Science X Newsletter Friday, Jun 1

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 1, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

A 3-D printer that can print data sets as physical objects

Stable isotopes suggest earliest tetrapods were euryhaline creatures

Nucleoside logic: Supply-side programming of the immune biocomputer

Evidence found of magnetism at the edges of graphene

Multiple metals – and possible signs of water – found in unique exoplanet

AI-based method could speed development of specialized nanoparticles

Cautious prawns win battle for food

Walking faster could make you live longer: research

Dandelion wants to play a role in home geothermal

Scientists develop material that could regenerate dental enamel

On a deserted island, risk-taking lizards survive better. With predators? Not so much

Sugarcane pest produces foam to protect itself from heat

Aerial robot that can morph in flight

Serotonin and confidence underlie patience in new study

Bacteria ensure square meal for bloodsucking ticks

Astronomy & Space news

	Multiple metals – and possible signs of water – found in unique exoplanet An international team of researchers has identified 'fingerprints' of multiple metals in one of the least dense exoplanets ever found.
	Image: Exposed bedrock on the Red Planet's hale crater This image from MRO, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the Red Planet's Hale Crater, a large impact crater (more than 62 miles, or 100 kilometers, across) with a suite of interesting features such as active gullies, active recurring slope lineae (long markings that are dark or bright) and extensive icy ejecta flows.
	Cosmic blast takes rest at last Last year, the first detection of gravitational waves linked to a gamma-ray burst triggered a vast follow-up campaign with ground and space telescopes to study the aftermath of the neutron star merger that gave rise to the explosion. ESA's XMM-Newton observations, obtained a few months after the discovery, caught the moment when its X-ray emission stopped increasing, opening new questions about the nature of this peculiar source.
	When space launchers come clean The upper stages of space launchers are typically loaded with sensors that could theoretically tell engineers everything they need to know about the launcher's status and possible vulnerabilities. Yet, limited on-board computing capabilities and bandwidth to ground have so far made it impossible to acquire most of this data.
	The sombrero galaxy seen from cities We're happy to share with you an update from our partner Unistellar. The team has recently collected a pair of images of the glorious Sombrero Galaxy (M104 in the Messier Catalog) taken during one of their  most recent observing runs.
	SOFIA to study southern skies in New Zealand NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, is heading to Christchurch, New Zealand, to study celestial objects best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. Observations will include targets that are too low to observe or not visible at all from the Northern Hemisphere—including our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud, the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, and Saturn's moon Titan.
	Image: Jovian jet stream See a jet stream speeding through Jupiter's atmosphere in this new view taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft. The jet stream, called Jet N2, was captured along the dynamic northern temperate belts of the gas giant planet. It is the white stream visible from top left to bottom right in the image.
	Final Fruit-ier: Thailand sends smelly durian into space It's one small step for Thailand, one giant leap for Southeast Asia's smelliest fruit.

