Science X Newsletter Monday, Feb 25

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 25, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

A new method to generate gestures for different social robots

Near ground-state cooling of 2-D trapped ion crystals

Smart bone plates can monitor fracture healing

It's all in the twist: Physicists stack 2-D materials at angles to trap particles

Breakthrough 'lab-on-a-chip' detects cancer faster, cheaper and less invasively

Researchers invent a needle that knows where to go

Researchers complete genome of Antarctic blackfin icefish

Insomnia-associated gene regions suggest underlying mechanisms, treatment targets

High-resolution observations uncover detailed structure of blazar's jet

High CO2 levels can destabilize marine layer clouds

Ancient rocks provide clues to Earth's early history

Money-savers focus attention—and eyes—on the prize

New brain implants disguise as neurons, offering a potentially safer way to study and treat the brain

Team uses nanoparticles to deliver genes into plant chloroplasts

With nanotubes, genetic engineering in plants is easy-peasy

Astronomy & Space news

	High-resolution observations uncover detailed structure of blazar's jet Using Russia's Spektr-R space telescope (also known as RadioAstron), astronomers have conducted high-resolution observations of the blazar S5 0716+71. The results of these observations, presented in a paper published February 12 on the arXiv pre-print server, provide insights into the structure of the blazar's jet.
	NASA greenlights SpaceX crew capsule test to ISS NASA on Friday gave SpaceX the green light to test a new crew capsule by first sending an unmanned craft with a life-sized mannequin to the International Space Station.
	After a reset, Сuriosity is operating normally NASA's Curiosity rover is busy making new discoveries on Mars. The rover has been climbing Mount Sharp since 2014 and recently reached a clay region that may offer new clues about the ancient Martian environment's potential to support life.
	New Horizons spacecraft returns its sharpest views of Ultima Thule The mission team called it a "stretch goal" – just before closest approach, precisely point the cameras on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft to snap the sharpest possible pics of the Kuiper Belt object nicknamed Ultima Thule, its New Year's flyby target and the farthest object ever explored.
	Simultaneous X-ray and infrared observations of the galactic center The supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius A*, is by far the closest such object to us, only about 25 thousand light-years away. Although not nearly as active or luminous as other SMBHs, its relative proximity provides astronomers with a unique opportunity to probe what happens close to the "edge" of a black hole. Monitored in the radio since its discovery and more recently in the infrared and the X-ray, Sgr A* appears to be accreting material at a very low rate, only a few hundredths of an Earth-mass per year. Its X-ray emission is persistent, probably resulting from the rapid motions of electrons in the hot accretion flow associated with the black hole. Once a day there are also flares of emission that are highly variable; they appear more often in the infrared than in X-rays. Some submillimeter wavelength flares have also been tentatively linked to IR flares, although their timing seems to be delayed with respect to infrared events. Despite these intensive observational efforts, the physical mechanisms producing flaring around this SMBH are still unknown and are the topic of intense theoretical modeling.
	Stellar wind of old stars reveals existence of a partner Red giants are old stars that eject gaseous material and solid particles through a stellar wind. Some red giants appeared to lose an exceptionally large amount of mass this way. However, new observations reveal that this is not quite the case. The stellar wind is not more intense than normal, but is affected by a partner that was overlooked until now—a second star that circles the red giant. These are the results of an international study led by Belgian university KU Leuven.
	Solid-state battery testing to be part of ispace HAKUTO-R program Officials with ispace, a commercial enterprise with ambitions of creating a lunar exploration system, have announced that part of their initial program will include testing a solid-state battery on the surface of the moon. The current plan is to test the battery with a lunar rover as early as 2021.
	New NASA mission could find more than 1,000 planets A NASA telescope that will give humans the largest, deepest, clearest picture of the universe since the Hubble Space Telescope could find as many as 1,400 new planets outside Earth's solar system, new research suggests.
	X-rays might be a better way to communicate in space In the coming years, thousands of satellites, several next-generation space telescopes and even a few space habitats are expected to be launched into orbit. Beyond Earth, multiple missions are planned to be sent to the lunar surface, to Mars, and beyond. As humanity's presence in space increases, the volume of data that is regularly being back sent to Earth is reaching the limits of what radio communications can handle.
	To space and beyond! Western Australia has a secret. We're quietly becoming a space powerhouse.
	UAE says its first astronaut going into space in September The first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates will blast off into space on Sept. 25 on a trip to the International Space Station, authorities announced Monday.
	How scientists are piecing together the history of the moon In the solar system's early days, a first Earth is thought to have been pulverised by a planet that scientists call Theia. We don't know what it was made of or where it came from, only that it may have been the size of Mars. The powerful collision destroyed both planets so completely that scientists can only guess what they were like.

