Science X Newsletter Friday, May 11

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 11, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Energy quantization enhances the performance of single-atom heat machines

X-rays from tabletop lasers allows scientists to peer through the 'water window'

Mitochondria and the art of DNA maintenance

NICER mission finds an X-ray pulsar in a record-fast orbit

Newly developed molecule to improve pharmaceuticals draws inspiration from nature's toolbox

Dozens of binaries from Milky Way's globular clusters could be detectable by LISA

How turning down the heat makes a baby turtle male

NASA program to track greenhouse gas is canceled (Update)

Chemists create faster and more efficient way to process information

The challenge of space gardening: One giant 'leaf' for mankind

SpaceX postpones next-gen rocket launch

Monster ocean wave sets southern hemisphere record: scientists

Taking the stress out of residual stress mapping

At end of grocery rainbow could be swarm robots taking your order

Should people know they're talking to an algorithm? After a controversial debut, Google now says yes

Astronomy & Space news

	NICER mission finds an X-ray pulsar in a record-fast orbit Scientists analyzing the first data from the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission have found two stars that revolve around each other every 38 minutes—about the time it takes to stream a TV drama. One of the stars in the system, called IGR J17062–6143 (J17062 for short), is a rapidly spinning, superdense star called a pulsar. The discovery bestows the stellar pair with the record for the shortest-known orbital period for a certain class of pulsar binary system.
	Dozens of binaries from Milky Way's globular clusters could be detectable by LISA The historic first detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes far outside our galaxy opened a new window to understanding the universe. A string of detections—four more binary black holes and a pair of neutron stars—soon followed the Sept. 14, 2015, observation.
	The challenge of space gardening: One giant 'leaf' for mankind It's not easy having a green thumb in space.
	SpaceX postpones next-gen rocket launch With less than a minute before launch Thursday, SpaceX aborted the liftoff of its new Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, which the California-based company promises to be more powerful and easier to re-use.
	A giant 'singing' cloud in space will help us to understand how star systems form We know that the birthplaces of stars are large molecular clouds of gas and dust found in space.
	SpaceX's upgraded rocket soars with satellite for Bangladesh SpaceX lifted Bangladesh's first satellite into orbit Friday using an upgraded rocket designed for dozens of repeat flights including back-to-back, same-day launches.
	Can artificial intelligence help find alien intelligence? In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), we've often looked for signs of intelligence, technology and communication that are similar to our own.