Technology news

	A 3-D printer that can print data sets as physical objects A team of researchers from MIT and Harvard University has come up with a way to get 3-D printers to print objects using data sets rather than geometric representations. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the group describes their new technique and some of the ways they believe it could be used.
	Dandelion wants to play a role in home geothermal Not familiar with residential geothermal heating? No surprise. Chris Martin in Bloomberg explained that "Residential geothermal heating is uncommon, in part because the expense and effort to dig the wells make them costly to install in existing homes."
	Aerial robot that can morph in flight French researchers have drawn inspiration from birds to design an aerial robot capable of altering its profile during flight. To reduce its wingspan and navigate through tight spaces, it can reorient its arms, which are equipped with propellers that let it fly like a helicopter. It paves the way for a new generation of large robots that can move through narrow passages, making them ideal for exploration as well as search and rescue missions.
	Researchers develop electronic skins that wirelessly activate fully soft robots A research team of Seoul National University has developed a skin-like electronic system that is soft, thin, lightweight and can wirelessly activate soft robots through a simple lamination process.
	Prototype nuclear battery packs 10 times more power Russian researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), the Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials (TISNCM), and the National University of Science and Technology MISIS have optimized the design of a nuclear battery generating power from the beta decay of nickel-63, a radioactive isotope. Their new battery prototype packs about 3,300 milliwatt-hours of energy per gram, which is more than in any other nuclear battery based on nickel-63, and 10 times more than the specific energy of commercial chemical cells. The paper was published in the journal Diamond and Related Materials.
	First of its kind CO2-free natural gas burning power plant undergoes first fire Officials with NET Power, LLC recently reported the first successful firing of the combustor for a new kind of natural gas-based power plant free of carbon emissions, without having to use carbon capture technology.
Dolphin algorithm could lead to better medical ultrasounds Millions of years of evolutionary fine-tuning have made dolphins phenomenally good at using echolocation to orient themselves, find food and communicate with one another. But how do they actually do it? New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that they emit two intertwined ultrasound beam components at different frequencies—and with slightly different timing.
	How can criminals manipulate cryptocurrency markets? Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are based on systems that are supposed to be inherently protected from fraud. Yet the U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into manipulation of bitcoin prices. How is that sort of activity even possible?
	Phasing out nuclear energy could affect safety The way in which the phase-out of nuclear power plants in Germany is currently planned could negatively influence the safety of the facilities. Those involved could increasingly favor their own interests as the shutdown date approaches, argue scientists from the University of Basel and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin in the journal Behavioral Science & Policy. They base their argument on the possibility of endgame behavior from game theory.
	Smart app to diagnose Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD) is a slow, progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting between 7 and 10 million people worldwide. In Europe, there are 1.2 million people living with the disease, most of them over 50. PD develops gradually over time and early signs are so subtle that they often go unnoticed. Although we know that some symptoms set in years before the disease is diagnosed, there's no specific way to detect PD early on.
	Self-learning assistance system for efficient processes To prevent long downtimes and high quantities of scrap, manufacturers must design production processes to be stable and efficient. Particularly successful outcomes are achieved when the experience of the people who operate the machines is taken into account. The Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Dresden is developing a self-learning assistance system that helps machine operators resolve errors and build up their experience and process knowledge.
	Your personal space is no longer physical – it's a global network of data In the digital world, any action we do generates data – whether browsing the internet, answering emails or messaging our friends. Translated into radio waves, this information can travel almost effortlessly through space in a split second. Data are all around us, invisibly occupying the space between ourselves and other objects in the built environment. My colleagues and I conducted a study to understand how the presence of all this data alters our understanding of personal and public spaces.
	iPhone X filmmaker gives three tips to budding directors For the past four years I've been experimenting with smartphone film production. I recently shot and directed Missed Call, the first short film to be shot on an iPhone X. As the camera technology on each new generation evolves, many directors have begun to experiment with smartphone filmmaking. In 2015, Sean Baker's Tangerine was shot on an iPhone 5. And Stephen Soderbergh's 2018 film Unsane was shot on the iPhone 7.
	Google blames Wikipedia for linking California GOP to Nazism Google is blaming "vandalism" at Wikipedia for search results that incorrectly said the ideology of the California Republican Party included "Nazism."
	Visa outage blocks transactions across Europe Payment systems giant Visa said it was experiencing problems processing transactions in Europe on Friday and was trying to fix the issue.
	China dispatches low-level official to security conference China has dispatched a low-level military delegation to an annual security conference in Singapore that has dwelled heavily in past on Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
	Fiat Chrysler to phase out diesel in Europe by 2021 The clock is ticking for diesel at Fiat Chrysler, at least in its passenger cars in Europe and other key regions, CEO Sergio Marchionne said Friday.
	Toshiba completes $21 bn sale of chip unit Embattled conglomerate Toshiba on Friday completed the $21 billion sale of its prized chip unit to an investment consortium, a move seen as crucial to keeping the Japanese firm afloat.
	Facebook kills 'trending' topics, tests breaking news label Facebook is shutting down its ill-fated "trending" news section after four years, a company executive told The Associated Press.
	Cryptocurrency blowing in the wind as mine opens in Estonia A state-owned Estonian wind farm launched a cryptocurrency mine on Friday, hoping to cash-in on Mother Nature's unlimited supplies of power on a windswept Baltic Sea island, a company official said.

