Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 19

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 19, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Machine learning-assisted molecular design for high-performance organic photovoltaic materials

Flexible organic electrodes built using water-processed silver nanowires

Ayahuasca compound changes brainwaves to vivid 'waking-dream' state

Exoplanet axis study boosts hopes of complex life, just not next door

Coming to a head: How vertebrates became predators by tweaking the neural crest

Predicting people's driving personalities

First detection of sugars in meteorites gives clues to origin of life

Beyond Moore's Law: Taking transistor arrays into the third dimension

Scientists find evidence of missing neutron star

Borderline personality disorder has strongest link to childhood trauma

Lab tests show that some traditional soup broths have antimalarial properties

Trash talk hurts, even when it comes from a robot

First evidence of the impact of climate change on Arctic Terns

Husbands' stress increases if wives earn more than 40 per cent of household income: study

WhatsApp users advised to update for protection

Astronomy & Space news

	Exoplanet axis study boosts hopes of complex life, just not next door "They're out there," goes a saying about extraterrestrials. It would seem more likely to be true in light of a new study on planetary axis tilts.
	First detection of sugars in meteorites gives clues to origin of life https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/goddard/2019/sugars-in-meteorites
	Scientists find evidence of missing neutron star The leftovers from a spectacular supernova that revolutionised our understanding of how stars end their lives have finally been spotted by astronomers at Cardiff University.
	Earth's magnetic song recorded for the first time during a solar storm Data from ESA's Cluster mission has provided a recording of the eerie "song" that Earth sings when it is hit by a solar storm.
	Blowtorch jets from a black hole drive starbirth Supermassive black holes, weighing millions or even billions of times our Sun's mass, are still only a tiny fraction of the mass of the galaxies they inhabit. But in some cases, the central black hole is the tail wagging the dog. It seems that black holes can run hot or cold when it comes to either enhancing or squelching star birth inside a cluster of galaxies.
	NASA scientists confirm water vapor on Europa Forty years ago, a Voyager spacecraft snapped the first closeup images of Europa, one of Jupiter's 79 moons. These revealed brownish cracks slicing the moon's icy surface, which give Europa the look of a veiny eyeball. Missions to the outer solar system in the decades since have amassed enough additional information about Europa to make it a high-priority target of investigation in NASA's search for life.
	Long spaceflights found to lead to blood flowing in the wrong direction in some cases An international team of researchers has found that people in space for long durations can experience blood flowing in the wrong direction in the jugular vein. In their paper published on JAMA Network Open, the group describes their study of blood flow in astronauts.
	Photos show evidence of life on Mars, Ohio entomologist claims As scientists scramble to determine whether there is life on Mars, Ohio University Professor Emeritus William Romoser's research shows that we already have the evidence, courtesy of photographs from various Mars rovers.
	Subaru telescope detects the mid-infrared emission band from complex organic molecules in comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner Using the Cooled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrometer (COMICS) on the Subaru Telescope, astronomers have detected an unidentified infrared emission band from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (hereafter, comet 21P/G-Z) in addition to the thermal emissions from silicate and carbon grains. These unidentified infrared emissions are likely due to complex organic molecules, both aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, contaminated by N- or O-atoms. Considering the properties of the dust and organic molecules, comet 21P/G-Z might have originated from the circumplanetary disk of a giant planet (like Jupiter or Saturn) where it was warmer than the typical comet-forming regions.
	How large can a planet be? Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. In terms of mass, Jupiter dwarfs the other planets. If you were to gather all the other planets together into a single mass, Jupiter would still be 2.5 times more massive. It is hard to understate just how huge Jupiter is. But as we've discovered thousands of exoplanets in recent decades, it raises an interesting question about how Jupiter compares. Put another way, just how large can a planet be? The answer is more subtle than you might think.
	Using AI to predict Earth's future A recent "deep learning" algorithm—despite having no innate knowledge of solar physics—could provide more accurate predictions of how the sun affects our planet than current models based on scientific understanding.
	Fly me (partway) to the moon Last week, scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Guelph sent a telescope to the top of the sky, almost to space itself. The trip was a moonlight-gathering mission that has yielded some of the best measurements ever taken of the brightness, or more specifically the surface reflectance, of Earth's nearest neighbor, the Moon.
	Olivine-norite rock detected by Yutu-2 likely crystallized from the SPA impact melt pool The South Pole-Aitken (SPA) is the largest and deepest basin on the Moon, theoretically opening a window into the lunar lower crust and likely into the upper mantle. However, compositional information of the SPA basin was mainly obtained from orbital remote sensing. Chang'E-4 landed in the SPA Basin, providing a unique chance for in situ probing the composition of the lunar interior. The landing site is located on ejecta strips radiating from Finsen crater, which lies ~135 km to the northeast. The lunar surface at the landing site consists of a very homogenous regolith overlain by few scattered rocks.

