Today's Top Science News

Study identifies our 'inner pickpocket'
Researchers have identified how the human brain is able to determine the properties of a particular object using purely statistical information: a result which suggests there is an 'inner pickpocket' in all of us.

Bad marketing encourages consumers to opt for lower quality products
A new framework to enable retailers to better position their products to consumers has been devised by Tamer Boyaci and Frank Huettner at ESMT Berlin together with Yalcin Akcay from Melbourne Business School.

Dead cells disrupt how immune cells respond to wounds and patrol for infection
Immune cells prioritise the clearance of dead cells overriding their normal migration to sites of injury.University of Sheffield research paves the way for new therapies to manipulate how white blood cells get to and are kept at sites of injuries during healing.

Global agreement reached on standards for clinical trials in children with MS
The International Pediatric MS Study Group -- a group of care providers and researchers looking to optimize worldwide care, education and research in pediatric multiple sclerosis -- was convened with sponsorship by the National MS Society and the MS Society of Canada. Stemming from this meeting and subsequent review by members, the group updated its recommendations on conducting clinical trials in children and adolescents with MS. The team reports these updated recommendations in the journal Neurology.

3-million-year-old fossilized mouse reveals evolutionary secrets of color
This new study applied X-ray imaging to several 3-million-year-old fossils in order to untangle the story of key pigments in ancient animals and reveal how we might recognize the chemical signatures of specific red pigments in long extinct animals to determine how they evolved.

Soy foods linked to fewer fractures in younger breast cancer survivors
A new paper in JNCI Cancer Spectrum, published by Oxford University Press, is the first study to find that diets high in soy foods are associated with a decreased risk of osteoporotic bone fractures in pre-menopausal breast cancer survivors.

Head injury effects halted by xenon gas, finds first ever life-long study in mice
Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), xenon prevented early death, improved long-term cognition, and protected brain tissue in mice in a new study.

Study supports effectiveness of new fast-acting antidepressant, esketamine nasal spray
New research supports the effectiveness and safety of esketamine nasal spray in treating depression in people who have not responded to previous treatment. The research will be published online today in the American Journal of Psychiatry. This study is one of the key studies that led to the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of esketamine nasal spray, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for use in people with treatment-resistant depression.

Road to cell death mapped in the Alzheimer's brain
Scientists have identified a new mechanism that accelerates aging in the brain and gives rise to the most devastating biological features of Alzheimer's disease. The findings also unify three long-standing theories behind the disease's origins into one cohesive narrative that explains how healthy cells become sick and gives scientists new avenues for screening compounds designed to slow or stop disease progression, something existing medications cannot do.

In a first, researchers identify reddish coloring in an ancient fossil
Researchers have for the first time detected chemical traces of red pigment in an ancient fossil -- an exceptionally well-preserved mouse, not unlike today's field mice, that roamed the fields of what is now the German village of Willershausen around 3 million years ago.

McMaster researchers create a better way to transport life-saving vaccines
Researchers at McMaster University have invented a stable, affordable way to store fragile vaccines for weeks at a time at temperatures up to 40C, opening the way for life-saving anti-viral vaccines to reach remote and impoverished regions of the world.

Penguins and their chicks' responses to local fish numbers informs marine conservation
Endangered penguins respond rapidly to changes in local fish numbers, and monitoring them could inform fisheries management and marine conservation.

CBD reduces craving and anxiety in people with heroin use disorder
Mount Sinai study highlights the potential of cannabidiol as a treatment option for opioid abuse.

New podcast explores why 'statistically significant' is so misunderstood
It's a controversial topic. Probability values (p-values) have been used as a way to measure the significance of research studies since the 1920s, with thousands of researchers relying on them since. With this reliance, though, comes misunderstanding and, therefore, misuse.This misunderstanding is what the latest episode of the How Researchers Changed the World podcast explores, in conversation with statistician Ron Wasserstein.

Food insecurity in Nunavut increased after Nutrition North Canada introduced
Food insecurity, meaning inadequate or insecure access to food because of a lack of money, has worsened in Nunavut communities since the introduction of the federal government's Nutrition North Canada program in 2011, found research published in CMAJ.

Potential new therapy takes aim at a lethal esophageal cancer's glutamine addiction
Medical University of South Carolina investigators have exploited a metabolic quirk of certain cancers known as glutamine addiction to identify a potential new therapy for esophageal cancer. After characterizing the pathway involved in cancer progression, they tested a new combination treatment in both cells and animal models, with promising results. The next step is to secure funding to bring the new combination regimen to clinical trial. Their findings are reported in Nature Communications.

