Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Feb 6

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 6, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Dig site in Tuscany reveals Neanderthals used fire to make tools

Three new millisecond pulsars discovered in Terzan 5 globular cluster

New studies of clay formation provide clues about early Martian climate

First experimental evidence for superionic ice

Researchers prove that precisely timed brain stimulation improves memory

Researchers take terahertz data links around the bend

World's biggest rocket soars toward Mars after perfect launch

Ozone at lower latitudes is not recovering, despite Antarctic ozone hole healing

Novel research approach sheds light on how midsize predators interact

There are more mammal species than we thought

New study sheds light on Moon's slow retreat from frozen Earth

To baldly grow: Japan scientists regrow hair at record rate

Ribosomes found to induce somatic cell pluripotency

Understanding conditions for star formation

New technology for accelerated wound healing discovered

Astronomy & Space news

	Three new millisecond pulsars discovered in Terzan 5 globular cluster An international team of astronomers has found three new millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in a Milky Way globular cluster called Terzan 5. The new discovery increases the number of identified pulsars in Terzan 5 to 37 and makes this cluster the most efficient factory of MSPs in the galaxy known to date. The finding is reported January 30 in a paper published on arXiv.org.
	New studies of clay formation provide clues about early Martian climate New research published in Nature Astronomy seeks to understand how surface clay was formed on Mars despite its cold climate.
	World's biggest rocket soars toward Mars after perfect launch The world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, blasted off Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster toward an orbit near Mars.
	New study sheds light on Moon's slow retreat from frozen Earth A study led by University of Colorado Boulder researchers provides new insight into the Moon's excessive equatorial bulge, a feature that solidified in place over four billion years ago as the Moon gradually distanced itself from the Earth.
	Understanding conditions for star formation Researchers have demonstrated how a gas escapes ice at an extremely cold temperature, providing insight into star formation in interstellar clouds. The mechanism by which hydrogen sulphide is released as gas in interstellar molecular clouds is described by scientists in Japan and Germany, in the journal Nature Astronomy. The process, known as chemical desorption, is more efficient than previously believed, and this has implications for the understanding of star formation in molecular clouds.
	Final results from LISA Pathfinder satellite The final results from the ESA satellite LISA Pathfinder (LPF) have been published today. Using data taken before the end of the mission in July 2017, the LPF team – including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hannover and Leibniz Universität Hannover – significantly improved first results published in mid 2016. LPF now has exceeded the requirements for key technologies for LISA, the future gravitational-wave observatory in space, by more than a factor of two over the entire observation band. LISA is scheduled to launch into space in 2034 as an ESA mission and will "listen" to low-frequency gravitational waves from merging supermassive black holes in the entire Universe and tens of thousands of binary stars in our galaxy.
	Showtime for SpaceX's big new rocket with sports car on top SpaceX's big new rocket stood ready to blast off on its first test flight Tuesday, as crowds began gathering at daybreak for the afternoon launch debut.
	Combined optics, science instruments of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrive in California The two halves of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope now reside at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California, where they will come together to form the complete observatory.
	New NASA space sensors to address key Earth questions Why is the Arctic warming faster than the rest of the planet? Does mineral dust warm or cool the atmosphere? NASA has selected two new, creative research proposals to develop small, space-based instruments that will tackle these fundamental questions about our home planet and its environment. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is a key participant on both instruments.
	HINODE captures record breaking solar magnetic field Astronomers at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) using the HINODE spacecraft observed the strongest magnetic field ever directly measured on the surface of the Sun. Analyzing data for 5 days around the appearance of this record breaking magnetic field, the astronomers determined that it was generated as a result of gas outflow from one sunspot pushing against another sunspot.
	NASA technology to help locate electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves A compact detector technology applicable to all types of cross-disciplinary scientific investigations has found a home on a new CubeSat mission designed to find the electromagnetic counterparts of events that generate gravitational waves.
	Five things to know about Elon Musk's space projects SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk on Tuesday plans to send his own Tesla roadster into space aboard the world's most powerful rocket in operation, the Falcon Heavy—to the tune of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
	Launch window narrows for SpaceX's monster rocket (Update) High winds narrowed the window of opportunity Tuesday for SpaceX to launch its monster rocket, the Falcon Heavy, the most powerful in operation today and aimed at someday toting supplies to the Moon or even Mars.

