Science X Newsletter Monday, Dec 9

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 9, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study projects scenarios for water use reduction in thermal power plants using satellite imagery

CRISPR-resistant viruses build 'safe rooms' to shield genomes from DNA-dicing enzymes

How Enceladus got its stripes

Newly identified jet-stream pattern could imperil global food supplies, says study

Scientists show evolutionary principle in microbes of offshore Southern California

IRAS 18379–1707 is a metal-poor high-velocity star, observations find

Shape-programmable dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators

Storing data in everyday objects

In surprise breakthrough, scientists create quantum states in everyday electronics

In a split second, clothes make the man more competent in the eyes of others

Reorganizing a computer chip: Transistors can now both process and store information

Last remaining glaciers in the Pacific will soon melt away

Ancient worm reveals way to destroy toxic cells in Huntington's disease

Experiment closes critical gap in weather forecasting

Hanabi: Facebook AI steps up to cooperative gameplay

Astronomy & Space news

	How Enceladus got its stripes Saturn's icy moon Enceladus is of great interest to scientists due to its subsurface ocean, making it a prime target for those searching for life elsewhere. New research led by Carnegie's Doug Hemingway reveals the physics governing the fissures through which oceanwater erupts from the moon's icy surface, giving its south pole an unusual "tiger stripe" appearance.
	IRAS 18379–1707 is a metal-poor high-velocity star, observations find Astronomers have conducted high-resolution spectroscopic observations of IRAS 18379–1707 (or LS 5112), a candidate post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) star in the Milky Way galaxy. Results of the observations provide more details about the properties of this object, revealing that it is a metal-poor, high-velocity star. The findings are detailed in a paper published November 28 on arXiv.org.
	SpaceX delivers 'mighty mice,' worms, robot to space station SpaceX made an early holiday delivery to the International Space Station on Sunday, dropping off super muscular "mighty mice," pest-killing worms and a smart, empathetic robot.
	How planets may form after dust sticks together Scientists may have figured out how dust particles can stick together to form planets, according to a Rutgers co-authored study that may also help to improve industrial processes.
	NASA says core stage of next Moon rocket now ready NASA has completed the giant rocket that will take US astronauts back to the Moon, the space agency's head announced Monday, pledging the mission would take place in 2024 despite being beset by delays.
	Russian supply ship docks with International Space Station An unmanned Russian ship carrying tons of supplies successfully docked Monday with the International Space Station.
	Image: Hubble spots galaxy's dramatic details Some of the most dramatic events in the universe occur when certain stars die—and explode catastrophically in the process.
	SN Now: The final installment of SCaN Now NASA satellites, no matter the destination, have to communicate their data to mission control and scientists on Earth. These missions capture extraordinary data that make communications an essential part of each mission: pictures of galaxies, critical information on solar flares and much more. An interactive online tool now shows live data transmissions from each of NASA's three space communications networks and the missions supported by those data.
	A neutron star with an unusual magnetic field structure Scientists from Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology, Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI), and Pulkovo Observatory discovered a unique neutron star, the magnetic field of which is apparent only when the star is seen under a certain angle relative to the observer. Previously, all neutron stars could be grouped into two large families: the first one included objects where the magnetic field manifests itself during the whole spin cycle, and the other one included objects where the magnetic field is not measured at all. The neutron star GRO J2058+42 studied by the researchers offers an insight into the internal structure of a neutron star's magnetic field only at a certain phase of its rotational period. The work was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
	How did supermassive black holes grow so fast? Black holes in the early universe pose a bit of a problem. Based on observations from telescopes on Earth and in space, we know that some black holes grew to be a billion times the mass of the sun just one billion years after the Big Bang. Our current models of black hole growth, however, can't explain this speed of growth. So how did these supermassive black holes come about?
	New reentry CubeSat in orbit ESA's latest space mission has reached orbit. The Qarman CubeSat flew to space aboard SpaceX's Dragon launched from Florida, U.S., on Thursday 5 December, ahead of a planned rendezvous with the International Space Station on Sunday 8 December. From there, Qarman—seen here during plasma wind tunnel testing—will be deployed into space in late January 2020.