Technology news

	At end of grocery rainbow could be swarm robots taking your order Grocery wishes will be the stuff that a robot army accepts as commands. An army of robots coordinated to get orders together fast could be a big part of the grocery future.
	Should people know they're talking to an algorithm? After a controversial debut, Google now says yes Psychology professor Michelle Drouin wanted to know how people would react if a chatbot could emulate a human.
	Microsoft and Amazon show Cortana and Alexa can talk to each other, at least on stage at Build conference Microsoft and Amazon's integration of their digital personal assistants is getting closer, the companies demonstrated at a Microsoft technology conference Monday, though they still don't have a date for public availability.
	Making safer and more powerful lithium-ion batteries requires the right recipe A Purdue University team has published research that examines the relationship between the active and inactive elements of lithium-ion batteries, and how the micro- and nano-structure of their respective ingredients reflects on the performance and safety of the batteries.
	Wear OS smartwatches to get new Qualcomm chip boosts As Android watchers know, the nomenclature Android Wear for a smartwatch platform was changed. Now it is Wear OS. More platform-agnostic. Less static from those who flinch at the very sound of the word "Android."
	Scientists make a maze-running artificial intelligence program that learns to take shortcuts Call it an a-MAZE-ing development: A U.K.-based team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence program that can learn to take shortcuts through a labyrinth to reach its goal. In the process, the program developed structures akin to those in the human brain.
Homeless? This startup has an app for that Chris Sun was trying to persuade homeless people to accept free money, which, in this case, was harder than it seemed.
	Texas regulators: Crypto-related scams getting creative The cryptocurrency investment craze is bringing out the creativity in fraudsters, Texas regulators say.
	Uber fatal crash: Self-driving software reportedly set to ignore objects on road A pedestrian struck and killed by an Uber self-driving vehicle in Arizona in March may have been ignored as a "false positive" by the car's software.
Data privacy must be protected, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tells technologists The tech industry's mission shouldn't just be to invent new technology, but also to make sure that technology is responsible and ethical. That was Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's opening message at the company's technology conference, Microsoft Build, in downtown Seattle on Monday.
	New plant tests energy-saving way to treat wastewater Billions of years ago, when Earth's atmosphere reeked of unbreathable gases, microbes evolved in the absence of oxygen. As Earth matured and the nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere formed, these anaerobic, or oxygen-averse, bacteria retreated into the mud of the ocean floor and other environments where they would be safe from oxygen-rich air.
	Google's Duplex should come with a caveat, says artificial intelligence expert Google's artificial intelligence demonstration was amusing, but raised an important question: do you have the right to know you are talking to a machine?
	China monthly car sales pick up in April; EV sales double Chinese passenger car sales expanded at a faster pace last month as growth in the world's biggest auto market picked up steam, an industry group said Friday.
	Smart windows could combine solar panels and TVs too Imagine standing in front of a wall of windows, surveying the view. You hear someone enter the room behind you. You turn. "Welcome," you say. "Here is the video I wanted to show you." At the press of a button, the view vanishes and the windows transform into a high-definition TV screen.
	Symantec shares dive as it discloses internal probe (Update) Cybersecurity company Symantec lost more than one third of its market value Friday after it disclosed an internal probe and refused to take questions from analysts.
	Facebook shares bounce back to pre-scandal level While Facebook's practices leading up to the 2017 election are still under scrutiny, Wall Street appears to have moved on for now.
	Volkswagen to recall 410,000 cars over faulty seat belts German carmaker Volkswagen said Friday it would recall 410,000 cars from its own brand and Spanish subsidiary Seat over faulty seat belts, warning customers not to use the middle seat in the meantime.
Cyberattack on Tennessee election website preceded outage An intentional cyberattack and suspicious activity by foreign computers preceded the crash of a website that was reporting results in a Tennessee county's primary elections, a cyber-security firm said Friday.
	During disasters, active Twitter users likely to spread falsehoods We know that Twitter is littered with misinformation. But how good are the social media platform's most active users at detecting these falsehoods, especially during public emergencies?
	Elon Musk says LA-area test tunnel almost complete Billionaire Elon Musk says he's almost completed a tunnel under a Los Angeles suburb to test a transportation system that would scoot commuters underground on electric sleds.
	Walking robots, a YouTube sensation, get ready for market A robotics company known for its widely shared videos of nimble, legged robots opening doors or walking through rough terrain is preparing to sell some after years of research.
	News Corp reports loss on writedowns, weakness in newspapers Rupert Murdoch's newspaper-focused News Corp on Thursday reported a loss in the past quarter, as results were hit by a writedown in the value of its Australian television operations and declines in print advertising revenues.
	Fiat-Chrysler and GM join Ford in cutting production after plant fire After Ford, US automakers General Motors and Fiat-Chrysler said Thursday they were cutting vehicle production following a factory fire at a major parts supplier last week.
	Which European firms stand to lose from US Iran sanctions US President Donald Trump's decision to quit the landmark nuclear deal with Iran is expected to see European economic heavyweights including Germany and France pay a hefty price.
	Probabilistic computing takes artificial intelligence to the next step The potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has never been greater—but we'll only be successful if AI can deliver smarter and more intuitive answers.
	The U.S. needs a national strategy on artificial intelligence China, India, Japan, France and the European Union are crafting bold plans for artificial intelligence (AI). They see AI as a means to economic growth and social progress. Meanwhile, the U.S. disbanded its AI taskforce in 2016. Without an AI strategy of its own, the world's technology leader risks falling behind.
	Self-awareness class inspires intention app Inspired by a class on managing professional relationships, five recent University of Michigan graduates are developing an app that would mesh with Alexa to help nudge people when they're out of sync with what they want.
	AT&T admits 'big mistake' in hiring Trump fixer Michael Cohen AT&T's top executive said Friday it was a "big mistake" to hire a Donald Trump's personal lawyer as a consultant after the presidential election, but maintained that the telecom giant's actions were legal and "entirely legitimate."
Foxconn sets groundbreaking ceremony for Wisconsin facility Foxconn Technology Group plans to officially break ground for its southeastern Wisconsin manufacturing complex next month.
Postal Service: More financial loss as mail delivery slumps The U.S. Postal Service reported another quarterly loss on Friday after an unrelenting drop in mail volume and costs of its health care and pension obligations outweighed strong gains in package deliveries.

