Science X Newsletter Thursday, Mar 10

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 10, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Invisibility cloaks can never hide objects from all observers
- The history of China as told through phosphorus
- Astronomers discover two new 'hot Jupiter' exoplanets
- Two new molecules help beta-lactams kill drug resistant bacteria
- Close comet flyby threw Mars' magnetic field into chaos
- Controlling lithium metal deposits using different metal substrates
- Down the rabbit hole: How electrons travel through exotic new material
- AI beats human Go grandmaster... again (Update)
- Super-clear synapses at super resolutions
- Grid cells' role in human imagination revealed
- Brown fat keeps blood sugar in check
- Scientists watch activity of newborn brain cells in mice; reveal they are required for memory
- Modified form of CRISPR acts as a toggle switch to control gene expression in stem cells
- Reverse engineering human biology with organs-on-chips
- Brain study finds that practice doesn't always make perfect

Astronomy & Space news

	Astronomers discover two new 'hot Jupiter' exoplanets (Phys.org)—A team of Chilean astronomers recently detected two new "hot Jupiters" using the data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft operating in a new mission profile called K2. The planets, designated EPIC210957318b and EPIC212110888b, were discovered via the radial velocity method, and are excellent candidates for further orbital and atmospheric characterization via detailed follow-up observations. A research paper describing the discovery appeared online on Mar. 5, on the arXiv server.
	Close comet flyby threw Mars' magnetic field into chaos Just weeks before the historic encounter of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) with Mars in October 2014, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft entered orbit around the Red Planet. To protect sensitive equipment aboard MAVEN from possible harm, some instruments were turned off during the flyby; the same was done for other Mars orbiters. But a few instruments, including MAVEN's magnetometer, remained on, conducting observations from a front-row seat during the comet's remarkably close flyby.
	Ten years of discovery by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter True to its purpose, the big NASA spacecraft that began orbiting Mars a decade ago this week has delivered huge advances in knowledge about the Red Planet.
	Clocking the rotation rate of a supermassive black hole A recent observational campaign involving more than two dozen optical telescopes and NASA's space based SWIFT X-ray telescope allowed a team of astronomers to measure very accurately the rotational rate of one of the most massive black holes in the universe. The rotational rate of this massive black hole is one third of the maximum spin rate allowed in General Relativity. This 18 billion solar mass heavy black hole powers a quasar called OJ287 which lies about 3.5 billion light years away from Earth. Quasi-stellar radio sources or `quasars' for short, are the very bright centers of distant galaxies which emit huge amounts of electro-magnetic radiation due to the infall of matter into their massive black holes.
	Image: Spooky lightning from orbit ESA astronaut Tim Peake took this image circling Earth 400 km up in the International Space Station. He commented: "Sometimes looking down on Earth at night can be kinda spooky."
	Message from aliens or colliding objects? The hunt for engimatic radio bursts is about to get real Astronomers are getting ever closer to understanding the origin of mysterious "fast radio bursts" – very brief but intense pulses of radio waves from outer space – after a series of recent contradictory findings. While the cause of these powerful blips is still unknown, scientists' eagerness to find out is driving a renaissance in radio astronomy. Along with a revolution in our ability to map huge chunks of the sky in real time over the coming decade, this means the hunt for an answer is starting to look promising.
	Mysterious infrared light from space resolved perfectly A research team using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has detected the faintest millimeter-wave source ever observed. By accumulating millimeter-waves from faint objects like this throughout the Universe, the team finally determined that such objects are 100% responsible for the enigmatic infrared background light filling the Universe. By comparing these to optical and infrared images, the team found that 60% of them are faint galaxies, whereas the rest have no corresponding objects in optical/infrared wavelengths and their nature is still unknown.
	NASA station leads way for improved measurements of Earth orientation, shape NASA has demonstrated the success of advanced technology for making precise measurements of Earth's orientation and rotation - information that helps provide a foundation for navigation of all space missions and for geophysical studies of our planet.
	NASA announces winning concepts to advance its journey to Mars NASA has announced the winners of two challenges to create new concepts for construction and human habitation on future space exploration missions, including the agency's journey to Mars.
	First RS25 flight engine test set for March NASA is about to reach another milestone in the development of its Space Launch System (SLS.) The SLS is designed to take humans on future deep space missions, and the heart of the system is the RS-25 engine. March 10th will be the first test of this flight-model engine, which will be the most powerful rocket in the world, once in its final configuration.

Technology news

	AI beats human Go grandmaster... again (Update) A Google-developed supercomputer bested a South Korean Go grandmaster again Thursday, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in a five-game series that has become a stunning global debut for a new style of "intuitive" artificial intelligence (AI).
	Controlling lithium metal deposits using different metal substrates (Tech Xplore)—Cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices that have rechargeable batteries use lithium ion batteries. Lithium batteries have a high energy density. Fewer cells are needed to power a device, which allows for a lighter device that is more portable. However, lithium batteries are not as powerful or as long-lasting as they could be. For one, lithium battery cells tend to form dendrites, lithium metal deposits that from on the lithium electrode. These dendrites spread throughout the lithium-based electrolyte and if it reaches the other electrode, can short circuit the battery.
	Smartphone security: Why doodling trumps text passwords Someday soon, you may be able to log into your smartphone with sweeping gestures or doodling, using one or more fingers.
	Honda rolls out fuel cell in Japan, to lease 200 first year Honda has rolled out a new fuel cell vehicle, the first of its kind to be a five-seater. The zero-emissions Clarity may not sell in big numbers, however, given its price tag of 7.66 million yen ($67,000).
