Science X Newsletter Thursday, Mar 24

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 24, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Solar cell material can recycle light to boost efficiency
- Moons of Saturn may be younger than the dinosaurs
- Microsoft grounds foul-mouthed teen-speak bot
- Microneedle patch delivers localized cancer immunotherapy to melanoma
- Review: Beyond size, what you get and give up with iPhone SE
- Humans use 'sticky molecules' to hang on to good bacteria in the gut
- For the perfect eggs, roundworms use small RNAs
- Hormone at key developmental period may point to origin of type 2 diabetes in kids
- Neuron type-specific gene loss linked to Angelman syndrome seizures
- Sleep tight—gene responsible for sleep deprivation and metabolic disorders identified
- Embryo development: Some cells are more equal than others even at four-cell stage
- You can thank diverse yeasts for that coffee and chocolate
- Fighting high anxiety with fly anxiety
- Researchers find new mechanism to explain the birth of cloud droplets
- High-throughput screen identifies potential henipavirus drug target

Astronomy & Space news

	Moons of Saturn may be younger than the dinosaurs New research suggests that some of Saturn's icy moons, as well as itsfamous rings, might be modern adornments. Their dramatic birth may have taken place a mere hundred million years ago, more recent than the reign of many dinosaurs.
	Bacteria found to thrive better in space than on Earth Some species of bacteria have made themselves right at home in space, with one species, Bacillus safensis, found to thrive more in the microgravity of the International Space Station than here on Earth.
	Magnetar could have boosted explosion of extremely bright supernova Calculations by scientists have found highly magnetized, rapidly spinning neutron stars called magnetars could explain the energy source behind two extremely unusual stellar explosions.
	A new view of the X-ray sky Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) have revisited the all-sky survey carried out by the ROSAT satellite, to create a new image of the sky at X-ray wavelengths. Along with this a revised and extended version of the catalogue of bright and faint point-like sources will be released. The now published "2RXS catalogue" provides the deepest and cleanest X-ray all-sky survey to date, which will only be superseded with the launch of the next generation X-ray survey satellite, eROSITA, currently being completed at MPE.
	Cassini spies Titan's tallest peaks In a nod to extraterrestrial mountaineers of the future, scientists working on NASA's Cassini mission have identified the highest point on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
	ExoMars performing flawlessly Following a spectacular liftoff, ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is performing flawlessly en route to the Red Planet.
	Dramatic change in the moon's tilt may help us trace the origin of water on Earth Astronomers have found evidence that the axis that the moon spins around shifted billions of years ago due to changes in the moon's internal structure. The research could help explain the strange distribution of water ice near the lunar poles – the tilt would have caused some of the ice to melt by suddenly exposing it to the sun while shadowing other areas. It could also help us pinpoint craters that have been shadowed for so long that they contain water ice from early in the solar system.
	Evidence of destructive millennial superflares from the sun Every now and then large sun storms strike the Earth, causing aurora, and in rare cases, power outages. But these events are nothing compared to the apocalyptic destruction Earth would experience if struck by a superflare. An international research team led by Christoffer Karoff from Aarhus University, Denmark, has now shown that this scenario is a real possibility.
	Frosty martian valleys Nestled within the fractured rim of a vast impact basin on Mars are valley floors dusted in frost.
	Study finds LED lights provide improved energy efficiency and production for growing food crops in space Philips Lighting has collaborated with The University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) to test energy efficient ways to grow food that will help feed astronauts on missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. A recent study, conducted over a nine week period, found that replacing water-cooled high-pressure sodium (HPS) systems with energy efficient LED lighting from Philips in a prototype lunar greenhouse resulted in an increased amount of high-quality edible lettuce while dramatically improving operational efficiency and use of resources. Lettuce grown under Philips LED modules achieved up to 54 grams/kWh of fresh weight, edible lettuce compared to lettuce grown under a high pressure sodium system which achieved only 24 grams/kWh of fresh weight, edible lettuce. This represents an energy savings of 56%.

