Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 11

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 11, 2018:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Emotion recognition based on paralinguistic information

Field-responsive mechanical metamaterials (FRMMs)

Climate change, models, mimics and predators: A complicated relationship

Switching to a home battery won't help save the world from climate change

Terahertz laser for sensing and imaging outperforms its predecessors

Answering the mystery of what atoms do when liquids and gases meet

Sun-soaking device turns water into superheated steam

Tooth enamel analysis shows two early hominin species ate a generalized diet

Using neurofeedback to prevent PTSD in soldiers

Researchers consider whether supernovae killed off large ocean animals at dawn of Pleistocene

New models sense human trust in smart machines

Simple tips to curb overindulgence can help stop pounds piling on at Christmas

Lifespan extension at low temperatures is genetically controlled, study suggests

Small and isolated habitat patches crucial to species survival

Human antibody discovery could save lives from fungal killer

Astronomy & Space news

	Researchers consider whether supernovae killed off large ocean animals at dawn of Pleistocene About 2.6 million years ago, an oddly bright light arrived in the prehistoric sky and lingered there for weeks or months. It was a supernova some 150 light years away from Earth. Within a few hundred years, long after the strange light in the sky had dwindled, a tsunami of cosmic energy from that same shattering star explosion could have reached our planet and pummeled the atmosphere, touching off climate change and triggering mass extinctions of large ocean animals, including a shark species that was the size of a school bus.
	Calibrating cosmic mile markers New work from the Carnegie Supernova Project provides the best-yet calibrations for using type Ia supernovae to measure cosmic distances, which has implications for our understanding of how fast the universe is expanding and the role dark energy may play in driving this process. Led by Carnegie astronomer Chris Burns, the team's findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal.
	Cosmonauts start spacewalk from ISS to examine mystery hole (Update) Russian cosmonauts began a spacewalk Tuesday to examine a mystery hole in a Soyuz spacecraft docked on the International Space Station that a Moscow official suggested could have been deliberate sabotage.
	NASA's first look: Tiny asteroid is studded with boulders NASA's first look at a tiny asteroid shows the space rock is more moist and studded with boulders than originally thought.
	Geminids meteor shower: An astrophysicist on what to look out for The Geminids meteor shower peaks on the mornings of December 13 and 14, 2018 – but if you look up any time there's a clear night sky up until December 17, you might just catch a glimpse of a Geminid meteor.
	Spacewalking astronauts check site of capsule leak Spacewalking astronauts ripped through thick insulation on a capsule docked to the International Space Station on Tuesday, looking for clues to a mysterious drilled hole that leaked precious cabin air four months ago.
	Australia is still listening to Voyager 2 as NASA confirms the probe is now in interstellar space NASA has confirmed that Voyager 2 has joined its twin to become only the second spacecraft to enter interstellar space – where the sun's flow of material and magnetic field no longer affect its surroundings. The slightly faster Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in August 2012.

