Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Dec 10

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 10, 2019:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Study gathers the first observation of leptonic decay D+→τ+ντ

Shaped like a cone: The configuration of 'virulence factors' that allow TB to invade the lungs

A new memristor-based neural network inspired by the notion of associative memory

Chiton mollusk provides model for new armor design

Greenland ice losses rising faster than expected

New understanding of charge transport reveals an exotic quantum mechanical regime

Breathing new life into the rise of oxygen debate

Tiny magnetic particles enable new material to bend, twist, and grab

When penguins ruled after dinosaurs died

Calculating genetic links between diseases, without the genetic data

Research shows ramping up carbon capture could be key to mitigating climate change

Stretchy and squeezy soft sensors one step closer thanks to new bonding method

Could dark carbon be hiding the true scale of ocean 'dead zones'?

Revving up to a new speed record in the Kalahari

MIT CSAIL: Revealing hidden video from shadows

Astronomy & Space news

Stardust from red giants Some of the Earth's building material was stardust from red giants, researchers from ETH Zurich have established. They have also explained why the Earth contains more of this stardust than the asteroids or the planet Mars, which are farther from the sun.

Technology news

	A new memristor-based neural network inspired by the notion of associative memory Classical conditioning is a psychological process through which animals or humans pair desired or unpleasant stimuli (e.g., food or a painful experiences) with a seemingly neutral stimulus (e.g., the sound of a bell, the flash of a light, etc.) after these two stimuli are repeatedly presented together. Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov studied classical conditioning in great depth and introduced the idea of "associative memory," which entails building strong associations between the pleasant/unpleasant and neutral stimuli.
	Revving up to a new speed record in the Kalahari A loud hiss rips through the stillness of southern Africa's Kalahari Desert.
	MIT CSAIL: Revealing hidden video from shadows A team of researchers showed they can recover a video of motion taking place in a hidden scene by observing changes in illumination in a nearby visible region. They looked at the indirect effect on shadows and shading in an observed region.
	Intel Introduces cryogenic control chip 'Horse Ridge' to enable control of multiple quantum bits Intel has announced the development of a cryogenic control chip it calls "Horse Ridge." The chip is can control multiple qubits in a quantum computer. In its announcement, Intel claims that development of the chip represents a major milestone on the path toward a truly viable quantum computer. Also, as part of its announcement, Intel claims that other players in the quantum computer development world have neglected an important part of any such computer—a way to control many qubits at the same time. Intel reports that they developed the new chip in collaboration with TU Delft and TNO using technology developed in-house. They suggest the new chip will dramatically increase the potential for development of truly useful quantum computers.
	Self-driving microrobots Most synthetic materials, including those in battery electrodes, polymer membranes, and catalysts, degrade over time because they don't have internal repair mechanisms. If you could distribute autonomous microrobots within these materials, then you could use the microrobots to continuously make repairs from the inside. A new study from the lab of Kyle Bishop, associate professor of chemical engineering, proposes a strategy for microscale robots that can sense symptoms of a material defect and navigate autonomously to the defect site, where corrective actions could be performed. The study was published in Physical Review Research December 2, 2019.
	Deep learning helps tease out gene interactions Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists have taken a deep learning method that has revolutionized face recognition and other image-based applications in recent years and redirected its power to explore the relationship between genes.
	Child's play: Coding booms among Chinese children Wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses and a red T-shirt, an eight-year-old Chinese boy is logged in for an online coding lesson—as the teacher.
	Canada to follow France lead in taxing digital giants Canada will impose a levy on internet giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook similar to France's digital services tax that created tensions with Washington, two ministers said Monday.
	Your data has been sold to websites like MyLife and WhitePages. Here's how to remove it If you think your privacy is at risk when it comes to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, they're nothing compared to the "people search engines." We're talking WhitePages, MyLife.com, BeenVerified and the like.
