Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Mar 6

Dear Reader ,

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Astronomers detect a circumbinary disk around the system Oph-IRS67AB

Upgraded Deep Voice can mimic any voice in mere seconds

Study reveals how the brain tracks objects in motion

Tropical plant rediscovered after 150 years

Mapping the genome jungle: Unique animal traits could offer insight into human disease

Running on renewables: How sure can we be about the future?

Hubble finds huge system of dusty material enveloping the young star HR 4796A

Lithium-related discovery could extend battery life and improve safety

Glaciers in Mongolia's Gobi Desert actually shrank during the last ice age

Washington becomes first state to approve net-neutrality rules

Taking on 'microfiber' pollution, a laundry room at a time

Big switch: Electric cars put China on automobile map

See those skiing contenders? They are robots (and never mind the falling)

Without 46 million year-old bacteria, turtle ants would need more bite and less armor

Bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotic, missed by standard tests

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers detect a circumbinary disk around the system Oph-IRS67AB An international team of astronomers has discovered a circumbinary disk around the system Oph-IRS67AB and analyzed its chemistry as well as physical properties. The finding is detailed in a paper published February 26 on the arXiv pre-print repository.
	Hubble finds huge system of dusty material enveloping the young star HR 4796A Astronomers have used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to uncover a vast, complex dust structure, about 150 billion miles across, enveloping the young star HR 4796A. A bright, narrow, inner ring of dust is already known to encircle the star and may have been corralled by the gravitational pull of an unseen giant planet. This newly discovered huge structure around the system may have implications for what this yet-unseen planetary system looks like around the 8-million-year-old star, which is in its formative years of planet construction.
	World-first firing of air-breathing electric thruster In a world first, an ESA-led team has built and fired an electric thruster to ingest scarce air molecules from the top of the atmosphere for propellant, opening the way to satellites flying in very low orbits for years on end.
	Comet Chury's late birth Comets which consist of two parts, like Chury, can form after a catastrophic collision of larger bodies. Such collisions may have taken place in a later phase of our solar system, which suggests that Chury can be much younger than previously assumed. This is shown through computer simulations by an international research group with the participation of the University of Bern.
	SpaceX racks up 50th launch of Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX is marking the 50th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket, its satellite-delivery workhorse.
	Image: Building the Space Station In this 2006 image, astronauts Joan Higginbotham (foreground) and Suni Williams refer to a procedures checklist as they work the controls of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) or Canadarm2 in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station, during flight day four activities for space shuttle Discovery's STS-116 mission.
	Milky Way vs Andromeda (because now we're in with a chance) Buckle up and pack your popcorn: we're in for some intergalactic fireworks, only not quite like we were expecting.

Technology news

	Upgraded Deep Voice can mimic any voice in mere seconds Via whitepaper which they have uploaded to the arXiv preprint server, a team at Baidu (China's answer to Google) has announced an upgrade to their text-to-speech application called Deep Voice. Now, instead of taking a half-hour or longer to analyze a person's voice and replicate it, the system can do it in less than a minute. The neural-network based system is part of an effort by the team at Baidu to make machines sound more like humans when they "speak" to us.
	Running on renewables: How sure can we be about the future? A variety of models predict the role renewables will play in 2050, but some may be over-optimistic, and should be used with caution, say researchers.
	Lithium-related discovery could extend battery life and improve safety Lithium-metal batteries are among the most promising candidates for high-density energy storage technology in an expanding range of digital "smart" devices and electrical vehicles, but uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth, which results in poor recharging capability and safety hazards, currently tempers their potential.
	Washington becomes first state to approve net-neutrality rules Washington became the first state Monday to set up its own net-neutrality requirements after U.S. regulators repealed Obama-era rules that banned internet providers from blocking content or interfering with online traffic.
	Big switch: Electric cars put China on automobile map The rise of electric cars heralds not only a major technology switch but also promises massive disruption to today's auto giants as Tesla and a group of powerful Chinese rivals take over the fast lane.
	See those skiing contenders? They are robots (and never mind the falling) Robots can pick objects off shelves in a warehouse; robots can trek on mixed terrain in war zones; robots can mix drinks and make sandwiches.