Medicine & Health news

	Treating tapeworm infection could improve academic performance A Stanford-led study in China has revealed for the first time high levels of a potentially fatal tapeworm infection among school-age children. The researchers suggest solutions that could reduce infections in this sensitive age range and possibly improve education outcomes and reduce poverty.
	Enzyme blocker stops growth of deadly brain tumor Investigators were able to halt the growth of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, by inhibiting an enzyme called CDK5, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Cell Reports.
	Brain cancer atlas created to help research and treatment efforts for glioblastoma A large team of researchers from several institutions in the U.S. and India has created an anatomic transcriptional atlas of human glioblastoma—an aggressive form of brain cancer. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes the process by which the atlas was created and what it contains. It is called the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project.
	Researchers find glycolysis links to gene transcription via NAD+ A team of researchers at the University of Texas has found NAD+ synthesis and consumption integrate glucose metabolism and adipogenic transcription during adipocyte differentiation. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their research into how glucose is converted into fat in the body and what they found. Sophie Trefely and Kathryn Wellen with the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, respectively, offer a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in Texas in the same journal issue.
	Scientists screen molecules for promise as new prostate cancer drugs Cancer researchers at the University of Bath have measured systematically how efficient molecules are at suppressing the activity of a protein associated with prostate and other cancers. The molecules could eventually be developed into new anti-cancer drugs.
	Dengue 'hot spots' provide map to chikungunya and Zika outbreaks Identifying dengue fever "hot spots" can provide a predictive map for outbreaks of chikungunya and Zika—two other viral diseases that, along with dengue, are spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
	How signals get inside cancer cells and spur aggressive growth The outside of a cancer cell is bombarded by signals. They come from the immune system, supporting tissues and other structures. But how do those signals impact cancer?
	Beyond killing tuberculosis: How can we tolerate an infection without eliminating a pathogen? Historically, our view of host defense against infection was that we must eliminate pathogens to eradicate disease. However, this perspective has recently been challenged as scientists have taken a lesson from plant biologists about an ancient strategy involving the ability to "tolerate" rather than "resist" infection to maintain health. This concept, referred to as "disease toler-ance", provides an opportunity to develop new strategies that mitigate the consequences of infection.
	Research may help combat the deadly gastrointestinal infection Clostridium difficile Researchers from the University of California, Irvine and Harvard University have discovered how the Clostridium difficile toxin B (TcdB) recognizes the human Frizzled protein, the receptor it uses to invade intestinal cells and lead to deadly gastrointestinal infections. The findings, published today in Science, could pave the way for new C. diff antitoxins and also show potential for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs.
Alcohol and tobacco are by far the biggest threat to human welfare of all addictive drugs A new review published online today in the journal Addiction has compiled the best, most up-to-date source of information on alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and the burden of death and disease. It shows that in 2015 alcohol and tobacco use between them cost the human population more than a quarter of a billion disability-adjusted life years, with illicit drugs costing a further tens of millions.
	Eurovision Song Contest associated with increase in life satisfaction Participating in the Eurovision Song Contest may be linked to an increase in a nation's life satisfaction, according to new research.
	Family doctors could better detect child neglect with increased dental health training Higher levels of tooth decay are seen in abused or neglected children. Although dental care is free to all children in the UK, many children are not registered with a dentist. This means in the absence of a dentist the family doctor or GP is often the first point of medical contact for a child. New research now suggests that GPs lack the awareness and training to identify dental neglect in children, and therefore could miss the opportunity to share potential cases of wider abuse or neglect to other health and welfare professionals. The study in The British Dental Journal was led by Sascha Colgan, consultant GP and visiting researcher at the University of Southampton in the UK, and was published by Springer Nature.
