Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Mar 26

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Cellular microRNA detection with miRacles

A CNN-based method to detect end-to-end multiplayer violence

Probiotic bacteria evolve inside mice's GI tracts

Mouse study examines the underpinnings of hallucinations

Ancient trash mounds suggest climate change could have hastened fall of part of Byzantine Empire

What happened before the Big Bang?

Will cyborgs be made from melanin? Pigment breakthrough enables biocompatible electronics

Study finds people who feed birds impact conservation

Physicists discover new class of pentaquarks

Greening of lakes will significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions

Protein 'spat out' by cancer cells promotes tumor growth

'Aneurysm Number' may help surgeons make treatment decisions

A fascinating phase transition from one liquid state to another

A new spin on organic semiconductors

Searching for missing anti-matter: A successful start to measurements with Belle II

Astronomy & Space news

	What happened before the Big Bang? A team of scientists has proposed a powerful new test for inflation, the theory that the universe dramatically expanded in size in a fleeting fraction of a second right after the Big Bang. Their goal is to give insight into a long-standing question: what was the universe like before the Big Bang?
	Icy giant planets in the laboratory Giant planets like Uranus and Neptune may contain much less free hydrogen than previously assumed. Researchers from the German Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) drove shock waves through two types of plastic to reach the same temperatures and pressures present inside such planets, and observed the behavior using ultra-strong X-ray laser pulses. Unexpectedly, one of these plastics kept its crystalline structure even at the most extreme pressures reached. Since the icy giant interiors are made up of the same components as the plastic, planetary models may need to be partially reconsidered, as reported in the journal Scientific Reports.
	Asteroids, hydrogen make great recipe for life on Mars A new study reveals asteroid impacts on ancient Mars could have produced key ingredients for life if the Martian atmosphere was rich in hydrogen. An early hydrogen-rich atmosphere on Mars could also explain how the planet remained habitable after its atmosphere thinned. The study used data from NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars and was conducted by researchers on Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument team and international colleagues.
	Simulating nature's cosmic laboratory, one helium droplet at a time Two astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and from the University of Jena have found an elegant new method to measure the energy of simple chemical reactions, under similar conditions as those encountered by atoms and molecules in the early solar system. Their method promises accurate measurements of reaction energies that can be used to understand chemical reactions under space conditions – including those reactions that were responsible of creating organic chemicals as the raw material for the development of life.
	Race at the edge of the sun: Ions are faster than atoms Scientists at the University of Göttingen, the Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris and the Istituto Ricerche Solari Locarno have observed that ions move faster than atoms in the gas streams of a solar prominence. The results of their study were published in The Astrophysical Journal.
	The hunt is on for closest Earth-like planets NASA's new Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is designed to ferret out habitable exoplanets, but with hundreds of thousands of sunlike and smaller stars in its camera views, which of those stars could host planets like our own?
	Two new planets discovered using artificial intelligence Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin, in partnership with Google, have used artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover two more hidden planets in the Kepler space telescope archive. The technique shows promise for identifying many additional planets that traditional methods could not catch.
	NASA scraps all-women spacewalk for lack of well-fitting suits The US space agency NASA scrapped Monday a planned historic spacewalk by two women astronauts, citing a lack of available spacesuits that would fit them at the International Space Station.
	Image: SOHO's equinox sun Last Wednesday, all locations on our planet enjoyed roughly the same number of hours of day and night. This event, called an equinox, takes place twice a year – around 20 March and then again around 23 September.
	Apollo 11 brought a message of peace to the Moon—but Neil and Buzz almost forgot to leave it behind "How about that package out of your sleeve? Get that?" is certainly not the most famous phrase uttered by a human while on the Moon. And the items nestled in a small packet that astronaut Buzz Aldrin had stowed in the pocket just below the shoulder of his extravehicular mobility unit were certainly not mission critical. They were sentimental objects, intended to be left on the Moon purely for symbolic and commemorative purposes.
	Pence calls for landing US astronauts on moon in 5 years (Update) Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday called for landing astronauts on the moon within five years, an accelerated pace that would aim to put Americans on the lunar south pole.

