Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Nov 5

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for November 5, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study observes anomalous decay of coherence in a dissipative many-body system

A model to predict the size and shape of online comment threads

Chemists observe 'spooky' quantum tunneling

Scientists put the ​"solve" in ​"solvent" for lithium-sulfur battery challenge

An easier way of sneaking antibodies into cells

The most spectacular celestial vision you'll never see

Scientists probe the limits of ice

Learning is optimized when we fail 15% of the time

Diffuse X-ray emission detected around the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar NGC 5907 ULX-1

An artificial sunflower that bends toward the sun

Any amount of running linked to significantly lower risk of death

Could a new 2-D material allow semiconductors to keep getting smaller, stronger better and faster?

Cell chemistry illuminated by laser light

3-D-printed plastics with high performance electrical circuits

New assessment could identify risks of frailty

Astronomy & Space news

	The most spectacular celestial vision you'll never see Contrary to previous thought, a gigantic planet in wild orbit does not preclude the presence of an Earth-like planet in the same solar system—or life on that planet.
	Diffuse X-ray emission detected around the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar NGC 5907 ULX-1 Using NASA's Chandra spacecraft, European astronomers have detected a diffuse X-ray emission around an ultraluminous X-ray pulsar in the galaxy NGC 5907. The newly detected emission could be an expanding nebula powered by the wind of the pulsar. The finding is detailed in a paper published October 25 on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Researchers claim data from Planck space observatory suggests universe is a sphere A trio of researchers with the University of Manchester, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza' and Sorbonne Universities has sparked a major debate among cosmologists by claiming that data from the Planck space observatory suggests the universe is a sphere—not flat, as current conventional theory suggests. In their paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, Eleonora Di Valentino, Alessandro Melchiorri and Joseph Silk outline their arguments and suggest their findings indicate that there exists a cosmological crisis that must be addressed.
	TESS presents panorama of southern sky The glow of the Milky Way—our galaxy seen edgewise—arcs across a sea of stars in a new mosaic of the southern sky produced from a year of observations by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Constructed from 208 TESS images taken during the mission's first year of science operations, completed on July 18, the southern panorama reveals both the beauty of the cosmic landscape and the reach of TESS's cameras.
	Wine cellar in space: 12 bottles arrive for year of aging A dozen bottles of fine French wine arrived at the space station Monday, not for the astronauts, but for science.
	Virgin Galactic goes public and leads space tourism race Richard Branson rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on October 28 as Virgin Galactic became the first commercial spaceflight company to list on the stock market. It was valued at more than US$1 billion following its merger with publicly-listed holding firm Social Capital Hedosophia, then experienced a 20% drop in its share price after a week of trading. It is now worth around US$800m.
	Voyager 2 illuminates boundary of interstellar space One year ago, on Nov. 5, 2018, NASA's Voyager 2 became only the second spacecraft in history to leave the heliosphere—the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by our Sun. At a distance of about 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) from Earth—well beyond the orbit of Pluto—Voyager 2 had entered interstellar space, or the region between stars. Today, five new research papers in the journal Nature Astronomy describe what scientists observed during and since Voyager 2's historic crossing.
	NASA's TESS spacecraft is finding hundreds of exoplanets – and is poised to find thousands more Within just 50 light-years from Earth, there are about 1,560 stars, likely orbited by several thousand planets. About a thousand of these extrasolar planets—known as exoplanets—may be rocky and have a composition similar to Earth's. Some may even harbor life. Over 99% of these alien worlds remain undiscovered—but this is about to change.
	Liftoff: Antares rocket boosts resupply ship from Virginia to the space station As seabirds swooped and Atlantic waves lapped under a crisp blue sky, an Antares rocket roared to life Saturday morning and blasted off from Virginia's Eastern Shore without a hitch.
	NASA's coating technology could help resolve lunar dust challenge An advanced coating now being tested aboard the International Space Station for use on satellite components could also help NASA solve one of its thorniest challenges: how to keep the Moon's irregularly shaped, razor-sharp dust grains from adhering to virtually everything they touch, including astronauts' spacesuits.