Technology news

	Flexible organic electrodes built using water-processed silver nanowires Organic electronic devices, which are made of small molecules or polymers (i.e., substances composed primarily or completely of similar units bound together) are known to have several advantageous properties. In fact, organic electronics have relatively low production costs, they are easy to integrate with other systems and they enable good device flexibility.
	Predicting people's driving personalities Self-driving cars are coming. But for all their fancy sensors and intricate data-crunching abilities, even the most cutting-edge cars lack something that (almost) every 16-year-old with a learner's permit has: social awareness.
	Beyond Moore's Law: Taking transistor arrays into the third dimension Silicon integrated circuits, which are used in computer processors, are approaching the maximum feasible density of transistors on a single chip—at least, in two-dimensional arrays.
	Trash talk hurts, even when it comes from a robot Trash talking has a long and colorful history of flustering game opponents, and now researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have demonstrated that discouraging words can be perturbing even when uttered by a robot.
	WhatsApp users advised to update for protection A WhatsApp vulnerability could have put both iOS and Android users at risk. BGR.in referred to the flaw as "a specially-crafted malicious MP4 file."
	How traditional Indian building techniques can make modern cities more climate-friendly Dense, humid broadleaf forests, monsoon-swollen rivers and deep ravines—in the Indian state of Meghalaya wooden bridges easily decay or are washed away in floodwaters. Bridges made from steel and concrete are pushed to their limits here as well. But bridges made of living tree roots can survive here for centuries. Prof. Ferdinand Ludwig of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has investigated these special structures and proposes integrating this extraordinary building technique in modern architecture.
	Algorithm may improve brain-controlled prostheses and exoskeletons A team of researchers at the MIT Media Lab has devised an algorithm that promises to vastly improve the simultaneous tracking of any number of magnets. This has significant implications for prostheses, augmented reality, robotics, and other fields.
	How the road network determines traffic capacity ETH researchers have shown that we can use the structure of urban road networks to predict their traffic capacity. This information enables urban and transportation planners to quantify how changes will influence traffic volumes.
	Showtime for Stadia cloud gaming service (Update) Google set out to transform the video game world Tuesday with the launch of a Stadia service crafted to let people access console-quality games as easily as they do email.
	Snapchat checks for deception in political ads Snap on Monday confirmed that it checks political ads at Snapchat to make sure they are not deceptive or misleading and thus enforce its ban on such material.
	Mario mugs, Zelda tote bags as Nintendo opens first Tokyo store Nintendo this week throws open the doors to its first bricks-and-mortar store in Tokyo, offering everything from Super Mario mugs to Zelda handbags as part of a new gaming complex in the heart of the city.
	Google healthcare project targeted by Congress committee A US congressional committee on Monday asked for a briefing on a Google project to modernize healthcare while giving the internet titan access to millions of people's medical data.
	EasyJet flies into 'greenwashing' row over zero-carbon pledge British no-frills airline EasyJet on Tuesday began offsetting carbon emissions amid global concerns over climate change—but flew into strong criticism from green campaigners who dismissed the move as insufficient.
	Google's do-good arm tries to make up for everything else Google Vice President Jacqueline Fuller says the company is having "a lot of conversations" internally amid worries about the tech giant's bottomless appetite for consumer data and how it uses its algorithms.
	A sustainable answer to industrial pollution? That's 'bananas!' Penn State Harrisburg graduate students in environmental pollution control Rizki Prasetyaningtyas and Saskia Putri have been eating lots of bananas and oranges. So have their classmates at Penn State Harrisburg, as well as all their friends and neighbors. They have made banana bread, banana pancakes and loads of slushies.
	Free broadband: Internet access is now a human right, no matter who pays the bills The UK Labour Party is promising to provide free broadband internet to every British household by 2030 if it wins the 2019 election. To do this, the party would nationalize the broadband infrastructure business of BT and tax internet giants like Google and Facebook. Whatever you think of this plan, it at least reflects that the internet has become not only an essential utility for conducting daily life, but also crucial for exercising our political rights.