	Researchers create a new database for V sign biometric Videos of beheadings. The victim can be seen, kneeling, ready to die. The face and body of the man standing with knife poised is covered; his identity cannot be seen. A research team from Jordan have completed a study of how a terrorist might be identified, through his hand's sign of Victory, the classic V.
	Wristband detects and alerts for seizures, monitors stress People with epilepsy suffer from recurrent, unprovoked seizures that can cause injury and even death from "sudden unexpected death in epilepsy" (SUDEP), a condition that occurs minutes after a seizure ends.
	Overlooked resistance may inflate estimates of organic-semiconductor performance It's hardly a character flaw, but organic transistors—the kind envisioned for a host of flexible electronics devices—behave less than ideally, or at least not up to the standards set by their rigid, predictable silicon counterparts. When unrecognized, a new study finds, this disparity can lead to gross overestimates of charge-carrier mobility, a property key to the performance of electronic devices.
	Google unveils progress in robot that learns how to pick up objects using neural-network (Tech Xplore)—Google, the search engine giant, as most are aware, has been working on many technology projects, from self-driving cars to augmented reality eyewear. One area that has not received as much press is robotics. Over the past several years, Google has purchased several robotics companies, most notably Boston Dynamics, maker of Big Dog and other mobile robots. But the company has also invested heavily in the development and enhancement of neural networks—computer and software systems that gain capabilities by learning, rather than having everything programmed in from the start. In this latest update, Google has posted an entry on its Google Research Blog (along with videos) by Sergey Levine and has uploaded a paper to the arXiv prepress server outlining progress made with robot arm/graspers guided by a neural network.
	Beyond silicon—the search for new semiconductors Our modern world is based on semiconductors. In addition to your computer, cellphones and digital cameras, semiconductors are a critical component of a growing number of devices. Think of the high-efficiency LED lights you are putting in your house, along with everything with a lit display or control circuit: cars, refrigerators, ovens, coffee makers and more. You would be hard-pressed to find a modern device that uses electricity that does not have semiconductor circuits in it.
	Algorithm allows a computer to create a vacation highlight video Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology unveiled a novel video-editing solution this week that automatically sorts and edits untouched footage into the most picturesque highlights for a vacation reel that could fill anyone with envy.
	Internet address gatekeeper OKs plan to break from US (Update) The gatekeeper of Internet addresses on Thursday approved a plan to break from US oversight, shifting those symbolic functions to the broader global online community.
Hooray for Hollywood robots: Movie machines may boost robot acceptance Remembering robots from film portrayals may help ease some of the anxiety that older adults have about using a robot, according to Penn State researchers.
	Amazon to launch air cargo service in US Online retail titan Amazon is starting up its own air cargo service, laying down a challenge to companies like Fedex and UPS, which deliver much of its goods.
In crowded Cairo, ride-hailing apps leave cabbies fuming For 32-year-old banker Hani, it was always a nightmare riding in Cairo's battered taxis through traffic gridlock and thick exhaust fumes that sputter out of rickety vehicles.
	All about Go, the ancient game in which AI bested a master The rules of Go, the ancient Chinese board game that is the stage for a man-vs-machine battle this week, are beautifully simple. Actually playing it is anything but.
	Human Go champion 'speechless' after 2nd loss to machine The human Go champion said he was left "speechless" after his second straight loss to Google's Go-playing machine on Thursday in a highly-anticipated human versus machine face-off.
	Aeronautics professor discusses the first global standards for aircraft emissions Last month, the United States and 22 other countries agreed to the first-ever global carbon emissions standards for commercial aircraft. The standards, set by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), are estimated to reduce carbon emissions by more than 650 million tons between 2020 and 2040—roughly equal to the emissions produced by 140 million cars in a single year.
	Is access to our phones a step toward the police wanting access to our minds? We use our smartphones so much these days, it almost feels like they have become extensions of ourselves, boosting our capacity to calculate and remember. What might come of this closer union of human and technological device? If police can serve a warrant to search your phone, and we see these devices as extensions of ourselves, how long until investigators one day serve a warrant to search your mind?
	Benchmark data set validates global nuclear reactor codes Nearly 100 commercial nuclear reactors supply one-fifth of America's energy. For each fuel rod in a reactor assembly, only 5 percent of its energy is consumed before fission can no longer be sustained efficiently for power production and the fuel assembly must be replaced. Power plants currently store the used fuel on-site. Information on the composition of the used fuel is essential for the design of safe storage, transportation and final repository facilities and for inspection and verification to safeguard nuclear materials. Improved accuracy in prediction of the spent fuel isotopic composition leads to increased efficiency in the facility designs and higher confidence in the safeguard protocols.
	Swedish researchers, Wikipedia develop first crowdsourced speech engine By 2017, English, Swedish and Arabic speakers will find that Wikipedia is talking their language—literally. The online free encyclopedia is collaborating with Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology to develop the world's first crowdsourced speech synthesis platform.
	Modern buildings have an alarming flaw when people need to escape quickly The landscapes in which many of us live would have been unimaginable to previous generations. We now have skyscrapers so striking and tall they would make Icarus turn pale. Yet in emergency situations, our seemingly brilliant designs sometimes turn against us – and become death traps when disaster strikes.
	Why a list of comets is one of Wikipedia's longest pages Why are some pages on Wikipedia so much longer than others?
	Slamdunk: Graphical user interface uses 'X's and O's' to retrieve basketball plays A new search tool for the brave new world of sports analytics would be recognizable even to an old school coach: a chalkboard-like interface enables users to quickly retrieve plays from a database by sketching what they seek using the equivalent of a coach's X's and O's.
	Yahoo to stream NHL hockey games Yahoo said Thursday it reached a deal with the National Hockey League to stream hockey games online for free with no subscription required.