Technology news

	A new method to generate gestures for different social robots Social robots are designed to communicate with human beings naturally, assisting them with a variety of tasks. The effective use of gestures could greatly enhance robot-human interactions, allowing robots to communicate both verbally and non-verbally.
	Breakthrough 'lab-on-a-chip' detects cancer faster, cheaper and less invasively A new ultrasensitive diagnostic device invented by researchers at the University of Kansas, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and KU Medical Center could allow doctors to detect cancer quickly from a droplet of blood or plasma, leading to timelier interventions and better outcomes for patients.
	Researchers invent a needle that knows where to go Syringes and hollow needles have been used to deliver medication for more than a century. However, the precise implementation of these devices depends on the operator, and it can be difficult to deliver medication to delicate regions such as the suprachoroidal space at the back of the eye. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a highly sensitive intelligent-injector for tissue-targeting (i2T2) that detects changes in resistance in order to properly and safely deliver medication in preclinical testing. Their results are published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
	Ground-breaking electric Chevrolet Volt runs out of juice As their company was swirling around the financial drain in the early 2000s, General Motors executives came up with an idea to counter its gas-guzzling image and point the way to transportation of the future: an electric car with a gas-engine backup that could travel anywhere.
	Ikea curtains break down pollutants, highlight interest in fabric purifiers Can you use textiles to clean the air? Take sunlight. Add a film coating to fabric. And you get curtains that destroy pollutants and purify the air inside your home. The recipe is being touted by Ikea. Along with bunk beds and bedside tables, some thinkers at Ikea have been looking into technologies that can address indoor air pollution without having to resort to more complex filtering systems or electric power.
	Huawei unveils 5G phone with foldable screen Chinese telecoms giant Huawei on Sunday unveiled a phone with a folding screen, just four days after rival Samsung became the first major handset maker to offer the feature.
	Why photography fans are geeking out over assembly video of fisheye lens The superstar of a fisheye lens emerged this month, shown in a video, where a team fashioned a custom fisheye lens that has a 270-degree field of view. Wow, as that was being dubbed as "insane" and "monster-like" but the descriptions were all conveyed with a wide-eyed measure of affection for Roger Cicala, founder of Lensrental.com.
	Machines whisper our secrets: Spies can learn what a machine is making from the sounds it makes Lab instruments are important tools throughout research and health care. But what if those instruments are leaking valuable information?
	Recognizing disease using less data As artificial intelligence systems learn to better recognize and classify images, they are becoming highly-reliable at diagnosing diseases, such as skin cancer, from medical images. But as good as they are at detecting patterns, AI won't be replacing your doctor any time soon. Even when used as a tool, image recognition systems still require an expert to label the data, and a lot of data at that: it needs images of both healthy patients and sick patients. The algorithm finds patterns in the training data and when it receives new data, it uses what it has learned to identify the new image.
	High-powered fuel cell boosts electric-powered submersibles, drones The transportation industry is one of the largest consumers of energy in the U.S. economy with increasing demand to make it cleaner and more efficient. While more people are using electric cars, designing electric-powered planes, ships and submarines is much harder due to power and energy requirements.
	Oppo's 10x optical zoom camera system wins attention at Barcelona event Switch between three cameras. Get up as close or go as wide as you want. Get your "professional" compliments without having had to lug accessories, as your magic wand was the sleek device right in your pocket. Oppo is taking the wraps off its latest-greatest smartphone camera tech, in a device with a 10x lossless zoom.
	Twitter co-founder Evan Williams leaving board Twitter co-founder and one-time chief executive Evan Williams is stepping down from the board, leaving the one-to-many messaging service to focus on "other projects."
	Warning issued over attacks on internet infrastructure Key parts of the internet infrastructure face large-scale attacks that threaten the global system of web traffic, the internet's address keeper warned Friday.
	Smile: Some airliners have cameras on seat-back screens Now there is one more place where cameras could start watching you—from 30,000 feet.
Microsoft workers protest use of HoloLens headsets for war A group of Microsoft workers is demanding the company cancel a contract supplying the U.S. Army with HoloLens headsets that they say would turn real-world battlefields into a video game.
	New kid on the blockchain: Stablecoin promises steady crypto As the extreme volatility of cryptocurrencies makes them difficult to depend on for day-to-day use, another type of virtual currency is gaining popularity: stablecoins.
	China's Huawei set to unveil 5G phone with folding screen China's Huawei is set to take the wraps off a new folding-screen phone, joining the latest trend for bendable devices as it challenges the global smartphone market's dominant players, Apple and Samsung.
	Tech connection boosts NY vertical farmers Workers at Bowery Farming's warehouse near New York have swapped out a farmer's hoe for a computer tablet that takes real-time readings of light and water conditions.
