Science X Newsletter Friday, Dec 13

Dear Reader ,

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

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Best of Last Year: The top MedicalXpress articles of 2019

An IKEA furniture assembly environment to train robots on complex manipulation tasks

Astronomers discover two new galaxy protoclusters

Researchers realize 'ideal' kagome metal electronic structure

Scientists 'tune in' to proton spin precession

Research reveals how muscles talk to the brain to regulate feeding behavior

Research shows how Plundervolt could mess with Intel CPUs

A self-cleaning surface that repels even the deadliest superbugs

Image: The galactic dance of NGC 5394 and NGC 5395

Mars Express tracks the phases of Phobos

Differences between deep neural networks and human perception

Why your best idea may be your second favorite

Sustainable sand pulls pollutants from stormwater

Unearthing the mystery of the meaning of Easter Island's Moai

NASA's Juno navigators enable Jupiter cyclone discovery

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers discover two new galaxy protoclusters Using Keck Observatory in Hawaii, astronomers have detected two new protoclusters of galaxies embedded in primordial superclusters. The research paper presenting the discovery and providing basic information about the newfound objects was published December 3 on the arXiv pre-print repository.
	Image: The galactic dance of NGC 5394 and NGC 5395 "Everything is determined by forces over which we have no control... Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper," Albert Einstein wrote.
	Mars Express tracks the phases of Phobos ESA's Mars Express has captured detailed views of the small, scarred and irregularly shaped moon Phobos from different angles during a unique flyby.
	NASA's Juno navigators enable Jupiter cyclone discovery Jupiter's south pole has a new cyclone. The discovery of the massive Jovian tempest occurred on Nov. 3, 2019, during the most recent data-gathering flyby of Jupiter by NASA's Juno spacecraft. It was the 22nd flyby during which the solar-powered spacecraft collected science data on the gas giant, soaring only 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) above its cloud tops. The flyby also marked a victory for the mission team, whose innovative measures kept the solar-powered spacecraft clear of what could have been a mission-ending eclipse.
	Researchers participate in study that adds new detail to merger models Scientists are getting better at modeling the complex tangle of physics properties at play in one of the most powerful events in the known universe: the merger of two neutron stars.
	Researchers estimate the mass of the Milky Way to be 890 billion times that of our sun An international team of researchers has used sophisticated models to calculate the mass of the Milky Way. They have written a paper describing their efforts and results, and have posted it on the arXiv preprint server.
	Newfound Martian aurora actually the most common; sheds light on Mars' changing climate A type of Martian aurora first identified by NASA's MAVEN spacecraft in 2016 is actually the most common form of aurora occurring on the Red Planet, according to new results from the mission. The aurora is known as a proton aurora and can help scientists track water loss from Mars' atmosphere.
	Searching explanations for mysterious structures in protoplanetary disks In the discs of dust and gasses around young stars, mysterious structures occur. Together with professor Ewine van Dishoeck, Ph.D. student Paolo Cazzoletti investigate how we can explain these forms, such as rings, spirals and holes. On 12 December, he will defend his thesis.
	An upcoming ESA mission is going to remove one piece of space junk from orbit While working at the NASA Johnson Space Center during the 1970s, astrophysicist Donald Kessler predicted that collisions of space debris would become increasingly common as the density of space debris increases in orbit around the Earth, creating a cascading effect. Since 2005, the amount of debris in orbit has followed an exponential growth curve, confirming Kessler's prediction.
	X marks the spot: NASA selects site for asteroid sample collection After a year scoping out asteroid Bennu's boulder-scattered surface, the team leading NASA's first asteroid sample return mission has officially selected a sample collection site.
	Image: Hubble views galaxy's dazzling display NGC 3175 is located around 50 million light-years away in the constellation of Antlia (the Air Pump). The galaxy can be seen slicing across the frame in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, with its mix of bright patches of glowing gas, dark lanes of dust, bright core, and whirling, pinwheeling arms coming together to paint a beautiful celestial scene.
	Breathable atmospheres may be more common in the universe than we first thought The existence of habitable alien worlds has been a mainstay of popular culture for more than a century. In the 19th century, astronomers believed that Martians might be using canal-based transport links to traverse the red planet. Now, despite living in an age when scientists can study planets light years from our own solar system, most new research continues to diminish the chances of finding other worlds on which humans could live. The biggest stumbling block may be oxygen—human settlers would need a high oxygen atmosphere in which to breathe.
	RIT and IAR observe pulsars for the first time from South America Rochester Institute of Technology and the Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía (IAR) have collaborated to make the first pulsar observations from South America.
	Video: ESA's short film, 'The Burn' ESA's short film, The Burn, takes us into the heart of Europe's mission control during a critical moment in the life of a future mission.
	Calling radio amateurs: Help find OPS-SAT! Calling all radio amateurs! ESA is challenging anyone with amateur radio equipment to catch the first signals from OPS-SAT, ESA's brand new space software laboratory.
	Video: OPS-SAT, the flying laboratory On 17 December, ESA will launch a first-of-its-kind space laboratory, OPS-SAT. The small, low-cost test satellite has been specifically designed for operational experiments in space, and includes the most powerful flight computer on board any current ESA spacecraft.