	Computer scientists produce realistic face models from video recordings Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and the media company Technicolor have now shown how this can be accomplished more easily and much faster. All they need is a standard video and some computing power to produce extremely detailed face models. The computer scientists have developed new methods which enable them to reconstruct surfaces from videos and then alter them on the computer.
	Apple to unveil new creations on March 21 (Update) Apple on Thursday sent out invitations to a press event at which it is expected to unveil new iPhone and iPad models.
	Snapchat to go behind scenes at NCAA tournament Snapchat will deliver "live stories" including behind-the-scenes footage from the "March Madness" NCAA basketball tournament under a partnership announced Thursday.
	New privacy rules expected for Internet providers (Update) The federal government is proposing new privacy rules that would make Internet service providers such as cable and phone companies ask your permission in some instances before using and sharing your data.
	'Creative Control' looks at the near future of personal VR What does technology look like five minutes in the future?
	Google provides early peek at next Android operating system Google is previewing the next version of its Android operating system two months ahead of schedule in an effort to get the upgraded software on more mobile devices.
US: Probable cause that locked phone has evidence of attack A locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers likely holds evidence of the eventual attack, the Justice Department said in a court filing Thursday in its high-profile encryption dispute with Apple Inc., adding that the community and the public "need to know" what is on the device.
	Innovating for billions Every 12 years, Nashik, India is the site of the Kumbh Mela, a religious festival that draws crowds in excess of 20 million to the sacred Godavari River. During this one-month period, Nashik—a mid-sized agricultural center without an airport—temporarily becomes one of the largest cities in the world.
Blast behaviour research could save British troops New research that sheds unprecedented light on the behaviour of blasts produced by landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) could aid the development of enhanced protection for UK soldiers on military, peace-keeping and humanitarian missions.
	Argonne and Marathon join forces to optimize fuels and engines The modern internal combustion engine is a complex and finely tuned system where small changes in one area can have important ramifications on the whole. Decades of dedicated work to maximize efficiency have refined engines to the point where major improvements require innovative approaches that look at the entire system.
	Power grids need a paradigm change, say engineers Power grids have to meet ever higher requirements, therefore we should radically reconsider the way they work. TU Wien presents "LINK", a completely new approach.
	New discoveries and enhanced visual experiences through gaze-contingent displays The EU DEEPVIEW project has shown that innovative displays with gaze-tracking devices can enhance a viewer's perception of depth, allowing greater exploration of an object of interest.
	US says Apple assistance in attacks probe 'modest' The Justice Department argued Thursday that compelling Apple to help unlock an iPhone in California is a "modest" demand which may find "evidence of a terrorist attack."

Medicine & Health news

	Two new molecules help beta-lactams kill drug resistant bacteria (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at pharmaceutical giant Merck has found a way to make anti-bacterial agents that have lost their ability to kill certain types of bacteria, become deadly again. In their paper published in Science Translational Medicine, the team describes the exhaustive study they conducted in searching for a molecule capable of interfering with one of the main defenses mechanisms bacteria have developed to resist antibacterial agents, the molecules they found and how effective they are in helping ß-lactams kill again.
	Grid cells' role in human imagination revealed Evidence of grid cell activity has been seen in healthy volunteers asked to imagine moving through an environment in new UCL (University College London) research funded by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.
	Brain study finds that practice doesn't always make perfect Even our most practiced movements are imperfect. When pro basketball players shoot free throws, they need to release the ball the same way every time. But they still miss game-winning shots.
	Brown fat keeps blood sugar in check Australian scientists have shown that brown fat - a special type of fat that burns energy to produce heat - may also help to keep blood sugar steady in adults.
	Super-clear synapses at super resolutions Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) in Japan have developed a way to obtain super-resolution 3-D images of delicate structures deep in the brain. Published in Cell Reports, the work describes a new process for making brain tissue transparent that outperforms other methods and allows extremely detailed imaging of tiny but important structures within neurons.
	Scientists watch activity of newborn brain cells in mice; reveal they are required for memory Columbia neuroscientists have described the activity of newly generated brain cells in awake mice—a process known as adult neurogenesis—and revealed the critical role these cells play in forming memories. The new research also offers clues as to what happens when the memory-encoding process goes awry.
	Reverse engineering human biology with organs-on-chips "Organs-on-Chips," added last May to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and winner of the 2015 Design Award from the London Design Museum, have kept their "classical" design over the years, but have grown in complexity thanks to recent advances. The family of chips, which are microfluidic devices containing hollow channels lined by living human cells, now includes everything from a lung-on-a-chip to an intestine-on-a-chip to a blood-brain-barrier-on-a-chip. Each device essentially reconstitutes a functional interface between two living human tissues, with one being lined by blood vessel cells containing flowing fluids with life-sustaining nutrients, while the whole device mimics the physical environment (breathing motions in the lung, peristalsis in the gut) of living organs within the human body.
	Protein increases signals that protect cancer cells, study finds Researchers have identified a link between the expression of a cancer-related gene and cell-surface molecules that protect tumors from the immune system.
	Study shows a form of genetically elevated 'good' cholesterol may actually be bad The generally accepted medical maxim that elevated HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) is "good" has been overturned by a multi-center, international study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. They show that a certain genetic cause of increased HDL-C may actually be "bad," noting that a specific mutation in a gene which encodes a cell receptor protein that binds to HDL prevents the receptor from functioning. The mutation causes an increased risk of coronary heart disease even in the presence of elevated levels of HDL-C or "good" cholesterol. Their findings are published this week in Science.
	New gene variants found in childhood body mass index An international team of scientists has identified novel gene locations associated with childhood body mass index (BMI)—an important measurement related to childhood obesity. The meta-analysis, covering over 47,000 children, is the largest genetic study to date of childhood BMI.