Technology news

	Emotion recognition based on paralinguistic information Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have recently explored the use of machine learning for emotion recognition based solely on paralinguistic information. Paralinguistics are aspects of spoken communication that do not involve words, such as pitch, volume, intonation, etc.
	Sun-soaking device turns water into superheated steam MIT engineers have built a device that soaks up enough heat from the sun to boil water and produce "superheated" steam hotter than 100 degrees Celsius, without any expensive optics.
	New models sense human trust in smart machines New "classification models" sense how well humans trust intelligent machines they collaborate with, a step toward improving the quality of interactions and teamwork.
	In 1968 Engelbart dropped idea bomb of knowledge work via screen and mouse Nostalgia and reflection rule as emotional tugs and pulls as any year draws to its close and in 2018 there is a lot being said about Doug Engelbart.
	Hertz, Clear partner to speed rentals with biometric scans Biometric screening is expanding to the rental car industry.
	Hold the phone: Huawei mistrust imperils China tech ambitions China's ambitious drive to dominate next-generation 5G technology faces a sudden reality check as fears spread that telecom companies like Huawei could be proxies for Beijing's intrusive security apparatus.
	Twitter warns global users their tweets violate Pakistani law When Canadian columnist Anthony Furey received an email said to be from Twitter's legal team telling him he may have broken a slew of Pakistani laws, his first instinct was to dismiss it as spam.
	Google CEO faces House grilling on breach, China censorship Google's CEO faces a grilling from U.S. lawmakers on how the web search giant handled an alarming data breach and whether it may bend to Chinese government censorship demands.
	Google 'must scrap censored Chinese search plans': NGOs Google must abandon its development of a censored search engine for China, dozens of NGOs demanded Tuesday, warning personal data would not be safe from Beijing authorities.
	Apple phones still sold in China despite ban Apple stores in China continued with business as usual Tuesday despite a court-ordered ban on iPhone sales, but the US tech giant faces a growing nationalist backlash over the US-sought arrest of a Huawei executive.
	Sensitive robots feel the strain Flexible skin for soft robots, embedded with electrical nanowires, combines conductivity with sensitivity within the same material.
	Why artificial intelligence is likely to take more lives Artificial neurons for deeply intelligent machines – this is the new artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, led by Geoffrey Hinton and his team since 2012. That year, Hinton, an expert in cognitive science at the University of Toronto and a researcher at Google Brain, demonstrated the striking effectiveness of a deep neural network (DNN) in an image-categorisation task.
	Your smartphone apps are tracking your every move: four essential reads If you have a smartphone, it probably is a significant part of your life, storing appointments and destinations as well as being central to your communications with friends, loved ones and co-workers. Research and investigative reporting continue to reveal the degree to which your smartphone is aware of what you're up to and where you are – and how much of that information is shared with companies that want to track your every move, hoping to better target you with advertising.
	How self-driving cars will make our cities more charming Everyone's trying to get ready for roads that will be filled with more and more self-driving cars. But just as the first cars were imagined to be like horse-drawn carriages without the horses, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a future with self-driving cars won't be that different —except that we won't have to drive.
	Q&A: Will New York's Lyft, Uber driver salary changes spread? Lyft, Uber and companies like them have rewritten what transportation looks like in the 21st century. They've been living in a four-wheeled wild west, though, without many restrictions on what they do and how they do it.
	Verizon slashes value of assets by $4.6 bn Verizon announced Tuesday that it will slash $4.6 billion in value from assets purchased from Yahoo because of disappointing performance.
	Google CEO spars with lawmakers on bias, privacy Google chief executive Sundar Pichai parried US lawmakers Tuesday over complaints of political bias and intrusive data collection as the internet giant came under heavy criticism from conservatives.
	Are you stressed? Your eyes may provide a window into your mental workload With nearly breakneck speed, the demands of work productivity in today's society seem to have increased tenfold. Enter multitasking as a way to cope with the insistence that tasks be completed almost immediately. Previous studies on workload and productivity include physical aspects, such as how much a person walks or carries, but they do not take into account a person's state of mind. Now, MU researchers have discovered a person's eyes may offer a solution.
	Egypt threatens Apple with legal action under competition law Egypt has warned it will take legal action against Apple if the US tech giant fails to remove alleged "restrictions" on local distributors within 60 days.
	How climate impacts solar and wind power supply One of the challenges with solar and wind power is that, on any given day, the sun isn't always shining, and the wind isn't always blowing when we want it to. Now, zooming out, researchers at Columbia's Earth Institute have found that the same could be true on the scale of years to decades.
Target to pay $3M to resolve Massachusetts Medicaid claim Target Corp. has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated rules of Massachusetts' Medicaid program.

