Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 17

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 17, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study unveils new spatiotemporal dynamics of carriers in perovskite thin films

LeRop: A deep learning-based model to automatically capture human portraits

Eavesdropping on intimate 'crosstalk': Communication between immune and nervous systems in vaccination

CRISPR, gravity waves, water on Mars: A decade of discoveries

Meteorites lend clues to solar system's origin

Mercury's volcanic activity—or lack of it—could help astronomers find other Earth-like worlds

Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device

Did it keep its flavour? Stone-age 'chewing-gum' yields human DNA

Camouflage made of quantum material could hide you from infrared cameras

Degraded soils mean tropical forests may never fully recover from logging

Math equation predicts and detects liver cancer

Millions with swallowing problems could be helped through new wearable device

A new gene therapy strategy, courtesy of Mother Nature

Would a deep-Earth water cycle change our understanding of planetary evolution?

Fine-tuning thermoelectric materials for cheaper renewable energy

Astronomy & Space news

	Meteorites lend clues to solar system's origin The isotopic composition of meteorites and terrestrial planets holds important clues about the earliest history of the solar system and the processes of planet formation.
	Mercury's volcanic activity—or lack of it—could help astronomers find other Earth-like worlds If you wanted to narrow down the search for Earth-like worlds in a vast universe, how might you go about it?
	Glitch delays launch of Europe's exoplanet hunter A technical rocket glitch during the final countdown Tuesday pushed back by a day the blastoff of Europe's CHEOPS planet-hunting satellite, launch company Arianespace and Russia's Roscosmos agency said.
	Distant Milky Way-like galaxies reveal star formation history of the universe Look at this new radio image covered with dots, each of which is a distant galaxy! The brightest spots are galaxies that are powered by supermassive black holes and shine bright in radio light. But what makes this image special are the numerous faint dots filling the sky. These are distant galaxies like our own that have never been observed in radio light before.
	SDO sees new kind of magnetic explosion on sun NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory has observed a magnetic explosion the likes of which have never been seen before. In the scorching upper reaches of the Sun's atmosphere, a prominence—a large loop of material launched by an eruption on the solar surface—started falling back to the surface of the Sun. But before it could make it, the prominence ran into a snarl of magnetic field lines, sparking a magnetic explosion.
	Galaxy gathering brings warmth As the holiday season approaches, people in the northern hemisphere will gather indoors to stay warm. In keeping with the season, astronomers have studied two groups of galaxies that are rushing together and producing their own warmth.
	Researcher studies yeast to protect astronauts from space radiation Corey Nislow is not an astronaut, but if humanity makes it to Mars safely, he will have played a vital role.
	Capturing shooting stars over Hawaiʻi Astronomers now have a new pair of eyes to detect meteors over Hawaiʻi using a state-of-the-art monitoring system installed on the rooftops of existing buildings on Maunakea and Haleakalā. The high-speed video devices are now fully operational and part of an expanding network of identical cameras in the Automated Meteor Observation System (AMOS).
	Solving the challenges of long duration space flight with 3-D printing The International Space Station has continuously been home to astronauts for more than nineteen years. Astronauts conduct scientific research using dozens of special facilities aboard the space station, which also provides them with a place to eat, sleep, relax and exercise. To make all of this possible requires sending more than 7,000 pounds of spare parts to the station annually. Another 29,000 pounds of spaceflight hardware spares are stored aboard the station and another 39,000 on the ground, ready to fly if needed.
Video: OPS-SAT, ESA's flying lab, open to all What would you do with a powerful computer based in space? At just 30 cm in height, OPS-SAT is a tiny CubeSat designed to serve as a large-scale software laboratory in orbit – containing one of the most powerful flight computers ever flown – to test innovative control software from teams all over Europe.
	Hundreds of thousands of people select names for exoplanet systems On 17 December 2019 the names of 112 sets of exoplanets and host stars named in the IAU100 NameExoWorlds campaigns were announced at a press conference in Paris (France). Within the framework of the International Astronomical Union's 100th anniversary commemorations (IAU100) in 2019, 112 countries organised national campaigns that stimulated the direct participation of over 780 000 people worldwide, who proposed and selected names for each exoplanet and its host star.

