Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Feb 19

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 19, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Evaluating robots as teachers or partners in language learning exercises

Observation of quantized heating in quantum matter

A polariton filter turns ordinary laser light into quantum light

Physicists explain fireballs erupting from grapes in microwave oven

Isotopes found in bones suggest Neanderthals were fresh meat eaters

Confirming a source of the process behind auroras and the formation of stars

New imaging technology captures movement of quantum particles with unprecedented resolution

New machine learning technique rapidly analyzes nanomedicines for cancer immunotherapy

Apple eyes device future with flexible display designs

As citizen scientists, farmers can make important contributions to climate adaptation

Ancient 'night' marsupial faced four months of winter darkness

Gearing up for 5G: A miniature, low-cost transceiver for fast, reliable communications

Total synthesis of marine antitumor agents trabectedin and lurbinectedin

Rosetta's comet sculpted by stress

Extinguishing fear memories relies on an unusual change to DNA

Astronomy & Space news

	Rosetta's comet sculpted by stress Feeling stressed? You're not alone. ESA's Rosetta mission has revealed that geological stress arising from the shape of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has been a key process in sculpting the comet's surface and interior following its formation.
	LOFAR radio telescope reveals secrets of solar storms An international team of scientists led by a researcher from Trinity College Dublin and University of Helsinki announced a major discovery on the very nature of solar storms in the journal Nature Astronomy.
	Astronomers publish sky map of thousands of newly discovered galaxies An international team of more than 200 astronomers from 18 countries has published the first phase of a major new radio sky survey at unprecedented sensitivity using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope. The survey reveals hundreds of thousands of previously undetected galaxies, shedding new light on many research areas including the physics of black holes and how clusters of galaxies evolve. A special issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics is dedicated to the first twenty-six research papers describing the survey and its first results.
	IAU names landing site of Chinese Chang'e-4 probe on far side of the moon The International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name Statio Tianhe for the landing site where the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e-4 touched down on 3 January this year, in the first-ever landing on the far side of the Moon. The name Tianhe originates from the ancient Chinese name for the Milky Way, which was the sky river that separated Niulang and Zhinyu in the folk tale "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl".
	'Astrocomb' opens new horizons for planet-hunting telescope The hunt for Earth-like planets, and perhaps extraterrestrial life, just got more precise, thanks to record-setting starlight measurements made possible by a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) "astrocomb."
	Solar tadpole-like jets seen with NASA'S IRIS add new clue to age-old mystery Scientists have discovered tadpole-shaped jets coming out of regions with intense magnetic fields on the Sun. Unlike those living on Earth, these "tadpoles"—formally called pseudo-shocks—are made entirely of plasma, the electrically conducting material made of charged particles that account for an estimated 99 percent of the observable universe. The discovery adds a new clue to one of the longest-standing mysteries in astrophysics.
	Reliable method for detecting extraterrestrial life is used on Earth for the first time Dutch scientists have developed an instrument capable of detecting the presence of living plants kilometres away. In future, the technique could be used in the search for extraterrestrial life. The biologist Lucas Patty will be announcing these results to the world when he defends his Ph.D. at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on 18 February 2019.
	Interactive space simulation for nanosatellites Pioneer partner Open Cosmos are taking mission development to a new dimension, using a virtual reality-like simulation that replicates life in orbit for space technologies.
	Citizen scientists invited to join quest for new worlds The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project re-launches this week, with a call to volunteer citizen scientists to join the search for cold worlds near the Sun. With its newly revamped online interface and equipped with twice as much data as before, the project offers new opportunities to discover planets lurking yet unseen in the outer reaches of the Solar System (e.g., Planet 9, Planet X) as well as cold nearby "failed stars" (a.k.a. brown dwarfs). The re-launch coincides with the publication of the project's latest discovery: a record-setting white dwarf star encircled by mysterious dusty rings that challenge astronomers to rethink the long-term evolution of planetary systems.
	NASA set to demonstrate X-ray communications in space A new experimental type of deep space communications technology is scheduled to be demonstrated on the International Space Station this spring.
	And now for the weather on Mars, courtesy of new NASA lander And now for the weather on Mars: NASA's newest lander is offering daily reports on the red planet's frigid winter.
Trump moving closer to goal of creating a Space Force President Donald Trump is moving closer toward his goal of creating a Space Force, just not as the separate military department he envisioned.