Technology news

	Study projects scenarios for water use reduction in thermal power plants using satellite imagery Water and energy are closely linked, as current electricity generation methods often require water, and extracting water typically consumes energy. This connection between water and energy, also known as the "water-energy nexus," has been the focus of several scientific studies.
	Storing data in everyday objects Life's assembly and operating instructions are in the form of DNA. That's not the case with inanimate objects: anyone wishing to 3-D print an object also requires a set of instructions. If they then choose to print that same object again years later, they need access to the original digital information. The object itself does not store the printing instructions.
	Reorganizing a computer chip: Transistors can now both process and store information A computer chip processes and stores information using two different devices. If engineers could combine these devices into one or put them next to each other, then there would be more space on a chip, making it faster and more powerful.
	Hanabi: Facebook AI steps up to cooperative gameplay The card game Hanabi has been taken on as a challenge by Facebook's AI, and it is quite a challenge considering they are entering a realm where playing is not just a question of one opponent beating another, but a "cooperative" card game where a competing team helps one another.
	Advanced technology may indicate how brain learns faces Facial recognition technology has advanced swiftly in the last five years. As University of Texas at Dallas researchers try to determine how computers have gotten as good as people at the task, they are also shedding light on how the human brain sorts information.
	A contact lens that can show when blood glucose levels are high A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the Republic of Korea has developed a contact lens with a tiny LED light that turns on and off to show blood glucose levels. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes how they made their contact lens and how well it worked when tested.
	Researchers report breakthrough in 'distributed deep learning' Online shoppers typically string together a few words to search for the product they want, but in a world with millions of products and shoppers, the task of matching those unspecific words to the right product is one of the biggest challenges in information retrieval.
	US debate on internet liabilty spills over to global trade deals US lawmakers seeking to rein in Big Tech have been stepping up efforts to limit legal immunity for online services, and now are taking that fight global.
	EU opens subsidies for electric battery push The EU's powerful anti-trust authority on Monday approved billions of euros in subsidies from seven member states as Europe seeks to make up lost ground in batteries.
	As AI moves into content creation, researchers aim to battle its biases As artificial intelligence generates more of the words we read every day, a USC Viterbi research team seeks to better understand and one day help to eliminate bias against women and minorities.
	Building with algorithms: Looking for the optimal design How can computers help design optimal buildings? Ph.D. student Koen van der Blom makes algorithms that take into account all kinds of different architectural requirements, in order to reach the best compromise. And that is quite difficult: "Algorithms do not automatically understand that a building that floats in the air is not practical."
	Used electric vehicle batteries charge up the grid Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed an innovative control system for repurposed electric vehicle battery packs to store electricity for home use and are scaling up the technology to a large, power grid-level project.
	Perovskite solar cell method to make solar energy more affordable If someone asked you to wager a guess on when solar energy first came of age, and you said the seventies, you'd be correct—but only if you meant the 1870s.
	Research draws on Formula 1 technology for the construction of skyscrapers City, University London draws on Formula 1 technology for the construction of "needle-like" skyscrapers.
	Will Apple kill off the Lightning charging port on its iPhones? First, Apple "killed" headphone jacks in 2016, then Touch ID fingerprint scanning went away in 2017 with the iPhone X. Could the lightning cable be next to go?
	A more realistic Bitmoji? Snapchat is working on a tool called Cameo that uses deepfake technology SnapChat will soon be adding a feature that basically allows you deepfake yourself into a video or GIF for fun.
	Amazon alleges Trump abused power in huge Pentagon contract Amazon is alleging that US President Donald Trump abused the power of his office to deny the company a massive military cloud computing contract, court documents released Monday showed.
	Researchers design headphones that warn pedestrians of dangers You see them all over city streets: pedestrians wearing headphones or earbuds—their faces glued to their phones as they stroll along oblivious to their surroundings.
	Reddit bans accounts, suspects possible UK vote interference The prospect of Russian interference in Britain's election flared anew Saturday after the social media platform Reddit concluded that people from Russia leaked confidential British government documents on Brexit trade talks just days before the general U.K. vote.
	Demonstration of high-speed SOT-MRAM memory cell compatible with 300 mm Si CMOS technology Researchers at Tohoku University have announced the demonstration of a high-speed spin-orbit-torque (SOT) magnetoresistive random access memory cell compatible with 300 mm Si CMOS technology.
	It may not be HQ2 but AOC declares victory and trolls Amazon over New York expansion Can we call it HQ1/2?