	Engineers create solution to cheaper, longer lasting battery packs An electrical engineer at The University of Toledo, who nearly died as a girl in Africa because of a hospital's lack of power, has developed a new energy storage solution to make battery packs in electric vehicles, satellites, planes and grid stations last longer and cost less.
	Teaching computers to guide science: Machine learning method sees forests and trees While it may be the era of supercomputers and "big data," without smart methods to mine all that data, it's only so much digital detritus. Now researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley have come up with a novel machine learning method that enables scientists to derive insights from systems of previously intractable complexity in record time.
	For blind gamers, equal access to racing video games Brian A. Smith, a PhD candidate in Computer Science at Columbia Engineering, has developed the RAD—a racing auditory display— to enable gamers who are visually impaired to play the same types of racing games that sighted players can play with the same speed, control, and excitement that sighted players experience. The audio-based interface, which a player can listen to using a standard pair of headphones, can be integrated by developers into almost any racing video game, making a popular genre of games equally accessible to people who are blind.
	WeChat accounts cross one billion mark: CEO WeChat's worldwide accounts have crossed the one billion mark, according to the chief executive of its parent company Tencent.
	Germany's Flixbus takes on Deutsche Bahn with train routes German bus start-up Flixbus on Tuesday said it will begin running two long-distance train services, in a challenge to the dominance of state-owned rail behemoth Deutsche Bahn.
	At Geneva, new electrics, but don't forget the horsepower Global carmakers are showing off a mix of low-emission electric vehicles and high-end sports cars at the Geneva International Motor Show.
	Engineering team develops radiation-resistant computers capable of high-performance computing in the harshness of space In T minus 8,760 hours, or roughly one year, the Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) hybrid and reconfigurable space supercomputer will board the International Space Station. The newest mission to the ISS featuring research and technology from the University of Pittsburgh's NSF Center for Space, High-performance, and Resilient Computing (SHREC) will bring an unprecedented amount of computing power into space and invaluable research opportunities from the ground station on Pitt's Oakland campus.
	Geneva car show: Electrics buzz but gas-guzzlers still shine (Update) This year's Geneva auto show is crowded with new cars flaunting electric and autonomous technologies meant to help unclog city streets and fight global warming and air pollution.
	Lithuania plans hackathon to mint digital collector coin Lithuania's central bank on Tuesday said it wants to issue the world's first digital collector coin to mark this year's centenary of the Baltic state's independence.
	We can't say if touchscreens are impacting children's handwriting—in fact, it may be quite the opposite Parents the world over are concerned that touchscreen and tablet technology is negatively impacting children's handwriting. But while some say that technology overuse will impact developing dexterity and handwriting skills, the fact is that there has been no research to date which systematically examines the relationship between technology use, hand strength and handwriting production.
	BlackBerry sues Facebook over messaging apps Canadian telecommunications firm BlackBerry sued Facebook on Tuesday, accusing the American social media company of infringing on its patents for messaging apps.
	Facebook, Twitter urged to do more to police hate on sites Tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google are taking steps to police terrorists and hate groups on their sites but more work needs to be done, the Simon Wiesenthal Center said Tuesday.
	Wreckage found of WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington Wreckage from the USS Lexington, a US aircraft carrier which sank during World War II, has been discovered in the Coral Sea, a search team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced Monday.
	Facebook asked users if pedophiles should be able to ask kids for 'sexual pictures' Facebook is under fire after asking users whether pedophiles asking for "sexual pictures" from children should be permitted on the giant social network.
	Indonesia blocks online-blogging site Tumblr over porn Indonesia has blocked online blogging service Tumblr over pornographic content, the government said Tuesday, in Jakarta's latest crackdown on obscenity.
	The Latest: Aston Martin combines luxury and electric power The Latest on developments at the Geneva International Motor Show (all times local):
	Athens taxi drivers strike in Uber protest Greek commuters saw journeys disrupted Monday as taxi drivers downed tools to protest at competition from ride-sharing firm Uber on a day rail workers also held a 24-hour strike.
	The latest apps for home layouts, inside and out Planning out how to arrange furniture in your home—or plants in your garden—used to involve a pencil, graph paper, a measuring tape and a lot of imagination.

