Science X Newsletter Wednesday, May 25

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 25, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Scientists discover how supermassive black holes keep galaxies turned off

Astronomers discover an unusual, slowly evolving superluminous supernova

A 100-million-year partnership on the brink of extinction

Footprints of baby planets in a gas disk

Smart home gadgets need to live together

Drugs and dung a bad mix for climate: study

Current atmospheric models underestimate the dirtiness of Arctic air

Could optical clocks redefine the length of a second?

Human amyloid-beta acts as natural antibiotic in the brains of animal models

Female meerkats compete to outgrow their sisters

Out of tune: Mismatch of vascular and neural responses suggests limits of fMRI

Ancient DNA study finds Phoenician from Carthage had European ancestry

Neuroscientists illuminate role of autism-linked gene

Debugging system for complex analysis of programs that import huge swaths of commonly used code

Pump-free design for flow battery could offer advantages in cost and simplicity

Astronomy & Space news

	Scientists discover how supermassive black holes keep galaxies turned off An international team of scientists has identified a common phenomenon in galaxies that could explain why huge numbers of them turn into cosmic graveyards.
	Astronomers discover an unusual, slowly evolving superluminous supernova (Phys.org)—A team of astronomers has found a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova with exceptional properties. According to a research paper published online on May 17, on the arXiv pre-print server, the cosmic explosion, designated PS1-14bj, shows an exceptionally slow rise to maximum light and a very leisurely fade-out. It the longest rise time measured in a superluminous supernova to date.
	Footprints of baby planets in a gas disk A new analysis of the ALMA data for a young star HL Tauri provides yet more firm evidence of baby planets around the star. Researchers uncovered two gaps in the gas disk around HL Tauri. The locations of these gaps in the gas match the locations of gaps in the dust found in the ALMA high resolution image taken in 2014. This discovery supports the idea that planets form in much shorter timescales than previously thought and prompts a reconsideration of alternative planet formation scenarios.
	Science instruments of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope successfully installed With surgical precision, two dozen engineers and technicians successfully installed the package of science instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope into the telescope structure. The package is the collection of cameras and spectrographs that will record the light collected by Webb's giant golden mirror.
	A young mammoth cluster of galaxies sighted in the early universe Astronomers have uncovered evidence for a vast collection of young galaxies 12 billion light years away. The newly discovered "proto-cluster" of galaxies, observed when the universe was only 1.7 billion years old (12% of its present age), is one of the most massive structures known at that distance. The discovery, made using telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, has been reported in the Astrophysical Journal.
	Close encounters of a tidal kind could lead to cracks on icy moons A new model developed by University of Rochester researchers could offer a new explanation as to how cracks on icy moons, such as Pluto's Charon, formed.
	ESO signs largest ever ground-based astronomy contract for E-ELT dome and structure At a ceremony in Garching bei München, Germany, ESO signed the contract with the ACe Consortium, consisting of Astaldi, Cimolai and the nominated sub-contractor EIE Group, for the construction of the dome and telescope structure of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). This is the largest contract ever awarded by ESO and also the largest contract ever in ground-based astronomy. This occasion saw the unveiling of the construction design of the E-ELT.

