Institute, predicts radical improvement in treatment of failing hearts will happen within a decade.
Radiosurgery or whole-brain radiation in patients with multiple brain metastases? Although targeted therapies have produced dramatic advances in our ability to control some types of advanced lung cancer, growth of the disease in the brain remains a major problem. Radiation is often used to treat deposits in the brain, but the best technique to deliver radiation can be controversial. Whole-brain radiation therapy, as its name suggest, treats the entire brain but can be associated with notable cognitive side effects. Another strategy, radiosurgery, directs highly-focused radiation only to the sites of metastasis, largely sparing the normal brain.
	Flu vaccine could work as well as last year's shot: study (HealthDay)—As the flu barrels across the United States, the good news is that this year's vaccine may work better than many expected.
	Will these two home remedies help your sore throat? (HealthDay)—Down go another two worthless home remedies for strep throat.
	State rules affect survival of immigrants with kidney failure (HealthDay)—How states treat undocumented immigrants with kidney failure affects their health—including, in some cases, whether they live or die, a new study has found.
	Yogurt, but not milk, may lower hip fracture risk (HealthDay)—High intake of fermented milk products, like yogurt, in combination with a high intake of fruits and vegetables, is associated with lower hip fracture rates in women, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
	PCPs perform ultrasound for DVT similarly to vascular experts (HealthDay)—Compared to vascular experts, general practitioners perform compression ultrasonography for diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the leg similarly well, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Microbiome intervention with niacin aids insulin sensitivity (HealthDay)—A targeted microbiome intervention, accomplished through microencapsulated delayed-release niacin, beneficially affects insulin sensitivity in humans, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in Diabetes Care.
	Anaphylaxis is rare complication of pregnancy (HealthDay)—Anaphylaxis is a rare complication of pregnancy, with an estimated incidence of 1.6 per 100,000 maternities, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
	Long-term macrolide use linked to resistant P. acnes (HealthDay)—Long-term oral macrolide administration may increase macrolide-resistant Propionibacterium acnes, according to a study published online Dec. 13 in the Journal of Dermatology.
	Payment for laboratory tests set to reduce starting Jan. 1, 2018 (HealthDay)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, which is set to reduce payments for testing services conducted in physician office-based laboratories, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
	High fatty liver index tied to colorectal adenomas (HealthDay)—The fatty liver index may be an accurate predictor of colorectal adenomas among an average-risk population, according to a study published in the January issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.
	Sign-ups show health law's staying power in Trump era A deadline burst of sign-ups after a tumultuous year for the Obama health law has revealed continued demand for the program's subsidized individual health plans. But the Affordable Care Act's troubles aren't over.
Burners beware: California pot sold Jan. 1 could be tainted That legal weed you'll be able to buy in California on New Year's Day may not be as green as it seems.
	Lifesaver or distraction? Police split on anti-overdose drug The sheriff of Clermont County firmly believes it's a call of duty for his deputies to carry a nasal spray that brings people back from the brink of death by drug overdose. Less than 50 miles away, his counterpart in Butler County is dead set against it, saying it subjects deputies to danger while making no lasting impact on the death toll.
	Restoring aging genes in rats Overexpression of a protein that regulates calcium homeostasis in hippocampal neurons can safely and effectively reverse and prevent age-related memory impairments in rats while restoring altered gene expression, finds new research published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
	Altered brain development, cognitive abilities in premies Premature babies undergoing hundreds of life-saving procedures exhibit abnormal development of the thalamus and cognitive and motor impairments in the first years of life, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience of infants born as early as 24 weeks of gestation.
	How teens learn about others Despite their intense interest in other people, adolescents are slower to learn about the preferences of their peers than adults, according to results from a new approach to studying social development published in Journal of Neuroscience.
The toll of dysphagia Besides studies in stroke patients, little is known about the impact of dysphagia or impaired swallowing in the general patient population.
PTSD symptoms and posttraumatic growth in children and adolescents following an earthquake Posttraumatic stress symptoms—including symptoms such as intrusion, avoidance, negative thoughts and feelings, and hyperarousal—can arise among individuals exposed to natural disasters, yet positive psychological changes, such as posttraumatic growth, can also develop. A Journal of Traumatic Stress analysis looks at these processes in 757 children and adolescents who experienced the 2013 Ya'an earthquake in China.
	The Virtual Physiological Human – a 'digital twin' for patients Today, Interface Focus published a themed issue about the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) – your 'digital twin' which could model your physiology and pathologies. The issue focuses on translating the VPH to the clinic, and demonstrates the impact of VPH applications on medicine. We spoke with the organiser, Alfons Hoekstra, about the VPH project to learn more.
	Researchers target cannabinoid receptors with new line of pain‑relief products As the clock ticks down to the July 1 deadline when recreational marijuana will be legalized in Canada, governments are scrambling and the controversy is mounting among those who want a say in how it will be grown, sold and regulated.