Medicine & Health news

	Computer game may help to predict reuse of opioids A computer betting game can help predict the likelihood that someone recovering from opioid addiction will reuse the pain-relieving drugs, a new study shows.
	Deeper understanding of irregular heartbeat may lead to more effective treatment Researchers at Imperial College London have shown how the chaotic electrical signals underlying irregular heart rhythms lead to the failure of standard treatments.
	Play sports for a healthier brain There have been many headlines in recent years about the potentially negative impacts contact sports can have on athletes' brains. But a new Northwestern University study shows that, in the absence of injury, athletes across a variety of sports—including football, soccer and hockey—have healthier brains than non-athletes.
	Scientists show thin metal mesh loaded with T cells shrinks solid tumors What if a metal that's already used to repair broken bones, straighten teeth and keep arteries from clogging could also be used to stop your cancer from spreading?
	Study shows inhibition of gene helps overcome resistance to immunotherapy Cancer immunology drugs, which harness the body's immune system to better attack cancer cells, have significantly changed the face of cancer treatment. People with aggressive cancers are now living longer, healthier lives. Unfortunately, cancer immunology therapy only works in a subset of patients.
	Secret behind diabetes drug's benefits revealed Researchers at McMaster University have unlocked one of the secrets behind the many benefits of metformin.
	'Safety signals' may help slow down anxiety For as many as one in three people, life events or situations that pose no real danger can spark a disabling fear, a hallmark of anxiety and stress-related disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants help about half the people suffering from anxiety, but millions of others do not find sufficient relief from existing therapies.
	Key mystery about how the brain produces cognition is finally understood Human behavior is often explained in terms of unseen entities such as motivation, curiosity, anxiety and confidence. What has been unclear is whether these mental entities are coded by specific neurons in specific areas of the brain.
	Study reveals mysteries of critical brain receptor complex Glutamate receptors in the brain called AMPARs are critical for synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Poorly functioning AMPARs have been linked to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders including seizures, Alzheimer's disease, major depression and autism spectrum disorder.
	New clues to the link between ALS and type 2 diabetes Patients with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) often suffer from type 2 diabetes. This phenomenon has long remained mechanistically enigmatic. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a molecular mechanism linking these two diseases. The study is published in the scientific journal PNAS.
	Increasing food intake by swapping mitochondrial genomes Many of the characteristics that make people so different from each other are often the result of small differences in the DNA between individuals. Variation in just a single base in our DNA can cause significant variation in traits like sleep length, weight, and height—and unfortunately, they can also become a source of disease.
	How does political news affect moods? New study in young doctors shows real-time effects They work in a bubble of 80-hour work weeks, and 24-hour shifts. They're caring for patients for the first time, while still learning the ropes of the medical profession. The constant stress wears on their mental health.
	How high lipid levels cause inflammation and damage kidneys and blood vessels Doctors interested in ways to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease have long had blood cholesterol levels in their sights. But other types of blood fats (also known as 'lipids') can also be damaging to health. "Our work has involved studying a special group of lipids, the triglycerides. We've been able to show that when these naturally occurring fats are present at elevated concentrations they can alter our defence cells in such a way that the body reacts as if responding to a bacterial infection. This leads to inflammation, which, if it becomes chronic, can damage the kidneys or cause atherosclerosis—the narrowing of arteries due to a build up of deposits on the inner arterial wall. And atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes," explains Timo Speer of Saarland University. Speer, who has a doctorate in medicine as well as biology, is the lead author of the work just published in Nature Immunology.
	New bone healing mechanism has potential therapeutic applications Led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new mechanism that contributes to adult bone maintenance and repair and opens the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies for improving bone healing.
	Women, exercise and longevity Women who can exercise vigorously are at significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and other causes. The research is presented today at EuroEcho 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Lymphoma patients may have new path to remission, even when CAR T therapy fails A new, experimental immunotherapy can put patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that is resistant to or has come back after multiple other therapies, including CAR T therapy, into remission. A global, multi-center trial found almost half of patients with slow growing lymphomas had complete responses to the antibody called mosunetuzumab. Among patients on the study whose lymphoma progressed after CAR T therapy, 22 percent went into complete remission when treated with the drug. Stephen J. Schuster, MD, director of the Lymphoma Program at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, will present the findings in a plenary session as well as during the press program at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando (Abstract #6).
	Genomic features of AML in patients over age 60 can predict success of stem cell transplant For older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the prospects for success of a stem cell transplant can often be predicted based on the particular set of genetic mutations within the tumor cells, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other research centers will report today at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
	Use of venetoclax in transplant conditioning regimen shows promise in myeloid cancers For patients with high-risk myeloid cancers undergoing a donor stem cell transplant, adding the targeted drug venetoclax to a reduced-intensity drug regimen prior to transplant is safe and does not impair the ability of the donor cells to take root in recipients' bodies, a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers suggests. The study will be presented today at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