Technology news

	Cockroach-inspired Ambulatory MicroRobot is speedy, resilient and versatile If you've ever tried to kill an interloping cockroach, you've probably noticed two things: they're fast and nearly invincible. While those features make roaches terrifying to most people, it's a source of bioinspiration for roboticists at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
	Smartly containing the cloud increases computing efficiency, says first-of-its-kind study Not too long ago booting up a computer meant there was time for a lengthy coffee break even before the workday started. For a decade now though, thanks to the cloud, computers have accessed information from virtual machines that exist in the ether, allowing software to launch quickly on demand.
	Love actually: Computer model may decode Facebook emoticons While the trusty "like" button is still the most popular way to signal approval for Facebook posts, a computer model may help users and businesses navigate the increasingly complicated way people are expressing how they feel on social media, according to Penn State researchers.
	Facebook patent talk: Seeing who is rich, poor, in the middle "Socioeconomic group classification based on user features," is a title that evokes an uh-oh just as much as an oh-really.
	Bitcoin drops below $6,000 for first time in three months Bitcoin plunged more than 20 percent to fall below $6,000 on Tuesday, its latest sharp loss following a series of setbacks, with a global stock market collapse fuelling the selling.
	Google spinoff, Uber whale on each other as trial opens An epic court battle between Uber and a Google spinoff, centered on the alleged theft of self-driving car technology, began with accusations of sinister plots and other devious behavior lobbed in both directions.
	China solar supplier grows in India to avoid trade controls One of China's biggest makers of solar panels said Tuesday it will invest $309 million to expand manufacturing in India in a move to guard against what it complained is a rising threat of import controls in the United States and other markets.
	Toyota forecasts record net profit for full fiscal year Japanese car giant Toyota on Tuesday revised its earnings forecast, saying it expected to see a record annual net profit thanks to a weaker yen and US tax cuts.
	Autonomous 3-D scanner supports individual manufacturing processes Let's say the armrest is broken in your vintage car. As things stand, you would need a lot of luck and persistence to find the right spare part. But in the world of Industrie 4.0 and production with batch sizes of one, you can simply scan the armrest and print it out. This is made possible by the first ever 3-D scanner capable of working autonomously and in real time. The autonomous scanning system will be on display at the Hannover Messe Preview on February 6 and at the Hannover Messe proper from April 23 to 27, 2018 (Hall 6, Booth A30).
	Cognitive sensors in production processes As a direct result of Industrie 4.0, industrial production is becoming increasingly customized. And industry's long-term goal is batch size one. In practice, however, digitalization still frequently means individual solutions that are only partially connected or not connected at all. As a consequence, neither subsequent processes nor advance planning can benefit from data recorded. To facilitate the linking up of production processes, the exchange of application-specific data and the optimization of procedures, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Nuremberg is working on developing identification, localization and communication technologies for cognitive sensors and systems. At the Hannover Messe Preview on February 6, and at the Hannover Messe itself from April 23 to 27, 2018, the researchers will be demonstrating various solutions and data-driven applications in an engine assembly process (Hall 2, Booth C22).
	Eye tracking might help reduce driver drowsiness A new way of detecting driver drowsiness by tracking eye movement could help reduce the road toll, a world-first study has found.
	Virtual reality chatroom app could boost VR industry During the first month of 2018, an app called VRChat shot from 4,000 installs to more than two million.
	Serious shortcomings in aging tests of new solar cell materials Researchers at Aalto University have found that only a fraction of stability tests done on new types of solar cells meet proper requirements. Tests lack common standards and should have been done in real-world conditions and in groups of several cells.
	How Facebook has become the world's largest echo chamber I began my research career in the last century with an analysis of how news organisations were adapting to this strange new thing called "the Internet". Five years later I signed up for Twitter and, a year after that, for Facebook.
	Worm uploaded to a computer and trained to balance a pole Is it a computer program or a living being? At TU Wien (Vienna), the boundaries have become blurred. The neural system of a nematode was translated into computer code – and then the virtual worm was taught amazing tricks.
	Your mobile phone can give away your location, even if you tell it not to U.S. military officials were recently caught off guard by revelations that servicemembers' digital fitness trackers were storing the locations of their workouts – including at or near military bases and clandestine sites around the world. But this threat is not limited to Fitbits and similar devices. My group's recent research has shown how mobile phones can also track their users through stores and cities and around the world – even when users turn off their phones' location-tracking services.
	Artificial intelligence is growing up fast—what's next for thinking machines? Our lives are already enhanced by AI – or at least an AI in its infancy – with technologies using algorithms that help them to learn from our behaviour. As AI grows up and starts to think, not just to learn, we ask how human-like do we want their intelligence to be and what impact will machines have on our jobs?
	EU to probe Apple plan to buy music app Shazam The European Union said on Tuesday it will probe tech giant Apple's plan to buy leading song recognition app Shazam because of fears the deal may "adversely affect competition."
Newsweek in turmoil as top editorial staff sacked The news media group Newsweek was in turmoil this week amid the firing of its top editorial staff, reportedly for investigating the finances of their own company.
	Apple mulls refunds for battery replacement on old iPhones Apple is mulling refunds to customers who paid full price for battery replacements on older iPhones.
	Former Uber CEO set to testify in high-tech heist case Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is poised to testify Tuesday in a high-stakes trial focused on charges that his company stole self-driving car technology from Waymo, a Google spinoff.
	Olympic video and VR: Guide to watching without a TV Every Olympic event will be streamed live. But to watch online, you'll still need to be a paying cable or satellite subscriber.
	US policymakers ponder tougher rules for cryptocurrencies US regulators on Tuesday joined a growing chorus of officials saying they made need new powers to regulate cryptocurrencies which pose risks the investing public does not recognize.
	Snapback for Snap on upside revenue surprise Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. saw a big snapback in shares Tuesday as the youth-oriented social network reported stronger-than-expected revenue growth.
	Seattle says Facebook is violating law about election ads Facebook is violating a Seattle law that requires the company to reveal who pays for political advertising on its influential social media platform, the city's elections watchdog said Monday.
	Central banker takes stab at bitcoin 'bubble' The head of the Bank of International Settlements, the central bank for central banks, on Tuesday lambasted bitcoin as a speculative bubble and said authorities need to be ready to protect public trust in the financial system.
	Boeing announces service orders worth nearly $1 billion Boeing said Tuesday its global services unit has signed deals worth nearly $1 billion at the Singapore Airshow in areas like parts, maintenance, modification and training.
	German prosecutors raid Audi again in 'dieselgate' probe German prosecutors said they had raided offices belonging to high-end carmaker Audi Tuesday, the second sweep in a week related to diesel emissions cheating at the Volkswagen subsidiary.
	Researchers discover new ways to streamline uranium enrichment Building and operating multistage sorters for enriching uranium used in nuclear power plants requires major investment. MEPhI researchers have calculated performance criteria that could lower construction costs for plants of this kind.
	General Motors reports $5.2 bn loss on charge for US tax reform A huge one-time charge for US tax reform pushed General Motors quarterly earnings into the red, but the automaker said Tuesday that earnings were better-than-expected when the tax hit is excluded.
	Boeing, Embraer near deal on commercial air business: source (Update) US aerospace giant Boeing and Brazil's Embraer are close to an agreement to combine their commercial air operations into a new company, a person familiar with the talks told AFP Tuesday.
Foxconn putting US headquarters in Milwaukee Foxconn Technology Group says it will establish a U.S. headquarters in Milwaukee as part of a massive investiment it is making in an electronics manufacturing plant in southeast Wisconsin.
	Will Disney's streaming service roar - or squeak? Will Disney's upcoming streaming services be the mouse that roared ... or squeaked?

