Science X Newsletter Monday, Jul 1

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for July 1, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study unveils new supersymmetry anomalies in superconformal quantum field theories

New twist in the race to replace the graphite anode for better rechargeable batteries

Astronomers conduct chemical investigation of globular cluster NGC 6723

'Committed' CO2 emissions jeopardize international climate goals, study finds

Spiraling filaments feed young galaxies

'Oumuamua is not an alien spacecraft: study

Evolution of life in the ocean changed 170 million years ago

New technique lets researchers make thousands of nanowires, capable of recording intracellular signals, at the same time

Scientists identify interactions that stabilize a neurodegeneration-associated protein

Researchers identify the origins of metabolism

Female bed bugs 'control' their immune systems ahead of mating to prevent against STIs

Study shows how to improve production at wind farms

Wood products mitigate less than 1% of global carbon emissions

How you and your friends can play a video game together using only your minds

Physicists use light waves to accelerate supercurrents, enable ultrafast quantum computing

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers conduct chemical investigation of globular cluster NGC 6723 By analyzing high-resolution spectra for 11 red giant branch (RGB) stars, astronomers have conducted a chemical investigation of the globular cluster NGC 6723. Results of the study, presented in a paper published June 24 on arXiv.org, offer more insights on the chemical enrichment of NGC 6723 and could be important to better understand chemical composition of globular clusters in general.
	Spiraling filaments feed young galaxies Galaxies grow by accumulating gas from their surroundings and converting it to stars, but the details of this process have remained murky. New observations, made using the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, now provide the clearest, most direct evidence yet that filaments of cool gas spiral into young galaxies, supplying the fuel for stars.
	'Oumuamua is not an alien spacecraft: study On October 19, 2017, astronomers discovered the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system. First spotted by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 (PanSTARRS1) telescope located at the University of Hawaii's Haleakala Observatory, the object defied easy description, simultaneously displaying characteristics of both a comet and an asteroid.
	Guardians of Apollo: the curators preserving the Moon mission's legacy Lying on a workshop counter that is closed to the public at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's annex near Washington Dulles airport, Neil Armstrong's gloves look almost as good as new.
	NASA: Intense work under way on rocket for future moonshots Crews are working around the clock at a NASA rocket factory, intent on meeting a new fall 2020 deadline to test launch a mega-rocket designed to propel astronauts to the moon and beyond, a space agency official said Friday.
	How shiny are near-Earth objects? Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are small solar system bodies whose orbits sometimes bring them close to the Earth. NEOs are consequently potential collision threats, but scientists are also interested in them because they offer keys to the composition, dynamics and environmental conditions of solar system and its evolution. Most meteorites for example, one of the key sources of knowledge about the early solar system, come from NEOs. The large majority NEOs were discovered in optical searches, and today the total number of known NEOs exceeds 20,000. The crucial NEO parameter of interest for most problems, including the possible dangers from an impact, is the size, but unfortunately optical detections usually cannot determine size. This is because an NEO's optical light is reflected sunlight, and the object could be bright either because it is large or because it has a high reflectivity (albedo).
	Space weather causes years of radiation damage to satellites using electric propulsion The use of electric propulsion for raising satellites into geostationary orbit can result in significant solar cell degradation according to a new study. The extended journey results in greater exposure to the damaging effects of space weather. Understanding the size of this risk is essential for commercial operators to take steps to mitigate the effects and protect their assets.
	Hubble captures cosmic fireworks in ultraviolet Hubble offers a special view of the double star system Eta Carinae's expanding gases glowing in red, white, and blue. This is the highest resolution image of Eta Carinae taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
	Inflatable decelerator will hitch a ride on the JPSS-2 satellite An inflatable decelerator technology that could one day help humans land on Mars will fly on the same Atlas V rocket as the JPSS-2 satellite.
	InSight Mars lander uncovers the 'mole' Behold the "mole": The heat-sensing spike that NASA's InSight lander deployed on the Martian surface is now visible. Last week, the spacecraft's robotic arm successfully removed the support structure of the mole, which has been unable to dig, and placed it to the side. Getting the structure out of the way gives the mission team a view of the mole - and maybe a way to help it dig.
Video: Proba-2's predicted view of 2 July eclipse On 2 July 2019, a total solar eclipse will be visible from the South Pacific, falling over land for some parts of Chile and Argentina, with other South American countries enjoying a partial eclipse.
	NASA tracked small asteroid before it broke up in atmosphere When a lightning detector on a NOAA weather satellite detected something that wasn't lightning last Saturday, a scientist at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, did some detective work.
	Image: Mars 2020 rover's seven-foot-long robotic arm installed In this image, taken on June 21, 2019, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, install the main robotic arm on the Mars 2020 rover. (A smaller arm to handle Mars samples will be installed inside the rover as well.) The main arm includes five electrical motors and five joints (known as the shoulder azimuth joint, shoulder elevation joint, elbow joint, wrist joint and turret joint). Measuring 7 feet (2.1 meters) long, the arm will allow the rover to work as a human geologist would: by holding and using science tools with its turret, which is essentially its "hand."
	Earth to Mars in 100 days: The power of nuclear rockets The solar system is a really big place, and it takes forever to travel from world to world with traditional chemical rockets. But one technique developed back in the 1960s might provide a way to shorten our travel times dramatically: nuclear rockets.
	Would your mobile phone be powerful enough to get you to the moon? Many people who are old enough to have experienced the first moon landing will vividly remember what it was like watching Neil Armstrong utter his famous quote: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.". Half a century later, the event is still one of the top achievements of humankind. Despite the rapid technological advances since then, astronauts haven't actually been back to the moon since 1972.
	To carve out a niche in space industries, Australia should focus on microgravity research rockets Australia now has a space agency, and our federal and South Australian governments are looking to grow a prosperous space industry to boost productivity and employment.
	How historic Jupiter comet impact led to planetary defense Twenty-five years ago, humanity first witnessed a collision between a comet and a planet. From July 16 to 22, 1994, enormous pieces of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9), discovered just a year prior, crashed into Jupiter over several days, creating huge, dark scars in the planet's atmosphere and lofting superheated plumes into its stratosphere.
	Don't recall Apollo 11? Global festivities have you covered You can run a race, hit a museum, shoot off a rocket or count down to the moment 50 years ago that Neil Armstrong first stepped foot on the moon.