Medicine & Health news

	Using neurofeedback to prevent PTSD in soldiers A team of researchers from Israel, the U.S. and the U.K. has found that using neurofeedback could prevent soldiers from experiencing PTSD after engaging in emotionally difficult situations. In their paper published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, the group describes experiments they conducted with military personnel engaged in intensive training sessions, and what they learned from it. Kymberly Young with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has written a News and Views piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.
	Simple tips to curb overindulgence can help stop pounds piling on at Christmas A study by the University of Birmingham and Loughborough University has shown that regular weighing at home and simple tips to curb excess eating and drinking can prevent people from piling on the pounds at Christmas.
	Human antibody discovery could save lives from fungal killer A new way to diagnose, treat and protect against stealth fungal infections that claim more than 1.5 million lives per year worldwide has been moved a step closer, according to research published in Nature Communications.
	How glial cells develop in the brain from neural precursor cells Two types of cells are active in the brain: nerve cells and glial cells. Glial cells have long been regarded primarily as supportive cells, but researchers increasingly recognize that they play an active role in the communication between neurons in the brain. Additionally, according to current research, glial cells are also involved in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
	Study identifies a key cellular mechanism that triggers pneumonia in humans The relationship between influenza and pneumonia has long been observed by health workers. Its genetic and cellular mechanisms have now been investigated in depth by scientists in a study involving volunteers and conducted in the United Kingdom.
	Immune cells sacrifice themselves to protect us from invading bacteria Immune systems are working overtime as winter approaches. Stomach flu can turn the strongest individual into a bedridden convalescent. Viruses are spreading in kindergartens. This year's flu is approaching in full swing. Knowing that a bunch of dedicated immune cells are willing to explode themselves to inform other cells about the danger may offer a bit of consolation.
	You make decisions quicker and based on less information than you think We live in an age of information. In theory, we can learn everything about anyone or anything at the touch of a button. All this information should allow us to make super-informed, data-driven decisions all the time.
	Research team traces pathway to cardioprotection in post-ischemic heart failure During an ischemic attack, the heart is temporarily robbed of its blood supply. The aftermath is devastating: reduced heart contractility, heart cell death, and heart failure. Contributing to these detrimental changes is a signaling molecule, G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), which following ischemia accumulates in mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses of cells. Now, a Temple-led research team shows for the first time that blocking GRK2 localization to mitochondria protects heart cells from ischemic injury and death, casting new light on GRK2 as a potential therapeutic target in post-injury heart failure.
	Scientists have identified and modelled a distinct biology for paediatric AML Scientists have identified and modelled a distinct biology for paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia, one of the major causes of death in children.
	HER2 mutations can cause treatment resistance in metastatic ER-positive breast cancer Metastatic breast cancers treated with hormone therapy can become treatment-resistant when they acquire mutations in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) that were not present in the original tumor, reports a team led by scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute.
	Study: Age, race differences determine risk of stroke in women and men A new study found that, between the ages of 45 and 74 years, white women were less likely to have a stroke than white men, but at age 75 and older, there was no difference in stroke risk between white women and men. In contrast, the study found that black women were at lower risk of stroke than black men only until age 64, with a similar stroke risk in the age group of 65 and older, according to a study published today in JAMA Neurology.
	Researchers have found that incidence of heart failure was around two-fold higher in people with diabetes Researchers have found that incidence of heart failure was around two-fold higher in people with diabetes.
	New light-based technology reveals how cells communicate in human disease Scientists at the University of York have developed a new technique that uses light to understand how cells communicate in human disease.
	Receiving genetic information can change risk Millions of people in the United States alone have submitted their DNA for analysis and received information that not only predicts their risk for disease but, it turns out, in some cases might also have influenced that risk, according to a recent study by researchers at Stanford University.
	Pushing closer to a new cancer-fighting strategy A molecular pathway that's frequently mutated in many different forms of cancer becomes active when cells push parts of their membranes outward into bulging protrusions, Johns Hopkins researchers report in a new study. The finding, published Nov. 7 in Nature Communications, could eventually lead to new targets for cancer-fighting therapeutics.
	The richer the reward, the faster you'll likely move to reach it, study shows If you are wondering how long you personally are willing to stand in line to buy that hot new holiday gift, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say the answer may be found in the biological rules governing how animals typically forage for food and other rewards.
	The importins of anxiety According to some estimates, up to one in three people around the world may experience severe anxiety in their lifetime. In a study described today in Cell Reports, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have revealed a previously unknown mechanism underlying anxiety. Targeting this biochemical pathway may help develop new therapies for alleviating the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
