Science X Newsletter Friday, Apr 20

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for April 20, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Simulations suggest Saturn may have helped create Jupiter's big moons

New theory shows how strain makes for better catalysts

Male contraceptive compound stops sperm without affecting hormones

Archaeologists discover Cornish barrow site

FlyJacket: Upper-body exoskeleton turns focus on drones

Policy driver of soil organic carbon accumulation in Chinese croplands identified

Key factor in development of Parkinson's disease identified

Unveiling the secrets of the Milky Way galaxy

NASA engineers dream big with small spacecraft

Will rising carbon dioxide levels really boost plant growth?

Scientists discover gene controlling genetic recombination rates

Researchers find polyploidy has occurred many times during the evolution of insects

Signaling between neuron types found to instigate morphological changes during early neocortex development

Gauging the effects of water scarcity on an irrigated planet

Single-cell database to propel biological studies

Astronomy & Space news

	Simulations suggest Saturn may have helped create Jupiter's big moons A team of researchers from France and the U.S. has created a computer simulation of the development of the solar system focusing on Jupiter and the origins of its moons. In their paper uploaded to the arXiv preprint server, the group describes the simulation showing that Saturn may have played a role in the creation of Jupiter's largest moons.
	Unveiling the secrets of the Milky Way galaxy A multinational team of astronomers involving the University of Adelaide has catalogued over 70 sources of very high energy gamma rays, including 16 previously undiscovered ones, in a survey of the Milky Way using gamma ray telescopes.
	NASA engineers dream big with small spacecraft Many of NASA's most iconic spacecraft towered over the engineers who built them: think Voyagers 1 and 2, Cassini or Galileo—all large machines that could measure up to a school bus.
	Is dark matter made of primordial black holes? Astronomers studying the motions of galaxies and the character of the cosmic microwave background radiation came to realize in the last century that most of the matter in the universe was not visible. About 84 percent of the matter in the cosmos is dark matter, much of it located in halos around galaxies. It was dubbed dark matter because it does not emit light, but it is also mysterious: it is not composed of atoms or their usual constituents like electrons and protons.
	US Senate narrowly confirms Trump's new NASA chief The US Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to head the space agency NASA, over objections from Democrats who warned he lacked a technical background.
	Stars are born in loose groupings Based on previously published data from the Gaia Mission, researchers at Heidelberg University have derived the conditions under which stars form. The Gaia satellite is measuring the three-dimensional positions and motions of stars in the Milky Way with unprecedented accuracy. Using these data, Dr. Jacob Ward and Dr. Diederik Kruijssen determined the positions, distances and speeds of a large number of young massive stars within 18 nearby loose stellar groupings. The researchers were able to demonstrate that there is no evidence whatsoever that these associations are expanding. They therefore could not have originated as a dense cluster and then expanded to their current size.
	Mysterious red spots on Mercury get names – but what are they? Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, but far from being a dull cinder of a world, it has instead turned out to be a real eye opener for geologists. Among the revelations by NASA's MESSENGER probe, which first flew past Mercury in 2008 and orbited it between 2011 and 2015, is the discovery of a hundred or so bright red spots scattered across the globe. Now they are at last being named.
	The challenges of an alien spaceflight program—escaping super-Earths and red dwarf stars Since the beginning of the Space Age, humans have relied on chemical rockets to get into space. While this method is certainly effective, it is also very expensive and requires a considerable amount of resources. As we look to more efficient means of getting out into space, one has to wonder if similarly advanced species on other planets (where conditions would be different) would rely on similar methods.