Moderate exercise training improves some of the Marfan syndrome symptoms in mice Regular physical activity is a common therapy for people with cardiovascular problems, but not recommended to those with Marfan syndrome, a rare disease of the connective tissue affecting the cardiovascular system. A study conducted jointly by the University of Barcelona and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) has analysed for the first time this medical recommendation, analysing the impact of exercise in the development of the disease in mice. The results, published in the scientific journal Journal of the American Heart Association, show that moderate exercise reduces the progression of aortic aneurysm, one of the most severe symptoms of the disease, which can cause arteries to break.
	New vaccine technology shows promise as a tool to combat the opioid crisis Researchers with the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) report that an experimental heroin vaccine induced antibodies that prevented the drug from crossing the blood-brain barrier in mice and rats. The vaccine was co-developed at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, which funded the preclinical research.
	New guide aims to unmask unique challenges women face in getting healthy sleep Though sleep is essential to health and wellbeing, the unique barriers faced by women in maintaining good sleep health are often misunderstood or overlooked, according to a new resource "Women & Sleep: A Guide for Better Health" developed by the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) Interdisciplinary Network on Sleep. The guide provides an evidence-based overview of key sleep challenges women face throughout the lifespan. The Sleep Network also partnered with patients from MyApnea.org to develop "Women & Sleep Apnea," to raise awareness on a disorder that is widely perceived as a "man's disease." Both resources are designed to help women and their healthcare providers address sleep problems.
	Online sponsored ad ban has limited impact on consumer access to foreign pharmacies As American consumers turn to online search engines for cheaper prescription drugs from foreign pharmacies, safety and quality concerns arise. In 2010, under compulsion from the Department of Justice, Google agreed to forfeit $500 million and ban sponsored search advertising by pharmacies that are not certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The ban covered all foreign pharmacies and a few domestics. Within the year, other major search engines followed. But a forthcoming study in the INFORMS journal, Marketing Science, a leading scholarly marketing publication, finds that the ad ban had limited success in reducing access; motivated consumers still gained access to foreign pharmacies through organic search links.
	Factors affecting the health of older sexual and gender minorities A special issue of LGBT Health includes the latest research, clinical practice innovations, and policy aimed at addressing disparities and enhancing healthcare for older LGBT populations. A collection of informative and insightful articles that contribute to the understanding of factors that affect the health of older gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans is published in LGBT Health.
	Is Chinese massage an effective and cost-effective treatment for chronic neck pain? A new study evaluating a form of Chinese massage, tuina, in patients with chronic neck pain found it to be effective, safe, and cost-effective compared to no treatment. The study, which assessed intensity of neck pain, disability, health-related quality of life, medication use, and cost, is published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM).
For stroke patients, rating scales predict discharge destination Stroke survivors with higher scores on widely used outcome measures are more likely to be discharged home from the hospital, while those with lower scores are more likely to go to a rehabilitation or nursing care facility, reports a paper in the January issue of The Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy (JNPT).

Biology news

	New study shows how birds work to sing together A new paper published in Behavioral Ecology finds that songbirds may coordinate both vocally and visually to enhance their singing partners' responses.
	Birds learn from each other's 'disgust,' enabling insects to evolve bright colors Many animals have evolved to stand out. Bright colours are easy to spot, but they warn predators off by signalling toxicity or foul taste.
	Mapping the global impact of shrinking glaciers on river invertebrates River invertebrates react the same way to decreasing glacier cover wherever in the world they are, say scientists who have evaluated more than one million of them in diverse regions with shrinking glaciers, to determine the impact of global environmental change.
	Two neuropeptides in zebrafish provide clues to the complex neural mechanisms underlying sleep Sleep is a crucial behavior for a properly functioning mind and body—just ask anyone who has experienced a sleepless night. But the complex neural mechanisms underlying sleep are only just beginning to be explored. As part of this exploration, neurobiologists like Caltech professor of biology David Prober aim to build up a catalog of genes that regulate sleep.
	Study answers a long-standing mystery about snake predation Rattlesnakes experience the world very differently from humans. A specialized pit on the snake's face contains a heat-sensitive membrane which connects to the brain. Together, the snake's visual and heat-sensing systems work together to provide an image that combines both visual and thermal information.
	How fungi helped create life as we know it Today our world is visually dominated by animals and plants, but this world would not have been possible without fungi, say University of Leeds scientists.
	Genetic barcodes are used to quantify crucial populations in a coral reef ecosystem Almost all the wildly varied, colorful fish that populate coral reefs start life as tiny, colorless, tadpole-like larvae. Telling one from the other is nearly impossible - even for experts - and this presents a difficult challenge to those who study the ecology of the reefs. Prof. Rotem Sorek of the Weizmann Institute of Science; Prof. Roi Holzman of the School of Zoology and The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University; and Dr Moshe Kiflawi of Ben Gurion University have now produced a way to understand precisely which species of larvae are present in the water around reefs. Their study, which involved genetic "barcoding" of nearly all the fish species in the gulf between Eilat and Aqaba, not only showed which larvae were in the gulf, but how many of each were swimming around, at what time of year and at what depths. This study was recently published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
	Study reveals new insight into 'immortal' plant cells A new study has revealed an undiscovered reprogramming mechanism that allows plants to maintain fitness down the generations.
