Science X Newsletter Thursday, Jun 20

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for June 20, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Using game theory to model poisoning attack scenarios

Digitally programmable perovskite nanowire-block copolymer composites

Bats' brains sync when they socialize

People globally return 'lost' wallets more as money increases

New study maps how ocean currents connect the world's fisheries

Research team supersizes 'quantum squeezing' to measure ultrasmall motion

'DNA microscopy' offers entirely new way to image cells

Frustrated fish give up thanks to glia, not just neurons

Electron-behaving nanoparticles rock current understanding of matter

Crystal with a twist: scientists grow spiraling new material

Robot circulatory system powers possibilities

Machine learning unlocks mysteries of quantum physics

Massive brown dwarf detected by astronomers

Algorithm quickly finds hidden objects in dense point clouds

Using fluid dynamics to perfect crêpe cooking techniques

Astronomy & Space news

	Massive brown dwarf detected by astronomers An international team of astronomers has found a new brown dwarf, one of the most massive objects of this type discovered to date. The newly detected brown dwarf, designated EPIC 212036875 b, turns out to be about 50 times more massive than Jupiter. The finding is detailed in a paper published June 13 on arXiv.org.
	Astronomers see 'warm' glow of Uranus's rings The rings of Uranus are invisible to all but the largest telescopes—they weren't even discovered until 1977—but they're surprisingly bright in new heat images of the planet taken by two large telescopes in the high deserts of Chile.
	Sailing among the stars: how photons could revolutionize space flight A few days from now, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will lift off from Florida, carrying a satellite the size of a loaf of bread with nothing to power it but a huge polyester "solar sail."
	Abundance of gases in Enceladus's ocean are a potential fuel—if life is there to consume it The subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus probably has higher than previously known concentrations of carbon dioxide and hydrogen and a more Earthlike pH level, possibly providing conditions favorable to life, according to new research from planetary scientists at the University of Washington.
	Poll: Asteroid watch more urgent than Mars trip Americans prefer a space program that focuses on potential asteroid impacts, scientific research and using robots to explore the cosmos over sending humans back to the moon or on to Mars, a poll shows.
	ESA's new mission to intercept a comet "Comet Interceptor" has been selected as ESA's new fast-class mission in its Cosmic Vision Programme. Comprising three spacecraft, it will be the first to visit a truly pristine comet or other interstellar object that is only just starting its journey into the inner Solar System.
	NASA's Webb Telescope will survey Saturn and Titan If you stop a random person on the sidewalk and ask them what their favorite planet is, chances are their answer will be Saturn. Saturn's stunning rings are a memorable sight in any backyard telescope. But there is still a lot to learn about Saturn, especially about the planet's unique weather and chemistry, as well as the origin of its opulent ring system. After its launch in 2021, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will observe Saturn, its rings, and family of moons as part of a comprehensive solar system program.
	A miniature camera for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will help test the observatory and take first images Scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are building the world's largest digital camera for astronomy and astrophysics—a minivan-sized 3,200-megapixel "eye" of the future Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) that will enable unprecedented views of the universe starting in the fall of 2022 and provide new insights into dark energy and other cosmic mysteries. In the meantime, the lab has completed its work on a miniature version that will soon be used for testing the telescope and taking LSST's first images of the night sky.