	Unlawful metadata access is easy when we're flogging a dead law After watching this year's media raids and the prosecution of lawyers and whistleblowers, it's not hard to see why Australians wonder about excessive police power and dwindling journalistic freedom.
	Bridge protection during catastrophic earthquakes More than 1 million people have died in the 1800 magnitude 5+ earthquakes recorded worldwide since 2000.
	Intelligent camera automatically detects roadside bombs Roadside bombs are sneaky and effective killers. They are easy to manufacture and hide, making it the weapon of choice for insurgents and terrorists across the world. Finding and disabling these lethal devices is very difficult. Electrical engineer Dennis van de Wouw of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has, in close collaboration with industry and experts of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, developed a real-time early-warning system. When mounted on a military vehicle, it can automatically detect the presence of those bombs by registering suspicious changes in the environment. He will defend his PHD thesis on December 11th at TU/e.
	Up to 30 percent more capacity for lithium-ion batteries Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and cooperating institutions studied structural changes during the synthesis of cathode materials for future high-energy lithium-ion batteries and obtained new major findings about degradation mechanisms. These findings might contribute to the development of batteries of far higher capacity, which would then increase the range of electric vehicles. The results are reported in Nature Communications.
	Offshore wind still looks to get a foothold in California There may be a literal energy windfall off the coast of California but it is still unclear whether the federal government will give approval to specific sites and how long it will take before tall turbines are bobbing on the Pacific, sending electricity to customers across the Golden State.
	Researchers preserve and release trove of public, low-frequency radio data At AGU's Fall Meeting, the preeminent international Earth and space science meeting, researchers unveiled the world's largest database of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF)/Very Low Frequency (VLF) data. The open-access database is named WALDO, which stands for Worldwide Archive of Low-frequency Data and Observations. Researchers will be able to access nearly 1000 terabytes (TB) of data to further scientific efforts in fields like space weather, ionospheric remote sensing, earthquake forecasting, and subterranean prospecting. Space weather effects can produce anything from beautiful auroras in the night sky to destructive effects on power grids and satellites, so both scientists and engineers are motivated to understand them and ultimately predict them.
	Amazon lawsuit will not delay $10 bn JEDI contract: Pentagon The lawsuit filed by Amazon challenging a $10 billion US military cloud computing contract awarded to Microsoft will not delay implementation of the project, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.
	Project adapts basic tech to give voice to patients in Africa Some problems are best solved with new tech or a flashy app. But sometimes adapting existing technology works best of all.
	Facebook firm on message encryption despite pressure Facebook said Tuesday it plans to move ahead with strong encryption for all its messaging applications, claiming that allowing law enforcement special access would end up being "a gift to criminals, hackers and repressive regimes."
	George Laurer, inventor of ubiquitous UPC, dies at 94 George J. Laurer, whose invention of the Universal Product Code at IBM transformed retail and other industries around the world, has died. He was 94.
	Google celebrates the beloved Mexican card game Lotería with an interactive Doodle Google has added another interactive game to its search page.
	Nissan faces $22 million fine for misreporting Ghosn pay Nissan should be fined $22 million for filing documents that under-reported the compensation of former chief Carlos Ghosn, Japanese regulators recommended Tuesday, with troubled the firm saying it would not dispute the penalty.
	When a happy birthday wish on Facebook turns into a request for donations As if you needed another way for technology to feed guilt.
	All Bitcoin mining should be environmentally friendly The rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin has the potential to change how we view money. At the same time, governments and societies are worried that the anonymity of these cashless transactions could allow criminal activities to flourish. Another less remarked upon issue is the energy demands needed to mint new coins for these cryptocurrencies. A new report by Associate Professor Naoki Shibata of Nara Institute of Science and Technology presents a blockchain algorithm, which he calls "proof-of-search" (PoS), that retains the attractive features of most cryptocurrencies at a lower cost to the environment.
	US arrests three in alleged $722 mn cryptocurrency fraud US authorities arrested three men in an alleged fraud that raised $722 million from investors lured by fake bitcoin mining earnings, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Medicine & Health news