Technology news

	FlyJacket: Upper-body exoskeleton turns focus on drones A drone you can control with your body? You guessed it. The technology at play is in the form of an exosuit. A Swiss team stepped up to the challenge of making one to do just that.
	How social networking sites may discriminate against women Social media and the sharing economy have created new opportunities by leveraging online networks to build trust and remove marketplace barriers. But a growing body of research suggests that old gender and racial biases persist, from men's greater popularity on Twitter to African Americans' lower acceptance rates on Airbnb.
	As doors close in the US, China's Huawei shifts to Europe As trade disputes simmer, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, the No. 3 smartphone brand, is shifting its growth efforts toward Europe and Asia in the face of mounting obstacles in the U.S. market.
	AT&T chief says merger would boost value of Time Warner AT&T chief Randall Stephenson on Thursday defended his company's planned mega-merger with Time Warner, arguing in court that the combination would enhance the value of the media-entertainment giant in a sector being roiled by Big Tech.
	China's ZTE vows to fight US supplier ban Chinese telecom giant ZTE vowed on Friday to fight back against a US order banning it from purchasing and using US technology for seven years, a move that has angered Beijing.
	Amazon worker's median pay in 2017: $28,446 Amazon says its median employee pay was $28,446 last year.
	Airbus, Bill Gates and others back video imaging satellite venture Airbus, Bill Gates and Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son have joined to back a spinoff from Bellevue, Wash.-based Intellectual Ventures that aims to launch a constellation of imaging satellites "that will deliver real-time, continuous video of almost anywhere on Earth."
Forget tech's bad bros: Stanford, Berkeley boost female computing grads More and more women are getting computer science and electrical engineering degrees from the Bay Area's two elite universities, a goal U.S. colleges have been pursuing for decades. But in the midst of the #MeToo era's focus on sexual misconduct, harassment and gender discrimination in tech, some of these young women say they're worried about what their future workplace holds.
Preview: Shadow streaming service may succeed where OnLive, others failed The biggest obstacle for Blade's Shadow service is the past.
	Review: Apple's New iPad is the best tablet for almost everybody The Apple iPad is a gadget that appeals to a really wide audience.
Sports tech firm Stats looks to bring A.I. to the broadcast booth and sideline When a baseball announcer rattles off your favorite player's batting average with two outs and runners on first and third, he's not pulling that figure from the back of his mind. There's a good chance that timely information was provided by Stats, a Chicago-based sports data and technology company.
	'The Bay Area is broken': Why Silicon Valley startups are hiring elsewhere Silicon Valley may be the world's tech paradise, but it's a hiring nightmare for many local startups now forced to venture from Portland to Boise in search of talent.
	How does a city get to be 'smart'? This is how Tel Aviv did it Smart cities, digital cities, virtual cities, connected cities. Are these just trendy buzzwords? Perhaps. But these types of cities are supported by infrastructure that is more than bricks and mortar.
Processing power beyond Moore's Law In 1965, businessman and computer scientist Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years, which means a doubling of computer processing power. The prediction was so accurate that this phenomenon was dubbed "Moore's Law."
	Sweden's new road powers electric vehicles – what's the environmental impact? Sweden has built the first smart road that will allow electric vehicles to charge as they drive. The eRoadArlanda pilot scheme, which covers two kilometres of road outside Stockholm, is an attempt to solve one of the biggest challenges that the transport industry faces. Namely, how to move freight and people in a way that neither damages the climate through greenhouse gas emissions nor the quality of air through nitrogen oxide pollution.
Smarter fiber data transmission doubles capacity to the home Researchers of Eindhoven University of Technology and fiber broadband equipment supplier Genexis have developed data transmission techniques that can double or even triple the data transmission capacity of existing fiber to the home connections. Enjoying this increase requires you to upgrade your modem. But even if only your neighbors do, you can get a higher data capacity as well.
	SunTrust warns 1.5 million clients of potential data theft SunTrust Banks Inc. says accounts for 1.5 million clients could be compromised following a potential case of data theft.
	Oops...Deutsche Bank makes 28bn euro transfer in error Germany's biggest lender Deutsche Bank on Friday admitted to a massive erroneous transfer of 28 billion euros ($34 billion) in a routine operation, more than the entire bank is worth.
