Science X Newsletter Monday, Jun 20

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 20, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Researchers assess power plants that convert all of their CO2 emissions into carbon nanotubes

A new way to degrade plastics that turns them into fuel

Newborn exoplanet discovered around young star (Update)

Scientists engineer tunable DNA for electronics applications

Best of Last Week—More gravitational waves detected, an alien rock found and exercise found to improve memory retention

New chip design makes parallel programs run many times faster and requires one-tenth the code

New 'shape-adaptive' device turns body motion into power source (w/ videos)

Researchers create organic nanowire synaptic transistors that emulate the working principles of biological synapses

'Electric wind' can strip Earth-like planets of oceans, atmospheres

Silencing of gene affects people's social lives, study shows

Warehouse item-picking robot is a perception-controlled mover

'Hack the Pentagon' program reveals 138 security flaws: US

Three International Space Station astronauts land in Kazakhstan

Windows Insiders are told of new tool for squeaky-clean install of Windows 10

Blue Origin has fourth successful rocket booster landing

Astronomy & Space news

	Newborn exoplanet discovered around young star (Update) Planet formation is a complex and tumultuous process that remains shrouded in mystery. Astronomers have discovered more than 3,000 exoplanets—planets orbiting stars other than our Sun—however, nearly all are middle-aged, with ages of a billion years or more. For astronomers, attempting to understand the life cycles of planetary systems using existing examples is like trying to learn how people grow from babies to children to teenagers, by only studying adults. Now, a team of Caltech-led researchers have discovered the youngest fully-formed exoplanet ever detected. The planet, K2-33b, at 5 to 10 million years old, is still in its infancy.
	'Electric wind' can strip Earth-like planets of oceans, atmospheres Venus has an "electric wind" strong enough to remove the components of water from its upper atmosphere, which may have played a significant role in stripping Earth's twin planet of its oceans, according to new results from ESA's (European Space Agency) Venus Express mission by NASA-funded researchers.
	Three International Space Station astronauts land in Kazakhstan An International Space Station crew including an American, a Briton and a Russian landed safely Saturday in the sun-drenched steppes of Kazakhstan.
	Blue Origin has fourth successful rocket booster landing US space firm Blue Origin conducted a successful fourth test Sunday of its reusable New Shepard rocket, which dropped back to Earth for a flawless upright landing seen on a live webcast.
	The stability of the solar wind NASA's Wind spacecraft observes the solar wind before it impacts the magnetosphere of Earth. Launched in 1994 into an orbit more than two hundred Earth-radii away, one of Wind's prime objectives is to investigate the basic physical processes occurring in the ionized gas in the near-Earth solar wind. One of the open issues is the stability of the solar wind plasma.
	New data compare, contrast Pluto's icy moons A newly downlinked spectral observation of Pluto's moon Nix from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft provides compelling evidence that its surface is covered in water ice, similar to what the New Horizons team discovered recently for another of Pluto's small satellites, Hydra. This new result provides further clues about the formation of Pluto's satellite system.
	'Space tsunami' causes the third Van Allen Belt Earth's magnetosphere, the region of space dominated by Earth's magnetic field, protects our planet from the harsh battering of the solar wind. Like a protective shield, the magnetosphere absorbs and deflects plasma from the solar wind which originates from the Sun. When conditions are right, beautiful dancing auroral displays are generated. But when the solar wind is most violent, extreme space weather storms can create intense radiation in the Van Allen belts and drive electrical currents which can damage terrestrial electrical power grids. Earth could then be at risk for up to trillions of dollars of damage.
American, Briton, Russian depart from space station The Soyuz space capsule has undocked from the International Space Station to carry an American, a Briton and a Russian back to Earth.
Europe's Ariane 5 launches two satellites into space Europe's Ariane 5 rocket launcher successfully sent two telecoms satellites, one for a US-based communications service provider and one for an Indonesian bank, into space on Saturday.
Video: Soyuz TMA-19M landing ESA astronaut Tim Peake, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and commander Yuri Malenchenko landed in the steppe of Kazakhstan on Saturday, 18 June in their Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft. The trio spent 186 days on the International Space Station.
	Hubble sweeps scattered stars in Sagittarius This colorful and star-studded view of the Milky Way galaxy was captured when the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope pointed its cameras towards the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). Blue stars can be seen scattered across the frame, set against a distant backdrop of red-hued cosmic companions. This blue litter most likely formed at the same time from the same collapsing molecular cloud.
	Phantom planets from misleading signals The Kepler Project has been enormously successful at finding planets around other stars. Over 1000 have been confirmed to date, with more than 3,500 additional candidates awaiting independent confirmation in the near future.
	Chemistry experiment aboard historic suborbital space flight An experiment led by LSU Chemistry Professor John Pojman was aboard the historic flight by Blue Origin today. LSU was one of three universities, including Purdue University and Braunschweig University of Technology in Germany, selected to have an experiment aboard today's flight.

