Science X Newsletter Wednesday, Jan 28

COMSOL Server Now Available to Run Simulation Apps: http://goo.gl/q18ysC

Check out the Release Highlights to learn more about COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.0, COMSOL Server, and the Application Builder.

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 28, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- 'NanoSuit': Researchers use nano-coating to allow for electron microscopy of living insects
- Researchers find evolutionary reasons for homosexual behavior in beetles
- Researchers find social lifestyle also helps mole rats live a long time
- Researchers use sound to slow down, speed up, and block light
- Missing link in metal physics explains Earth's magnetic field
- Quantum computer as detector shows space is not squeezed
- Some potentially habitable planets began as gaseous, Neptune-like worlds
- Nanoscale mirrored cavities amplify, connect quantum memories
- 55,000-year-old skull links modern man in vicinity of Neanderthals
- Everything you wanted to know about mitochondrial mutations but were afraid to ask
- Spider electro-combs its sticky nano-filaments
- The two faces of Mars
- Spiky 'hedgehog particles' for safer paints, fewer VOC emissions
- Large study uncovers molecular alterations in head and neck cancers
- Epigenetic drug boosts chemotherapy's efficacy in some lung cancers

Astronomy & Space news

	Some potentially habitable planets began as gaseous, Neptune-like worlds Two phenomena known to inhibit the potential habitability of planets—tidal forces and vigorous stellar activity—might instead help chances for life on certain planets orbiting low-mass stars, University of Washington astronomers have found.
	VLT image: The mouth of the beast Like the gaping mouth of a gigantic celestial creature, the cometary globule CG4 glows menacingly in this new image from ESO's Very Large Telescope. Although it appears to be big and bright in this picture, this is actually a faint nebula, which makes it very hard for amateur astronomers to spot. The exact nature of CG4 remains a mystery.
	The two faces of Mars A moon-sized celestial object that crashed into the south pole: ETH researchers use a simulation to demonstrate why Mars consists of two notably different hemispheres.
	Gully patterns document Martian climate cycles Geologists from Brown University have found new evidence that glacier-like ice deposits advanced and retreated multiple times in the midlatitude regions of Mars in the relatively recent past.
	Will NASA's TESS spacecraft revolutionize exoplanet hunting? NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), planned to be launched in August 2017 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, is designed to discover thousands of exoplanets. Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), TESS will focus on stars 30-100 times brighter than those surveyed by the Kepler telescope, thus, the newly discovered planets should be far easier to characterize with follow-up observations. NASA assumes that approximately 500,000 stars will be studied, including the 1,000 closest red dwarfs, across an area of sky 400 times larger than that covered by Kepler. The agency estimates that TESS will discover more than 3,000 transiting exoplanet candidates, including those which are Earth sized or larger. So is it a revolution in exoplanet hunting? David Charbonneau, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, whose research focuses on exopla! nets, thinks so. "I do think TESS will have a huge impact," he told astrowatch.net. "The main impact of TESS will be to find many planets similar to the ones Kepler has been finding, but around stars that are much closer and hence much easier to study."
	Image: A Hubble sweep of the dust filaments of NGC 4217 In this image the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope takes a close look at the spiral galaxy NGC 4217, located 60 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy is seen almost perfectly edge on and is a perfect candidate for studying the nature of extraplanar dust structures—the patterns of gas and dust above and below the plane on the galaxy, seen here as brown wisps coming off NGC 4217.
	The electric eye of Cyclone Bansi Though this image may look like they come from a science fiction movie, it is in fact a photograph of tropical cyclone Bansi as seen at night by astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). The image was taken when the ISS was east of Madagascar.
	Europe to resume satnav launches in March: Arianespace Europe in March will resume satellite launches for its troubled Galileo navigation system, hoping to boost by at least six the number of orbiters this year, Arianespace and the European Commission said Wednesday.
	Image: Sounding rockets launch into an aurora The interaction of solar winds and Earth's atmosphere produces northern lights, or auroras, that dance across the night sky and mesmerize the casual observer. However, to scientists this interaction is more than a light display. It produces many questions about the role it plays in Earth's meteorological processes and the impact on the planet's atmosphere.
	Falcon heavy rocket launch and booster recovery featured in cool new SpaceX animation SpaceX released a cool new animation today, Jan. 27, showing an updated look at their Falcon Heavy rocket and plans for booster recovery. See below.
	NASA engineer advances new daytime star tracker Scientists who use high-altitude scientific balloons have high hopes for their instruments in the future. Although the floating behemoths that carry their instruments far into the stratosphere can stay aloft for days on end, data collection typically happens during the night when starlight can be detected. The instruments that operate during the day are limited in their field of view due to overbearing sunlight.
Scientists study surface composition of asteroid 2004 BL86 during close flyby of Earth Planetary Science Institute researchers Vishnu Reddy and Driss Takir studied the surface composition of near-Earth asteroid 2004 BL86 during its close flyby of Earth earlier this week.
	Ballooning offers platform for performing research in a space-like environment New discoveries are being made on an annual basis by researchers flying their instruments on a high-altitude balloon platform. Ease of access to ballooning, relatively low cost and the potential for quick turn-around response times create a large appeal for using this platform to perform novel science and to train new scientists. This appeal is reinforced by the availability of a range of balloon sizes to accommodate various payload types, multiple launch sites (for shorter and longer duration flights), and more sophisticated gondolas.
