Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Feb 9

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 9, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Superconductors could detect superlight dark matter
- Entanglement for identical particles doesn't follow textbook rules
- Study shows that songbirds recognize sound patterns using the overall spectral shape
- The 'glitching' of the Vela pulsar
- Monkey skull study suggests brain evolved in spurts
- Researchers see helpful protein causing cancer
- Engineers create custom tuning knobs to turn off any gene
- Researchers use genetically modified circulating tumor cells to kill other tumors
- The universe's primordial soup flowing at CERN
- 'Molecular movie' opens door to new cancer treatments
- Researchers illuminate 'dark side' of the transcriptome
- Engineers develop hybrid technology to create biorenewable nylon
- Common gene variant influences food choices
- 'Brain road maps' reflect behavior differences between males and females
- Americans recognize 'past presidents' who never were, study finds

Astronomy & Space news

	The 'glitching' of the Vela pulsar (Phys.org)—A team of Australian astronomers has conducted an intensive observation of a curious young pulsar to investigate changes in its rotation frequency known as 'glitching'. Located about 910 light years from the Earth, the Vela pulsar is very young in astronomical terms, only 11,300 years old, and has captured astronomers' attention with its 'glitching' nature. In a paper published online on Feb. 5 on arXiv.org, Jim Palfreyman of the University of Tasmania, together with his teammates, try to provide more insights on the pulsar's violent behavior.
	Astronomers spot a faint dwarf galaxy disrupting a nearby giant spiral galaxy An international team of researchers led by Aaron Romanowsky of San José State University has used the Subaru Telescope to identify a faint dwarf galaxy disrupting around a nearby giant spiral galaxy. The observations provide a valuable glimpse of a process that is fleeting but important in shaping galaxies.
	Image: Saturn's moonlets disrupting a core ring Saturn has the most extensive ring system in the Solar System. Sitting in the region of space spanning 7000 to 80 000 km above the planet's equator, these rings are mostly composed of particles of water ice contaminated with traces of rocky material, varying in size from dust grains to mountain-sized chunks, laced throughout.
	Scientists discover hidden galaxies behind the Milky Way Hundreds of hidden nearby galaxies have been studied for the first time, shedding light on a mysterious gravitational anomaly dubbed the Great Attractor.
	James Webb Space Telescope to offer better view of Near Earth Objects NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will allow scientists to better study and understand Near Earth Objects (NEOs), a new paper by a Planetary Science Institute researcher said.
	First locks released from Lisa Pathfinder's cubes Today, the lock fingers that kept the two test masses on LISA Pathfinder secure during the launch and cruise phase were successfully unlocked. As planned, the two cubes are still attached to the spacecraft via an additional mechanism that will hold them in place until mid February, as the teams carry on with the spacecraft and payload commissioning.
	Peculiar 'cauliflower rocks' may hold clues to ancient Mars life Evidence of water and a warmer, wetter climate abound on Mars, but did life ever put its stamp on the Red Planet? Rocks may hold the secret. Knobby protuberances of rock discovered by the Spirit Rover in 2008 near the rock outcrop Home Plate in Gusev Crater caught the attention of scientists back on Earth. They look like cauliflower or coral, but were these strange Martian rocks sculpted by microbes, wind or some other process?
Scientists study India's deadly 'meteorite' (Update) Indian scientists were Tuesday analysing a small blue object, described by local authorities as a meteorite, which fell from the sky and killed a bus driver.
	Multilingual Universe from 'Mitaka' The door to the digital Universe has been flung open! Mitaka, a free downloadable software program to visualize the Universe based on real astronomical data, now accommodates a variety of the languages found on planet Earth. With this upgrade, many people all over the globe can use a PC to navigate through the digital Universe in their native language.

Technology news

	Singapore team uses photos, AI, crowdsourcing to tag air quality A project doer who is concerned about the effects of poor air quality has made a video in Singapore, "AI for Liveable Cities." Poor air quality is not just a challenge faced by Singapore, he said, with 7 billion of us sharing this planet.
	Riddle of cement's structure is finally solved Concrete is the world's most widely used construction material, so abundant that its production is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet answers to some fundamental questions about the microscopic structure and behavior of this ubiquitous material have remained elusive.
	Smart energy management systems can improve plug-in hybrid efficiency by 12 percent Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions compared to their gas-only counterparts. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering have taken the technology one step further, demonstrating how to improve the efficiency of current PHEVs by almost 12 percent.
	A football helmet design that listens to physics A shock-absorbing football helmet system being developed at the University of Michigan could blunt some dangerous physics that today's head protection ignores.
	New thin film transistor may lead to flexible electronics An engineering research team at the University of Alberta has invented a new transistor that could revolutionize thin-film electronic devices.
UK lawmakers say proposed spy law fails to protect privacy (Update) British government plans to strengthen spies' powers to snoop on the Internet are muddled and don't do enough to protect privacy, lawmakers responsible for scrutinizing the country's intelligence agencies said Tuesday.