Medicine & Health news

	Study reveals how the brain tracks objects in motion Catching a bouncing ball or hitting a ball with a racket requires estimating when the ball will arrive. Neuroscientists have long thought that the brain does this by calculating the speed of the moving object. However, a new study from MIT shows that the brain's approach is more complex.
	Bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotic, missed by standard tests Emory microbiologists have detected "heteroresistance" to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, in already highly resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes blood, soft tissue and urinary tract infections.
	Research suggests creative people do not excel in cognitive control A recent study by a University of Arkansas researcher, Darya Zabelina, assistant professor of psychology, takes a new approach to measuring the association between creativity and cognitive control, that is, the mind's ability to override impulses and make decisions based on goals, rather than habits or reactions. Her research shows that people who have creative achievements do not engage in any more or less cognitive control than less creative people.
	Personal cancer vaccines show positive results Immunotherapies are moving to the forefront of cancer treatment. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that these approaches can be personalized to the unique mutations profile of each individual's tumor, igniting new hope for many patients, according to a new Harvard study.
	Unlocking the genetic combinations that control complex disease More targeted and effective treatments for some of the world's most complex diseases in humans may be a step closer, thanks to research that better maps disease susceptibility to genes and DNA.
	Rotavirus transmission influenced by temperature, water movement Climate in the tropics has a larger influence on transmission of the sometime deadly rotavirus than previously shown, University of Michigan researchers have found.
	The brain has separate 'fear circuits' for dealing with immediate and distant threats Imagine walking alone at night. Up ahead on the sidewalk, you notice a person lurking in the shadows, and a chill runs down your spine. You pause as you run through your options. Do you turn around and go back the way you came? Cross to the other side of the street? Or do you ignore your fear and keep walking straight ahead?
	Controlling ceramides could help treat heart disease Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) researchers have discovered that accumulation of a type of lipid (fat), known as ceramides, plays a crucial role in lipotoxic cardiomyopathy (LCM)—a heart condition that often occurs in patients with diabetes and obesity. The study, described in a new paper published today in Cell Reports, also identified several potential therapeutic targets that could prevent or reverse the effects of LCM.
	Brown fat flexes its muscle to burn energy Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that the same kind of fat cells that help newborn babies regulate their body temperature could be a target for weight-loss drugs in adults.
	Research on optical illusion gives insight into how we perceive the world When you look at the two images below, what do you see? Maybe you see two ducks, sitting side by side. Perhaps instead you see two rabbits. Maybe you see a duck and a rabbit.
	Overlooked cell key player in preventing age-related vision loss Duke researchers have pinpointed a new therapeutic target for macular degeneration, an eye disease that affects over 10 million Americans and is the leading cause of blindness in adults over 60.
	A new tactic for eczema? A newly identified brake on the allergic attack Eczema affects about 17 percent of children in developed countries and is often the gateway to food allergy and asthma, initiating an "atopic march" toward broader allergic sensitization. There are treatments - steroid creams and a recently approved biologic - but they are expensive or have side effects. A new study in Science Immunology suggests a different approach to eczema, one that stimulates a natural brake on the allergic attack.
	Mouse healing may reveal targets to delay or prevent human heart failure While mice can heal after a severe heart attack, an attack of the same severity in humans often launches a later descent into heart failure and death. Thus, study of the mouse healing may reveal therapeutic targets that can help humans avoid or delay the lingering inflammation that leads to heart failure.
	New test extends window for accurate detection of Zika Diagnosis of Zika infection is complex. Molecular tests for exposure are only reliable in the first two to three weeks after infection while the virus is circulating in the bloodstream. Antibody tests are confounded by cross-reactivity of antibodies to Zika with dengue, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis viruses following infection or vaccination. A new blood test called ZIKV-NS2B-concat ELISA is faster, less expensive, and extends the window of accurate detection from weeks to months after the onset of infection, giving clinicians a powerful new tool to screen for Zika throughout pregnancy.
	Helmet use associated with reduced risk of cervical spine injury during motorcycle crashes Despite claims that helmets do not protect the cervical spine during a motorcycle crash and may even increase the risk of injury, researchers from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison found that, during an accident, helmet use lowers the likelihood of cervical spine injury (CSI), particularly fractures of the cervical vertebrae. These findings appear in a new article published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine: "Motorcycle helmets and cervical spine injuries: a 5-year experience at a Level 1 trauma center" written by Paul S. Page, MD, Zhikui Wei, MD, PhD, and Nathaniel P. Brooks, MD.
Restoring lipid synthesis could reduce lung fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis, an ongoing process of scarring that leaves patients chronically short of breath, can progress in severity until the only course of treatment is lung transplant. A new study shows that restoring the lipids that help keep lung tissue flexible and inflated can help slow disease progression in laboratory models of pulmonary fibrosis.
Study validates tool to assess mortality risk in older patients with orthopedic fractures Analytic software developed by orthopedic trauma surgeons at NYU Langone Health accurately identifies which middle-aged and elderly patients face a greater mortality risk following surgery for an orthopedic fracture, according to a new study.
	New tool helps identify risk for post-surgical dislocations following hip replacement A novel risk assessment tool helps identify which patients undergoing total hip replacement may be at higher risk for an implant dislocation after surgery, according to a new study from researchers at NYU Langone Health and described in the Best Poster in the Adult Reconstruction Hip at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2018 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
	Neurocognitive impairment linked to worse outcomes after total joint replacement People with undiagnosed neurocognitive deficits are undergoing hip and knee replacements at high rates and are more likely to have poorer short-term outcomes after surgery, according to new research led by orthopedic surgeons at NYU Langone Health.
	Strict eating schedule can lower Huntington disease protein in mice New research from the University of British Columbia suggests that following a strict eating schedule can help clear away the protein responsible for Huntington disease in mice.
	Smoking bans may not rid casinos of smoke (HealthDay)—Toxic residue from smoking remains on surfaces inside a casino for months after smoking has been banned there, a new study has found.