	A new instrument to study the extreme universe—the X-Ray polarimeter X-Calibur What are the high-energy processes in the Universe that occur in the immediate vicinity of a black hole? To study a question like this one cannot simply utilize a high-resolution telescope. Even with the best available telescopes, it is difficult or even impossible to directly resolve the regions of interest and the energies emitted from such objects extend to much higher energies, e.g. X-rays. The astrophysics research group at Washington University in St.Louis built an instrument that is capable to measure the polarization properties of X-rays. This instrument, once flown in space, can be used in a novel approach to study the most extreme objects in the Universe, such as black holes and neutron stars.

Technology news

	Swiss bank on safe haven label to become world's data vault Switzerland, facing an erosion of the banking secrecy laws that helped make it the world's banker, is now touting its reputation as a safe and stable haven to become a global data vault.
	Body motion energy harvester may power medical and consumer wearable devices A body motion energy harvester, with the flexibility and elasticity to be applied to high-flexion joints and suitable for integration with fabrics, is being developed by researchers at Sogang University in Korea. The design is aimed at providing power for medical and consumer wearable devices.
	Spotify to replace Sony streaming music service Swedish music streamer Spotify will provide the soundtrack for Sony devices, the companies said Wednesday, spelling the end to the streaming music service from the Japanese tech giant that invented the Walkman.
	Researchers produce two biofuels from a single algae A common algae commercially grown to make fish food holds promise as a source for both biodiesel and jet fuel, according to a new study published in the journal Energy & Fuels.
	Mental health monitoring through 'selfie' videos and social media tracking Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed an innovative approach to turn any computer or smartphone with a camera into a personal mental health monitoring device.
	Google's Waze app endangers police: LAPD chief Google's newly acquired Waze application poses a danger to police because of its ability to track their locations, the Los Angeles police chief said in a letter to the tech company's CEO.
	Alibaba spinoff likely to increase scrutiny on Yahoo CEO Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is losing a precious security blanket now that she is spinning off the Internet company's prized stake in China's Alibaba Group.
Nintendo's nine-month profit jumps on cheap yen Nintendo reported a nearly six-fold increase in profit for the first three quarters of the fiscal year Wednesday and raised its earnings forecast as a cheap yen masked weak sales.
	After setting iPhone record, what does Apple do next? Apple CEO Tim Cook says consumer demand for new iPhones has been "staggering" and "hard to comprehend." That helped the company report record-smashing earnings for its latest quarter and sent the stock climbing more than 7 percent on Wednesday.
	China criticizes Alibaba in report withheld until after IPO Chinese regulators accused e-commerce giant Alibaba of permitting sales of fake goods and hurting consumers in a report that was withheld until now to avoid disrupting the company's U.S. stock market debut.
SK Hynix Q4 profit doubles to record level South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix said Wednesday its profits more than doubled in the fourth quarter to a record high, thanks to the soaring popularity of new mobile devices such as Apple's iPhones.
The unique spatial firing patterns of the hippocampal place cells Bayesian integration is thought to be used by the brain for optimal decision-making based on information from different sources. Recent evidence indicates that the hippocampal place cells use this mechanism to integrate information at the level of a single cell as opposed to that at the network level as postulated earlier.
	Modular disability aids for world's poorest Brunel University London design engineering student Cara O'Sullivan's final year project aims to help developing countries make their own disability aids using modular components.
	The rise of an intelligence lobby threatens the rights of lawyers, journalists – and all of us A powerful intelligence lobby made up of former defence ministers, police chiefs and intelligence commissioners has emerged in British politics, determined to push for greater powers and resources for the police and intelligence agencies.
Bitcoin scams steal at least $11 million in virtual deposits from unsuspecting customers Fraudulent schemes have scammed at least $11 million in Bitcoin deposits from unsuspecting cyber customers over the past four years, according to new cyber security research from Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
	Bike-to-work events offer chance to explore barriers to cycling Cities that host bike-to-work events as their sole effort to increase commuter travel by bicycle may be missing a larger—perhaps more valuable—opportunity, according to a study involving the University of Colorado Boulder and led by the University of Colorado Denver.
	Mobile apps take students into the laboratory Mobile apps have proved to be valuable educational tools, but laboratory instructors thus far have been limited to using mobile devices only for virtual laboratories with simulated experiments. Now, researchers at the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering have developed a series of mobile applications that allow students to remotely interact with real data and equipment in real laboratories.
CommScope buying some of TE Connectivity ops for about $3B CommScope is buying TE Connectivity's telecom, enterprise and wireless businesses for about $3 billion, which will help diversify its operations and broaden its geographic reach.
	Google: YouTube is so overloaded staff cannot filter content Internet giant Google said Wednesday that its video-sharing website YouTube is so inundated that staff cannot filter all terror related content, complicating the struggle to halt the publication of terrorist propaganda and hostage videos.
	Yahoo's new path murky after Alibaba split It's do-or-die time for Yahoo and Marissa Mayer.