	Neurons in the brain work as a team to guide movement of arms, hands The apparent simplicity of picking up a cup of coffee or turning a doorknob belies the complex sequence of calculations and processes that the brain must undergo to identify the location of an item in space, move the arm and hand toward it, and shape the fingers to hold or manipulate the object. New research, published today in the journal Cell Reports, reveals how the nerve cells responsible for motor control modify their activity as we reach and grasp for objects. These findings upend the established understanding of how the brain undertakes this complex task and could have implications for the development of neuro-prosthetics.
	Researchers discover unique immune cell likely drives chronic inflammation For the first time, researchers have identified that an immune cell subset called gamma delta T cells that may be causing and/or perpetuating the systemic inflammation found in normal aging in the general geriatric population and in HIV-infected people who are responding well to drugs (anti-retrovirals).
	How returning to a prior context briefly heightens memory recall Whether it's the pleasant experience of returning to one's childhood home over the holidays or the unease of revisiting a site that proved unpleasant, we often find that when we return to a context where an episode first happened, specific and vivid memories can come flooding back. In a new study in Neuron, scientists in MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report the discovery of a mechanism the brain may be employing to make that phenomenon occur.
	Study reveals new link between atrial fibrillation and mutations in heart disease gene Atrial fibrillation (Afib), a heart condition that causes a rapid, irregular heartbeat that increases a person's risk of stroke and heart failure, is fairly common among older adults. However, its early onset form is relatively rare, affecting less than one percent of Americans under the age of 65. Its rarity suggests a strong genetic component, but potential genetic perpetrators have remained elusive.
	Macrophage cells key to helping heart repair—and potentially regenerate, new study finds Scientists at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre have identified the type of cell key to helping the heart repair and potentially regenerate following a heart attack.
	New discoveries predict ability to forecast dementia from single molecule Scientists who recently identified the molecular start of Alzheimer's disease have used that finding to determine that it should be possible to forecast which type of dementia will develop over time—a form of personalized medicine for neurodegenerative diseases.
	What social stress in monkeys can tell us about human health Research in recent years has linked a person's physical or social environment to their well-being. Stress wears down the body and compromises the immune system, leaving a person more vulnerable to illnesses and other conditions. Various stressors, from family adversity to air pollution, can lead to inflammation, diabetes and heart disease.
	Study examines disruption of circadian rhythm as risk factor for diseases USC scientists report that a novel time-keeping mechanism within liver cells that helps sustain key organ tasks can contribute to diseases when its natural rhythm is disrupted.
Death rates from cancer will fall in Australasian countries and Russia in 2018 Researchers predict that death rates from cancer will fall in 2018 in Australasian countries and in Russia. However, a greater proportion of the population will die in Russia from the disease than in any of the other countries, mainly because of the large numbers of men who still smoke.
Women having a heart attack wait longer than men to get help Women are being urged to call an ambulance immediately if they have heart attack symptoms, following research showing they wait longer than men to get help. The study is published today in European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care, a publication of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
	Veterans health administration hospitals outperform non-VHA hospitals in most markets The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,243 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,062 outpatient sites. Many of the 9 million veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare program will, at some point, have to decide whether to seek care at a VA or non-VA facility. In a new study, researchers from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont, used the most current publicly available data to compare health outcomes for VA and non-VA hospitals within 121 local healthcare markets that included both a VA medical center and a non-VA hospital.
Addressing research gaps could help with development of disability-inclusive workplaces Filling key gaps in the research and understanding of the treatment of people with disabilities in the workplace could help improve employee success on the job and develop more disability-inclusive workplaces, a new review of disability research has shown.
Study finds four dried fruits have lower glycemic index (GI) than white bread People with diabetes and followers of diets based on the glycemic index (GI) can enjoy dried fruits knowing they do not cause a blood sugar spike compared to starchy foods such as white bread, suggests a study published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes.
	Why drying laundry can pose such a pain in Singapore Drying laundry on bamboo poles in confined spaces puts Singaporean homemakers – housewives and househusbands – at increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders, the first-ever biomechanical study of laundry-related housework has revealed.
	Undiplomatic immunity: Mutation causing arterial autoimmune disease revealed Takayasu arteritis is a disease that mainly affects female Asians at a relatively young age. It involves chronic inflammation of the aorta, and potentially leads to fatal disruption of the structures through which blood flows from the heart. Although studies have suggested a genetic component to this disease, its mechanisms have remained opaque until now.
	The far-reaching effects of antidepressants When University of Ottawa biologists Marilyn Vera-Chang and Vance Trudeau began to study the effects of a popular antidepressant on reproduction levels in zebrafish, they stumbled across something that changed the course of their work. We sat down with Professor Trudeau, a University of Ottawa Research Chair in Neuroendocrinology to learn more.
