Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Feb 21

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 21, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Some black holes erase your past

Ancient DNA tells tales of humans' migrant history

In a first, tiny diamond anvils trigger chemical reactions by squeezing

Triplefin fish found to have controlled iris radiance

New paper links ancient drawings and the origins of language

Amateur astronomer captures rare first light from massive exploding star

Magnetic field traces gas and dust swirling around supermassive black hole

'Minimalist machine learning' algorithms analyze images from very little data

'Memtransistor' brings world closer to brain-like computing

Snake-inspired robot uses kirigami to move

Reinventing the inductor

Separate brain systems cooperate during learning, study finds

Europe's cities face more extreme weather than previously thought

Protein levels in spinal fluid correlate to posture and gait difficulty in Parkinson's

Largest study of its kind finds alcohol use biggest risk factor for dementia

Astronomy & Space news

	Amateur astronomer captures rare first light from massive exploding star Thanks to lucky snapshots taken by an amateur astronomer in Argentina, scientists have obtained their first view of the initial burst of light from the explosion of a massive star.
	Magnetic field traces gas and dust swirling around supermassive black hole Astronomers reveal a new high resolution map of the magnetic field lines in gas and dust swirling around the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy, published in a new paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The team, led by Professor Pat Roche of the University of Oxford, created the map, which is the first of its kind, using the CanariCam infrared camera attached to the Gran Telescopio Canarias sited on the island of La Palma.
	Nearly a decade after Mars Phoenix landed, another look A recent view from Mars orbit of the site where NASA's Phoenix Mars mission landed on far-northern Mars nearly a decade ago shows that dust has covered some marks of the landing.
	Co-evolution black hole mystery deepened by a new ALMA observation Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe an active galaxy with a strong ionized gas outflow from the galactic center, a team led by Dr. Yoshiki Toba of the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA, Taiwan) has obtained a result making astronomers even more puzzled—the team clearly detected carbon monoxide (CO) gas that is associated with the galactic disk, yet they have also found that the CO gas which settles in the galaxy is not affected by the strong ionized gas outflow launched from the galactic center.
	Team publishes roadmap to enhance radioresistance for space colonization An international team of researchers from NASA Ames Research Center, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate at Health Canada, Oxford University, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Insilico Medicine, the Biogerontology Research Center, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Lethbridge, Ghent University, Center for Healthy Aging and many others have published a roadmap toward enhancing human radioresistance for space exploration and colonization in the peer-reviewed journal Oncotarget.
Chinese space lab to fall back to Earth in March Chinese space laboratory Tiangong-1 is predicted to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in late April, but where or when it will reach the surface is hard to say.
	SpaceX postpones California satellite launch due to winds SpaceX has postponed a satellite launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
	European space probe prepares to sniff Martian atmosphere A European space probe has swung into position around Mars in preparation to analyze its atmosphere for possible signs of life.
	New atmosphere wind/temperature sensor to improve space weather prediction Global wind and temperature measurements in the lower thermosphere (100-150 km above Earth) are the two most important variables needed to accurately predict space weather and climate change. An innovative technique is being developed jointly by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, GSFC, and JPL to make these measurements using the atomic oxygen emission at 2.06 THz (145 μm).

