Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Oct 9

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 9, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Three win Nobel in Chemistry for work on lithium-ion batteries

Carbon-rich hot bubble detected in the planetary nebula NGC 5189

Human gut microbes could make processed foods healthier

Scientists reverse core symptom of schizophrenia in adult mice

New method visualizes groups of neurons as they compute

Atomic-level imaging could offer roadmap to metals with new properties

Electronic solid could reduce carbon emissions in fridges and air conditioners

Warm ocean water attacking edges of Antarctica's ice shelves

Humans have salamander-like ability to regrow cartilage in joints

Craving junk food after a sleepless night? Blame your nose, which sniffs out high fat, calorie-dense food

Scientists identify molecule that could have helped cells survive—and thrive—on early Earth

Study: Innovative pancreatic cancer treatment may rev up immune system

Nobel week continues with the Chemistry Prize

Whale 'whispers' keep young safe near predators: study

Vaccine against RSV could be in sight, researchers say

Astronomy & Space news

	Carbon-rich hot bubble detected in the planetary nebula NGC 5189 Using ESA's XMM-Newton space telescope, astronomers have found that the planetary nebula NGC 5189 harbors a carbon-enriched X-ray-emitting hot bubble. The discovery, presented in a paper published September 30 on arXiv.org, could shed more light on the nature of gaseous material in planetary nebulae.
	Oxygen and metal from lunar regolith On the left side of this before and after image is a pile of simulated lunar soil, or regolith; on the right is the same pile after essentially all the oxygen has been extracted from it, leaving a mixture of metal alloys. Both the oxygen and metal could be used in future by settlers on the Moon.
	Researchers theorize origins of magnetars, the strongest magnets in the universe How do some neutron stars become the strongest magnets in the universe? A German-British team of astrophysicists has found a possible answer to the question of how magnetars form. They used large computer simulations to demonstrate how the merger of two stars creates strong magnetic fields. If such stars explode in supernovae, magnetars can result. Scientists from Heidelberg University, the Max Planck Society, the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, and the University of Oxford were involved in the research. The results were published in Nature.
	'One small nibble for man': 3-D printer makes meat in space The prospect of astronauts tucking into a roast dinner has grown slightly closer after a successful experiment used a 3D printer to create meat on the International Space Station.
	Humans will not 'migrate' to other planets, Nobel winner says Humans will never migrate to a planet outside of Earth's solar system because it would take far too long to get there, Swiss Nobel laureate Michel Mayor said Wednesday.
	Exoplanet and cosmology discoveries awarded Nobel Prize in Physics ESA congratulates 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics laureates Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, who have been awarded the prestigious prize for the first discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star, and James Peebles, honoured for the theoretical framework of cosmology used to investigate the Universe on its largest scales.
	Astronauts and citizens team up against light pollution For an astronaut looking out of the International Space Station windows, city lights are brighter than the stars. To tackle light pollution citizen scientists are urged to help map out the problem on their smartphones by identifying images of cities taken from space.
	Liquifying a rocky exoplanet Rocky exoplanets that are around Earth-size are comparatively small, which makes them incredibly difficult to detect and characterise using telescopes. What are the optimal conditions to find such small planets that linger in the darkness? "A rocky planet that is hot, molten, and possibly harboring a large outgassed atmosphere ticks all the boxes," says Dan Bower, astrophysicist at the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) of the University of Bern. Such a planet could be more easily seen by telescopes due to strong outgoing radiation than its solid counterpart. The SNSF Ambizione and CSH Fellow continues: "Granted, you wouldn't want to vacation on one of these planets, but they are important to study since many if not all rocky planets begin their life as molten blobs, yet eventually some may become habitable like Earth.

