Science X Newsletter Thursday, Oct 11

Dear Reader ,

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Researchers modify CRISPR to reorganize genome

New microscope offers 4-D look at embryonic development in living mice

Mouse pups with same-sex parents born in China using stem cells and gene editing

Disorder induces topological Anderson insulator

Massive star's unusual death heralds the birth of compact neutron star binary

Human retinas grown in a dish explain how color vision develops

Galaxy NGC 3256 contains substantial amounts of dark matter, study suggests

Study finds orgasm face and pain face are not the same

First two papers based on studies using full set of data in the UK Biobank published

Pneumonia-causing bacteria can be spread by nose picking and rubbing

Sit-stand office desks cut daily sitting time and appear to boost job performance

Do not give decongestants to young children for common cold symptoms, say experts

Now boarding: Passengers ready for world's longest flight

Lassa fever vaccine shows promise and reveals new test for immunity

Japan delays touchdown of Hayabusa2 probe on asteroid: official

Astronomy & Space news

	Massive star's unusual death heralds the birth of compact neutron star binary Carnegie's Anthony Piro was part of a Caltech-led team of astronomers who observed the peculiar death of a massive star that exploded in a surprisingly faint and rapidly fading supernova, possibly creating a compact neutron star binary system. Piro's theoretical work provided crucial context for the discovery. Their findings are published by Science.
	Galaxy NGC 3256 contains substantial amounts of dark matter, study suggests A new research recently carried out by astronomers suggests that the galaxy NGC 3256 has substantial amounts of dark matter in its central region. The finding, presented in a paper published October 2 on arXiv.org, might pose a challenge to the modified Newtonian dynamics theory.
	Japan delays touchdown of Hayabusa2 probe on asteroid: official A Japanese probe sent to examine an asteroid in order to shed light on the origins of the solar system will now land on the rock several months later than planned, officials said Thursday.
	US, Russian astronauts land safely after rocket failure The problem came two minutes into the flight: The rocket carrying an American and a Russian to the International Space Station failed Thursday, triggering an emergency that sent their capsule into a steep, harrowing fall back to Earth.
	'Pulsar in a box' reveals surprising picture of a neutron star's surroundings An international team of scientists studying what amounts to a computer-simulated "pulsar in a box" are gaining a more detailed understanding of the complex, high-energy environment around spinning neutron stars, also called pulsars. The model traces the paths of charged particles in magnetic and electric fields near the neutron star, revealing behaviors that may help explain how pulsars emit gamma-ray and radio pulses with ultraprecise timing.
	Boy meets world: Life-long space buff and Western graduate student discovers exoplanet Ever since Chris Fox was a young boy, he wanted to visit alien planets. With no immediate plans for such a voyage, the Western University graduate student has done the next best thing. He's gone and found one.
	First Man: A new vision of the Apollo 11 mission to set foot on the moon The Apollo 11 lunar landing was the first time humans stepped on another celestial body, and the events leading up to that historic moment – which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year – are depicted in the new movie First Man, out in cinemas today.
	Sextans: The smallest cannibal galaxy discovered until now A team at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has discovered a new case of galactic cannibalism in the neighbourhood of the Milky Way, which has caused the merging of two galaxies on the smallest scale so far known.
Russia's history of aborted manned space launches The aborted launch of a Soyuz rocket with US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on Thursday was the first such accident in the history of manned launches in modern Russia.
Aborted launch of Soyuz spacecraft: what we know A Soyuz space rocket carrying a NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut suffered an engine problem and the crew had to make an emergency landing minutes after lift-off on Thursday.
'That was a short flight': crew of failed rocket keeps cool Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin retained an enviable sang-froid Thursday as he realised while travelling at thousands of miles an hour that his spacecraft would have to make an emergency landing.
	No more taxi service to Space Station after Soyuz fiasco The taxi service to the orbiting International Space Station is taking no passengers until further notice.
	Image: The space station transits the sun This composite image, made from nine frames, shows the International Space Station, with a crew of three onboard, in silhouette as it transits the Sun at roughly five miles per second, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018.
	NASA film by Rory Kennedy revisits her uncle's challenge Filmmaker Rory Kennedy couldn't resist the obvious place to open her new documentary on NASA. That's a news clip of her uncle, President John F. Kennedy, challenging the space agency to land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.

