Science X Newsletter Monday, Apr 8

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for April 8, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Modeling biomimetic collagen-ligand interactions to understand intrafibrillar mineralization

A hierarchical RNN-based model to predict scene graphs for images

Toxic neighborhoods and social mobility

Evolution imposes 'speed limit' on recovery after mass extinctions

Renewables are a better investment than carbon capture for tackling climate change

International team decodes the durum wheat genome

Carbon lurking in deep ocean threw ancient climate switch, say researchers

Breaking down Beowulf: Statistical technique finds evidence that Old English poem had a single author

Is it genetic code or postal code that influence a child's life chances?

Beer and fodder crop has been deteriorating for 6,000 years

Researchers use genomic data to map 'refugia' where North American trees survived the ice age

Elements can be solid and liquid at the same time, study reveals

Just how much does enhancing photosynthesis improve crop yield?

Carbon-negative power generation for China

Brain zaps boost memory in people over 60, study finds

Astronomy & Space news

	Iron volcanoes may have erupted on metal asteroids Metallic asteroids are thought to have started out as blobs of molten iron floating in space. As if that's not strange enough, scientists now think that as the metal cooled and solidified, volcanoes spewing liquid iron could have erupted through a solid iron crust onto the surface of the asteroid.
	NASA researchers catalogue all microbes and fungi on the International Space Station A comprehensive catalogue of the bacteria and fungi found on surfaces inside the International Space Station (ISS) is being presented in a study published in the open access journal Microbiome. Knowledge of the composition of the microbial and fungal communities on the ISS can be used to develop safety measures for NASA for long-term space travel or living in space.
	Revolutionary camera allows scientists to predict evolution of ancient stars For the first time scientists have been able to prove a decades old theory on stars thanks to a revolutionary high-speed camera.
	Music for space Music has long been known to affect people's mood. A certain tune can lift you up or bring you to tears, make you focus, relax or even run faster. Now a study is investigating how the power of music may improve human performance in one of the most stressful and alien environments we know – space.
	Martian soil detox could lead to new medicines Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of humankind's major long-term health challenges. Now research into helping humans live on Mars could help address this looming problem.
	Spacewalking astronauts tackle battery, cable work Spacewalking astronauts completed battery and cable work outside the International Space Station on Monday despite communication trouble that sometimes made it hard for them to hear.
	Scientists predict sun's activity will be weak during next solar cycle Scientists charged with predicting the sun's activity for the next 11-year solar cycle say that it's likely to be weak, much like the current one. The current solar cycle, Cycle 24, is declining and predicted to reach solar minimum—the period when the sun is least active—late in 2019 or 2020.
Video: Staying fit in space Managing the health of astronauts orbiting Earth at 28 000 km/h is a challenge, but how will we equip astronauts to stay healthy and deal with any medical emergencies during missions to the Moon or Mars?
	Image: Mars dust devil detail Mars may have a reputation for being a desolate world, but it is certainly not dead: its albeit thin atmosphere is still capable of whipping up a storm and, as this image reveals, send hundreds – maybe even thousands – of 'dust devils' scurrying across the surface.