Technology news

	LeRop: A deep learning-based model to automatically capture human portraits Taking good-quality photographs can be a challenging task, as it typically requires finding ideal locations, angles and lighting conditions. Although artistic pictures have so far primarily been taken by human photographers, in recent years, some researchers have started investigating the possibility of taking pictures automatically using robots.
	Millions with swallowing problems could be helped through new wearable device A wearable monitoring device to make treatments easier and more affordable for the millions of people with swallowing disorders is about to be released into the market.
	Engineer discovers mighty power in small solar energy invention Today's commonly used silicon solar cells are heavy and bulky, and take up a lot of space to produce power. Newer models, made from soft materials that are flexible and versatile, are cheaper to produce but also much less efficient than their pricier counterparts.
	Pac-Man-era microchip could help gobble up nuclear warheads When Russian nuclear inspectors traveled to the U.S. in the early 2000s, they were not allowed to directly examine classified nuclear weapon components, Professor Alex Glaser said. Instead, the inspectors were shown a radiation detector's green light as confirmation that components were real.
	Sleuths with masks trick facial recognition systems Researchers are not kidding: Facial recognition technology was not having a good year, between sensitive critics who generally bristle over AI making calls on anything and scientists who specifically point out questionable accuracy ratings.
	Instagram expands fact-checking globally Instagram on Monday announced it had gone global in its fight against misinformation, expanding its third-party fact-checking network around the world.
	UK opens inquiry into Google's takeover of data company Britain's competition watchdog said Tuesday it launched a formal inquiry into Google's takeover of cloud data analytics company Looker Data Sciences, as it intensifies scrutiny of technology deals.
	Plays well with humans: Assisstive robots should help rather than hurt—even if it's just our feelings In the Malone Hall lab of computer science Assistant Professor Chien-Ming Huang, three armless and legless—cute, but somewhat creepy—18-inch-tall robots rest atop a shelf. They come down now and again so that Huang and his students can tinker with their ability to blink, rotate their plastic heads, nod, respond to human touch, and even make eye contact. Well, sort of. It's actually the illusion of eye contact. These robots are programmed to recognize and follow a human's face by using a camera. They're also outfitted with tactile haptic sensors to recognize, say, a poke or a hug, and react accordingly.
	Is streaming video from sketchy websites illegal? In today's movie streaming landscape, consumers increasingly expect affordable content on-demand, which pushes many (knowingly or not) onto sketchy video entertainment platforms that may or may not be legal.
	Artificial intelligence may soon be able to analyze your tweets to match you to a job Imagine yourself graduating from high school, with the world before you.
	Researchers propose best loot box model to maximize gaming profits Want a new outfit for your online game character or want to improve the odds of defeating a virtual enemy? Hand over a bit of real-world money for a virtual loot box and you can change the look of your avatar or gain an advantage that increases your in-game performance.
	How connectedness can nurture complex dynamics across diverse networks Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have uncovered some new aspects of how connections in networks can influence their behavior over time. Usually, network elements with many connections generate more complex activity than others, but this effect can become inverted if the connections are overly strong. In contrast, in cases such as neurons, which behave in a seemingly random way when by themselves, connectivity can result in more regular and predictable patterns.
Evaluating the risks posed by deepfakes A few weeks ago, French charity Solidarité Sida caused a sensation when it published a fake yet highly realistic video of Donald Trump proclaiming "AIDS is over" as part of an awareness-raising campaign. The video in question is what's known as a deepfake, a technique that involves using machine learning to fabricate increasingly realistic images and videos as well as audio and text files.
	Netflix seeing strong subscriber growth in Asia, Latin America Netflix is seeing rapid subscriber growth in regions including Asia and Latin America as it girds for tougher competition in the streaming market, newly detailed figures show.
	London street bans petrol, diesel cars Petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from a street in central London in an innovative attempt to reduce pollution, local authorities said.
	737 MAX shutdown big blow to Boeing, US economy Boeing's temporary halt in production of its 737 MAX jet lays bare a deepening crisis that could soon weigh even more heavily on the American economy.
	How vulnerable is your car to cyberattacks? The emergence of smart cars has opened the door to limitless possibilities for technology and innovation—but also to threats beyond the car itself. New research from Michigan State University is the first to apply criminal justice theory to smart vehicles, revealing cracks in the current system leading to potential cyber risks.
	Why some cities and states balk at face recognition tech Police departments around the U.S. are asking citizens to trust them to use facial recognition software as another handy tool in their crime-fighting toolbox. But some lawmakers—and even some technology giants—are hitting the brakes.
	PSA supervisory board approves Fiat-Chrysler merger: source The supervisory board of French carmaker PSA on Tuesday approved a mega-merger with Fiat-Chrysler to create the world's fourth-largest auto producer, a source close to their talks said.
	Amazon bans sellers from using FedEx for some deliveries Amazon is banning its third-party merchants from using FedEx's ground service to deliver to Prime members, suggesting that it thinks the service is too slow to get packages to their destinations in time for Christmas.
	Finland offers crash course in artificial intelligence to EU Finland is offering a techy Christmas gift to all European Union citizens—a free-of-charge online course in artificial intelligence in their own language, officials said Tuesday.
	Southwest extends MAX grounding until April 2020 Southwest Airlines on Tuesday again extended the timeframe for resuming flights on the Boeing 737 MAX, this time until mid-April 2020.
	Ford to add 3,000 jobs in the Detroit area, invest $1.45B Ford Motor Co. is adding 3,000 jobs at two factories in the Detroit area and investing $1.45 billion to build new pickup trucks, SUVs, and electric and autonomous vehicles.
Canadian lab test provider pays ransom to secure hacked data Lab test provider LifeLabs said Tuesday that it paid a ransom to secure data for Canadians that was stolen in a data breach in late October.