Technology news

	Now boarding: Passengers ready for world's longest flight Passengers were getting ready to board the world's longest flight on Thursday—a marathon 19 hours in the air between Singapore and New York.
	UC Berkeley team gives jumping robot higher goals than bouncy-bouncy "Precision Jumping Limits from Flight-phase Control in Salto-1P" is the academic sounding title of a paper that should nonetheless delight those interested in robotic movement.
	Bioinspired camera could help self-driving cars see better Inspired by the visual system of the mantis shrimp—among the most complex found in nature—researchers have created a new type of camera that could greatly improve the ability of cars to spot hazards in challenging imaging conditions.
	BMW plans to take control of China joint venture German luxury carmaker BMW announced Thursday a plan to take control of its China joint-venture, the first foreign automaker to take advantage of Beijing's new ownership rules for the sector.
	Simple fabrication of full-color perovskite LEDs A next-generation optical material based on perovskite nanoparticles can achieve vivid colors even on very large screens. Due to their high color purity and low cost advantages, it has also gained much interests in industry. A recent study including researchers with UNIST has introduced a simple technique to extract the three primary colors (red, blue, green) from this material.
	The social implications of teens leaving Facebook For years, Facebook grew in size and influence at a staggering rate. But recent reports suggest its hold on users —particularly in the developed world —may be weakening.
	Sports industry gears up for virtual reality revolution From training with Major League Baseball pitchers to bone-jangling racing on board an F1 car, technology's potential to revolutionise sport was the hot topic as industry leaders met in London this week.
	Opening communication lines between propulsion and airflow poses new questions On the runway to more fuel-efficient aircraft, one alternative propulsion scheme being explored is an array of electrically powered ducted fans. The fans are distributed across the wing span or integrated into the wing. Researchers at the University of Illinois gained new understanding in how the fans and especially their precise placement on the aircraft can affect the cross-conversation between propulsion and the airflow around the wing.
	Facebook purges 251 accounts to thwart deception Facebook on Thursday said it shut down 251 accounts for breaking rules against spam and coordinated deceit, some of it by ad farms pretending to be forums for political debate.
	Stringent password policies help prevent fraud, study finds The all-too-common practice of using the same email address/password combination to log into multiple websites can be damaging, especially for employers with many users and valuable assets protected by passwords, like universities.
	Risk of streaming fatigue as Walmart, AT&T, Disney join fray As Walmart, AT&T and Disney join stalwarts such as Netflix in streaming video and creating original shows, a reality sets in: Not all will survive.
	Saudi Arabia opens high-speed railway to public Saudi Arabia's new high-speed railway opened to the public on Thursday, whisking Muslim pilgrims and other travellers between Mecca and Medina, Islam's holiest cities.
	Contactless 3-D fingerprint identification A new system improves the speed and accuracy of fingerprint scanning and matching by using 3-D technology. No pressing required.
	Restoring balance in machine learning datasets If you want to teach a child what an elephant looks like, you have an infinite number of options. Take a photo from National Geographic, a stuffed animal of Dumbo, or an elephant keychain; show it to the child; and the next time he sees an object which looks like an elephant he will likely point and say the word.
	Tough CO2 targets 'could cost 100,000 jobs': VW chief Setting European Union targets for reducing cars' greenhouse gas output that are too ambitious could backfire with the loss of 100,000 jobs, Volkswagen chief executive Herbert Diess said Thursday.
Shareholders must vote on Musk's return as Tesla chairman If Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to return as chairman, shareholders will have to vote on it.

