Science X Newsletter Monday, Mar 5

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 5, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Fooling the human via changes to images

Background-swap technology suitable for mobile phones announced

127-million-year-old baby bird fossil sheds light on avian evolution

'Warm Saturn' exoplanet discovered by astronomers

Massive astrophysical objects governed by subatomic equation

Chemical sleuthing unravels possible path to forming life's building blocks in space

When rotated at a 'magic angle,' graphene sheets can form an insulator or a superconductor

Technique to see objects hidden around corners

Researchers convert CO to CO2 with a single metal atom

Comparison shows value of DNA barcoding in selecting nanoparticles

Team invents new way to 'see' the quantum world

FlatScope: Team designs lens-free fluorescent microscope

New dual-atom catalyst shows promise to yield clean energy by artificial photosynthesis

Health savings outweigh costs of limiting global warming: study

Healthy diet may not offset high salt intake

Astronomy & Space news

	'Warm Saturn' exoplanet discovered by astronomers Using data from NASA's prolonged Kepler mission, known as K2, astronomers have found a new "warm Saturn" exoplanet. The newly discovered alien world, named EPIC 247098361 b, is similar in mass to Saturn, but much hotter. The finding is reported February 24 in a paper published on arXiv.org.
	Massive astrophysical objects governed by subatomic equation Quantum mechanics is the branch of physics governing the sometimes-strange behavior of the tiny particles that make up our universe. Equations describing the quantum world are generally confined to the subatomic realm—the mathematics relevant at very small scales is not relevant at larger scales, and vice versa. However, a surprising new discovery from a Caltech researcher suggests that the Schrödinger Equation—the fundamental equation of quantum mechanics—is remarkably useful in describing the long-term evolution of certain astronomical structures.
	Chemical sleuthing unravels possible path to forming life's building blocks in space Scientists have used lab experiments to retrace the chemical steps leading to the creation of complex hydrocarbons in space, showing pathways to forming 2-D carbon-based nanostructures in a mix of heated gases.
	Donor star breathes life into zombie companion ESA's Integral space observatory has witnessed a rare event: the moment that winds emitted by a swollen red giant star revived its slow-spinning companion, the core of a dead star, bringing it back to life in a flash of X-rays.
	Hubble's frenzy of stars Discovered in 1900 by astronomer DeLisle Stewart and here imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, IC 4710 is an undeniably spectacular sight. The galaxy is a busy cloud of bright stars, with bright pockets—marking bursts of new star formation—scattered around its edges.
	Image: Saturn's greatest storm Saturn's storm are sights to behold. Unlike other planets in the Solar System, the ringed planet seems to store up huge amounts of energy over multiple Earth decades and then release it all at once in the form of a swirling and chaotic lightning storm.
	MATISSE instrument sees first light on ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer The new MATISSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) has now successfully made its first observations at the Paranal Observatory in northern Chile. MATISSE is the most powerful interferometric instrument in the world at mid-infrared wavelengths. The first MATISSE observations used the VLTI's Auxiliary Telescopes to examine some of the brightest stars in the night sky, including Sirius, Rigel and Betelgeuse, and showed that the instrument is working well.
	Ex-NASA astronaut says it wouldn't be so bad to transfer space station to private management When word got out that the Trump administration wanted to end government funding of the International Space Station by 2025, resistance to the idea was swift and forceful.
	SpaceX poised for 50th launch of Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX is poised for the 50th launch of its signature Falcon 9 rocket early Tuesday, marking a swift ascent to a milestone many aerospace giants take far longer to attain.
	China to recruit civilian astronauts, boost crewed missions China will begin recruiting civilian astronauts for its military-backed space program and plans to increase the number of crewed missions to around two a year, a top official with the country's space program said.