Technology news

	Using game theory to model poisoning attack scenarios Poisoning attacks are among the greatest security threats for machine learning (ML) models. In this type of attack, an adversary tries to control a fraction of the data used to train neural networks and injects malicious data points to hinder a model's performance.
	Robot circulatory system powers possibilities Untethered robots suffer from a stamina problem. A possible solution: a circulating liquid—"robot blood"—to store energy and power its applications for sophisticated, long-duration tasks.
	Algorithm quickly finds hidden objects in dense point clouds A new MIT-developed technique enables robots to quickly identify objects hidden in a three-dimensional cloud of data, reminiscent of how some people can make sense of a densely patterned "Magic Eye" image if they observe it in just the right way.
	How you lock your smartphone can reveal your age: study Older smartphone users tend to rely more on their phones' auto lock feature compared to younger users, a new UBC study has found. They also prefer using PINs over fingerprints to unlock their phones.
	Imaging results, health data combine in AI model to predict breast cancer Women know the drill: Breast cancer is too commonly a cancer diagnosis to be ignored, as early detection could make a difference. While false positives may cause an enormous amount of undue stress, false negatives have an impact on how early a cancer is detected and subsequently treated.
	Waymo teams up with Renault, Nissan on robotaxis outside US Self-driving car pioneer Waymo is teaming up with automakers Renault and Nissan to make its first journey outside the U.S. with a ride-hailing service that will dispatch a fleet of robotaxis in France and Japan.
	Discovery of a 'holy grail' with the invention of universal computer memory A new type of computer memory which could solve the digital technology energy crisis has been invented and patented by scientists from Lancaster University in the UK.
	Engineers 3-D print flexible mesh for ankle and knee braces Hearing aids, dental crowns, and limb prosthetics are some of the medical devices that can now be digitally designed and customized for individual patients, thanks to 3-D printing. However, these devices are typically designed to replace or support bones and other rigid parts of the body, and are often printed from solid, relatively inflexible material.
	Multi-mobile (M2) computing system makes Android, iOS apps sharable on multiple devices Computer scientists at Columbia Engineering have developed a new computing system that enables current, unmodified mobile apps to combine and share multiple devices, including cameras, displays, speakers, microphones, sensors, and GPS, across multiple smartphones and tablets. Called M2, the new system operates across heterogeneous systems, including Android and iOS, combining the functionality of multiple mobile systems into a more powerful one that gives users a seamless experience across the various systems.
	New e-tattoo enables accurate, uninterrupted heart monitoring for days The leading cause of death in Texas is heart disease, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, accounting for more than 45,000 deaths statewide in 2017. A new wearable technology made from stretchy, lightweight material could make heart health monitoring easier and more accurate than existing electrocardiograph machines—a technology that has changed little in almost a century.
	Perovskite solar cells tested for real-world performance—in the lab It was only ten years ago that metal-halide perovskites were discovered to be photovoltaic materials. Today, perovskite solar cells are almost as efficient as the best conventional silicon ones, and there is much hope that they will become a highly efficient and low-cost alternative, as they can be manufactured by rather simple and fast methods like printing.
	PizzaGAN gets the picture on how to make a pizza Is nothing sacred? Who would dare to even attempt to talk about a machine-learning experiment that results in the perfect (gasp) pizza? It is difficult to contemplate, but a research quintet did not shy away from trying, and they worked to teach a machine how to make a great pie.
	Skin deep: Japan's 'washi' paper torn by modern life Once an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, ultra-thin washi paper was used for everything from writing and painting to lampshades, umbrellas, and sliding doors, but demand has plunged as lifestyles have become more westernised.
	In Sudan, internet users find ways to beat blackout In a lush garden cafe in Sudan's capital, a group of youngsters sit eyes glued to mobile phone screens, seeking ways to bypass an internet blackout imposed by army rulers.
	Tech firm Slack to make market debut, at $26 reference price Cloud-based software firm Slack Technologies makes its debut on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday with a reference price of $26, adding to this year's parade of new Wall Street entrants.
	What role can households play in the energy transition? What role can households play in the energy transition? Can changes to everyday practices make a difference? The European ENERGISE project, led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in Switzerland, carried out an experiment to reduce energy consumption in 300 households in eight countries. The goal was to lower room temperatures to 18°C and to halve the amount of washing cycles over a four-week period, and for each challenge. The results indicated that the changes did reduce energy consumption by up to 6 percent, as well as saving 13 million cubic meters of water, along with an hour a week saved from household chores—without any significant impacts on comfort levels.
	Rooftop solar panels get boost from tool that previews a year on grid in minutes Homeowners and businesses may now have an easier time getting solar panels on rooftops thanks to software developed at Sandia.
	Boeing eyes more 737 Max sales after post-crash drought Boeing's post-crash business slump may be coming to an end.
	Researchers develop 'vaccine' against attacks on machine learning Researchers from CSIRO's Data61, the data and digital specialist arm of Australia's national science agency, have developed a world-first set of techniques to effectively 'vaccinate' algorithms against adversarial attacks, a significant advancement in machine learning research.
	Libra: four reasons to be extremely cautious about Facebook's new currency Facebook has unveiled libra, a cryptocurrency that will enable users to make international payments over Messenger and other group platforms like WhatsApp—perhaps from as soon as 2020.
	Record efficiency for a gas engine At the end of May, the final meeting of the "Horizon 2020" project "GasOn" with the EU Commission took place in Brussels. The aim of this EU project was the further development of gas engines for cars and vans. Around 20 partners participated, including ETH Zurich and Empa as well as four European automobile manufacturers and well-known suppliers. Gas-powered vehicles generally emit less pollutants than petrol or diesel cars. They are likely to gain importance in the future due to their possibility of being powered by renewable energy.
	Swiss watchdog 'in contact' with Facebook cryptocurrency backers Switzerland's market watchdog confirmed Thursday that it is contact with the "initiators" of Facebook's new cryptocurrency, as questions mount over how the money will be regulated.
	Robot traps ball without coding Dr. Kee-hoon Kim's team at the Center for Intelligent & Interactive Robotics of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) developed a way of teaching "impedance-controlled robots" through human demonstrations using surface electromyograms (sEMG) of muscles, and succeeded in teaching a robot to trap a dropped ball like a soccer player. A surface electromyogram is an electric signal produced during muscle activation that can be picked up on the surface of the skin.
	Google workers, labor advocates confront parent Alphabet over practices Google workers, labor advocates, and local community members rallied outside parent company Alphabet Inc.'s annual meeting of company shareholders here on Wednesday, calling on the technology company to change its labor practices.
	Ride on time: Recycled bikes get Myanmar kids to school The clangor of bells in the air, Myanmar children race home from school on recycled bikes shipped from Singapore and Malaysia, donated to give them easier access to education in a nation where more than half live in poverty.
	Sensors and metrology as the driving force for digitalization Many digitalized processes depend on data collected by increasingly powerful sensors and other test and measurement technology. When this data is processed, it provides precise and reliable information about the operating environment. Nine Fraunhofer Institutes will be presenting the results of their research into sensor technology and its applications in the field of testing and measurement at Sensor+Test 2019 in Nürnberg from June 25 to 27 (Booth 248 in Hall 5).
	Slack is latest tech company to go public, with a twist Shares of work messaging platform Slack rose after it started trading under the ticker "WORK."
	German cabin crew union threatens Lufthansa strikes in July German cabin crew union UFO called Thursday for a strike against airline giant Lufthansa in July, threatening travel chaos during the busy summer holiday season over a wage dispute.
	Slack Technologies rises in Wall Street debut Software company Slack Technologies climbed on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday after entering in a direct listing in the latest sign of Wall Street's appetite for new technology entrants.
	Bank of England to mull access for likes of Facebook's Libra Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is open to the idea of letting new payment services such as Facebook's upcoming Libra hold funds with the central bank—something previously limited to commercial banks.
	Renault and Nissan end standoff over post-Ghosn governance Renault announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement with its partner Nissan on the Japanese carmaker's governance overhaul, paving the way for the French company to back changes decided in the wake of the Carlos Ghosn scandal.