	Shaped like a cone: The configuration of 'virulence factors' that allow TB to invade the lungs The bacterial pathogen that causes tuberculosis is a master of deception, a king of clever tricks—an enemy agent that not only infiltrates but can become a long-term stowaway in patients' lungs.
	Calculating genetic links between diseases, without the genetic data Physicians use standard disease classifications based on symptoms or location in the body to help make diagnoses. These classifications, called nosologies, can help doctors understand which diseases are closely related, and thus may be caused by the same underlying issues or respond to the same treatments.
	Me, me, me! How narcissism changes throughout life For parents worried that their teenager's narcissism is out of control, there's hope. New research from Michigan State University conducted the longest study on narcissism to date, revealing how it changes over time.
	Dementia study reveals how proteins interact to stop brain signals Fresh insights into damaging proteins that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease could aid the quest for treatments.
	Personalized brain maps could improve treatment for Parkinson's disease, other neurological conditions People with severe Parkinson's disease or other neurological conditions that cause intractable symptoms such as uncontrollable shaking, muscle spasms, seizures, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are sometimes treated with electric stimulators placed inside the brain. Such stimulators are designed to interrupt aberrant signaling that causes the debilitating symptoms. The therapy, deep-brain stimulation, can provide relief to some people. But in others, it can cause side effects such as memory lapses, mood changes or loss of coordination, without much improvement of symptoms.
	Brain function irregular in children with type 1 diabetes, study says Children with Type 1 diabetes show subtle but important differences in brain function compared with those who don't have the disease, a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has shown.
	Young adults with ADHD are at higher risk for developing nicotine addiction People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to self-administer nicotine and report more pleasurable responses than people without the condition, according to a study by Duke Health researchers.
	Combination of microscopy techniques makes images twice as sharp Researchers at Delft University of Technology have combined two existing super-resolution microscopy techniques to create a new method. Many experts thought that combining these techniques was not technically possible. The new, combined method enables researchers to visualize the tiny components of living cells better than ever before. Among other things, this can lead to new insights for healthcare.
	Newly proposed model for shape of HIV-1 viral shell may change how we understand the disease The shell of the HIV-1 virus may have a different shape than previously thought, according to a new study by University of Alberta that has significant implications for understanding how the virus functions.
	'Lonely in a crowd' can reduce brain function Being lonely in a crowd is worse for cognitive function than being lonely and alone, according to new research by clinical psychology graduate Dr. Catherine Whitehouse.
	Modifier gene may explain why some with cystic fibrosis are less prone to infection Cystic fibrosis is caused by an inherited mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Due to this mutation, the CFTR protein doesn't embed in cell membranes to form a channel for chlorine ions the way it should. As a result, mucus-producing cells secrete a thicker-than-normal mucus that can create blockages in the lungs and digestive system. In the lungs, this thicker mucus can help bacteria thrive, making lung infections a serious and chronic problem for many people living with cystic fibrosis.
	Alzheimer's drug candidates reverse broader aging, study shows In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, the investigational drug candidates known as CMS121 and J147 improve memory and slow the degeneration of brain cells. Now, Salk researchers have shown how these compounds can also slow aging in healthy older mice, blocking the damage to brain cells that normally occurs during aging and restoring the levels of specific molecules to those seen in younger brains.
	Genetic brain disorder fixed in mice using precision epigenome editing Using a targeted gene epigenome editing approach in the developing mouse brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reversed one gene mutation that leads to the genetic disorder WAGR syndrome, which causes intellectual disability and obesity in people. This specific editing was unique in that it changed the epigenome—how the genes are regulated—without changing the actual genetic code of the gene being regulated.
	Study finds new factors linked to suicide First-of-its-kind study used machine learning and health data from the entire Danish population to create sex-specific suicide risk profiles, illuminating the complex mix of factors that may predict suicide.
	Women in Nepal still forced to sleep outside in 'menstruation huts' Despite being criminalised in 2018, an estimated 77% of girls in mid-Western Nepal are still being forced to sleep outside in "menstruation huts" during their period, according to a new study published today in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters.
	Common genetic link between autism and Tourette's impairs brain communication Lancaster University researchers have discovered, for the first time, how a genetic alteration that increases the risk of developing Autism and Tourette's impacts on the brain.
	Water births are as safe as land births for mom, baby: study A new study found that water births are no more risky than land births, and that women in the water group sustain fewer first and second-degree tears.
	Geneticists identify small molecules that are potential indicators for disease A critical question in medicine asks how individual variation in DNA can predict variation in health and disease. New research from the Clemson Center for Human Genetics identified hundreds of metabolites that might serve as intermediates to translate variation in the genome to variation in complex traits. Published recently in Genome Research, the findings could one day help doctors better monitor metabolite variation as an indicator for disease.