Technology news

	Fooling the human via changes to images Well, so much for an assumption that now sounds too easy to accept—that the magnificent human brain has it over a machine any day. Really? Do we interpret the world more accurately than a "convolutional neural network" can?
	Background-swap technology suitable for mobile phones announced Video creators: Want to swap backgrounds? Knock yourselves out. Google researchers have been working on a way to let you swap out your video backgrounds using a neural network—no green screen required. It's rolling out to YouTube Stories on mobile in a limited fashion, said TechCrunch.
	Ethereum responds to eclipse attacks described by research trio In a nutshell, three researchers have described in a paper "Low-Resource Eclipse Attacks on Ethereum's Peer-to-Peer Network" that it is possible to carry out an eclipse attack on the Ethereum network. As important, maintainers of the Ethereum network got on the case and issued an update.
	How a yeast cell helps crack open the 'black box' behind artificial intelligence UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers developed a visible neural network and used it to build DCell, a virtual model of a functioning brewer's yeast cell.
	Materials 'sandwich' breaks barrier for solar cell efficiency Solar cells have great potential as a source of clean electrical energy, but so far they have not been cheap, light, and flexible enough for widespread use. Now a team of researchers led by Tandon Associate Professor André D. Taylor of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department has found an innovative and promising way to improve solar cells and make their use in many applications more likely.
	Researchers find algorithm for large-scale brain simulations An international group of researchers has made a decisive step towards creating the technology to achieve simulations of brain-scale networks on future supercomputers of the exascale class. The breakthrough, published in Frontiers in Neuroinformatics, allows larger parts of the human brain to be represented, using the same amount of computer memory. Simultaneously, the new algorithm significantly speeds up brain simulations on existing supercomputers.
	Modified, 3D-printable alloy shows promise for flexible electronics, soft robots Researchers in Oregon State University's College of Engineering have taken a key step toward the rapid manufacture of flexible computer screens and other stretchable electronic devices, including soft robots.
	Google expansion plans helping to turn NYC into tech hub As New York City waits to hear whether it's been chosen as the site for Amazon's second headquarters, recent moves by another tech giant, Google, to expand its footprint in the city are helping to legitimize New York's claim to be Silicon Valley East.
	Cameroon startup launches drones for global market Talking fast and dreaming big, William Elong shows off the first "made in Cameroon" drone at his sixth-floor workshop in downtown Douala, minutes from the economic capital's Atlantic seafront.
	Researchers want to teach computers to learn like humans A new study by Paul Rad, assistant director of the UTSA Open Cloud Institute, and Nicole Beebe, Melvin Lachman Distinguished Professor in Entrepreneurship and director of the UTSA Cyber Center for Security and Analytics, describes a new cloud-based learning platform for artificial intelligence (A.I.) that teaches machines to learn like humans.
	Japan car giants team up to build hydrogen stations Top Japanese carmakers said on Monday they were teaming up to nearly double the amount of hydrogen stations in Japan, as the car-mad country seeks to head off competition from China and Germany.
	How landline phones made us happy and connected Smartphones and the internet have revolutionised society, commerce, and politics, reshaping how we work and play, and how our brains are wired. They have even revolutionised how revolutions are made.
	Capturing brain signals with soft electronics Klas Tybrandt, principal investigator at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at Linköping University, has developed new technology for long-term stable neural recording. It is based on a novel elastic material composite, which is biocompatible and retains high electrical conductivity even when stretched to double its original length.
	The Cold War's toxic legacy—costly, dangerous cleanups at atomic bomb production sites Seventy-five years ago, in March 1943, a mysterious construction project began at a remote location in eastern Washington state. Over the next two years some 50,000 workers built an industrial site occupying half the area of Rhode Island, costing over US$230 million – equivalent to $3.1 billion today. Few of those workers, and virtually no one in the surrounding community, knew the facility's purpose.
	How to solve virtual reality's human perception problem Virtual reality isn't confined to the entertainment world. There has also been an uptake of VR in more practical fields – it's been used to piece together parts of a car engine, or to allow people to "try on" the latest fashion trends from the comfort of their home. But the technology is still struggling to tackle a human perception problem.
	AI's dirty little secret: It's powered by people There's a dirty little secret about artificial intelligence: It's powered by hundreds of thousands of real people.
	Qualcomm requests national security review of Broadcom bid US chipmaker Qualcomm postponed its annual shareholders' meeting after secretly requesting a national security review of Broadcom's bid to take over the company, the Singapore-based Broadcom announced Monday.
	NewsGuard, new venture to combat 'fake news' Two prominent American journalists announced plans Monday to launch a venture called NewsGuard which will provide online users with "reliability ratings" for media outlets.
	Inventor's firm says creator of the wind-up radio has died Trevor Baylis, creator of the clockwork or wind-up radio, has died at 80.
	Uber sued after data stolen by hackers covered up The ride-hailing company Uber broke Pennsylvania law when it failed to notify potential victims, including thousands of drivers, for a year after it discovered hackers had stolen their personal information, said the state attorney general, who sued the company Monday.
Restaurant review platform The Infatuation buys Zagat Restaurant discovery platform The Infatuation says it has entered into an agreement with Google to purchase Zagat, known for its heavily-quoted, crowd-sourced restaurant reviews in the pre-internet era.
	Toyota to stop selling diesel cars in Europe Japanese car giant Toyota announced Monday that it will stop selling diesel cars in Europe, beginning the phase-out this year.
	Spectacles at first did not succeed, but Snap will try, try again, report says Snap Inc. is reportedly giving Spectacles, its camera-equipped sunglasses, at least two more tries.
	Report: Amazon checking accounts? Something similar could be coming soon Love online shopping? Don't have a bank account?
	Gaming lovers square off in Riyadh eSports tournament Hundreds of Saudi men and women squared off in a video game tournament in Riyadh at the weekend, organisers said, in the conservative kingdom's biggest ever eSports contest.
	Bruising Qualcomm-Broadcom battle heads for showdown With a potential for the biggest-ever deal in the tech sector at stake, Qualcomm shareholders will have their say on a hostile bid for the US mobile chip giant by Singapore-based rival Broadcom.
	Profits, doubts in equal measure at Geneva Motor Show This year's Geneva Motor Show comes at a curious time for an auto world enjoying record profits yet also gripped by doubt midway through the grand transition from diesel to electric and self-driving vehicles.
	EU aims to tax internet giants at 'two to six percent': France The EU will soon unveil a plan for taxing major internet companies like Amazon and Facebook by imposing a levy of two to six percent on revenues in every country where they operate, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said Sunday.
	Deep-learning system generates specific genre-based music Izaro Goienetxea, a UPV/EHU researcher, has developed a method for automatically generating new tunes on the basis of a collection or corpus comprising tunes used in bertso—a form of extempore, sung, Basque verse-making. She has also presented a new way of representing pieces of music, and developed a new method for automatically classifying music. PLOS ONE has reported on the research conducted in the UPV/EHU's Robotics and Autonomous Systems research group.