Medicine & Health news

	Eavesdropping on intimate 'crosstalk': Communication between immune and nervous systems in vaccination Inhale flu viruses after vaccination, and the body responds with an explosion of flu-fighting antibodies, courtesy of a deep-seated memory in the immune system, a response scientists are now finding relies heavily on a complex biological conversation—"crosstalk" between the immune and central nervous systems.
	Math equation predicts and detects liver cancer By combining RNA sequencing, bioinformatics and mathematical modeling, University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center researchers identified a sudden transcriptomic switch that turns healthy liver tissue cancerous. The finding was used to develop a quantitative analytical tool that assesses cancer risk in patients with chronic liver disease and to predict tumor stages and prognosis for patients with liver cancer.
	A new gene therapy strategy, courtesy of Mother Nature Scientists have developed a new gene-therapy technique by transforming human cells into mass producers of tiny nano-sized particles full of genetic material that has the potential to reverse disease processes.
	Stroke drug boosts stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury in rats Four months after treating them, Yasuhiro Shiga, MD, Ph.D., checked on his rats. Walking into the lab, he carried minimal expectations. Treating spinal cord injuries with stem cells had been tried by many people, many times before, with modest success at best. The endpoint he was specifically there to measure—pain levels—hadn't seemed to budge in past efforts.
	First map of circular DNA in childhood cancer Cancer development is associated with the gradual accumulation of DNA defects over time. Thus, cancer is considered an age-related disease. But why do children develop cancer? An international team of researchers, led by Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York now reveal that mysterious rings of DNA known as extrachromosomal circular DNA can contribute to cancer development in children. Producing the first detailed map of circular DNA, the scientists report new and unanticipated insights on longstanding questions in the field of cancer genetics. The work has been published in Nature Genetics.
	Consumption of chili pepper cuts down the risk of death from a heart or cerebral attack Chili pepper is a common ingredient in Italians kitchens, and over the centuries, it has been praised for its supposed therapeutic virtues. Now, an Italian study shows that people who consume it on a regular basis have an all-cause mortality risk 23 percent lower than those who do not consume it. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), was conducted by the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, in collaboration with the Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome, the University of Insubria in Varese and the Mediterranean Cardiocentro in Naples.
	Low genetic risk for ADHD may protect against negative life experiences A recent study shows that people at low genetic risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not only less likely to have the disorder, they also have better than expected economic, health and behavioral outcomes in later life.
	Diagnosing infections earlier in preterm babies with real time genomic analysis Scientists and clinicians at the Norwich Research Park have pioneered a new method for profiling the microbiome of preterm babies that can significantly speed-up the identification of infections and indicate more effective treatments.
	Compound in green tea plant shows potential for fighting tuberculosis An antioxidant found in the green tea plant could become key to tackling tuberculosis one day, a team of international scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found.
	Scientists develop new method that predicts vulnerability to stress Stress is part of life for everyone, but how we respond to it seems to vary from person to person. For some, the effects of a stressful situation can be long-lasting and lead to anxiety, depression, and other health problems; others are more resilient to stressful life events.
	Mothers' and babies' brains 'more in tune' when mother is happy Mothers' and babies' brains can work together as a 'mega-network' by synchronising brain waves when they interact. The level of connectivity of the brain waves varies according to the mum's emotional state: when mothers express more positive emotions their brain becomes much more strongly connected with their baby's brain. This may help the baby to learn and its brain to develop.
	Research adds new twist to fight against autoimmune diseases Scientists describe in Nature Immunology an entirely new molecular process in mice that triggers T cell-driven inflammation and causes different auto-immune diseases.
	Healthy diet could save $50 billion in health care costs An unhealthy diet is one of the leading risk factors for poor health, accounting for up to 45 percent of all deaths from cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. But the national economic burden of unhealthy diet habits remains unknown. A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, in collaboration with investigators at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, analyzed the impact of 10 dietary factors—including consumption of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, processed meats and more—and estimated the annual CMD costs of suboptimal diet habits. The team concludes that suboptimal diet costs approximately $300 per person, or $50 billion nationally, accounting for 18 percent of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes costs in the country. The team's findings are published in PLOS Medicine.
	Changes in the immune system explain why belly fat is bad for thinking Iowa State researchers have found for the first time that less muscle and more body fat may affect how flexible our thinking gets as we become older, and changes in parts of the immune system could be responsible.
	'I will do my very best!' Children who engage in positive self-talk about effort can boost their math achievement Children who think poorly of themselves often underachieve in school. A new Dutch study tested whether a simple mental activity—having children with low self-confidence say favorable, encouraging words to themselves—could boost their achievement. The study found that children who engaged in this kind of self-talk improved their math performance when the talk focused on effort, not ability.
	BCMA-targeted immunotherapy can lead to durable responses in multiple myeloma An experimental, off-the-shelf immunotherapy that combines a targeted antibody and chemotherapy can lead to potentially durable responses in multiple myeloma patients whose disease has relapsed or is resistant to other standard therapies. A multi-center, international trial evaluated the drug, belantamab mafodotin, and found almost a third of patients whose disease had returned after other therapies achieved a partial response or better when treated with this therapy, which targets the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Data from 196 patients on the trial, called DREAMM-2, have been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for consideration for approval. The findings were published in Lancet Oncology today.
	Spine surgery is safe in patients of advanced age Spine surgeons from seven institutions in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, conducted a multicenter, prospective study of spine surgeries performed in patients 80 years of age and older. Although the overall perioperative complication rate was high—20%, there were no major systemic complications and no deaths in the patients. The surgeons conclude that spine surgery is safe in this age group.
	Nightly sleep disturbance linked to daily risk of migraines Nearly half of all patients who suffer migraines report sleep disturbance as a trigger for their headaches. But the relationship between sleep and migraine headaches is not well understood or well-studied. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have conducted the largest prospective study using objective measures of sleep to date to evaluate the relationship between sleep and migraine headaches. The team's findings generally support patients' reports of sleep disturbance as a trigger for migraines. In both diary assessments and actigraphy measurements, the team observed that sleep fragmentation—time spent in bed, but not asleep—was linked to migraine onset not on the next day but rather the day after that. The team did not find that sleep duration or self-reported low sleep quality was associated with higher risk of migraine over the next day or day after. Results are published in Neurology.