	Harnessing wave energy to light up coastal communities There's a new renewable energy player in town and it's about to make waves in the industry. Despite its massive potential as a source for renewable energy, the ocean is unlikely to contribute meaningfully to electricity supplies without dramatic, innovation-driven reductions in the cost of energy conversion.
	Why not recycled concrete? From paper towels to cups to plastic bottles, products made from recycled materials permeate our lives. One notable exception is building materials. Why can't we recycle concrete from our deteriorating infrastructure for use as material in new buildings and bridges? It's a question that a team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame is examining.
Researcher illustrates impact of drone usage in areas of conflict The use of drones has had significant consequences for how governments conduct counter-terrorism operations. But technological limitations mean they are less likely to effect wars between countries, according to a new paper co-authored by Michael C. Horowitz, a political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.
	How Microsoft and Novartis created Kinect-based MS diagnostic tool When Microsoft released the Kinect system for playing Xbox video games about five years ago, it attracted the interest of an unlikely source: the healthcare company Novartis.
	Carbon fiber from wood is used to build car Remember wood paneled station wagons? Well, wood is back, but this time it's not for aesthetics—it's for reducing vehicle weight with renewable materials. Swedish researchers have just produced the world's first model car with a roof and battery made from wood-based carbon fiber.
	Social media has lost its youthful promise and is looking old, tired and grumpy It is 5 years since the potential of social media was considered limitless. Not only was social media revolutionary, but it was literally capable of bringing about revolutions such as the uprisings of the "Arab Spring". There was no part of our social lives that platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn could not change. Concepts like having a "social graph" became generally understood, as was the ability of those graphs to determine what we bought, how we felt, who our friends were and where we would work. It was believed that social media would be with us from birth to death, cataloguing the journey on the way.
	Robots in health care could lead to a doctorless hospital Imagine your child requires a life-saving operation. You enter the hospital and are confronted with a stark choice.
	A fifth of car fuel-efficiency savings are eroded by increased driving Around a fifth of the energy-saving benefits of fuel-efficient cars are eroded because people end up driving them more, according to a study into British motoring habits over the last 40 years.
	The big dig: A global software solution for road, water and sewer repairs Ever have your street repaved one year, only to have it torn up for sewage work shortly afterwards? Municipal blunders like this may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new software developed by researchers at Concordia University in MOntreal.
	Protect your Chicago water heater against earthquakes? There's a better bet Chicago homeowners, take note: you'll get a better return on your investment if you buy a lottery ticket when the jackpot is high, rather than pay to secure your water heater against earthquake damage.
	Obama seeks cybersecurity boost to replace 'ancient' tech The federal government is relying on archaic computers systems to protect reams of critical data from cyberattacks, President Barack Obama warned Tuesday as he announced a new, centralized effort to boost cybersecurity.
	With restraint, YouTube rolls out original programming Michael "Burnie" Burns hears a discrepancy. Before greeting moviegoers at the debut of his film, the writer-actor is eavesdropping on all the big-budget movie trailers playing ahead of his much smaller crowdfunded concoction, "Lazer Team."
In Tech: Google ads, Verizon video, domain leadership Google is helping to promote the fight against extremism through its own digital advertising network.
Agencies contend Facebook is breaching French privacy laws Two agencies contend Facebook is breaching privacy laws in France by tracking and using the personal data of more than 30 million users, as well as non-users who are browsing the Internet.
	Online 'red envelopes' rocket for Chinese New Year Billions of online money transfers have taken place in China as the ancient Lunar New Year tradition of handing out red envelopes of cash met the Internet age.
	Where aid fails, appropriate technology can succeed Technology can be a wonderful servant but a terrible master. As we know, its applications are not always beneficial to people or to the environment.
Obama administration plans new high-level cyber official The Obama administration is creating a new high-level federal official to coordinate cybersecurity across civilian agencies and to work with military and intelligence counterparts, as part of its 2017 budget proposal announced Tuesday.

Medicine & Health news

	Do the seasons affect how we think? When do you think more clearly: winter or summer? What time of year is your short-term memory at its best?
	Poor REM sleep may be linked to higher risk for anxiety, depression (HealthDay)—REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the phase when dreams are made, and a lack of good REM sleep has long been associated with chronic insomnia.
	Discovery may lead to better egg screening and IVF outcomes Experts in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) from UC San Francisco have discovered a pattern of protein secretion during egg maturation that they say has the possibility of leading to a new, non-invasive test to evaluate the fitness of eggs before they are fertilized in the clinic.
	Researchers see helpful protein causing cancer Washington State University researchers have determined how a protein that helps cells fight viruses can also cause genetic mutations that lead to cancer.
	Researchers use genetically modified circulating tumor cells to kill other tumors (Medical Xpress)—An international team of medical researchers has found a way to use a kind of cancer cell as a cargo vessel of sorts to kill already existing tumors. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes how they genetically modified a certain type of cancer cell to kill existing tumors on contact, and the results they found using their approach in test mice.
	'Brain road maps' reflect behavior differences between males and females Differences in the neural wiring across development of men and women across ages, matched behavioral differences commonly associated with each of the sexes, according to an imaging-based study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published February 1 in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
	Common gene variant influences food choices If you're fat, can you blame it on your genes? The answer is a qualified yes. Maybe. Under certain circumstances. Researchers are moving towards a better understanding of some of the roots of obesity.