Technology news

	'Minimalist machine learning' algorithms analyze images from very little data Mathematicians at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a new approach to machine learning aimed at experimental imaging data. Rather than relying on the tens or hundreds of thousands of images used by typical machine learning methods, this new approach "learns" much more quickly and requires far fewer images.
	Snake-inspired robot uses kirigami to move Who needs legs? With their sleek bodies, snakes can slither up to 14 miles-per-hour, squeeze into tight space, scale trees and swim. How do they do it? It's all in the scales. As a snake moves, its scales grip the ground and propel the body forward - similar to how crampons help hikers establish footholds in slippery ice. This so-called friction-assisted locomotion is possible because of the shape and positioning of snake scales.
	Scientists improve computer rendering of animal fur The next computer-generated animals in King Kong or The Lion King could look a lot more realistic thanks to a breakthrough by computer scientists at the University of California.
	Google's digital assistant branches out to Nest camera Google's voice-activated assistant is branching out to Nest's deluxe security camera in an expansion that may amplify the privacy concerns surrounding internet-connected microphones.
	Scientists test world's first solar fuels reactor for night International solar thermal energy researchers have successfully tested CONTISOL, a solar reactor that runs on air, able to make any solar fuel like hydrogen and to run day or night - because it uses concentrated solar power (CSP) which can include thermal energy storage.
	Electric car market jumpstarts cobalt prices Cobalt is hitting historically high prices fuelled by the automobile industry, which needs the rare metal to make light and durable electric batteries.
	In rural Germany, 'mobile banking' means a bank on a truck Bank manager Juergen Schaller never expected to end up getting a trucker's licence and driving 20,000 kilometres (12,400 miles) per year.
	Extreme conditions await MH370 recovery if wreckage found Salvagers are confident debris and human remains can be recovered if Malaysia Airlines MH370 is finally found, despite the pitch-black darkness, crushing pressure and ice-cold water awaiting them.
	Top experts warn against 'malicious use' of AI Artificial intelligence could be deployed by dictators, criminals and terrorists to manipulate elections and use drones in terrorist attacks, more than two dozen experts said Wednesday as they sounded the alarm over misuse of the technology.
	Phishing success linked to incentives and sticking to an effective strategy Not all phishing campaigns work, but when an attacker perseveres with a strategy that does it is the key to their success. That's the finding of a new study focusing on the attacker, a largely ignored but crucial aspect of phishing. In addition to identifying successful strategies, it also reveals that attackers are motivated by quicker and larger rewards—with creative individuals putting more effort into constructing these malicious emails. Insights from the study, published today in open-access journal Frontiers in Psychology, can be used to develop tools and training procedures to detect phishing emails.
	Samsung set to launch new flagship smartphones Samsung Electronics will unveil its next flagship smartphones—the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+—on Sunday, after it reported record profits in recent weeks and its vice chairman was released from prison.
Mobile health applications put the personal data of millions of users at risk 80 percent of the most popular health applications available on Android do not comply with standards intended to prevent the misuse and dissemination of user data. This is the finding of a European study started in 2016 involving Agusti Solanas and Constantinos Patsakis. The research has brought to light evidence of serious security problems regarding the 20 most popular applications on the internet. The research consisted of analysing the security problems, communicating them to the software developers and then checking them to see if they had been resolved.
	Germany's Bosch snaps up US commuter app The world's largest car parts supplier Bosch leapt into ride-sharing services Wednesday, announcing the takeover of US commuter carpooling startup Splitting Fares.
Amazon wristbands could track workers' hand movements: 'Employers are increasingly treating their employees like robots' As Amazon continues its quest to shrink delivery times and add warehouses in Illinois, the e-commerce behemoth is eyeing technology that could track the movements of its workers' hands as they fulfill orders.
Costco or Amazon Prime? More shoppers choosing both The number of people who both pay to shop at Costco and pay for free shipping from Amazon has grown rapidly in the last five years.
	Why you should—and shouldn't—buy an electric car California was on track to meet Gov. Jerry Brown's initial goal for putting 1.5 million environmentally friendly vehicles on the road by 2025, a new report says, but then Brown upped the target.
	Singapore invites cyberattacks to strengthen defences Hundreds of hackers have targeted Singapore's defence ministry –- but the attacks were at the government's invitation in an unusual attempt to strengthen cybersecurity.
	Why we developed a microscope for your phone – and published the design My colleagues and I have developed a 3-D printable "clip-on" that can turn your smartphone into a fully functional microscope.
	Low-power, flexible memristor circuit for mobile and wearable devices A KAIST research team succeeded in developing an energy efficient, nonvolatile logic-in-memory circuit by using a memristor. This novel technology can be used as an energy efficient computing architecture for battery-powered flexible electronic systems, such as mobile and wearable devices.
	Broadcom lowers offer for Qualcomm as takeover saga continues Singapore-based Broadcom said Wednesday it was cutting its offer price for mobile chip maker Qualcomm in the wake of the US firm's increased bid for Dutch rival NXP.
	Global cybercrime costs $600 bn annually: study The annual cost of cybercrime has hit $600 billion worldwide, fueled by growing sophistication of hackers and proliferation of criminal marketplaces and cryptocurrencies, researchers said Wednesday.
	Uber takes on commuting with Express car pool service Uber on Wednesday maneuvered to become part of people's daily commutes with the addition of an Express car pool to its ride-share options.
	Twitter sets crackdown on automated 'bot' accounts Twitter announced Wednesday a crackdown on accounts powered by software "bots" which can artificially amplify a person or cause and which have been accused of manipulating the social network during the 2016 US election.
	Robotic crystals that walk n' roll Scientists at Waseda University may have come a step closer to innovating soft robots to care for people. Its material, however, is something you may have never expected.
	Volkswagen workers secure big pay bump Workers at the world's largest carmaker Volkswagen said Wednesday they had secured a big pay bump, in line with the rest of Germany's powerful metalworking sector.
Are bots a danger for political election campaigns? Normally, autonomous computer programmes known as bots trawl the internet, for example, to help search engines. However, there are also programmes known as social bots which interfere in social media, automatically generating replies or sharing content. They are currently suspected of spreading political propaganda. Scientists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have investigated the extent to which such autonomous programmes were used on the platform Twitter during the general elections in Japan in 2014. By using methods taken from corpus linguistics, they were able to draw up a case study on the activity patterns of social bots. At the same time, the FAU researchers gained an insight into how computer programmes like these were used, and recognised that nationalistic tendencies had an important role to play in the election, especially in social media. The results of the investigation have been published in the journal Big Data.
Tech review: Two gadgets that are good for your heart and don't tax your brain Every once in a while, I review products in what I call the "guilt" category. You know, those products that aren't really fun—they're good for you. Such is the case this week as I'm reviewing a pair of health-related gadgets from Mocacare, the MOCAcuff and MOCAheart. Both of these gadgets are designed to help you keep track of vital health information by syncing the data collected to your smartphone.
Facebook says Kremlin-linked ads ready for public view, but House hasn't released them A Facebook official said Tuesday that the social network had finished "scrubbing" personal information from Kremlin-linked ads placed on their platform to influence the 2016 election, clearing the way for Congress to release them to the public.
	Dutch defer plan to expand second Amsterdam airport The Dutch government Wednesday postponed plans to expand Amsterdam's second airport to ease pressure on the near-capacity Schiphol, after hitting turbulence over noise pollution fears.