Medicine & Health news

	Nucleoside logic: Supply-side programming of the immune biocomputer The immune system is host to a bewildering array of cell types. Traditionally, immunologists have classified cells in different states of activation according to the various interleukins, interferons and other cytokines they express or secrete. Unfortunately, this ever-sprawling matrix of cell markers has become a matrix of exceptions that is rapidly collapsing under its own weight.
	Walking faster could make you live longer: research Speeding up your walking pace could extend your life, research led by the University of Sydney suggests.
	Serotonin and confidence underlie patience in new study People usually have the ability to put aside the desire for immediate gratification in anticipation of something good. But this isn't just a human trait—a new study shows that mice can be patient, too, revealing a link between the brain's chemical system and the mice's belief about how waiting will pay off.
	Lipid molecules can be used for cancer growth When the blood supply is low, cancer cells can use lipid molecules as fuel instead of blood glucose. This has been shown in animal tumour models by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, in a study published in Cell Metabolism. The mechanism may explain why tumours often develop resistance to cancer drugs that inhibit the formation of blood vessels.
Act fast to pay attention Do you waste time in the morning looking for your keys?
	Researchers create new programmed shape-morphing scaffolds enabling facile 3-D endothelialization Recently, a research team led by Dr. DU Xuemin at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences created a new shape-morphing scaffold, enabling programmed deformation from a 2-D planar cell-laden structure to a well-defined 3-D tubular shape, which facilitated the facile 3-D endothelialization of small-diameter vascular grafts.
	Researchers uncover cell types of the human breast epithelium Researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, in collaboration with scientists at UCSF and Northwestern University, have profiled human breast epithelial cells, identifying three new distinct epithelial cell populations. The discovery of these cell populations could aid in understanding the origins of breast cancer and lead to improved early cancer detection, a slowing of cancer progression and possibly even cancer prevention.
One in four intensive care patients return to hospital, study shows A quarter of intensive care patients are readmitted to hospital shortly after returning home and some of these readmissions are avoidable, research suggests.
Researchers use blood serum markers to develop lupus risk index Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, USA have developed an index that identifies the risk for lupus based on the presence and amount of Immunoglobin G (IgG) and Immunoglobin M (IgM) antibodies and levels of C1q, a protein complex associated with protection from lupus, in blood serum. The findings are published in the open access journal Molecular Medicine.
	The brain is able to anticipate painful movements following injury When people are injured, how does the brain adapt the body's movements to help avoid pain? New research published in The Journal of Physiology investigates this question.
Psychiatric disorders shouldn't disqualify youth with severe obesity from weight loss surgery Psychiatric disorders, a common comorbidity of severe obesity, especially for youth, should not disqualify an adolescent with severe obesity from bariatric surgery. According to a study published in Pediatrics, identifying anxiety, depressive disorders, ADHD, and eating disorders, while still a crucial pre-surgical evaluation step, had no predictive value for how much post-surgical weight loss an adolescent would achieve.
Dieting associated with risky behaviours in teenage girls Teenage girls who diet are more likely to engage in other health-compromising behaviours, including smoking, binge drinking, and skipping breakfast, a University of Waterloo study recently found.
	Got indigestion? These cows could solve your milk problem Does milk leave your stomach feeling sour?
	Discovery opens door for synthetic opioids with less addictive qualities Making opioids from sugar instead of from field grown opium poppies has the potential to solve many of the problems associated with manufacturing strong pain killers.
	Scientists discover a new way to control blood pressure New, improved ways to fight hypertension and low blood pressure may be in the offing, thanks to a discovery of how blood pressure is controlled. National University of Singapore researchers have found a new means of controlling blood pressure that involves the protein galectin-1, present in blood vessels and various other tissues. The researchers showed that galectin-1 reduces the activity of CaV1.2 calcium channels in blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. Conversely, blood pressure could be raised by disrupting the interaction between galectin-1 and these calcium channels. This discovery could lead to novel treatments for hypertension and abnormally low blood pressure.
	Growth of Greenlandic children is no longer stunted For centuries, Inuit children in Greenland, Canada and Alaska have been observed as small. But recently, growth has increased.
After 40 years in limbo: Styrene is probably carcinogenic For 40 years, researchers have believed there is an increased risk of cancer associated with styrene. Now, a working group under the auspices of the WHO and appointed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has upgraded this warning from "possibly carcinogenic" to "probably carcinogenic" for humans, and the decision is largely based on register-based studies from Aarhus, together with new animal evidence.
	A novel data-driven method to personalize cancer treatment Identifying and prioritizing treatment options based on a patient's profile of genetic alterations is a major challenge in personalized cancer medicine. A new data-driven approach called PanDrugs can help to this end. This new computational resource has been developed by researchers from the Bioinformatics Unit at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and is described in a paper published in Genome Medicine.