	Scalextric is fun, but it doesn't make sense for the M1 It sounds like something from the pages of books from the 1960s looking to the future: electric cars powered by current drawn from electrified rails beneath the road. However possible such ideas seemed to be 50 years ago, they seem fairly fantastical now – and yet it's exactly this that's being trialed by Britain's Highways Agency.
	Facebook's status update: Profit, revenue beat expectations For the seventh quarter in a row Facebook beat profit and revenue forecasts, continuing to win more mobile advertising revenue as most users shift to using the site on smartphones and other portable devices.
	Chinese company limits US drone use after White House crash A Chinese drone maker which created the small quadcopter that recently crashed on White House grounds said Wednesday it is updating its drones to prohibit flight over the US capital.
	Halogen-free leaded multilayer ceramic capacitors for automotive and general-purpose applications TDK Corporation presents two new series of leaded MLCCs, which are halogen-free according to IEC 61249-2-21 and expand the company's lineup of products that offer minimal impact to the environment over the entire life cycle. The new components will be available in two specifications: the commercial-grade FG series and the automotive-grade FA series. Unlike conventional products, the new series do not use halogen as a flame retardant in the external resin coating, thus supporting the design of environmentally friendly applications. Mass production will be launched in April 2015.
	Custom tailoring robotic exoskeletons that fit to perfection It wasn't too long ago that the idea of a wearable robot that would lend its user increased mobility and strength seemed like the stuff of science fiction; indeed, films like Aliens and Iron Man, which featured characters wearing powered exoskeletons, incited the imaginations of many. Today, those exoskeletons actually exist and are available commercially, but they pose several problems. They take a long time to design and fabricate, for example, and the models, while costly to create, can be ill-fitting.
	Large-scale analytics system for predicting major societal events described in Big Data Journal EMBERS is a large-scale big data analytics system designed to use publically available data to predict population-level societal events such as civil unrest or disease outbreaks. The usefulness of this predictive artificial intelligence system over the past 2 years is reviewed in an article in Big Data.
	In the kitchen, there's an app for that! But do you care? A few years ago, former video game executive Kevin Yu was cooking for a girlfriend on Valentine's Day when he discovered he'd forgotten the mushrooms for the mushroom soup. But that was just the start. He'd also lost track of timing on the various dishes, and he was just generally making a mess of things.
Mobile provider TracFone to pay $40M in federal settlement The nation's largest prepaid mobile provider, TracFone Wireless, will pay $40 million to settle government claims that it misled millions of smartphone customers with promises of unlimited data service.
	War against IS group spreads to Twitter: expert The fight against Islamic State jihadists is taking place online as well on the battlefield, with 18,000 Twitter accounts linked to the group suspended in recent months, according to a US expert.
	Pacemakers with Internet connection, a not-so-distant goal The healthcare sector is not escaping from the revolution in information and communications technologies. Thanks to the latest advances in microelectronics and communications technologies, it is not difficult to imagine a future with medical sensors connected to the Internet. Thanks to the Ladon security protocol developed by the UPV/EHU researcher Jasone Astorga in the 12T research group, a little more progress has been made in the area of the remote monitoring of patients by means of implanted sensors.
To reassure electric car buyers, combine battery leasing with better charging, study says A proper choice of business model plays a critical role in electric vehicle industry where many consumers are subject to range and resale anxieties. In particular, a combination of owning or leasing electric batteries and improving charging technology can reassure such skeptics and help increase the electric vehicle adoption, according to a new study in the Articles in Advance section of Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (M&SOM), a publication of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).
	Moving big data faster, by orders of magnitude In today's high-productivity computing environments that process dizzying amounts of data each millisecond, a research project named for "a trillion events per day" may seem relatively ordinary.
	Huge YouTube bulk makes it tough to catch all terror videos Internet giant Google said Wednesday that the sheer volume of video on its YouTube website makes it tough to catch all terror related content, complicating the struggle to halt the spread of terrorist propaganda and hostage footage.
	Sheriffs expand concerns about Waze mobile traffic app A law enforcement campaign to compel Google Inc. to disable a feature in its popular Waze traffic app that lets drivers warn others about nearby police activity shifted Wednesday when a sheriffs' organization openly complained that the app not only puts officers' lives at risk, it also interferes with the ability to write speeding tickets.

Medicine & Health news

	Everything you wanted to know about mitochondrial mutations but were afraid to ask (Medical Xpress)—In a recent post we traced mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control in the nervous system back to their origins in the womb, and hinted that there would soon be more to come on this topic. Conveniently, a special issue of the journal Molecular Health Research came along and did some of the dirty work for us. In particular, several of the papers address an important question regarding mitochondrial mutations and heteroplasmy that many involved in the brave new business of three-parent embryos are likely afraid to ask. Now that we understand the importance of mitochondria to what we might broadly call "fertilization outcome", the question is do we really know enough about mitochondria to hand craft artisanal children from aged or otherwise reproductively questionable feedstock in the way many imagine?