Medicine & Health news

	Separate brain systems cooperate during learning, study finds A new study by Brown University researchers shows that two different brain systems work cooperatively as people learn.
	Protein levels in spinal fluid correlate to posture and gait difficulty in Parkinson's Levels of a protein found in the brain called alpha-synuclein (α-syn) are significantly lower than normal in cerebrospinal fluid collected in Parkinson's disease patients suffering from postural instability and gait difficulty, a study led by movement disorders experts at Rush University Medical Center has found. The results recently were published online in the journal Movement Disorders.
	Largest study of its kind finds alcohol use biggest risk factor for dementia Alcohol use disorders are the most important preventable risk factors for the onset of all types of dementia, especially early-onset dementia. This according to a nationwide observational study, published in The Lancet Public Health journal, of over one million adults diagnosed with dementia in France.
	How people cope with difficult life events fuels development of wisdom, study finds How a person responds to a difficult life event such as a death or divorce helps shape the development of their wisdom over time, a new study from Oregon State University suggests.
	Similarities found in cancer initiation in kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas Recent research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrated that mature cells in the stomach sometimes revert back to behaving like rapidly dividing stem cells. Now, the researchers have found that this process may be universal; no matter the organ, when tissue responds to certain types of injury, mature cells seem to get younger and begin dividing rapidly, creating scenarios that can lead to cancer.
	Tackling health problems in the young is crucial for their children's future A child's growth and development is affected by the health and lifestyles of their parents before pregnancy - even going back to adolescence - according to a new study by researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the University of Melbourne, and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The findings show that tackling obesity, mental health, poor nutrition and substance abuse in young people before they become parents is essential for the best possible start to life for their future children. The results are published online in the journal Nature.
	Iron triggers dangerous infection in lung transplant patients, study finds Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified elevated tissue iron as a risk factor for life-threatening fungal infections in lung transplant recipients.
	New therapeutic gel shows promise against cancerous tumors Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and NC State have created an injectable gel-like scaffold that can hold combination chemo-immunotherapeutic drugs and deliver them locally to tumors in a sequential manner. The results in animal models so far suggest this approach could one day ramp up therapeutic benefits for patients bearing tumors or after removal of the primary tumors.
	Schizophrenia a side effect of human development Schizophrenia may have evolved as an "unwanted side effect" of the development of the complex human brain, a new study has found.
	Products derived from plants offer potential as dual-targeting agents for experimental cerebral malaria Malaria, a life-threatening disease usually caused when parasites from the Plasmodium family enter the bloodstream of a person bitten by a parasite-carrying mosquito, is a severe health threat globally, with 200 to 300 million cases annually and 445,000 deaths in 2016.
	Cognitive benefits of 'young blood' linked to brain protein in mice Loss of an enzyme that modifies gene activity to promote brain regeneration may be partly responsible for age-related cognitive decline, according to new research in laboratory mice by UC San Francisco scientists, who also found that restoring the enzyme to youthful levels can improve memory in healthy adult mice. If the results translate to humans, the researchers say, it could lead to new therapies for maintaining healthy brain function into old age.
	How the brain tells our limbs apart Legs and arms perform very different functions. Our legs are responsible primarily for repetitive locomotion, like walking and running. Our arms and hands, by contrast, must be able to execute many highly specialized jobs—picking up a pen and writing, holding a fork, or playing the violin, just to name three.
	Five novel genetic changes linked to pancreatic cancer risk In what is believed to be the largest pancreatic cancer genome-wide association study to date, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute, and collaborators from over 80 other institutions worldwide discovered changes to five new regions in the human genome that may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
	Researchers uncover novel mechanism behind schizophrenia An international team of researchers led by a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine scientist has uncovered a novel mechanism in which a protein—neuregulin 3—controls how key neurotransmitters are released in the brain during schizophrenia. The protein is elevated in people with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses, but the study is the first to investigate how it causes such severe mental illness.
	Smartphones are bad for some teens, not all Is the next generation better or worse off because of smartphones? The answer is complex and research shows it largely depends on their lives offline.
	Scientists discover critical molecular biomarkers of preeclampsia Preeclampsia, a sudden pregnancy complication that can interfere with the blood flow to the placenta and possibly to the fetus, can lead to low birth weight, prematurity and even death. It is also a leading cause of maternal mortality in the US. A new Tel Aviv University study identifies novel molecular biomarkers of preeclampsia, signaling the potential for an early diagnostic blood test.
	Early results from clinical trials not all they're cracked up to be, shows new research When people are suffering from a chronic medical condition, they may place their hope on treatments in clinical trials that show early positive results. However, these results may be grossly exaggerated in more than 1 in 3 early clinical trials, reports a new study led by Mayo Clinic and published today in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Preventing the misdiagnosis of cellulitis Study finds that early dermatology consultation for presumptive cellulitis can improve patient outcomes, reduce costs and reduce unnecessary hospitalization.
There may be a better way to reduce hospital readmission rates A recent study published in Health Education Research suggests that lay-health workers may be able to significantly reduce readmissions rates to hospitals for high risk patients following surgery.
	Administrative costs estimated at health care system (HealthDay)—The estimated costs of billing range from $20 for a primary care visit to $215 for an inpatient surgical procedure, according to a study published in the Feb. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	USPSTF urges multicomponent behavioral interventions for obesity (HealthDay)—The U.S Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians provide adults with a body mass index of 30 kg/m² or higher to intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions. These findings form the basis of a draft recommendations statement, published online Feb. 20 by the USPSTF.
	Herbal drug kratom linked to salmonella illnesses, CDC says (HealthDay)—The popular botanical drug kratom is already under fire from U.S. health officials as an addictive opioid, and now new reports are linking its use with salmonella poisoning.
	'Local environment' plays key role in breast cancer progression Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women—one in eight (12.4 percent) in the U.S. will be diagnosed with it. Invasive breast cancer is dangerous for two reasons: It can aggressively spread to other organs in the body, and it is likely to recur. While treatable in the early stages via surgery or chemotherapy, as the disease progresses, the chances of recovery decrease exponentially.