	German police arrest Porsche manager over diesel scandal German police have detained a Porsche manager in a probe into the diesel emissions cheating scandal that the luxury car brand's parent company Volkswagen has struggled to shed.
	Audit clears Facebook despite Cambridge Analytica leaks An audit of Facebook's privacy practices for the Federal Trade Commission found no problems even though the company knew at the time that a data-mining firm improperly obtained private data from millions of users—raising questions about the usefulness of such audits.
	Nissan to cut hundreds of jobs at UK car plant: source Japanese automaker Nissan will axe hundreds of staff at its car plant in northeastern England due to a sharp fall in diesel car sales, a source told AFP on Friday.
	UK teen who hacked CIA chief gets two-year prison term A British teenager who accessed the email accounts of top US intelligence and security officials including the head of the CIA was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday.
	Amazon says it has more than 100 million Prime members Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said the company has more than 100 million paid subscribers worldwide to its Prime Membership service, disclosing for the first time a figure that the company long held as a trade secret.
What you'll likely get with a Amazon Fire TV from Best Buy vs. other smart TV's Pity the TV consumer who shops at Best Buy later this year and looks to make an informed choice about buying a flat-panel smart TV set.
T-Mobile expands jobs, services for veterans T-Mobile has launched a campaign geared toward veterans, with a hiring effort, discounts on phone lines, and investments in its network near military bases.
From promposals to Snaps, smartphones are crashing the prom party Smartphones have forever changed our lives. They also have forever changed the experience of the all-important high school ritual of going to the prom.
Gadgets: Treat your pearly whites to a sonic clean I've been brushing my teeth this week with the Swedish made Foreo ISSA 2, which the company touts as the world's first silicone sonic toothbrush.
Meijer to launch self-scanning app to speed grocery checkout Meijer plans to launch a self-scanning mobile application in Chicago-area stores by the end of the summer, a move likely to be followed by some larger retailers in the near future.
How installing hi-tech windows helped a DFW Airport bar sell twice as many drinks At DFW International Airport, the coolest seats in the house can be found near Gate A28.
	Optical path recognition made audible Students of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed an image recognition algorithm that identifies obstacles and recognizes free pathways. Based on this, the iXpoint software company has now developed the Camassia smartphone app as an assistance system for the visually impaired. It generates acoustic signals that enable users to follow the desired pathway. It is the first interactive assistance system of this type and works independently of satellite navigation, a complex sensor system, or electronic maps.
	Researchers deliver open-source simulator for cyber physical systems Cyber physical systems (CPS) are attracting more attention than ever thanks to the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its combination with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and the cloud. These interacting networks of physical and computational components will provide the foundation of critical infrastructure, form the basis of 'smart' services, and improve the quality of life in areas ranging from energy and environment to transportation and healthcare.
	Innovative imaging technology leads to automated pathological diagnosis FUJIFILM Corporation has developed surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging technology capable of analyzing large areas of unlabeled/unstained tissue metabolites with high precision using SERS that enhances the Raman scattering light when the target substance is irradiated with light, detecting substances with a high sensitivity.
	General Electric shares rise despite 1Q loss on hefty legal charge Slumping industrial conglomerate General Electric won a reprieve on Wall Street Friday after reporting strong results in some divisions even as it suffered a quarterly loss due to a hefty legal charge.
	Ericsson shares fly as Swedish telecom giant caps losses Swedish telecoms firm Ericsson posted improved first quarter results Friday, as it presses a massive cost-saving drive that has prompted thousands of jobs cuts.
	Professor voices concerns over robots and AI taking over PR Robots are on the rise in the field of communication and news gathering. Does this threaten not only jobs but the ethical basis of society?
	Air France CEO threatens to resign if strikes continue The embattled CEO of Air France-KLM, Jean-Marc Janaillac, threatened Friday to resign if Air France staff continue to reject his wage proposals following nine days of strikes in the past two months.
Texas appeals court dismisses revenge porn law A Texas appeals court says a state law that punishes those who post intimate images from previous or current relationships online without consent is unconstitutional.