Teen overdoses from anxiety drug rising The number of teens taking and overdosing from benzodiazepines, commonly prescribed anxiety medications, has risen dramatically over the past decade, according to a national study coauthored by Rutgers researchers.
	Low income and work stress contribute to link between education, heart disease and stroke Low educational levels predict an increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease and stroke according to the first nationwide study of the link between education and risk of cardiovascular disease.
	Peer support program can help surgeons deal with adverse events that happen during surgery When an error or complication happens during an operation, the surgeon performing the procedure can become a "second victim" due to the psychological and emotional trauma experienced after a major adverse event. While many medical centers offer support to surgeons who may be experiencing self-doubt, guilt, and anxiety after such an event, a new program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, goes a step further by providing opportunities for surgeons to offer and receive support from fellow surgeons who directly understand their experience. Researchers from MGH report on the success of the program in an "article in press" published on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print.
	AI improves breast cancer risk prediction A sophisticated type of artificial intelligence (AI) can outperform existing models at predicting which women are at future risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal Radiology.
	Book examines the global diabetes disaster In Belize, where diabetes is rampant, patients need insulin every day to maintain proper blood sugar levels. But if people lack electricity or a refrigerator, they cannot store insulin at home. Medical advice pamphlets encourage such patients to keep their insulin in the refrigerators at small corner grocery stores instead. And so, in some cases, there the insulin sits—right next to soft drinks which, in good measure, have helped cause the growing diabetes epidemic in the first place.
	Psychologist explains how to improve the holiday blues According to the song, it's the most wonderful time of the year. But for many, it's the time of year filled with added pressures, demands, and unrealistic expectations that leave them feeling decidedly less than wonderful.
	Increased incidence of poor mental health among youths after school shootings The toll from gun violence at schools has only escalated in the 20 years since the jolting, horrific massacre at Columbine High.
	Oral paclitaxel yields better outcomes than intravenous paclitaxel for metastatic breast cancer Metastatic breast cancer patients who received an oral formulation of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel had better response and survival and less neuropathy than patients who received intravenous paclitaxel, according to results of a phase III trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.
	Tips for maintaining muscle as you age Starting around age 35, we begin to lose muscle mass. Although regular exercisers lose muscle as they age, inactive people can lose as much as 5 percent of their muscle every decade.
	Sharp drop in birth rate as a result of miscarriages in 1918 flu pandemic, study finds The 1918 influenza pandemic in New Zealand resulted in thousands of fewer births, particularly in the 1919 year, largely because of miscarriages from influenza infection during pregnancy, researchers have found.
	Researchers: Remove profit motive from tobacco to deal with mass addiction Governments worldwide need to create non-profit supply systems for tobacco and nicotine products because of their potential to cause significant and avoidable harm, researchers from the University of Otago say.
	New review identifies economic determinants of health and health inequalities A new review, published in BMC Public Health, identifies the macroeconomic determinants of health and health inequalities.
	Are benzodiazepines the new opioids? Imagine you have the kind of crippling, heart-pounding anxiety where you're lying sleepless in bed at night, thoughts racing. You feel paralyzed at work because every decision feels like one that will get you fired. You've tried everything from anti-anxiety medications to therapy, but nothing helps.
	New way to identify and track progression of Huntington's disease Researchers at the universities of Southampton and Cambridge have developed a new technique to analyze biochemical changes unique to Huntington's disease. The breakthrough has the potential to lead to the improved diagnosis of disease onset and possibly better ways to track the effects of new treatments.
	Healthy diet may avert nutritional problems in head, neck cancer patients At least 90 percent of head and neck cancer patients develop symptoms that affect their ability or desire to eat, because of either the tumor itself or the surgery or radiation used to treat it. These problems, called nutrition impact symptoms, have wide-ranging negative effects on patients' physical and mental health and quality of life.
	Rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome remain high in U.S. The rate of in-hospital births with neonatal abstinence syndrome was 6.7 per 1,000 births in 2016, according to a research letter published online Dec. 16 in JAMA Pediatrics.
	Consuming ultraprocessed food may up risk for type 2 diabetes Ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a study published online Dec. 16 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Filtered coffee helps prevent type 2 diabetes, show biomarkers in blood samples Coffee can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes—but only filtered coffee, rather than boiled coffee. New research from Chalmers University of Technology and Umeå University, both in Sweden, show that the choice of preparation method influences the health effects of coffee.
	New research reveals prenatal exposure to PFAS is associated with lower birth weight A new study evaluated the association between early pregnancy exposure to eight PFAS compounds respectively and birth weight in 1,533 mother child pairs in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study, specifically focusing on differences according to sex of the child.
	Good aerobic fitness doesn't protect children against type 2 diabetes, staying active does It is a generally accepted idea that good aerobic fitness reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, and it has also been thought to protect against other obesity-induced adverse changes in the glucose metabolism. However, this idea is based on studies whose methodology does not allow a distinction between the roles of aerobic fitness and body fat percentage as risk factors of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
	Early detection of brain degeneration on the horizon with innovative sensor Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can be devastating to patients and their families. These diseases are difficult to diagnose before symptoms show, meaning it's often already too late to reverse the damage to the central nervous system.
	Four ways to healthier (and allergen-friendly) holiday baking Here are some ways you can lighten up (and shake up) your favorite holiday treats:
	Hoping to get in shape for summer? Ditch the fads in favor of a diet more likely to stick Hoping to get in shape for summer? Ditch the fads in favor of a diet more likely to stick
	If in doubt, let them out: Children have the right to play New research from Statistics Canada's Canadian Health Measures Survey reaffirmed the dramatic decline in Canadian children's fitness seen over the past 35 years—with only one-third of Canadian school-aged children meeting physical activity guidelines.
	US proposes rule changes to boost organ donations The US on Tuesday proposed new rules to increase organ transplants, with greater financial incentives for living donors and measures to reduce the number of organs going to waste from deceased donors.
	New model explains how our immune system sometimes helps cancer spread Mathematicians at the University of Alberta have developed a model that explains how the immune system interacts with cancer—and in some cases, may help cancer spread to other areas of the body.
	Why your New Year's resolution should be self-acceptance A new year brings a season of change and the opportunity to focus on goals for the future. For many people, however, resolutions about weight loss and eating can often reinforce negative messages about bodies and prop up unrealistic stereotypes.
	Pros and cons of private, public healthcare The rising cost of private health cover and public hospital standards raise concerns among heart patients to obtain the best outcomes.