Medicine & Health news

	Healthy diet may not offset high salt intake A healthy diet may not offset the effects of a high salt intake on blood pressure, suggests a new study.
	Nerve cells found to suppress immune response during deadly lung infections When the body is fighting infection, the immune system kicks into high gear. But emerging evidence hints at the involvement of another, rather surprising, player in this process: the nervous system.
	Researchers identify renegade cells that portend relapse in children with leukemia Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a technique that allowed them to determine at diagnosis whether children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia would relapse following treatment.
	Potential drug targets for ALS revealed in study using CRISPR In a new application of gene-editing technology, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have gleaned insights into the genetic underpinnings of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that's notoriously tricky to parse.
	Study: Pain's origins differ in males and females New research from The University of Texas at Dallas supports the growing consensus that pain begins differently for men and women at the cellular level.
	Seeing sounds: Researchers uncover molecular clues for synesthesia One in 25 people have synesthesia, in which an experience involving one sense is associated with perception in another sense—for example, seeing colors when listening to music. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and the University of Cambridge report clues into the biological origins of such variations in human perception. They studied families with synesthesia, and describe genetic changes that might contribute to their differences in sensory experience.
	Genes for age-linked brain deterioration identified A group of genes and genetic switches involved in age-related brain deterioration have been identified by scientists at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge and Sapienza University, Rome. The research, published online today (5th March) in Aging Cell, found that changes to one of these genes, called Dbx2, could prematurely age brain stem cells, causing them to grow more slowly. The study was led jointly by Giuseppe Lupo and Emanuele Cacci in Italy and Peter Rugg-Gunn in the UK.
	'Filter' hones GWAS results to help researchers avoid dead ends A genetics research team at Johns Hopkins Medicine has solved a dilemma facing researchers who use genomewide association studies (GWAS) by developing a new approach that strategically "filters" which genes are worth further study. The researchers hope this strategy will accelerate the study of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and even addiction by helping researchers avoid "dead-end paths." They are optimistic that this strategy will gain widespread use and will save researchers time and money.
	Strong relationships in midlife may offset health risks for victims of childhood abuse Research has linked childhood abuse to many adverse health outcomes in adulthood, including premature mortality, but according to new Northwestern University research, supportive relationships in midlife can partly compensate for the mortality risks linked to childhood abuse.
	Researchers pinpoint gene responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism A study led by researchers at McMaster University has pinpointed a gene that is responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.
	Viral tool traces long-term neuron activity For the past decade, neuroscientists have been using a modified version of the rabies virus to label neurons and trace the connections between them. Although this technique has proven very useful, it has one major drawback: The virus is toxic to cells and can't be used for studies longer than about two weeks.
	Researchers uncover culprit in Parkinson's brain cell die-off An estimated 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease—an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that leads to an increasing loss of motor control.
	New gene therapy corrects a form of inherited macular degeneration in canine model Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have developed a gene therapy that successfully treats a form of macular degeneration in a canine model. The work sets the stage for translating the findings into a human therapy for an inherited disease that results in a progressive loss of central vision and which is currently untreatable.
	'Epigenetic landscape' is protective in normal aging, impaired in Alzheimer's disease Although certain genetic variants increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), age is the strongest known risk factor. But the way in which molecular processes of aging predispose people to AD, or become impaired in AD remains a mystery. A team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, publishing in Nature Neuroscience this week, profiled the epigenomic landscape of AD brains, specifically in one of the regions affected early in AD, the lateral temporal lobe. They compared these to both younger and elderly cognitively normal control subjects. The team described the genome-wide enrichment of a chemical modification of histone proteins that regulates the compaction of chromosomes in the nucleus (called acetylation of lysine 16 on histone H4, or H4K16ac for short).
Short-term increases in inhaled steroid doses do not prevent asthma flare-ups in children Researchers have found that temporarily increasing the dosage of inhaled steroids when asthma symptoms begin to worsen does not effectively prevent severe flare-ups, and may be associated with slowing a child's growth, challenging a common medical practice involving children with mild-to-moderate asthma.
Kids persistently allergic to cow's milk are smaller than peers with nut allergies Children who experience persistent allergies to cow's milk may remain shorter and lighter throughout pre-adolescence when compared with children who are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, according to a retrospective chart review to be presented March 4, 2018, during the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology/World Allergy Organization (AAAAI/WAO) Joint Conference.
Weekend heart attacks twice as likely to kill young patients Young heart attack patients are twice as likely to die if they are admitted to hospital during the weekend compared to a weekday, according to an Italian study in more than 80,000 patients presented today at Acute Cardiovascular Care 2018.1
Heart attack patients prescribed antidepressants have worse one-year survival Heart attack patients prescribed antidepressants have lower one-year survival rates, according to research presented today at Acute Cardiovascular Care 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress.1