Technology news

	A hierarchical RNN-based model to predict scene graphs for images Researchers at Shanghai University have recently developed a new approach based on recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to predict scene graphs from images. Their approach includes a model made up of two attention-based RNNs, as well as an entity localization component.
	Renewables are a better investment than carbon capture for tackling climate change Solar panels and wind turbines coupled with energy storage offer a better hope for tackling climate change than trying to capture carbon from fossil fuel power stations, according to new research published by Nature Energy.
	Robots created with 3-D printers could be caring for those in golden years The world's elderly population is booming. The number of older people—those age 60 years or older—is expected to more than double by 2050 and is growing faster than all younger age groups across the globe.
	Real or artificial? Tech titans declare AI ethics concerns The biggest tech companies want you to know that they're taking special care to ensure that their use of artificial intelligence to sift through mountains of data, analyze faces or build virtual assistants doesn't spill over to the dark side.
	New technique cuts AI training time by more than 60 percent North Carolina State University researchers have developed a technique that reduces training time for deep learning networks by more than 60 percent without sacrificing accuracy, accelerating the development of new artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
	Laying the ground for robotic strategies in environmental protection Along developed riverbanks, physical barriers can help contain flooding and combat erosion. In arid regions, check dams can help retain soil after rainfall and restore damaged landscapes. In construction projects, metal plates can provide support for excavations, retaining walls on slopes, or permanent foundations. All of these applications can be addressed with the use of sheet piles, elements folded from flat material and driven vertically into the ground to form walls and stabilize soil. Proper soil stabilization is key to sustainable land management in industries such as construction, mining, and agriculture; and land degradation, the loss of ecosystem services from a given terrain, is a driver of climate change and is estimated to cost up to $10 trillion annually.
	Off-the-shelf smart fabric helps athletic coaching and physical therapy A computer science research team at Dartmouth College has produced a smart fabric that can help athletes and physical therapy patients correct arm angles to optimize performance, reduce injury and accelerate recovery.
UK unveils plans to hold social media bosses liable for harmful content The British government said on Monday it will explore making social media executives personally liable for harmful content published on their platforms, in a raft of new online safety proposals.
	Researchers develop high-resolution, high-sensitivity proximity capacitance imaging sensor A fingerprint can serve as identification to access locked doors and more, but current scanners can be duped with fake or even similar fingerprints. That may change soon, thanks to a collaborative research team based in Japan.
	EU unveils ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence The European Union presented ethics guidelines Monday as it seeks to promote its own artificial intelligence sector, which has fallen behind developments in China and the United States.
	UK takes aim at social networks that fail to quash 'hateful' content Britain will make social media bosses personally liable for harmful content and shut down offending platforms under a "world-leading" government plan published Monday in response to the spread of online abuses and crimes.
	Too many airplane systems rely on too few sensors The apparent connection between fatal airplane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia centers around the failure of a single sensor. I know what that's like: A few years ago, while I was flying a Cessna 182-RG from Albany, New York, to Fort Meade, Maryland, my airspeed indicator showed that I was flying at a speed so slow that my plane was at risk of no longer generating enough lift to stay in the air.
	Do we really own our digital possessions? Microsoft has announced that it will close the books category of its digital store. While other software and apps will still be available via the virtual shop front, and on purchasers' consoles and devices, the closure of the eBook store takes with it customers' eBook libraries. Any digital books bought through the service – even those bought many years ago – will no longer be readable after July 2019. While the company has promised to provide a full refund for all eBook purchases, this decision raises important questions of ownership.
	Pinterest sets conservative pricing after Lyft drop Pinterest, among the gaggle of tech companies hoping to go public this year, set a conservative price range Monday for its initial public offering. It hopes to raise as much as $1.5 billion in its initial offering of shares.
	Amazon may be gearing up to take on Apple's AirPods, report says Amazon may be getting ready to spread its might yet again. The newest target: Apple's AirPods.
	Investment firm buys Gizmodo sites and The Onion A private equity firm said Monday it was acquiring Gizmodo Media Group as well as the satirical news site The Onion for an undisclosed amount from New York-based Univision Communications.
	Hate incidents are notoriously underreported; now, there's an app for that The Federal Bureau of Investigation is responsible for tracking hate crimes across the country, but the data are notoriously unreliable. Despite the FBI recording an all-time high in hate-motivated incidents in 2017 (the most recent year's statistics available) the number is likely much higher. Low reporting from victims to police and inconsistent reporting from police to federal authorities have created a massive gap in how we understand hate in America.
	Scientific computing in the cloud gets down to Earth In a groundbreaking effort, seismology researchers have conducted a continent-scale survey for seismic signatures of industrial activity in the Amazon Web Services commercial cloud (AWS), then rapidly downloaded the results without storing raw data or needing a local supercomputer.
	Boeing shares slump as 737 earnings hit is weighed Boeing shares slumped Monday on the company's weakened profit outlook after it announced last week it will cut production of 737 planes following two deadly crashes.
	Team develops robotic machine vision solution for shiny objects Southwest Research Institute and ROS-Industrial developed a solution that enables industrial robots to scan and manipulate metallic objects that had previously been too "shiny" for machine vision to process.
	Big Tech feels the heat as US moves to protect consumer data Momentum is gaining in Washington for a privacy law that could sharply rein in the ability of the largest technology companies to collect and make money off people's personal data.
	How to convert wheat straw waste into green chemicals The development of new bio-refining technologies based on agricultural waste is seen as key to reducing Europe's dependency on fossil-based products. According to a White Paper by the International Council on Clean Transportation, about 144 million tonnes of wheat residues accumulate each year in the EU. Supported by the EU-funded OPTISOCHEM project, researchers have made significant progress in transforming this excess material into something more useful: bio-isobutene, or bio-IBN, a key precursor for numerous chemicals.
	Another scandal: Facebook user data reportedly at risk again In what seems like a broken record, Facebook is facing another scandal related to the transparency of its user data.
	New Zealand official calls Facebook 'morally bankrupt' New Zealand's official privacy watchdog on Monday described Facebook as "morally bankrupt" and suggested his country follow neighboring Australia's lead by making laws that could jail executives over streamed violence such as the Christchurch mosque shootings.
	NZealand privacy tsar accuses Facebook of failing to cooperate New Zealand's privacy regulator on Monday accused Facebook of failing to cooperate on tackling livestreaming in the wake of the Christchurch mosques massacre, saying founder Mark Zuckerberg was "disingenuous" about its systems.
	Renewable technology prices and decarbonization The great advantage of fossil fuels over renewable energy is that the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow and these "intermittent" sources of energy may not be reliable enough to power our economy. This missing link is energy storage and the good news is that the price of batteries is coming down. So too are the prices of solar and wind power. According to a report by BloombergNEF on March 26, 2019:
	Hundreds of cab drivers protest Uber in Warsaw Hundreds of taxi drivers on Monday blocked downtown Warsaw in protest over a Polish draft law they see as favourable to ride-sharing app Uber as well as over US support for the American firm.
	France begins debating digital tax, defying US ire French lawmakers on Monday began debating a new tax on digital giants such as Facebook and Apple that has angered the United States, with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire boasting that France was proud to be in the vanguard of such a move.

