Fwd: Science X Newsletter Monday, May 8

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From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Tue, May 9, 2017 at 12:30 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Monday, May 8
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for May 8, 2017:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Innovation dilemma suggests that 'better' models are not always better

Study suggests human brain optimally weights information during learning

Chemical engineers explain oxygen mystery on comets

Two new Saturn-mass exoplanets discovered

Best of Last Week – Saturn's 'The Big Empty', a clue to where cancer metastases start and a pill that simulates exercise

Using deep learning to read images being processed in the brain

Cassini probe finds vast void between Saturn's rings

Researchers discuss findings on tracking smartphone user habits, activities with ultrasonic beacons

Spotlight on robotic system for bridge inspection

Military orbiter's landing rattles Florida with sonic boom (Update)

Team develops smartwatch with all the moves

Insecticide-resistant flies 'rubbish' at courting females

Study points to new approach to battling infections

A slingshot to shoot drugs onto the site of an infection

Traumatic brain injuries may be helped with drug used to treat bipolar disorder

Nanotechnology news

	X-ray imaging and computer modeling help map electric properties of nanomaterials With the tap of your finger, your tablet comes to life – thanks to tiny force sensors and accelerometers that contain piezoelectric materials.
	Scientists find nanogaps in plasmonic gold wires enhance voltage when excited  If they're quick about it, "hot" electrons excited in a plasmonic metal can tunnel their way across a nanoscale gap to a neighboring metal. Rice University scientists said the cool part is what happens in the gap.
	Semiconductors as decal stickers No more error-prone evaporation deposition, drop casting or printing: Scientists at LMU Munich and FSU Jena have developed organic semiconductor nanosheets, which can easily be removed from a growth substrate and placed on other substrates.
	Chemically tailored graphene Graphene is considered as one of the most promising new materials. However, the systematic insertion of chemically bound atoms and molecules to control its properties is still a major challenge. Now, for the first time, scientists of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, the University of Vienna, the Freie Universität Berlin and the University Yachay Tech in Ecuador succeeded in precisely verifying the spectral fingerprint of such compounds in both theory and experiment. Their results are published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Physics news

	Researchers demonstrated violation of Bell's inequality on frequency-bin entangled photon pairs Quantum entanglement, one of the most intriguing features of multi-particle quantum systems, has become a fundamental building block in both quantum information processing and quantum computation. If two particles are entangled, no matter how far away they are separated, quantum mechanics predicts that measurement of one particle leads to instantaneous wave-function collapse of the other particle.
	Space radiation reproduced in the lab for better, safer missions Man-made space radiation has been produced in research led by the University of Strathclyde, which could help to make space exploration safer, more reliable and more extensive.
	A way to laser print colors that will not fade using tiny columns (Phys.org)—A team of researchers at the Technical University of Denmark has developed a way to print colors onto a surface without using ink and which will not fade. In their paper published in the open-access journal Sciences Advances, the group describes the inspiration for their approach, how it works, their results and the one thing they still need to solve before their technique can be industrialized.
Five ways quantum computing will change the way we think about computing While technologies that currently run on classical computers, such as Watson, can help find patterns and insights buried in vast amounts of existing data, quantum computers will deliver solutions to important problems where patterns cannot be seen because the data doesn't exist and the possibilities that you need to explore to get to the answer are too enormous to ever be processed by classical computers.
	Researcher employs HFIR to explore the mysterious world of quantum spin Jie Ma, a professor from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, is using neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor to discover a three-dimensional image of the magnetic lattice of an oxide material (Ba2CoTeO6) containing quantum properties that could provide new insight into how electron "spins" can improve data processing and storage in computers.
	Refrigerator for quantum computers discovered The global race towards a functioning quantum computer is on. With future quantum computers, we will be able to solve previously impossible problems and develop, for example, complex medicines, fertilizers, or artificial intelligence.
	Unpolarized single-photon generation with true randomness from diamond The Tohoku University research group of Professor Keiichi Edamatsu and Postdoctoral fellow Naofumi Abe has demonstrated dynamically and statically unpolarized single-photon generation using diamond. This result is expected to play a crucial role in hardware random number generation using single photons (quantum dice or quantum coin toss), quantum cryptography and the testing of fundamental problems in quantum mechanics.
	Speedy X-ray detector arrives at NSLS-II The National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), a DOE Office of Science User Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, is a truly international resource. Geoscientists from Australia and France recently trekked across the globe to aim NSLS-II's tiny, intense beams of x-ray light at thin samples of nickel-rich mineral gathered from a mine in far-off Siberia. They scanned these slices of geological material to see what other chemical elements were associated with the nickel. The group also examined slices of minerals grown in a lab, and compared results from the two sample suites to learn how massive metal deposits form.
	First underwater carpet cloak realized with metamaterial Researchers at the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have designed and fabricated an underwater acoustic carpet cloak using transformation acoustics, a scientific first. The research was published online in Scientific Reports on April 6.

Earth news

	Too soon to say if climate is changing cloud heights A new analysis of 15 years of NASA satellite cloud measurements finds that clouds worldwide show no definitive trend during this period toward decreasing or increasing in height. The new study updates an earlier analysis of the first 10 years of the same data that suggested cloud heights might be getting lower.
	Earth was barren, flat and almost entirely under water 4.4 billion years ago Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) say the early Earth was likely to be barren, flat and almost entirely under water with a few small islands, following their analysis of tiny mineral grains as old as 4.4 billion years.
	Paris 1.5 C target may be smashed by 2026 Melbourne: Global temperatures could break through the 1.5°C barrier negotiated at the Paris conference as early as 2026 if a slow-moving, natural climate driver known as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) has, as suspected, moved into a positive phase.
	Climate science: Bad news gets worse As UN negotiators meet in Bonn to thrash out rules for implementing the climate-rescue Paris Agreement, the stakes have never been higher.
	Trump anti-climate ghost hangs over UN meeting For the first time since Donald Trump's ascent to the White House, UN negotiators gather next week to draft rules to take forward the climate-rescue Paris Agreement he has threatened to abandon.
	Guatemala volcano eruption subsides after hasty evacuations Activity at a volcano near Guatemala's capital went back to normal on Saturday, officials said, a day after 300 people were evacuated as it spat hot ash high into the air.
	Mozambique's gas boom dream under threat The small, palm-fringed fishing town of Palma was meant to become a symbol of Mozambique's glittering future, transformed by one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas projects.
	Battered Earth revived by mineral weathering after mass extinction Earth's bedrock was severely beaten by hothouse climate conditions during one of the planet's mass extinctions some 200 million years ago. But the process also allowed life to bounce back.
	Wide-ranging recommendations for mitigating the grave effects of climate change on human health A farmworker dies in 109-degree heat in a lemon orchard in California, in 2015. In Missouri, hospitalizations for heat-related illnesses skyrocket in 2006, a year of unusually high temperatures.
	Plastics—not simply garbage For good reason, plastics are found in almost everything that makes our lives easier – computers, cars and, of course, packaging. However, because it is so stable, and often not disposed of properly, more and more plastic refuse is gathering in the oceans. To explore the risk presented by plastics and possible alternatives, Frederik Wurm and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz are taking part in the PlastX project.
	Is China to blame for the global avocado shortage? Recent media reports of an avocado shortage have hipsters and foodies horrified the world over. Prices are at a record high as a result of a classic supply and demand situation. Harvests from major producers in Mexico, Peru and California, have been poor, which has reduced supply. Meanwhile, demand has surged. And not just in the affluent West, Chinese consumers are developing an insatiable taste for them too.
	Tillage farming damaging earthworm populations, say scientists The digging, stirring and overturning of soil by conventional ploughing in tillage farming is severely damaging earthworm populations around the world, say scientists.
Report: Chesapeake Bay health improves, but long way to go Boosted by stronger fish populations, the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay improved some last year, but Monday's annual report card for the nation's largest estuary says there's still a long way to go.
	In measuring gas exchange between water and air, size matters Ponds and lakes play a significant role in the global carbon cycle, and are often net emitters of carbon gases to the atmosphere. However, the rate at which gases move across the air-water boundary is not well quantified, particularly for small ponds.
	Huge sinkholes are now appearing in the wrong places Dora Linda Nishihara was driving in San Antonio one dark evening in early December when she suddenly disappeared from sight. Later, her car, with her body inside, was found at the bottom of a 12-foot-deep water-filled sinkhole that had swallowed the road ahead of her.
	Near record amount of April showers drench US last month That whole April showers thing went a bit overboard last month in the United States.
	Highlights of the Paris Agreement On Dec. 12, 2015, 195 countries gathered in the French capital to conclude the world's first universal climate treaty, the Paris Agreement, aimed at preventing worst-case scenarios for global warming.
	Warren Buffett says coal won't make a comeback Billionaire investor Warren Buffett on Saturday said he doubted coal could make a comeback, dismissing a push by US President Donald Trump to revive the declining American industry.
	Climate talks under shadow of Trump threats US President Donald Trump's threats to pull America out of the climate-rescue Paris Agreement is expected to cast a long shadow over UN talks starting Monday to work on the nuts and bolts of the deal.
	The glaciers are going As can be seen above, the Waggonwaybreen glacier in Svalbard, Norway, has retreated substantially since 1900. Svalbard's glaciers are not only retreating, they are also losing about two feet of their thickness each year. Glaciers around the world have retreated at unprecedented rates and some have disappeared altogether. The melting of glaciers will affect people around the world, their drinking water supplies, water needed to grow food and supply energy, as well as global sea levels.
Driest April for 35 years, dullest for 20 years Armagh Observatory reports that April 2017 was much drier than average, and slightly warmer and much duller. This was the driest April at Armagh for 35 years and the sixth-driest April at Armagh since rainfall records began in 1838. It was also the dullest April at Armagh for 20 years. Following a very dry autumn 2016 and winter 2016/2017, this year has seen the driest 8-month period, September through April, at Armagh for 83 years, and the driest August through April 9-month period for the same time.
	Pasture management and riparian buffers reduce erosion Sediment is the number one pollutant in U.S. waterways. Over grazing can increase soil erosion from pastures as well as sediment loading into aquatic systems. Grazing management and buffer strips may reduce erosion, however, few studies evaluating these practices have been reported.
	UN climate talks begin amid uncertainty over US position Despite uncertainties about whether the United States will remain committed to the Paris climate accord under President Donald Trump, envoys convened talks Monday in Germany on implementing the details of the deal to combat global warming.
	NASA spots powerful Tropical Cyclone between Vanuatu and New Caledonia Tropical Cyclone Donna continues to move through the South Pacific Ocean as a major hurricane. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the storm and captured an image of a clear eye as the storm was located between the island nations of Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The GPM satellite found that the powerful hurricane was generating very high amounts of rainfall.
	Canada flood damage worsens but heavy rains subsiding The toll from severe flooding in eastern Canada worsened Monday with thousands of people affected and schools closed, but authorities were optimistic that rising water levels would soon crest.
Trump administration hollows out EPA science integrity board The Trump administration will not reappoint half the expert members of a board that advises the Environmental Protection Agency on the integrity of its science, the latest in a series of moves that could benefit industries whose pollution the government regulates.