	Laws banning hand-held cellphone calls more effective than texting bans for teen drivers A new study led by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital used data from a national survey to examine the effectiveness of state-level cellphone laws in decreasing teens' use of cellphones while driving. The study, done in conjunction with researchers from West Virginia University and the University of Minnesota, and published today in Journal of Adolescent Health, looked at state-level cellphone laws and differences in both texting and hand-held cellphone conversations among teen drivers across four years.
Nitrate in drinking water increases the risk of colorectal cancer Nitrate in groundwater and drinking water, which primarily comes from fertilisers used in the agricultural production, has not only been subject to decades of environmental awareness—it has also been suspected of increasing the risk of cancer. The largest epidemiological study ever carried out in this area now shows that there is a correlation—also when the amount of nitrate in the drinking water is far below the current drinking water standard. The results have just been published in the scientific journal International Journal of Cancer.
D-galactose affects aging male and female brains differently A study coordinated by the UAB and in collaboration with the ULL reveals the biological relevance of sex in the alteration of behaviour and the neuro-immuno-endocrine system, caused by accelerated aging with a chronic treatment of D-galactose, a sugar found abundantly in milk and in some fruits and vegetables. The research was recently published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
	Genes activated in metastasis also drive the first stages of tumour growth In spite of the difference between the cell functions responsible for giving rise to a tumour and that give rise to metastasis, studies at IRB Barcelona using the fly Drosophila melanogaster reveal that some genes can drive both phenomena.
How advanced imaging technologies will prevent unnecessary breast tissue biopsies Enhancing the diagnosis of breast cancer is the goal of a research team at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. The scientists have combined an advanced method of diffusion-weighted MR imaging with intelligent image analysis methods to detect malignant changes in tissues. This method may prevent many control biopsies following suspicious findings from mammography screenings. This advancement holds promise for substantial improvements in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
	Self-compassion may protect people from the harmful effects of perfectionism Relating to oneself in a healthy way can help weaken the association between perfectionism and depression, according to a study published February 21, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Madeleine Ferrari from Australian Catholic University, and colleagues.
Simple walking test may help make difficult diagnosis There's a cause of dementia that can sometimes be reversed, but it's often not diagnosed because the symptoms are so similar to those of other disorders. Now researchers say a simple walking test may be able to accurately diagnose the disease, according to a study published the February 21, 2018, online issue of Neurology.
	Kinase inhibitor larotrectinib shows durable anti-tumor abilities Three simultaneous safety and efficacy studies of the drug larotrectinib reported an overall response rate of 75 percent for patients ages four months to 76 years with 17 different cancer diagnoses. All patients had tumors with tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions, gene mutations that switch on TRK genes, allowing cancer growth. The studies indicate larotrectinib as a potentially powerful new treatment approach for the approximately 5,000 patients with these forms of cancer.
Countries investing in well-being allocate resources to child and adolescent psychiatry A new research report shows that a high ranking in the Human Development Index is connected with the availability of mental health services. In a comparison between 17 European and Asian countries, Norway, Switzerland and Finland had the highest ratio of child and adolescent psychiatrists. The report was compiled by the Eurasian Child & Adolescent Mental Health Study (EACMHS) network established by the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry at the University of Turku, Finland.
	New structure discovered in human sperm tails A highly effective tail is needed in order for a sperm to be able to swim, and for a baby to be conceived. By using cryo-electron tomography, researchers at the University of Gothenburg working in partnership with researchers in the U.S. have identified a completely new nanostructure inside sperm tails.
	Chasing a better flu vaccine, with science and guesswork In their first assessment of this season's influenza vaccine, federal health officials said last week that the current vaccine is 36 percent effective overall.
	Survival rates for newborns in America nearly same as Sri Lanka, UNICEF finds Five newborn babies die every minute on Earth, an "alarmingly high" statistic as up to 80 percent of them are preventable, according to a new report from UNICEF.
High blood pressure limits protection to vital organs and tissues in low-oxygen conditions New research published in the Journal of Physiology sheds light on the effects of high blood pressure by considering the way the body responds to a lack of oxygen.
	Many highly-engaged employees suffer from burnout Underlining the danger of job burnout, a new study of more than 1,000 US workers finds that many employees who are highly engaged in their work are also exhausted and ready to leave their organisations.
	Study reveals financial pain after hospitalization Being hospitalized is tough enough strictly as a health matter. But now a study co-authored by an MIT professor reveals its painful financial impact as well: On aggregate, hospitalization and the health problems that cause it lead to a 20 percent drop in earnings and an 11 percent drop in employment for adults between ages 50 and 59, among other negative effects.
	Electronic health records don't reduce administrative costs The federal government thought that adopting certified electronic health record systems (EHR) would reduce administrative costs for physicians in a variety of specialties. However, a major new study conducted by researchers at Duke University and Harvard Business School and published in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that this benefit has not been achieved.
	Research could change how doctors treat leukemia and other cancers fed by fat Obesity and cancer risk have a mysterious relationship, with obesity increasing the risk for 13 types of cancer. For some cancers—including pediatric cancers—obesity affects survival rates, which are lower for people who are obese.
	Why teens need up to 10 hours' sleep Technology, other distractions and staying up late make is difficult, but researchers say teenagers need to make time for 8-10 hours of sleep a night to optimise their performance and maintain good health and wellbeing.
	Genetic predisposition for obesity increases risk of asthma What comes first? Do asthma sufferers put on weight because they are less active, or do they develop asthma because they are overweight, move around less and develop lung problems?
	New technique predicts gene resistance to cancer treatments Yale School of Public Health researchers have developed a new method to predict likely resistance paths to cancer therapeutics, and a methodology to apply it to one of the most frequent cancer-causing genes.
	Study illuminates tiny RNA's role in heart disease, obesity A tiny RNA molecule plays a big role in the development of two diseases affecting billions of people worldwide: heart disease and obesity. Yale researchers have found that by disrupting this microRNA in key tissues, they can reduce plaque buildup in arteries while avoiding unintended effects.