	Oral antibiotics may raise risk of kidney stones Pediatric researchers have found that children and adults treated with some oral antibiotics have a significantly higher risk of developing kidney stones. This is the first time that these medicines have been linked to this condition. The strongest risks appeared at younger ages and among patients most recently exposed to antibiotics.
Congo announces 1st death amid Ebola outbreak in northwest Congo's minister of health on Thursday announced the first death since a new Ebola outbreak was declared in the country, as well as nine other cases of people sickened by a hemorrhagic fever that is suspected as Ebola.
	Study finds new combined risk score more effectively predicts stroke risk in Afib patients Doctors know patients with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of having a stroke, and now a new study finds that integrating two separate clinical risk score models helps clinicians more accurately assess the stroke risk of patients with Afib.
	RNA molecules predict adverse heart growth and function that can lead to atrial fibrillation Researchers have identified that enlargement of the left atrium of the heart is linked to abnormal activity of molecules that are associated with adverse changes in the heart's size, shape, structure, and function—conditions that can lead to atrial fibrillation and death.
	Atrial fibrillation patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease face increased risk of dementia Atrial fibrillation patients who are diagnosed with carotid artery disease face higher risks for developing dementia, according to new research from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City.
	WHO preparing for the worst in DR Congo Ebola outbreak (Update) The World Health Organization said Friday it was preparing for "the worst case scenario" in a fresh outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
	Research offers insights into impact of chronic pain Drawing on her personal and academic background, Dr. Godfrey's research has revealed that chronic pain does not impair how people pay attention to threatening information or their ability to focus when distractions are present.
	Food recognition in 100-year-olds explains how semantic memory works A study by SISSA shows that, contrary to younger individuals, centenarians recognise natural foods more accurately than processed foods because they have eaten them with greater frequency over their lifetime. This result clarifies the mechanisms at the root of our semantic memory, which do not appear to depend on the characteristics of food alone, but also on experience and eating habits over a lifetime.
	Satellite imaging techniques may help reduce preventable vision loss By adapting pattern recognition techniques used to assess satellite images, scientists have devised a novel way to diagnose blinding eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration.
	Scientists just beginning to understand autistic adults' unique health needs In the 1990s, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children rose sharply. These children are now entering adulthood, yet physicians and scientists know very little about the health outcomes they might face. Most studies of health have focused on children and adolescents.
	So you found a tick. You're worried about Lyme disease. Now what? You go for a walk in the woods, return home, and later notice a tiny new bump behind your ear. A closer look reveals the bump to be a passenger from the forest. You have a tick. Now what?
Funny bone offers serious insight into personality Research linking humour styles and psychology suggests your responses to a joke may provide insight into your personality.
	How heart tissue combines mechanical strength and electrical reliability The human heart can be viewed as both a mechanical and an electrical device – one that contracts and pumps billions of times over an average lifespan. How does it manage to achieve this feat without lapsing into dangerous irregularities?
	Exposure to second-hand smoke doubles rates of asthma and wheezing in infants In a New Zealand first, University of Otago, Christchurch, researchers have analysed nicotine levels in infants' hair to get a true measure of the impact of passive smoking on respiratory problems.
	Osteopathy can be used to treat mental health related to back pain – new study Millions worldwide suffer from chronic musculoskeletal back pain (lasting more than three months). The problem is so big that in the UK alone, it is estimated that 116m days of work are lost, a million hospital appointments are made and five million GP visits are scheduled – just for low back pain.
Oral drug treatment helps protect cancer patients from potentially deadly blood clots Research from the University of Warwick indicates that taking a tablet a day can help treat cancer patients of a potentially deadly condition.
	Here's why flu vaccinations should be mandatory for Aussie health workers in high-risk areas On June 1, health workers in New South Wales will be required to have a flu vaccination if they work in high-risk clinical areas, such as wards for neonatal care, transplants and cancer. Otherwise staff are required to wear surgical masks during the flu season or risk being redeployed.