Technology news

	Smart home gadgets need to live together Smart home technology that has long been knocking at doors will settle into the mainstream after rival gadgets and services become hassle-free guests that get along with one another, industry insiders say.
	Debugging system for complex analysis of programs that import huge swaths of commonly used code Symbolic execution is a powerful software-analysis tool that can be used to automatically locate and even repair programming bugs. Essentially, it traces out every path that a program's execution might take.
	Pump-free design for flow battery could offer advantages in cost and simplicity A new approach to the design of a liquid battery, using a passive, gravity-fed arrangement similar to an old-fashioned hourglass, could offer great advantages due to the system's low cost and the simplicity of its design and operation, says a team of MIT researchers who have made a demonstration version of the new battery.
	How a license plate frame may help drivers avoid parking woes (Tech Xplore)—"There are 15,000 backup related injuries per year," said FenSens, makers of a new parking solution.
	Monitoring sun exposure with a portable paper sensor Summer is around the corner—time for cookouts and sunbathing. But too much sun can result in sunburn, which is the main cause of skin cancer. Because the time it takes to get burned depends on many factors, it is not easy to tell when to seek shade. To help people stay safe, researchers report in ACS Sensors the development of a paper-based sensor for monitoring sun exposure given different skin tones and sunscreen levels.
	Carnegie Mellon engineers develop fall-prevention sensors Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering conducted a survey on falls among the elderly, and discovered that Americans are very worried about their elderly parent falling—and that this worry leads to action.
	Wireless study predicts trouble and solution for 5G cellular The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), comprising seven telecommunications standard development organizations, will soon choose among channel models to adopt as testing standards for 5G cellular systems. However, a new study by Theodore (Ted) S. Rappaport, the Ernst Weber/David Lee professor of electrical engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and founding director of NYU WIRELESS, suggests that the three-parameter "alpha-beta-gamma" (ABG) model used in the past by 3GPP for predicting signal coverage might spell trouble at frequencies above 6 gigahertz (GHz).
After delay, solar plane will fly from Ohio to Pennsylvania After a delay to check for possible damage, a solar-powered airplane will take off Wednesday for its planned flight from Ohio to Pennsylvania.
	HP Enterprise selling tech services business to rival Hewlett Packard Enterprise is continuing to slim down by selling its business services division to competitor Computer Sciences Corp.
	Volkswagen, Toyota buy into ridesharing Toyota and Volkswagen announced separate partnerships Tuesday with rideshare companies Uber and Gett, in the latest such moves by major carmakers.
Diagnosis app scoops Africa health prize An app that allows rural doctors to seek advice remotely from experts on Tuesday won Africa's first prize recognising new technology that boosts health on the continent.
After big expansion, Vice Media retrenches Vice Media, the fast-growing online group that raised hundreds of millions of dollars as it expanded its no-holds-barred news operation, has begun retrenching.
	Gov't report: Feds spend billions to run ancient technology The government is spending about three-fourths of its technology budget maintaining aging computer systems, including platforms more than 50 years old in vital areas from nuclear weapons to Social Security. One still uses floppy disks.
	Solar Impulse 2 leaves Ohio on fuel-free flight The Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered airplane piloted by Swiss national Bertrand Piccard, successfully flew out of Dayton, Ohio in the dark early Wednesday en route to Pennsylvania, according to a live online feed of the departure.
	How does a bike stay upright? Surprisingly, it's all in the mind It's as easy as riding a bike … or so the saying goes. But how do we manage to stay upright on a bicycle? If anyone ventures an answer they most often say that it's because of the "gyroscopic effect" – but this can't be true.
	Asia hotbed of IT piracy despite economic growth: report More than 60 percent of all computer software installed in the Asia-Pacific in 2015 was unlicensed, the worst of any region, despite growing economies and anti-piracy efforts, an industry watchdog said Wednesday.
	Self-driving truck acts like an animal Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology are finding inspiration in evolution's biological counterparts in the development of a driverless truck. The first public demonstration of the vehicle will take place on a Dutch motorway on 28 May. That's when the truck will take part in a competition for autonomous vehicles, within the framework of an EU project called the Grand Cooperative Driving Challenge.
	Tests show drivers can't accurately judge speed of approaching train Drivers can see trains approaching but cannot accurately judge their speed when proceeding through a passive level crossing, a QUT and Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation collaborative study has found.
	How to stop your phone from being hacked If you've ever forgotten your phone or left it at home for the day, you will have realised just how much you use it. On average, we check our mobile phones about 110 times a day. Using them for just about everything, from summoning an Uber car and paying for our latest Amazon purchases, to receiving prescriptions and even tracking shares and trading on the stock market.