Depression linked to reduced arginine bioavailability People suffering from major depressive disorder, MDD, have reduced arginine levels, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Arginine is an amino acid which the body uses to produce, e.g., nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, in turn, is a nervous system and immune defence mediator, and it also plays a role in vascular regulation. The global arginine bioavailability ratio, GABR, is an indicator of the body's arginine levels, and the ratio has previously been used to measure the body's capacity to produce nitric oxide. Reduced arginine bioavailability is also known to be an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases.
Female sex not a protective factor against heart disease in type 1 diabetes Constrictions of the coronary blood vessels is a possible consequence of type 1 diabetes, and one that can eventually lead to myocardial infarction or heart failure. Generally speaking, women are afflicted by coronary artery disease later than men, but if a woman has type 2 diabetes, the advantage is negated. A new report by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, Gothenburg University and Uppsala University in Sweden published in the journal Diabetes Care now shows that this also sometimes applies to type 1 diabetes.
Haloperidol does not prevent delirium or improve survival rates in ICU patients Prophylactic use of the drug haloperidol does not help to prevent delirium in intensive care patients or improve their chances of survival. Therefore, there is no reason anymore to administer the drug as a preventive measure to reduce the burden of delirium. This was revealed following a three-year, large-scale study among 1,800 patients in 20 Dutch ICUs, headed by Radboud university medical center. The results of this world's largest research project into delirium prevention in the ICU have been published on February 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
	Intestinal worms can influence allergy and asthma risk in humans With the prevalence of allergy and asthma on the rise around the world, the race is on to explain this increase and stem the tide. A recent study finds a clue in an unlikely source… intestinal worms.
Patients with advanced cancer may be less competent to make decisions than doctors think Patients with terminal cancer face difficult decisions. What treatment options support their goals? When is it reasonable to discontinue care? A study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that these patients may be less competent to make these decisions than their doctors think.
Research challenges use of off-label drug to treat osteoarthritis An off-label drug prescribed to treat osteoarthritis of the hand when conventional medication has failed is ineffective, according to new research.
	Home routines can boost a child's readiness for school (HealthDay)—The first day of preschool is a milestone in a child's life. And parents can help prepare kids for this momentous occasion with everyday family routines that create a nurturing home environment.
Turn off the telly and get moving Spending too much time in front of the television could increase your chance of developing potentially fatal blood clots known as venous thrombosis. Even trying to counterbalance hours of TV watching through adequate exercise is not effective warns Yasuhiko Kubota of the University of Minnesota in the US. Kubota is the lead author of a study in Springer's Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis. Prolonged sitting can in some cases lead to blood clots because the normal circulation of blood through the legs and feet is impaired. This study focuses on the risk of developing a common and potentially fatal blood clot in the vein called venous thromboembolism (VTE). One type of VTE is known as deep vein thrombosis, where the blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs. Another serious problem is when VTE become dislodged and travel through the blood stream to block off another vein somewhere else in the body. If VTE end up in the lungs, they cause blood clots in the lungs known as pulmonary embolism (PE).
	Scientists in Germany improve malaria drug production Scientists in Germany who developed a new way to make a key malaria drug several years ago said Wednesday they have come up with a technique to make the process even more efficient, which should increase global access and reduce the cost.
Fertility study finds hormone that could support early pregnancy The hormone helps prime cells for implantation, a vital stage in early pregnancy when a fertilised egg attaches to the womb lining, the study suggests.
	Learning about coronary heart disease from women Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the number one cause of death in both men and women. While many risk factors of CHD, such as smoking, high blood pressure and age, are common among men and women, some metabolic risk factors, such as being diabetic, are more strongly associated with increased risk of CHD in women than in men. Even though metabolic risk factors seem to be stronger in women, few studies have sought metabolic markers - that is, measurable indicators that can be detected in blood samples - of CHD in women. A new study by Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers recently addressed this gap, uncovering a new biomarker for CHD. Their results are published in Circulation.
	Animal study shows how to retrain the immune system to ease food allergies Treating food allergies might be a simple matter of teaching the immune system a new trick, researchers at Duke Health have found.
Midwifery linked to better birth outcomes in state-by-state 'report card' Midwife-friendly laws and regulations tend to coincide with lower rates of premature births, cesarean deliveries and newborn deaths, according to a U.S.-wide "report card" that ranks each of the 50 states on the quality of their maternity care.
	First child vaccinated with typhoid conjugate vaccine in Africa History was made in the fight against typhoid fever today, as the first child in Africa was vaccinated in a clinical trial using a new generation of typhoid vaccines.
	Neuroimaging reveals lasting brain deficits in iron-deficient piglets Iron deficiency in the first four weeks of a piglet's life - equivalent to roughly four months in a human infant - impairs the development of key brain structures, scientists report. The abnormalities remain even after weeks of iron supplementation begun later in life, the researchers found.
	Lead and other toxic metals found in e-cigarette 'vapors': study Significant amounts of toxic metals, including lead, leak from some e-cigarette heating coils and are present in the aerosols inhaled by users, according to a study from scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
	Team provides insight into glucagon's role in diabetic heart disease A UT Southwestern study reveals the hormone glucagon's importance to the development of insulin resistance and cardiac dysfunction during Type 2 diabetes, presenting opportunities to develop new therapies for diabetic diseases of the heart muscle.
	Study points to risk of future sleep breathing problems in college football players Because of the findings and subsequent news coverage regarding concussions and brain damage in football, we have all become aware that playing the game may involve more than living with painful injuries - it may involve incurring other life-threatening health problems that develop in later life.
	How do neural support cells affect nerve function? Researchers have long wondered how glial cells, which help provide nutrition and maintain the immediate environment around nerve cells, modulate the activity of nerve cells.
Drug successfully targets cancers with tumor-specific gene mutations Pediatric and adult cancers with one of three fusion genes responds well to a new drug, larotrectinib, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug is designed to target a specific tumor gene mutation known as tropomyosin receptor kinases (TRK) that can occur in various tumor types.