Rocky mountain spotted fever risks examined
In Mexicali, Mexico, an uncontrolled epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, one of the deadliest tickborne diseases in the Americas, has affected more than 1,000 people since 2008. A binational team of researchers led by the University of California, Davis, has conducted the first comprehensive study to examine risk factors for the disease in Mexicali. Researchers examined dogs, ticks, and surveyed households in 200 neighborhoods.

Air pollution affects tree growth in São Paulo
Researchers in Brazil find that high levels of heavy metals and particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere restrict the growth of tipuana trees, which are ubiquitous in São Paulo, the largest Brazilian city.

Staying in shape: How rod-shaped bacteria grow long, not wide
A team from Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, and collaborators show how the rod-shaped bacteria Bacillus subtilis maintains its precise diameter while growing end to end.

Free-standing emergency departments in Texas' big cities are not reducing congestion at hospitals
Free-standing emergency departments (EDs) in Texas' largest cities have not alleviated emergency room congestion or improved patient wait times in nearby hospitals, according to a new paper by experts at Rice University. That finding contradicts arguments made by proponents of free-standing EDs, who have claimed the proliferation of stand-alone emergency rooms would speed care in overcrowded hospitals, said the authors.

Why are gels elastic?
They're in a range of consumer products -- everything from toothpaste and yogurt to fabric softeners and insoles for shoes. But what puts the spring, the elasticity in gels? New research from the University of Delaware has found the answer.

Giving rural Indians what they want increases demand for cookstoves
Adopting common business practices, such as robust supply chains, market analysis and rebates, can increase the adoption of improved cookstoves by as much as 50% in rural India, according to a new study led by Duke University researchers. Electric stoves were very popular, highlighting India's need to continue rural electrification.

June's SLAS technology special collection now available
The June issue of SLAS Technology features the article, 'Next Generation Compound Delivery to Support Miniaturized Biology,' which focuses on the challenges of changing the established screening paradigm to support the needs of modern drug discovery.

Progress in family planning in Africa accelerating
A new study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that women in eight sub-Saharan African countries are gaining access to and using modern contraception at a faster rate than previously projected.

Overweight adolescents are as likely to develop heart disorders as obese adolescents
Brazilian researchers arrived at this conclusion after conducting cardiovascular fitness tests with boys and girls aged 10-17. The results were published in Cardiology in the Young.

Researchers develop new lens manufacturing technique
Researchers from Washington State University and Ohio State University have developed a low-cost, easy way to make custom lenses that could help manufacturers avoid the expensive molds required for optical manufacturing.

Why do women military vets avoid using VA benefits?
Many women military veterans turn to the Veterans Administration (VA) for health care and social services only as a 'last resort' or 'safety net,' typically for an emergency or catastrophic health event, or when private health insurance is unaffordable.

'Spidey senses' could help autonomous machines see better
Purdue University researchers are building 'spidey senses' into the shells of autonomous cars and drones so that they could detect and avoid objects better.

MedStar Franklin Square to offer new treatment option for qualified emphysema patients
MedStar Franklin Square is the first medical facility in the state to offer endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR), using a new FDA-approved lung valve that is positioned in damaged lung airways without surgery, and allows patients with severe emphysema to breathe easier.

Professor rethinks living spaces for refugee camps
New technologies have made the world smaller. Rana Abudayyeh, a professor of interior architecture, asks how architects respond to shifting perspectives of space for displaced people. 'A Syrian refugee living in a Jordanian camp, or an immigrant to the US, will have multiple associations with place,' said Abudayyeh. 'They carry archival images of their home with them on smart devices, and that will influence the way they interact with their physical space.'

Study identifies enzymes that prevent diabetic kidney disease
A new study from Joslin Diabetes Center has proven that certain biological protective factors play a large role in preventing diabetic kidney disease in certain people. The study was published today in Diabetes Care.

Cutting the time on early disease diagnoses with extracellular vesicles
A research team led by the University of Notre Dame is working to cut the test time for disease biomarkers.

Superconductor's magnetic persona unmasked
In the pantheon of unconventional superconductors, iron selenide is a rock star. But new experiments by US, Chinese and European physicists have found the material's magnetic persona to be unexpectedly mundane.

Hyperspectral camera captures wealth of data in an instant
Rice University scientists and engineers develop a portable spectrometer able to capture far more data much quicker than other fiber-based systems. The TuLIPSS camera will be useful for quick analysis of environmental and biological data.