	From the omelette to the egg: Reversing protein aggregations To cook an omelette, you have to scramble an egg, and like Humpty Dumpty it can never be put back together again. This is because the egg undergoes a set of physiological and chemical changes as it cooks, which cause its chemical bonds to break and its proteins to aggregate, restructuring and setting into a new, final—and irreversible—shape.
	Born under an inauspicious moon, baby fish delay settlement on coral reefs Parents' choices about when to breed have lifelong consequences for offspring. For the sixbar wrasse, the flexibility of babies to delay their critical swim towards adulthood frees adults to spawn more often, say ecologists in a new research report in the Ecological Society of America's journal Ecology.
	Flower or flesh? Genetics explain mosquito preference Imagine a world in which mosquitoes choose blossoms over blood.
	Scientists discover gut bacteria in bees spread antibiotic-resistant genes to each other It's the kind of thing you might lose sleep over.
Two rare sea lion attacks shut down cove in San Francisco Bay Two unusual sea lion attacks in a San Francisco Bay cove led authorities to close the popular area to swimmers Friday as officials try to determine the reason for the aggressive behavior.
	Researchers test intelligence of African grey parrot To look at him, Griffin doesn't seem like he'd be smarter than your typical 4-year-old—he's a bird, after all. Yet the African grey parrot can easily outperform young children on certain tests, including one that measures understanding of volume.
	Genetic study uncovers fungal sex secrets, sheds light on candidiasis A new genetic analysis of fungal yeast infections (candidiasis) from around the world has revealed surprising secrets about how these microbes reproduce and cause disease, according to a new study published in Current Biology from researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain.
	By slashing environment spending, the government is slashing opportunities Australia's native plants and animals are integral to the success of our society. We depend on wildlife to pollinate many of our crops. Most of our cities depend on effective water catchments to provide clean water. And medical scientists are making important breakthroughs in managing disease and health issues based on discoveries in nature.
	Morphogenesis and the development of living forms What is morphogenesis? Morphogenesis examines the development of the living organisms' forms.
	Proteins in shark teeth could hint at what they eat Certain molecules found in shark teeth proteins could tell scientists how the predators are connected to other animals in the food web, according to new research.
	Is mistletoe more than just an excuse for a kiss? Viscum album is one of the best known parasitic plants—essentially gaining both water and nutrients from the plant it has made its home. But its unique biology is not the only reason why it is so well known, famed for being both a life saver and a killer. One of the earliest mentions of mistletoe is in Norse mythology. It's reputed that Balder (son of Odin) was killed with a spear made of mistletoe, which led to Balder's mother, Frigg, banishing mistletoe to the tops of the trees.
	Marine robots detect whales in the deep ocean Scientists at the University of East Anglia have been recording the sounds made by whales and porpoises off the coast of northern Scotland – using a fleet of pioneering marine robots.
	The incredible journey of the first African tortoise that arrived in Europe About 95 million years ago, a river turtle adapted to marine environments and made an extraordinary migration from the ancient continent of Gondwana, which grouped what is now Africa and South America, to Laurasia, of which the Northern continental mass of which Europe, Asia and North America were part. Species remains, found in the town of Algora in Guadalajara (Spain) and in Portugal, are evidence of the first known dispersal event of a turtle from Gondwana.
	The shrinking moose of Isle Royale Researchers from Michigan Technological University know the smartest way to know a moose is by its brain. Specifically, skull measurements reveal information about body size, physiology and the conditions of a moose's early life. Put together, measurements through time reveal the health of a population and even changes in their environment.
Vermont's moose population struggles despite hunting cutback Scientists say they fear shifting climate conditions are to blame for Vermont's struggling moose population.
	Humans as a model for understanding biological fundamentals Although some scientific disciplines aim at gaining a better understanding of humans, most biologists ultimately try to understand life in general. This raises the question of whether and when humans are acceptable, or even desirable, models of biological fundamentals. Are humans 'too unique' to be informative with respect to biological fundamentals? Or are there areas where we share key components with other species, or for which our very uniqueness serves to allow novel explorations?
	Natural enzymes filter hormone-disrupting chemicals from sewage A new filtration system that uses natural molecules to remove hormone-affecting chemicals from wastewater has succeeded in trapping 95 % of these substances before the water goes back into the environment.
	85 new species described by the California Academy of Sciences in 2017 In 2017, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added 85 new plant and animal species to the family tree, enriching our understanding of Earth's complex web of life and strengthening our ability to make informed conservation decisions. The new species include 16 flowering plants, one elephant-shrew, 10 sharks, 22 fish, three scorpions, seven ants, 13 nudibranchs, seven spiders, three wasps, one fossil sand dollar, one deepwater coral, and one lizard. More than a dozen Academy scientists—along with several dozen international collaborators—described the discoveries.

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