Technology news

	New chip design makes parallel programs run many times faster and requires one-tenth the code Computer chips have stopped getting faster. For the past 10 years, chips' performance improvements have come from the addition of processing units known as cores.
	New 'shape-adaptive' device turns body motion into power source (w/ videos) (Tech Xplore)—A combined team of researchers with members from several institutions in China and the Georgia Institute of Technology, has developed a flexible nanogenerator that harnesses the energy from moving body parts and uses it to run electronic devices. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the team describes their new device, how they made it bendable, and the ways they believe it might be used.
	Researchers create organic nanowire synaptic transistors that emulate the working principles of biological synapses (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea has created organic nanowire synaptic transistors that emulate the working principles of biological synapses. As they describe in their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the artificial synapses they have created use much smaller amounts of power than other devices developed thus far and rival that of their biological counterparts.
	Warehouse item-picking robot is a perception-controlled mover (Tech Xplore)—Retail has gone digital to the point where ecommerce is commonplace. Your neighbor is just as likely to be waiting for her package from Amazon as she is to take the cross-town bus and get the same item in a three-level shopping mall.
	'Hack the Pentagon' program reveals 138 security flaws: US Hackers invited by the US government as part of a pilot program to find flaws with five Pentagon websites discovered 138 security vulnerabilities, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Friday.
	Windows Insiders are told of new tool for squeaky-clean install of Windows 10 (Tech Xplore)—Windows Insiders can be happy over a tool for them which will offer the chance to live in a Microsoft world slimmed down from PC bloatware.
	Solar Impulse 2 leaves New York, begins Atlantic crossing (Update) The sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 aircraft set off from New York's JFK airport early Monday, embarking on the transatlantic leg of its record-breaking flight around the world to promote renewable energy.
	China tops global supercomputer speed list for 7th year (Update) A Chinese supercomputer has topped a list of the world's fastest computers for the seventh straight year—and for the first time the winner uses only Chinese-designed processors instead of U.S. technology.
	Ultra-thin solar cells can bend around a pencil Scientists in South Korea have made ultra-thin photovoltaics flexible enough to wrap around the average pencil. The bendy solar cells could power wearable electronics like fitness trackers and smart glasses. The researchers report the results in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
	Robotic motion planning in real-time Once they've mastered the skills of toddlerhood, humans are pretty good at what roboticists call "motion planning"—reaching around obstacles to precisely pick up a soda in a crowded fridge, or slipping their hands around a screen to connect an unseen cable.
	New technique improves accuracy of computer vision technologies Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that improves the ability of computer vision technologies to better identify and separate objects in an image, a process called segmentation.
	RedEye could let your phone see 24-7 Rice University researchers have just the thing for the age of information overload: an app that sees all and remembers only what it should.
	Study: China could go big on wind power—if it adjusts its grid operations China has an opportunity to massively increase its use of wind power—if it properly integrates wind into its existing power system, according to a newly published MIT study.
	Apple ordered to suspend iPhone 6 sales in Beijing A Chinese regulator has ordered Apple Inc. to stop selling two versions of its iPhone 6 in Beijing after finding they look too much like a competitor, but Apple says sales are going ahead while it appeals.
Hackers divert $50mn in blow to virtual currency: NYT Hackers have diverted more than $50 million in digital currency from an experimental fund meant to demonstrate that such money is safe for use, according to the New York Times.
	X-57 'Maxwell': NASA electric research plane gets X number, new name With 14 electric motors turning propellers and all of them integrated into a uniquely-designed wing, NASA will test new propulsion technology using an experimental airplane now designated the X-57 and nicknamed "Maxwell."
	At E3, game makers introduce more diverse heroes After introducing the world to several new female heroes at last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, story-driven game makers at this week's gathering of the interactive industry are uncharacteristically putting more racially diverse protagonists front and center in their games.
	Interview: Jia Zhangke plans virtual reality romance Critically acclaimed Chinese director Jia Zhangke says he will make a virtual reality film next year with a romantic story as he and viewers get used to the new medium, and declared: "I think VR is going to be the next big thing."
	Few Utah police report drone use, cite tough FAA regulations Law enforcement agencies have touted drones as a powerful new tool for searches and investigations, but police in Utah report they've stopped using the devices after getting bogged down by federal regulations.
	Toyota's US robotics boss promises results within 5 years The U.S. robotics expert tapped to head Toyota's Silicon Valley research company says the $1 billion investment by the giant Japanese automaker will start showing results within five years.
	Net neutrality decision a big win for all of us Handing a big victory to everyday people, an appeals court Tuesday upheld the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules.
	How does your smart city grow? The Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction is building on advances in sensing technology to learn everything possible about a city's infrastructure – its tunnels, roads, bridges, sewers and power supplies – in order to maintain it and optimise its use for the future.
	Imec demonstrates highly efficient bifacial solar cells with near 100% bifaciality Imec, the world-leading nano-electronics research center and partner in Energyville, will present at this week's Intersolar Europe/EU PVSEC a highly efficient bifacial n-PERT (BiPERT) solar cell featuring a bifaciality value close to 100 percent. With a rear cell efficiency close to the efficiency measured from the front of the cell, imec's new achievement underscores the ability to strongly enhance the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) modules made with this type of cell.
	The robots are coming! Shouldn't we be more worried? The potential for new technologies to cause mass unemployment is becoming a much-discussed issue in the media. Yet, according to new Massey University research, few New Zealanders are concerned about the future of their jobs.
	Big data jobs are out there – are you ready? Big data is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Network security companies use it to improve the accuracy of their intrusion detection services. Dating services use it to help clients find soulmates. It can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of fraud detection, in turn helping protect your personal finances.
	Rolls-Royce's luxury vision of the future tells us more about ourselves Rolls Royce Motor Cars has unveiled a concept car that showcases what the firm thinks luxury vehicles might look like in 100 years' time. The "Vision Next 100" is a 5.9 metre-long zero-emission, self-driving car complete with an artificial intelligence virtual assistant and a silk sofa – but no steering wheel.
	Keeping alive the art of experimental design A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers was honored with the Neill Griffiths Award this month, recognizing the most significant contribution to shaped charge technology. The award was presented at the annual International Symposium on Ballistics.
High court upholds process for challenging patents The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the process for challenging invalid patents, making it easier for companies to fight so-called patent trolls.
	Twitter buys artificial intelligence firm Magic Pony Twitter said Monday it was acquiring British-based artificial intelligence startup Magic Pony to bolster its capacity for analysis of visual content.
	Google aims for better health search results Whether it's a tummy ache or a pain in the knee, Google is working to come up with better answers to questions on specific health issues.
Ringleader pleads guilty in StubHub ticket cybertheft case A Russian ringleader of a group that fraudulently bought some of the hottest tickets in music, sports and theater by sneaking into StubHub users' accounts pleaded guilty Monday in a scheme involving over $1 million worth of tickets.
US seeks to clear the air for 5G wireless US airwaves should get ready soon for 5G wireless, the promising next generation of mobile networks that will help connect a myriad of devices, a top telecom regulator said Monday.
An attempt to reduce materials cost of autoclaved aerated concrete production To reduce the materials cost of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) production, these two types of solid waste could theoretically be used as the aerating agent and silica source, respectively.
	NERSC staff, users readying for delivery of Cori phase 2 Knights landing-based system in July For the past year, staff at the Department of Energy's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) have been preparing users of 20 leading science applications for the arrival of the second phase of its newest supercomputer, Cori, which consists of more than 9,300 nodes containing Intel's Xeon Phi Knights Landing processor - which was officially unveiled June 20 at the International Supercomputer Conference in Germany. The first compute cabinets are scheduled to arrive in July.