Protein that hinders advancement of prostate cancer identified
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that blocking a specific protein, may be a promising strategy to prevent the spread of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Scientists succeed in testing potential brain-based method to diagnose autism
Scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine have taken the first step in developing an objective, brain-based test to diagnose autism.

SLAS Discovery announces its June cover article
The June cover of SLAS Discovery features cover article 'A Perspective on Extreme Open Science: Companies Sharing Compounds without Restriction,' by Timothy M. Willson, Ph.D.

Dog-like robot made by students jumps, flips and trots
Stanford students developed a dog-like robot that can navigate tough terrain -- and they want you to make one too.

Synthetic biologists hack bacterial sensors
Synthetic biologists have hacked bacterial sensing with a plug-and-play system that could be used to mix-and-match tens of thousands of sensory inputs and genetic outputs.

Resilience of Yellowstone's forests tested by unprecedented fire
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Monica Turner and her team describe what happens when Yellowstone -- adapted to recurring fires every 100 to 300 years -- instead burns twice in fewer than 30 years. Yellowstone as we know it faces an uncertain future, the researchers say, and one of the big questions they hope to answer is whether the forests can recover.

Zebrafish help researchers explore alternatives to bone marrow donation
UC San Diego researchers discover new role for epidermal growth factor receptor in blood stem cell development, a crucial key to being able to generate them in the laboratory, and circumvent the need for bone marrow donation.

Russian scientists make discovery that can help remove gypsy moths from forests
The caterpillars of Lymantria dispar or Gypsy Moth are voracious eaters capable of defoliating entire forests. Sometimes they can even make harm for coniferous forests. Gypsy Moths are widely spread in Europe, Asia and Northern America.

Artificial intelligence becomes life-long learner with new framework
A project of the US Army has developed a new framework for deep neural networks that allows artificial intelligence systems to better learn new tasks while forgetting less of what they have learned regarding previous tasks.

New measurement device: Carbon dioxide as geothermometer
For the first time it is possible to measure, simultaneously and with extreme precision, four rare molecular variants of carbon dioxide (CO2) using a novel laser instrument. As a new type of geothermometer, the laser-spectroscopy-based measurement device is significant for scientific disciplines investigating, for example, climatic conditions in Earth's history. It was developed by a German-French research team with environmental physicists from Heidelberg University.

Preparing low-income communities for hurricanes begins with outreach, Rutgers study finds
Governments seeking to help their most vulnerable residents prepare for hurricanes and other disasters should create community-based information campaigns ahead of time, according to a Rutgers study of economically disadvantaged New Jerseyans in the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.

High-quality jadeite tool discovered in underwater ancient salt works in Belize
Anthropologists discovered a tool made out of high-quality translucent jadeite with an intact rosewood handle at a site where the ancient Maya processed salt in Belize. The discovery of these high-quality materials -- jadeite and rosewood -- used as utilitarian tools, demonstrates that salt workers played an important role in the Classic Maya marketplace economy more than 1,000 years ago.

Size is everything
The susceptibility of ecosystems to disruption depends on a lot of factors that can't all be grasped. Ulrich Brose from University of Jena (Germany) has therefore developed a new method that provides good results with only a few information about the properties of predators. The model confirms that a large body mass index between predator and prey creates stable systems. It can also predict which predator species play a key role.

SABER tech gives DNA and RNA visualization a boost
A collaborative research team from Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard Medical School (HMS) has now developed 'Signal Amplification by Exchange Reaction' (SABER), a highly programmable and practical method that significantly enhances the sensitivity as well as customization and multiplexing capabilities of FISH analysis.

Baylor Scott & White gastroenterology researchers share key takeaways from DDW 2019
Dr. Stuart J. Spechler among researchers from Baylor Scott & White Research Institute available to provide key takeaways from Digestive Disease Week 2019.

Ultra-thin superlattices from gold nanoparticles for nanophotonics
The group of Prof. Dr. Matthias Karg at the Institute of Physical Chemistry at Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf (HHU) in Germany is creating ultra-thin, highly ordered layers of spherical hydrogel beads that encapsulate gold or silver particles. These structures are of interest for applications in optoelectronics -- light-based information and communication technology -- and nanophotonics. The researchers have recently published findings on a significant step in the direction of 'plasmonic nanolasers' in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Pseudohermaphrodite snails can help to assess how polluted the Arctic seas are
Ivan Nekhaev, a postdoc at St. Petersburg University, studied snails of the genus Boreocingula -- tiny gastropods as small as half a centimeter -- and first discovered that Arctic micromolluscs can show signs of pseudohermaphroditism. Boreocingula martyni adult females grow underdeveloped male genital organs.