Criminalisation and repressive policing of sex work linked to increased risk of violence Sex workers who face repressive policing are more likely to experience violence and poorer health and well-being, according to new research published in PLOS Medicine.
	Expert proposes method to help premature infants thrive in the hospital Even when they're not actively feeding, infants are perpetually sucking on toys, pacifiers, their own fingers—whatever they can get ahold of.
	Toward an improved treatment of anxiety disorders Traumatic experiences can become deeply entrenched in a person's memory. How can fears following a traumatic event be reduced in the long term and prevented from becoming a permanent stress-related disorder? Researchers at the Mainz University Medical Center have recently shed new light on these questions. The key to their approach lies in firmly anchoring new, positive experiences in the person's memory. As in classical treatment, traumatized patients would first have to be exposed to their fear-inducing stimuli to learn that these stimuli are often harmless. This experience would then be made durable using a safe and simple drug treatment. The researchers have been analyzing more closely the mental processes that underlie the resulting positive memory formation processes. Their findings, now published in Nature Communications, could help improve the treatment of anxiety-related problems and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and aid in the development of appropriate preventive measures.
	Meditation adapts the brain to respond better to feedback In a new study in the Journal of Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience researchers from the University of Surrey have discovered a link between meditation and how individuals respond to feedback.
	Harmful placebos How could a sugar pill placebo cause harm? A new review of data from 250,726 trial participants has found that 1 in 20 people who took placebos in trials dropped out because of serious adverse events (side effects). Almost half of the participants reported less serious adverse events. The adverse events ranged from abdominal pain and anorexia to burning, chest pain, fatigue, and even death.
	ADHD prescriptions are going up, but that doesn't mean we're over-medicating The rate of medications dispensed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children aged 17 and under increased by 30% between 2013-14 and 2016-17.
	Effect of oral alfacalcidol on clinical outcomes in patients without secondary hyperparathyroidism Treatment with active vitamin D did not decrease cardiovascular events in kidney patients undergoing hemodialysis, according to a research group in Japan. They have reported their research results in the December 11 issue of JAMA.
	A correlation between obesity and income has only developed in the past 30 years It is well known that poorer Americans are more likely to be obese or suffer from diabetes; there is a strong negative correlation between household income and both obesity and diabetes. This negative correlation, however, has only developed in the past 30 years, according to researchers in Tennessee and London. Since 1990, the rise of obesity and diabetes was fastest among the poorest U.S. regions, says Alexander Bentley of the University of Tennessee in the US. The timing also fits with the generations exposed to high fructose corn syrup in foodstuffs and drinks, says Bentley, who is the lead author of a study in the journal Palgrave Communications.
	Denying transgender identity has serious impact on mental health "Sticks and stones may break my bones – but words will never hurt me," goes the playground rhyme.
	Yes please to yoghurt and cheese: The new improved Mediterranean diet Thousands of Australians can take heart as new research from the University of South Australia shows a dairy-enhanced Mediterranean diet will significantly increase health outcomes for those at risk of cardiovascular disease – and it's even more effective than a low-fat diet.
	Researchers introduce an electronic patient health monitoring platform Health services throughout the world strive to maintain population care often through the prescription of medications. To reduce drug-associated patient morbidity and mortality, there is a need for a therapeutics management programme that monitors drug efficacy and patient compliance.
	Why are so many people getting a tick-borne meat allergy? It is early morning in early summer, and I am tracing my way through the woods of central North Carolina, steering cautiously around S-curves and braking hard when what looks like a small rise turns into a narrow bridge. I am on my way to meet Tami McGraw, who lives with her husband and the youngest of their kids in a sprawling development of old trees and wide lawns just south of Chapel Hill. Before I reach her, McGraw emails. She wants to feed me when I get there:
	Slowdown on cesareans Make no mistake: Cesarean deliveries are major surgery. They can save lives, but even so a woman runs the risk of bleeding, infection, a longer and costlier hospital stay—and more cesareans with future pregnancies. But at the Birthplace in the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, expectant mothers get care from teams of health professionals who are committed to reducing unnecessary cesareans.
	Going viral: New cells for norovirus production in the lab An Osaka University-led research team has developed a system for simply and efficiently producing human norovirus. By coaxing human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to develop into a type of cell that usually lines the intestine, they created a cellular environment that can be used for producing the virus, studying how it interacts with human cells, and investigating potential vaccines.
	Black walnuts contain heart-healthy nutrients that can stave off obesity and cardiovascular disease Black walnuts are a major industry in the Midwest, with about 23 million pounds processed annually in Missouri alone, and they are a ubiquitous presence on lawns in early fall. But while many tree nuts, such as English walnuts, have received attention for their nutritional benefits, comparatively little research has focused on black walnuts.
	E-scooter companies should consider safety on social media, study finds Are electric scooters promoted on social media with safety in mind? A USC study of one company's Instagram feed suggests not.
	Neighbourhood affects the healthiness of dietary choices A new study shows that living or moving to a neighbourhood with a higher socioeconomic status is clearly associated with better adherence to dietary recommendations. Researchers studied the connection between neighbourhoods' socioeconomic status and dietary choices from data covering over 16,000 Finnish adults.