Astronomy & Space news

	Chemical engineers explain oxygen mystery on comets A Caltech chemical engineer who normally develops new ways to fabricate microprocessors in computers has figured out how to explain a nagging mystery in space—why comets expel oxygen gas, the same gas we humans breathe.
	Two new Saturn-mass exoplanets discovered (Phys.org)—An international team of astronomers has detected two new giant alien worlds circling distant stars. The newly found planets are estimated to be as massive as Saturn and are orbiting M dwarfs beyond the snow line. The findings were presented May 2 in a paper published online on the arXiv pre-print server.
	Cassini probe finds vast void between Saturn's rings The unmanned Cassini spacecraft, after completing two passes in the vast, unexplored area between Saturn's rings has discovered not much else there, researchers at NASA said.
	Military orbiter's landing rattles Florida with sonic boom (Update) U.S. military officials say an unmanned spacecraft orbiting Earth since May 2015 has landed in Florida.
	Galactic winds slow new star formation Scientists have created computer simulations of events soon after the Big Bang to better understand how stars today are being formed.
	Space weather model simulates solar storms from nowhere Our ever-changing sun continuously shoots solar material into space. The grandest such events are massive clouds that erupt from the sun, called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. These solar storms often come first with some kind of warning—the bright flash of a flare, a burst of heat or a flurry of solar energetic particles. But another kind of storm has puzzled scientists for its lack of typical warning signs: They seem to come from nowhere, and scientists call them stealth CMEs.
	Test site for ESA-backed airbreathing engine Work began today on building the UK's latest rocket engine test facility, designed for firing the engine core of the ESA-backed SABRE propulsion system within three years.
	Image: Looking into the Cheops telescope tube Seen here is a Cheops team member reflected in the satellite's main mirror, and framed by the black internal surface of the telescope tube. The back of the secondary mirror is seen at the centre of the image, held in place by three struts.
	James Webb Space Telescope arrives at NASA's Johnson Space Center NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where it will undergo its last cryogenic test before it is launched into space in 2018.
	SpaceX details plans to launch thousands of internet satellites SpaceX and Tesla-founder Elon Musk has made some rather bold promises over the years. In addition to building a fleet of reusable rockets, an Interplanetary Transport System, colonizing Mars, and revolutionizing transportation, he has also made it clear that he hopes to provide worldwide broadband access by deploying a "constellation" of internet-providing satellites.
	Does Jupiter have a solid core? The gas giants have always been a mystery to us. Due their dense and swirling clouds, it is impossible to get a good look inside them and determine their true structure. Given their distance from Earth, it is time-consuming and expensive to send spacecraft to them, making survey missions few and far between. And due to their intense radiation and strong gravity, any mission that attempts to study them has to be do so carefully.