Medicine & Health news

	Researchers prove that precisely timed brain stimulation improves memory Precisely timed electrical stimulation to the left side of the brain can reliably and significantly enhance learning and memory performance by as much as 15 percent, according to a study by a team of University of Pennsylvania neuroscientists published in Nature Communications. It is the first time such a connection has been made and is a major advance toward the goal of Restoring Active Memory, a U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored project aimed at developing next-generation technologies to improve memory function in veterans with memory loss.
	To baldly grow: Japan scientists regrow hair at record rate Polished pates and thinning thatches may one day be a thing of the past, thanks to Japanese scientists who have developed a way to grow hair follicles at a record rate.
New technology for accelerated wound healing discovered Researchers at Uppsala University and SLU have found a new way of accelerating wound healing. The technology and the mode of action method published in the highly ranked journal PNAS involves using lactic acid bacteria as vectors to produce and deliver a human chemokine on site in wounds. The research group is the first in the world to have developed the concept for topical use and the technology could turn out to be disruptive to the field of biologic drugs.
	Potential new treatment identified for drug-resistant skin cancer Stanford researchers have learned how basal cell carcinoma evades drug treatment without mutating. The researchers found possible drug targets that may allow for more personalized treatment of this common skin cancer.
	Asthma drug potential treatment for aortic aneurysm Aortic aneurysm – the dilation of the aorta – is a serious condition that lacks effective drug treatment. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet report in the journal PNAS, however, that a common asthma drug can retard the development of aortic aneurysm in mice.
	Despite bans, toxic flame retardants continue to show up in pregnant women's blood Adding another chapter to the unfolding story of flame-retardant chemicals and their lasting legacy on the environment and human health, a UC San Francisco research team has found that while banning these chemicals initially led to a reduction in exposure, a disturbing trend is emerging of exposure leveling off or even rising again.
	Study suggests opioid addicted newborns do better in room with mother than in NICU A team of researchers affiliated with the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice has found evidence suggesting that newborn babies addicted to opioids do better when they are kept in hospital rooms with their mothers than in the NICU. The team has published their findings in JAMA Pediatrics.
	Another piece to the puzzle in naked mole rats' long, cancer-free life With their large buck teeth and wrinkled, hairless bodies, naked mole rats won't be winning any awards for cutest rodent. But their long life span—they can live up to 30 years, the longest of any rodent—and remarkable resistance to age-related diseases, offer scientists key clues to the mysteries of aging and cancer.
	Sleepless in Latin America: Blind cavefish, extreme environments and insomnia Nearly all animals studied need to sleep, but little is known about why some animals sleep most of the day, while others sleep very little. As a result of living in total and permanent darkness in a small location in northeast Mexico, the eyeless, tiny blind Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) has evolved sleeplessness, snoozing far less than their river-dwelling relatives. These fish have been studied for nearly 100 years for their fascinating traits, yet little is known about how their behavior evolves. Because of their lack of sleep, they provide a great model to study human sleep disorders such as insomnia.
	Mouse study reveals what happens in the gut after too much fructose Princeton University researchers report that in mice, fructose, a sugar found in fruit, is processed mainly in the small intestine, not in the liver as had previously been suspected. Sugary drinks and processed high-sugar foods overwhelm the small intestine and spill into the liver for processing. Additionally, the authors learned that the ability of the small intestine to process fructose is higher after a meal. The work appears February 6 in the journal Cell Metabolism.
	'Virus-cracking' molecules advance fight against hepatitis B Indiana University researchers have made an important step forward in the design of drugs that fight the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver failure and liver cancer.
	Indonesia declares deadly Papua measles outbreak over A deadly measles-and-malnutrition outbreak that killed scores of children in Indonesia's remote Papua province is over, authorities said.
	Drinking hot tea associated with five-fold increased risk for esophageal cancer for some Consuming hot tea at high temperatures is associated with an increased risk for esophageal cancer in those who also drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. The findings, based on long-term follow-up in more than 450,000 participants, are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The costs of treating type 2 diabetes complications Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have examined health insurance data of more than 300,000 people with diabetes in Germany. Their report, published in the medical journal Diabetes Care, breaks down the costs involved in treating complications of the disease. The Helmholtz authors are members of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD).
	An enzyme variant reduces cardiac hypertrophy and improves heart function Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) have identified a variant of the enzyme calcineurin, called CnAβ1, whose action reduces cardiac hypertrophy and improves heart function. The results of the study, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), are the first to identify the beneficial effects of a CnAβ1-induced metabolic pathway in the hypertrophic heart, and may open the path to new treatment strategies. The findings also show how alternative forms of the same protein, produced from the same gene, can have opposite effects on a biological or pathological process. The study was led by CNIC scientist Dr. Enrique Lara.
	Can over-the-counter pain meds influence thoughts and emotions? Over-the-counter pain medicine such as Ibuprofen and acetaminophen may influence how people process information, experience hurt feelings, and react to emotionally evocative images, according to recent studies. Examining these findings and how policymakers should respond, a new article is out today in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, a Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (FABBS) journal.
	Team discovers genetic cause of rare high blood pressure syndrome Twenty-five years ago, an unusual inherited form of high blood pressure was first described in an Australian family. Its genetic cause, however, had remained elusive. Using modern sequencing methods, an international research team led by BIH Johanna Quandt Professor Ute Scholl has succeeded in detecting mutations in a new disease gene (CLCN2)—present in this family and seven others—that are responsible for the development of a familial form of hyperaldosteronism.