Technology news

	Study shows how to improve production at wind farms What's good for one is not always best for all.
	Researchers step back to mannequin viral wave to explore depth Who said the viral craze called Mannequin Challenge (MC) is done and dusted? Not so. Researchers have turned to the Challenge that won attention in 2016 to serve their goal. They used the MC for training a neural network that can reconstruct depth information from the videos.
	Smart glasses follow our eyes, focus automatically Though it may not have the sting of death and taxes, presbyopia is another of life's guarantees. This vision defect plagues most of us starting about age 45, as the lenses in our eyes lose the elasticity needed to focus on nearby objects. For some people reading glasses suffice to overcome the difficulty, but for many people the only fix, short of surgery, is to wear progressive lenses.
	Teaching artificial intelligence to create visuals with more common sense Today's smartphones often use artificial intelligence (AI) to help make the photos we take crisper and clearer. But what if these AI tools could be used to create entire scenes from scratch?
	Trump hints at softer stance on China's Huawei President Donald Trump said on Saturday that US companies could sell equipment to Chinese telecom giant Huawei, indicating a potentially softer position on a key sticking point in the US-China trade war.
	American Airlines tech leader talks about outages, hackers A government report this month highlighted the frequency of computer outages at airlines, which can stop passengers from checking in for flights, and even prevent planes from taking off.
	Giant Beijing airport set to open on eve of China's 70th birthday Beijing is set to open an eye-catching multi-billion dollar airport resembling a massive shining starfish, to accommodate soaring air traffic in China and celebrate the Communist government's 70th anniversary in power.
	Facebook to make jobs, credit ads searchable for US users Facebook says it will make advertisements for jobs, loans and credit card offers searchable for all U.S. users following a legal settlement designed to eliminate discrimination on its platform.
	Assessing the danger of drone strike: unique test bench to measure collision impact The rapid rise in the number of drones worldwide has been accompanied by increasing reports of near misses with commercial aircraft. In 2017, while coming in to land, a Canadian passenger aircraft actually collided with a drone, narrowly escaping catastrophe. Bird-strike tests for aircraft are mandatory. To date, however, there is no equivalent standard test procedure for collisions with drones. In order to to be able to fundamentally understand the consequences of a collision between an aircraft and a drone, the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI is now planning to build a test bench for recreating various collision scenarios with complete drones.
	Sliding along on water Machine bearings are usually lubricated with various oils. But today large quantities of these oils still end up in the environment. The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM has developed a method which will in the future make it possible to lubricate slide bearings using water, a much more environmentally friendly approach.
	Drone transmits uncompressed 4K video in real time using millimeter wave tech SECOM and Tokyo Institute of Technology have jointly developed a millimeter-wave wireless communication system that enables long distance communication, and succeeded in transmitting 4K uncompressed video in real time from a drone.
	An innovative method for detecting defaulting participants based on sparse reconstruction In the contract-based demand response, some of the participants may default in providing the scheduled negawatt energy owing to demand-side fluctuations faults. Thus, the detection of defaulting participants is an important function of the aggregator. A group of Japanese researchers has developed a method to detect defaulting participants based on sparse reconstruction. This enables assured detection of defaulting participants with limited information that aggregator can utilize.
	Personalized medicine software vulnerability uncovered by Sandia researchers A weakness in one common open source software for genomic analysis left DNA-based medical diagnostics vulnerable to cyberattacks.
	The answer to forecasting Bitcoin may lie in artificial intelligence As Bitcoin tries to regain some of the lustre it held in late 2017 when it nearly reached US$20,000 in value, investors are still questioning how to predict such a volatile currency.
Video game designer establishes lab for renewable energy A Dutch video game designer and entrepreneur has established a laboratory on the Big Island that is focused on developing alternatives to fossil fuels for energy, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
	Danish researchers create worldwide solar energy model Solar cells are currently the world's most talked-about renewable energy source, and for any future sustainable energy system, it is crucial to know about the performance of photovoltaic systems at local, regional and global levels. Danish researchers have just set up an historically accurate model, and all the data have been made available for anyone who wants to use it.
	Rise of the robots: Coming to a first-year Intro to Journalism class near you Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming human interactions in nearly every aspect of life, from how business is conducted to how people access healthcare to how news is delivered and consumed.
Employees speak up at Wayfair, Google. Have Millennials killed being afraid of the boss? Not happy with the leadership at your company?
	Porsche leveraging the benefits of organic materials in automotive manufacturing applications Automaker Porsche is leveraging the benefits of organic materials in automotive manufacturing applications. The new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport features body parts made of natural-fiber composite materials developed in the Application Center for Wood Fiber Research HOFZET, which is part of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI, together with the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites IfBB of Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
	Scientists propose gait-based biometric identification method for the old with wearable devices Human gait is a unique feature that could be used for robust identity recognition. The gait-based identity recognition method combines several advantages, such as high fraud-resistance, secure data collection, no need for explicit user interaction, and continuous and long-distance authentication. This combination makes gait a very suitable biometric parameter for user verification when associated with wearable devices.
	Machine detection of human-object interaction in images and videos Jia-Bin Huang, assistant professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a faculty member at the Discovery Analytics Center, has received a Google Faculty Research Award to support his work in detecting human-object interaction in images and videos.