Technology news

	Evaluating robots as teachers or partners in language learning exercises Researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden have carried out a study exploring the effects of using physical robots to assist humans during vocabulary learning exercises. The department of Speech, Music and Hearing at KTH specializes in interdisciplinary research about a broad range of topics, including robotics and computer-assisted language learning.
	Apple eyes device future with flexible display designs Et tu, Apple? Look who is joining the foldable and flexible and bendable brigade. Apple is another brand leader hoping to get a slice of the action in future sales. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published a patent for a flip-phone with flexible screen that bends in the middle, said Vincent Verweij in Foldable News.
	Gearing up for 5G: A miniature, low-cost transceiver for fast, reliable communications Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have designed a 28 GHz transceiver that integrates beamforming with dual-polarized, multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Measuring just three by four millimeters, this tiny transceiver could improve the performance of fifth-generation cellular network (5G) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
	New residential solar panels deliver record-breaking efficiency The solar panels developed by startup Insolight boast an impressive 29 percent yield – a record for the retail market. These systems, which have now been standardized for mass production, contain lenses that focus sunlight on tiny high-yield photovoltaic cells, employing what is a pioneering approach for the solar-power industry.
	Spherical display brings virtual collaboration closer to reality Virtual reality can often make a user feel isolated from the world, with only computer-generated characters for company. But researchers at the University of British Columbia and University of Saskatchewan think they may have found a way to encourage a more sociable virtual reality.
	Huawei's founder says world can't live without it The founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has hit back at US efforts to blacklist the company, saying defiantly that the world cannot do without Huawei and its "more advanced" technology.
	Terahertz wireless makes big strides in paving the way to technological singularity Hiroshima University, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and Panasonic Corporation announced the successful development of a terahertz (THz) transceiver that can transmit or receive digital data at 80 gigabits per second (Gbit/s). The transceiver was implemented using silicon CMOS integrated circuit technology, which would have a great advantage for volume production. Details of the technology will be presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2019 to be held from February 17 to February 21 in San Francisco, California.
	Robots track moving objects using RFID tags to home in on targets A novel system developed at MIT uses RFID tags to help robots home in on moving objects with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The system could enable greater collaboration and precision by robots working on packaging and assembly, and by swarms of drones carrying out search-and-rescue missions.
	Exposed Chinese database shows depth of surveillance state The Chinese database Victor Gevers found online was not just a collection of old personal details.
	Scientists develop a reference target for orbital satellites measures calibrating For the first time, an international team of scientists from Russia, Estonia and Finland has analyzed the operation of a target panel built in the southeast of Estonia to calibrate orbital satellites and to ensure maximally accurate remote sensing of the planet's surface for analyzing the conditions of soil, crops, harvests, pastures, forests, urban areas, transport, industrial infrastructure, natural disasters, emergencies and other purposes.
	Digital PLL achieves a power consumption of 0.265 mW Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed an advanced phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer that can drastically cut power consumption. This digital PLL could be an attractive building block for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and other wireless technologies to support a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Controlling entry and platform fees best way to control market power Technological services can be strategic substitutes or complements in platform competition, new research from Cass Business School has found. The researchers found that platform free entry delivers a superior outcome in terms of liquidity and welfare compared to the case of an unregulated monopoly. However, this does not necessarily match the regulator's preferred outcome, as entering platforms fail to internalise the externalities they impose on traders and rivals. The authors recommend that controlling entry or—preferably—platform fees may serve as an instrument to further increase investors' welfare.
	New Zealand leader says no final decision on using Huawei New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that no final decision has been made on whether Huawei equipment can be used in a planned network upgrade.
	New Zealand plans new tax for giants like Google, Facebook New Zealand's government plans a new tax targeting online giants like Google and Facebook that earn plenty of money in the country but pay little tax.
	Germany, France take aim at EU anti-trust rules in new industrial strategy Germany and France agreed Tuesday on a strategy to create European industrial "champions" and to seek to change EU competition rules that now prevent blockbuster mergers of homegrown companies.
	Companies moving out as Brexit looms As Britain's March 29 departure from the European Union looms, several major companies have announced they are downsizing their operations in the UK or completely shipping out. A panorama:
	Tech could unite Europe's populists ahead of EU vote in May The web platform was named for a revered French populist philosopher and created by an Italian internet entrepreneur to transform common grievances into proposals and activists into political candidates.
	Germany, France push to create European industrial policy Germany and France on Tuesday launched a drive to overhaul the European Union's competition rules to facilitate the creation of world-leading companies. They pushed forward a project to create a car battery consortium aimed at catching up with Asian rivals.
	Twitter tightens up EU political ad rules ahead of election Twitter said Tuesday it is tightening up rules for European Union political ads ahead of bloc-wide elections this spring, following similar moves by fellow tech giants Facebook and Google.
	New legislation bans Russian soldiers from using smartphones Russian lawmakers have approved a bill prohibiting military personnel from using smartphones on duty, a move intended to stop sensitive information from appearing on social media.
	Ford pulls out of S. America truck business, closes Brazil plant US automaker Ford said Tuesday it was pulling out of the commercial heavy truck business in South America, closing a plant in Brazil employing 2,800 workers that has been operating for half a century.
	'Swindon's finished': UK town in shock over Honda plant closure "It is going to be a disaster," Mary Day warned, capturing the sense of doom that descended on the working class English town of Swindon after Honda announced it was closing its local plant after more than 30 years.