Technology news

	A CNN-based method to detect end-to-end multiplayer violence Researchers at China University of Petroleum (CUP), in Beijing, have recently developed a new method for multiplayer violence detection based on deep 3-D convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Their method was presented in a paper published in ICNCC 2018: Proceedings of the 2018 VII International Conference on Network, Communication and Computing.
	A new spin on organic semiconductors Researchers have found that certain organic semiconducting materials can transport spin faster than they conduct charge, a phenomenon which could eventually power faster, more energy-efficient computers.
	European Parliament adopts copyright reform in blow to big tech The European Parliament on Tuesday adopted copyright reforms championed by news publishers and the media business, in defiance of the tech giants that lobbied against it.
	Contraceptive jewelry could offer a new family planning approach Family planning for women might one day be as simple as putting on an earring.
	ASUS acknowledges computers infected by auto-update virus The Taiwanese computer company ASUS is acknowledging that suspected nation-state hackers planted malware on its online automatic update service in a sophisticated and targeted espionage operation.
	Chromium-based Edge browser yet to launch but early peeks are positive What a concept. Rebuild Microsoft Edge (yes, please do) and have it run with Chromium (hmm, ok)? That is what is happening with the Microsoft launch to come soon. And comments are already coming forth, with a build of the browser having reportedly leaked.
	US judge recommends partial ban on iPhone imports to US A US trade judge ruled Tuesday that Apple had violated a Qualcomm chipmaker patent and said she would recommend banning imports of some iPhones.
	Apple highlights privacy in new services in jab at rivals Apple says its services respect your digital boundaries—and it wants you to know it.
	Researchers: ASUS computers infected by auto-update virus In a sophisticated targeted espionage operation, hackers infected tens of thousands of computers from the Taiwanese vendor ASUS with malicious software using the company's online automatic update service, security researchers reported Monday.
	Apple's news subscription service a mixed bag for publishers On Monday, Apple launched what some have called a "Netflix for news"—a $10-a-month subscription service that offers access to hundreds of magazines and a handful of newspapers. But most major U.S. news publishers aren't participating.
	The good, bad and the unknown of Apple's new services It took a while, but finally—and with the carefully curated help of Oprah, Big Bird and Goldman Sachs—Apple has at last unveiled a new streaming TV service, its own branded credit card and a news subscription product.
	Lightening the load The heavier an aircraft is, the more fuel it needs to stay in flight. Every single part adds to the total weight of the aircraft, from the wings to the engines to the bolts that hold everything together. The many parts that make up a vehicle are traditionally made using various machining processes in which raw materials are cut into their desired final shapes. However, traditional machining processes like milling or grinding are limited when it comes to optimizing shapes for the lowest weight. These traditional machining methods have led to manufacturers creating many separate parts that fit together—but this doesn't have to be the case.
	Uber acquires Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion Ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesday it has acquired Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion, giving the San Francisco-based firm the commanding edge in a region with a large, young, tech-savvy population.
	Final push at European Parliament for EU copyright reform The European Parliament votes Tuesday on controversial copyright reforms championed by news publishers and the music business but criticised by big tech and internet freedom activists.
	Combating fatigue with a smartwatch application Scientists from EPFL, UNIL and local startup be.care have developed a system that uses heart rate variability to detect fatigue and identify what kind it is. The system then uses the results to suggest lifestyle changes that can make a difference. An initial test has been carried out on university students under real-world conditions.
	The ethics of artificial intelligence: Teaching computers to be good people When people think about artificial intelligence, or AI, they can be quick to jump to the all-too-common sci-fi depiction of a heartlessly rational computer willing to kill people to fulfill its programming.
	The future of stretchable electronics Stretchable electronics represent a promising new technology for next-generation wearable devices, according to a review published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
	In the future, everyone might use quantum computers Computers were once considered high-end technology, only accessible to scientists and trained professionals. But there was a seismic shift in the history of computing during the second half of the 1970s. It wasn't just that machines became much smaller and more powerful—though, of course, they did. It was the shift in who would use computers and where: They became available to everyone to use in their own home.
	New app can secure all your saved emails While an empty email inbox is something many people strive for, most of us are not successful. And that means that we probably have stored away hundreds, even thousands, of emails that contain all kinds of personal information we would prefer to keep private.
	Hospital using drones to fly blood samples between buildings A pioneering use of drones to fly blood samples across a North Carolina hospital campus launched Tuesday in the latest move to expand their roles in business and health care.
	Boeing holds test flights for 737 MAX fix: sources Boeing has flown test flights of its 737 MAX to evaluate a fix for the system targeted as a potential cause of two deadly plane crashes, two sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
	EU parliament backs copyright bill targeting US tech giants European Union lawmakers approved a copyright directive Tuesday to give writers and artists more protection of their creative rights and incomes, an intensely contentious measure that could have major trans-Atlantic implications for American technology companies.
	Apple tries to take a bite out of credit card industry Apple is rolling out a credit card that it says is designed to do things no other card can. So how does it actually stack up?
	UPS launches package delivery by drone American delivery giant UPS on Tuesday launched the first authorized use of unmanned drones to transport packages to recipients.
	Ethiopian official says plane crash report due this week A preliminary report on a March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people will be made public soon, but it may take months to finish the final report, a spokesman for the country's transport ministry said.
	Google, McClatchy collaborating on local news experiment Google and the McClatchy publishing company say they will work together on an experiment launching three digital-only outlets to provide local news in U.S. communities that are currently news "deserts."
	Facebook blocks more accounts over influence campaigns Facebook said Tuesday it shut down more than 2,600 fake accounts linked to Iran, Russia, Macedonia and Kosovo and aiming to influence political sentiment in various parts of the world.
	EU ignores US calls to ban Huawei in 5G security blueprint The European Commission ignored U.S. calls to ban Chinese tech supplier Huawei as it announced Tuesday a series of cybersecurity recommendations for next-generation mobile networks.