	Psychopathic violent offenders' brains can't understand punishment Psychopathic violent offenders have abnormalities in the parts of the brain related to learning from punishment, according to an MRI study led by Sheilagh Hodgins and Nigel Blackwood. "One in five violent offenders is a psychopath. They have higher rates of recidivism and don't benefit from rehabilitation programmes. Our research reveals why this is and can hopefully improve childhood interventions to prevent violence and behavioural therapies to reduce recidivism," explained Professor Hodgins of the University of Montreal and Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal. "Psychopathic offenders are different from regular criminals in many ways. Regular criminals are hyper-responsive to threat, quick-tempered and aggressive, while psychopaths have a very low response to threats, are cold, and their aggressively is premeditated," added Dr. Nigel Blackwood, who is affiliated with King's College London. "Evidence is now accu! mulating to show that both types of offenders present abnormal, but distinctive, brain development from a young age."
	Dutch babies trump US peers in laughing, smiling, cuddling Dutch babies laugh, smile and like to cuddle more than their American counterparts.
	Vouchers and cyber-friends: new keys to good health? Have doctors, therapy and pills had their day in helping to wean people off addiction?
	Overweight video game avatars 'play' worse than thin ones, study says Women assigned an overweight avatar in a video tennis game didn't play as hard as those assigned a slim one—regardless of the player's actual size, according to a new study by the University of California, Davis.
	Oxytocin shows promise for improving social skills in autistic mice People with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty with social behavior and communication, which can make it challenging to form friendships, engage in routine conversations or pick up on the social cues that are second nature to most people. Similarly, mice with symptoms of autism show little interest in interacting or socializing with other mice.
	'Healthy' fat tissue could be key to reversing type 2 diabetes Preventing inflammation in obese fat tissue may hold the key to preventing or even reversing type 2 diabetes, new research has found.
	New method for identifying most aggressive childhood cancers A research group at Lund University in Sweden has found a new way to identify the most malignant tumours in children. The method involves studying genetic 'micro-variation', rather than the presence of individual mutations.
	Large study uncovers molecular alterations in head and neck cancers Investigators with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network have discovered genomic differences - with potentially important clinical implications - in head and neck cancers caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States, and the number of HPV-related head and neck cancers has been growing. Almost every sexually active person will acquire HPV at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	Epigenetic drug boosts chemotherapy's efficacy in some lung cancers An existing drug may help some patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have become resistant to chemotherapy, finds a study from Boston Children's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). The findings, in human cancer cells and in mice, suggest a window of vulnerability in NSCLC, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.1 The work was published online today by the journal Nature.
	Earlier menopause linked to everyday chemical exposures Women whose bodies have high levels of chemicals found in plastics, personal-care products, common household items and the environment experience menopause two to four years earlier than women with lower levels of these chemicals, according to a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
	Dieters making more connections in online weight-loss communities lose more weight, study finds If you want to lose pounds using an online weight management program, don't be a wallflower. A new Northwestern University study shows that online dieters with high social embeddedness—who logged in regularly, recorded their weigh-ins and 'friended' other members—lost more than 8 percent of their body weight in six months.
	Both weight loss and weight gain linked with increased fracture risk Both weight gain and weight loss in older (postmenopausal) women are associated with increased incidence of fracture, but at different anatomical sites, finds a study published in The BMJ this week.
Sugary drinks linked to earlier onset of menstrual periods Girls who frequently consume sugary drinks tend to start their menstrual periods earlier than girls who do not, according to new research published online today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.
Seeing selves as overweight may be self-fulfilling prophecy for some teens Teens who mistakenly perceive themselves as overweight are actually at greater risk of obesity as adults, according to research findings forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Schoolgirl comment points to antibiotics as new cancer treatments Professor Michael P. Lisanti, Director of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Unit, led the research. He was inspired to look at the effects of antibiotics on the mitochondria of cancer stem cells by a conversation with his daughter Camilla about his work at the University's Institute of Cancer Sciences.
World must prepare for 'war' against a global pandemic: Gates Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates says the world must use the lessons from battling Ebola to prepare for any future "war" against a global killer disease, with the help of new technology.
California breast density law slow to have an impact Ten months after California legislators enacted a controversial law mandating that radiologists notify women if they have dense breast tissue, UC Davis researchers have found that half of primary care physicians are still unfamiliar with the law and many don't feel comfortable answering breast density-related questions from patients. The findings, to be published in the March print edition of Journal of the American College of Radiology, suggest that if the law is going to have any significant impact on patient care, primary care providers need more education about breast density and secondary imaging options.
	Vitamin D important for more than just bones Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin and the key to healthy bones. While these are true attributes, they only tell part of the story. In fact, most people do not get enough vitamin D from the sun, and the consequences go way beyond your bones.
New study reveals active sex lives of the over 70s Older people are continuing to enjoy active sex lives well into their seventies and eighties, according to new research from The University of Manchester and NatCen Social Research.
Sugar is the new 'solution' to osteoarthritis risk, researchers claim Scientists in Edinburgh have come up with a new 'solution' that could reduce the risk of osteoarthritis developing in tens of thousands of people who undergo orthopaedic surgery every year – sugar.
	Diet and nutrition essential for mental health Evidence is rapidly growing showing vital relationships between both diet quality and potential nutritional deficiencies and mental health, a new international collaboration led by the University of Melbourne and Deakin University has revealed.