Technology news

	Using deep learning to read images being processed in the brain (Tech Xplore)—A team of researchers from several institutions in China has applied deep learning by a computer to the problem of reading visual imagery in the brain and then reproduced it in a 2-D format. A paper describing their project is available on the arXiv preprint server, describing their results and comparing them with other research efforts that attempt to achieve the same thing.
	Researchers discuss findings on tracking smartphone user habits, activities with ultrasonic beacons (Tech Xplore)—Are some Android mobile applications listening surreptitiously for ultrasonic beacons embedded in audio? Are they being used to track users and present targeted advertising?
	Spotlight on robotic system for bridge inspection (Tech Xplore)—Nothing lasts forever as the saying goes and that pretty much pertains to our bridges. Deterioration is a problem. Materials age, and the environment contributes its share of wear and tear. In some cases there may also be a problem of inadequate maintenance.
	Team develops smartwatch with all the moves In an effort to make digital smartwatches more convenient for their users, researchers at Dartmouth College and the University of Waterloo have produced a prototype watch face that moves in five different directions.
	Fabrication technology in the fourth dimension Scientists use the term 4-D printing to refer to the simple production of objects that can transform their shape at different times. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now taken this approach one major step further by developing a construction principle that can produce load-bearing and predictable structures.
	Installing solar to combat national security risks in the power grid Distributed microgrid tech can secure the electrical grids at military bases to reduce the impact of cyberattacks, physical attacks from terrorists and natural disasters.
	Researchers unveil new password meter that will change how users make passwords One of the most popular passwords in 2016 was "qwertyuiop," even though most password meters will tell you how weak that is. The problem is no existing meters offer any good advice to make it better—until now.
	Researchers create touchpads with a can of spray paint Touch sensing is most common on small, flat surfaces such as smartphone or tablet screens. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, however, can turn surfaces of a wide variety of shapes and sizes into touchpads using tools as simple as a can of spray paint.
	Scientists in India turn to fruit in seeking path to low-cost solar cells (Tech Xplore)—Could a fruit in India—long known for its nutritional and medicinal value—and often sold at a low price on pavements and at traffic junctions—-make solar cells cheaper and more efficient?
	Dutch open 'world's largest offshore' wind farm Dutch officials on Monday opened what is being billed as one of the world's largest offshore wind farms, with 150 turbines spinning in action far out in the North Sea.
	Ditch the Stradivarius? New violins sound better: study Despite the lofty reputation of old violins by Italian masters such as Antonio Stradivari, blindfolded listeners in concert halls in New York and Paris say they preferred the sound of newer instruments.
	Expert rock climbing routes recreated indoors using 3-D modeling and digital fabrication Through a combination of 3-D modeling, digital fabrication and other techniques, a Dartmouth-led research team has replicated sections of popular, outdoor rock climbing routes on an indoor climbing wall. The study demonstrates how these technologies can be used strategically to reproduce large-scale environments by considering how users interact with such sites. The study may be the first of its kind.
Early-morning tweet and 'farmer talk' leads to Microsoft-Mojang deal Microsoft's acquisition of "Minecraft" began with a tweet and a text.
China's WeChat blocked in Russia Chinese internet giant Tencent said Saturday its messaging app WeChat had been blocked in Russia, adding it was in touch with authorities to resolve the issue.
	After ban, Turkish Airlines to offer laptops to VIP travellers Turkish Airlines on Saturday said it would offer laptops to business-class travellers after Britain and the United States banned large electronic devices from the cabin of flights from certain countries.
	Zcash, the virtual money making its mark Zcash, the latest virtual currency, has been a smash success since its launch seven months ago, drawing in new users with promises of unrivaled privacy protection.
Sinclair close to buying rival TV operator Tribune Telecommunications company Sinclair Broadcast Group is close to an agreement to buy rival TV station operator Tribune Media.
	Report finds that community choice aggregators provide a competitive alternative for electricity consumers After decades of dominance by electricity monopolies, California is experiencing the emergence of community choice aggregators, a new type of utility that provides cities and counties the opportunity to choose what kinds of energy to purchase for their needs.
'Inoculation' messages prevent spread of fake news An international team of researchers has demonstrated how people can be 'inoculated' against misinformation and fake news on topical issues such as climate change.
	The future of flying cars: science fact or science fiction? Uber has shaken up the taxi industry and is trying to put driverless cars on our roads. Now the company aims to have flying ride-sharing vehicles in our skies by 2020.
	The crest of waveforms for next-gen radar A new method for shaping the waveform generated by multi-antenna radar systems is inexpensive and practical.
Consumers are willing to pay $4,900 extra for a car that drives itself The average consumer would be willing to pay $4,900 more for a car that had self-driving technologies, and $3,500 more for crash avoidance, according to a new study published in Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies.
	Drivers are slower to respond to emergencies in semi-automated cars Drivers respond to emergencies more slowly and severely in semi-automated cars, according to a new study in the Journal of Safety Research. The authors of the study, from Clemson University in the US, say we will need new ways of assessing whether drivers are safe behind the wheel to keep up with the technology.
	When electric vehicles crash, what happens to the battery? Safety, range and costs—these are the three big premises of electromobility. Safety definitely comes first. Lithium-based traction batteries are usually completely enclosed in the battery case and integrated in the vehicle to protect the battery from all conceivable stresses and external influences. This "armour" has an effect on construction, weight, size and overall design of the vehicle.
	Facebook removes accounts in fight against fake news Facebook says it has deleted tens of thousands of accounts in Britain ahead of the June 8 general election in a drive to battle fake news.
	Amazon leads surging connected speakers market: survey Amazon has grabbed more than two-thirds of the fast-growing market in the US for connected speakers with its family of Alexa-powered Echo devices, a survey showed Monday.
	Physical keyboards make virtual reality typing easier Cranking out text is an integral part of our digital lives, but it's a field of research that has a surprising lack of emphasis in virtual reality (VR) development.
	Cornell CIS and Adobe collaboration creates artificial intelligence photo tool There may a new cool tool for image editing software in the future. If you're a fan of making your photo into a Monet or Warhol, there's now a way to make changes to a photograph by transferring the style and other elements from another photograph.
	Suicide online: Facebook aims to save lives with new actions The alarming video on Facebook Live of a Georgia teenager livestreaming her own suicide attempt stayed up long enough to help sheriff's deputies save her.
Uber setting up artificial intelligence lab in Toronto Uber is setting up a lab in Toronto to develop artificial intelligence needed for autonomous cars to recognize objects so they can travel safely.
	Austrian court: Facebook must delete hate postings worldwide An Austrian court has ruled that Facebook must delete hate speech postings worldwide and that Austrian law can be applied to lawsuits against the social media website.
	Opportunities to improve Dunedin's energy efficiency Dunedin residents are still far from efficient with their use of energy, a University of Otago Centre for Sustainability study says.
	Opinion: Technology, once thought the enabler of democracy, is threatening to kill it off Democracy has entered a new phase marked by hacking by foreign states and fake stories shared on social media aimed at damaging political parties. The social media companies have so far been mostly incapable, or unwilling, to do anything about the fact that a large part of the dissemination of this "fake news" has been through automated software programs posting on Twitter.
	Disguising small wind turbines The visual impact of small wind turbines in an urban area can be a source of concerns. It's up to developers to find smart ideas and designs to integrate them into communities – and to convince locals that they're the way forward
	Comcast, Charter to work together to rival wireless carriers Comcast and Charter have agreed to cooperate on upcoming cellphone services as both cable companies face growing threats from national wireless carriers such as AT&T and Verizon.
	General Electric breaks ground at new Boston site General Electric took another step in its digital transformation Monday, breaking ground on its new Boston headquarters and promising to help transform the state's economy.

Chemistry news

	A slingshot to shoot drugs onto the site of an infection An international team of researchers from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Montreal has reported, in a paper published this week in Nature Communications, the design and synthesis of a nanoscale molecular slingshot made of DNA that is 20,000 times smaller than a human hair. This molecular slingshot could "shoot" and deliver drugs at precise locations in the human body once triggered by specific disease markers.
	Lab-scale technology recycles wastewater into hydrogen for use in fuel production "Electrical" bacteria are the key ingredient in a new process developed by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory that recycles wastewater from biofuel production to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used to convert bio-oil into higher grade liquid fuels such as gasoline or diesel.
	Generating power from polluted air Researchers from the University of Antwerp and KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium, have developed a process that purifies air, and at the same time, generates power. The device must only be exposed to light in order to function.
	New plutonium discovery lights way to clean up nuclear waste Plutonium has long been part of many countries' nuclear energy strategies, but scientists are still unlocking the mysteries behind this complicated element and seeing how they can use heavier, nuclear elements to clean up nuclear waste.
	New water filtration process uses 1,000 times less energy A new process for water filtration using carbon dioxide consumes one thousand times less energy than conventional methods, scientific research published recently has shown.
	Bird feathers inspire researchers to produce vibrant new colors A Nagoya University-led research team mimics the rich color of bird plumage and demonstrates new ways to control how light interacts with materials.
	New way to detect ecstasy discovered While building molecular machines, researchers stumbled upon a new method to detect ecstasy. The discovery can lead to more reliable drug tests.
	Scientists watch fat metabolism in live fish, observe real-time lipid biochemistry Studying how our bodies metabolize lipids such as fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesterol can teach us about cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health problems, as well as reveal basic cellular functions. But the process of studying what happens to lipids after being consumed has been both technologically difficult and expensive to accomplish until now.
Ancient proteins studied in detail How did protein interactions arise and how have they developed? In a new study, researchers have looked at two proteins which began co-evolving between 400 and 600 million years ago. What did they look like? How did they work, and how have they changed over time? The findings, published in eLife, show how a combination of changes in the proteins' properties created better conditions for the regulation of a cellular process.
Lubing up industry, the natural way Sesame oil might make a viable and sustainable alternative to mineral oil as an industrial lubricant, according to research published in the International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology.