Medicine & Health news

	Study finds orgasm face and pain face are not the same A team of researchers from the UK and Spain has found evidence showing that contrary to popular belief, the orgasm face is not the same as the pain face. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers describe their research and what they found.
	First two papers based on studies using full set of data in the UK Biobank published Two teams of researchers have independently published papers describing research conducted using the full set of data in the UK Biobank—both in the journal Nature. The first team comprised researchers from the U.K., Australia and Switzerland—they searched the Biobank looking for associations between genetic variants and features that could be used to fill in gaps in the data. The second team consisted of researchers from Oxford University—they used the Biobank to compare genetic data with an associated 10,000 MRI brain scans. Nature has also published a News and Comment piece by staff writer Matthew Warren—he outlines another way the Biobank and others like it are being used for gene-based research efforts. The two papers are the first to be published describing studies conducted using the UK Biobank.
	Pneumonia-causing bacteria can be spread by nose picking and rubbing Pneumonia-causing bacteria can be spread through picking and rubbing the nose, according to new research published in the European Respiratory Journal.
	Sit-stand office desks cut daily sitting time and appear to boost job performance Sit-stand workstations that allow employees to stand, as well as sit, while working on a computer reduce daily sitting time and appear to have a positive impact on job performance and psychological health, finds a trial published by The BMJ today.
	Do not give decongestants to young children for common cold symptoms, say experts Decongestants should not be given to children under 6—and given with caution in children under 12—as there is no evidence that they alleviate symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose, and their safety is unclear, say experts in The BMJ today.
	Lassa fever vaccine shows promise and reveals new test for immunity Lassa fever belongs to the same class of hemorrhagic fevers as Ebola. Like Ebola, it has been a major health threat in Western Africa, infecting 100,000-300,000 people and killing 5,000 per year. A new vaccine against both rabies and Lassa has demonstrated effective protection in animal models of disease, according to research publishing in the journal Nature Communications, on October 11th. The research also points to a new way to test for protection against the virus, a finding that could significantly speed vaccine development in humans.
	Nice people finish last when it comes to money Nice people may be at greater risk of bankruptcy and other financial hardships compared with their less agreeable peers, not because they are more cooperative, but because they don't value money as much, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
	The metabolome: A way to measure obesity and health beyond BMI The link between obesity and health problems may seem apparent. People who are obese are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, liver disease, cancer, and heart disease. But increasingly, researchers are learning that the connection is not always clear-cut. For this reason, they've sought to develop better ways to determine who is at an elevated risk of developing these complications.
	Scientists accidentally reprogram mature mouse GABA neurons into dopaminergic-like neurons Attempting to make dopamine-producing neurons out of glial cells in mouse brains, a group of researchers instead converted mature inhibitory neurons into dopaminergic cells. Their findings, appearing October 11 in the journal Stem Cell Reports, reveal that—contrary to previous belief—it is possible to reprogram one mature neuron type into another without first reverting it to a stem-cell-like state.
	Researchers create a functional salivary gland organoid A research group led by scientists from Showa University and the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan have, for the first time, succeeded in growing three-dimensional salivary gland tissue that, when implanted into mice, produces saliva like normal glands.
	Enzyme that triggers autoimmune responses from T-cells in patients with MS found A team of researchers from Switzerland, the U.S. and Spain has isolated an enzyme that triggers an autoimmune response from T-cells in patients with MS. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their study of T-cells and protein fragments and what they found. Joseph Sabatino Jr. and Scott Zamvil with the University of California, have written a Focus piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.
	New study finds thalamus wakes the brain during development Consciousness requires continuous, internally generated activity in the brain. The modulation of this activity is the basis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and of generation of sleep, dreams, and perception. Achieving such activity is thus an important milestone in normal brain maturation, which occurs around birth. Successful transition to this activity indicates a good prognosis for babies born prematurely and/or suffering from damage to the brain.
	Study: DNA websites cast broad net for identifying people About 60 percent of the U.S. population with European heritage may be identifiable from their DNA by searching consumer websites, even if they've never made their own genetic information available, a study estimates.
	Human brain cell transplant offers insights into neurological conditions In the new study, led by Imperial College London in collaboration with a group from the University of Cambridge, researchers transplanted human brain cells into a mouse brain, and for the first time watched how they grew and connected to each other. This allowed the team to study the way human brain cells interact in a more natural environment than previously possible.
	Home rehabilitation helps people with heart failure achieve better quality of life A new study has found that the Rehabilitation Enablement in CHronic Heart Failure (REACH-HF) programme, led by the University of Exeter and the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS trust, significantly improved quality of life and is deliverable within NHS cost guidelines.
	New techniques can detect Lyme disease weeks before current tests Researchers have developed techniques to detect Lyme disease bacteria weeks sooner than current tests, allowing patients to start treatment earlier.
Gene variants raise risk of migraines in African-American children Pediatric researchers have discovered common gene variants associated with migraines in African-American children. The research adds to knowledge of genetic influences on childhood migraine and may lead to future precision medicine treatments for African-American children with these intense headaches.
