Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Mar 13

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 13, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Quantum-critical conductivity of the Dirac fluid in graphene

Researchers explore interactions between preschoolers and robotic partners

Researchers confirm massive hyper-runaway star ejected from the Milky Way Disk

Coastal ecosystems suffer from upriver hydroelectric dams

Research predicts overlap of tunas, sharks and ships at sea

Prehistoric Britons rack up food miles for feasts near Stonehenge

Researchers create nano-bot to probe inside human cells

New cell subtypes classified in mouse brain

Astronomers discover 83 supermassive black holes in the early universe

Scientists delineate pathway that helps us make antibodies

New method to assess platelet health could help ER doctors

Tiny 'blinkers' enable simultaneous imaging of multiple biomolecules

Blunting pain's emotional component

Researchers discover serotonin can regulate gene expression inside neurons

Potential cystic fibrosis treatment uses 'molecular prosthetic' for missing lung protein

Astronomy & Space news

	Researchers confirm massive hyper-runaway star ejected from the Milky Way Disk A fast-moving star may have been ejected from the Milky Way's stellar disk by a cluster of young stars, according to researchers from the University of Michigan who say the star did not originate from the middle of the galaxy, as previously believed by astronomers.
	Astronomers discover 83 supermassive black holes in the early universe Astronomers from Japan, Taiwan and Princeton University have discovered 83 quasars powered by supermassive black holes in the distant universe, from a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its present age.
	Opportunity's parting shot was a beautiful panorama Over 29 days last spring, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity documented this 360-degree panorama from multiple images taken at what would become its final resting spot in Perseverance Valley. Located on the inner slope of the western rim of Endurance Crater, Perseverance Valley is a system of shallow troughs descending eastward about the length of two football fields from the crest of Endeavor's rim to its floor.
	Image: Heat sterilisation of Exomars parachute A technician places a nearly 70 kg parachute designed for ESA and Roscosmos's ExoMars 2020 mission inside the dry heater steriliser of the Agency's Life, Physical Sciences and Life Support Laboratory, based in its Netherlands technical centre.
	Microgravity research after the International Space Station For nearly 20 years, the International Space Station (ISS) has served as a singular laboratory for thousands of scientists, students, and startups around the world, who have accessed the station's microgravity environment to test how being in space impacts everything from cancer cells and human tissues to zucchini and barley seeds—not to mention a host of living organisms including flatworms, ants, geckos, and bobtail squids.
	Large area solar flares are the likely source of puzzling millimeter emission Solar flares are sudden explosive processes that convert the energy of the magnetic field into the kinetic energy of electrons and ions. Since the beginning of the century, millimeter observations of solar flares became routinely possible at a few frequencies with limited spatial resolution (see Kaufmann 2012, as a review). One of the most puzzling aspects of the observations at millimeter wavelengths (200-400 GHz) is the presence, in some flares, of a bright spectral component that grows with frequency. This emission is about a hundred trillion times more powerful than the power from the active millimeter full body scanners used in airports around the world.
	NASA requests $21 billion budget to lead the agency's return with astronauts to the moon NASA is putting its money on the moon, preparing for what the space agency says will be the nation's long-awaited, sustainable return to missions outside of Earth's orbit.
	Neural networks predict planet mass To find out how planets form, astrophysicists run complicated and time-consuming computer calculations. Members of the NCCR PlanetS at the University of Bern have now developed a totally novel approach to speed up this process dramatically. They use deep learning based on artificial neural networks, a method that is well known in image recognition.
	Astronauts who survived Soyuz scare ready for new launch despite glitches Astronauts who survived an abortive Soyuz launch said Wednesday they were confident about their upcoming flight to the International Space Station despite some last-minute malfunctions.
	NASA's new rocket won't be ready for moon shot next year NASA's massive new rocket won't be ready for a moon shot next year, the space agency's top official told Congress on Wednesday.
	Martian meteorites land at Army lab NASA officials say that some rare and distinct meteorites found on Earth were actually blasted off Mars by a large impact event. One such rock from the red planet made its way to an Army laboratory recently for a special X-ray look inside.