Technology news

	A model to predict the size and shape of online comment threads On social media platforms such as Reddit and Twitter people can express their opinions and take part in discussions about a variety of topics. This is generally done in comment threads, which allow users to comment on existing posts.
	Autonomous system improves environmental sampling at sea An autonomous robotic system invented by researchers at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) efficiently sniffs out the most scientifically interesting—but hard-to-find—sampling spots in vast, unexplored waters.
	BlueKeep exploit in the wild is not devastating but sleuths stay cautious A security exploit called BlueKeep is in the wild. Security watchers on numerous sites all reported that researchers had spotted evidence of exploitation. HotHardware said that so far the signs were that affected machines were being used to mine cryptocurrency.
	Solving the three-body problem faster using a deep neural network A small team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Cambridge, Campus Universita´rio de Santiago and Leiden University has developed a way to use a deep neural network to solve the three-body problem. They have written a paper describing their efforts and have uploaded it to the arXiv preprint server.
	Scientists use inorganic ingredients to limit perovskite solar cells defects, retain efficiency Rice University scientists believe they've overcome a major hurdle keeping perovskite-based solar cells from achieving mainstream use.
	Shorter hours boost sales in overworked Japan: Microsoft In a country notorious for overwork, Microsoft Japan trialled a radical idea: working less. And it found that four-day weeks and other reforms both boosted sales and cut costs.
	Uber shares skid as losses widen Uber shares skidded Monday after the ride-hailing giant reported widening losses in the just-ended quarter as it boosted investment in new services and features.
	Possibility or pipe dream: How close are we to seeing flying cars? A glossy high rise in the heart of Miami aims to be the first residential building in the U.S. with a specially designed rooftop to accommodate a Jetsons-like future where cars take to the skies.
	Researchers create a fleet of robots to navigate unknown underground environments Earlier this semester, a group of Penn students, postdocs, and faculty travelled to an experimental mine near Pittsburgh to participate in the first round of the Subterranean (SubT) Challenge hosted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Led by Camillo J. Taylor, researchers partnered with Penn spinoff companies to build a team of robots to navigate and explore unknown underground environments.
	Should you worry about Boeing 737s? Only if you run an airline The cracks found in three Qantas-owned Boeing 737s last week led to calls that it should ground its 33 aircraft with a similar service record.
	Wafer-thin bicycles, speedy shorts, go-faster trainers: controversial technology in sport When the Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge became the first human to run a marathon in under two hours as part of the recent INEOS 1:59 Project Challenge, this was arguably one of the most significant achievements of athleticism since Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in 1954. But almost immediately afterwards there was controversy, not toward the runner or the unofficial nature of his run (his record has no official status), but over his running shoes.
	Machine learning algorithms help predict traffic headaches Urban traffic roughly follows a periodic pattern associated with the typical 9-to-5 work schedule. However, when an accident happens, traffic patterns are disrupted. Designing accurate traffic flow models, for use during accidents, is a major challenge for traffic engineers, who must adapt to unforeseen traffic scenarios in real time.
	New cybersecurity guide is the first to gather global expertise Some of the world's leading experts in cybersecurity have pooled their academic and industry insights to produce an authoritative guide that could help organizations to future proof their resources. The guide, the first of its kind, will also help expand the capabilities of those who will be at the forefront of tackling the challenges of an increasingly connected world.
	Social media disinformation, surveillance growing: watchdog Governments around the world are increasingly using social media to manipulate elections and monitor their citizens, in a worrisome trend for democracy, a human rights watchdog said Tuesday.
	Hotel room rates: Human work or algorithmic plaything? You would like to book a hotel room and browse the internet for which rooms and rates are an offer. The rates provided depend on forecasted demand and come about through the use of computer algorithms. However, the rates are often manually adjusted by hotel personnel. What are the consequences and how can those consequences be measured? Ph.D. defense on 12 November 2019.
	IBM: face recognition tech should be regulated, not banned IBM weighed in Tuesday on the policy debate over facial recognition technology, arguing against an outright ban but calling for "precision regulation" to protect privacy and civil liberties.