	Virtual reality illuminates the power of opioid-associated memories The number of drug overdose deaths in the US has never been higher. Most of those deaths—68 percent in 2017—have involved opioids. An estimated 10 million Americans aged 12 and older misused opioids in 2018.
No radiation needed for many aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients Most people diagnosed with the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can safely skip radiation treatment after a clear PET scan, according to new clinical trial results released today at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
	Polio returns to haunt Malaysia after almost 30 years Malaysia has reported its first polio case in 27 years, health authorities said Sunday, announcing a three-month-old baby had been diagnosed on Borneo island.
	Exercise yields some cardiovascular benefits in children with excess weight Eight months of daily, afterschool physical activity in previously inactive 8- to 11-year-olds with obesity and overweight improved key measures of their cardiovascular health like good cholesterol levels, aerobic fitness and percent body fat, but didn't improve others like arterial stiffness, an early indicator of cardiovascular risk, investigators report.
Follicular lymphoma remission for 2+ years indicates disease-free status could be lifelong People with follicular lymphoma, a slow-growing lymphatic-system cancer, who have been treated and are in remission for at least two years, may no longer have what has been considered an incurable disease based on highly sensitive testing; this means they no longer need therapy or active follow-up.
	Too few hospitals have clinical decision support tools to calculate nutrition in NICU Most neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) participating in the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium are unable to reliably and consistently monitor caloric intake delivered to critically ill infants at risk for growth failure, according to a study published in the Journal of Perinatology. Managing optimal nutrition for preemies is a complex process, especially when the baby is transitioned from receiving nutrition intravenously to enteral (or through the gut) feeds. The study found low prevalence of fully automated clinical decision support systems used to calculate and adjust nutritional intake for premature infants.
Prescribing anticoagulants in the ED for atrial fibrillation increases long-term use by 30% Patients prescribed anticoagulants after a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in the emergency department are more likely to continue long-term use of medications to treat the condition, according to research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	Study finds decrease in eye exposures from household cleaners The holidays are upon us, and as families visit Grandma and Grandpa's and other homes that may not be used to having little ones underfoot, it's an important reminder to safely store dangerous products. Household cleaning products represent a major source of exposures reported to U.S. poison control centers, and they commonly involve the eyes, especially among children.
	Three-day intensive crisis intervention is associated with reduced suicidality in adolescents When an adolescent is acutely suicidal and cannot safely remain in the community, inpatient psychiatric hospitalization is the traditional intervention. But a lack of appropriate facilities across the United States, combined with an increasing demand for inpatient psychiatric services, means many young people who are at critical risk often cannot get the help they need.
	Probiotics and prebiotics work differently in girls and boys according to piglet study The team from the Universities of Bristol and Reading found that 28-day old piglets produced very different levels of immune cells, antibodies and other immune-associated molecules depending on their sex, contradicting previous evidence suggesting that the difference in immunity begins during puberty.
	Machine learning can help us understand conversations about death Some of the most important, and difficult, conversations in healthcare are the ones that happen amid serious and life-threatening illnesses. Discussions of the treatment options and prognoses in these settings are a delicate balance for doctors and nurses who are dealing with people at their most vulnerable point and may not fully understand what the future holds.
	Even light alcohol consumption linked to higher cancer risk in Japan In a study conducted in Japan, even light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with elevated cancer risks. In the study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the overall cancer risk appeared to be the lowest at zero alcohol consumption.
	Have your health and eat meat too Barbecued, stir-fried or roasted, there's no doubt that Aussies love their meat. Consuming on average nearly 100 kilograms of meat per person per year, Australians are among the top meat consumers worldwide.
	MMR vaccine-eligible children traveling abroad fail to get vaccinated While most U.S. infant and preschool-aged international travelers are eligible for measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination prior to departure, almost 60 percent of eligible young travelers were not vaccinated during pretravel consultation, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found. In a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, the team reported that most eligible pediatric international travelers were not vaccinated due to clinician decision or guardian refusal, despite recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
	Potential therapy discovered for deadly breast cancer that has few treatment options Mount Sinai researchers have designed an innovative experimental therapy that may be able to stop the growth of triple-negative breast cancer, the deadliest type of breast cancer, which has few effective treatment options, according to a study published in Nature Chemical Biology in December.
	Treating more than just the heart is critical for geriatric patients Geriatric conditions such as frailty and cognitive impairments may inadvertently worsen when older patients are treated in cardiac intensive care units—even as they receive excellent care for their heart attack, heart failure, valvular heart disease or pulmonary embolism, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's premier journal Circulation.
	Air pollution may increase mortality risk after heart transplant Heart transplant recipients who live in areas where particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution levels reached above national limits for clean air had a 26% higher risk of mortality due to infection, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Pregnant smokers at higher risk for gestational diabetes Smoking during pregnancy is one of the most significant risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes. In the United States, 10.7 percent of all women smoke during their pregnancy or are exposed to secondhand smoke. Consequently, their babies are at a higher risk for premature birth, low birth weight and developmental delays than those of their non-smoking counterparts.