Technology news

	Researchers explore interactions between preschoolers and robotic partners The relationship between humans and robots has become the focus of an increasing number of research studies, in light of the approaching integration of robots within a variety of fields, including professional and educational contexts. An international and interdisciplinary team of researchers including psychologists and roboticists at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan (Prof. Antonella Marchetti, Prof. Davide Massaro, Dr. Cinzia Di Dio and Dr. Federico Manzi), Kyoto University (Prof., Shoji Itakura and Prof. Takayuki Kanda), Osaka University (Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro) and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) in Kyoto have carried out a study investigating human-robot interactions, which involved five- and six-year-old children playing with other children and robotic partners.
	Researchers create nano-bot to probe inside human cells University of Toronto Engineering researchers have built a set of magnetic 'tweezers' that can position a nano-scale bead inside a human cell in three dimensions with unprecedented precision. The nano-bot has already been used to study the properties of cancer cells, and could point the way toward enhanced diagnosis and treatment.
	Google: Patent talk sparks curiosity over controller for streaming service A newly discovered patent, "Notifications on game controller," has gaming controller watchers asking the questions this week: Could we be looking at the controller for Google's planned game streaming service? Is this pretty much the design that is in the works?
	Tracking urban gentrification, one building at a time A new deep-mapping computer model can detect visual changes to individual properties, allowing researchers to more-rapidly track gentrification within neighborhoods and cities, according to a study published March 13, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Lazar Ilic, Michael Sawada, and Amaury Zarzelli of the University of Ottawa, Canada.
	Clarifying how artificial intelligence systems make choices Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning architectures such as deep learning have become integral parts of our daily lives—they enable digital speech assistants or translation services, improve medical diagnostics and are an indispensable part of future technologies such as autonomous driving. Based on an ever increasing amount of data and powerful novel computer architectures, learning algorithms seemingly approach human capabilities, sometimes even surpassing them. So far, however, it often remains unknown to users how exactly AI systems reach their conclusions. Therefore, it may often remain unclear whether the AI's decision-making behavior is truly intelligent or whether the procedures are just averagely successful.
	Powering devices—with a desk lamp? Batteries power most of our devices, and even some cars. But researchers now report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces a step toward running electronic devices in homes and offices on the light coming from lamps scattered around the room. The team developed special light harvesters, like those used for solar power, optimized to produce energy from ambient indoor lighting.
	US, Canada ground Boeing 737 Max 8s after Ethiopia crash (Update) President Donald Trump issued an emergency order Wednesday grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in the wake of a crash of an Ethiopian airliner that killed 157 people, a reversal for the U.S. after federal aviation regulators had maintained it had no data to show the jets are unsafe.
	China is overtaking US in artificial intelligence: researchers China is poised to overtake the United States in artificial intelligence with a surge in academic research on the key technology, an analysis published Wednesday showed.
	US says 'no basis' to ground Boeing 737 MAX jets after crash The United States has said there is "no basis" to ground Boeing 737 MAX airliners, after a second deadly crash involving the model in less than five months prompted governments worldwide to ban the plane.
	Karpeles: Bitcoin baron brought down with a bump Once described as a geek who stuffed himself with snacks in front of his computer, Mark Karpeles rose to head a firm that once claimed to handle 80 percent of the world's bitcoin transactions.
	Verdict due in MtGox bitcoin embezzlement case The former high-flying head of collapsed bitcoin exchange MtGox will learn his fate Friday as a Tokyo court hands down its verdict on charges of faking digital data and embezzling millions of dollars.
	Pilots have reported issues in US with new Boeing jet Airline pilots on at least two U.S. flights have reported that an automated system seemed to cause their Boeing 737 Max planes to tilt down suddenly.
	$20 million settlement reached in Uber driver lawsuit Uber has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the ride-share service of classifying drivers as contractors to avoid paying them minimum wage and providing benefits.
	Japan eyes 2020 Olympics to retake place on tech podium Driverless cars, robot volunteers and ultra high-definition TV: Japan Inc. hopes to use the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to show the world it has regained its touch for innovation and technology.
	Elon Musk startup picked to build Las Vegas 'people mover' The Las Vegas visitors authority on Tuesday picked Elon Musk's tunnel-making startup "The Boring Company" to build an underground "people mover" as part of a massive convention center expansion.
	VW slashes thousands more jobs to fund electric transition German car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it would slash thousands of posts to cope with its transition to electric and autonomous driving the day after reporting rising profits, as its CEO had to apologise for an ill-advised Nazi pun.
