Science News-Study Provides Guidelines on How to Prioritize Vaccination During Flu Season

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Medical News Study Provides Guidelines on How to Prioritize Vaccination During Flu Season After high-risk individuals, immunizing children and the elderly will have the greatest overall benefit when there are limited vaccine resources, Virginia Tech researchers found. – Virginia Tech PLOS Computational Biology Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET Binge and High-Intensity Drinking Is Increasing for U.S. Young Adults in Their Late 20s Monitoring changes in drinking patterns and amounts helps researchers, prevention professionals, and treatment providers plan for and respond effectively to personal and public harms associated with alcohol consumption. This information is particular... – Research Society on Alcoholism Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 17:00 ET Five Years Before Brain Cancer Diagnosis, Changes Detectable in Blood Changes in immune activity appear to signal a growing brain tumor five years before symptoms arise, new research has found. – Ohio State University Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET Perseverance Pays Off in Fight Against Deadly Lassa Virus This story starts with a young graduate student in San Diego and leads all the way to Sierra Leone, to a unique hospital where Lassa fever victims arrive by the thousands every year. – Scripps Research Institute Science, June 2, 2017; 1U19AI109762-01; R21 AI116112; HHSC272200900049C Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET Research Team Unravels Elusive Structure of Lassa Virus, Revealing Vaccine Target A team of scientists have for the first time mapped the molecular structure of an elusive surface protein on the Lassa virus that allows the pathogen to infect human cells. – Tulane University Science, June 2 2017 Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET Study Reveals Compression Tights Don't Help Runners Reach Finish Line Despite the fact that distance runners swear by them, a new study from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds compression tights don’t help runners go farther or faster. – Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 17:15 ET Dr. Ralf Holzer Named Chief of Division of Pediatric Cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medicine Dr. Ralf Holzer, a pediatric cardiologist and expert in minimally invasive techniques to treat children and adults with congenital heart disease, has been named chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medic... – New York-Presbyterian Hospital Embargo expired on 02-Jun-2017 at 06:00 ET Dairy Products a Good Dietary Source of Some Types of Vitamin K A new study finds that U.S. dairy products are a significant source of the MK form of vitamin K and indicates that MK forms of the nutrient are more present in commonly-consumed foods than previously thought. – Tufts University Current Developments in Nutrition Why Pot-Smoking Declines — but Doesn’t End — with Parenthood Adults who smoke marijuana often cut back after becoming parents — but they don’t necessarily quit. – University of Washington Prevention Science New Consensus Document for Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine A new Consensus Document from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) provides practical, evidence-based recommendations on the use of drug testing for identification, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with or at risk for sub... – Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Journal of Addiction Medicine Higher Risk of Suicide among Israelis Who Immigrated during the Second World War from Countries Where Most Jews Were Murdered in the Holocaust A new study held at the University among Holocaust survivors has revealed a specific population group with a high suicide rate. The study found that people who immigrated to Israel from countries where most of the Jewish population was murdered in th... – University of Haifa Payments Linked to Higher Odds of Doctors Prescribing Certain Cancer Drugs In preliminary findings (abstract 6510) that will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting 2017 in Chicago on Saturday, June 3, researchers show that when physicians had to choose between multiple, on-patent drugs for ... – University of North Carolina Health Care System 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting Tip Sheet: Immunotherapy Trial Results for Cancer Among Research Presentations by Johns Hopkins Scientists Combining two checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that remove inhibitory signals and restore the immune system’s ability to fight cancer, may be effective in shrinking melanoma tumors or preventing their growth in some patients who previously received sta... – Johns Hopkins Medicine Vibrating, Cold Device Enables Quick IV Insertion While Reducing Kids' Pain in Emergency Room A vibrating device, used with a cold pack, relieves a child’s pain while emergency department caregivers insert an intravenous catheter, equally as well as the currently used anesthetic, topical lidocaine. The device can be used quickly, unlike lid... – Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Pediatric Emergency Care, online Jan. 24, 2017 Researchers Find Chromosome Cooperation Is Long-Distance Endeavor Multiple genomic elements work cooperatively and over long distances in order to ensure the proper functioning of chromosomes, a team of scientists has found. – New York University eLife Ethnicity and Breastfeeding Influence Infant Gut Bacteria The study looked at the microbial population in the gastrointestinal tract of infants at a formative stage of life when metabolic set points are being established. The study analyzed