	Facebook says Libra needs 'decades' to take hold Facebook's planned digital currency Libra will need decades to establish itself and gain global acceptance, one of its creators predicted on Tuesday.
	Eurozone banks moot European payment system to rival Visa, Mastercard Twenty European banks are working on setting up a pan-European payment system to challenge the dominance of Visa, Mastercard and technology companies such as Google and PayPal, European banking and government sources said Tuesday.
	AT&T fined $60M for misleading with 'unlimited' plans AT&T will pay $60 million to settle the government's allegation that it misled customers of unlimited-data plans by slowing down service for heavy users.
	Fujifilm takes control of Fuji Xerox, ending joint venture Fujifilm said Tuesday it will make Fuji Xerox a wholly owned subsidiary, buying Xerox's stake in the firm and ending a 57-year-old partnership between the Japanese and US companies.
	German government extends incentives for electric car buyers The German government is supercharging subsidies for electric cars on the day the country's biggest automaker began production of a new all-electric vehicle.
	Native American Heritage Month: Google honors actor Will Rogers with new Doodle If you go to Google.com on Monday, you'll see an animated, multi-tasking cowboy with a grin on his face instead of the search giant's typical multicolored logo.
	Hungary says Huawei to help build its 5G wireless network Chinese tech company Huawei will take part in the construction of Hungary's next-generation 5G wireless network despite concerns among key allies like the U.S. about potential snooping by Beijing.
	Wireless charging—More power, smaller package Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers created and tested new wireless charging designs that may double the power density, resulting in a lighter weight system compared with existing technologies, while maintaining safety.
	Manufacturing—Built to last Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with Lincoln Electric and Dienamic Tooling Systems, demonstrated that an additively manufactured hot stamping die can withstand up to 25,000 usage cycles, proving that this technique is a viable solution for production.
The future of protest is high tech – just look at the Catalan independence movement People across the world are demonstrating their discontent in increasingly creative and disruptive ways.
	Twitter's ban on political ads does change the game in one way Twitter has announced that it is banning paid-for political adverts, just as the UK enters a general election, saying that the reach of political messages "should be earned, not bought".
	Boeing chairman says Muilenburg did 'everything right' after deadly crashes Boeing's new chairman on Tuesday gave a forceful vote of confidence in CEO Dennis Muilenburg amid calls in Congress for the embattled Boeing chief executive to resign after two deadly crashes.
	Air France must capitalise on home market: AF-KLM chief Air France has resolved difficult staff relations that led to debilitating strikes and must now reposition itself in the ultra-competitive airline industry to take advantage of its home turf, according to Ben Smith, the head of the Air France-KLM group.
	Cooperating may result in a better self-driving experience In a dynamic computer game in which the computer is also a decision maker, you may often find yourself competing with the game to reach your goal. Similarly in handling a "self-driving" car, an automobile equipped with automated driving technology, human drivers sometimes also need to fight the car for the steering wheel in order to keep the self-driving experience safe for self and others, and ultimately get to the desired destination. Until now, the majority of studies on this driving interaction have been largely based on non-cooperate game theory, in which the driver and the computer's decisions on how to steer the car do not match.
	Better teleoperations with a less complicated system Bilateral teleoperation systems are complicated robotic systems that allow people to perform tasks remotely or in hard to access environments. They can be used in various fields including entertainment systems, industrial machinery, drones, and even surgeries that are performed by doctors who are not in the same physical location as their patients. Making such systems less complicated while carrying out their tasks successfully is a key factor for improving the teleoperation performance and experience.
	Putin calls for Russian alternative to Wikipedia Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for the creation of a more "reliable" national version of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.
	Elon Musk back on Twitter after break Elon Musk, who garnered attention for quitting Twitter last week, is back on the social platform, with little explanation for the hiatus or the return.
	US telecom regulator approves T-Mobile/Sprint merger The US telecom regulator on Tuesday approved the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, moving the tie-up of the third- and fourth-largest US carriers closer to completion.