	The dollars and sense of big batteries on the grid As the mix of energy sources feeding power-hungry homes, businesses and industry comes to incorporate more renewables like wind and solar, society faces a reckoning with where to turn when wind and sunshine die down. What will it take for greener sources not only to join fossil fuels on the American power grid, but eventually to displace them?
	Spotify lodges EU complaint against Apple over unfair music competition Swedish music streaming giant Spotify said Wednesday it had filed a complaint with the EU Commission against Apple, accusing its US rival of stifling competition in the online music market.
	Norwegian Air Shuttle demands Boeing pay for grounding of 737 MAX planes Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, which has grounded its 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft pending an investigation into the cause of a crash in Ethiopia, said Wednesday it will demand financial compensation from Boeing.
	UK review urges new rules to deal with power of tech giants Britain needs tough new rules to help counter the dominance of big tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon, a review of competition in the digital market concludes.
	Careful how you treat today's AI: It might take revenge in the future Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming more like us. You can ask Google Home to switch off your bedroom lights, much as you might ask your human partner.
	Blockchain could democratise banking, music – but at what cost? Few technologies have the potential to disrupt old institutions as much as blockchain – a system that maintains records on huge networks of individual computers. As with any new technology, it could be used for social good – such as supporting people who are priced-out of the current bank accounts – but the big challenge is how to limit its unintended consequences.
	Ethiopia to send black boxes to Europe as questions mount over crash Ethiopia said Wednesday it would send the black boxes from last weekend's deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash to Europe for analysis as demand grew for urgent answers over the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
	Activist shareholders push Amazon on everything from facial recognition to climate change Amazon is now the No. 1 target of activist shareholders.
	Becoming more like WhatsApp won't solve Facebook's woes – here's why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared last week that the company would shift away from open networks that embody "the town square" towards private, encrypted services that are more like "the digital equivalent of the living room".
	Facebook's cryptocurrency: a financial expert breaks it down Facebook is reportedly preparing to launch its own version of Bitcoin, for use in its messaging applications, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. Could this "Facecoin" be the long-awaited breakthrough by a global technology giant into the lucrative market for retail financial services? Or will it be yet another exaggerated "crypto" project, buying into the continuing excitement about decentralised peer-to-peer exchange but, in the end, not delivering very much? Time will tell, but my two decades of research into the economics of payments makes me sceptical.
	Machine learning tracks moving cells Both developing babies and elderly adults share a common characteristic: the many cells making up their bodies are always on the move. As we humans commute to work, cells migrate through the body to get their jobs done. Biologists have long struggled to quantify the movement and changing morphology of cells through time, but now, scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have devised an elegant tool to do just that.
	The better batteries that will power your phone—and a green future It's a difficult choice: Go hungry or go it alone.
	Outage hits Facebook, Instagram users worldwide Facebook and Instagram users lost access to the social network's applications in parts of the world Wednesday as a result of an outage of undetermined origin.
AT&T raises prices for DirecTV Now streaming service AT&T is raising prices for its DirecTV Now streaming TV service, while removing some networks from the cable-like television package.
	Vulnerable to attack: Businesses should boost cyber defenses When cyberthieves attacked Empire Industries' computer network, technology manager Rich Shemanskis could see files in the process of being infected by malicious software.
	Contested 'beehive' housing arrives in Barcelona on the sly For the past few weeks Harry Kajevic has been sleeping in a 2.4-square-metre capsule flat in a clandestine location.
	Q&A: What is bitcoin? Bitcoin has carved out a name for itself as the world's most popular cryptocurrency since arriving on the scene more than ten years ago.
	Mixed-cation perovskite solar cells in space With the continuous improvement of efficiency and stability, perovskite solar cells are gradually approaching practical applications. PSCs may show the special application in space where oxygen and moisture (two major stressors for stability) barely exist. Publishing in Sci. China-Phys. Mech. Astron., a group of researchers at Peking University in China, led by Dr. Rui Zhu and Prof. Qihuang Gong in collaboration with Prof. Guoning Xu from Academy of Opto-Electronics, CAS, and Prof. Wei Huang from Northwestern Polytechnical University, have reported the stability study of PSCs in near space.
	New sensor system safeguards fuel quality at hydrogen filling stations Fuel cell vehicles need hydrogen to operate, but that hydrogen has to be free of any contaminants that could damage the fuel cell. Professor Andreas Schütze and his research team at Saarland University are collaborating with research partners to develop a sensor system that can provide continuous in situ monitoring of hydrogen quality at hydrogen fuelling stations. The infrared measuring cell will be installed inside the hydrogen filling station and will have to operate under very challenging conditions.