	Travelers split on whether they would take trips in autonomous vehicles, study finds Autonomous vehicles are becoming more of a reality as technology improves, but people are far from settled in accepting a future with driverless cars. A University of Kansas researcher has co-written a study that found when asked if they would make a trip they had recently completed in an autonomous vehicle, respondents fell into roughly equal camps of enthusiastic acceptance, resistance or uncertainty. The findings show there is more uncertainty about adopting the technology than expected.
	How virtual reality is preparing West Aussie paramedics A bus driver has a heart attack, veering off the road and crashing into a building site. Many passengers are injured, and the clock is ticking. Who should you treat first?
	Amazon adds free music for anyone, with ads Amazon is adding another streaming music option for customers, a free, ad-supported service that requires no subscriptions and is available on a range of devices.
	Apple hosting special press event in New York to honor best apps and games of 2019 Apple is hosting a "special event" on Dec. 2 in New York to honor what the company says are "our favorite apps and games" of 2019. The invitation to the press event showcases the App Store icon and includes the tagline "Loved by millions. Created by the best."
	Mobile access won't fix the digital divide Mobile services have had an important and positive impact on developing countries where they are the main means of connecting to the internet. However, mobile services have capacity constraints. They use limited radio frequency spectrum, which means that mobile data typically has usage limits. They also have high prices per unit (per gigabyte), which results in lower use per connection.
	Disney Plus user accounts already found on hacking sites Disney says its new Disney Plus streaming service doesn't have a security breach, but some users have been shut out after hackers tried to break into their accounts.
	Official: Safety lacking before Uber self-driving car crash The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board says Uber had an ineffective safety culture when one of its autonomous test vehicles ran down and killed a pedestrian last year in Tempe, Arizona.
	For Americans, mobile devices top for news: survey Americans rely on their mobile devices for online news far more than desktop or laptop computers, building on a trend that began several years ago, a survey showed Wednesday.
	Google Assistant to be 'news host' on devices Google said Wednesday its digital assistant will serve as a "news host" on its connected devices to deliver stories from a variety of its media partners.
	Microsoft competes for popularity with upstart Slack Microsoft says that its own workplace collaboration service Teams now has more than 20 million daily active users.
	Amazon tells senator it's considered face-scanning doorbells Amazon says it has considered adding facial recognition technology to its Ring doorbell cameras.
Attempted cyberattack disrupts Louisiana state government Many of Louisiana's state government websites and email systems are shut down because of what the governor's office says is an attempted ransomware attack.
	European car sales accelerate to decade-high speed in October European car sales hit their highest October level in a decade, an industry body said Tuesday, as the sector recovers from a stall last year over tighter pollution regulations.
	Boeing announces new MAX orders as grounding crisis drags on (Update) Boeing's 737 MAX got a boost Tuesday with confirmation of new orders for the still-grounded plane, but a fresh lawsuit connected to the development of the troubled aircraft poses another challenge for the company.
	Algorithmic integrity advocate: The implications of human interaction with technology We wear it, watch it, work with it—and may suffer separation anxiety when it's not available. What are the implications of human interaction with technology, particularly when it's used to predict or police us?
	Researchers design new hybrid engines that are more efficient and less contaminating A team of the CMT-Thermal Engines Institute of the UPV University suggests a new configuration that unites all the benefits of hybrid motors with dual-fuel combustion technology.
	Engineer develops browser-based analysis framework observer Malicious third-party advertisers or hackers expose web users to a security threat by injecting malicious JavaScript code to intercept user clicks and trick them into visiting untrusted web content. To investigate the problem of click interception, the research team led by Professor Wei Meng of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) developed a browser-based analysis framework—Observer, which is able to detect three different techniques for intercepting web user clicks.
	Boeing bags business for troubled 737 MAX at Dubai show Boeing's troubled 737 MAX aircraft won another boost Tuesday, as Air Astana said it planned to buy 30 of the planes a day after SunExpress of Turkey ordered 10 of the jets, which were grounded in March.