Key drug target shown assembling in real-time
Over one-third of all FDA-approved drugs act on a specific family of proteins: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Drugs to treat high blood pressure, asthma, cancer, diabetes and myriad other conditions target GPCRs throughout the body--but a recent study shows what happens next. In results published in Cell, researchers outline the timeline of events, including precisely when and how different parts of a GPCR interacts with its G protein signaling partners.

People with benign skin condition willing to trade time, money to cure disorder
People with benign hyperpigmentation (the darkening or increase in the natural color of the skin), are willing to pay (WTP) nearly 14 percent of their monthly income and approximately 90 minutes a day to cure their condition.

Shedding light on cancer metabolism in real-time with bioluminescence
Cancerous tumors can be made to bioluminesce, like fireflies, according to the level of their glucose uptake, giving rise to a technique for quantifying metabolite absorption. The firefly imaging technique for sugar can be translated from cancer to many other metabolic diseases.

Discovery in mice could remove roadblock to more insulin production
A new discovery made mainly in mice could provide new options for getting the insulin-making 'factories' of the pancreas going again when diabetes and obesity have slowed them down. It could offer new pathways to ramping up insulin supply to get metabolism back on track in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Infant deaths highlight danger of misusing car seats, other sitting devices
Car safety seats are vital to protect children while traveling, but a new infant death study underlines the need to follow the seats' instructions and to use them only for their intended purpose.

Giant impact caused difference between moon's hemispheres
The stark difference between the moon's heavily-cratered farside and the lower-lying open basins of the Earth-facing nearside has puzzled scientists for decades. Now, new evidence about the moon's crust suggests the differences were caused by a wayward dwarf planet colliding with the moon in the early history of the solar system.

Young children willing to punish misbehavior, even at personal cost, new research shows
Children as young as three years old are willing to punish others' bad behavior, even at personal cost, finds a new study by psychology researchers.

Fiber-based imaging spectrometer captures record amounts of data
Researchers have developed a new compact, fiber-based imaging spectrometer for remote sensing that can capture 30,000 sampling points each containing more than 60 wavelengths. This rich spectral information combined with high spatial resolution provides valuable insight into the chemical makeup of a scene or sample.

Estonian scientists took a big step forward in studying a widespread gynecological disease
Endometriosis is a women's disease that affects 10-15% of all reproductive-aged women. Although no cure has been found for the disease, researchers seek to find out why some women develop endometriosis and which may be its effective treatment. Researchers from Tartu have completed a study that helps to get closer to explaining the causes of endometriosis.

Progress to restore movement in people with neuromotor disabilities
A study published in the advanced edition of April 12, 2019 in the journal Neural Computation shows that approaches based on Long Short-Term Memory decoders could provide better algorithms for neuroprostheses that employ Brain-Machine Interfaces to restore movement in patients with severe neuromotor disabilities.

Sex sells: how masculinity is used as currency to buy sperm donors' time
Sperm banks in the United Kingdom and Australia use images and phrases associated with masculinity to attract donors because laws prohibit them from paying for sperm.

Echolocation: Making the best of sparse information
New findings reported by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers challenge a generally accepted model of echolocation in bats. They demonstrate that bats require far less spatial information than previously thought to navigate effectively.

Professor Anu Masso: e-residency contributes to the reproduction of digital inequalities
In a situation of rapid digitalisation of public and private sector services the methods for digital identity verification and authentication are also becoming increasingly important for citizens. E-residency is a form of digital authentication, which gives remote access to digital services without the need to actually live in the country.

Computer program designed to calculate the economic impact of forest fires
Visual Seveif software measures the economic impact of a fire, taking into account both material resources and their utility for leisure and recreation, the landscape's value and, now, carbon fixation.

Climate change has long-term impact on species adaptability
Historic climate change events can have a lasting impact on the genetic diversity of a species, reveals a new study on the alpine marmot.

Neurobiology: Doubly secured
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers have used CRISPR technology to probe the mechanisms that guide the developmental trajectories of stem cells in the brain. The results show that crucial cellular switches are doubly protected against unintended activation.

The return of the wolves
Researchers examine global strategies for dealing with predators.