Medicine & Health news

	Scientists delineate pathway that helps us make antibodies Our bodies are continuously concocting specific antibodies to thwart invaders like a virus or even pollen, and scientists have new information about how the essential production gets fired up and keeps up.
	New method to assess platelet health could help ER doctors Emergency room doctors often have only a few minutes to determine which patients are in need of a blood transfusion.
	Blunting pain's emotional component Chronic pain involves more than just hurting. People suffering from pain often experience sadness, depression and lethargy. That's one reason opioids can be so addictive—they not only dampen the pain but also make people feel euphoric.
	Researchers discover serotonin can regulate gene expression inside neurons The brain chemical serotonin, a neurotransmitter long known for its role in passing signals between neurons in the brain, can also regulate expression of genes within neurons in an unexpected way, according to research conducted by neuroscientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published on March 13 in the journal Nature. The discovery may help scientists better understand a variety of brain disorders, including mood disorders, substance abuse/addiction, and neurodegenerative diseases.
	Potential cystic fibrosis treatment uses 'molecular prosthetic' for missing lung protein An approved drug normally used to treat fungal infections could also do the job of a protein channel that is missing in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, operating as a prosthesis on the molecular scale, says new research from the University of Illinois and the University of Iowa.
	Molecular patterns could better predict breast cancer recurrence The genetic and molecular make-up of individual breast tumours holds clues to how a woman's disease could progress, including the likelihood of it coming back after treatment, and in what time frame, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study published in Nature today.
	Researchers identify causal variants in blood cells and tie them with genetic mechanisms A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in and around the Boston area in the U.S. and one in Finland has identified hundreds of possible causal variants associated with blood cell traits, and tied them to important blood-related mechanisms.
	Researchers create a new molecule to treat heart failure A group of researchers based in Brazil and the United States have developed a molecule that halts the progression of heart failure and improves the heart's capacity to pump blood. Rats with heart failure were treated for six weeks with the molecule SAMβA. The disease not only stabilized, as it usually does in response to conventional drug therapy, but actually regressed, thanks to an improvement in the contractile capacity of the cardiac muscle.
	Researchers explore link between metal exposure and Parkinson's symptoms A new study from Iowa State University biomedical researchers illuminates the biological processes by which exposure to some metals can contribute to the onset of Parkinson's-like symptoms.
	Study suggests violent music does not desensitize people to violence A team of researchers from Macquarie University in Australia, ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, also in Australia, the Institute of Psychology, in China and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences has conducted a study regarding the impact of listening to violent music on people and has found evidence that suggests it does not desensitize people to violence. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes experiments they carried out with student volunteers and what they learned from them.
	Study shows people give up part of themselves when acting A trio of researchers at McMaster University in Canada has found that the human brain behaves differently when a person is acting out a role. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes experiments they conducted with student volunteers acting out the roles of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and what they found.
	Drug delivery system would allow tuberculosis patients to switch from daily to monthly doses Tuberculosis is one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases: One-third of the world's population is infected with TB, and more than 1 million people die from the disease every year.
	'Inactive' ingredients may not be, study finds Most pills and capsules, whether over-the-counter or prescription, include components other than the actual drug. These compounds, known as "inactive ingredients," help to stabilize the drug or aid in its absorption, and they can make up more than half of a pill's mass.
	It's not your fault—your brain is self-centered You're in the middle of a conversation and suddenly turn away because you heard your name. Don't worry, you aren't rude.
	Scientists back temporary global ban on gene-edited babies An international group of scientists and ethicists on Wednesday called for a temporary global ban on making babies with edited genes.
	Study highlights danger of vitamin B12 deficiency Using roundworms, one of Earth's simplest animals, Rice University bioscientists have found the first direct link between a diet with too little vitamin B12 and an increased risk of infection by two potentially deadly pathogens.
	Infants' advances in speech processing play role in language-cognition link A new Northwestern University study provides the first evidence that infants' increasingly precise perceptual tuning to the sounds of their native language sets constraints on the range of human languages they will link to cognition.
	Found: The missing ingredient to grow blood vessels Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered an ingredient vital for proper blood vessel formation that explains why numerous promising treatments have failed. The discovery offers important direction for efforts to better treat a host of serious conditions ranging from diabetes to heart attacks and strokes.
	ZEB1 throttles therapeutic target, protecting KRAS-mutant lung cancer A cellular identity switch protects a cancer-promoting genetic pathway from targeted therapy, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today reported in Science Translational Medicine.
	The world's adolescents—large unmet needs and growing inequalities Today's adolescents make up the largest generation in history, but a landmark study reveals these young people are encountering greater health challenges than those faced 25 years ago, and investments in their wellbeing have not kept pace with population growth.
Health inequality threatening more adolescents worldwide than ever before A detailed global study of the health and well being of the world's 1.8 billion adolescents and young adults reveals a growing inequality—and greater health challenges than those faced 25 years ago. Of the 1.8 billion adolescents aged 10-24, an additional 250 million worldwide are living in countries where they face a triple burden of infectious disease, non-communicable diseases and injuries compared with 1990. The global study provides the first comprehensive and integrated snapshot of young people who make up a third of the world's population. The findings are published in the Lancet.
Artificial intelligence cuts lung cancer screening false positives Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Screening is key for early detection and increased survival, but the current method has a 96 percent false positive rate. Using machine learning, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center have found a way to substantially reduce false positives without missing a single case of cancer.
	Infertility is linked to small increased risk of cancer A study of over 64,000 women of childbearing age in the USA has found that infertility is associated with a higher risk of developing cancer compared to a group of over three million women without fertility problems, although the absolute risk is very low at just 2%.
	Parkinson's treatment delivers a power-up to brain cell 'batteries' Scientists have gained clues into how a Parkinson's disease treatment, called deep brain stimulation, helps tackle symptoms.