Technology news

	An IKEA furniture assembly environment to train robots on complex manipulation tasks In order to complete complex everyday tasks such as using equipment, cooking or building furniture, robots should be able to plan their actions and manipulate objects in their surroundings. So far, however, teaching robots to complete complicated tasks, such as those that require planning over a considerable period of time, has proved to be rather challenging, also due to a lack of reliable simulated environments to test them in.
	Research shows how Plundervolt could mess with Intel CPUs Undervolting can bring trouble Intel would not care to endure at all. Fortunately, the latest research warning signals have won Intel's attention and they are addressing the situation.
	Differences between deep neural networks and human perception When your mother calls your name, you know it's her voice—no matter the volume, even over a poor cell phone connection. And when you see her face, you know it's hers—if she is far away, if the lighting is poor, or if you are on a bad FaceTime call. This robustness to variation is a hallmark of human perception. On the other hand, we are susceptible to illusions: We might fail to distinguish between sounds or images that are, in fact, different. Scientists have explained many of these illusions, but we lack a full understanding of the invariances in our auditory and visual systems.
	AI puts final notes on Beethoven's Tenth Symphony A few notes scribbled in his notebook are all that German composer Ludwig van Beethoven left of his Tenth Symphony before his death in 1827.
	Hey, Google, be my Spanish translator In January, Google announced a cool new feature that turns the Google Assistant into a two-way language interpreter, but it only worked visually on smart displays, which generally aren't used in the real world, when people are traveling.
	Microsoft unveils Xbox Series X as console war heats up Microsoft has unveiled a name and look for its new gaming console, the Xbox Series X, promising a still-more immersive experience as it fends off threats from streaming and rival Sony.
	Neural network for elderly care could save millions If healthcare providers could accurately predict how their services would be used, they could save large sums of money by not having to allocate funds unnecessarily. Deep learning artificial intelligence models can be good at predicting the future given previous behavior, and researchers based in Finland have developed one that can predict when and why elderly people will use healthcare services.
	Family says Ring camera in 8-year-old daughter's room accessed by hacker A family in Mississippi claims a hacker gained access to a Ring camera placed in their 8-year-old daughter's room and started talking to her, say local reports.
	Using virtual reality, US Army researchers in Orlando seek to train soldiers on IED detection As UCF research associate Shane Reynolds guides his avatar over a virtual minefield using his iPad, small beeps and whistles reveal the location of the scourge of the modern war zone: Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs.
	A self-driving truck delivered butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days A Silicon Valley startup has completed what appears to be the first commercial freight cross-country trip by an autonomous truck, which finished a 2,800-mile-run from Tulare, California to Quakertown, Pennsylvania for Land O'Lakes in under three days. The trip was smooth like butter, 40,000 pounds of it.
	Facebook worker payroll data stolen from car Facebook on Friday alerted employees that hard drives rich with information about those on the social network's payroll were stolen from a car last month.
	Boeing acknowledges 737 MAX won't fly until 2020 Chastised by the top US aviation regulator, Boeing on Thursday at last acknowledged that its 727 MAX aircraft will not return to the skies until next year.
	Germany's Delivery Hero gobbles up S.Korean food app Woowa German takeaway giant Delivery Hero on Friday said it had agreed to buy South Korea's largest food delivery app Woowa in a 3.6 billion euro ($4 billion) deal aimed at beefing up its presence in Asia.
	Finding ground truth in social media Is it possible to extract "journalistic" as opposed to "general" commentary from social media? Writing in the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing, a team from Portugal describes an approach to human and automatic extraction of updates and reports one might describe as coming from citizen journalists. Their algorithm is trained on automatically annotated and human-annotated data sets and shows that the wholly automated approach homes in on "ground truth" data much more efficiently and effectively than when the data has had the human touch.
	Norway's Telenor drops Huawei for Ericsson in 5G contract Norway's biggest wireless carrier, Telenor, on Friday chose Sweden's Ericsson to supply part of its new 5G network, ending its cooperation with Chinese tech giant Huawei after a decade.
	2020's 'Dark Alliance' video game features iconic Dungeons & Dragons characters, location Dungeons and Dragons has never been more popular.
	IQ test for artificial intelligence systems Washington State University researchers are creating the first-ever "IQ test" for artificial intelligence (AI) systems that would score systems on how well they learn and adapt to new, unknown environments.
Suspected cyberattack hobbles New Orleans city government A suspected cyberattack prompted a shutdown of city government computers in New Orleans on Friday.