Medicine & Health news

	Brain zaps boost memory in people over 60, study finds Zapping the brains of people over 60 with a mild electrical current improved a form of memory enough that they performed like people in their 20s, a new study found.
	Researchers develop treatment that turns tumors into cancer vaccine factories Researchers at Mount Sinai have developed a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy, injecting immune stimulants directly into a tumor to teach the immune system to destroy it and other tumor cells throughout the body.
	Quashing the resistance: MicroRNA regulates drug tolerance in subset of lung cancers Relapse of disease following conventional treatments remains one of the central problems in cancer management, yet few therapeutic agents targeting drug resistance and tolerance exist. New research conducted at the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that a microRNA—a small fragment of non-coding genetic material that regulates gene expression—mediates drug tolerance in lung cancers with a specific mutation. The findings, published today in Nature Metabolism, suggest that the microRNA could serve as a potential target for reversing and preventing drug tolerance in a subset of non-small-cell lung cancers.
	Migraine-linked protein exhibits sex-specific pain effects A new preclinical study from University of Texas at Dallas researchers may help explain why migraine is three times more common in women than men.
	High rate of sex before age 13 among boys from metropolitan areas Using information from two national surveys, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Guttmacher Institute have found that in some metropolitan areas, more than a quarter of young, African American men reported having sexual intercourse before age 13, and for about 45 percent of them, the sex was either unwanted or experienced with "mixed feelings."
	Nutrients from food, not supplements, linked to lower risks of death, cancer Adequate intake of certain nutrients is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality when the nutrient source is foods, but not supplements, according to a new study. There was no association between dietary supplement use and a lower risk of death.
	An EEG to assess a baby's developmental risk? Does exposure to stress early in life affect a baby's brain development, and is there a way to single out babies who might benefit from early intervention? A two-center study led by Boston Children's Hospital, published today in JAMA Pediatrics, used brain EEGs to begin to get at these questions in an objectively measurable way. It found that infants whose mothers reported high levels of stress have a distinct pattern of brain activity as measured by EEG—at only 2 months of age.
	Researchers develop first functional targeted inhibitors of peanut allergens For an estimated 4.2 million children living with peanut allergies, the slightest trace of peanut and peanut ingredients could have fatal consequences. The allergy is the result of allergens binding with an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) on the surface of immune cells, setting off a complex chain reaction that could lead to a response ranging in severity from a rash to anaphylactic shock.
	A tiny cry for help from inside the liver could lead to better treatment On a normal day, the cells of a human liver do what they do best—making key blood proteins, clearing toxins from the blood and sending their remains down the digestive tract in a never-ending stream of bile.
	Childhood trauma has lasting effect on brain connectivity in patients with depression A study lead by Penn Medicine researchers found that childhood trauma is linked to abnormal connectivity in the brain in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). The paper, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), is the first data-driven study to show symptom-specific, system-level changes in brain network connectivity in MDD.
Gum bacteria implicated in Alzheimer's and other diseases Researchers are reporting new findings on how bacteria involved in gum disease can travel throughout the body, exuding toxins connected with Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and aspiration pneumonia. They detected evidence of the bacteria in brain samples from people with Alzheimer's and used mice to show that the bacterium can find its way from the mouth to the brain.
	Telemedicine tied to more antibiotics for kids, study finds Telemedicine may be leading to the overprescribing of antibiotics to sniffling children, a new study suggests.
New computer-aided model may help predict sepsis Can a computer-aided model predict life-threatening sepsis? A model developed in the UK that uses routinely collected data to identify early symptoms of sepsis, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), shows promise.
	You're probably not allergic to vaccines There is little chance you are actually allergic to vaccines and, if you are, your allergist can give it to you.
	Five Australian patients to trial new brain reading device to help speech and movement The Stentrode is a device that is placed inside a blood vessel of the brain located in an area that controls movement (motor cortex). It is the only investigational technology of its kind that does not require open brain surgery.
Increasing numbers of adults with lower education are dying from liver cancer A new study reveals that rising rates of liver cancer deaths in the United States have largely been confined to individuals who have received less education, especially among men. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings emphasize the need for enhanced efforts to address the growing burden of liver cancer in lower socioeconomic groups.
	Novel tool gauges rural, older adults' knowledge of Alzheimer's Many older adults live in ethnically diverse rural settings where they face a higher burden of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as delayed detection due to health inequities. Furthermore, cultural perceptions about aging could add to disparities in recognizing and treating AD in these populations.
Common virus linked to faster disease progression in cystic fibrosis A new study has found that cystic fibrosis patients who have a common virus may experience faster disease progression than patients who do not have the virus. Signs of faster cystic fibrosis disease progression included earlier times to lung transplant referral and reaching the final stages of the disease.
	Too much of a good thing? High doses of vitamin D can lead to kidney failure A case study in CMAJ highlights the dangers of taking too much vitamin D.
Australia ramps up measles warnings as cases jump Australia on Monday launched a major education campaign to encourage its residents, particularly those travelling overseas, to get vaccinated against measles as a sudden spike in cases amid a global resurgence causes alarm.
	More sleep may help teens with ADHD focus and organize Teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from more sleep to help them focus, plan and control their emotions. The findings—the first of their kind in young people with ADHD—will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla.