Medicine & Health news

	Silencing of gene affects people's social lives, study shows A team of researchers led by psychologists at the University of Georgia have found that the silencing of a specific gene may affect human social behavior, including a person's ability to form healthy relationships or to recognize the emotional states of others.
	Molecule required for pain also helps regulate body weight A molecule best known for its involvement in pain perception also plays an important role in regulating body weight, according to new studies in mice by scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus. The molecule, called Nav1.7, enables some neurons to efficiently integrate information they receive over time. When weight-regulating neurons lose this ability, mice become either over- or underweight.
	'Holy grail' of breast cancer prevention in high-risk women may be in sight Australian researchers have discovered that an existing medication could have promise in preventing breast cancer in women carrying a faulty BRCA1 gene.
	Fear factor: A new genetic candidate for treating PTSD Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have identified a new genetic candidate for testing therapies that might affect fear learning in people with PTSD or other conditions. Results of the study have been published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
	New brain map could enable novel therapies for autism and Huntington's disease USC scientists have mapped an uncharted portion of the mouse brain to explain which circuit disruptions might occur in disorders such as Huntington's disease and autism.
	Study finds brain markers of numeric, verbal and spatial reasoning abilities A new study begins to clarify how brain structure and chemistry give rise to specific aspects of "fluid intelligence," the ability to adapt to new situations and solve problems one has never encountered before.
	Breast cancer cells use newfound pathway to survive low oxygen levels in tumors Researchers have identified a new signaling pathway that helps cancer cells cope with the lack of oxygen found inside tumors. These are the results of a study published in Nature Cell Biology on June 20, and led by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, the University of Toronto, Harvard Medical School and Oxford University.
	As Zika looms, US health officials worry about the neighbors Saron Wyatt pointed to the secluded end of her small street in Houston's impoverished Fifth Ward, where a mound of old tires keeps popping up.
UC Irvine study taps high school brains Christian LaBow left Servite High's spring football practice early on a recent afternoon to undergo a brain scan.
Ending discrimination against people with mental illness One in four Americans will experience a mental health problem or misuse alcohol or drugs at some point in their lives.Yet mental health and substance abuse disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, according to a recently released report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
	Low testosterone may make you a better father Many new parents know that a good night's sleep is tough to come by. What the new parents probably do not know is that a crying infant can trigger a testosterone dip in some men, which turns out to be a good thing. Less testosterone may make them more empathic and less aggressive, which may make them better fathers.
	The PI3K protein: A potential new therapeutic target in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors Researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Investigation of Bellvitge (IDIBELL), led by Dr. Mariona Graupera, have unveiled the potential therapeutic benefit of a selective inhibitior of the PI3-kinase (PI3K) protein in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs). The study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, provides a significant advance in understanding the role of PI3K signaling in cancer and opens new therapeutic opportunities for this and other types of cancer.
For children with Tourette syndrome, environmental responses to tics play big role In a study published in Child Psychiatry and Human Development, University of Georgia researchers found that environmental responses to tics in a child with Tourette syndrome play a significant role in helping or hindering that child's ability to fight the urge to tic.
Study links childhood hunger, violence later in life Children who often go hungry have a greater risk of developing impulse control problems and engaging in violence, according to new UT Dallas research.
	Partner perils associated with fly-in fly-out life Partners of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers have higher levels of emotional problems than other parents in the community, and are at a greater risk of using harsh discipline with their children, University of Queensland research suggests.
	New head scanning ultrasound technology could save soldier lives Soldiers' lives could be saved or improved by new technology which enables medics to scan for bleeding in the brain using ultrasound.
	The dopamine advantage The junctions between nerve cells responsible for releasing and receiving dopamine in the brain are a surprising mismatch that gives this chemical a strong competitive advantage.
	Say it isn't so! Indulging while pregnant linked to excess weight gain A new University at Albany study may have pregnant women thinking twice before reaching for the pickles and ice cream.
	A tiny pump comes to the aid of weakened hearts EPFL researchers have developed an innovative cardiac support system in the form of a small ring placed on the aorta. This device is less invasive than traditional methods and avoids problems of hemolysis and the need for regular transfusions because it does not come into direct contact with the blood.
Depression, adverse childhood events and sleep disturbances linked to changes in the immune system Adverse childhood experiences and sleep disturbances interfere with immune system regulation, shows research from the University of Eastern Finland. These changes were observed in a population that already carried a significant burden of psychological symptoms such as depression.
	Watching the luminescent gene switch Scientists have found a way to simultaneously monitor the switching on and off of circadian "clock" genes and their effects on mouse behaviour in real-time.
Viruses may trigger pathological false alarm in the intestine The onset of the autoimmune condition coeliac disease may not be down to genetic factors alone – certain viral infections may also be involved. This is the finding of a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, which systematically investigated the possible link between the disease and viral infections for the first time and envisages vaccination as a possible solution.
Does weight loss surgery help with problem eating habits? More Australians are turning to surgery to help treat obesity – but once their surgery is over, what impact does it have on patients' eating habits in the long term?
	Cannabis use during pregnancy may affect brain development in offspring Compared with unexposed children, those who were prenatally exposed to cannabis had a thicker prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in complex cognition, decision-making, and working memory.