Medicine & Health news

	Extinguishing fear memories relies on an unusual change to DNA QBI researchers have discovered a DNA modification that enhances our ability to extinguish fear.
	Study shows why high-protein diets are unhealthy Researchers in South Australia believe they have found the key to why high-protein diets are unhealthy and can lead to shortened lifespans.
	Visualising mental valuation processes Rafael Polanía and his team of ETH researchers have developed a computer model capable of predicting certain human decisions. With it, researchers can predict for example which food someone in a supermarket will choose to buy – valuable information for marketing and health.
	In the age of smart devices, young children spending more time in front of TV screens A new study by Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work researchers about screen time shows that children are spending more time watching television than ever before. Comparing pre-mobile device usage in 1997 to when mobile devices were widely available in 2014, the study found that television consumption still significantly outpaced mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets.
	Using crystals to unpack how viruses work Researchers at Cardiff University have used X-ray crystallography and computer simulation to get a closer look at how viruses bind cells and cause infection.
	A ratiometric fluorescence probe for cisplatin NUS chemists have developed a novel ratiometric fluorescence probe for studying cellular activity of the clinically important anticancer drug cisplatin for next generation drug development.
	How the 'Iron Man' of immune cells helps T cells fight infection The immune system's killer T cells are crucial in fighting viral infections. A fraction of them, called 'memory cells', live on once infection is controlled in order to fight re-infection by the same virus. They are of great interest as the basis of T cell-based vaccination and immunotherapies.
	A new CRISPR/Cas9 therapy can suppress aging Aging is a leading risk factor for a number of debilitating conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease, to name a few. This makes the need for anti-aging therapies all the more urgent. Now, Salk Institute researchers have developed a new gene therapy to help decelerate the aging process.
	Insight into tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects of cellular senescence Researchers at The Wistar Institute have described a novel role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism in the ability of senescent cells to release tumor-promoting molecules. This study, published online in Nature Cell Biology, also cautions that NAD+-augmenting supplements, currently in development for their anti-aging effects as nutroceuticals, should be administered with precision given their potential pro-tumorigenic side effects.
	Researchers develop new one-two punch against melanoma in mouse model Researchers at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine report two new forms of an older anti-cancer agent they developed appear to enhance the immune system's ability to fight melanoma in mice. The agents, dubbed s-DAB-IL-2 and s-DAB-IL-2(V6A), comprise a regulatory protein called human interleukin-2 fused to chemically modified portions of diphtheria toxin.
	Research demonstrates that the brain's primitive sensory region also participates in sophisticated learning Columbia neuroscientists have revealed that a simple brain region, known for processing basic sensory information, can also guide complex feats of mental activity. The new study involving mice demonstrated that cells in the somatosensory cortex, the brain area responsible for touch, also play a key role in reward learning, the sophisticated type of learning that allows the brain to associate an action with a pleasurable outcome. It is the basis for how we connect our work in the office to that paycheck, or that A+ to the studying we did in preparation for the test.
Despite rising prevalence of heart disease in China, primary preventive treatment rates remain low About one in 10 middle-aged adults in China are at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet use of risk reduction therapies is strikingly low. Findings from a Chinese national screening project are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Zoster recombinant vaccine provides better value and better protection against shingles Vaccination with the new recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) provides greater protection against shingles and is cost-effective compared with zoster vaccine live (ZVL) or no vaccination. Findings from a cost-effectiveness study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Oral antifungal drug used to treat yeast infections linked to higher rates of miscarriage A commonly used medication, fluconazole, used to treat vaginal yeast infections, is linked to higher rates of miscarriage if used during pregnancy, found new research published in Canadian Medical Association Journal.
	Young Russians seek health, highs in ice swimming Diving into a long hole cut in the ice, Viktoria Tsuranova swims a few strokes and flashes a smile at the photographer capturing the moment for her Instagram account.
	Researchers identify a very early marker of cardiac damage triggered by cancer treatment Every year, 4 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Europe. Advances in cancer treatment sometimes come at the cost of major adverse effects, and one of the most prominent is cardiotoxicity. Myocardial toxicity affects as many as 25 percent of patients undergoing treatment with commonly used anticancer drugs. The effects of this damage can be severe, condemning the cancer survivor to chronic heart disease and even causing premature death.