Study suggests hip replacement patients can skip hip precautions Low-risk patients undergoing a total hip replacement with a posterior approach can skip the standard hip precautions currently recommended for post-surgical recovery, according to a new study conducted at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), in New York City. Eliminating standard precautions in this population did not increase the risk of hip dislocation, according to the research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 12-16.
Interdisciplinary education helps hospital patients better understand their medications Patients understanding their medications and taking them as instructed are important parts of improving the care and outcomes of heart attack patients, as well as potentially reducing avoidable readmissions, according to research presented at the ACC Quality Summit in New Orleans.
	Study reveals differences in brain activity in children with anhedonia Researchers have identified changes in brain connectivity and brain activity during rest and reward anticipation in children with anhedonia, a condition where people lose interest and pleasure in activities they used to enjoy. The study, by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, sheds light on brain function associated with anhedonia and helps differentiate anhedonia from other related aspects of psychopathology. The findings appear in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
	National survey of emergency dept management of self-harm highlights successes, room for improvement Approximately half a million patients in the United States arrive in emergency departments (EDs) after deliberate self-harm annually. In the short term following the ED visit, these patients are at high risk for repeated self-harm and suicide.
	Having great-grandparents, cousins with Alzheimer's linked to higher risk Having a parent with Alzheimer's disease has been known to raise a person's risk of developing the disease, but new research suggests that having second- and third-degree relatives who have had Alzheimer's may also increase risk. The study is published in the March 13, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
	Results of early-stage liver cancer detection using liquid biopsy published Today, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the results of a pilot study for early detection of liver cancer in a cohort of HBV carriers at risk for developing the disease. This screening technology, known as HCCscreen, relies on detecting a combination of tumor-specific mutations in cell free DNA (cfDNA) and protein markers. This work was a collaborative effort between National Cancer Center/ Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Genetron Health (Beijing) Co. Ltd (Genetron). Based on these promising results, assays such as this, after rigorous clinical validation, could be developed into an application for the detection of early-stage liver cancer.
	Profiling immune system in pediatric arthritis patients offers hope for improved diagnosis and treatment A team of scientists from VIB and KU Leuven has developed a machine learning algorithm that identifies children with juvenile arthritis with almost 90% accuracy from a simple blood test. The new findings, published this week in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, pave the way for the use of machine learning to improve diagnosis and to predict which juvenile arthritis patients may respond best to different treatment options. The work was led by Professor Adrian Liston, from VIB and KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium and the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK.
	Fear center in the brain protects against illusions If functionality of the brain's amygdala is impaired, illusory perceptions arise much faster and more pronounced. This was discovered by a team of researchers led by the University of Bonn, who studied identical twins in whom both amygdalae are damaged. Further experiments with volunteers showed that this brain structure, which is widely known for its eminent role in fear processing, apparently provides effective protection against body perception disorders. This insight from basic research may also enable a better understanding of mental illnesses. The results are published in advance online in the Journal of Neuroscience. The print version will be published shortly.
	The nearer the friends, the stronger the regional identity A new job, an academic career or a romantic relationship—there are many reasons for young people to move. But this does not necessarily lead to happiness. Satisfaction increases when people can identify with the region in which they live. The proximity of people who are emotionally important to them, however, is essential for creating this feeling of commitment. Psychologists at Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, have now identified and described these factors and their effects in a longitudinal study. They have reported their research findings in the top tier journal Developmental Psychology.
	Promoting safer routes to school through citizen science Parents with a knack for citizen science are helping their children walk or bike to school by using an app that lets them document the best routes.
	Subsidies for infection control to healthcare institutions help reduce infection levels As populations age and hospitalization and long-term care become more common, healthcare-associated infections, including many caused by drug-resistant pathogens, are increasing in importance and pose a significant threat to patient safety. Patients who are discharged to the community and later re-hospitalized can spread infection and colonization from one healthcare facility to another. Therefore, infection control measures at one hospital may impact risk of infection at other institutions or at community and regional levels. In a landmark paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at CDDEP and Princeton University have called for a regional approach to infection control. That recommendation is now being observed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	Can a genetic test predict if you will develop type 2 diabetes? When I got home after work I was surprised to find my husband and three children sitting by the television and watching the news. They had just learned that the direct to consumer genetic testing company 23andMe was now offering a report that assessed the customers' risk of developing type 2 diabetes. "Is it true?" my husband asked. "Can they now study my genes and predict whether I will get type 2 diabetes?"
	Avocado seed extract shows promise as anti-inflammatory compound An extract from the seeds of avocados exhibited anti-inflammatory properties in a laboratory study, according to Penn State researchers, and it represents a potential source for novel anti-inflammatory compounds that could be developed as a functional food ingredient or pharmaceuticals.
	Climate Change: Heat-induced heart attack risk on the rise Heart attack, or myocardial infarction, is the number one cause of death worldwide. A study published in the European Heart Journal by scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München and colleagues from a range of other Bavarian institutions shows that the risk of suffering a heat-induced heart attack has increased significantly in recent years. During the same period of time, no comparable changes in cold weather heart attack risks have been recorded.
	Ketamine-based nasal spray to treat depression The FDA recently approved a ketamine-based drug to assist with treating depression. The new medication, Spravato, is an intranasal spray that can help those suffering with extreme depression who see little results with psychiatric medications. A Baylor College of Medicine expert discussed the potential impact of the new treatment, which is being marketed as the first fast-acting depression drug.
	Acupressure reduces lasting symptoms in breast cancer survivors (HealthDay)—Acupressure is associated with improvements in co-occurring symptoms in breast cancer survivors with fatigue, according to a study recently published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.
	Four-to-seven-day opioid Rx likely sufficient for acute pain treatment (HealthDay)—An opioid supply for seven or fewer days might be sufficient for most patients seen in primary care settings for acute pain who appear to need opioid analgesics, according to research published in the Feb. 15 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Stillbirth risk up with high serum bile acids in pregnancy (HealthDay)—The risk of stillbirth is increased in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy when serum bile acids concentrations are ≥100 µmol/L or more, according to a review published in the March 2 issue of The Lancet.