	How much physical activity should teenagers do, and how can they get enough? Many teenagers spend a lot of time being sedentary (sitting or lying down) at school or work, when travelling and during their free time. Modern conveniences such as smart phones, computers and food delivered to your front door encourage sedentary behaviour. But this lack of physical activity can have negative consequences for your physical and mental health.
	Could you be short on vitamin D? (HealthDay)—You'd think vitamin deficiencies would be rare in the United States, but many people are running low on vitamin D, and it's a serious health threat.
	How puzzles, games might help your aging brain (HealthDay)—Those Sunday crossword puzzles may not prevent the aging brain from slowing down—but they might protect it in a different way, a new study suggests.
	Breast cancer drug could create chink in the armour of pancreatic cancer The well-known drug tamoxifen could exploit a weakness in the physical 'scaffolds' around tumours, according to research led by Imperial.
	Key signs and symptoms to recognise when terminally ill patients are close to death Research jointly undertaken by Kingston University and St George's, University of London's new Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise has identified the key signs and symptoms expert doctors use to recognise when terminally ill patients are close to death.
	Insights into women and stroke risk (HealthDay)—You might be surprised to learn that stroke is the number three killer of women.
	These bacteria may be the key to treating clinical depression We like to think of ourselves as individuals.
Searching for a vaccine against mistrust All of the following happened during a three-week stretch in August:
	3-D printing offers helping hand to people with arthritis Adaptive aids are expensive. Additive manufacturing, using low-cost 3-D printers, can save upwards of 94 percent for simple household items.
	Family members can share grief during the holidays, but how each person grieves is different Grief isn't equal to sadness and people grieving around the holidays aren't always going to shed tears as a result, according to a Purdue professor who specializes in grief.
	Alternative food culture now mainstream Remember when being a vegetarian or vegan was considered radical? It's now thought quite ordinary, according to a new book co-edited by QUT and University of Adelaide food researchers.
	Harvard specialist focuses on opioid crisis as U.S. life expectancy drops Life expectancy in the U.S. declined in 2017, largely because of increases in suicide and lethal overdose, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	No room for pollies' personal views in euthanasia debate Whatever the opinion of the public, academics or medical professionals, QUT researchers say it will be politicians who decide on whether laws on euthanasia, or voluntary assisted dying, are changed.
	New evidence that females might benefit most from a low-salt diet A low-salt diet may be more beneficial in lowering blood pressure in females than males, report scientists who found that while actual salt retention isn't higher in females, there is still an effect that drives pressure up.
What more could we do to prevent veteran suicides? Survey reveals clues Every day, 20 veterans across America die by suicide—and most of them choose a firearm to do it. New research could guide suicide prevention efforts for veterans and others.
	Study links frequent red meat consumption to high levels of chemical associated with heart disease Researchers have identified another reason to limit red meat consumption: high levels of a gut-generated chemical called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), that also is linked to heart disease. Scientists found that people who eat a diet rich in red meat have triple the TMAO levels of those who eat a diet rich in either white meat or mostly plant-based proteins, but discontinuation of red meat eventually lowers those TMAO levels.
New sepsis treatment a step closer Australian emergency doctors are at the forefront of a large clinical study to assess how clinicians are treating sepsis.
	Digital mammography increases breast cancer detection The shift from film to digital mammography increased the detection of breast cancer by 14 percent overall in the United Kingdom without increasing the recall rate, according to a major new study appearing in the journal Radiology.
	Parents, kids spend more time discussing how to use mobile technology Most parents would agree that one of the of the biggest modern parenting challenges is monitoring a child's online activity.
	Future doctors learn how to prescribe physical activity for their patients An initiative adopted by Lancaster University to embed physical activity into the training for medical students has been showcased at a national and international level.
	Hong Kong's waters benefit health and wellbeing A ground-breaking study has revealed how spending time in and around Hong Kong's 'blue spaces' (harbours, coastlines and beaches) is linked to better health and wellbeing, especially for older adults.
	Medical training or a family? Residents, training programs seek balance A new analysis finds striking inconsistency in parental leave policies at the nation's top residency programs, illustrating the enormous challenge these programs face balancing training the next generation of doctors and supporting trainees' personal and family needs.
	Possible connection between cardiovascular disease and living near oil and gas wells Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health have found a possible connection between the intensity of oil and gas exploration in an area and early indicators of cardiovascular disease among nearby residents.
	BMI is a good measure of health after all, new study finds A new study from the University of Bristol supports body mass index (BMI) as a useful tool for assessing obesity and health.
	Successful anti-PD-1 therapy requires interaction between CD8+ T cells and dendritic cells A team led by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigator has found that successful cancer immunotherapy targeting the PD-1 molecule requires interaction between cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, which have been considered the primary therapeutic target, and dendritic cells, critical activators of T cell response. The report that will be appearing in the journal Immunity and has been published online suggests potential ways of improving the efficacy and broadening the application of anti-PD-1 therapies.