New 'Aspirin-Guide' app for clinicians helps personalize decisions about aspirin use Low dose aspirin is recommended by clinicians as a preventive measure for patients who have already had a heart attack or stroke, but the risk of taking low-dose aspirin to prevent or delay a first heart attack or stroke is less clear, as the benefit for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) must be balanced with the increased risk of gastrointestinal or other bleeding. To help clinicians and patients make informed decisions about aspirin use, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a new, free, mobile app, "Aspirin-Guide" that calculates both the CVD risk score and the bleeding risk score for the individual patient, and helps clinicians decide which patients are appropriate candidates for the use of low-dose aspirin (75 to 81 mg daily).
Difficult to predict low testosterone in older men using data on younger men A new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) highlights the difficulty in defining and managing age-related testosterone decline in older men.
	The blinding truth – fireworks and the dangers they pose to your eyes Fireworks are big business in the United States. The American Pyrotechnics Association estimated consumers spent $755 million on fireworks in 2015, and according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were involved in an estimated 10,500 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2014.
	What color room should you study in? Struggling with that last minute exam-prep? Curtin researchers are here to save you, finding that brightly colored rooms can boost your concentration levels.
	Simulation science takes on Zika with big data In recent weeks, Zika has proven much more problematic than first expected, and the World Health Organization has named Zika a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Researchers at the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech are developing a new computer model of Zika that may predict how it will move through South American and North American populations.
	An epidemic of children dying in hot cars—a tragedy that can be prevented I have been studying the brain and memory since 1980, but I was baffled when a news reporter asked me in 2004 how parents can forget that their children are in the car with them. It seemed incomprehensible that parents could leave a child in a car and then go about their daily activities, as their child dies of hyperthermia in a car that reaches scorching temperatures.
Sharing of a bacterium related to tooth decay among children and their families Research presented at the ASM Microbe research meeting provides compelling evidence that children acquire Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium most frequently associated with dental caries, from intra- and extra-familial sources besides their mother.
	Four new risk genes associated with multiple sclerosis discovered Scientists of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have identified four new risk genes that are altered in German patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results point to a possible involvement of cellular mechanisms in the development of the disease, through which environmental influences affect gene regulation. The research project was supported by the German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS).
	People allergic to insect venom need precision medical diagnosis and treatment A team of researchers has elucidated individual profiles of allergy reactivity in patients that are not protected after treatment with immunotherapy. The aim is to improve medical treatment of people who are allergic to insect stings.
	Molecular map provides clues to zinc-related diseases Mapping the molecular structure where medicine goes to work is a crucial step toward drug discovery against deadly diseases.
	Hospital readmission app could save healthcare industry billions Hospitals and healthcare providers are penalized for readmitting patients within a 30-day time period. An award-winning app developed by graduate students at Binghamton University, State University of New York, could help reduce these readmission rates and save the healthcare industry billions.
High blood sugar could mean lower risk of one type of brain tumor In a surprising twist, benign brain tumors that have previously been tied to obesity and diabetes are less likely to emerge in those with high blood sugar, new research has found.
	Study shows increase in Parkinson's disease over 30 years (Update) The incidence of Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism increased significantly in 30 years from 1976 to 2005, Mayo Clinic researchers reported today in a study in JAMA Neurology. This trend was noted in particular for men age 70 and older. According to the researchers, this is the first study to suggest such an increasing trend.
Low attention control in early adolescence is a genetic risk factor for anxiety disorders University of Texas at Arlington researchers have found that low attention control in early adolescence is related to a genetic risk factor for four different anxiety disorders. Young teens who suffer from anxiety are also more vulnerable to additional problems like depression, drug dependence, suicidal behavior and educational underachievement.
	Blood test shows promise in gauging severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that rising blood levels of a protein called hematoma derived growth factor (HDGF) are linked to the increasing severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a form of damaging high blood pressure in the lungs. Their findings, described online June 2 in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, could, they say, eventually lead to a more specific, noninvasive test for pulmonary arterial hypertension that could help doctors decide the best treatment for the disease.
Statins associated with lower risk of cardiac events for some patients, not others Cholesterol-lowering statins were associated with lower risk for major cardiac events in some patients with preexisting ischemic heart disease but not in others, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
App improves knowledge, skills in neonatal resuscitation in workers in Ethiopia A mobile app improved knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation in health care workers in Ethiopia but it did not significantly reduce perinatal mortality, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
	Large-scale genetic study provides new insight into the causes of migraine An international research consortium has identified almost 30 new genetic risk factors for common migraine. The results provide further support for the theory that an abnormal function of the blood vessels of the brain is an important component in driving migraine attacks.
Pharmaceutical industry-sponsored meals associated with higher prescribing rates Accepting a single pharmaceutical industry-sponsored meal was associated with higher rates of prescribing certain drugs to Medicare patients by physicians, with more, and costlier, meals associated with greater increases in prescribing, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Just how gestational diabetes puts babies at lifelong risk for cardiovascular disease, under study Gestational diabetes can put babies at a lifelong risk for cardiovascular disease, and scientists want to better understand how.
Congo declares yellow fever epidemic DR Congo on Monday declared a yellow fever outbreak in the capital Kinshasa, home to more than ten million people, and in two other western provinces.
	Experimental Zika vaccine to begin human testing An experimental vaccine for the Zika virus is due to begin human testing in coming weeks, after getting the green light from U.S. health officials.