Truck turns its own heat into power A 195-year-old discovery is behind a new system that will save vehicles hundreds of litres of fuel and reduce their carbon emissions by as much as 1,000 tonnes per year.
	EU moves to ease online shopping, protect European films The European Union on Wednesday unveiled a raft of proposals to make it easier to buy online across its borders, set quotas for European films with providers like Netflix and protect children from harmful content.
	Microsoft cuts more jobs in troubled mobile unit Microsoft will cut up to 1,850 jobs and book an approximately $950 million writedown as it attempts to salvage its rocky entrance into the smartphone market.
Solar-powered plane's latest leg: Ohio to Pennsylvania A solar-powered airplane has taken off from the Ohio hometown of America aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright on the latest leg of its journey around the world.
	Netflix, Amazon face quotas for European movies US firms Netflix and Amazon face quotas for European movies and television shows under new EU proposals unveiled Wednesday that also aim to lift cross-border barriers for Internet shoppers.
Blow for Apple as India sticks to retail rules: report Apple faces a roadblock in its quest to open stores in India after the finance minister decided it must comply with tough local sourcing rules, a report said Wednesday, days after a visit by chief executive Tim Cook.
	US agency probes Alibaba on accounting The US stock market regulator has opened an investigation into the accounting practices of Chinese online giant Alibaba, a company document showed.
	Bridging the 'gray divide' While close to 99 percent of seniors aged 65 and older in the United States and Europe use mobile phones, there appears to be a "gray divide" in how seniors use information and communication technology, according to a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) study.
	Award-winning academic research search engine metaBUS launches in June A trailblazing online search engine that will save researchers years of time while conducting meta-analysis will be unveiled next week at the University of Calgary.
	LTU computer scientist to present groundbreaking research Dr. Ben Choi, associate professor of computer science at Louisiana Tech University, will present his research on a groundbreaking new technology that has the potential to revolutionize the computing industry during a keynote speech next month at the International Conference on Measurement Instrumentation and Electronics.
Can Google cash in on its pivot? Google Inc.'s latest technological marvels point to a future where you'll never need to visit websites, write a term paper or stress over what to buy for your mother's birthday.
For Amazon exec Stephenie Landry, the future is Now In spearheading the launch of the superfast Prime Now delivery service, Amazon.com executive Stephenie Landry knew the challenge would be steep.
Mission to Mars in a 'three-dimensional time machine' Is virtual reality here to stay? Based on my own experiences with Mars 2030, an advanced version of VR that took me to the surface of the Red Planet, the answer is "Yes!"
Boeing shows off new 777X wing center Boeing has begun installing heavy equipment and robotic machines inside its gigantic new 777X composite wing center in this Seattle-area city, and the first engineers have moved into offices that overlook production.
On-demand business model goes global As U.S. startups compete to make everything from diapers to dog food available at the tap of a finger, a group of entrepreneurs from the developing world is using those on-demand business models to make life easier for consumers in their home countries.
Review: VR's father worries about the technology's future One might think that Jaron Lanier would be elated right now.
Humans less likely to return to an automated advisor once given bad advice The ubiquitous Chat Bot popping up on websites asking if you need help has become standard on many sites. We dismiss, we engage, but do we trust the algorithm that is aiding our experience? Giving us answers and advice? A recent study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that participants were less likely to return to an automated advisor if given bad advice over a human advisor under the same circumstances.
	Six road-trip apps to make the miles fly by Hitting the road this summer? Forget Yelp and those hotel booking apps—they're useful, but boring. Instead, pack along these apps to liven things up along the way. You might even learn something.
	Renewable energy employed 8.1 million in 2015: IRENA The global renewable energy sector employed more than 8.1 million people last year, a 5 percent increase that bucked an overall downwards market trend, a green energy organisation said Wednesday.
	Microsoft denies forcing Windows 10 upgrade Microsoft says Windows users still can opt-out of upgrading to the latest version of the software despite claims the company has made it exceedingly difficult to do so.
	Augmented reality for firefighters An EPFL team is working on a smart visor that, combined with a thermal imaging camera, will help firefighters see what's around them in real time, even at night and in smoke.
	First semi-transparent perovskite modules Nanoelectronics research center imec, partner in Solliance, presented today the first-ever semi-transparent perovskite PV-module, achieving power conversion efficiencies up to 12%. The technology enables for semi-transparent PV-windows which are a key towards Zero-Energy Buildings. Moreover, combining these semitransparent perovskite modules with Si solar cells, an unprecedented 20.2% in power conversion efficiency for a perovskite/Si stacked solar module was achieved.
	US defense secretary calls for faster technology development U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says the government needs to develop technology faster and reconnect with the tech industry.
Google self-driving car project opening Michigan tech center Google's self-driving car project is heading to the Motor City.