	Next-generation sequencing sheds light on rotavirus in Indonesia Rotavirus A causes acute diarrhea in young children, and infects both animals and humans worldwide. A Japanese research group has found that the acute gastroenteritis infecting children in Indonesia between 2015 and 2016 was caused by dominant strains of equine-like G3 rotavirus, genetically different from human strains of the virus. The findings could shed light on how the virus traveled to Indonesia from neighboring countries.
The influence of circadian rhythms on atherosclerosis The internal clock controls all vital functions in the body. Body temperature as well as blood pressure or the release of certain enzymes are subject to oscillations throughout the day, the so-called circadian rhythm. For the first time, a team around Professor Oliver Söhnlein has now shown the influence of circadian rhythms on atherosclerosis—a vascular disease that ultimately can lead to heart attacks and strokes. His study, recently published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism, could be crucial for the improvement of therapeutic approaches.
	New findings link estrogen and T cell immune response to autoimmune inflammation Women are more prone to the development of autoimmune diseases. The female hormone estrogen is likely to affect the immune system. A team of scientists from Turku Center for Biotechnology and University of Georgia reported new findings related to the involvement of estrogen hormone receptor in autoimmune diseases.
	The genome guardian turns to the dark side: Opportunity for drug discovery against cancer? Abnormal changes in the p53 protein are associated with many cancers. In fact, the gene that codes the p53 protein is the one most frequently mutated in human cancers. The protein, known as the guardian of the genome, has the main role of suppressing tumor formation and in so doing it blocks cancer development. But once mutated, the p53 protein not only stops working as expected, it also acquires new functions and characteristics that are catastrophic for the cell.
	Flexible organic electronics mimic biological mechanosensory nerves Researchers at Seoul National University and Stanford University developed artificial mechanosensory nerves using flexible organic devices to emulate biological sensory afferent nerves. They used the artificial mechanosensory nerves to control a disabled insect leg and distinguish braille characters.
	Scientists create world-first antimicrobial medical gloves A new type of medical examination glove that has built in antimicrobial technology proven to prevent the spread of infection has been developed with help from a renowned University of Nottingham microbiologist.
	Copying movements could help manage Parkinson's New research by University of Manchester psychologists has revealed that imitation of movement can help people with Parkinson's.
	Despite risk of breast cancer, few men undergo genetic tests, study finds Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among Americans. At least 10 percent of cancers are caused by inherited mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Parents with the cancer gene mutation have a 50 percent chance of passing it on to a son or daughter. It's well-known that women with BRCA are at a very high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Less known is the fact that men with these mutations also are at risk of breast cancer and other cancers.
	Teenage depression: If a parent doesn't get treatment for a child, is that abuse? Hospital visits for kids in the U.S. who have contemplated or thought about suicide have risen sharply.
	People tend to choose impractical and ineffective approaches to tasks and deadlines, studies find You're faced with a set of tasks. Some aren't essential but need to be completed quickly—like redeeming a coupon that expires in two hours. Others have greater importance but do not have an imminent deadline—like scheduling a regular medical checkup. Which task would you choose to do, and why?
	Researchers describe how acidity makes oxygen-starved cancer cells dormant and drug resistant Cells enter a state of dormancy as tissues starved of oxygen become increasingly acidic, according to new research led by investigators from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and The Wistar Institute. The Cell study found that this dormancy, thought to be a major cause of drug resistance and disease relapses in cancer, might be relatively easy to reverse when it is induced by acidity. If confirmed, the finding could help improve a variety of cancer therapies.
	Parenting, child care services have most potential to help low-income families Child care, parenting and child health/health care are important factors in improving the lives of children in low-income families, according to a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
	Baby born in world's first in utero stem cell transplant trial UC San Francisco researchers have safely transplanted a woman's stem cells into her growing fetus, leading to the live birth of an infant with a normally fatal fetal condition. The infant, who had been critically ill during the second-trimester of pregnancy due to alpha thalassemia, is the first patient enrolled in the world's first clinical trial using blood stem cells transplanted prior to birth.
	Study reveals brain activity patterns underlying fluent speech When we speak, we engage nearly 100 muscles, continuously moving our lips, jaw, tongue, and throat to shape our breath into the fluent sequences of sounds that form our words and sentences. A new study by UC San Francisco scientists reveals how these complex articulatory movements are coordinated in the brain.
	Can focused sound waves fix rare 'giggling' form of epilepsy? What was fiction on a recent episode of "Grey's Anatomy" is being pioneered for real at the University of Virginia Health System.
	A survey needs to involve how many people before I'm convinced? Research studies, opinion polls and surveys all rely on asking a number of people about something to try to extract some pattern of behaviour or predict a result.