	Loneliness may be due to increasing aging population Despite some claims that Americans are in the midst of a "loneliness epidemic," older people today may not be any lonelier than their counterparts from previous generations—there just might be more of them, according to a pair of studies published by the American Psychological Association.
	Genetic variant largely found in patients of African descent associated with heart failure A genetic variant in the gene transthyretin (TTR)—which is found in about 3 percent of individuals of African ancestry—is a more significant cause of heart failure than previously believed, according to a multi-institution study led by researchers at Penn Medicine. The study also revealed that a disease caused by this genetic variant, called hereditary transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (hATTR-CM), is significantly under-recognized and underdiagnosed.
	Fresh red blood cell transfusions do not help critically ill children more than older cells Researchers have found that transfusions using fresh red blood cells—cells that have spent seven days or less in storage—are no more beneficial than older red blood cells in reducing the risk of organ failure or death in critically ill children. The findings, the researchers said, should reassure doctors that the standard practice of using older red cells is just as safe and effective in these children, who are among the sickest and most fragile of patients.
	Family matters in autism outcomes Cognition is influenced by siblings, researchers find. Autistic children with autistic siblings have better cognition than those who are the only family member with the condition, researchers have found. Importantly, the outcome does not depend on birth order.
	The empathy option: Digging into the science of how and why we choose to be empathetic You're flipping through the television channels when you hear the familiar beginning strains of a Sarah McLachlan song. You hastily click to the next channel, before the haunting images of homeless animals appear.
	Prescribers be aware of fatal risks of methadone and clozapine New Zealand prescribers should be aware of the high risk of death associated with two prescription medicines, methadone and clozapine, University of Otago researchers warn.
	Muscle weakness after sepsis linked to mitochondrial dysfunction Damage to energy-producing mitochondria may underlie prolonged muscle weakness following a sepsis-like condition in mice, according to a new study published today in eLife.
	Immunotherapy drug improves outcomes for some children with relapsed leukemia New findings from a clinical trial show that treatment with the immunotherapy drug blinatumomab is superior to standard chemotherapy for children and young adults with high- or intermediate-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) that has relapsed. Those treated with blinatumomab had longer survival, experienced fewer severe side effects, had a higher rate of undetectable residual disease, and were more likely to proceed to a stem cell transplant.
	Brain patterns can predict speech of words and syllables Neurons in the brain's motor cortex previously thought of as active mainly during hand and arm movements also light up during speech in a way that is similar to patterns of brain activity linked to these movements, suggest new findings published today in eLife.
	Middle-income countries are hardest hit by cardiovascular disease in Europe Middle-income countries shoulder the bulk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Europe, according to a major report published today in European Heart Journal, the flagship journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
	Antibiotic resistance is an even greater challenge in remote Indigenous communities Antibiotic-resistant infections already cause at least 700,000 deaths globally every year.
	Chronic pain, a silent yet devastating disease in the workplace In France, one person out of three suffers from chronic pain, including back, neck or neuropathic pain, sciatica and restless legs syndrome. According to academic research, 15 to 20% of the adult population suffers from mild to severe chronic pain. Long-term chronic pain can lead to disabilities, handicaps, and major alterations in people's quality of life.
	Harnessing the power of machine learning for earlier autism diagnosis When Grayson Kollins was two and a half years old—just shortly after the birth of his younger sister—his parents noticed that he had all but stopped uttering the sentences and phrases that up until then he had been using to communicate. In addition, his daycare provider mentioned that Grayson had begun repeating phrases over and over, and lacked interest in playing with other children.
	Planning for future care may be linked to longer survival in terminally ill patients Sharing preferences for end of life care, known as advance care planning, may be linked to longer survival in terminally ill patients, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
	Study finds probiotics help hayfever symptoms Griffith University research indicates that patients suffering from allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever, can specifically benefit from probiotic supplements.
	Common asbestos lung disease does not increase risk of lung cancer People who are diagnosed with the most common form of asbestos-related lung disease are not at an increased risk of developing lung cancer later in life, a new study led by Curtin University has found.
Researchers revise classification of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome Results from a study conducted by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Munich Leukemia Laboratory were presented today as a late-breaking abstract at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting. The study integrates genomic and transcriptomic sequencing to provide the most detailed classification of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to date.
	­­New findings on satiety signaling from intestine A previously unknown mechanism that suppresses satiety signals from the small intestine is the main finding of a new study. This may explain, first, satiety disorders in obesity and diabetes and, second, the prompt health effects of gastric bypass, a form of bariatric surgery.
	Using virtual reality, researcher tricks patients with intermittent arterial claudication into walking longer distances People with intermittent arterial claudication often experience severe pain when walking. Psychologist Anne Cuperus used virtual reality to trick 20 patients, and discovered that they could suddenly walk much further. Ph.D. defense on 10 December.
	Duration of diabetes history tied to higher short-term mortality risk In older adults, long-standing diabetes has a substantial and independent effect on short-term mortality, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in Diabetes Care.
