Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Feb 26

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for February 26, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

A new study explores humor in word embeddings

When sand-slithering snakes behave like light waves

NASA study reproduces origins of life on ocean floor

Species evolve ways to back up life's machinery

Astronomers investigate extreme variability of the 'Big Dipper' active galactic nucleus

New material holds promise for more secure computing

Electrically-heated silicate glass appears to defy Joule's first law

'Immunizing' quantum bits so that they can grow up

Most laptops vulnerable to attack via peripheral devices, say researchers

Humans struggle to identify snail shell shades, but technology reveals true colors

'Star Wars' characters' costumes reflect shift from power to romance

'Silent-type' cells play greater role in brain behavior than previously thought

CRISPR reveals the secret life of antimicrobial peptides

Study traces the origins of Chikungunya in Brazil

Understanding the rich social lives of animals benefits international conservation efforts

Astronomy & Space news

	NASA study reproduces origins of life on ocean floor Scientists have reproduced in the lab how the ingredients for life could have formed deep in the ocean 4 billion years ago. The results of the new study offer clues to how life started on Earth and where else in the cosmos we might find it.
	Astronomers investigate extreme variability of the 'Big Dipper' active galactic nucleus Astronomers have carried out an observational campaign to study the extreme variability of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) SDSS J2232−0806, nicknamed the Big Dipper. Results of these observations, described in a paper published February 18 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed some new light on the nature of this variability.
	ALMA differentiates two birth cries from a single star—strong evidence of independent origins for two gas flows Astronomers have unveiled the enigmatic origins of two different gas streams from a baby star. Using ALMA, they found that the slow outflow and the high speed jet from a protostar have misaligned axes and that the former started to be ejected earlier than the latter. The origins of these two flows have been a mystery, but these observations provide telltale signs that these two streams were launched from different parts of the disk around the protostar.
	NASA selects mission to study space weather from space station NASA has selected a new mission that will help scientists understand and, ultimately, forecast the vast space weather system around our planet. Space weather is important because it can have profound impacts – affecting technology and astronauts in space, disrupting radio communications and, at its most severe, overwhelming power grids.
	Image: What remains of the stars This swirling palette of colours portrays the life cycle of stars in a spiral galaxy known as NGC 300.
	Israeli spacecraft hits first snag on lunar voyage An Israeli spacecraft that blasted off last week for the country's first attempted lunar landing has encountered a technical glitch on its voyage to the moon.