	First national study reveals primary care decline in America Fewer Americans have primary care than ever before, according to the first national analysis of primary care use trends in the U.S. by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
	Research of Ebola's molecular structures and interactions leads to new drug The ability to examine how specific antibodies react with the Ebola virus has led to the development of a promising drug with far higher survival rates.
	Research finds that just 14% of people in the world have access to palliative care Just 14 percent of people in the world population have access to palliative care services that allow people to die with dignity and alleviate their suffering, according to new research led by the University of Glasgow.
	Human 'check engine' lights not far away A University of Alberta computing scientist thinks the future of health care looks like the blinking check engine light on the dashboard of your car.
	Zebrafish 'avatars' can help decide who should receive radiotherapy treatment Radiotherapy can effectively reduce or even eliminate some tumours; others, however, show enduring resistance. Considering the potentially harmful side effects of radiotherapy, clinicians agree that it is paramount to be able to determine if a patient will benefit from radiotherapy before exposing them to any of the associated risks.
	HIIT timing matters for increasing fitness High intensity interval training (HIIT) is only effective for improving fitness when performed at 60-second intervals, according to new research from Liverpool John Moores University, presented today at The Physiological Society early career conference, Future Physiology 2019: Translating Cellular Mechanisms into Lifelong Health Strategies.
	Blood lipid profile predicts risk of type 2 diabetes better than obesity Using lipidomics, a technique that measures the composition of blood lipids at a molecular level, and machine learning, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a blood lipid profile that improves the possibility to assess, several years in advance, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The blood lipid profile can also be linked to a certain diet and degree of physical activity.
	Astrophysics and AI may offer key to early dementia diagnosis Crucial early diagnosis of dementia in general practice could improve thanks to a computer model designed in a collaboration between Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) and astrophysicists at the University of Sussex.
	Here's a bitter pill to swallow: Artificial sweeteners may be doing more harm than good A $2.2 billion industry to help people lose weight through artificial sweeteners may be contributing to type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the University of South Australia.
	Parents of medically fragile children and their kids could use help, understanding year-round December is a prime time to fundraise for children's hospitals and other charities, as people want to give back and help sick children throughout the holiday season.
	Feeling sick is an emotion meant to help you get better faster You know what it's like to be sick. You feel fatigued, maybe a little depressed, less hungry than usual, more easily nauseated and perhaps more sensitive to pain and cold.
	Obesity may alter nearly 70% of routine blood tests in children Weight may affect doctors' ability to correctly interpret routine blood tests in children, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
	Large study links sustained weight loss to reduced breast cancer risk A large new study finds that women who lost weight after age 50 and kept it off had a lower risk of breast cancer than women whose weight remained stable, helping answer a vexing question in cancer prevention. The reduction in risk increased with the amount of weight lost and was specific to women not using postmenopausal hormones. The study appears in JNCI.
	Brain waves in mice change based on memory age Researchers have discovered signatures in brain activity that allow them to tell old and new memories apart. A team at Japan's RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) analyzed recordings from mouse brains using a machine-leaning algorithm, which was able to accurately classify memories as recent or remote. They also found robust communication between a frontal brain region and the hippocampus, an area strongly involved in memory formation. This link may form a concrete mechanism that tracks the age of memories. This research was published in the journal Cell Reports.
	Malaria under arrest: New drug target prevents deadly transmission Australian researchers have found a new drug target for stopping the spread of malaria, after successfully blocking the world's deadliest malaria parasite—Plasmodium falciparum—from completing the 'transmission stage' of its lifecycle.
	Suicide plays smaller role in opioid deaths than thought Columbia researchers, analyzing national data on opioid overdose deaths, have found that only 4% of opioid-related overdose deaths are due to suicide—far below recent estimates of 20-30%.
	Early regional anesthesia effective for extremity injury pain (HealthDay)—Regional anesthesia may aid pain management if used soon after traumatic injury of the extremities, according to a study published in the December issue of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
	She never smoked—and got lung cancer in her 40s (HealthDay)—Nikki Moreno had spent nearly a year struggling for breath, and nothing seemed to help.
Acute leukemia patients treated with common therapy have increased risk for heart failure Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are treated with anthracyclines are at a heightened risk of heart failure—most often within one year of exposure to the chemotherapy treatment, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn Medicine.
	Social determinants of health are linked to gun homicide rates Gun homicide rates in the US are associated with several social determinants of health, including income inequality, government welfare spending, trust in institutions, and social mobility, according to a new study published December 17 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Daniel Kim from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachussetts.
Significant safety issues for kids on long term ventilation at home There are significant safety issues for children who receive long term mechanical assistance with breathing at home (ventilation), finds an analysis of officially reported safety incidents associated with provision, and published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
	How to enjoy the flavors of the season without derailing health Staying healthy during the holidays doesn't mean you can't enjoy the parties and celebrations. Indulging a little won't hurt—if you plan ahead for meals that are healthy, too.
	Out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients will rise in new year (HealthDay)—Seniors on Medicare are going to take a hit to the pocketbook in 2020, with premiums and deductibles set to increase on coverage for medical services and prescription drugs.
	ADHD in childhood may mean financial struggles later (HealthDay)—Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to lag behind their peers long after they leave school, earning less as adults and living with their parents longer, a new study finds.
	After fatal school shootings, antidepressant use spikes among student survivors The children who experience a school shooting but live to see their parents and friends again are often called survivors. But by at least one measure of mental health, they too are among a gunman's victims, new research finds.
	Possible strategy for cancer treatment found in nuclear transport proteins Although less often the focus of cancer research, recent studies have hinted at the possible importance of a type of protein known as nuclear transport receptors. Now researchers at Kanazawa University and collaborating institutions in Japan and the US have identified a nuclear transport receptor protein that plays a key role in processes that sustain aggressive head and neck cancers, as well as some of the mechanisms behind these processes.
	How immune cells switch to attack mode Macrophages have two faces: In healthy tissue, they perform important tasks and support their environment. However during an infection, they stop this work and hunt down pathogens instead. Upon coming into contact with bacteria they change their metabolism drastically within minutes. This is shown by a new study under the leadership of the University of Bonn, which has now been published in the journal Immunity. In the medium term, the results may lead to new vaccination strategies, but also to new approaches for combating autoimmune diseases.