	2012 to 2014 saw 41,185 U.S. patients with skin malignancy From 2012 to 2014, 41,185 patients with a diagnosis of skin malignancy of the head and neck region were identified, mostly with a diagnosis of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery.
	New cardiogenic shock staging system identifies mortality risk The new Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) cardiogenic shock (CS) classification scheme provides risk stratification for hospital mortality, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	'Warm' hotlines deliver help before mental health crisis heats up A lonely and anxious Rebecca Massie first called the Mental Health Association of San Francisco "warmline" during the 2015 winter holidays.
	Too many Canadians live with multiple chronic conditions, say researchers A lack of physical activity, a poor diet and too much stress are taking their toll on the health of Canadians, says a new UBC study.
	Lower BMI means lower diabetes risk, even among non-overweight people Lower body mass index (BMI) is consistently associated with reduced type II diabetes risk, among people with varied family history, genetic risk factors and weight, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Manuel Rivas of Stanford University, and colleagues.
	Breastfeeding may protect against postpartum relapses in MS (HealthDay)—Breastfeeding may be protective against postpartum relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review and meta-analysis published online Dec. 9 in JAMA Neurology.
	Model predicts six-month post-AMI mortality for older adults (HealthDay)—A newly developed model has good discriminatory ability for six-month post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Toy building boosts woodworker's stroke recovery Gary Lucas delights in making intricate wooden decorative pieces in his tidy workshop. He's particularly talented with his electric scroll saw, using its precision cuts to create crosses, puzzles, plaques and ornaments.
	Justified and unjustified movie violence evokes different brain responses, study finds The gun violence seen in popular PG-13 movies aimed at children and teenagers has more than doubled since the rating was introduced in 1984. The increasing on-screen gun violence has raised concerns that it will encourage imitation, especially when it is portrayed as "justified."
	A study demonstrates the efficiency of a screening strategy to detect liver diseases Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) and alcohol-related diseases (ALD) are currently the leading cause of chronic disease, cancer and mortality associated with this organ in developed countries.
	Huntington's Disease patients need better understanding of risks For patients with Huntington's disease (HD), clinical trials can offer hope when there are no treatments available despite unknowns about whether the therapy will work or is safe. A new study in the Journal of Huntington's Disease found that although the HD community appears highly optimistic about HD research, patients are at risk for therapeutic misconception. In order to allay patients' misgivings, investigators recommend improvements to patient-doctor communication to better convey trial goals, risks and benefits.
	Research group discovers role of two proteins in sight and preventing blinding eye diseases Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, Ph.D., Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has discovered unique patterns of genetic activity that may lead to the development of blinding retinal diseases. The results are published online in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) journal, BioAdvances.
	Probiotic yeast may offer an effective treatment for drug-resistant fungal infections A study by researchers in the United States and India has shown that probiotic yeasts derived from food are able to reduce the virulence of, and even prevent infections by, several types of fungi that are responsible for life-threatening infections in hospitalized and immune-compromised individuals, including the multi-drug resistant Candida auris, which was recently listed as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in its 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats report.
	Improvements needed for hepatitis C testing in youth A new study led by Boston Medical Center uncovered a need to improve testing rates for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in young people, specifically those with documented substance use history. In the national data sample, under 30 percent of young patients who reported using opioids, methamphetamine, and/or cocaine were tested for HCV. Given the increased incidence of HCV in the US, especially among young people, fueled by the opioid epidemic, the study highlights the importance of ensuring that clinicians better screen and test younger patients for HCV when they present with risk factors, as well as connect those found to have current infection to treatment.
	Federal disability payments encourage more family caregiving, study finds Federal disability benefits can lead to increases in other support for beneficiaries, such as in-kind assistance from adult children, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
	Drug combination shows promise in preclinical models of triple negative breast cancer Tumor volume in a preclinical model of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) was reduced four times more when an experimental polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitor was combined with a standard-of-care chemotherapeutic agent than when the agent was used alone. Hollings Cancer Center scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina reported these findings in PLOS ONE.
	Research looks at side effects for pediatric medications Sometimes, the medications needed to function and live a quality life cause side effects that can make life quite uncomfortable.
	New insights into the effect of aging on cardiovascular disease Aging adults are more likely to have—and die from—cardiovascular disease than their younger counterparts. New basic science research finds reason to link biological aging to the development of narrowed, hardened arteries, independent of other risk factors like high cholesterol.
	Smoking cessation treatment targets adolescents Preventable deaths are those that can be stymied by public health intervention, and deaths related to tobacco use are at the top of that list in the United States as well as globally.
