Science X Newsletter Monday, Apr 30

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for April 30, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Positron luminescence outshines that of electrons

Calcium-based MRI sensor enables more sensitive brain imaging

Butterfly wings inspire light-manipulating surface for medical implants

Using optogenetics and holographic projection, scientists aim to implant perceptions in brain

Bacteria's appetite may be key to cleaning up antibiotic contamination

Scientists make tunable light-matter couplings in nanotube films

Snake in the clouds—astronomers discover a new dwarf galaxy in the Magellanic Bridge

Earth's magnetic field is not about to reverse, study finds

City upbringing, without pets, boosts vulnerability to mental illness

Physics of a glacial 'slushy' reveal granular forces on a massive scale

Best of Last Week – A galaxy megamerger, world's oldest spider and dark chocolate improving vision

Scientists pinpoint energy flowing through vibrations in superconducting crystals

Analysis shows when and where advanced photovoltaics would be economic to install

Daily emissions from personal care products comparable to car emissions: study

Researchers develop water-based battery to store solar and wind energy

Astronomy & Space news

	Snake in the clouds—astronomers discover a new dwarf galaxy in the Magellanic Bridge An international group of astronomers reports the detection of a new dwarf galaxy in the so-called Magellanic Bridge – a stream of gas linking the two Magellanic Clouds. The newly found galaxy, designated Hydrus 1, is described in a paper published April 17 on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Scientists shocked as NASA cuts only moon rover In a move that shocked lunar scientists, NASA has cancelled the only robotic vehicle under development to explore the surface of the Moon, despite President Donald Trump's vow to return people there.
	The laws of star formation challenged An international team led by researchers at CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has challenged currently held ideas about star formation. Published in Nature Astronomy, the findings could challenge the widespread assumption that the mass distribution of a population of star-forming cores is identical to that of the stars they spawn.
	Old data, new tricks: Fresh results from NASA's Galileo spacecraft 20 years on Far across the solar system, from where Earth appears merely as a pale blue dot, NASA's Galileo spacecraft spent eight years orbiting Jupiter. During that time, the hearty spacecraft—slightly larger than a full-grown giraffe—sent back spates of discoveries on the gas giant's moons, including the observation of a magnetic environment around Ganymede that was distinct from Jupiter's own magnetic field. The mission ended in 2003, but newly resurrected data from Galileo's first flyby of Ganymede is yielding new insights about the moon's environment—which is unlike any other in the solar system.
	NASA sets sights on May 5 launch of InSight Mars mission NASA's next mission to Mars, Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight), is scheduled to launch Saturday, May 5, on a first-ever mission to study the heart of Mars.
	Hubble sights galaxy stuck in the middle This pretty, cloud-like object may not look much like a galaxy—it lacks the well-defined arms of a spiral galaxy, or the reddish bulge of an elliptical—but it is in fact something known as a lenticular galaxy. Lenticular galaxies sit somewhere between the spiral and elliptical types; they are disk-shaped, like spirals, but they no longer form large numbers of new stars and thus contain only aging populations of stars, like ellipticals.
	Moon holds key to improving satellite views of Earth Many Earth observation satellites make use of an added ingredient to ensure reliable, good quality environmental data: the moon.
	Image: Rotation of the Large Magellanic Cloud Last week the much-awaited second slew of data from ESA's Gaia mission was released, providing information on a phenomenal 1.7 billion stars – the richest star catalogue to date.
	Key Parker Solar Probe sensor bests sun simulator—last launch hurdle You don't get to swim in the sun's atmosphere unless you can prove you belong there. And the Parker Solar Probe's Faraday cup, a key sensor aboard the $1.5 billion NASA mission launching this summer, earned its stripes last week by enduring testing in a homemade contraption designed to simulate the sun.
	Going to Mars and never coming back If all goes to plan, humans will be settling Mars by 2032. And there's a good chance someone on the crew will be from Australia.
	FAST's first discovery of a millisecond pulsar China's 500-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) discovered a radio millisecond pulsar (MSP) coincident with the unassociated gamma-ray source 3FGL J0318.1+0252 in the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) point-source list. This is another milestone of FAST.