Cancer patients with rare deadly brain infection treated successfully with off-the-shelf adoptive T-cell therapy An emerging treatment known as adoptive T-cell therapy has proven effective in a Phase II clinical trial for treating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare and often fatal brain infection sometimes observed in patients with cancer and other diseases in which the immune system is compromised.
Immigration restrictions for EU citizens could damage UK research and healthcare An analysis of senior European scientists and doctors working in the UK underlines the high risk of considerable damage to the UK's science output and international research reputation caused by any post-Brexit immigration restrictions, as well as an associated reduction in healthcare quality. The research, published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, was carried out by a team from King's College London and Queen's University Belfast.
Investigation exposes 'scandal' that has left thousands of women irreversibly harmed An investigation by The BMJ reveals how vaginal mesh implant manufacturers "aggressively hustled" their products into widespread use, how regulators approved them "on the flimsiest of evidence" and how the medical profession failed to set up registries that might have picked up problems far sooner.
	Ability to recover after 'maximum effort' is crucial to make football's top flight Footballers' ability to recover after high-intensity effort may not depend on their age, but on their division level, a new study has suggested.
	E-cigarette additives increase inflammation and impair lung function, study finds Flavoring and additive ingredients in e-cigarettes may increase inflammation and impair lung function, according to new research. The study, published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, also found that short-term exposure to e-cigarettes was enough to cause lung inflammation similar or worse than that seen in traditional cigarette use. The research was chosen as an APSselect article for October.
	New model mimics human tumors for accurate testing of cancer drugs Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have genetically engineered a new laboratory model that enables accurate testing of anti-cancer drugs by mimicking the complexity of human cancers.
Blood test identifies more treatable cancer mutations than tissue biopsy alone In one of the largest clinical studies to ever examine the impact of using a blood test to detect treatable mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that they could identify significantly more mutations through liquid biopsy instead of a solid tissue biopsy alone. The findings also show that patients whose actionable mutations were detected by the blood based liquid biopsy responded favorably to targeted therapies. Overall, the addition of liquid biopsy nearly doubled the number of mutations detected compared to what solid tissue testing alone would have found. Importantly, 86 percent of patients with targetable mutations identified via liquid biopsy achieved either a complete response, partial response, or stable disease. Researchers published their findings in JAMA Oncology today.
	Hearing and visual aids linked to slower age-related memory loss Hearing aids and cataract surgery are strongly linked to a slower rate of age-related cognitive decline, according to new research by University of Manchester academics.
	Genetic Achilles heel hurts humans fighting hepatitis C An antimicrobial signaling molecule called IFNλ4 has lower activity against the hepatitis C virus in the vast majority of humans compared with chimpanzees and African hunter-gatherer Pygmies, according to a study published October 11 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by John McLauchlan's research team at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in the UK, and colleagues.
	Bile salt receptor linked to replication and repression of HBV virus Despite an efficient and well-tolerated vaccine, hepatitis B (HBV) remains a major public health problem, with more than 250 million people at high risk of developing liver cirrhosis and cancer as a result. HBV treatment must be given for life, as it does not produce long-term disease control. A new animal study published in The FASEB Journal reveals a significant link between HBV and the metabolic pathway of bile salts that could have implications for a new therapeutic strategy for HBV treatment.
	Plant compound found to have therapeutic effect on complications from snakebites Rutin, a flavonoid, may complement antivenom as an effective co-treatment for envenoming from Bothrops jaraca.
	Fatal police shootings more frequent in US states with high household gun ownership U.S. states with high levels of household gun ownership have higher rates of fatal shootings of civilians by police than states with lower gun prevalence, according to a new study led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Northeastern University.
Ultrasound helps predict the success of fistulas in individual dialysis patients Unfortunately, arteriovenous fistulas, the gold standard for accessing the bloodstream for dialysis, frequently fail to mature and cannot be used. A new study in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) suggests a strategy to identify failure earlier, permitting effective intervention.
	Sweet drink labels leave a sour taste "Health halos" are making it harder for consumers to know which drinks are good for them according to a new study published today in the internationally peer-reviewed journal Public Health Nutrition.
	Research shows at-risk elementary students benefit from child-centered play therapy Elementary school students who received child-centered play therapy services over the course of a school year showed significant positive changes, according to data collected from a research study by two University of Arkansas professors.
	Preeclampsia: We can do more Each year, more than 10,000 pregnant women in Australia suffer from preeclampsia and 30,000 die from it on a global level. The condition, characterized by high blood pressure, can be fatal and have long-term health effects for both mothers and babies. It causes the death of 780 babies each day. These numbers, according to Dean and Foundation Chair of Medicine at Western Sydney University Professor Annemarie Hennessy, are unacceptable, and profoundly sad, when the condition can be prevented and patients better cared for with effective treatments and responsive systems of care.
	Satiety in 3-D Many overweight people lack the feeling of being full. It was long thought that this was due to the disrupted transport of the satiety hormone leptin to the brain. That is not the case, as a group of scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum München has now shown in the International Journal of Obesity. The work was made possible by a new 3-D imaging technique that allows tracking the path of the hormone in the brain as shown in this video