Medicine & Health news

	How you and your friends can play a video game together using only your minds Telepathic communication might be one step closer to reality thanks to new research from the University of Washington. A team created a method that allows three people to work together to solve a problem using only their minds.
	Neurotechnology holds promise for chronic stroke patients Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland—Personalized neurotechnology-aided rehabilitation of the arm could improve recovery in severe chronic stroke patients according to a new paper published today in the journal Brain.
	Protein linked to aggressive skin cancer Almost 300,000 people worldwide develop malignant melanoma each year. The disease is the most serious form of skin cancer and the number of cases reported annually is increasing, making skin cancer one of Sweden's most common forms of cancer. A research team at Lund University in Sweden has studied a protein that regulates a gene linked to metastasis of malignant melanoma.
	Protein clumps in ALS neurons provide potential target for new therapies Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological condition that affects motor neurons—the nerve cells that control breathing and muscles. Under a microscope, researchers have noticed that the motor neurons of patients with ALS contain excessive aggregation of a protein called TDP-43. Since TDP-43 proteins stuck in these aggregates can't perform their normal function, the scientists believe this build-up contributes to motor neuron degeneration, the hallmark of ALS.
	'Uncanny Valley': Brain network evaluates robot likeability Scientists have identified mechanisms in the human brain that could help explain the phenomenon of the 'Uncanny Valley' - the unsettling feeling we get from robots and virtual agents that are too human-like. They have also shown that some people respond more adversely to human-like agents than others.
	Glowing brain cells illuminate stroke recovery research A promising strategy for helping stroke patients recover, transplanting neural progenitor cells to restore lost functions, asks a lot of those cells. They're supposed to know how to integrate into a mature (but damaged) brain. The cells need help.
	Interactive zebrafish brain If zebrafish larvae used the internet, they might soon be able to download a map of their entire brain. "We're not at that point yet," explains Michael Kunst from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology. "Nevertheless, our first atlas detailing over 2,000 neurons is now available online." As such, a reference work was created in which function can be seamlessly mapped onto structure of the vertebrate brain. This resource is now inviting scientists around the world to browse anatomical data and contribute their own.
	Researchers identify new way to make cancer self-destruct For years, researchers have been trying to target a gene called MYC that is known to drive tumor growth in multiple cancer types when it is mutated or over-expressed, but hitting that target successfully has proven difficult. Now researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania have identified a new pathway that works as a partner to MYC and may be its Achilles' Heel. The pathway involves a protein called ATF4, and when it's blocked, it can cause cancer cells to produce too much protein and die. These findings in cell lines and mouse models could point the way toward a new therapeutic approach as inhibitors that can block synthesis of ATF4 already exist. The journal Nature Cell Biology published the findings today.
	Mutation discovery leads to precise treatment for child with severe lymphatic disorder Faced with a preteen boy in pain and struggling to breathe from a severe, deteriorating rare condition, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia identified the responsible gene mutation and harnessed that knowledge to develop a novel treatment that dramatically improved the problem. The patient had been born with a complex defect that disrupted the circulation of lymphatic fluid throughout his body.
	Tackling the growing problem of loneliness and isolation A program to address social isolation and reduce burden on the health care system is being trialled in Australia, thanks to a partnership led by The University of Queensland.
	A bacteria likely to reduce the cardiovascular risks of one in two people In 2007, Patrice Cani (FNRS-WELBIO researcher) and his team at the Louvain Drug Research Institute of University of Louvain, in close collaboration with Willem de Vos, professor at UWageningen, discovered the beneficial effects of intestinal bacteria, Akkermansia muciniphila, able to moderate the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes, in mice. In 2017, the team discovered (still in the mouse) that the use of a pasteurized form of Akkermansia leads to an even greater protection than the living bacterium regarding various cardiovascular disease risk factors such as insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia, or the storage of fat in adipose tissue.
	Researchers develop a lab-grown blood vessel graft from natural polymers with regenerative properties Researchers may be closer to improving the lives of people with coronary artery disease and children born with pediatric congenital cardiovascular defects through the development of a new vascular graft created by Johns Hopkins engineers that takes less than one week to make and has regenerative properties.
	Health checks from age 40 avoid 'black hole' Seeing a health professional for a full health screening—even when you feel healthy—from around age 40 enables people to make changes when problems first set in, experts say.
	Cancer cell's 'self eating' tactic may be its weakness Cancer cells use a bizarre strategy to reproduce in a tumor's low-energy environment; they mutilate their own mitochondria! Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) also know how this occurs, offering a promising new target for pancreatic cancer therapies.
	Standard TB tests may not detect infection in certain exposed individuals An international collaboration of infectious disease experts has identified a large group of people who appear to have naturally mounted an immune response to TB, a bacterial infection that is the leading cause of infectious disease death worldwide. Nearly 200 people from 2500 households with active TB were clearly exposed to TB for more than 10 years but the two most reliable tests (TST and IGRA) came back negative on repeated tests.
	Study finds electronic cigarettes damage brain stem cells A research team at the University of California, Riverside, has found that electronic cigarettes, often targeted to youth and pregnant women, produce a stress response in neural stem cells, which are critical cells in the brain.
Robot babies tackling teenage pregnancies in Colombia "Anthony" cried so hard at night that Susana Ortegon couldn't sleep. The weekend felt like an eternity for the 13-year-old.
	One in 10 people have 'near-death' experiences, according to new study Mystical near-death experiences where people report a range of spiritual and physical symptoms, including out-of-body sensations, seeing or hearing hallucinations, racing thoughts and time distortion, affect around 10 per cent of people, according to a new study that analysed participants from 35 countries.
	Moments of clarity in dementia patients at end of life: Glimmers of hope? It happens unexpectedly: a person long thought lost to the ravages of dementia, unable to recall the events of their lives or even recognize those closest to them, will suddenly wake up and exhibit surprisingly normal behavior, only to pass away shortly thereafter. This phenomenon, which experts refer to as terminal or paradoxical lucidity, has been reported since antiquity, yet there have been very few scientific studies of it. That may be about to change.
MS patients at a greater risk of cancer, new study suggests New results of a 65-year follow-up study of nearly 7,000 Norwegian patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) suggest that patients may have a greater overall risk of developing cancer than the general population, with an especially high risk of cancer in respiratory organs, urinary organs and the central nervous system.