Technology news

	Using machine learning to hunt down cybercriminals Hijacking IP addresses is an increasingly popular form of cyber-attack. This is done for a range of reasons, from sending spam and malware to stealing Bitcoin. It's estimated that in 2017 alone, routing incidents such as IP hijacks affected more than 10 percent of all the world's routing domains. There have been major incidents at Amazon and Google and even in nation-states—a study last year suggested that a Chinese telecom company used the approach to gather intelligence on western countries by rerouting their internet traffic through China.
	Sticker is adhesive tracker in Tile lineup "Where's the remote!"
	Linksys announces motion detection with its mesh Wi-Fi routers Linksys, a division within Belkin International and Foxconn Interconnect Technology, has announced that it is offering a new motion detection service with its mesh Wi-Fi routers. As part of its announcement, the company said that the service will be subscription-based and will only be available (for now) with its Linksys Velop Tri-Band AC2200 routers. The new service is called Linksys Aware.
	Li-ion batteries: Science 'directly into your hand' They are omnipresent and essential to navigating modern life. Small, light, rechargeable: lithium ion batteries have revolutionised our world in less than three decades.
	Predicting the impact of climate change on bridge safety Climate change will ultimately affect our bridges. But to what extent?
	China criticizes Apple for app that tracks Hong Kong police Apple became the latest company targeted for Chinese pressure over protests in Hong Kong when the ruling Communist Party's main newspaper criticized the tech giant Wednesday for a smartphone app that allows activists to report police movements.
	Twitter admits phone numbers meant for security used for ads Twitter on Tuesday apologized after "inadvertently" using phone numbers and email addresses for advertising even though the personal data was provided for account security.
	Google lets you move music around its smart speakers with 'Stream Transfer' feature Google has a new way for you to move music around the room. Just say "Hey, Google" to start a song on one speaker and finish it on another.
	Robots could learn to recognise human emotions, study finds Robots could be taught to recognise human emotions from our movements, a new study shows.
	OECD suggests 'unified approach' to break deadlock on digital tax The OECD published Wednesday its suggestions for a "unified approach" on fairly taxing digital giants to break a deadlock in a dispute that has raised tensions between the United States and some EU allies.
	A peek at 2020's most notable vehicles The automotive landscape evolves every year, with various brands and models pushing the envelope in new directions. We're rounding up the most significant vehicles for 2020, presented in alphabetical order. These are cars, trucks and SUVs that reveal major trends and shifts in the industry.
	Can hiding likes make Facebook fairer and rein in fake news? The science says maybe You may have read about—or already seen, depending on where you are—the latest tweak to Facebook's interface: the disappearance of the likes counter.
	Ransomware attacks 'getting bolder': Europol Global ransomware attacks are on the decline, but such malicious cyber strikes are getting bolder and homing in on more profitable companies, with data encryption a key target, Europe's police agency said Wednesday,.
	American Airlines pushes back Boeing MAX return to January American Airlines on Wednesday pushed back the return of its Boeing 737 MAX jets until January 2020, again reshuffling its schedule due to a grounding following two deadly crashes.
	Deep-learning method to design fly-like robots "Just think about what a fly can do," says Professor Pavan Ramdya, whose lab at EPFL's Brain Mind Institute, with the lab of Professor Pascal Fua in EPFL's Institute for Computer Science, led the study. "A fly can climb across terrain that a wheeled robot would not be able to."
	Start-up unveils robot with human-like dexterous grip A robotics technology start-up from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) named Eureka Robotics, has unveiled a new robot that can pick up delicate optical lenses and mirrors with care and precision, just like a human hand.
	5G wireless to connect robots on the ground to AI in the cloud A research team at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, with the support of the National Science Foundation's National Robotics Initiative 2.0, is building the foundations of a wireless system that takes advantage of superfast fifth-generation (5G) wireless communications to outsource a mobile robots' artificial intelligence (AI) functions to the edge cloud—the server in the cloud closest to the robot.
	EU warns hostile countries are 5G risk, avoids naming names The European Union warned Wednesday that next-generation telecommunication networks face a range of cyber threats, including from hostile countries.
	Army bio-inspired theoretical research may make robots more effective on the future battlefield In an effort to make robots more effective and versatile teammates for Soldiers in combat, Army researchers are on a mission to understand the value of the molecular living functionality of muscle, and the fundamental mechanics that would need to be replicated in order to artificially achieve the capabilities arising from the proteins responsible for muscle contraction.
	Report says workers are biggest data-security threat Headlines about cybersecurity breaches and data theft from government agencies and companies such as Caribou Coffee, Target and Medtronic in recent years can inspire fear of bad guys exploiting the internet from dark places on the web.
	Facebook CEO to appear before Congress on currency plan Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will appear before Congress this month as the tech giant is under pressure from lawmakers and regulators over its massive market power and record of privacy breaches.
	Renault president wants CEO Bollore replaced: French press Renault's new chairman will ask the French carmaker's board to find a successor to chief executive Thierry Bollore as the company still reels from the fallout of the Carlos Ghosn scandal, Le Figaro daily has reported.
	New Nissan CEO brings global outlook but faces uphill task Nissan's new chief executive Makoto Uchida is an insider with a global outlook, but he faces an uphill struggle to right the Japanese automaker still reeling from the Carlos Ghosn scandal.
	Researchers develop new technology for precision grinding A team of researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania have developed a novel approach to precision grinding of hard and brittle materials achieving unparalleled efficiency of this process. By experimenting with tungsten carbide they created an innovative technology for shaping the extremely strong and yet easily breakable material into a desirable form.
Startup building new technology for creating apps, games Dmitry Shapiro, a former MySpace executive and ex-Googler, is building a new technology in San Diego that he hopes will open the gates of app development to people of all types—not just those who can code.
More women get tech jobs, but men still outpace them 3-to-1 When Naomie Baptiste was a second-grader in Miami, her uncle, a retired Coca-Cola electrical engineer, played a mathematics game with her at the store.
	Halle shooter posted video on Twitch livestream platform The gunman in Wednesday's deadly shooting in the German city of Halle posted a video of the attack on the Twitch livestream platform owned by Amazon, the company said.