	Research shows diet has little influence on precursor to gout Dietary factors have a far smaller influence on urate levels (a precursor to gout) than previously envisaged, new University of Otago research reveals.
	People affected by mental health at higher risk of poor dental outcomes Researchers from The University of Western Australia say more needs to be done to help improve the quality of dental health care for people who are affected by mental health issues.
	Sending parents letters to fight childhood obesity doesn't work Around this time every year, the height and weight of over 95% of children in the first and final years of primary school in England are measured as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). With childhood obesity levels rising, this data set is put to use to identify and support parents whose children are at risk.
	You can't 'erase' bad memories, but you can learn ways to cope with them The film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind pitched an interesting premise: what if we could erase unwanted memories that lead to sadness, despair, depression, or anxiety? Might this someday be possible, and do we know enough about how distressing memories are formed, stored, and retrieved to make such a therapy possible?
	Why some kids are more prone to dental decay A quarter of children have dental decay by the time they start school. This occurs when bacteria in the mouth break down sugar to produce acid, which attacks and dissolves the teeth.
	Smarter data analysis strategies will improve infertility treatment in the future Scientists from Tartu have discovered a simple way to improve infertility treatment in the future. The results of the study, published in Human Reproduction, a top journal in the field, can be used in precision medicine to account for the variability in each female patient's menstrual cycle. This personalised approach will first and foremost benefit those couples, who have experienced repeated IVF failure.
	Microbiome profiling reveals associations with ulcerative colitis severity, treatment A study of gut microbes from more than 400 children points to how the microbiome behaves in this inflammatory bowel disease.
	"Eye scan" a promising option for early detection of central nervous system disorders Partners from Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands are taking part in the EU MOON project to develop new techniques for early diagnosis of age-related diseases of the eye and central nervous system, and successfully apply them in treatment and diagnosis. At 18 months from the start of MOON, researchers are confident that, in the future, it will be possible to use an eye scan to diagnose diseases such as Alzheimer's or to detect aggressive forms of age-related macular degeneration at an early stage – based on structural and molecular tissue changes on the retina.
	Altruism can be trained Whether regarding climate change and its consequences, the refugee crisis or the unfair distribution of wealth, when looking for solutions to these global challenges, the decisions of individuals, such as their willingness to cooperate, are just as important as international agreements or national regulations. This is what scientists call "prosocial behaviour".
	Mental well-being related to better brain health in older adults A positive sense of mental well-being is related to better brain health among older adults, according to a new report issued today by the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) and involving University of Exeter research.
	Just one-third of Chinese acute coronary syndrome patients receive rehabilitation guidance Just one-third of Chinese patients with acute coronary syndromes including heart attack receive cardiac rehabilitation guidance before discharge from hospital, according to research presented at the 29th Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology (GW-ICC). Only one in ten receive personalised advice.
	Weight stigma: five unspoken truths Weight stigma – a negative response to someone based on their weight – is the fourth most common form of social discrimination amongst adults – after age, gender and race. It is the only form of discrimination still widely deemed to be socially acceptable.
	Giant mosquitoes flourish in floodwaters that hurricanes leave behind After Hurricane Florence, reports started rolling in of "giant mosquito" sightings – and bitings – throughout North Carolina. What's going on with these mega mosquitoes that can be as big as a quarter?
	Does weather influence older adults' physical activity? "Older people in poor physical condition become less physically active if there's more rain in the summer. Higher temperatures, on the other hand, have a positive effect on their activity level in both summer and winter months," says Nils Petter Aspvik, a Ph.D. candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Sociology and Political Science.
	Day of discharge does not influence heart surgery patient readmissions Despite a common belief that weekend and holiday discharge after major heart surgery may impact hospital readmissions, research published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery showed that day of discharge does not affect readmissions.
	Computational model clarifies immune response during cardiac surgery A research team led by Peter Sloot, professor of Complex Adaptive Systems at the University of Amsterdam, has managed to pinpoint the mechanisms behind the immune response triggered in patients undergoing open heart surgery. The team's research reveals that by administering supplementary enzymes, so-called alkaline phosphates, to patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the latter can regain control over their own immune response. This in turn results in a surprisingly shorter recovery time and a considerably higher survival rate. The team's results were recently published in the leading open-access journal Frontiers in Immunology.
	Should you hide negative emotions from children? From crying in the toilet to leaving the house in a rage, many parents and carers don't want their children to see them getting emotional. But is this the right thing to do, or should you come clean about your fear of spiders or how angry you are with your boss? While the topic is complex, some clear answers are beginning to emerge from the research.
	Molecular link between body weight, early puberty identified Becoming overweight at a young age can trigger a molecular chain reaction that leads some girls to experience puberty early, according to new research published in Nature Communications.