	Nanoparticle that lights up artery-clogging plaque to be evaluated in clinical trial The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for evaluating in people a nanoparticle-based imaging agent jointly developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of California, Santa Barbara, in collaboration with Texas A&M University. The imaging agent may illuminate dangerous plaque in arteries, and doctors hope to use it to identify patients at high risk of stroke.
	NIH launches tool to advance Down syndrome research The National Institutes of Health has launched a subsite of DS-Connect: The Down Syndrome Registry for researchers, clinicians, and other professionals with a scientific interest in Down syndrome to access de-identified data from the registry. This Web portal will help approved professionals to plan clinical studies, recruit participants for clinical trials, and generate new research ideas using information gathered from the registry participants.
Study of drug users finds people with ADHD started using at younger age Adults with a history of ADHD who use drugs started using substances one to two years earlier than those with no ADHD history, according to a new University of Florida study.
	Diabetes in rats treated with engineered probiotic Imagine a pill that helps people control diabetes with the body's own insulin.
Whether shoveling or snow blowing, heart patients must exercise caution After the blizzard has its way with the Northeast and moves on, what is the best way to start clearing snow if you've had heart issues?
The adaptability of pathogens Drug-resistant HIV viruses can spread rapidly. This is the conclusion of a study conducted as part of the SWISS HIV Cohort Study, which is supported by the SNSF. Only the continuous introduction of new drugs can stop the virus from getting the upper hand.
	New compounds more potent in combatting brain-eating amoeba's fatal infection A University of South Florida Health College of Public Health professor and his team of researchers have zeroed in on compounds that could one day lead to fast-acting treatments for the fatal infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri.
'Credential creep' bad for health care practitioners, consumers The outcome of a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court last fall could potentially slow the trend of the ever-increasing number of occupations subject to state licensing, says a University of Illinois expert in the regulation and financing of health care.
Medical malpractice reform does little to contain health care costs Two papers co-authored by a University of Illinois expert in the regulation and financing of health care conclude that tort reform has had relatively little impact on the U.S. health care system.
New data model gives insight into youth smoking variation across England New figures released today estimate smoking rates among young people (aged 15) in local areas of England for the first time.
	Persistent heartburn may be a sign of cancer, campaign warns People with persistent heartburn are being urged to visit their GP as it may be a sign of cancer, according to a new campaign by Public Health England (PHE).
	Virtual table tennis drops the ball on gross motor skills Children playing table tennis on a game console move their arms faster and further than those playing in real life but miss out on the development of key gross motor skills, according to a WA study.
	Children feel most positively about mothers who respect their autonomy Research shows that the quality of mother-child relationships greatly influences children's development socially, emotionally and academically. Although previous studies have demonstrated the importance of promoting children's autonomy, available research often has not addressed ways parental respect for autonomy may affect parent-child relationships. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that mothers who support their children's need for autonomy as the children grow tend to be viewed more positively by their children.
Some older cancer patients can avoid radiotherapy, study finds Some older women with breast cancer could safely avoid radiotherapy, without harming their chances of survival, a study has shown.
Study finds novel compound switches off epilepsy development Researchers at the LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence have found that a novel compound they discovered helps curtail the onset and progression of temporal lobe epilepsy. The finding, which may contribute to the development of anti-epileptic therapies, is published online in the journal PLOS ONE.
Communication is key when dealing with aging parents Headstrong elderly parents and their adult children may be able to find common ground with proper intervention, according to researchers in human development.
	Picture this: Technology tightens the focus on who's watching women A new analysis is being called the first of its kind to examine visual attention and gender in social groups, and how those observations can influence the behavior of who's getting the looks. The research by Mary Jean Amon, a doctoral student in the University of Cincinnati's psychology program, is published in the current online issue of the journal, Frontiers in Psychology.
	Customized soap bubbles set to transform drug and vaccine delivery When University of Maryland Professors Philip DeShong and Daniel Stein began tagging soap bubbles with biomolecules, they had no idea this technology would one day be poised to change the way drugs and vaccines fight against bacteria, viruses and cancer.
	Diversity in developmental trajectories in kids with autism spectrum disorder Preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) differed from each other in symptom severity and adaptive functioning at the time of diagnosis and some of these differences appeared to increase by age 6, according to a study published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
Mobile teledermoscopy for short-term monitoring of atypical moles Allowing patients to use mobile devices to capture skin images appears to be a feasible and effective method for short-term monitoring of atypical nevi (moles), according to an article published online by JAMA Dermatology.
	New model for preserving donor tissue will allow more natural joint repair for patients Currently, doctors have to throw away more than 80 percent of donated tissue used for joint replacements because the tissue does not survive long enough to be transplanted. Now, following a recent study, University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers have developed a new technology that more than doubles the life of the tissue. This new technology was able to preserve tissue quality at the required level in all of the donated tissues studied, the researchers found.
Results of sun-safety mobile app featured in two studies, one editorial A smartphone mobile app that can provide personalized, real-time sun protection advice improved some sun protection behavior, according to an article published online by JAMA Dermatology.
New biological evidence reveals link between brain inflammation and major depression A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that the measure of brain inflammation in people who were experiencing clinical depression was increased by 30 per cent. The findings, published today in JAMA Psychiatry, have important implications for developing new treatments for depression.