Technology news

	A new study explores humor in word embeddings Advances in the field of AI have enabled the development of tools that can understand a variety of languages and communicate with humans. However, there are still aspects of human communication that AI systems struggle with, one of which is humor.
	Most laptops vulnerable to attack via peripheral devices, say researchers Many modern laptops and an increasing number of desktop computers are much more vulnerable to hacking through common plug-in devices than previously thought, according to new research.
	Memory cards: Announcing microSD Express data speed boost If your skin reacts badly to tidal onslaughts of acronyms, seek ointment or just avoid Monday 's headline tsunami over a new standard called microSD Express.
	Business analysts suggest that renewable hydrogen is already cost competitive in niche applications Two business management analysts with the Technical University of Munich and the University of Mannheim have conducted a study of two wind-power based hydrogen production facilities in Germany and the U.S. to find out if investors should consider such efforts as viable opportunities. In their paper published in the journal Nature Energy, Gunther Glenk and Stefan Reichelstein claim that their analysis shows that such efforts are, indeed, cost competitive in niche applications, and thus should be considered as sound investment opportunities.
	New AI approach bridges the 'slim-data gap' that can stymie deep learning approaches Scientists have developed a deep neural network that sidesteps a problem that has bedeviled efforts to apply artificial intelligence to tackle complex chemistry—a shortage of precisely labeled chemical data. The new method gives scientists an additional tool to apply deep learning to explore drug discovery, new materials for manufacturing, and a swath of other applications.
	Signals from distant lightning could help secure electric substations Side channel signals and bolts of lightning from distant storms could one day help prevent hackers from sabotaging electric power substations and other critical infrastructure, a new study suggests.
	Research to help mobile phones act smarter and last longer Melbourne researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to predict when users will reach for their mobile phone, helping people to maximise phone battery life.
	How machines teach us to be more innovative Technology still cannot simulate human intelligence to solve complex problems, in a variable environment and with partial information. But it is getting closer. An example is the case of autonomous vehicles, able to make optimal decisions in real time, thanks to complex algorithms that take into account multiple data.
	Eighteen countries showing the way to carbon zero Eighteen countries from developed economies have had declining carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels for at least a decade. While every nation is unique, they share some common themes that can show Australia, and the world, a viable path to reducing emissions.
	Robocalls are unstoppable – 3 questions answered about why your phone won't quit ringing When your phone rings, there's about a 50 percent chance it's a spam robocall. That's not probability – it's what the U.S. government agency regulating telecommunications says. U.S. mobile phone users received 48 billion robocalls in 2018 alone – more than 100 calls per line.
	I build mathematical programs that could discover the drugs of the future Discovering and designing a new drug is one of the most challenging tasks in the biological sciences. It takes over 10 years and about US$2.6 billion to bring an average drug to market.
	Humor is both a hurdle and a gauge to improve AI, human interaction Ask any smart virtual assistant to tell you a joke and the response is, well, lackluster. A flat, robotic voice drones out some simplistic humor. No laughter, no tone and no concern if you are even listening.
	Mobile tech is going to the dogs... literally Is your dog getting enough exercise? Who will change your cat's litter box while you are away on holiday?
	Exposing flaws in metrics for user login systems How good is the research on the success or failure of the system that verifies your identity when you log into a computer, smartphone or other device?
	US appeals court clears AT&T's $81B purchase of Time Warner A federal appeals court on Tuesday cleared AT&T's takeover of Time Warner, rejecting the Trump administration's claims that the $81 billion deal will harm consumers and reduce competition in the TV industry.
	Fiat Chrysler: $4.5B plan would add 6,500 Detroit-area jobs Fiat Chrysler on Tuesday announced a $4.5 billion plan to build the first new auto assembly plant in Detroit in almost three decades and increase its workforce in the area by about 6,500 jobs, an investment officials touted as an uncommon opportunity to revive the region's economy.
	US judge gives Musk 2 weeks to justify controversial tweets A federal judge on Tuesday gave Tesla's irascible Chief Executive Elon Musk two weeks to explain why he should be spared from being held in contempt for violating a settlement with US regulators.
New US antitrust task force could unwind tech mergers A US regulator Tuesday announced the launch of an antitrust task force to focus on competition in the tech sector and consider challenging mergers and tie-ups retroactively.
	US lawmakers kick off debate over online privacy US lawmakers opened a debate Tuesday over privacy legislation in the first step by Congress toward regulation addressing a series of troublesome data protection abuses by tech firms.
	French carmaker PSA boosts outlook after 'historic year' French auto giant PSA, which produces the Citroen and Peugeot brands, said Tuesday it had boosted its profit outlook after recording a "historic year" in 2018 despite the car industry facing "strong headwinds".
	BASF counts on 2019 rebound after annual profits slump German chemicals giant BASF said Tuesday a restructuring, expansion and a worldwide economic rebound should help it to a stronger 2019, after its bottom line last year was battered by headwinds for vital customer industries and for global trade.
	EU clears RWE takeover of EON electricity generation assets The EU on Tuesday approved RWE's acquisition of fellow German energy company EON's renewable and nuclear generation assets as part of a major asset swap.
	French group Thales forecasts profit rise after 'excellent' 2018 French defence and electronics giant Thales said Tuesday it exceeded all of its targets during an "excellent" 2018, forecasting higher profits for this year.
Egypt to host Huawei's first MENA cloud platform: Cairo Egypt will host Chinese telecom company Huawei's first cloud data platform in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt's telecom ministry said in a statement.
	GM sued by union over plan to shut US plants The United Auto Workers filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block General Motors' plan to shutter three factories as part of a cost-cutting plan announced late last year.
	Dutch government takes stake in Air-France KLM The Netherlands has bought a stake in Air France-KLM in a bid to match the French state's influence over the airline, the Dutch finance minister said Tuesday.
AT&T's Time Warner takeover has already reshaped media world A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld AT&T's $81 billion takeover of Time Warner, approving one of the biggest media deals on record in the face of opposition from the Trump administration.