	Provide stroke patients with palliative care support minus the label When caring for stroke patients, health care providers should focus on the social and emotional issues facing patients, rather than only physical rehabilitation, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Why US policies for dyslexia should be scrapped Many of the current US Federal and State dyslexia laws should be scrapped as they ignore scientific evidence and privilege some poor readers at the expense of huge numbers of others, according to a leading expert in reading disability.
	New national guideline sets out best practices for treating opioid addiction A new Canadian guideline for managing opioid use disorders lays out the optimal strategies for the treatment of opioid addiction, including recommending opioid agonist treatment with buprenorphine-naloxone as the preferred first-line treatment. The guideline, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), was created for a wide range of health care providers to address an urgent need for evidence-based treatment of opioid use causing overdoses and death.
	Changing size of neurons could shed light on new treatments for motor neurone disease New research published in The Journal of Physiology improves our understanding of how motor nerve cells (neurons) respond to motor neurone disease, which could help us identify new treatment options.
	How language influences perceptions of suicide A new study reveals the impact of the associative meaning of a single word on how readers subsequently view and refer to suicide.
ROS-scavenging nanozymes for anti-inflammation therapeutics The dysregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is linked to inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Live organisms have therefore evolved a number of highly efficient anti-inflammation enzymes with ROS-scavenging capabilities to protect tissues from inflammation-induced damage. However, the natural ROS-scavenging enzymes are sensitive to environmental conditions and are hard to mass produce. To address these challenges, numerous artificial enzymes with ROS-scavenging capabilities have been developed. Among them, ROS-scavenging nanozymes have recently attracted great interest owing to their enhanced stability, multi-functionality and tunable activity.
'Fighting my cancer as much as possible': Why many patients join phase 1 clinical trials "Fighting my cancer as much as possible" is why many patients participate in early stage clinical trials, according to research presented at the TAT (Targeted Anticancer Therapies) International Congress 2018 in Paris, France.
Epigenetics therapy shows promise in patients with lymphoma New compounds targeting epigenetics have shown remarkable early activity in patients with lymphoma, according to data presented at the TAT (Targeted Anticancer Therapies) International Congress 2018 in Paris, France. ESMO's phase-I oncology meeting featured early clinical studies with BET inhibitors and EZH2 inhibitors.
	Rocker bottom shoes help reduce chronic low back pain Researchers of the Sports Physiotherapy master's degree at Valencia's CEU Cardenal Herrera university report that unstable rocker shoes improve the strength of back muscles in order to maintain balance and stability when walking. This muscular strengthening contributes to reducing low-intensity chronic low back pain, which can be disabling for those who suffer it. The results of this new study, headed by CEU UCH teachers Juan Francisco Lisón and Pablo Salvador, co-authors of the first international study on this matter, have been published in the Q1 edition of scientific magazine Clinical Rehabilitation.
Student invents best-yet personal fall alert device A Portsmouth student inspired by the worry of seeing his mother fall over when she was unwell has invented a gadget thought to be the most advanced personal alarm ever.
	Study finds differences in how domestic violence victims seek help A recent study of how victims of domestic violence access help found that Hispanic women use legal resources more often than non-Hispanic white women. It also found that Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women reported different reasons for remaining in abusive relationships.
	Major study of homelessness finds housing policy is failing Sydney's most vulnerable There is an urgent need for more low-cost housing and alternative housing models of supported housing for Sydney's homeless, given the high rates of serious mental illness among the homeless, according to new research from Macquarie University and the Matthew Talbot Hostel Clinic run by the St Vincent de Paul Society.
	Peers and online activities trigger jealousy in adolescents Adolescents are more likely to experience feelings of jealously when they spend time online or interact with peers, according to research by psychologist Hannah Lennarz at Radboud University. Lennarz will defend her Ph.D. on 9 March.
	Ultrafine pollution particles create air of menace An air quality study has for the first time detected nano-sized particles of air pollution in children's urine. With a diameter of just 100 nanometers—a thousandth of the width of a human hair—these ultrafine particles are the smallest particles found in air pollution and have been linked to heart disease and respiratory conditions in previous studies.
	What causes styes, and how to get rid of them Many of us will have a stye in our lifetime. While they can be quite sore, the concern for most is the aesthetics of a swollen and red eyelid, especially as it's hard to cover up something on your eye.
	In psychiatric genetics, a push to think globally, act locally Imagine you viewed the world's diversity solely through the lens of genetic and genomic data. Looking at the gnomAD browser, for instance, you would think that more than 45 percent of humanity was from Europe or had European ancestors. Data collected by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium would leave you thinking all of us are either European (96 percent) or East Asian (four percent).
Large variations in colorectal cancer screening rates exist throughout the united states Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates varied widely between U.S. states and counties, according to estimates based on 2014 data, which were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
	Potential impact of bacteria on tooth decay Dental decay is a significant public health concern for children and adults. In fact, it is the most common childhood disease. In a new study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, an interdisciplinary team of University of Minnesota researchers found some bacteria that absorb and accumulate phosphate from saliva may play a role in tooth decay – which causes cavities.