Medicine & Health news

	Human amyloid-beta acts as natural antibiotic in the brains of animal models A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators provides additional evidence that amyloid-beta protein - which is deposited in the form of beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease - is a normal part of the innate immune system, the body's first-line defense against infection. Their study published in Science Translational Medicine finds that expression of human amyloid-beta (A-beta) was protective against potentially lethal infections in mice, in roundworms and in cultured human brain cells. The findings may lead to potential new therapeutic strategies and suggest limitations to therapies designed to eliminate amyloid plaques from patient's brains.
	Out of tune: Mismatch of vascular and neural responses suggests limits of fMRI In an article published online ahead of print on May 25, 2016 in Nature, investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report that, during sensory stimulation, increases in blood flow are not precisely "tuned" to local neural activity, challenging the long-held view that vascular and local neural responses are tightly coupled.
	Neuroscientists illuminate role of autism-linked gene A new study from MIT neuroscientists reveals that a gene mutation associated with autism plays a critical role in the formation and maturation of synapses—the connections that allow neurons to communicate with each other.
	Genetic sequencing reveals drug resistance growth The rate at which genetically mutated cancer cells grow may help explain why patients with a common form of leukemia develop treatment resistance, according to new research led by a Weill Cornell Medicine investigator. The findings demonstrate how mutations that arise before treatment begins can influence how the disease responds to therapies, and underscores the need to design regimens that can preempt resistance.
	Teen brains facilitate recovery from traumatic memories Unique connections in the adolescent brain make it possible to easily diminish fear memories and avoid anxiety later in life, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The findings may have important implications for the treatment of trauma and anxiety disorders.
	Alternating diet between high fat, balanced may help control obesity, study finds Researchers at the University of Georgia's College of Pharmacy have discovered that alternating between a high fat and a more nutritionally balanced diet at regular intervals may help prevent or treat obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. They published their findings recently in the journal Scientific Reports.
	Scientists block breast cancer cells from hiding in bones Scientists at the Duke Cancer Institute have identified a molecular key that breast cancer cells use to invade bone marrow in mice, where they may be protected from chemotherapy or hormonal therapies that could otherwise eradicate them.
	Researchers make a key discovery in how malaria evades the immune system The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum hijacks an immune system process to invade red blood cells, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Understanding how malaria invades the cells could lead to a more effective vaccine.
Do dressings prevent infection? There is insufficient evidence to know whether dressings reduce the risk of wound infection after surgery and, in some cases, leaving a wound exposed may be better, say researchers in The BMJ today.
Money back guarantees for non-reproducible results? There are better solutions to the "reproducibility crisis" in research, according to an editorial published today.
	E-cigarette use in UK almost doubled in two years, says Europe-wide study The number of people in the UK who have tried e-cigarettes has almost doubled in just two years, according to a new study.
	DIY sampling kits accessed through gay men's social media unearth new HIV cases Offering DIY sampling kits for HIV using online dating apps and social media targeting gay men, successfully unearths previously undiagnosed cases of the infection, reveals an evaluation of the first large-scale dedicated service in the UK, published online in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Children's social and academic functioning is impeded when their families move more often America is a mobile society, with most children and their families moving once or more during childhood. Moving can bring new opportunities if families relocate to safer, more comfortable homes, or to communities with better schools. However, previous research has found that more frequent residential moves can lead to stress and disrupt children's routines, with negative repercussions for healthy development. Now a new study has found that each additional residential move that children experience is associated with a corresponding decline in reading and math scores, as well as less positive social skills and higher rates of emotional and behavioral problems. The study compared children who move frequently with those who don't move or who move less frequently.
Parents' discrimination experiences linked to lower well-being among Mexican-American teens Mexican-Americans are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States, and Mexican-American adolescents who experience ethnic discrimination are more likely to report lower self-esteem and more emotional problems. A new study has found that the teens' psychological adjustment also suffers when their parents face ethnic discrimination. Parents' discussions with their teens about culture, race and ethnicity, and discrimination can play a role in their teens' psychological adjustment, but the content matters.
As early as first grade, children with severe obesity are more likely to be ostracized Childhood obesity has almost quadrupled among 6- to 11-year-olds since 1980. Today, approximately one in 20 children in the United States is severely obese and this public health threat costs the U.S. government billions of dollars annually. A new study has found that as early as first grade, severely obese children are more likely to be withdrawn and show signs of depression. They are also less liked by their peers, and more often picked on, teased, and made fun of than their classmates of healthy weights.
Living near a landfill could damage your health According to research published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology, health is at risk for those who live within five kilometres of a landfill site.
	Speech-language pathologists can help kids who struggle to read Educators call it the fourth-grade slump: a time when some children, faced with increasingly complex schoolwork, start to lose interest in reading. Yet classroom teachers may not employ the strategies that can get these students back on track, according to speech-language pathology researchers at University of the Pacific.
	'Suggestive evidence' for link between air pollution and heightened stillbirth risk There is 'suggestive evidence' for a link between air pollution and a heightened risk of stillbirth, indicates a summary of the available data, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