Medicine & Health news

	'Silent-type' cells play greater role in brain behavior than previously thought Brain cells recorded as among the least electrically active during a specific task may be the most important to doing it right.
	CRISPR reveals the secret life of antimicrobial peptides When it comes to the immune system, we usually think about lymphocytes like B and T cells or macrophages going on constant seek-and-destroy missions against invading pathogens like bacteria and viruses. But our immune system actually includes a lesser-known and less-studied first line of defense referred to as "innate immunity".
	Study traces the origins of Chikungunya in Brazil New evidence suggests that Chikungunya virus arrived in Brazil at least one year earlier than it was detected by public health surveillance systems. Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and Fundação Oswaldo Cruz published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.
	New gene variation which causes motor neurone disease discovered in novel biological pathway Scientists have discovered a new gene varitation that causes motor neurone disease (MND) in a novel biological pathway that until now hasn't been linked with neurodegeneration.
Review suggests a reciprocal relationship between obesity and self-control In a review published February 26 in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, researchers explore the age-old chicken-or-the-egg conundrum but this time looking at whether obesity reduces self-control or if reduced self-control leads to obesity. The authors argue that the short answer is both, and it is largely due to activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is not only affected by our dietary choices, but can also influence it.
	Steroid treatment for premature babies linked to low birth weight Steroid injections given to mothers at risk of giving birth prematurely are linked to babies being born with lower body weights.
	Researchers develop modular approach to engineering immune cells Yale researchers have developed a new way to efficiently engineer immune cells, an advance which enhances the ability to fend off cancer and other diseases, they report in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Nature Methods.
	New skeletal disease found and explained Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered a new and rare skeletal disease. In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, they describe the molecular mechanism of the disease, in which small RNA molecules play a role that has never before been observed in a congenital human disease. The results are important for affected patients but can also help scientists to understand other rare diagnoses.
	Researchers identify possible role of Foxp1 protein in control of autoimmune diseases Scientists at the Higher School of Economics, the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center created a genetic model that helps to understand how the body restrains autoimmune and oncological diseases. The researchers published their results in Nature Immunology.
	Oxygen-tracking method could improve diabetes treatment Transplanting pancreatic islet cells into patients with diabetes is a promising alternative to the daily insulin injections that many of these patients now require. These cells could act as a bioartificial pancreas, monitoring blood glucose levels and secreting insulin when needed.
	Study suggests Pavlovian response might be more complicated than thought A small team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology has found evidence that suggests the famous Pavlovian response might be more complicated than previously thought. In their paper published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, the group describes four experiments they carried out with volunteers and what they learned from them. Hillary Raab and Catherine Hartley with New York University have published a News and Views piece in the same journal issue in which they discuss the experiments and findings by the researchers.
	Face it. Our faces don't always reveal our true emotions Actor James Franco looks sort of happy as he records a video diary in the movie "127 Hours." It's not until the camera zooms out, revealing his arm is crushed under a boulder, that it becomes clear his goofy smile belies his agony.
	Study sheds more light on genes' 'on/off' switches It takes just 2 percent of the human genome to code for all of the proteins that make cellular functions—from producing energy to repairing tissues—possible.
	Inhibiting cancer-causing protein could prevent scleroderma fibrosis A protein known to play a role in cancer may also be increasing fibrosis in scleroderma patients.
	Inside the brains of hungry worms, researchers find clues about how they hunt Perpetually hungry, worms are strategic when it comes to searching for food. The microscopic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, is known to spend up to 20 minutes seeking out snacks in its immediate surroundings before endeavoring to look elsewhere. Now, Rockefeller scientists have identified circuits in the C. elegans brain that underlie this behavior. In a new study, published in Neuron, the researchers describe neural mechanisms responsible for local search, showing that this response can be triggered by either smell- or touch-related cues.
	You recognize your face even when you don't 'see' it Given the limited capacity of our attention, we only process a small amount of the sights, sounds, and sensations that reach our senses at any given moment—what happens to the stimuli that reach our senses but don't enter awareness? Research suggests that certain stimuli—specifically, your own face—can influence how you respond without you being aware of it. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association of Psychological Science.
	Few kids' multivitamin products supply recommended daily vitamin D dose Few multivitamin products for children supply the recommended dose of 400 IU a day of vitamin D, suggest the results of a survey of 91 different products, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Stop recruiting children, UK Armed Forces urged One in four UK army recruits is under the age of 18, but there is no justification for this state policy, which is harmful to teen health and should be stopped, argue experts in an editorial in the online journal BMJ Paediatrics Open.
	New parents face six years of disrupted sleep The birth of a child has drastic short-term effects on new mothers' sleep, particularly during the first three months after birth. Researchers at the University of Warwick have also found sleep duration and satisfaction is decreased up to six years after giving birth for both parents.
New study shows use of medication abortion rebounded in Texas after FDA label change A new Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) study shows that use of medication abortion, also known as "the abortion pill," bounced back in Texas after a March 2016 label change by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The label change impacted the use of mifepristone, one of the two medications used for medication abortion, and essentially nullified the restrictions put in place in 2013 by Texas House Bill 2 (HB 2), legislation that contributed to a large decline in medication abortion use.
Brexit will cause significant harm to the NHS, but No-Deal Brexit presents by far the worst option All forms of Brexit will negatively impact the UK National Health Service (NHS), but the prospect of a No-Deal Brexit presents by far the worst scenario, with negative effects on the health care workforce, NHS financing, availability of medicines and vaccines, sharing of information and medical research, according to a new Health Policy review published in The Lancet.