Medicine & Health news

	Treatment for common cause of diarrhea more promising One of the most common causes of diarrhea worldwide—accounting for millions of cases and tens of thousands of deaths, mostly of small children—is the parasite Cryptosporidium. Doctors can treat children with Cryptosporidium for dehydration, but unlike many other causes of diarrhea, there are no drugs to kill the parasite or vaccines to prevent infection.
	Scientists make single-cell map to reprogram scar tissue into healthy heart cells Every year 790,000 Americans suffer a heart attack, which leaves damaged scar tissue on the heart and limits its ability to beat efficiently. But what if scientists could reprogram scar tissue cells called fibroblasts into healthy heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes? Researchers have made great strides on this front with lab experiments and research in mice, but human cardiac reprogramming has remained a great challenge.
	High on iron? It stops anaemia but has a downside A global study looking at the role that iron plays in 900 diseases has uncovered the impact of both low and high iron levels—and the news is mixed.
	Scientists discover new method for developing tracers used for medical imaging In an advance for medical imaging, scientists from University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a method for creating radioactive tracers to better track pharmaceuticals in the body as well as image diseases, such as cancer, and other medical conditions.
	Squeezing of blood vessels may contribute to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Reduced blood flow to the brain associated with early Alzheimer's may be caused by the contraction of cells wrapped around blood vessels, according to a UCL-led study that opens up a new way to potentially treat the disease.
	Sugars that coat proteins are a possible drug target for pancreatitis Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that accounts for 275,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually. Patients who suffer from hereditary pancreatitis have a 40 to 50 percent lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
	Reinvigorating the clinical drug pipeline for TB A research team led by scientists from the Broad Institute has uncovered a novel group of chemical inhibitors that can kill the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB). Importantly, these chemical compounds take aim at a previously unexplored molecular target, paving a potential path toward an entirely new class of antibiotics, which are profoundly needed to combat the worldwide problem of drug resistance in TB.
	Researchers find a mechanism to improve pancreatic islet transplantation in type 1 diabetes The primary cause of the loss of functionality in transplanted pancreatic islets is their low capacity to create new vessels to transport nutrients. Researchers from the University of Barcelona and IDIBAPS have led a study that identifies a protein as the potential modulator in the revascularization of pancreatic islets.
	One step closer to chronic pain relief Sortilin, which is a protein expressed on the surface of nerve cells, plays a crucial role in pain development in laboratory mice—and in all likelihood in humans as well. This is the main conclusion of the study "Sortilin gates neurotensin and BDNF signalling to control peripheral neuropathic pain," which has just been published in the journal Science Advances.
	Processed foods may hold key to rise in autism With the number of children diagnosed with autism on the rise, the need to find what causes the disorder becomes more urgent every day. UCF researchers are now a step closer to showing the link between the food pregnant women consume and the effects on a fetus' developing brain.
	Timed release of turmeric stops cancer cell growth A Washington State University research team has developed a drug delivery system using curcumin, the main ingredient in the spice turmeric, that successfully inhibits bone cancer cells while promoting growth of healthy bone cells.
	New studies warn against complacency in efforts to tackle smoking Three research papers published by The BMJ today examine smoking and efforts to deal with it, and highlight the importance of continued investment in international tobacco control, particularly in low and middle income countries.
	Study: More aggressive treatments needed to improve 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma Despite improvements in median and short-term survival rates for patients with glioblastoma, the most common brain tumor in adults, the percentage of patients achieving five-year survival remains low, according to new Mayo Clinic research.
	New high-resolution maps show how to defeat malaria New research published today in The Lancet examines high-resolution images in areas where the fight to defeat malaria is succeeding and where it has stalled.
	Urban wildlife may be a significant vector for anti-microbial resistant germs In the cities of developing nations, where unregulated antibiotic use is common and livestock jostle with people amid often unsanitary conditions, scientists have found a potentially troubling vector for the dissemination of anti-microbial resistant (AMR) bacteria—wildlife.
Silver loading and switching: Unintended consequences of pulling health policy levers A move by the White House in 2017—decried by many health policy analysts as an attempt to undercut the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—had unanticipated consequences that improved the affordability of health insurance for Marketplace enrollees, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health-led analysis confirms.
	Lifelong obesity linked to physical difficulties aged 50 People who are obese from childhood through to middle age are more than twice as likely to have difficulty with daily tasks such as lifting, climbing stairs and carrying shopping by the time they are 50, a new UCL study has found.
In ovarian cancer care, focus on high-volume centers could come at a cost Limiting ovarian cancer surgery to high-volume hospitals could improve survival but may also reduce access for many rural and underserved patients, a new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found.
	First events in stem cells becoming specialized cells needed for organ development New research by cell biologists at the University of Toronto provides significant new insight into the very first step stem cells go through to turn into the specialized cells that make up organs.
	Reanalysis of clinical molecular data yields new genetic diagnoses A genomic strategy implemented by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine can efficiently increase the molecular diagnostic rate of undiagnosed diseases. The researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine that reanalysis of preexisting molecular data, taking into consideration new disease-causing genes and other genetic knowledge that have been identified since the original analysis, resulted in an increase in the diagnostic yield of cases, nearly doubling it in one of the reanalysis cohorts.
	Study finds accuracy gap in EHRs for eye care patients When it comes to keeping track of prescribed medications between clinic visits, many patients rely on printed medication lists automatically generated from electronic health records (EHRs).