Technology news

	Solar cell material can recycle light to boost efficiency Scientists have discovered that a highly promising group of materials known as hybrid lead halide perovskites can recycle light - a finding that they believe could lead to large gains in the efficiency of solar cells.
	Google Cloud Machine Learning is sailing into mainstream Google had an announcement that means strictly business for its push to be known as a leader in cloud services. "Today [Wednesday], "we've taken a major stride forward with the announcement of a new product family: Cloud Machine Learning."
	Startup bringing driverless taxi service to Singapore An exciting "driverless race" is underway among tech giants the United States: In recent months, Google, Uber, and Tesla have made headlines for developing self-driving taxis for big cities.
	Spoken-language app makes meal logging easier, could aid weight loss For people struggling with obesity, logging calorie counts and other nutritional information at every meal is a proven way to lose weight. The technique does require consistency and accuracy, however, and when it fails, it's usually because people don't have the time to find and record all the information they need.
	Oculus' virtual reality headset to launch without fanfare When the Oculus Rift debuts next week, it won't do so with a star-studded launch party or massive marketing blitz worthy of a new video game console or smartphone. Instead, thousands of the virtual reality doodads will simply arrive on the door steps of early adopters willing to spend $600 for the immersive technology.
	Review: Beyond size, what you get and give up with iPhone SE Unless you take a lot of selfies or need a bigger phone, Apple's new 4-inch iPhone SE is a good choice at a good price.
	Smartphone 3D printer visits Kickstarter A smartphone 3D printer? That idea may take some getting used to. Could it be possible that everyone can start printing 3D objects directly from their phone? OLO 3D in San Francisco has developed the idea to the max.
	Microsoft grounds foul-mouthed teen-speak bot A Microsoft "chatbot" designed to converse like a teenage girl was grounded on Thursday after its artificial intelligence software was coaxed into firing off hateful, racist comments online.
Headphones that deliver 3-D sound In the virtual reality video game "Secret Shop," players hear a door creak open behind them, prompting them to turn around and set the game's plot into motion.
	Tech review: In Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung has dynamic duo Flagship phones - there are more than a few released throughout the year.
	Samsung to give up authoritarian ways, emulate startups Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of phones, memory chips and television sets, plans to revamp its authoritarian, top-down corporate culture to become more like a lean startup as it copes with sluggish demand and growing competition.
	Message service Line entering carrier business in Japan (Update) Line Corp., which offers a popular mobile message and online voice-call service, is entering the mobile carrier business in Japan, promising to underprice competition as it grows its platform for news, music, games, live streaming and online shopping.
	Plotting the complex path of products In March 2011, Leonardo Bonanni '03, SM '05, PhD '12 was preparing to defend his PhD thesis on Sourcemap, software that lets consumers map every connection of a product supply chain on a digital map, when tragedy struck in Japan. Although the deadly earthquake and tsunami occurred half a world away, the events had an unexpected impact on Bonanni and Sourcemap.
	Calculations reveal how sensors must take turns to harvest power efficiently from a data hub Algorithms that describe the most efficient ways to transmit data and power between wireless sensors and a central hub could help develop large networks of smart devices.
	Crucial role of electrical engineers in addressing climate change How he found a way to work toward a clean energy future, as an electrical engineer, is precisely the insight that MIT professor Rajeev Ram shared with undergraduates, faculty, and graduate students who attended his Feb. 25 talk, as part of a series of undergraduate energy seminars sponsored by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI).
	Making and breaking passwords The issue of choosing a good password is still key for cyber security because users tend to pick passwords that are easy to remember rather than secure. So what are the key attributes of a good password?
	Activist investor seeks to replace Yahoo's entire board Starboard Value LP nominated an entirely new board at Yahoo on Thursday, setting up a fight for control of the faded Internet company.
Computational thinking, 10 years later "Not in my lifetime." That's what I said when I was asked whether we would ever see computer science taught in K-12. It was 2009, and I was addressing a gathering of attendees to a workshop on computational thinking convened by the National Academies.
	Cutting fuel costs and CO2 emissions Cars of the future which advise how to drive more safely and economically could bring significant cuts in fuel consumption and emissions.
	Renewable energy investments: Major milestones reached, new world record set Coal and gas-fired electricity generation last year drew less than half the record investment made in solar, wind and other renewables capacity—one of several important firsts for green energy announced today in a UN-backed report.
	A look at how Oculus compares to Vive and PlayStation VR After four years of hype, high-end virtual reality is coming to consumers' living rooms next week with the release of the consumer edition of the Oculus Rift. The debut will be followed by the introduction of similar high-fidelity head-mounted displays, the HTC Vive and PlayStation VR.
	FBI defends handling of Apple case after retreat The FBI Thursday defended the handling of its legal battle with Apple over encryption following an abrupt retreat from its bid to force the tech giant to help unlock an attacker's iPhone.
	Developing nations became top investors in renewables in 2015: UN Investment in renewable energy hit a record $286 billion (256 billion euros) in 2015, more than half of which came from developing countries for the first time, according to a UN report released Thursday.
	French body fines Google over 'right to be forgotten' France's data protection agency on Thursday fined Google 100,000 euros ($112,000) for only partially honouring requests by individuals to have information about them removed from its search engines.
	As Yahoo Turns: Shareholder mutiny begins another soap opera Shareholder rebellions at Yahoo are becoming like presidential elections—they are happening every four years.
	Shadowy hacking industry may be helping FBI crack an iPhone Turns out there's a shadowy global industry devoted to breaking into smartphones and extracting their information. But you've probably never heard of it unless you're a worried parent, a betrayed spouse—or a federal law enforcement agency.
With Uber's arrival, Oakland braces itself for the tech hordes Some cities prepare for hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.
	Software to self-diagnose the replacement timing of server power-supply units Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has developed a self-diagnostic technology to determine when a power supply unit needs to be replaced. This is software that can run on board the microcontroller of a digitally controlled power supply, such as those used in servers and other information and communication technology (ICT) devices. The power supply units used in ICT hardware have limited lifespans, and maintaining them efficiently is a serious issue in large installations such as datacenters.
US indicts seven Iranians over hacking banks, dam (Update) The United States on Thursday announced computer hacking charges against seven Iranians working for firms linked to the Iranian government, accusing them of infiltrating dozens of American banks and a major New York dam.
	ExxonMobil, Chevron told to allow investor climate votes US regulators have told ExxonMobil and Chevron to permit shareholders to vote on resolutions requiring assessments of how climate change policies might affect them, according to documents released Thursday.