Medicine & Health news

	Best of Last Year: The top MedicalXpress articles of 2019 It was another good year for medical innovation as a trio of researchers won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on how cells adapt to oxygen. Americans William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza, and Britain Peter Ratcliffe split the 9 million Swedish kronor they won for their study of the function of the EPO gene and its involvement in a low-oxygen-sensing mechanism, opening up new strategies to fight such diseases as cancer and anemia.
	Research reveals how muscles talk to the brain to regulate feeding behavior The brain determines when it is time to feed—but how does it know? Findings from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provide new understanding of how the brain orchestrates this process. Skeletal muscle, like other tissues, communicates with the brain to convey information about nutritional status. The researchers showed that manipulating this mechanism influences food seeking and feeding in fruit flies. This work was published online today in Genes & Development.
	Why your best idea may be your second favorite Michelangelo reportedly said the job of every sculptor is to discover the statue inside the stone, then work around it. Liberate the form.
	Deepening our understanding of selfish behavior Is a selfish person just processing the decisions that result in rewards to others differently? Perhaps, suggests a recent RIKEN study. A RIKEN team, led by Hiroyuki Nakahara of the Laboratory for Integrated Theoretical Neuroscience at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science, discovered this when they examined 36 healthy volunteers aged between 20 and 32 years. Their aim was to find out which parts of the brain are activated when considering giving rewards to others.
	By fighting the direction of the blood flow, white blood cells forge a faster route to battle infections When the immune system detects a foreign pathogen, a cascade of chemical signals call white blood cells to the scene. Neutrophils are the most common and abundant type of these cells and while they start accumulating at the site of an infection within minutes, they are essentially at the mercy of the circulatory system's one-way flow of traffic to get them where they need to go.
	Phase 1 clinical trials for psilocybin show no adverse effects A team of researchers from King's College London and mental healthcare company Compass Pathways has released the results of a Phase 1 clinical trial for the drug psilocybin. In addition to announcing the results at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, team members also spoke with the press. They reported that thus far, they have found no adverse effects in volunteers who were given the drug.
	Breakthrough in Zika virus vaccine Researchers from the University of Adelaide have made significant advances in developing a novel vaccine against Zika virus, which could potentially lead to global elimination of the disease.
	Alzheimer's memory discovery reveals function of brain area affected at onset Scientists at the Universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh have discovered the functions of the area of the brain in which Alzheimer's begins, offering hope for the development of future treatments.
	Researchers reconstruct spoken words as processed in nonhuman primate brains A team of Brown University researchers has used a brain-computer interface to reconstruct English words from neural signals recorded in the brains of nonhuman primates. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications Biology, could be a step toward developing brain implants that may help people with hearing loss, the researchers say.
	Study probing visual memory, amblyopia unveils many-layered mystery In decades of studying how neural circuits in the brain's visual cortex adapt to experience, MIT Professor Mark Bear's lab has followed the science wherever it has led, yielding the discovery of cellular mechanisms serving visual recognition memory, in which the brain learns what sights are familiar so it can focus on what's new, and of a potential therapy for amblyopia, a disorder where children born with disrupted vision in one eye can lose visual acuity there permanently without intervention. But this time his lab's latest investigation has yielded surprising new layers of mystery.
	Tracking titin in real time Using new high-resolution imaging techniques, MDC researchers and colleagues have tracked titin, the body's largest protein, in real time throughout its entire lifecycle. The method and results could provide new insight into muscle development as well as treating damaged muscles and heart disease.
	New methods could help researchers watch neurons compute Since the 1950s at least, researchers have speculated that the brain is a kind of computer in which neurons make up complex circuits that perform untold numbers of calculations every second. Decades later, neuroscientists know that these brain circuits exist, yet technical limitations have kept most details of their computations out of reach.
	New assay assesses multiple cellular pathways at once A novel technological approach developed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine expands from two to six the number of molecular pathways that can be studied simultaneously in a cell sample with the dual luciferase assay, a type of testing method commonly used across biomedical fields.