Medicine & Health news

	Scientists reverse core symptom of schizophrenia in adult mice Columbia researchers have restored normal working memory to a mouse model of schizophrenia, eliminating a core symptom of the disorder that, in people, has proven virtually impossible to treat.
	New method visualizes groups of neurons as they compute Using a fluorescent probe that lights up when brain cells are electrically active, MIT and Boston University researchers have shown that they can image the activity of many neurons at once, in the brains of mice.
	Humans have salamander-like ability to regrow cartilage in joints Contrary to popular belief, cartilage in human joints can repair itself through a process similar to that used by creatures such as salamanders and zebrafish to regenerate limbs, researchers at Duke Health found.
	Craving junk food after a sleepless night? Blame your nose, which sniffs out high fat, calorie-dense food When you're sleep deprived, you tend to reach for doughnuts, fries and pizza. A new Northwestern Medicine study has figured out why you crave more calorie-dense, high-fat foods after a sleepless night—and how to help thwart those unhealthy choices.
	Study: Innovative pancreatic cancer treatment may rev up immune system A University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute research team reports that combining a type of radiation therapy with immunotherapy not only cures pancreatic cancer in mice, but appears to reprogram the immune system to create an "immune memory" in the same way that a vaccine keeps the flu away.
	Vaccine against RSV could be in sight, researchers say A vaccine for the common and sometimes deadly RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) has been elusive, but scientists say a new discovery puts them much closer to success.
	People who eat more meals at home have lower levels of harmful PFAS in their bodies A home-cooked meal has many benefits, including healthier ingredients and fewer processed foods. But there's another reason to avoid eating out all the time. Preparing meals at home can reduce your exposure to harmful PFAS chemicals that are commonly found in take-out and fast food packaging, according to a new study by researchers at Silent Spring Institute.
	Finding upends theory about the cerebellum's role in reading and dyslexia New brain imaging research debunks a controversial theory about dyslexia that can impact how it is sometimes treated, Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists say.
	First cell map of developing human liver reveals how blood and immune system develops In a world first, scientists have created the human developmental liver cell atlas that provides crucial insights into how the blood and immune systems develop in the foetus. It maps changes in the cellular landscape of the developing liver between the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, including how stem cells from the liver seed other tissues to support the high demand for oxygen needed for growth.
	New research uncovers how common genetic mutation drives cancer A new, multicenter study led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center determined how a single mutation in splicing factor 3b subunit 1 (SF3B1), the most frequently mutated splicing factor gene, drives the formation of many cancers. The findings are published today in the journal Nature.
	Unique immune cell could help stop breast cancer A unique type of immune cell has been discovered in human breast tissue, and breast cancer patients with more of these cells are more likely to survive, finds new research from the Francis Crick Institute and King's College London. The research was part-funded by Cancer Research UK and Breast Cancer Now.
	Researchers discover single-cell immune composition of plaques from stroke patients Atherosclerotic plaque, the fatty buildup in arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke, contains an abundance of the immune cells known as T-cells, Mount Sinai researchers have shown for the first time.
	Randomized controlled trial suggests healthier diet may directly reduce depression Young adults with depression whose diet is usually unhealthy showed significantly fewer symptoms of depression after eating a healthy diet for three weeks, according to a study published October 9, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Heather Francis from Macquarie University, Australia, and colleagues.
	New insights into how to protect premature babies from common brain disorder Premature babies have delicate brain tissue that is prone to bleeding and can result in post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, a dangerous condition that leads to excess fluid accumulation and brain dysfunction. Now, scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a new disease mechanism and potential molecular drug target that may protect premature newborns from developing the brain disorder. The study was published in Science Advances.
	Study reveals how drug abstinence changes gene expression, making relapse more likely A new preclinical study by University at Buffalo researchers reveals the genetic basis of relapse, one of the most detrimental but poorly understood behaviors related to addiction.
	Beta-blockers build heart muscle, may help infants with congenital heart disease Surgery can mend congenital heart defects shortly after birth, but those babies will carry a higher risk of heart failure throughout the rest of their lives. Yet, according to a Science Translational Medicine study published today by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh researchers, β-blockers could supplement surgery to regenerate infant heart muscle and mitigate the lasting effects of congenital heart disease.
	Rest may help reduce PTSD symptoms, study finds A period of rest following a traumatic event can reduce the subsequent development of involuntary 'memory intrusions', one of the hallmark symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new UCL study has found.
	Fresh insights could lead to new treatments for liver disease The fight against liver disease could be helped by the discovery of cells that cause liver scarring.
	Researchers find molecular mechanisms behind women's biological clock Researchers have mapped out some of the mechanisms that may affect women's fertility from the teenage years to menopause. These mechanisms largely depend on naturally occurring chromosome errors—errors that vary depending on age group.
	Scientists find gender-distinct circuit for depression Depression affects women nearly twice as much as men, but unraveling the brain's blueprint that regulates this behavior, let alone identifying specific molecular differences between sexes, has proven difficult.
	Researchers discover a new cancer-driving mutation in 'dark matter' of the cancer genome An Ontario-led research group has discovered a novel cancer-driving mutation in the vast non-coding regions of the human cancer genome, also known as the "dark matter" of human cancer DNA.
	Surprise finding about HIV reservoir could lead to better therapies Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can suppress HIV to the point where the virus is nearly undetectable, and people on medication can live many years. But therapy cannot completely eradicate the virus; it persists in reservoirs inside immune cells, a phenomenon called "latency." This latent reservoir forms even when a person begins therapy very early after infection, but the dynamics of the reservoir's formation have been largely unknown. Now scientists have discovered evidence that the initial use of ART alters the host environment to allow the formation or stabilization of most of the long-lived HIV reservoir that is then present for many years.