Study challenges 'no pain no gain' requirement for patients with clogged leg arteries Patients with peripheral arterial disease should be given the option of pain-free exercise, according to a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
	1 in 6 ER visits or hospital stays triggers 'surprise' bill Roughly one in every six times someone is taken to an emergency room or checks in to the hospital, the treatment is followed by a "surprise" medical bill, according to a study released Thursday. And depending on where you live, the odds can be much higher.
	Long work hours associated with increased risk of stroke People who worked long hours had a higher risk of stroke, especially if they worked those hours for 10 years or more, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.
	Nearly 5.4 million cancer survivors suffer chronic pain A new report finds about one in three cancer survivors (34.6%) reported having chronic pain, representing nearly 5.4 million cancer survivors in the United States. The report, appearing as a Research Letter in JAMA Oncology, finds one in six survivors (16%), representing about 2.5 million people in the U.S., reported suffering from high impact chronic pain that restricts daily functioning. Those rates are about double the rates in the general population.
	One third of Cambodians infected with threadworm, study finds Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted threadworm that is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have conducted a nation-wide parasitology survey of the Cambodian population and concluded that nearly a third of the studied population is infected with S. stercoralis.
	How bacteria kill host cells from the inside A bacterial pathogen that typically multiplies outside of host cells can enter and induce the destruction of cells called macrophages, according to a study published June 20 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Anne-Béatrice Blanc-Potard of the Université de Montpellier in France, and colleagues.
Nursing home care cost significantly outpaces general inflation and medical care prices One of the largest studies on out-of-pocket costs for nursing home care finds prices are high and rising faster than other medical care and consumer prices, reports a team of health policy researchers.
	Expert discusses RNA's role in diagnosing rare diseases An individual's genetic makeup, or genome, can reveal important and intimate details of his or her biology. Now, scientists are showing that RNA, the lesser-known molecular cousin of DNA, is powerful in its own right and can provide insights into rare human diseases that DNA cannot. Stephen Montgomery, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology and of genetics at the School of Medicine, is among the scientists harnessing RNA to identify the cause of rare diseases that have eluded mainstream medicine.
	New biomarker test improves diagnosis of ovarian cancer The majority of women who undergo surgery for suspected ovarian cancer do not have cancer. A novel blood test developed by researchers at Uppsala University and the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, now offers the possibility of more precise diagnostics without the need for surgery. This could lead to a reduction in unnecessary surgery and to earlier detection and treatment for affected women. The study was recently published in Communications Biology.
	Researchers to develop handheld device to diagnose skin cancer Even the best dermatologists can't diagnose skin cancer by eye, relying on magnifying glasses to examine suspicious blemishes and scalpels to cut tissue for analysis. With up to more than 70 percent of biopsies coming back negative, millions of healthy patients undergo painful, costly and unnecessary procedures. Now, using shortwave rays used in cellphones and airport security scanners, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have developed a technique that detects skin lesions and determines whether they are cancerous or benign—a technology that could ultimately be incorporated into a handheld device that could rapidly diagnose skin cancer without a scalpel in sight.
	Emissions-cheating vehicles linked to worse health outcomes in babies, children across U.S. A new study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is the first to show that diesel cars implicated in the emissions-cheating scandal had population-level impacts on infant and child health.
	Immunotherapy treatment option for some adults with leukemia Patients living with a specific type of leukemia will have access to a new immunotherapy treatment on the NHS in England.
	Federal guidelines may restrict women's access to effective HIV protection Restrictive recommendations for pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) systematically disqualified nearly all women at risk for HIV and/or motivated to use the medication, researchers at the Yale School of Public Health and George Washington University have found.
	Researchers call for the term 'high functioning autism' to be consigned to history Autism researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute have called for the term "high functioning autism" to be abandoned because of the misleading and potentially harmful expectations it creates around the abilities of children on the autism spectrum.
	How to train your brain to lucid dream Dreams can often be confusing and blurry experiences. Reduced critical thinking, little to no access to our true memories and heightened impulsivity and emotions during normal dream states often make for head-scratching moments when our eyes first open in the morning.
	Don't believe everything psychologists tell you about memory Over the past couple of decades, there has been an explosion of research into "false memories," showing that our memory can be subtly altered by a variety of internal and external factors. Many psychologists think the public is unaware of this and that people generally think memory is much more accurate than the evidence shows.
	Low-carb diet may reduce diabetes risk independent of weight loss A low-carb diet may have benefits for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes even if they don't lose any weight, a new study suggests.
Restrictive approach to blood cell transfusions safe for heart surgery patients In a recent clinical trial of higher risk patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, a restrictive approach to blood cell transfusions resulted in fewer transfusions without putting patients at increased risk of acute kidney injury. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of JASN.
	Krokodil, the Russian 'flesh-eating' drug, makes a rare appearance in Australia A young man recently turned up at a rural drug and alcohol service in New South Wales seeking help because of an infection in his arm. He said he had injected the drug Krokodil, which had not previously been reported in Australia.
	Researchers unlock the secrets of liver regeneration In a recent study published in the journal Developmental Cell, NYU Abu Dhabi researchers have reported a new way in which the liver is primed to regenerate itself. They found that by stripping parts of the epigenome, which play a primary role in repressing "jumping genes" (i.e. transposable elements), other epigenetic marks were redistributed.