Eliminating extended work shifts improves sleep duration for senior resident physicians
A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital comparing the work hours and sleep obtained by pediatric resident physicians working extended shifts with those whose scheduled shift lengths were limited to no more than 16 consecutive hours found that hours of sleep per week increased under a modified schedule. The team's results are presented today at the American Thoracic Meeting and simultaneously published in Sleep.

Bonobo mothers help their sons to have more offspring
In many social animal species individuals share child-rearing duties, but new research from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, finds that bonobo mothers go the extra step and actually take action to ensure their sons will become fathers. This way bonobo mothers increase their sons' chance of fatherhood three-fold.

Seasonal clock changing helps to synchronize human sleep/wake cycle across latitude
In winter, the sleep/wake cycle is dominated by sunrise. Wake-up times tend to occur during the winter twilight regulated by the circadian photorecpetive mechanism. Bedtimes tend to occur eight hours earlier or sixteen hours later, in the middle of the winter night, regulated by the homeostatic mechanism that make us feel tired after a prolonged wake. This setting delays the sleep/wake cycle as latitude increases following the delay in the winter sunrise time.

Withering away: How viral infection leads to cachexia
Many patients with chronic illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, autoimmune diseases, suffer from an additional disease called cachexia. The complex, still poorly understood syndrome, with uncontrollable weight loss and shrinkage of both fat reserves and muscle tissue is thought to contribute to premature death. Researchers at CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences describe the molecular mechanisms of cachexia during viral infection and identify a surprising role for immune cells.

Good leadership and values key to staff satisfaction, study finds
Tourism and hospitality firms that score highly for leadership and cultural values see higher staff satisfaction, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA).Researchers analysed almost 298,000 online review ratings by employees for 11,975 firms in the US to find the key elements of job satisfaction and employee turnover in high-contact services. The reviews were posted over a 10-year period on Glassdoor, one of the world's largest job and recruiting sites.

Strawberry tree honey inhibits cell proliferation in colon cancer lines
Spanish and Italian researchers have proven that when honey from strawberry trees, a product typical of Mediterranean areas, is added to colon cancer cells grown in the laboratory, cell proliferation is stopped. The authors hope that these promising results and the anti-tumour potential of this food will be confirmed in in vivo models.

Mindfulness helps mothers with opioid use disorder combat depression
The discovery highlights alternative treatment options to pharmaceutical medications.

New computer-based predictive tool more accurately forecasts outcomes for respiratory patients
Are electronic health records and computer calculations a better, more accurate way to predict clinical outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? According to the results of a new study by researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, the answer is yes.

Just released: Proceedings from inaugural Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention
Proceedings from the first-ever Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention have been released and published on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website as an 'article in press' in advance of print publication.

Behold the Bili-ruler: A novel, low-cost device for screening neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
A team from Brigham and Women's Hospital recently reported the creation and validation of a novel tool, the Bili-ruler, designed for use by frontline health workers to screen for hyperbilirubinemia in low-resource settings.

New single vaccination approach to killer diseases
Scientists from the University of Adelaide's Research Centre for Infectious Diseases have developed a single vaccination approach to simultaneously combat influenza and pneumococcal infections, the world's most deadly respiratory diseases.

Cement as a climate killer: Using industrial waste to produce carbon neutral alternatives
Producing cement takes a big toll on our climate: Around eight per cent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to this process. However, the demand for cement continues to rise. A team of geoscientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has found a way to produce more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives. In the journal "Construction and Building Materials" they describe how industrial residues can be used to produce high-quality, climate-friendly materials.

Circadian mechanism may not be driver behind compound linked to obesity and diabetes
SR9009 is a compound that can lead to a wide range of health benefits in animals, including reduced risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Until now, researchers have attributed the effects to SR9009's role in altering the body's circadian clock. However, in a first-of-its-kind study from Penn Medicine, researchers found that SR9009 can effect cell growth and metabolic function without the involvement of REV-ERBs.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid levels in dried and deep-frozen spices and herbs too high
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are natural constituents detected all over the world in more than 350 plant species and suspected to occur in more than 6,000. Plants produce them as a defence against predators. Out of more than 660 known PA and similar compounds, the 1,2-unsaturated PA in particular have a health-damaging potential. Consequently, they are undesired in foods and feeds.

More detailed picture of Earth's mantle
The chemical composition of the Earth's mantle is a lot more variable and diverse than previously thought, a new study has revealed.