	Women with heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa face challenges, but stigma may be worst of all Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, claiming a female life every minute. Yet it is often seen as a "man's disease." This disparity is magnified in sub-Saharan Africa, where we have recently conducted an investigation into the experiences of women living with rheumatic heart disease.
	New study examines Brexit's effect on 'Sugar Tax' and coronary heart disease A new study published in Public Health Nutrition examines the potential effects of Brexit on the sugar tax and coronary heart disease (CHD) in England.
	Accepted manuscripts meet more criteria for research reporting (HealthDay)—Accepted manuscripts for observational studies have better adherence to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist compared with rejected manuscripts, according to research published in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	As Hurricane Michael hits Florida, experts urge safety (HealthDay)—As category 4 Hurricane Michael slammed into northern Florida on Wednesday, the National Safety Council offered residents steps to stay safe.
	The skinny on fats (HealthDay)—Even when you're trying to lose weight, you need some fat in your diet for good health. While fat in general has gotten a bad rap, some types of fat—particularly plant-based fats—are good for you in moderation.
	Prevalence of anxiety, depression up for adults with arthritis (HealthDay)—The age-standardized prevalences of symptoms of anxiety and depression among adults with arthritis are 22.5 and 12.1 percent, which are considerably higher than those among adults without arthritis, according to research published in the Oct. 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Renal-replacement timing has no effect in kidney injury, sepsis (HealthDay)—For patients with early-stage septic shock and severe acute kidney injury, 90-day mortality does not differ for patients randomly assigned to an early strategy for initiation of renal-replacement therapy versus a delayed strategy, according to a study published in the Oct. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Study reveals that cells involved in allergies also play a key role in survival In a University of California, Irvine-led study, researchers found evidence that mast cells, an important group of immune cells typically associated with allergies, actually enable the body to survive fasting or intense exercise. The study was published today in Cell Metabolism.
	Researchers say ritual for orthodox Jewish men may offer heart benefits A pilot study led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine suggests Jewish men who practice wearing tefillin, which involves the tight wrapping of an arm with leather banding as part of daily prayer, may receive cardiovascular health benefits.
Study holds promise for new pediatric brain tumor treatment New research published in Nature Communications from scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U), in collaboration with the Stanford University School of Medicine, shows a specific protein regulates both the initiation of cancer spreading and the self-renewal of cancer cells in medulloblastoma, a type of pediatric brain cancer.
	New transgenic model of Parkinson's illuminates disease biology Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that presents clinically with abnormal movement and tremors at rest. In the brain, PD is marked by the accumulation of the protein, α-synuclein (αS), into clumps known as Lewy bodies, which diminish neural health. Previous research suggests abnormal αS can alter cell membrane function and lead to cell death. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a unique mouse model to induce PD-like αS aggregation, leading to resting tremor and abnormal movement control. This mouse model responds to L-DOPA, similarly to patients with PD. The research team's results on the use of this transgenic mouse model appear this week in Neuron.
	Scientists reveal new cystic fibrosis treatments work best in inflamed airways A new UNC School of Medicine study shows that two cystic fibrosis (CF) drugs aimed at correcting the defected CFTR protein seem to be more effective when a patient's airway is inflamed. This is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of these drugs under inflammatory conditions relevant to CF airways.
	Researchers find video games effective for bystander intervention in sexual assaults As recent news headlines have shown, bystanders can play a pivotal role when it comes to sexual assault and relationship violence. But experts will tell you that the most challenging part is spreading awareness about bystander intervention, especially among teens and college students. That's why researchers at the University of New Hampshire are looking at gaming as a way to introduce intervention strategies. They found that video games show promise as a tool to share information and influence bystander attitudes and efficacy in situations of sexual violence.
	Nerve stimulation in mice suggests new way to reduce delirium after surgery For adults over age 65, surgical complications can dampen not only their physical health but also their mental sharpness, with more than half of high-risk cases declining into delirium.
	Study identifies effective ketamine doses for treatment-resistant depression A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators identifies two subanesthetic dosage levels of the anesthetic drug ketamine that appear to provide significant symptom relief to patients with treatment-resistant depression. In the October 2018 issue of Molecular Psychiatry they describe finding that single intravenous doses of 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg were more effective than an active placebo in reducing depression symptoms over a three-day period. Two lower dosage levels that were tested did not provide significant symptom relief, although some improvement was noted with the lowest 0.1 mg/kg dose.
	Thousands of young US children get no vaccines, survey finds Worried health officials say a small but growing proportion of the youngest children in the U.S. have not been vaccinated against any disease.
'Domestic gag rule' will negatively impact women's health care A new Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) study on Texas organizations receiving family planning funds finds that proposed federal guidelines restricting abortion counseling and referrals for Title X providers may adversely impact the health care of pregnant women.
	Elderly housing with supportive social services can reduce hospital use, study finds Investing in affordable housing that offers supportive social services to senior citizens on Medicare has the potential to reduce hospital admissions and the amount of time needing inpatient hospital care by better managing chronic health conditions, according to a Rutgers study.
Canadian smokers support bold new approaches to end tobacco use Most Canadian smokers are in favour of novel policies to reduce tobacco use, according to a national survey by the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC) at the University of Waterloo.