	Tech companies scope out Africa surveillance sector At a security exhibition in Morocco tech companies pushed to convince African officials that their state-of-the-art surveillance tools are the key to stability and development.
	Huawei takes fight with US over spying fears to top mobile fair Huawei unveiled a new foldable smartphone on Sunday on the eve of the world's top mobile fair in Barcelona and hit out against Washington's campaign to bar it from developing next-generation 5G wireless networks.
	Israeli startups join firms making lab-grown 'clean meat' Several Israeli start-ups have joined a handful of companies around the globe trying to develop lab-grown meat, something they see as a solution to the needs of the world's ever-growing population and burgeoning demand for food.
	'Goldilocks' thinking to cut cost of fuel cells in electric vehicles The 2019 Toyota Mirai electric vehicle touts zero emissions, thanks to a fuel cell that runs on hydrogen instead of gasoline. But the Mirai has barely left California, partly because today's fuel cell electrodes are made of super expensive platinum.
	The law is closing in on Facebook and the 'digital gangsters' For social media and search engines, the law is back in town.
	New machine learning approach could give a big boost to the efficiency of optical networks New work leveraging machine learning could increase the efficiency of optical telecommunications networks. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, fiber optic cables offer the ability to transmit more data over longer distances compared to traditional copper wires. Optical Transport Networks (OTNs) have emerged as a solution for packaging data in fiber optic cables, and improvements stand to make them more cost-effective.
	Big data harvesting tool will deliver smart farming Researchers from across Norwich Research Park have launched a new system for organising vast datasets on climate and crops.
	Teaching chatbots regular human language Customer service chatbots are ready to help you night and day. But communication with a bot can be cumbersome sometimes. Christine Liebrecht, Associate Professor of Language, Business Communication, and Digital Media, thinks there is room for improvement. How? By teaching bots regular human language. This is how Tilburg University focuses on technology that works for people.
	BMW fined for diesel software error Germany prosecutors have fined automaker BMW 8.5 million euros ($9.66 million) for lax oversight in installing defective engine software that led to excessive diesel emissions in 7,965 cars.
	5G is coming: what can we expect? This year the telecoms industry will begin the transition to new fifth-generation cellular networks—known as 5G—which is expected to one day help run everything from self-driving cars to robot surgeons.
	Data as material for product design Products and services increasingly get smarter and more interconnected, forming intelligent eco-systems that allow the generation and sharing of large amounts of data through the internet. These new data often find their way in the evaluation of new products, but only after the design process has been concluded. Janne van Kollenburg and Sander Bogers, designers at Philips Design, have developed a design method which puts data right at the heart of the design process. For their work they will be awarded a Ph.D. by the Department of Industrial Design of the Eindhoven University of Technology on Thursday 28 February.
	Online shopping algorithms are colluding to keep prices high Have you ever searched for a product online in the morning and gone back to look at it again in the evening only to find the price has changed? In which case you may have been subject to the retailer's pricing algorithm.
	How electric cars could make America's crumbling roads even worse U.S. roads and bridges are in abysmal shape – and that was before the recent winter storms made things even worse.
	Smart home systems need to improve security The security of smart domestic appliances that can be managed remotely must be improved to better protect users' privacy, research suggests.
	Foldable phone outlook hinges on price Handset makers are racing to launch their first smartphones with folding screens but analysts warn the technology is still too rudimentary—and expensive—to woo consumers in large numbers for now.
	Reddit to open Dublin office this year Social media firm Reddit said on Monday it will open an office in Dublin later this year, part of international expansion plans after raising $300 million in new funding.
	Pinterest, YouTube say acting against anti-vaccine messages Several social networks including Pinterest and YouTube have detailed measures they are taking in response to pressure to combat disinformation on vaccines, which they have been accused of enabling.
	GE selling BioPharma unit for $21.4 bn to reduce debt General Electric announced Monday it will sell its Biopharma unit to Danaher for $21.4 billion in cash as it reduces debt amid an ongoing corporate turnaround effort.
	Sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) significantly improves EUV patterning his week, at the SPIE Advanced Lithography conference 2019, imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, demonstrates the positive impact of sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) on the EUVL (extreme ultra-violet lithography) patterning process. This post-lithography technique is shown to significantly reduce stochastic nano-failures and line roughness, contributing to the introduction of EUVL patterning of future nodes". This work integrates recent advancements on metrology and etch, and on material developments, which will be presented in multiple papers at this week's 2019 SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference.