	Engineering researchers use laser to 'weld' neurons, creating new medical research possibilities A research team based in the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering has developed a method of connecting neurons, using ultrashort laser pulses—a breakthrough technique that opens the door to new medical research and treatment opportunities.
Zika virus in the spotlight as US mosquito experts meet The mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus are among the hardest species to fight because they live and breed in spots where water collects inside houses and yards, insect experts noted Monday at the opening of the American Mosquito Control Association's annual conference.
New evidence gives women informed choice in the prolapse surgery debate New evidence published today highlights benefits and harms of using artificial mesh when compared with tissue repair in the surgical treatment of vaginal prolapse. Slightly better repair with mesh needs to be weighed carefully against increased risk of harms.
	Some heart drugs and antibiotics show effective in fighting cancer North American researchers have identified drugs that showed promising perspectives in treating cancers, according to a recent study published in Cancer Research. These drugs are normally used to treat other diseases, such as heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, and infections. "We identified a dozen or so drugs that reactivate tumour suppressor genes through an epigenetic mechanism that was never observed before", said Noël Raynal, MSc, PhD, who is an investigator at the mother-child research hospital CHU Sainte-Justine. "Epigenetic mechanisms control gene expression. They are highly deregulated in cancer cells. The mechanism that we discovered controls gene expression by targeting intracellular calcium levels," he explains.
	Diabetes drug shown to help body rebuild after heart attack New light has been shed on how a common diabetes drug can be used to aid recovery from a heart attack.
	Exposure to air pollution 30 years ago associated with increased risk of death The new report comes from one of the world's longest running air pollution studies, which included 368,000 people in England and Wales followed over a 38 year period. The team, from the MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, estimated air pollution levels in the areas where the individuals lived in 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001, using measurements from Britain's extensive historic air pollution monitoring networks.
Arthroscopic knee surgery does not cure sensations of knee catching or locking A new Finnish study proves that a commonly used surgical treatment does not help patients who suffer from "mechanical symptoms" (sensations of knee catching or locking) associated with a degenerative knee.
Allergy shots effective for baby boomers suffering from seasonal allergies Recent years have seen an increase in those suffering from allergies, including baby boomers. And because older people tend to have additional chronic diseases, diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) can be a challenge. A new study shows immunotherapy (allergy shots) reduced symptoms by 55 percent after three years of therapy, and decreased the amount of medication needed for relief of symptoms by 64 percent.
Air pollution exposure during pregnancy linked with asthma risk Babies born to mothers exposed to air pollution from traffic sources during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing asthma before the age of 5 years, according to new findings.
	Stress could help activate brown fat Mild stress stimulates the activity and heat production by brown fat associated with raised cortisol, according to a study published today in Experimental Physiology.
Living with people they bite, Zika mosquitoes hard to fight The mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus are among the hardest species to fight because they live and breed in tub drains, dog bowls, buckets, flower pots and other spots where water collects inside the houses and yards of the people they bite, insect experts noted Monday.
	Measles outbreak may have swayed some parents on vaccines (HealthDay)—The measles outbreak that first began in California's Disneyland last year may have changed some parents' minds about childhood vaccinations, a new study suggests.
	Doctors should screen teens for major depression, US task force says (HealthDay)—Primary care doctors should screen all patients between 12 and 18 years of age for major depression, but not younger children, preventive health experts say.
Obstructive sleep apnea-induced hypertension linked to gut microbiome Obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension, however the link between apneas and high blood pressure is unknown. So what is the connection? Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine say the answer could be found in the gut.
Travelers urged to take precautions against mosquito-borne illnesses Penn State Global Programs is issuing advice to travelers about the risks of mosquito-borne illnesses, like Zika, based on the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
	In autism, the social benefits of being a girl Infant girls at risk for autism pay more attention to social cues in faces than infant boys, according to a Yale School of Medicine study—the first one known to prospectively examine sex-related social differences in at-risk infants.
	Study pinpoints key protein in a severe vascular disease The aorta, the body's largest artery, is like a hose through which our blood flows. When the hose is squeezed, the pump (i.e., the heart) is forced to work harder. In a new study, Yale researchers investigated factors that squeeze, or narrow, the aorta in a common vascular disease, revealing a target for potential new treatments.
Rat study shows that renal denervation helps to bring drug-resistant hypertension under control Up to 10 percent of people with high blood pressure have resistant hypertension—high blood pressure that remains elevated despite treatment with at least three blood pressure medications. Now, researchers report in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology that renal denervation—a procedure that disrupts the nerves in the kidneys and prevents them from relaying signals—can treat hypertension, including resistant hypertension, when the nerves are completely blocked. This new study, conducted in rats, identified the specific nerves that had to be blocked to achieve the therapy's blood pressure-lowering effects.
	Evidence of a lipid link in the inherited form of Alzheimer's disease Australian researchers have found biochemical changes occurring in the blood, in the rare inherited form of Alzheimer's disease. Changes in these fat-like substances, may suggest a method to diagnose all forms of Alzheimer's disease before significant damage to the brain occurs.