	Saliva test shows promise for earlier and easier detection of mouth and throat cancer Unfortunately, cancers that occur in the back of the mouth and upper throat are often not diagnosed until they become advanced, partly because their location makes them difficult to see during routine clinical exams. A report in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes the use of acoustofluidics, a new non-invasive method that analyzes saliva for the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV)-16, the pathogenic strain associated with oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs). This novel technique detected OPC in whole saliva in 40 percent of patients tested and 80 percent of confirmed OPC patients.
	Study highlights high cost of fossil fuel pollution on children's health A new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is the first to compile the estimated per-case costs of six childhood health conditions linked to air pollution—estimates that can be incorporated into benefits assessments of air pollution regulations and climate change mitigation policies. Results appear in the journal Environmental Research.
	Breast cancer patients to be evaluated for genetic testing According to a statement on behalf of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) published Dec. 13 in the organization's official journal, Genetics in Medicine, there is insufficient evidence to recommend universal genetic testing for BRCA1/2 alone or in combination with multi-gene panels for all breast cancer patients.
Comprehensive background check policies effective in Oregon but not in Washington Stronger comprehensive background check (CBC) policies enacted 2014 in Washington and 2015 in Oregon require private gun sellers to conduct background checks before selling firearms.
	Study shows novel protein plays role in bacterial vaginosis Women with bacterial vaginosis exhibit elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory protein, IL-36y, according to a new collaborative study led by the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix.
	Tramadol is an odd, unpredictable opioid, scientists say Scientists who've studied the curious chemistry of the opioid tramadol use an array of adjectives to describe it: "unpredictable," "messy," "crazy."
	Drop that donut! Mexico pays portly cops to slim down It's a sunny morning in Mexico City, and police officers drip with sweat as they do push-ups and squats, part of a program for overweight cops in one of the world's most obese countries.
	Emergency department study reveals patterns of patients at increased risk for suicide A new study found that people who presented to California emergency departments with deliberate self-harm had a suicide rate in the year after their visit 56.8 times higher than those of demographically similar Californians. People who presented with suicidal ideation had suicide rates 31.4 times higher than those of demographically similar Californians in the year after discharge. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, reinforce the importance of universal screening for suicide risk in emergency departments and the need for follow-up care. The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Excessive antibiotic prescriptions for children in low-, middle-income countries Children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are receiving an average of 25 antibiotic prescriptions during their first five years of life, an excessive amount that could harm the children's ability to fight pathogens as well as increase antibiotic resistance worldwide, according to a new study from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Baby boys born small for gestational age have increased risk of infertility in adulthood Baby boys who are born small for their gestational age are at increased risk of having fertility problems in adulthood, according to research published today in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.
	Bolstered mother-child bonds at heart of research Known as 'the thief that steals motherhood," postpartum depression (PPD) not only obstructs a mother's capacity for understanding and enjoying her baby, but puts children at risk for behavioral and cognitive problems.
	Blood test can quickly match advanced breast cancer patients to targeted treatments A blood test can help identify rare mutations in advanced breast cancer, which may enable patients to access effective treatments more quickly in the future, Cancer Research UK scientists have found.
	Promising findings for treating damaged heart valves Aortic valve calcification is a challenging condition for the health service and for the patients concerned. The only treatment currently available is surgery. Mariia Boganova recently defended her thesis which addresses the options available for future pharmacological treatment.
New treatment for viral arthritis reveals impressive results in Phase 2 human clinical trial Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics and Melbourne-based company Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: PAR) have reported impressive results from their Phase 2A clinical trials of a new drug candidate to treat viral arthritis (joint pain/stiffness) caused by mosquito-borne alphavirus infections, including the debilitating Ross River virus (RRV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
Identifying specific markers in blood may improve diagnosis of IBD in children New research may lead to improved methods to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. This could be especially beneficial for those experiencing malnutrition and impaired growth as a result of this condition, since it could shorten their wait time to access needed treatments.
	Hydration myths may be putting older people's health at risk Myths about healthy water drinking may be putting older people's health at risk by discouraging them from drinking enough fluid to stay healthy, according to a new UCL-led study.