Medicine & Health news

	Ayahuasca compound changes brainwaves to vivid 'waking-dream' state Scientists have peered inside the brain to show how taking DMT affects human consciousness by significantly altering the brain's electrical activity.
	Borderline personality disorder has strongest link to childhood trauma People with borderline personality disorder are 13 times more likely to report childhood trauma than people without any mental health problems, according to University of Manchester research.
	Lab tests show that some traditional soup broths have antimalarial properties Some traditional vegetable and meat soup broths can interrupt the life cycle of the most deadly of the malarial parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, reveal the results of lab tests, in what is thought to be the first study of its kind, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
	'Face blindness' may involve a failed brain network, and could shed light on autism People with prosopagnosia, or "face blindness," have trouble recognizing faces—even those of close friends and family members. It often causes serious social problems, although some people can compensate by using clothing and other cues. Face blindness often becomes apparent in early childhood, but people occasionally acquire it from a brain injury later in life. A new study of people who became face-blind after a stroke, led by Alexander Cohen, MD, Ph.D., of Boston Children's Hospital, provides clues to what goes wrong in the brain.
	Evidence in mice that childhood asthma is influenced by the neurotransmitter dopamine Neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine communicate with T cells to enhance allergic inflammation in the lungs of young mice but not older mice, researchers report November 19 in the journal Immunity. The findings potentially explain why asthma susceptibility is higher in children than in adults. By highlighting the important role of interactions between the nervous system and the immune system in childhood asthma, the results could lead to new strategies for treating the common chronic disease.
	Predicting Alzheimer's disease-like memory loss before it strikes For a person with Alzheimer's disease, there's no turning back the clock. By the time she begins to experience memory loss and other worrisome signs, cognitive decline has already set in. And decades of clinical trials have failed to produce treatments that could help her regain her memory.
	Malaria discovery could lead to better HIV and lupus treatments A discovery about how the immune system responds to malaria infection could lead to better treatments for hepatitis C, HIV and lupus, say Australian researchers.
	Brain scans reveal how the human brain compensates when one hemisphere is removed Researchers studying six adults who had one of their brain hemispheres removed during childhood to reduce epileptic seizures found that the remaining half of the brain formed unusually strong connections between different functional brain networks, which potentially help the body to function as if the brain were intact. The case study, which investigates brain function in these individuals with hemispherectomy, appears November 19 in the journal Cell Reports.
	Improving the odds for patients with heart pumps A new Yale study shows that some patients being treated for severe heart failure with a battery-operated pump saw significant improvement after additionally using neurohormonal blockade (NHB) drug therapy.
	Study reveals concussion-related injuries still present one year later In the first longitudinal evaluation of its kind, researchers from the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital have discovered that one year after the event of a concussion and receiving medical clearance, signs of concussion-related injuries can still be observed in the brain.
	Virtual 'moonwalk' for science reveals distortions in spatial memory In order to remember where important events happened, or how to get from A to B, brains form mental "maps" of the environment. An important component of these mental maps are the so-called grid cells. Different grid cells are active when occupying different locations in an environment, creating a characteristic pattern of activity. This pattern consists of equilateral triangles that form a symmetrical grid structure. The discovery of grid cells in the brains of rats was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2014. Scientists suspect the same is true in human brains. Our mental maps and grid patterns formed from grid cells allow us to remember where a certain place is located and determine how far away it is from other locations. This should all work well if the grid patterns are symmetrical and regular.
	Wearable tech could help older people manage diabetes Older people with diabetes would benefit from using wearable glucose monitors—according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
	Mapping the pathway to gut health in HIV and SIV infections A UC Davis study found that the damaged gut lining (known as leaky gut) in monkeys infected with chronic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), an HIV-like virus, was rapidly repaired within five hours of receiving Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria.
	Technique identifies T cells primed for certain allergies or infections When your immune system is exposed to a vaccine, an allergen, or an infectious microbe, subsets of T cells that can recognize a foreign intruder leap into action. Some of these T cells are primed to kill infected cells, while others serve as memory cells that circulate throughout the body, keeping watch in case the invader reappears.
	Deep brain stimulation safer for patients with new MRI compatible electrode Imagine having an electrode embedded in your brain in a surgical procedure that involves drilling holes in your skull to implant it. Now imagine going through an MRI scan for medical evaluation, when the metal electrode may react to the magnetic fields and vibrate, generate heat or even possibly damage the brain.
	Watch out for 'feather duvet lung' caution doctors Watch out for 'feather duvet lung' doctors have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a middle aged man with severe lung inflammation that developed soon after he bought feather-filled bedding.
Radiation from CT scans associated with increased risk for cancer A new study in JNCI Cancer Spectrum finds that exposure to radiation from CT scans is associated with higher risks of developing thyroid cancer and leukemia.
	Cannabis found not to be a substitute for opioids There has been interest in cannabis being used as a replacement drug for people with opioid use disorder, but research at McMaster University has found it doesn't work.
Study identifies barriers high schools face when implementing, enforcing concussion laws All 50 U.S. states enacted concussion laws between 2009-2014 to mitigate the consequences of concussion. While details of the laws vary from state to state, all state laws address three main factors: concussion education; removal from play after suspected concussion; and return-to-play requirements.
	Hear this: Healthful diet tied to lower risk of hearing loss Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have found that eating a healthy diet may reduce the risk of acquired hearing loss. Using longitudinal data collected in the Nurses' Health Study II Conservation of Hearing Study (CHEARS), researchers examined three-year changes in hearing sensitivities and found that women whose eating patterns more closely adhered to commonly recommended healthful dietary patterns, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, the Alternate Mediterranean (AMED) diet, and the Alternate Healthy Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), had substantially lower risk of decline in hearing sensitivity. The team's findings are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology
Measles death toll in Samoa rises to 15: UNICEF The death toll from a measles outbreak raging in the Pacific nation of Samoa has risen to 15, with most of the victims young children, UNICEF said Tuesday.
	Trump backing off banning vaping flavors popular with teens When President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One to fly to a Kentucky campaign rally two weeks ago, a plan was in place for him to give final approval to a plan to ban most flavored e-cigarettes.
	Among people with bipolar disorder, inflammation predicts cognitive deficits Bipolar disorder is a heterogeneous disease—two people who share the same diagnosis can have very different outcomes and quality of life. Treatment of bipolar disorder largely focuses on controlling episodes of depression or mania, but even when these symptoms are well managed, some patients will suffer from cognitive deficits while others will show cognitive resilience.
	Trying to help parents decide to vaccinate kids against HPV? Consider storytelling Health campaigns on social media aimed at increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination may see greater success, according to Drexel University researchers, if they inject a narrative into information-based posts.
	Psychologist explains the problem of angry parents and coaches A Massachusetts woman hung up her whistle and high school soccer referee jersey after almost a decade on the job, fed up with ongoing abuse from parents and coaches, the Boston Globe reported recently. It's a familiar story. According to a 2017 survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, adult behavior is the reason more than 75 percent of all high school referees quit. The report also found that 80 percent of new officials stop after only two years. Many say the problem is contributing to a shortage of high school referees nationwide, and extends to the youth sports level. Richard Weissbourd is a psychologist and senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he co-directs the Making Caring Common Project, which focuses on moral and social development priorities in child raising. The Gazette spoke with him about the problem and what can be done to fix it.
	Umbilical cord milking may be linked to higher risk of brain bleeding in preterm infants Milking the umbilical cord—gently squeezing the cord and pushing the contents into the newborn's abdomen before clamping the cord—could increase the risk for severe intraventricular hemorrhage, or bleeding into the brain's fluid-filled cavities, in extremely preterm infants, according to results of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health that was halted for safety concerns.
Daily cannabis use lowers odds of using illicit opioids among people who have chronic pain For those using illicit opioids to manage their chronic pain, cannabis may be a beneficial—and a less dangerous—alternative, according to new research from the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).
	How gene-edited white blood cells are helping fight cancer For the first time in the United States, a gene editing tool has been used to treat advanced cancer in three patients and showed promising early results in a pilot phase 1 clinical trial. So far the treatment appears safe, and more results are expected soon.
	A key to the opioid crisis may be knowing why some brains are more easily addicted Today, more Americans die from overdoses than car accidents. Understanding how to treat individuals with opioid addiction will be crucial to stemming the unprecedented number of drug-related deaths.
	Be aware of potential for complications following tongue-tie surgery in babies Complications following a procedure to treat tongue-tie in babies are occurring that can result in admission to hospital, something a University of Otago paediatrician says needs to be better understood by both health practitioners and parents.
	Study explores why patients skip appointments for suspected cancer Men, the elderly and people from deprived areas are among the patients most likely to miss an urgent referral appointment for suspected cancer, a study led by the University of York has found.
	E-cigarettes take toll on heart health E-cigarette use takes a toll on heart health—a big concern given the high prevalence of e-cigarettes and perception of e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, according to new, preliminary research that will be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019—November 16- 18 in Philadelphia. The Association's Scientific Sessions is an annual, premier global exchange of the latest advances in cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians.
	Loneliness is a social cancer, every bit as alarming as cancer itself The ABC's Australia Talks project aims to stimulate a conversation on a broad sweep of topics—from job security and sexual habits to national pride and personal finances.
	Research identifies 16 new gene regions linked to diabetic kidney disease Researchers in the UCD Diabetes Complications Research Centre and their international collaborators have identified 16 regions of the human genome linked with diabetic kidney disease (DKD), the leading cause of kidney disease that can end in organ failure.
	How people with type 2 diabetes can get the benefits of exercise while reducing the risks Adults with type 2 diabetes may have more to gain by participating in physical activity and exercise than healthy adults, but they may also have more to lose, according to University of Alberta exercise and diabetes physiology researchers.
	Study finds problems with gestational diabetes test in rural areas A number of pregnant women in rural and remote areas may be missing out on being diagnosed with gestational diabetes due to problems with blood testing, according to new research by The University of Western Australia, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services and member services.
	Solve the antibiotics crisis with a public buy-out, says team of British scientists Published in Lancet Infectious Diseases today, a team of British researchers are calling for the development of new antibiotics to be brought into the public sector, in order to fix the 'broken antibiotic pipeline' and tackle the threat of rising antimicrobial resistance.
	Scientists develop a new method to detect light in the brain Researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and University of Salento, both in Lecce, Italy, and Harvard Medical School in Boston have developed a new light-based method to capture and pinpoint the epicenter of neural activity in the brain.
	Cell death or cancer growth: A question of cohesion Activation of CD95, a receptor found on all cancer cells, triggers programmed cell death—or does the opposite, namely stimulates cancer cell growth. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now shown that the impact of CD95 activation depends on whether there are isolated cancer cells or three-dimensional structures. Individual cells are programmed to die following CD95 activation. In contrast, CD95 activation stimulates growth in clusters of cancer cells, for example in solid tumors. This finding points to new ways of specifically transforming growth-stimulating signals into cell death signals for the cancer cells.
	Retinal screening in diabetes: Diagnosis by robot The digital revolution in ophthalmology, foreshadowed around two years ago, has now become a clinical reality: Since the middle of the year, MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital have been using automatic digital retinal screening, without assistance from an ophthalmologist, to detect diabetic retinal disease. "The robot makes the diagnosis all on its own," said Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Optometrics of the Medical University of Vienna, speaking today (Tuesday) at a press conference in Vienna in advance of the Advanced Retinal Therapy Conference "ART 2019" to be held in Vienna on 23 November, which will specifically focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ophthalmology.