	Methylene blue die kills in vivo malaria parasites at speed not seen before Research shows that the dye methylene blue is a safe antimalarial that kills malaria parasites at an unprecedented rate. Within two days, patients are cured of the disease and no longer transmit the parasite if they are bitten again by a mosquito. This discovery was made by Radboud university medical center scientists and international colleagues during a research project conducted in Mali. The results will be published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on February 6th.
	Does social media depression in young people really exist? The term 'Facebook depression' has been coined to explain the potentially negative impact of social media on young people. It describes the depressive symptoms which can occur when young people spend a great amount of time on social media.
New research looks at impact of drinking patterns on children's hydration New research conducted by a team that included a University of Arkansas graduate student and faculty member indicates drinking milk and water is associated with better hydration in children when compared to other fluids.
	Children's drug-resistant bugs could render common antibiotics ineffective Rising levels of drug-resistance in bacteria that cause childhood infections could render common antibiotics ineffective, a study warns.
	Stigma increases risk of depression for people with multiple sclerosis People with multiple sclerosis—MS—who feel stigmatized are more likely to suffer from depression, according to researchers, who add that having a support system of friends and family and a sense of autonomy may help reduce the harmful effects of stigma.
	New technique for identifying alcoholism puts treatment options at patients' and providers' fingertips Ninety percent of adults in the U.S. with an Alcohol Use Disorder don't get treatment, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. To help make treatment more accessible, the NIH recently launched an online Alcohol Treatment Navigator, which gives providers and AUD patients information on evidence-based treatment options. The site also offers a brief survey to help a potential patient determine the range or severity of a problem.
	Memory loss identified years before Alzheimer's symptoms appear A UCL-led team has developed a cognitive test to detect subtle memory deficits years before Alzheimer's disease symptoms develop, set out in a new paper published in The Lancet Neurology.
	Imagination can reduce pain If you imagine in advance that something is not going to hurt, this could mean you experience less pain. This discovery was made by health psychologist Kaya Peerdeman during her Ph.D. research on the placebo effect. Ph.D. defence 7 February.
	A brain chemical blamed for mental decline in old age could hold key to its reversal It's a fact of life, for lifeforms big and small, that the mind declines with age. Now researchers at UC San Francisco have identified the buildup of one brain chemical as a key culprit behind age-related learning and memory impairments. Tuning levels of this chemical in the worm C. elegans, they could delay and even reverse the declines of old age.
	Atrial fibrillation and its accompanying risks on the rise in Asian patients Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained cardiac arrhythmia, and its prevalence is projected to rise continuously over the next few decades because of an aging population. However, studies of time trends on the incidence, prevalence, and lifetime risks of AF among Asians are limited. In a new study published in the journal Chest, researchers report on the first large-scale study of almost 300,000 patients in Taiwan with new-onset AF.
	Vitamin A in cattle fodder is could protect against cow's milk allergy Infants can sometimes develop an allergy to cow's milk that usually subsides by adulthood but may increase the risk for developing other allergic diseases. The allergic reaction can, however, be prevented by two components of cow's milk interacting together, as researchers of the interuniversity Messerli Research Institute of Vetmeduni Vienna, Meduni Vienna und the University of Vienna now describe in a study published in Scientific Reports. Loading of the vitamin A metabolite retinoic acid to the important milk protein Bos d 5, also known as beta-lactoglobulin, in cow's milk can prevent an allergic reaction against the protein.
	Could ageing immune systems be a better predictor of cancer than genetic mutations? It has long been known that cancer arises when genes mutate and start producing abnormal proteins, or no protein at all. However, our latest research, published in PNAS, suggests that there is another, equally important mechanism by which cancer arises: an ageing immune system.
	Why heart disease is often missed in women—the myth of the 'widowmaker' Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for women throughout the world. Approximately seven times more women will die from heart disease than breast cancer. Even in women with breast cancer, dying from heart disease is a leading cause of death.
	Virtual reality helps explore the GPS of the mind Zoltan Nadasdy, a neuroscientist at The University of Texas at Austin, wanted to understand how grid cells in the brain help orient us in the world. He had been studying spatial memory in the animal brain for years when he first had the opportunity to study spatial cognition, sometimes call the "GPS of the mind," in human subjects.
Low-tech, low-cost test strips show promise for reducing fentanyl overdoses Fentanyl is one of the most potent forms of opioid, and is often laced into street drugs, making it difficult for street users to ascertain their potency and therefore the potential for overdosing.
	How the placenta can shed light on HIV mothers and their babies In many parts of the world, the human placenta (the after birth) is discarded once a baby is born and considered waste. The focus is on the child and the new mother.
	Teens aren't just risk machines – there's a method to their madness You know the conventional wisdom: Adolescents are impulsive by nature, like bombs ready to go off at the most minor trigger. Parents feel they must cross their fingers and hope no one lights the fuse that will lead to an explosion. Adults often try restricting and monitoring teens' behavior, in an effort to protect these seemingly unthinking riskseekers. That's the tale told in the media, anyway.
	Multiple chronic diseases leave patients with adversely high costs Current strategies for treating patients with several chronic diseases are putting an unnecessary financial burden on countries' health systems and individuals, a global study led by the National University of Singapore and the University of Melbourne has found.
Why treating addiction with medication should be carefully considered When a patient has diabetes, doctors typically prescribe insulin, along with diet and exercise. When a patient has high blood pressure, we prescribe medication, and we also reinforce the importance of healthy eating, exercise, weight loss and quitting smoking.
	Untimely immune cell clocks may contribute to obesity and diabetes in shift workers About 15 million Americans don't have a typical nine-to-five workday, and many of these—nurses, firefighters and flight attendants, among many other professions—may see their schedule change drastically one week to the next. As a result, these shift workers' biological clocks, which keep track of the time of day, cannot keep accurate time, potentially making the negative effects of a high fat diet on metabolic disorders even more pronounced, according to new research published in The FASEB Journal.