Research calls for new measures to treat mental illness and opioid use Opioid use among psychiatric hospital patients needs to be addressed through an integrated approach to managing mental illness, pain and substance use, a study by researchers at the University of Waterloo has found.
Research shows how providers in Catholic health systems use workarounds to provide contraception Secular and Protestant hospital providers report fewer limitations on contraceptive care versus providers working in Catholic systems, according to recent research from the University of Chicago.
	Getting enough sleep may help brain store, recall memories A review of more than 130 studies explains how sleep helps people learn new information and plays an important role in storing learned content for future use. The review is published in the January 2020 issue of Physiology.
	DNA tests make fun holiday gifts, but beware of the hype You've likely heard about direct-to-consumer DNA testing kits. In the past few years, at-home genetic testing has been featured in the lyrics of chart-topping songs, and has helped police solve decades-old cold cases, including identifying the Golden State Killer in California.
	Team learns how to predict triple negative breast cancer recurrence Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have discovered how to predict whether triple negative breast cancer will recur, and which women are likely to remain disease-free. They will present their findings on December 13, 2019, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the most influential gathering of breast cancer researchers and physicians in the world.
	Residual cancer burden after neoadjuvant therapy can accurately predict breast cancer survival Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today reported results from a pooled analysis of more than 5,100 breast cancer patients that found residual cancer burden (RCB) continuous index and classification were independently and strongly prognostic for all breast cancer phenotypes.
	Cost saving-related Rx nonadherence found for 7 percent with HIV Seven percent of persons with HIV infection report cost saving-related nonadherence to prescription medication, according to research published in the Dec. 13 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	1999 to 2017 saw drop in IBD hospitalization rate for whites From 1999 to 2017, the hospitalization rate for Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis decreased among non-Hispanic white Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years, but not among non-Hispanic blacks, according to research published in the Dec. 13 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
	Is it OK for young kids to watch YouTube? Kids love YouTube. According to one study, more than half of American children between eight and twelve years old say they watch YouTube and other online videos every day, despite the fact that YouTube's terms of service say the online platform is designed for people ages thirteen and up.
	Keeping health care workers safe from chemotherapy drugs Chemotherapy drugs have been used to treat cancer since the 1950s. While the drugs are often lifesaving for cancer patients, they are also linked to reproductive problems, breast cancer and other health issues in the medical staff who work with the medications. To help protect health care workers, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health conducted a survey to track how chemotherapy drugs are handled in hospitals and identify work surfaces that could be contaminated by them.
	Experts raise the alert on vaping products A November report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared some alarming news for Hoosiers- Indiana is leading the nation in deaths from vaping-related illnesses. According to the CDC, 42 deaths across 24 states and the District of Columbia have occurred as a result of lung injuries from vaping, four of these in Indiana. The same report states that as of Nov. 2019, there were 2,172 confirmed lung injury cases associated with vaping.
	Everyday activities help people with multiple sclerosis manage symptoms Being physically active is important for people managing multiple sclerosis, but formal exercise isn't the only way, say University of Alberta researchers.
	Even in sporty Seattle, most kids aren't getting enough exercise People who live in and around Seattle are among the nation's most active. The region is an outdoor recreation haven for both locals and visitors who enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking.
	New drug appears to slow effects of cystic fibrosis, offering hope to long-suffering patients Amy Chastain didn't think she would be able to be a mom. She didn't think her child would be born with the same debilitating disease as her.
	University of Maryland researchers testing potential vaccine for E. coli, Shigella Researchers at the University of Maryland's medical school are testing a potential vaccine for E. coli and other diarrheal diseases.
	Time-restricted dieting can lead to weight loss, lower blood pressure Intermittent fasting has shown success in helping people lose weight, but some people can find it difficult to eat normally most days and then severely restrict their food intake other days.
	Flu season is here, and it's coming for your kids The flu is out in force. And so far this season, it's been hitting children the hardest.
	Asking people with memory loss about past holidays can help them recall happy times Many people love the holidays because they are a time to make happy memories with loved ones.
	As rural Americans struggle for health care access, insurers may be making things worse Living in rural America certainly comes with a number of benefits. There is less crime, access to the outdoors, and lower costs of living.