	Accessing medical records improve patients care—but only 10% of patients do so Despite the numerous benefits associated with patients accessing their medical records, a study by a new Portland State University professor found only 10% of patients utilize the resource.
	Brain differences may be tied to obesity, kids' study says New results from the largest long-term study of brain development and children's health raise provocative questions about obesity and brain function.
	Specialized immune cells could help repair inflammatory bowel disease damage in children A new study suggests that specialized immune cells that dampen inflammation and help repair the gut could be used as a potential therapy for children dealing with the painful symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
	Have you found meaning in life? Answer determines health and well-being Over the last three decades, meaning in life has emerged as an important question in medical research, especially in the context of an aging population. A recent study by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that the presence of and search for meaning in life are important for health and well-being, though the relationships differ in adults younger and older than age 60.
	Children much more likely to die after surgery in poor countries Children in low resourced countries are 100-200 times more likely to die after surgery than children in wealthy countries, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in Anesthesiology.
	'Diabetes burnout' is real, here's how to cope (HealthDay)—Living with diabetes—especially if you need insulin to survive—is a never-ending job that can be life-threatening if done wrong. That constant daily stress can lead to "diabetes burnout," a new study says.
Natural toxins in the global food supply threaten the health of underprivileged communities Naturally occurring chemicals in the global food supply are known to pose a burden on worldwide health. New studies have found that a certain foodborne toxin, in addition to its known health effects, is also linked to vaccine resistance, and for the first time the global burden of disease from foodborne arsenic, lead, cadmium, and methyl mercury has been quantified. The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) will present new studies as part of its Global Disease Burden Caused by Foodborne Chemicals and Toxins symposium on Monday, Dec. 9 as part of its 2019 Annual Meeting at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. This symposium will provide updates to a 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) publication which analyzed the disease burdens caused by these toxins.
Pharmacy assessment of penicillin allergies finds safe, less-expensive options A pharmacy-driven assessment found more than half of patients with reported penicillin allergies were able to take antibiotics from the same drug class rather than resorting to substitutes that may be more costly, have more side effects and have other downsides, according to research presented at the ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) 54th Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition. The substitution saved one hospital nearly $21,500 by switching 43 patients in just three months.
	Experimental leukemia combination proves toxic for older, frail patients About 32 percent of older, sicker patients enrolled on a leukemia clinical trial experienced serious side effects from a treatment that combined a chemotherapy and an immunotherapy drug, leading investigators to pause the trial and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to eventually pull the combination from the current study.
	Extending HPV vaccination ages would produce relatively small health benefits A health economic model suggests that extending the U.S. human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program to include women and men through age 45 would produce relatively small health benefits compared with the current immunization program. Findings from a modeling study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
	Combination therapy results in 98% response rate for some newly diagnosed leukemia patients A study led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center showed that treatment combining lower doses of chemotherapy with the monoclonal antibody inotuzumab ozogamicin (INO), with or without the drug blinatumomab, is safe and effective in patients over 60 years of age who were newly diagnosed with a high-risk form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) known as Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL.
	Lactobacillus balances gut microbiome and improves chronic-alcohol-induced liver injury Researchers demonstrated that Lactobacillus rhamnosus can dose-dependently reestablish a balanced intestinal microbiome and counter the liver-damaging effects of alcohol consumption in mice to reverse the results of chronic alcohol-induced liver injury. The design, results, and implications of this new study are published in Journal of Medicinal Food.
	Castration of men was based on knowledge of the female body Many men know that benign prostate enlargement can affect their quality of life. The prostate, normally the size of a walnut, can swell up, causing pain and a need to urinate frequently. Today there is a range of treatment methods, but in the past it was different. In her thesis, Elin Björk investigates the treatment method that was prevalent from the late 19th century to the early 20th century: castration. In castration, the testicles are removed in order to address problems relating to prostate enlargement. But the risk of complications after the operation was high.
	New guideline on radiation therapy for basal, squamous cell skin cancers A new clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) provides recommendations on the use of radiation therapy to treat patients diagnosed with the most common types of skin cancers. The guideline details when radiation treatments are appropriate as stand-alone therapy or following surgery for basal and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (BCC, cSCC), and it suggests dosing and fractionation for these treatments. The executive summary and full-text version of ASTRO's first guideline for skin cancer are published online in Practical Radiation Oncology.
	Migraine prevention in children and adolescents Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, published the article entitled "Cinnarizine and sodium valproate as the preventive agents of pediatric migraine: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial", by Man Amanat, and Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Biology news