	Virus detector based on lifelike interaction In order to detect an influenza virus successfully, even in small concentrations, you would like to know in what way the virus interacts with healthy cells. Researcher Mark Verheijden of the University of Twente succeeded in mimicking the cell surface on a sensor. In this way the virus is detected in a dynamic environment. This bio-inspired layer can also be used as a biocompatible coating for implants, for example.
	Immigration agents X-raying migrants to determine age isn't just illegal, it's a misuse of science A teenager's father is murdered in Somalia, and the boy travels to the United States seeking asylum. Another teen's father and brother are murdered by extremist groups in Afghanistan and he too makes his way to the U.S. to seek asylum. Since both are minors, federal law decrees that they must be held separately from adults under the oversight of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
	Ticks on migratory birds found to carry newly discovered hemorrhagic fever virus In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University and other institutions have identified genetic material from the recently identified Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus in the tick species Hyalomma rufipes. The discovery was made after thousands of ticks were collected from migratory birds captured in the Mediterranean basin. The results indicate that birds could contribute to spreading the virus to new geographical areas.
	Why Puerto Rico's death toll from Hurricane Maria is so much higher than officials thought "If you don't get away from those areas, you are going to die." That statement concluded Puerto Rico Secretary of Public Safety Héctor Pesquera's press conference before Hurricane Maria.
	Children with severe trauma can be fostered and recover with the right treatment and care Being a foster carer for children who have experienced early life trauma – such as emotional and physical violence – can be challenging, complex and confusing. For children, experiencing severe early trauma can manifest in difficult behaviours, resulting in unsuccessful foster care placements.
	Cryopreservation—the field of possibilities Cryonics have long been a staple of fiction, including everything from Philip K. Dick's classic 1969 sci-fi novel Ubik to the cheesy 1992 Mel Gibson film Forever Young. More recent examples include French author Marc Levy's L"Horizon à l'envers (The Upside-down Horizon) and Don DeLillo's 1996 Zero K. The idea is certainly attractive, and simple: pop yourself or a loved one into a freezer, wait a century, rethaw, and you're good to go.
	How to increase childhood vaccination rates Childhood vaccination has long been a hot topic among parents, educators and health-care providers.
	Researchers develop revolutionary new way of detecting heart disorders Researchers at the Medway School of Pharmacy have been working with health agencies in the county to develop a revolutionary new way of detecting heart disorders and potential strokes in those most at risk.
	Research reveals new insights into hepatitis B Researchers at the University of Delaware, working with colleagues at Indiana University, have gained new insights into the virus that causes hepatitis B—a life-threatening and incurable infection that afflicts more than 250 million people worldwide.
	New telemedicine exercise therapy Anyone who gets an artificial hip or knee joint has to spend a lot of time in rehabilitation. The offers are scarce, though, and working people often cannot make the appointments due to time constraints. The result: the therapy is delayed, there are additional costs, and there is the added risk of possible health restrictions. In the ReMove-It project, Fraunhofer and its partners have developed telemedicine-based exercise therapy that allows patients to organ-ize their rehabilitation more flexibly. The efficacy has already been proved in a representative study, and ReMove-It is expected to be approved as a medical device by 2019.
	Modular measurement wristband for personalized dementia therapy Dementia is an age-related disease that is becoming ever more prevalent as demographics change. It affects primarily people over the age of 80, with this group accounting for more than 70 percent of all dementia sufferers. Caring for these patients is an enormous challenge for their families and caregivers, especially since, in most cases, key health data lacks any useful structure and is not available when it is needed. It is hoped that a miniaturized, modular measurement and advisory system being developed in a joint project that includes Fraunhofer researchers will soon ease this situation. The system uses inconspicuous sensors to automatically measure dementia patients' health and care data and suggests personalized treatment options based on their current condition.
	Preventive treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is devastating for those affected, as there is still no cure for this type of dementia. One hundred years after Alois Alzheimer first described it, we neither have a drug for it, nor do we really understand what causes the severe brain impairment. The EU-based AETIONOMY project could bring about a breakthrough in research: Fraunhofer scientists have teamed up with various partners to identify the early disease mechanisms. They hope to advance research into the causes of this disease using model-based and big data approaches.
	Quick identification of multidrug-resistant pathogens If doctors diagnose a patient with blood poisoning, the patient will immediately be administered a broad-spectrum antibiotic. In many cases, however, the drug is ineffective. Multidrug-resistant pathogens are often the reason why sepsis spreads through the body, ultimately resulting in the patient's death. As things stand, antibiotic resistance tests can take several days. In the PathoSept project, Fraunhofer researchers and partners are developing an end-to-end modular system that reduces the time needed to identify antibiotic-resistant pathogens to nine hours.
	Structure of protein pair provides blueprint for future drugs Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have visualised for the first time how the protein SOCS1 'switches off' cell signalling to dampen immune responses and block cancer growth.
A warning and an opportunity: The WHO Independent High-Level Commission on non-communicable disease It poses a stark warning that the Sustainable Development Goal for NCDs—to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by a third by 2030 and promote mental health—will not be met at the current rate of progress.