the stool samples from 173 white Caucasian and 182 South Asian one-... – McMaster University Telehealth Reduces Wait Time, Improves Care for Children with Autism Living in Remote Areas Kristin Sohl, director of ECHO Autism, says that the expanding ECHO Autism will help families and children with autism around the world, especially those living in remote areas. – University of Missouri Health includes video SLAC X-Ray Beam Helps Uncover Blueprint for Lassa Virus Vaccine A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has solved the structure of the viral machinery that Lassa virus uses to enter human cells. X-ray beams from the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) at the Department of En... – SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory K. Hastie et al., Science, 2 June 2017 (10.1126/science.aam7260) Study Links Late-Night Tweeting by NBA Players to Worse Game Performance Preliminary data from a new study suggests that NBA players had worse personal statistics in games that followed a late-night tweet between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. – Stony Brook University Immune Responses From Early Study of Novel Sarcoma Vaccine The critical component of an experimental vaccine led to an escalating immune response in patients with sarcoma, an indicator of its potential anti-cancer effects. The findings will be presented by Dr. Seth Pollack, a physician-scientist at Fred Hutc... – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Caring for Kids: SLU Starts Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program Saint Louis University’s Center for Advanced Dental Education (CADE) will begin a pediatric dentistry residency program on July 1, 2017. The program, six years in the making, received initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditatio... – Saint Louis University Medical Center The Medical Minute: The Many Health Benefits of Cycling Getting outside on two wheels can improve health and fitness, build muscles and boost your mood. Plus, for most people, it’s fun. – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center CRF Invites NYC Area Heart Failure Patients and Caregivers to Attend Free Seminar on Living with Heart Failure The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) will hold a free seminar “Broken Hearts: Living with Heart Failure” on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 for heart failure patients and caregivers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The seminar, part of a series o... – Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) Faculty-Student Research Team Uncovers Critical Process in Drug Development A faculty-student research team in the chemistry lab at the University of Redlands has advanced a new approach to a critical process in pharmaceutical drug development that could reduce the time and cost of bringing a drug from concept to market. – University of Redlands Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, Feb-2017 Mayo Clinic Monthly News Tips — May 2017 Mayo Clinic Monthly News Tips — May 2017 – Mayo Clinic American Thoracic Society Dismayed by President’s Decision on Paris Agreement The American Thoracic Society is extremely disappointed that President Trump has announced his decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement to address climate change. This agreement was signed by nearly every nation on Earth in recognition of our s... – American Thoracic Society (ATS) Public Health Consequences of Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord On June 1, 2017 President Trump decided to withdraw the United States from the historic Paris climate accord. Lynn R. Goldman, MD, Dean of Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, issued this statement on the deci... – George Washington University Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Congressman Tony Cárdenas Advocate for Protecting Children's Health Care Services Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Congressman Tony Cárdenas advocate for protecting children's health care services; CHLA mission and patients especially impacted by proposed Medicaid cuts. – Childrens Hospital Los Angeles CMS Approves GIQuIC as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry for the 2017 Reporting Year BETHESDA, MD, June 1, 2017 – The GI Quality Improvement Consortium, Ltd. (GIQuIC) Registry has been approved as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for reporting to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for the 2017 reporting year. ... – American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) What’s Next? NCCN Gathers Health Care Policy Experts to Deliberate Challenges to Patient Safety and Access to Cancer Care under the New Administration The NCCN Policy Summit: Ensuring Patient Access and Safety in Cancer Care takes place on Thursday, June 15, 2017, from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. – National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Names New National Media Spokespeople for 2017-2020 The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, has appointed eight registered dietitian nutritionists to three-year terms as media spokespeople. – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Donna Martin Becomes 2017-2018 President of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Registered dietitian nutritionist Donna S. Martin begins her one-year term on June 1 as the 2017-2018 President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Martin, of Augusta, Ga.... – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Names 2017-2018 Board of Directors Nineteen national leaders in nutrition, health and business will serve as the 2017-2018 Board of Directors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Representing more