Biology news

	Insecticide-resistant flies 'rubbish' at courting females Insecticide resistance sounds like a superpower for the average male fruit fly—but there's a catch.
	Birds choose their neighbours based on personality Birds of a feather nest together, according to a new study which has found that male great tits (Parus major) choose neighbours with similar personalities to their own.
	Manufacturing technique can make proteins less effective Biopharma and food businesses working with proteins now have access to better information about how a type of fluid flow used in manufacturing processes can affect the quality of their products.
	Global warming kills gut bacteria in lizards Climate change could threaten reptiles by reducing the number of bacteria living in their guts, new research suggests.
	The evolutionary story of birch, told through 80 genomes Forests of silver birch stretch across Europe, and they are a wonder to behold: stands of slender, white-barked trees sheltering vast swathes of earth.
	Changes in Early Stone Age tool production have 'musical' ties New research suggests that advances in the production of Early Stone Age tools had less to do with the evolution of language and more to do with the brain networks involved in modern piano playing.
	Finding a new major gene expression regulator in fungi Just four letters—A, C, T, and G—make up an organism's genetic code. Changing a single letter, or base, can lead to changes in protein structures and functions, impacting an organism's traits. In addition, though, subtler changes can and do happen, involving modifications of the DNA bases themselves. The best-known example of this kind of change is a methylation of the base cytosine at the 5th position on its carbon ring (5mC). In eukaryotes, a less-well known modification involves adding a methyl group to base 6 of adenine (6mA).
	Reversing pest resistance to biotech cotton: The secret is in the mix Insect pests that are rapidly adapting to genetically engineered crops threaten agriculture worldwide. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals the success of a surprising strategy for countering this problem: Hybridizing genetically engineered cotton with conventional cotton reduced resistance in the pink bollworm, a voracious global pest.
	Team unveils dual-channel biological function generator Rice University bioengineers who specialize in creating tools for synthetic biology have unveiled the latest version of their "biofunction generator and "bioscilloscope," an optogenetic platform that uses light to activate and study two biological circuits at a time.
	The effects of certain landscape characteristics on insecticide use depend on context and crop type Over the past half century, food production has intensified to meet the growing demand. And as agricultural fields have become ever larger, more pesticides are required to enhance yield.
	Microscopic soil creatures could orchestrate massive tree migrations Warming temperatures are prompting some tree species in the Rocky Mountains to "migrate" to higher elevations in order to survive.
	Strawberry scientist is sued over the fruits of his research Plant scientist Douglas Shaw spent his career toiling in the fields in California to grow the perfect strawberry, one that was plump and bright red yet remained sweet even after the long trip to grocery stores across the country.
NY museum invites people to bring in their mystery specimens New York's American Museum of Natural History has an intriguing proposition: Bring in anything you have and don't know what it is, and scientists will try to identify it.
	France bans captive breeding of dolphins, killer whales France on Saturday banned the breeding in captivity of dolphins and killer whales under tighter rules that campaigners hope will eventually herald the end of shows involving the animals.
Sharks are thriving in Southern California but dying in the San Francisco Bay, experts say The California coast is teeming with young sharks, as warming waters and abundant food have created the ideal conditions for feeding, according to experts.
	Researchers seek better ways to farm popular Pacific fish The dark gray fish prized for its buttery flavor live deep in the ocean, so researchers keep their lab cold and dark to simulate ideal conditions for sablefish larvae.
	Sharks: How a cull could ruin an ecosystem An Australian summer rarely passes without another chilling headline about a shark attack. And while the first response to the now seemingly regular attacks is to call for a cull, killing them is not the answer.
New cell separator with humble beginnings could revolutionise medical advances in cancer and Alzheimer's research A new cell separator that began life as a tinfoil and epoxy glue prototype built with supplies from a University shop could revolutionise stem-cell and regenerative cell-based therapies.
	What silver fir aDNA can tell us about Neolithic forests A new technique makes it possible to cost-effectively analyse genetic material from fossil plant and animal remains. Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL and the universities of Lausanne and Bern have used this technique to examine the DNA of silver fir needles found in lake sediment in Ticino. They found clues as to how forests reacted to the emergence of agriculture.
	Researchers disprove the assumption that parents conflict with one another during a plant's embryonic development The Arabidopsis thaliana is a tiny, inconspicuous and herbaceous offshoot of the family of cruciferous plant that one might easily overlook in a meadow, yet the plant has the potential to disrupt a common school of thought: Together with his working group and colleagues from the University of Nagoya, Japan, the Freiburg biologist Prof. Dr. Thomas Laux show how plants start embryo development and thereby follow a fundamentally different reproduction strategy than animals. The team used the Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism and showed how plants begin with gene transcription, that is genome reading, just hours after fertilization. That includes the genes that regulate the first steps in embryonic development. The researchers describe the newly found mechanism in the scientific journal Genes and Development.
	Record haul of pangolin scales seized in Malaysia Malaysian customs officers have seized more than 700 kilograms of pangolin scales, the country's largest haul of the scales considered by some to have medicinal properties, officials said Monday.
	Will optimistic stories get people to care about nature? Nature doesn't make the news often these days. When it does, the story usually revolves around wildlife on the brink, record-setting climate extremes or ruined landscapes. However, that is not the whole story. There is also good news, but it often receives little attention.
	Scottish badgers highlight the complexity of species responses to environmental change In a new study researchers have found that although warmer weather should benefit badger populations, the predicted human population increase in the Scottish highlands is likely to disturb badgers and counteract that effect. These results emphasise the importance of interactive effects and context-dependent responses when planning conservation management under human-induced rapid environmental change.
Norway to kill 2,000 reindeer to eradicate disease The Norwegian government on Monday authorised the slaughter of a herd of around 2,000 reindeer in a bid to eradicate a brain-destroying disease, after several cases were detected in Norway for the first time in Europe.