Home-HIT might be the workout that brings quick, simple exercises to the masses How much do you exercise? Government guidelines suggest that, in order to stay healthy, adults should perform at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week—that's exercise that gets your breathing and heart rate up.
	Census Bureau data shows US median age has risen by a year America is aging.
	Bisexual individuals can suffer from identity denial, may increase risk for depression Bisexual individuals may feel discriminated against and have high rates of stress and depression because they believe that their sexual identity is often questioned or denied by others, according to a Rutgers study.
	The cell discovery that could stop allergies A new cell type that could stop allergies before they begin has been discovered by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU).
New research backs Australian regulatory decision on poppers Young gay and bisexual men are frequent users of alkyl nitrites, or poppers, but few show signs of addiction, risky consumption habits or other psychosocial problems, a study shows.
	Gut bacteria associated with chronic pain for first time Scientists have found a correlation between a disease involving chronic pain and alterations in the gut microbiome.
	Early and regular cannabis use by youth is associated with alteration in brain circuits that support cognitive control The development of neural circuits in youth, at a particularly important time in their lives, can be heavily influenced by external factors—specifically the frequent and regular use of cannabis. A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that alterations in cognitive control—an ensemble of processes by which the mind governs, regulates and guides behaviors, impulses, and decision-making based on goals are directly affected.
	One step closer to pain-free vaccinations Micro-needles are a promising tool for the painless administration of vaccines through the skin. But, are these minuscule needles really effective? Ph.D. student Pim Schipper of the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research investigated various factors of vaccination via the skin and discovered, among other things, that the injection depth is not important and that it is better to spread the vaccine dose over several days.
	Why do people faint? Maybe it's a bride standing in a hot chapel, or an exhausted runner after a race. It could be someone watching a medical procedure on television or a donor at a blood drive.
	Supplements for brain health show no benefit – a neurologist explains a new study Americans and others around the world have turned increasingly to dietary supplements in order to maintain or preserve their brain health.
	Sudden death in epilepsy and breathing troubles linked to bad gene In sudden death in epilepsy, people stop breathing for no apparent reason and die. Now, a group of UConn neuroscientists have a lead as to why.
	Research shows upbeat music can sweeten tough exercise New research coming out of UBC's Okanagan campus demonstrates that upbeat music can make a rigorous workout seem less tough. Even for people who are insufficiently active.
	Cancer control: Structure of important transport protein solved For the first time, Bernese researchers have been able to solve the structure of a transport protein and thus to describe the functional mechanism that plays a significant role in the survival of cancer cells. This is an important step towards developing effective inhibitors to fight tumor growth.
22% of young men, 5% of young women engage in 'disordered eating' to bulk up Adolescents who see themselves as puny and who exercise to gain weight may be at risk of so-called muscularity-oriented disordered eating behaviors, say researchers led by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.
	New p53 gene discovery sheds light on how to make cancer therapies more effective Scientists at VCU Massey Cancer Center have discovered that the loss of a protein called DBC1 in breast cancer cells leads to the dysregulation of normal anti-cancer functions, contributing to cancer cell growth and resistance to therapies. By restoring the expression of this protein, doctors may be able to help prevent the development of cancer and increase the effectiveness of common cancer treatments.
	God doesn't play dice, does cancer? The saying "God doesn't play dice" is meant to suggest that nothing happens by chance. On the other hand, cancer seems like the ultimate happenstance: Don't we all have a 43-year-old, vegan, triathlete friend fighting cancer? Does this mean that cancer plays dice? According to the traditional model of how cancer develops, yes: Every time a cell divides, you roll a die, and the more years you roll, the greater your chance of rolling an unfortunate mutation that causes cancer. Some young people get very unlucky and some older people get very lucky, but overall, the longer you live, the more times you roll the die, the greater your risk of developing cancer. It makes perfect sense.
	Global treaty is leaving some countries vulnerable to increase in tobacco consumption There is no statistical evidence that global cigarette consumption has fallen as a result of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and in low- and middle-income countries it has actually increased, according to two studies led by global health researchers at York University.
	Pigs help scientists understand human brain For the first time, researchers in the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center have used an imaging method normally reserved for humans to analyze brain activity in live agricultural swine models, and they have discovered that pig brains are even better platforms than previously thought for the study of human neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
	Psoriasis patients turn to alternative medicine when traditional treatments fail Patients with psoriasis frequently use complementary or alternative therapies to treat their symptoms, according to survey results published by dermatologists from the George Washington University (GW) in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
	Artificial intelligence identifies 'kissing bugs' that spread Chagas disease New research from the University of Kansas shows machine learning is capable of identifying insects that spread the incurable disease called Chagas with high precision, based on ordinary digital photos. The idea is to give public health officials where Chagas is prevalent a new tool to stem the spread of the disease and eventually to offer identification services directly to the general public.
	Sharing clinical notes engages OB-GYN patients (HealthDay)—Obstetrics and gynecology patients are interested in reading clinical notes, which seems to promote engagement and safety, according to a study published online June 11 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Explanting breast implants: Women cite autoimmune ailments For longer than she can remember, Hauser Lake, Wash., resident Cindy Crow had symptoms ranging from joint pain and daily headaches to an autoimmune thyroid disorder.
	High response seen for chemo in seniors with high-risk AML (HealthDay)—A substantial proportion of older patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with chemotherapy are long-term survivors, according to research published online June 7 in Cancer Medicine.