	Undernourished kids may face hearing problems later on (HealthDay)—Poor nutrition in early childhood may make hearing loss more likely in adulthood, a new study suggests.
	Gender minorities have greater mental illness, disability (HealthDay)—Gender minority Medicare beneficiaries have larger disability and mental health burdens than the general Medicare population, according to a study published online March 4 in Health Affairs.
	Look to sports, not video games, to boost driving skills (HealthDay)—Enrolling your children in organized sports might help them when they start driving, a new study suggests.
	Increase in other flavored tobacco use after menthol ban (HealthDay)—Implementation of a ban on menthol cigarettes results in an increase in those attempting to quit, and an increase in use of other flavored tobacco or electronic-cigarette use, according to a study published online March 5 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Preventing exhaustion in immune cells boosts immunotherapy in mice If you're an immune cell gearing up to fight cancer, you'd better eat your breakfast. The tumor microenvironment is a harsh place, and tumor cells are ready to wear you out.
	How tattoos are maintained by macrophages could be key to improving their removal Researchers in France have discovered that, though a tattoo may be forever, the skin cells that carry the tattoo pigment are not. Instead, the researchers say, the cells can pass on the pigment to new cells when they die. The study, which will be published March 6 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests ways to improve the ability of laser surgery to remove unwanted tattoos.
	Cancer stem cells—allies of the tumor, enemies of the patient The scientists of the UEx Molecular Biology of Cancer Research Group seek to uncover the physiological mechanisms of cancer stem cells, which are responsible for the progression of the tumour. Thus, they are working on identifying new cell proteins that control cellular differentiation. Cancer stem cells possess the capacity to adopt highly undifferentiated states, characteristic of pluripotent cells, which may contribute to the progression and maintenance of tumour cell types in the same way that a healthy stem cell can give rise to different cell phenotypes. "These cancer stem cells are more resistant to the attack of chemotherapeutic agents. They are capable of regenerating the tumour and helping the tumour cells to spread to other organs," explains Pedro Fernández Salguero, lead researcher on the project.
Cognitive benefits of bilingualism overstated: study The acquisition and active use of two languages has been suggested to train executive functions in the brain, such as focusing attention, suppressing interference from the environment, and switching from one task to another. A new study, however, shows that these statements are too optimistic.
	One-off PSA screening for prostate cancer does not save lives Inviting men with no symptoms to a one-off PSA test for prostate cancer does not save lives according to results from the largest ever prostate cancer trial conducted over 10 years by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists and published today (Tuesday) in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
	Infants who receive multiple vaccinations not at increased risk for infection Infants who receive multiple vaccines as part of the routine vaccination schedule are unlikely to be more susceptible to other infections not targeted by those vaccines in the two years following vaccination, according to a study from Kaiser Permanente published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Novel PET imaging agent targets copper in tumors, detects prostate cancer recurrence early An Italian study featured in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine demonstrates that a novel nuclear medicine imaging agent targeting copper accumulation in tumors can detect prostate cancer recurrence early in patients with biochemical relapse as indicated by rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
	Human trials target superbugs The first human trials of a new approach to fight superbugs by starving them of iron are underway in South Australia.
	Toward an unconscious neural reinforcement intervention for common fears In a new study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today, an international team of scientists reported that diminish phobias in subjects by directly manipulating brain activity, while completely bypassing conscious awareness. Additionally, the procedure is free from the typical subjective unpleasantness of traditional psychotherapeutic treatments.
	Level of inflammation could help predict effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy for major depression People with major depression that has not been well controlled by medications and who have a biomarker in their blood indicating a higher level of inflammation may benefit more than people with less inflammation from electroconvulsive therapy to ease symptoms of their depression, according to a new UCLA study.
	Fetal heart rate research uses big data to reduce childbirth risks Giving birth to a child can be described as a sacred, spiritual and life-changing experience. It can also be fraught with pain, fear, complications and injury to both child and mother. For Dr. Steve Corns, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering, the key to removing some of the uncertainty associated with giving birth may lie not with woman or man, but with machine—machine learning, to be precise.
	Couples have trouble identifying partner sadness, study finds How well do couples pick up on one another's feelings? Pretty well, when the emotion is happiness, says a psychologist at Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
Study: Adult human immune cells have stem cell-like function that stimulates healing A new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows that human immune cells have stem cell-like function that can help stop prolonged inflammation and stimulate healing.
	Loneliness is not just an issue in old age – young people suffer too In old age, many people experience a decline in their physical health, which can mean they are less confident about getting around and socialising as they used to. Loneliness affects over a million older adults across the UK; over half of people aged 75 and over live alone, and one in ten people over 65 say they always or often feel lonely. And there's evidence to show that feeling lonely can cause existing physical health problems such as frailty or chronic pain to get worse.
	HIV in sub-Sahara Africa: Testing and treatment start at home improves therapy Lesotho, in southern Africa, is one of the worst hit countries by the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide. Indeed, a quarter of the adult population is infected with HIV. Many people however do not know their HIV status and, hence, are not undergoing treatment. In the remote mountainous regions of Lesotho, access to HIV testing and treatment is especially challenging. Bad roads and the need to walk for hours to access the nearest health centre prevents patients from beginning antiretroviral therapy (ART) or causes them to Interrupt treatment prematurely.
Financial toxicity of cancer treatment 'an underestimated problem' Besides side effects such as hair loss and nausea, a great many cancer patients in the US have to deal with stress and anxiety as a consequence of the high costs of their treatment. Pricivel Carrera of the University of Twente in the Netherlands has carried out the first large-scale literature review of the financial toxicity of cancer treatments, until now a relatively unexplored research area. The study is published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the scientific journal with the highest impact factor in the world. Carrera says that the financial toxicity of cancer treatment is an underestimated problem. "Doctors should focus as much on the effectiveness of different treatment options and the patient´s personal situation as they are on the disease and the latest technology, if not more."