Recommendations to tackle multiple sclerosis MS in the 21st Century, an initiative co-chaired by Royal Holloway, University of London Professor of Neuropsychology, Dawn Langdon has published their new manuscript "Unmet needs, burden of treatment, and patient engagement in multiple sclerosis: a combined perspective from the MS in the 21st Century Steering Group' in the peer reviewed journal, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (MSARD).
	When can you buy a gun, vote or be sentenced to death? Science suggests US should revise legal age limits Societies have long grappled with where to draw the chronological age boundary between adolescence and adulthood. The United States stands apart from most of the world in that it uses different ages for different rights and responsibilities. We permit people to drive when they are 16 (even younger in a few states), but prohibit them from purchasing alcohol until they are 21. The ages at which adolescents can see a risqué movie, choose to marry, enter into contracts, or buy cigarettes generally fall between these two extremes.
	Potential new approach to the treatment of multiple sclerosis A prospective new method of treating patients with multiple sclerosis has been proposed by researchers of the Mainz University Medical Center working in cooperation with researchers of the University of Montreal. In model trials and experiments employing human endothelial cells, they discovered that the EGFL7 protein hinders the migration of immune cells into the central nervous system by stabilizing the blood-brain barrier. These findings have recently been published in Nature Communications.
	Minimally invasive surgeries underused in older patients, new study finds A study of more than 200,000 Medicare patients who had common surgical procedures shows that, compared to the general population, they underwent far fewer minimally invasive operations, whose benefits include lower rates of complications and readmissions, along with shorter hospital stays.
	Big Tobacco must be 'held accountable': Michael Bloomberg Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made his fortune selling financial data, has given more than a billion dollars since 2007 to curb global tobacco use, which claims nearly seven million lives every year.
	Birth control pills increase risk of ischemic stroke Oral contraceptives increase the risk of ischemic stroke, but this risk is very small among women who do not have other stroke risk factors, according to a Jan. 3, 2018 paper in the journal MedLink Neurology by Loyola Medicine stroke specialists.
	Weightlifting shows benefits for kidney disease patients Lifting weights can provide significant health benefits to patients suffering from kidney disease.
	US healthcare system needs coordinated response to potential pediatric pandemics Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have identified gaps in the United States healthcare system that make it inadequately prepared for the surge in pediatric patients that could result from an infectious disease pandemic. Their study, published in the American Journal of Disaster Medicine, proposes a structured and coordinated response for such a crisis, with national guidelines reflected in regional response systems.
Number of paid sick days directly impacts how Americans use preventive care like flu shots How much is enough? That is what researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University wanted to find out in the first study to measure the link between an employee's number of paid sick leave days and the use of vital preventive health care services like getting a flu shot.
	Broadly neutralizing antibody treatment may target viral reservoir in monkeys After receiving a course of antiretroviral therapy for their HIV-like infection, approximately half of a group of monkeys infused with a broadly neutralizing antibody to HIV combined with an immune stimulatory compound suppressed the virus for six months without additional treatment, according to scientists supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The therapy may have targeted the viral reservoir—populations of long-lived, latently infected cells that harbor the virus and that lead to resurgent viral replication when suppressive therapy is discontinued.
Risk of cognitive decline reduced for people 85 and older with high cholesterol People aged 85 and older whose total cholesterol had increased from their levels at midlife had a reduced risk for marked cognitive decline, compared with those a decade younger whose choles-terol was similarly elevated, Mount Sinai researchers report in a new study.
	Girding for new battles in the war against Big Tobacco Some 3,000 anti-tobacco experts and policy makers convening this week in Cape Town, South Africa confront an industry flush with profits and determined to expand the market for its deadly product.
	Kids who vape face toxin dangers, study finds (HealthDay)—Teenagers who use e-cigarettes expose themselves to cancer-causing toxins, particularly if they choose fruit-flavored products, a new study reports.
	More U.S. kids landing in ICU from opioids (HealthDay)—A growing number of U.S. kids are ending up in the intensive care unit after overdosing on prescription painkillers or other opioids, a new study finds.
	Social media friends can bruise your body image (HealthDay)—Seeing too many social media posts from friends about their fitness activity can harm your body image, a new study contends.
	What younger women need to know about heart disease (HealthDay)—Heart disease used to be thought of as a man's issue, but women are unfortunately catching up.
	Risk of mental health visits up in childhood cancer survivors (HealthDay)—Survivors of adolescent cancer have higher rates of adverse mental health outcomes than the general population, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Cancer.
	AAN: high fish intake linked to reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (HealthDay)—High fish intake is associated with reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study scheduled for presentation at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, to be held from April 21 to 27 in Los Angeles.
	Unmet health needs for patients with uveal melanoma (HealthDay)—Most patients with uveal melanoma have unmet health information and psychological needs, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
	Diaphragmatic breathing tied to less belching in GERD (HealthDay)—Diaphragmatic breathing can reduce belching and proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-refractory gastroesophageal reflux, according to a study published in the March issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Poor outcomes common with childhood anorexia nervosa (HealthDay)—Anorexia nervosa (AN) that develops before age 14 often leads to unfavorable outcomes, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Breast cancer care in US territories lags behind care in states Older women residing in the U.S territories are less likely to receive recommended or timely care for breast cancer compared with similar women residing in the continental United States, according to Yale researchers. Their findings were published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