	Scientists discover off-switch for 'molecular machine' active in many diseases A discovery by Queensland scientists could be the key to stopping damage caused by uncontrolled inflammation in a range of common diseases including liver disease, Alzheimer's and gout.
	New evidence shows potential of two drugs to block malaria transmission An international team of researchers has shown that two different compounds-one, an older malaria drug, the other a common laboratory dye with known antimalarial properties-can safely and effectively be added to treatment regimens to block transmission of the most common form of malaria in Africa.
	Unusual lung structures may raise risk of pulmonary disease The internal anatomy of our lungs is surprisingly variable, and some of those variations are associated with a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study led by researchers at McGill University and the Columbia University Irving Medical Center has found.
Antibiotic-resistant plasmids flourish in hospital plumbing Antibiotic-resistant organisms can be found in multiple locations in a hospital - on countertops and doorknobs, on computers and in sinks, and even inside the plumbing. To better understand how these organisms spread, investigators at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, recently collected samples from pipes beneath the hospital's intensive care unit and from outside manholes draining hospital wastewater. They conducted whole-genome analyses on the samples to study the bacterial plasmids, or rings of DNA, that can confer resistance to antibiotics.
Study of first-graders shows fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevalent in US communities A study of more than 6,000 first-graders across four U.S. communities has found that a significant number of the children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), with conservative rates ranging from 1 to 5 percent in community samples. The new findings represent more accurate prevalence estimates of FASD among general U.S. communities than prior research. Previous FASD estimates were based on smaller study populations and did not reflect the overall U.S. population. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Magnetic brain stimulation alters negative emotion perception A new study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reports that processing of negative emotion can be strengthened or weakened by tuning the excitability of the right frontal part of the brain.
Scientists seek to perfect calculations for comparing cervical cancer radiation doses Research from VCU Massey Cancer Center has found that one of the standard practices for comparing cervical cancer radiation therapy treatments may be misleading, and the use of an alternative mathematical formula could be used to more effectively predict and potentially improve outcomes for patients.
Type-2 diabetes: Insulin held up in traffic In a new study, researchers from the universities of Uppsala and Lund show why insulin secretion is not working properly in patients suffering from type-2 diabetes. The report is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Guidelines extended to improve the use of feedback from patients in clinical trials Researchers have recommended changes to international guidelines used in the development of clinical trials in an effort to gain information about the impact of the treatment on participating patients and their quality of life.
	A hole in the heart increases post-surgical risk of stroke New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that a common anatomic anomaly - a hole between the upper chambers of the heart that fails to close after birth - doubles the risk of stroke within 30 days of non-cardiac surgery. The research suggests the hole itself, known as a patent foramen ovale (PFO), contributes to the risk for stroke in patients following surgery. Stroke is a common complication after surgery.
	Immune system dysfunction may occur early in Alzheimer's disease An association between inflammation biomarkers in both blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) associated pathology, has been found by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus working with the University of Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center.
	Researchers identify patterns of HIV risk among people who inject drugs in Vietnam People who inject drugs (PWID) in Vietnam are disproportionately affected by HIV. While HIV prevalence among the general population aged 15-49 is 0.4 percent, the prevalence of HIV among people who inject drugs is a staggering 11 percent, according to UNAIDS.
	Bilingualism could offset brain changes in Alzheimer's After more than a decade of research, this much we know: it's good for your brain to know another language.
	Searching for targeted treatments for inflammatory diseases Inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease and multiple sclerosis have been linked to faults in a critical immune pathway that enables inflammation to continue unchecked.
	How exercise training promotes a sound mind in a sound body A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that the same mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of exercise training on the brain also help to counteract fat and to strengthen the immune system. The results, which are published in the journal Cell Metabolism, can ultimately give rise to new obesity and diabetes drugs.
	Got a pet rat? Watch out for this scary new virus (HealthDay)—Your pet rat could make you very sick by transmitting a virus that's newly emerged in North America, U.S. health officials warn.
	Low rates of abx prophylaxis for pediatric sickle cell (HealthDay)—Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) have low rates of receiving ≥300 days of antibiotic prophylaxis, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in Pediatrics.
	Telementoring becoming practical for robotic urological surgery (HealthDay)—Telementoring and telesurgery for minimally invasive urological surgery are becoming more practical and cost-effective, according to a review published in the February issue of The Journal of Urology.
	As newborn syphilis cases rise, maternal screening urged (HealthDay)—Newborn syphilis cases have shot up in the United States in recent years, so an expert panel is reaffirming the need to screen all pregnant women for the infection.
	Kids can roll up their sleeves—again—for mumps protection (HealthDay)—When it comes to mumps prevention, an extra jab may do the trick.
	Easing your child's asthma (HealthDay)—If your child is among the 10 percent of kids with asthma, you want to do everything you can to control it.
	Head, neck imaging uncommon in patients with palate trauma (HealthDay)—Patients presenting to the emergency department with a primary diagnosis of palate trauma often do not undergo head and neck imaging, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
	Sustained viral suppression lower among blacks with HIV (HealthDay)—A lower percentage of blacks than Hispanics and whites with HIV infection have sustained viral suppression, according to research published in the Feb. 2 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Possible link found between poor diet and back injuries (HealthDay)—A high advanced glycation end product (H-AGE) diet is associated with decreased vertebral microstructure, mechanical behaviors, and fracture resistance in young female mice, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