than 100,000 credentialed practitioners, the Academy is the world’s largest orga... – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics New UT Southwestern Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth Enhances Access to Care for Tarrant County Residents UT Southwestern Medical Center dedicated its new Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth today, adding more than a dozen specialty areas of its distinctive academic medical practice to the heart of Fort Worth’s burgeoning Medical Distri... – UT Southwestern Medical Center NewYork-Presbyterian and Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute Launch #HandsOnlyCPR Campaign In an effort to reduce the number of people who die needlessly from sudden cardiac arrest each year, NewYork-Presbyterian and the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute have launched the #HandsOnlyCPR campaign, an ambitious community awareness, educatio... – New York-Presbyterian Hospital includes video Science News Queen’s University Belfast Researcher Leads International Team to ‘Miracle Material’ Discovery That Could End Cracked Smart Devices A Queen’s University researcher has led an international team of scientists to the discovery of a new material, which could finally bring an end to the misery of cracked smartphone and tablet screens. – Queen's University Belfast Embargo expired on 02-Jun-2017 at 01:00 ET How the Galapagos Cormorant Lost Its Ability to Fly UCLA scientists discovered that changes to the genes that shortened the Galapagos cormorant's wings are the same genes that go awry in a group of human bone disorders characterized by stunted arms and legs. The findings shed light on the genetic mech... – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences Science, June 2, 2017 Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET includes video Mars Rover Reveals Ancient Lake with Properties Common to Those on Earth New findings based on NASA’s Curiosity rover mission reveal that an ancient lake in Gale Crater on Mars had chemical and physical properties very similar to those common to lakes on Earth. – Stony Brook University Science Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET Stony Corals More Resistant to Climate Change Than Thought, Rutgers Study Finds Stony corals may be more resilient to ocean acidification than once thought, according to a Rutgers University study that shows they rely on proteins to help create their rock-hard skeletons. – Rutgers University Science Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET WVU Researchers Help Detect Gravitational Waves for the Third Time; Confirm New Population of Black Holes West Virginia University professors Zach Etienne and Sean McWilliams and a group of WVU graduate students are part of a global team of scientists who have detected gravitational waves for the third time, demonstrating that a new window in astronomy h... – West Virginia University Physical Review Letters Embargo expired on 01-Jun-2017 at 11:00 ET From 3 Billion Light Years Away, Third Gravitational Wave Detected The third time’s the charm for an international team of scientists, including physicists at California State University, Fullerton and their students, who made the latest detection of gravitational waves, emitted when two black holes collided to fo... – California State University, Fullerton Physical Review Letters, June 1, 2017 Scientists Design Molecular System for Artificial Photosynthesis A molecular system for artificial photosynthesis is designed to mimic key functions of the photosynthetic center in green plants—light absorption, charge separation, and catalysis—to convert solar energy into chemical energy stored by hydrogen fu... – Brookhaven National Laboratory Journal of the American Chemical Society, Jun. 1 (web); DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b02142 Rover Findings Indicate Stratified Lake on Ancient Mars A long-lasting lake on ancient Mars provided stable environmental conditions that differed significantly from one part of the lake to another, according to a comprehensive look at findings from the first three-and-a-half years of NASA’s Curiosity r... – Los Alamos National Laboratory Science LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves for Third Time An international research team, including Northwestern University scientists and engineers, today (June 1) announced the third detection of gravitational waves -- ripples in the fabric of space and time, first predicted by Albert Einstein more than a... – Northwestern University includes video Research Finds Seacoast Roads Under New Threat From Rising Sea Level Research out of the University of New Hampshire has found that some roads, as far as two miles from the shore, are facing a new hazard that currently cannot be seen by drivers - rising groundwater caused by increasing ocean water levels. – University of New Hampshire Ames Laboratory Scientists Are Able to “See” Light-to-Energy Transfer in New Solar Cell Materials Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory are now able to capture the moment less than one trillionth of a second a particle of light hits a solar cell and becomes energy, and describe the physics of the charge carrier and atom ... – Ames Laboratory Saving Lives and Money: The Potential of Solar to Replace Coal By swapping solar photovoltaics for coal, the US could prevent 51,999 premature deaths a year, potentially making as much as $2.5 million for each life saved. A team from Michigan Technological University calculated US deaths per kilowatt hour per ye... – Michigan Technological University Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, June 2017 Georgia State Neuroscientists Rewire Brain of One Species to Have Connectivity of Another Scientists at Georgia State University have