	A new way to regulate gene expression Sometimes, unexpected research results are simply due to experimental error. Other times, it's the opposite—the scientists have uncovered a new phenomenon that reveals an even more accurate portrayal of our bodies and our universe, overturning well-established assumptions. Indeed, many great biological discoveries are made when results defy expectation.
	New tool predicts three-dimensional organization of human chromosomes University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have developed a computational tool that can accurately predict the three-dimensional interactions between regions of human chromosomes.
	So-called junk DNA hides useful compounds Bio-Protection Research Centre scientists and collaborators have made a discovery that potentially opens the door to new medicines and biological pesticides.
	Researchers discover new viral strategy to escape detection University of Otago researchers have discovered how viruses that specifically kill bacteria can outwit the bacteria by hiding from their defences, findings which are important for the development of new antimicrobials based on viruses and provide a significant advance in biological knowledge.
	Key to helping southern sea otter is in repopulating estuaries such as San Francisco Bay The picture of sea otters frolicking among kelp beds and rocky shoals has become an iconic image of the California coastline. But it may be drawing attention away from the value of other habitat that could truly help the endangered species in its recovery—estuaries.
	What blocks bird flu in human cells? Normally, bird flu viruses do not spread easily from person to person. But if this does happen, it could trigger a pandemic. Researchers from the MDC and RKI have now explained in the journal Nature Communications what makes the leap from animals to humans less likely.
Brazil milks deadly snakes for their life-saving venom Gripping the deadly snake behind its jaws, Fabiola de Souza massages its venom glands to squeeze out drops that will save lives around Brazil where thousands of people are bitten every year.
	Revered by Aztecs, Mexican hairless dog in style again in hipster era At a stately museum in Mexico City, priceless paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera share pride of place with an unruly pack of hairless black dogs: Mexico's prized xoloitzcuintle.
	Spying on hippos with drones to help conservation efforts A new UNSW study has shown that using a drone to film hippos in Africa is an effective, affordable tool for conservationists to monitor the threatened species' population from a safe distance, particularly in remote and aquatic areas.
	To save koalas from fire, we need to start putting their genetic material on ice Thousands of koalas may have died in fires burning through New South Wales but expert evidence to a state parliamentary inquiry on Monday said we are unlikely to ever know the real numbers.
	Experts puzzled as 10-foot great white shark stays a month in one spot off East Coast Great white sharks are known for racing past the Mid-Atlantic states to get someplace else, so experts pay attention in rare cases when one not only stops, but stays put.
	Scientists discover a novel method to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria We humans are constantly battling with bacteria and other microbes. In this war against the microbial world, we added antibiotics our arsenal in the early 1920s. Suddenly, fighting off infections became so easy that we thought we had won the war.
	Oxygen shaped the evolution of the eye Convergent origins of new mechanisms to supply oxygen to the retina were directly linked to concurrent enhancements in the functional anatomy of the eye.
	Research explores how grape pests sniff out berries Female grape berry moths are the biggest insect threat to wine grapes in the eastern U.S. The moths lay their eggs on grapes and, once hatched, the larvae penetrate the skin, then eat and damage the fruit. But no one is quite sure how the moths home in on berries from the wider landscape.
	Researchers show how opportunistic bacterium defeats competitors Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have described a system present in a species of opportunistic bacterium found in hospital environments that injects a cocktail of toxins into competing bacteria and completely eliminates them. This discovery can be used in the future development of new antimicrobial compounds.
	Gut feeling: A network approach towards understanding IBD Diseases of the gut are often notoriously difficult to diagnose, nevermind understand, which is where a network-based approach comes in. Rather than trying to understand individual symptoms, or the role of individual genes, we can use computational methods to get that deeper understanding—looking at how genes work together in complex systems, and how these fail in a disease.

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