Medicine & Health news

	Smart bone plates can monitor fracture healing Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is an evolving field at the intersection of materials science and bioengineering, focused on the development of bone substitute materials and diagnostic methods in orthopedics. At present, physicians rely on X-rays to assess fracture healing, which are more useful at the latter stages of bone repair. Accurately determining the process of bone fracture repair is a fundamental clinical requirement in orthopedics, but standard methods to assess fracture union remain to be developed.
	Insomnia-associated gene regions suggest underlying mechanisms, treatment targets An international research team led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Exeter Medical School has identified 57 gene regions associated with symptoms of insomnia. Their report, which also indicates a causal link between insomnia and coronary artery disease, is receiving advance online publication in Nature Genetics.
	Money-savers focus attention—and eyes—on the prize Why are some people able to patiently save for the future, while others opt for smaller amounts of money now? A new study from Duke University takes a close look at what drives "patient savers," and reaches some surprising conclusions.
	New brain implants disguise as neurons, offering a potentially safer way to study and treat the brain Like a well-guarded fortress, the human brain attacks intruders on sight. Foreign objects, including neural probes used to study and treat the brain, do not last long. But now, researchers have designed a probe that looks, acts, and feels so much like a real neuron that the brain cannot identify the imposters. According to Charles M. Lieber, this breakthrough "literally blurs the ever-present and clear dissimilarities in properties between man-made and living systems." They have blurred the line between human and machine.
	Disability progression in multiple sclerosis linked to income, education Neighbourhood income and education level is associated with risk of disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.
	Estrogen made by neurons important to making memories Estrogen in the brain is important to keep neurons communicating and memories being made, scientists report.
	Fat cells work different 'shifts' throughout the day Fat cells in the human body have their own internal clocks and exhibit circadian rhythms affecting critical metabolic functions, new research in the journal Scientific Reports, finds.
	Google translates doctor's orders into Spanish and Chinese with few significant errors In multicultural areas like San Francisco, doctors are increasingly looking to Google Translate to provide written instructions their patients can take home, so they stand a better chance of following medical advice.
	Brain cells involved in insomnia identified An international team of researchers has identified, for the first time, the cell types, areas and biological processes in the brain that mediate the genetic risk of insomnia. This was made possible by assessing DNA and sleep features in no less than 1.3 million people. The findings are a major step toward getting a grip on the biological mechanisms that cause insomnia. Today, Nature Genetics publishes the results of this research.
	Discovery improves understanding of Lou Gehrig's disease A collaborative study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital improves our understanding of how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease, develops. A common feature of this progressive, fatal neuromuscular condition is an imbalance between the synthesis and degradation of proteins within cells. When this balance is tipped, excess waste builds up in cells and disease develops. The researchers discovered that mutated ubiquilin proteins that cause ALS fail to regulate the function of lysosomes, a key 'waste disposal and recycling center' of the cells.
	Memories of movement are replayed randomly during sleep Sleep is far from an inactive time for the brain: while rats (and humans) are asleep, neurons in the hippocampus fire rapidly. After a rat has repeatedly moved from one spot to another, the same neurons that fired while the rat moved "replay" this firing while the rat is asleep, i.e. they fire in the same, but much quicker, pattern. Previously, it was thought that replay patterns only correspond to trips rats had made repeatedly while awake. Writing in Neuron today, Postdoc Federico Stella and Professor Jozsef Csicsvari at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), show also that when rats roam around freely, the hippocampus replays during sleep, but it does so in a random manner that resembles the famous Brownian motion known from randomly moving particles.
	Being surrounded by green space in childhood may improve mental health of adults Children who grow up with greener surroundings have up to 55% less risk of developing various mental disorders later in life. This is shown by a new study from Aarhus University, Denmark, emphasizing the need for designing green and healthy cities for the future.
	Research team eradicates Hepatitis C in patients after heart transplants from infected donors Nine patients at Penn Medicine have been cured of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) following lifesaving heart transplants from deceased donors who were infected with the disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Transplantation. The results highlight the potential for expanding the use of HCV-infected organs, including hearts, to broaden the donor pool for the more than 100,000 Americans currently on a transplant waitlist.
	New clues about why non-smokers, as well as smokers, develop chronic lung disease revealed The new study, published in Nature Genetics, shows that genetic differences help explain why some people who have never smoked develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and why some smokers are at higher risk of getting the disease than other smokers.
	A single dose of a PD-1 inhibitor before surgery predicts outcomes in melanoma patients A single dose of a PD-1 inhibitor before surgery for melanoma can put patients in remission. Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who documented this finding in the largest cohort of patients to be treated with anti-PD-1 drugs before surgery, also showed that immune responses brought on by this therapy can peak as early as seven days after treatment—much earlier than previous studies have shown. Patients in this study completed up to a year of anti-PD-1 therapy after surgery, and those with complete responses after the initial dose have remained cancer free for more than two years—the longest follow-up data to date for a trial evaluating this treatment approach for patients with melanoma. Further, researchers also identified patterns in the way melanoma that comes back after surgery adapts to develop resistance to PD-1 inhibitors, potentially paving the way for greater understanding of how best to help these patients. The findings appear in Nature Medicine today.
	Some personal beliefs and morals may stem from genetics A new baby is often welcomed with speculation about whether they got their eyes and nose from mom or dad, but researchers say it may be possible for children to inherit their parents' moral characteristics, as well.
	Study outlines targeted treatment option for aggressive breast cancer New findings put forth by the University of Maryland Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) and researchers from four other academic institutions outline a targeted therapeutic strategy to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) - a potential first for the particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. As demonstrated in the group's paper published today in Nature Nanotechnology, the proposed strategy centers on nanotechnology-based precision-targeting of a gene known as POLR2A.