Medicine & Health news

	Mouse study examines the underpinnings of hallucinations Hallucinations result in dramatic disruptions in perception and cognition, but the changes in brain activity that underlie such alterations are not well understood. In a study publishing March 26 in the journal Cell Reports, researchers looked at how a hallucinogenic drug impacts the brains of mice at the level of individual neurons. They found that visual hallucinations may be triggered by a reduction in signaling within the visual cortex, rather than an increase, and by altered timing of when the neurons fire.
	Protein 'spat out' by cancer cells promotes tumor growth Prostate cancer cells change the behaviour of other cells around them, including normal cells, by 'spitting out' a protein from their nucleus, new research has found.
	Measurement of thoughts during knowledge acquisition In a recent learning study, researchers were able to show that new conceptual information is stored along spatial dimensions in the form of a mental map located in the hippocampus. Together with colleagues from the Donders Institute at Radboud University in Nijmegen, they observed brain activity patterns indicating that the neural mechanisms that support navigation in physical space might also be involved in conceptual learning.
	Study reveals key details about bacterium that increases risk for stomach cancer More than half of the people in the world host colonies of a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori in their stomachs.
	New studies confirm improved survival of extremely preterm babies Survival rates of extremely preterm infants have improved by leaps and bounds since the 1980s, with US and Swedish studies published this week providing new data on the trend.
	Antipsychotic meds found to be effective against bacteria that cause meningitis A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in France has found that a class of antipsychotic drugs known as phenothiazines was successful in treating a form of meningitis in mice when used with antibacterial agents. In their paper published in the journal Nature Microbiology, the group describes experiments they conducted with meningitis mouse models and what they found.
	Evidence found of neurogenesis in people up to age 87 A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Spain has found evidence of neurogenesis in the brains of people right up to old age. In their paper published in the journal Nature Medicine, the group describes their study of the brains of recently deceased people and what they found.
	Blood cells the missing link in post–exercise boost A discovery about how exercise improves brain function could be harnessed for research into ageing, and boosting learning and memory.
	Sound sense: Brain 'listens' for distinctive features in sounds For humans to achieve accurate speech recognition and communicate with one another, the auditory system must recognize distinct categories of sounds—such as words—from a continuous incoming stream of sounds. This task becomes complicated when considering the variability in sounds produced by individuals with different accents, pitches, or intonations.
	Mechanism of impaired wound healing in diabetes identified Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a mechanism that can explain the impaired wound healing in diabetes which can lead to diabetic foot ulcers. The study is published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In diabetic mice, wound healing improved when the identified signalling pathway was blocked.
	Tumor-associated immune cells hinder frontline chemotherapy drug in pancreatic cancer A frontline chemotherapy drug given to patients with pancreatic cancer is made less effective because similar compounds released by tumor-associated immune cells block the drug's action, research led by the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found.
	Untangling the brain's life-support network The portion of the brain known as the hypothalamus is small but mighty—it controls fundamental behaviors and physiology that are essential for survival. These include eating and drinking, sexual and defensive behaviors, sleep, and physiological control of things like body temperature, fluid balance, and the body's responses to stress.
	Spending too much time sitting down linked to around 50,000 deaths per year in the UK Spending large amounts of time sitting or lounging around during the day is linked to around 50,000 deaths per year in the UK and the NHS spends in excess of £0.7bn per year treating the health consequences, suggests research from Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
	Pregnant women who work nights may have a greater risk of miscarriage Working two or more night shifts in a week may increase a pregnant woman's risk of miscarriage the following week by around a third, shows a prospective study published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
	Ocular protein levels may be useful for Alzheimer testing (HealthDay)—Patients with poor cognitive function have significantly lower levels of Alzheimer disease-related biomarkers in the vitreous humor, according to a study published March 8 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
	Guidance offered for managing therapies in children with disability (HealthDay)—In a clinical report published online March 25 in Pediatrics, guidance is provided for managing therapy services for children with disabilities.
	2019 residency match day was largest in history (HealthDay)—The 2019 Main Residency Match was the largest in history, with a record high of 38,376 applicants for 35,185 positions, according to 2019 Match Day results released by the National Resident Matching Program.
	Brachytherapy boost ups survival in locally advanced cervical cancer (HealthDay)—The current standard of care (SOC) for advanced cervical cancer—external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and chemotherapy in combination with brachytherapy—provides significantly higher overall survival over chemoradiation alone; however, not all women are receiving brachytherapy, according to a study presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, held from March 16 to 19 in Honolulu.
	Aspiration noninferior to stent retriever for clot removal (HealthDay)—Aspiration is as effective as the traditional stent retriever approach for clot removal in patients presenting with large-vessel occlusion stroke, according to a study published online March 9 in The Lancet.
	US experts: Too soon to pull breast implants tied to cancer Government medical advisers said Monday it's too soon to ban a type of breast implant that has recently been linked to a rare form of cancer, saying more information is needed to understand the problem.
Virtual reality enables real-time, internal view of patient anatomy during treatment Immersive virtual reality (VR) may enable interventional radiologists to improve treatments using real-time 3-D images from inside a patient's blood vessels. New research presented today at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting shows that the interactive technology could provide faster, more efficient treatment, with less radiation exposure and greater precision, ease and confidence.
	Study shows that patients with or without cancer use different forms of marijuana People with and without cancer are more likely, over time, to use a more potent form of medical marijuana with increasingly higher amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a new study shows.
	Children develop PTSD when they 'overthink' their trauma Children are more likely to suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if they think their reaction to traumatic events is not 'normal' - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