	Child malnutrition monitoring in Mauritius transformed with mobile technology Child malnutrition in Mauritius, and across Sub-Saharan Africa, could be monitored more accurately and quickly, thanks to simple mobile-based data collection forms, according to new research by the University of Warwick, UK.
	New test predicts chance of living more than a year on targeted breast cancer treatment A new test could pick out women with advanced breast cancer who are likely to benefit from an exciting new targeted therapy for more than a year.
	What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use? If you've ever Googled the causes of a skin complaint or damaged hair, chances are someone on the internet has pointed the finger at SLS, or sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate, a common ingredient in beauty products, washes, toothpastes and even cleaning products.
	Planning for death as a way to improve life Losing a loved one is always hard, but honoring their final wishes can provide a sense of fulfillment in the midst of grief. However, many people avoid thinking about their own death, even if they believe it's a long way off, and thus don't share their posthumous preferences with friends and family.
	How do you know when it's time to break up? Here's the research Christmas may be a time of giving, but it's also a peak time for break-ups. Facing the prospect of spending yet another festive season with their romantic partner, many people start having doubts about their relationship in the run up to Christmas. This is even the case for marriages, with formal divorce applications tending to peak in January.
	Essential oil poisoning on the rise Poisoning by essential oil exposure is frequent and on the rise in Australia, with 63 percent of cases occurring in children under the age of 15 years, according to the authors of research published today by the Medical Journal of Australia.
	Study finds no harm for newborns whose mothers were treated with magnesium sulphate during pregnancy A team led by Adelaide-based researchers has taken an important step towards validating the safety of intravenous magnesium sulphate as a treatment during pregnancy.
	Alcohol floor price linked to drop in hospital admissions for acute alcohol misuse Since the introduction of an alcohol floor price in the Northern Territory, presentations for acute alcohol misuse at Alice Springs Hospital's intensive care unit have dropped by 54 percent, according to the authors of a research letter published today by the Medical Journal of Australia.
	Key risk factors for teenage suicide New Australian research has found that young people who report suicidal thoughts and who also experience auditory hallucinations and psychological distress are at the greatest risk of future suicide attempts.
	Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy boosts moms' antibodies to protect babies The largest randomized, placebo-controlled multi-country study performed to date assessed the safety and immunogenicity of single dose diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in pregnant women and has been published in the journal Vaccine.
	New genetic cause of epilepsy found Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have contributed to a decades-long global effort that has revealed two new gene mutations that cause a rare type of epilepsy.
	Pub profits largely unaffected by Scotland's lower drunk driving limit The lowering of the drunk driving limit in Scotland had little long-term financial impact on pubs—unlike some had predicted ahead of its introduction, according to new research.
	Here's how black barbershops could save lives and millions in health costs A national program to fight high blood pressure by sending pharmacists to black barbershops could prevent thousands of strokes, heart attacks and deaths, and save the health care system $870 million a year, a new analysis shows.
	New cancer inhibitor effective where others fail A novel agent called Selinexor has opened up new options for the treatment of patients with refractory myeloma. This was the conclusion of a major international clinical trial in which also the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, Austria (KL Krems) participated. The results have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Thanks to a new mode of action, the compound brings hope to the growing number of patients whose tumor cells have become resistant to the three backbone drug classes.
Reducing the side-effects of prostate hormone therapy with exercise A prescription of short-term exercise for patients with advanced prostate cancer could help to reduce the side-effects of hormone therapy, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
	Why the holidays are a prime time for elder abuse, and what you can do to thwart it The holiday season brings up memories and emotions for people of all ages, but elders are often overlooked. This time of year also can provide an opportunity to become more alert to signs of elder abuse, aware of how to help and available to begin sincere conversations with older adults about their perceptions of abuse and the remedies they recommend.
To thrive, get a balanced diet of social nutrition People might survive by eating just one type of food, but they will hardly thrive. Similarly, a new study co-written by a University of Kansas researcher suggests that humans need a balanced diet of social nutrition, including time alone, to thrive.
	'Clingy' spouses face greater health risks after partner dies "Clingy" spouses—whether spending every waking moment with their partners or constantly telephoning when they're not together—are at greater risk for heart problems and poor mental health after their spouses die, according to new research from psychologists at Rice University.
	Brass bands can improve your health and wellbeing, study shows Stress relief, improved mental health and lungs like an elite sports star are just some of the ways playing in a brass band can improve your health and wellbeing, according to research from the University of Sheffield.
	Researchers discover the origin and evolution of a famous concept of the brain Eye-opening research by neurosurgeons from Barrow Neurological Institute and Montreal Neurological Institute has produced the foremost investigation of the origin and evolution of perhaps the most famous concept devised in neurobiology—the homunculus of neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield. The paper, along with a perspective piece, was published in the August issue of World Neurosurgery. The research was conducted by Drs. Mark Preul and Gurpreet Gandhoke at Barrow and Richard Leblanc at Montreal.
	Co-addiction of meth and opioids hinders treatment Judith Tsui, a UW Medicine clinician specializing in addiction treatment, was seeing more and more patients she was treating for opioid-use disorder also using methamphetamines, a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.