Medicine & Health news

	Male contraceptive compound stops sperm without affecting hormones A new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE details how a compound called EP055 binds to sperm proteins to significantly slow the overall mobility of the sperm without affecting hormones, making EP055 a potential "male pill" without side effects.
	Key factor in development of Parkinson's disease identified A molecule has been identified that appears to play an important role in the development of Parkinson's disease, a debilitating disease that affects millions of people around the world.
	Signaling between neuron types found to instigate morphological changes during early neocortex development A team of researchers from several institutions in Japan has found that developing neocortex neurons in mammals undergo a morphological transition from a multipolar shape to a bipolar shape due at least partially to signaling in neuronal migration during brain development. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group explains the techniques they used to study the process by which the neocortex develops in mammals and what they found. Alejandro Schinder and Guillermo Lanuza with Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, offer a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.
	Single-cell study in a childhood brain tumor affirms the importance of context In defining the cellular context of diffuse midline gliomas, researchers find the cells fueling their growth and suggest a potential approach to treating them: forcing their cells to be more mature.
	When there's an audience, people's performance improves Often, people think performing in front of others will make them mess up, but a new study led by a Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist found the opposite: being watched makes people do better.
	Mechanism behind neuron death in motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia discovered Scientists have identified the molecular mechanism that leads to the death of neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or motor neurone disease) and a common form of frontotemporal dementia.
	Research finds new mechanism that can cause the spread of deadly infection Scientists at the University of Birmingham have discovered a unique mechanism that drives the spread of a deadly infection.
	Animal study connects fear behavior, rhythmic breathing, brain smell center "Take a deep breath" is the mantra of every anxiety-reducing advice list ever written. And for good reason. There's increasing physiological evidence connecting breathing patterns with the brain regions that control mood and emotion.
	New device to help patients with rare disease access life-saving treatment Patients with a rare medical condition can receive life-saving treatment at the touch of a button thanks to a new device developed by scientists.
	New 'brain health index' can predict how well patients will do after stroke A new computer programme developed by scientists at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow can assess whole brain deterioration and help predict cognitive function after stroke up to ten times more accurately than current methods.
	Faster walking heart patients are hospitalized less Faster walking patients with heart disease are hospitalised less, according to research presented today at EuroPrevent 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress, and published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
	Compound improves stroke outcome by reducing lingering inflammation An experimental compound appears to improve stroke outcome by reducing the destructive inflammation that can continue months after a stroke, scientists report.
	New strategies for hospitals during mass casualty incidents A community's ability to cope with mass casualty incidents (MCIs) is very dependent on the capacity and capability of its hospitals for handling a sudden surge of patients requiring resource-intensive and specialized needs.
	Handgrip strength test is good indicator of survival in lung cancer patients A simple test of handgrip strength is a good indicator of short- and long-term survival in patients with early, stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to new findings to be presented at the ESTRO 37 conference tomorrow (Saturday).
	In many countries, bone health may be at risk due to low calcium intake The new interactive Global Map of Dietary Calcium Intake in Adults, launched today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), reveals that many populations are not getting enough calcium in their diets. The Map reflects the findings of a recent study published by an IOF Calcium Steering Committee.
	Healthy diet, healthy eyes (HealthDay)—Healthy eating may help preserve your vision as you age, eye experts say.
	Most smokers with head and neck cancer have tried to quit (HealthDay)—Most active smokers with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have made one or more quit attempts, according to a study published online April 12 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	First opioid lawsuit targeting pharmacy benefit managers (HealthDay)—A first opioid lawsuit is targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), according to a report published in Managed Healthcare Executive.
Make protecting yourself from injury child's play As we age, most people slow down a bit to protect themselves from injury. Turns out, that may be the opposite of what they should do.
	Night owls might face more health issues and early Bad news, night owls.
Nation's top doctor wants the overdose antidote widely on hand. Is that feasible? When Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory calling for more people to carry naloxone—not just people at overdose risk, but also friends and family—experts and advocates were almost giddy.
Nemours among Orlando hospitals turning to video games for help The usually conservative healthcare industry in Central Florida has turned to local video game makers to discover new ways to teach patients about disease and other health-related issues, potentially saving lives in the process.