	Risk factors ID'd for atrial fibrillation with type 1 diabetes (HealthDay)—Older age, cardiovascular comorbidities, and renal complications increase the risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online June 6 in Diabetes Care.
	Miracle machine makes heroic rescues and leaves patients in limbo The latest miracle machine in modern medicine—whose use has skyrocketed in recent years—is saving people from the brink of death: adults whose lungs have been ravaged by the flu; a trucker who was trapped underwater in a crash; a man whose heart had stopped working for an astonishing seven hours.
	Suicide rates increased for men, women from 1999 to 2017 (HealthDay)—From 1999 to 2017, there was an increase in suicide rates for women and men, according to a report published in the June Health E-Stats, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
	The health benefits of sleeping on your side (HealthDay)—You know how important getting enough restorative sleep is for facing each new day refreshed and ready to take on the world. Now research suggests that your sleep position may have an impact on brain health, too.
	How to pack more plant protein into your everyday diet (HealthDay)—You don't have to adopt a total vegetarian lifestyle to improve your health. You can get some of its advantages simply by replacing some of the animal proteins in your diet with plant-based ones.
	The safer way to ease post-surgical pain (HealthDay)—For people recovering from surgery or dealing with a painful injury, an expert suggests that there are a number of safer alternatives for managing pain than using potentially addictive opioids.
	Another vaping danger: E-cigarette explodes in teen's face (HealthDay)—A vape pen exploded in the face of 17-year-old Nevada boy, breaking his jaw and requiring multiple surgeries to repair the damage, according to a case report in the latest New England Journal of Medicine.
	How do birth defects affect childhood cancer risk? (HealthDay)—Children with birth defects may be at increased risk for childhood cancer, a new study finds.
	Not always reaching your potential is okay, but overthinking it is a problem Having aspirations helps us navigate life in a meaningful and fulfilling way, but it can also cause psychological distress when hopes are left unfulfilled.
	Novel model for studying intestinal parasite could advance vaccine development The intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, which causes a diarrheal disease, is very good at infecting humans. It's the leading cause of waterborne disease from recreational waters in the United States. Globally, it's a serious illness that can stunt the growth of, or even kill, infants and young children. And people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, are also highly susceptible. There is no vaccine and no effective treatment.
	Signature of an ineffective immune response to cancer revealed Our immune system is programmed to destroy cancer cells. Sometimes it has trouble slowing disease progression because it doesn't act quickly or strongly enough. In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) revealed the genetic signature of this failed immune response for the first time.
	Researchers discover new genetic link to premenopausal breast cancer University of Alberta researchers have added a new genetic marker to the breast cancer map, helping to expand the list of genetic mutations clinicians can watch for in cancer screenings.
	New research provides medical proof vacation is good for your heart We all treasure our vacation time and look forward to that time when we can get away from work. With the arrival of summer comes the prime vacation season and along with it one more reasons to appreciate our vacation time: the value to our heart health. While there has been much anecdotal evidence about the benefits of taking a vacation from work, a new study by Syracuse University professors Bryce Hruska and Brooks Gump and other researchers reveals the benefits of a vacation for our heart health.
Sugar industry's use of dietitians to influence dental professionals, 1974-1978 At the 97th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), held in conjunction with the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR), Ifunanya Okeke, University of California, San Francisco, USA, gave an oral presentation on "Sugar Industry's Use of Dietitians to Influence Dental Professionals, 1974-1978." The IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition is held at the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building in Vancouver, BC, Canada from June 19-22, 2019.
Inflammatory mechanisms may underlie increased risk of prostate cancer among WTC responders Inflammatory and immune-regulatory mechanisms were found to be altered in animal models and in archived prostate cancer tumor samples of responders exposed to dust from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
	Research discovery leads to new clinical trial for myelofibrosis patients Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U) discovered in laboratory studies that an experimental drug called selinexor may block a crucial survival pathway exploited by myelofibrosis cells. Their study was published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association of Cancer Research. Based on these findings, they designed a clinical trial now open at HCI to examine this drug's effectiveness in patients with myelofibrosis (National Clinical Trial 03627403).
Obesity in pregnant women associated with a 3.5-times increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the child Obesity during pregnancy is associated with a 3.5-times increased future risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the child, concludes new research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes). If the pregnant woman is overweight rather than obese, the increased risk of T2D in the child is 40%. The study says strategies to reduce obesity and overweight in women of reproductive age are urgently required.
Kenya responded fast to Ebola scare, but cross-border risk remains high The second largest Ebola virus disease outbreak on record is currently raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with over 2,000 cases and more than 1,400 deaths recorded. Uganda, which shares a long and porous border with DRC, registered its first confirmed cases and two deaths and, earlier this week, a suspected case in Kenya fortunately turned out negative.
	Measles vaccination linked to health, schooling benefits among children in LMICS While the measles vaccine has eliminated the virus in many high-income countries, the global burden of disease persists with an estimated 245,000 measles cases and 68,000 measles-associated deaths worldwide in 2016. India alone accounted for 50 percent of measles cases and 30 percent of measles deaths in 2016. Although low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for a large proportion of global measles cases, high-income countries have recently seen a resurgence of measles outbreaks.
	French economists make case for legal marijuana A group of French economists on Thursday recommended legalising marijuana, arguing it would add billions to state coffers, but President Emmanuel Macron's government again ruled out letting recreational users get legally high.