	Uncovering the presynaptic distribution and profile of mitochondria The ability to hear relies on neurons to constantly transmit information at very rapid timescales. This rapid rate of information transmission results in intense energetic demands. Within our cells, microscopic power plants called mitochondria provide the main source of energy keeping our bodies moving. While mitochondria serve an essential function throughout the body, within the brain they play an especially crucial role; providing the tremendous amount of energy needed to facilitate synaptic transmission (the transfer of information between neurons).
	Survey finds less than half of Americans concerned about poor posture The average American adult spends more than three and a half hours looking down at their smartphones every day. Looking down or slouching for long periods of time can not only cause chronic pain in the back, neck and knees, but it can lead to more serious health issues like circulation problems, heartburn and digestive issues if left unchecked. However, a new national survey by Orlando Health finds that too few Americans are concerned with the health effects of bad posture.
	Paclitaxel-coated devices are safe for unblocking arteries in lower limbs Devices coated with a drug called paclitaxel that are used for widening blocked arteries in legs and feet are safe and not linked to an increase in deaths, according to a study of nearly 65,000 patients, published in the European Heart Journal today.
	Maintaining weight loss beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes People with Type 2 diabetes who regained weight forfeited the initial benefits of reduced risk of heart disease or stroke compared to those who maintained their weight loss, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart Association.
	How to stay healthy this flu season About 40 million people contracted the flu last year, with hundreds of thousands hospitalized and 35,400 to 61,000 deaths, including 134 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	Pulmonologist discusses educating children about health risks of vaping The number of teens who use electronic cigarettes, or vape, is at an all-time high, and there's growing concern that vaping can cause severe lung illness and injury, as well as an addiction to nicotine.
	Children bullied by friends and siblings are more likely to think about suicide in their early twenties Depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation are more prominent in adults in their early twenties if they were bullied at home and at school, a study by researchers at the University of Warwick have found. Researchers stress that intervention is needed to educate people in bullying to reduce it.
	Study in rats suggests special occasion drinking during pregnancy may cause harm If you thought a glass or two of alcohol on special occasions was safe during pregnancy, think again. Research in the Journal of Physiology shows even small amounts of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can cause insulin-resistance, which increases the likelihood of diabetes, in male rat offspring.
	Chlamydia in testicular tissue linked to male infertility The potential impact of undiagnosed sexually transmitted chlamydia infection on men's fertility has been highlighted in a QUT-led study, which for the first time found chlamydia in the testicular tissue biopsies of infertile men whose infertility had no identified cause.
	'Wild idea' opens possible new frontier for preventing ovarian cancer A laboratory study published in Clinical Cancer Research offers a new hypothesis about how ovarian cancer forms and suggests how it might be prevented.
	Algorithm personalizes which cancer mutations are best targets for immunotherapy As tumor cells multiply, they often spawn tens of thousands of genetic mutations. Figuring out which ones are the most promising to target with immunotherapy is like finding a few needles in a haystack. Now a new model developed by researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania hand-picks those needles so they can be leveraged in more effective, customized cancer vaccines. Cell Systems published the data on the model's development today, and the algorithm is already available online as an open source technology to serve as a resource.
	Use of tape strips in early onset pediatric atopic dermatitis Applying strips of adhesive tape to skin lesions and non-lesional skin is a non-invasive way to obtain biomarkers to track the severity of early-onset pediatric eczema or atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants and young children, researchers report for the first time. The study, titled "Use of Tape Strips to Detect Immune and Barrier Abnormalities In Early Onset Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis" and led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, was published online today in JAMA Dermatology.
	Dietary supplement lycopene from tomatoes discovered to boost sperm quality Sperm quality can be improved with a simple diet supplement containing a compound found in cooked tomatoes, according to new research by the University of Sheffield.
	Genetic data now available for bacteria central to Crohn's disease Scientists have made genetic data publicly available for bacteria that might be lurking inside the gut walls of patients chronically affected with severe Crohn's disease.
	Free flu vaccine offered mostly in wealthy suburbs A University of Adelaide study into the impact of state-funded vaccination programs for Australian children under five years has found those attending medical practices in the wealthiest areas were more likely to receive the vaccine.
	Blood vessels offer new approaches for treating chronic inflammatory bowel diseases In Germany alone, there are around 400,000 patients who suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. For the first time, researchers at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen have discovered that dysfunctions in blood vessels play a significant role in the development of such diseases. In experimental model systems, the progression of the disease slowed down significantly by eliminating these dysfunctions. The researchers have now published their results in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
	Air pollution linked to hair loss, new research reveals Research presented today at the 28th EADV Congress in Madrid shows, for the first time, that exposure to common air pollutants known as particulate matter (PM) is linked to hair loss in humans.
	Safe and efficient tool to reduce seniors' medication overload A study shows that MedSafer, an electronic decision-support tool developed by RI-MUHC researchers, helps reduce inappropriate medications prescribed to the elderly
	Hormone therapy has a bigger impact than chemotherapy on quality of life in women with breast cancer Analysis of the CANTO cohort published in the journal Annals of Oncology will upset received wisdom on the effects that hormone therapy and chemotherapy have on the quality of life in women with breast cancer. Contrary to the commonly held view, two years after diagnosis, hormone therapy, a highly effective breast cancer treatment, worsens quality of life to a greater extent and for a longer time, especially in menopausal patients. The deleterious effects of chemotherapy are more transient. Given that current international guidelines recommend the prescription of hormone therapy for five to 10 years, it is important to offer treatment to women who develop severe symptoms due to hormone antagonist medication and to identify those who might benefit from less prolonged or intensive treatment strategies.