Attention women: Your choice of blood pressure medicine may affect your risk of pancreatic cancer In findings with potentially broad implications for the public's health, new research has found that some women who treat their high blood pressure with a class of drugs that relaxes the blood vessels were more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who use other hypertension medications.
Don't be surprised if your doctor asks you about guns By now you are probably used to the probing questions your doctor asks during your annual checkup.
Gotta 'go'? There's an app for that. Bluetooth-operated bionic sphincter controller close to human trial phase Most of us don't have to give much thought to the mechanics of going to the bathroom.
Ketamine, notorious club drug, shows promise as a treatment for depression, studies indicate Sabrina Misra suffered from depression for most of her life, but last summer, it became almost too heavy to bear.
Walmart and CVS have 15,000 combined stores. Why are both trying to buy health insurance companies? The economics of healthcare in America is making for some strange bedfellows. CVS, the behemoth pharmacy chain, plans to buy Aetna, a 22-million member health insurer, for $69 billion. Less than two weeks ago, it became public that Walmart, where one in four Americans shop each week, is considering an acquisition of another insurer, Humana.
	DOR protein deficiency favors the development of obesity Obesity is a world health problem. Excessive accumulation of fat tissue (adipose tissue) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and some types of cancer. However, some obese individuals are less susceptible to these conditions. According to a recent study published by researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and CIBERDEM in Nature Cell Biology, deficiency in the protein DOR (also called TP53INP2) stimulates the generation of new adipose cells, which store fat, and leads to a less harmful kind of obesity.
Medical doctors with addictions fear professional repercussions if they seek treatment Fear of dismissal or of losing their authorisation keeps medical doctors trapped in substance use disorders, and instead of seeking help they attempt self-treatment. This is shown by a new study from Aarhus University.
	Why traffic accidents with cyclists are becoming increasingly more common The bicycle is a cheap and ecological vehicle, and it is also a healthy transportation option. The number of cyclists in cities has increased in recent years, and so has the accident rate. A study confirms that these incidents are caused by a combination of inadequate infrastructure and risk behaviour on the part of drivers and cyclists.
Researchers account for the complex symptoms of Angelman syndrome A research group at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has managed to identify the changes in the proteins altered by the UBE3A enzyme, which is responsible for Angelman syndrome. This disease causes problems in intellectual and motor development, epilepsy, difficulties in communication, and insomnia.
	Gene variant increases empathy-driven fear in mice Researchers at the Center for Cognition and Sociality, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), have just published as study in Neuron reporting a genetic variant that controls and increases empathy-driven fear in mice. As empathy is evolutionarily conserved from rodents to humans, this finding might clarify individual variability in neuropsychiatric conditions characterized by empathic impairment, such as autism, psychopathy and schizophrenia.
Researchers describe mechanism of protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers have characterized the mechanism that initiates the pathological aggregation of the protein FUS, which plays a central role in two distinct neurodegenerative diseases.
	A dose of empathy may support patients in pain Research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine suggests that empathic, positive messages from doctors may be of small benefit to patients suffering from pain, and improve their satisfaction about the care received.
	Doctors use robotic assistant to detect source of girl's seizures Gracin Hahne was 3½ months old when she had her first seizure. "I was changing her diaper," said Heidi Hahne, Gracin's mom. "I also noticed something else: There were light patches, like abnormal pigmentations, on her skin."
As marijuana goes mainstream, what's happening to the way we talk about weed? For decades, the marijuana industry operated underground, outside the confines of the law.
	Aggressive breast cancer already has resistant tumour cells prior to chemotherapy Difficult to treat and aggressive "triple-negative" breast cancer is chemoresistant even before chemotherapy begins, a new study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports. The findings, which are published in the journal Cell, may lead to better and more personalised treatments for breast cancer.
	Meditation could help anxiety and cardiovascular health In a student-led study, one hour of mindfulness meditation shown to reduce anxiety and some cardiovascular risk markers.
	MRI technique detects spinal cord changes in MS patients A Vanderbilt University Medical Center-led research team has shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect changes in resting-state spinal cord function in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
	How the skin protects Epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, provides the critical protective barrier needed for terrestrial life. The process of epidermal barrier formation includes conversion of the essential fatty acid linoleate into skin-relevant oxidized lipids.
	Stem-cell technology aids 3-D printed cartilage repair Novel stem-cell technology developed at Swinburne will be used to grow the massive number of stem cells required for a new hand-held 3-D printer that will enable surgeons to create patient-specific bone and cartilage.
	New imaging method identifies how normal and cancer cells move and adapt An international team of scientists including David Q. Matus, Ph.D., and Benjamin L. Martin, Ph.D., in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and Stony Brook University Cancer Center researchers, have developed a new cell imaging technology combining lattice light sheet microscopy (LLSM) and adaptive optics (AO) to create high-resolution "movies" of cells in their 3-D environment that also captures subcellular processes. Published in Science, the research reveals a technology that shows the phenotypic diversity within cells across different organisms and developmental stages and in conditions such as mitosis, immune processes and in metastases.