	Using one germ to fight another when today's antibiotics fail Bacteria lodged deep in Ella Balasa's lungs were impervious to most antibiotics. At 26, gasping for breath, she sought out a dramatic experiment—deliberately inhaling a virus culled from sewage to attack her superbug.
Diabetics stock up on insulin over Brexit fears Diabetics and insulin providers in Britain are stockpiling the precious medicine to avoid potential shortages in case Britain leaves the European Union without a deal in just over month's time.
	Hospital-to-home transition care may not help patients with heart failure Providing additional health-care services for heart failure patients to help them transition from hospital to home does not improve their outcome, according to research led by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS).
	New genetic test improves safety of inflammatory bowel disease treatments A genetic discovery will make treatment for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis safer, by identifying patients who are at risk of potentially deadly drug side effects.
	Safety of overlapping surgeries A surgeon sometimes moves from one surgery to the next before the first one is completed, leaving junior surgeons, residents and physician assistants to complete the noncritical portions of the procedure.
Lowering lactose and carbs in milk does not help severely malnourished children Treating hospitalized, severely malnourished children with a lactose-free, reduced-carbohydrate milk formula does not improve clinical outcomes, according to a study published February 26 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Robert Bandsma of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, James Berkley of the KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya, and colleagues.
	World's first skin atlas to see the light of day Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have compiled an atlas of the protein composition of the human skin. It will be released today at a scientific symposium held in connection with the inauguration of the university's new skin research center. The atlas is based on supercomputer analyses and provides invaluable knowledge of psoriasis, eczema, allergies and autoimmune diseases.
	A reward now or later? Exploring impulsivity in Parkinson's disease patients Promises of food, sums of money or entertaining pastimes: it does not matter what the temptation is, a new study shows that patients suffering from Parkinson's disease who are treated with Deep Brain Stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus are not more impulsive than others when making decisions about a stimulus that they find particularly appealing. "Deep Brain Stimulation" (DBS) is an effective surgical technique widely used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease. However, the same technique can expose patients to changes in behaviour and in decision-making processes, for example towards food. This alteration could make them adopt risk behaviours. And yet, a study, conducted by a team led by Marilena Aiello and Raffaella Rumiati, Director of Laboratorio Neuroscienze e Società of SISSA, in association with the "Ospedali Riuniti" of Trieste and the "Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria" Santa Maria della Misericordia of Udine and published on Journal of Neurology, has found that these alterations do not seem to affect all forms of decision. To establish this, the scientists devised and conducted an experiment, which placed the patients in front of a crucial choice: have a small prize immediately or a bigger one, later. The results that emerged from the research add an important element to understanding the disease and the benefits and problems of the DBS technique, opening up interesting clinical and research prospects.
	Awareness campaigns not enough to stop superbug crisis in developing countries In a landmark study of health behaviours in developing countries, Global Sustainable Development research at the University of Warwick has found that awareness campaigns alone are not enough to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and, in fact, could risk making the superbug crisis worse.
	Wilson disease: Genetic mutation "protects" against fatty liver and ensures better prognosis Wilson disease (copper storage disease) is a rare genetic disorder in which one or more genetic mutations disrupt copper metabolism in the liver. At some point, the liver becomes incapable of eliminating copper with bile, and copper accumulates in the liver, eyes and central nervous system. This results in serious liver damage and neurological problems inter alia. MedUni Vienna researchers led by hepatologist Peter Ferenci have now discovered that a recently described genetic mutation protects against fatty liver – apparently via vitamin A metabolism –and also ensures a better outcome for Wilson disease patients. In future, this finding could prove very useful in the personalised treatment of such patients.
	Fetal growth inhibited by cocktail of chemicals in the mother They make many everyday things easier, such as keeping children's feet dry in waterproofed boots, stopping the meat balls sticking to the frying pan and making it easier to clean the carpet. But these environmental chemicals, the perfluorinated substances, have a wide range of damaging effects, with the most recent turning out to be reduced growth in fetuses.
	Why your face looks the way it does Is your face long? Wide? Big nose? Small ears? High forehead?
	Poor mental health linked to rising rates of chronic disease New research led by researchers from The University of Western Australia suggests that poor mental health may be behind an increase in chronic disease in Australia.
	Reaching for objects while driving may raise teen crash risk nearly sevenfold Teenagers who reach for objects, such as food or makeup, while driving increase their risk of crashing nearly seven times, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Their study, which appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, also found that manually dialing, texting or browsing the web on a phone while driving doubled a teen's crash risk.
	Researchers discover why people with Laron dwarfism don't get diabetes University of Queensland researchers have discovered a hidden metabolic advantage that prevents people with a specific type of dwarfism from developing type 2 diabetes or cancer.
	Novel 5-minute workout improves blood pressure, may boost your brain Could working out five minutes a day, without lifting a single weight or jogging a single step, reduce your heart attack risk, help you think more clearly and boost your sports performance?
	Surgery for uncomplicated appendicitis in adults is effective and safe Researchers found that more than 97 percent of the surgeries for appendicitis were laparoscopic, or minimally invasive, and most patients were discharged the same day or the next day. Only 3 percent of the procedures resulted in complications. Rates of unnecessary surgery—removing a "normal" appendix—were low (less than 4 percent), but were much higher in people without imaging studies before their operation (nearly 20 percent). Finally, 1 percent of patients overall had underlying tumors in their appendix; in people ages 65 and older, it was nearly 3 percent.
	A gene involved in ADHD could be related to addictive substance use Some variations in the gene LPHN3, associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults, could favour the likelihood to smoke, consume alcohol, cannabis and other addictive substances, according to an article published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, from the Nature Publishing Group.