rewired the neural circuit of one species and given it the connections of another species to test a hypothesis about the evolution of neural circuits and behavior. – Georgia State University Current Biology Gel-Like Drops of Protein and RNA Make a Splash in Neurodegenerative Diseases At a meeting in Leuven, Belgium, a coherent picture began to emerge for how fluid pockets of proteins and RNAs contribute to health and disease. – Alzforum Video Shows Invasive Lionfish Feasting on New Caribbean Fish Species Researchers from the University of Washington and Smithsonian Institution have reported the first observed case of lionfish preying upon a fish species that had not yet been named. Their results, published May 25 in PLOS ONE, may indicate an uncertai... – University of Washington Global Climate Trend Since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.12 C Per Decade Global Temperature Report: May 2017 – University of Alabama Huntsville Economists Find Improved Electricity Storage Leads to Innovation, Efficiency Improved electrical storage technology spurs innovation in both renewables and fossil fuels electricity production, and boosts the efficiency of the entire electricity sector. – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee European Economic Review, Available online 18 April 2017 UF Researchers Try to Make Sure Dairy Farmers Produce the Best We've just begun National Dairy Month, a good time to remind consumers where their milk and other dairy products come from. UF/IFAS researchers use genomic testing to ensure farmers produce the best dairy cattle. – University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Perdigão: Capturing the Complexities of Mountain Winds Researchers from the University of Notre Dame are collecting data on multiple aspects of wind flow patterns shaped by meteorological forcing on intricate terrain through carefully planned field observations. – University of Notre Dame Researchers Return to Gulf of Mexico to Study Impacts of Oil Spill Seven years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers embark on new expedition to the Gulf to monitor impacts on deep sea corals – University of Georgia Citizen Scientists Help in Search for Gravitational Waves Northwestern’s astrophysics center, CIERA (the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Exploration in Astrophysics), is leading a new crowdsourcing project called Gravity Spy to sift through the massive amounts of data being produced by the twin ... – Northwestern University “Expert in a Suitcase” Cuts Power Bills 10% in Small Commercial Buildings The knowledge and expertise of a seasoned energy efficiency professional has been packed into a high-tech suitcase. The Sensor Suitcase is a portable case that contains easy-to-use sensors and other equipment that make it possible for anyone to ident... – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory includes video Chasing the Fastest Shark in the World is No Easy Task A group of research scientists from NSU's Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation has the most successful research trip in the history of their Isla Mujeres, Mexico project. – Nova Southeastern University includes video ASCB Comments on Trump FY18 Budget The Trump Administration has released its final, detailed FY18 federal budget and it is just what was expected: short on funding. The Trump proposal calls for an 18% overall cut for the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) with individual cuts fo... – American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) UC San Diego Launches Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Anthropology have recently joined efforts within the University of California San Diego to launch the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology (SCMA). Researchers with the Scripps Center for ... – University of California San Diego Two Scientists Recognized as Exceptional Young Researchers Northwestern University faculty members William Dichtel and Mark Hersam have been named finalists for the 2017 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. They are among 30 scientists and engineers being recognized nationally this year. – Northwestern University Muon Magnet's Moment Has Arrived On May 31, the 50-foot-wide superconducting electromagnet at the center of the Muon g-2 experiment saw its first beam of muon particles from Fermilab’s accelerators, kicking off a three-year effort to measure just what happens to those particles wh... – Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) Wayne State University Awarded Over $460K From the Michigan Health Endowment Fund Three research teams at Wayne State University recently received grants totaling $460,305 from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund for projects aimed at improving the health of children and seniors in Michigan. Overall, the Michigan Health Endowment F... – Wayne State University Division of Research Michigan Health Endowment Fund Wayne State Professors Receive $500k From NSF to Enhance Computational Research A team of researchers from Wayne State University’s College of Engineering recently received nearly $500,000 from the National Science Foundation for its research project, SSE: Development of a High-Performance Parallel Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo ... – Wayne State University Division of Research National Science Foundation, 1642406 Lifestyle & Social Sciences Better Mental Health: Public or Private College Students? Using information gleaned from social media, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a mental health index for the nation’s highest-ranked colleges and universities. 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ENERGY NEWS-U.S. labor report, Paris decision backlash send oil prices Lower