Cuban centenarians, cheered on by family, aim for 120 Looking into a mirror, Delia Barrios applies blush and lipstick—she wants to look her best for her 102nd birthday celebration, when she will be surrounded by loved ones.
	Alcohol causes significant harm to those other than the drinker Each year, one in five U.S. adults—an estimated 53 million people—experience harm because of someone else's drinking, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
	Early warning signs of eating disorder revealed Early warning signs that someone may have an eating disorder have been revealed in a large-scale data study conducted by Swansea University researchers.
	Pear-shaped is better for postmenopausal women, even if they are normal weight Postmenopausal women who are "apple" shaped rather than "pear" shaped are at greater risk of heart and blood vessel problems, even if they have a normal, healthy body mass index (BMI) according to new research.
Five things found in the FDA's hidden device database After two decades of keeping the public in the dark about millions of medical device malfunctions and injuries, the Food and Drug Administration has published the once hidden database online, revealing 5.7 million incidents publicly for the first time.
	More people born with a single lower heart chamber survive; but, face challenges in quality and length of life The Fontan procedure has allowed more people born with only one ventricle—the lower pumping chamber of the heart—to survive into adulthood, but their unique circulatory system requires continued lifelong medical care. A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, summarizes the current state of knowledge on Fontan circulation and how best to care for these unique patients.
	Low vitamin D at birth raises risk of higher blood pressure in kids Vitamin D deficiency from birth to early childhood was associated with an increased risk of elevated blood pressure in later childhood and adolescence, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.
	Outdoor smoking now banned in Sweden in certain places An outdoor smoking ban in Sweden in certain public places, including playgrounds and train station platforms, has taken effect.
	Many grandparents' medicines not secure enough around grandchildren, poll suggests Whether it's a rare treat or a weekly routine, spending time with grandchildren brightens life for many older adults. But a new poll suggests many of them could do more to reduce the risk of their medications harming their grandchild.
	High doses of 60 plus-year-old chemo drug found to spur immune system attack on lymphoma More than 60 years ago, British physician Denis Parsons Burkitt and his associates achieved one of the signal successes in cancer medicine when they cured children in sub-Saharan Africa with a form of lymphoma by treating them with high doses of the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide. Now, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have shown that the traditional understanding of the drug's mode of action is incomplete.
	Study finds increased risk of cancer death following treatment for hyperthyroidism Findings from a study of patients who received radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment for hyperthyroidism show an association between the dose of treatment and long-term risk of death from solid cancers, including breast cancer. The study, led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, was published July 1, 2019 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	After WIC offered better food options, maternal and infant health improved A major 2009 revision to a federal nutrition program for low-income pregnant women and children improved recipients' health on several key measures, researchers at UC San Francisco have found.
	Some children are more likely to suffer depression long after being bullied Some young adults who were bullied as a child could have a greater risk of ongoing depression due to a mix of genetic and environmental factors according to a new study from the University of Bristol.
	Sequencing the genome of newborns in the US: Are we ready? Twenty-four to 48 hours after birth, every newborn in the U.S. will have a few drops of blood drawn and sent to a lab to be screened for hidden and potentially life-threatening disorders. This process, known as universal newborn screening, is one of the most successful public health efforts in the 20th century.
	A new target for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis An article published in Experimental Biology and Medicine identifies a new target for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The study, led by Dr. Huaping Dai in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and the Center of Respiratory Medicine at China-Japan Friendship Hospital and the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease in Beijing, China, reports that interleukin-25, an inflammatory cytokine, is elevated in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and contributes to lung fibrosis in an animal model.
	Short sleep duration and sleep variability blunt weight loss High sleep variability and short sleep duration are associated with difficulties in losing weight and body fat.
	Existing drug may help fight the lethality of E. coli infection Stopping the spread of Shiga toxins released by E. coli bacteria, which are potentially fatal if they reach the kidneys, has been a focus of researchers for years. No treatments for STEC currently exist, and antibiotic therapy cannot be used because it increases release of Shiga toxins from the bacteria. Approved antidotes are also not available to neutralize the effects of these toxins.
	Testosterone affects emotion regulation system in brains of aggressive police recruits Brain research shows that police recruits who have relatively high trait aggression exhibit increased control over their emotion regulation system. However, testosterone appears to affect this control: at high testosterone levels, aggressive recruits appear to have less control over emotion regulation. Scientists from Radboud University publish these findings in Psychological Science.
	Nearly 30% of kids experience sibling bullying—as either bully or victim Australia has invested an extraordinary amount of time and effort into putting in place bullying prevention programs—especially across schools. But what happens when your bully is your own flesh and blood, and lives with you, so you have no escape?
	Uncontrolled asthma could cost U.S. economy more than $963 billion in the next 20 years The medical costs of uncontrolled asthma, combined with productivity losses due to sick days, could cost the U.S. economy more than $963 billion over the next 20 years, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia.
	The first complete picture of how long it takes to diagnose cancer in England Waiting for cancer tests and results is stressful. As well as the emotional impact, how long people wait can also affect how likely their treatment is to work and if they will be fit enough to tolerate treatment.
	An effort to stop the revolving door for hospital patients may be spinning its wheels Every American hospital has two front doors: The real one, and an imaginary revolving door.
New initiative improved care for sepsis patients, but black patients saw smaller benefits The New York Sepsis Initiative was launched in 2014 with the goal of improving the prompt identification and treatment of sepsis. A new study has found that while the program has improved care over all, there were racial and ethnic disparities in the implementation of the best-practice protocols.