	Heatwave misperceptions lead to danger South Australians don't see heatwaves as serious events and warnings do little more than 'trigger' common-sense behaviours like turning on the air-conditioner, new research from the University of Adelaide shows.
	Israeli company plans to make insulin injections obsolete Modern medicine sometimes really is a miracle, with many illnesses and conditions that in the past spelled sure death now treatable and curable. Not only is medicine effective, but in recent years it's becoming more convenient, futuristic and innovative.
	Improved outlook for people of African descent with treatment-resistant schizophrenia A study led by researchers at Cardiff University means that more people of African descent who have treatment-resistant schizophrenia could be safely given the drug best proven to manage their symptoms.
	Robust and specific gene regulation tool developed for primary brain neurons A powerful new tool is available for neuroscience investigation into brain development, the mechanisms of memory and learning, and the role of brain dysregulation in neuropsychiatric diseases like addiction, depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
	Cancer survivors urgently need funded rehabilitation care There are now more than 17 million cancer survivors in North America and this number is expected to increase to close to 30 million by 2040.
	What is Murray Valley encephalitis virus? Western Australian health authorities recently issued warnings about Murray Valley encephalitis, a serious disease that can spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and cause inflammation of the brain.
	How do professional football players perform under immense pressure? Professional football players need to keep a cool head during a match, but some are better at this than others. Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be immune to pressure, while Neymar's performance crumbles under it. It's one of the remarkable findings of a study conducted by KU Leuven and data intelligence company SciSports. They're presenting their results at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston in March.
	Origin of resistance to lung-cancer drug discovered Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Nature Communications that AXL, a protein belonging to the class of receptor tyrosine kinases, causes some lung cancer patients to have an intrinsic resistance to the drug osimertinib. The combined application of osimertinib and an AXL inhibitor is shown to limit intrinsic resistance to the drug.
	Medications—As many as needed, as few as possible A third of all patients in general practice suffer from multiple diseases. These patients are usually treated by various medical specialists who often do not adequately coordinate their prescriptions. The mixture of pills may not only have serious side effects; it also strains and unsettles many patients. The appointment of Professor Marjan van den Akker as new "Endowed Chair for Polypharmacy and Health Services Research" at Goethe University's Institute of General Practice should help to improve this situation.
	Test can predict how people with leukaemia will respond to chemotherapy The first test to quickly and accurately predict how people will respond to standard treatment for the most common type of leukaemia has been developed at Cardiff University. The technology could guide doctors' decisions on which drugs to give to patients.
	Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases risk of ADHD among offspring up to three-fold The higher the cotinine levels were in the mother's blood during pregnancy, the greater was the child's risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in life, showed an epidemiological study conducted by the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry at the University of Turku in Finland. Globally, it is the first study in which the connection between fetal nicotine exposure and diagnosis of ADHD was shown by measuring cotinine levels from pregnant maternal serum specimens.
	THC more important for therapeutic effects in cannabis than previously believed Researchers at The University of New Mexico recently solved a major gap in scientific literature by using mobile software technology to measure the real-time effects of actual cannabis-based products used by millions of people every day.
	People who watch beheading videos are motivated by fear of terrorism, study finds About one in five adults in a representative sample of Americans had watched at least part of a beheading video created and posted online by the Islamic State group (formerly known as ISIS), according to a new study by the University of California, Irvine.
	Family members could play key role in identifying dementia warning signs before diagnosis, new study finds A new study has revealed that family caregivers and professional care assistants can retrospectively identify signs of dementia in those who go on to develop the condition, which could lead to earlier diagnosis of the illness.
	The power of language: We translate our thoughts into words, but words also affect the way we think Have you ever worried in your student years or later in life that time may be starting to run out to achieve your goals? If so, would it be easier conveying this feeling to others if there was a word meaning just that? In German, there is. That feeling of panic associated with one's opportunities appearing to run out is called Torschlusspanik.
	Brain response to mom's voice differs in kids with autism For most children, the sound of their mother's voice triggers brain activity patterns distinct from those triggered by an unfamiliar voice. But the unique brain response to mom's voice is greatly diminished in children with autism, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
	Researchers block two cancer cell signaling pathways and slow tumor growth Blocking two molecular pathways that send signals inside cancer cells could stave off esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), the most common esophageal malignancy in the United States, according to new research from a team led by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The group identified the pathways using advanced computational and genetic analyses of tumor biopsies from EAC patients. They found 80 percent of tumors had unusually active genes related to two specific pathways, and that exposing the cells to pathway inhibitors stymied EAC tumor growth in mice.
	Inherited mutations may play a role in pancreatic cancer development A small, retrospective study has found that, in patients with particular pancreatic duct lesions, the presence of an inherited mutation in a pancreatic cancer susceptibility gene may increase the patients' risk of developing pancreatic cancer. To verify these results and learn more about the development of this deadly cancer, the researchers recommend more genetic studies. Their hope—in line with the goals of precision medicine—is to eventually find a better way to guide patient care, dividing patients, for example, into those who need regular screening versus immediate surgery or other early interventions.
	Cancer genes' age and function strongly influence their mutational status Researchers have provided new insight on why some genes that formed during the evolution of the earliest animals on earth are particularly impaired (or dysregulated) by specific mechanisms during cancer development.
	Cancer survivors see mostly positives in how they have changed Two years after diagnosis, breast cancer survivors have four times more positive than negative thoughts about changes they experienced because of their illness, a new study found.
	Scientists provide new insight on how the nose adapts to smells Our noses may be able to adapt themselves to tell the brain, as efficiently as possible, about the most typical smells in our environment, suggests new research published in eLife.