	Fringe loan use linked to risk of poor health Fringe loan services may cost poor and working class Americans not only their finances, but also their health, a first-of-its-kind study shows. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health and the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance led the study
Cash rewards have a positive impact on low income families' health in New York City A conditional cash transfer program in New York City reported meaningful effects on the use of some preventive health services, especially dental care, according to a study by King's College London, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and MDRC, part of LIFEPATH, a project funded by the European Commission. The program, Opportunity NYC-Family Rewards—also had a positive impact on parents' perceptions of their health as well as their level of hope, mainly through improvements in reported financial well-being. Family Rewards is the first conditional cash transfer program for low-income families in the U.S. Findings of the study are published online in the journal Health Affairs.
One-month TB prophylaxis as effective as nine-month regimen for people living with HIV A one-month antibiotic regimen to prevent active tuberculosis (TB) disease was at least as safe and effective as the standard nine-month therapy for people living with HIV, according to the results of a large international clinical trial. Adults and adolescents in the trial were more likely to complete the short-course regimen—consisting of daily doses of the antibiotics rifapentine and isoniazid for four weeks—than the standard nine-month regimen of daily isoniazid.
	Polygenic risk score may identify alzheimer's risk in younger populations For the first time, an international team of scientists, led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, have determined that an Alzheimer's disease (AD) polygenic risk score can be used to correctly identify adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who were only in their 50s. MCI is considered a precursor to AD.
Fall detection devices for seniors are falling short The high-tech aids seniors rely on to summon help if they fall might not be as effective as they'd like to believe.
	Engineers, physicians, team to replace heart valves using personalized modeling Physicians at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are taking an innovative approach to improve care for patients receiving aortic valve replacements. They're working alongside biomedical engineers from Ohio State's College of Engineering, who have developed a way to model and predict potential complications so they can be avoided.
	'Western' diet associated with respiratory symptoms, COPD (HealthDay)—A "Western" diet appears to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory symptoms, and decreased lung function, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	Leptin tied to sleep quality in obese patients with T2DM (HealthDay)—Plasma leptin levels are independently associated with sleep quality in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, but not in those who are not obese, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
	Markups for oncology services vary at the hospital level (HealthDay)—There is significant variation in markup of outpatient oncology services across hospitals in the United States, according to a study published online Feb. 17 in the American Journal of Managed Care.
	High prevalence of hearing loss seen after infant heart surgery (HealthDay)—The prevalence of hearing loss in preschool children who had heart surgery in infancy may be above 20 percent, according to a study published in the January issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.
	New screening tool developed to assess tanning addiction (HealthDay)—A newly developed scale may identify patients addicted to tanning, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
	Tough gun laws keep more hands off the trigger: study Debate over the value of tough state gun control laws has reached a fever pitch following last month's deadly shooting of 17 people at a Florida high school.
	Hip-hop music blamed for encouraging drug use (HealthDay)—Hip-hop music may be influencing black Americans to try the street drug molly, a new study suggests.
	Pediatric otolaryngology practice continues to evolve (HealthDay)—The pediatric otolaryngology (ORL) specialty has evolved over the past decade, with a notable decline in involvement in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
	Volatile organic compounds in feces tied to diet response (HealthDay)—Fecal levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are associated with response to dietary intervention in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a study published in the March issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Higher positive cardiomyopathy genetic detection rates for whites (HealthDay)—Compared with underrepresented minorities, white individuals have significantly higher positive detection rates and lower rates of inconclusive results on cardiomyopathy genetic testing, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in JAMA Cardiology.
	Global costs of diabetes will continue rising through 2030 (HealthDay)—The global costs of diabetes are high and will increase substantially by 2030, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in Diabetes Care.
	Limited evidence for clinical validity, utility of ctDNA (HealthDay)—There is little evidence for the clinical validity or utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assays for solid tumors, according to a special article published online March 5 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Domperidone tied to modest increase in breast milk supply (HealthDay)—Domperidone is well tolerated and effective in producing a moderate short-term increase in expressed breast milk volume among mothers of preterm infants, according to a review published online Feb. 22 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
	Dietary constituents minimally attenuate sodium-BP link (HealthDay)—Other dietary components have a minimal impact on attenuating the adverse association of dietary sodium with blood pressure (BP), according to a study published online March 5 in Hypertension.
	Babies who look like their father at birth are healthier one year later: study Infants who resemble their father at birth are more likely to spend time together with their father, in turn, be healthier when they reach their first birthday, according to new research co-conducted by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