	ADHD or just immature? Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically diagnosed in childhood and manifests as an inability to sustain attention and control activity levels and impulse control. Some reports have indicated a prevalence of up to 15% in Western countries. Although the causes of ADHD are still unknown, a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics found that a child's age at school entry may have an effect on the diagnosis of ADHD.
Gene may worsen cancer outcome by speeding metabolism of drugs Some patients with breast cancer, lung cancer and leukaemia seem to fare poorly after treatment because of the effects of a particular gene, a new study finds.
Children born prematurely are disadvantaged at school and into adulthood but delaying school entry may not be the answer Children born before 34 weeks gestation have poorer reading and maths skills than those born at full term, and the difficulties they experience at school continue to have effects into adulthood: by the age of 42, adults who were born prematurely have lower incomes and are less likely to own their own home than those born at full term.
Study identifies new type of protein clump that may be implicated in ALS A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) suggests that cells construct protein "clumps" to protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Low cost, 25 min TB-test could help reduce tuberculosis death rate among patients with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa A low cost, easy to use, urine test to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) among patients with HIV could help reduce the TB death rate of HIV-positive patients in hospital, according to a new study published in The Lancet today.
California lawmakers near vote on raising smoking age to 21 California's Senate is poised to vote on a sweeping package of anti-smoking measures_including raising the smoking age to 21— as lawmakers try to crack down on tobacco use and the health problems that flow from it.
Novel drug repurposing method reveals two drugs effective for bacterial, fungal infections A Purdue University researcher has developed a novel strategy on identifying antimicrobial drugs to better treat bacterial and fungal infections, which could produce significant impacts that leapfrog the drug development process and save years of expensive research.
	First heart-lung transplant surgeon discusses procedure On March 9, 1981, just minutes past midnight, Mary Gohlke, a 45-year-old Arizona woman dying of primary pulmonary hypertension, was wheeled into a Stanford Hospital operating room for a heart-lung transplant surgery that would become a medical milestone.
	Does ethnicity affect breast cancer biology? Although breast cancer is somewhat more aggressive in South Asian and Black women than in White women, this is largely due to age differences between ethnic groups in the UK, according to new research.
	Switch to Daylight Saving Time doesn't have to cost you sleep With Daylight Saving Time coming up this weekend, Dr. Alon Avidan, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, has some suggestions for staff and faculty on the best ways to adjust to the time change as we "spring forward" one hour on Saturday night before we go to bed ... or, if we want to be more precise, at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
	Study: Avoiding blame is smart way to resolve family conflicts A UT Dallas researcher says there's a smart way for children and parents to disagree—and it doesn't involve casting blame.
Female gene changes post-sex may lead to mosquito controls Genetic cues from male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes passed on during sex affect which genes are turned on or off in a females' reproductive tract post-mating, including genes related to blood feeding, egg development and immune defense, according to new Cornell research.
Widely used kidney cancer drugs can't stop recurrence Two widely used targeted therapy drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic kidney cancer—sorafenib and sunitinib—are no more effective than a placebo in preventing return of the disease to increase life spans of patients suffering from advanced kidney cancer after surgery, according to a new multi-institutional study in the Lancet led by a researcher at the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) of the University of Pennsylvania.
	Study shows gradual increase in antidepressant use among children and adolescents A new study from a group of international researchers including Dr Irene Petersen and Dr Linda Wijlaars (UCL Department of Primary Care and Population Health and Institute of Child Health) found that there has been a gradual increase in antidepressant use among children and adolescents in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States between 2005 and 2012.
	Red meat consumption linked to earlier onset of girls' menstrual cycles Girls who eat red meat often start their periods on average five months earlier than those who don't.
	Promising new breast cancer drugs undergo clinical trials The University of Liverpool is to lead two UK clinical trials to test potential new drug treatments for early and advanced types of breast cancer.
	Vibration therapy improves mobility and strength in young people with cerebral palsy Young adults with cerebral palsy enjoy stronger bones and greater mobility after training on a specialised vibration plate.
	Here comes the aeroplane—free videos guide first steps in feeding infants What and when to feed a baby can be stressful for parents and carers, with lots of confusing and conflicting information about. Help is at hand from LEAPS (Learning, Eating, Active, Play, Sleep), a free program led by QUT in partnership with NAQ Nutrition.
New cancer treatment to be tested The Swedish Medical Products Agency and the Regional Ethics Committee have approved the initiation of a clinical trial for a completely new form of neuroendocrine cancer treatment that uses an oncolytic virus. The virus owes its development to donations from thousands of people all over the world.
	Tracking the 'social networks' of genes disrupted in complex diseases Your personal risk of developing complex diseases such as diabetes, depression or cancer is influenced in part by genetic variants, that is, letters in your DNA sequence that differ between people. These variants disrupt networks of interacting genes in different tissues of your body, two studies published in Nature Methods and PLoS Computational Biology found. Innovative software tools allowed the scientists to construct accurate "maps" of gene networks for about 400 different human cell and tissue types, ranging from immune cells to brain tissues, whereas previous studies were limited to just one or few tissues. Each of these networks describes hundreds of thousands of regulatory interactions among thousands of genes, giving the first global view of the "control system" of diverse cells and tissues.
	Repetitive body movements may form long-lasting motor memory Researchers in Japan have found that repetitive movements in slow-learning stages can alter an area of the brain responsible for movement, and help individuals retain these motor skills.
	New app tackles head trauma Thirteen-year-old Madeline Yunker fell hard during a soccer match three years ago, striking her head on the turf with enough force to cause a concussion.
	Sexual responses can be learned and unlearned Undesirable associations with sex can be unlearned, but return if the circumstances change. They must therefore be unlearned in different situations. The drug D-cycloserine may help here. These are the findings of psychologist Mirte Brom.