	'Don't give up:' parents' intuition spots a rare illness before doctors do Parents usually know their child better than anyone, and if a parent suspects something is wrong, it probably is.
	Complex organ models grown in the lab Scientists at the University of Würzburg have successfully produced human tissues from stem cells. They have a complexity similar to that of normal tissue and are far superior to previous structures.
	Majority of childhood sex-abuse survivors achieve complete mental health Most research on child sexual-abuse survivors focuses on negative consequences such as depression and suicide. A new study instead examines factors associated with resilience and flourishing among adult survivors.
	Researchers describe catatonia in Down syndrome Down syndrome, due to an extra chromosome 21, occurs in 250,000 children and adults in the United States, making it the country's most common chromosomal disorder. Inherited heart defects, thyroid cancer, celiac disease and developmental disabilities are common Down syndrome complications. Only recently has catatonia, a behavioral condition marked by new onset immobility, mutism, withdrawal and other behavioral abnormalities, been recognized in Down syndrome.
	Cellular calpain proteases can cleave the enteroviral polyprotein Enteroviruses are small, non-enveloped RNA viruses, which belong to the family of picornaviruses. Although most of the diseases that enteroviruses cause are symptomless or mild, enteroviruses are the most common viruses infecting humans. In addition, enteroviruses can cause more severe diseases such as encephalitis or myocarditis.
	New analytical screening tools for the detection of cardiovascular disease Echocardiography is a test that uses ultrasound techniques to produce images of the heart in real time. Stress echocardiography uses this technique to evaluate the heart rate response while performing an activity in which the heart has to work (stress). Stress echocardiography can reveal traces of cardiovascular disease in its early stages, before it manifests, and so this technique becomes a valuable screening tool.
	Yoga and physical therapy as treatment for chronic lower back pain also improves sleep Yoga and physical therapy (PT) are effective approaches to treating co-occurring sleep disturbance and back pain while reducing the need for medication, according to a new study from Boston Medical Center (BMC). Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the research showed significant improvements in sleep quality lasting 52 weeks after 12 weeks of yoga classes or 1-on-1 PT, which suggests a long-term benefit of these non-pharmacologic approaches. In addition, participants with early improvements in pain after 6 weeks of treatment were three and a half times more likely to have improvements in sleep after the full, 12-week treatment, highlighting that pain and sleep are closely related.
	Milestone reached in new leukemia drug Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists, with chemists and cancer biologists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), have developed a new therapy that extended the survival of mice with acute myeloid leukemia.
	A new pathway to 'reprogram' killer cells The so-called natural killer (NK) cells are cells of the innate immune system that recognize and eliminate infected cells or cancer cells. During a virus infection, NK cells also keep the body's own immune cells such as the T cells at bay in order to avoid excessive killing of intact body cells. In addition, NK cells release messenger molecules that support the immune defense. NK cells are therefore particularly important for immunity—if they are defective, recurrent infections with several viruses and cancer can develop.
	Robotic transplants safe for kidney disease patients with obesity Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago report that among patients with obesity, robotic kidney transplants produce survival outcomes comparable to those seen among nonobese patients.
	New pulsed electric field technology could lead to less invasive tumor molecular profiling Current cancer treatment courses often begin with tissue biopsies. Biopsies, however, which involve the physical resection of a small tissue sample, can lead to localized tissue injury, bleeding, inflammation, and stress, as well as increased risk of metastasis.
	Twenty five years of learning to combat cervical cancer According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer affecting women worldwide. Currently, early screenings of pre-cancerous tissues and vaccination have proven to be the most effective treatment strategies. However, the lack of such interventions in developing nations has led to its high occurrence. Among the Southeast Asian nations alone, India has the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer.
	Anal cancer rates and mortality have risen dramatically among Americans: study Rates of new anal cancer diagnoses and deaths related to human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection, have increased dramatically over the last 15 years, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The results of their study were published in the November issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	Care in a multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic increases discussion about treatment options, adherence to guidelines Newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients have multiple standard-of-care treatment options available, but many are not fully informed of their choices. A study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found men who seek treatment at a multidisciplinary (MultiD) prostate cancer clinic are more likely to be advised about treatment choices and to receive care that complies with evidence-based treatment guidelines. African American men who visited the MultiD clinic also were more likely to receive definitive, or curative, therapy, compared with national trends.
	Light-to-moderate exercise may bring benefits for sickle cell disease While exercise offers benefits for a wide range of health conditions, it has historically been considered too dangerous for people living with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, a new study published today in the journal Blood adds to mounting evidence that low-to moderate-intensity exercise may be not only safe, but beneficial for these patients.
	HbA1c variability linked to cardiovascular disease risk (HealthDay)—For patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, visit-to-visit hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) variability is associated with increased risks for cardiovascular disease and microvascular complications, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in Diabetes Care.
	Distribution of self-test kits can up HIV awareness (HealthDay)—Distribution of HIV self-tests among men who have sex with men (MSM) can increase testing and newly identified infections, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	CDC: Almost 20 percent of U.S. adults currently use tobacco products (HealthDay)—In 2018, 19.7 percent of U.S. adults reported currently using any tobacco products, according to research published in the Nov. 15 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	VA, DoD update guideline for rehabilitation after stroke (HealthDay)—In a systematic review and clinical practice guideline, published online Nov. 19 in Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense are presented for stroke rehabilitation and nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments for motor deficits and mood disorders in adults who have had stroke.