	Guideline-directed medical tx adherence low post CABG (HealthDay)—Compliance with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is low, and remains higher in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to a review published in the Feb. 13 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Dementia care improved by just one hour of social interaction each week Increasing the amount of social interaction for people with dementia living in care homes to just one hour a week improves quality of life when combined with personalised care.
	Gonorrhea in China shows waning susceptibility to WHO-recommended antibiotics Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) strains resistant to azithromycin and/or with decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone are common in China, according to a prevalence study published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Yueping Yin of the National Center for STD Control & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College Institute of Dermatology, Nanjing, China, and colleagues, also showed that the prevalence of dual resistance to these agents in N. gonorrhoeae isolates increased from 2013 to 2016. The results suggest that dual therapy with azithromycin and ceftriaxone, which has been recommended by WHO and many countries to treat gonorrhea, may not prove effective in China.
	Scientists can now measure activity of key cancer cell-survival protein, an important step toward inhibiting it A recent study from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and the University of California, San Francisco, has opened new options to further develop a potential cancer-fighting therapy, clearing an early hurdle in the lengthy drug-discovery process.
Symptoms of alcoholism make taking medication to treat the disease more difficult Symptoms of alcoholism make it more difficult for some people to regularly take the prescription drug naltrexone, which could help treat their disease, a researcher at Oregon State University has found.
	A blueprint for future blood-nerve barrier and peripheral nerve disease research Human peripheral nerves—all the nerves outside of the central nervous system—are protected by the blood-nerve barrier. This is a tight covering of endothelial cells that maintains the microenvironment within the nerves by restricting the amounts or types of water, ions, solutes and nutrients that can reach the axons, or electric cables within the nerves, from the blood circulation system.
	Relationship factors affect decisions about contraceptive use among young adults The dynamics of a couple's relationship, including the exclusivity of the partnership, the level of commitment to the partnership and participation in sexual decision-making with their partner, impact young adults' decisions related to contraceptive use, new research from Oregon State University shows.
	New algorithm decodes spine oncology treatment Every kind of cancer can spread to the spine, yet two physician-scientists who treat these patients describe a paucity of guidance for effectively providing care and minimizing pain.
Study questions link between medical marijuana and fewer opioid deaths The association between medical marijuana and lower levels of opioid overdose deaths—identified previously in several studies—is more complex than previously described and appears to be changing as both medical marijuana laws and the opioid crisis evolve, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
	Asthma attacks on the decline among U.S. kids (HealthDay)—Fewer U.S. children are having to deal with asthma attacks in recent years, federal health officials reported Tuesday.
Female genital mutilation continues as change comes slowly The 25-year-old Kedija had her external genitalia removed and her vagina sewn up when she was just seven days old. She has faced a lifetime of pain.
Regular physical activity is associated with better lung function among smokers Vigorous physical activity is associated with better lung function among current smokers. This is the main conclusion of a new study published in Thorax and led by researchers from the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal).
	Identifying the dangers of chronic stress on multiple sclerosis New research reveals how chronic stress and tiny brain inflammations cause fatal gut failure in a multiple sclerosis mouse model.
	The impact of Cape Town's water shortage on public health A story that's been making the rounds recently is the impending water shortage in Cape Town. Multiple years of droughts have resulted in lower and lower water levels in the reservoirs that supply the city with water, and while there have been efforts to reduce consumption by residents of the city, the decrease hasn't been enough to mitigate the effects of the drought. As a result, the mayor and city council have been warning citizens that there will soon be a day when the entire metro area will be without running water, and the taps will be turned off. This affects a huge number of people; the Cape Town metro area has about 3.7 million residents that will be impacted, about the same as the population of Connecticut, or the Seattle-Tacoma metro area.
Effect of steroids and exercise on muscle mass and strength The use of anabolic steroids has been observed in essentially all levels of sport – from the high-school football team to professional sports. In professional body building, steroid use is as much part of the sport as is the training, tanning, and body waxing. Rumors also swirl around male Hollywood actors who must get in incredible shape to convincingly play a superhero within tight timelines.
Faults in the blood-brain barrier implicated in dementia California based researchers have found that damage to cells known as pericytes, which surround small blood vessels in the brain, may trigger a chain of events that results in brain degeneration. The findings are published today in the scientific publication Nature Medicine.
	How this pediatrician came up with a solution to treat malnourished children around the world Millions of babies in the developing world are getting treated for malnutrition and anemia with a nutrient-packed powder sprinkled onto their food.
	Group reports shift in awareness from chopra well-being program A new study by Paul J. Mills, PhD and colleagues has shown that an intensive 6-day Ayurveda-based mind-body program led to a significant and sustained increase in self-awareness, with related mental and physical health benefits. The mind-body intervention was compared to a control group of individuals at the same retreat center who did not experience the therapeutic regime. The result is described in a study in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM).
Nigeria lassa fever death toll now 31: health minister Thirty-one people have died from Lassa fever in Nigeria since the start of this year, the health minister said, with cases of the viral disease recorded across the country.
Alabama files lawsuit against opioid manufacturer Alabama on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of OxyContin and other opioids, becoming the latest state seeking to hold drug companies accountable for an addiction epidemic.
	Solid food to car seats: Book covers common baby questions Bringing a newborn home can be daunting for new parents. Throw in the race to keep up with the latest news and research on what to do after that and stress levels may rise even higher.
Herbal supplement kratom contains opioids, regulators say U.S. health authorities say an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy contains the same chemicals found in opioids, the addictive family of drugs at the center of a national addiction crisis.