	The orgasm gap and what sex-ed did not teach you There is a clear disparity between men and women when it comes to achieving orgasm; a phenomenon scientists call the orgasm gap.
	The visual system optimally maintains attention on relevant objects even as eyes move People routinely pay attention to a few important objects in the visual scene, even while making eye movements to monitor the surroundings. Just as moving a camera moves the location of objects within the camera's display, each eye movement moves the representation of the visual scene on the retina (the eye's receptor surface). Neuroscientists Tao Yao, Stefan Treue and B. Suresh Krishna from the German Primate Center (DPZ) in Göttingen, Germany, wanted to understand the neural mechanisms that allow people to maintain attention on important objects even as the visual representation moves on the retina with each eye movement. Their study shows that the rhesus macaque's brain quickly and efficiently shifts attention with each eye movement in a well-synchronized manner. Since humans and monkeys exhibit very similar eye movements and visual function, these findings are likely to generalize to the human brain. These results may help understand disorders like schizophrenia, visual neglect and other attention deficit disorders (Nature Communications).
	Pre-existing mental health conditions in men linked to problems during transition to parenthood New research by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) has shown that men with a history of common mental health problems are four times more likely to experience mental health problems during their partner's pregnancy.
Clearer vision of what's inside a tumor and what's going on in there Researchers at the University of Tübingen have succeeded in combining tumor data from imaging methods and high-throughput technologies with high precision. The goal is to make metabolic processes in tumors visible in their entirety and thus to better understand them. For this purpose, image data from positron emission tomography (PET) and computer tomography (CT) were combined with protein and metabolic data. The research team led by Professor Bernd Pichler from the Werner Siemens Imaging Center at the University of Tübingen published its results in the scientific journal PNAS.
Study shows cycling as number one cause of cervical fractures in men Sporting-related cervical fractures increased by 35 percent from 2000 to 2015, mainly due to an increase in cycling-related injuries, according to research presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Men experienced the most fractures due to cycling, while the most common cause of fractures in women was horseback riding. The most common cause of cervical spine injury in the United States was football, with the majority of those injuries being sprains.
Study advances research in pelvic organ prolapse among women By measuring the sagging of the vaginal walls in more than a thousand volunteers for up to nine years annually, a team of Baltimore physicians reports the creation of a long-awaited baseline measure of the rate of progression of so-called pelvic organ prolapse. The baseline, they say, should provide a foundation for reliable studies and a more rational search for factors that prevent or ease the condition.
	Poor mothers face greater scrutiny over their children's weight Low-income mothers who use food assistance programs face a high level of surveillance over their children's health and weight, new UBC research suggests.
The growing trend of youth sports specialization Youth sports has experienced a paradigm shift over the past 15 to 20 years. Gone are the days filled with pick-up basketball games and free play. Kids are increasingly specializing in sports.
	People with depression have stronger emotional responses to negative memories People with major depressive disorder (MDD) feel more negative emotion when remembering painful experiences than people without the disorder, according to a new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. The study reports that people with MDD were able to control the negative emotions about as well as people unaffected by MDD, but used somewhat different brain circuits to do so. The findings identify brain differences in MDD related to processing of autobiographical memories, the memories of the events and knowledge of one's life, that help us form our self-identity and guide our interactions with the world.
Insurance status affects in-hospital complication rates after total knee arthroplasty In-hospital complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are higher among Medicare and Medicaid patients compared to those with private insurance.
	CRISPR enhances cancer immunotherapy Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first cellular immunotherapies to treat cancer. These therapies involve collecting a patient's own immune cells—called T cells—and supercharging them to home in on and attack specific blood cancers, such as hard-to-treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
	Environmental exposures more determinant of respiratory health than inherited genetics Researchers have found strong evidence that environmental exposures, including air pollution, affect gene expressions associated with respiratory diseases much more than genetic ancestry. The study, published today in Nature Communications, analyzed more than 1.6 million data points from biological specimens, health questionnaires and environmental datasets, making this study one of the largest ever to examine the relationship between gene expression and environmental stimuli. These findings represent a groundbreaking use of big data to uncover the environmental factors that are behind diseases and inform strategies for prevention, an approach that would apply to a number of diseases, including cancer.
	Logo recognition associated with kids' choice of international junk foods Young children in six low- and middle-income countries prefer junk food and sugar sweetened beverages over traditional and home cooked meals, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
	Frequent 'I-talk' may signal proneness to emotional distress We all know someone who seems to really enjoy talking about him- or herself. Yet while the chorus of "I, I, I" and "me, me, me" might convince us we are conversing with a classic narcissist, science suggests we shouldn't be so quick to judge.
	Scientists find power switch for muscles If you've ever wondered how strenuous exercise translates into better endurance, researchers at the Salk Institute may have your answer. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports on March 6, 2018, scientists in Ronald Evans' lab have shown that the protein ERRγ (ERR gamma) helps deliver many of the benefits associated with endurance exercise.
	Study reveals novel biomarkers for future dementia risk Sudha Seshadri, M.D., founding director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, is co-leader and senior author on research announced March 6 that identifies novel biomarkers of risk for future dementia.
Doctor reviews on hospital websites vs. reviews on independent physician rating sites When looking for a doctor, many consumers turn to websites that post physician ratings and reviews. A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) found a discrepancy between doctor reviews provided by hospital websites and those posted on independent physician rating websites such as Healthgrades.com and Vitals.com.