	Low intelligence linked to suicide risk later in life People with low scores on intelligence tests in adolescence run a higher risk of suicide and suicide attempt later in life. That is according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that followed almost 50,000 Swedish men from the 1970s until recently. The study is published in the journal Psychological Medicine.
	Collaboration between crucial proteins in signal transmission clarified Researchers from Utrecht University have clarified the function of proteins that play a role in signal transmission between neurons. Without these proteins, it is more difficult to pass on nerve stimuli, which may play a role in neurological disorders such as autism. The researchers will publish their findings in Cell Reports on 8 October.
	Researchers show potential liver cancer treatment by targeting cancer stem-like cells Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The most common primary liver cancer in adults is known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and accounts for approximately 780,000 deaths every year. Even with advanced surgical treatments or transplantation, the 5-year survival rate for HCC patients remains poor due to frequent recurrence.
	Should scores on mild cognitive impairment tests be adjusted for sex? Using sex-specific scores on memory tests may change who gets diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by 20 percent, with possibly more women and fewer men being diagnosed, according to a study published in the October 9, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia, is when people have problems with memory and thinking skills.
	Researchers investigate the impact of police stops on youth's mental health New research looks into the impact police stops have on the mental health of youth. Assistant professors Dylan Jackson, Chantal Fahmy and Alexander Testa in the UTSA Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice collaborated with professor Michael Vaughn in the College for Public Health and Social Justice at St. Louis University to conduct a study that reveals that youth experiencing intrusive police stops are at risk of heightened emotional distress.
Can smartphone apps improve mental health? For most of us, using a smartphone has become a normal part of modern life. Smartphones give us access to information, entertainment and services at our fingertips through the Internet and applications. There is a smartphone application, or "app," for most tasks you can think of, with over five million applications available today for instant downloading onto your device.
	What are hives, the common skin condition that gives you itchy, red bumps? Have you ever wondered who buys those huge boxes of antihistamines prominently displayed all year round in your local pharmacy? If antihistamines were just used for hay fever, you'd think sales would be good in spring, but pretty mediocre for the rest of the year.
	Compassionate 'zero-suicide' prevention on campuses urgently needed Even with a concerted response to improve mental health at universities, mental health crises still occur. The issue of suicide has been in the news lately, and students are looking to universities to respond.
	No, serving sizes on food labels don't tell us how much we should eat The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating sets out how much we should eat from each of the food groups. If we eat the recommended number of "standard serves" from each food group for our age and sex, it puts us in a good position to have a healthy, balanced diet.
	Researchers investigate why certain brains are more vulnerable to addiction In a report published Tuesday, researchers in neuroscience, addiction and behavioral health laid out the latest research into what makes individuals vulnerable to substance abuse and dependency, along with new discoveries that may hold the key for successful prevention and treatment for those addicted to opioids and other drugs.
	Discovery of how cells sense oxygen levels earns Nobel Prize On the morning of Oct. 7, I woke up with the message from a colleague saying that "HIF got the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine whoo hooo." That's exciting news for young researchers like me who are beginning our careers studying hypoxia, when the levels of oxygen are low in the cells.
	Kids + gadgets = less sleep and more risk for unwanted weight (HealthDay)—If you're an adult managing sleep problems, you likely know that part of creating an environment conducive to sleep includes turning off all gadgets at least an hour before bed because of the effects of the light they emit. This same advice goes for kids, too.
	Only half of pregnant women receive recommended vaccines (HealthDay)—Many pregnant women do not receive the recommended flu and tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines to protect themselves and their infants, according to a Vital Signs report published in the Oct. 8 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Uncorrected congenital heart disease may lead to increased risks in pregnant women Pregnant women with congenital heart disease (CHD) who have not had surgery to repair their cardiac condition are more likely to experience cardiac events or maternal death, especially those with certain conditions in emerging countries, according to a study published Oct. 9 in JACC: Heart Failure.
	How interactions between neuronal migration and outgrowth shape network architecture Neurons are not randomly arranged in the human brain. In the cortex, they are organized in interconnected clusters with high intrinsic connectivity. This modular connectivity structure, in which clusters eventually serve as functional units, is formed in early phases of development. The underlying self-organization process is regulated by neuronal activity but the detailed mechanisms are still poorly understood. Based on in vitro studies and computational modeling, neuroscientists Dr. Samora Okujeni and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Egert from the Bernstein Center Freiburg now made an important contribution to the understanding of brain networks and their development: in their current study, they show how neuronal outgrowth and migration interact in shaping network architecture and the degree of modularity in mature networks. Their findings have now been published in the open access online journal eLife.
Older donors may mean shorter queues to get a new liver Imagine that you have just been told that you need a new liver. An operation may save your life. The waiting list is long, however, and it is uncertain when you will be able to get a transplant. This is reality for many thousands of people throughout the world.
	More evidence needed to assess impact of soda taxes, expert says Recent nationwide polls show Americans are divided about soda taxes. Overall, people tend to be more supportive of calorie-labeling and removing sugary drinks from schools, but less so for a general soda tax.
	When doctors and parents disagree on how to treat a sick child the emotional and financial costs can be huge When a child is sick and parents and doctors disagree about what to do next, who is best placed to make that decision? This is a tricky but not uncommon question—with a number of recent high-profile legal cases highlighting the limits of parents' rights to decide what treatments should be offered.