Medicine & Health news

	Study suggests human brain optimally weights information during learning (Medical Xpress)—The human brain's capacity for learning is adaptable to a variety of conditions. When the environment changes repeatedly and constantly, learning is difficult, because the brain automatically seeks patterns in incoming information. This requires weighting prior knowledge and incoming data according to reliability.
	Study points to new approach to battling infections An international study led by researchers at Monash University' Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) has shone light on the way the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) hijacks the communication systems in the host cells it infects, uncovering potential new therapeutic targets for the disease.
	Traumatic brain injuries may be helped with drug used to treat bipolar disorder A drug used to treat bipolar disorder and other forms of depression may help to preserve brain function and prevent nerve cells from dying in people with a traumatic brain injury, according to a new Rutgers University study.
	Scientists find skin cells at the root of balding, gray hair UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified the cells that directly give rise to hair as well as the mechanism that causes hair to turn gray – findings that could one day help identify possible treatments for balding and hair graying.
	How one drug could affect pain, memory and nicotine addiction Although pain, memory and nicotine addiction may not seem to be related, they actually share a common player: the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. That's why Texas A&M researchers are working to develop drugs to enhance the function of these receptors in the brain, which could have three very different applications: easing pain, slowing the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's and other neuropsychiatric diseases and making it easier for people to stop smoking.
	Researchers discover neuronal targets that restore movement in Parkinson's disease model Researchers working in the lab of Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Aryn Gittis, have identified two groups of neurons that can be turned on and off to alleviate the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The activation of these cells in the basal ganglia relieves symptoms for much longer than current therapies, like deep brain stimulation and pharmaceuticals.
	To improve chronic pain, get more sleep (coffee helps too) New research from Boston Children's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shows that chronic sleep loss increases pain sensitivity. It suggests that chronic pain sufferers can get relief by getting more sleep, or, short of that, taking medications to promote wakefulness such as caffeine. Both approaches performed better than standard analgesics in a rigorous study in mice, described in the May 8, 2017 issue of Nature Medicine.
	Mutations in gene promoters reveal specific pathway pathologies in pancreatic cancer Over the last decade, it has made good sense to study the genetic drivers of cancer by sequencing a tiny portion of the human genome called the exome - the 2% of our three billion base pairs that "spell out" the 21,000 genes in our chromosomes. If cancer is a disease precipitated by changes in genes, after all, we need to know lots about how and when different genes change in the many distinctive subtypes of cancer.
	Cancer cells shown to co-opt DNA 'repair crew' In experiments with human colon cancer cells and mice, a team led by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have evidence that cancer arises when a normal part of cells' machinery generally used to repair DNA damage is diverted from its usual task. The findings, if further studies confirm them, could lead to the identification of novel molecular targets for anticancer drugs or tests for cancer recurrence, the investigators say.
	Marmoset study provides clues to link between mental health disorders and heart disease A team of researchers at Cambridge has identified how areas of the brain govern both our emotions and our heart activity, helping explain why people with depression or anxiety have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
	Engineered bone marrow could make transplants safer Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed biomimetic bone tissues that could one day provide new bone marrow for patients needing transplants.
Hypoxia reverses mitochondrial disease in mouse model The next stage of a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) team's investigation into the therapeutic potential of the hypoxia response - the body's reaction to reduced levels of oxygen in the blood - to treat mitochondrial disease has produced findings that are promising but also reveal some limitations. The report published in the online PNAS Early Edition describes finding that, while alternatives to continuous breathing of 11 percent oxygen did not prevent symptom onset in a mouse model of Leigh syndrome - the most common pediatric mitochondrial disease - hypoxia therapy was able to reverse neurologic damage in animals close to the end stages of the disease.
	Cannabis reverses aging processes in the brain Memory performance decreases with increasing age. Cannabis can reverse these ageing processes in the brain. This was shown in mice by scientists at the University of Bonn with their colleagues at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel). Old animals were able to regress to the state of two-month-old mice with a prolonged low-dose treatment with a cannabis active ingredient. This opens up new options, for instance, when it comes to treating dementia. The results are now presented in the journal Nature Medicine.
	Underlying molecular mechanism of bipolar disorder revealed An international collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), with major participation from Yokohama School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and UC San Diego, has identified the molecular mechanism behind lithium's effectiveness in treating bipolar disorder patients.
	Researchers use modified insulin and red blood cells to regulate blood sugar Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new technique that uses modified insulin and red blood cells to create a glucose-responsive "smart" insulin delivery system. In an animal model study, the new technique effectively reduced blood sugar levels for 48 hours in a strain of mice that had Type 1 diabetes.
	Narrative journaling may help heart health post-divorce Journaling after divorce could improve your cardiovascular health—but only if you do it in a way that tells a story, new University of Arizona research suggests.
	Adaptive radiotherapy reduces pneumonitis while controlling lung cancer Lung cancer patients who are treated with radiotherapy can develop an inflammation of the lung tissue called pneumonitis; this can limit the dose of radiation they can receive and severe forms of pneumonitis, if left untreated, can be fatal.
France cracks down on super-skinny models Super-thin models and secretly airbrushed photoshoots will soon be a thing of the past in fashion hub France, as authorities passed measures to protect young people from the dangers of anorexia.
	Cinnamon may lessen damage of high-fat diet in rats Cinnamon may lessen the risk of cardiovascular damage of a high-fat diet by activating the body's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory systems and slowing the fat-storing process, according to a preliminary animal study presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology | Peripheral Vascular Disease 2017 Scientific Sessions.
Study demonstrates ability to preserve long-term vision for severe patients with uveitis Researchers comparing leading treatment approaches for patients with severe uveitis have discovered that systemic therapy with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppression can preserve or improve vision in the long term better than regional implant therapy can. The results, published in the May 6, 2017 issue of JAMA, should reassure physicians about the relative safety of this approach, and may lead ophthalmologists to change their treatment protocol for better and safer outcomes.
Giving a single, high dose of radiation directly to the site of a prostate tumor is safe Doctors have found that treating prostate cancer with a single, high dose of radiation delivered precisely to the site of the tumour results in good quality of life and fewer trips to the hospital, with adverse side effects that are no worse than if the radiation treatment had been given in several lower doses.
Large nuclear cardiology laboratory slashes radiation dose by 60 percent in eight years A large nuclear cardiology laboratory has slashed its average radiation dose by 60% in eight years, according to new research presented today at ICNC 2017 and published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.1,2 The study in over 18 000 patients shows dose reductions were achieved despite a large number of obese patients.
	Survey finds colorectal cancer reported more commonly in individuals with unhealthy lifestyle A Cleveland Clinic colon cancer risk assessment survey found that respondents who exercised more, followed a healthy diet and did not smoke were less likely to have a personal history of colorectal cancer or colon polyps. The online risk analysis, which has had more than 27,000 responses from around the world, highlights the modifiable risk factors, such as diet and lifestyle behaviors, reported by patients without a personal history of colorectal cancer and polyps.
A unique enzyme could be a game-changer for gluten-sensitive patients Researchers have found that taking an enzyme tablet while consuming foods containing gluten prevents a significant amount of it from entering the small intestine. This could enable gluten-sensitive patients to ingest small quantities of gluten without experiencing symptoms, such as bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
	After suicide attempt, a phone call could save a life (HealthDay)—A simple phone call can make a big difference to someone who's attempted suicide and may be contemplating another try.
	E-health-based management of oral anticoagulation Tx beneficial (HealthDay)—Electronic-health-based management of oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy is associated with fewer adverse events, according to a study published online April 29 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
	More side effects with CRT plus metformin in head, neck cancer (HealthDay)—Patients with advanced head and neck cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and receiving metformin experience more side effects than patients not on metformin, according to research published online April 27 in Head & Neck.
	AAFP releases primary care-based payment proposal (HealthDay)—The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has responded to a request for proposals from the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) by submitting a detailed plan, according to an AAFP news release.
	Case report describes insulin autoimmune syndrome (HealthDay)—In a case report published online May 1 in Diabetes Care, resolution of hypoglycemia and cardiovascular dysfunction after rituximab treatment of insulin autoimmune syndrome is described.
	Fetal reduction in multifetal pregnancies associated with better birth outcomes Among twin and triplet pregnancies that were reduced to singleton or twin pregnancies, there was a substantial reduction in complications such as preterm birth and very preterm birth, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	New opioid guideline for chronic non-cancer pain focuses on preventing harm A new guideline for prescribing opioids for people with chronic non-cancer pain is aimed at helping health care professionals in Canada limit use of these addictive and potentially lethal drugs. The guideline, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) contains 10 recommendations, of which 7 are focused on preventing harm from opioid use.
	Poor environmental quality linked to elevated cancer rates Experts warn that recent legislative proposals could jeopardize research on the links between cancer and the environment.
Brachytherapy rather than surgery is a good option for cancer of the penis Results from the largest group of men treated for cancer of the penis by a single institution have shown that treatment with brachytherapy (a type of radiotherapy) is a good option that can be used instead of surgery in many cases.
	Watching movies can replace general anesthesia for kids with cancer having radiotherapy Children with cancer could be spared dozens of doses of general anaesthesia by projecting a video directly on to the inside of a radiotherapy machine during treatment, according to research presented at the ESTRO 36 conference.
	Cotton tip applicators are sending 34 kids to the emergency department each day While cotton tip applicators can be used for household cleaning, crafts and applying cosmetics, they are unfortunately also causing injuries to children. A study conducted by Nationwide Children's Hospital researchers found that over a 21-year period from 1990 through 2010, an estimated 263,000 children younger than 18 years of age were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for cotton tip applicator related ear injuries - that's about 12,500 annually, or about 34 injuries every day.
	Now is the time for dermatologists to learn genomics Dermatologists may need to look further than red hair and freckles when identifying patients who might be genetically predisposed to skin cancer.
	Pregnancy after a very preterm delivery—more education need Women who deliver before their third trimester need more counseling about steps they can take to reduce the risk of a future preterm birth, according to new research at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. The findings were presented today at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists annual meeting in San Diego.