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U.S. labor report, Paris decision backlash send oil prices Lower

June 2 (UPI) -- Perceived weakness on the margins of the U.S. labor sector and the reaction to the U.S. exit from the Paris climate deal hammered crude oil prices early Friday.

Russia sees a lower-for-longer scenario for oil prices

June 2 (UPI) -- While some major producers can stay competitive in the current market, lower oil prices may be the new normal, a Russian oil leader said Friday.

EU, China claim leadership on drive for low-carbon economy

June 2 (UPI) -- The European Union and China are assuming joint leadership in the effort to build a low-carbon economy, the EU president said Friday during a trade summit.

Texas envisions LNG leadership on global stage

June 2 (UPI) -- The shale boom under way in the United States means the country is primed to become a leader in liquefied natural gas developments, a Texas leader said.

Deep-water LNG project offshore Mozambique draws questions

June 2 (UPI) -- A multibillion-dollar floating production facility for liquefied natural gas could be a major win for Mozambique, though analyst sentiments were mixed.

A breakthrough for solar power in Arizona

June 2 (UPI) -- A network of batteries that will store energy generated from the sun has the potential to "revolutionize" the U.S. low-carbon grid, a German company said.

Iranian energy an area of mutual interest, companies say

June 2 (UPI) -- Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft said Friday it signed an agreement with Austria's OMV to explore joint opportunities for possible exploration in Iran.

Dakota Access pipeline now operational, developer says

June 1 (UPI) -- Oil has begin flowing through the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, carrying crude from Canada and North Dakota south to Illinois, its developer said Thursday.

EU planning to spend billions on climate issues

June 1 (UPI) -- The EU is planning to spend tens of billions on climate-related issues by 2020, sources said ahead of the U.S. announcement Thursday on the Paris agreement.

Oil under modest pressure on consumer demand issues

June 1 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices were flat to slightly lower in early Thursday trading as consumer demand issues balance against a large draw in oil inventories.

Chevron CEO calls 2016 a 'transition year'

June 1 (UPI) -- The head of U.S. supermajor Chevron Corp. brushed off last year as a "transition year" that set the stage for progress in the 2017 calendar year.

Oklahoma raises tax on energy industry to offset economic strains

June 1 (UPI) -- The budget for fiscal year 2018 in shale-rich Oklahoma sends about $7 billion to state agencies, but remains off $37 million from this year, the governor said

Transocean aims to carve out niche

June 1 (UPI) -- Rig company Transcoean said it secured more than $1 billion for the sale of parts of its shallow-water fleet in a move that aligns with streamlining efforts.

Saudi Aramco contracts continue with Amec Foster Wheeler deal

June 1 (UPI) -- The steady stream of contracts with one of the world's largest oil companies continued Thursday, with Amec Foster Wheeler landing a deal with Saudi Aramco.