Precision cancer therapy effective in both children and adults Three quarters of patients, both adults and children, with a variety of advanced cancers occurring in different sites of the body responded to larotrectinib, a novel therapy that targets a specific genetic mutation. Results of this multisite phase 1/2 trial have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine on February 22, 2018. Unlike most cancer therapies, this oral treatment is based on the genetic traits of the tumor and not the organ where the cancer originated.
	It's OK to use nasal spray flu vaccine again, US panel says It's OK for doctors to start using a kid-friendly nasal spray flu vaccine again, a federal panel said Wednesday.
Study shows age doesn't affect survival in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after HCT Results from a retrospective study of 1,629 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) showed that survival at 4 years following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for patients age 65 years and older is comparable to patients age 55 to 64 years. The study demonstrates that age alone should not be a determinant when considering HCT for patients with NHL. The study results will be presented in an oral session at the BMT Tandem Meetings on Saturday, February 24.
Cancer pioneer employs physics to approach cancer in last research article In the cover article of Tuesday's issue of Oncotarget, James Frost, MD, PhD, Kenneth Pienta, MD, and the late Donald Coffey, Ph.D., use a theory of physical and biophysical symmetry to derive a new conceptualization of cancer. Co-author Dr. Coffey, ex-deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Professor of Urology, died before this paper was published at 85.
New study suggests hormone therapy helps reduce curvature of the spine The Women's Health Initiative found that hormone therapy (HT) use was associated with a reduction in vertebral fracture risk. A new study shows these same benefits may also guard against a woman's risk of developing hyperkyphosis, an exaggerated curvature of the spine that creates a forward stooped posture. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
	New safety data for the most commonly used drug to treat Chagas disease The frequency of adverse reactions to benznidazole is high when treating chronic Chagas patients, although the effects were mostly mild, according to a study led by ISGlobal, in collaboration with the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. The results point to the need for drug combinations or dosages that maintain efficacy but decrease toxicity.
	Q&A: Is daily drinking problem drinking? Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it possible to become an alcoholic just by having one or two drinks nightly? I have a glass or two of wine with dinner but never drink to the point of feeling drunk. Should I be concerned?
Differences in patient-reported pain between U.S. and European orthopedic patients American patients undergoing orthopedic surgical procedures report higher pain intensity scores compared to patients undergoing similar procedures in 13 European and non-European countries. American patients received more treatments for pain compared to their non-American counterparts, yet wished to have received even more treatment. However, most of the other assessments made by the American patients, e.g., patient-reported pain interference with function, were not different compared to those made by patients in other countries.
	From blue lights to gene therapy—the intriguing history of Crigler-Najjar syndrome Seeing Crigler-Najjar syndrome among this week's news releases announcing upcoming gene therapy clinical trials conjured immediate images of an Amish farmhouse with a spooky blue glow emanating from an upstairs bedroom, where a small child, clad only in diapers and wearing goggles, slept beneath a "light canopy" suspended from the ceiling. The light – phototherapy or "bili lights" – breaks down the accumulating bilirubin that the tiny yellow body beneath cannot.
	Creative couples' intervention significantly helps people with Alzheimer's communicate They do it with the best of intentions. "Do you remember our wedding day?" "Who is that person next to you in the picture?" For couples with decades of shared memories, a partner's decline in the ability to communicate is one of the most frightening and frustrating consequences of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. For these couples, the communication strategies they have used before simply do not work anymore. Impaired communication leads to misunderstandings, conflict, isolation, and loss of intimacy.
Treating sleep-disordered breathing may have cardiovascular benefits for heart failure patients Severe sleep-disordered breathing is linked with stiffening of the arteries' walls and may be related to the development of heart failure, according to a recent study in ESC Heart Failure, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.
Recruiting the immune system to prevent relapse Substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, is an ongoing issue in the U.S. While treatments such as drug counseling and a handful of medications to combat withdrawal symptoms and cravings exist, the fear and risk of relapsing is real. An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, describes how vaccines targeting drugs of abuse could prevent relapse.
	New research fails to support efficacy of desvenlafaxine for treating MDD in adolescents New studies in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) reported negative outcomes, failing to support the effectiveness of desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, Pfizer) compared to placebo. The new research, which demonstrated the lack of efficacy of desvenlafaxine in young people with MDD, is published in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
	Open-access data resource aims to bolster collaboration in infectious disease research Population-based epidemiological studies provide new opportunities for innovation and collaboration among researchers addressing pressing global-health concerns. As with the vast quantities of information emerging in other fields, from economic modeling to weather surveillance to genomic medicine, the technical challenges of sharing and mining gigantic datasets can hamper such efforts. A single epidemiological study—tracking the acquisition of functional resistance to malaria, or the relationship of diarrheal disease to developmental outcomes—may involve tens of thousands of clinical observations on thousands of participants from multiple countries.
PHAT Life: Effective HIV intervention for youth in the criminal justice system A group risk-reduction intervention that uses role-playing, videos, games, and skill-building exercises to promote knowledge about HIV/AIDS, positive coping, and problem-solving skills for high-risk teens in the juvenile justice system, showed great potential for reducing sexual risk-taking. The findings were published in Health Psychology and funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.
	New glaucoma drugs yield large, lasting reductions in intraocular pressure New Rochelle, NY, February 21, 2018-Two novel ocular hypotensive agents that have just been approved for use in humans—netarsudil and latanoprostene bunod (LBN)—greatly reduce intraocular pressure, with lasting results in various animal models of glaucoma and in humans. Two articles that highlight these two breakthrough drugs, as well as cutting-edge articles on the effects of amitriptyline in dry eye disease and emerging microneedles to delivery intraocular drugs are part of a new special issue of Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
End-of-life hospital and healthcare use among older adults with Alzheimer's disease Because people are now living longer and often healthier lives, the rate of some illnesses that are more likely to develop with age has risen. These illnesses include dementia. In fact, the number of us living with dementia was already 47 million worldwide in 2015. It could reach 131 million by 2050.