Performance-enhancing drugs may increase risk of teen cocaine abuse, impair fertility Performance-enhancing steroid use could increase the risk of cocaine use and addiction in teens, according to a new rodent study. The combination of these drugs could also impair fertility in young women. The research will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla.
	Researchers identify early indicators of pregnancy complications in lupus patients A study of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus has identified early changes in the RNA molecules present in the blood that could be used to determine the likelihood of them developing preeclampsia. The study, which will be published April 8 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, may also help researchers develop treatments to prevent other pregnancy complications associated with lupus, including miscarriage and premature birth.
	Gene editing for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: A little bit closer to clinical applications A group of researchers from the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) (Biomedical Research Networking Centre on Rare Diseases), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT) (Research Center for Energy, Environmental and Technology), and the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD) have led a study which demonstrates the viability of a gene editing strategy for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (also known as butterfly children) with the tool CRISPR/Cas9 in preclinical models with this disease.
	Identifying a key player in gut defense development Scientists have identified a protein critical to the immune system development and antibody production in mice, which could contribute to understanding the gut defense mechanism in infants.
	Edible seaweed can be used to grow blood vessels in the body When we have small wounds on our skin or muscles they can usually heal by themselves.
	Prostate cancer hormone therapy rejected on NHS in England A prostate cancer drug won't be offered on the NHS any earlier in the treatment plans of patients living with the disease in England, after it failed to pass a cost-effectiveness review.
	Relationship benefits can be seen in your eyes Turns out that relationships are the secret to keeping calm and carrying on.
	Stargazing technology used to spot cancer Cancers are often missed on traditional 2-D X-rays so are sometimes only discovered later when the disease is more advanced and difficult to treat.
	Thousands of Londoners hospitalised in three years due to harmful air pollution Poor air quality in the capital leads to around 1,000 London hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions every year.
	Research finds text-based counseling may decrease HIV risk A mobile app created by a Rutgers researcher could be used to improve the lives of LGBTQ people who lack access to HIV prevention and education.
	Researchers explore correlation between trust in leaders and combating Ebola In the lawless eastern provinces of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest country, an Ebola outbreak that has quietly become history's second-largest epidemic may wind up turning not on drugs or quarantine, but on a third, often underappreciated factor: trust.
	How tobacco companies use social media to hook a new generation of smokers Big Tobacco is increasingly using social media to find new ways to hook young people on smoking, circumventing decades of laws restricting the marketing of traditional cigarettes to minors.
	Mutation stands in the way of healthy blood cell maturation In the veins, stem cells constantly mature and develop into blood cells that are necessary for the body to work properly. Now, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and EMBL in Heidelberg have discovered exactly how a specific mutation in stem cells in the blood can obstruct this maturation process.
	Raising a child with ADHD costs five times more than raising a child without ADHD, study finds Raising a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) costs American families an estimated $5.8 billion every year—five times more than raising a child without ADHD—according to a new study by researchers at FIU's Center for Children and Families.
	Space-enabled mobile laboratory ready for medical emergencies A laboratory that enables first responders to combat biological hazards and infectious diseases rapidly and safely has demonstrated its strengths during a simulated biological incident conducted in Belgium.
	The new truth about aspirin, and your doctor's slow uptake of medical evidence For decades, millions of patients have been taking a daily aspirin in an attempt to prevent hearts attacks and strokes. But in March 2019, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released guidelines declaring healthy adults with an average risk for heart disease receive no overall benefit from a daily aspirin.
	How easy are vaccine exemptions? Take a look at the Oregon model As measles outbreaks continue in the Northwest and across the nation, newly revealed health records from Oregon suggest it's surprisingly easy to opt out of required vaccinations in that state—as in several others.
	More older adults with joint replacements recover at home, not rehab Older adults and their families often wonder: Where's the best place to recover after a hip or knee replacement—at home or in a rehabilitation facility?
	Immune cells key to predicting cancer outcomes, research suggests Scientists have identified key changes in immune cells within cancerous tumours that could help improve the development of treatments.
People under 40 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes face excess risk of cardiovascular disease, death People under age 40 who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are more likely to have or die from cardiovascular disease than those of similar age without diabetes and the excess risks were more pronounced in younger women, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
	Does it make sense to delay children's vaccines? When Elyse Imamura's son was an infant, she and her husband, Robert, chose to spread out his vaccinations at a more gradual pace than the official schedule recommended.
	First national estimates of virginity in Japan: One in 10 adults in their 30s remains a virgin Japan has an increasing percentage of young adults with no history of heterosexual vaginal intercourse. Public health experts at the University of Tokyo have completed the most detailed analysis of national fertility survey data to date to understand trends in sexual experience over the past three decades.
	Brain alterations make it difficult for Parkinson's disease patients to turn while walking The ability to turn while walking is impaired among patients with Parkinson's disease. This difficulty is also associated with freezing of gait and falls, which can have devastating medical consequences in an older population.