Financing sought for Russian pipeline through Turkey

June 1 (UPI) -- Talks are underway to secure financing to build a natural gas pipeline through Turkish territory, a deputy chairman at Russian energy company Gazprom said.

US-China Ties in Arts and Education Deepen

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Elizabeth Lee

LOS ANGELES — 

On the political and military front, U.S.-China relations have been an often-tense dance between governments. However, in arts and education, many say the relationship is deepening. There is debate among Americans as to whether the ties are positive or negative.

Some say this is progress that is reaping economic and cultural benefits for citizens in both countries.

"When people collaborate on making anything artistic, there's an emotional pull inside of that and if it works well, you not only have a great business, you also have a great diplomatic cohesion between the two countries," said Chris Fenton, U.S.-Asia Institute Trustee and the President of DMG Entertainment.

In August, Fenton will be taking a group of U.S. lawmakers to China to look at the country's growing entertainment and media industry, with the hope of even more Chinese investment in Hollywood.

On Jan. 21, 2011, then-Chinese President Hu Jintao visits the The Confucius Institute which is housed at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago.

Chinese language and culture

China has also been investing in educating Americans in language and culture through its Confucius Institutes. Mandarin immersion kindergarten teacher Carol Chen says the University of California Los Angeles Confucius Institute has been a good resource for her and her students.

"For example, books and also resources of our Chinese cultures. One of the years, they actually brought Chinese folk culture tradition to the campus," said Chen, who teaches at Broadway Elementary, a dual language immersion school.

Funded by the Chinese government, there are nearly 500 Confucius Institutes globally, most on university campuses. The UCLA Confucius Institute taps into the local Mandarin-speaking population to develop a pipeline of Mandarin teachers. It also provides cross-cultural programs in the arts.

"Bringing more artists together and exposing them to each other's culture and to shared cultural experience with China, you're sort of training, sort of a new generation of diplomats," said Susan Pertel Jain, UCLA Confucius Institute Executive Director.

But long-time critic and academic Perry Link says Confucius Institutes are an example of China's soft power.

"Soft power is cultural or educational things that cause people in other countries to view one's own country in a more friendly way. To reach out into the world with soft power is a new thing from the Chinese government's point of view, but an important thing because the rest of the successful world seems to be doing it," said Link, who is the University of California Riverside's Chancellorial Chair for Innovation in Teaching Across Disciplines.

But Link says the presence of the Confucius Institutes on university campuses is dangerous because it often limits academic freedom to discuss China's human rights issues.

"It's induced self-censorship. That is, ‘We are going to give you these funds and you can invite speakers about China and the fund comes from Beijing and you know that and we know that.’ Now, as the director of a Confucius Institute, do you think, ‘Oh, I'll invite the Dalai Lama’ to speak? No.Of course you don't do that," Link said.

But Jain said the UCLA Confucius Institute does not back away from touchy topics.

"Whether it's artists that we present there who were active in sort of [an] anti-government movement or whether it's the screening of films that are maybe not officially approved by the government, we don't shy away from that, but what we always tell our colleagues in China is that we promise to always present everything in a fair and balanced way," said Jain.

The Hollywood Sign is pictured Aug. 23, 2016, in Los Angeles.

Entertainment industry

In the past, Hollywood movies have been America's example of soft power.

Last fall, 16 members of Congress wrote a letter to the Government Accountability Office to express national security concerns about the growing number of Chinese investments in the United States, including in the media and entertainment industry.

"There is definitely a self-censorship. There is no doubt. I think the most obvious version of that was when self-censorship was not used and it really backfired," said Fenton.

China is close to becoming the top global market at the box office and one that is much desired by Hollywood executives. If China closes that door to certain production studios in Hollywood, it will hurt financially.

"It's a very large piece of the pie because it's roughly seven billion in dollars," Fenton said. "If you're thinking like a business person, there is a certain creative vision you should have for the content you're making that if you want to call it self-censorship that's fine, or you call it just good business."

The Numbers Are In: A Single-Payer Health System in California

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