	A power failure in your fat cells could short-circuit your health A specialized fat molecule, called cardiolipin, that is made within the body's own fat cells, is far more significant to the body's overall state of health than previously realized.
	Federal home visiting program can be improved to better meet needs of families The multibillion-dollar MIECHV program was formed as part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It provides funding to organizations that offer home visiting services to improve maternal-child health. These organizations are required to demonstrate improvements over time, and the MIECHV program monitors this progress through specific benchmarks.
	Research revealing 'persistent bacteria' could be key to future tuberculosis trials Research carried out by St George's, University of London into tuberculosis treatments has clearly shown the 'persistent bacteria' that make treating the disease so difficult for the first time, using a new combination therapy.
	Study explores how emotions in facial expressions are understood New research by academics at the University of East Anglia (UEA) reveals how well fearful facial expressions are perceived in peripheral vision.
	'Disneyland for Big Tobacco'—how Indonesia's lax smoking laws are getting the next generation hooked With more than 260m people, Indonesia is the biggest economy in South-East Asia. The country's young population – 37% are under the age of 20 – is one of its greatest strengths. But Indonesia's potential and productivity are being threatened by the number of deaths associated with smoking.
	Organ transplants—knowing more about where donors live could save lives In 2017-18, a record number of people (1,575 in total) in the UK donated their organs after death, resulting in more than 5,000 life-saving or life-improving transplants. These figures, released by NHS Blood and Transplant, show numbers of deceased donors continue to rise in the UK. The 2017-18 figure was an 11% increase on the previous year, and a near 20% increase in donor numbers since 2013-14.
	Do bouncers at clubs enforce dress codes equally across races? When videotape surfaced of two men being arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks for loitering, some criticized the store manager, questioning whether she wrongly evaluated the men as criminal because of both their race and the way they were dressed.
	Happiness at work doesn't just depend on your employer When Google promoted a software engineer named Chade-Meng Tan to the role of "Jolly Good Fellow", his career – and the entire culture of Silicon Valley – took a sharp turn.
	Blood in your veins is not blue – here's why it's always red Whenever you see blood outside your body, it looks red. Why?
	New surgery for groin pain found to be more effective than physiotherapy As the FIFA World Cup approaches researchers have found that keyhole surgery could help get injured footballers back on the pitch faster than physiotherapy-led treatments.
	New insights into the development of heart disease therapeutics The heart of a neonatal mouse is capable of self-repair after tissue damage. However, this ability disappears during the first week of life. Researchers at the University of Helsinki investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying myocardial regenerative ability. Advantages within the field could be of benefit, for example, in the development of novel treatments for patients to regain heart function after myocardial infarction.
	Research reveals underappreciated role of brainstem in epilepsy New research from Vanderbilt suggests that repeated seizures reduce brainstem connectivity, a possible contributor to unexplained neurocognitive problems in epilepsy patients.
	Irradiating chest lymph nodes in patients with early stage breast cancer improves survival Administering radiation therapy to the lymph nodes located behind the breast bone and above the collar bone to patients with early stage breast cancer improves overall survival without increasing side effects, and this effect lasts for 15 years, researchers have found. Professor Philip Poortmans, head of the department of radiation oncology at the Institut Curie, Paris, France, will tell participants at the annual American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) congress next week (Monday, 4 June 2018) that these findings settle once and for all the question of whether radiation therapy is beneficial for these patients.
	FDA issues final guidance on inhalational anthrax (HealthDay)—Final guidance has been issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to assist in the development of drugs for the prevention of inhalational anthrax for individuals who may have been exposed but who have not yet displayed related signs or symptoms.
	More teens dying, with drugs and violence to blame (HealthDay)—A perfect storm of murder, addiction and carelessness has fueled a recent and troubling increase in deaths among U.S. children and teens, a new government report shows.
	A nasty germ that can lurk in favorite foods (HealthDay)—Recalls of assorted foods and different brands of ice cream over the past few years have put a spotlight on the germ known as listeria.
	Variables ID'd to predict height loss in postmenopausal women (HealthDay)—A set of commonly available variables may be useful in predicting the five-year risk of height loss ≥1 inch in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online May 7 in Menopause.
	Comprehensive primary care initiative improves care delivery (HealthDay)—Introducing the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPC), a health care delivery model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), improves primary care delivery but does not reduce Medicare spending enough to cover care management fees, according to a study published online May 23 in Health Affairs.
	New study finds pitcher injuries increase as pitch count rises More than half of high school baseball pitchers report experiencing pain in their throwing arms during the season. To better understand the cause of these injuries, researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center conducted a new study to determine when and why overuse injuries are occurring.