	PCSK9 inhibitors to lower cholesterol in patients with statin-associated autoimmune myopathy Clinicians should consider using PCSK9 inhibitors to lower cholesterol in patients with statin-associated autoimmune myopathy. Findings from a case report are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Low-income undocumented adults are largely locked out of health care in California, study finds Implementation of the Affordable Care Act cut in half the percentage of low-income, uninsured Californians under age 65, from 23 percent in 2013 to 11 percent in 2016-17. But federal law bars undocumented residents from federally funded Medicaid health services and from purchasing health insurance on the ACA Marketplaces. This leaves them the largest group of uninsured people in California, according to a new study by UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
	Engineers develop placenta-on-a-chip to study caffeine transport from mother to fetus Engineers have used microfluidic technology to create a "placenta-on-a-chip" that models how compounds can be passed from a mother to a fetus.
	Patients taking diuretics may see more benefit by upping potassium Patients taking diuretics are often at risk for low potassium levels, which can put patients at an increased risk of death from cardiac arrhythmias or other causes. However, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that taking prescription potassium supplements can reduce these patients' risk by nearly 10 percent as daily outdoor temperatures increase—a time when patients may be at highest risk due to loss of potassium while sweating. These findings are detailed in a study published today in BMJ Open.
	Catch me if you can: Study reveals disguises are surprisingly effective Superficial but deliberate changes in someone's facial appearance – such as a new hairstyle or complexion—are surprisingly effective in identity deception, new research suggests.
	What we risk as humans if we allow gene-edited babies A second woman is said to be pregnant with a gene-edited baby in China, according to reports this year. It follows revelations last November that gene-edited twins had been born, which caused much debate.
	Altered brain activity patterns of Parkinson's captured in mice The tell-tale tremors of Parkinson's disease emerge from abnormal activity in a brain region crucial for voluntary movement. Using a mouse model of the disease, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) identified unusual patterns of brain activity that appear to underlie its signature symptoms.
	Mouse study reveals how chronic stress promotes breast cancer stem cells, identifies vitamin C as effective therapy Cancer: The word alone evokes dread, anxiety, and fear. Accordingly, many women living with the disease and undergoing treatment experience chronic stress and depression. Scientists have demonstrated, in studies with rodents and humans, that stress can exacerbate cancer's progression, but it wasn't clear how.
	Birch pollen allergen immunotherapy normalizes nasal gene-expression and microbial community Birch pollen allergic rhinitis is the most common chronic disorder in the Northern part of the globe, and it attributes to significant morbidity and economic burden.
	Antimicrobial reusable coffee cups prove safer to use than standard plastic cups Antimicrobial reusable coffee cups are safer to use than ordinary plastic reusable cups, according to independent research undertaken by microbiologists at Aston University in Birmingham.
	Brain imaging indicates how well depression will respond to treatment Working with international partners, a MedUni Vienna research group has shown that imaging techniques carried out prior to treatment indicate the potential success of drug therapy in depressive patients. They showed that the activity of a region of the forebrain determines the potential success of treatment with antidepressants. This finding promises to significantly shorten treatment time for depressive patients in the future.
	How domestic violence affects women's mental health Every week in Australia, a woman is murdered by someone she knows. And it's usually an intimate male partner or ex-partner.
	Tiny worm mimics key genetic risk for Alzheimer's Researchers at The University of Alabama have shown a tiny worm can replicate genetic causes of Alzheimer's disease, expanding the breadth of preclinical models for the disease.
	Slow start, but it's not over yet: 5 things to know about this year's flu season As influenza season trudges on, public health officials report fewer cases than last year's severe and deadly season.
	Mayo Clinic Q&A: What is cat scratch fever? Dear Mayo Clinic: My cat scratched me while I was trimming his claws and the wound later became infected. Are cat scratches a special concern?
	Are teens getting high on social media? The surprising study seeking the pot-Instagram link This is a teen's brain on marijuana.
	New study shows Transcendental Meditation reduces PTSD in South African college students A very high percentage of young people in South Africa suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. A college that offers the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique to its students found this approach helped reduce their symptoms.
Adolescent female blood donors at risk for iron deficiency and associated anemia Female adolescent blood donors are more likely to have low iron stores and iron deficiency anemia than adult female blood donors and nondonors, which could have significant negative consequences on their developing brains, a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. Based on these findings, the authors propose a variety of measures that could help this vulnerable population.