	Do fitness trackers make you fitter? Nearly 20 million fitness trackers were sold last year. These digital devices – which track everything from heart-rate to the number of steps you take – are sold on the promise that they will help the owner lose weight and become fitter and happier. Unfortunately, like many sports performance products, research to support their usefulness is limited.
	Are male and female brains really different? Along with just about every other aspect of real or imagined differences between the sexes, the idea that your biological sex will determine the sex of your brain – and so your behaviour, aptitudes and personality – has a long and controversial history. The idea that a man's brain is "male" and a woman's brain "female" is rarely challenged.
	Bacterial molecules discovered in processed foods could unlock key to healthier diets Our favourite foods could be made healthier thanks to a new technique developed by the University of Leicester which has identified harmful bacterial molecules in certain processed foods such as burgers and ready meals.
	Social Internet-based activities important for healthy ageing Meaningful and Internet-based activities promote experiences of participation in society and are important for healthy ageing. In a new dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden, occupational therapists are shown to promote participation, reduce experiences of loneliness and strengthen seniors' social network using an Internet-based intervention programme.
	Australian hoarders falling between the gaps A leading expert on hoarding disorder has developed a new treatment for the condition and called for a major rethink in the way hoarding is managed in Australia.
	Body image issues start in the playground While it seems common for teenagers to worry about their own body image, it is becoming increasingly clear that these concerns may have their roots in early childhood.
	Psychologist working to end the cycle of depression within families Depression is now the leading cause of disability around the world, beating out diabetes, stroke and cancer in impact on quality of life. Struggles with depression can begin early, and as many as one in 10 children will have an episode of depression.
	Childhood diabetes discoveries could lead to new treatments Children who are diagnosed with diabetes before the age of seven develop a more aggressive form of the disease than that seen in teenagers, new research has revealed.
	Video: Barley helps improve blood sugar levels and reduce appetite A recent study from Lund University in Sweden shows that barley can rapidly improve people's health by reducing blood sugar levels and the risk for diabetes. The secret lies in the special mixture of dietary fibres found in barley, which can also help reduce people's appetite and risk for cardiovascular disease.
	Scientists shed light on how cells with an incorrect number of chromosomes lead to tumour development Aneuploid cells—that is to say those with an abnormal number of chromosomes—are found in most human tumours.
You can train your body into thinking it's had medicine Marette Flies was 11 when her immune system turned against her. A cheerful student from Minneapolis, Minnesota, she had curly brown hair and a pale, moon-shaped face, and she loved playing trumpet in her high-school band. But in 1983, she was diagnosed with lupus, a condition in which the immune system destroys the body's healthy tissues.
	Research holds promise for diabetics with vitamin D deficiency A simple change in diet could boost vitamin D levels for millions of Americans suffering from Type 2 diabetes, according to new research from Iowa State University published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Study shows promising safety results for anti-aging drug The search for the fountain of youth led to a 2009 discovery that a drug called rapamycin was shown to extend the lifespan of mice. Since that time, studies on the metabolic side effects of rapamycin have made it unclear whether the drug is safe as a long-term treatment. A recent study published in the November issue of the journal Aging showed minimal metabolic side effects after continuous, long-term treatment with encapsulated rapamycin in a marmoset (monkey) model.
	Stereotypes about Native Americans and alcohol debunked In contrast to enduring stories about extraordinarily high rates of alcohol misuse among Native Americans, University of Arizona researchers have found that Native Americans' binge and heavy drinking rates actually match those of whites. The groups differed regarding abstinence: Native Americans were more likely to abstain from alcohol use.
Oral capsule with bacterial spores may be effective treatment for recurrent C. difficile Results from a Phase 1b/2 trial suggest that an investigational microbiome-based, oral therapeutic drug is effective for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection. In a paper published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, a multi-institutional research team reports that treatment with the preparation, containing the spores of approximately 50 species of beneficial bacteria, successfully prevented recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI) in patients with a history of multiple recurrent disease. This therapeutic drug also restored the participants' gut microbiome - the microbial community within the gastrointestinal system - to a state similar to that observed in healthy individuals.
Study compares outcomes at VA hospitals vs. non-VA hospitals Among older men with heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, hospitalization at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, compared with hospitalization at non-VA hospitals, was associated with lower 30-day all-cause mortality rates for heart attack and heart failure, and higher 30-day all-cause readmission rates for all 3 conditions, both nationally and within similar geographic areas, although absolute differences between these outcomes were small, according to a study in the February 9 issue of JAMA.
	Researchers resolve longstanding issue of components needed to regenerate muscle Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Research Institute (SBP) have conclusively identified the protein complex that controls the genes needed to repair skeletal muscle. The discovery clears up deep-rooted conflicting data and will now help streamline efforts towards boosting stem cell-mediated muscle regeneration. Such strategies could treat muscle degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophies, and those associated with aging and cancer.
Protein that limits the severity of genetic kidney disease found Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have identified a protein that limits the severity of Alport syndrome, a type of genetic kidney disease. The finding can provide clues that point toward new therapeutic approaches for Alport syndrome.