Study finds patient navigators improve comprehensive cancer screening rates A clinical trial conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found that the use of patient navigators - individuals who assist patients in receiving health care services - may improve comprehensive cancer screening rates among patient populations not likely to receive recommended screenings. The study, which received Online First publication earlier this month in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that such patients - mostly low-income and ethnic minorities - were more likely to adhere to cancer-screening guidelines when assisted by patient navigators.
Sharing treatment decisions challenges doctors and parents of young children with autism Parents of young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience significant difficulties in discussing treatment options with the child's pediatrician, according to new research. Among the barriers are problems with communication, physicians' lack of knowledge about specific ASD treatments and community resources, and uncertainty about the pediatrician's role in making treatment recommendations for a child with ASD.
	Understanding the resistance to treatments against breast cancer Estrogens are responsible for the survival and proliferation of tumor cells in 70% of all breast cancer cases. The most frequently used treatment to fight this variety of tumors relies on anti-estrogens such as tamoxifen. However, nearly a third of the patients develop a resistance to this type of therapy after a few years. In a study published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, biologists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, reveal how tumor cells become refractory to the drug. They succeeded in identifying eight factors involved in the process of resistance to the treatment. The researchers also suggest various approaches for developing new therapies.
	Aspirin versus blood thinners in atrial fibrillation patients with stroke risk Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine report that more than 1 in 3 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at intermediate to high risk for stroke are treated with aspirin alone, despite previous data showing this therapy to be inferior to blood thinners.
Shared decision-making allows some athletes with heart condition to compete People with a rare genetic heart condition who are currently disqualified from most sports due to a risk of sudden cardiac death may be able to safely participate in athletics as long as they are well treated and well informed, according to a study published today in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.
	Simple reward-based learning suits adolescents best Adolescents focus on rewards and are less able to learn to avoid punishment or consider the consequences of alternative actions, finds a new UCL-led study.The study, published in PLOS Computational Biology, compared how adolescents and adults learn to make choices based on the available information.
Study finds surgery can lengthen survival of metastatic kidney cancer patients Surgery to remove a cancerous kidney can often lengthen the lives of patients receiving targeted therapy for metastatic kidney cancer, but only about three in ten such patients undergo the procedure, according to a new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
	Microbiota affect the rate of transplant acceptance and rejection Researchers from the University of Chicago have shown that microbiota—the bacteria, viruses and other microbes living on the skin and in the digestive system—play an important role in the body's ability to accept transplanted skin and other organs.
	Newer tests could cut hep C diagnosis steps in half Data suggest that several commercially available tests for hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCVcAg) are highly sensitive and specific and could transform the current two-test screening process for HCV into a single test. A single-process diagnostic for chronic HCV infection could streamline the cascade of care in low- and middle-income countries where HCV is prevalent, but patients are often lost to follow-up. The systematic evidence review, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, will inform an upcoming World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on HCV screening.
Twin birth defect risk may be higher among moms not on fertility treatment The risk of birth defects among twins may be higher among mums who haven't used fertility treatment—which is known to increase the chances of a twin birth—than among those who have used it, finds US research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
	E-cigarette use can alter hundreds of genes involved in airway immune defense When we smoke cigarettes, dozens of genes important for immune defense are altered in the epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract. Several of these changes likely increase the risk of bacterial infections, viruses, and inflammation. Now, UNC School of Medicine scientists report that vaping electronic cigarettes alters those same genes and hundreds more that are important for immune defense in the upper airway.
	Lessons on personalities help teens cope with social stressors, study says Teaching teens that social and personality traits can change helps them cope with social challenges such as bullying, which in turn can help mitigate stress and improve academic performance, according to a study by psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.
	Tumor cells develop predictable characteristics that are not random Tumors are composed of many subpopulations of cells. A general consensus among scientists is that these subpopulations are due to random mutations. However, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers found that these assumptions may be incorrect. In a new article published in the journal Cancer Research, they report that certain subpopulations can be predicted and do not develop randomly as previously thought.
	No amount of lead is safe for kids (HealthDay)—No amount of lead exposure is safe for children, and stricter regulations are needed to protect youngsters from this serious health threat, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says.
	Almost 2 million U.S. kids get concussions a year: study (HealthDay)—Close to 2 million U.S. children and teens may suffer concussions annually, say researchers who add that the prevalence of head injuries among American youth has been underestimated for years.
	Most women diagnosed with HIV in pregnancy retained in care (HealthDay)—Most women diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy are still retained in clinical care over the first year postpartum, according to a study published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Dulaglutide, glargine plus lispro improve glycemic control (HealthDay)—Dulaglutide and glargine in combination with prandial lispro are associated with a similar percentage of time spent in the normoglycemic range, according to a study published online June 9 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
	Vildagliptin, sitagliptin have similar effects on incretin (HealthDay)—The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors vildagliptin and sitagliptin have similar effects on incretin hormone secretion, according to a study published online June 14 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