	Changes to superannuation insurance won't jack up rates – but if anything they don't go far enough The life and disability insurance offered by superannuation accounts can be the best possible deal for members. But the experience is often bitter for younger people, who are "opted in" to insurance they won't need until they have dependants, face administrative hurdles to opt out, and are often charged fees and premiums through multiple super accounts. Many see their small balances disappear entirely.
	Looking for links between diet, gut microbes and cognitive decline Are abnormal intestinal microorganisms a risk factor for developing cognitive impairment? Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are trying to answer that question with a new, National Institute on Aging-funded study that will explore how the intestinal microbiota—the bacteria in the intestine—influence the progression of cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer's disease.
	eTRF improves blood sugar control and blood pressure, pilot study says A new pilot study conducted by UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences Assistant Professor Courtney Peterson, Ph.D., shows that eating early in the daytime and fasting for the rest of the day improves blood sugar control, blood pressure and oxidative stress, even when people don't change what they eat.
	Multiple myeloma: A bold study to make allografting safer and more efficient In a 10-patient cohort study led by Dr. Jean Roy, hematologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Université de Montréal, that aims to understand how to mitigate the risks associated with the treatment of multiple myeloma, a malignant cancer, researchers have adopted an innovative approach based on the unique immunological properties of umbilical cord blood in an effort to improve the safety and efficiency of allografting, the preferred treatment for this disease.
	The science of the plot twist—how writers exploit our brains Recently I did something that many people would consider unthinkable, or at least perverse. Before going to see "Avengers: Infinity War," I deliberately read a review that revealed all of the major plot points, from start to finish.
	Schizophrenia affects your body, not just your brain – new study Schizophrenia is considered a disorder of the mind, influencing the way a person thinks, feels and behaves. But our latest research shows that organs, other than the brain, also change at the onset of the disease.
	Why we need to figure out a theory of consciousness Understanding the biology behind consciousness (or self-awareness) is considered by some to be the final frontier of science. And over the last decade, a fledgling community of "consciousness scientists" have gathered some interesting information about the differences between conscious and unconscious brain activity.
	Americans are more anxious than before Americans are becoming more anxious about their safety, health, finances, politics and relationships, a new online poll from the American Psychiatric Association finds. Compared to the results of a similar poll a year earlier, 39 percent of adults in the U.S. are more anxious today than they were a year ago.
	FDA targets clinics offering unapproved stem cell therapies (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched legal action to stop two stem cell clinics from providing unapproved treatments that have caused serious, long-term harm to some patients.
	Gadolinium deposition in the brain not dose dependent Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have determined that in children receiving gadolinium as a contrast agent to enhance MRI examinations, signal changes attributed solely to deposition of this material in the brain are not dependent on the amount of gadolinium administered but rather these changes are seen in association with other factors such as the presence of brain tumors and treatment using brain irradiation. Results of the study were just published in the journal, Radiology.
Genome surgery for eye disease moves closer to reality Researchers from Columbia University have developed a new technique for the powerful gene editing tool CRISPR to restore retinal function in mice afflicted by a degenerative retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa. This is the first time researchers have successfully applied CRISPR technology to a type of inherited disease known as a dominant disorder. This same tool might work in hundreds of diseases, including Huntington's disease, Marfan syndrome, and corneal dystrophies. Their study was published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
	Opening a new door to immunity A new study could have major implications for our understanding of disease processes for conditions such as autoimmunity, atherosclerosis and heart failure, potentially leading to better prevention and treatment.
	Healthy diet may lower risk of hearing loss in women Hearing loss affects approximately 48 million Americans. Some evidence suggests that diet may influence risk of hearing loss. Previous studies have looked at how specific nutrients affect risk, but the relation of overall diet and risk of developing hearing loss was unclear. In a new study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital examined the relation between three different diets and risk of developing hearing loss: The Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) in 70,966 women in the Nurses' Health Study II who were followed for 22 years, and found that eating a healthy diet is associated with a lower risk of acquired hearing loss in women. Results are published in the Journal of Nutrition on May 11.