Lupus strongly linked to imbalances in gut microbiome The disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—marked by the attack on joints, skin, and kidneys by the body's immune system—is linked to an abnormal mix of bacteria in the gut. This is according to a new study led by scientists at NYU School of Medicine.
	Split and continuous restricted sleep schedules affect cognition and glucose levels differently in teens Many adolescent students sleep less than the recommended duration of eight to ten hours a night. It is unclear; however, whether short night sleep combined with an afternoon nap is as good as having the same amount of sleep continuously during the night without a nap. Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School have demonstrated for the first time that different sleep schedules with the same total sleep opportunity over 24 hours may have dissimilar effects on cognition and glucose levels. This is the first study to gather experimental evidence on the notion that what may be appropriate sleep for one health goal may not be for another.
	Editorial: Veterans deserve reproductive health services Americans have heard many stories and seen considerable documentation of the brain, spinal and other wartime injuries suffered by America's military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Less-known is that the U.S. government callously interferes with these wounded veterans' chance to have children.
	Optimum amount of dopamine improves cognitive ability The 'right' amount of dopamine in the brain makes study participants better at solving certain cognitive tasks. This is the conclusion of Bryant Jongkees after experiments and a literature review. Ph.D. defence on 21 February.
	World's first gene therapy operation for common cause of sight loss Researchers in Oxford have carried out the world's first gene therapy operation to tackle the root cause of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the UK's most common cause of sight loss.
	Codeine: an opioid threat to kids (HealthDay)—Codeine is one of the drugs at the center of the opioid epidemic affecting adults and teens across the United States. There are also concerns about its effects on very young children—not addiction, but life-threatening events and deaths due to codeine's side effects.
	Exercises to build your upper body strength (HealthDay)—Upper body strength is important at every age, but you don't need to be a bodybuilder to benefit from working your pectoral, or chest, muscles.
Children with autism, co-occurring ADHD symptoms lag in key measures of independence A pair of new studies has provided new insight into the challenges faced by children on the autism spectrum who exhibit symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the findings from researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), these children have difficulty with adaptive behavior, a key measure of independence.
Research finds ethnoracial differences in Alzheimer's disease A team of Mayo Clinic researchers found Hispanic-American patients with Alzheimer's tend to survive significantly longer with the disease than other ethnoracial groups, according to a study in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. Hispanic-Americans were found to live an average of 12 years with the disease from the time of the onset of symptoms.
	No evidence tougher policies deter adolescent cannabis use A new study from the University of Kent has found no evidence that teenage cannabis use is lower in countries with tougher policies.
	Using anti-cancer immunotherapy to fight HIV Researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) have shown that immunotherapy treatments against cancer could reduce the amount of virus that persists in people on triple therapy. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, they show, in the cells of people living with HIV, how these therapies reveal the virus—until now hidden in the hollows of infected cells—to the immune system.
Prevention, treatment efforts reduce HIV infection among transgender women Programs to prevent HIV in transgender women are helping to lower the rate of new infection but better care and treatment of this vulnerable population is still needed, especially among those of lower income or people of color, according to a new Rutgers study.
	A lack of antibody diversity may make the elderly more susceptible to the flu The influenza vaccine may be less effective in the elderly because their B cells are less capable of producing antibodies that can adapt to protect against new viral strains, researchers report February 19 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe. With age, B cells and the antibodies they secrete acquire fewer mutations that would provide flexible protection against the ever-changing flu virus.
Study finds acetaminophen significantly reduced in-hospital delirium As many as half of all patients who undergo cardiac surgery may experience delirium, a form of acute confusion that can result in disorientation, impaired memory, delusions, and abrupt changes in mood and behavior, including aggression.
	Study finds low statin use among some high-risk kidney disease patients Clinical trials have shown that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in kidney disease patients who are not on dialysis.
Research shows structural barriers are the biggest reason for low participation in clinical trials A research team led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have determined the most significant barriers to clinical trial participation. The study published today in Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) upends the notion that patient factors are the driving forces behind why most clinical trials don't meet their enrollment targets.