	Losing wealth, health and life: how financial loss can have catastrophic effects Public hearings for the Financial Services Royal Commission, which resumed this week, are bringing to light some questionable practices in the sector – from lending beyond people's means, to giving the wrong financial advice and charging for advice that was never given.
	Starting aerobic exercise soon after concussion improves recovery time, study finds A new study from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education has found that starting aerobic exercise sooner rather than later after a diagnosed concussion contributes to a faster recovery and return to sport, school and work.
Good oral hygiene may help recovery after a heart attack Good oral hygiene may help recovery after acute cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and aortic dissection, according to research presented today at Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology (FCVB) 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress. The study in mice found that the bacteria that cause gum disease (periodontitis) also impair the healing of blood vessels.
	Buprenorphine may be safer than methadone if treatment duration is longer, study suggests The less commonly prescribed opioid substitute buprenorphine may be safer than methadone for problem opioid users, especially if used during the first month of treatment, according to a study which includes University of Manchester researchers.
	To defeat superbugs, everyone will need access to clean water The consumption of antibiotics has increased significantly over the past 15 years, according to a recent study. The increase occurred despite the international push to reduce the use of these important drugs.
	Pharmacist follow-ups cut diabetes costs and reduce health risks Two studies led by Associate Professor Joyce Lee from the Department of Pharmacy at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Faculty of Science revealed that pharmacist-managed care, in addition to routine check-ups with physicians, help improve the management of diabetes and the associated chronic diseases.
	Can a brain injury change who you are? Who we are, and what makes us "us" has been the topic of much debate throughout history. At the individual level, the ingredients for the unique essence of a person consist mostly of personality concepts. Things like kindness, warmth, hostility and selfishness. Deeper than this, however, is how we react to the world around us, respond socially, our moral reasoning, and ability to manage emotions and behaviours.
	Infections could trigger stroke in pregnant women during hospital delivery Pregnant women who have an infection when they enter the hospital for delivery might be at higher risk of having a stroke during their stay, according to new research.
Disease-fighting antibody production The influence of environmental cues on the differentiation and function of B cells—white blood cells that produce antibodies as part of humoral immunity—is incompletely understood.
	Why marijuana fans should not see approval for epilepsy drug as a win for weed A Food and Drug Administration panel recommended approval of a drug made of cannabidiol on April 19 to treat two types of epilepsy. The FDA is expected to decide in June whether to accept the panel's 13-0 recommendation to approve Epidiolex, which would would become the first drug made of cannabidiol, a compound in the cannabis plant, to gain approval from the FDA.
	New research suggests possible link between sudden infant death syndrome and air pollution A study led by the University of Birmingham suggests a possible association between exposure to certain pollutants and an increased risk of so-called 'cot death'.
	A fat belly is bad for your heart Belly fat, even in people who are not otherwise overweight, is bad for the heart, according to results from the Mayo Clinic presented today at EuroPrevent 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress.
	For heavy lifting, use exoskeletons with caution You can wear an exoskeleton, but it won't turn you into a superhero.
UN health agency: Hungarian scientist exposed to Ebola The World Health Organization says it has coordinated shipment of an experimental Ebola vaccine and drugs to treat a laboratory scientist in Hungary who was exposed to the potentially deadly disease earlier this month.
Dutch probe 'appalling' euthanasia of dementia patient In a rare series of moves, Dutch authorities are investigating whether doctors may have committed crimes in five euthanasia cases, including the deaths of two women with advanced Alzheimer's disease.
	Immune diversity among the KhoeSan population A new study of the KhoeSan of Southern Africa has improved the understanding of immune diversity among the oldest surviving indigenous population in the world.
Lupus treatment generates positive results in Phase III clinical trial New research indicates that belimumab, a monoclonal antibody therapy that targets a component of the immune system, provides considerable benefits to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a predominately female, chronic inflammatory disease that can affect virtually any organ. The Arthritis & Rheumatology findings are encouraging because lupus is among the leading causes of death in young women.
	Research debunks 'myth' that strenuous exercise suppresses the immune system New research overturns a myth that has persisted for nearly four decades - that competing in endurance sports, like this weekend's London Marathon, suppresses the body's immune system and makes competitors more susceptible to infections.
	Selection of a pyrethroid metabolic enzyme CYP9K1 by malaria control activities Researchers from LSTM, with partners from a number of international institutions, have shown the rapid selection of a novel P450 enzyme leading to insecticide resistance in a major malaria vector.