	Spinach extract improves athletic performance, study shows According to a study conducted by a group of international researchers, including experts from Freie Universität Berlin, a chemical extract from spinach plants can be used to boost the performance of competitive athletes. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) commissioned researchers to study the effects of ecdysterone, a kind of phytosteroid, on strength training. Their findings indicate that the substance greatly affects muscle cells. Among the researchers who suggested to consider adding ecdysterone to the list of prohibited substances was Maria Parr, a professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Freie Universität. Professor Parr specializes in pharmaceutical analytics and metabolism. Phytosteroids belong to the chemical class of substances known as sterols and can be found naturally in plants. They are chemical derivatives of cholesterol. In addition to Maria Parr from Freie Universität, other contributing researchers included Prof. Patrick Diel from the German Sport University Cologne, Prof. Francesco Botrè from the anti-doping laboratory in Rome, and Dr. Catrin Goebel from the anti-doping laboratory in Sydney.
	How can you tell if another person, animal or thing is conscious? How can you know that any animal, other human beings, or anything that seems conscious, isn't just faking it? Does it enjoy an internal subjective experience, complete with sensations and emotions like hunger, joy, or sadness? After all, the only consciousness you can know with certainty is your own. Everything else is inference. The nature of consciousness makes it by necessity a wholly private affair.
	Examining common myths about IQ Intelligence is innate and highly gifted people are all nerds. These are but two of the many widely held assumptions about intelligence. We asked LMU psychologist Markus Bühner about the basis for these and other opinions relating to IQ.
	Sugar substitutes: Is one better or worse for diabetes? For weight loss? An expert explains Wandering through the grocery store, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the numerous brands and health claims on the dozens of sugar substitutes. It can be particularly confusing for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes who must keep their blood sugar in check and control their weight.
	Blood pressure self-monitoring helps get patients with hypertension moving, study says Using blood pressure self-monitoring is an effective way to empower patients with hypertension to stick with an exercise program, according to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by a multidisciplinary team of UConn researchers in collaboration with Hartford Hospital.
	Inexpensive equipment and training can improve melanoma detection and reduce biopsies Primary care physicians trained in dermatoscopy can improve odds for early detection of melanoma while reducing the need for invasive biopsies, according to a study in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
	CPAP provides relief from depression Researchers have found that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can improve depression symptoms in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
	How are you feeling? Check your wristband (HealthDay)—Remember the "mood ring" craze of the 1970s?
	NLST follow up reaffirms that low dose CT reduces lung cancer mortality Early detection and treatment through screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has been investigated as a potential means of reducing lung cancer deaths for more than two decades. In 2011, a large U.S. study, the randomized National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), reported a significant 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality in high-risk current and former smokers screened annually for three years with LDCT as compared to chest x-rays. The NLST study included 26,722 patients in the LDCT arm and 26,730 in the X-ray arm at 33 medical institutions in the United States.
	How to foster your child's imagination (HealthDay)—With school, sports and assorted activities, many kids have little or no free time. That fast-paced lifestyle can actually stifle their development, making them less likely to be self-starters.
	Three moves for better balance (HealthDay)—Guarding against falls isn't just for the elderly. The inner ear's ability to maintain balance can begin to decline as early as age 40, according to a study in Frontiers of Neurology. So the time to improve your balance is now.
	Five-year survival less than 40 percent in seniors with DLBCL (HealthDay)—Overall survival among older adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has improved over time, but five-year survival is less than 40 percent, according to a study published online June 12 in Leukemia & Lymphoma.
	Overall survival worse with multiple primary melanomas (HealthDay)—Patients with multiple primary melanomas have worse overall survival than those with a single primary melanoma, according to a study published online June 26 in JAMA Dermatology.
	Women missing class and missing out due to period pain Period pain significantly impacts young women's academic performance worldwide, according to new Australian-led research—and women are 'putting up with it' rather than seeking treatment.
	Peer support reduces carer burden In a world first, La Trobe University research has shown how peer-led support programs for family and friends who provide regular support to an adult diagnosed with a mental health condition can significantly improve carer well-being.
	PBS restrictions result in outdated and unsafe care Prescribing restrictions for anti-epileptic drugs expose flaws in the review process of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), a University of Queensland researcher proposes.
	Benzodiazepine use with opioids intensifies neonatal abstinence syndrome Babies born after being exposed to both opioids and benzodiazepines before birth are more likely to have severe drug withdrawal, requiring medications like morphine for treatment, compared to infants exposed to opioids alone, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in Hospital Pediatrics.
	Shorter courses of proton therapy can be just as effective as full courses prostate cancer Treating prostate cancer with higher doses of proton therapy over a shorter amount of time leads to similar outcomes when compared to standard dose levels and treatments and is safe for patients, according to a new study examining the risk of long-term side-effects from the treatment. Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Roberts Proton Therapy Center examined data on non-metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with 28 doses of proton therapy instead of the standard 44 and found that the rates of cancer control at four years was the same in both groups, with notably low rates of urologic and gastrointestinal effects from the treatment at four-year follow up. The findings, which are the first to show patient reported outcomes for shorter courses of proton therapy in prostate cancer, were published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
New data resource reveals highly variable staffing at nursing homes Researchers who analyzed payroll-based staffing data for U.S. nursing homes discovered large daily staffing fluctuations, low weekend staffing and daily staffing levels that often fall well below the expectations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), all of which can increase the risk of adverse events for residents.
Study shows some generics can cost medicare recipients more than brand-name drugs Medicare Part D enrollees may pay more out of pocket for high-priced specialty generic drugs than their brand-name counterparts, according to new research by health policy experts at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
'Back to school asthma' linked to tripling in rate of health service appointments 'Back to school asthma'—a seasonal peak in cases associated with the start of the school year in September—is linked to a tripling in the rate of family doctor (GP) appointments across England, reveals research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
	Summer heat brings special health risks for pregnant women Hot summer weather impacts some people more than others, and pregnant women are among those most likely to become overheated.