New study explains why drinking alcohol causes the munchies New research in mice suggests that a shared circuit in the brain could be one reason why heavy drinking and high-fat "junk food" cravings go hand in hand. The findings will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla.
	Marathon des Sables: How we rapidly acclimatised five runners for the gruelling race There's no shortage of sporting competitions and activities that require acclimatisation to hot weather. The Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert is an extreme example of this – a gruelling, 251km multi-stage race across inhospitable terrain in the blazing heat.
	A new method to show neural representations Researchers from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid report a new method for graphic representation of neurons that visualizes the data developed by neuroscientists.
	Startup releases AI app to detect Parkinson's disease A South Australia startup, Lookinglass, based at UniSA's Innovation & Collaboration Centre has today released an artificial intelligence (AI) web app that can detect early-stage Parkinson's disease.
	A sleep-deprived brain interprets impressions negatively A sleepless night not only leaves us fatigued and distracted, it also makes us interpret things more negatively and makes us more likely to lose our temper. Moreover, people suffering from a pollen allergy are at a high risk of some form of sleep disruption from the outset. This according to a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that takes a neuroimaging approach to sleep loss.
	Exemptions surge as parents and doctors do 'Hail Mary' around vaccine laws At two public charter schools in the Sonoma wine country town of Sebastopol, more than half the kindergartners received medical exemptions from state-required vaccines last school year. The cities of Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Nevada City, Arcata and Sausalito all had schools in which more than 30 percent of the kindergartners had been granted such medical exemptions.
	In Yemen, corruption worsened world's worst cholera outbreak In the summer of 2017, a plane chartered by the United Nations idled on the tarmac at an airport in the Horn of Africa as officials waited for final clearance to deliver half a million doses of cholera vaccine to Yemen. Amid the country's ruinous war, the disease was spiraling out of control, with thousands of new cases reported each day.
	From spinal cord injury to recovery Spinal cord injury disconnects communication between the brain and the spinal cord, disrupting control over parts of the body. Studying the mechanisms of recovery, Leuven researcher Aya Takeoka (NERF) found that a specific type of neuronal feedback from sites below the injury plays a crucial role during early recovery and for maintaining regained motor functions. These new basic research findings implicate the importance of continued use of affected body parts for rehabilitative success in spinal cord injury patients.
	Ten infant deaths linked to Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play sleepers (HealthDay)—Ten infants are known to have died in the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play sleeper since 2015, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns.
	Current methods may inadequately measure health impacts from oil, natural gas extraction An examination of peer-reviewed studies published over six years on hazardous air pollutants associated with the extraction of oil and natural gas finds that measurements of hazardous air pollutant concentrations near operational sites have generally failed to capture levels above standard health benchmarks; yet, the majority of studies continue to find poor health outcomes increasing as distance from these operations decreases.
Cancer drug shortages result in almost no treatment changes, study finds For the vast majority of cancer drugs experiencing shortages over a seven-year period, a new USC research study found no statistically significant effect of shortages on chemotherapy treatment.
	Study of multiple sclerosis patients shows 18 percent misdiagnosed A recent study found that nearly 18 percent of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis before being referred to two major Los Angeles medical centers for treatment actually had been misdiagnosed with the autoimmune disease.
	Study shows dogs can accurately sniff out cancer in blood Dogs have smell receptors 10,000 times more accurate than humans', making them highly sensitive to odors we can't perceive. A new study has shown that dogs can use their highly evolved sense of smell to pick out blood samples from people with cancer with almost 97 percent accuracy. The results could lead to new cancer-screening approaches that are inexpensive and accurate without being invasive.
	Insecurities may drive people to save more When people feel that their own good impressions of themselves are at risk, they may try to increase their savings, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
	Could eating garlic reduce aging-related memory problems? Consuming garlic helps counteract age-related changes in gut bacteria associated with memory problems, according to a new study conducted with mice. The benefit comes from allyl sulfide, a compound in garlic known for its health benefits.
Body donor's rare anatomy offers valuable lessons Medical students have long learned the human body's intricacies by carefully examining a donated body in a gross anatomy class.
	Stillbirth threefold increase when sleeping on back in pregnancy Research spearheaded by a University of Huddersfield lecturer has shown that pregnant women can lower the risk of stillbirth by sleeping on their side and not on their back.
	Acetaminophen can reduce positive empathy for others A new study by an Ohio University faculty member showed that acetaminophen limited positive empathy a person has for others while taking it.
	Scientists review influenza vaccine research progress and opportunities In a new series of articles, experts in immunology, virology, epidemiology, and vaccine development detail efforts to improve seasonal influenza vaccines and ultimately develop a universal influenza vaccine. The 15 articles are part of a supplement in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and scientists supported by NIAID, are among the contributing authors. Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC), and Michelle C. Crank, M.D., head of the Translational Sciences Core in the VRC's Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, edited the supplement.
	Healthy diet helps older men maintain physical function A person's ability to maintain independence and to physically care for themselves is an essential part of healthy aging. But few studies have examined how a person's diet may allow some aging people to maintain physical function—basic everyday tasks like bathing, getting dressed, carrying groceries or walking up a flight of stairs—while others' abilities diminish. A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital examines the role of a healthy diet and finds that this highly modifiable factor can have a large influence on maintaining physical function, lowering the likelihood of developing physical impairment by approximately 25 percent. The team's findings are published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.