	Giving common antibiotic before radiation may help body fight cancer The antibiotic vancomycin alters the gut microbiome in a way that can help prime the immune system to more effectively attack tumor cells after radiation therapy. A new study in mice from researchers at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania found giving a dose of the common antibiotic not only helped immune cells kill tumors that were directly treated with radiation, but also kill cancer cells that were further away in the body, paving the way for researchers to test the approach in a human clinical trial. The Journal of Clinical Investigation published the findings today.
	Inflammatory marker linked to dementia An inflammatory marker called sCD14 is related to brain atrophy, cognitive decline and dementia, according to a study of more than 4,700 participants from two large community-based heart studies. The study was published Monday, Dec. 9, in the journal Neurology.
	How playing the drums changes the brain People who play drums regularly for years differ from unmusical people in their brain structure and function. The results of a study by researchers from Bochum suggest that they have fewer, but thicker fibres in the main connecting tract between the two halves of the brain. In addition, their motor brain areas are organised more efficiently. This is the conclusion drawn by a research team headed by Dr. Lara Schlaffke from the Bergmannsheil university clinic in Bochum and Associate Professor Dr. Sebastian Ocklenburg from the biopsychology research unit at Ruhr-Universität Bochum following a study with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results have been published in the journal Brain and Behavior, online on 4 December 2019.
	How a penalty shootout is decided in the brain A penalty shootout at the Soccer World Cup. All eyes are on the best striker of the team. He should take the decisive shot, preferably past the goalkeeper. The striker must decide whether to aim for the right or left corner of the goal. In his brain, he plans both options before making the decision. If the goalkeeper's posture indicates that he will jump to the right at the decisive moment, the striker will develop a temporary preference for planning a movement to the left corner. But what effect will this tendency have on the final decision if the goalkeeper changes his posture just before the shot? Will the striker still shoot to the left? And how is this process controlled at the level of the nerve cells?
	Biomarker may aid in determining treatment for cancer patients A common virus that is harmless to most individuals may produce an important biomarker in determining the prognosis of brain cancer patients, according to a recent study published by a student researcher at the University of Cincinnati.
	Aspirin may no longer be effective as cardiovascular treatment A new paper in Family Practice, published by Oxford University Press, found that the widespread use of statins and cancer screening technology may have altered the benefits of aspirin use. Researchers concluded that aspirin no longer provides a net benefit as primary prevention for cardiovascular disease and cancer.
	Regional trends in overdose deaths reveal multiple opioid epidemics, according to new study The United States is suffering from several different simultaneous opioid epidemics, rather than just a single crisis, according to an academic study of deaths caused by drug overdoses.
	Medicaid expansion doubled access to primary care, increased attention to health risks When the state of Michigan expanded its Medicaid program to provide health coverage to more low-income residents, its leaders built special features into the plan, different from most states. They wanted to encourage enrollees to understand their individual health risks, and incentivize them to prevent future health problems, or find them early.
	Identification of a key protein linked to ageing Ageing is a dramatic public health issue in the face of the current demographic changes: the proportion of 60 and over in the world's population will almost double by 2050. In this context, a new discovery has just broadened scientific knowledge. Researchers from the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Department at the Institut Pasteur shed light on the mechanisms of senescence, by identifying a key protein associated with ageing.
	Rhythmic perception in humans has strong evolutionary roots Rhythm is a fundamental aspect of music, dance and language. However, we do not know to what extent our rhythmic skills depend on ancient evolutionary mechanisms that may be present in other animals.
	Combination therapy more effective than chemotherapy alone for many newly diagnosed leukemia patients A multi-institutional, Phase II study led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center showed that pairing standard chemotherapy azacitidine (AZA) with a drug called enasidenib (ENA) measurably boosts complete remission in patients newly diagnosed with a specific form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
	Rural population underrepresented among medical students (HealthDay)—In 2017, less than 5 percent of all incoming medical students were rural students, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
	FDA testing levels of carcinogen in diabetes drug metformin (HealthDay)—Levels of possible cancer-causing chemicals in metformin diabetes medications are under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	CDC: All 50 states now reporting cases of severe vaping-linked lung injury (HealthDay)—Cases of a serious, sometimes fatal, form of lung injury tied to vaping have now been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In total, case numbers have risen to 2,291, according to the latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued Thursday.
	CBD medicine may help ease another form of seizure (HealthDay)—Prescription-grade CBD may help control hard-to-treat seizures caused by a rare genetic disorder, a preliminary study suggests.
	Playing sports might sharpen your hearing (HealthDay)—Playing sports may improve the brain's ability to process sounds, a finding that could lead to new therapies for people who struggle with hearing, researchers report.
	Is timing everything for SIDS risk? (HealthDay)—New research suggests that a baby's age may offer clues to sudden unexplained infant death (SUID)—formerly known as SIDS.
Finding support outside the clinic—the intersection of instagram and miscarriage About 10-20 % of all known pregnancies unfortunately end in miscarriage or the loss of a fetus. Despite its common occurrence, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding miscarriage and many women find that their emotional and psychological needs are unmet as they go through a devastating grieving process. In 2014, Dr. Jessica Zucker, a clinical psychologist specializing in women's reproductive and maternal mental health, started a campaign on social media using the hashtag #ihadamiscarriage to address this cultural silence.
	Dead probiotic strain shown to reduce harmful, aging-related inflammation Scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine have identified a dead probiotic that reduces age-related leaky gut in older mice. The study is published in the journal GeroScience.