	Binge drinking changes your DNA, and that matters for treating addiction Binge drinking can trigger genetic changes that make people crave alcohol even more, researchers from Rutgers University have found. It's the latest in a growing body of evidence that alcohol and drug use causes genetic changes that may reinforce addiction and can be passed down to future generations.
	Total thyroidectomy improves HRQoL in Hashimoto thyroiditis (HealthDay)—For patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis with persistent symptoms despite normal thyroid gland function, total thyroidectomy, but not medical management, improves health-related quality of life and fatigue, according to a study published online March 12 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Waiting room tool aids patient-physician communication (HealthDay)—Patients who use a simple waiting room tool are more prepared and more likely to begin heir primary care visit by communicating their top priorities, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
	Tramadol may up mortality risk in osteoarthritis patients (HealthDay)—The initial prescription of tramadol compared with commonly prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be associated with increased all-cause mortality among patients with osteoarthritis, according to a study published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Diet quality in midlife not linked to later risk for dementia (HealthDay)—Diet quality in midlife is not associated with subsequent dementia risk, according to a study published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	CDC: 228 measles cases already in 2019 (HealthDay)—The number of measles cases in the United States increased by 22 since last week and now stands at 228, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in an update.
	Is tinnitus causing that ringing in your ear? Have you ever experienced a constant ringing in your ears that you can't pinpoint the cause? It might be tinnitus ('tin-ni-tus) - the sensation of hearing a sound when no external sound is present. In most cases, tinnitus can be managed, but for some, it's a chronic condition that can affect sleep and everyday function. Fortunately, there are options to reduce its effects.
	Need to be vaccinated? Try your local pharmacy (HealthDay)—Vaccines are big news in the United States these days.
	Newborn heart problems surged after Fukushima nuke disaster: Study (HealthDay)—There was a significant increase in the number of infants in Japan who had surgery for complex congenital heart disease after the nuclear accident in Fukushima, a new study finds.
	When can kids return to play after a concussion? (HealthDay)—Though coaches and parents are more alert to the need for emergency attention after young athletes suffer a concussion, many may not realize how long symptoms and other effects can linger.
	The saturated fat debate rages on (HealthDay)—It's hard to keep up with the findings from studies on the health effects of saturated fat—you know, the fat typically found in animal foods, from red meat to whole milk. But one thing's certain.
	Education, nutrition improve language skills for children in rural China A groundbreaking study by University of Chicago scholars could have a profound impact on the lives and futures of children in poverty-stricken communities of rural China.
	Patients discharged to home care vs. nursing facilities have higher rates of hospital readmissions Spending on post-acute care continues to rise in the United States. Today, nearly 90 percent of Medicare patients discharged to post-acute care receive that care in either a skilled nursing facility or home health care. However, little is known about the differences in outcomes and costs between these two settings. Now, a new study shows that Medicare patients discharged from the hospital and into home health care have higher rates of hospital readmissions compared to those discharged to a skilled nursing facility. The results, published today by Penn Medicine researchers in JAMA Internal Medicine, also shows that providers received significantly lower Medicare payments for these patients.
	Structured play helps toddlers self-regulate, altering their life course Through simple games and day-to-day tasks, parents can help their children learn self-regulation, a skill considered essential for success, a University of Otago study has found.
	Hematopoietic stem cells: making blood thicker than water The body needs to create a continuous supply of blood cells to enter circulation. Blood cells have a wide variety of functions ranging from supplying oxygen to tissues, fighting infections, and enabling the blood to clot upon injury. Avoiding deficiency of these cells or their excessive proliferation must involve a strict regulatory mechanism, but much remains to be clarified about how this works.
Mutations in noncoding genes could play big role in regulating cancer, study finds RNA transcribed from genes that seem not to code for anything may play an important role in regulating cancer, a new study suggests.
	New way to combat childhood anxiety: treat the parents Yale researchers have developed an innovative way to address an epidemic of anxiety disorders afflicting the nation's children: treat the parents.
Spine evaluation is critical to reduce dislocations in revision total hip arthroplasty Hip replacement surgery is highly successful in restoring mobility, relieving pain and improving quality of life. Each year in the United States, more than 330,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed, and that number is expected to almost double by the year 2030.
	New FDA rules aim to keep kids from flavored e-cigarettes (Update) (HealthDay)—Responding to the steep, recent rise in the use of addictive e-cigarettes among kids, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced it would go ahead with efforts to restrict sales of some types of flavored vaping products to minors.
	Placenta plays dual role during pregnancy, regulating both fetal development and the maternal brain, study finds The placenta is a vital part of a successful pregnancy, providing oxygen and nutrients to a growing fetus while also getting rid of waste products. This temporary organ has long been thought to influence the brains of both the mother and the fetus, but until now, no clear evidence of the purpose of that connection existed.
	Age-related cognitive differences appear in children with autism The ability to block out the noise and focus on a specific task is a crucial skill in daily life. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that early childhood, before the age of 10, represents a critical time when children with autism have particular difficulty with this ability and would benefit from intervention addressing this weakness.
	New cholesterol-lowering drug could help patients unable to take statins A new class of oral cholesterol-lowering drug could help patients unable to take statins due to side effects.
Research shines light on preventing infection after miscarriage New international guidelines on how to provide treatment for women having miscarriage surgery are needed after a large-scale international trial led by the University of Birmingham examined if antibiotics can avoid the surgical complication of a potentially fatal pelvic infection.
	Dramatic shifts in first-time opioid prescriptions bring hope, concern A national call for restraint in opioid prescribing has yielded dramatic progress in clinician prescribing patterns, with some notable room for improvement.
	Blood test to diagnose heart attacks is flawed, warn researchers The blood test used to diagnose a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) in patients admitted to hospital can be misleading, warn researchers in a study published by The BMJ today.
	Study links cardiac arrests to opioid overdoses An increasing proportion of all cardiac arrests occurring outside of the hospital are related to drug overdoses, according to a new study conducted by two University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix students.