Biology news

	Triplefin fish found to have controlled iris radiance A team of researchers with the University of Tübingen in Germany has found an example of a fish that is able to control light reflected from organs next to its pupils—a form of photolocation. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes their study of the fish and their findings and also offers some theories on the purpose of the skill.
	Brain size of human ancestors evolved gradually over 3 million years Modern humans have brains that are more than three times larger than our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos. Scientists don't agree on when and how this dramatic increase took place, but new analysis of 94 hominin fossils shows that average brain size increased gradually and consistently over the past three million years.
	Tasmanian tiger just another marsupial in the pouch Australia's ill-fated Tasmanian tiger looked like any other marsupial when born but assumed dog-like features by the time it left the mother's pouch, scientists said Wednesday in shedding new light on its puzzling evolution.
	Theory suggests root efficiency, independence drove global spread of flora A new theory of plant evolution suggests that the 400 million-year drive of flora across the globe may not have been propelled by the above-ground traits we can see easily, but by underground adaptations that allowed plants to become more efficient and independent.
	Helping in spite of risk: Ants perform risk-averse sanitary care of infectious nest mates Ants care for their sick nestmates in different ways, depending on their own immune status. When they themselves are susceptible to dangerous superinfections, they use a different method to care for sick colony members compared to ants that are not susceptible, thus protecting themselves from infection. This is the result of a study of Professor Sylvia Cremer's research group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), with first authors Matthias Konrad and Christopher Pull. The study was published today in the journal PNAS.
	Getting sleepy? Fruit flies constantly tune into environmental temperature to time sleep Humans and fruit flies may have not shared a common ancestor for hundreds of millions of years, but the neurons that govern our circadian clocks are strikingly similar.
	Green toads with multiple genomes have ancestors that are only distantly related Diploid vertebrates have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. In contrast, polyploidy, meaning to possess three or more sets of chromosomes, is very rare in animals. To find out how new vertebrate species have evolved, and, more generally, how the current biodiversity emerged, evolutionary biologists are studying green toads (Bufo viridis), an excellent model system for studying evolutionary processes, because they can be diploid or polyploid.
	Researchers achieve random access in large-scale DNA data storage University of Washington and Microsoft researchers revealed today that they have taken a significant step forward in their quest to develop a DNA-based storage system for digital data. In a paper published in Nature Biotechnology, the members of the Molecular Information Systems Laboratory (MISL) describe the science behind their world record-setting achievement of 200 megabytes stored in synthetic DNA. They also present their system for random access—that is, the selective retrieval of individual data files encoded in more than 13 million DNA oligonucleotides. While this is not the first time researchers have achieved random access in DNA, the UW and Microsoft team have produced the first demonstration of random access at such a large scale.
	Genetic study suggests humans may be evolving in a way that prevents alcoholism A pair of researchers with the University of Pennsylvania has found evidence suggesting humans may be evolving in a way that will prevent alcoholism in the future. In their paper published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, Kelsey Elizabeth Johnson and Benjamin Voight describe their study which involved analyzing data from the 1000 Genomes Project looking for emerging gene variants and what they found.
	New insight into plants' self-defense Chloroplasts are the ultimate green machines—the parts of plant cells that turn sunlight into food in a fairly famous process known as photosynthesis.
	Team finds the movement behavior of an anole species to be more dynamic than previously thought Anolis lizards have a thing or two to teach humans about love—or in scientific speak, sexual selection—at least when it comes to territoriality.
	Cross-bred flies reveal new clues about how proteins are regulated Proteins are the go-getters of a cell. They carry out all the jobs that are required for cells to grow, reproduce and perform other duties. But genes carry instructions for far more proteins than are present in a cell at any one time. Therefore, it's useful for researchers to know the set of proteins present, or the proteome, in a cell or tissue at a given time and under certain conditions. Understanding the size limits of a proteome and a cell's tolerance for protein diversity is critical for determining how organisms evolve.
	Carbon monoxide improves effectiveness of antibiotic medication Carbon monoxide can improve the effectiveness of antibiotics, making bacteria more sensitive to antibiotic medication, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
	New tool tells bioengineers when to build microbial teams Researchers at Duke University have created a framework for helping bioengineers determine when to use multiple lines of cells to manufacture a product. The work could help a variety of industries that use bacteria to produce chemicals ranging from pharmaceuticals to fragrances.
	Scientists discover new nanoparticle, dubbed exomeres A new cellular messenger discovered by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists may help reveal how cancer cells co-opt the body's intercellular delivery service to spread to new locations in the body.
	Scientists create 'Evolutionwatch' for plants Using a hitchhiking weed, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology reveal for the first time the mutation rate of a plant growing in the wild.
	Enhanced education could help turn the tide on marine litter Finding a solution to the causes and impacts of marine litter is now widely recognised as one of the major environmental challenges of our time. And one of the key elements required to address the issue is encouraging people of all ages to move away from the current throwaway culture.