Researchers prove antitumoral potential of a compound derived from olives Researchers from the universities of Granada, Barcelona and Jaen prove that maslinic acid, a natural triterpene found in high concentrations in the waxy skin of olives is effective in Caco-2 p53-deficient colon adenocarcinoma cells in just a few hours.
	Breast cancer has a higher incidence in obese women as fat facilitates cancer stem cell expansion An international team of researchers, with the participation of the University of Granada (UGR), has revealed new data on why breast cancer has a higher incidence and is more aggressive in obese people. The reason is that peritumoral fat (the fat around the tumor) facilitates the expansion and invasion of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are responsible of the onset and growth of the tumor.
New study to assess why 'rogue gene' causes asthma in early life Researchers at the University of Southampton are to study why some people are more likely to develop asthma.
	Feeling hungry—A possible way to prevent neurodegenerative disease Reducing a person's calorie intake can protect against the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease. But why this happens has remained a mystery. Until now.
	Parental stress and child behavior health impacts Parenting a child with an illness or physical disability can be stressful, but a child's behavior can also affect the physical and mental well-being of parents in low-income and racially diverse families, according to Penn State research.
	Majority of California adults have prediabetes or diabetes Nearly half of California adults, including one out of every three young adults, have either prediabetes—a precursor to type 2 diabetes—or undiagnosed diabetes, according to a UCLA study released today. The research provides the first analysis and breakdown of California prediabetes rates by county, age and ethnicity, and offers alarming insights into the future of the nation's diabetes epidemic.
Researchers optimize methods to study neurons during motor activity Researchers have optimized the techniques for studying motor learning in order to repeatedly assess the activity of neurons for days, weeks, or even months. These sophisticated approaches allow the further characterization of the neurons that are continuously engaged during motor activity and normal behavior.
MERS virus kills Qatari A 66-year-old Qatari man has died after contracting the MERS virus, in the first fatal case in the Gulf state for 10 months, health officials announced Thursday.
	'Daedalus dilemma' of the immune system Our immune system constantly fights off bacteria and viruses and while doing so needs to find a critical balance between over- and under-reaction. How this balancing act is regulated at the molecular levels was so far poorly understood. First insights are now provided by a scientific team from the University of Vienna which reports that in the defense against group A Streptococci a perfectly synchronized interplay of two immune substances is the key.
	Is hip arthroscopic surgery a sham? Researchers seek answer Minimal access hip arthroscopy surgery has become the treatment of choice for hip pain in young adults, especially athletes, but a team of McMaster University surgeons is looking to see if the procedure is a sham.
	Nutritional drink can help to conserve memory in case of prodromal Alzheimer's disease The study did not find a significant benefit in broad cognitive function (the study primary endpoint). Cognitive decline over the study period was less than originally expected when it was designed ten years ago, so differences found between the two groups were too small to be statistically significant. Project coordinator Professor Tobias Hartmann, Saarland University Germany, explained that this is the most likely reason the primary endpoint was not met.
Two pregnant women in Norway test positive for Zika virus Health authorities in Norway say two pregnant women have tested positive for the zika virus after traveling in Latin America.
Higher ozone, lower humidity levels associated with dry eye disease In a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology, Dong Hyun Kim, M.D., of Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea and colleagues examined the associations between outdoor air pollution and dry eye disease in a Korean population.
Revision rates, patient characteristics in those undergoing septorhinoplasty The overall revision rate for septorhinoplasty (a surgical procedure to fix the nose and nasal septum) was low at 3.3 percent although certain patient characteristics were associated with an increased rate of revision, according to an article published online by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
	Disproving hypothesis clears path for research for new treatment options for schizophrenia Researchers reported results from the first repeated-dose study of a dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) agonist for treating the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia today in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Study shows gut microbes influence platelet function, risk of thrombosis Cleveland: In a combination of both clinical studies of over 4,000 patients and animal model studies, Cleveland Clinic researchers have demonstrated—for the first time—that gut microbes alter platelet function and risk of blood clot-related illnesses like heart attack and stroke.
	Study identifies possible marker for lung cancer chemotherapy The activity level of a particular gene in lung tumors might identify lung-cancer patients who will likely be helped by a particular chemotherapy regimen given to prevent recurrence after surgery. The finding comes from a study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC—James).
	Enzyme involved in glucose metabolism promotes wound healing, study finds An enzyme involved in glucose metabolism in cells plays a major role in the early steps of wound healing, a finding that could lead to new therapeutic approaches for wound care, according to researchers at Georgia State University.
	Link between gum disease and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's A new study jointly led by King's College London and the University of Southampton has found a link between gum disease and greater rates of cognitive decline in people with early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.
Drug overdoses in PA increased 14-fold in past four decades Drug-overdose deaths in Pennsylvania increased 14-fold in the last 35 years, with rates climbing especially fast in relatively young white women, according to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
	Patterns of brain swelling may explain susceptibility of children to cerebral malaria Brain swelling is a strong predictor of death in children with cerebral malaria (a severe form of the disease where parasites have accumulated in brain vessels), and also in mice with experimental cerebral malaria (ECM). A high-resolution whole brain imaging analysis of swelling in ECM published on March 10th in PLOS Pathogens suggests that cerebral malaria depends on the permissive environment in a specific brain area. The area, which changes during development, functions as a traffic route for immature nerve cells and immune cells especially in young animals, and allows progression of a strong host immune response into the central nervous system.