	Widely used malaria treatment to prevent malaria in pregnant women A global team of researchers, led by a research team at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), are calling for a review of drug-based strategies used to prevent malaria infections in pregnant women, in areas where there is widespread resistance to existing antimalarial medicines.
	NUP160 genetic mutation linked to steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome Mutations in the NUP160 gene, which encodes one protein component of the nuclear pore complex nucleoporin 160 kD, are implicated in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, an international team reports March 25, 2019, in JASN. Mutations in this gene have not been associated with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome previously.
	Patient online consultation requests 'mirror' busiest surgery times Patients are using online consultations in the same way they would arrange a consultation via traditional means, a new independent evaluation by the University of Warwick reveals.
	Scientists ID new metabolic target to prevent, treat heart failure at earliest stage Researchers with The Ohio State University College of Medicine and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have identified a metabolic process in the heart that, if treated, could someday prevent or slow the progression of heart failure.
	New 'pulsing' ultrasound technique improves drug delivery to brains of mice Scientists currently use long-wave pulses of ultrasound to deliver drugs, which can cause side effects. These new findings from Imperial on shorter-wave pulses could have implications for how drugs are used to help patients of Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.
	Reseachers reveal new molecular mechanism involved in pancreas repair Ramón Muñoz-Chápuli and Rita Carmona, researchers of the UMA Department of Animal Biology, have identified a new molecular mechanism involved in pancreas repair.
	Motion recognition tech assists epilepsy diagnosis Motion recognition technology is being used to help neurologists in the study of patients' behaviour during seizures, to provide clues on the sub-type of epilepsy the patient has and identify unusual seizure movements that require further investigation.
	Medications to treat opioid addiction are effective, though not widely used With more than 2 million Americans suffering from an opioid use disorder and the escalating rate of deaths from opioid overdoses reaching about 130 per day, efforts to date have had little impact in curbing this crisis across the country.
	SpongeBob is not why your child likes junk food, new study shows Parents and lawmakers looking to cartoon characters as a reason children choose cookies over carrots may be looking in the wrong direction, according to a new report from CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business and Colorado State University's College of Business.
	Health risks associated with mixtures of man-made chemicals are underestimated The cocktail of man-made chemicals that we are exposed to daily is a health risk which current regulations and risk assessment overlook. This is the conclusion of the EU Horizon 2020 EDC-MixRisk project that is now being presented.
	Study focuses on link between child feeding and health among Marshallese immigrants A recent study of child-feeding habits among Marshallese in Arkansas found high compliance with medical standards for breastfeeding infants, but also reliance on rice and processed foods. The study is a first step toward lowering rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which affect Marshallese immigrants at higher rates than the U.S. population in general.
	Regular height and weight checks from early age critical in child obesity fight Children monitored regularly for height and weight are less likely to be overweight according to research by University of Manchester and Oxford experts.
	Pediatricians should encourage parents to use their home language with their children, says researcher Because of our unique demographics, Miami is poised to be the greatest bilingualism-promoter in the United States.
	Pep talks secret to better sporting performance Giving oneself a pep talk may be key to improving female athletes' sporting performance and mental health, new University of Saskatchewan research shows.
	How the brain 'mentalizes' cooperation What parts of your brain are involved in gauging a friend's actions and adjusting your own; for example, when you both carry a couch up a flight of stairs? Researchers in Japan have found that part of the right side of the brain, called the temporoparietal junction, is significantly activated when two people cooperate together to achieve a common goal.
	Artificial intelligence identifies key patterns from video footage of infant movements Subtle characteristics in the spontaneous movement of very young babies may reveal clinically important aspects of their neurodevelopment. Visual assessment by a clinical expert of general movements (GMs) representing typical movement patterns is known to be effective in early identification of cerebral palsy (CP).
	HIV/tuberculosis co-infection: Tunneling towards better diagnosis 1.2 million people in the world are co-infected by HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This combination is deadly: It makes patient diagnosis and treatment difficult, and increases the pathogenicity of these two infectious agents. An international team led by researchers at the CNRS and Inserm have revealed that in the presence of tuberculosis, HIV-1 moves from one cell to the next via nanotubes that form between macrophages, drastically increasing the percentage of infected cells. These findings appear in the 26 March 2019 edition of Cell Reports.
	Researchers suggest negative media representation of these services could affect patient outcomes Over 75 percent of newspaper articles regarding out-of-hours healthcare services were found to be negative in tone, according to a new study.
	Trial to answer dilemma of treating childhood epilepsy One of the largest ever clinical trials in children with epilepsy, which aims to find out which treatment approach works best for children and their families, is launching today.
	Older people are more digitally savvy, but aged care providers need to keep up Older adults are more digitally connected than ever, even though their uptake of internet-based technologies remains lower than for younger age groups.
	New lockbox helping curb opioid addiction Addiction treatment centers have long had trouble retaining patients in medication assisted treatment. However, medication-assisted treatment is an approach used for addiction recovery that utilizes medications like Suboxone, Vivitral, and Methadone to reduce opioid cravings, withdrawals and illicit drug use. It has been shown to cut the risk of opioid overdose in half. Even if they are motivated, many have difficulty with transportation and cannot afford the cost of medications, which often leads to premature discontinuation.
	The costs of mental effort Every day, we are faced with countless decisions regarding cognitive control, or the process of inhibiting automatic or habitual responses in order to perform better at a task.
	How to pick the best produce at the farmers' market (HealthDay)—Fresh vegetables are nutrient-rich diet mainstays and can be inexpensive when bought in season. Simple selection tips will enable you to choose the best produce to turn into delectable meals and, just as important, to store your vegetables to maximize flavor and "shelf life."
	Do you live in one of America's 'healthiest communities'? (HealthDay)—The healthiest community in the United States is Douglas County in Colorado, according to the 2019 rankings just released by U.S. News & World Report.
	Patient CKD app ratings do correlate with those of nephrologists (HealthDay)—Patient ratings of chronic kidney disease (CKD) apps are not directly linked with nephrologist ratings or consumer ratings, according to a study published online March 21 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