Drug interactions in ER's common but preventable, study finds In a recent Rutgers study, 38 percent of patients discharged from the emergency department had at least one drug interaction resulting from a newly prescribed medicine.
	Online intervention shows promise in HIV prevention More than 67 percent of all new HIV infections in the United States in 2016 occurred as a result of transmission through sexual contact among men who have sex with men (MSM). Young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YGBMSM) are particularly at risk, accounting for 81 percent of new HIV infections among people ages 13 to 24. YGBMSM's risks for HIV coincide with developmental milestones as they transition into adulthood, including their exploration and pursuit of sexual and romantic relationships. At present, many of those explorations take place over the Internet, as evidenced by the increasing use and popularity of social networking and dating sites.
	An existing drug may have therapeutic potential in mitochondrial disease New preclinical findings from extensive cell and animal studies suggest that a drug already used for a rare kidney disease could benefit patients with some mitochondrial disorders—complex conditions with severe energy deficiency for which no proven effective treatments exist. Future clinical research is needed to explore whether the drug, cysteamine bitartrate, will meaningfully benefit patients.
	The 411 on nutritious, tasty seeds (HealthDay)—Nuts and seeds are often mentioned in the same breath, but nuts seem to get all the attention. Time to stop overlooking seeds—they might be tiny, but they pack in a lot of nutrients. They're also tasty and some make a filling snack.
	Young sisters share battle with different types of heart disease Having spent the day at a cousin's cookout, 25-year-old Kelli Tinney and her 27-year-old sister Amanda went back to their house, turned on the television and flopped onto the couch. They eventually both fell asleep there.
	Stereotactic radiation feasible for oligometastatic cancer (HealthDay)—Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) for recurrent oligometastatic cancer is a feasible and tolerable treatment option, according to a phase 2 study published in the January issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
	Excessive gestational weight gain tied to maternal morbidity (HealthDay)—Gestational weight gain in excess of guidelines from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is associated with increased risk of severe maternal morbidity, according to a study published in the March issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
	Should you really forgive and forget? (HealthDay)—Is forgive and forget always the right approach after hurtful behavior from your spouse or significant other?
	Program aids weight loss in patients with mental illness (HealthDay)—A behavioral weight loss intervention is effective among overweight and obese individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), regardless of their diabetes status, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Diabetes Care.
	Machine learning could eliminate unnecessary treatments for children with arthritis Arthritis is not just an ailment of old age—it can affect children too, causing lifelong pain and disability in its most severe forms. Fortunately, some kids grow out of it. Knowing which patients will develop milder forms of disease could spare them unnecessary treatment and potential medication side effects but currently doctors have no way of predicting disease course or severity.
	New method uses AI to screen for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC), Queen's University (Ontario) and Duke University have developed a new tool that can screen children for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) quickly and affordably, making it accessible to more children in remote locations worldwide.
Stopwatch set for milestone marathon in 2032 By estimating a statistical model for male and female marathon world record progressions, Dr. Angus also found that 1:58.05 is likely the fastest time that any living human being will be able to run this distance.
	Savoring ... It's not just for dinner Most of us know what it's like to savor a decadent slice of chocolate cake or a glass of our favorite wine. But savoring is a concept that goes far beyond our taste buds.
	What happens when a patient treated with radioactive drugs is cremated? In late 2017, a 69-year-old American man who had just received a lutetium 177-based radiation treatment for his pancreatic cancer died. Five days later, his remains were cremated.
	Health literacy can promote older people's health How easy is it for older individuals to understand what their doctor tells them or to evaluate whether health information in the media is reliable? A new study on older Finnish people's health literacy found that one third of 75-year-old Finns find it difficult to understand and use health-related information.
	New targets for ischemic drugs Russian scientists investigated the role of opioid receptors in protecting the heart from coronary disease: the lack of its blood supply. These receptors are mainly responsible for pain regulation. It turned out that they significantly affect the mechanism of cardioprotection. The results of the work can help to develop new drugs for ischemia. The study was published in Physiological Research.
	An educational program designed to lessen the risk of falls in children A group of researchers from the Department of Physical Education and Sport at the University of Seville have designed the educational programme Safe Fall-Safe Schools©, a pioneering initiative that aims to reduce the risk and seriousness of the injuries caused by backwards falls in children by means of the teaching of safe and protective techniques. Although it is true that backwards falls are not the most frequent, they are the most dangerous due to the risk of concussion that they bring.
	Unique augmented reality concept for image-guided minimally invasive therapies At the MWC Barcelona, one of the largest mobile events in the world, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology today unveiled a unique mixed reality concept developed together with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) for the operating room of the future. Based on the state-of-the-art technologies of Philips' industry-leading Azurion image-guided therapy platform and Microsoft's HoloLens 2 holographic computing platform, the companies will showcase novel augmented reality applications for image-guided minimally invasive therapies.
	Injectable drug aims to accelerate bone healing Every person in the U.S. will experience, on average, two broken bones in their lifetime.
Student-led rheumatology interest group increases interest in field According to data from the 2005 and 2016 American College of Rheumatology Workforce Studies, a significant increase in the demand for rheumatologists is expected in the coming years. However, the number of trained rheumatologists is declining.
	Artificial intelligence could predict spread of melanoma An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in Dallas have developed groundbreaking technology to identify melanoma cells that are likely to metastasize to other parts of the body using artificial intelligence (AI).
Study reveals that night and weekend births have substantially higher risk of delivery complications As if expecting mothers didn't have enough to worry about, a new study published in Risk Analysis: An International Journal found that the quantity of delivery complications in hospitals are substantially higher during nights, weekends and holidays, and in teaching hospitals.