Bill could put a range of chemicals under federal scrutiny Toxic chemicals used in everyday products such as household cleaners, clothing and furniture have been linked to serious illnesses, including cancer, infertility, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Under current law, only a small fraction of chemicals used in these products have been reviewed for safety.
	Study shows effectiveness of hospital-initiated smoking cessation programs A new study from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), has established that greater adoption of hospital-initiated tobacco cessation interventions improve patient outcomes and decrease further healthcare utilization. The study is published today in the British Medical Journal's Tobacco Control.
Lung cancer survival rate increases by 73 percent if caught early The UK Lung cancer screening trial (UKLS) has been successfully completed and demonstrated that patients with a high risk of developing lung cancer can be identified with early stage disease and have up to a 73% chance of surviving for five years or more. The UKLS trial was conducted by experts in the University of Liverpool.
AGs: Pelvic mesh implants caused dire complications Dawna Hankins was scheduled to have a partial hysterectomy in 2008 when her doctor suggested implanting a vaginal mesh device at the same time to deal with minor incontinence.
Antiretroviral therapy may not be enough to reduce HIV-associated arterial inflammation Initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) soon after diagnosis of an HIV infection did not prevent the progression of significant arterial inflammation in a small group of previously untreated patients. The findings from a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research team suggest that ART alone is not sufficient to reduce the elevated arterial inflammation that appears to contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected individuals.
Study finds elevated cancer risk among women with new-onset atrial fibrillation Among nearly 35,000 initially healthy women who were followed-up for about 20 years, those with new-onset atrial fibrillation had an increased risk of cancer, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology.
What are the timing and risk factors for suicide attempts in the army? A new study that examined timing and risk factors for suicide attempts by U.S. Army-enlisted soldiers suggests risks were highest among those soldiers never deployed and that never-deployed soldiers were at greatest risk in the second month of service, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
Researchers identify immune genes tied to common, deadly brain cancer Researchers have identified a group of immune system genes that may play a role in how long people can live after developing a common type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, a tumor of the glial cells in the brain. The research is published in the May 25, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	Smoking may increase kidney disease risk in African-Americans Cigarette smoking is considered a universal health hazard, but it may be particularly damaging to kidney function among African-Americans smokers, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Zika virus may be linked to more eye problems in Brazilian babies with microcephaly Researchers studying babies with a Zika virus-related birth defect say they have found previously unreported eye problems possibly linked to the virus that could result in severe visual impairment. In three Brazilian infants with microcephaly, the researchers observed retinal lesions, hemorrhaging and abnormal blood vessel development not noted before in relation to the virus. The findings are being published online today in Ophthalmology, journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
	Worried about arsenic in your baby's rice cereal? There are other foods that can provide essential iron Last month, the FDA proposed setting a limit of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. This proposal came after FDA analysis of research linking inorganic arsenic exposure to lung and bladder cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes and decreased performance on children's developmental tests. The FDA tested 76 samples of infant rice cereal and found that only 47 percent of the tested cereals met the proposed limit.
Researchers raise concerns over e-cig safety Thousands of electronic cigarette users are risking dangerous levels of lung inflammation, the first study of its kind has revealed.
	Want to lose weight? Train the brain, not the body Despite massive government, medical and individual efforts to win the war on obesity, 71 percent of Americans are overweight. The average adult is 24 pounds heavier today than in 1960. Our growing girth adds some US$200 billion per year to our health care expenditure, amounting to a severe health crisis.
	Researcher discusses venous thrombosis findings A conversation with Alisa Wolberg is not for the faint of heart. That's not to say that the trained biologist's demeanor is particularly fearsome; quite the contrary, she is enthusiastic and knowledgeable, generous with tidbits of scientific trivia and history whenever she alights on her favorite topic. The problem – some might find at least – is that Wolberg's favorite topic is blood: how it travels through hundreds of circuitous miles of arteries, veins, and capillaries to deliver oxygen and vital nutrients to every cell in the body; how a rare bleeding disorder passed down through generations of royalty helped to destroy Russia's Imperial Empire; how the opposite problem – dangerous blood clots known as venous thrombosis – strikes more than a million Americans each year.
	How genetics could make medicine efficient and personalized Upbringing and circumstance—and the consequences of a lifetime of decisions—all shape us to varying degrees. And the environment undoubtedly plays some role. But, at the core of it all is our genetics, the foundational biologic blueprint of our physical—and psychological—being.
	Study seeks sweet sleep relief for children with ADHD Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are hoping a University of Queensland trial could help their families get a decent night's sleep.
	Diabetes patients should be offered option of metabolic surgery In a joint statement endorsed by 45 international organizations published in the journal Diabetes Care, diabetes clinicians and researchers are calling for metabolic surgery to be recommended or considered as a treatment option for some people with Type 2 diabetes.
	Innovative game informs on heart disease Arm and chest pain, cold sweat, nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath could all be signs of a pending heart attack, according to the new Flinders' School of Nursing and Midwifery iPad 'game.'
	Worry about wasting GP's time stopping people from reporting cancer symptoms, new study finds Research published today in the British Journal of General Practice has shown that worrying about wasting their GP's time is stopping people reporting cancer alarm symptoms.
	Living with complexity—evolution, ecology, viruses and climate change Biomedical researchers like me probe the mechanistic basis of health and disease. In a long career working at the discovery end of the spectrum, I've been privileged to live through, and make some small contribution to, an extraordinary (and continuing) revolution in medical understanding and human well-being.