	Preschoolers exposed to nighttime light lack melatonin Exposing preschoolers to an hour of bright light before bedtime almost completely shuts down their production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin and keeps it suppressed for at least 50 minutes after lights out, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research.
Low blood sugar poses unaddressed threat to people with type 2 diabetes New research from the Endocrine Society and Avalere Health finds that clinicians lack the resources to identify, assess and manage patients who are at a high risk of developing hypoglycemia, or episodes of dangerously low blood sugar.
	How does resolving cannabis problems differ from problems with alcohol or other drugs? Individuals who report having resolved a problem with cannabis use appear to have done so at younger ages than those who resolved problems with alcohol or other drugs, report investigators from the Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). While study participants also were much less likely to use any formal sources of assistance or support in resolving problems with cannabis than those whose problems were with other substances, that finding was less common in those who resolved a cannabis problem more recently, which may reflect the increased availability and potency of cannabis in recent years.
	Researchers identify genetic 'seeds' of metastatic breast cancer Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States, with most deaths caused by the cancer spreading beyond the breast. In a new study, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have identified genetic clues that explain how breast cancer spreads, or metastasizes - findings that may lead to better treatments or approaches to prevent its spread at the onset.
	Parent mentors improve Latino children's health insurance coverage rates Latino children have the highest uninsured rate in the United States. However, new study findings in the March issue of Health Affairs show parent mentors are highly effective at providing uninsured Latino children with health insurance coverage.
	One year posttransplant, recipients of hepatitis C kidneys disease-free In a small study, doctors at Johns Hopkins have successfully transplanted 10 hepatitis C-infected kidneys into patients without hepatitis C and prevented the patients from becoming infected by hepatitis C. The success of these transplants could mean more organs being available for the nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. currently waiting for a kidney transplant.
	ACP recommends moderate blood sugar control targets for most patients with type 2 diabetes Patients with type 2 diabetes should be treated to achieve an A1C between 7 percent and 8 percent rather than 6.5 percent to 7 percent, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends in an evidence-based guidance statement published today in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	How the flu affects your heart Amid the most intense flu season in more than a decade, a new study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine confirms that the flu virus significantly raises your risk of having a heart attack within a week of being diagnosed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends all people over 6 months of age, with few exceptions, should get a flu shot.
	Never too late to operate? Surgery near end of life is common, costly At 87, Maxine Stanich cared more about improving the quality of her life than prolonging it.
	Disgusted by other people's body odor? You might be more likely to support Donald Trump Your Uber driver really needs a shower. A co-worker should change his socks. You wonder whether your gym's management might have a word with a particularly smelly regular.
	Researchers use health data to predict who will use opioids after hospitalization Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are working to develop statistical models to better predict which patients will be prescribed opioid medications long-term following discharge from a hospital stay. Opioids are commonly prescribed in the hospital but little is known about which patients will progress to chronic opioid therapy following discharge.
	How the brain represents sound elevation Changing the shape of human participants' ears has provided new insight into how the brain represents the location of a sound source. The research, published in JNeurosci, highlights the link between sensory encoding and perception.
	It's not just sex—why people have affairs, and how to deal with them Barnaby Joyce's affair with his former staffer Vikki Campion, and his subsequent downfall from the position of deputy prime minister and head of the National Party, made headlines for weeks. It's not surprising. From politicians to actors and entertainers, stories of high profile individuals caught "cheating" on their partner often make front-page news.
Analysing Stan—what Eminem's ill-fated fictional superfan can tell us about the brain and mental health Eminem is one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time, selling more than 32.2m albums by the end of the noughties and recently racking up more than 100m digital singles. The rapper is renowned for his multi-syllabic rhyming and vivid storytelling. he was born into a poor family – and this theme is often portrayed in his lyrics, giving a different perspective from the African American and Hispanic views that had previously dominated hip hop culture.
Italian law must change to improve survival from cardiac arrest An Italian law requiring citizens to hold a certificate to use a defibrillator must change to improve survival from cardiac arrest, researchers argued today at Acute Cardiovascular Care 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress.
	In Colombia, social pension income improves self-reported older men's health In a new study appearing in the March issue of Health Affairs, Philipp Hessel of the University of the Andes and coauthors assessed the effects of Colombia Mayor, a noncontributory pension program providing eligible low-income elderly Colombians with a small monthly cash transfer of US$16-34, on health and health care.
Surgeon scientists losing ground to other medical researchers for NIH funding Surgeons have made many significant contributions to science in the 20th century, but the specialty has been losing ground to other medical researchers in terms of government funding over the past decade, according to a study published as an "article in press" on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print. The authors recommend ensuring that those surgeons who want to do research have the resources to do it.
Alternative technique can improve brain imaging for restless children Children often find it difficult to remain still for MRI examinations, but an alternative method to conventional MRI for pediatric patients has shown promise in reducing motion-related artifacts in brain imaging, according to an article published online ahead of print from the April 2018 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