Study finds inadequate FDA oversight of prescribing of fentanyl products A study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and manufacturers did not take action when evidence emerged that potentially lethal fentanyl products were being inappropriately prescribed to patients.
	Screen time for the very young has doubled in 20 years: study (HealthDay)—The electronic babysitter is alive and thriving in the new digital age.
	Should you get tested for the 'Breast cancer genes'? (HealthDay)—Women who have specific mutations in genes known as BRCA are at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancers. Now, an influential expert panel reaffirms that certain women should be screened for the genes.
	Could 'Cardio-obstetrics' curb rise in pregnancy-related deaths? More collaboration between cardiologists and obstetricians could help curb the nation's soaring death rate among pregnant women, according to a new report urging more team-based care for these vulnerable mothers.
	Living near convenience stores could raise risk of artery-clogging condition Convenience stores may be handy, but they may not be healthy for your arteries.
	Oncotype DX not cost-effective for low-risk breast cancer (HealthDay)—The multigene expression test Oncotype DX (ODX) is not cost-effective for women with breast cancer who are at low risk for recurrence, according to research published online Jan. 22 in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
	Lower self-perception observed in children with amblyopia (HealthDay)—Children with amblyopia have significantly lower mean peer acceptance and physical competence scores at age 3 to 7 years, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Darolutamide slows spread of castration-resistant prostate cancer (HealthDay)—Metastasis-free survival is significantly longer among men with nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with darolutamide versus placebo, according to a phase 3 study published online Feb. 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held from Feb. 14 to 16 in San Francisco.
	Misunderstanding food date labels linked with higher food discards A new survey examining U.S. consumer attitudes and behaviors related to food date labels found widespread confusion, leading to unnecessary discards, increased waste and food safety risks. The survey analysis was led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF), which is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
	New nurses work overtime, long shifts, and sometimes a second job New nurses are predominantly working 12-hour shifts and nearly half work overtime, trends that have remained relatively stable over the past decade, finds a new study by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. In addition, 13 percent hold a second job, according to the study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
How to make the push-up work for you If you want to improve your golf swing, softball pitch, or tennis serve, the push-up is for you.
	New model mimics persistent interneuron loss seen in prematurity Research-clinicians at Children's National Health System have created a novel preclinical model that mimics the persistent interneuron loss seen in preterm human infants, identifying interneuron subtypes that could become future therapeutic targets to prevent or lessen neurodevelopmental risks, the team reports Jan. 31, 2019, in eNeuro. The open access journal for Society for Neuroscience recognized the team's paper as its "featured" article.
	Researchers key to advance care planning with cancer clinical trial patients Cancer clinical trials are an important option for patients with cancer. Yet, once a trial ends, patients still need care plans. Little is known at what point during clinical trial transitions to initiate advance planning discussions or how to educate research teams to communicate with and prepare patient-participants and their families for the next steps after they leave a cancer clinical trial.
	Eating nuts may reduce cardiovascular disease risk for people with diabetes Eating more nuts, particularly tree nuts, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease among people with type 2 diabetes, according to new research in Circulation Research, an American Heart Association journal.
	Researchers develop new therapeutic approach to treating osteoarthritis Researchers from Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, have developed a new way to deliver treatment for cartilage regeneration.
	Common acid reflux medications linked to increased kidney disease risk Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which include well-known brand names Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid, are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the world. Approximately 10 percent of adults in the United States take these drugs for frequent heartburn, acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Given their prevalence, researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego mined the FDA Adverse Effect Reporting System (FAERS) database for unexpected consequences of PPI consumption.