	Wide waist with 'normal weight' bigger risk than obesity: study People of "normal" weight who sport a wide waist are more at risk of heart problems than obese people, said researchers Friday, urging a rethink of healthy weight guidelines.
	When does online gaming become an addiction? (HealthDay)—For most, playing online video games is largely a harmless hobby. But a new review finds that some fall prey to what experts call "internet gaming disorder."
	U.S. better able to tackle health emergencies: report (HealthDay)—The United States is more ready for health disasters than it was five years ago, but certain regions still lag behind, a new report shows.
	Keep eating veggies (and fruits) for better health (HealthDay)—Your parents' advice to eat your vegetables has solid science behind it.
	Systolic BP increases at rapid rate above 120 to 125 mm hg (HealthDay)—After systolic blood pressure (BP) reaches 120 to 125 mm Hg, it increases at a relatively rapid rate toward overt hypertension, according to a study published online March 21 in JAMA Cardiology.
	Mortality down with spinal anesthesia for hip Fx surgery (HealthDay)—For patients undergoing hip fracture fixation, general anesthesia (GA) is associated with increased 90-day mortality compared with spinal anesthesia (SA), according to a study presented at the 2018 World Congress on Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, held from April 19 to 21 in New York City.
	Newly designed pulsed-dye laser found effective for rosacea (HealthDay)—A pulsed-dye laser with a novel 15-mm diameter treatment beam improves the appearance of rosacea, according to a study published online April 10 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
	In LVSD, diabetes tied to higher risk of heart failure (HealthDay)—In patients with asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction, diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing heart failure, according to a study published online April 6 in Diabetes Care.
Eight factors predict pain after spine surgery (HealthDay)—Eight factors contribute to postoperative pain after spine surgery, according to a study presented at the 2018 World Congress on Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, held from April 19 to 21 in New York City.
	Colon cancer survival varies by insurance type (HealthDay)—Compared to patients with private insurance, colon cancer survival is lower for patients with no insurance or with Medicaid, according to a study published in the May issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.
	PAs may have lower diagnostic accuracy for melanoma (HealthDay)—Physician assistants (PAs) perform more skin biopsies per case of skin cancer diagnosed and diagnose fewer melanomas in situ than dermatologists, according to a study published online April 18 in JAMA Dermatology.
Organic tampons, cups no safer against toxic shock: study Organic cotton tampons are often advertised as safer alternatives, but a study Friday said they are not better than regular tampons at preventing toxic shock syndrome.
	Late, but not too late—screening for olfactory dysfunction In a large population-based study of randomly selected participants in Germany, researchers found that participants aged 65-74 years with olfactory dysfunction showed impaired cognitive performance. Interestingly, this strong association was not present in younger (55-64 years) or older (75-86 years) participants. Additionally, the effect was more present in women than men.
	Researchers identify blood biomarkers that may help diagnose, confirm concussions Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, Georgetown University and the University of Rochester have found that specific small molecules in blood plasma may be useful in determining whether someone has sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly known as a concussion. The article, "Plasma metabolomic biomarkers accurately classify acute mild traumatic brain injury from controls," is now online at the PLOS One.
Elderly less likely to benefit from simultaneous radio- and chemotherapy for lung cancer An analysis of elderly patients treated in a phase II trial of radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has shown that they were less likely to benefit than younger patients if the two treatments were given at the same time.
	Synthetic biology approaches to improving immunotherapy The AACR 2018 Meeting in Chicago is ending today and has featured the major new results in cancer treatment and immunotherapy treatments in particular. Immunotherapy, the use of the patient's own immune system to attack their cancer, has become a hot area of research and clinical development. While there are several ways in which researchers are approaching immunotherapy, here I'm going through how synthetic biology would like to improve and add to the immunotherapy arsenal against cancer.
World's first non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation stress reducer With stress causing workplace absenteeism, multiple psychophysiological problems and a healthcare burden, a safe, fast and effective solution is urgently needed. Inspired by nature, XANA may have found a fast-track return to harmonious health.
	Primary pancreatic organoid tumor models for high-throughput phenotypic drug screening A multidisciplinary team of scientists share recent advancements in innovative in-vitro cancer biology methods for screening drug-like molecules in cancer tissue relevant models in a new report published online ahead-of-print at SLAS Discovery. Entitled "Advanced Development of Primary Pancreatic Organoid Tumor Models for High-Throughput Phenotypic Drug Screening," the report can be accessed for free.
How do people die in Switzerland today? A study conducted by the universities of Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland's three linguistic regions shows how a common legislative framework and the cultural context of each of Switzerland's three linguistic regions interplay to shape medical end-of-life practice.
	Takeda hikes Shire takeover bid to almost $61 bn Japanese drugs firm Takeda on Friday upped its takeover bid to $60.7 billion (49 billion euros) for Irish-based peer Shire, which has already rejected its previous three overtures.