	Calories in popular UK restaurant chain dishes can be 'shockingly high' warn experts The calorie content of popular starters, sides and desserts served in UK restaurant chains is too high and only a minority meet public health recommendations, finds a University of Liverpool study published in BMJ Open.
	What makes people stick with exercise—and what doesn't The hardest thing about keeping up with visits to the gym or an early morning date with a pair of sneakers and the open road isn't necessarily a problem with motivation. It's one of adherence.
	Glass-coated catheters could wipe out infections and save NHS millions Scientists at Aston University in Birmingham have developed a new technique to eradicate life-threatening urinary tract infections among hospital patients needing catheters, potentially saving the NHS nearly £100million per year.
	Study links sleep disturbances and Alzheimer's among Hispanics (Miami, FL) Sleep disturbances among Hispanics may increase their risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study led by a University of Miami Miller School neurologist and sleep expert.
	To learn English, bilingual children need robust vocabulary from parents and caregivers The way a highly proficient speaker of English talks to a child is different from the way a less proficient speaker does. Even for two-year-olds, these differences matter in how they acquire and develop language skills. Early language exposure provides the foundation for children's language development. Therefore, the factors that shape that language exposure, shape language development.
Virtual review of cancer clinical trial treatment options quicker than conventional method Using virtual, cloud-based, interconnected computing techniques applied to 51,000 variables, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center and colleagues reduced the time needed to assess a cancer patient's tumor profile and suitability for clinical trials from 14 to 4 days. This method also increased two-fold, over a four-year period, the number of cases that could be assessed compared to conventional methods.
	First entirely digital clinical trial encourages physical activity As little as a daily ping on your phone can boost physical activity, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine and their collaborators report in a new study.
	Blood test could help to accelerate brain cancer diagnosis A blood test which could help to accelerate the diagnosis of brain cancer has been developed in research led at the University of Strathclyde.
Population shift resulting in fewer homicides The international homicide rate has dropped 20 percent since 1990 and a new study concludes it's likely not due to changes in domestic policies or current events.
	How do children express their state of knowledge of the world around them? When humans communicate, we not only provide information but we also indicate our position in respect of this information, for example, we convey our certainty about the information we share. But little is known about how preschool children do so when signalling the state of certainty or uncertainty of their knowledge.
	Irony and humour keep teenage #gymlads healthy on social media Teenage boys rely on social media to access a wealth of information about living a healthy lifestyle—but rather than being victims of online harms, such as an unhealthy body image obsession, the majority are able to use humour, irony and banter to navigate social media content.
	Highly virulent listeriosis pathogen discovered The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a life-threatening infection in animals and humans. Contaminated food is a frequent source of infection. Elderly people, people with a weakened immune system and pregnant women are particularly at risk with a mortality rate of up to 30 per cent. An international research group led by the Institute of Medical Microbiology at the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) has now discovered the most virulent representatives of this bacterial species to date. They were identified as the cause of serious diseases in sheep in a remote area of the Chinese province Jiangsu.
	Women and black Americans more likely to face severe adult obesity Severe adult obesity carries many risks to health, but until now, little has been known about childhood risk factors involved. Now, a multi-national study led by experts at Cincinnati Children's shows how adult severe obesity risk rates vary by sex, race and other factors identifiable in childhood.
Ethnically diverse mothers, children living in poverty at risk for sleep problems African-American and other ethnically diverse mothers know the value of a good night's sleep, but they and their young children are at risk for developing sleep problems if they live in urban poverty, a Rutgers study finds.
	Bad behavior between moms driven by stereotypes, judgment Mothers are often their own toughest critics, but new research shows they judge other mothers just as harshly.
	Acute respiratory viral illness surveillance possible in long-term care (HealthDay)—Active acute respiratory illness surveillance can be implemented among patients and staff in an adult long-term care facility, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
	Foreign-born women in U.S. less likely to have mammograms (HealthDay)—Regardless of the percentage of lifetime spent in the United States, foreign-born women are less likely to ever have received a mammogram compared with U.S.-born women, according to the Oct. 9 National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	Study finds siblings of problem gamblers also impulsive, prone to risk-taking Biological siblings of people with gambling disorder also display markers of increased impulsivity and risk-taking, according to a new UBC psychology study. The findings, published today in Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest people with gambling disorder—a psychiatric term for serious gambling problems—may have pre-existing genetic vulnerabilities to the illness.
	New research raises important questions on how mental illness is currently diagnosed A study led by a psychologist from Trinity College Dublin raises important questions on how mental illness is currently diagnosed and whether these diagnoses accurately reflect the underlying neurobiology of mental illness.
	High triglycerides caused a diet change—at age 10 Like many 10-year-olds, Lara Asch loved burgers and fries, pasta and pizza.
	Losing your job can be a real heart breaker (HealthDay)—Money may not buy happiness, but a bigger paycheck is good for your heart. And new research suggests the reverse is also true: When income drops, your risk for heart attack, stroke and heart failure goes up.
	New mechanism fueling brain metastasis discovered at Wistar Scientists at The Wistar Institute described a novel mechanism through which astrocytes, the most abundant supporting cells in the brain, also promote cancer cell growth and metastasis in the brain.
	In creating so-called mini-brains, how close to a real human brain is too close? Do I exist? Do you exist? How do I know you exist?
Q&A: What are seborrheic keratoses? Dear Mayo Clinic: I have brown spots over the top half of my body, which my doctor says are seborrheic keratoses and are harmless. What causes them, and is there a way to prevent more from appearing?
	Review of 96 healthy eating studies finds 'nudges' yield best changes in eating habits A gentle nudge in the right direction is sometimes all people need. In this case, new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science finds it works when it comes to promoting healthy eating.