	How teens with type 1 diabetes can guard their hearts People with type 1 diabetes are far more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those without diabetes. Their risks climb even higher if they show signs of hypertension (high blood pressure) or dyslipidemia (unhealthy levels of cholesterol or triglycerides).
	How parenting affects antisocial behaviors in children Less parental warmth and more harshness in the home environment affect how aggressive children become and whether they lack empathy and a moral compass, a set of characteristics known as callous-unemotional (CU) traits, according to findings from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University. The work was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
	Photoactive bacteria bait may help in fight against MRSA infections Purdue University researchers are testing whether a light-active version of heme, the molecule responsible for transporting oxygen in blood circulation, may help people infected with MRSA.
	Immune cells in triple-negative breast cancer offer potential therapeutic target About 15 percent of breast cancers are classified as triple-negative, lacking receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and Her2. These cancers do not respond to targeted hormonal therapies, and they tend to be particularly aggressive, often resisting systemic chemotherapy and metastasizing to other tissues.
	Flu shot in pregnancy lowers risk of flu hospitalization (HealthDay)—The flu shot reduces a pregnant woman's risk of hospitalization for flu by 40 percent, new research shows.
	Boy with heart defects thrives after 'time bomb' delivery During the last few months of her pregnancy, Lisa Livesay closed the door to the nursery she and her husband, Chris, had created for their third child. She couldn't bear to look inside, not knowing if the cozy space would ever be home to their baby.
	Obesity doubles odds for colon cancer in younger women (HealthDay)—While rates of colon cancer have declined among people 50 and older, they're on the rise for younger Americans. Now, new research suggests widening waistlines may be one reason why. In the study, women aged 20 to 49 who were overweight or obese had up to twice the risk for colon cancer before age 50, compared with normal-weight women.
	Low recurrence with shortened IV abx course in GBS bacteremia (HealthDay)—For infants with uncomplicated, late-onset group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteremia, a shortened intravenous (IV) course of antibiotic therapy is sometimes prescribed and is associated with low rates of disease recurrence and treatment failure, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in Pediatrics.
	Sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass may be better for teens (HealthDay)—Adolescents with severe obesity achieve substantial and sustainable weight loss with sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric bypass procedures but not with gastric banding, according to a study published in the September issue of Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.
Deep learning can distinguish recalled-benign mammograms from malignant and negative images An artificial intelligence (AI) approach based on deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) could identify nuanced mammographic imaging features specific for recalled but benign (false-positive) mammograms and distinguish such mammograms from those identified as malignant or negative.
	Rate of new Ebola cases has doubled since September The rate of new Ebola cases has more than doubled since September after rebel violence in northeastern Congo caused response efforts to be briefly suspended, health officials said Thursday.
	Clinical trial testing vitamin and steroid combination in sepsis patients underway at Emory A new clinical trial at Emory University and 45 other sites around the U.S. will test a combination of vitamins and steroids in patients diagnosed with sepsis. Sepsis is caused by the body's overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death.
	Breakthrough findings for the treatment of heart attack patients with cardiogenic shock Heart attacks with cardiogenic shock represent a major European healthcare concern with mortality rates between 40-70 percent. So how can it be treated best? The breakthrough findings of the five-year long CULPRIT-SHOCK multi-center study give a clear answer to this question and even lead to a change of the Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology.
	New report shows three times more men than women commit suicide in Arizona A new report from the ASU Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety and the Arizona Violent Death Reporting System details suicides in Arizona, examining the characteristics of the victims and the circumstances of their deaths.
	Big Tobacco cries foul after hard-line UN treaty Big tobacco companies moved Thursday to counter the hard line taken by a global tobacco control treaty, including its decision that new "vaping" products should face the same restrictions as cigarettes.
More homeopathic products made in N. Carolina recalled Contamination at a North Carolina-based homeopathic manufacturer has led to further recalls.
Lithuania parliament votes to legalise medicinal cannabis use Lithuania's parliament on Thursday passed a law that will allow doctors to prescribe marijuana-based medicine in the Baltic EU state.
	How a common drug causes liver failure Acetaminophen is a common pain reliever found in every pharmacy. However, it is also the No. 1 cause of acute liver failure in the United States. In the liver, acetaminophen is converted into a new compound that covalently binds to proteins at an amino acid called cysteine. These covalent binding events are known to contribute to the toxicity of acetaminophen, but they cannot fully account for its role in liver failure. The compound is known to impair the activity of mitochondria, the cell's energy supplier, but does not bind directly to some of the enzymes in mitochondria whose activity it affects. Now researchers have found a new way that the breakdown product affects proteins in the liver.
	How are pulsed electric fields being used in cancer therapy? Pulsed electric fields are helping fight cancer, whether by inducing tumor cell death or by stimulating the immune system. A comprehensive overview of this developing field is published in the preview issue of Bioelectricity.
New ASTRO/ASCO/AUA guideline for prostate cancer supports shortened radiation therapy Three prominent medical societies today issued a new clinical guideline for physicians treating men with early-stage prostate cancer using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Adoption of the guideline could make treatment shorter and more convenient for many patients with prostate cancer, the most common malignancy among American men.