	Infectious diseases A-Z: Children aren't getting vaccinated before international travel U.S. children who travel abroad are not getting the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine before they travel to protect them from ongoing measles outbreaks, says a recent study.
Interest in presidential eating habits may affect the public's food choices From presidential physicals to sudden health scares, the health of the commander in chief garners a lot of media attention in the United States. A recent study by a Penn State researcher examined how President Donald Trump's reported fondness for fast food may affect the public's perception of fast food and the likelihood, based on their media habits, one might purchase some.
	Team detects Alzheimer's early using electronic health records A team of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has developed a software-based method of scanning electronic health records (EHRs) to estimate the risk that a healthy person will receive a dementia diagnosis in the future. Their algorithm uses machine learning to first build a list of key clinical terms associated with cognitive symptoms identified by clinical experts. Next, they used national language processing (NLP) to comb through EHRs looking for those terms. Finally, they used those results to estimate patients' risk of developing dementia.
	Researchers develop more efficient approach to create mouse models Genetically engineered mouse models are often used by scientists to study how the addition, deletion or mutation of genes affects the development of disease and effects of drugs. The process of creating these genetically modified mice is extremely time consuming and expensive, which limits the ability of scientists to use their models to perform important research. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have developed a new platform for creating genetically engineered mice to study melanoma that is significantly faster than a normal mouse model approach. Their work was published in Cancer Research.
In mice, a high-fat, high-sugar diet remodels the microbiome and endocannabinoid system Weight gain and diet have long been known to shuffle the population of gut microbes. More recently, studies have also connected weight gain and diet to changes in the intestinal endocannabinoid system (eCB), a complex network of metabolites and receptors that help regulate appetite and metabolism, among other chores. A new study in mSystems, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, investigates the relationship between microbiota and the eCB system.
Long-acting contraception has proven highly effective but is restricted by some hospitals Long-acting reversible contraceptives like intrauterine implants have greatly reduced unintended pregnancies and abortions, but government protections allowing religious hospitals to restrict care are limiting access to health care consumers, according to an expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
	Poor sight causes people to overstep the mark People with vision impairment are more cautious when stepping over obstacles when walking—but increase their risk of falls, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
	First US study shows strong results for procedure to treat knee pain from OA A new study published in Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology details the first study of its kind in the U.S. to examine the use of genicular artery embolization (GAE) for extended treatment of knee pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA). Principal investigator of the study, Ari Isaacson, MD, clinical associate professor of vascular and interventional radiology in the UNC School of Medicine, says the results are positive.
	Fatty meal interrupts gut's communication with the body, but why? A high-fat meal can silence communication between the intestine and the rest of the body, according to a new Duke University study in zebrafish.
	New animal model shows effective treatment for latent tuberculosis A major goal of tuberculosis (TB) research is to find a way to treat people with the latent (or inactive) form of the disease to keep them from developing symptomatic TB. A breakthrough study using a new animal model developed for this purpose showed a combination of two classes of antibiotics can wipe out this hidden threat. The study was published in the American Journal for Respiratory Clinical Care Medicine.
	In some children with autism, 'social' and 'visual' neural circuits don't quite connect Among the first and most-documented symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a child's aversion to interaction with others. Specifically, they appear uninterested in social activities and stimuli that would normally attract a young child's attention, such as watching other children play, sing or dance.
	Sinuses bothering you? Use those nasal sprays regularly Nasal saline and corticosteroid sprays are pretty standard treatment for individuals battling chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). They thin out thick mucus buildup and help ease the swelling in the nasal cavity that are the bane of anyone who has battled what physicians often refer to as the asthma of the sinuses.
	US permits sale of cigarettes with 95% less nicotine U.S. health officials on Tuesday endorsed a type of cigarette that could help ease the addictive grip of smoking by delivering very low levels of nicotine.
	New metrics needed to evaluate and combat HIV epidemics in the US A new peer-reviewed commentary published in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health argues for new metrics to evaluate the public health response to HIV in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced plans to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 75 percent in the next five years and 90 percent in the next 10 years. "Ending the HIV Epidemic" (EtHE) efforts will focus initially on 48 high burden counties; Washington, DC; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and seven states with substantial rural HIV burdens, before moving on to all U.S. counties.
	US, UK approve Roche's $4.3 bn purchase of gene therapy group Spark Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche said it had received the necessary approval from competition authorities to acquire US gene-therapy group Spark, after the two companies reached a multibillion-dollar deal earlier this year.
	Standard of care chemoradiation for stage III non-small cell lung cancer is superior to two tested alternatives Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and approximately 75-80 percent of all cases are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Of these, 30 to 40 percent are considered locally advanced and are categorized as either Stage IIIA or IIIB. The currently accepted standard of care for patients with locally advanced NSCLC is radiation plus chemotherapy, which is known as chemoradiation. In recent years, most research has focused on which chemotherapy drugs to use in chemoradiation, and how to properly integrate them with the radiation component of therapy. Less attention has been given to optimizing the radiation therapy component. Indeed, the nationally accepted standard radiation prescription dose has remained at the same level (60-63 Gy) for more than 30 years.
	Equal health care for all: A philosopher's answer to a political question Should access to health care, especially in life-threatening situations, depend on whether you can afford it? Absolutely not, says Robert C. Hughes, Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics, who compared health care systems in the U.K., Canada, and Australia. He writes about this question and other issues in a recent paper titled, "Egalitarian Provision of Necessary Medical Treatment."
Colorectal cancer initiation and progression: the role of low oxygen Scientists from the University of Luxembourg together with researchers from the Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg (IBBL) and the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) have recently demonstrated the mechanisms by which low oxygen levels trigger series of cellular changes leading to the survival, renewal and growth of colorectal cancer cells. The findings further reinforce current knowledge on the initiation and progression of the disease and may contribute to opening up new treatment avenues for patients.
	Health officials warn of another measles exposure at LAX Los Angeles County health officials warned Monday that people who were at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month may have been exposed to measles.
	Dense breast notifications are having little impact Dense Breast Notifications (DBNs) are having little impact.