Technology news

	Analysis shows when and where advanced photovoltaics would be economic to install Which is a better deal: an established, off-the-shelf type of solar panel or a cutting-edge type that delivers more power for a given area but costs more?
	Researchers develop water-based battery to store solar and wind energy Stanford researchers have developed a water-based battery that could provide a cheap way to store wind or solar energy generated when the sun is shining and wind is blowing so it can be fed back into the electric grid and be redistributed when demand is high.
	T-Mobile, Sprint to merge: CEOs US wireless operators Sprint and T-Mobile will form a new company and push development of a super-fast 5G network, the heads of both firms said Sunday.
	Bosch engineers focus on brightening the future of diesel Robert Bosch GmbH said its engineers have developed a new diesel-exhaust system that cuts emissions significantly below legal limits taking effect in 2020. Bosch is positioning the diesel technology as a solution to the NOx problem.
	Mini-vessel device probes blood interactions in malaria, sickle cell disease In diseases such as malaria and sickle cell disease, red blood cells break down, with harmful effects on the rest of the body – particularly the lining of small blood vessels.
	Using your arm as a smartwatch touchscreen Smartwatches as devices for messaging and search are far eclipsed by the desktop, laptop, tablet and phones, for obvious reasons, namely their tiny touchscreens. In tech parlance, the smartwatch "input-output bottleneck" is lamentable, as it is a headache trying to work with such a small space.
	DNA search for California serial killer led to wrong man Investigators hunting for the so-called Golden State Killer turned to searching genetic websites in 2017 but misidentified an Oregon man as a potential suspect. A year later, after using a similar technique, they are confident they've caught the serial rapist and killer who eluded capture for four decades.
	1980s classic 'Karate Kid' reborn as YouTube joins content wars For Generation X, "The Karate Kid" is a pop culture touchstone. Now, more than 30 years on, YouTube wants to bring a new generation into the dojo.
US judge temporarily blocks Xerox takeover by Fujifilm A US judge late Friday temporarily blocked the planned takeover of US photocopy maker Xerox by Japan's Fujifilm, saying the deal prioritized the interests of the Xerox CEO over that of the company's shareholders.
	UK supermarket giant Sainsbury says in merger talks with Asda Britain's supermarket chain Sainsbury said Saturday it was in talks to merge with rival Asda, in a deal that would create a retail giant with around 30 percent share of the British market.
	China's JD.com looks to Silicon Valley center for innovation Self-driving delivery vehicles that are polite to pedestrians? Faster and more precise robotic arms? JD.com, the largest challenger to Alibaba's e-commerce empire in China, is investing in technology to speed up warehouse operations and delivery to shoppers who want service quickly.
	Port operator DP World now firmly in hyperloop business The Dubai-based port operator DP World put its name Sunday on the hyperloop technology it has already spent millions of dollars to develop as work continues to make it operational across the grand plans of its designers.
	Power cut temporarily shuts Amsterdam's airport A power cut overnight forced the temporary closure of Amsterdam's Schipol airport, one of Europe's busiest, officials said as they tried to get operations moving again Sunday.
	Sprint, T-Mobile have to sell $26.5B deal to antitrust cops (Update) To gain approval for their $26.5 billion merger agreement, T-Mobile and Sprint aim to convince antitrust regulators that there is plenty of competition for wireless service beyond Verizon and AT&T.
	Drone-based thermal imaging and analytics for energy efficiency Say the word drone, and you're likely to conjure up images of the latest military technology, the newest e-commerce delivery device, or something you snap a GoPro camera onto for aerial shots of the Grand Canyon.
	Why this summer might be a test for the Texas electric grid Summer is fast approaching here in Texas, and even if it is a mild one, it will be hot. Once again we'll walk from our air-conditioned houses to our air-conditioned cars to our air-conditioned parking garages to our air-conditioned places of work.
Supreme Court to hear Google class action settlement case The Supreme Court has agreed to review the settlement of a class action lawsuit involving Google, where the settlement agreement largely directed money to organizations rather than search engine users.
	Iran orders internet providers to block Telegram Iranian authorities have ordered internet service providers to block access to Telegram, a popular messaging app used by an estimated 40 million Iranians, state TV reported Monday.
	Sprint, T-Mobile shares fall on fears deal will be blocked Shares of Sprint and T-Mobile tumbled Monday on worries their proposed telecom mega merger would be blocked by antitrust regulators.
	Uber reaches deal in Czech Republic on licencing, tax The Czech government said Monday it had reached a deal with ride-hailing service Uber that will see its drivers licensed like taxi drivers and data provided for tax purposes.
Going beyond 'human error' Failures in highly technological environments, such as military aircraft, can be investigated using known tools like HFACS, the U.S. Department of Defense's Human Factors Analysis and Classification System. However, because of some limitations, HFACS does not always highlight the deeper causal factors that contribute to such failures. In what might be the first application of the Bayes' theorem probability formula to an HFACS dataset, Andrew Miranda examined data from 95 severe incidents to pinpoint external influences behind so-called human error.
	Panasonic fined $280 mn by US in bribery scheme Panasonic will pay $280 million in fines to settle charges over bribes to an employee at government-owned airline to win business for its aircraft electronics unit, US authorities announced Monday.
	Amazon to add another 3,000 jobs in Canada Online retailer Amazon, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on hand, announced Monday it will add 3,000 jobs in Vancouver, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of its Seattle headquarters.
	Telecom Italia CEO to step down if hedge fund breaks up board: report The head of Telecom Italia has said he will resign if a US hedge fund wins a power struggle this week with French telecom giant Vivendi, its largest shareholder, according to reports in Britain.
	French hotel giant AccorHotels buys Switzerland's Movenpick French hotel group AccorHotels announced Monday it has signed a deal to buy Switzerland's Movenpick Hotels and Resorts for 560 million Swiss francs (467 million euros, $567 million).
	UK supermarket giants Sainsbury's, Asda clinch £13 bn merger deal (Update) Britain's second and third biggest supermarket chains Sainsbury's and Walmart-owned Asda have agreed to merge, the pair said Monday, creating a £13-billion ($18-billion, 15-billion-euro) retail king that would leapfrog Tesco.
	A scalable deep learning approach for massive graphs A graph structure is extremely useful for predicting properties of its constituents. The most successful way of performing this prediction is to map each entity to a vector through the use of deep neural networks. One may infer the similarity of two entities based on the vector closeness. A challenge for deep learning, however, is that one needs to gather information between an entity and its expanded neighborhood across layers of the neural network. The neighborhood expands rapidly, making computation very costly. To resolve this challenge, we propose a novel approach, validated through mathematical proofs and experimental results, that suggest that it suffices to gather the information of only a handful of random entities in each neighborhood expansion. This substantial reduction in neighborhood size renders the same quality of prediction as state-of-the-art deep neural networks but cuts training cost by orders of magnitude (e.g., 10x to 100x less computation and resource time), leading to appealing scalability. Our paper describing this work, "FastGCN: Fast Learning with Graph Convolutional Networks via Importance Sampling," will be presented at ICLR 2018. My co-authors are Tengfei Ma and Cao Xiao.
	Digital rail network mapping achieves efficiencies EU-funded researchers have been able to gather accurate geographical data through the use of drones, remote sensing and 360-degree cameras to deliver digital 3-D models of railway lines. This will assist rail and infrastructure companies in assessing tracks throughout their lifecycle.
	Project puts rail communication networks on right track EU researchers have developed and analysed scenarios of what future rail communication networks might look like. Their methodology will now be freely available to rail and telecom operators to make their own evaluations.
	Marathon Petroleum $23.3 bn buy forms US refining giant Marathon Petroleum announced Monday that it will acquire Andeavor for $23.3 billion to form the largest oil refining company in the United States by capacity.
German nationalist wins injunction against Facebook A leading German nationalist politician has won a court injunction forcing Facebook to ensure a user's slur against her can't be seen in Germany.
	Walmart to sell UK unit as it seeks growth in online sales Walmart has agreed to sell its British unit, Asda, to local rival Sainsbury's in a 7.3 billion pound ($10.1 billion) deal as the U.S. giant focuses on online sales in countries with higher growth and less intense competition.
	Govt argues that AT&T-Time Warner deal would hurt consumers The U.S. government pleaded its case Monday for blocking AT&T from absorbing Time Warner, saying it would hurt consumers as a big antitrust trial crept toward its end and a decision by a federal judge.

Medicine & Health news

	Using optogenetics and holographic projection, scientists aim to implant perceptions in brain What if we could edit the sensations we feel; paste in our brain pictures that we never saw, cut out unwanted pain or insert non-existent scents into memory?
	City upbringing, without pets, boosts vulnerability to mental illness Children raised in a rural environment, surrounded by animals and bacteria-laden dust, grow up to have more stress-resilient immune systems and might be at lower risk of mental illness than pet-free city dwellers, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
	Brainstorming the ethics of neuroscience research in the age of organoids Could a clump of interlocking brain cells in a Petri dish ever experience self-awareness? Can you make a mouse or a monkey partly human by implanting human stem cells in its brain? If pieces of a dead person's brain are reanimated in a lab, is the patient still completely dead?
	FDA-approved drugs to treat diabetes and obesity may reduce cocaine relapse and help addicted people break the habit Cocaine and other drugs of abuse hijack the natural reward circuits in the brain. In part, that's why it's so hard to quit using these substances. Moreover, relapse rates hover between 40 and 60 percent, similar to rates for other chronic conditions like hypertension and Type 1 diabetes.
	Scientists keep pigs' brains alive for 36 hours US-based researchers have successfully kept alive the brain cells of decapitated pigs for 36 hours, sparking concerns over the ethics involved in such frontline research.
	Researchers find that lipid accumulation in the brain may be an early sign of Parkinson's disease A collaborative team of researchers at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, and Oxford University has found that elevated levels of certain types of lipids (fat molecules) in the brain may be an early sign of Parkinson's disease (PD). This finding could have significant implications for identifying patients who may be at risk for developing PD and for the early treatment of the disease. The detailed findings are available in the April 29 online edition of Neurobiology of Aging.
	Following five healthy lifestyle habits may increase life expectancy by decade or more Maintaining five healthy habits—eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking—during adulthood may add more than a decade to life expectancy, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
	Higher aerobic fitness levels are associated with better word production skills in healthy older adults Healthy older people who exercise regularly are less inclined to struggle to find words to express themselves, research led by the University of Birmingham has discovered.
	Targeting chemotherapy with genetic testing benefits women with aggressive breast cancer Women with an aggressive form of breast cancer who have faults in their BRCA genes do much better on chemotherapy drug carboplatin than standard treatment, a major clinical trial reports.
	Genomic analysis unravels complexities of the most common form of lymphoma and enables personalized treatment The majority of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be treated effectively. However, people whose disease recurs face a shortage of good options, especially because the disease is driven by a complicated mix of genetic alterations. Genomic analysis by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard now offers a better framework for understanding the disease's many forms, which will help to predict individual patient outcomes and guide personalized treatment.
	Identifying the mechanism in obesity's link to colon cancer In a recent new finding, doctoral candidates Wiecang Wang and Jianan Zhang, with their advisor Guodong Zhang in the department of food science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, report that they have identified a new molecular mechanism to explain the link between obesity and increased risk of colon inflammation, which is a major risk factor in colorectal cancer.
	Keep calm and carry on: Scientists make first serotonin measurements in humans Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have begun to unravel how serotonin acts, based on data collected in a first-of-its-kind experiment that utilized electrochemical probes implanted into the brain of awake human beings.
	Pill for breast cancer diagnosis may outperform mammograms As many as one in three women treated for breast cancer undergo unnecessary procedures, but a new method for diagnosing it could do a better job distinguishing between benign and aggressive tumors.
	T cell biomarker predicts which CLL patients will respond to CAR T cell therapy Penn Medicine researchers may have found the reason why some patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) don't respond to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, and the answer is tied to how primed patients' immune systems are before the therapy is administered. While 80 percent of patients with advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with the CAR T cell therapy now known as Kymriah have a dramatic response, only 26 percent of CLL patients respond to it in clinical trials.
	Here's why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for US children The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing.
	British toddler at center of legal battle dies Alfie Evans, the sick British toddler whose parents won support from Pope Francis during a protracted legal battle over his treatment, died early Saturday. He was 23 months old.
	Brains, eyes, testes: off-limits for transplants? Since the world's first successful organ transplant in 1954—a kidney—the discipline has advanced to the point where a wounded soldier could have his penis and scrotum replaced in a groundbreaking operation last month.
Zimbabwe legalises cannabis for medical, scientific use Zimbabwe has legalised production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific use, according to new regulations seen by AFP Saturday.
As states consider taxing opioids, drugmakers push back Facing a rising death toll from drug overdoses, state lawmakers across the country are testing a strategy to boost treatment for opioid addicts: Force drug manufacturers and their distributors to pay for it.
	Get off the golf cart if you have knee osteoarthritis From presidents to retirees, more than 17 million people over the age of 50 golf regularly. Knee osteoarthritis, which causes swelling, pain and difficulty moving the joint, is one of the leading causes of disability in this age group.
Obesity may hasten disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis In a study of adults with rheumatoid arthritis, those who were severely obese experienced more rapidly progressing disability than patients who were overweight. This was not explained by features of their arthritis, including the amount of inflammation in their joints. In the Arthritis Care & Research study, weight loss after enrollment was also associated with worsening disability, possibly as a sign of frailty.
	The rhythms of the night? New research published in The Journal of Physiology has illuminated the effects of night-time light exposure on internal body clock processes. This is important for helping those who have poor quality sleep, such as shift workers, and could help improve treatments for depression.
Seniors more likely to visit emergency department after home care visit from nurse Patients who received home care visits from nurses were more likely to visit the emergency department during the evening on the same day, particularly for non-urgent issues, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
New strategies needed to help healthcare providers gain knowledge to counsel patients on diet A new scientific advisory from the American Heart Association reviews current gaps in medical nutrition education and training in the United States and summarizes reforms in undergraduate and graduate medical education to support more robust nutrition education and training efforts.
	Vapers and non-smokers have the same flourishing gut flora The first study of its kind has found that people who vape have the same mix of gut bacteria as non-smokers, whilst smokers have significant changes to their microbiome.
ACA increased health insurance coverage, narrowed disparities for AANHPIs Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the rate of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) without health insurance dropped to 9%—a rate essentially equal to that of whites (8.8%), according to a new study by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues. Although the coverage gap between whites and nonwhites shrank for adults in all major racial and ethnic groups under the ACA, AANHPIs are the only group for which the disparity was eliminated.
	Fertility rates no different for women with epilepsy Until now, if a female patient with epilepsy asked about her chances for becoming pregnant and having a healthy baby, her neurologist would have little information to share. A new study by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital changes that. The study finds that among women trying to get pregnant, with no known history of infertility or related disorders, the likelihood of conceiving and having a live birth was no different for those with or without epilepsy. The team's findings are published in JAMA Neurology.
Medicare kidney failure patients enter hospice too late to reap full benefits As they approach the end of their lives, many patients with end-stage renal disease face a harrowing choice: continue dialysis treatment or enter hospice care. Under current policy, Medicare will not simultaneously pay for dialysis and hospice care for patients with a terminal diagnosis of renal failure. This usually means that in order to receive hospice care, patients must first stop dialysis treatments. A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital found that, nationally, only 20 percent of Medicare patients with end-stage renal disease who died used hospice, and those who did were almost twice as likely to have very short hospice stays (i.e., three days or less) compared to patients with other advanced chronic illnesses. Health care utilization and costs for these patients with very short hospice stays were similar to or higher than those for patients who had not been referred to hospice. The study's results are published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Youth tackle football participation linked to earlier onset of cognitive and emotional symptoms Starting to play tackle football before age 12 could lead to earlier onset of cognitive and emotional symptoms among athletes who were diagnosed with CTE and other brain diseases postmortem, according to a new study.
3-D printing is transforming care for congenital heart disease 3-D printing is an emerging technology that is impacting the way cardiologists treat patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a review paper published today in JACC: Basic to Translational Science.
African-Americans hospitalized for heart failure less likely to see cardiologist African-American patients were less likely than Caucasian patients to be treated primarily by a cardiologist when admitted to the intensive care unit for heart failure, according to a study published today in JACC: Heart Failure. Previous studies have shown that in-hospital survival is higher when patients of any race receive primary care from a cardiologist, compared to other specialties.
	Research shows in the long run, charcoal toothpaste likely won't whiten teeth Using charcoal toothpaste to whiten teeth may leave a person with more issues than just ash in the mouth.
	Gene mutation linked to aggressive brain tumour identified Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have uncovered a previously unknown gene mutation that is linked to a highly aggressive form of a brain tumour called glioblastoma.
First approved medication for tardive dyskinesia demonstrates safety, study shows A recently FDA-approved medication for the movement disorder tardive dyskinesia is safe and well tolerated, according to neurologists presenting results from a yearlong monitoring study.
	Subjective memory may be marker for cognitive decline New research from the Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) at The University of Texas at Dallas suggests that subjective complaints about poor memory performance, especially in people over 60, could be a useful early marker for the onset of mild cognitive decline, which sometimes foreshadows Alzheimer's disease.
	Going 'haywire' is bad news for MND sufferers Increased energy – or metabolic use – in patients with motor neurone disease (MND) has been linked to faster disease progression and reduced lifespan, according to University of Queensland researchers.
Study reveals potential for more precise diagnosis and treatment of TBI Patients who've suffered from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have changes in tiny blood vessels in their brains that researchers believe are linked to a range of cognitive symptoms, according to new findings presented at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting. The findings may help doctors pinpoint specific types of TBIs and tailor personalized therapies.
Study seeking to isolate antibodies against rabies virus Few people die from rabid animal bites in the United States thanks to the near-universal availability of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine, which are given as separate shots as soon as possible after exposure to the rabies virus.
	Remote microphone system helps increase vocabulary of children with hearing loss Children with hearing loss who use remote microphone systems (RMS) at home have access to about 42 percent more words each day, providing a critical boost to vocabulary and language learning, a Vanderbilt study has found.
	Research supports reduction in food product portion sizes New research, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, highlights the benefits of the food industry changing food product portion sizes in order to make healthier eating more normal.
	Concussions preventing veterans, athletes from succeeding in college Many of the more than two million veterans who have taken advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill have struggled academically in college. Similarly, albeit for different reasons, so have many college athletes. Results of a new study focusing on the long-term effects of concussions or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in both populations offers new evidence for why they might not be making the grade.
	Turning papaya leaf into a cure for dengue fever A traditional herbal remedy for the dangerous tropical disease 'dengue fever' could be turned into a pill to treat patients thanks to groundbreaking research by scientists at the University of Nottingham's Malaysia Campus (UNMC).
	World-first cannabis trial looks to treat insomnia In a world-first study, researchers at The University of Western Australia will examine the effect medicinal cannabis has on adults suffering from chronic insomnia.
Mandatory public reporting of coronary artery bypass grafting associated with better patient outcomes Mandatory public reporting of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) results in Massachusetts was associated with better patient outcomes compared to national findings, according to a recent study. Results of the 13-year Massachusetts experience were presented in a plenary session of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery's 98th Annual Meeting.
	Neuroscience is unlocking mysteries of the teenage brain How would you describe an average teenager? For most people, the following characteristics might come to mind: moody, impulsive, risk taking, likely to succumb to peer pressure.
	Computers equal radiologists in assessing breast density and associated breast cancer risk Automated breast-density evaluation was just as accurate in predicting women's risk of breast cancer, found and not found by mammography, as subjective evaluation done by radiologists, in a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco and Mayo Clinic.
	Self-care tips on stress management that you can easily put into practice To a certain degree, everyone experiences stress: We feel nervous meeting with a job interviewer, have anxiety about making it to an appointment on time or feel ourselves holding our breath while watching a tense playoff game. These are normal, everyday stressors.
	Evidence-based approaches to aggression, tantrums and defiance in children Anyone who has raised children or grown up with siblings knows there are some bumpy times in a child's life. When the smallest upset causes a major tantrum. Or when it's close to impossible to get them out the door on time for school. Or when your adorable angel acts like a wild animal.
	Quantifying sleepiness and how it relates to depression Sleep disturbance is a significant issue for many individuals with depressive illnesses. While most individuals deal with an inability to sleep, or insomnia, about 20-30 percent of depressed patients report the opposite problem – hypersomnia, or excessive sleep duration.
	How much does your doctor actually know about nutrition? Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Cut down on sweets and processed foods. Increase consumption of fish, nuts and legumes.
	Hitting virus infections where it hurts Virus infection starts at the cell surface with interactions between viral and host proteins that bind together. Researchers are working on ways to lock out the virus or prevent it from reproducing in the cell by targeting these proteins.
	How to look after someone with a terminal illness Dying is changing. It used to be quick and unexpected for most, due to infection or trauma. Now it comes to us, in general, when we are older – caused by chronic medical conditions such as heart, kidney or lung disease, diabetes or dementia.
	Psychopathy linked to white-matter abnormalities in impulsive male offenders Impulsive offenders with psychopathic traits have abnormal brain connections. The integrity of their so called 'white-matter' tracts between brain areas is decreased. Researchers from Radboud University and the Dutch Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology publish these findings in Neuropsychology.
	Your genome may have already been hacked On April 25, California law enforcement announced the possible capture of a long-sought serial killer. Shortly after, it was reported that police had used public DNA databases to determine his identity.
	Risk factors developed after loss of spouse could increase likelihood of 'dying of a broken heart' Widowed individuals are more likely to exhibit risk factors linked to cardiovascular illness and death in the three-month period following a spouse's death, according to a new study from Rice University. This could make a bereaved spouse more likely to "die of a broken heart," the researchers said.
	Discovering crucial role of protein that could stop HPV virus infection New drugs in the early stages of development by pharmaceutical companies could have an extra benefit – the ability to cancel out HPV virus, which can cause cervical cancer and skin conditions.
	Few patients maximize opioid-sparing medications after orthopaedic surgery, study finds A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers adds to growing evidence that patients underuse nonopioid pain relievers to supplement opioid pain management after spine and joint surgery.
	Professor's algorithm can predict aggressive behavior in autistic children For some families, having a child with autism who behaves aggressively to themselves or others can mean self-imposed confinement. Unpredictable aggression is dangerous, so parents may choose to avoid restaurants, parks, and other social settings. But living in this safety bubble leaves kids with autism little room to explore the world. And it diminishes everyone's quality of life.
	Scientist develops protein mimic to help injured lungs breathe The material could be used to synthesize a film that coats the inner surface of lungs, possibly leading to better, cheaper treatments for acute lung injury in humans.
	Expert explains the true costs of genetic testing From 23 and Me and Ancestry DNA to research laboratories, genome sequencing has become widely available, but better understanding is needed on when it should be used and whether it should be covered by health plans, says a U of T health economics professor.
	Following bats to predict Ebola The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people and was the deadliest outbreak since the discovery of the virus in 1976.
UNICEF 'muted' on tobacco control for children The tobacco industry manipulated the renowned children's rights agency UNICEF for more than a dozen years, from 2003 until at least 2016, during which time UNICEF's focus on children's rights to a tobacco-free life was reduced, according to previously secret documents uncovered by UC San Francisco.
Researchers say chronic dizziness can result from, or trigger, psychiatric disorders While most cases of chronic dizziness result from a physical disorder, psychiatric issues can be a cause—or a consequence—of chronic dizziness, according to research published The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
	Study identifies ways smaller hospitals can effectively reduce antibiotic overuse Researchers at Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City have completed a study identifying how community hospitals with fewer than 200 beds can develop antibiotic stewardship programs that work to prevent the growth of antibiotic-resistant organisms, or "superbugs," which are becoming more common and deadly.
	State-of-the-art HIV drug could curb HIV transmission, improve survival in India An HIV treatment regimen already widely used in North America and Europe would likely increase the life expectancy of people living with HIV in India by nearly three years and reduce the number of new HIV infections by 23 percent with minimal impact on the country's HIV/AIDS budget. The findings from an international team of investigators have been published online in the Journal of the International AIDS Society.
	Therapeutic RNA corrects splicing defect that causes familial dysautonomia Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified a therapeutic RNA molecule that corrects the error in genetic processing that leads to familial dysautonomia, a rare inherited neurodegenerative disorder. The experiments, conducted in cells sampled from patients and in a mouse model of the disease, provide proof of the team's therapeutic concept.
	Researchers use mathematical modeling and evolutionary principals to show importance of basing treatment decisions Cancer patients are commonly treated with the maximum dose they are able to withstand that does not cause too many toxic side effects. However, many patients become resistant to these treatments and develop cancer recurrence. Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center are using mathematical modeling based on evolutionary principals to show that adaptive drug treatments based on tumor responses to prior treatment are more effective than maximum-tolerated dose approaches for certain tumor situations. Their new study discussing this approach was published in online ahead of print in Cancer Research.
	Better care of sickest patients can save hospitals money, says largest study of its kind Palliative care—which better aligns medical treatments with patients' goals and wishes, aggressively treats distressing symptoms, and improves care coordination, —is associated with shorter hospital stays and lower costs, and shows its greatest effect among the sickest patients, according to a study published Monday, April 30, in JAMA Internal Medicine. The meta-analysis was conducted in collaboration between scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Trinity College Dublin.
	Lonely and non-empathetic people more likely to make unethical shopping decisions Lonely consumers are capable of behaving morally, but aren't motivated to, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
	Daily photography improves wellbeing Taking a photo each day and posting it online has complex benefits say researchers who say it supports improved wellbeing.
	Clinical trial offers natural eczema treatment, using good bacteria to fight the bad Eczema is the most common skin disease worldwide. People suffering from it often deal with a lifetime of painful symptoms. A new clinical trial is testing a natural treatment that researchers hope will provide a long-term solution for those dealing with the dry, itchy and painful skin that comes with chronic eczema. The trial uses a cream containing beneficial bacteria to fight harmful bacteria on the skin. While it may seem counterintuitive to treat bacteria with more bacteria, experts say this approach seeks to restore the natural microbial balance of healthy skin.
	Researchers discover mechanisms, epigenetic markers with implications for diseases ranging from cancers to infertility A UMD researcher has uncovered new mechanisms that dictate the development of germline stem cells or germ cells, the only cell type capable of passing genetic information on to the next generation. Stem cell research is on the foreground of new knowledge for fighting disease, and mechanisms in this study were found to be associated with genes responsible for cancers and viral infections among other major health issues. Markers used to identify male germ cells were also discovered, exploring how environmental factors or epigenetics affect these cells and providing significant insight into treatments for male infertility. These findings not only unlock future animal and human health research in these areas, but also set the stage for chickens as a more prominent model organism for stem cell research.
	New tools could uncover important answers for Alzheimer's researchers Alzheimer's disease currently affects more than 5.5 million Americans and is one of the costliest diseases to treat, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Characterized by a buildup of plaque in the brain, few animal models exist that researchers could use to study this devastating disorder. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, publishing in PLOS ONE, developed a rat model that can be used to study the buildup of amyloid plaques and vascular abnormalities in the brain.
New resistance mechanism in the often multidrug resistant pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii A team of Australian and Portuguese investigators has discovered yet another resistance mechanism in the pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii, in this case, one that blocks the critical antibiotic-of-last-resort, colistin. A. baumannii is a highly troublesome pathogen globally, infecting primarily patients in intensive care units with ventilator-associated pneumonia, blood stream infections, and urinary tract infections. The research is published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	Man vs. machine? The 'deep learning' computers in Anant Madabhushi's diagnostic imaging lab at Case Western Reserve University routinely defeat their human counterparts in diagnosing heart failure, detecting various cancers and predicting their strength.
	Gardening isn't just for adults (HealthDay)—Still having a hard time getting your kids to eat fruits and veggies? Studies show one solution is to grow your own.
	CCHD newborn screening may detect other diseases (HealthDay)—Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) newborn screening detects a low percentage of new cases of CCHD, but it can detect other important diseases, according to a study published online April 24 in Pediatrics.
	Primary care can effectively manage obstructive sleep apnea (HealthDay)—Primary care management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is as effective and more cost-effective than in-laboratory diagnosis, according to a study published online April 17 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	3-D-printed templates aid mandibular fracture repair (HealthDay)—A three-dimensional (3-D)-printed short-segment template prototype is feasible for management of complex mandibular fractures, according to a study published online April 26 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Checklist developed for parents of children with cancer (HealthDay)—A standardized, time-sensitive checklist can help guide the education process for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer, according to an article published online March 28 in the Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing.
	Prevalence of ASD estimated at 16.8 per 1,000 for 8-year-olds (HealthDay)—The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was estimated at 16.8 per 1,000 children aged 8 years in 2014, according to research published online April 27 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Diet rich in fish and legumes may help to delay natural menopause A diet rich in fish and legumes may help to delay the natural menopause, while high dietary intake of refined carbs, such as pasta and rice, may instead help to hasten it, suggests the first UK study of its kind, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Study identifies new target for treatment of pulmonary hypertension Scientists at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago have identified a gene called FoxM1 as a promising target for treatment of pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lung arteries. Patients with this severe lung disease that damages the right side of the heart have a five-year survival rate of 50 percent. The study results, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, will drive development of new drugs to reverse a process called vascular remodeling, or thickening of lung artery walls - a key feature in pulmonary hypertension.
	Smoking, alcohol consumption increase lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation Lifetime risk is a useful method to quantify risk of atrial fibrillation over a person's lifetime. However, data are scarce with respect to the lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation in the presence of one or multiple risk factors such as obesity and smoking.
Australia scientist, 104, heads to Switzerland for assisted dying Australia's oldest scientist, who caused a stir when his university tried to vacate his office aged 102, will fly to Switzerland in early May to end his life, reigniting a national euthanasia debate.
	Antiepileptic drug induces birth defects in frogs A common drug for treating epileptic seizures may lead to birth defects if used during pregnancy by interfering with glutamate signaling in earliest stages of nervous system development, finds a study in frogs published in JNeurosci. The research could inform the development of new epilepsy medications that are safer for pregnant women.
	Saving aging nerves from 'big eater' immune cells Immune cells may contribute to weakness and mobility issues in the elderly by driving nerve degeneration, according to a study of aging mice and biopsies of human nerves published in JNeurosci. In mice, blocking a receptor necessary for the survival of these cells improved the structure of nerves and increased muscle strength.
	Axon guidance gene influences reward system Individuals with a mutation in a gene involved in nervous system development have reduced connectivity between regions of the brain's reward system, finds a study of a four-generation Canadian family published in JNeurosci.
Not enough women included in some heart disease clinical trials Women are underrepresented in clinical trials for heart failure, coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome but proportionately or overrepresented in trials for hypertension, atrial fibrillation and pulmonary arterial hypertension, when compared to incidence or prevalence of women within each disease population, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	A simple, reliable system for calculating the lactate threshold in athletes The lactate threshold is regarded as a tremendously useful physiological variable calculating the performance of endurance athletes and prescribing their training sessions. A study carried out by two GCIS research groups of the UPV/EHU's Faculty of Engineering-Bilbao and the Department of Physiology proposes a system for calculating it in a non-invasive, accessible way.
	Research network explores sudden cardiac arrest Scientists across Europe are creating a large database of sudden cardiac arrest cases to improve direct patient care.
Systematic treatment of periodontal disease: Advantage of further therapeutic approaches The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) investigated the advantages and disadvantages of different treatments of inflammatory disease of the periodontium. The final report is now available. According to the findings, there are now an indication or hints of (greater) benefit for six therapeutic approaches, mostly regarding the outcome "attachment level". In the preliminary report, this had only been the case for two types of treatment. The assessment result is now notably better because additional studies have become available to the Institute, and further analyses were possible.
New programs address United States' large number of unsubmitted and untested rape kits Sexual assault kits that may contain evidence for criminal investigations and prosecutions must be submitted to crime laboratories to begin the process of seeking justice for victims of sexual assault. A significant number of unsubmitted sexual assault kits remain in law enforcement property rooms across the U.S., leaving victims in fear and hindering efforts to take violent offenders off the streets. Now, the significant task of identifying and processing these thousands of kits and investigating and prosecuting these cases, while promoting survivor healing, has become less daunting for law enforcement professionals, agencies and communities. With the launch of a new Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Online Toolkit and training site, the SAKI Virtual Academy, these free, easily downloadable tools supply much needed resources to the nation's law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to help investigators, prosecutors and victim advocates close out cases and bring answers to survivors.
CDC chief asks for, and gets, cut to his record $375K pay The new head of the top U.S. public health agency has asked for—and will receive—a cut to his record-setting pay, federal officials said Monday.

Biology news

	Genes might play unrecognized role in aging, intervention While aging is familiar to all of us, exactly how it occurs on a molecular basis has been an area of intense study and interest. We take it for granted that different species age at different rates, yet we do not have a good understanding of why and how. Most mammals have similar numbers of genes, many of which show conserved function, yet there are several orders of magnitude differences in lifespan across mammals. For instance, mice and small animals live shorter lifespans, yet other animals such as bats, naked mole rats, whales, elephants and primates age significantly slower.
	Brown widow male spiders prefer sex with older females likely to eat them afterwards Male brown widow spiders seek to mate with older, less-fertile females that are 50 percent more likely to eat them after sex, according to Israeli researchers in a study published in the journal Animal Behaviour.
	How can forests regenerate without birds? Human activity continues to shape environmental systems around the world creating novel ecosystems that are increasingly prevalent in what some scientists call the Anthropocene (the age of humans). The island of Guam is well known as a textbook case for the devastating effects of invasive species on island ecosystems with the extirpation of most of the forest dwelling birds due to brown tree snake predation. The loss of native birds has resulted in a loss of forest seed dispersers. Recent research conducted by lead author Ann Marie Gawel, based on her University of Guam master's thesis, has found an unlikely forest ally, feral pigs.
	Research improves prospects for imperiled Devils Hole Pupfish in captivity In a first-of-its kind study of comparing the microbiology of Devils Hole with that of a constructed scale replica at the Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility (AMFCF), a team of scientists from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Las Vegas discovered key differences in nutrient levels and species composition that may be impacting the ability of the highly endangered Devils Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) to survive in captivity.
	Researchers unlock thorny secrets of rose DNA A new, detailed breakdown of the modern rose genome should help growers improve traits such as pest and drought resistance, and boost the vase life of cut stems, researchers said Monday.
	An AI for deciphering what animals do all day Much of what biologists have learned about animal behavior over the years has come from careful observation and painstaking notes. There could soon be an easier way.
	Researchers move toward understanding deadly citrus disease Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have made an important step in understanding the molecular mechanism of huanglongbing (HLB), a destructive disease that is a serious threat to the citrus industry worldwide.
	New details of molecular machinery that builds plant cell wall components Plants are among the most effective energy convertors on Earth. They capture solar energy and convert it to carbon-based compounds that are used for energy and also to build up essential plant components, including the cell walls that surround every single plant cell. In a new biochemical genetics study at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, scientists reveal new details of the molecular machinery that helps channel carbon into a key cell-wall component.
	Newborn jaguar cubs draw fans at Mexico wildlife park Two jaguar cubs born five weeks ago are the new stars at a wildlife park in Mexico, teaching a valuable lesson about conservation with their cuddly cuteness, according to park officials.
	Capturing of the rare Yanbaru whiskered bat The critically endangered Yanbaru whiskered bat Myotis yanbarensis, discovered 22 years ago, has been caught for the first time on Okinawa Island. Kyoto University doctoral student Jason Preble succeeded in the capture on the night of 20 February during a survey in the Yanbaru Forest in the north of Okinawa's main island.
	Citizen scientists discover a new water beetle and name it after Leonardo DiCaprio New animal species are sometimes named after celebrities because of their trademark looks. That's how we got the blonde-haired Donald Trump moth and the big-armed Arnold Schwarzenegger fly, to name a few. However, some well-known people are enshrined in animal names not for their looks, but rather for what they do for the environment.
	Are damselflies in distress? Damselflies are evolving rapidly as they expand their range in response to a warming climate, according to new research led by Macquarie University researchers in Sydney.
What your body odour says about you Smells emanating from you can reveal anything from your health status to your personality or political taste.
	Neonicotinoid ban—how meta-analysis helped show pesticides do harm bees The EU has announced a near-total ban on three insecticides that we now know are harmful to bees and other pollinators. And yet for years, scientists weren't sure whether these neonicotinoid insecticides had any significant effect on bees, thanks to numerous studies that appeared to contradict each other.
	Vultures reveal critical Old World flyways It's not easy to catch an Egyptian vulture.
	Trapping trip finds disease-free Tasmanian devils in remote Southwest Scientists from the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STDP), the University of Sydney and Toledo Zoo spent eight days exploring the south west wilderness on a quest to find and trap devils in an area that nobody had trapped before.
	Lake Victoria biodiversity being 'decimated': conservationists Three quarters of freshwater species endemic to East Africa's Lake Victoria basin face the threat of extinction, conservationists said Monday, warning the biodiversity there was being "decimated".
	New live vaccine protects against equine influenza: Keeping animals healthy also protects people Flu vaccines for horses haven't been updated in more than 25 years, but University of Rochester researchers have developed a new live equine influenza vaccine that is safe and more protective than existing vaccines.
	Malaria-carrying parasites spread more when they can jump into multiple birds If you're a parasite and want to spread out a little in Amazonia, then you better be cool with riding around in a variety of different birds, a new study found.
	Partial mechanical unfolding may regulate protein function A study carried out as a collaborative approach between University of Tampere, Finland, and Imperial College London has shown that mechanically regulated proteins talin and α-catenin have stable intermediates during mechanical unfolding. The stable unfolding intermediates are formed by three α-helices.
Neuropeptide controls roundworms' backward movement A study of genetically diverse worms finds that the length of their backward movement is under the control of a small protein called a neuropeptide that fluctuates in response to food availability. The research, published in JNeurosci, demonstrates genetic and environmental influences on an animal's exploration of its environment.
	First successful ablation of a cardiac arrhythmia in a horse The Equine Cardioteam, led by Prof Gunther van Loon, has treated a Norwegian showjumper stallion with a cardiac arrhythmia by ablation. The horse had been successfully treated by electroshock therapy several times but showed recurrence each time.
Thermophile respiratory complex's structure determined by cryoEM Energy is the basis of life, and all organisms depend on mechanisms of energy transformation for growth and reproduction. Living beings get their energy through cellular respiration. In eukaryotes, like us humans, this is done in the presence of oxygen in an organelle called the mitochondria through four protein complexes, which constitute the respiratory chain. Bacteria have more diverse protein complexes and they are able to use other compounds besides oxygen, such as sulfur and nitrogen species or iron. This diversity is what enables microorganisms to colonize environments as extreme as volcanoes, the bottom of the ocean or the inside of our bowls. In this work, ITQB NOVA researchers from Manuela Pereira Lab and Miguel Teixeira Lab with colleagues from Max Planck Institute in Germany have described a new bacterial respiratory complex from a deep see organism. The results were published today in Nature Communications, open access magazine from Nature Publishing group.
	Hundreds protest against release of bears in France Hundreds of demonstrators including shepherds and farmers marched on Monday in south-west France in protest against the reintroduction of two bears into the countryside.

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