Biology news

	Researchers modify CRISPR to reorganize genome Researchers at Stanford University have reworked CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to manipulate the genome in three-dimensional space, allowing them to ferry genetic snippets to different locations in a cell's nucleus.
	New microscope offers 4-D look at embryonic development in living mice A smart new microscope has given scientists a front-row seat to the drama of mammalian development.
	Mouse pups with same-sex parents born in China using stem cells and gene editing Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences were able to produce healthy mice with two mothers that went on to have normal offspring of their own. Mice from two dads were also born but only survived for a couple of days. The work, presented October 11 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, looks at what makes it so challenging for animals of the same sex to produce offspring and suggests that some of these barriers can be overcome using stem cells and targeted gene editing.
	Human retinas grown in a dish explain how color vision develops Biologists at Johns Hopkins University grew human retinas from scratch to determine how cells that allow people to see in color are made.
	Computational model links family members using genealogical and law-enforcement databases The notion of using genetic ancestry databases to solve crimes recently crossed from hypothetical into credible when police used an online genealogical database to track down the alleged Golden State Killer, a serial criminal who terrorized much of California in the 1970s and 1980s. Now, in a study published October 11 in Cell, researchers are reporting ways in which that type of inquiry could potentially be expanded.
	Microfluidic molecular exchanger helps control therapeutic cell manufacturing Researchers have demonstrated an integrated technique for monitoring specific biomolecules – such as growth factors – that could indicate the health of living cell cultures produced for the burgeoning field of cell-based therapeutics.
	Genetic study provides new information about endangered whales Hope for an alarmingly low number of gray whales in the western Pacific Ocean might rest with their cousins to the east, according to a Purdue University study of the animals' genetic resources.
	How yeast cells detect genetic infections ETH researchers studying yeast cells have discovered a new mechanism for detecting foreign genetic material from pathogens or environmental contamination, and rendering it harmless.
	Optical illusion spooks raptors Researchers from the CNRS and Université de Rennes 1, in collaboration with Airbus, have designed a visual pattern that elicits long-term avoidance of high-risk areas by raptors. The work clears the way for further investigation into the visual cognition of these birds, and it has applications for conservation, because raptors are among the most common victims of collisions with planes and wind turbines. Their findings are published in PLOS ONE.
	Do lizards dream like humans? Researchers from the Sleep Team at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CNRS/INSERM/Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University/Université Jean Monnet), together with a colleague from the MECADEV research laboratory (CNRS/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle) have confirmed that lizards exhibit two sleep states, just like humans, other mammals and birds. They corroborated the conclusions of a 2016 study on the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) and conducted the same sleep investigation on another lizard, the Argentine tegu (Salvator merianae). Their findings, published in PLOS Biology, nevertheless point out differences between species, which raises new questions about the origin of sleep states.
	New route of acquiring antibiotic resistance in bacteria is the most potent one to date Bacteriophages (or phages) are viruses that infect and parasitize bacteria. These phages can transfer DNA from one bacterium to another through a process known as genetic transduction. This is thought to be the major means by which bacteria evolve and acquire the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors that accelerate the emergence of new and progressively more pathogenic strains. Up to now, two mechanisms of genetic transduction were known: generalized and specialized transduction. For over 60 years, since their discovery by American scientist and Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg, these two mechanisms have stood as the only mechanisms of genetic transduction.
	Shrimp talent quest finds a winner Shrimp help keep fish clean—and scientists have identified the 'cleaner shrimp' with the most talent for reducing parasites and chemical use in farmed fish.
	Low copper levels linked to fatter fat cells In studies of mouse cells, Johns Hopkins researchers have found that low levels of cellular copper appear to make fat cells fatter by altering how cells process their main metabolic fuels, such as fat and sugar.
	Researchers discover what pneumococcus says to make you sick Carnegie Mellon University researchers have identified a molecule that plays a key role in bacterial communication and infection. Their findings add a new word to pneumococcus' molecular dictionary and may lead to novel ways to manipulate the bacteria and prevent infection. The findings, from the lab of Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Luisa Hiller, are published in the Oct. 11 issue of PLOS Pathogens.
	Judge mulls slashing $290 mn award in Roundup cancer case A judge on Wednesday was mulling whether to gut a jury order that Monsanto pay $290 million in damages for not warning a groundskeeper that its weed killer product Roundup might cause cancer.
UK Alabama rot risk may be linked to certain types of dog breed and habitat The risk of contracting renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), popularly known as Alabama Rot, may be higher in certain types of dog breed and land habitat, indicate two linked studies published in this week's Vet Record.
	A death-defying Icelandic organism may hold the key to withstanding extreme cold Daniel Shain, Rutgers University-Camden chair of the Department of Biology and a member of Center for Computational and Integrative Biology at Rutgers University–Camden, can trace the roots of research that has dominated his career for 25 years to a stop at a diner in Alaska for lunch during a trip with his father.
	The faulty yardstick in genomics studies and how to cope with it Geneticists use standards to reconstruct the history of a species or to evaluate the impact of mutations, in the form of genetic markers scattered throughout the genome. Provided these markers are neutral, i.e. that they have evolved randomly rather than through a selective process, they can be reliably used as standards to compare various parameters across populations.
	Reproductive strategy drives slower female aging The aging of males and females is influenced by how they choose to invest their available energy, according to a study of fruit flies carried out at Linköping University, Sweden. The results, published in The American Naturalist, support the idea that differences in strategy between the sexes to maximise the number of offspring contribute to differences in aging between males and females.
	Researchers dig to get to the root of lavender's secrets A team of researchers, including UBC's Soheil Mahmoud, have recently sequenced the genome of lavender.
	Study of penguin colonies at Antarctic island shows decline Results from a 21-year study into the breeding success of gentoo penguins at a well-known tourist site in Antarctica, reveal a 25 percent reduction in breeding pairs and a decrease of between 54-60 percent in chick numbers. Reporting this week in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, researchers from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) say that the causes of the local decline is unclear.
Clay supplements in dairy cows improve immune response to aflatoxin challenge, study says In the fight against aflatoxin, dairy producers often turn to sequestering agents such as clay to reduce transference of the toxin into milk. It's an effective tactic, but a new study from the University of Illinois shows that clay has additional benefits for overall cow health.
	Opening the way for global innovation in biotechnology A new easy-to-use legal tool that enables open exchange of biological materials is launched today.
	First tuna auction at Japan's 'new Tsukiji' market The cries of the raucous pre-dawn tuna auction rang out for the first time at Tokyo's new fish market Thursday, just days after the world-famous Tsukiji site closed the door on its 83-year history.
	Antibiotic-free treatment of dairy cows underway Is antibiotic resistance signalling the end for modern treatments of udder infections in the dairy industry? Not so fast, according to researchers who are developing breakthrough technology that's effective against all tested bacteria.
	Beautiful photos put focus on Australian insects Dramatic photos by Flinders natural sciences researcher James Dorey put a spotlight on an estimated 2000-3000 species of bees in Australia.
	UEA researchers to investigate mysterious hare deaths Researchers at the University of East Anglia have joined forces with Norfolk and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts to investigate the cause of mysterious hare deaths in the region.
	New clinical trials seek treatments for canine cancers, may offer clues on human cancers Two studies into deadly cancers in dogs are now underway, offered through the newly formed Clinical Trials Office at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University. Dogs with spontaneous osteosarcoma, as well as dogs with mast cell tumors and solid tumors, may be eligible for enrollment.

---

This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, please unsubscribe here.
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com. You may manage your subscription options from your Science X profile