	Food allergies and multiple sclerosis: study reveals a new link Like many other medical conditions, the mechanism of multiple sclerosis remains an enigma—a puzzle composed of complex genetic and environmental factors. A key piece to this puzzle is the immune system, which is also responsible for regulating many other physiological (and pathological) phenomena—including allergies. Although previous studies investigating the association between MS and allergies have yielded mixed results, a research team at Brigham and Women's Hospital sought to uncover the putative link in a new way. Investigating the correlation between allergy and inflammatory disease activity, the team found new evidence connecting food allergies and relapses of multiple sclerosis. The results are published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
	Increasing frailty may lead to death A new study published in Age and Ageing indicates that frail patients in any age group are more likely to die than those who are not frail.
International medical graduates care for Medicare patients with greater health care needs A study by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team indicates that internal medicine physicians who are graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. care for Medicare patients with more complex medical needs than those cared for by graduates of American medical schools. Their report, published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, has implications for a potential impact of Federal immigration policies on access to care for Medicare patients and potentially for others.
	Acupuncture may ease troublesome menopausal symptoms A brief course of acupuncture may help to ease troublesome menopausal symptoms, suggests a small study published in the online journal BMJ Open.
New open-source bioinformatics tool identifies factors responsible for diseases Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have developed and tested a new computational tool, Candidate Driver Analysis (CaDrA), which will search for combinations of factors that are likely to cause a specific disease. CaDrA recognizes that diseases are complex and likely induced by multiple causes. It is now available free to members of the research community.
Possible pathway to new therapy for Alzheimer's disease Researchers have uncovered an enzyme and a biochemical pathway they believe may lead to the identification of drugs that could inhibit the production of beta-amyloid protein, the toxic initiator of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
More cancer survivors, fewer cancer specialists point to challenge in meeting care needs An aging population, a growing number of cancer survivors, and a projected shortage of cancer care providers will result in a challenge in delivering the care for cancer survivors in the United States if systemic changes are not made, according to a commentary in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	Long periods of sedentary behavior may increase cardiovascular risk in older women A new study has found that the longer older women sit or lay down during the course of a day—and the longer the individual periods of uninterrupted sitting—the greater their risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. But reducing their sedentary time by just an hour a day appears to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 12 percent—and for heart disease alone, by a dramatic 26 percent, the research found. The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Physically active women have significantly decreased risk of heart disease Women who spent less of their day in sedentary behaviors—sitting or reclining while awake—had a significantly decreased risk of heart disease, but there has been an increase in the incidence of younger women having acute heart attacks in the U.S., according to two studies in a special Go Red for Women issue of the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, published in February, American Heart Month.
New training statement defines Level III echocardiography competencies for first time A new advanced training statement from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the American Society of Echocardiography defines the training requirements for performing advanced echocardiographic procedures, or "Level III" training, for the first time.
	Report reveals more than a million Australian heart patients not given a second chance A new report, 'No Second Chances', developed by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and sponsored by Bayer, will be launched at Parliament House today, revealing that prevention of secondary heart attacks and strokes is critical to combating Australia's number one killer—cardiovascular disease.
	Engineered 'suicide genes' may advance cell-replacement therapies for type 1 diabetes Researchers have been advancing methods to generate insulin-producing beta cells from pluripotent stem cells (PSC) for the clinical treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, transplantation of these immature cells into patients poses substantial risks, namely the development of tumors (teratomas) and the growth of these stem cells into unwanted cell types. Pluripotent stem cells are known to develop into all of the body's cells and tissues.
Incoherent testimony from sexually abused children with PTSD can indicate credibility Age and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are key factors that affect how coherently sexually abused children are able to recount traumatic events, according to a new study published in the journal Heliyon. The findings show that children with post-traumatic profiles are more likely than those without PTSD to provide disjointed, inconsistent narrative testimony that is marked by distinctive linguistic indicators of unprocessed trauma cognition. However, this testimony may be credible.
High court to consider case about reach of clean water law The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case about the reach of a federal clean water law.