	High-tech method for uniquely targeted gene therapy Neuroscientists at Lund University in Sweden have developed a new technology that engineers the shell of a virus to deliver gene therapy to the exact cell type in the body that needs to be treated. The researchers believe that the new technology can be likened to dramatically accelerating evolution from millions of years to weeks.
	Perinatal exposure to flame retardant alters epigenome, predisposing metabolic disease Studies have shown that perinatal exposure of rats and mice to common flame retardants found in household items permanently reprograms liver metabolism, often leading later in life to insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
	Rectal microbes influence effectiveness of HIV vaccine Microbes living in the rectum could make a difference to the effectiveness of experimental HIV vaccines, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work is published Dec. 11 in the journal mSphere.
	Problem drinkers have higher 'benzo' use, study shows Problem drinkers are more likely than teetotalers and moderate drinkers to take benzodiazepines, a class of sedatives that are among the most commonly prescribed drugs—and the most abused. When taken by heavier drinkers, benzodiazepines may heighten the risk for overdoses and accidents as well as exacerbate psychiatric conditions.
	Finding a non-invasive way to predict effectiveness of cancer therapy Researchers have taken a critical step toward developing a non-invasive nuclear medicine technique that can predict the effectiveness of therapy for cancerous tumors, allowing for personalized, precision treatment. The study is featured in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
	Rapid tissue donation program offers feasible approach to improve research Precision medicine with targeted therapies has led to improved treatment options and patient outcomes. These approaches were developed by studying tumors grown in laboratories and patient samples obtained before and during their treatment. However, there is often a limited supply of patient samples to adequately study, and the samples that exist do not always tell the complete genetic story of how the patient responded to specific drugs and the reasons why they failed treatment. Researchers need a better way to determine how tumors respond to therapies and evolve to resist drug treatment.
	Multi-omics approach offers new insights into peanut allergy severity Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified novel genes associated with the severity of peanut allergy, as well as ways in which these genes interact with other genes during allergic reactions.
	Salmonella the most common cause of foodborne outbreaks in the European Union Nearly one in three foodborne outbreaks in the EU in 2018 were caused by Salmonella. This is one of the main findings of the annual report on trends and sources of zoonoses published today by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
	Mental health disorders may affect hip arthroscopy outcomes (HealthDay)—For patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) undergoing hip arthroscopy, those with psychological impairment are less likely to achieve a favorable outcome, according to a review published online Dec. 12 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
	Organ transplant does not worsen prostate cancer outcome (HealthDay)—Among older men with prostate cancer, an organ transplant is associated with higher overall mortality, but not prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM), according to a study published online Nov. 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	Standard pathology tests outperform molecular subtyping in bladder cancer While trying to develop a comparatively easy, inexpensive way to give physicians and their patients with bladder cancer a better idea of likely outcome and best treatment options, scientists found that sophisticated new subtyping techniques designed to do this provide no better information than long-standing pathology tests.
	Lovely but dangerous, wood fires bring health risks Decades ago, Nat King Cole gently crooned about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But since then, scientists have uncovered some troubling truths about wood smoke.
	Entrectinib effective, well-tolerated against ROS1 and NTRK lung cancers, especially with brain metastases Pooled analysis of three phase 1 and 2 clinical trials published online ahead of print in the journal Lancet Oncology show that the drug entrectinib is effective and well-tolerated against advanced ROS1 and NTRK fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Results of the trials STARTRK-1 (NCT02097810), STARTRK-2 (NCT02568267), and ALKA, show 77 percent response rate to entrectinib in 53 patients with ROS1+ NSCLC, with a median progression-free survival of 19 months and a median duration of response of 24.6 months. In 54 patients with NTRK+ NSCLC, 57 percent responded to entrectinib, with a median progression-free survival of 11.2 months and a median duration of response of 10.4 months. Based on the early promise of these trials, in August 2019 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted entrectinib accelerated approval for the treatment of metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC and for advanced tumors across cancer types defined by NTRK fusion. The current journal articles update these findings that led to approval.
	Breast cancer risk from menopause hormones may last decades Women who use certain types of hormones after menopause still have an increased risk of developing breast cancer nearly two decades after they stop taking the pills, long-term results from a big federal study suggest.
	'Safer opioid' has sparked a crisis in vulnerable countries Reports rolled in with escalating urgency—pills seized by the truckload, pills swallowed by schoolchildren, pills in the pockets of dead terrorists.
	The health care promises we cannot keep It was a promise Matt Perrin wasn't able to keep.
	In surprise decision, US approves muscular dystrophy drug U.S. health regulators approved a second drug for a debilitating form of muscular dystrophy, a surprise decision after the medication was rejected for safety concerns just four months ago.
Paving the way to healing complex trauma A major study led by researchers at La Trobe University in Australia has identified key themes that will be used to inform strategies to support Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents in the first years of their children's lives.
	Meaningful change in culture urged to save neurology, reduce gender gap Allison Brashear, Dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, is working to save the future workforce of neurology and to reduce the gender gap in the medical specialty.
	NTM infections on the rise nationally; women and elderly most affected The number of people newly infected each year and the number of people living with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease appears to be increasing, especially among women and those 65 and older, according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	People willing to risk near-certain death for an HIV cure Nearly one-quarter of people living with HIV were willing to risk near-certain death in a clinical trial, if volunteering for the trial would help find a cure for the disease, according to the new study "HIV Cure Research."
	Breast cancer patients with government insurance at higher risk of death A retrospective study of nearly 9800 women with breast cancer who participated in randomized clinical trials was presented today at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The study found that women with government insurance (Medicaid or Medicare) were much less likely to participate in a clinical trial compared to their privately insured counterparts. The few women with government insurance who did participate in the trials were more likely to stop treatment early and had lower survival. The study was conducted by researchers in the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) with funding from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Video: How children with cerebral palsy can learn new skills through virtual reality Mia is a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who plays soccer and hockey. Can she benefit from virtual reality therapy?
	Patient-reported outcomes predict aromatase inhibitor adherence If you want to predict which breast cancer patients will most likely stop taking aromatase inhibitors, check out their own responses to the health questions patients commonly answer in cancer clinical trials, according to research findings to be presented Friday, Dec. 13 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
	Facebook asked to remove 'factually inaccurate' ads about PrEP Facebook should remove "factually inaccurate" ads that "suggest negative health effects" of the HIV-prevention medication Truvada, more than 50 LGBTQ, HIV, and public health groups say in an open letter to the company.
	Groupthink: Small distinctions, large effects It's hard to overlook the green and orange scarfs. On weekends, one often sees children sporting such apparel at the back of the Kids' Corner of the Deutsches Museum, sitting in front of a computer. What has drawn their interest are the photos and videos on the screen, which feature children very like themselves. In fact these kids even have the same colored scarves, and it's clear that the onlookers can immediately relate to them. The green and orange scarves serve as markers that divide them into two distinguishable groups. Their young viewers can decide with a click which group they find more attractive. "The result is very striking," says Antonia Misch, a developmental psychologist at LMU. Children who are themselves wearing green scarves consistently rate their onscreen counterparts who are adorned with the same badge as more likable than those with orange scarves, and vice versa, even though their own scarves were randomly distributed to them. However, if one then tells them that because of a bug in the program, they can only engage with members of the other group, the differences in their assessments of the groups vanish.
	Many Illinois Affordable Care Act plans don't include major hospitals. That's about to change For years, Illinois consumers who've bought health insurance on the state's Obamacare exchange have complained that many of the plans don't include the Chicago area's biggest hospitals.
	Quinn on Nutrition: Root around for winter vegetables We tend to classify them all together, but winter vegetables are not always the same as root vegetables. Nevertheless, these veggies deserve our attention during these cold winter months.
	Expert encourages people to 'be a little bold' to improve social experiences and wellbeing Singing in a choir can combat loneliness, according to the Centre for Loneliness Studies at the University of Sheffield.
Breast-conserving treatment without surgery not supported at this time Results from NRG Oncology's BR005 study show that breast-conserving treatment without surgery cannot be recommended, based on the study criteria of clinical complete response, radiological complete response (rCR)/near rCR, and negative tumor bed biopsies. These findings were presented at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 10-14.