Medicine & Health news

	Learning is optimized when we fail 15% of the time To learn new things, we must sometimes fail. But what's the right amount of failure? New research led by the University of Arizona proposes a mathematical answer to that question.
	Any amount of running linked to significantly lower risk of death Any amount of running is linked to a significantly lower risk of death from any cause, finds a pooled analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
	New assessment could identify risks of frailty Signs of frailty, and the risks it brings, could be identified in young and old people alike through a new assessment developed in a study led by researchers at the University of Strathclyde.
	New 'bike helmet' style brain scanner used with children for first time A new wearable 'bike helmet' style brain scanner, that allows natural movement during scanning, has been used in a study with young children for the first time. This marks an important step towards improving our understanding of brain development in childhood.
	Uncontrolled asthma symptoms may start in the stomach Uncontrolled gastroesophageal reflux can push stomach contents into lungs, causing irritation and asthma-like symptoms.
	Study calculates links between prescription medications and risk for suicide A review of 922 prescription medications taken by almost 150 million people over an 11-year period shows that just 10 of these drugs were associated with an increased rate of suicide attempts. Forty-four drugs were linked to a decrease in suicide attempts, including many that carry a "black box" label from the Food and Drug Administration warning of their association with suicidal behavior.
	Zooming into cilia sheds light into blinding diseases A new study published today by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and UT Health's McGovern Medical School in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals an unprecedented close-up view of cilia linked to blindness. Cilia are short hair-like structures found on the surface of certain cells. They are particularly important in vision because they work as light sensors and defects in their structure can lead to retinal degeneration and loss of vision. Studying cilia structural alterations has previously been limited to the resolution capacity of traditional imaging technologies.
	Researchers find human brain can rewire itself after a traumatic bodily injury Fans of the blockbuster movie "Iron Man 3" might remember the characters step inside the digital projection of a "big brain" and watch as groups of neurons are "lit up" along the brain's neural "map" in response to physical touch. Now, much like that scene, researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a new insight into how the complex neural map of the human brain operates. Similar findings have been previously reported in animal studies, but this is one of the first studies where such a result has been documented in people.
	New transmission model for Ebola predicted Uganda cases A new risk assessment model for the transmission of Ebola accurately predicted its spread into the Republic of Uganda, according to the Kansas State University researchers who developed it.
	Mind-body therapies alleviate pain in people prescribed opioids A new study published Nov. 4, 2019, in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine details the first comprehensive look across the scientific literature at the role of mind-body therapies in addressing opioid-treated pain. The researchers found that certain mind-body therapies can reduce pain, as well as reduce opioid use, among patients treated with prescription opioids.
	Men over 40 with BRCA2 gene fault should get regular PSA screening, experts say Guidelines should change so that all men over the age of 40 with faults in the BRCA2 gene should be offered regular PSA testing to detect early signs of prostate cancer, experts are urging.
Blood test can help GPs spot ovarian cancer in women with suspicious symptoms Testing for levels of CA125 in the blood is a useful tool for gauging the likelihood of ovarian cancer and could help detect other types of cancer among patients in primary care, according to research presented at the 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference.
	Health care, mass shootings, 2020 election causing Americans significant stress A year before the 2020 presidential election, Americans report various issues in the news as significant sources of stress, including health care, mass shootings and the upcoming election, according to this year's Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association (APA). More than half of U.S. adults (56%) identify the 2020 presidential election as a significant stressor, an increase from the 52% of adults who reported the presidential election as a significant source of stress when asked in the months leading up to the 2016 contest.
ACP issues guidance for colorectal cancer screening Physicians should screen for colorectal cancer in average-risk adults who do not have symptoms between the ages of 50 and 75, the American College of Physicians (ACP) states in a new evidence-based guidance statement published today in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Identical twin kidney transplants warrant gene sequencing, researchers say Using U.S. transplant registry data, clinical researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that kidney transplants between identical twins have high success rates, but also high rates of immunosuppressant use.
Biliary complication rates similar for kids and adults after weight-loss surgery Adolescents and teens experience biliary side effects after weight-loss surgery at about the same rate as adults. However, in younger patients, the symptoms are more likely to manifest as pancreatic inflammation, or acute pancreatitis, according to a new study published in the November issue of the journal Obesity.
	A mother's warmth, sensitivity can mitigate obesity risk factors in infants: study The deleterious effects that obesity has on an individual's health and the difficulty of reversing it in adults are well-known, ranging from diabetes and heart disease to cancer. For these reasons, obesity prevention in babies and children in populations at high risk is increasingly seen as a critical way to address the obesity epidemic.
	High waist circumference associated with elevated risk of obesity-related dementia Waist circumference is a more accurate indicator of abdominal visceral fat level than body mass index (BMI) in the elderly, according to a report published in Obesity, the flagship journal of The Obesity Society. The study is the first large-scale cohort to examine the association of late-life waist circumference with the incidence of dementia in an older population.
	Study offers data-driven definition of unhealthy yet pervasive 'hyper-palatable' foods A popular U.S. brand of potato chips once promoted itself with the slogan, "betcha can't eat just one!"
	Daylight Saving Time saves no one Feeling a little out of it today? It's no surprise. You can thank Daylight Saving Time.
	Optimizing kidney donation and other markets without money When people die, they can become organ donors for a period of about 24 to 48 hours. But 20 percent of kidneys in the U.S. that could be transplanted in these situations are never used.
	Zanzibar tests drones spraying rice fields to fight malaria For the first time drones are being tested to help fight malaria on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania.