Patient access to online health action plans enhances rate of preventive care A large study demonstrated that health plan members who accessed their health information online and received timely alerts about potential gaps in care were more likely to receive preventive tests and screenings than those who did not use the service. The Kaiser Permanente study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
	'A word's worth more than a thousand pictures' according to study on young children It is widely known that "a picture is worth a thousand words." But a new study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University published in Evolutionary Psychology begs to differ when it comes to young children.
Professors use cadaver DNA to advance genetics literacy in medical curricula Cadavers have long been one of the most important resources for anatomy teaching in medical school. Now, they are also at the forefront of cutting-edge genetics teaching, thanks to innovative thinking by professors at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM).
Link between stress fracture injuries and genes found In a paper published in The Official Journal of the International Purine Club University of Liverpool researchers have successfully identified how certain genes can contribute towards a person's susceptibility to stress fracture injuries. This research provides a platform for further research into providing a personalised health approach to this common sports injury.
BMJ provides Zika virus resources to support healthcare workers BMJ is offering free online resources to support researchers, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to understand and respond to the global health emergency linked to the Zika virus.
	A new home - but with no medical home? Study of immigrants' kids with special health needs They may have made America their new home, but immigrants whose children have special medical needs appear to be having trouble finding a true "medical home" for their child, a new study finds.
Cutting prison sentences could reduce spread of HIV, study suggests Reducing the number of men who go to prison could help curb the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in a community, according to research published in Social Science & Medicine.
	Wound-healing intestinal bacteria: Like shrubs after a forest fire In injured mouse intestines, specific types of bacteria step forward to promote healing, scientists have found.
COPD may cause structural changes within the brain Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition impacting nearly 24 million Americans, is often associated with disease-specific fears and avoidance of physical activity. Little is known of the structural brain processes that occur in COPD patients. A study published in the February issue of the journal Chest found that patients with COPD demonstrated gray matter decreases in areas of the brain that process breathlessness, fear and sensitivity to pain.
Task-oriented rehab program does not result in greater recovery from stroke The use of a structured, task-oriented rehabilitation program, compared with usual rehabilitation, did not result in better motor function or recovery after 12 months for patients with moderate upper extremity impairment following a stroke, according to a study in the February 9 issue of JAMA.
Effectiveness of behavioral interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing Among primary care practices, the use of two socially motivated behavioral interventions - accountable justification and peer comparison - resulted in significant reductions in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections, while an intervention that lacked a social component, suggested alternatives, had no significant effect, according to a study in the February 9 issue of JAMA.
	Find a partner who marches to the beat of your own drum Everyone marches to the beat of their own drum: From walking to talking to producing music, different people's movements occur at different speeds. But do these differences influence coordination of group actions? The answer is yes, according to McGill University researchers. The finding has the potential to help us predict for each person how successful they will be in a group task, depending on how similar their partners are to them in their internal rhythms.
Injury deaths and life-expectancy gap between US and other high-income countries Andrew Fenelon, Ph.D., of the National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Md., and colleagues estimated the contribution of 3 causes of injury death to the gap in life expectancy between the United States and 12 comparable countries in 2012. The researchers focused on motor vehicle traffic (MVT) crashes, firearm-related injuries, and drug poisonings, the 3 largest causes of U.S. injury death, responsible for more than 100,000 deaths per year. The study appears in the February 9 issue of JAMA.
	Eye abnormalities in infants with microcephaly associated with Zika virus Vision-threatening eye abnormalities in infants in Brazil with microcephaly (a birth defect characterized by an abnormally small head) may be associated with presumed intrauterine infection with Zika virus, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
Alleviating malnutrition in children in resource-limited and conflict areas In two articles published this week in PLOS Medicine, Saskia van der Kam of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and colleagues describe the outcomes of two randomised controlled trials in resource-limited settings to determine if the vicious cycle between childhood illness and malnutrition could be broken with a brief period of food supplementation during recovery from illness.
Barbados confirms three Zika cases in pregnant women Barbados on Tuesday confirmed three cases of Zika in pregnant women, bringing to seven the number of people on the Caribbean island with the virus, which is believed to be linked to birth defects.
WHO cautions against linking Zika virus with rare nerve disorder The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged caution about linking the Zika virus with a rare nerve disorder called Guillain-Barre which health officials in Colombia have blamed for three deaths.
	Gun, drug, car deaths loom large in US longevity gap, study finds Guns, drugs and cars contribute substantially to the life-expectancy gap between the United States and other developed nations, a study found.
	Scientists discover how breast cancer cells spread from blood vessels Researchers have identified a protein that controls how breast cancer cells spread around the body, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study published in Science Signaling today (Tuesday).
How to find the best fitness app for you There's no reason to set foot in a gym thanks to hundreds of new fitness apps and online workouts, but choosing one can be overwhelming. We asked sports medicine doctors for help finding the one that's best for you.
China confirms first imported Zika case: report China confirmed its first imported case of Zika late Tuesday, Xinhua reported, as fears mount over the fast-spreading virus that has been linked to severe birth defects mostly in Latin America.