	Dental checklist of bad practice has patient care at its heart Dental experts have drawn up a definitive list of scenarios that patients should never face in a bid to ensure excellent patient care worldwide.
Osteoporosis drug may benefit heart health The osteoporosis drug alendronate was linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in a Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study of patients with hip fractures. The association was seen for up to 10 years after fracture.
	Cancer treatment changes cancer cells into normal ones BGN Technologies, the technology-transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), announced that a research group led by Prof. Varda Shoshan-Barmatz of the BGU Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, is developing a new molecule to treat cancer that inhibits cancer cell growth and changes these cells back to normal ones.
	Depression striking more young people than ever (HealthDay)—Americans are fast becoming a very depressed lot.
	Hit hard by opioid crisis, Appalachian states expand clean-needle programs (HealthDay)—In 2013, there was just one clean-needle program in all of West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina, and the latter two states had laws banning such programs.
	Arsenic and rice: what you need to know (HealthDay)—There's a danger lurking in rice and you won't find it by reading labels. It's the chemical arsenic.
	Malnutrition is associated with poor prognosis in heart failure (HealthDay)—Patients with heart failure frequently have malnutrition, which is associated with increased mortality, according to a study published online May 9 in JACC: Heart Failure.
	Many dispensaries in CO proffer marijuana for morning sickness (HealthDay)—More than two-thirds of Colorado cannabis dispensaries recommend cannabis products to treat nausea during the first trimester of pregnancy, according to a study published online May 7 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Resistance exercise may reduce depressive symptoms in adults (HealthDay)—Resistance exercise training (RET) is associated with reduced depressive symptoms among adults, according to a meta-analysis published online May 9 in JAMA Psychiatry.
	Initiative cuts overuse of tests, treatments for bronchiolitis (HealthDay)—A multidisciplinary improvement initiative can reduce overuse of interventions for bronchiolitis, according to a study published online May 11 in Pediatrics.
	Screening blood donations for Zika virus is costly, low yield (HealthDay)—Screening blood donations for Zika virus (ZIKV) in the United States is costly with low yield, according to a study published in the May 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Objective measures needed for assessing nasal obstruction (HealthDay)—The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale is an adequate subjective measure for assessing nasal airway obstruction (NAO), but more objective measures are required for diagnosis and treatment of NAO, according to a review published online May 10 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Sofosbuvir improves renal safety in patients with chronic hep C (HealthDay)—Sofosbuvir-based treatment appears to guarantee renal safety for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus over one year of follow-up, according to a study published online May 7 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
	Trial shows chemotherapy is helping kids live with pulmonary vein stenosis Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare disease in which abnormal cells build up inside the veins responsible for carrying oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart. It restricts blood flow through these vessels, eventually sealing them off entirely if left untreated. Typically affecting young children, the most severe form of PVS progresses very quickly and can cause death within a matter of months after diagnosis.
Multi-drug resistant infections rising in children Antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections, one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in children across the United States, are on the rise, according to results of a recent study published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society on March 22.
Preliminary research shows noninvasive therapy may reverse atherosclerosis An injection may one day be able to reverse atherosclerosis, according to emerging research presented at the American Heart Association's Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions 2018, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in vascular biology for researchers and clinicians.
	New study finds ginger proven to treat vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis Researchers presenting at the 51st ESPGHAN Annual Meeting have today revealed the results of a new study which proves the efficacy and effectiveness of using ginger to treat vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis—one of the most common conditions resulting in admission to paediatric emergency departments.