	Use of antibiotics in newborns varies widely among California hospitals, study finds Researchers at the School of Medicine and their collaborators found that some hospitals in the state rarely administer antibiotics to newborns, while others give antibiotics to nearly half of the newborns in their care.
	Cleveland Clinic develops calculator to estimate 10-year risk of diabetes complications Patients struggling with type 2 diabetes and obesity are faced with the decision of whether to receive usual medical care or undergo weight-loss surgery. Now, a new risk calculator developed by Cleveland Clinic researchers can show these patients their risks of developing major health complications over the next 10 years depending on which course of treatment they choose.
	Teen vapers prefer mint flavored e-cigarettes, study shows A new USC study shows that mint was the most popular flavor of e-cigarettes used by U.S. teens in 2019, a finding that could impact proposed federal regulations intended to rein in soaring e-cig use among youth.
	Wealth matters when it comes to obesity In a recently published study in the Obesity Society's peer-reviewed journal, Obesity, University of Alabama at Birmingham health disparities researchers have explored how understanding inequalities in wealth is important to addressing health disparities in health and obesity.
	Cervical pre-cancer can be detected in self-collected urine or vaginal sample Queen Mary University of London researchers have developed a non-invasive test to detect cervical pre-cancer by analyzing urine and vaginal samples women collect themselves.
	Writing and reading starts with children's hands-on play Perhaps evolution's most wondrous manifestation is visible in the unparalleled elegance and versatility in the design of the human hand. The miracle of the hand-brain connection, a development that probably began about three or four million years ago, lies at the existential core of what it means to be human —that is, to have developed as tool makers and language users.
	Running may help you live longer but more isn't necessarily better It's free, requires no equipment and the scenery can be stunning—it's no wonder running is among the world's most popular sports.
	Dog ownership could reduce loneliness A new University of Sydney trial lends weight to the expression 'man's best friend,' showing a sample of new dog owners saw a significant reduction in loneliness within three months of acquiring their pet.
	Almost 30 percent of Cambodians borrow money for healthcare A new UNSW study has found that unless healthcare is better funded for low socio-economic households in Cambodia, efforts to achieve universal health coverage will be futile.
	Study reveals possible solution to elevated cancer risk from important anti-infection drug For the last decade, medical experts have known that voriconazole, an effective antifungal medication used to prevent dangerous infections in patients with compromised immune systems, was linked to the development of particularly aggressive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in skin exposed to ultra violet (UV) rays. However, the mechanism of how voriconazole causes SCC was unclear. Now a team of Penn Medicine researchers led by John T. Seykora, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of Dermatology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, have now made a promising discovery, showing that voriconazole increases levels of oxidative stress in skin cells called keratinocytes, and that a common antioxidant, acetylcysteine, can mitigate voriconazole's cancer-inducing side-effect in keratinocytes. Their findings were published recently in Experimental Dermatology.
	Lack of awareness and treatment delays put people with wet macular degeneration at risk of avoidable sight loss Clare Bradley, Professor of Health Psychology and head of the Health Psychology Research Unit at Royal Holloway, has collaborated with other researchers in a new study that has found healthcare professionals and the general public still lack awareness of the most common form of sight loss in the UK.
	How to be fit in your 60s and beyond Ageing is inevitable and is influenced by many things—but keeping active can slow ageing and increase life expectancy. Evidence shows that ageing alone is not a cause of major problems until you are in your mid-90s. And strength, power and muscle mass can be increased, even at this advanced age.
	Get healthier with a mental reset (HealthDay)—Making the decision to live healthier often involves important steps such as losing weight and exercising more. These are significant goals and everyday lifestyle habits that you should commit to. But there's another type of "makeover" that can benefit you in equally important ways.
	Down syndrome carries raised risk of dementia by 55 (HealthDay)—Most people with Down syndrome have dementia by age 55, a new study shows.
	Teen vaping numbers climb, fueled by Juul and mint flavor New research show U.S. teens who use electronic cigarettes prefer those made by Juul Labs, and mint is the favorite flavor for many of them, suggesting a shift after the company stopped selling fruit and dessert flavors in stores.
	Thrombosis: Anticoagulant Rivaroxaban soon also available for children Medicines can have different effects in children than in adults, which is not just a question of the right dose. Yet, still only few pharmaceuticals have been specifically tested and approved for this patient group. For treatment of thrombosis, children currently receive Heparin and Vitamin K antagonists which are problematic and not approved for children. A recent international study investigate the anticoagulant Rivaroxaban approved for adults in children with acute venous thromboembolism. Comparing the efficacy and safety of Rivaroxaban to standard treatment children showed positive results. The study was headed by the pediatrician Christoph Male from the Department of Paediatrics at the MedUni Vienna. The study was published in the journal Lancet Haematology.
	Neuroscientists reveal link between cell 'dark matter' and chronic nerve pain A study, which has revealed the link between neuropathic pain and 'dark matter' in cells, could pave the way for new treatments for patients suffering with chronic nerve pain.
	Aiming to beat schizophrenia to the finish line "Mental illness is just as hereditary as height. Increased vulnerability is present as early as at birth," says Westlye, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and group leader at the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT).
	Novel technology allows more accurate measurement of brain activity Aalto University researchers are designing a brain-imaging device that uses a new type of sensor placed on the surface of a person's head. The new sensors employ quantum optics, allowing them to reduce the distance between the brain surface and the sensors to half of what current magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanners use.
	On the front lines of mental health care, emergency rooms are adapting Patients seeking mental health care, sitting in emergency rooms for hours as clinical staff conduct physical tests unrelated to their problem. Case managers making scores of phone calls just to find one spot in an in-patient program.
	Birth control options out of reach for many low-income women Young, low-income women in Canada are less likely to use more effective methods of birth control like the pill, and more likely to use no contraception or condoms only, according to new UBC research.