	Loss of two genes drives a deadly form of colorectal cancer, reveals a potential treatment Colorectal cancers arise from earlier growths, called polyps, found on the inner surface of the colon. Scientists are now learning that polyps use two distinct molecular pathways as they progress to cancer, called the "conventional" and "alternative" pathways. The latter leads to an often treatment-resistant tumor, called serrated colorectal cancer; thus, distinguishing between these two cancer types holds implications for patient care. However, lack of a diagnostic test to identify serrated colorectal cancer has limited doctors' and scientists' understanding of this cancer type-and has hindered the development of effective treatments.
Relationship impairments hinder men seeking mental health treatment Relationship impairment (difficulty managing expectations and requirements within an intimate relationship) plays a role in explaining the association between symptom severity and those seeking treatment among post-9/11 military veterans. However, the role it plays is different for men and women.
	Roadmap reveals shortcut to recreate key HIV antibody for vaccines HIV evades the body's immune defenses through a multitude of mutations, and antibodies produced by the host's immune system to fight HIV also follow convoluted evolutionary pathways that have been challenging to track.
	Taking uncertainty out of cancer prognosis A cancer diagnosis tells you that you have cancer, but how that cancer will progress is a terrifying uncertainty for most patients. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have now identified a specific class of biomarkers that can tell a lot about how aggressive a patient's cancer will be.
Drug repositioning strategy identifies potential anti-epilepsy drugs Drug repositioning— taking known drugs and identifying new applications for them—is an attractive concept for speeding up the process of bringing drugs to human testing for unmet medical needs.
	Gut microbiome may affect some anti-diabetes drugs Why do orally-administered drugs for diabetes work for some people but not others?
	FDA warns of raw cookie dough dangers (HealthDay)—As tempting as it might be to sample some raw dough while you're making a batch of cookies this holiday season, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that the guilty pleasure could make you very sick.
	Exercise after heart attack may improve survival Exercising after a heart attack, even a long walk around the neighborhood, can be frightening for survivors. But those fears may be eased by new research that found regular physical activity could help keep them alive.
	Workplace exposure to pesticides and metals linked to heightened heart disease risk Workplace exposure to metals and pesticides is linked to a heightened risk of heart disease in Hispanic and Latino workers, reveals research published online in the journal Heart.
	Review confirms food cravings can be reduced Food craving, the intense desire to eat certain foods, can sabotage efforts to maintain healthy eating habits and body weight, no matter the time of year.
	Pregnant women, young children most likely to use bed nets to prevent malaria When households in sub-Saharan Africa don't have an adequate number of insecticide-treated bed nets, pregnant women and children under five are the most likely family members to sleep under the ones they have, leaving men and school-aged children more exposed to malaria, new Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) research suggests. CCP is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
	Trying to get people to agree? Skip the French restaurant and go out for Chinese food Here's a new negotiating tactic: enjoy a family-style meal with your counterpart before making your opening bid.
Biosimilar to infliximab shows equivalent safety and efficacy for treating Crohn's disease A biosimilar of infliximab, CT-P13, has equivalent safety and efficacy to that of the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) monoclonal antibody for treating Crohn's disease in infliximab-naïve patients. Findings from a comparative equivalence cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
New guidance outlines recommendations for infection control in anesthesiology The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America has issued a new expert guidance on how hospitals and healthcare providers may reduce infections associated with anesthesiology procedures and equipment in the operating room. The guidance, published in SHEA's journal, Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, recommends steps to improve infection prevention through increased hand hygiene, environmental disinfection, and continuous improvement plans.
	Novel technique may significantly reduce breast biopsies A novel technique that uses mammography to determine the biological tissue composition of a tumor could help reduce unnecessary breast biopsies, according to a new study appearing in the journal Radiology.
Women and men with heart attack symptoms get different treatment from EMS Women are more likely than men to die of coronary heart disease, and past research has found that they are less likely to receive evidence-based therapies for heart attacks. Now, researchers from the George Washington University (GW) have examined the care that women and men with heart attack symptoms receive from emergency medical services (EMS) after a 911 call and found that women were less likely to receive aspirin, be resuscitated, or be transported to the hospital in ambulances using lights and sirens. They report their findings in a new study published in Women's Health Issues.
Innovative model helps kids on autism spectrum avoid behavioral drugs in ER An innovative care model developed by Nemours Children's Hospital for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the emergency department (ED) reduces the use of medication administered to kids who are prone to stress and sensory overload in this care setting. Information about this care model was presented today at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's National Forum.
	Researchers find racial inequity among adolescents receiving flu vaccine Black adolescents living in the United States tend to receive the influenza vaccine at significantly lower rates than their white and Hispanic counterparts, according to Florida State University researchers.