Researchers reveal new way to potentially fight Ebola More than 11,000 people died during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2013-16, demonstrating both the deadly nature of the virus and the limitations of the medication used to fight it.
	Prescription opioids fail rigorous new test for chronic pain A yearlong study offers rigorous new evidence against using prescription opioids for chronic pain.
	Broad spectrum antiviral drug inhibits a range of emerging coronaviruses Researchers have long known that RNA viruses called coronaviruses cause the common cold and pneumonia. In the last two decades or so, though, researchers have found that these viruses can jump between animal and human hosts. In recent years, coronaviruses have caused lethal outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) that span multiple continents. To date, no retroviral drug has been approved to treat these infections.
	Chronic ill-health and the chances of surviving a heart attack New research has identified the devastating impact of pre-existing health problems on recovery from a heart attack.
	Estimating lives saved by England's NHS Health Check program The NHS Health Check programme is estimated to prevent around 300 premature deaths and results in more people living free of cardiovascular disease in England each year, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK. Feasible changes in the delivery of the programme could result in up to a three-fold increase in the benefits.
	Major step found in cellular response to stress caused by pathological insult A new study conducted by researchers at The Wistar Institute revealed how a key protein residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) helps cells respond to stress. This process is especially important for B cells to respond to severe stress conditions and their ability to produce antibodies. The research was published online in the Journal of Cell Biology.
'Dual mobility' hip replacement reduces risk of dislocation More than 330,000 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year. Overall, it is a highly successful procedure. However, as with all surgeries, a risk for complications exists.
Moving toward a future free of drug-induced hearing loss A new special publication orchestrated by five of the nation's leading hearing experts compiles the latest research into hearing loss caused by drugs and solvents - how it occurs, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.
	Spicing it up: High school students may prefer seasoned veggies over plain High school students prefer vegetables seasoned with herbs and spices, rather than plain veggies, according to Penn State researchers, who add this may lead to students liking and eating more vegetables, and result in less food waste in schools.
	Mosquito brain atlas aims to reveal neural circuitry of behavior A mosquito's head is about the size of a pencil tip, but it packs a dangerous punch: it is the delivery system for malaria, yellow fever, and Zika, among other blood-borne diseases. In most mosquito species, females are the more dangerous sex. They're the ones drinking—and transferring—blood.
Researchers uncover link between heart attacks and inflammatory bowel disease University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute researchers Muhammad Panhwar, MD, and Mahazarin Ginwalla, MD, recently concluded a study of more than 22 million patients that suggests a strong connection between Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and the development of heart disease and heart attacks.
Research finds little difference among diet plans' long-term effectiveness Whether you pick low-carb, low fat or another diet plan, scientific research indicates each can help some people achieve modest long-term weight loss with potential improvement in health risks, according to the Scientific Statement the Endocrine Society issued today on managing obesity.
	Opioid overdoses in ERs up 30 percent as crisis worsens Emergency rooms saw a big jump in overdoses from opioids last year—the latest evidence the nation's drug crisis is getting worse.
	More boys suffer online sex abuse than thought: study Boys account for nearly a third of online child sex abuse images and often suffer the worst horrors, a new study revealed Tuesday, suggesting a greater problem than first thought.
Cannabis compound may help curb frequency of epileptic seizures A naturally occurring compound found in cannabis may help to curb the frequency of epileptic seizures, suggests a review of the available evidence, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
	Improving the diagnosis of lung disease Three-dimensional visualization based on computer tomography imaging provides more thorough preparation for the diagnosis of lung diseases. The technique has now been used to perform 25 transbronchial biopsies, and the accuracy of the procedure has increased from 53 percent to 88 percent. The results of the research have been published in the European Respiratory Journal.
	Scientists discover the cause of accelerated atherosclerosis and premature death in progeria Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome (HGPS, also known as progeria) is a very rare genetic disease that affects fewer than 400 people globally, and for which there is no effective treatment. HGPS is characterized by early aging accompanied by the development of atherosclerosis. Patients die at an average age of 14 years from a heart attack or stroke, processes triggered by the rupture of unstable atherosclerotic lesions. Now, scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) and the CIBER de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), led by Dr. Vicente Andrés, have generated the first genetically modified mice with accelerated atherosclerosis induced by the protein progerin, which causes the development of HGPS. The research team found that the main cause of accelerated atherosclerosis and premature death in these mice was alterations in the smooth muscle cells lining the blood vessels.
Contaminated food in South Africa kills 180 in last year Several southern African countries have recalled some processed meats from South Africa after the deaths of 180 people there from contaminated food since early last year.
	Managing type 2 diabetes in a sitting-centric world Globally, over half a billion people are projected to have type 2 diabetes (T2D) by 2035, around 10% of the population. In Australia alone, around 280 new people are diagnosed with T2D every day – costing the healthcare system >$14 billion/year. It is a major cause of premature mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular, renal, ophthalmic and neurological disease. Accordingly, safe, effective and sustainable approaches are urgently needed to curtail, but also manage, the growing T2D epidemic.
	Accelerating clinical research through mobile technology Researchers face a number of challenges when conducting a clinical study.1 Investigators spend considerable time and money recruiting and screening viable participants. If recruitment takes too long, important studies can get scrapped before they are even started. Once a study is underway, participants must sacrifice their own time to make clinic visits, which, for long-term studies, can reduce participant retention. Incorporating internet and mobile technologies into a study's design can relieve some of these burdens. Research efforts like the University of California San Francisco's Health eHeart Study capitalize on the ubiquity and convenience of mobile technology to improve data collection and make it easier for people to participate.
	White House too focused on commerce side of opioid crisis, says public health expert The White House hosted a summit on March 1 to update Americans on the ways the Trump administration is fighting the opioid epidemic.