	Early discharge after primary PCI deemed safe in STEMI (HealthDay)—For patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), an early discharge strategy within 48 to 56 hours is safe, according to a study published in the June 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	Tax incentives being offered to primary care preceptors (HealthDay)—Tax incentives are being offered to encourage physicians to serve as preceptors to medical students, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
	IV lidocaine has no meaningful impact in fibromyalgia (HealthDay)—For patients with fibromyalgia, use of intravenous lidocaine has no meaningful impact, according to a study published online June 16 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
	Life expectancy doesn't influence care of keratinocyte carcinoma (HealthDay)—Life expectancy does not appear to influence patterns of treatment for keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), according to a study published online June 15 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
	Bariatric surgery improves adipose tissue function (HealthDay)—Bariatric surgery is associated with improvements in adipose tissue function, some of which are independent of weight loss, according to research published online June 8 in Obesity Reviews.
	Experts only beginning to grasp the damage from Zika virus Even though the explosive spread of the Zika virus has been met with a new level of international response, thanks to lessons learned from the Ebola crisis, experts warn they are only beginning to grasp the damage the mosquito-borne virus can do.
	Long-term opioids may not be best pain management option for all sickle cell patients In a small study looking at pain assessments in adults with sickle cell disease, researchers at Johns Hopkins says overall, those treated long-term with opioids often fared worse in measures of pain, fatigue and curtailed daily activities than those not on long-term opioids.
	Void in mental health care for refugees an urgent issue, says psychiatrist Refugees fleeing war and conflict find shelter but little solace in camps erected to house them, according to Richard Mollica, who heads the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT).
	Ischemic stroke therapy – does the gut microbiota hold the key? As the world's population grows older, the burden of stroke continues to increase. Epidemiological data indicates that around 17 million people suffer a stroke each year, making it the second leading cause of death in the world and a major source of disability.
Tumour study could help improve radiotherapy Cancer patients could benefit from new insight into how tumours respond to radiotherapy, an Edinburgh study suggests.
Midwives bring birth back to Nunavik In a remote northern community in the province of Quebec, Ryerson midwifery professor Vicki Van Wagner is seeing the benefits of bringing birth back home.
	Research shows new mechanism that can cause eye inflammation Research presented at the ASM Microbe research meeting demonstrates a new way bacteria can cause dramatic morphological changes in human cells. Specifically, the researchers discovered that a common bacterial contaminant of contact lenses and cases can cause the formation of large bubble-like membrane structures on human ocular cells, which can contribute to contact lens wear complications and inflammation.
Radiological prediction of posttraumatic kyphosis after thoracolumbar fracture A new paper determines risk factors (AO classification, age, gender, localization) that may lead to progressive kyphosis after a thoracolumbar fracture.
A multi-type queuing network analysis method for controlling server number in the outpatient High outpatient rates in healthcare in China besides a lack of healthcare resources has resulted in long queues, leading to excessive delays in addressing the patients treatment. Patient influx in outpatient departments cannot be scheduled or controlled significantly because fewer patients choose to make an appointment with doctors in China.
	Contaminated gloves increase risks of cross-transmission of pathogens Research being presented at the ASM Microbe research meeting provides clear evidence that the gloves of healthcare workers contaminate hospital surfaces with bacteria. The researchers' data also suggest that types of bacteria may affect cross-transmission rates among contaminated gloves and the hospital surfaces.
What does Zika virus mean for the children of the Americas? A special communication article published online by JAMA Pediatrics explores whether new paradigms in child health may emerge because of Zika virus.
	Fighting resistant blood cancer cells Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) develops through chromosomal alterations in blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and usually occurs in older persons. Around 20 percent of adults diagnosed with leukemia suffer from this type of blood cancer. The protein Gab2 works as an enhancer of cancer-causing signals and is often present in larger quantities in CML cells than in healthy cells. In two studies, Freiburg researchers have made new discoveries concerning the relationship between CML and Gab2 and drugs that can break a particular resistance to Gab2 in CML cells. The team, including Dr. Tilman Brummer, Prof. Dr. Jörn Dengjel, Dr. Konrad Aumann, and Dr. Sebastian Halbach, published its findings in the journals Leukemia and Cell Communication and Signaling.
	Public to presidential candidates: Make children's health a priority As Republican and Democratic parties prepare for national conventions this summer, campaign speeches are filled with promises about everything from health care to the economy and national security.
Osimertinib in lung cancer: Added benefit not proven Osimertinib has been approved since February 2016 for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) now examined in an early benefit assessment whether the drug offers an added benefit for these patients in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy.
Supreme Court rejects appeal from Illinois smokers The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Illinois smokers who sought reinstatement of a $10.1 billion class-action judgment in a long-running lawsuit against Philip Morris.
A novel therapy for genital herpes engages immune cells to provide significant patient benefits A phase II clinical trial demonstrated that a new type of treatment for genital herpes, an immunotherapy called GEN-003, may reduce the activity of the virus and the number of days with recurrent herpes. This effect of treatment, given by a series of three injections, appears to last for up to at least one year. The research is presented at the ASM Microbe research meeting in Boston.
SORLA controls insulin signaling to promote obesity in mice Large-scale genetic studies have linked variations in genes and proteins to an increased risk for developing obesity. Determining how these variations alter metabolism to increase body mass may lead to the identification of preventative therapies for obesity and related disorders.
	PSA cut point of more than 0.4 ng/mL predicts progression (HealthDay)—A prostate-specific antigen cut point of ≥0.4 ng/mL predicts future disease progression, according to a study published in the June issue of The Journal of Urology.
NIH won't cut price of taxpayer-funded prostate cancer drug The federal government has declined a petition to lower the price of a prostate cancer drug developed with taxpayer money.