	Half of all young children with a rare inherited liver disease need a liver transplant An international research team has today reported the first results of a study investigating the natural history of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC)—a rare genetic liver disease that predominantly affects children. Most alarmingly, the team reported that, by the age of 10 years, approximately half of the children with two different forms of PFIC had already received a liver transplant.
Health training method affirmed in Ethiopia The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health is expanding the use of pre-service training for nursing, midwifery and medical students and residents in contraception and safe abortion care, based on the successful partnership of the Center for International Reproductive Health Training at the University of Michigan and ten Ethiopian universities.
New research project Hypo-RESOLVE investigates hypoglycaemia and its impact in diabetes Within the newly started European research project Hypo-RESOLVE, 23 leading international players from academia, industry and civil society have joined forces to find better solutions to alleviate the burden and consequences of hypoglycaemia in diabetes. The international consortium aims to provide evidence-based classification of hypoglycaemia to achieve better treatments for people living with diabetes. Diabetes is a global pandemic, currently affecting around 60 million people in Europe.
Health workers strike threatens Ebola response in Nigeria Nigerian health workers' unions on Friday threatened to withhold help for emergency measures against Ebola because of an ongoing strike over pay and conditions.
Ebola vaccines to be shipped to Congo, WHO chief says Ebola vaccines will be shipped as quickly as possible to Congo as the number of suspected cases in the latest outbreak grows, the head of the World Health Organization said Friday as the agency prepared for a "worst-case scenario."
	Study reveals obesity link between grandmothers and grandchildren Obesity is known to cluster in families, but most studies to date are limited to two generations. A new Pediatric Obesity study is the first to prospectively examine the relationship between grandparent and grandchild abdominal obesity.
Should patients in remission stop taking expensive rheumatoid arthritis drugs? Stopping expensive biological drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in patients who are in remission or who have low disease activity can save considerable costs, but it results in a small loss of quality-adjusted life years, according to a recent Arthritis & Rheumatology study.
Chronic medical conditions are common in women with urinary incontinence New research published in BJU International indicates that women with urinary incontinence often have other chronic conditions. The findings have important implications for prevention and treatment.
	Where are HIV diagnoses made? In the first study to comprehensively describe where people are diagnosed with HIV in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, investigators found that an increasing proportion of HIV diagnoses are being made outside of sexual health clinics, which is in line with evolving HIV testing guidelines.
Many patients with rectal cancer may not need chemoradiotherapy It's unclear whether all patients with advanced rectal cancer need chemoradiotherapy, or whether some can forego the treatment and therefore be spared its side effects. A new BJS (British Journal of Surgery) study found that patients who are not at high risk of local recurrence can safely undergo surgery without receiving chemoradiotherapy. Investigators estimate that this strategy could reduce the number of patients who receive chemoradiotherapy by roughly half, with only a minimal risk of undertreatment.
	Many older adults discharged from the hospital receive inappropriate prescriptions In a British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study of 259 older adults discharged from a general medical hospital, more than 4 in 5 patients were issued a potentially inappropriate prescription containing at least 1 potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) or potential prescribing omission (PPO).
	Noninvasive brain stimulation leads to fine motor improvement after stroke Stroke is common and accompanied by complex disabilities—such as lower and upper limb disability, speech impairment, and chronic post-stroke pain. An analysis of published studies found that non-invasive brain stimulation may have beneficial effects on fine motor movement in stroke patients and healthy participants. The findings are published in the European Journal of Neurology.
	Is colonialism creating inappropriate regulation of traditional medicine practitioners? Two commentaries in JACM (The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers that is dedicated to examining paradigm, practice, and policy advancing integrative health, raise questions about whether the value to health care of traditional, complementary, and integrative practices and practitioners is unfairly de-valued by the dominant biomedical model.
Iowa tweaks anti-abortion family planning program Iowa is tweaking its new state-funded family planning program that excludes abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood by restoring some eligibility to a large hospital system.