	Common virus is 'less prone to mutation' giving hope for vaccine development One of the commonest causes of congenital disability, the Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV), is less prone to mutation than previously thought, a finding which could help develop a successful vaccine, UCL researchers have found.
	Food allergies: A research update Promising new therapies for food allergies are on the horizon, including an experimental immunotherapy awaiting federal approval that enables people who are very allergic to eat peanut protein without suffering serious side effects.
	Likelihood of tick bite to cause red meat allergy could be higher than previously thought Until now it has been believed that in order for a tick to trigger an allergic immune response to alpha-gal in humans, the tick would need to have recently fed on the alpha-gal-rich blood of a mammal. New research from the UNC School of Medicine presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) annual conference in San Francisco shows that may not be so.
Immunotherapy for egg allergy may allow patients to eat egg safely long after treatment After completing up to four years of egg oral immunotherapy (eOIT) treatment, certain participants were able to safely incorporate egg into their diet for five years. This new research was presented by the study's first author, Edwin Kim, MD, at the annual American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) conference in San Francisco.
	Exclusive breastfeeding lowers odds of some schoolchildren having eczema Children exclusively breastfed for the first three months of life had significantly lower odds of having eczema at age 6 compared with peers who were not breastfed or were breastfed for less time, according to preliminary research presented during the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2019 Annual Meeting.
Eating small amounts of peanut after immunotherapy may extend allergy treatment benefits Regular dietary peanut consumption after completing oral immunotherapy (OIT) or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for peanut allergy may provide continued protection against accidental exposures to the allergen, according to a new study led by Edwin Kim, MD, who presented the findings at the annual American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) conference in San Francisco.
	Roche to buy US gene therapy group Spark for $4.3 bn Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche said Monday it reached a deal worth $4.3 billion (3.7 billion euros) to buy US group Spark Therapeutics, which specialises in the development of gene therapy drugs.
Patients' HIV status should not impact their cancer care New articles published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, note that there is no medical justification to deny optimal cancer therapy to individuals with HIV.
Mothers with children taken into out-of-home care at risk of poor prenatal care in next pregnancies Mothers whose first child was taken into care were found to have inadequate or no prenatal care during subsequent pregnancies, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	Sperm quality unaffected by one course of chemotherapy for early testicular cancer Men with early stage testicular cancer can safely receive one course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery without it having a long-term effect on their sperm count, according to a study published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology today.
Better options needed for children at higher risk of premature heart disease Obesity and severe obesity in childhood and adolescence have been added to the list of conditions that put children and teens at increased risk for premature heart disease, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in the Association's journal Circulation.
Rare cancers: A growing focus of early-stage clinical trials The proportion of early-stage drug trials tackling the biggest cancer killers has declined sharply since the early 1990s as less common tumour types receive increasing attention, according to new research to be presented during the International Congress on Targeted Anticancer Therapies (TAT) 2019, taking place from today to 27 February in Paris, France. The analysis highlights the changing treatment landscape, with doctors and pharmaceutical companies evaluating an expanding range of molecularly-targeted anticancer drugs and immunotherapy.
	Our culture of overtime is costing us dearly The story of Yumiko Kadota, whose gruelling schedule as a Sydney hospital registrar included clocking up more than 100 hours of overtime in her first month, has highlighted the punishing work schedules required in the medical profession.
	Exploring the relationship between sleep duration and diabetes risk Adequate sleep is a key aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Recent research has revealed an association between sleep duration and the development of diabetes. This could reflect causal effects of sleep on diabetes, or sleep duration may be the result of other factors that cause diabetes. No randomized controlled trials have assessed the effect of sleep on diabetes, and such a study would be difficult to conduct.
	Did you look forward to last night's bottle of wine a bit too much? Ladies, you're not alone This month, close to 40,000 people, mostly women, have given up alcohol for FebFast and many others will be participating in Dry July.
	Researchers discover a new form of hereditary osteoporosis A research group headed by Professor Outi Mäkitie, University of Helsinki, identified in families with childhood-onset osteoporosis disease-causing mutations in a gene that had previously not been connected with the skeletal system or osteoporosis.
	Ebola subunit vaccine can withstand high heat There is more positive news to report about the Ebola subunit vaccine candidate developed by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa scientist Axel Lehrer. The potential vaccine remains viable in extreme heat conditions for several months, which is especially important where the disease outbreaks so far have begun in rural, spread-out areas of hot, dry West Africa.
	Toughen up snowflake! Sports coaches can be emotionally abusive – here's how to recognise it Sports coaches have been in the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons. At the end of 2018, the University of Maryland investigated a football coach for intimidation, humiliation and verbal abuse. This followed a player dying of heat stroke after a training session on a 41℃ day.
	Five myths about mental health you might still believe Mental health affects everyone in the workplace in some way—whether we know someone struggling, or have struggled ourselves. But, despite its commonality, the stigma and myths attached to mental health still keep staff and faculty from reaching out when they need support at work.
	FDA: Gout drug uloric increases risk of death (HealthDay)—The gout medicine Uloric (febuxostat) carries a higher risk of death than allopurinol, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	National health spending set to increase 5.5 percent annually (HealthDay)—National health spending is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5.5. percent from 2018 to 2027, with fundamental economic and demographic factors the main drivers, according to a report published online Feb. 20 in Health Affairs.