	Johnson & Johnson must pay $8 bn over drug side effect: jury A Pennsylvania jury ruled Tuesday that US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson must pay $8 billion in damages and interest for failing to warn that a psychiatric drug could cause breast growth in men.
Fentanyl's risk on the 'darknet' U.S. overdose deaths attributed to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have increased from under 3,000 in 2013 to nearly 20,000 in 2016, making up half of all opioid-related overdose deaths. These drugs are often purchased on the web's hidden "darknet." An analysis published in Contemporary Economic Policy that examined the darknet's opioid purchases from 2014 to 2016 found that vendors priced fentanyl in 2014 at a 90% discount compared with an equivalent dose of heroin.
Are steroids used too much for patients with inflammatory bowel disease? Steroid therapy is commonly used to treat acute attacks of the inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; however, because it does not provide long-term benefits and it carries a risk of serious side effects, it should not be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease for more than three months.
Study examines care for knee osteoarthritis in the United States A new study published in Arthritis Care & Research provides an overview of U.S. physicians' recommendations for physical therapy, lifestyle counseling, pain medications for treating knee osteoarthritis.
	Statins linked to higher risk of diabetes and skin infections Statins have been reported to be beneficial for infections such as pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia. In the case of skin and soft tissue infections however, statin use is ironically associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, which is a risk factor for such infections.
Long-term dupilumab benefits adolescents with eczema Results from a phase IIa open-label trial and a subsequent phase III open-label extension trial reinforce findings from an earlier short-term trial that adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema, can experience significant improvements with dupilumab. The results from these latest studies, which are reported in the British Journal of Dermatology, demonstrate the long-term safety and efficacy of the medication for up to 52 weeks of treatment.
	Can being neighborly reduce depression in older adults? In a Health & Social Care in the Community study of 10,105 older adults in China examined in 2011, 2013, and 2015, living in neighbourhoods with a higher level of neighbourhood social participation was related to lower rates of depression.
	Melatonin may not help prevent delirium after heart surgery Delirium is observed in approximately 15% of hospitalised older adults, and it is more common in the critically ill and in those undergoing major surgery, such as heart surgery. Studies have found that blood levels of melatonin, a serotonin-derived hormone, decrease following surgery and are lower in surgical patients who develop delirium.
	Autism spectrum disorders linked with excess weight gain in children A recent meta-analysis published in Obesity Reviews revealed that children with autism spectrum disorders had a 41.1% higher risk of developing obesity than matched groups of children, and on average, 22 out of 100 children with autism were found to have obesity.
	Study examines timing of weight gain in children Recent studies suggest kids tend to gain the most weight in summer, but schools are chastised for providing unhealthy food and beverages, along with decreasing opportunities for physical activity.
	Late third trimester ultrasound may detect missed fetal abnormalities In a study published in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology that involved more than 50,000 pregnancies, a fetal anomaly was detected for the first time in the third trimester in one in 200 women who had undergone a first and/or second trimester ultrasound examination.
	PET offers more precise screening method to select candidates for radionuclide therapy A new study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine evaluated the role of 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in selecting neuroendocrine tumor patients who may benefit from peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). Although historically guided by a Krenning score based on 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy, researchers found that Krenning scores based on PET/CT imaging were significantly higher and could more accurately detect patients eligible for PRRT. This is particularly relevant for patients with lesions of less than two centimeters, as the study showed that Krenning scores for these small-volume tumors were markedly higher when informed by PET/CT compared to 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy and could qualify the patients for PRRT when they would otherwise have been ineligible.
	Overhaul is proposed for decades-old Medicare fraud rules The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed overhauling decades-old Medicare rules originally meant to deter fraud and abuse but now seen as a roadblock to coordinating better care for patients.
	The slow cooker makes a comeback (HealthDay)—You might think of a slow cooker as your grandma's favorite timesaver, but this countertop device has many modern benefits— from making healthier meals and cutting calories to saving you time at the stove.
	American Airlines passengers may have been exposed to hepatitis A (HealthDay)—Passengers on several American Airline flights in the United States may have been exposed to hepatitis A by a flight attendant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
	Walgreens and Kroger halt e-cigarette sales (HealthDay)—Walgreens and Kroger have followed Walmart and Rite Aid in halting sales of electronic cigarettes.
	California pharmacists can dispense HIV prevention meds without Rx (HealthDay)—California is the first state to allow pharmacists to dispense HIV prevention pills to patients without a doctor's prescription.
	Measles outbreak kills more than 4,000 in Congo this year The United Nations children's agency says more than 4,000 people have died in Congo this year in the world's largest measles outbreak.
	Vapers accuse officials of overreach as investigation into deadly lung illness lags On Sept. 16, Tulare County in California announced the nation's seventh death from vaping-related illness. Its advisory warned about "the dangerous effects of using electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes."
	Professor's research underpins World Health Organization first ever report on vision More than 1 billion people worldwide are living with vision impairment because they do not get the care they need for conditions like short and far sightedness, glaucoma, diabetes, and cataracts, according to the first-ever World Report on Vision issued by the World Health Organization.
	Global Fund seeks $14 bn to fight AIDS, malaria, TB The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Wednesday opened a drive to raise $14 billion to fight the global epidemics but face an uphill battle in the face of donor fatigue.
American Journal of Roentgenology reviews vaping-associated lung injury findings An ahead-of-print "Clinical Perspective" article in the March issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) summarizing the literature to date details common imaging manifestations of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)—including e-cigarettes and vaporizers, vape and hookah pens, as well as tank systems.