	CBD, THC use during early pregnancy can disrupt fetal development A new study published in Scientific Reports, a Nature Research journal, shows how a one-time exposure during early pregnancy to cannabinoids (CBs) - both synthetic and natural—can cause growth issues in a developing embryo. This is the first research to show such a connection in mammals.
	Scientists identify new puberty-promoting genes A team of neuroscientists led by Professor Christiana Ruhrberg (UCL, UK) and Professor Anna Cariboni (University of Milan, Italy) have found two molecules that work together to help set up the sense of smell and pave the way to puberty in mice. These findings, reported in the journal Development, may help our understanding of why patients with the inherited condition Kallmann syndrome cannot smell properly and cannot start puberty without hormone treatment.
	Behavioral therapy for insomnia shows benefit for children with autism and their parents Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and affects up to 80% of children with ASD. Several studies report a strong link between insomnia and the severity of ASD-related symptoms, including social impairment, communication difficulties and anxiety. Insomnia's impact on children with ASD can affect the entire family, causing sleep loss and additional stress for parents. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders have found cognitive behavioral therapy can improve child and parent sleep, child behavior and parent fatigue.
	Chromosomal aberrations created during in vitro fertilization do not endanger future babies The process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is often unsuccessful due to chromosomal changes that occur in an embryo fertilized in a test tube. So far, it was not known whether these changes also transfer to the baby, but an article published in Nature Medicine shows that these genetically mutated cell lines are not inherited by the child.
	Low-intensity warfarin not noninferior in hip, knee surgery (HealthDay)—Among older patients undergoing hip or knee replacement, low-intensity compared with standard-intensity warfarin prophylaxis did not meet the noninferiority criterion for the composite outcome of risk of venous thromboembolism or death, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
	Bariatric surgery in obese patients may lower cancer risk (HealthDay)—For patients with obesity, undergoing bariatric surgery is associated with a significantly reduced risk for cancer overall and a lower rate of breast malignancy among those with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society (ObesityWeek), held from Nov. 3 to 7 in Las Vegas.
	Heart disease down over A generation among American Indians Heart disease among American Indians in three regions has declined with each generation over the past 25 years and fewer men are dying from cardiovascular events in that span, according to new findings in the largest and longest-running study of the community.
	New resource for dementia and firearm safety to prevent injuries Today, faculty members at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus announced the Safety in Dementia website, the first comprehensive online resource to help caregivers navigate issues related to firearm access and dementia. Before now, there's been a lack of public resources available on steps to take when someone has dementia and firearms are in the home.
	'Hey, what is this?': Social media, not docs, increasingly diagnosing STDs (HealthDay)—The HIV test came back positive and the patient, full of fear and denial, took to the STD forum on the popular social media site Reddit.
	First trial in US to use deep brain stimulation to fight opioid addiction The West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and WVU Medicine, today (Nov. 5) announced the launch of a first-in-the-U.S. clinical trial using deep brain stimulation for patients suffering from treatment-resistant opioid use disorder.
	Cancer metastasis: Tumor plasticity counts Cancer metastasis, which is the propagation of tumor cells into distant organs, is the leading cause of cancer patient mortality. To undergo metastasis, cells must leave the primary tumor, invade the microenvironment, circulate into the blood or lymphatic circulation, reach distant organs, and establish a secondary tumor. The precise cellular and molecular events responsible for the different steps of the metastatic cascade are still incompletely understood.
	Potential drug targets for glioblastoma identified Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified 10 tumour-specific potential drug targets for the brain tumour glioblastoma. The results are presented in the scientific journal Cell Reports.
	Physical activity may protect against new episodes of depression Increased levels of physical activity can significantly reduce the odds of depression, even among people who are genetically predisposed to the condition, according to a new study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). In a paper published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, the team reported that individuals who engaged in at least several hours of exercise each week were less likely to be diagnosed with a new episode of depression, even in the face of high genetic risk for the disorder.
	Blood cancers: New generation stem cell transplant significantly reduces complications for patients The discovery of the UM171 molecule, by Dr. Guy Sauvageau and Anne Marinier, made headlines in 2014 following an article in Science. Hailed by some as a revolution, even a miracle, in the field of blood stem cell transplantation, the UM171 molecule is delivering on its promise.
	Childhood chores not related to self-control development Although assigning household chores is considered an essential component of child-rearing, it turns out they might not help improve children's self-control, a coveted personality trait that allows people to suppress inappropriate impulses, focus their attention and perform an action when there is strong tendency to avoid it. That's the finding of a new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality by University of Houston assistant professor of psychology, Rodica Damian in collaboration with Olivia Atherton, Katherine Lawson and Richard Robins from the University of California, Davis.
	Q&A: Cigarettes vs. e-cigarettes is the 'wrong comparison,' inhalation researcher says Ilona Jaspers initially approached the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses with a clinical curiosity.
	To monitor cancer therapy, researchers tag CAR T cells with imaging markers With CAR T cell therapy, a patient's own immune cells are genetically modified and inserted back into the body to find and kill cancer. This form of immunotherapy has already revolutionized some cancer treatments, but once the CAR T cells are inside a patient, where do they go? How do doctors know that they have successfully reached their target and that they are continuing to fight disease weeks, months, or even years later?
	ER focus on immediate medical issues can miss the bigger picture Frequent visitors to emergency departments often have complex social needs, such as homelessness, substance abuse, unemployment and mental illness, yet both medical providers and policy makers tend to focus on their immediate or recent medical issues without examining such other factors.