	Digital intervention ups socialization in children with autism (HealthDay)—An artificial intelligence-driven wearable behavioral intervention, Superpower Glass, can improve social outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study published online March 25 in JAMA Pediatrics.
	The best way to treat seasonal allergies Spring welcomes warm weather and sun, but it also is the height of allergy season. Dr. Sanjiv Sur, an allergist at Baylor College of Medicine, explains the importance of managing seasonal allergy symptoms and the best methods to combat them this year.
AIDS-immunocompromised populations see more antibiotic-resistant infections Populations with a high prevalence of AIDS-immunocompromised people are more likely to see the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, according to a study coauthored by researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and published in PLOS One.
	New therapy targets painful side effect of cancer treatment When Cellix Bio, a drug design firm, approached Dr. Rajesh Lalla to discuss ideas and their patented compounds for a better way to treat oral mucositis, he had no doubt he wanted to be involved.
	Salmonella could be combated by enhancing body's natural process Autophagy – the process of recycling cellular material in the body, can help combat Salmonella and other pathogens according to researchers at the School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick who have studied how autophagy can get rid of bacteria, and prevent diseases developing.
	Colorectal cancer increase in younger adults: What could be the cause? Colorectal cancer remains a major source of cancer incidence and death in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2019, there will be 145,600 new cases of the disease and 51,020 deaths across the United States, making it the fourth most diagnosed form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer mortality.
	New website walks parents through early childhood development, alerts them to early signs of autism Your baby delights you but he's causing you concern. Why is it so hard to get him to look at you? Why doesn't he gesture as much as other babies you know?
	Does eating two teaspoons of nuts really boost your brain function by 60%? Dementia is a cruel disease that robs people of their memory, their judgement and their identity. Unfortunately, there is no cure, and in the past few years a number of clinical trials for new dementia drugs have failed – the latest being Biogen's drug aducanumab. Without any effective treatments on the horizon, most people's best hope is to avoid getting dementia in the first place.
	More children could mean higher risk of heart disease Parents who have five or more children may face a higher risk of heart disease than those who have only one or two keiki, according to new findings by public health researchers in the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
	Trained musicians perform better—at paying attention Musical training produces lasting improvements to a cognitive mechanism that helps individuals be more attentive and less likely to be distracted by irrelevant stimuli while performing demanding tasks. According to a new study appearing in the journal Heliyon,, trained musicians demonstrate greater executive control of attention (a main component of the attentional system) than non-musicians. Notably, the more years of training musicians have, the more efficient they are at controlling their attention.
	Study finds no causal link between smoking and dementia It's an irrefutable fact that smoking is bad for you. Study after study has proven that smoking increases your risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes—even blindness.
Immune-repelling protein prolongs function, survival of human stem-cell-derived beta cells Encapsulating human stem-cell-derived beta cells in microcapsules made with a protein that repels key immune cells restored glucose metabolism in diabetic mice and protected the cells from immune system attack, preventing the buildup of inflammatory fibrotic tissue that has plagued previous trials of encapsulated beta cells. A team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators reports the results of their study in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Annovera birth control vaginal ring effectively prevents unwanted pregnancy, research finds A recently approved contraceptive vaginal ring—the first that can be used for an entire year—is a highly effective birth control method, according to clinical trial data that will be presented Tuesday at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.
	Scientists uncover novel strategy to target common type of cancer Researchers have identified a protein critical for the survival of a particular type of tumor cell, according to a study published today in eLife.
	Early valve replacement versus watchful waiting in patients with severe aortic stenosis Patients with severe aortic stenosis who have no symptoms may benefit more from an aggressive strategy of early valve replacement than from a conservative watch-and-wait approach, according to new research published today online in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
	Pediatric health researchers offer insights for RSV vaccine In healthy adults, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, feels like the common cold with a runny nose, chest congestion and cough. However, it is the second leading cause of death in infants. In fact, nearly 40 percent of infants who contract this widespread virus develop severe bronchiolitis or pneumonia, with 1 to 3 percent hospitalized. Each year, there are about 64 million cases and about 160,000 deaths due to RSV worldwide. Contracting RSV within the first few months of life can make a child more susceptible to developing asthma later in life. The elderly and immune compromised populations, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment, also suffer substantial morbidity and mortality. A new publication in Frontiers in Immunology by Stephania Cormier, the LSU Department of Biological Sciences Wiener Chair professor, and colleagues offers new insights for vaccine development, both active and passive, to prevent this deadly disease. This study is of particular interest following the recent failure of ResVax, an RSV vaccine by Novavax, to prevent RSV disease in infants via maternal immunization.
Utah bans abortions after 18 weeks, teeing up legal showdown Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a law banning most abortions after 18 weeks of gestation, setting the stage for a legal showdown.
	Advanced paternal age increases risk of early-onset schizophrenia in offspring Advanced paternal age increases the risk in offspring of early-onset schizophrenia, a severe form of the disorder, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry. The association between paternal age and risk in children remained after accounting for the contributions of the fathers' and mothers' genetic predispositions for schizophrenia, indicating that advanced paternal age itself contributes to risk.
	'Ugly' prosthetics get French design treatment French manufacturers of prosthetics are breaking from tradition to develop fashionable artificial limbs with patterns and colour so that wearers don't mind showing off some leg.
Mind melding: Understanding the connected, social brain Parents may often feel like they are not "on the same wavelength" as their kids. But it turns out that, at least for babies, their brainwaves literally sync with their moms when they are learning from them about their social environment. In a new study being presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society's (CNS) annual meeting in San Francisco this week, researchers found that how well babies' neural activity syncs with their moms' predicts how well they learn social cues about new toys.