Biology news

	Novel research approach sheds light on how midsize predators interact A novel research approach by Oregon State University has resulted in a key step toward better protecting the fisher, an important forest predator that findings show is the dominant small carnivore when present.
	There are more mammal species than we thought A recent study published in the Journal of Mammalogy, at Oxford University Press, highlights that over 1000 new species of mammals have been described globally during the last dozen years, a finding that contradicts the notion that our mammalian relatives are well known. This rate of species discovery parallels that seen in global amphibians, and is driven by advances in DNA analysis methods and field exploration. This new listing of all living mammal species is now publicly accessible in the Mammal Diversity Database, a website funded by the American Society of Mammalogists and National Science Foundation that seeks to continue updating mammal species data to reflect newly published research.
	Ribosomes found to induce somatic cell pluripotency In 2012, a Japanese research group discovered that human skin cells acquire pluripotency when introduced to lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus). Now, the same group of researchers has found that the cause of somatic cell conversion into pluripotent stem cells is the ribosome, a protein synthesizing cellular organelle.
	How solitary cockroaches gave rise to social termites—tales from two genomes Termites are "social cockroaches." They evolved from ancestral solitary cockroaches some 150 million years ago, at least 50 million years before bees, ants and wasps evolved similar intricate societies independently of termites. Termites live in complex societies characterized by division of labor of castes and close coordination of tasks among members of the colony. For example, the queen and king monopolize all reproduction within the colony, while workers and soldiers maintain and defend the colony. This separation of responsibilities within the colony requires clear recognition of who's who and mechanisms to suppress worker reproduction when a fertile queen is present, and stimulate new queens to develop when the resident queen dies. At the same time, termites have a relatively simple lifestyle – they eat wood and rarely venture in the open. These changes from the ancestral solitary cockroach should be reflected in the organization of the termite genes, the genome.
	Viruses—lots of them—are falling from the sky An astonishing number of viruses are circulating around the Earth's atmosphere – and falling from it – according to new research from scientists in Canada, Spain and the U.S.
	New use of limited data helps prevent species loss A team of researchers have discovered that studying small groups of wildlife and how they share scarce resources in particular environments can be critical to preventing wide-spread species loss.
	Venus flytraps don't eat the insects that pollinate them While most people are familiar with Venus flytraps and their snapping jaws, there is still a lot that scientists don't know about the biology of these carnivorous plants. Researchers have for the first time discovered which insects pollinate the rare plants in their native habitat – and discovered that the flytraps don't dine on these pollinator species.
	Microscope enables researchers to control motion within living cells Simple motion inside biological cells, such as the streaming of cytoplasm—the liquid cell interior—is widely believed to be essential for cells and the development of complex organisms. But due to the lack of suitable tools, this intracellular motion could so far not be tested as hypothesized. Now, a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden found a way to induce and control motion within living cells and early embryos. Rather than using microscopes simply for observations, the team around Moritz Kreysing managed to actively guide central developmental processes in worm embryos by a new cell-biological technique called FLUCS. This new microscopy paradigm paves the way towards a systematic understanding of how complex organisms develop and what keeps them protected from malfunction and disease. These findings were published in the current issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology.
	Active genetics technology opens new horizons In 2015, University of California San Diego biologists Ethan Bier and Valentino Gantz developed a breakthrough technology known as "active genetics," which results in parents transmitting a genetic trait to most of their offspring (instead of 50 percent receiving the trait under standard inheritance). Immediate targets of active genetics included gene-drive systems for immunizing mosquitoes against vector borne diseases such as malaria. Bier and Gantz also proposed using active genetics for a variety of other potential human health and agricultural benefits.
	Cockroach ancient geographic and genomic history traced back to last supercontinent Cockroaches are so hardy, a popular joke goes, that they've occupied the Earth long before humans first appeared —-and will probably even outlast us long after we have annihilated each other by nuclear war.
	Study shines new light on how Salmonella 'die' at low temperatures The most economical way to kill bacteria that cause common food-borne illnesses—mostly caused by Salmonella enterica—is heat, but, the mechanisms that kill Salmonella at lower temperatures were not fully understood until now, according to a team of researchers.