Biology news

	Leafcutter ants accelerate the cutting and transport of leaves during stormy weather Leafcutter ants such as Atta sexdens or Acromyrmex lobicornis face two major challenges when they leave the safety of the nest to forage: choosing the best plants from which to collect leaves and avoiding being surprised by strong winds or heavy rain, which would prevent them from carrying out their task.
	Study finds Chinese plant biodiversity at risk due to human activity With intensifying human activity, many species are threatened with extinction. However, many other species have expanded their range. Is there a general rule to identify which species are "losers" or "winners"? And what is the effect of range changes on the biodiversity of Chinese flora?
	Newly discovered retinal structure may enhance vision for some birds A newly discovered retinal structure in the eyes of certain kinds of songbirds might help the animals find and track insect prey more easily.
	Penguin study reveals Southern Ocean's Ice Age history A new scientific study headed by the University of Otago has revealed important clues as to how Southern Ocean ecosystems responded to past global climate change events.
	The long tale of a lizard's regrown tail Curtin University researchers have found that King's skink lizards can re-regenerate their tails, which may help them conserve energy and escape predators, potentially improving their survival and evolutionary fitness.
	New tool could help researchers design better cancer vaccines A computational model could improve the selection of tumor antigens for personalized cancer vaccines that are now in early-stage clinical trials.
	Rare animals and plants organize in ghettos to survive Similar to the organization of human cities, animal and plant communities have ghettos or ethnic neighborhoods, where low-abundant species group to enhance their persistence against more competitive species. This unexpected ecological pattern is the conclusion of an international study about biodiversity in competitive environments.
	Moths and perhaps other animals rely on precise timing of neural spikes Extracting nectar from flowers that may be dancing in the wind requires precise, millisecond timing between the brain and muscles.
	Agricultural parasite avoids evolutionary arms race, shuts down genes of host plants A parasitic plant has found a way to circumvent an evolutionary arms race with the host plants from which it steals nutrients, allowing the parasite to thrive on a variety of agriculturally important plants. The parasite dodder, an agricultural pest found on every continent, sends genetic material into its host to shut down host defense genes.
	Researchers provide new insights on the photoconversion mechanism of phytochromes Light provides the energy that plants and other photosynthetic organisms need to grow, which ultimately yields the metabolites that feed all other organisms on the planet. Plants also rely on light cues for developing their photosynthetic machinery and to sync their life cycles around daily and seasonal rhythms.
	Red-winged blackbird nestlings go silent when predators are near If you're a predator that eats baby birds—say, an American Crow—eavesdropping on the begging calls of nestlings can be an easy way to find your next meal. But do baby birds change their begging behavior when predators are nearby to avoid being detected and eaten? Very few studies have investigated whether nestlings react to the sounds of predators, but new research published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances shows that when their parents are away, baby Red-winged Blackbirds beg less often and stop begging sooner if they hear recordings of predators' calls.
Slime Santa beard likes hot peppers A slime Santa beard has been made by Ian Hands-Portman at the University of Warwick using slime molds, a myxomycete which is a single giant cell with multiple nuclei that lives in dark damp places and likes to feed off bacteria and fungi and things that have started to decay.
	Even resilient common species are not immune to environmental crisis A recent study by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) revealed that the current biodiversity crisis may be much broader than widely assumed, and may affect even species thought to be common and tolerant of fragmentation and habitat loss.
	Researchers identify molecular machinery critical for cell mobility Researchers have found that two specific proteins take apart actin filaments at one end and return the building blocks to the other end for a new round of polymerization. The structure of this machinery driving cell motility may open new opportunities for developing therapeutics to inhibit cell migration in cancer.
	Donkeys are natural heat lovers and prefer Bethlehem to Britain We might associate donkeys with Christmas, but new research from the University of Portsmouth shows the animals are keener on hotter periods of the year.
	Aussie icon has the koalafications of both marsupials and primates Spread across the globe, from Central and South America to Japan, non-human primates have a toehold that almost spans the tropics, but they never made it to Australia. Christofer Clemente, from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, explains that a marsupial got to grips with life in the trees instead. Equipped with two thumbs on their grasping hands, koalas (Phascolarctos cinerus) rarely descend to the ground and appear to be as comfortable with heights as apes and monkeys. Yet it wasn't clear whether the cuddly Antipodeans use the same movement strategies as primates for negotiating their arboreal homes. Intrigued, Joshua Gaschk, Celine Frerè and Clemente visited the nearby Queensland Zoo (Wildlife HQ) to film koalas' movements in 3-D as they clambered around their enclosure.