	Study links nurse work environments and outcomes Nurses play critical roles in patient safety and are often the last line of defense against medical errors and unsafe practices. Considerable research has explored the relationship between the nurse work environment and a variety of patient and nurse quality and safety outcomes. But until now, no synthesis of this body of research has been made to clearly articulate the association between nurse work environments and health care quality, safety and patient and clinician well-being. The nurse work environment refers to organizational elements that influence nursing care quality, such as nurse-physician collaboration, nurse manager support, and nurse involvement in decisions affecting clinical care.
	Gesturing related to storytelling style, not nationality, study There are many stereotypes about gesturing across cultures—the idea that Italians are prone to hand-talking, for example. But new research by University of Alberta scientists suggests that the amount you gesture when telling a story has more to do with what you're saying than where you're from.
	When tempers flare, nurses' injuries could rise A new study by researchers at Michigan State University and Portland State University has found that when there's an imbalance in support among nurses at work, tempers flare and risk of injuries can go up.
	Repeat heart attack and death linked to hospitals with low care scores Heart attack patients treated at hospitals with low care scores are at greater risk for another heart attack and/or death due to cardiovascular causes, Rutgers researchers found.
Compared to sustained inflations for extremely premature infants, standard treatment prevails Preterm infants must establish regular breathing patterns at delivery. For extremely preterm infants requiring resuscitation at birth, a ventilation strategy involving two sustained inflations, compared with standard intermittent positive pressure ventilation, did not reduce the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death at 36 weeks postmenstrual age.
	Smartphone app may boost social skills in kids with autism (HealthDay)—A smartphone application that works with Google Glass might help kids with autism build their social skills, a small clinical trial suggests.
	Bans on texting while behind the wheel making roads safer (HealthDay)—When a state bans texting while driving, will the number of car crash victims showing up in its emergency rooms drop?
	Choose the right colon cancer screening option (HealthDay)—Colon cancer is highly preventable through regular screening. But the right type of screening depends on your particular risk factors, an expert says.
	Does having kids make couples happier? New study says yes, but ... (HealthDay)—Bringing home a bundle of joy really can make your life better, as long as money isn't too tight, new research suggests.
	Stressful life events tied to heart disease in older black women Stressful life events were linked to higher incidents of heart attack, stroke and other types of cardiovascular disease in black women, according to new research that also looked at whether a person's resilience could help ward off the impact of stress.
	Statins cut risk for major vascular events in older patients (HealthDay)—Statins reduce the rate of vascular events regardless of patient age, according to a meta-analysis recently published in The Lancet.
	Blindfolding leader improves pediatric resuscitation training (HealthDay)—Team leaders who wear a blindfold during pediatric resuscitation simulation-based training show improved leadership skills compared with standard training teams, according to a study recently published in Frontiers in Pediatrics.
	Mild congenital heart defects tied to CVD events (HealthDay)—Individuals with lower-complexity adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) have a higher burden of adverse cardiovascular events than the general population, independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study published Feb. 28 in Circulation.
	New approach performs well for measuring CKD quality of life (HealthDay)—A new chronic kidney disease (CKD) measure of quality of life (QOL) and a single-score summary for the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36) are both reliable for assessing patient-reported outcomes and quality of life, according to two studies published online March 21 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Murphy to sign bill allowing medically assisted suicide New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday he will sign legislation allowing terminally ill patients to seek life-ending medication.
11.4M sign up for Obama-era health plans this year The government says 11.4 million people have signed up for coverage this year under former President Barack Obama's health law. That's just a slight dip from 2018.
	Pads and tampons have a complicated history – period. From a new emoji to an Oscar-nominated documentary, discussions about periods are becoming more acceptable.
	Symptomatic pharmacotherapy should be regularly assessed among older persons and those with Alzheimer's disease The prevalence of using antidepressants and proton pump inhibitors increases after the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, according to a doctoral dissertation from the University of Eastern Finland. The use of antidepressants was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture among persons with and without Alzheimer's disease. The use of proton pump inhibitors, however, did not increase the risk of hip fracture even in the long term. The study also found that the concomitant use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and urinary antispasmodics was prevalent among persons with Alzheimer's disease, even though the concomitant use of these drugs is not recommended due to their opposite pharmacological mechanisms.
	Tone your upper arms with these effective bicep curls (HealthDay)—Toned biceps not only give your upper body a sleek look, but they're also vital for improving the upper body strength needed for daily living.
This drug can stop mothers bleeding to death in childbirth – so why can't more women get it? Twenty-eight weeks into her first pregnancy, Rabia's worst fears were realised. She went into labour, and the baby was stillborn. The bleeding started the next day.
Improving cancer care in Botswana It's one of the scariest things a person could ever hear: "You have cancer."
	Nation's first clinical trial for rehabilitating infant stroke victims to begin Strokes are devastating events often associated with people over 65. But large numbers of infants have strokes, too.
	Violence against long-term care staff 'normalized' Violence against staff working in long-term care facilities—including physical assault, verbal abuse and sexual harassment—has become "normalised", according to a new University of Stirling study.
2,600 pounds of sausage products recalled; may contain metal A New Hampshire food company is recalling over 2,600 pounds of ready-to-eat sausage products that could contain metal.
Student loan forgiveness programs driving physicians to primary care Graduating osteopathic physicians are increasingly planning to practice in primary care, a trend researchers say shows that loan forgiveness incentives are influencing new doctors' choice of specialty, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
County bans unvaccinated minors in public as measles spreads A county in New York City's northern suburbs is banning unvaccinated minors from public places to fight a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since October.
	Maker of OxyContin agrees to $270M settlement in Oklahoma The maker of OxyContin and the company's controlling family agreed Tuesday to pay a groundbreaking $270 million to Oklahoma to settle allegations they helped create the nation's deadly opioid crisis with their aggressive marketing of the powerful painkiller.