	Nutrition-focused program at home health agency beneficial (HealthDay)—A nutrition-focused quality-improvement program (QIP) conducted in a home health agency (HHA) can reduce rates of hospitalization and health care resource utilization, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
	Core components of teen mental health interventions ID'd (HealthDay)—Three program components of interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders and risk behaviors during adolescence have a significant effect on multiple outcomes, according to a review published online July 1 in Pediatrics.
	Leisure-time physical activity linked to lower SAH risk (HealthDay)—Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with reduced risk of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), according to a study published online June 25 in Scientific Reports.
	Better UTI monitoring needed after hospital admission in adults (HealthDay)—Healthcare-associated (HA), community-onset (CO) urinary tract infection (UTI) may be common within 30 days following hospital discharge, according to a study published online June 20 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
	Research questions link between unconscious bias and behavior A new study calls into question the effectiveness of a popular concept for addressing social problems such as discrimination.
Catheters: Big source of infection, but often overlooked Indwelling devices like catheters cause roughly 25% of hospital infections, but ongoing efforts to reduce catheter use and misuse haven't succeeded as much as health care workers would like.
	Good medicine depends on diversity Precision medicine represents a revolution in health care. Doctors and researchers may soon be able to use the genetic profiles of patients to predict with great accuracy which treatment and prevention protocols will work for them.
Gender bias alive and well in health care roles, study shows Results of a multi-center study of patients' assumptions about health care professionals' roles based on gender show significant stereotypical bias towards males as physicians and females as nurses. The research team, led in New Orleans by Lisa Moreno-Walton, MD, LSU Health New Orleans Emergency Medicine at University Medical Center (UMC), found patients recognized males as physicians nearly 76% of the time. Female attending physicians were recognized as physicians only 58% of the time. The research paper, published in the Journal of Women's Health.
	Noninvasive test improves detection of aggressive prostate cancer A team of researchers from UCLA and the University of Toronto have identified a new biomarker found in urine that can help detect aggressive prostate cancer, potentially saving hundreds of thousands of men each year from undergoing unnecessary surgeries and radiotherapy treatments.
	Researchers discover genetic mutation behind serious skull disorder A collaboration led by scientists at Oregon State University, the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and Erasmus University in The Netherlands has identified a new genetic mutation behind the premature fusing of the bony plates that make up the skull.
	Researchers study how nursing homes can accommodate obese residents About 30 percent of nursing home residents are obese. That can complicate their care. The facility may need to buy them special wheelchairs or motorized lifts. Nursing aides may struggle to help them shower. And doctors may grapple with how—or even whether—to restrict their diets.
Geisel study finds downside risk contracts still less common for ACOs Findings from a new study conducted by a team of researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and published in the July issue of Health Affairs, shows that while the number and variety of contracts held by Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have increased dramatically in recent years, the proportion of those bearing downside risk has seen only modest growth.
New strategies and approaches needed to cope with growing burden of brain diseases New strategies for preventing and coping with the growing burden of brain diseases were outlined today at the 5th European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress in Oslo, Norway.
New study reveals biological toll on brain function of Holocaust survivors Stress of surviving the Holocaust has shown a lifelong and lasting negative impact on survivors' brain structure, as well as potentially impacting their offspring and grandchildren, a new study shows.
Statin use reduces mortality and stroke risk in dementia patients, new study shows The use of statins is significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality in dementia patients, new research presented today at the 5th European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress has shown.
	Sleep readies synapses for learning Synapses in the hippocampus are larger and stronger after sleep deprivation, according to new research in mice published in JNeurosci. Overall, this study supports the idea that sleep may universally weaken synapses that are strengthened from learning, allowing for new learning to occur after waking.
	Tumor-treating fields in glioblastoma: Indication of a benefit Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor that usually occurs in late adulthood. Just two years after diagnosis, only 13.6 percent of patients are still alive. Standard treatment consists of surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. In addition, tumor treating fields (TTF), a new treatment method based on electrostimulation, has recently become available. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has therefore examined whether TTF offers advantages to newly diagnosed patients if it is used in addition to standard treatment. As the results of a recently published study show, this is in fact the case: Patients survive longer, and although TTF is burdensome, it does not impair quality of life.
	National assessment of prescribing competence will contribute to future patient safety An independent review of the Prescribing Safety Assessment has found that it increases the attention paid by students and faculty to accurate prescribing, and allows them to demonstrate competencies in the safe and effective use of medicines. According to the report's author, the assessment will contribute to patient safety and reduce harm in the years to come.
Breaking the barriers to health care for transgender individuals Transgender care is swiftly evolving, and primary care providers face a greater need to be clear about their roles and when to seek the support of specialists, according to the latest review by Mount Sinai experts in the field of transgender medicine.
Alcohol and pregnancy policies: Birth outcomes and prenatal care use by race In the U.S. state policies pertaining to alcohol use during pregnancy have been in effect for more than 40 years.
	More effective influenza vaccine begins US clinical trials A more effective seasonal flu vaccine is about to be tested in clinical trials across the US.
	BioSA: Bridging the gap with biodegradable metals Millions of patients all over the world undergo surgical procedures related to bone defect repair every year. With an ever-increasing life expectancy and the issues that come with a decaying skeleton, the number of interventions can only increase in the coming years. This is why orthopaedic surgeons are constantly looking for improved medical implants for the treatment of bone repair.
	How black pharmacists are closing the cultural gap in health care After a health insurance change forced Bernard Macon to cut ties with his black doctor, he struggled to find another African American physician online. Then, he realized two health advocates were hiding in plain sight.
New BU program prepares trainees for teaching modern, integrated medical curriculum "Integrating the Educators," a pilot internship program at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), is successful in training biomedical science trainees (graduate students/Ph.D. and postdocs) in the skills of being a medical educator.