Biology news

	Mitochondria and the art of DNA maintenance Humans have 46 chromosomes, and each one is capped at either end by repetitive sequences called telomeres. If you ask a biologist if humans have circular DNA, they are likely to say 'no.' That is because eukaryotic cell nuclei have linear chromosomes, while prokaryotes have circular nucleoids and plasmids. However, biologists also know that most of our cells have mitochondria that do, in fact, retain the circular DNA, the chromosome 'M,' which they inherited from their prokaryotic ancestors.
	How turning down the heat makes a baby turtle male Boy or girl? For those who want to influence their baby's sex, superstition and folk wisdom offer no shortage of advice whose effectiveness is questionable at best—from what to eat to when to make love. But some animals have a technique backed by scientific proof: In turtles and other reptiles, whether an egg hatches male or female depends on the temperature of its nest.
	Scientists generate a high-quality wheat A genome sequence Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), feeding more than 35 percent of the human population and providing about 20 percent of calories and proteins consumed by humans, is a globally important crop due to its enhanced adaptability to a wide range of climates and improved grain quality for the production of baker's flour. Due to its complex polyploidy nature (hexaploid, containing A, B and D three subgenomes) and large genome size (17 Gb), the genetic and functional analysis of bread wheat is extremely challenging.
	Researchers discover how corn breaks genetics laws Modern genetics is based on the idea that genes are passed on to progeny in a predictable fashion, as first described by 19th-century Austrian botanist Gregor Mendel. He determined that genes exist in pairs, and each one of the two has an equal chance of being transmitted to the next generation.
	International research team finds 'staggering' number of fly species in small patch of tropical forest An international study by 59 biologists, including a Faculty of Science entomologist at the University of Calgary, has found a "staggering" number of fly species in one small patch of forest in Costa Rica—many of them unknown to science.
	Study reveals how tiny Madagascar spiders retain their color over decades There's plenty that's striking about Phoroncidia rubroargentea, a species of spider native to Madagascar, starting with their size—at just three millimeters, they're barely larger than a few grains of salt.
	'Kung Fu' red pandas settle into new Laos sanctuary Munching on bamboo and lazing under a fan spraying cooling mist, "Jackie Chan" is in a relaxed mood, one of three red pandas once destined for the exotic wildlife trade but now instead settling into a new home in a leafy Laos sanctuary.
	Removing predators doesn't guarantee bird safety Removing introduced predators might not provide greater protection of nesting birds in Australia's temperate forests and woodlands, according to a new University of Queensland study.
	Criminals can't easily edit their DNA out of forensic databases There have been a number of news articles over the last week or so reporting that to avoid being matched to criminal forensic databases, criminals could edit their genomes using cheap, online kits.
	The secret agents protecting our crops and gardens Insect pests cause a huge amount of damage to crops globally. In Australia alone, pests are responsible for around A$360 million of crop losses a year. Controlling pest outbreaks is crucial for food security and human health. Since the 1940s, our primary defence against crop pests has been synthetic pesticides. But using pesticides comes at a huge cost.
	A brief history of lion taming Britain's last lion tamer, Thomas Chipperfield, was recently refused a licence to continue performing with his two lions and one tiger. The decision – which Chipperfield intends to appeal – marks the end of a long tradition of lion taming in Britain. It reflects a gradual shift in public attitudes towards circuses and a growing sense that making wild animals perform unnatural tricks is both dangerous and cruel.
	Key protein in sperm tail assembly identified A study published in the Journal of Cell Biology focuses on the development of the sperm tail, the structure that enables sperm cells to swim and is therefore critical for male fertility.
Researchers question conservation community's acceptance of trophy hunting Researchers at Oregon State University are challenging the premise that trophy hunting is an acceptable and effective tool for wildlife conservation and community development.
	Suicidally-sexed marsupials listed as endangered Two small marsupial species, made famous for their suicidal mating habits, have been officially placed on Australia's Endangered list, following their discovery by a QUT mammalogist.

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