	Arthur edits survival guide for anesthesiology residents - Dr. Mary Arthur, director of the anesthesiology residency program at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, is the editor of Anesthesiology CA-1 Pocket Survival Guide, a new book designed to help new anesthesiology residents better navigate the transition from their intern year to the first clinical training year.
	Mobile app for autism screening yields useful data A Duke study of an iPhone app to screen young children for signs of autism has found that the app is easy to use, welcomed by caregivers and good at producing reliable scientific data.
	One in every 5 deaths in young adults is opioid-related in the United States: Study One out of every five deaths among young adults in the United States is related to opioids, suggests a study led by researchers in Canada.
Most hospitals now require workers to get flu shots—except those that treat veterans In just a few short months, hospitals across the country will start their annual push to make sure their workers get vaccinated against influenza, to protect themselves and others. Memories of the last flu season—one of the worst in years—still linger.
	Phase I trial finds experimental drug safe in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia Reporting results from a first-in-human phase I clinical trial, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that treatment with cirmtuzumab, an experimental monoclonal antibody-based drug, measurably inhibited the "stemness" of chronic leukemia cancer (CLL) cells—their ability to self-renew and resist terminal differentiation and senescence.
	Finances are a major motivating factor in patient avoidance of diagnostic testing Patient preferences for diagnostic testing differed significantly across levels of risk, benefit, and cost of diagnostic testing, but cost was the strongest and most consistent factor associated with decreased desire for testing. Those are the findings of a study to be published in the June 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).
	Stem cell-based phase I trial to repair spinal cord injuries produces encouraging results Writing in the June 1 issue of Cell Stem Cell, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that a first-in-human phase I clinical trial in which neural stem cells were transplanted into participants with chronic spinal cord injuries produced measurable improvement in three of four subjects, with no serious adverse effects.
	Black patients show stronger response to hormone therapy for prostate cancer African-American men with advanced prostate cancer might be more responsive than white men to an anti-androgen drug and steroids, according to a study led by Duke Cancer Institute researchers.
Survival benefit for African-Americans with advanced prostate cancer Contrary to current perceptions, certain African-American men with advanced prostate cancer have as good a chance of survival as white men and might actually have a small advantage, according to a new analysis of more than 8,000 patients who participated in clinical trials.
Colon cancer treatment costs 2x more in US than Canada People diagnosed with advanced colon cancer pay twice more per month for treatment in the United States than in Canada, but do not live any longer, researchers said Friday.
Transfat is double trouble for your heart health Many health care providers consider transfat to be the worst type of fat you can eat. Unlike other dietary fats, transfat, also called transfatty acids, raises your low-density lipoprotein or LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowers your high-density lipoprotetin or HDL ("good") cholesterol.
	Immunocompromised patients with sepsis may face higher mortality at hospitals treating small numbers Immunosuppressed patients with sepsis appear more likely to die if they are treated in a hospital caring for a relatively small number of these patients, according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
Gut-inhabiting enterobacter increases subcutaneous fat mass A research project performed at the universities of Jyväskylä and Turku studied the effects of a specific gut enterobacterium on body fat mass.
Nearly 700 get Ebola vaccine in Congo; more cases possible More than 680 people have received Ebola vaccinations in the three health zones where dozens of cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed, Congo's health ministry said.
	US blocks UN health panel from backing taxes on sugar drinks The Trump administration has torpedoed a plan to recommend higher taxes on sugary drinks, forcing a World Health Organization panel to back off the U.N. agency's previous call for such taxes as a way to fight obesity, diabetes and other life-threatening conditions.
When doctors assume, patients lose Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity, or "SO/GI," data has valuable public health benefits and potential clinical benefits for an individual patient, but medical providers must continue to collect information about patient experiences and behaviors, where clinically appropriate, and avoid making assumptions based on SO/GI data alone, according to a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published today in the journal General Internal Medicine.
	Despite fewer looking for work, gains continue for Americans with disabilities June 1, 2018. Job gains continued for Americans with disabilities in May, although fewer were looking for work, according to today's National Trends in Disability Employment—Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). While greater numbers of people with disabilities have entered the workforce over the past two years, Americans with disabilities are still striving for jobs that support their independence. Employment First is a national initiative that has identified competitive, integrated employment as the cornerstone of full community participation by all people with disabilities. Employment First, which provides a framework for systems changes that prioritize employment, has been adopted in some form in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Death toll rises to five in US tainted lettuce outbreak Five people in the United States have died after eating romaine lettuce that was contaminated with E. coli bacteria, whose source remains a mystery, officials said Friday.