How close are we to a cure for Huntington's? "It came completely out of the blue," says James*. They had thought it was his father's knees that were the problem – he was never comfortable and was constantly shifting them. "He went to the doctor, and he said, 'You have got osteoarthritis.' So that was put to bed for a few months." But that wasn't the end of it. James's father deteriorated and consulted a different GP, who said, "Don't worry about your knees, why are you moving so much? Why can't you keep still? I'm going to refer you to a specialist." James and his mother started to realise that his father's movements were nothing to do with his knees. That was a smokescreen. The real cause was Huntington's disease.
Projected volume of primary and revision total joint replacement in the US 2030 to 2060 Total joint replacement (TJR) is one of the most commonly performed, elective surgical procedures in the United States, and the volume of primary and revision TJR procedures has risen continuously in recent decades. A new study presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) analyzed models to more accurately predict the future volume of TJA procedures in the U.S.
Return to play checklist reduces re-injury for athletes following anterior cruciate ligament A new study presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) looked at primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions among high-level athletes, and found that a return to play checklist decreased the incidence of injury to the knee following ACL reconstruction.
Return to play for soccer athletes and risk for future injury A new study presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) looked at soccer athletes who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction to better understand the average return to play time and their risk of injury following a revision ACL reconstruction.
Only two US programs now scientifically proven to decrease ACL injury and improve neuromuscular According to the Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States, females are four to five times more likely than males to sustain non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. While 36 intervention training programs have been described in literature since 1995, few have been scientifically proven to decrease ACL injury incidences and alter potentially dangerous neuromuscular movement patterns. A new poster presented at 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), found that only two programs had a significant impact in improving multiple neuromuscular indices and significantly reduced non-contact ACL injury rates in female athletes.
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency impacts children's risk for severe forearm fractures Children who are vitamin D deficient have a greater risk of having more severe forearm fractures requiring surgical treatment, according to a new study presented today at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). This is the first report that shows the important link between low vitamin D levels and the severity of fractures in children caused by low-energy, less traumatic events such as falling off a bike or falling while running.
	Determinant factors for chronic kidney disease after partial nephrectomy When current literature is reviewed, it is found that factors that in uence renal function after partial nephrectomy, are multifactorial.
	The Forsyth Institute expands key human microbiome database A team of researchers from The Forsyth Institute, a global leader in oral health research, today announced they have added over 80 species to generate the expanded Human Oral Microbiome Database (eHOMD), an online index of microbial species present in the mouth and respiratory tract, including the nasal passages and throat. The database is now home to 772 species and has put Forsyth researchers on the forefront of identifying and capturing the full genomic information of all species that comprise the human oral and upper respiratory tract microbiome.
Stem cell centers on the rise, claim high efficacy for treatment of knee osteoarthritis Even with a lack of peer-reviewed evidence, the number of centers advertising stem cell therapies for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee are increasing in the United States. These centers claim an 80 percent success rate, according to research presented this week at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Of the 65 centers that provided pricing information to treat OA of the knee, the cost ranged from $1,150 to $12,000, with an average of $5,000 per injection.
Perioperative short haul air travel associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism New research presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found a correlation between flying following hip or knee arthroplasty and an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This is the first study to identify such a risk as previous studies found no additional risk from perioperative air travel in patients following lower limb arthroplasty (LLA).
Pre-surgery counseling, non-opioid pain relievers shown to reduce post-surgery opioid use Two new studies presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) demonstrated that pre-operative counseling resulted in a significant decrease in opioid use after hand surgery and patients who used non-opioid pain relievers following surgery experienced a similar pain experience and benefit with less adverse events than those that received opioids. Both studies were conducted at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and focused on pain management following carpal tunnel release (CTR) or trigger finger release (TFR) surgery.
	Malaria control strategies reduce the caseload but bring new challenges Kenya's two major malaria prevention strategies – indoor residual spraying of homes in high transmission areas and the issuing of insecticide treated nets – have led to a significant reduction in malaria transmission.
	Brief education intervention boosts tetanus vaccination rates in rural India Education of mothers on the benefits of tetanus vaccination increased immunization coverage in a randomized trial set in rural India, according to new research this week in PLOS Medicine by Timothy Powell-Jackson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and colleagues.
	Interim open-label study results suggest higher dapivirine vaginal ring use, lower HIV risk Interim data from a large open-label study of the monthly dapivirine ring have found increased product use compared to a previous Phase III study. In addition, modeling data suggest that women's HIV-1 risk in the open-label study, known as DREAM, was reduced by more than half.
BODE may overestimate transplant benefit in COPD patients COPD remains the leading indication for lung transplantation worldwide and accounts for one third of all lung transplants performed. In order to qualify for a lung transplant, patients receive an evaluation and undergo rigorous testing to identify and exclude those with an excessive burden of comorbid conditions. The body mass index, obstruction, dyspnea and exercise capacity (BODE) score is an evaluation used to inform prognostic considerations for potential lung transplantation patients. This scoring system is widely used but has yet to be validated in the context of lung transplant. In a new study published in the journal Chest, researchers aimed to determine if patients selected as transplant candidates have a better survival rate than the BODE score indicates.
Mississippi governor says he supports 15-week abortion ban Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is indicating he will sign a bill that would set the earliest abortion ban in the United States.
White House wants user-friendly electronic health records The Trump administration Tuesday launched a new effort under the direction of presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner to overcome years of problems with electronic medical records and make them easier for patients to use.