	Treatment with PD-1 prior to stem cell transplant is safe for Hodgkin lymphoma patients A new analysis shows that a donor stem cell transplant following treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor is generally safe and produces good outcomes for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, easing concerns that these patients are at heightened risk for severe immune-related complications.
	CAR T-cell therapy effective for relapsed mantle cell lymphoma patients A one-year follow-up study led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed a majority of patients with mantle cell lymphoma resistant to prior therapies may benefit from treatment with CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Findings were presented Dec. 9 at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando, Fla.
	New software tool uses AI to help doctors identify cancer cells UT Southwestern researchers have developed a software tool that uses artificial intelligence to recognize cancer cells from digital pathology images—giving clinicians a powerful way of predicting patient outcomes.
	Emerging role of adenosine in brain disorders and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis The role of adenosine in neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration has led to growing attention on adenosine receptors as potential drug targets in a range of brain disorders, including neuroregenerative therapy and treatment for amyotrophyic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These are just two areas of focus in the upcoming special issue on Adenosine and Neurodegeneration—Part II published in Journal of Caffeine and Adenosine Research.
E1912 follow-up shows ibrutinib effective, well tolerated by majority of CLL patients The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) today announced results from an extended follow-up analysis of patients in its randomized Phase 3 clinical trial, E1912. The results show that the combination of ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and the antibody therapy rituximab, continue to provide superior progression-free survival and overall survival compared to standard chemoimmunotherapy for patients (aged 70 or younger) with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The analysis provides new safety and efficacy information on the patients in E1912 who completed ibrutinib plus rituximab therapy and continued to receive ibrutinib for as long as it remained effective.
	Rwanda begins vaccinating against Ebola Rwanda on Sunday started a voluntary Ebola vaccination programme at its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly virus from its neighbour.
	France's Sanofi to buy immuno-oncology specialist Synthorx French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said on Monday it had agreed to buy US biotech firm Synthorx to boost its immuno-oncology portfolio.
	No reprieve as Samoa measles death toll hits 70, UN sends aid A devastating measles outbreak has continued to spread in Samoa, with the death toll reaching 70, as the United Nations on Monday released $2.6 million in emergency aid to combat the epidemic.
	Scientists present promising findings in multiple myeloma at ASH Annual Meeting Results of studies on a novel agent to treat multiple myeloma and a combination therapy aimed at slowing the progression of a precursor myeloma condition are among reports being presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. The results are being presented by scientists in the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and the LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics at Dana-Farber.
	Eating more ketones may fight against Alzheimer's disease A ketone-supplemented diet may protect neurons from death during the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to research in mice recently published in JNeurosci.
	The genetic signature of memory Despite their common involvement in memory, the human cortex and subcortex display a distinct collection of gene signatures. The work recently published in eNeuro increases our understanding of how the brain creates memories and identifies potential genes for further investigation.
	Introducing meat analogs to school catering: An instant hit? In a primary school in Budapest, Hungary, 265 pupils tried meat-free spaghetti Bolognese, made entirely from pea protein instead of meat. The common aim of the project partners is to familiarize pupils with plant-based meat analogues. The researcher chefs involved in the development replaced minced meat with specially developed pea protein-based meat analogue to make the meals. At the end the children expressed their opinions revealing that 91 percent of them liked the lunch.
	Palbociclib is safe for women with advanced breast cancer who have unique gene alteration Women who receive palbociclib (Ibrance) to treat their advanced breast cancer and have a gene alteration that can lead to a condition known as benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN), can safely receive the drug without major concerns of developing infections associated with neutropenia, or low white blood cell counts, say Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers. African American women have a higher incidence of BEN than other races and have been underrepresented in trials testing this medicine so palbociclib's safety in this population wasn't fully known.
	New tool to assess digital addiction in children A new study developed and validated a tool for assessing children's overall addiction to digital devices. The study, which found that more than 12% of children ages 9-12 years were at risk of addiction to digital devices for uses including video gaming, social media, and texting, is published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
	Study reveals increased cannabis use in individuals with depression The prevalence of cannabis, or marijuana, use in the United States increased from 2005 to 2017 among persons with and without depression and was approximately twice as common among those with depression in 2017. The findings, which are published in Addiction, come from a survey-based study of 728,691 persons aged 12 years or older.
	Microcapsules for targeted drug delivery to cancer cells A team of scientists from Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) together with their colleagues developed a method of targeted drug delivery to cancer cells. The discovery is based on the use of mesenchymal stem cells and microcapsules made of polymeric compounds. The results were published in the Biomaterials Science journal. In the future the discovery may allow for more precise treatment of tumors without causing damage to healthy tissues.
	Ice bucket challenge inspiration Pete Frates dies at 34 Pete Frates, a former college baseball player whose determined battle with Lou Gehrig's disease helped inspire the ALS ice bucket challenge that has raised more than $200 million worldwide, died Monday. He was 34.
	American Samoa to begin mass measles vaccination this week Health officials in the U.S. territory of American Samoa say they will begin mass measles vaccinations later this week.