Canadian city detects E. coli in water supply Inhabitants of Winnipeg, Canada's sixth largest city, have been warned not to use tap water without first boiling it, after E. coli bacteria was detected in the water supply, officials said Wednesday.
World's largest Ebola unit dismantled as outbreak retreats A potent symbol of the nightmare enveloping west Africa at the height of the Ebola outbreak, the ELWA-3 treatment centre is being dismantled and incinerated bit by bit as the region emerges from catastrophe.
FDA issues new requirements to improve defibrillator safety The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it will require makers of heart-zapping defibrillators to submit more data on the emergency devices after years of recalls and manufacturing problems.
	What's happening with your donated specimen? When donating blood, plasma, human tissue or any other bodily sample for medical research, most people might not think about how it's being used. But if you were told, would you care?
	Playing with puzzles and blocks may build children's spatial skills Play may seem like fun and games, but new research shows that specific kinds of play are actually associated with development of particular cognitive skills. Data from a nationally representative study show that children who play frequently with puzzles, blocks, and board games tend to have better spatial reasoning ability. The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
	Muscle weakness affects one in five Americans over 80 (HealthDay)—Almost 1 in 5 Americans 80 and older has weak strength in their muscles, according to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	More than 2 million years of life saved with organ transplants, experts estimate (HealthDay)—Organ transplants have saved more than 2 million years of life in the United States over 25 years, new research shows.
	Leptin may mediate knee-related osteoarthritis (HealthDay)—The inflammatory adipokine leptin may have a mediating effect on the relationship between body weight and knee osteoarthritis (OA) in older adults, according to research published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
	Core needle biopsy helpful with cervical lymphadenopathy (HealthDay)—Core needle biopsy (CNB) is a more sensitive tool than fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for cervical lymphadenopathy evaluation, according to a study published in the February issue of Head & Neck.
	Meta-analysis compares tx for inducing remission in Crohn's (HealthDay)—For adult patients with Crohn's disease, adalimumab and infliximab + azathioprine are most effective for induction and maintenance of remission, according to a meta-analysis published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.
	Many seniors not reporting falls to physician (HealthDay)—Millions of Americans aged 65 and older fall every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But, fewer than half tell their doctor, according to a news release issued by the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
	AAFP advocates for planned vaginal birth after cesarean (HealthDay)—A planned labor and vaginal birth after cesarean (LAC/VBAC) is an appropriate option for most women with a history of prior cesarean birth, according to a clinical practice guideline published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Why upper motor neurons degenerate in ALS For the first time, scientists have revealed a mechanism underlying the cellular degeneration of upper motor neurons, a small group of neurons in the brain recently shown to play a major role in ALS pathology.
Team discovers protein pathway involved in lung cancer metastasis Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and it is estimated that more than 159,000 people in the United States died from the disease last year. Most of these deaths were because the cancer had spread to other organ sites. Following their recent discovery of a protein pathway, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are one step closer to understanding how lung cancer cells metastasize.
Researchers conduct systematic testing of deimmunized biotherapeutic agents By establishing protein design algorithms that simultaneously optimize drug candidates for both decreased immunogenic epitope content and high level stability and activity, Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center investigator Karl Griswold, PhD, and his collaborator Chris Bailey-Kellogg, PhD, have established a novel testing platform. Published in PLOS Computational Biology, the paper, titled, "Mapping the Pareto Optimal Design Space for a Functionally Deimmunized Biotherapeutic Candidate," guides biotechnologists toward protein designs that function appropriately using sophisticated design algorithms.
Flame retardants linked to preterm birth Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch have determined that maternal exposure to high levels of flame-retardants may be a contributing factor in preterm births.
	New cells may help treat diabetes Starting from human skin cells, researchers at the University of Iowa have created human insulin-producing cells that respond to glucose and correct blood-sugar levels in diabetic mice. The findings may represent a first step toward developing patient-specific cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes.
California declares electronic cigarettes a health threat California health officials on Wednesday declared electronic cigarettes a health threat that should be strictly regulated like tobacco products, joining other states and health advocates across the U.S. in seeking tighter controls as "vaping" grows in popularity.
	Green tea ingredient may target protein to kill oral cancer cells A compound found in green tea may trigger a cycle that kills oral cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone, according to Penn State food scientists. The research could lead to treatments for oral cancer, as well as other types of cancer.
	The five-minute exercises that could make you happier at work A new study by academics from the School of Psychology and Exercise Science at Murdoch University and Ludwig Maximilian University could help to make you happier at work.
	Why medical debt – and bankruptcy – are growing problems Burdensomely high medical costs are often blamed for pushing many Americans into bankruptcy. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau some 43 million Americans have unpaid medical debt on their credit reports.
Former NFL players who played tackle football before age 12 at increased risk of memory and thinking problems later Former National Football League (NFL) players who participated in tackle football before the age of 12 were more likely to have memory and thinking problems in adulthood, according to a new study published in the January 28, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Moderate lifetime marijuana smoking linked to airway irritation but not lung function A research study based on analysis of publicly available data has found that recent marijuana use was associated with symptoms of airway inflammation, but that moderate lifetime use was not associated with clinically significant changes in measures of lung function. The study is the largest cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between marijuana use and measures of lung health to date.