Biology news

	These sponge-like gels can help grow new tissue, train immune cells, and deliver medication In 2010, Sidi Bencherif was working in a lab at Harvard University, trying to use a surgically implantable structure to train immune cells to target cancer.
	Micro-RNAs keep stem cells from growing up too fast There comes a point in every cell's life when it has to decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Young cells, so-called stem cells, take their clues to their future career primarily from the environment they find themselves in. But in a new embryo, that environment is constantly in flux; how does a cell know how long to wait before it makes an irrevocable choice?
	Chimpanzees may have evolved resistance to HIV precursor Simian immunodeficiency virus, the monkey- and ape-infecting virus that HIV originated from, may have influenced the genetics of chimpanzees, finds a new UCL-led study.
	Protein injections in medicine Pathogens can use a range of toxins to damage their host organism. Bacteria, such as those responsible for causing the deadly Plague, use a special injection mechanism to deliver their poisonous contents into the host cell. Stefan Raunser, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology in Dortmund, together with his team, has already produced a detailed analysis of this toxin's sophisticated mechanism. They have now succeeded in replacing the toxin in this nano-syringe with a different substance. This accomplishment creates a basis for their ultimate goal to use bacterial syringes as drug transporters in medicine.
	Leaving home is beneficial for male squirrels but not for females, study shows In the world of squirrels, moving away from your home turf has better outcomes for males than for females, according to a new study by University of Alberta ecologists.
	Why are giant pandas born so tiny? Born pink, blind, and helpless, giant pandas typically weigh about 100 grams at birth—the equivalent of a stick of butter. Their mothers are 900 times more massive than that.
	Gaming their way to sustainable development Serengeti National Park is home to a breathtaking array of wild animals, from lions to elephants and migrating wildebeests. But the local people living on the fringes of the area comprise an equally important part of this ecosystem.
	Ancient DNA confirms humans wiped out northern hemisphere's version of the penguin The North Atlantic was once home to a bird that bore a remarkable similarity to penguins. The great auk, also known as "the original penguin", was a large, flightless, black and white bird, that is said to have existed in the millions. Despite its appearance, the great auk is actually a relative of razorbills and puffins, not of penguins. However, since around 1844, the northern hemisphere has been without its version of the penguin and it looks like we are to blame.
	Study: The human lifespan is written into our DNA Humans have a "natural" lifespan of around 38 years, according to a new method we have developed for estimating the lifespans of different species by analyzing their DNA.
	Success in metabolically engineering marine algae to synthesize valuable antioxidant astaxanthin A research group led by Professor HASUNUMA Tomohisa of Kobe University's Engineering Biology Research Center have succeeded in synthesizing the natural pigment astaxanthin using the fast-growing marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002.
	How Risso's dolphins strike a balance between holding their breath and finding food What do marine mammals eat? It's a simple question with profound implications for marine-mammal conservation and fisheries research. But it can a be tough question for scientists to answer because they can't see what these animals are doing underwater. MBARI researcher Kelly Benoit-Bird is finding new ways to answer this question using specialized echosounders mounted on ships and undersea robots. In a recent paper, Benoit-Bird demonstrated for the first time how researchers can simultaneously measure the distribution, abundance, type, size, and movement of both predators and their prey in the deep sea.
	A (sorta) good news story about a songbird and climate change University of Manitoba researchers made a recent discovery that suggests Purple Martins, unlike other long-distance migratory songbirds, show promise of being able to adapt to climate change.
	Margaret Morse Nice thought like a song sparrow and changed how scientists understand animal behavior The invader, puffed out into the shape of a ball, fluttered one wing straight up in the air. He sang constantly and softly, incomplete songs in rapid succession. The defender, silent, hunched his shoulders in a menacing attitude, closely following every move of his foe.
	Moongoose females compete over reproduction Researchers at the University of Exeter, UK, followed a population of wild banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in western Uganda for 15 years, using ultrasound imaging to track which females became pregnant and which carried to full term. They discovered that there were more abortions during the dry season when food was scarce, and also when more females were competing over reproduction in the same group. Individual females were less likely to carry to term if they were young, in poor condition, or carrying smaller fetuses.
	Salmon lose diversity in managed rivers, reducing resilience to environmental change The manipulation of rivers in California is jeopardizing the resilience of native Chinook salmon. It compresses their migration timing to the point that they crowd their habitats. They may miss the best window for entering the ocean and growing into adults, new research shows.
	The wild relatives of major vegetables, needed for climate resilience, are in danger Growing up in the wild makes plants tough. Wild plants evolve to survive the whims of nature and thrive in difficult conditions, including extreme climate conditions, poor soils, and pests and disease. Their better-known descendants—the domesticated plants that are critical to a healthy diet—are often not nearly as hardy. The genes that make crop wild relatives robust have the potential to make their cultivated cousins—our food plants—better prepared for a harsh climate future. But a series of new research papers show these critical plants are imperiled.
	Northern Ireland's recovering pine marten population benefits red squirrels The recovery of pine marten in Ireland and Britain is reversing native red squirrel replacement by invasive grey squirrels, according to new research presented at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast today.
	Scientists develop a way to increase winter wheat yield by 46-60% Agricultural chemists from RUDN University have developed a new way to deal with cleavers, a weed that is the main enemy of winter wheat crops. They found a combination of herbicides that, as the experiments have shown, increases the yield of winter wheat by 46-60 percent. The results are published in Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science.
	'Organic' label doesn't guarantee that holiday ham was a happy pig This holiday season, Americans will buy some 20 million turkeys and 300 million pounds of ham.
	Botswana animal groups outraged at elephant killing Animal campaigners demanded on Friday that a Botswana hunter's licence be revoked after an elephant was killed despite being protected, raising tensions over the country's new hunting rules.
	Florida's black bears remain off-limits from hunters, but only for now The Florida black bear will remain off-limits from hunters, but only for now.

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