	Big Data strategies to address Ebola IBM announced its researchers have used big data analytics to assess the impact of infected animal carriers, or an animal reservoir, in the spread of the Ebola virus in a way not been previously done for earlier disease models. Direct contact with the infected animal – most likely a bat or large snake—whether by touching or eating it—can cause the disease to enter the human population, and then spread.
	How precision medicine is improving prostate cancer detection New, statistically derived guidelines are helping urologists across Michigan zero in on which prostate cancer patients to scan for spread of their disease.
	New biomarkers help predict outcomes in diabetic kidney disease A common complication of type 2 diabetes occurs when filters within the kidney are damaged, leading to an abnormal buildup of protein in urine and a decline in kidney function. This condition, called diabetic kidney disease, can lead to irreversible kidney failure that is currently difficult to predict. A team of researchers led by professor of medicine Dr. Chirag Parikh in collaboration a group at Icahn School of Health at Mount Sinai has recently made strides that could lead to improved diagnostics and treatment plans for this condition.
	The influence of zero-hours contracts on care workers' lives A new paper published in Occupational Medicine indicates that deficiencies in health care workers' understanding of their role and the amount of control over their work were significant workplace hazards, though controversial zero-hours contracts did not adversely influence employee health and wellbeing.
	Physician moms are often subject to workplace discrimination Of the nearly 6,000 physician mothers in the survey, nearly 78 percent reported discrimination of any type. Forms of perceived discrimination ranged from disrespect and reduced pay to being overlooked for promotions or being held to higher performance standards.
	Copays don't reduce use of Medicare home health care, study shows In hopes of reducing Medicare spending, policymakers have proposed to charge seniors a copay for home-based care, figuring that senior citizens will use it less if it isn't free. A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine, however, casts doubt on that premise.
	Breast-feeding's role in 'seeding' infant microbiome Mothers protect their babies and teach them habits to stay healthy and safe as they grow. A new UCLA-led study shows that beneficial bacteria from mothers do much the same thing.
	Gap growing between longest and shortest lifespans in the US Babies born today in 13 US counties have shorter expected lifespans than their parents did when they were born decades ago, according to a new study. For example, life expectancy at birth in Owsley County, Kentucky, was 72.4 in 1980, dropping to 70.2 in 2014.
	In-home care of dementia patients falls mainly on women, researchers say The responsibility of providing care to the vast number of patients with dementia expected over the next 20 years will disproportionately fall on working women, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
	Harm reduction programs may prevent hepatitis C in injection drug users Researchers at UCSF and their colleagues have found that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs remains high and stable in some North American cities but incidence has dropped and remained low in some Australian and European cities. These differences in HCV infection rates likely reflect differences in the level and timing of programs to increase access to sterile injecting equipment and medically assisted treatment for opioid dependence, two harm-reduction programs shown to prevent transmission of HCV.
	A scientist's quest to eradicate one of the most common—and potentially deadly—infections When a patient visits a doctor's office or a hospital, they're usually seeking relief for an ailment. But many will leave with more than just a prescription. Seven to 10 percent of all patients receiving medical care come down with preventable infections—from pneumonia to sepsis to colitis—while inside a health-care facility, according to the World Health Organization.
	What are 'fasting' diets and do they help you lose weight? Trying to lose weight is hard work. You need to plan meals and snacks, and make a big effort to avoid situations that trigger more eating and drinking than you'd planned. Dieting can also be very antisocial. But what if you could speed up weight loss, spend less time "dieting", with the "promise" of better results? This is where "fasting" diets come in.
Hodgkin lymphoma survivors have more severe coronary artery disease post chest irradiation Hodgkin lymphoma survivors have more severe coronary artery disease 20 years after chest irradiation, according to research presented today at ICNC 2017.
	Inhibitory signal pathways identified LMU researchers led by Christian Weber show that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 protects the integrity of arterial walls, and define a new mechanism that restricts the deleterious accumulation of cholesterol in atherosclerotic plaques.
Lung therapy hope for critical illness Scientists have pinpointed a chemical signal that worsens inflammation linked to a life-threatening lung condition.
	New risk assessment will protect the feet of diabetes patients A stringently designed web form with questions about foot ulcers, deformities and neuropathy will soon be brought into use to better protect the feet of people with diabetes. The tool is a result of research conducted at Sahlgrenska Academy.
	Women perform worse in CPR Does it matter whether a man or a woman carries out CPR? Researchers at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have shown that female resuscitation teams performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation less efficiently than their male counterparts. The study suggests that there is a need for action in the training of young female physicians. The scientific journal Critical Care Medicine has published the results.
	Aching knee or sore back? New app helps doctors treat pain Danish researchers have developed a system that lets you visually draw your pain using an app on your phone. Doctors can then study your symptoms as images or video, saving time and improving treatment.
Shortage of progranulin is a frequent cause of frontotemporal dementia In a recent study in Human Molecular Genetics, researchers from VIB and KU Leuven led by prof. Philip Van Damme, reveal a novel function for progranulin in lysosomes: it acts as chaperone of the lysosomal protease cathepsin D. The results were obtained in collaboration with Prof. Paul Saftig from the University of Kiel.
	Why some images trigger seizures In people with photosensitive epilepsy, flashing lights are well known for their potential to trigger seizures. The results can be quite stunning. For instance, a particular episode of Pokémon sent 685 people in Japan to the hospital. But seizures can be triggered by certain still images, too. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on May 8 who have conducted an extensive review of the scientific literature think they know what it is about some static pictures that can trigger seizures.
Experts recommend screening for AF in older people to cut risk of stroke and death Screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) in people aged 65 and over and treating it with anticoagulant medications could greatly reduce the risk of stroke and premature death, say the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration in today's issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.
	Kicking the salt shaker habit may not be enough Restaurant foods and commercially processed foods sold in stores accounted for about 70 percent of dietary sodium intake in a study in three U.S. regions, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
	From pill to needle: Prescription opioid epidemic may be increasing drug injection The prescription opioid epidemic is shrinking the time it used to take drug users to progress to drug injection, a new Keck School of Medicine of USC-led study suggests.
	Interactive website helps to reduce dizziness An interactive website developed by health psychology and primary care researchers at the University of Southampton has been shown to reduce dizziness amongst adults aged 50 and above.
	When it comes to educational apps for kids, interactivity can either help or hinder learning Educational apps for kids can be valuable learning tools, but there's still a lot left to understand about how to best design them, shows a report in Frontiers in Psychology.
	Testosterone explains why women more prone to asthma An international research team has revealed for the first time that testosterone protects males against developing asthma, helping to explain why females are two times more likely to develop asthma than males after puberty.
	Researchers find that low levels of a specific protein cause Alzheimer's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers have determined that the protein SIRT6 is almost completely absent in Alzheimer's disease patients and likely contributes to its onset.
	Is early puberty in girls a risk factor for dating abuse? (HealthDay)—Girls who go through puberty earlier than their peers may be more vulnerable to abuse from a boyfriend, new research suggests.
	Bullied in 5th grade, prone to drug abuse by high school (HealthDay)—A child bullied in fifth grade is more likely to show signs of depression in seventh grade, and abuse substances like alcohol, marijuana or tobacco in 10th grade, researchers say.
ACP issues guideline for treating low bone density or osteoporosis to prevent fractures The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends in an evidence-based clinical practice guideline published today in Annals of Internal Medicine that physicians treat women with osteoporosis with bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate, or zoledronic acid) or denosumab, a biologic agent.
	Scrib protein identified as a natural suppressor of liver cancer A protein that typically helps keep cells organized and on task becomes a tumor suppressor in the face of liver cancer, scientists say.
'Incidental findings' from scans challenge efforts to reduce health care costs In an analysis of medical records gathered from more than 300 hospitalized patients, a team of researchers reports that routine imaging scans used to help diagnose heart attacks generated "incidental findings" (IFs) in more than half of these patients. The investigators say only about 7 percent of these IFs were medically significant and urged imaging experts and hospitals to explore ways to safely reduce the added costly—and potentially risky—days in the hospital the IFs generate.
New findings may explain the advantages of polyunsaturated fat Previous research has demonstrated that saturated fat is more fattening and less muscle building than polyunsaturated fats. A new study shows that the choice of fat causes epigenetic changes which in turn could contribute to differences in fat storage.
	Caution: Energy drinks put individuals with genetic heart condition at risk Caffeinated energy drinks can trigger serious cardiac events including cardiac arrest in individuals not known to have a specific heart disease of genetic origin. Scientists in Australia have now assessed the risk of cardiac events following consumption of energy drinks in patients diagnosed with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), a condition that affects 1 in 2000 and that can cause rapid, irregular heartbeat that can lead to sudden death. In their study, published in the International Journal of Cardiology, they report that even small amounts of energy drinks can cause changes in the heart that can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias and recommend cautioning young patients, some of whom may still be unaware of an existing heart condition, about the danger.
	Research center helps consumers 'fight bac' through national poultry food safety campaign Kansas State University research is reaching kitchens and grocery stores across the country, thanks to a national campaign that promotes food safety and safe poultry handling.
	Kidney research leads to surprising discovery about how the heart forms Kidney research at the University of Virginia School of Medicine has unexpectedly led to a discovery about the formation of the heart, including the identification of a gene responsible for a deadly cardiac condition.
Study identifies new target to fight prostate, lung cancer A newly identified molecular chain of events in a mouse model of prostate cancer highlights novel targets to treat it and other cancers. A team led by Marcelo Kazanietz, PhD, a professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, published in Cell Reports that the overexpression of a protein called PKCε with the loss of the tumor suppressor Pten causes the progression of prostate cancer.
	Female hormones may trigger headache in girls battling migraine Changes in female hormones may trigger headaches in adolescent girls, but their effect may depend on age and their stage of pubertal development, according to a new study from researchers at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
	Research evaluates effectiveness of yoga in treating major depression When treating depression, the goal is to help individuals achieve full recovery and normal functioning. While traditional treatment such as medication or psychotherapy is effective for many patients, some may not fully recover even with these treatments. Researchers sought to determine if the addition of hatha yoga would improve treatment outcomes for these patients. They found that the benefits of yoga were less pronounced early in treatment, but may accumulate over time.