Biology news

	Gene editing method produces perfect pluripotent stem cell twins Researchers led by Dr. Knut Woltjen report a new gene editing method that can modify a single DNA base in the human genome with absolute precision. The technique, which is described in Nature Communications, is unique in that it guides the cell's own repair mechanisms by design, providing pairs of genetically matched cells for studying disease-related mutations.
	These tropical hummingbirds make cricket-like sounds other birds can't hear Researchers reporting in Current Biology on March 5 have found that a tropical species of hummingbird called a black jacobin makes vocal sounds with an unusually high-frequency pitch that falls outside birds' normal hearing range. It's not yet clear whether the hummingbirds can even hear themselves, the researchers say.
	Jellyfish adapt their venom to accommodate changing prey and sea conditions Many animals use venom to protect themselves from predators and to catch prey. Some, like jellyfish, have tentacles, while others, like bees and snakes use stingers and fangs to inject their prey with venomous toxins.
	Landmark study reports on new layer of complexity in songbird communication Some good news: songbirds living near oil and gas fields in Canada's prairies are indeed able to understand each other over the clamour of machines, an international research team reports.
	Drug-producing bacteria possible with synthetic biology breakthrough Bacteria could be programmed to efficiently produce drugs, thanks to breakthrough research into synthetic biology using engineering principles, from the University of Warwick and the University of Surrey.
	Mammals share mechanisms controlling the heart with a 400 million-year-old fish Primitive air-breathing fish, whose direct ancestors first appeared around 400 million years ago, show mechanisms controlling the heart which were previously considered to be found only in mammals – according to a new study.
	Rare mineral discovered in plants for first time Scientists at Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University have found that the mineral vaterite, a form (polymorph) of calcium carbonate, is a dominant component of the protective silvery-white crust that forms on the leaves of a number of alpine plants, which are part of the Garden's national collection of European Saxifraga species.
	Ball or stuffed toy—do dogs 'know' what they're smelling? Dogs' excellent sense of smell is well-known, whether it is in the context of searching for people or for contraband substances. However, the question of how dogs understand what they perceive with their sense of smell has largely been unexplored. In a study published today in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience (Institute of Psychology) at Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, investigated this question and found evidence that dogs create a "mental representation" of the target when they track a scent trail. In other words, they have an expectation of what they will find at the end of a trail.
	Plants share defensive proteins in evolutionary pick 'n' mix The recent research, led by the Krasileva Group of Earlham Institute and The Sainsbury Laboratory, used phylogenetics (the study of how DNA sequences are related) to identify how these 'bait' genes are distributed throughout various wild and domestic grasses, including important crop plants such as wheat, barley, maize and rice. This fresh evidence could help scientists and breeders especially in arming crop plants against a swathe of emerging diseases.
	Beetles face extinction due to loss of old trees Nearly a fifth of Europe's wood beetle species face extinction because the old, decaying trees they depend on have been cleared from forests, scientists warned Monday.
	Deep-sea fish choose habitat according to genotype, new research says Scientists have found evidence of natural selection in a deep-sea fish species adapting to the depth of ocean that it inhabits.
	Researchers model tradeoffs and opportunities for aquaculture development in the Southern California Bight Earth's vast and vital oceans are a critical source of economic productivity, but issues of space management, interindustry conflict and environmental degradation often limit sustainable commercial development.
	Arms races and cooperation among amoebae in the wild Microbes are fast becoming the darlings of the social behavior set because their interactions can be understood right down to their genes. They do interesting things, too: Bacteria steal iron from each other, kill each other with toxins that only close relatives can resist, and count each other with quorum sensors.
	Pet cloning is not just for celebrities anymore After photographer Monni Must's 28-year-old daughter Miya committed suicide while in the midst of an abusive relationship, the grieving mother adopted Miya's spunky black Labrador, Billy Bean.
	How Earth's earliest lifeforms protected their genes Think your life is hard? Imagine being a tiny bacterium trying to get a foothold on a young and desolate Earth. The earliest lifeforms on our planet endured searing heat, ultraviolet radiation and an atmosphere devoid of oxygen.
	World's largest ivory burn delivered a strong message—but who received it? Media coverage of the torching of huge caches of ivory presented a strong message against elephant poaching and ivory trade, but many of those who needed to hear it most may not have received it, an international study has found.
	How are we related? A Compara-bly easy workflow to find gene families Published in GigaScience, the open source Galaxy workflow allows researchers to make easier work of finding gene families; an important tool when it comes to analysing the evolution, structure and function of genes across species.
	Cancer claim for Monsanto's Roundup gets judge's scrutiny Claims that the active ingredient in the widely used weed killer Roundup can cause cancer have been evaluated by international agencies, U.S. and foreign regulators and the product's manufacturer—agribusiness giant Monsanto.
Monarch butterfly numbers off for 2nd year in Mexico A Mexican government report says the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexican forests has declined for a second consecutive year.
Beyond beasts of burden—how to reward our animals for their work Animals do a lot for us. So what should we do for them?

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