Expert judgement provides better understanding of the effect of melting ice sheets
Melting ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic, and subsequent sea level rise (SLR) this will cause, is widely recognised as posing a significant threat to coastal communities and ecosystems.

SCAI releases multi-society endorsed consensus on the classification stages of cardiogenic shock
A newly released expert consensus statement proposes a classification schema for cardiogenic shock that will facilitate communication in both the clinical and research settings. The document was published online in SCAI's Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions journal, and is endorsed by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Virulence factor of the influenza A virus mapped in real-time
In a recent study published in BBA -- General Subjects, Kanazawa university researchers have used high-speed microscopy to investigate native structure and conformational dynamics of hemagglutinin in influenza A.

Synthesis of helical ladder polymers
Researchers at Kanazawa University synthesized helical ladder polymers with a well-defined cyclic repeating unit and one-handed helical geometry, as they reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Australian drivers ready to embrace phone restriction apps -- if they can still talk
Almost 70 per cent of drivers would be willing to install smartphone apps that block texting and browsing according to new Australian research from Queensland University of Technology -- but only if they can still do hands-free calls and listen to Bluetooth music. The national survey of 712 drivers also found one in six admitted to texting, browsing and even writing emails while behind the wheel.

New Finnish study: Dietary cholesterol or egg consumption do not increase the risk of stroke
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that a moderately high intake of dietary cholesterol or consumption of up to one egg per day is not associated with an elevated risk of stroke. Furthermore, no association was found in carriers of the APOE4 phenotype, which affects cholesterol metabolism and is remarkably common among the Finnish population.

Crime fighting just got easier as burglars reveal all
First study of burglars committing crime in virtual reality could change the way we protect our homes from burglars.

Anxious people quicker to flee danger
By better understanding anxiety circuits in our brain, researchers may one day learn what goes awry in people with anxiety disorders.

Key acid-activated protein channel identified
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a long-sought protein, the proton-activated chloride channel (PAC), that is activated in acidic environments and could protect against the tissue-damaging effects of stroke, heart attack, cancer and inflammation. The researchers believe the discovery of this protein could provide a new drug target for potential therapies for stroke and other health issues.

New flying/driving robot developed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Possible commercial uses are package deliveries since it can quickly fly to a target zone and then drive using its wheels safely and quietly to reach the recipient's doorstep. FSTAR can also be used for search and rescue applications as it can fly over various obstacles and crawl between or underneath cracks where a regular drone cannot fly. The robot can also be used in agriculture, maintenance, cleaning, filming, and entertainment, as well as law enforcement and anti-terrorist applications.

Artificial intelligence system spots lung cancer before radiologists
Artificial intelligence was able to detect malignant lung nodules on low-dose chest computed tomography scans with a performance meeting or exceeding that of expert radiologists, reports a new study from Google and Northwestern Medicine.This deep-learning system provides an automated image evaluation system to enhance the accuracy of early lung cancer diagnosis that could lead to earlier treatment. Lung cancer is most common cause of cancer deaths in US and is harder to treat when diagnosed at advanced stages.

Mount Sinai discovers placental stem cells that can regenerate heart after heart attack
Study identifies new stem cell type that can significantly improve cardiac function.

Novel technique reduces obstruction risk in heart valve replacement
Researchers at the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a novel technique that prevents the obstruction of blood flow, a common fatal complication of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). The new method, called LAMPOON, may increase treatment options for high-risk patients previously ineligible for heart valve procedures.

How plant viruses can be used to ward off pests and keep plants healthy
Imagine a technology that could target pesticides to treat specific spots deep within the soil, making them more effective at controlling infestations while limiting their toxicity to the environment. Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Case Western Reserve University have taken a step toward that goal. They discovered that a particular plant virus can deliver pesticide molecules deeper below the ground, targeting places normally beyond their reach.

Statin use associated with reduced risk of dementia after concussion in older adults
Concussion is a common brain injury. This observational study of nearly 29,000 adults (66 and older) diagnosed with concussion examined whether statin use was associated with risk of long-term dementia after a concussion.

Weight gain and loss may worsen dementia risk in older people
Older people who experience significant weight gain or weight loss could be raising their risk of developing dementia, suggests a study from Korea published today in the online journal BMJ Open.

Farmers have less leisure time than hunter-gatherers, study suggests
Hunter-gatherers in the Philippines who adopt farming work around ten hours a week longer than their forager neighbours, a new study suggests, complicating the idea that agriculture represents progress. The research also shows that a shift to agriculture impacts most on the lives of women.