	Secondhand smoke ups heart disease in unique group of female nonsmokers—Amish women New research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) has found that secondhand smoke tends to have somewhat different effects on men and women. The research, conducted in a Pennsylvania Amish community where virtually no women smoke, found that women who were exposed to secondhand smoke had a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, while men exposed to secondhand smoke tended to have a higher body mass index (BMI).
Studies reveal socioeconomic and racial disparities in lupus Two new studies have uncovered socioeconomic disparities related to the health of patients with lupus. A study in Arthritis & Rheumatology found a link between poverty and worse disease-associated medical complications over time, and a study in Arthritis Care & Research discovered that the frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Black and Hispanic patients with lupus is higher than that in White women with the disease.
Systemic therapy outperforms intraocular implant for treating uveitis Systemic therapy consisting of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants preserved vision of uveitis patients better - and had fewer adverse outcomes - than a long-lasting corticosteroid intraocular implant, according to a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI). After seven years, visual acuity on average remained stable among participants on systemic therapy but declined by an average of six letters (about one line on an eye chart) among participants who had the implant. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health.
	'Juicing' T cells with small molecules enhances immune response against melanoma "Juicing" Th17 cells with FDA-approved small molecule β-catenin and p110δ inhibitors during in vitro expansion for adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) profoundly improves their therapeutic properties, report investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in an article published online ahead of print on April 20, 2017 by JCI Insight.
	Brain injury causes impulse control problems in rats New research from the University of British Columbia confirms for the first time that even mild brain injury can result in impulse control problems in rats.
	'Balloon-in-a-pill' spurs weight loss, health benefits: study (HealthDay)—A new type of "balloon-in-a-pill" may offer a nonsurgical way for obese people to shed pounds—and get healthier, too, a small study hints.
	FDA approves first new drug for ALS in decades (HealthDay)—The first new drug to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in more than 20 years has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	Gluten-rich foods up symptom onset in functional dyspepsia (HealthDay)—Gluten consumption impacts symptom onset in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD), according to a study published online April 28 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Linear association for weight loss, HbA1c reduction in T2DM (HealthDay)—For overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), weight loss is associated with a reduction in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a dose-dependent manner, according to a review published online April 18 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
	Open-label placebos seem to have positive clinical effect (HealthDay)—Compared with no treatment, open-label placebos seem to have a positive clinical effect, according to a review published online April 27 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.
	Research supports pulmonary benefits for ACEIs, ARBs (HealthDay)—Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) might play an important role in the prevention and treatment of emphysema, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
	Eradication of H. pylori beneficial for concurrent rosacea (HealthDay)—For patients with concurrent rosacea and Helicobacter pylori infection, use of standard H. pylori eradication therapy is associated with improvement in rosacea, according to a study published online April 27 in the Journal of Dermatology.
	Osteoporosis Tx ups survival in postmenopausal breast cancer (HealthDay)—For postmenopausal breast cancer patients receiving aromatase inhibitors, oral osteoporosis therapy (OPT) is associated with improved survival, according to a study published online May 2 in Cancer.
Garden-enhanced intervention improved BMI and nutrition knowledge of California students The factors that affect rates of childhood obesity are complex. For example, parent feeding practices have been shown to be influential, but that influence has also been shown to change with age. Factors such as access to fruits and vegetables and the availability of safe space for physical exercise have also been associated with a risk for obesity. Because schools can act as a focal point for engaging students, families, educators, administrators, and community members, researchers implemented and evaluated a multicomponent, school-based nutrition intervention in an attempt to improve children's dietary behaviors and prevent childhood obesity. Their results are published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
New study focuses on treatment for epilepsy caused by tuberous sclerosis A clinical trial of a drug that researchers hope can prevent or delay the onset of epilepsy in children with tuberous sclerosis has begun at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
	Researchers identify genes in children linked to stress, bipolar disorder Genetic alterations that can be modulated by stress have been identified in children at high risk for bipolar disorder, according to a recently published study by researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Results appeared in Translational Psychiatry, a Nature Publishing Group journal.
Virtual reality for psychiatric treatment? Research shows promise for VR and other technologies in mental health care A growing body of evidence suggests that virtual reality (VR) technology can be an effective part of treatment for phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other mental health conditions, according to a research review in the May/June issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
	New tool for analyzing mouse vocalizations may provide insights for autism modeling Vocalization plays a significant role in social communication across species such as speech by humans and song by birds. Male mice produce ultrasonic vocalizations in the presence of females and both sexes sing during friendly social encounters. Mice have been genetically well characterized and used extensively for research on autism as well as in other areas, but until now there have been limitations to studying their ultrasonic vocalizations. A team of investigators, led by Pat Levitt, PhD, of The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, have developed and demonstrated a novel signal-processing tool that enables unbiased, data-driven analysis of these sounds. The study was published in the journal Neuron on May 3.
	The effects of obesity on cognitive decline in middle-aged and older African Americans Obesity has the potential to raise an older adult's risk for having difficulty thinking and making decisions (also known as "cognitive decline" or dementia). It is a complex health concern. Body mass index (BMI) is a scale that measures a person's weight in relationship to their height. Research shows that older adults who have an elevated BMI are at lower risk for dementia than people with lower BMIs.
	PTSD, certain prescriptions for PTSD may raise risk for dementia Researchers are discovering that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant risk factor in developing dementia. Dementia is a memory problem that affects a person's ability to carry out usual tasks. Dementia is a leading cause of serious illness, disability, and death. It often requires care in a nursing home or other long-term care facility for people aged 65 and older.
Genetic markers may predict which HCV, cirrhosis patients improve with treatment Genotyping of patients with advanced cirrhosis from hepatitis C virus could help health-care professionals predict the likelihood of improvement after successful hepatitis C treatment, thus minimizing the need for liver transplants. This study was presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2017, the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
Non-surgical weight-loss treatment found safe, effective for those with limited options A new study finds that individuals struggling with obesity who are not candidates for weight-loss surgery can benefit substantially from non-surgical endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2017, the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
Hundreds of suspected cholera cases in Yemen: MSF At least 570 suspected cases of cholera have surfaced in war-torn Yemen in the past three weeks, sparking fears of a potential epidemic, Doctors Without Borders said Sunday.
Study suggests role for radiotherapy for extending the lives of pancreatic cancer patients Vienna, Austria: Patients with early stage pancreatic cancer could be given longer to live if they receive radiotherapy at a high enough dose, according to research presented at the ESTRO 36 conference.
	Therapy for life-threatening eating disorders works, so why can't people access it? Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that have one of the highest death rates of any psychiatric disorder. Among people with anorexia nervosa – who commonly deprive themselves of food due to an obsessive fear of gaining weight – this rate is more than five times greater than in the general population.
	Aging gracefully in the rainforest The Tsimane of Bolivian Amazonia aren't so different from the people living around you. Most adults live to 70, a few even to 90. They start aging in their 30s, just like we do. And for the Tsimane, the onset of physical aging isn't really tantamount to decline. Between the ages of 40 and 60, many individuals reach a social and economic peak when hard work and life experience bear their fruit.
Once-weekly steroid dosing can promote muscle repair without atrophy Glucocorticoid steroids are used to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases. Their effects on muscle recovery and repair make them particularly effective therapies for muscle injury and muscular dystrophies. However, chronic systemic exposure to glucocorticoid steroids also accelerates the breakdown of muscle tissue, which can lead to muscle wasting and weakness after long-term use.
	Five great diet breakfasts (HealthDay)—When it comes to losing weight, Simon says, "Eat breakfast."
Risk of heart disease associated with NSAIDs Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it true that taking prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, can increase my risk of heart disease? How much is too much, and should I be concerned about regularly taking over-the-counter NSAIDs?
Hepatitis C on the rise among reproductive-aged women The number of hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases reported in reproductive-aged women in the United States has increased substantially in recent years. Thus, more children are being born to HCV-infected mothers than at any time since HCV became detectable. The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest a need for routine HCV screening during pregnancy.
First-ever autonomously controlled 'capsule robot' explores colon New research shows that an 18-mm magnetized capsule colonoscope, which can be paired with standard medical instruments, successfully performed intricate maneuvers inside the colon while guided by an external magnet attached to a robotic arm. Researchers believe this technology will reduce the potential discomfort of colonoscopies and lead to more people undergoing the life-saving screening test. This new study was presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2017 , the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
	SPECT/CT combined with fluorescence imaging detects micrometastases Researchers in The Netherlands have demonstrated that combining SPECT/CT and fluorescence imaging could help surgeons differentiate tumor tissue from normal tissue. The research is detailed in the featured basic science article of the May 2017 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Ultrasound for children with broken arms: Accurate, faster, less painful than X-rays Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) assessment of distal forearm injuries in children is accurate, timely, and associated with low levels of pain and high caregiver satisfaction. That is the main finding of a study to be published in the March 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.
Policy statement urges 'alternatives to discipline' for nurses with substance use disorders A new position statement on substance use by nurses and nursing students emphasizes "alternative-to-discipline" (ATD) approaches—including specialized treatment and a pathway for return to practice, according to a position paper in the April/June issue of Journal of Addictions Nursing (JAN), the official journal of the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA).
	Large, innovative autism project sparks hope for better treatments No words can describe how happy Quanita Estell is to hear her six-year-old son come home with hilarious stories to tell. First, she enjoys his sense of humor, but mostly she's thrilled to see Joseph, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 2, is becoming better able to communicate.
Bacteria appears to be behind mysterious outbreak in Liberia A contagious bacterial infection appears to be the cause of at least some cases in a mysterious outbreak in Liberia, U.S. health officials said Monday.