Biology news

	Climate change, models, mimics and predators: A complicated relationship Climate change as a disruptive force has been studied in terms of its effects on direct interactions in ecological relationships, such as those between predator and prey, for example. Until now however, little has been known about how the effect of a changing climate on the annual emergence cycles of species—phenological synchrony—may be affecting more complicated evolutionary relationships such as those within a Batesian mimicry complex. In a Batesian complex, one species mimics the behavior of another (model) species that has evolved defensive measures against a third predator species.
	Lifespan extension at low temperatures is genetically controlled, study suggests Why do we age? Despite more than a century of research (and a vast industry of youth-promising products), what causes our cells and organs to deteriorate with age is still unknown.
	Small and isolated habitat patches crucial to species survival Small, local patches of habitat could be playing a much bigger role in conserving biodiversity than you think, according to new research.
	Stop sterilizing your dust—Antimicrobial chemical tied to antibiotic resistance genes in dust Most people have heard about antibiotic-resistant germs. But how about antibiotic-resistant dust?
	The food poisoning find that could save lives Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have made a discovery that has the potential to save lives when treating bacterial infections, especially serious food poisoning.
	The source of stem cells points to two proteins Mammalian embryos are unlike those of any other organism as they must grow within the mother's body. While other animal embryos grow outside the mother, their embryonic cells can get right to work accepting assignments, such as head, tail or vital organ. By contrast, mammalian embryos must first choose between forming the placenta or creating the baby.
	'Pest-controlling' bats could help save rainforests A new study shows that several species of bats are giving Madagascar's rice farmers a vital pest control service by feasting on plagues of insects. And this, a zoologist at the University of Cambridge believes, can ease the financial pressure on farmers to turn forest into fields.
	Transformed: the plant whose sex life fascinated Charles Darwin Researchers have genetically transformed the Common Primrose (Primula vulgaris) for the first time in a development that could shed light on one of the plant world's most renowned reproductive systems.
	Pacific nations resist US push to lift tuna quota Pacific island nations have vowed to oppose US efforts to increase its catch limit in the world's largest tuna fishery, saying the proposal does nothing to improve sustainable fishing.
	Great snakes! Indonesians wrestle with giant python A viral video showing a gigantic python wrapping itself around an Indonesian villager has secured more than a million views, after locals wrestled with the serpent before successfully caging it.
	Antarctic fauna threatened by human-spread pathogens in polar latitudes Antarctic fauna could be in danger due to pathogens humans spread in the southern ocean, according to a study led by Jacob González-Solís from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona, and Marta Cerdà-Cuéllas from the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA-CReSA).
	Nuclear events make a flower bloom Flowers are the reproductive organs of a plant. Their formation depends on strict nuclear events that, if compromised, can leave the plant sterile. A new study by researchers at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) shows how two transcription factors, AGAMOUS and CRABS CLAW, bind sequentially to the gene YUC4, which is responsible for synthesizing the plant hormone auxin. The findings, which can be read in Nature Communications, provide an epigenetic explanation for proper formation of the gynoecium, the female reproductive organ of flowering plants.
	Favoring female flowers in hemp horticulture A UConn plant science professor working with hemp plants has developed a way to maximize the production of female flowers, which produce significantly higher quantities of cannabinoids than male flowers.
	Researchers identify additional mechanisms at play in insecticide resistance Researchers at LSTM have used a bioinformatics approach to integrate information from multiple studies on insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and uncovered a number of important resistance mechanisms that had not previously been recognised.
	These 'useless' quirks of evolution are actually evidence for the theory Evolution is a fascinating field but can be rife with misunderstanding. One misconception is that evolution has some innate sense of direction or purpose. In reality, evolution is a mindless, plan-free phenomenon, driven into endless possibilities by random mutations, the most successful of which win out.
	The social networks of flowers For centuries, people have conveyed feelings of happiness and love with flowers. Now an EU research team has found that plants flower more when surrounded by relatives compared to when growing with strangers or alone.
	A future for red wolves may be found on Galveston Island Red wolves, once nearly extinct, again teeter on the abyss. New research finds red wolf ancestry on Galveston Island—providing opportunities for additional conservation action and difficult policy challenges.
	Plants as efficient antifungal factories Researchers report that they can efficiently produce antifungal proteins in plants based on a modified tobacco mosaic virus. The results of this research, which could have a major impact in the agri-food industry, have been published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.
	Calculated risk: Crickets draw mates, lethal parasites with upbeat call Males of many animal species have evolved extravagant signals to attract mates, but those signals also risk exposing males to predators and parasites. Researchers have generally hypothesized that natural selection favors subtler mating cues in especially high-risk environments, offsetting females' preferences for showier displays.
	Sea sponge study offers clues to how life adapts to harsh environments A new study of modern sea sponges is beginning to tell us how early life forms such as sea sponges found ways to survive in extreme environments prior to the evolution of modern life and the oxygenation of Earth's oceans between a billion and 541 million years ago.
	Stronger pesticide regulations likely needed to protect all bee species, say studies Pesticide regulations designed to protect honeybees fail to account for potential health threats posed by agrochemicals to the full diversity of bee species that are even more important pollinators of food crops and other plants, say three new international papers co-authored by University of Guelph biologists.
	Should Johannesburg Zoo's last elephant stay or go? When the last African elephant at the Johannesburg Zoo lost her male companion to illness in September, some people said 39-year-old Lammie should be sent to a bigger sanctuary so she wouldn't spend her final years alone.
	McDonald's unveils plan for cutting antibiotics in beef McDonald's announced a plan on Tuesday for a phased reduction of antibiotics in beef, expanding a health-oriented reform to a new meat source other than chicken.

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