Biology news

	Probiotic bacteria evolve inside mice's GI tracts Probiotics—which are living bacteria taken to promote digestive health—can evolve once inside the body and have the potential to become less effective and sometimes even harmful, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
	Study finds people who feed birds impact conservation People in many parts of the world feed birds in their backyards, often due to a desire to help wildlife or to connect with nature. In the United States alone, over 57 million households in the feed backyard birds, spending more than $4 billion annually on bird food.
	Function decoded: Protein influences growth processes and hormonal signalling The working group under Junior Professor Dr. Mathias Beller from the University of Düsseldorf has analyzed the function of a lipid droplet-associated protein. They used fruit flies to demonstrate that the protein has a major impact on growth processes and the fly's adaptation to environmental conditions. The results of the study have now been published in the journal Cell Reports.
	Infertility's roots in DNA packaging Pathological infertility is a condition affecting roughly 7 percent of human males, and among those afflicted, 10 to 15 percent are thought to have a genetic cause. However, pinpointing the precise genes responsible for the condition has been difficult due to the extensive number involved in generating and developing sperm cells.
	'Scuba-diving' lizard can stay underwater for 16 minutes A Costa-Rican lizard species may have evolved scuba-diving qualities allowing it to stay underwater for 16 minutes, according to faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
	Scientists shine new light on how cells coordinate eye growth in fish New insight on how cells work together to control growth in the eyes of fish has been published today in eLife.
	Widespread losses of pollinating insects in Britain Many insect pollinator species are disappearing from areas of Great Britain, a new study has found.
	The sense of water—and nitrogen: Studies uncover genome-wide responses that limit crop growth A team of researchers has tested how each gene within the genome of rice—one of the world's most important staple crops—senses and responds to combinations of water and nutrients. Its findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, potentially point to ways to engineer crops in soils around the world that are currently too dry or lack the nutrients needed to sustain crop growth.
	Researchers unlock the biomechanics of how the Ebola virus attaches to its host cell It was recently reported that the number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 1,000, making it the second-worst outbreak in history after the 2014 outbreak in West Africa in which 29,000 people were infected and more than 11,000 died. This latest milestone is a stark reminder of the urgent need to develop effective prevention and treatment agents for this frequently deadly disease.
	New tool maps a key food source for grizzly bears: huckleberries Grizzly bears depend on huckleberries as a critical food source to fatten up before winter hibernation. When berries reach peak ripeness in mid-July, they make up about half of the diet for the hundreds of grizzly bears that live in and around Montana's Glacier National Park.
	Venus flytrap 'teeth' form a 'horrid prison' for medium-sized prey In "Testing Darwin's Hypothesis about the Wonderful Venus Flytrap: Marginal Spikes Form a 'Horrid Prison' for Moderate-Sized Insect Prey," Alexander L. Davis investigates the importance of marginal spikes, the "teeth" lining the outer edge of the plant's snap traps, in successfully capturing prey. He found that Venus flytraps experience a 90 percent decrease in moderate-sized cricket prey capture success when marginal spikes are removed. This effect disappears, however, for larger prey, suggesting that the spikes may provide a foothold for large prey to escape.
	In the Tree of Life, youth has its advantages It's a question that has captivated naturalists for centuries: Why have some groups of organisms enjoyed incredibly diversity—like fish, birds, insects—while others have contained only a few species—like humans.
	Traffic control of cells Cells in the human body can display remarkable differences in their behaviour depending on the mechanical properties of the tissue surrounding them. This is especially true for immune cells, which migrate through the body and are thus constantly exposed to tissues with different properties and must respond appropriately. To enable investigation of how cells respond to dynamic changes in the stiffness of the extracellular environment, researchers from the Freiburg Signalling Research Clusters of Excellence BIOSS and CIBSS and the Cluster of Excellence livMatS joined forces to develop a hydrogel matrix whose stiffness can be reversibly tuned using light. The study represents the first joint project between CIBSS and livMatS and is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Advanced Materials.
	Biologists report which animals are captured by the carnivorous waterwheel plant Freiburg biologists Dr. Simon Poppinga, Anna Westermeier and Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck, working in cooperation with researchers from the Ruhr University Bochum and the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Třeboň (Czech Republic), have for the first time reconstructed in detail the menu of the carnivorous waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa). The study shows that the plant is not fussy about what it eats, and catches anything and everything that fits into its trap and triggers the snap mechanism. The team has published its results in the open-access journal Integrative Organismal Biology.
	Breeding baby corals for warmer seas A unique collection of baby corals has just begun to grow under the waves of the Coral Sea.
	Pets and owners—you can learn a lot about one by studying the other There's an old saying that pets and their owners become more similar as time goes by. There may be some truth in that, but can we use information about owners to improve veterinary care?
	Discovery to help wheat cope with salty soils Scientists from The University of Western Australia have discovered two enzymes that explain the sensitivity of wheat plants to salty soils.
	A petrifying virus key to evolution Scientists are constantly discovering new species.
	Menu change for corals in warming reefs Warming coral reefs are losing their capacity to feed themselves from sunlight, making nutritious deep ocean water critical for their survival, according to a University of Queensland study.