Other Sciences news

	Innovation dilemma suggests that 'better' models are not always better (Phys.org)—If you had to predict the probability of a catastrophic meteor striking the Earth, you would likely want the most accurate models on which to base your predictions. But a new paper shows that, because the most accurate models are generally more innovative and complex, they may suffer from a higher probability of error. Consequently, the most innovative and accurate models may not offer the best methods for making predictions, especially of rare, high-consequence events.
	Best of Last Week – Saturn's 'The Big Empty', a clue to where cancer metastases start and a pill that simulates exercise (ScienceX)—It was a big week for space news as engineers at NASA reported that the Cassini probe found a vast void between Saturn's rings which they promptly dubbed "The Big Empty." Also, a team of researchers doing work for the European Space Agency described printing bricks from moondust using the sun's heat, proving that it is possible to build structures on the moon from native ingredients. The bricks will undergo further testing for strength and endurance. And an international team of space researchers reported that they had found a giant wave rolling through the Perseus galaxy cluster—a massive wave of hot gas.
	The vicious circle of inequality How to distribute resources between different individuals and groups is one of the basic dilemmas of social life. All known surplus-producing societies are organised as social hierarchies where some groups of people have more resources and better opportunities and life conditions than other groups. Some societies, such as the Indian caste-system, are strongly hierarchical, others like the Nordic welfare states less so. Yet, even in Scandinavia some groups - like ethnic Danes or Norwegians - hold higher status than other groups such as immigrants and refugees.
	Experts meet in Egypt over moving King Tut artifacts Archaeologists and conservation experts met in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the safe transportation of King Tutankhamun's throne, chests and bed from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo to a new one being built on the other side of the Egyptian capital.
	Classroom study measures vision and NAPLAN achievement QUT researchers have investigated how vision can affect a child's ongoing learning, with results showing 30 per cent of Year 3 students tested had uncorrected eye problems that could affect their NAPLAN performances.
	Not just 'revenge porn' – image-based abuse hits 1 in 5 Australians The first comprehensive research on "revenge porn" has revealed the mass scale of victimisation across Australia, with one in five people suffering image-based abuse, according to a study by Monash University and RMIT University.
	There's a mathematical formula for choosing the fastest queue It seems obvious. You arrive at the checkouts and see one queue is much longer than the other, so you join the shorter one. But, before long, the people in the bigger line zoom past you and you've barely moved towards the exit.
	People don't trust scientific research when companies are involved A soda company sponsoring nutrition research. An oil conglomerate helping fund a climate-related research meeting. Does the public care who's paying for science?
	Low motivation in parents results in academically unmotivated children Whether parental help has positive or negative effects on students' academic outcomes depends on the motivation and involvement of their parents. Results of a study conducted by the Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology suggest that students whose parents are interested in math and perceive their own math competencies to be high perform better than students with parents who show a low interest in math and regard their competencies in the domain as equally low – regardless of the intensity of the help students receive at home. The results have now been published in Child Development.
	Archaeogeneticist pinpoints Indian population origins using today's populace IN addition to its vast patchwork of languages, cultures and religions, the Indian Subcontinent also harbours huge genetic diversity. Where did its peoples originate? This is an area of huge controversy among scholars and scientists. A University of Huddersfield PhD student is lead author of an article that tries to answer the question using genetic evidence.
	Commuter marriage study finds surprising emphasis on interdependence The concept of marriage may be in flux, but a new study of commuter marriages—in which a married couple lives apart in service to their dual professional careers—appears to confirm that married people still see interdependence as a key feature of their unions.
Ethical business practice can flourish in nations with serious corruption problems Ethical business practice can flourish even in countries with widespread corporate corruption problems, research shows.
Study: Black and white kids faring equally in subsidized housing Once-formidable disparities between black and white families living in subsidized housing have largely vanished, and black and white children who grew up in such housing fared similarly in school, jobs and earnings, a new Johns Hopkins University study found.
	Early English language lessons in Germany less effective than expected Seven years later, children who start learning English in the first grade achieve poorer results in this subject than children whose first English lesson isn't until the third grade. This is according to the findings unearthed by the team headed by Dr Nils Jäkel and Prof Dr Markus Ritter at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. The researchers evaluated data gathered in a large longitudinal study in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that was carried out between 2010 and 2014. The results have been published in the journal Language Learning.
	US international military training programs tied to fewer civilian casualties U.S. grant programs that provided training to international military and civilian personnel since 1995 are tied to fewer conflict-related civilian casualties in foreign countries that were recipients of the U.S. security aid. However, arms-sales programs are ineffective at improving human rights in those countries that purchase U.S. weapons and services, according to a new University of Kansas study.
	Vatican celebrates big bang to dispel faith-science conflict The Vatican is celebrating the big-bang theory. That's not as out of this world as it sounds.
	Juvie talk With his legs outstretched, T. barely fits the diameter of the small animal pen that surrounds him. Clad in an orange jumpsuit, he sits in the dirt, cuddling a rabbit to his chest. He gazes down at the small animal, gently stroking its ear with his thumb and forefinger.

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