	Research team uses crossbows and drones to collect bacteria from whales As we drew closer to the massive humpback whale, I became painfully aware how small our inflatable motorboat actually was. I also realized I'd been unconsciously holding my breath and that conversation in the boat, aside from commands from our spotter, had long since faded. The whale scientist next to me raised a crossbow and I heard a soft click as the dart released and crossed the final 20 yards of open water between us and the whale.
	Researchers develop the foundation for direct sequencing of individual proteins A large part of the work inside cells is done by proteins acting as enzymes, transporters, channels, motors, supporting pillars and signaling devices. Proteins are three-dimensionally folded chains of diverse amino acids in a genetically encoded sequence. Whereas scientists have already succeeded in obtaining sequence information from single DNA strands, a further major challenge in bioanalytics is the direct determination of the amino acid sequence from individual proteins. A team of researchers from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France, the University of Freiburg and the University of Illinois in the US has now been able to differentiate, for the first time, between individual amino acids in short peptides, i.e. protein fragments, using a tiny pore the size of a nanometer. The scientists have thus laid the foundation for direct sequencing of individual proteins. They recently presented their results in the current issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology.
	How cells get moving Archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes are what biologists call the three domains of life. Of these three, archaea form an important link within the evolutionary theory. They are the direct ancestors of eukaryotes, but resemble bacteria in structure and organization. Archaea can colonize hot sulphur springs or extremely saline lakes, but can also be found in the ocean or in the human intestine and on the skin. Unlike bacteria, archaea have been relatively little researched—because no pathogenic forms have been identified so far. A research team led by Professor Sonja-Verena Albers from the Professorship of Microbiology at the University of Freiburg and Professor John Tainer from the University of Texas in Austin, U.S., has now succeeded in identifying proteins that are essential for the assembly of the motility structure, i.e. for the ability of archaea to move actively—and hence also for the locomotion of cells. The team has presented its findings in the latest Nature Microbiology.
	Researchers uncover genetic mystery of infertility in fruit flies Researchers have discovered a novel parasitic gene in fruit flies that is responsible for destroying the eggs in the ovaries of their daughters.
	Newly discovered protein gives signal for virus infection Viruses have been part of animals and humans for eons. When viruses invade a cell, they can infiltrate the nucleus with their genome and become part of the genome of the infected organism. Viruses transfer their genes between various organisms, as well as between tissues containing well-differentiated cells inside a living creature. But how they uncoat their well-packed genes and release them to cause infection is largely unknown.
	First study on human-grade dog food says whole, fresh food is highly digestible Pet owners are increasingly treating their "fur-babies" like members of the family. In response, some pet food companies are developing diets that more closely resemble human food, incorporating human-grade meat and vegetable ingredients that pass USDA quality inspections. Until now, little research had been done on these foods. A new study from the University of Illinois shows these diets are not only highly palatable, they are more digestible than originally estimated.
	Scientists seeking cause of huge freshwater mussel die-off On a recent late fall afternoon at Kyles Ford, the white branches of sycamore trees overhung the banks of the Clinch River, leaves slowly turning yellow. Green walnuts covered the ground. The shallow water ran fast and cold over the rocky bottom, but it was littered with the white shells of dead mussels.
	Koalas rescued from path of raging bushfire A dozen koalas have been rescued from the path of bushfires raging near Sydney, conservationists said Tuesday, as devastating blazes increasingly encroach on critical habitat.
	Plant-eating insects disrupt ecosystems and contribute to climate change A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that plant-eating insects affect forest ecosystems considerably more than previously thought. Among other things, the insects are a factor in the leaching of nutrients from soil and increased emissions of carbon dioxide. The researchers also establish that the temperature may rise as a result of an increase in the amount of plant-eating insects in some regions.
	Large carnivores and zoos—essential for biodiversity conservation marketing Large carnivores (e.g. bears, big cats, wolves and elephant seals) and zoos should be utilised as powerful catalysts for public engagement with nature and pro-environmental behaviour, suggests a paper published in the scholarly open-access journal Nature Conservation by an international multidisciplinary team, led by Dr. Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.
	Rescuers free entangled humpback whale off California coast A rescue team helped free a young humpback whale that was tangled in fishing gear south of San Francisco days after a fisherman first spotted it, a conservation group said Tuesday.

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