Study provides insight into use of critical care resources A study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found wide variation in the use of different hospital units—intensive care or general medical units—to deliver a type of advanced respiratory support called non-invasive ventilation. The team's report published in Critical Care Medicine found no differences in length of stay or in-hospital deaths among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receiving this treatment that were associated with whether they were treated on a general medical unit or an intensive care unit (ICU).
Text messages show promise as next step for improving heart health in China Motivational text messages are a well-liked, feasible new way to provide additional support to Chinese patients with heart disease, reports a preliminary study by researchers at Yale and in China. However, the study did not prove that these targeted text messages led to an improvement in blood pressure control amongst the recipients, the intended outcome.
	Specific criteria needed for different types of myeloma When our plasma cells start producing a single cancer-causing protein rather than an array of antibody-like proteins to protect us, it's one of two arms of the Y-shaped protein that's likely to blame.
	TGen review links gene with the most common liver cancer Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a long medical name for the most common form of liver cancer, a malignancy whose incidence has nearly doubled over the past decade, making it the fastest growing type of cancer in the U.S., and the third-leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.
	Online tool encourages healthy weight gain during pregnancy Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk of obesity in both mothers and babies. To avoid dangerous gestational weight gain, it is important to identify effective tools for behavior change. A new study appearing in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, found online diet goal-setting helped women achieve healthy weight gain if they started the study with a normal body weight, but it was not effective for women with a higher body mass index (BMI).
	Patients harboring E. coli with highly resistant MCR-1 gene found In NYC hospital A team of investigators has identified a cluster of four patients harboring Escherichia coli carrying a rare antibiotic resistance gene, mcr-1. That gene renders the microbe resistant to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort against some multidrug-resistant infections. Three of those patients showed no symptoms, raising the risk of spread. The research is published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Intestinal helminths boost fat burning: Japanese investigators show how Intestinal infection with helminths—a class of worm-like parasites—prevented weight gain in laboratory mice on a high-fat diet. The helminths did so by boosting populations of bacteria that produce compounds that trigger increased energy consumption in the mice. The research is published in Infection and Immunity, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
	Novel 5-minute workout improves blood pressure, may boost brain function Could working out five minutes a day, without lifting a single weight or jogging a single step, reduce your heart attack risk, help you think more clearly and boost your sports performance?
	US measles tally hits 465, with most illnesses in kids U.S. measles cases are continuing to jump, and most of the reported illnesses are in children.
	How education may stave off cognitive decline Prefrontal brain regions linked to higher educational attainment are characterized by increased expression of genes involved in neurotransmission and immunity, finds a study of healthy older adults published in JNeurosci. The identified genes and molecular pathways could provide insight into factors that help keep the brain sharp in old age.
	Superimposition of eye fundus images for longitudinal analysis from large public health databases We have introduced an efficient method to superimpose eye fundus images from persons with diabetes screened over many years for diabetic retinopathy. The method is fully automatic and robust to camera changes and colour variations across the images both in space and time. All the stages of the process are designed for longitudinal analysis of cohort public health databases where retinal examinations are made at approximately yearly intervals.
	The skinny on beef (HealthDay)—Beef often gets a bad rap, but is it really that bad for you?
	How to start a walking group (HealthDay)—You enjoy walking and even have an exercise buddy to keep you on track. But maybe your enthusiasm has started to wane.
	Dietary supplement boosts cognitive function in vegetarians Vegetarians who take the dietary supplement creatine may enjoy improved brain function, according to a new study. The research will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla.
	Exploiting metabolic differences to optimize SSRI dosing in adolescents In a simulated study, exposure to and maximum blood concentrations of two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - commonly used to treat anxiety and depression in adolescents—differed depending on whether the teens modeled were poor, normal, rapid, or ultra-rapid metabolizers of the SSRIs. Caused by differences in the gene coding for cytochrome P4502C19 (CYP2C19), this information could inform SSRI dosing to optimize efficacy of the medications and minimize adverse effects, as reported in an article published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
Experts issue new recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of maternal sepsis Among continued efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) released new recommendations related to the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. The "SMFM Consult Series 47: Sepsis During Pregnancy and the Puerperium," is endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Disclosure law has improved nurse staffing in New Jersey, study finds A New Jersey law requiring hospitals and nursing homes to publicly report the number of patients per nurse has led to better nurse staffing ratios, a Rutgers study found.
Patient shielding provides negligible benefits while increasing risks A new study published in the April 2019 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) makes the case for why it is time to abandon the practice of patient shielding in radiology.
Cutting-edge procedure mends Jagger's 'heart of stone' When the Rolling Stone's Mick Jagger underwent heart valve replacement surgery in New York recently, according to media reports the doctor in France who invented the technique took a modest bow.