	How often do people have sex? Australians report having sex once or twice a week, on average. For Brits, it's less than once a week, while Americans report having sex two to three times a week.
	Cancer society: Cancer death rate for blacks dropping faster than for whites The cancer death rate among African-Americans is dropping faster than for whites, reversing a decades-long trend, the American Cancer Society has found in an extensive examination of cancer disparities between the two populations.
	Lipids may predict which gestational diabetes patients will develop type 2 diabetes Every year in Canada as many as 20 per cent of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes mellitus – a transient form of diabetes – and are about seven times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future.
	Telemedicine and data science can improve patient care The care of patients with chronic diseases could be improved by regular telemonitoring. This is the finding of a recent study conducted by Daniela Haluza, a health expert at MedUni Vienna's Center for Public Health. Austrian doctors who treat diabetes patients were surveyed, since this population of patients, in particular, benefits from continuous monitoring of their blood glucose levels, making their treatment more successful. Telemedicine applications also proved to be practicable and helpful for the treating doctors.
	Scientists tackle rare retinal disease in unique research project Researchers at the Lions Eye Institute (LEI) and The University of Western Australia have pioneered a study of the world's first and only laboratory model of a rare type of retinal disease, paving the way for new treatment pathways.
	New breakthrough in understanding a severe child speech impediment An international study led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute has made a breakthrough in identifying a potential cause of the most severe child speech impediment – apraxia.
	Study finds trend towards unusual and abnormal prescribing patterns in aged-care homes Researchers from the Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health have found that one-quarter of Australian aged-care home residents are nine times more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drug risperidone.
	Is the most effective weight-loss strategy really that hard? If you want lose weight, research shows, the single best predictor of success is monitoring and recording calorie and fat intake throughout the day—to "write it when you bite it."
	Triangular relationship in the epileptic brain When an epileptic seizure occurs in the brain, the nerve cells lose their usual pattern and fire in a very fast rhythm. The cause is a complex interplay of various factors. Scientists at the University of Bonn have now discovered the important role of one of the participants: a2d4 (alpha2delta4). It is a central player between the nerve cells, a puzzle piece that plays a decisive role in the development of epilepsies and is a possible starting point for therapies. The results now appear in the Journal of Neuroscience.
	Brain scans reveal how people understand objects in our world What's an s-shaped animal with scales and no legs? What has big ears, a trunk and tusks? What goes 'woof' and chases cats? The brain's ability to reconstruct facts – "a snake," "an elephant' and "a dog" – from clues has been observed using brain scanning by researchers at Aalto university. Their study was published today in Nature Communications.
	Researchers may have discovered why some tumors grow back aggressively after radiation, chemotherapy Many of the commonly used cancer treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy, kill tumor cells. But sometimes, after those cells have died and been cleared away, a tumor will respond by growing faster and more aggressively. And scientists don't know why.
	Life's transitions easier with a sense of a well-rounded ending, new study shows We are more likely to have positive feelings about transitioning from one stage of life to the next if we have a "well-rounded ending"—or one marked by a sense of closure.
	Lack of diversity in cell lines prevents minorities from accessing 'precision medicine' As the biomedical field races to develop therapies based on an individual's genetic makeup, a City of Hope scientist and his colleagues found that some commercial cell lines used for countless laboratory studies have mislabeled ancestry when it comes to minorities.
	International team of scientists detect cause of rare pediatric brain disorder An international effort led by physician-scientists at Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine (RCIGM), in collaboration with a team at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MCH-MUHC), has identified the cause of a devastating pediatric brain disorder paving the way for the first step in developing potential therapies for this rare neurodegenerative condition.
Study finds ultrasound can assess bone health, increase early screening for osteoporosis In a study that could lead to wide use of inexpensive ultrasound screenings for osteoporosis, researchers found data from ultrasonography of the calcaneus (heel bone) was equal to data gathered using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which is considered the gold standard for assessing bone health.
	Team discovers secret to making immune cells better cancer killers Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered a defect in immune cells known as "killer T cells" that explains their inability to destroy cancer tumors. The researchers believe that repairing this defect could make the cells much better cancer killers. Further, they predict their discovery could be used within three to five years to help identify patients who will best respond to cancer therapies.
	Be yourself at work—It's healthier and more productive At work, it's healthier and more productive just to be yourself, according to a new study from Rice University, Texas A&M University, the University of Memphis, Xavier University, Portland State University and the University of California, Berkeley.
	People with chronic pain are coping with the help of Pinterest, new study reveals A new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University that analyzed 502 posts on Pinterest about chronic pain revealed that the social media platform is helping people with chronic pain cope by sharing self-care and pain-management tips, venting about their pain's severity, and supporting others who are similarly suffering.
	Discovery of colon cancer pathway could lead to new targeted treatments University of Massachusetts Amherst food science researchers have pinpointed a set of enzymes involved in tumor growth that could be targeted to prevent or treat colon cancer.
Over half of home health care clinicians say they lack adequate information from hospitals A survey of Colorado home health care clinicians (HHCs) revealed that 60 percent said they had not received enough information to guide patient treatment while 52 percent said patients often had unrealistic expectations of the kind of care they would receive.
	New study shows red raspberries may help with glucose control in people with pre-diabetes A study released today from the Illinois Institute of Technology shows the benefits of including red raspberries in the diet of individuals with pre-diabetes and insulin resistance.
Researchers ID gene that may predict pancreatic cancer in people with type 2 diabetes Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a gene called "UCP-1" that may predict the development of pancreatic cancer in people with Type 2 diabetes. Their findings are published in Gastroenterology.
	Mini tumors could help identify personalized treatments for people with rare cancers UCLA scientists have developed a new method to quickly screen hundreds of drugs in order to identify treatments that can target specific tumors.