Biology news

	Scientists engineer tunable DNA for electronics applications DNA may be the blueprint of life, but it's also a molecule made from just a few simple chemical building blocks. Among its properties is the ability to conduct an electrical charge, making one of the hottest areas in engineering a race to develop novel, low-cost nanoelectronic devices.
Tiny alpaca-derived antibodies point to targets preventing viral infection Whitehead Institute scientists have determined how to use alpaca-derived, single-domain antibody fragments (also called VHHs or nanobodies) to perturb cellular processes in mammalian cells, including the infection of human cells by influenza A virus (IAV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). With improved knowledge of protein activity, scientists can tease apart the roles individual proteins play in cellular pathways, understand how disease corrupts cellular function, and begin to design interventions to rectify such aberrations.
	How early mammals evolved night vision to avoid predators Early mammals evolved in a burst during the Jurassic period, adapting a nocturnal lifestyle when dinosaurs were the dominant daytime predator. How these early mammals evolved night vision to find food and survive has been a mystery, but a new study publishing June 20 in Developmental Cell suggests that rods in the mammalian eye, extremely sensitive to light, developed from color-detecting cone cells during this time to give mammals an edge in low-light conditions.
Invasive species could cause billions in damages to agriculture Invasive insects and pathogens could be a multi-billion- dollar threat to global agriculture and developing countries may be the biggest target, according to a team of international researchers.
	Controlling light: New protection for photosynthetic organisms Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a previously unknown strategy photosynthetic organisms use to protect themselves from the dangers of excessive light, providing further insight into photosynthesis and opening up new avenues for engineering this process, which underlies the global food chain.
	Rediscovering a wasp after 101 years A species of wasp that is a natural enemy of a wood-boring beetle that kills black locust trees has been rediscovered, more than 100 years after the last wasp of this species was found.
Report finds Grand Canyon bison are native to region The effort to come up with a way to manage bison at Grand Canyon National Park has taken a turn back in time—thousands of years—to determine the massive animals' roots.
	Sting operation: Jellyfish targeted before they can multiply Environmental officials and waterfront homeowners in New Jersey are conducting a reverse sting operation against jellyfish in inland waterways, going after the gelatinous pests before they have a chance to grow and multiply.
Russian biologists determine how frog heads are formed Russian biologists have studied the Noggin4 protein, which plays a crucial role in the formation of Xenopus toad heads (Xenopus laevis). The results of the research, published in Scientific Reports, expand understanding of the triggering preprocess for embryogenesis, and may possibly be instrumental in the discovery of new ways of using this protein for the regulation of biological processes involving stem cell manipulation.
	Do the leaves that fall into a stream affect the insects that fly out? When leaves fall in the autumn, they are only just beginning their journey.
	Bush burning helps Gouldian finches thrive Improved bush burning methods by Indigenous Rangers in the East Kimberley have been hailed for the resurgence of Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) in the region.
	Predictive model to analyse the reproductive status of wolf packs Researchers at the Universitat de València's Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology evaluated the usefulness of bioacoustic tools as a means of establishing the reproductive status of wolf populations.
	Urban bird species risk dying prematurely due to stress Birds of the species Parus Major (great tit) living in an urban environment are at greater risk of dying young than great tits living outside cities. Research results from Lund University in Sweden show that urban great tits have shorter telomeres than others of their own species living in rural areas. According to the researchers, the induced stress that the urban great tits are experiencing is what results in shorter telomeres and thereby increases their risk of dying young.
	Clemson's first harvest of ancient Southern wheat exceeds expectations The first step of an ongoing-process designed to bring a valuable heirloom wheat back from the brink of extinction has been completed with flying colors.
	Scientists' research on threats to habitat connectivity featured in journal Clemson University scientists Paul Leonard and Rob Baldwin are part of a collaborative study on how rising sea levels and increased urbanization—both now and in the future—are joining forces to fragment habitat connectivity across the region.
Crowdsourcing platform makes public gene expression data more accessible Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a free online platform that uses a crowdsourcing approach to make public gene expression data more accessible to biomedical researchers without computational expertise. They describe the platform, called OMics Compendia Commons (OMiCC), in the June 20 online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
	Poisonous lionfish may invade Med, warn environmentalists The lionfish, a tropical creature with poisonous barbs and a painful sting that can kill humans in rare cases, may be spreading in the Mediterranean, a conservation group warned Monday.