Biology news

	Cautious prawns win battle for food Prawns have personalities—and cautious crustaceans do better in the battle for food, new research shows.
	On a deserted island, risk-taking lizards survive better. With predators? Not so much Some people argue that animals have personalities: shy, bold, aggressive.
	Sugarcane pest produces foam to protect itself from heat Tiny balls of froth can often be seen near the roots of plants in sugarcane plantations in Brazil during summer. The foam protects nymphs of the root spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata, a major pest of crops and pasture throughout the Neotropics.
	Bacteria ensure square meal for bloodsucking ticks How do ticks live solely on blood? A study presented in Current Biology (May 31, 2018) has elucidated the crucial role played by symbiotic bacteria that synthesize B vitamins. These nutrients are scarcely found in the blood ticks ingest but are essential to their life cycle. Thus ticks cannot survive to adulthood or reproduce without their bacterial symbionts. The study conducted by CNRS and CIRAD researchers has also shown that the bacteria inherited their B vitamin synthesis pathways from a pathogenic ancestor whose genome underwent gradual degradation.
	Direct visualization of dynamic structures of protein disaggregation molecular machines ClpB, an ATP-fueled protein molecular machine, disentangles and reactivates aggregated proteins. By using high-speed atomic force microscopy, conformational dynamics of ClpB were visualized for the first time. ClpB forms open- and closed-ring, and the closed-ring was further classified into three forms: round, spiral, and twisted half-spiral. These structures transformed each other during ATPase-cycle to perform protein disaggregation. This research will help to treat protein aggregations, which are related to various diseases and cause problems in industry.
	Link between bacteria metabolism and communication could pave way for new drugs Researchers have discovered a link between bacteria metabolism and cell-to-cell communication, potentially providing a target for new antivirulence and antibiofilm drugs.
	Fussy fruit flies can detect bad genes Researchers at The University of Western Australia have demonstrated the sexual attractiveness of male fruit flies isn't just about how big they are or how nice they smell; it's also about how many mutations they carry.
	New approach boosts effort to scale up biodiversity monitoring The value of ecological biodiversity for maintaining ecosystem stability and function is well established, but a recent study points to a novel way to fine-tune our ability to measure it at larger scales. The study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, found that using an imaging tool to evaluate biodiversity is more effective than traditional methods premised on painstaking field work.
	Novel microscopy technique developed to analyze cellular focal adhesion dynamics Focal adhesions are large specialized proteins that are located in the area where a cell membrane meets the extracellular matrix (ECM), a collection of molecules surrounding the cells that provide support and regulate micromechanical signals to the cells. Examining focal adhesions is one of the key elements to understanding how a cell proliferates, differentiates, and migrates—which can help in the treatment of diseases like cancer.
	Lebanon's spearfishers fight to preserve stocks Hunting fish with spear guns may seem like a counterintuitive way to save Lebanon's dwindling marine life, but a growing community of freedivers argues it is a potent awareness-raising tool.
	Study expands possibilities for treating neurological diseases Researchers in Japan have gained valuable insights into 'stress granules'—clumps of RNAs and proteins that form when cells are stressed by factors such as heat, toxins and viruses, deepening the understanding of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The findings could open up new treatment approaches for disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among others.
Hospital superbug uses tiny sticky fingers to infect medical tools and devices The antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bacterium is one of the most globally harmful bacteria that causes nosocomial infections. Researchers at the University of Turku have discovered that the bacterium attaches to plastic medical devices using tiny finger-like structures. The researchers were able to develop antibodies that prevent the bacterial spread.
	Critically endangered Singapore freshwater crab lives in genetically isolated populations Researchers from NUS and National Parks Board (NParks) have established that the critically endangered Singapore freshwater crab (Johora singaporensis) does not mix or breed between different populations, and has overall low genetic diversity.
	Plant scientists use big data to map stress responses in corn Plant scientists at Iowa State University have completed a new study that describes the genetic pathways at work when corn plants respond to stress brought on by heat, a step that could lead to crops better capable of withstanding stress.
	Carpe solis – sunbathing fish defy the laws of nature That sunbathing may require a refreshing swim to avoid overheating is a vacation experience shared by many. It has been assumed that this cooling effect of water prevents fish from reaping the rewards of sunbathing available to animals in terrestrial environments. New evidence on behavior of carp, published in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B,challenges this paradigm. Sunbathing fish can become warmer than the surrounding water and the gain in body temperature enables the fish to grow faster, the study shows.
	Is your dog happy? Ten common misconceptions about dog behaviour It is difficult to refer to what dogs, as a collective, like and dislike and how they behave. Just as humans do, dogs all have their own personalities and learned preferences and so can differ dramatically in how they approach life and what they take from it.
	How to achieve a peaceful coexistence between wolves and humans The persecution of wolves in order to remove them from human settlements has culminated in their near-disappearance in numerous European countries, like Spain and Sweden. Following a recovery of the species, a team of scientists has determined what geographic areas in the Scandinavian country would be most suitable for a redistribution of the specie's range, in the interests of increasing the social acceptance of wolves.
National aquarium dolphins are learning their biggest trick yet—traveling to a new home There was something about the big blue mat that on this particular morning Jade just didn't like.
	How just drops of viper venom pack a deadly punch A bite from a lancehead snake can be fatal. Species in the family, found throughout Central and South America, have venom that can disrupt blood clotting and cause hemorrhage, strokes and kidney failure.

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