Biology news

	CRISPR-resistant viruses build 'safe rooms' to shield genomes from DNA-dicing enzymes Bacteria and the viruses that infect them are engaged in a molecular arms race as ancient as life itself. Evolution has equipped bacteria with an arsenal of immune enzymes, including CRISPR-Cas systems, that target and destroy viral DNA. But bacteria-killing viruses, also known as phages, have devised their own tools to help them outmaneuver even the most formidable of these bacterial defenses.
	Scientists show evolutionary principle in microbes of offshore Southern California In the waves offshore of Southern California, germ warfare occurs in a struggle as old as life itself.
	Ancient worm reveals way to destroy toxic cells in Huntington's disease Insights from their study may provide a novel therapeutic approach for diseases such as Huntington's and Parkinson's.
	Researchers identify 'Achilles' heel' of drug-resistant superbug A deadly superbug that infects an estimated 54,500 Americans a year has a secret weapon, a protein, that allows it to defy antibiotic treatment and immune system attacks. However, the secret is out now that researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have identified the protein that acts as a defense mechanism for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Their discovery opens the door for future treatment options in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
	Killer whale grandmothers boost survival of calves Post-menopausal killer whale grandmothers improve the chances of survival for their grand-calves, new research has found.
	Scientists uncover structure of key pneumonia virus enzyme, suggesting a route for new antiviral treatments A team of molecular and structural biologists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has found a potential new route to disabling respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) after elucidating the structure of one of its key components.
	Grow your own blood vessel model in a dish Personalised blood vessel testing kit could unravel causes and treatments for heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia, find scientists.
	Secrets of orangutan language revealed "Climb on me", "climb on you" and "resume play" are among the requests wild orangutans make to each other, researchers say.
	Researchers find new evidence that a fungus can be hard to find A team of experts have discovered that a common fungus that infects humans can not only predict an imminent attack from the immune system, it will even change its appearance to hide from it.
	Finding the smallest genes could yield outsized benefits While scientists know of about 25,000 genes that code for biologically important proteins, additional, smaller genes hiding in our DNA may be just as important. But these tiny lines of genetic code have proven tough to track down.
	Wing genes responsible for tiny treehopper's extraordinary helmet: study They sport some of the most impressive headgear in the insect world, yet they're no bigger than a kernel of corn.
	Megadroughts fueled Peruvian cloud forest activity, researchers find New research led by scientists from Florida Institute of Technology found that the strong and long-lasting droughts known as megadroughts parched the usually moist Peruvian cloud forests, spurring farmers to colonize new cropland.
	Predicting a protein's behavior from its appearance Proteins are the building blocks of life and play a key role in all biological processes. Understanding how they interact with their environment is therefore vital to developing effective therapeutics and the foundation for designing artificial cells.
	Israeli fish farmers give peckish pelicans free lunch Migratory pelicans have long raided Israeli fish farms, which try to deter them with loudspeakers, laser beams and by firing blank rounds from rifles.
	Genomic cut and paste using a class 1 CRISPR system Almost from the moment DNA was discovered, the ability to fix or remove disease-causing genes in affected patients has been something of a holy grail of medicine. Now that this goal is within reach, researchers are working to fine-tune the technology to ensure safe and effective gene editing with no unwanted downstream effects.
	Navigating land and water: How centipedes walk and swim Centipedes not only walk on land but also swim in water.
	More advanced remote-sensing technology needed for weed detection, management Remote sensing provides an alternative to ground-based manual scouting for weeds in agriculture fields. And, while many advances have been made, many are still needed in the area of weed detection and differentiation, according to Texas A&M AgriLife researchers.
	Methylation and mopping up LMU researchers have discovered a novel type of chemical modification in bacterial RNAs. The modification is apparently attached to molecules only when cells are under stress, and is rapidly removed during recovery.
	The tips of a plant design its whole shape Plants grow throughout their entire life. This is due to a small structure at the tip of the plant's shoots known as the meristem. This is the control center for the maintenance of stem cells—which can be converted into any cell type—and for the creation of plant organs such as side shoots and leaves. Although all plants have to carry out these basic tasks, the meristem is different in shape and size in differing species such as maize and thale cress. An international team of researchers headed by Professor Marja Timmermans of the Center for Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Tübingen has discovered that the meristem has even greater tasks than scientists had realized. It controls the architecture of the whole plant from the very tip. By mapping the genetic circuits involved in these functions in maize, the team has discovered key starting points for technological improvement of crops. Their results have been published in the journal Genome Research.
	New discovery to fight citrus exocortis viroid What's a viroid like you doing in a ribosome like this? This is the question set out by a team from the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP, in Spanish), a joint center of the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC, in Spanish). The answer opens a door, unknown until now, to fight viroids. These pathogens have great infectious power in plants, and they are one of the biggest enemies of crops, especially citrus crops.
	Scientists accidentally discover a new water mold threatening Christmas trees Grown as Christmas trees, Fraser firs are highly prized for their rich color and pleasant scent as well as their ability to hold their needles. Unfortunately, they are also highly susceptible to devastating root rot diseases caused by water molds in the genus Phytophthora.
	Boy oh boy! Twin male pandas charm Berlin zoo The cuteness level at Berlin Zoo doubled on Monday when a pair of twin panda cubs made their public debut, with the zoo revealing the cuddly bundles of fur were both boys.

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