Biology news

	Human gut microbes could make processed foods healthier A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis sheds light on how human gut microbes break down processed foods—especially potentially harmful chemical changes often produced during modern food manufacturing processes.
	Whale 'whispers' keep young safe near predators: study Female Atlantic right whales lower their voices to a whisper when communicating with their young in order to prevent "eavesdropping" by predators, researchers said Wednesday.
	How chromosomes change their shape during cell differentiation The human genome is made up of 46 chromosomes, each of which has a length of about 100 to 200 million base pairs, the building blocks of the DNA double helix. Even during interphase, the period in between the cell division phases, chromosomes are still tightly packed inside the cell nucleus. On each chromosome, a regular structural unit called the nucleosome corresponds to a 146-base-pair-long strand of DNA wrapped around eight histone protein molecules. Until recently, no other regular structures beyond the nucleosomes were known.
	Details of dental wear revealed The teeth of mammals experience constant wear. However, the details of these wear processes are largely unknown. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now demonstrated that the various areas of herbivores' teeth differ in how susceptible they are to dental wear, detailing an exact chronology.
	A study of genetic contributions to changes in prehistoric human stature A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. has found that genetics played a large role in changes in height for Europeans over the past 38,000 years. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group explains their comparison of skeletal and DNA data from early Europeans.
	CRISPR-BEST prevents genome instability Even though CRISPR technologies allow for better manipulation of genomes with many positive effects on modern drug development and the discovery of new and better antibiotics, significant problems such as genome instability and toxicity of the Cas9 protein still remain when using the technology.
	Reef fish caring for their young are taken advantage of by other fish Scroungers and parasites seem to show up in nature wherever life produces something useful, and that includes parental care. Among birds, for example, the practice of laying eggs in other birds' nests is surprisingly common.
	Badger behavior inside the cull zone A study led by researchers at international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and Imperial College London has found that culling drives badgers to roam 61% further afield—helping to explain why the practice, intended to reduce bovine TB transmission, can sometimes exacerbate the problem instead.
	Study recommends special protection of emperor penguins In a new study published this week (Wednesday 9 October) in the journal Biological Conservation, an international team of researchers recommends the need for additional measures to protect and conserve one of the most iconic Antarctic species—the emperor penguin (Aptenodyptes forsteri).
	China says Thailand's panda died from heart attack A giant panda whose sudden death in Thailand sparked outrage in China last month died from a heart attack, according to a Chinese government agency.
	From Med's biggest nesting ground, turtles swim to uncertain future Freed from its eggshell by a volunteer, the tiny turtle hatchling clambers across a pebble-strewn sandy Greek beach in a race to the sea, the start of a hazardous journey that only one in 1,000 will survive.
	Researchers use game theory to successfully identify bacterial antibiotic resistance Washington State University researchers have developed a novel way to identify previously unrecognized antibiotic-resistance genes in bacteria.
	Botswana rhinos risk wipeout as poaching rises Nine Botswana rhinos have been poached since April, the government said Wednesday, an unprecedented rate of one per month that could see rhinos wiped out in the southern African country by 2021.
	A unique study sheds light on the ecology of the glacial relict amphipod Gammaracanthus lacustris The glacial relict amphipod Gammaracanthus lacustris only occurs in deep and cold waters. A collaborative study by University of Jyväskylä and University of Eastern Finland produced new information on the life cycle and ecology of this rare amphipod. G. lacustris is adapted to cold water and would probably not survive in rising water temperatures due to climate change. The study has been published in the journal Freshwater Biology in September 2019.
	Researchers use AI to find patterns among multitude of people and cells A group of Yale scientists have devised a way to leverage artificial neural networks to reveal larger patterns of activity of individual cells that come from a multitude of individuals.
	Kangaroos and other herbivores are eating away at national parks across Australia Protected land, including national parks, are a cornerstone of conservation. Once an area is legally protected, it is tempting to assume that it is shielded from further degradation.
	Researchers find multiple effects on soil from manure from cows administered antibiotics Use of antibiotics is under heightened scrutiny due to the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. While the primary focus is on more stringent use of antibiotics in medical settings, the use of antibiotics in the livestock sector is gaining increased attention.
	Fruit flies help in the development of personalized medicine People with the same diagnosis typically receive a standard treatment that is not necessarily effective for everyone. With knowledge of the individual patient's genome, it may be possible in the future to a greater extent to target the medical treatment to fit with the patient's genetic characteristics. Genetic information can thus contribute to more personalised—or customised—medicine. This is not done systematically today, partly because we have an incomplete understanding of the connection between our genetic material, the disease and the response to treatment.
	How bats relocate in response to tree loss Identifying how groups of animals select where to live is important for understanding social dynamics and for management and conservation. In a recent Journal of Wildlife Management study, researchers examined the movement of a maternity colony of big brown bats as a response to naturally occurring tree loss.
10,000 types of plant outgrowths bundled For nine years he worked on the three-volume standard work Plant Galls of Europe. It yielded 2300 pages about 10,000 species of European galls, abnormal outgrowths in plants caused by parasites. Hans Roskam from the Institute of Biology Leiden: "The abundance of galls says something about the natural value of a site."

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