Does getting 'expensive' drug affect how much patient benefits? People's perceptions of the cost of a drug may affect how much they benefit from the drug, even when they are receiving only a placebo, according to a new study of people with Parkinson's disease published in the January 28, 2015 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
New hypertension guidelines could save lives and money Full implementation of new hypertension guidelines could prevent 56,000 cardiovascular disease events (mostly heart attacks and strokes) and 13,000 deaths each year, without increasing overall health care costs, an analysis conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found. The paper was published today in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Health insurers using drug coverage to discriminate Some insurers offering health plans through the new federal marketplace may be using drug coverage decisions to discourage people with HIV from selecting their plans, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The researchers found that these insurers are placing all HIV drugs in the highest cost-sharing category in their formularies (lists of the plans' covered drugs and costs), which ends up costing people with HIV several thousands more dollars per year than those enrolled in other plans.
Two and a half thousand women could benefit from mitochondrial donation in the UK Almost 2,500 women of child-bearing age in the UK are at risk of transmitting mitochondrial disease to their children, according to the most recent estimates published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
	First trial results show GSK/NIH Ebola candidate vaccine has acceptable safety profile The first results from a trial of a candidate Ebola vaccine at Oxford University suggest the vaccine has an acceptable safety profile at the doses tested, and is able to generate an immune response.
Communication is key to Emergency Department success, new study says The high-risk, rapidly changing nature of hospital Emergency Departments creates an environment where stress levels and staff burnout rates are high, but researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have identified the secret sauce that helps many emergency clinicians flourish - communication.
What do medical journalists think about cancer research? A new study published in ecancermedicalscience examines the intersection of medical journalism and cancer research.
Improving indoor air quality in EU schools SINPHONIE, an EU-funded research project on indoor air quality in EU schools, and its impact on children's health, has recently published its conclusions. Based on the evidence gathered, the Joint Research Centre and the partners developed guidelines for maintaining good air quality. They are expected to contribute to healthier school environments in Europe.
Manchester United's rising stars revolutionize heart health A unique research project to identify the effects of exercise on young hearts has been announced today [Wednesday 28 January 2015]. Manchester United's Academy players are being put through their paces having their hearts monitored by the newest imaging technology to give invaluable insights into how young people's hearts work while doing exercise.
Hygiene practices affect contact lens case contamination Contact lens wearers who don't follow certain hygiene habits have increased bacterial contamination of their contact lens cases, reports a study in the February issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.
Temple Univ. Hospital offers new vibrating capsule for treatment of chronic constipation Chronic constipation is a common problem that affects approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. It can be painful and lead to a reduction in a patient's quality of life. Temple University Hospital is the only hospital in the Philadelphia region participating in a nationwide clinical trial to test an innovative, vibrating capsule for patients with chronic constipation.
African Union vows Ebola fund as Oxfam calls for health 'Marshall Plan' The African Union plans to launch an Ebola fund and disease control centre, officials said Wednesday, as aid agency Oxfam warned leaders needed to keep their promises to boost healthcare systems on the continent.
Good results with surgery for gynecomastia in bodybuilders With attention to some unique patient characteristics, breast reduction surgery achieves good aesthetic outcomes in bodybuilders with gynecomastia—enlargement of the male breast, according to a report in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
No increase in complications of breast reconstruction over age 65 Older women don't have an increased overall risk of complications from breast reconstruction after mastectomy, reports the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Study shows effectiveness of simple, low-cost tobacco interventions in ERs People don't go to hospital emergency departments to quit smoking. But with nearly half of the U.S. population visiting one each year as a patient or with a patient, and staying there an average of four hours, an ED waiting room offers an ideal setting to reach smokers who want to quit. In a recent study conducted by health psychologist Edwin Boudreaux, PhD, and colleagues from the National Alliance of Research Associates Programs, more than one-third of current tobacco users approached about their tobacco use by undergraduate pre-health student volunteers while in an emergency department left with a referral to their state's free Quitline tobacco cessation treatment programs.
Cancer diagnosis makes diabetes patients less adherent to their prescribed diabetes drugs Diabetes patients become less adherent to their diabetes medications following a diagnosis of cancer, concludes a new study published in Diabetologia. The research is led by Marjolein Zanders, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Jeffrey Johnson, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and colleagues.
Arizona monitoring hundreds for measles linked to Disneyland A measles outbreak in Arizona that originated at California's Disney parks is at risk of dramatically increasing in size as health officials keep tabs on 1,000 people in the state's most populous areas.

Biology news

	Spider electro-combs its sticky nano-filaments A spider commonly found in garden centres in Britain is giving fresh insights into how to spin incredibly long and strong fibres just a few nanometres thick.
	Researchers find evolutionary reasons for homosexual behavior in beetles (Phys.org) —A small team of researchers with the University of Ulm's Institute of Experimental Ecology in Germany has found an evolutionary explanation for same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) in burying beetles. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the team describes how they tested what is known as Reeve's acceptance threshold theory in male beetles and found that the evolutionary cost of possibly rejecting females was overridden when there were few of them to choose from.
	Researchers find social lifestyle also helps mole rats live a long time (Phys.org)—A pair of researchers based at New York University has found a second explanation for the long lifespan of naked mole rats—their social networks. In their paper published in The Royal Society Proceedings B, Scott Williams and Milena Shattuck describe the statistical analysis they undertook in comparing the lifespan of various species of animals and comparing them against other factors such as size, environment and degree of social behavior and what they found in doing so.