Biology news

	Tropical plant rediscovered after 150 years A small team of researchers with the Crop Research Institute and Palacký University, both in the Czech Republic, has rediscovered a plant first (and last) recorded over a century and a half ago. In their paper published in the journal Phytotaxa describing their find, Michal Sochor, Zuzana Egertova, Michal Hrones and Martin Dancak describe the plant, a mycoheterotroph called Thismia neptunis.
	Mapping the genome jungle: Unique animal traits could offer insight into human disease From a bat's wings to an elephant's cancer resistance, an interdisciplinary team of scientists at University of Utah Health are using animals' unique traits to pinpoint regions of the human genome that might affect health. The results of this project are available in the March 6 issue of the journal Cell Reports.
	Without 46 million year-old bacteria, turtle ants would need more bite and less armor You've probably heard about poop pills, the latest way for humans to get benevolent bacteria into their guts. But it seems that a group of ants may have been the original poop pill pioneers—46 million years ago.
	Scientists engineer crops to conserve water, resist drought Agriculture already monopolizes 90 percent of global freshwater—yet production still needs to dramatically increase to feed and fuel this century's growing population. For the first time, scientists have improved how a crop uses water by 25 percent without compromising yield by altering the expression of one gene that is found in all plants, as reported in Nature Communications.
	Rigor mortis in worms offers new insight into death A dying worm experiences rigor mortis early in the death process, rather than after the main event as it is for humans, according to a new study by an international team of scientists at UCL and Washington University.
	Researchers develop new method to improve crops A team of University of Georgia researchers has developed a new way to breed plants with better traits. By introducing a human protein into the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, researchers found that they could selectively activate silenced genes already present within the plant.
	Who's a good boy? Why 'dog-speak' is important for bonding with your pet Scientists at the University of York have shown that the way we speak to our canine friends is important in relationship-building between pet and owner, similar to the way that 'baby-talk' is to bonding between a baby and an adult.
	Research finds marine reserves sustain broader fishing efforts New research from Florida Institute of Technology finds that fish born in marine reserves where fishing is prohibited grow to be larger, healthier and more successful at reproduction.
	Uncoordinated trade policies aid alien bee invasions Patagonia may lose its only native bumblebee species due to invasions by alien bee species sanctioned by government policy.
	Shipments of protected African species to Asia soar: study Shipments of protected African species including tortoises, pythons and parrots to Asia have soared since 2006 as demand grows in the Far East for exotic pets, meats and other animal products, a new study warned Tuesday.
	Scientists hope to save northern white rhino from extinction As the health of the world's last male northern white rhino declines in Kenya, a global team of scientists and conservationists is pushing ahead with an ambitious effort to save the subspecies from extinction with the help of the two surviving females.
	For flour beetles, it's better to be a woman in a man's world For red flour beetles, being a female in a male world is advantageous. Unlike humans, where this situation traditionally confers a disadvantage, female flour beetles in male-dominated groups seem to reproduce better and live longer than females in groups with equal sex ratios or in female-dominated groups.
	Crepidula onyx resilient towards microplastic diet Coastal marine organisms are hit hard by pollution and global climate change stress. Perhaps a result of publication bias, studies often focus on species that are negatively impacted. However, to better understand how the ecological communities would response to these human-induced stress, it is equally important to study organisms that are seeming pollutant tolerant.
	India's endangered lion population increases to 600 The endangered Asiatic lion, which only lives in one forest in India, has fought back from the verge of extinction, with its population increasing to more than 600, a minister said Tuesday hailing a major conservation campaign.
	Culturing cheaper stem cells Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can infinitely self-renew and develop into all major cell types in the body, making them important for organ repair and replacement. But culturing them in large quantities can be expensive. Now, scientists at Japan's Kyoto University, with colleagues in India and Iran, have developed a more cost-effective culture by using a new combination of chemical compounds.
Researchers shed light on how African insects survive droughts through self-drying A team of Russian and Japanese scientists led by Skoltech researcher Pavel Mazin have shed light on the evolutionary process by which the Polypedilum vanderplanki survives periods of drought. The team discovered that the insect has adapted a protein that helps it survive extremely dry conditions. Their findings elucidate some of the mysteries underpinning the self-drying process, and demonstrate how the conservative protein has gained a new function.
	Stopping the impact of fishing fleets on the most threatened marine birds Accidental by-catch, which affects around 5,000 birds stuck in longlines every year, is the most severe effect on marine birds by the fishing activity in the Mediterranean. The exploitation of fishing resources threatens the future of many marine birds with regression populations, such as the Cory's shearwater or the Balearic shearwater.
	Researchers successfully sequence total RNA of single cells By combining a number of methods, researchers from the RIKEN Advanced Center for Computing and Communications (ACCC) in Japan have developed a method that allows full-length sequencing of the total RNA of a single cell. The ability to do such full-length sequencing is important for understanding how single cells develop and function in biological systems.
Study traces the origins of a major potato pest A new study from a University of Maryland-led team of researchers confirms the long held idea that the Colorado potato beetle, by far the most damaging insect to the U.S. potato industry, originated in the Great Plains region of the United States. The findings dispel more recent theories that this beetle may have come from Mexico or other divergent populations.
	New molecule can kill five types of deadly drug-resistant superbugs An international research team led by the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and IBM Research developed a synthetic molecule that can kill five deadly types of multidrug-resistant bacteria with limited, if any, side effects. Their new material could be developed into an antimicrobial drug to treat patients with antibiotic-resistant infections. This finding was reported in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
	Chlorine bleach is the main ingredient in a toxic cocktail that destroys bacteria Certain white blood cells protect us from bacteria by engulfing them. A research team headed by Prof Dr. Lars Leichert, head of the research group Microbial Biochemistry, Prof Dr. Konstanze Winklhofer from the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum as well as Prof Dr. Andreas Meyer from the University of Bonn were the first ones to observe the process under the microscope, thanks to novel fluorescent proteins. The immune cells douse the bacteria with a toxic cocktail that contains, among other things, chlorine bleach. This leads to the oxidation of proteins inside the bacterial cell within seconds, resulting in bacterial death. The researchers published their report in the journal eLife.
Fish team up for more food Cooperative behaviour to acquire food resources has been observed in hunting carnivores and web-building social spiders. Now researchers have found comparable behaviours in a fish species. A tiny striped fish called Neolamprologus obscurus only found in Lake Tanganyika in Zambia excavates stones to create shelter and increase the abundance of food for all fish in the group. Led by Hirokazu Tanaka of the University of Bern in Switzerland and the Osaka City University in Japan, this study is the first to document how team work in fish helps them to acquire more food. The research is published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Conservationists find birds in central African rain forest are facing major threats from bushmeat hunting In a new study released this month, conservationists are sounding the alarm about a growing hunting crisis plaguing rainforests in central Africa. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, found that more large forest birds such as raptors and hornbills are being killed to provide bushmeat (wildlife taken for food) than previously thought. Researchers concluded that unless the threat posed by unsustainable hunting is reduced, bird populations will continue to decline—potentially leading to devastating consequences for the biodiversity of the region.
	Bioengineering team's 'circuit' work may benefit gene therapy Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have designed genetic "circuits" out of living cellular material in order to gain a better understanding of how proteins function, with the goal of making improvements.
	Bearded pigs adapting to oil palm Bearded pigs in Borneo are successfully adapting to palm oil expansion but still require significant protected forest areas, finds new research by the Sabah Wildlife Department, Danau Girang Field Centre, Cardiff University and University of Berkeley.
	Biologists turn to citizens, DNA to count urban Alaska moose Moose thrive in Alaska's largest city with little to fear from natural predators such as wolves or bears, but getting an accurate count of the largest member of the deer family remains a challenge for the state wildlife biologists who must manage their numbers.
	Norway boosts quotas to revive whaling Norway announced Tuesday a 28 percent increase of its annual whaling quota to 1,278 whales in a bid to revive the declining hunt amid international controversy.

---

This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile