Science X Newsletter Monday, Apr 9

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for April 9, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

For identical quantum channels, order matters

A different spin on superconductivity—Unusual particle interactions open up new possibilities in exotic materials

Non-invasive, adhesive patch promises measurement of glucose levels through skin without finger-prick blood test

Best of Last Week–New state of matter, new source of global nitrogen and link between red meat and colon cancer in women

Planet orbiting a brown dwarf or a brown dwarf binary? Astronomers use cosmic lens to find new substellar system

First human migration out of Africa more geographically widespread than previously thought

Battery-free wireless sensors collect temperature and pressure of bedridden patients

HIV cell dysfunction discovery sheds light on how virus works

XiaoIce: When a chatbot chat moves up to human-sounding flow

Faced with global warming, aviation aims to turn green

New technique more accurately reflects ponds on Arctic sea ice

Social isolation tackled by Fribo robot connecting real-life friends

There's no such thing as oversharing in conservation

Wheat research discovery yields genetic secrets that could shape future crops

Physical activity helps fight genetic risk of heart disease, study finds

Astronomy & Space news

	Planet orbiting a brown dwarf or a brown dwarf binary? Astronomers use cosmic lens to find new substellar system Using gravitational microlensing technique, an international group of astronomers has found a new substellar system whose composition remains a puzzle. The newly detected system, designated MOA-2015-BLG-337L, may consists of a planet orbiting a low-mass brown dwarf or may be composed of two brown dwarfs. The finding is detailed April 3 in a paper published on arXiv.org.
	Exotic binary stars Cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) are white dwarf stars that are accreting from an orbiting, low mass binary companion star. The accretion is facilitated by the proximity of the stars; typical orbital periods range from about one to ten hours. Although the family of these exotic CV binaries is heterogeneous, there are, roughly speaking, four classes characterized by the accretion physics, eruptions caused by occasional accretion events, flaring from activity on the white dwarf's surface, and the appearance of hydrogen lines in the companion star.
	Bound for Mars—countdown to first interplanetary launch from California In the early morning hours of May 5, millions of Californians will have an opportunity to witness a sight they have never seen before - the historic first interplanetary launch from America's West Coast. On board the 189-foot-tall (57.3-meter) United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will be NASA's InSight spacecraft, destined for the Elysium Planitia region located in Mars' northern hemisphere. The May 5 launch window for the InSight mission opens at 4:05 am PDT (7:05 EDT, 11:05 UTC) and remains open for two hours.
	Image: Hubble finds an Einstein ring This image is packed full of galaxies! A keen eye can spot exquisite elliptical galaxies and spectacular spirals, seen at various orientations: edge-on with the plane of the galaxy visible, face-on to show off magnificent spiral arms, and everything in between.
	Image: Cloudy Venus Our sister planet Venus is a dynamic and unusual place. Strong winds swirl around the planet, dragging thick layers of cloud with them as they go. These fierce winds move so speedily that they display 'super-rotation': Earth's can move at up to a fifth of our planet's rotation speed, but winds on Venus can travel up to 60 times faster than the planet.
	NASA's mission to touch the sun arrives in Florida NASA's Parker Solar Probe has arrived in Florida to begin final preparations for its launch to the Sun, scheduled for July 31, 2018.
	Goodbye Kepler, hello TESS—passing the baton in the search for distant planets For centuries, human beings have wondered about the possibility of other Earths orbiting distant stars. Perhaps some of these alien worlds would harbor strange forms of life or have unique and telling histories or futures. But it was only in 1995 that astronomers spotted the first planets orbiting sunlike stars outside of our solar system.
	The largest catalog ever published of very high-energy gamma ray sources in the Galaxy The HESS international collaboration, to which CNRS and CEA contribute, has published the results of fifteen years of gamma ray observations of the Milky Way. Its telescopes installed in Namibia have studied populations of pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants, as well as microquasars, never before detected in gamma rays. These studies are supplemented by precise measurements such as those of the diffuse emission at the center of our Galaxy. The entire set of data will henceforth serve as a reference for the international scientific community. Fourteen articles, making up the largest ever set of scientific results in this field, are published on April 9, 2018 in a special issue of the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
	Global sodium variation revealed by satellite optical spectroscopic observations Aurora light emission appears at high altitudes in the range 100-300 km in the polar atmosphere. Auroras are caused by energetic particles precipitating from space near the Earth.Auroral particle precipitation can induce many kinds of effects in the Earth's atmosphere.

Technology news

	XiaoIce: When a chatbot chat moves up to human-sounding flow Do this, do that. Talking with voice assistants is not like talking to humans and, as helpful as it is to be near the technology, we know the difference. A surprising turn has materialized, however, and it is in the form of Microsoft's beefed-up Xiaolce social chatbot. The Xiaolce chatbot AI is capable now of "full duplex" conversation.
	Faced with global warming, aviation aims to turn green Will we someday be able to fly without the guilt of causing environmental damage? A handful of firms and regulators hope that the electric revolution in cars will also take to the skies, helping the industry cope with an expected boom in travel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
	Social isolation tackled by Fribo robot connecting real-life friends Increasing "social connectedness" is considered by some Internet observers as a problem but why? Isn't everyone and their third cousins already connected? Who can ignore we have gone through multiple iterations of the digital age and are well on our way to talking to and taking full command of our computer systems?
	Perovskite technology is scalable, but questions remain about the best methods As perovskite solar cells set efficiency records and the nascent technology becomes more stable, another major challenge remains: the issue of scalability, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
	Bots, good or bad, dominate Twitter conversation: study Automated accounts or "bots" play a big role in disseminating information on Twitter, accounting for two-thirds of tweets linking to popular websites, a study showed Monday.
	Gecko-inspired adhesives help soft robotic fingers get a better grip A team of California researchers has developed a robotic gripper that combines the adhesive properties of gecko toes and the adaptability of air-powered soft robots to grasp a much wider variety of objects than the state of the art.
	First dynamic spine brace—robotic spine exoskeleton—characterizes spine deformities Spine deformities, such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis (also known as "hunchback"), are characterized by an abnormal curvature in the spine. The children with these spinal deformities are typically advised to wear a brace that fits around the torso and hips to correct the abnormal curve. Bracing has been shown to prevent progression of the abnormal curve and avoid surgery. The underlying technology for bracing has not fundamentally changed in the last 50 years.
	Feds seize Backpage.com, websites in enforcement action Federal law enforcement authorities are in the process of seizing online classified site Backpage.com and its affiliated websites known for listing adult escort services.
	Egypt court suspends ban on Uber and Careem An Egyptian court on Saturday suspended a ruling banning the use of ride-sharing apps Uber and Careem until an appeal is exhausted, a judicial source said.
	Tech sector frets as US-China trade tensions simmer As US-China trade tensions ratchet up, the technology sector is fretting over the potential for collateral damage to one of America's most important export industries.
	Facebook suspends Canadian firm amid data mining scandal Facebook says it has suspended a Canadian political consulting firm amid media reports it had ties to Cambridge Analytica, a British data mining company accused of obtaining data from up to 87 million Facebook users to sway elections.
	Facebook to send Cambridge Analytica data-use notices Monday Get ready to find out if your Facebook data has been swept up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
	Child advocates ask FTC to investigate YouTube Read carefully through the fine print of YouTube's terms of service and you might notice that you've affirmed you are old enough to watch it.
5 questions for Mark Zuckerberg as he heads to Congress Congress has plenty of questions for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who will testify on Capitol Hill Tuesday and Wednesday about the company's ongoing data-privacy scandal and how it failed to guard against other abuses of its service.
'Ideas' conference to grapple with dark side of tech At a conference where thinkers and luminaries gather to discuss world-changing ideas and innovations, the talk is shifting to the dark side.
	Cambridge Analytica is 'only the beginning,' says data expert Dr. Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye has warned of the risk of privacy attacks that happen through friends.
	A new JPEG format for virtual reality, drones and self-driving cars The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), an international committee headed by an EPFL professor, has just unveiled JPEG XS. With this new format, the image-compression process uses less energy, and higher-quality images can be sent with low latency over broadband networks like 5G. JPEG XS will have applications in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality, space imagery, self-driving cars and professional movie editing.
	Apple co-founder protests Facebook by shutting down account Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is shutting down his Facebook account as the social media giant struggles to cope with the worst privacy crisis in its history.
	Lufthansa cancels 800 flights Tuesday in German airport strikes German airline giant Lufthansa said it will cancel "more than 800" flights Tuesday as public-sector workers walk out on strike for more pay, hobbling major airports like Frankfurt.
	Opinion: AI like HAL 9000 can never exist because real emotions aren't programmable HAL 9000 is one of the best-known artificial intelligence characters of modern film. This superior form of sentient computer embarks on a mission to Jupiter, along with a human crew, in Stanley Kubrick's iconic film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is currently celebrating its 50th year since release.
	Psych! Colleges teach phishing lesson by targeting their own Thousands of university students and employees targeted by email phishing schemes this year have taken the bait. Fortunately, they were duped not by real scammers, but by their own schools—in simulations meant to make them more adept at spotting real threats.
	Zuckerberg set for Congress grilling as Facebook notifies users on leak Embattled Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg faces a critical test this week as he goes before the US Congress to explain how user privacy was compromised at the world's biggest social network—and how he plans to fix it.
	Zuckerberg prepares another apology—this time to Congress Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already apologized to users for not doing enough to protect their privacy. Now he plans to apologize to Congress, saying in prepared testimony that Facebook hasn't done enough to prevent its tools from being used for harm.
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, unless you are an app developer For every two mobile apps released, one is a clone of an existing app. However, new research published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research shows the success of the original app is not always adversely affected by the creation of clone apps. In fact, the study, which was conducted by Carnegie Mellon University researchers, found that whether the copycat app increases or decreases the number of downloads of the original is dependent upon the quality of the copy.
	American Airlines orders 47 Boeing 787s, cancels A350 order American Airlines has ordered 47 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal valued at $12 billion at list prices, while cancelling a major order for Airbus A350s.
	Dubai splashes billions on mega projects ahead of Expo Dubai is splashing tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure and hospitality projects related to the international trade fair Expo 2020, Dubai-based BNC Network said in a report published Sunday.
	Dutch roll out 'orange carpet' to woo post-Brexit business Sweet tax deals, a business-friendly climate and an English-speaking population. The Netherlands is going all out to attract companies leaving Britain post-Brexit in search of a new EU-based home.
	US approves licence for Taiwan submarine plan Washington has agreed to allow US defence contractors help Taiwan construct its own submarines, Taipei said, welcoming the breakthrough in long-standing ambitions to build up its fleet to counter the threat from China.
	Robots that can learn like humans Researchers say that artificial intelligence (AI) is now superior to human intelligence in supervised learning using vast amounts of labeled data to perform specific tasks. However, it is considered difficult to realize human-like intelligence using only supervised learning because all supervised labels cannot be obtained for all the sensory information required by robots.
	Rolls-Royce sells German unit L'Orange British engine maker Rolls-Royce said Monday it has sold German division L'Orange for 700 million euros ($860 million) to US group Woodward.
	Artificial intelligence—between scientific, ethical and commercial issues The fatal crash involving an autonomous car operated by Uber in the United States was a tragic but timely reminder of the dangers of companies rushing to implement artificial intelligence to be first to market.
Election security means much more than just new voting machines In late March, Congress passed a significant spending bill that included US$380 million in state grants to improve election infrastructure. As the U.S. ramps up for the 2018 midterm elections, that may seem like a huge amount of money, but it's really only a start at securing the country's voting systems.
	UN reopens talks on defining 'killer robots' A new round of talks on the use of so-called killer robots reopened at the United Nations on Monday, with a focus on defining the characteristics of autonomous lethal weapons.
	Fund battling for Telecom Italia control gets fresh support An activist fund battling for control of Telecom Italia against Vivendi on Monday won support from an influential advisor, the second to back its efforts to curb the French group's power.
	Monsanto shares jump on report of US approval of Bayer deal Shares of agricultural giant Monsanto surged Monday following a report that the US Justice Department would approve its acquisition by Bayer, the last major hurdle facing the deal.
	Powering advances in wireless connectivity for the future The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces an important milestone in its Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) effort. In collaboration with an industry consortium of 28 networking companies and associations, NSF is supporting the development and deployment of the first two PAWR research platforms, based in Salt Lake City and New York City. These platforms will power research motivated by real-world challenges on experimental, next generation wireless test beds at the scale of cities and communities. The goal is to advance the state of the art for wireless technology beyond today's 4G, LTE and emerging 5G capabilities.
	Top MEP says Zuckerberg 'must' face European Parliament Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg must come to the European Parliament to face questions about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, the head of the parliament's leading political group said Monday.
Media deserts project creates searchable media access research atlas Ohio University's new Media Access Research Atlas maps the circulation of daily newspapers in the United States and how much of the population in that area is subscribing to the newspaper.

Medicine & Health news

	Battery-free wireless sensors collect temperature and pressure of bedridden patients A team of researchers from the U.S., China and Korea has developed a small, skin-like sensor that can be attached to a human patient to collect temperature and pressure information and wirelessly send it to healthcare workers. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes the sensor, how it works and how well it did when compared with conventional sensors.
	HIV cell dysfunction discovery sheds light on how virus works A team of chemical and biomedical engineers from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, have discovered that HIV-infected patients experience a dysfunction in a certain type of immune cell: the follicular helper T (Tfh) cell.
	Physical activity helps fight genetic risk of heart disease, study finds Keeping fit, even if you're born with a high genetic risk for heart disease, still works to keep your heart healthy, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
	New cardiac imaging technique shortens testing time, improves patient comfort A team of Cedars-Sinai investigators has developed a new technique for conducting cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests that improves patient comfort, shortens testing time and has the potential to increase diagnostic accuracy and reliability.
	Researchers identify risk genes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis The largest analysis to date of genetic data in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - the muscle-crippling neurodegenerative disease that afflicted the late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and cut short the career of iconic Yankee baseball slugger Lou Gehrig - has identified two previously unrecognized genetic risks that are significantly associated with the disease.
	Study confirms that inflammation during pregnancy is linked to baby's brain Inflammation is a normal part of the body's response to infection, chronic stress or obesity. In pregnant women, it is believed that heightened inflammation increases the risk of mental illness or brain development problems in children.
	Study locates circadian clock that controls daily rhythms of aggression Patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia commonly experience the sundown syndrome - a sudden worsening of confusion, agitation and aggression at the end of the day. Its daily pattern suggested that "sundowning," as the phenomenon is also known, may be governed by the body's internal biological clock. Synchronized by light and darkness, the circadian clock exerts control over wake/sleep cycles, body temperature, digestion, hormonal cycles and other physiological and behavior patterns. But whether the circadian clock regulated aggressive behavior was unknown.
Novel hormone replacement therapy trial demonstrates improved memory function in adrenal patients Better timing for cortisol replacement therapies, to more closely replicate the secretion patterns of people with normal levels of the hormone, has shown a significant improvement in patients' cognitive function. This is the striking finding from a new trial led by University of Bristol scientists including Professor Stafford Lightman and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). The findings are potentially important and underline the case for novel therapeutic approaches, as patients on cortisol replacement therapy often have side effects that make it difficult for them to lead normal lives.
	Americans world's biggest TV addicts, watching four hours a day The average person around the world spent nearly three hours a day in front their television last year, according to a report released Monday.
	Like babies, eggs send signals when 'hungry' In humans and other mammals, the female reproductive cells - the eggs or oocytes - need nourishment in order to grow and remain fertile. It is known that the egg gets its food from little arm-like feeding tubes (called filopodia) that jut out from tiny cells surrounding the egg and must poke through a thick wall coating the egg in order to feed it. Until recently, scientists did not really understand when and how those feeding tubes were constructed.
	Scientists fix genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease in human brain cells Using human brain cells, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes discovered the cause of—and a potential solution for—the primary genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, a gene called apoE4.
	Scientists develop macaque model to study Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral disease spread by ticks in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Infection with CCHF virus is fatal in nearly one of every three cases. No specific treatments or vaccines for CCHF exist, primarily because a suitable animal model for studying the disease has not been available. Scientists have used mice to study CCHF but had to weaken their immune systems to cause infection. Studies in larger animals have not consistently replicated human disease.
	Study sheds new light on how bilinguals process language Research led by a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, shows that bilinguals regulate, or suppress, their native language when reading in a second language.
Machine learning finds tumor gene variants and sensitivity to drugs in The Cancer Genome Atlas Matching unique genetic information from cancer patients' tumors with treatment options - an emerging area of precision medicine efforts - often fails to identify all patients who may respond to certain therapies. Other molecular information from patients may reveal these so-called "hidden responders," according to a Penn Medicine study in Cell Reports this week. The findings are published alongside several papers in other Cell journals this week examining molecular pathways using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).
	Lingering negative responses to stress linked with health a decade later People whose negative emotional responses to stress carry over to the following day are more likely to report health problems and physical limitations later in life compared with peers who are able to "let it go," according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Study found people would rather pop a pill or sip tea than exercise to treat high blood pressure In a survey to assess treatment preferences for high blood pressure, respondents were more likely to choose a daily cup of tea or a pill over exercise, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2018, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in quality of care and outcomes research in cardiovascular disease and stroke for researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers.
	Depression negatively impacts heart and stroke patients Depression, even when undiagnosed, can have many negative effects on cardiovascular patients, including poor healthcare experiences, more use of healthcare resources and higher health costs, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2018, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in quality of care and outcomes research in cardiovascular disease and stroke for researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers.
Online message board advice on ICDs reflects inaccuracies Medical advice about implanted cardiac defibrillators obtained via an online message board appears to be accurate only half of the time, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2018, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in quality of care and outcomes research in cardiovascular disease and stroke for researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers.
	Manchester on the frontline: US hope in opioid battle Tucked away in the corner of a US fire station are two plastic chairs, a tiny poster saying "anyone, anytime, can recover," and a poem in memory of a 20-year-old woman who fatally overdosed in 2016.
	Cause and effect: the US opioid crisis explained The opioid epidemic ravaging the United States, and New Hampshire in particular, is born from subscription painkillers. How did it start? What do opioids do to the body? Is the crisis already past its worst?
	Delaying epilepsy onset could reduce impact on development The case of a young boy with a rare genetic disorder over a decade ago has led to a multi-million Euro research project that is raising hopes of new approaches to childhood epilepsy.
Kids with regular health care less likely to have life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis A key factor in reducing the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes, in children at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, is having a regular health care provider, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	Biomarker helps identify 'window of opportunity' for cancer chemotherapy timing Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is essential for tumor growth. A new study reported in The American Journal of Pathology describes a vascular stabilization biomarker that can visualize blood vessel activity, thus optimizing the timing of anticancer therapies including anti-angiogenics.
Public awareness of cancer drug shortages is low The U.S. population is largely unaware that there are shortages in the availability of cancer drugs, according to a study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Most people surveyed in the study said if they were patients, they would want to know about a substitute therapy that would be given due to a shortage, and most would transfer care to avoid a substitution with major differences from the preferred therapy.
Vaccination apathy fueled by decades of misinformation A legacy of social and political factors rather than bad parenting may be influencing people's decisions not to vaccinate their children, according to a study from the University of Waterloo.
	Increased risk of unnatural death to people with epilepsy found A new study has shown that people diagnosed with epilepsy in England and Wales are at increased risk of dying from suicide and accidents.
Payments to doctors linked to prescription practices for two cancer types Physicians who received payment from pharmaceutical companies for meals, talks and travel were more likely to prescribe those companies' drugs for two cancer types, a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has found.
	Anti-epileptic drugs increase risk of Alzheimer's and dementia The use of anti-epileptic drugs is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, DZNE. Continuous use of anti-epileptic drugs for a period exceeding one year was associated with a 15 percent increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in the Finnish dataset, and with a 30 percent increased risk of dementia in the German dataset.
Breast cancer therapy does not pose significant cardiac risks, study finds Many breast cancer therapies cause damage to the heart. However, in the largest study of its kind so far, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have now shown that the risk of death from heart disease in breast cancer patients following radiotherapy or chemotherapy is no higher than it is among the average population. Good risk management in the hospitals, as well as control screenings at short intervals, seem to make up for elevated risks.
	Activity of two genes able to predict active tuberculosis The closer the contact someone has with individuals with tuberculosis, the more likely they are to become infected with the pathogen. However, only about five to ten percent of people infected with the pathogen go on to develop the disease. An international team of researchers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, has now developed a simple blood test to enable them to estimate the risk of developing active tuberculosis. Using the new test, the researchers can predict who is likely to come down with the disease. The test measures the activity of pairs of genes involved in the inflammatory response. This should in future enable doctors to offer prophylactic antibiotic treatment to people at high risk of going on to develop active disease, and conversely to avoid unnecessarily treating people who are at low risk.
	Menopausal mood swings can signal more serious mental illness Most women expect to experience the effects of hormonal changes when they come to menopause and many anticipate increased irritability and mood swings. But mood swings that can be just an annoyance for some women can develop into something more serious for others.
	A 30-minute lesson can connect young people to nature, preserve for others A 30-minute educational lesson about the importance of leaving what you find during outdoor experiences helps young people feel more connected to nature and results in children being less likely to take natural items home as souvenirs, according to a study conducted at Outdoor School, a residential program run by Penn State's Shaver's Creek Environmental Center.
	Genetic signature predicts diabetes diagnosis University of Queensland researchers have found a way to identify infants who will go on to develop type 1 diabetes.
	Brain waves synchronize at live music performances If you enjoy listening to music, a live performance is where that enjoyment will peak, according to a new study led by Western researchers.
New view of the heartbeat The human cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav1.5) plays a critical role in maintaining regular heartbeats. Mutations in Nav1.5 cause life-threatening heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias).
Defining the biology of autism When approaching faculty to gauge interest in a new Feinberg center focusing on autism, Peter Penzes, Ph.D., Ruth and Evelyn Dunbar Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, received puzzled responses from some professors and scientists.
Index of tumor cells opens a new perspective to prevent cancer progression Researchers from the School of Medicine in Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), at the University of São Paulo (USP), in collaboration with international groups, have developed indices that provide information about the prognosis of cancers, aid in the choice of the most appropriate therapy and identify potential targets for the development of new drugs. Their paper, titled "Machine Learning Identity Stemness Features Associated with Oncogenic Dedifferentiation," will be published on April 5 in Cell.
	New clues to restoring fertility in women with disabling ovary disorder Groundbreaking research out of the University of Otago is showing potential to restore fertility in women suffering polycystic ovary syndrome.
The 'immuno revolution': Turning up the heat on resistant tumors A promising class of drugs known as CD40 monoclonal antibodies could be the spark needed to light the fire in the immune system of patients who don't respond to the newer cancer immunotherapies.
	Study finds how fat tissue shunts energy to tumors Obesity is the second-leading preventable cause of cancer and represents one of the greatest threats to global human health. But it has not been clear exactly how whole-body metabolism affects tumor formation. In particular, the molecular mechanisms by which fat cells communicate with tumor tissue remain poorly understood.
	Blood flow is a major influence on tumor cell metastasis Scientists have long theorized that blood flow plays an integral role in cancer metastasis. But new research testing this long-held hypothesis in zebrafish and humans confirms that the circulatory blood flow impacts the position where circulating tumor cells ultimately arrest in the vasculature and exit into the body, where they can form a metastasis.
How tumors caused by STD quickly regress in dogs The canine transmissible venereal tumor is a contagious cancer that has spread by mating among dogs worldwide. One unique feature of this cancer is that, for unclear reasons, it regresses spontaneously or a few weeks after a single treatment of radiotherapy or chemotherapy. A study published April 9 in the journal Cancer Cell shines a light on this mystery, revealing a key role for the immune system in triggering fast cancer rejection in chemotherapy-treated dogs. Because the canine transmissible venereal tumor shares many similarities with various human cancers, the findings could point to more effective therapeutic strategies.
Rare brain disease in children: Major breakthroughs in Rasmussen's encephalitis Chronic focal encephalitis, or Rasmussen's encephalitis, is a rare and devastating inflammatory brain disease that can lead to the destruction or removal of a part of the affected child's brain. Through experiments on humanized mice, a team of researchers from Université de Montréal and the CHU Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal Hospital (CHUM) research centres has recently proven what scientists had already suspected: the disease is autoimmune, which means that it attacks patients using their own immune system.
	Five ways research can prevent cancer We recently published landmark research showing how lifestyle can influence our risk of cancer, and what factors could help prevent it. We found that around 4 in 10 cancer cases could be prevented by things like not smoking, keeping a healthy weight, enjoying the sun safely and cutting back on alcohol. But there are more sides to cancer prevention research than just smoking and obesity. Here we look at some of them.
Combination of medications slows down brain tumours in children In collaboration with a number of American colleagues, researchers from Uppsala University have found an Achilles' heel for the most common form of malignant child brain tumours. By combining two kinds of medicines, it is possible to simultaneously attack the cancer cell's division and its reinforcement system, which is necessary in order for treatment to be sufficiently effective.
	Stop smoking services called upon to support the switch to vaping Government funded stop smoking services will keep losing customers if they refuse to help people who want to try vaping, new research has found. The services are in a bind however because the legality of selling nicotine vaping products in New Zealand remains in doubt.
	Simple digital detox tips can curb phone addiction habits Before you dismiss the idea that you might suffer from smartphone addiction, consider how long could you go without checking your phone. A day? An evening? An hour? Internet use has skyrocketed over the past few decades due to the proliferation of mobile devices. The convenience of checking social media updates, messaging friends, watching movies, paying bills and even finding dates right from our pockets has radically changed our lifestyle habits. Since 2000, the average number of hours spent online each week has doubled to 23.6 hours, according to the 15th annual Digital Future Report, produced by the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.
	Researchers discover 40 genes involved in early development of myeloma Researchers have revealed 40 genes involved in the development of myeloma, increasing our understanding of the complex genetics behind the incurable blood cancer.
	Using biomimicry to detect outbreaks faster Our immune systems are made up of billions of white blood cells searching for signs of infections and foreign invaders, ready to raise the alarm.
Gene test for growth hormone deficiency developed A new test developed by University of Manchester and NHS scientists could revolutionise the way children with growth hormone deficiency are diagnosed.
	Thinking about getting your child the flu vaccine? Here's what you need to know As we head toward winter, health professionals and the public are anxious about another influenza season like 2017, when record numbers of Australians were diagnosed with flu.
	Sunshine could hold clues on the timing for a severe form of heart attack, study says The sun's radiation could be a factor in seasonal patterns of a deadly type of heart attack, according to new research that tracked a "summer shift" in their occurrence across seven countries.
	Personalised prescriptions according to your genetics Approximately half a million Danes are currently prescribed some type of ACE inhibitor to reduce their blood pressure. Worldwide, that number is around 40 million.
	Unconscious breath holding at high altitude can cause acute heart conditions for climbers Climbing at high altitude may increase your risk of developing acute heart conditions, according to new physiology research out of the University of Alberta.
Cannabis legalization will increase injuries Albertans can expect to see increases in injury rates—including traffic fatalities, child poisonings and burns—when Canada legalizes recreational cannabis use this year, according to a report prepared by University of Alberta's Injury Prevention Centre.
	Deprivation skews school children's food habits New research has found that schools in poorer areas could be doing more to entice young people to eat at school, by making the eating areas more attractive places to socialise and treating pupils more like customers at lunchtime.
	New approach to recreation planning gives youth at risk a greater say At-risk youth will soon have a greater say in the types of recreational activities they participate in thanks to a University of Alberta research project that spawned a new bottom-up planning model focused on developing important life skills that many of us take for granted.
	Exercise could outsmart genetics when it comes to heart disease Exercise, especially cardio fitness, could outweigh genetics when it comes to heart disease, according to new research.
Caregiving costs for heart disease and stroke survivors projected to soar to $128 billion by 2035 In a new analysis released today, the American Heart Association projects that the cost of informal caregiving for Americans with heart disease and stroke will more than double from $61 billion in 2015 to $128 billion by 2035. These new data on caregiving would increase the association's predicted 2035 price tag for cardiovascular disease (CVD) total costs to $1.2 trillion annually. The study was included in a policy statement, published in the association's journal, Circulation.
	Study links rising heroin deaths to 2010 OxyContin reformulation Efforts by Purdue Pharma in 2010 to make its blockbuster prescription opioid painkiller OxyContin less prone to abuse did nothing to reduce the number of drug overdose deaths across the nation. In fact, according to researchers at the University of Notre Dame, the reformulation of OxyContin instead fueled a heroin epidemic that continues to claim lives at an increasing rate.
	Rats sniff out tuberculosis in children Rats are able to detect whether a child has tuberculosis (TB), and are much more successful at doing this than a commonly used basic microscopy test. These are the results of research led by Georgies Mgode of the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania.
Controlling blood pressure even when older can prevent dementia in African Americans Controlling blood pressure with any of the commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications can prevent dementia in older African-Americans with hypertension according to a new study from Regenstrief Institute researchers.
Studies show hookah also plays critical role in tobacco product landscape The findings of two recently published studies on the emergence of hookah use indicate that public health officials may need to consider broadening their tobacco prevention efforts beyond traditional cigarettes.
	Those living near oil and gas facilities may be at higher risk of disease People living near oil and gas facilities along Colorado's Northern Front Range may be exposed to hazardous air pollutants, including carcinogens like benzene, that could pose health risks above levels deemed acceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health, Boulder County Public Health, CU Boulder, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the University of California Irvine.
	Toxins produced by e-cigarettes vary by flavor The flavor of an e-cigarette may affect more than a consumer's taste buds, according to Penn State researchers who say the chemicals that make up different flavors also produce different levels of free radicals, toxins often associated with cancer and other diseases.
	Reading to your kids might boost their social skills (HealthDay)—Parents who read to their infants and toddlers may help them develop skills that pay big dividends when they start school, a new study suggests.
	What your kids want to tell you about social media (HealthDay)—Memo to Mom and Dad: Rein in your screen time.
	Polypharmacy linked to poorer cognitive, physical capability (HealthDay)—Polypharmacy is associated with poorer cognitive and physical capability even after adjustment for disease burden, according to a study published online March 24 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Juvederm Voluma XC feasible for correcting infraorbital hollows (HealthDay)—Juvéderm Voluma XC is feasible and seems safe for correcting infraorbital hollows, according to a study published online April 5 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Study: Stop-smoking drugs Chantix, Zyban pose no heart risks Two popular stop-smoking drugs are as safe for the heart as nicotine patches and dummy pills, according to research requested by U.S. and European regulators.
Prison treatment program helps lower overdose deaths An expanded program to treat prisoners for opioid addiction helped lower the number of accidental drug overdose deaths in Rhode Island in 2017 after years of steady increases, state health officials said.
	Man develops severe 'thunderclap' headaches after eating world's hottest chili pepper Taking part in a hot chili pepper eating contest might have some unexpected consequences, highlight doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
	Binge-eating mice reveal obesity clues Obesity is a growing issue in many countries, accelerated by easy access to calorie-dense foods that are pleasurable to eat (known as an 'obesogenic environment'). But while it's clear that eating too much leads to weight gain, little is known about the underlying behaviours that lead to overeating.
	Common genetic variant linked to AFib risk in Latinos "There is a paradox at play when it comes to atrial fibrillation in the Latino population," said Dr. Dawood Darbar.
	Medicaid expansion has no negative effect on cardiovascular procedural outcomes: study Michigan's Medicaid expansion was associated with more people receiving procedures for coronary artery disease without a negative effect on patient outcomes. That's according to a recent research letter in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	FDA puts restrictions on birth control implant but no recall U.S. health officials on Monday placed new restrictions on a permanent contraceptive implant that has been subject to reports of painful complications from thousands of women. But the metal implant, called Essure, will remain on the market.
	Novartis to buy US gene therapy group AveXis for $8.7 bn Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis announced Monday it will buy US gene therapy company AveXis for $8.7 billion (7.1 billion euros).
Pakistan launches new polio vaccination drive A Pakistani official says authorities have launched a new polio vaccination drive, aiming to reach 38.7 million children under the age of 5.
	Resistance training enhances recycling capacity in muscles A new study at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, reports that autophagosome content is increased by resistance training in previously untrained young men, but this response may be blunted by aging. Autophagy is a major catabolic route in cells responsible for the clearance of proteins and organelles. Pathological levels of autophagy are associated with muscle wasting, but physiological levels are important for cellular recycling.
	Overlapping mechanisms in HIV cognitive disorders and Alzheimer's disease A protein involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be a promising target for treating neurological disorders in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, suggests a study published in JNeurosci of rat neurons and brain tissue from deceased humans. The research shows that the two conditions may damage neurons in similar ways.
	Repairing a leaky blood-brain barrier in epilepsy Blocking the activity of an enzyme that has a key role in the generation of recurring seizures may provide a new way to treat epilepsy that is resistant to anti-seizure drugs, according to a study of rats and mice published in JNeurosci.
	Where the brain detects changes in natural sounds Electrical activity in a region of the parietal cortex underlies the detection of a transition between two complex sounds, finds a study of human participants published in eNeuro. The research provides insight into how the brain tunes into relevant changes in the environment to optimize behavior.
	A note on taxing sugary drinks in the UAE Sugary carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and other similar products are fueling the obesity and diabetes epidemic. With the World Health Organization estimating that more than 1.9 billion adults (39 percent) are overweight, and 650 million (13 percent) are obese, an increasing body of evidence is wisely examining the factors that are contributing to these epidemics. To that end, sugary carbonated drinks have been implicated as a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, tooth decay, and a variety of other health problems.
	Trapping mozzies at home to detect disease Householders and school children are being urged to get behind a University of South Australia campaign to help keep the State free from nasty viruses and diseases.
	Childhood obesity declines project identifies community-based obesity strategies that work To improve success rates and combat continuing disparities in the fight against childhood obesity, the Childhood Obesity Declines Project (COBD) is taking a systematic approach to studying community-based strategies that have led to declining obesity rates. A comprehensive overview of the rationale behind the COBD, its goals and overall design is presented in a special supplement to Childhood Obesity.
Hundreds of thousands of Kentucky residents could lose Medicaid under the work demonstration project In January of 2018, 15 Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the federal government's legal authority to launch Medicaid work demonstrations and its approval of Kentucky's Medicaid work demonstration, the first in the nation. The lawsuit (Stewart v. Azar) seeks to block the implementation of Medicaid work demonstrations because they are contrary to law and pose major health risks for the poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
Oral sirolimus alters the course of DIPNECH syndrome in three patients Sirolimus, which is used to prevent rejection after kidney transplants, has been used to successfully treat three cases of a rare disorder called diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia, or DIPNECH syndrome. The syndrome is so rare that there are no clinical recommendations to guide care and, therefore, no proven therapies. The brief case report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Intergenerational trauma evident in offspring caring for Holocaust survivor parents More than 70 years since the end of World War II, there are still signs of intergenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma that are manifested in the way adult offspring of Holocaust survivors care for their elderly parents, according to a new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University.