	Picking up on the smell of evolution UA researchers have discovered some of the changes in genes, physiology and behavior that enable a species to drastically change its lifestyle in the course of evolution.
	Arthropod 'family tree' gets bigger through evolution studies Would you be just as comfortable nibbling on a cricket or cockroach as you would be eating a crab?
	Researchers identify protein capable of neutralizing antibiotic-resistant bacterial cells Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, foiling efforts to reduce death rates in developing countries where uncontrolled use of antibiotics and poor sanitation run amok. The epidemic of "superbugs," bacteria resistant to antibiotics, knows no borders—presenting a clear and present danger around the globe.
	Cellular memory of stressful situations Stress is unhealthy. The cells use therefore a variety of mechanisms to deal with stress and avert its immediate threat. However, certain stressful situations leave marks that go beyond the immediate response; some even seem to be passed on to the next generation. One school of thought that has gained a lot of attention lately, hypothesizes that the epigenome, chemical modifications on the DNA and on proteins, carries information about external influences such as stress. However, when and how environmental cues trigger changes in the epigenome and thus influence our response has remained largely unknown.
	Blind beetles show extraordinary signs of sight University of Adelaide researchers have made a surprising discovery in the aquifers beneath the Western Australian desert, which challenges the traditional Darwinian view of evolution.
	Did genetic links to modern maladies provide ancient benefits? Psoriasis, a chronic skin condition, can cause rashes that itch and sting.
	Orangutans take the logging road A new discovery by a Simon Fraser University doctoral student in the School of Resource and Environmental Management, published in Oryx, demonstrates that orangutans may be even more adaptable than he first thought.
	Meet the parasitic worm that kills giant pandas Giant pandas aren't dying like they used to. In the early 1980s, starvation accounted for more than nine out of ten deaths. However, over the past three decades a parasitic gut worm has replaced that as the dominant killer.
	Every time a fig is born there is a wasp massacre "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" is a common refrain. But usually it is not followed by the words "because your neighbours may kill you". However, this is precisely the scenario faced by some female Brazilian fig wasps – and a recent report of their "mortal combat" provides an intriguing, if chilling, example of how natural selection shapes animal behaviour.
	Researchers capture, document first northern saw-whet owl in Arkansas Wildlife biologists at the University of Arkansas have captured and documented the first northern saw-whet owl in Arkansas.
	Into the dark: Two new encrusting anemones found in coral reef caves Research primarily conducted in Okinawa, Japan, by graduate student Yuka Irei and associate professor James Davis Reimer from the University of the Ryukyus, along with Dr. Frederic Sinniger from JAMSTEC, has found two new species of encrusting anemones, or colonial zoantharians, in unexpected locations. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
	News from the depths: A new cave-dwelling flatworm species from the Brazilian savanna Recently, field research by the Brazilian zoologists Lívia Cordeiro and Rodrigo Borghezan, of the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), recorded the first obligate cave-dwelling planarian of the suborder Continenticola (Platyhelminthes) in South America. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
	Experts in crisis talks to save rare rhino from extinction Conservationists and scientists met in Kenya this week to come up with a last ditch plan to save the northern white rhinoceros from extinction.
	Chimps with higher-ranking moms do better in fights For chimpanzees, just like humans, teasing, taunting and bullying are familiar parts of playground politics. An analysis of 12 years of observations of playground fights between young chimpanzees in East Africa finds that chimps with higher-ranked moms are more likely to win.
	In Illinois, muskrats and minks harbor toxoplasmosis, a cat disease A new study of muskrats and minks in central Illinois indicates that toxoplasmosis, a disease spread by cats, is moving rapidly through the landscape and contaminating local waterways.
	Snails slither into spa scene in Thailand and around world The last time I encountered escargots they were served up by a French waiter, sizzling in garlic and herb butter. Now, one is slithering up the bridge of my nose while five others are being stuck onto other parts of my face by a Thai beautician, all secreting snail slime to hopefully smooth out some wrinkles and otherwise give me a younger-than-my-age look.
	Research projects contribute to shaping EU regulation to control invasive species A new regulation governing the control of invasive alien species became effective in all EU states on 1 January 2015. The European Union hopes that it will actively combat one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and thus the functioning of ecosystems. The new regulation has far-reaching implications for authorities as well as for trade in animals and plants. The legislation also incorporates the findings of the EU's DAISIE research project and thus the findings of scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
	Scientists review early evolution of eukaryotic multicellularity The ascent of multi-celled life or multicellularity is a major evolutionary transition. Multicellularity evolved independently at least 25 times among eukaryotes, and complex multicellularity (characterized by intercellular communication and tissue differentiation controlled by regulatory gene networks) occurs in a handful of eukaryotic groups including animals.
Corn co-products from wet milling may be included in pig diets, study shows Many co-products from the corn processing industry may be used in diets fed to pigs. Much attention over the last 10 years has been on co-products produced from the biofuels industry, including distillers dried grains and high-protein distillers grains. However, the wet milling industry also produces many different co-products that may be used in pig diets.

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