	You probably don't have a penicillin allergy You may think you have an allergy to penicillin, but you probably don't.
	Fewer hospital programs address opioid abuse, study finds The damage done to America's health by the opioid epidemic is well-recognized and enormous, with drug overdose death rates helping to drive down U.S. life expectancy in recent years. Yet as the problem has worsened, American hospitals collectively have seen a loss of programs dealing with substance abuse.
	Urban parks could make you happier Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Occupational Therapy have published new findings that suggest spending 20 minutes in an urban park will make someone happier regardless of whether they are engaging in exercise or not during the visit.
New protein 'switch' could be key to controlling blood-poisoning and preventing death Scientists at the University of British Columbia have discovered a new protein "switch" that could stop the progression of blood-poisoning, or sepsis, and increase the chances of surviving the life-threatening disease.
Identifying barriers to care for women with endometriosis Women face a multitude of barriers to receiving quality care for endometriosis, a chronic, often painful disease that affects approximately 10% of reproductive-age women, an estimated 200 million women and teens worldwide.
A disconnect between migrants' stories and their health While some Mexican immigrants give positive accounts about migrating to and living in the United States, their health status tells a different story.
	Don't be fooled: thermography no substitute for mammograms, FDA says (HealthDay)—Women should not be misled into thinking that thermography is an effective alternative to mammography for breast cancer screening, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned.
	Adding breakfast to classrooms may have a health downside (HealthDay)—Some schools offer breakfast in the classroom to ensure that hungry children start the day with a full stomach so they're ready to learn. But this may have an unintended consequence—it may raise the risk of childhood obesity.
	Cancers of the heart are rare—and here's why For years, Jan H. Mitchell felt terrible.
	Too often, opioid abuse runs in the family, study shows (HealthDay)—When parents abuse prescription painkillers, their teenagers may follow their example, a new study finds.
	Supermarket smarts: how to save money and eat better (HealthDay)—If supermarket circulars influence your grocery shopping, you could be saving money at the expense of your health. That's because studies show the offerings are often far from the healthiest food choices.
	Taking a bite out of food ads targeted to kids (HealthDay)—Kids can be as strongly influenced by TV commercials as by the shows themselves, and many studies have found that tempting food ads have a particularly harmful effect, contributing to childhood obesity.
	Nonmedical Rx opioid use in teens linked to parental use (HealthDay)—Nonmedical prescription opioid (NMPO) use in adolescents is associated with parental NMPO use and with smoking and parent-adolescent conflict, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in Pediatrics.
	Preoperative phone visits for cataract patients safe, efficient (HealthDay)—Phone visits can safely substitute for a standard, in-person history and physical (H&P) in patients undergoing cataract surgery, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
	Poor food intake common in hospitalized patients (HealthDay)—Approximately one-third of adult inpatients are at risk for malnutrition and poorer outcomes due to not eating their meals, despite being allowed to eat, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
	New study shows annual noninvasive stool test effective for colon cancer screening A new study by Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute provides the strongest evidence to date to support recommendations that average risk patients can safely opt for an annual, easy-to-use home stool test instead of a screening colonoscopy.
Two treatments help dialysis patients with depression, study finds For almost 50 years, hemodialysis has extended lives of people with chronic kidney disease. But when a patient first learns that their kidneys have failed and dialysis is necessary to survive, it can be a jolting overture of mortality.
	Long working hours linked to heightened depression risk in women 55+a week—is linked to a heightened risk of depression in women, suggests an observational study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
	New Ebola case in eastern DR Congo, first in 23 days A new case of Ebola has been confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in an area where authorities believed the epidemic had been brought under control after 23 days without any fresh infections.
	What is a cardiac stress test? Your heart provides blood to all parts of your body. In order to determine if it's pumping properly, your health care provider may order a cardiac stress test. It makes the heart pump harder and faster, and can reveal potential problems with blood flow.
Opinion: Why an FDA overhaul of dietary supplement industry is critical Federal Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, recently proposed several regulatory and communication initiatives that he said would lead to "one of the most significant modernizations of dietary supplement regulation" in nearly three decades.
	Documenting and decoding the dynamics between work and pain Workers suffering from chronic pain takes an immense toll on both employees and employers. Whether the pain that individuals experience is physical or psychological, constant or intermittent, or caused by work conditions or brought to the job, its effect on their productivity and wellbeing is a huge problem. Not surprisingly, work and pain are the subjects of a growing body of research, as technological advances transform healthcare at the same time as they created new challenges.
Regaining independence after hip fracture—age is the most important predictor Most middle-aged and older adults recover their ability to live independently within a year after surgery for hip fracture, reports a study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
The importance of sex-specific strategies for prevention, treatment of heart failure in women There are many important differences between women and men with heart failure, highlighting the importance of sex-specific strategies for prevention and treatment, according to three papers publishing today in JACC: Heart Failure. This special focus issue will explore heart failure in women.
	For young adult cancer survivors, debt and work-related impairments Student loans aren't the only reason young adults end up in debt. One of the largest-ever studies of work-related risks in young adult cancer survivors finds that of 872 survivors, 14.4 percent borrowed more than $10,000 and 1.5 percent said they or their family had filed for bankruptcy as a direct result of illness or treatment. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said that cancer or treatment interfered with physical demands of their job, and 54 percent said that cancer or treatment interfered with their ability to perform mental tasks related to their job. The study also showed that not all cancers and not all treatments have the same effects on young survivors' financial outcomes. For example, those exposed to chemotherapy were more than three times as likely to borrow over $10,000, and more than three times as likely to report job-related mental impairment than survivors not treated with chemotherapy.