Biology news

	Species evolve ways to back up life's machinery Scientists have learned a lot about evolution by studying fossils, by observing nature and, more recently, by unraveling the genetic code stored in DNA.
	Humans struggle to identify snail shell shades, but technology reveals true colors They're neither white and gold or black and blue. But in an optical puzzle akin to The Dress, colourful snails are causing scientists at the University of Nottingham to turn to technology to definitively decide whether some snails' shells are pink or brown.
	Understanding the rich social lives of animals benefits international conservation efforts An international group of researchers working on a wide range of species, from elephants and crows, to whales and chimpanzees, argues that animals' cultural knowledge needs to be taken into consideration when planning international conservation efforts.
	The paper mulberry coevolved with soil microbes to humanity's benefit The paper mulberry evolved its uniquely fibrous inner bark around 31 million years ago, long before the woody tree was first used for bookmaking during China's Tang dynasty. This adaptation, which makes the nutrient-rich plant easy to pass through foraging animals, may have been its way of feeding nearby soil microbes. Botanists in China discovered this connection in the first analysis of the Broussonetia papyrifera genome, published February 26 in the journal Molecular Plant.
	Researchers discover the secret to bats' immunity An international research team led by Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, has identified molecular and genetic mechanisms that allow bats to stay healthy while hosting viruses that kill other animals, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
	Do copy cats really exist? New study shows that cats may reflect their owner's personality Cat owners' personalities may be influencing the behaviour of their pets, new research suggests.
	Distorted, stretched DNA may increase risk of off-target changes with CRISPR-Cas9 Distortions to DNA, which occur routinely during gene expression and other cellular processes, could lead to off-target changes to the genome when using CRISPR-Cas9, a new study suggests. The Medical Research Council scientists behind the research say that their findings may help to pave the way to improve on the accuracy of gene editing for clinical applications.
	Researchers find the immune system's unknown messenger Researchers can now explain how a cell that is being attacked by bacteria or viruses specifically manages to 'sound the alarm' among its neighbouring cells so they can react with a quick response.
	Researchers discover 'chromosome scanner' that protects against cancer In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have identified one of the main mechanisms behind the repair of serious damage to the human DNA. A 'scanner' inside the cells decides whether or not so-called flawless DNA repair, which protects against cancer, is launched.
	A new sequencing method to detect DNA modifications of relevance to cancer Ludwig Cancer Research scientists report in the current issue of Nature Biotechnology a new and improved method to detect chemical modifications to DNA. These modifications—or "epigenetic" marks—help control gene expression and their aberrant distribution across the genome.
	New chimpanzee culture discovered Chimpanzees have a more elaborate and diversified material culture than any other nonhuman primate. Their behavior varies across tropical Africa in a way that does not always correspond to ecology. For instance, only West African chimpanzees use stone and wooden hammers to crack nuts in a number of populations, despite the wide availability of hammers and appropriate nuts across the species' range. An understanding of the extent of this behavioral diversity is crucial to help researchers understand the likely incipient traditions of our own earliest hominin ancestors.
	Study shows parrots can pass classic test of intelligence Usually, calling someone a bird-brain is meant as an insult, but an African grey parrot named Griffin is rewriting the rules when it comes to avian intelligence.
	Carbon-fixing enzyme 10 times more abundant than previously thought This is how Manajit Hayer-Hartl from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany, sums up her thoughts on a new analysis that the global abundance of plants' carbon dioxide converting enzyme is an order of magnitude higher than thought: "Since I work on rubisco I'm always giving talks saying that it is the most abundant protein on Earth. Sometimes my audience will ask 'Are you really sure?' I can now say 'Yes I am.'"
	Researchers find pond bacteria grows faster during the day, suggest a genetic explanation Some of the bacteria that live in ponds, lakes and other freshwater environments grow faster during the day, even though they don't take in sunlight as an energy source, according to researchers at the University of Delaware. Special genes that absorb light could possibly explain this increased activity, as the research team recently described in the Journal of Bacteriology.
	New clue for cancer treatment could be hiding in microscopic molecular machine Buried deep within the dazzlingly intricate machinery of the human cell could lie a key to treating a range of deadly cancers, according to a team of scientists at Florida State University.
	Researchers identify how the bacterial replicative helicase opens to start DNA replication process DNA replication is a complex process in which a helicase ring separates the DNA molecule's two entwined and encoded strands, allowing each to precisely reproduce its missing half. Until recently, however, researchers have not understood how the helicase—a donut-shaped enzyme composed of six identical proteins—is able to thread just one of the strands when they are bound together. Now, new research from scientists at The Graduate Center of The City University of New York, its Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), and The City College of New York (CCNY) has solved the mystery.