Biology news

	There's no such thing as oversharing in conservation Social gadflies in an organization are the new superheroes of conservation, according to a study in this month's Nature Sustainability.
	Wheat research discovery yields genetic secrets that could shape future crops A new study has isolated a gene controlling shape and size of spikelets in wheat in a breakthrough which could help breeders deliver yield increases in one of the world's most important crops.
	Research to raise a few eyebrows: Why expressive brows might have mattered in human evolution Highly mobile eyebrows that can be used to express a wide range of subtle emotions may have played a crucial role in human survival, new research from the University of York suggests.
	Scientists discover that cells contain mitochondria specialized to build fats Mitochondria, known to most people as the "powerhouses of the cell," have been recognized for decades as the cellular organelle where sugars and fats are oxidized to generate energy. Now, new research by UCLA scientists has found that not all mitochondria fit this definition. Within each cell a group of specialized mitochondria can be found attached to fat droplets. Rather than burn fat to create energy, these specialized mitochondria are responsible for providing the energy to build and store fat molecules.
	Engineers pioneer greener and cheaper technique for biofuel production A team of engineers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently discovered that a naturally occurring bacterium, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum TG57, isolated from waste generated after harvesting mushrooms, is capable of directly converting cellulose, a plant-based material, to biobutanol.
	It's all about the (stem cell) neighborhood Stem cells have the ability to develop, or differentiate, into the many cell types in the body. They also serve as a repair system to replace aged or damaged cells. With their regenerative abilities, stem cells offer enormous potential in treating many diseases. Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School have now identified how the stem cell neighbourhood keeps stem cells in the gut alive.
	Discovery allows scientists to index thousands of cells simultaneously, a 40-fold increase from the current method Of the 37 trillion cells in the typical human body, the ability to distinguish one type of cell from another isn't as straightforward as you may think.
	Topical antibiotic triggers unexpected antiviral response A Yale-led research team made a startling discovery while investigating the effect of bacteria on viral infections. When they applied a common topical antibiotic to mice before or shortly after infection with herpes and other viruses, they found that the antibiotic triggered an antiviral resistance in the animals, the researchers said.
	Human drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils Transmissible cancers are incredibly rare in nature, yet have arisen in Tasmanian devils on at least two separate occasions. New research from the University of Cambridge identifies key anti-cancer drugs which could be trialled as a treatment for these diseases, which are threatening Tasmanian devils with extinction.
	Genome assembly of donkey reveals clues on how it may have branched from horse A team of researchers from Denmark, Malaysia, France and the U.K. has conducted a genome assembly of the donkey to learn more about its evolutionary history. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the group describes their study and what they found.
	Why some beetles like alcohol If a small beetle dives into your beer, consider giving it a break. Referred to as "ambrosia beetles," these insects just want what's best for themselves and their offspring. Drawn to the smell of alcohol, the beetles are always on the lookout for a new environment to farm. And alcohol plays an important role in optimizing the agricultural yield of their fungal crops, as an international team of researchers reports in the current issue of the journal PNAS.
	The structure and function of a controller of stem cell division An important complex forming the core of the cell division apparatus in stem cells has been imaged using the Macromolecular Crystallography beamlines, I04 and I04-1 at Diamond Light Source. As recently reported in Nature Communications, the spindle orientation protein known as LGN bound to an adapter protein known as Inscuteable in a tetrameric arrangement, which drove asymmetric stem cell division.
	Scientists tweak CRISPR to speed up genomic editing The powerful gene-editing tool, CRISPR, has revolutionized research by allowing scientists to snip and patch DNA with remarkable precision. But tracking the impact of these changes on gene function can be time-consuming. Researchers currently analyze each edit one at a time, a process that can take weeks.
	20-year-old mystery of malaria vaccine target solved The human piece of a malaria infection puzzle has been revealed for the first time, solving a long-standing mystery. A protein displayed on the surface of malaria parasites called "TRAP" is a high-priority vaccine target, but how it interacts with human host cells has remained a puzzle. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute have discovered a receptor protein on the surface of human cells that the TRAP protein interacts with as it navigates through the body.
	How cellphones are killing gorillas, and other threats to apes you didn't know about All great apes are considered severely endangered. It's possible that 100 years from now, species such as orangutans will be wiped off the planet entirely.
	What you should do if bitten by a snake The most dangerous snake you are likely to meet in northern Europe are vipers and grass snakes, which are generally only dangerous to children and dogs.
	Study: How life generates new forms When organisms change during the course of evolution, often what drives new forms is not genes themselves, but gene regulation —what turns genes on and off. A new study identifies the kind of gene regulation most likely to generate evolutionary change.
MicroRNAs regulate the formation of mitochondria in cells Muscles require a large amount of energy to function. This is provided primarily by mitochondria in cells that consume a lot of energy. We therefore find more of these powerhouses of the cell in muscle cells than in other cell types with a lower metabolic rate. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now identified a mechanism that can be used to regulate the development of mitochondria in muscle cells. This is what makes the endurance capacity of muscles even possible in the first place.
Using the past to predict the future—climate change impacts on the sagebrush sea Scientists from Utah State University developed a new way to use long-term population data to model how species could respond to climate change in the future.
Corn hybrids with high yields come with more variability The agriculture industry is in a tough spot; it's simultaneously tasked with feeding a growing population and minimizing its environmental footprint. For corn breeders, that means improving nitrogen-use efficiency and crowding tolerance, all while maximizing yield. The first step, according to a new study from the University of Illinois, is understanding the genetic yield potential of current hybrids.
	The state of CRISPR research CRISPR has been hailed as one of the most promising gene editing technologies and promises to revolutionize precision medicine and eradicate genetic diseases. However, the technique is not perfect and needs improvements. A new paper improves this system by creating a novel Cas9 fusion: ExoCas9. This fusion produces a higher rate of overall gene targeting and bias the spectrum of DNA lesions produced to favor much longer deletions.
	There is no 'one-size fits all approach' to ocean protection The oceans are in dire need of protection – fish stocks are declining, sensitive seafloor habitats are being degraded and lost, species are at risk of extinctions. Thankfully, there is growing global concern and increasing consensus around the need for action. But, achieving this protection is challenging, and it is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
	Gene editing regulations threaten sustainability of global food animal supply The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) 2017 draft guidance that proposed drug-like regulatory scrutiny of food animals produced using gene editing technology such as CRISPR has global implications for the future cost and feasibility of food animal production. This regulatory proposal fails to recognize that the same genetic changes could be achieved using conventional breeding techniques instead of newer molecular methods, and does not consider whether or not the changes are novel or present any hazards, as is clearly explained in a timely and insightful commentary published in The CRISPR Journal.

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