Biology news

	Scientists identify interactions that stabilize a neurodegeneration-associated protein Most of the well-studied proteins in our bodies are like metal; some can change shape easily, like aluminum foil, and others are rigid, like steel beams, but they typically have a solid, well-defined structure. Many other essential proteins are more like water—able to change phase from liquid to solid ice.
	Female bed bugs 'control' their immune systems ahead of mating to prevent against STIs Female bedbugs who are 'full bellied' and therefore more attractive mates for males, are able to boost their immune systems in anticipation of catching sexually transmitted infections, research has found.
	Insect apocalypse: German bug watchers sound alarm For almost 30 years they passed as quirky eccentrics, diligently setting up their insect traps in the Rhine countryside to collect tens of millions of bugs and creepy crawlers.
	Three-dimensional model illuminates key aspects of early development From a biological standpoint, the earliest stages of life are the most mysterious. A developing human embryo undergoes a flurry of rapid changes, and these changes are exceedingly difficult to study because they transpire within the confines of a womb.
	Research shows governance is key to better resource management strategies For resource managers charged with maintaining important assets like croplands or fisheries, quantitative modeling is a critical tool. But these sophisticated decision-support models often overlook an essential element of resource management: governance.
	The chemical language of plants depends on context A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, studied the ecological function of linalool, a naturally abundant volatile organic compound, in wild Nicotiana attenuata tobacco plants. They found the gene responsible for linalool synthesis and release which vary considerably in plants of the same species. Females of the tobacco hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) prefer to lay eggs on plants with a higher naturally occurring linalool. At the same time, the more linalool a plant released, the more eggs and freshly hatched larvae were predated on by bugs. Behavioral assays in increasingly complex environments showed that the effects of linalool are quite variable, depending on the natural environment and the genetic makeup of the plant. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Embracing bioinformatics in gene banks The preservation of plant biodiversity is the task of the roughly 1,750 gene banks distributed around the world. They store plant samples and sometimes additional phenotypic or genetic information of around 7.4 million accessions of plant species in total. It is expected that with facilitated access to improved, quicker and cheaper sequencing and other omics technologies, the number of well-characterised accessions and the amount of detailed information that needs to be stored along with the biological material will grow rapidly and continuously. A team of scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben has now looked ahead into the upcoming challenges and possibilities of the future of gene banks by publishing a perspective paper in Nature Genetics.
	Imitation breeds war in new evolutionary theory When anthropologists consider the origins of warfare, their evolutionary theories tend to boil it down to the resource-scarcity trifecta of food, territory and mates—three resources that would justify the loss of life and risk to a warring group of hunter-gatherers.
	Competition leads to fathers who produce more male sperm New research led by The University of Western Australia has shown that the social conditions that a male experiences while growing up can influence the amount of X and Y chromosome sperm that he produces as an adult.
	First proof-of-concept demonstrates genetic sex selection in mammals Certain plants, insects, crustaceans and fish possess the uncanny ability to change the sex of their offspring before they are born. Mammals have never before demonstrated this genetic skill, until now.
	Scissors get stuck—another way bacteria use CRISPR/Cas9 In biotech these days, CRISPR/Cas9 is a hot topic, because of its utility as a precise gene editing tool. Before humans repurposed it, CRISPR/Cas9 was a sort of internal immune system bacteria use to defend themselves against phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, by slicing up the phages' DNA.
	'Gentle recovery' of Brazil's leatherback turtles Brazil's leatherback turtles are making a "gentle recovery" after 30 years of conservation efforts, new research shows.
Louisiana asks public help with invasive Asian swamp eels An invasive species of swamp eel has been found in New Orleans, and a state biologist says it's the first time this species has been found in the United States.
	Baby lobster numbers spell trouble for shellfish population Baby lobsters are continuing to appear in high numbers off some parts of Canada while tailing off in New England, raising questions about what the valuable shellfish's population will look like in several years.
	'10 steps ahead': Kenya's tech war on wildlife poachers Every morning, at the far perimeter of the wildlife reserve capped by Mount Kenya, a khaki-clad ranger meticulously sweeps the earth of animal footprints, covering their tracks from any poachers.
	After decades, Japan courts controversy resuming commercial whaling Japanese fishermen set sail on Monday to hunt whales commercially for the first time in more than three decades after Tokyo's controversial withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) triggered outrage from environmental groups.