Biology news

	Bats' brains sync when they socialize The phrase "we're on the same wavelength" may be more than just a friendly saying: A new study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers shows that bats' brain activity is literally in sync when bats engage in social behaviors like grooming, fighting or sniffing each other.
	New study maps how ocean currents connect the world's fisheries A new study published in the journal Science finds that the world's marine fisheries form a single network, with over $10 billion worth of fish each year being caught in a country other than the one in which it spawned.
	'DNA microscopy' offers entirely new way to image cells Microscopy just got reinvented—again.
	Frustrated fish give up thanks to glia, not just neurons Secured in place in a virtual-reality-equipped chamber, frustrated zebrafish just didn't want to swim anymore.
	How in times of trouble animals also stand together Faced with potential violence from rival factions, dwarf mongoose groupmates pull together and behave more co-operatively, according to new research by University of Bristol researchers published today.
	Marine extremophiles: The basal level of the food chain In nutrient-poor deep-sea sediments, microbes belonging to Archaea have outcompeted bacterial microorganisms for millions of years. Efficiently scavenging dead cells makes them the basal producers in the food chain.
	Climate change could affect symbiotic relationships between microorganisms and trees Some fungi and bacteria live in symbiosis with tree roots in forest soil to obtain mutual benefits. The microorganisms help trees access water and nutrients from the atmosphere or soil, sequester carbon, and withstand the effects of climate change. In exchange, they receive carbohydrates, which are essential to their development and are produced by the trees during photosynthesis.
	Scientists discover seemingly paradoxical mechanism for regulating oil synthesis Scientists studying plant biochemistry at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory recently made a surprising discovery: They found that a protein that turns on oil synthesis also activates a protein that puts the brakes on the same process. In a paper just published in the journal Plant Physiology, they describe how this seemingly paradoxical system keeps oil precursors perfectly balanced to meet plants' needs.
	Researchers confirm that narwhals and belugas can interbreed A team of University of Copenhagen researchers has compiled the first and only evidence that narwhals and beluga whales can breed successfully. DNA and stable isotope analysis of an anomalous skull from the Natural History Museum of Denmark has allowed researchers to confirm the existence of a narwhal-beluga hybrid.
	Why climate change means a rethink of coffee and cocoa production systems Global demand for coffee and cocoa is on the rise. Yet across the equatorial belt where these two crops are produced, the future is not looking bright. Climate change in the tropics is pushing coffee and cocoa closer to the limits of physiological tolerance and constraining the places where they can grow in the future.
	Research details response of sagebrush to 2017 solar eclipse The total solar eclipse's swath across Wyoming and the United States in August 2017 provided an opportunity for scientists to study a variety of celestial and earthly phenomena, from learning more about the sun's corona to the behavior of animals and plants.
	Landmark study signals shift in thinking about stem cell differentiation A pioneering new study led by Florida State University biologists could fundamentally change our understanding of how embryonic stem cells differentiate into specific cell types.
	Spiders risk everything for love University of Cincinnati biologist George Uetz long suspected the extravagant courtship dance of wolf spiders made them an easy mark for birds and other predators.
	Animals may have more than one means of surviving hypoxia A tidepool crustacean's ability to survive oxygen deprivation though it lacks a key set of genes raises the possibility that animals might have more ways of dealing with hypoxic environments than had been thought.
	Captive beluga whales make epic journey from China to Iceland sanctuary Two beluga whales from a Shanghai aquarium arrived in Iceland on Wednesday to live out their days in a unique marine sanctuary that conservationists hope will become a model for rehoming some 3,000 of the creatures currently in captivity.
	New research shows importance of climate on spruce beetle flight If the climate continues warming as predicted, spruce beetle outbreaks in the Rocky Mountains could become more frequent, a new multi-year study led by Colorado State University finds.
	All eyes on a new worm species There's a worm at the bottom of the sea—and it's been discovered off the Scottish coast by a team of scientists from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Marine Scotland Science (MSS) and Thomson Environmental Consultants. But this isn't an ordinary worm—the newcomer has a unique anatomy with its eyes in its head and in its bottom.
	Using the power of math to improve food texture, consistency The word starch brings to mind for many people either a food component or something used to stiffen clothing—but its use covers much territory. Starch is used in a wide variety of food and non-food settings. In fact, the global corn starch market is expected to reach $34 billion by 2025.
	Computer model illuminates critical moment in Drosophila development A computer model of forces exerted by cells during development of a fertilized egg into a fruit fly larvae holds promise to help scientists understand the morphogenesis of organisms that are much more complicated.
	New research could lead to a pregnancy test for endangered marsupials Many women realize they are pregnant before they've even done the test—perhaps feeling a touch of nausea, or tender, larger-than-usual breasts.