Study identifies three state laws that 'substantially reduce' gun deaths Gun-related deaths in the U.S. could be reduced by more than 80 percent if three laws implemented in some states were extended nationally, an analysis led by Boston University researchers shows. In a study published in The Lancet, a research team analyzing state-level data from 2010 on gun-related deaths and 25 state-specific gun laws identified three laws that were most strongly associated with reductions in overall gun-related mortality. Laws requiring firearm identification through ballistic imprinting or microstamping were found to reduce the projected mortality risk by 84 percent; ammunition background checks, by 82 percent; and universal background checks for all gun purchases, by 61 percent.
	California lawmakers approve raising smoking age to 21 California lawmakers voted Thursday to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21, approving a measure that would make the nation's most populous state only the second to put legal tobacco products out of the reach of most teenagers.
	Fighting cavities could one day be as easy as taking a pill, research shows University of Florida Health researchers have identified a new strain of bacteria in the mouth that may keep bad bacteria in check—and could lead to a way to prevent cavities using probiotics.
	Surgery improves survival rates for men with prostate cancer if radiation treatments fail Approximately 14 percent of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetimes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Radiation therapy traditionally has been a primary treatment for the cancer, but one-fourth of men have a recurrence of prostate cancer within five years after the therapy. Now, a University of Missouri School of Medicine researcher has found that a complex procedure to remove the prostate achieves excellent long-term survival for men after radiation therapy has failed.
HIV-infected young males have higher rates of bone loss than females Accumulating evidence suggests that rates of low bone mass are greater in HIV-infected males than in females. Researchers led by Grace Aldrovandi, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, studied 11 biomarkers associated with inflammation, bone loss and/or bone formation in about 450 individuals - assessed by sex and HIV status - to try to determine causes of this differential bone loss.
	Researchers find highly active gene in aggressive human lung cancer Scientists believe that "conserved" genes—those found in life forms that range from bacteria to plants, insects and humans—perform vital biological functions across species. And limited research on one of those genes, Nitrilase 1 (Nit1), suggested it acts to inhibit cancer development.
Puerto Rico may face 'hundreds of thousands' of Zika cases: US (Update) Puerto Rico may be on the brink of a massive outbreak of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus which has been linked to birth defects, and cash is urgently needed, warned US health authorities on Thursday.
	Zika virus implicated in brain infection in adults: French study (Update) The Zika virus, already linked to brain damage in babies, can also cause a serious brain infection in adult victims, French researchers warned Thursday.
	New class of drugs specifically induces cell death in B cell blood cancers In almost every mammalian cell, you will find the endoplasmic reticulum, a network of continuous membranes responsible for controlling metabolism as well as the folding, assembly and secretion of proteins. Since the endoplasmic reticulum is critical in manufacturing important proteins that facilitate communication between cells, researchers are exploring new ways to find important targets within these membranes that could help stimulate immune responses against cancer cells.
Lead exposure changes gut microbiota, increases chance for obesity Exposure to lead during early development can alter the the gut microbiota, increasing the chances for obesity in adulthood, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health have found.
New imaging method makes gall bladder removals, other procedures more safe UCLA researchers have discovered an optimal way to image the bile ducts during gallbladder removal surgeries using a tested and safe dye and a real-time near-infrared florescence laparoscopic camera, a finding that will make the procedure much safer for the hundreds of thousands of people who undergo the procedure each year.
	Targeted radiation shows promise in early breast cancer (HealthDay)—For women with early-stage breast cancer, targeted doses of radiation therapy may be as effective as standard radiation treatment of the entire breast, according to research presented at the European Breast Cancer Conference, held from March 9 to 11 in Amsterdam.
	Zika now tied to meningoencephalitis (HealthDay)—The list of neurological disorders potentially associated with the Zika virus continues to grow, according to a letter to the editor and a perspective piece published online March 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Salmonella threat leads to national recall of pistachios Pistachios sold under the brands of Wonderful, Paramount Farms and Trader Joe's are being recalled nationwide because they may be contaminated with salmonella.
'Dose-dense' chemo for premenopausal breast cancer patients improves survival Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Premenopausal women with breast cancer have a better chance of survival if they are given cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy closer together, every two weeks rather than every three weeks. Furthermore, this regimen, known as "dose-dense" adjuvant chemotherapy, does not seem to be associated with an increased risk of treatment-induced early menopause.
	Long a niche, street medicine for homeless heads mainstream They're house calls without the house.
Major differences between male and female breast cancers uncovered but male patients still disadvantaged Male breast cancer (Male BC) has important biological differences that distinguish it from female breast cancer, but to date these have been little studied and Male BC patients have been excluded from many clinical trials in breast cancer. Male patients are also usually diagnosed later when their cancers are more advanced, leading to a worse outcome. New research has now uncovered some of the differences between the two types of breast cancer, and the researchers hope that this will help doctors to make better treatment choices for Male BC patients.
Hispanic women who identify as white are healthier than those who don't Hispanic women who identify as Black or another race have worse functional health than their counterparts who identify as White, according to new research. Out today, this research is part of a new special issue of Research on Aging (ROA, a journal from SAGE Publishing) focused on aging and health among Hispanic populations in the United States and in Latin America.
When it comes to physician shortages, don't forget psychiatrists Dr. Gerald Maguire, chair and professor of psychiatry and neuroscience in the UCR School of Medicine, testified March 9 on access to mental health services, severe shortages of mental health providers and strategies the medical school is undertaking to address workforce needs.
Study provides extensive normative data for the evaluation of cognitive deficits in kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been associated with increased risk for cognitive impairment, with the highest risk observed for those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In many previous studies, healthy individuals have been compared with persons who have ESRD and are often being treated with hemodialysis.
Education researcher explores how sexual and gender minority youth grow into resilience As recently as a decade ago, research into resilience in sexual and gender minority youth tended to focus mainly on the adversity and trauma they endure. André P. Grace, professor in the University of Alberta's Department of Educational Psychology and faculty director of the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS), has devoted his research to shifting the focus to the strengths that help these youth grow into resilience—and to building communities of educators, health care providers, counsellors and other caring professionals to help make it happen.