	Planning to avoid temptations helps in goal pursuit People who make plans to avoid or handle temptations may be more likely to achieve goals, such as academic and weight loss goals, according to new research by University of Wyoming psychologists.
	School-based telehealth program reduces ED visits by pediatric asthma patients Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report in JAMA Pediatrics an association between a school-based telehealth program and reduced emergency department visits for children with asthma living in a rural and underserved region of South Carolina.
	Cannabis could help alleviate depression and suicidality among people with PTSD Cannabis may be helping Canadians cope with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.
	Marker reveals if benign-appearing meningiomas are perilous A modified protein in benign-appearing meningiomas can reveal which are truly benign and which are more dangerous and require more aggressive treatment, researchers have discovered.
	Changes in California vaccine exemption laws projected to have limited effect on increasing childhood vaccination rates A study found that laws developed in California to decrease the number of children who are exempt from receiving vaccines may have little effect. This is because parents motivated by a hesitancy to vaccinate continue to find alternate pathways around the laws. Findings from the brief research report are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Garbage crisis brings cholera to Yemen's historic Taez Mounds of stinking garbage line the streets of Yemen's historic city of Taez, once renowned as one of the most beautiful places in the country, but now torn apart by war.
Cancer risk drops in half with over 20% weight loss after bariatric surgery Patients with severe obesity who had bariatric or weight-loss surgery and lost more than 20% of their total weight were 50% less likely to develop cancer compared to patients who did not have as much weight loss after surgery, according to a new study presented today by Oregon Health & Science University researchers at the 36th American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek 2019.
New study challenges decades-old patient eligibility criteria for weight-loss surgery Weight-loss surgery has long been shown to improve or resolve diabetes, reduce heart attacks and stroke and produce significant weight loss, but the operation has generally been restricted by health insurers to people with severe obesity, which means about 75 to 100 pounds overweight or a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher. Now a new study finds these same health benefits can be achieved by patients who are 50 to 70 pounds overweight and that these patients are even more likely to reach a healthy weight, have a higher quality of life and improve or resolve their type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic surgery cuts likelihood of recurrent and fatal heart attacks Metabolic surgery patients with a history of coronary artery disease were about two times less likely to have a recurrent and fatal heart attack or develop systolic heart failure compared to closely matched patients who did not have the surgery, according to a new study from Cleveland Clinic Florida researchers who presented their findings today at the 36th American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek 2019.
	Weight-loss surgery may counter genetic risk for developing breast cancer Women with a genetic predisposition for breast cancer were 2.5 times more likely to develop a malignancy than women with the same genetic risk who underwent bariatric or weight-loss surgery, according to a new study presented today by Cleveland Clinic Florida researchers at the 36th American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek 2019.
Web-based calculator predicts risk of death, complications from diabetes and obesity A new web-based risk calculator can accurately predict the likelihood a patient with type 2 diabetes and obesity will die or develop serious complications including a heart attack, heart failure and diabetic kidney disease (nephropathy) within the next 10 years depending on whether they have metabolic (bariatric) surgery or continue with standard medical treatment, according to a new study presented today by Cleveland Clinic researchers at the 36th American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek 2019.
	Lifetime effects of poverty take toll in older age Childhood disadvantage is directly related to levels of physical, mental and social health in older age, according to new research from Massey University.
	Poo transplants beat antibiotics for treating C. diff superbug Treating recurrent Clostridioides difficile (CDI) with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) increased survival by nearly 30 percent, cut length of hospital stay in half, and reduced the risk of sepsis by nearly four times compared to treating with antibiotics. Findings from a prospective cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Five reasons it can be hard to talk to your doctor—and four ways to do it better If you've ever left your doctor's office with unanswered questions that you felt too rushed or embarrassed to ask, you're not alone, according to University of Alberta endocrinologist Rose Yeung.
	Videogames improve quality of life during dialysis Physical Therapy professor of the CEU UCH Eva Segura and Nephrology doctor at Manises hospital Alicia García Testal, have been the only Spaniards invited to publish their conclusions in a paper titled "Intradialytic virtual reality exercise: Increasing physical activity through technology," at Seminars in Dialysis, organized by the scientific Wiley online library.
	Regenerative medicine technology targets cause of low back pain Most adults have experienced low back pain, at least temporarily. But for some, the pain is constant and debilitating.
	How to make a lighter layer cake Want to have your cake and eat nutritiously, too? You can do both if you lighten up your baking.
	Substance use, misuse and dependence: A PLOS Medicine special issue This week sees publication of the first research papers that will form part of PLOS Medicine's latest Special Issue, which is devoted to understanding the substantial challenges caused by substance use and misuse and seeking to inform responses in the health sector and beyond. Content for the special issue has been selected along with guest editors Margarita Alegria, Steffanie Strathdee and Alexander Tsai.
	Studies use biologic augmentation in ACL reconstruction surgery Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine is initiating a new clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using biologic augmentation during anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, reconstruction surgery.
	Risk factors of MA in patients treated with therapeutic hyperthermia after cardiac arrest Researchers showed that 20-50% of patients developed an irregular heartbeat that required defibrillation during the active cooling phase of therapeutic hypothermia following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Only patients with cardiogenic shock developed malignant arrhythmias (MA), and the use of epinephrine in the context of intense cooling may increase the incidence of MA in patients with shock after cardiac arrest, as reported in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management.
	US health officials link childhood trauma to adult illness U.S. health officials estimate that millions of cases of heart disease and other illnesses are linked to abuse and other physical and psychological harm suffered early in life.