Tuberculosis drug may also target visceral leishmaniasis A drug that has already been approved for treatment of tuberculosis could also be a powerful tool to combat another of the developing world's major diseases, researchers at the University of Dundee have found.
	New research on emotions and health also links stonewalling to back pain Those who rage with frustration during a marital spat have an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as chest pain or high blood pressure later in life, according to new research from Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley.
	Revolutionary hepatitis C drugs leave public health systems reeling They've brought hope to millions, drugs so revolutionary that they can cure hepatitis C and so expensive that neither patients nor public health services can afford them—an issue to be raised at this week's G7.
	Study shows area undamaged by stroke remains so, regardless of time stroke is left untreated Radiological imaging is being used more often to evaluate stroke diagnosis and outcomes, with penumbra, or tissue that is at risk of progressing to dead tissue but is still salvageable if blood flow is returned, as a potential target for therapy.
	African-Americans, men, young patients more likely to receive neuroimaging, study shows A person is admitted to the hospital with a stroke, but not much is known about whether or not that patient will undergo neuroimaging.
	Will heart medication help treat Alzheimer's disease? A new study from Örebro University, published in Science Signaling today, shows that heart medication reduces the build-up of plaque in the brain's blood vessels in mice. The question is if this is true also in humans? If the answer is yes, it might bring scientists a step closer to developing a medicine against Alzheimer's disease.
	3D printing brain tumours to improve treatment Scientists at a Heriot-Watt University plan to 3D print tumour-like constructs to better understand the biology of malignant brain tumours that kill around 5,000 people each year in the UK.
	Blockade of histamine receptors suppresses intestinal anaphylaxis in peanut allergy Simultaneous pre-treatment with antihistamines that block both the H1 and H4 antihistamine receptors suppressed the gastrointestinal symptoms of food allergy in mice, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. The findings, published online in the journal Allergy, provide new insight into the development of food allergy and suggest potential therapies for prevention and treatment of food allergy.
Australian cricket team uses guided missile technology to improve bowling Australian researchers have developed a revolutionary algorithm using submarine and guided missile technology to reduce injury and improve performance in cricket fast bowlers. The "torpedo technology" is being used by the Australian team in preparations for the upcoming Sri Lanka Series.
	Workaholism tied to psychiatric disorders Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway have examined the associations between workaholism and psychiatric disorders among 16,426 working adults.
FDA delay raises slim hope for muscular dystrophy drug Federal health regulators will take more time to review a highly-contested drug for muscular dystrophy that has become a flashpoint in the debate over patient access to experimental medicine.
What can Pavlov's dogs tell us about drinking? Humans aren't much different from other animals. Just like Pavlov's dogs, we can become conditioned to associate environmental cues with rewards. Innocent enough when the sight of your sneakers makes you want to go for a run, but not necessarily so when the sight of the liquor store prompts you to want a drink.
	Rocky marriages not always bad for your health For men, an unhappy marriage may actually slow the development of diabetes and promote successful treatment once they do get the disease, finds a national study led by a Michigan State University sociologist.
	Pot while pregnant may raise premature birth risk: study (HealthDay)—Smoking pot while pregnant may increase the risk of premature delivery, a new study suggests.
Could an implant be the new weapon against opioid, heroin addiction? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide this week whether to approve a new weapon in the war against heroin and prescription opioid addiction.
	Anemia negatively affects recovery from traumatic brain injuries Approximately half of patients hospitalized with traumatic brain injuries are anemic, according to recent studies, but anemia's effects on the recovery of these patients is not clear. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found evidence that anemia can negatively influence the outcomes of patients with traumatic brain injuries.
	Investigating how 'chemo brain' develops in cancer patients During and after chemotherapy, many cancer patients describe feeling a mental fog, a condition that has been dubbed "chemo brain." Why this happens is unclear, but researchers have found a new clue to understanding this syndrome. A study in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience reports that chemotherapy in rats affects their chemical messengers dopamine and serotonin, which are associated with cognition.
	Full-incision facelift superior to short-scar in neck region, study in multiples shows Facelift patients who wish to avoid the dreaded "turkey wattle" neckline years later should undergo a full-incision surgical technique instead of a short-scar method, according to novel new research by a Northwell Health physician who performed the procedure on identical twins and triplets.
	Therapeutically robust correction, in vitro, of the most common cystic fibrosis mutation In experiments with isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues from two other institutions have partially restored the lost function of those cells.
	Dialing up chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer with ultrasound Researchers at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway have combined a laboratory ultrasound technique called "sonoporation" with the commercially-available chemotherapy compound Gemcitabine to increase the porosity of pancreatic cells with microbubbles and to help get the drug into cancer cells where it is needed.
Obese young adults unaware of kidney disease risk, study finds Many young adults with abdominal obesity exhibit a readily detectable risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet the vast majority don't know they're at risk, according to a study of nationwide health data led by Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers that was published online today in the journal PLOS ONE.
Genome sequencing provides diagnosis for some types of intellectual disability A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine is one of the first to show the life-changing benefits of genome-wide sequencing for children with certain kinds of intellectual disability. The work was led by researchers at BC Children's Hospital, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, and the University of British Columbia.