Technology is failing to meet the needs of older people with hearing and sight problems, report finds Assistive technology developers and service providers need to do more to meet the diverse needs of the rising number of older people with both hearing and sight problems, according to a new report launched at the University of Sheffield today (10 March 2016).
	Pregnant women support first maternal gene therapy trial Pregnant women would be willing to trial maternal growth factor gene therapy to treat severe early-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) in their unborn babies, according to a new study. If the proposed trial goes ahead it is likely to be the first time maternal gene therapy has ever been used.
	Cancer research collaboration leads to landmark licensing agreement Walter and Eliza Hall Institute research has underpinned the development of a new class of drugs that are the subject of one of the largest biotech licensing deals to arise from Australian research.
	Blood stem cells study could pave the way for new cancer therapy People with leukaemia could be helped by new research that sheds light on how the body produces its blood supply.
Negative cancer trials: Short-term whimper, long-term bang Cancer clinical trials with negative results don't make an immediate splash in the scientific literature, but they do have a long-term impact on cancer research, according to a new study by SWOG, the federally funded international clinical trials network.
Lapatinib and trastuzumab shrinks HER2+ breast cancer in 11 days after diagnosis Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Approximately a quarter of women with HER2 positive breast cancer, who were treated with a combination of the targeted drugs lapatinib and trastuzumab before surgery and chemotherapy, saw their tumours shrink significantly or even disappear, according to results from a clinical trial.
New report recommends research to improve understanding of relationship between fatigue and crash risk Insufficient sleep can decrease a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver's level of alertness, which may increase the risk of a crash, yet little is known about effective ways to minimize that risk, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Current research on the connection among hours of service, fatigue, and accident frequency for CMV operators is complicated by the difficulty of measuring driver fatigue objectively, invasive nature of capturing measures of the amount and quality of drivers' sleep, and many factors contributing to crashes that are unrelated to lack of sleep.
Final review of health problems that may be linked to Agent Orange exposure during Vietnam War The latest and final in a series of congressionally mandated biennial reviews of the evidence of health problems that may be linked to exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War changed the categorization of health outcomes for bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and spina bifida and clarified the breadth of the previous finding for Parkinson's disease. The committee that carried out the study and wrote this report, Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2014, reviewed scientific literature published between Oct. 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2014.
Blacks face a higher risk of kidney failure than whites, regardless of genetics New research investigates the ties between certain genetic variants and kidney disease in African Americans. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), suggest that widespread screening for these variants in the black general population is not yet justified.
California right-to-die law will take effect in three months (Update) Terminally ill California residents will be able to legally end their lives with medication prescribed by a doctor in three months, ending months of uncertainty for dying patients hoping to use the practice.
New studies of the 'natural history' of schizophrenia raise hope for new treatments Emerging evidence on the development, "prodromal" characteristics, and long-term course of schizophrenia provide reasons for optimism for developing new treatments and preventive approaches for this devastating disorder, according to the special March/April issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
Senate approves bipartisan bill bolstering anti-drug efforts The Senate paused Thursday from its nasty partisan clash over the Supreme Court vacancy and easily approved election-year legislation reinforcing government efforts against heroin and the abuse of opioid painkillers.
	Survival benefit for kidneys from incompatible living donors (HealthDay)—In what researchers are calling a possible "paradigm shift," a new study shows kidney disease patients may live longer if they receive a transplant from an incompatible living donor rather than wait for a good match. The research was published in the March 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Biology news

	Momentum builds behind researcher's new biomass process For a world hooked on fossil carbons, the vials of amber syrup in Jim Dumesic's lab are full of sweet potential.
	Competition favours shy tits Different personalities are maintained in the wild mainly because of changes in density. This is what researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen and colleagues of the University Groningen found out for great tits. During four years, they observed that slow explorers are more likely to survive if intraspecific competition increases due to an increase of density in a population. But although individuals are able to anticipate future breeding densities, they are amazingly bad in adjusting their exploratory behavior and therefore their chance to survive: Instead of slowing down, birds increased their speed of exploration when facing increases in density between years.
	57 different pesticides found in poisoned honeybees European honeybees are being poisoned with up to 57 different pesticides, according to new research published in the Journal of Chromatography A. A new method for detecting a whole range of pesticides in bees could help unravel the mystery behind the widespread decline of honeybees in recent years, and help develop an approach to saving them.
	Modified form of CRISPR acts as a toggle switch to control gene expression in stem cells Combining the two most powerful biological tools of the 21st century, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have modified how the genome of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is read for the first time using a variation of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The development offers a major technological advance in creating cell models of genetic diseases.
	Tunisia fights palm-killing bugs threatening its dates Armed with insecticide and an awareness campaign, date-exporting Tunisia is battling a bug that devours and kills palm trees and whose spread threatens an environmental and economic disaster.
	Scientists seek key to converting algae to biofuel University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers may have found a key to converting algae to fuel.
	Persistence pays off in battle against bean blight Common blight is a devastating bacterial disease. It greatly reduces the yield and quality of bean crops across the world. Conventional breeding techniques can be used to generate cultivars of common bean that are resistant to the common blight. But it remains challenging to breed cultivars of common bean that combine the desired high yield and quality with resistance to diseases.