Biology news

	Evolution imposes 'speed limit' on recovery after mass extinctions It takes at least 10 million years for life to fully recover after a mass extinction, a speed limit for the recovery of species diversity that is well known among scientists. Explanations for this apparent rule have usually invoked environmental factors, but research led by The University of Texas at Austin links the lag to something different: evolution.
	International team decodes the durum wheat genome An international consortium has sequenced the entire genome of durum wheat—the source of semolina for pasta, a food staple for the world's population, according to an article published today in Nature Genetics.
	Beer and fodder crop has been deteriorating for 6,000 years The diversity of the crop Sorghum, a cereal used to make alcoholic drinks, has been decreasing over time due to agricultural practice. To maintain the diversity of the crop and keep it growing farmers will need to revise how they manage it.
	Just how much does enhancing photosynthesis improve crop yield? In the next two decades, crop yields need to increase dramatically to feed the growing global population. Wouldn't it be incredibly useful if we had a crystal ball to show us what are the best strategies available to increase crop yields?
	DNA copying machine a master of resource recycling Researchers at the University of Wollongong's (UOW) Molecular Horizons initiative have shed new light on how an important but not well understood protein goes about its vital role of reducing errors and mutations in DNA replication.
	Pollen detectives work to predict asthma and hay fever The presence of different strains of grass pollen in the atmosphere can help predict when hay fever and asthma could strike, a study involving a University of Queensland researcher has found.
	Researchers find a way to use CRISPR Cas-9 on reptiles A team of researchers at the University of Georgia has found a way to use the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool on reptiles. In their paper uploaded to the bioRxiv preprint server, the group describes the technique they developed and how well it worked on test lizards.
	Global study shows exotic species are a complex threat When species are introduced by humans into marine habitats, they can disrupt their new environment, according to a study at KAUST, which also identified key species for conservation efforts to focus on.
	How a bacterium feeds an entire flatworm In the sandy bottom of warm coastal waters lives Paracatenula—a small worm that has neither mouth, nor gut. Nevertheless, it lacks nothing thanks to Riegeria, the bacterium that fills most of the body of the tiny worm. Riegeria looks after its host—it is farmer, quartermaster and cook all in one. A research team researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology has now deciphered how the bacteria supply the worm with nutrition.
	New model explains origins of empathy Researchers at the Max Planck Institute and the Santa Fe Institute have developed a new model to explain the evolutionary origins of empathy and other related phenomena, such as emotional contagion and contagious yawning. The model suggests that the origin of a broad range of empathetic responses lies in cognitive simulation. It shifts the theoretical focus from a top-down approach that begins with cooperation to one that begins with a single cognitive mechanism.
	Personalities promote adaptability Bold great tits lay their eggs earlier when under threat, the shy ones put it off. Such personality differences help maintain the biological variation essential for the survival of populations, as LMU biologists have now shown.
	When the extreme becomes the norm for Arctic animals Think of reindeer on Norway's Svalbard archipelago as the arctic equivalent of sloths. It's not a perfect analogy, except that like tropical sloths, Svalbard reindeer move as little as possible to conserve energy.
	'Electron shuttle' protein plays key role in plant cell-wall construction Scientists studying plant cell walls—structural supports that help plants overcome the downward pull of gravity—have discovered mechanistic details of a protein involved in the assembly of lignin, a key cell-wall component. The protein acts as a targeted "electron shuttle," delivering the "fuel" that drives the construction of one specific type of lignin building block.
	Woolly mammoths and Neanderthals may have shared genetic traits A new Tel Aviv University study suggests that the genetic profiles of two extinct mammals with African ancestry—woolly mammoths, elephant-like animals that evolved in the arctic peninsula of Eurasia around 600,000 years ago, and Neanderthals, highly skilled early humans who evolved in Europe around 400,000 years ago—shared molecular characteristics of adaptation to cold environments.
	Oral bacteria 'battle royale' helps explain how a pathogen causes hospital infections Hundreds of different bacterial species are living inside your mouth. Some are highly abundant, while others are scarce. A few of these oral bacteria are known pathogens. Others are benign, or even beneficial.