Global economic downturn linked with at least 260,000 excess cancer deaths The economic crisis of 2008-10, and the rise in unemployment that accompanied it, was associated with more than 260,000 excess cancer-related deaths—including many considered treatable—within the Organization for Economic Development (OECD), according to a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Imperial College London, and Oxford University. The researchers found that excess cancer burden was mitigated in countries that had universal health coverage (UHC) and in those that increased public spending on health care during the study period.
	Scientists show commonly prescribed painkiller slows cancer growth Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that one of the most widely prescribed pain and anti-inflammation drugs slows the growth rate of a specific kind of cancer in animal models and suggests the medication could have the same effect on other types of tumors.
	Dose of transplanted blood-forming stem cells affects their behavior Unlike aspirin, bone marrow doesn't come with a neatly printed label with dosage instructions. However, a new study published in Cell Reports provides clues about how the dose of transplanted bone marrow might affect patients undergoing this risky procedure, frequently used to treat cancer and blood diseases.
	Researchers developing GPS for rectal cancer surgery Researchers estimate that up to 10,000 rectal cancer patients undergo unnecessary surgery, and more than 25,000 suffer from pelvic sepsis, wound infection and permanent impairments from aggressive surgery in the United States annually.
Health academics back EU remain campaign A group of leading academics from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London says the UK must remain in the EU in order to protect the health of UK residents. Also at risk following a vote to leave the EU, says the group, would be the recruitment of doctors and healthcare workers to the NHS, medical research and teaching and the continued world-leading status of the top UK universities. In an editorial published today by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the 17-strong group led by Professor Azeem Majeed, head of the Department of Primary Care and Public Health at Imperial College, bring together the health and scientific case for EU membership.
Prohibition 2016: Assessing the UK's Psychoactive Substances Act Passed in 2016 in the United Kingdom and due to come into force on 26 May, the Psychoactive Substances Act bans all new psychoactive substances (NPS) except those specifically exempted, such as alcohol and tobacco. The Act has attracted much criticism from scientists and experts. But what better alternative exists? The scientific journal Addiction has today [25 May] published the opening statement in a debate by leading addiction researchers from around the globe.
Philippine population growth slows as contraceptives spread The Philippines' annual population growth rate has slowed as more people in the predominantly Roman Catholic country use contraception.
	Transgender discussion offers an opportunity to understand the nuances of gender identity It's a moment that most of us experience several times a day.
App for young boys aims to prevent domestic violence A concept for an app aimed at engaging boys aged 10 to 15 to teach them respectful relationships with girls has been developed by a QUT social marketing expert as "another part of the jigsaw" to prevent domestic violence against women.
Distinguishing differences in dementia using brain scans Neuroscientist Anne Hafkemeijer is able to distinguish two different forms of dementia using advanced imaging techniques. This is the first step towards early recognition of dementia in patients on the basis of brain networks.
	Fighting addiction through the gut-brain axis "We are what we eat." This piece of folk knowledge is true in more ways than one. In fact, it is well known that food, through action on the enteric system, has direct effects on the brain. The mechanisms underlying this exchange are no longer a mystery since a large body of scientific literature highlights the functional crosstalk between the periphery and the brain. In particular, the so-called gut-brain axis consists of bidirectional communication between the brain and the enteric system, linking the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions (and vice versa). Insights into the gut-brain crosstalk have revealed an extremely fascinating communication system that is thought to be involved in many routine functions and systems within the healthy body, as well as in many diseases.
	The science of doping in sports Doping in sports continues making headlines as the U.S. Justice Department investigates state-sponsored doping by dozens of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee defines doping as "the deliberate or inadvertent use by an athlete of a substance or method banned by the IOC." Those substances and methods include performance-enhancing drugs and procedures that can have a variety of effects, including increasing muscle mass, enhancing recovery, blocking pain, upping the oxygen capacity of the blood to boost muscle performance and endurance, and even preventing detection of doping itself.
Physician anesthesiologists oppose VA rule replacing physicians with nurses in anesthesia The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) urges Americans to protect our nation's Veterans by opposing a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed policy that removes physician anesthesiologists from surgery and replaces them with nurses, lowering the standard of care and jeopardizing Veterans' lives.
	Mechanism for inhibiting bacterial invasion of colonic epithelia elucidated A group of researchers at Osaka University elucidated how a gene named Ly6/Plaur domain containing 8 (Lypd8) inhibits bacterial invasion of colonic epithelia, regulating intestinal inflammation. This achievement may lead to the development of drugs for ulcerative colitis.
Lung function may affect vocal health for women Teaching is an occupation with a high risk of developing vocal problems—teachers have more than twice the voice problems than people in other professions, as the voice is the major tool in classroom instruction and is often used for long periods of time and in noisy environments. Additionally, females face a significantly higher risk than men of developing long-term vocal problems. Therefore female teachers, the predominate population of teaching workforce, face a dual risk for developing prolonged voice problem. In a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and the Gould Voice Research Center, researchers displayed that the cost of teachers' voice injuries to the U.S. economy is estimated at US$2.5 billion per year. As a result, many scientists have worked on finding the physiological causes to help teachers prevent and treat voice problems.
Salt Lake International Airport to phase out smoking rooms The Salt Lake City International Airport is planning to get rid of smoking rooms to join more than 600 other airports that are already smoke-free.
Although uncommon, kids can get UTIs, too Dear Mayo Clinic: My daughter is 3 and has had two urinary tract infections in the last six months. Is this common in kids? What can we do to prevent a future infection, and does this mean she will always be more susceptible?