Biology news

	An easier way of sneaking antibodies into cells For almost any conceivable protein, corresponding antibodies can be developed to block it from binding or changing shape, which ultimately prevents it from carrying out its normal function. As such, scientists have looked to antibodies as a way of shutting down proteins inside cells for decades, but there is still no consistent way to get them past the cell membrane in meaningful numbers.
	New research tool for studying mitochondrial disorders and aging Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a new research tool for studying how mitochondrial protein synthesis is affected by disease, pharmaceuticals, aging and different physiological situations such as exercise and diet. The study is presented in the scientific journal Cell Reports.
	Jaw–some wombats may be great survivors Flexible jaws may help wombats better survive in a changing world by adapting to climate change's effect on vegetation and new diets in conservation sanctuaries.
	'Big data' for life sciences—A human protein co-regulation map reveals new insights into protein functions Proteins are key molecules in living cells. They are responsible for nearly every task of cellular life and are essential for the maintenance of the structure, function, and regulation of tissues and organs in the human body.
	Measuring cell-cell forces using snapshots from time-lapse videos of cells Researchers at the University of California San Diego and the Allen Institute of Cell Science have developed a new computational method that can measure the forces cells exert on each other by analyzing time-lapse videos of cell colonies. The method could enable researchers to gain fundamental insights into what role intercellular forces play in cellular biology and how they differ in healthy and diseased states.
	E. coli gain edge by changing their diets in inflammatory bowel disease What if you had to plan your outings based on how your stomach felt that day or where the nearest restroom is located? For many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), their guts have an inordinate effect on their daily quality of life.
	Wild animals evolving to give birth earlier in warming climate Red deer on a Scottish island are providing scientists with some of the first evidence that wild animals are evolving to give birth earlier in the year as the climate warms.
	Researchers discover novel process microbes use to harvest electrons Ever since scientists discovered that certain microbes can get their energy from electrical charges, researchers have wondered how they do it.
	Feast or famine: Scientists find key bio 'switch' that helps cells adapt Scientists from the UNC School of Medicine and Stanford University have uncovered what may be a fundamental biological mechanism that helps organisms adapt to rapid changes to nutrients in their environments.
	Helpful insects and landscape changes We might not notice them, but the crops farmers grow are protected by scores of tiny invertebrate bodyguards. Naturally occurring arthropods like spiders and lady beetles patrol crop fields looking for insects to eat. These natural enemies keep pests under control, making it easier to grow the crops we depend on.
	The simple physics behind algal movement towards light A new study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) describes how certain algae collectively sense and respond to light, a phenomenon called phototaxis.
	What 3,000-year-old Egyptian wheat tells us about the genetics of our daily bread Human societies need food—and that often means wheat, which was first cultivated more than 12,000 years ago. Today, around one in five calories consumed by humans is from wheat. Over this time, humans have moved wheat species around the globe and transformed them through cultivation and breeding.
	Warmer, wetter climate benefits some birds as wetlands vanish The grasslands of the Canadian Prairies are a hidden gem for bird watchers, with millions of migratory birds passing through the area each year. But they are also one of the most transformed landscapes in the world, vanishing more quickly than the Amazon rainforest, as they are swallowed up for other uses, such as agriculture and industry.
	Extinction of lowland tapir and white-lipped peccary would impair forest diversity According to a team of researchers affiliated with São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Rio Claro, Brazil, the extinction of South America's two largest herbivores—the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) and the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) - would cause a significant decrease in forest diversity throughout the continent.
	The evolution of genetic engineering Charles Gersbach, the Rooney Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, leads a lab that is centered on developing and applying genome engineering tools––most notably CRISPR-based technology. CRISPR-Cas is a bacterial defense system that allows bacteria to use RNA molecules and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins to target and destroy the DNA of invading viruses. The discovery of this technique sparked a genome editing revolution as researchers explored how the tool could be used to specifically target and edit DNA in human cells. In the years since its discovery, Gersbach and his lab have used this technology to study genetic diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, precisely control gene expression and even develop tools that can make CRISPR more accurate.
	Millions of monarch butterflies killed on Texas highways Monarch butterflies are moving south through Texas on their annual autumn migration to overwintering sites in Central Mexico, but millions die in collisions with vehicles while flying low across Texas highways. Monarch numbers have declined about 82% over the last 23 years, and road mortality can significantly contribute to their dwindling numbers.
	Swordfish as oceanographers: Satellite tags facilitate research of ocean's 'twilight zone' off Florida Researchers from the University of Washington are using high-tech tags to record the movements of swordfish—big, deep-water, migratory, open-ocean fish that are poorly studied—and get a window into the ocean depths they inhabit.
	Research finds a new generation insecticide reduces bumblebee egg laying Sulfoxaflor is a systemic insecticide that has been licenced for use in 81 countries around the world, including within Europe and North America. Concerns about sulfoxaflor's impacts on bumblebees were initially raised in 2018, when researchers from Royal Holloway showed that exposure to this insecticide reduces reproductive success in bee colonies.
	Caribbean seagrass is awash with infected lobsters – but the habitat could be saving the species The Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus is under threat from a deadly virus. Panulirus argus 1 (PaV1) is found throughout the Caribbean, infecting up to 30% of lobsters in some areas.
	Achilles heel of tumor cells: Inhibiting the mutated genes that keep cancer cells alive In almost all cases of colon cancer, a specific gene is mutated—this offers opportunities to develop broadly effective therapeutic approaches. Research teams in Würzburg have taken this a step further.
	Infectious cancer in mussels spread across the Atlantic An infectious cancer that originated in one species of mussel growing in the Northern Hemisphere has spread to related mussels in South America and Europe, says a new study published today in eLife.
	Research indicates abundance of microbe diversity key to healthy coastal ecosystem For millions of years, symbiotic bacteria have lived inside the gill cells of Lucinidae clams found in seagrass meadows located mainly along tropical coasts, such as the Florida Keys. These bacteria play a crucial role in the clam's survival while also contributing to the overall health of the seagrass in which the clams live.
	Scientist sheds light on complexity of biodiversity loss Two-thirds of America's bird species are threatened with extinction, according to the National Audubon Society. Many other studies show similar declines in mammals, insect and fish species across the globe.
	Calcium added to acidified prepartum diets for dairy cows benefits future reproduction Achieving an appropriate calcium balance in dairy cows is critical near calving, but not only to ensure a healthy transition to lactation. According to a new study from the University of Illinois, calcium added to acidified prepartum diets can improve a whole suite of postpartum outcomes, including lower rates of uterine infection and quicker return to ovulation.
	Microbial meltdown A team of scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Georgia Institute of Technology found that critical interactions between microbes and peat moss break down under warming temperatures, impacting moss health and ultimately carbon stored in soil.
	Storm waves along Outer Banks reveal large seashells long buried in dark marsh mud Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks is seeing large seashells tumbling ashore, due to strong seasonal wave action off the North Carolina coast.
	Bats live mostly out of sight and out of mind. But their falling numbers are a reason to look up and worry It's the time of year when ghouls and goblins, mummies and monsters are out in force. But unlike many Halloween creatures, bats live in more than the imagination, making their homes in caves and hollowed-out trees in Illinois and the urban parks of Chicago.
	Scientists studied the reasons for plant extinction in different world regions Species have been going extinct on our planet since life began on it. However, the rate of extinction considerably increased with the rise of human populations. Humans affect the biosphere and cause significant alterations to it. These changes destroy habitats, cause biological invasions into ecosystems, and accelerate the extinction of many species. These processes may differ depending on the region and might affect the plant diversity. In this study a team of researchers from Tyumen State University and their foreign colleagues investigated such differences in world biodiversity hotspots (predominantly regions with Mediterranean-type climate) and coldspots (predominantly Eurasian countries).

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