Nematode odors offer possible advantage in the battle against insect pests Gardeners commonly use nematodes to naturally get rid of harmful soil-dwelling insects. A new study published today in the journal Functional Ecology revealed that these insect-killing nematodes also produce distinctive chemical cues, which deter Colorado potato beetles and make potato leaves less palatable to them.
	Maasai farmers only kill lions when they attack livestock Maasai farmers do not kill lions for retribution whenever they lose sheep or cattle, new research shows.
	Could Tassie devils help control feral cats on the mainland? Fossils say yes The Tasmanian devil – despite its name – once roamed the mainland of Australia. Returning the devil to the mainland may not only help its threatened status but could help control invasive predators such as feral cats and foxes.
	Human settlements and rainfall affect giraffe home ranges Giraffes that live close to densely populated towns have larger home ranges than giraffes that live far from towns, according to a new study by an international team of wildlife researchers from the University of Zürich, Penn State, and the Wild Nature Institute. This suggests that the giraffes in human-impacted areas need to travel longer distances—and expend more energy—to obtain critical resources. The researchers found that average rainfall also impacts giraffe home ranges, which are smaller in areas with more rain. The study was published Feb. 22 in the journal Animal Behaviour.
	Saving threatened orangutans with climate change-resilient trees A study of the International Union for Conservation of Nature has identified tree species native to Indonesia's Kutai National Park that are resilient to climate change. The species support threatened East Bornean orangutan populations; therefore, the study recommends their use in reforestation efforts. Hortus botanicus Leiden prefect Paul Kessler and former Leiden Ph.D. candidate Arbainsyah contributed to the publication.
	Tiny poplar roots extract more water than their larger counterparts after drought Our knowledge of how plant roots respond to stress is based largely on indirect data. Scientists didn't have a good way to see through soil. A team overcame that problem. They used neutron imaging. They measured water moving through the soil and being taken up by individual poplar seedling roots after a drought. Smaller diameter roots took up more water (per unit surface area) than bigger roots. Neutron imaging is used to measure soil water movement and water uptake by individual roots in situ.
	Koalas can learn to live the city life if we give them the trees and safe spaces they need Australia is one of the world's most highly urbanised nations – 90% of Australians live in cities and towns, with development concentrated along the coast. This poses a major threat to native wildlife such as the koala, which can easily fall victim to urban development as our cities grow. Huge infrastructure projects are planned for Australian cities in the coming few years.
	Is a gene-edited animal a drug? We eat mutations every day. All the vegetables, grains, fruits and meat humans consume as part of their diet is jam-packed with DNA speckled with mutations and beneficial variations.
	Insects hijack reproductive genes of grape vines to create their own living space on plant A team of scientists at The University of Toledo reports new details about the intimate relationship between insects and plants, opening the door to new possibilities in protecting grape crops worldwide from a major agricultural pest.
	Key differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNA silencing Argonaute enzyme unveiled The Argonaute (Ago) enzyme complex plays a critical role in DNA and RNA target cleavage for a process known as RNA silencing in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, making them a target for future gene-editing technology. The present study unravels key differences between prokaryotic Ago (pAgo) and eukaryotic Ago (eAgo) enzymes in the cleavage reaction and may provide important clues on their evolutionary past.
	Epigenetics: How the 'dark matter of biology' could help in the fight against plant diseases A new insight into how plants are able to epigenetically pass on resistance to their offspring in order to strengthen their immune system against pests and diseases has been discovered by scientists at the University of Sheffield.
	Tularemia bacterium hibernates and can be traced in terror attacks The bacterium that causes tularemia in animals and humans can survive in a dormant state in nature for a long time before causing new outbreaks. This according to a new doctoral thesis at Umeå University. The thesis also shows a method for tracing if the bacterium is used as a biological weapon in, for example, terrorist attacks.
	Recovering forests important to conservation, study finds Tropical forests recovering from disturbance could be much more important to the conservation of forest bird species than first thought, according to a new study.
	Tobacco plants transformed into 'green bioreactors' to benefit human health Researchers at Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute are using tobacco plants as 'green bioreactors' to produce an anti-inflammatory protein with powerful therapeutic potential.
	Radiation-resistant E. coli evolved in the lab give view into DNA repair Scientists in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Biochemistry are watching evolution happen in real time.
	Rare oarfish, seen as harbingers of doom, snagged in Japan Two rare oarfish, giant deep-sea serpents long believed by locals to be a harbinger of earthquakes and tsunamis, have been caught off the Japanese island of Okinawa.
	Meat slaughtered without stunning animals not organic: EU court Halal meat from animals slaughtered by religious ritual without having first been stunned cannot be labelled organic, on animal welfare grounds, a top European Union court ruled Tuesday.

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