Biology news

	Study finds wide variation between human cell lines used for research More than 70 percent of researchers failed to reproduce another scientist's experiment, according to a survey conducted by Nature in 2016. If scientists can't reproduce each other's work, important discoveries may never leave the lab and have an impact on human health. One cause for this "reproducibility crisis" may lie in the significant differences in cell lines used by different laboratories, according to Yale researcher Yansheng Liu.
	Novel gene therapy approach creates new route to tackle rare, inherited diseases Nonsense mutations are single-letter errors in the genetic code that prematurely halt the production of critical proteins. These unfinished proteins are unable to function normally, and nonsense mutations cause 10-15 percent of all inherited genetic diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, cystic fibrosis and polycystic kidney disease. There is currently no cure or broadly effective treatment for these often devastating conditions that are individually rare but estimated to collectively affect up to 30 million people worldwide.
	Hot great white sharks could motor but prefer to swim slow Yuuki Watanabe has always been fascinated by speed and power. As a child, he recalls being transfixed by the raw strength of great white sharks (Carcharadon carcharias). 'They look cool' says Watanabe, from the National Institute of Polar Research, Japan. However, he now has another reason for being in awe of these charismatic predatory sharks: 'they are an endothermic fish', he says. In other words, they maintain a warmer body temperature than the surrounding water—in contrast to most fish, which simply go with the thermal flow. This relatively warm-bodied lifestyle should allow them to swim at much higher speeds than their cold-blooded contemporaries. Yet, no one had successfully recorded the great white's behaviour to find out how their relatively warm lifestyle influences their activity. Would their warm muscles allow them to live up to their high-speed reputation? It turns out that although the fish could swim fast, they opt for lower speeds when hunting for fat seal snacks and the team publish this discovery in Journal of Experimental Biology.
	Invasive species are likely to spread to a community that has not adapted to climate change Invasive species are those that spread to new areas as a result of human activity and can displace local species and present threats to forestry and agriculture. Laboratory experiments indicate that alien species are most likely to invade under varying environmental conditions. The risk of invasions will increase further if the local species community has not adapted to the variation.
	Fish with a high level of familiarity are more aggressive towards each other Aggressiveness among animals may increase the longer individuals live together in stable groups. This is the finding of a recent study carried out by researchers from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). The study, published in the journal Animal Behaviour used the Amazon molly, a naturally clonal fish species that produces genetically identical individuals to isolate the effects of familiarity on behaviour. The study provides new insight into how groups function, and why it is sometimes better for fish to leave their group and join a new one.
	Opinion: Was the EU's ban on electric fishing the right decision? Last week, on 13 February 2019, the EU approved the ban on pulse trawling. This followed the vote for a ban by the European Parliament on 16 January 2018. Half of the 84 Dutch pulse trawling vessels must stop immediately; the other half will receive a transitional arrangement until July 2021. Outcomes of ongoing research can reopen the discussion.
	Aussie rodent becomes first 'climate change extinction' Australia officially declared a Great Barrier Reef rodent extinct on Tuesday, making it the first mammal believed to have been killed off by human-induced climate change.
	New report shines light on who commits animal cruelty and how they are punished The Sentencing Advisory Council has just released the first ever review of how animal cruelty offenders are sentenced in Victoria.
	A tasty Florida butterfly turns sour The viceroy butterfly is a mimic, modeling its orange-and-black colors after the queen butterfly, a bug that tastes so disgusting predators have learned not to eat it or anything that looks like it, including viceroys. The apparent dependence of mimics on their models made biologists wonder if the fates of the two species are forever intertwined. If so, then what happens when the mimic and the model part ways?
	Life quickly finds a way: The surprisingly swift end to evolution's big bang The Cambrian explosion more than 500 million years ago is often considered biology's "big bang".
	Getting to Mars may happen only if we can grow food in space Decades after the last human set foot on the moon, NASA is contemplating setting up a permanent base there or sending astronauts to Mars. Accomplishing those goals, however, will require a few green thumbs.
	Why North Carolinian boats are fishing off New Jersey's coast As the oceans warm in response to climate change, fishing boats in the Mid-Atlantic that focus on only one or two species of fish are traveling more than 250 miles farther north than they did 20 years ago, while others catching a wide diversity of species have not changed fishing location, reported Talia Young, a postdoctoral research associate in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton.
Preventing 'cell wall remodeling' may hold key to defeating intransigent super bugs B. multivorans is a notorious pathogen that can cause infections such as pneumonia in immune-compromised individuals with underlying lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis. This pathogen can also cause rapid clinical deterioration in patients, including blood stream infections, which can lead to death. What makes B. multivorans especially dangerous is that it is intrinsically resistant to a broad range of antibiotics, creating a major challenge to treatment.

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