	Genomic warning flag just in time for beach season: Jellyfish toxins An article published today in the Open Access journal GigaScience might make you squirm if you plan to hit the beach this summer. The article presents the draft genomes of three different jellyfish species. The international group of researchers, lead by Joseph Ryan, chose to examine jellyfish that present a range of physical traits and level of toxicity (from minor annoyance to deadly)—jellyfish kill more people per year than the combined forces of sharks, stingrays, and sea snakes. Their research identified a range of venom related genes, providing the basis for exploring toxin gene evolution in these fascinating animals.
	Andean hummingbirds take different evolutionary paths to high altitudes Scientists have found that multiple hummingbird species have adapted to life at high altitudes in the Andes through distinct genetic mutations that nonetheless affect the same biochemical pathways. This suggests that while the details of molecular adaptation may differ at the amino acid and protein levels, there is predictability in evolution at the level of biochemical pathways.
	Birdwatchers highlight declines of seabirds off south-eastern Australia Thirteen species of seabirds are declining off the coast of south-eastern Australia, a 17-year study by researchers at the Centre for Ecosystem Science at UNSW Sydney revealed.
	Amphibians infected by ranavirus found in Atlantic Rainforest Researchers have found bullfrog tadpoles with clear signs of infection by ranavirus in Brazil. The specimens were collected from two ponds in the city of Passo Fundo, South of the country (state of Rio Grande do Sul), in November 2017. Ranavirus causes skin ulcerations, edema and internal hemorrhage. It does not affect humans but can be lethal to amphibians and fish.
	Scientists alarmed by bark beetle boom Bark beetles are currently responsible for killing an unprecedented number of trees in forests across Europe and North America. Why the beetle populations first explode to decline naturally after a few years is largely unknown. Researchers are therefore urging to step up research into the dynamics of bark beetle populations. They believe that more needs to be done also in view of climate change.
	Surprise: Bluntnose sixgill sharks may like to prowl urban waters They are large, rarely seen and thought to inhabit deep waters far from shore.
	Mathematical models can predict animals' risk of extinction Can we predict the extinction of endangered species? In short: yes—and we can achieve this by using mathematical models as our windows into the future.
	Controlling weeds on playing fields, parks and lawns without herbicides Turfgrass covers more than 40 million acres of land in the continental United States, including lawns, parks, commercial landscapes, sports fields and golf courses. It is the single largest irrigated crop in the nation.
	Corals in Singapore likely to survive sea-level rise Global sea levels are expected to rise by at least half a metre by the year 2100 due to climate change. The projected rise can affect important environmental factors such as habitat suitability and availability of light, threatening the health and survival of marine ecosystems.
	Virus that can drive bats to madness spreads through NC's abandoned gold mines A virus that can lead to a form of madness in bats has spread across four additional counties in North Carolina, thanks in part to countless abandoned gold mines from the 1800s, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
	Coupled proteins: How human cells react to external signals and further process them Researchers from Heidelberg University and Sendai University in Japan have used new biotechnological methods to study how human cells react to and further process external signals. They focused on the interaction between so-called G-proteins—the "mediators" of signal transmission—and the receptors known as GPCRs, which trigger signal processes. The researchers not only gained a better understanding of GPCR-G-protein interactions; they are now able to predict their functions better than before.
	A month under the Med: French divers launch daring deep-sea expedition A team of French divers took to the sea off Marseille in a canary yellow capsule on Monday to spend a month exploring the deep waters of the Mediterranean, without decompressing until the very end.
	Whales targeted by Japan face extinction threat One of three species Japan has targeted in resuming commercial whaling Monday is threatened with extinction, and sub-populations of the other two are severely depleted as well, according to experts.
	Japan fisherman catch first whales as commercial hunts resume Japanese whalers brought ashore their first catches Monday as they resumed commercial hunting after a three-decade hiatus, brushing aside criticism from activists who say the practice is cruel and outdated.
	Environmentally friendly control of common disease infecting fish and amphibians Aquatic organisms in marine systems and freshwaters are threatened by fungal and fungal-like diseases globally. These pathogens are especially dreaded in aquaculture. But they also pose a threat to biodiversity of amphibians. There are few approved chemical means for combating these pathogens, and many have unwanted side-effects. Scientists at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) now propose alternative biological concepts to control fungal disease in a more environmentally friendly way.
	Sixth right whale death in Canadian waters sets researchers on urgent mission for solutions There is a growing urgency to identify where endangered North Atlantic right whales are migrating, say researchers after a sixth dead mammal was discovered in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
	Celebrating with sake, Japan whalers bring ashore catch It was a catch three decades in the making, and when the Japanese whalers brought ashore one of their first minke after the resumption of commercial hunting, the moment was marked with ceremony.

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