	How an emerging tick-borne pathogen evades detection Human babesiosis is an emerging infectious disease transmitted to humans by ticks. A team of Yale researchers has discovered how Babesia microti, one of the two Babesia parasite species that transmit the disease in the United States, communicates with its host.
	Asian nations scramble to contain pig disease outbreaks Asian nations are scrambling to contain the spread of highly contagious African swine fever, with Vietnam culling 2.5 million pigs and China reporting more than a million dead in an unprecedentedly huge epidemic some fear is out of control.
	The return of the wolf: Wild cubs born in the Netherlands Wolves are officially back in the Netherlands, two centuries after the animals were hunted to extinction in the country, after a pair produced a litter in the wild—news welcomed Thursday by conservationists.
	Software to protect the world's most endangered species By combining genetic and environmental databases, researchers at EPFL are seeking to help biologists identify more accurately the animal and plant species most exposed to climate change, in order to develop appropriate conservation methods.
Disrupting one gene could be first step toward treating honey bee parasite nosema ceranae Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have taken the first step towards a weapon against the major honey bee parasite Nosema ceranae.
	Dynamic collaboration behind new research into best way of using biologging tags Methods used to design F1 cars and spacecraft have played a crucial role in new research into the tags used to track animal movements.
Biomedical bleeding may impact horseshoe crabs' spawning behavior and movement Horseshoe crabs that have undergone biomedical bleeding tend to reside in deeper water and approach mating beaches less often, according to a new study published in The Biological Bulletin. In "Effects of the Biomedical Bleeding Process on the Behavior of the American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus in Its Natural Habitat," Meghan Owings and her colleagues report the results of an investigation of the behavioral and physiological effects that the bleeding process has on horseshoe crabs that are released back into their natural environment. The findings suggest biomedical bleeding may impact the reproductive output of female horseshoe crabs during the season in which they were bled.
	A study describes the reaction mechanism of DNAzymes A study from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has published a study in the journal Nature Catalysis that describes the reaction mechanism used by the DNAzyme 9DB1, the first structurally available catalyser formed by DNA.
	Team proposes stochastic model to explain microbiome composition All living things—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to the human body—live closely together with an enormous abundance of microbial symbionts, which colonise the insides and outsides of their tissues. The functional collaboration of host and microorganisms, which scientists refer to as a metaorganism, has only recently come into the focus of life science research. Today we know that we can only understand many of life's processes in connection with the interactions between organism and symbionts. The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1182 "Origin and Function of Metaorganisms" at Kiel University (CAU) aims to understand the communication and the functional consequences of host-microbe relationships.
	Heat kills invasive jumping worm cocoons, could help limit spread New research out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum shows that temperatures of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit kill the cocoons of invasive jumping worms.
	Synthetic biology roadmap could set research agenda for next 10 years A new roadmap for synthetic biology could help to set research goals for improving food production, public health and the environment.
	Global data resource shows genetic diversity of chickens A total of 174 chicken breeds are described in a publicly accessible database which scientists from the University of Göttingen and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute in Neustadt-Mariensee have built up in recent years with numerous international partners. This database, the Synbreed Chicken Diversity Panel (SCDP), includes information about a large proportion of the available chicken species and their diversity. In the accompanying scientific study, the researchers genotyped 3,235 animals for nearly 600,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs are variations in separate genetic building blocks at specific regions of the genome that vary between individual animals. The researchers created a family tree of exceptional completeness and detail. The results have been published in the journal BMC Genomics.
	Russians capture hungry polar bear roaming Arctic city Russian officials said Thursday that scientists have captured a hungry polar bear found roaming the streets of an Arctic city, hundreds of kilometres from its natural habitat, and would take it to a zoo to recover.
	Endangered rhinos ready to be sent from Europe to Rwanda Five critically endangered eastern black rhinos from wildlife parks in three European countries are ready to be transported back to their natural habitat in Rwanda, where the entire rhino population was wiped out during the genocide in the 1990s.
	Russia to release 100 illegally captured whales Russian officials have launched an operation to release nearly 100 illegally captured whales whose confinement in Russia's far east has become a rallying cry for environmentalists.
	Mother sperm whale and baby dead in fishing net off Italy A mother sperm whale and its baby have died after becoming tangled in a fishing net in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy's western coast, an Italian environmental group reported Thursday.

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