	How the heart sends an SOS signal to bone marrow cells after a heart attack Human cells shed exosomes. These tiny extracellular, membrane-bound vesicles can carry cargo for cell-to-cell communication, ferrying diverse loads of proteins, lipids or nucleic acids.
	Can a virtual assistant keep you healthy? Artificial intelligence will take its first step into the healthy lifestyle sector as UniSA's new virtual assistant, 'Paola', is piloted in a world-first Mediterranean lifestyle and physical activity study this week.
	Happiness, economics, and air pollution Is there a link between levels of air pollution, a country's economic growth, and the happiness of its citizens? That is the question Zahra Fotourehchi and Habib Ebrahimpour of the Department of Management and Economics, at the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, in Ardabil, Iran, hoped to answer in their paper just published in the aptly named International Journal of Happiness and Development.
	'Virtual focus groups' uncover clues to rural and urban HPV vaccination disparities Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and Dartmouth College have harnessed the power of social media to understand differences in attitudes and behaviors about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among hundreds of thousands of parents living in rural and urban areas. Their findings were presented at the Society for Behavioral Medicine's 40th annual meeting in Washington, DC on March 6.
	Parkinson's trial aims to detect disease at much earlier stage A large study jointly led by Queen Mary University of London and UCL aims to identify people at risk of developing Parkinson's, years before the condition is currently detected, with a view to treating and alleviating it at a much earlier stage.
	Families and schools may play key roles in promoting adolescent self-confidence Self-confidence is critical for teens as they prepare for the challenges of adulthood, and both families and schools may together play a vital role in boosting adolescents' confidence even in the face of difficulties with family, according to researchers.
	Antibody-drug conjugate shows efficacy against cell surface protein in neuroblastoma Physician-scientists in the Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a preclinical, potent therapy attached to an antibody that targets a surface protein expressed in most childhood neuroblastomas, effectively killing cancer cells.
	Mobilizing the lymphatic system may help combat obesity-induced metabolic syndrome The search by scientists to find ways to combat obesity continues. Recently, investigators have been exploring whether they can engage the lymphatic system to help regulate obesity-induced inflammation of fat (adipose) tissue and restore systemic metabolic fitness. In a study appearing in he American Journal of Pathology, researchers report that augmenting lymphatic vessel formation in obese adipose tissue via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-D) signaling reduced obesity-associated immune accumulation and improved metabolic responsiveness, suggesting a new approach to ameliorating some obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities.
	Research finds simple urine test allows for rapid diagnosis of preeclampsia Researchers with The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital have found that a simple urine test can rapidly detect one of the world's deadliest pregnancy-related conditions, which could have a major impact on global health.
Preclinical data shows combination immunotherapy could stop liver cancer growth Even as overall cancer incidence and mortality decrease in the United States, the number of people diagnosed with liver cancer is on the rise. Current therapies for liver cancer are largely ineffective, resulting in poor outcomes, but new preclinical data from University of California San Diego School of Medicine offers proof-of-principle for a combination immunotherapy that suppresses tumor growth in the liver.
	Mystery infections traced to blood-shedding religious ritual Add self-flagellation to the list of ways to get a dangerous viral blood infection.
	Homes with high ventilation rates tied to respiratory issues (HealthDay)—People living in homes with high average air exchange rates (AAERs) are more likely to report chronic cough, asthma, or asthma-like symptoms, according to a study published in the February issue of Environmental Research.
	Keep e-cigs away from youth to win war against tobacco (HealthDay)—Making sure electronic cigarettes don't get into the hands of youngsters is the key to beating tobacco use and nicotine addiction in the United States, a new American Heart Association policy statement says.
	FDA OKs blood pressure drug to ease shortage due to recalls (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new generic version of the high blood pressure/heart failure drug valsartan, saying the move might help ease the current medication shortage.
	CDC: most Americans report excellent, good health (HealthDay)—Most Americans report having excellent or good health and have a usual place to go for medical care, according to a report published March 13 for the National Health Interview Survey Early Release Program.
	Prediagnosis psychiatric care linked to worse cancer mortality (HealthDay)—Precancer psychiatric utilization (PU) is associated with worse cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) among adults with solid organ malignancies, according to a study recently published in the British Journal of Cancer.
	Therapy could improve and prolong sight in those suffering vision loss Millions of Americans are progressively losing their sight as cells in their eyes deteriorate, but a new therapy developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, could help prolong useful vision and delay total blindness.
Later abortion increased in Texas after House Bill 2 A new study by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) finds that the number of second-trimester abortions in Texas increased 13 percent after the implementation of the restrictive abortion law known as House Bill 2 (HB 2), even as the total number of abortions declined by 18 percent. Overall, women received abortion care one week later, on average, in the period after the law took effect.
	Investors' appetites whetted by alternative proteins Cell-cultured meat, plant-based foie gras, algae milk and seaweed caviar are just some of the increasingly sophisticated alternative protein options flooding the market—and whetting investors' appetites.
	Early-life exposure to microbiota restricts colon cancer later in life, study finds Exposure to microbiota, or microorganisms such as bacteria, in the early stages of life plays a crucial role in establishing optimal conditions in the intestine that inhibit the development of colon cancer in adulthood, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
With lawsuits looming, OxyContin maker considers bankruptcy The company that has made billions selling the prescription painkiller OxyContin says it is considering bankruptcy as one of several possible legal options.
ASTRO releases updated radiation oncology safety guide In conjunction with Patient Safety Awareness Week, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published an update today to its framework for safe and effective radiation therapy treatment.
	Report: Low-income and minority youth with autism face worse outcomes than peers Youth with autism are growing up in a world where awareness of autism and expectations for full inclusion in society are increasing. Today, one in 59 children have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder and no two youth with ASD are alike, their service and support needs vary and continually change as they age.
	Team reports advances in use of 3-D models in assessing coronary artery disease In an article published in SPIE's Journal of Medical Imaging (JMI), researchers announce critical advances in the use of 3-D-printed coronary phantoms with diagnostic software, further developing a non-invasive diagnostic method for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) risk assessment.
	No dental insurance? Discount plans can provide savings No dental insurance? You're not alone. Roughly 1 in 4 Americans don't have dental coverage, according to industry figures.
	Claire's recalls 3 cosmetic products due to possible asbestos contamination (HealthDay)—Claire's Stores, Inc., announced a voluntary recall of three of its cosmetic products on Tuesday.