	A 'nudge' reduces doctors' unnecessary antibiotic prescription, study finds Behavioral interventions that appealed to doctors' competitive spirits and desire to strengthen their reputations motivated them to significantly reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, a new study shows.
	Healthier diets may be cutting heart, diabetes risks in U.S. teens (HealthDay)—The severity of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of health risk factors such as belly fat and poor cholesterol levels—among U.S. teens has been improving, and researchers believe that healthier diets may be the reason why.
	Folic acid consumption in first trimester linked to GDM risk (HealthDay)—Folic acid (FA) consumption in the first trimester is associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), according to research published online Jan. 28 in Diabetes Care.
	Botox may reduce chronic neuropathic pain (HealthDay)—Subcutaneous botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injections appear to safely and effectively reduce chronic neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the Annals of Neurology.
	Chemodermabrasion better than chemical peels alone (HealthDay)—Chemodermabrasion is more effective than chemical peels alone in enhancing the skin barrier function, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
	Sepsis tied to higher post-discharge mortality risk (HealthDay)—Sepsis survivors have a substantially increased risk of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events after discharge, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
	Auricular acupressure helps with postpartum insomnia (HealthDay)—Auricular acupressure is an effective alternative complementary therapy for postpartum women with insomnia, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
	CBT may work as well as meds in major depressive disorder (HealthDay)—For adults with major depressive disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and antidepressants have similar efficacy, according to a clinical guideline published online Feb. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
	CDC emergency operations ctr moving to level 1 activation (HealthDay)—The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is moving to Level 1 activation to enhance its response to the Zika virus outbreak.
	Higher nurse to patient ratio linked to reduced risk of inpatient death A higher nurse to patient ratio is linked to a reduced risk of inpatient death, finds a study of staffing levels in NHS hospitals, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
CDC sends Florida 950 kits to test for Zika virus antibodies Federal health officials have sent the state of Florida an additional 950 kits to test for viral antibodies in people who have shown Zika symptoms after traveling to affected countries.
Use sunscreen urges actor Hugh Jackman after cancer removed Australian movie star Hugh Jackman has again undergone treatment for skin cancer, urging people Tuesday to wear sunscreen and have regular check-ups.
	Gov't report: Eight states had significant drop in uninsured Eight states saw a significant drop last year in the number of residents going without health insurance, according to a government report out Tuesday that has implications for the presidential campaign.
Sanofi gets shot in the arm from dollar strength French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi reported a healthy rise in profits on Tuesday thanks to the strong dollar, benefitting from a foreign exchange windfall.
Research following trends of fostering compassion for health, wellbeing Researchers believe awareness, compassion and empathy are core dimensions of human nature that contribute to personal development and health. With these concepts at the forefront, the College of Health and Human Development is leading a variety of research efforts.
New test to improve treatment for patients at risk of heart attack An Irish research consortium is embarking on a new project to make a test, which will lead to better treatment of cardiovascular disease, readily available to patients. Professor Dermot Kenny (RCSI, Principal Investigator, BDI) and Professor Antonio Ricco (Adjunct Professor, DCU, Principal Investigator, BDI) have developed a laboratory-based test, which has already been trialled on 400 patients, to identify those who may be at high risk of side effects from heart disease medication.
	Epilepsy self-monitoring app EpSMon now available free in the UK The epilepsy self-monitoring app EpSMon is now available to download for free in the UK.
	New biomarkers to provide cardiovascular disease early warning The long-term goal of the EU-MASCARA (Markers for sub-clinical cardiovascular risk assessment) project has been to apply these new biomarkers in a way that aids clinical practitioners in risk prediction and early intervention. The most robust biomarkers will be implemented in novel biochip based assays for clinical use.
	How faster sepsis diagnoses could save lives and cut costs EU funding has enabled European researchers to pioneer life-saving research that could lead to the early diagnosis of the deadly disease sepsis.
Grandparent carers let down by social services Poor collaboration between child protection and adult addiction services is resulting in the children of drug-using parents and their grandparent carers missing out on supports and services, according to new research conducted at the School of Social Work and Social Policy in Trinity College Dublin.
Terminology of chronic pain published The Journal of Pain Research has published the commentary "Terminology of chronic pain: the need to "level the playing field".
Nasoalveolar molding use for cleft lip and palate reduces number of surgeries, cost of care Patients with complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate (U/BCLP) who were treated with nasoalveolar molding (NAM) required fewer surgeries and a reduction in overall healthcare costs compared to similar patients who did not have NAM treatment, according to a study in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, authored by Parit A. Patel, MD.
Guam ban on smoking in bars to become law in 2017 Smoking in bars will be prohibited in Guam next year under a measure that expands provisions to the island's anti-smoking law.
Elsevier launches landmark literature on India's healthcare reforms Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, recently announced the launch of Health Care Reforms in India: Making Up for the Lost Decade, an authoritative and incisive look at India's healthcare system from the perspective of Rajendra Pratap Gupta, an expert healthcare observer as well as an influential and respected voice on public policy, innovation and the economy.