	More than individual landowner issue Weed species continue to spread and management costs continue to mount, in spite of best management practices and efforts by research and extension personnel who promote them to land managers, said Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist in the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department, College Station.
	New DNA 'shredder' technique goes beyond CRISPR's scissors In the last six years, a tool called CRISPR-Cas9 has transformed genetic research, allowing scientists to snip and edit DNA strands at precise locations like a pair of tiny scissors.
	Study: Some woodpeckers imitate a neighbor's plumage In the first global test of the idea, scientists have found evidence that some woodpeckers can evolve to look like another species of woodpecker in the same neighborhood. The researchers say that this "plumage mimicry" isn't a fluke—it happens among pairs of distantly related woodpeckers all over the world. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, was conducted by researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, SUNY Buffalo State, the University of British Columbia, and Manchester University.
Team in Florida captures huge python using tracking devices Researchers in Florida using a new approach to combating a destructive invasion by enormous pythons have captured one of the biggest ever, a 17-foot-long (5.2 meters) specimen large enough to eat a deer, they said.
	Dogged researchers show that dingoes keep feral cats in check Dingoes play a key role in the conservation of Australian outback ecosystems by suppressing feral cat populations, a UNSW Sydney study has found.
	Poisons flow in toxic levels through the veins of great white sharks, new study shows Great white sharks—one of the ocean's most fearsome apex predators—thrive with toxic levels of poisons flowing in their veins, according to a new study by OCEARCH.
	A new view on a very old problem: Evolution of the photochemical reaction centers Growing evidence suggests that the unique molecular engines that drive photosynthesis arose only once during Earth's history. All the diverse reaction centers—packets of proteins and pigments—in plants, algae, and certain bacteria appear to have evolved from a single ancestral structure. Researchers compared the most recently available structures. They developed new hypotheses that explain reaction center evolution in terms of selective pressures. These hypotheses describe a potential route of evolution for the great variety of photosynthetic reaction centers seen today.
	Antioxidants protect cells from harmful water contaminant Antioxidants such as vitamin C could help reduce harmful effects from hexavalent chromium, according to a new study performed with human cells. The contaminant, which is often produced by industrial processes, was featured in the biographical movie Erin Brockovich.
	Official stats mask shark and ray species caught in the Mediterranean and Black seas Shark and ray species commonly caught in the Mediterranean and Black seas are not being reported in official statistics, new research from the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia shows.
uliCUT&RUN maps protein binding on chromatin in single cells and single embryos Groundbreaking research by Sarah Hainer, an assistant professor of gene expression and cell fate in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences, and Thomas G. Fazzio of the University of Massachusetts Medical School has adapted the CUT&RUN method to examine mapping of transcription factor and other DNA binding protein occupancies on chromatin using a low number of cells, including single cells, and individual pre-implantation embryos.
	Spotted lanternflies found to be flyers, not gliders The spotted lanternfly is not a strong or frequent flyer, weaknesses that may hinder its ability to travel long distances by air, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
	Survey: More Mexican gray wolves roaming southwestern US More Mexican gray wolves are roaming the American Southwest now than at any time since federal biologists began reintroducing the predators more than two decades ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday.
	Radiation and plants: From soil remediation to interplanetary flights Currently, the study of the effects of ionizing radiation is of great relevance in the field of agriculture development, the study of zones with elevated natural and man-made background radiation, and space biology studies.
	More dolphins die in Aegean Sea; group suspects navy drills The Aegean Sea has seen a "very unusual" spike in dolphin deaths over the past few weeks, a Greek marine conservation group said Monday, adding that the rise could be linked to massive Turkish naval exercises in the area.

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