Biology news

	Will rising carbon dioxide levels really boost plant growth? Plants have become an unlikely subject of political debate. Many projections suggest that burning fossil fuels and the resulting climate change will make it harder to grow enough food for everyone in the coming decades. But some groups opposed to limiting our emissions claim that higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) will boost plants' photosynthesis and so increase food production.
	Scientists discover gene controlling genetic recombination rates Genetics is a crapshoot. During sexual reproduction, genes from both the mother and the father mix and mingle to produce a genetic combination unique to each offspring. In most cases, the chromosomes line up properly and crossover. In some unlucky cases, however, "selfish DNA" enters the mix, causing abnormal crossovers with deletions or insertions in chromosomes, which can manifest as birth defects.
	Researchers find polyploidy has occurred many times during the evolution of insects University of Arizona biology researchers have made a discovery that helps resolve a conundrum that has puzzled scientists for more than a century.
	Single-cell database to propel biological studies A team at Whitehead Institute and MIT has harnessed single-cell technologies to analyze over 65,000 cells from the regenerative planarian flatworm, Schmidtea mediterranea, revealing the complete suite of actives genes (or "transcriptome") for practically every type of cell in a complete organism. This transcriptome atlas represents a treasure trove of biological information on planarians, which is the subject of intense study in part because of its unique ability to regrow lost or damaged body parts. As described in the April 19 advance online issue of the journal Science, this new, publicly available resource has already fueled important discoveries, including the identification of novel planarian cell types, the characterization of key transition states as cells mature from one type to another, and the identity of new genes that could impart positional cues from muscles cells—a critical component of tissue regeneration.
	Wood formation model to fuel progress in bioenergy, paper, new applications A new systems biology model that mimics the process of wood formation allows scientists to predict the effects of switching on and off 21 pathway genes involved in producing lignin, a primary component of wood. The model, built on more than three decades of research led by Vincent Chiang of the Forest Biotechnology Group at North Carolina State University, will speed the process of engineering trees for specific needs in timber, biofuel, pulp, paper and green chemistry applications.
	Bottlenose dolphins recorded for the first time in Canadian Pacific waters A large group of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have been spotted in Canadian Pacific waters - the first confirmed occurrence of the species in this area. The sighting is reported in a study published in the open access journal Marine Biodiversity Records.
	Museum researchers rediscover animal not seen in 30 years Researchers from the San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) and the non-profit organization Terra Peninsular A.C. have rediscovered the San Quintin kangaroo rat (Dipodomys gravipes) in Baja California; the Museum is partnering with the organization and local authorities on a conservation plan for the species.
Python leads researchers to a big snake sex party with six males and a 15-foot, 115-pound female Wildlife experts call it a "breeding aggregation." It's a more respectable way of saying snake sex party.
	Researchers build DNA replication in a model synthetic cell Researchers at Delft University of Technology, in collaboration with colleagues at the Autonomous University of Madrid, have created an artificial DNA blueprint for the replication of DNA in a cell-like structure. Creating such a complex biological module is an important step towards an even more ambitious goal: building a complete and functioning synthetic cell from the bottom up.
	Can we better prepare hens for cage-free living? Consumers are clamoring for cage-free eggs, and producers are scrambling to meet the demand.
	Research models how deadly virus moves among Pacific salmon, trout For the first time researchers studying a deadly virus modeled how it spreads to young trout and salmon in the waters of the Columbia River Basin, showing that migrating adult fish are the main source of exposure.
	The dark side of cichlid fish—from cannibal to caregiver Cannibalism, the eating of conspecifics, has a rational background in the animal kingdom. It may serve as a source of energy-rich nutrition or to increase reproductive success. Some species do not even spare their own brood. Researchers from the Vetmeduni Vienna have now been able to show the trigger of this peculiarity in African cichlids. When their eggs were taken away for a prolonged period, the females of a cichlid fish species ate both their own eggs and foreign eggs. They quickly switched between parental duties and ensuring their own energy supply. The study was published in Animal Behavior.
Dead whale ingested 64 pounds of plastic and waste A young sperm whale that washed ashore in Spain had 64 pounds of waste and plastic inside its stomach.
	Tilapia—freak farmed fish or evolutionary rock star? Posts are appearing on my Facebook feed warning against the dangers of eating tilapia. So I decided to do a little research.
	The good, the bad and their fortuitous differences Genetic differences between two very similar fungi, one that led to Quorn, the proprietary meat substitute, and another that ranks among the world's most damaging crop pathogens, have exposed the significant features that dictate the pair's very different lifestyles.

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