Biology news

	A 100-million-year partnership on the brink of extinction A relationship that has lasted for 100 million years is at serious risk of ending, due to the effects of environmental and climate change. A species of spiny crayfish native to Australia and the tiny flatworms that depend on them are both at risk of extinction, according to researchers from the UK and Australia.
	Female meerkats compete to outgrow their sisters Meerkats live in groups of up to 50 individuals, yet a single dominant pair will almost completely monopolise reproduction, while subordinates help to raise offspring through feeding and babysitting. Since only a small minority of individuals ever get to be dominants, competition for the breeding role is intense in both sexes and females are unusually aggressive to each other.
	Study exposes possible reason for 'drop out' fish in aquaculture salmon farms (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands has found evidence that might explain "drop out" fish in salmon and other fish farms. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the team describes their studies of salmon brain chemistry of specimens taken from fish farms and what their findings might mean for improving fishery results.
	Why fruit fly sperm are giant In the animal kingdom, sperm usually are considerably smaller than eggs, which means that males can produce far more of them. Large numbers of tiny sperm can increase the probability of successful fertilization, especially when females mate with several males. This is because the competition among sperm from different males to fertilize the few eggs increases as sperm become more abundant. This sperm competition spurs sexual selection after mating, favoring the best sperm in the female reproductive tract.
	Is aging inevitable? Not necessarily for sea urchins Sea urchins are remarkable organisms. They can quickly regrow damaged spines and feet. Some species also live to extraordinary old ages and—even more remarkably—do so with no signs of poor health, such as a decline in regenerative capacity or an increase in age-related mortality. These ocean Methuselahs even reproduce as if they were still youngsters.
	Saving Nemo: Bleaching threatens clownfish Clownfish became a household name over a decade ago when Disney released the movie "Finding Nemo."
	Individual quality trumps reproductive tradeoffs in ducks Not all ducks are created equal. In female Wood Ducks, variation in individual quality is what matters for breeding success and survival, according to the results of a new long-term study being published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances.
Use of parasitic wasps to fight ash borer grows to 24 states Millions of tiny wasps that are natural parasites for the emerald ash borer have been released into wooded areas in 24 states as the battle against the tree-killing borer is now biological.
	Indonesian birds face extinction due to pet trade: study Thirteen species of Indonesian birds, including the country's symbolic Javan Hawk-eagle, are at serious risk of extinction mainly due to the pet trade, a wildlife watchdog warned Wednesday.
	Opinion: GM crops already feed much of the world today – why not tomorrow's generations too? My parents researched malnutrition and under-nutrition in India, especially among children, and found that many diets recommended by Western nutritionists were in fact completely inapplicable to the poor. So they formulated cheap, healthy diets based on indigenous food with which people were familiar. Yet despite their many other efforts, a quarter of people in Indian and nearly one in nine people around the world do not have enough food to live a healthy active life.
	Japan hatches penguin chicks using artificial insemination A Japanese aquarium said Wednesday it had hatched two Humboldt penguin chicks after using artificial insemination, the first time the technique has been successfully deployed for the vulnerable species.
	Environmental favorability and tolerance of stress drives freshwater species distribution In nearly every biological community, distributions among species are highly uneven. That is, there is a large number of rare species with very few members and only a small number of common species concentrating most members of the community.
	A host-parasite relationship similar to Russian roulette identified A study, led by scientists from the Institut of Marine Sciencies (ICM) of the CSIC, shows for the first time how a parasite randomly attacks its microalgae hosts.
	Deciphering the mysterious decline of honey bees Honey bees are arguably our most important commercially available pollinator. They are responsible for pollinating numerous food plants that make our diets more exciting and nutritious, including many fruits, vegetables and nuts.
	Tiny wasp sniffs out, picks up 'good vibrations' to battle ash borer With the emerald ash borer beetle devastating ash tree populations throughout the United States—from locations as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Louisiana—solutions to help fight the insect are critical.
Oldest well-documented Blanding's turtle recaptured at U-M reserve at age 83 A female Blanding's turtle believed to be at least 83 years old was captured at a University of Michigan forest reserve this week. Researchers say it is the oldest well-documented Blanding's turtle and one of the oldest-known freshwater turtles.
	Recent progress in tracking the viability of transplanted stem cells in vivo Noninvasive cell-tracking methods are indispensable for assessing the safety and efficacy of stem-cell based therapy. Thus, the research of noninvasive cell-tracking methods for determining in vivo the translocation and long-term viability of the transplanted stem cells have received considerable attention. A recent review article summarized the recent progress in tracking the viability of the transplanted stem cells in vivo.
	The history of Eurasian wild horses How Eurasian wild horses from the last glacial period, their living and extinct relatives, and 20th century back-breeds all ended up being called the same thing—and what is really behind that name
	Third time may prove lucky for WA's rarest bird Perth Zoo keepers have high hopes WA's rarest bird could produce the world's first captive-bed western ground parrot chick in the coming months.
One step closer to preventing mass death of roosters The Dutch biotech start-up In Ovo is the first company to develop a large-scale solution for determining the sex of a chick while it is still in the egg. This fast and cheap technique can be applied mechanically at hatcheries, which was not possible before.
	New veterinary research helps distinguish accidents from abuse A veterinarian sees a canine patient with severe rib and head injuries whose cause of injury is unknown. Without having witnessed the incident, how can the veterinary professional distinguish an accident from abuse?
	TGAC trains the next generation of rice breeders in Vietnam Scientists from The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) in partnership with Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI) begin their bioinformatics training programme in Vietnam to identify 600 rice varieties to accelerate crop breeding.
The future of sonar in semiheated oceans Scientists are studying how climate change will affect the speed of sound under water to help prepare the U.S. Navy for operating in progressively warmer oceans.
Scientists explore new concepts of plant behavior and interactions Plants 'talk' to each other through mycorrhizal networks, but can we eavesdrop on what plants are talking about? They can sense chemicals through their roots, but can we sensibly talk about how they 'search' for food? While a lot is already known about plant perception, our ecological understanding of plants has largely focused on seeing plants as the sum of a series of building blocks or traits. A new special issue Using Ideas from Behavioural Ecology to Understand Plants edited by JC Cahill of the University of Alberta, and published by AoB PLANTS gathers researchers who have taken a new approach, theorising plant activity in terms of behaviour.
	McDonald's in 'historic' agreement to contain Arctic cod fishing Food giants McDonald's and Tesco have signed a "historic" agreement to not expand cod fishing into untouched parts of the Arctic, where the ice melt has sparked fears of a rush on unexploited areas, Greenpeace said Wednesday.

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