First-of-its-kind perioperative surgical home demonstrates impact on quality and costs The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Premier, Inc., a leading health care improvement company, have announced the results of the first iteration of the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) learning collaborative.
Children with special health care needs and their families have high food insecurity risk Low-income families with children who have special health care needs are at high risk for food insecurity, even when they receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and participate in public assistance programs, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). According to a new study led by researchers from Children's Health Watch at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and published online ahead of print in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, there is a need to re-evaluate criteria determining qualifications for nutritional assistance in families with children with special health care needs in order to decrease the risk of food insecurity.
	New guideline for treatment of prolonged seizures in children and adults Status epilepticus - continuous or rapid sequential seizure activity for 30 minutes or more - is a medical emergency with a high mortality rate in both children and adults. Prompt and effective treatment is key; therefore the American Epilepsy Society (AES) has released a new guideline to help physicians, hospitals, and health systems treat patients effectively. The guideline is published in the January/February issue of Epilepsy Currents, the AES journal.
It doesn't 'get better' for some bullied LGBT youths Since 2010, more than 613,000 people have pledged to combat bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens as part of the "It Gets Better" campaign. And a new Northwestern Medicine study has found that most adolescents would agree that it does, in fact, get better. But not all.
Latest SLeone Ebola case cured but more testing needed—officials Sierra Leone's most recent case of Ebola has been cured, but more testing is required before the latest outbreak can be seen as resolved, health authorities said Tuesday.
	Study shows positive psychological effects of hormone therapy in transgenders Transgender individuals may experience significant improvement in psychological functioning after as little as 3-6 months of hormone therapy, with improved quality of life reported within 12 months of initiating therapy by both female-to-male and male-to-female transgender individuals, according to an article published in Transgender Health.
New study finds interruption of radiation therapy risks cancer recurrence Cancer patients who miss two or more radiation therapy sessions have a worse outcome than fully compliant patients, investigators at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care (MECCC) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine's NCI-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center have found. The study, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, suggests that this noncompliance to scheduled treatments may represent a new behavioral biomarker for identifying high-risk patients who require additional interventions to achieve optimal care outcomes.

Biology news

	Monkey skull study suggests brain evolved in spurts (Phys.org)—A small team of researchers from Brazil and Argentina has found via skull analysis and modeling that a kind of new-world monkey appears to have undergone changes in individual parts of its brain during evolutionary periods which led to advances in cognitive development. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study and results and why they believe what they found might apply to humans as well.
	Study shows that songbirds recognize sound patterns using the overall spectral shape (Phys.org)—New research on how songbirds recognize a sound sequence calls into question the prevailing view that songbirds tend to rely on absolute pitch to recognize a song pattern as opposed to humans who tend to rely on relative pitch. Micah R. Bregman, Aniruddh D. Patel, and Timothy Q. Gentner from the University of California in San Diego and Tufts University demonstrate through behavioral studies that starlings recognize a song pattern by its absolute spectral shape. Their work appears in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Slime can see: Scientists discover that slime-forming bacteria act as optical objects After more than 300 years of looking, scientists have figured out how bacteria "see" their world. And they do it in a remarkably similar way to us.
	Tick genome reveals inner workings of a resilient blood-guzzler An international team of scientists led by Purdue University has sequenced the genome of the tick that transmits Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in North America.
	Engineers create custom tuning knobs to turn off any gene Factory managers can improve productivity by telling workers to speed up, slow down, or stop doing tangential tasks while assembling widgets. Unfortunately for synthetic biologists attempting to produce pharmaceuticals, microbes don't respond to simple spoken directions like human personnel. Now, however, a new advance by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers allows scientists fine-tune biological functions in their bacterial employees.
	Researchers illuminate 'dark side' of the transcriptome A new way of mapping the "transcriptome"—the collection of RNA read-outs that are expressed by a cell's active genes—has been devised by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. RNA is both the molecular bridge between DNA and the production of proteins that carry out the functions of life and the molecular toolbox that collectively helps those proteins do their work. As such, RNA exists in a variety of forms, each with a particular role and purpose, not all of which are fully understood.
	Ancient gene network helps plants adapt to their environments The only constant is change. In evolution, there are, however, some exceptions. While the enormous diversity of life suggests that organisms are constantly being refitted with new or modified parts, many of the tools used to build these new organisms are just too useful to tinker with. For this reason they are, as scientists say, "conserved" over evolutionary time.
	The herbivore dilemma: How corn plants fights off simultaneous attacks Corn seedlings are especially susceptible to hungry insect herbivores, such as caterpillars and aphids, because they lack woody stems and tough leaves. So what's a tender, young corn plant to do?
	Biologists find genetic mechanism for 'extremophile' fish survival A Washington State University biologist has found the genetic mechanisms that lets a fish live in toxic, acidic water. The discovery opens the door to new insights into the functioning of other "extremophiles" and how they adapt to their challenging environments.
	Bring on the drones: Mediterranean sees severe overfishing Experts say almost all species in the Mediterranean are still overfished despite decades of seeing stocks dwindle—and the European Union is considering creative solutions like using drones or space technology to catch fraudulent fishermen.