Biology news

	Research predicts overlap of tunas, sharks and ships at sea Maps that show where sharks and tunas roam in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and where fishing vessels travel in this vast expanse, could help ocean managers to identify regions of the high seas where vulnerable species may be at risk.
	New cell subtypes classified in mouse brain It's been estimated that the human brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons, together completing countless tasks through countless connections. So how do we make sense of the roles each of these neurons play? As part of the United States BRAIN Initiative, scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have outlined a way to classify neurons based not only on how they look, but on with which other neurons they are capable of communicating.
	Researchers find fighting and mating success in giant Australian cuttlefish influenced by sidedness A team of researchers from the University of Rennes in France, Southern Cross University in Australia and the Marine Biological Laboratory in the U.S., has found that both fighting and mating success with giant Australian cuttlefish are influenced by behavioral lateralization. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describe their study of the largest species of cuttlefish and what they found.
	Uncoupling the link between snake venom and prey What was fast-becoming received wisdom among herpetologists, namely that snake venom composition normally reflects the variety of their prey, has been disproved in one common species of North American rattlesnake.
	Pesticides influence ground-nesting bee development and longevity Results from a new study suggest that bees might be exposed to pesticides in more ways than we thought, and it could impact their development significantly.
	Hungry moose more tolerant of wolves' presence: study Driven by the need for food, moose in western Wyoming are less likely to change their behavior to avoid wolves as winter progresses, according to new research by University of Wyoming scientists.
Cardiorespiratory fitness of farmed Atlantic salmon unaffected by virus The respiratory systems of Atlantic salmon function normally even when carrying large loads of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), new UBC research has found.
	Protected areas could help large herbivores bounce back after war Large herbivore populations can substantially recover after war-induced declines, given that protected area management is provided, according to a study published March 13 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Marc Stalmans of Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, and colleagues. But the community structure may take longer to restore, as the rate of recovery varies for different populations.
	Little owls on the move The little owl, Athene noctua, is a small nocturnal owl and is classified as an endangered species on the German Red List. In recent years the existing population of little owls has successfully been stabilized in the south-west of Germany, and in some places numbers are even rising. In neighboring northern Switzerland on the other hand there is still no established population of little owls, even though habitat conditions seem suitable for the species. Now, a team of researchers headed by Severin Hauenstein from the Department of Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis at the University of Freiburg has researched whether juvenile little owls from Germany could reach and re-colonize northern Switzerland. The scientists have published their results in the peer-reviewed journal Ecological Applications.
	Excessive hygiene promotes resistance to antibiotics In Nature Communications, researchers from Graz in Austria have presented initial approaches to preventing the spread of antibiotic resistance in hospitals.
	Review of noise impacts on marine mammals yields new policy recommendations Marine mammals are particularly sensitive to noise pollution because they rely on sound for so many essential functions, including communication, navigation, finding food, and avoiding predators. An expert panel has now published a comprehensive assessment of the available science on how noise exposure affects hearing in marine mammals, providing scientific recommendations for noise exposure criteria that could have far-reaching regulatory implications.
Flight of the jellyfish, eel and barnacle along the California coast Marine biologist Jacqueline Sones was strolling along a beach near this Northern California fishing village one foggy summer morning when she spotted an unfamiliar jellyfish bobbing in the surf.
	Trust more important than ecology to gain local support for conservation Trust, transparency, communication, and fairness in the planning and management of conservation projects may be more important for gaining long-term local support than emphasizing ecological effectiveness, UBC-led research has discovered.
	On-the-spot genome analysis The ability to read the genome—all the DNA of an organism—has vast potential to understand human health and disease.
	Measuring the success of East African protected areas East Africa (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) contains 1,776 protected areas (including 186 "strict" protected areas) covering more than 27 percent of its terrestrial area. Researchers at UC Davis have now documented the extent to which this East African protected area network really protects wildlife and habitats.
	Scientists warn about the dangerous interaction of plant protection products Pest control is one of the vital services provided by insects in agroecosystems. Natural methods relying on biological control agents, such as parasitoid wasps, represent a highly effective way to supress crop pest populations. Conventional practices in agriculture typically involve applying various synthetic pesticides (e.g. insecticides, fungicides, herbicides) simultaneously, in the form of a tank-mixture, to protect crops. However, current standard practices in pesticide risk assessment on biocontrol insects only examine the effects of individual pesticides.
	Pangolins set new world record… but no one is celebrating What is the fastest thing on four legs? Which is the world's smallest mammal? How much did an elephant bird's egg weigh? When I was a child, I was fascinated by this kind of animal fact. And still am, if I'm honest. Inevitably, there was a mild obsession with record-breakers. Who doesn't love a bat the size of a bumblebee? Or a whale with a tongue the size of a small car? Or a falcon that can plummet at over 200 miles per hour during a high-speed dive?

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