	New paper on the phylogeny of the Brassicaceae The mustard family Brassicaceae (also known as Crucifers, from the cross-like form of their flowers) comprises ca. 4000 species, including economically important crops such as cabbage and canola, many species adapted to extreme environments, noxious weeds, and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite their importance, the relationships among major lineages in the family have remained unresolved. This gap in our knowledge is an impediment for understanding the sequence of genetic events that led to trait diversity and the many ecological adaptations seen in this family of plants. Lack of such information can also slow down efforts towards sustainable crop improvement through transferring traits from one species into another by conventional or new breeding technologies.
	Researchers develop a hydrogel for enhanced cell encapsulation and delivery Tissue engineering is a medical solution that uses living cells to repair or replace structural tissue, such as blood vessels, bone, cartilage, etc. Polymeric hydrogels, in both solid and liquid forms, are used as a delivery system for living cells, acting as a protective layer to contain the cells for transplantation into patients to replace diseased or damaged cells.
	A key player in the maturation of sexual organs Puberty is a period of extensive changes of body morphology and function. Relatively little is known about what sets the whole process in motion. Thanks to studies in the tiny worm C. elegans, the group of Helge Großhans is getting closer to understanding how the onset of puberty is genetically controlled. Recently, they uncovered a mechanism that initiates sexual organ maturation.
	Deciphering the walnut genome California produces 99 percent of the walnuts grown in the United States. New research could provide a major boost to the state's growing $1.6 billion walnut industry by making it easier to breed walnut trees better equipped to combat the soil-borne pathogens that now plague many of California's 4,800 growers.
	Bivalves reveal big picture of climate change Climate change has always left its footprint on land and in the seas where bivalves such as mussels, scallops, oysters have lived for millions of years. Their limited mobility has been to their disadvantage resulting in most of them dying in the on-site whenever major unpleasant changes occurred in their environment...
	Seeds inherit memories from their mother Seeds remain in a dormant state, a temporary blockage of their germination, as long as environmental conditions are not ideal for germination. The depth of this dormancy, which is influenced by various factors, is inherited from their mother, as researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have previously shown. Today, they reveal in the journal eLife how this maternal imprint is transmitted through small fragments of so-called 'interfering' RNAs, which inactivate certain genes.
	Bringing endangered species back from the brink A technique to produce eggs from ovarian tissue in the lab may offer hope for critically endangered species like the Northern White Rhino that have passed what is currently considered the point of no return.
	Wagers winter plants make to survive Spend water or save water? Grow or reproduce? For the tiny desert plants that bloom during the winter, the choices are life-or-death gambles, and ecologists at the University of Arizona have identified the wagers that will win.
Land conservation helps local economies grow Land conservation modestly increases employment rates, a traditional indicator of economic growth, according to an analysis of New England cities and towns, led by scientists at Amherst College, Harvard Forest, the Highstead Foundation, and Boston University.
	Genetic tagging may help conserve the world's wildlife Tracking animals using DNA signatures are ideally suited to answer the pressing questions required to conserve the world's wildlife, providing benefits over invasive methods such as ear tags and collars, according to a new study by University of Alberta biologists.
	Substituting HPS with light-emitting diodes for supplemental lighting in greenhouses In Canada, as in other higher latitudes, there is not enough natural light for production of many greenhouse commodities during the darker months of the year. In these regions, it is necessary for growers of year-round commodities to augment their naturally occurring lighting deficit with artificial lighting to meet their crops' economic minimum lighting requirements.
	Biodiversity loss in the oceans can be reversed through habitat restoration Activities such as laying gas pipelines, trawling for fish, drilling for oil, and even burying internet cables in the deep sea, are destroying marine ecosystems. But studies have shown that reintroducing seaweed and corals to these habitats could ward off the worst effects – and recover marine life.
	Native marsupial helping revive urban bushland in Perth's north A native marsupial population that was successfully relocated to a pocket of urban bushland in the northern suburb of Craigie is now helping to regenerate the bush.
	The growth of a wheat weed can be predicted to reduce the use of herbicides Wild oats are a kind of grass weed and one of the greatest enemies of certain grains such as barley, rye and wheat. Wild oats compete with these crops by taking their water, light and nutrients, and their density can double in just a year, causing production losses reaching up to 40%. The AGR124 research group, made up of members from the Department of Graphic and Geomatics Engineering at the University of Cordoba and the Spanish National Research Council's Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, performed a study that predicts the growth of this weed among wheat crops, with an aim to optimize the use of herbicides.
	Why endangered species matter The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was established in 1973 to protect "imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend" and help them recover.
	Stranded dolphins have amyloid plaques in their brains Dolphins stranded on the beaches of Florida and Massachusetts show in their brains amyloid plaques, a hallmark in human beings of Alzheimer's disease, together with an environmental toxin produced by cyanobacterial blooms.
The tremendous supply of apple cultivars in Wyoming A study out of the University of Wyoming sought to identify heritage apple cultivars planted in the state's homesteads, orchards, and nurseries from as early as 1870. Using microsatellite markers, surviving apple trees identified across Wyoming's rugged landscape provide future specialty crop growers with recommendations for cultivar selection.
Not all carrot germplasm is the same—in terms of salinity tolerance Salinity stress is considered one of the most important abiotic factors that limits the productivity of crop plants, and the estimated global cost due to salinity is more than $12 billion annually. This is due to the extensive use of irrigation and high rates of evapotranspiration, which result in increased salt accumulation in the soil.

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