	AAP: Emergency contraception should be given to sexually active teens (HealthDay)—Pediatricians should provide emergency contraception (EC) to teenagers who have had unprotected or underprotected intercourse, according to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics published online Nov. 18 in Pediatrics.
	Optic nerve ultrasound may ID increased intracranial pressure (HealthDay)—Optic nerve ultrasonography can help diagnose increased intracranial pressure with high specificity and sensitivity for patients with traumatic and nontraumatic brain injury, according to a review published online Nov. 19 in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	AMA, AHA support refresher training for measuring blood pressure (HealthDay)—Health care professionals (HCPs) should receive consistent and frequent training in measuring blood pressure (BP), according to a report prepared for the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association and released Nov. 18.
	Bacteria in your spit might play a role in heart disease Bacteria in the saliva of people with clogged arteries appears to be different from that of healthy people, according to a small study. The finding which could open the door for new strategies to fight heart disease.
	New type of drug might ease migraines (HealthDay)—Migraine sufferers who cannot get relief from existing medications may soon have a novel treatment option, a new trial suggests.
	Erectile dysfunction may up the odds for irregular heartbeat Men with erectile dysfunction are more likely to be diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, according to a new study.
	The startlingly high cost of the 'free' flu shot In the Byzantine world of health care pricing, most people wouldn't expect that the ubiquitous flu shot could be a prime example of how the system's lack of transparency can lead to disparate costs.
	Research shows boredom is on the rise for adolescents, especially girls "I'm so bored!" It's a typical complaint by teens in every era, but one that's growing more common for U.S. adolescents, especially girls.
	Patients treated outside NCI centers less likely to receive high-cost lung cancer drugs Genetically targeted drugs and immunotherapies are transforming the way we treat many forms of lung cancer. However, a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that while the use of these drugs rose 27 percent from 2007 to 2015, new, high-cost lung cancer drugs are not used equally in all places, with all patients. Patients who lived in high-poverty areas were 4 percent less likely to be treated with high-cost lung cancer drugs. On the other hand, patients treated at National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers were 10 percent more likely to be given these drugs than were patients treated in other settings.
	Ammonia levels do not aid management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients The liver performs several critical functions including filtering blood, detoxifying chemicals and metabolizing drugs. When the liver is damaged by hepatitis, alcohol, or primary liver disease, fibrosis ensues. Long-term fibrosis contributes to cirrhosis of the liver, which in turn can cause severe complications, including hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a condition that results in a temporary decline in mental function in up to 70% of patients with cirrhosis.
	Depression puts South African girls at higher risk of contracting HIV Teen girls in South Africa face an extraordinary threat of HIV: By the time they reach adulthood, one in four South African girls will have contracted the virus, and most are first infected during adolescence.
	Chronic opioid therapy can disrupt sleep, increase risk of sleep disorders Patients and medical providers should be aware that chronic opioid use can interfere with sleep by reducing sleep efficiency and increasing the risk of sleep-disordered breathing, according to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
	E-meditation: A new tool for an ancient technique We live in a society plagued by burnout.
Study: Sepsis survivors require follow-up support Survivors of sepsis—a life-threatening response to an infection—have expressed a need for advocacy and follow-up support, according to a study authored by professors at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, and published in Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing.
	When do alcohol-dependent mothers parent harshly? Not surprisingly, parents with substance use disorders often struggle with parenting and frequently have strained relationships with their children. Moreover, research has solidly demonstrated that the children of these parents are more likely to develop behavioral problems, antisocial behavior, aggression, mood disorders, anxiety, and later use substances themselves.
	Systematic literature review: The spread of health-related misinformation on social media Contemporary commentators describe the current period as "an era of fake news" in which misinformation spreads rapidly. In order to uncover the current evidence and better understand the mechanism of misinformation spread, we report a systematic review of the nature and potential drivers of health-related misinformation. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 721402.
	Greece aims to cut smoking by a third by 2025: PM Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday launched an anti-smoking campaign that aims to cut the habit, which is still strong despite repeated crackdowns, by a third within six years.
	Can the new anti-aging supplement nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide turn back the clock? Increases in lifespan are one of the greatest success stories of modern society. Yet while most of us can expect to live longer, we are spending more years in ill health. Reducing this period of ill health at the end of life is the main aim of a group of scientists known as biogerontologists.
	People with type 1 diabetes struggle with blood sugar control despite CGMs Some continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) alarm features and settings may achieve better blood sugar control for people with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Studies continue to highlight benefits of bariatric surgery in teens Severe obesity affects 4.5 million children and adolescents in the United States, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Bariatric surgery can be life-changing for teens with severe obesity who have been unable to lose a significant amount of weight with traditional weight-loss measures. More and more research points to the benefits that teens with severe obesity can reap from bariatric surgery, including two recently published studies led by Thomas H. Inge, director of pediatric surgery and the bariatric center at Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado), and researchers at Children's Colorado. The different focuses of the two studies also highlight the multidisciplinary approach of the hospital's Bariatric Surgery Center.
	New York sues e-cigarette firm Juul for targeting youngsters New York on Tuesday became the second state this week to sue Juul, the United States' largest electronic cigarette manufacturer, for illegally targeting minors with its marketing campaigns.
BU and BMC find pediatric behavioral health care integration shows promise Integrating behavioral health services into pediatric primary care in three Boston-area community health centers increased primary care visits by children with mental health diagnoses without raising Medicaid costs.
Families of youth with autism face big barriers to care, gaps in services New research at Case Western Reserve University found big gaps in services and continued care for children with autism—and their families—as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Biology news