The discovery of a third form of flagella-mediated motility in symbiotic bacteria Professor Takayuki Nishizaka and Dr. Yoshiaki Kinosita from Gakushuin University, together with Dr. Yoshitomo Kikuchi from AIST, have discovered an unforeseen form of flagella-mediated motility shown by pest bean bug symbionts, which entails swimming by wrapping their flagellar filaments around their cell bodies. Bacteria with this form of flagella-mediated motility were able to traverse glass surfaces, so this form of movement is most likely effective on extracellular matrix surfaces.
Sponges can economize on oxygen use Sponges lack a signaling pathway that responds to low intracellular oxygen levels in more complex animals. Do they use a different mechanism for this purpose or did their earliest ancestors evolve at a time when less oxygen was available?
Lactation hormone cues birds to be good parents Toppling a widespread assumption that a "lactation" hormone only cues animals to produce food for their babies, Cornell researchers have shown the hormone also prompts zebra finches to be good parents.
	UBC researchers use drones to track jellyfish blooms Jellyfish blooms are becoming more widespread and scientists are looking for ways to understand them better, including their impact on species like salmon that compete with them for food sources. Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia have enlisted aerial drones to track these jellyfish clusters, their behaviours, and populations in greater detail.
	Ants—master manipulators for biodiversity, or sweet treats Symbiotic ants manipulate aphid reproduction rates to achieve a specific mix of green and red aphids, maintaining the inferior green aphids which produce the ants' favorite snack.
	Pesticide bans might give us a buzz, but they won't necessarily save the bees Public pressure is growing in Australia to ban the sale of pesticides called neonicotinoids because of their harmful effects on bees.
	Cat plague is back after nearly 40 years in hiding – here's what you need to know A deadly feline disease is now spreading between cats after hiding in nature for nearly 40 years. Multiple cases of feline parvovirus, also known as cat plague, or panleukopenia, have been reported in stray kittens in the greater Melbourne area this week.
	Study highlights importance of vertebrate pollinators The importance of birds, mammals and reptiles for pollinating plants around the world is the subject of a major new study involving the University of East Anglia.
	White cheeks are more titillating Male blue tits with white cheeks are healthier and more likely to mate with higher quality partners than their counterparts with duller cheek feathers. Having purer white cheeks also indicates that a blue tit was better able to overcome an infection with parasites during the previous year. This is according to Elisa Pérez Badás of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Spain. She is lead author of a study published in Springer's journal The Science of Nature.
	New CRISPR method efficiently corrects DMD defect in heart tissue Scientists have developed a CRISPR gene-editing technique that can potentially correct a majority of the 3,000 mutations that cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by making a single cut at strategic points along the patient's DNA, according to a study from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Duck faeces shed light on plant seed dispersal Mallards are among the most abundant and widespread duck species in the world, yet little attention has been paid to date to their role in spreading plant seeds. A new study in the Journal of Ecology reveals a number of plants that were not previously known to be part of the diet of waterbirds.
	Emerald ash borer: How cities and towns can prepare for invasion Since its discovery in the United States in 2002, the emerald ash borer has swiftly become the most destructive non-native forest pest to ever invade the country. As the insect's range continues to grow, despite ongoing efforts to fight it, communities with ash trees in both urban areas and woodlands are left to pick up the pieces.
AI in pest control increases its efficiency and environmental impact The losses suffered by Brazilian agriculture owing to crop pests and diseases amount to R$55 billion per year, according to data from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). Agrosmart, a digital agriculture company based in Campinas, São Paulo State, plans to change this situation using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Agrosmart is developing a connected application that will help farmers apply the right amount of agrochemical at the right time in order to combat pests more cost-effectively and with less environmental impact.
Innovative monitoring technique can help protect the world's elephants, study finds A quick and cost-effective approach to monitoring the health of elephant populations could help measure the impact of poaching on the animals, according to a new study involving the University of Stirling.
New study underscores tuberculosis risk for working elephants Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers recently found approximately 17 percent of working African elephants at several Zimbabwe ecotourism facilities tested positive for tuberculosis antibodies. The findings are a red flag for researchers as infected elephants potentially can pass the disease on to humans and other species with which they come in contact, including wild elephants.

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