Biology news

	Researchers complete genome of Antarctic blackfin icefish An international team has unveiled the genome of the Antarctic blackfin icefish, opening a genetic window on fish that evolved over the last 77 million years to survive in temperatures below the freezing point of freshwater.
	Migrating blue whales rely on memory more than environmental cues to find prey Blue whales reach their massive size by relying on their exceptional memories to find historically productive feeding sites rather than responding in real time to emerging prey patches, a new study concludes.
	Plants' drought alert system has unlikely evolutionary origin: underwater algae Plants' water-to-land leap marks one of the most important milestones in the evolution of life on Earth. But how plants managed this transition when faced with unfamiliar challenges such as drought and bright light has been unclear.
	Early life stress alters helping behavior of meerkat offspring Parents make sacrifices to allow their children to have better lives than they did, but this isn't the case for Kalahari meerkat mothers, according to a new University of Michigan study.
	Light-driven signaling of bacteria may provide clues to defeat dangerous infections From the complex to the simple, all life forms have mechanisms for translating environmental cues into cellular behavior that helps them survive. This universal activity may hold the key to understanding how common bacteria transform into virulent, deadly infections in humans, but the multifaceted protein sensing and signaling processes that allow lifeforms to adapt are poorly understood in even the simplest bacteria. A newly published paper in PNAS details how researchers at the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at The Graduate Center of The City University of New York are using blue light and bacteria called Erythrobacter litoralis to unlock previously unknown details of one of these processes. Their findings could ultimately help drug developers create novel, more effective antibiotics and antifungal treatments.
	New comparative study on DNA modifications across the fungal tree of life DNA activity can change without changing the sequence of the DNA segment itself. Gene activation and inactivation can be the basis for how species produce unique individuals. Some processes that change gene activity are well understood in the context of model species. However, scientists are still grappling with how some processes, like DNA methylation, change gene activity in many diverse organisms. Broader theories applicable to all species have proven elusive, given the amount of natural variability on Earth.
	Scientists lay foundation for single-cell level understanding of DNA replication A research team has established a novel method to scrutinize DNA replication in individual cells. This method allowed them to obtain a detailed genome-wide view of replicated and unreplicated sequence distribution in each cell. They also succeeded in discriminating paternally and maternally derived homologous chromosomes in each cell by utilizing single-nucleotide variations between parents, making it possible to successfully visualize how each chromosome in the cell is replicated.
	How bacteria mobility is like human locomotion Do bacteria control their "walks" like we do? It might sound strange, but it's a fundamental question. Understanding bacteria motility would not only expand our understanding of their behavior, but would also contribute to the fight against certain aggressive pathogens. However, the question has gone unanswered because microbiologists have lacked the tools to visualize bacterial filaments directly.
	The secret behind witchweed's devastating ability to steal nutrients from crops Commonly known as "witchweed," the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica devastates crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists have discovered a unique protein in Striga that helps sustain its high transpiration. Striga uses transpiration to effectively steal water and nutrients from its hosts, so this protein could provide a new target for controlling Striga. The findings were published on February 25 in Nature Plants.
	Honeybees' waggle dance no longer useful in some cultivated landscapes For bees and other social insects, being able to exchange information is vital for the success of their colony. One way honeybees do this is through their waggle dance, which is a unique pattern of behavior, which probably evolved more than 20 million years ago. A bee's waggle dance tells its sisters in the colony where to find a high-quality source of food. However, in recent years, people have begun to study the actual benefits of this dance language. Biologists at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany have now shed some new light on the benefits and disadvantages of the bee dance.
	Mongooses enjoy lifelong benefits of 'silver spoon effect' The benefits of the 'silver spoon effect' in mongoose pups extend across their lifetime, a new study has shown.
	Scientists eavesdrop on DNA synthesizer to steal genetic blueprint During the DNA synthesis process in a laboratory, recordings can be made of the subtle, telltale noises made by synthesis machines. And those captured sounds can be used to reverse-engineer valuable, custom-designed genetic materials used in pharmaceuticals, agriculture and other bioengineering fields.
	Scientists uncover genetic roadmap of cultivated strawberry Consumers want strawberries to be red, sweet, ripe and juicy, like those fresh picked from a garden. Suppliers want them to be easy to handle and ship, without getting squished. Commercial strawberry growers need their crops to be high-yielding and disease-resistant.
	Material that shields beetle from being burned by its own weapons, holds promise Carabid beetles produce caustic chemicals they spray to defend themselves against predators, and the compound that protects their bodies from these toxic substances shows promise for use in bioengineering or biomedical applications, according to Penn State researchers.
	How genetic background shapes individual differences within a species Study reveals how genetic background influences trait inheritance laying the grounds for predicting personal risk of disease.
	Controversial Roundup weed killer on trial again in US The controversial Roundup weed killer goes on trial again Monday in the United States, six months after a groundskeeper won the first-ever lawsuit accusing the chemical of causing cancer.
	Faced with choice overload, Indian farmers say, 'I'll have what he's having' Suicide rates among Indian farmers remain high, accounting for more than 12,500 deaths in the country in 2015, according to a government report. While many have blamed climate change for farmers' distress, the issue is likely much more complex.
	Plant communities do not take the same route from A to B as from B to A Ecologists at Umeå University in Sweden have discovered that plant communities follow different trajectories when they adapt to dryer conditions than when they adapt to more frequently flooded conditions. Further, in two side studies in the same experiment they found that flooding history of the vegetation alter the response of germinating seeds and of litter decomposition to the current conditions.
	West Coast's biggest starfish vanishing amid disease, warming oceans, study finds Once a common delight of every beachcomber, sunflower starfish—the large, multi-armed starfish sometimes seen underwater at the near shore—are imperiled by disease and ocean warming along the West Coast.
	Scientists complete first UK-wide assessment of changes in plankton community Scientists have completed the first ever assessment of how plankton communities are changing in coastal waters and shelf seas around the UK.
A study on Bonelli's eagles urges a reduction in human-wildlife conflict A study carried out by the University of Alicante (UA) by Vertebrate Zoology Research Group and the University of Valencia (UV) Cavanilles Institute on Bonelli's eagles warns of the serious impact that recreational activities in natural parks have on this endangered species, and urges governments to take actions to reduce human pressure on wildlife. The study has been published in journal Biological Conservation.
	Wild carnivores stage a comeback in Britain Once-endangered carnivorous mammals such as otters, polecats and pine martens have staged a remarkable comeback in Britain in recent decades, a new review shows.
	Non-native pest-controlling wasp identified in Canada prior to formal approval Thought to be Canada's most promising potential defense against the brown marmorated stink bug—a globally spreading agricultural pest native to Asia—the samurai wasp (another species from Asia and natural parasitoid of the former) has been considered for future release in the country in recent years.
	Roundup weed killer contributed to man's cancer, 1st US federal trial told The controversial weed killer Roundup was a "substantial factor" in the cancer of a US man who woke up one day with a lump in his throat and was soon diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, his lawyer said Monday, opening the first US federal trial of its kind.
	Iceland to keep hunting up to 2,130 whales over 5 years Iceland's whaling industry will be allowed to keep hunting whales for at least another five years, killing up to 2,130 baleen whales under a new quota issued by the government.
	Poachers kill elephant in Cambodia wildlife sanctuary An elephant has been found dead with its tusks and tail sliced off in a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia, where wild elephant numbers have dwindled to just a few hundred due to poaching and deforestation.
	Spring migration is now earlier in European and North American birds According to a new study, migratory birds in Europe and Canada have substantially advanced the timing of their spring migration due to climate change. The average migratory bird has advanced its spring migration by approximately one week in five decades, and the duration of the migration season has increased.

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