	Inland fisheries determined to surface as food powerhouse No longer satisfied to be washed out by epic seas and vast oceans, the world's lakes, rivers, streams, canals, reservoirs and other land-locked waters continue a push to be recognized - and properly managed - as a global food security powerhouse.
	Characterizing the smell of death may help rescue workers at disaster sites Rescue workers searching for disaster survivors could use the smell of decomposition to decide what kind of rescue dogs to work with in the hopes of improving their chances of finding survivors. When tragedy strikes and there are casualties, understanding the scent profile of decomposition may help to ensure resources are used in the right way.
	Ecosystems pulling apart as some plants shift habitats, possibly adapting to climate change A UCLA-led study examining whether plant species in California have shifted to higher elevations, possibly in response to climate change, discovered that non-native plants are moving fastest, altering and potentially damaging ecosystems.
	Collaboration, research key to managing invasive species Invasive species, such as the gypsy moth and emerald ash borer, have had devastating effects on Pennsylvania's forests, and the keys to combatting these threats are active management, collaboration and research, according to U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson.
	Divide the labour and rule the Petri dish As a philosophical and practical concept, the idea of the division of labour – the separation of a work process into a number of tasks – can be traced back through figures as eminent as the economist Adam Smith and the engineer Charles Babbage (and even to a passage in Plato's Republic).
Morbid attraction to leopards in toxoplasmosis parasitized chimpanzees Researchers from the Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3/EPHE) have shown that chimpanzees infected with toxoplasmosis are attracted by the urine of their natural predators, leopards, but not by urine from other large felines. The study, published on 8 February 2016 in Current Biology, suggests that parasite manipulation by Toxoplasma gondii is specific to each host. It fuels an ongoing debate on the origin of behavioral modifications observed in humans infected with toxoplasmosis: they probably go back to a time when our ancestors were still preyed upon by large felines.
	Asian gudgeon bring new terror to rivers Small in size but significant in terms of the ecological and economic damage they cause, Asian gudgeon are invading a great number of water courses across the world, particularly in Europe. These fish carry a half-animal/half-fungal parasite, which has very likely been present in China for millions of years and which is fatal to most other fish species. Having discovered this pathogen 10 years ago, IRD researchers and their partners have recently demonstrated how quickly it can spread in a Turkish catchment area. Three years after the arrival of the gudgeon, between 80 and 90% of fish were contaminated, including farmed bass, a species of great economic importance in the Mediterranean.
	How brain size affects hunting strategy in the insect world Cambridge researchers are studying what makes a brain efficient and how that affects behaviour in insects.
	New caddisfly species discovered in the Balkan biodiversity hotspot of Kosovo The Republic of Kosovo turns out to be a unique European biodiversity hotspot after a second new species of aquatic insect has been described from the Balkan country. The new caddisfly was discovered by Prof. Halil Ibrahimi from the University of Prishtina, Kosovo, and international research team. They have their finding published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
	Hunting pressure on forest animals in Africa is on the increase Since about 25 years, animal species in West and Central Africa are no longer being hunted solely for the purpose of local self-sufficiency, but increasingly also for sale in urban areas several hundred kilometres away. As a consequence, many populations have dramatically decreased or already disappeared altogether. A team of European researchers led by Goethe University Frankfurt has now predicted hunting pressure for the Congo Basin and produced a detailed map, which could help in regional planning.
	Robotically driven system could reduce cost of discovering drug and target interactions Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have created the first robotically driven experimentation system to determine the effects of a large number of drugs on many proteins, reducing the number of necessary experiments by 70%.
	Identifying plant and animal DNA switches much faster and cheaper Epigenetics is a fast-growing field of research all over the world. Ecological epigenetics has now been further advanced thanks to the development of a new research technique. "This technique is cheaper and faster and enables research that was previously impossible to conduct." The time has come to look at how important epigenetic changes are for dealing with climate change, plagues and other stress-factors. The research team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is publishing its technique in the scientific journal Nature Methods.
	An artificial diet may make it easier to rear insects Scientists who conduct research on insects need to be able to keep them alive, sometimes for many generations. That can be difficult, especially since members of many insect species are particularly picky eaters.
	Rare bumble bee may be making a comeback in Pacific northwest Bombus occidentalis used to be the most common bumble bee species in the Pacific Northwest, but in the mid 1990s it became one of the rarest. Now, according to an article in the Journal of Insect Science offers, it may be making a comeback.
Implications of gene editing non-human organisms The prospect of gene editing has brought on a controversial debate about the ethics of human modification, prompting much news coverage and commentary. But according to The University of Manchester's Professor Matthew Cobb, a far more pressing issue is raised by the modification of non-human organisms. BBC Radio Four today broadcasts a documentary by Professor Cobb called 'Editing Life', on the scientific, ethical and ecological implications of the gene editing technique called CRISPR. Here he lays out his argument and calls for international consensus on the issue.
Research questions whether shark control programs work New research from Deakin University has questioned the assumption that shark control programs designed to reduce the numbers of shark attacks on NSW and southern African beaches actually work.

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