	Coming to a head: How vertebrates became predators by tweaking the neural crest Lamprey are blood-sucking vampire-like fish that attach to and eventually kill game fish, making them the bane of many a fisherman's existence. Like something out of a horror film, these parasites use radial rows of sharp teeth to dig into the skin of their host and extract blood and other fluids for food. But to Caltech scientists, these gruesome pests hold important clues to the evolution and success of vertebrates.
	First evidence of the impact of climate change on Arctic Terns Data collected from electronic tags retrieved from 47 journeys made by the Farne Island Arctic Terns, has revealed for the first time how climate change might affect their behaviour.
	Study measures impact of agriculture on diet of wild mammals Margays (Leopardus wiedii), small wild cats living in forest areas fragmented by agriculture near Campinas and Botucatu in São Paulo State, Brazil, prey on animals inhabiting nearby sugarcane plantations such as birds and small rodents.
	Metagenomics unlocks unknowns of diarrheal disease cases in children Using advanced metagenomics techniques, researchers have found that conventional culture-based lab tests may misdiagnose as many as half of the microbial causes of diarrheal diseases in children. The study, based on samples from Ecuadorian children, also found that a common strain of the E. coli bacterium may be more virulent than previously believed.
	Mitochondrial mixing mechanism critical for sperm production in mice Mitochondria, often thought of as the powerhouses of cells, are just one part of a larger living thing, but they are unique among cellular structures in that they have their own DNA that is distinct from that of their parent cells. And just like their parent cells, mitochondria need quality-control mechanisms to maintain their DNA and preserve their normal function.
	Researchers find secret of beetle success: Stolen genes An international team of researchers has found what appears to be one of the secrets to evolutionary success for beetles—genes stolen from bacteria and fungi. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of the beetle genome and what they found.
	Researchers discover remarkable variation in genetic mechanisms that drive sexual differentiation of frogs Researchers from McMaster University have discovered striking variation in the underlying genetic machinery that orchestrates sexual differentiation in frogs, demonstrating that evolution of this crucial biological system has moved at a dramatic pace.
	Deep-sea bacteria copy their neighbors' diet In the deep sea, far away from the light of the sun, organisms use chemical energy to fix carbon. At hydrothermal vents—where hot, mineral-rich water gushes out of towering chimneys called black smokers—vibrant ecosystems are fueled by chemical energy in the vent waters. Mussels thrive in this seemingly hostile environment, nourished by symbiotic bacteria inside their gills. The bacteria convert chemicals from the vents, which the animals cannot use, into tasty food for their mussel hosts. Now an international group of scientists led by Nicole Dubilier from the Max Planck Institute of Marine Microbiology in Bremen and Jillian Petersen, now at the University of Vienna, reports in ISME Journal that carbon fixation in the deep sea is more diverse than previously thought.
	Endangered whales react to environmental changes Some "canaries" are 50 feet long, weigh 70 tons, and are nowhere near a coal mine. But the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale is sending the same kind of message about disruptive change in the environment by rapidly altering its use of important habitat areas off the New England coast. These findings are contained in a new study published in Global Change Biology by scientists at the Center for Conservation Bioacoustics (formerly the Bioacoustics Research Program) at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and at Syracuse University. It's the longest running published study to continuously monitor the presence of any whale species at one location using sound."
	In the deserts of Dubai, salmon farming thrives From a control room in the middle of Dubai's desert, Norway's sunrises and sunsets and the cool currents of the Atlantic are recreated for the benefit of thousands of salmon raised in tanks despite searing conditions outside.
	Butterfly on a bomb range: Endangered Species Act at work In the unlikely setting of the world's most populated military installation, amid all the regimented chaos, you'll find the Endangered Species Act at work.
	New species of seaweed uncovered by genetic analyses Genetic analyses have revealed remarkably higher species diversity in common red seaweed than previously assumed. It was thought that there were only five related species of the Gloiopeltis genus (known as 'funori' in Japanese) worldwide. However, genetic analyses of historic and modern specimens have revealed that there are over ten in Japan alone. The reinstatement of the species Gloiopeltis compressa (new Japanese name: Ryukyu-funori) was proposed by this research. It is found in Okinawa and has previously been confused with other species of Gloiopeltis.
	Researchers find risk in reopening Florida goliath grouper fishery A review of the iconic Atlantic goliath grouper by a team of Florida State University scientists revealed considerable downsides to proposals to reopen the fishery that has been closed for nearly 30 years.
	Health threat from blue-green blooms extends beyond single toxin As blue-green algae proliferates around the world, a University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher cautions that current municipal drinking water monitoring that focuses on a single toxin associated with the cyanobacteria blooms is likely to miss the true public health risks.
	Some small mammals undeterred by industrial activity, study shows Two common species of small mammals are not significantly disturbed by industrial activity near their homes, according to a new study by University of Alberta scientists.
	Drones carting GoPros to track gray whale behavior and spot their poop off Oregon Coast Using drones deployed in the air and GoPros underwater, Oregon State University marine ecologist Leigh Torres recently completed her fourth field season documenting previously unseen behaviors of gray whales—and gathering their poop—off the Oregon coast.
	Breathing space for a marine world under pressure A small, motorized fishing boat heads out to sea from the port of Sinabang, leaving behind the remote island of Simeulue, off the coast of western Sumatra. Noticeable on the deck is a tangle of plastic tubes, linked up to a roaring, spluttering engine. The on-board fishers are going "compressor fishing," a practice that involves divers searching the seabed for lucrative octopus, grouper and sea cucumber, all the while relying on air supplied by a single plastic lifeline, snaking precariously up to the surface. The rewards can be great—fishers are able to stay deep underwater for long periods, harvesting catches that would be inaccessible to those using other fishing techniques. However, this method is fraught with dangers, as local Simeulue fisher, Anhar, can testify.
	Researchers develop a database to aid in identifying key genes for bacterial infections Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms capable of entering, colonizing and growing within a host organism, thus producing an infection. Bacterial infections have been on the rise worldwide in recent years, but many mechanisms underlying bacterial pathogenesis are still poorly understood. This is highly relevant given the fact that the development of new antimicrobial therapies is largely based on current knowledge of the mechanisms behind these infections. The proteins coded by the bacterial genes are responsible for the thousands of biochemical processes essential for the efficient propagation of the pathogen. Many studies demonstrate, however, that in order to identify these genes, in vivo information is needed on what happens with the bacteria in a real case of an infected host. The in vitro studies, i.e., those recreated in laboratories with cell and bacterial cultures, later do not always correlate with data from in vivo studies. This is due to the fact that pathogenic bacterial genes essential for producing the infections depend on the environment of the colonized organism.
	RNA regulation is crucial for embryonic stem cell differentiation Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are distinguished by their dual ability to self-renew and their potential to differentiate, both of which require tight regulatory control. During the differentiation of ESCs, various cells develop into specialised cell types such as skin cells, nerve cells, muscle cells, etc. While our understanding of ES cell regulation has been dominated by transcriptional and epigenetic models, the role of post-transcriptional regulation via nuclear RNA decay has remained less explored.
	Bats in attics might be necessary for conservation For the little brown bat—a small mouse-eared bat with glossy brown fur—a warm, dry place to roost is essential to the species' survival. Reproductive females huddle their small furry bodies together to save thermal energy during maternity season (summer), forming "maternity colonies." In the face of severe population losses across North America, summer access to an attic or other permanent sheltered structure, as opposed to just trees or rock crevices, is a huge benefit to these bats.
	Panda Bei Bei says bye bye to US, heads 'home' to China The US-born giant panda Bei Bei on Tuesday left the only home he has known at the National Zoo in Washington for a 16-hour flight back to China as part of its research and breeding program.

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