	Scientists poised to win the race against rust disease and beyond In a race to prevent and control rust disease epidemics, scientists have positioned themselves to better understand how rust fungi infect crops and evolve virulence. After using the latest genome sequencing technologies to understand how rust fungi adapt to overcome resistance in crop varieties, scientists from the University of Minnesota, the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory, the Australian National University, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the University of Sydney are releasing results with two publications in mBio, a journal by the American Society of Microbiology.
	Kin of 'world's ugliest animal' among fish hauled off Australia abyss More than 100 rarely seen fish species were hauled up from a deep and cold abyss off Australia during a scientific voyage, researchers said Wednesday, including a cousin of the "world's ugliest animal" Mr Blobby.
	Study shows that father's age can affect offspring lifespan How does the father's age at conception affect his children? Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE) and fellow scientists have studied this question in mice. Their findings, which have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), show that the offspring of elderly mouse-fathers had a shorter lifespan than those of young fathers and featured an exacerbation of a number of histopathological and molecular aging traits. Moreover, sperm of old males as well as the tissue from old father offspring featured shared epigenetic changes and altered activation states of longevity-related signaling pathways. These results are indicative of intergenerational influences on aging processes and they could potentially be of relevance for a human context.
	Dispersal of fish eggs by water birds—just a myth? How do fish end up in isolated bodies of water? For centuries, researchers have assumed that water birds transfer fish eggs into these waters—however, a systematic literature review by researchers at the University of Basel has shown that there is no evidence of this to date.
	A delivery platform for gene-editing technology A new delivery system for introducing gene-editing technology into cells could help safely and efficiently correct disease-causing mutations in patients. The system, developed by KAUST scientists, is the first to use sponge-like ensembles of metal ions and organic molecules to coat the molecular components of the precision DNA-editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas9, allowing efficient release of the genome-editing machinery inside the cell.
	Computer models allow farmers to diversify pest management methods In order to fight against pests with resistance to both insecticides and transgenic plants with insecticidal action, a group of Brazilian scientists has developed computational tools that can give clues on the pests' habits, thus enabling decision-makers to choose from a wider range of pest control strategies. The study is published in Scientific Reports.
	Bacteria-eaters to prevent food poisoning? Phages elim­in­ate Yersinia from food Bacteria-killing viruses could be employed not just in health care, but also in the food industry, a study conducted at the University of Helsinki indicates.
	Study shows, for the first time, that porpoises flee from and stop feeding when disturbed by heavy ship noise Porpoises communicate with each other using sounds. Therefore, they are highly sensitive to noise, such as ship noise. And the Danish belts and sounds are some of the most heavily trafficked waters in the world.
	Metabolic modelling becomes three-dimensional An international research consortium has developed, with significant involvement of Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) scientists, the first computer model to include 3-D in the representation of human metabolic processes.
	How detecting light in the water affects how much food cyanobacteria get The Montgomery lab has found a link between how water-dwelling bacteria, called cyanobacteria, monitor light quality in their surroundings and their capacity to do expand iconphotosynthesis well.
Long incubation times may defend birds against parasites Some tropical birds have longer egg incubation times than their temperate cousins, even though their habitat is teeming with egg-eating predators. The reason why has long been a mystery, but a new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances applies new methods to confirm the evidence for an old hypothesis—that a longer development period leads to a stronger, more efficient immune system.
	Are flamingos returning to Florida? Flamingos are a Florida cultural icon, and sightings of American Flamingos in the state have been on the rise in recent decades. However, whether they're truly native to the U.S. or only arrive via escape from captivity has long been subject to debate, making developing a plan for managing Florida's flamingo population challenging. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications reviews the evidence and provides a fresh argument that the birds should be considered part of the Sunshine State's native fauna.
	The conflict between males and females could replace the evolution of new species New research shows that males and females of the same species can evolve to be so different that they prevent other species from evolving or colonising habitats, challenging long-held theories on the way natural selection drives the evolution of biodiversity.
Listening to data could be the best way to track salmon migration Sound could be the key to understanding ecological data: in a new study in Heliyon, researchers have turned chemical data that shows salmon migration patterns into sound, helping people hear when they move towards the ocean from one river to another. The approach - called sonification - enables even untrained listeners to interpret large amounts of complex data, providing an easier way to interpret "big data."
One thing leads to another: Causal chains link health, development, and conservation The linkages between environmental health and human well-being are complex and dynamic, and researchers have developed numerous models and theories for describing them. They include attempts to bridge traditional academic boundaries, uniting fields of study under rubrics such as social-ecological frameworks, coupled human and natural systems, ecosystem services, and resilience theory. However, these efforts have been constrained by varying practices and a failure among practitioners to agree on consistent practices.

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