	Experimental biomass harvest a step toward sustainable, biofuels-powered future The first harvest of 34 acres of fast-growing shrub willow from a Penn State demonstration field this winter is a milestone in developing a sustainable biomass supply for renewable energy and bio-based economic development, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
	Unraveling the unknown receptors and mechanism for fertilization in plants Pollen tubes are attracted by LURE peptides, which are produced from ovules, to bring about fertilization. In their recent report published in Nature, a pair of plant biologists at Nagoya University has now revealed for the first time the receptor in pollen tubes that is required to detect LURE. Uncovering this unknown mechanism in plant fertilization may lead to an improvement in the efficiency of pollen tube growth, which may thus result in an increased success rate of fertilization. In addition, this study may also generate new methods to enable cross-fertilization between different plant species to generate new crops.
	Scientists develop robust method for analysis of intestinal bacteria A group of Russian scientists, among them staff at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, have proposed a new method for the comparison of metagenome-coupled DNA sequences from all of the organisms in a sample of biological material being investigated. The method makes it possible to more effectively and quickly solve the task of comparing samples and can be easily embedded in the data-analysis process of any metagenome study. The study has been published in the BMC Bioinformatics journal.
	New frog species discovered in India's wastelands A team of researchers from India and the National University of Singapore (NUS) has discovered a new species of narrow-mouthed frog in the laterite rock formations of India's coastal plains. The frog, which is the size of a thumbnail, was named Microhyla laterite after its natural habitat.
	Dramatically dynamic genomic evolution of a mighty mite Sequencing and comparative analysis of the genome of the Western Orchard predatory mite has revealed intriguingly-extreme genomic evolutionary dynamics through an international research effort co-led by scientists from the University of Geneva and the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. In a study published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, the researchers detail the initial insights into several remarkable features of the genome of this agriculturally important mite that is widely employed to control plant pests, with thousands shipped to fruit growers every day.
	How stick insects handle indigestive food Plant cell walls are comprised of many complex polymers that require multiple different enzymes to fully break down, such as cellulase to digest cellulose and xylanase to digest xylan. For decades scientists thought only microbes could produce cellulase, until cellulase genes were found in wood-feeding insects. Now, new research from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, overturns another old theory. The scientists discovered that stick insects (Phasmatodea) produce cellulases that can handle several types of cell wall polymers equally.
	Louisiana black bear is removed from US 'endangered' list The Louisiana black bear, which inspired the popular stuffed animal "teddy bears" in the early 1900s, was taken off the Endangered Species List on Thursday after 24 years of conservation efforts, US officials said.
Evolutionary 'selection of the fittest' measured for the first time A difference of one hundredth of a percent in fitness is sufficient to select between winners and losers in evolution. For the first time researchers have quantified the tiny selective forces that shape bacterial genomes. The story is published today in the prestigious journal PLoS Genetics.
	Saving Namibia's cheetahs: another female pioneer to the rescue Laurie Marker has no doubts about the future of the big cat with the black spots. "Cheetahs are vulnerable, and their survival is in our hands."
	Independent variety trials show productivity of wheat varieties continues to increase Nowhere in the world is the average grain yield as high as in the Netherlands, where it is over ten tonnes per hectare. Research by Wageningen UR shows that the introduction of new varieties has caused yields to increase by approximately 8 to 10 per cent per decade. Converted to a hectare of winter wheat, this represents an increase of 800 to 1,000 kilograms; a huge achievement for breeders of new varieties. Wageningen UR scientist Lubbert van den Brink also underlines the importance of independent variety trials. "We make the genetic progress visible in a reliable way, and help arable farmers select varieties that offer the highest yield and, therefore, the best returns on their soil."
	Biological pest control via nematode 'breeding' and smart fungi The European project BIOCOMES brings together companies and research institutes that are looking to bring new means of biological pest control to the market as a way for the EU to stimulate integrated pest management (IPM). "After two years, we are now halfway through the project and have already made some concrete achievements," says BIOCOMES coordinator Jürgen Köhl, scientist in phytopathology at Wageningen UR.
	Akkerweb helps breeders make decisions Yield charts, soil analyses, crop growth information; breeders are collecting an increasing amount of data related to their soil and crops. To link this data in a practical and useful way, Wageningen UR and the Agrifirm cooperative have developed a so-called geo-platform, called Akkerweb where breeders can manage their plot data online and, if linked to GPS coordinates, project them straight onto plot maps. They can also immediately put the data to work via apps. An example is making a task chart for spreaders which adapt the use of fertiliser to specific locations. "Akkerweb is a starting point for precision agriculture", says scientist Leendert Molendijk of Wageningen UR. "It was established as an open source environment and is independent. All knowledge parties can use it to provide apps as long as they are based on valid calculation rules."
	Marine scientist devotes career to reversing trend of bycatch Each time a commercial fisher casts a net, they run the risk of catching more than their intended targets. This is particularly true in small-scale and artisanal fisheries in Africa.
	Record year for rhino poaching in Africa The number of African rhinos poached in 2015 is higher than previously thought with new figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) showing that a record 1,338 were killed across the continent last year – 33 higher than earlier estimates.
	Do you understand what your cat is saying? Do you understand what your cat is saying? And does your cat understand what you are saying? The new research project "Melody in human-cat communication" at Lund University in Sweden may find the answer.
	Mexico's ancient native plants and a new invasive insect threat Benjamin Normark, professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was recently selected as a Fulbright scholar and will spend the fall 2016 semester in Mexico documenting the spread of the insect, cycad aulacaspis scale. It is an invasive species that threatens the country's cycads, plants sometimes called "living fossils" because they have changed little in the last 280 million years.
	Wild mountain lion may have killed Los Angeles Zoo koala Officials believe P-22, a wild mountain lion that prowls a sprawling Los Angeles park, made a meal of a koala found mauled to death at the city's zoo.
Officials: 13 bald eagles did not die of natural causes Federal wildlife officials say 13 bald eagles found dead on Maryland's Eastern Shore did not die of natural causes.

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