	Study finds manta rays are local commuters; not long-distance travelers Oceanic manta rays-often thought to take epic migrations-might actually be homebodies, according to a new study. A Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego-led research team studied satellite-tracked manta rays to shed light on the lives of these mysterious ocean giants.
Most biodiverse countries spending the least on conservation, study finds Countries that contain most of the world's species biodiversity are also spending the least on a per-person basis to protect these natural assets, according to scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Queensland. The authors also noted that spending appears to be associated with the country's social and governance organization.
	Abused horses now rehabbed to help veterans with PTSD After losing sight in his right eye from a 2013 rocket attack in Afghanistan, retired U.S. Army Maj. Dan Thomas recovered with help from an equine therapy program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
	Sad wombat who warmed hearts dies in Australia An Australian wombat who became depressed after a massive cyclone tore through his wildlife park home, depriving him of cuddles with tourists, has died, prompting an outpouring on social media.
	Rubber from Russian dandelions—a serious European alternative to rubber tree plantations Natural rubber is an indispensible ingredient in tens of thousands of applications, from car and aircraft tyres to medical equipment. Nearly all this rubber currently has its origins in rubber tree plantations in Asia. In the European DRIVE4EU project, Wageningen UR is working with international companies and research institutes to develop a European alternative: natural rubber from the Russian dandelion.
	Vaccine stops Dutch elm disease Since 1992 over half a million Dutch elms have been 'vaccinated' against Dutch elm disease. Among these vaccinated trees, only 0.1% was infected by the fungus via the infamous elm bark beetle over recent years. The Wageningen UR business unit Biointeractions & Plant Health has been producing fungal spores for the vaccine since 2000. "It is not inconceivable that this type of vaccination could also be developed for other tree diseases in the future," says Bio-interactions & Plant Health phytopathologist Joeke Postma.
	How to ensure more earwigs in the orchard Why does one orchard have many earwigs while another has only few? And if only a few are present, how can one ensure more are in place? This is the subject of a new research project by the Dutch fruit growers association (NFO) and Wageningen UR. "Apple and pear farmers obviously want lots of earwigs in their orchards," says Herman Helsen, entomologist and leader of the project. "They are extremely useful against problems such as the woolly apple aphid and pear psylla."
	High flying technology helping conserve WA's threatened black cockatoos In a world first, researchers at Murdoch University have teamed up with industry to track endangered Carnaby's cockatoos in the southwest of Western Australia, using state-of-the-art technology developed in the Netherlands that will provide insight into threats to the endangered species.
	London bee tracking project begins Hundreds of bees with individual coloured number tags will be released from the rooftops of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) on Tuesday 21 June and over the next month for a project that hopes to uncover the secret lives of London's bees.
	Ongoing monitoring of Legionella in Flint in the wake of the drinking water crisis Research presented at the ASM Microbe meeting suggests that microbial water quality issues of Flint drinking water are improving, based on recent testing in March 2016, but that continued vigilance is in order. The research, performed by the Flint Water Study team at Virginia Tech, found that levels of DNA markers for Legionella have decreased throughout Flint since October 2015 before the water change, but did confirm that pathogenic forms of the bacteria, including L. pneumophila, were culturable at some sampling points.
	Solar exposure energizes muddy microbes Research at the ASM Microbe research meeting in Boston presents a sediment Microbial Fuel Cell (sMFC) system for remotely investigating the physiology and ecology of electrically active microbes in submerged field sites. Depending on the depth at which device components were submerged, scientists observed variation in start-up time and electricity generation.
	PostDoc Project Plan invites collaborators to study how plant lice cope with variability While Climate change steadily takes its toll, promising to raise temperatures around the world by at least 1.5 °C within the next 100 years, organisms have already started defending their species' existence in their own ways. Possibly, such is the case of plant lice, which evoked the curiosity of PhD student Jens Joschinski with their reproductive strategy, which shifts from sexual to asexual as the days grow shorter in the autumn.
	Strike a pose—bringing crop analysis into the 21st century Scientists from The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) and the John Innes Centre (JIC) have received a grant from Norwich Research Park Translational fund for CropQuant, a computerised infield crop monitoring workstation for precision agriculture.
	Botanical diversity unraveled in a previously understudied forest in Angola Famous for hosting most endemic bird species in Angola, it comes as no surprise that the Kumbira forest in Angola has recently also revealed great botanical diversity. Remaining understudied for a long time, a recent botanical survey in the region revealed impressive numbers of vascular plants including new records for the country and potential new species. The full account of the Kumbira forest diversity is published in the open access journal Phytokeys.

---

This email is a free service of Science X Network
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com