Medicine & Health news

	Increased vitamin C in the diet could help protect against cataracts Higher dietary intake of vitamin C has been found to have a potentially preventative effect on cataract progression in the first twin study of cataracts to examine to what degree genetic and environmental factors influence their progression with age.
	Boosting thalamic reticular nucleus function to treat ADHD and other disorders More than 3 million Americans suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that usually emerges in childhood and can lead to difficulties at school or work.
	Study suggests there is more to pain than amygdalae response (Medical Xpress)—A team of researches affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. has found evidence that suggests that the human fear response is more complicated than a simple reaction in the amygdalae. In their paper published in the The Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers outline their study and results and offer some suggestions on other possible factors involved when people feel fear.
Humans use 'sticky molecules' to hang on to good bacteria in the gut Scientists have long known that our bodies need to control the communities of bacteria in the gut to prevent a beneficial environment from turning into a dangerous one. What hasn't been known is how we do this.
	Sleep tight—gene responsible for sleep deprivation and metabolic disorders identified The sleep habits of fruit flies are remarkably similar to humans. They get most of their sleep at night, certain drugs and stimulants like caffeine can negatively affect their sleep, and if they get a lousy night's sleep it can even affect their memory performance. But what can they tell us about the connection between sleep deprivation and metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, and blood glucose levels? A lot, according to a new study that is the first to identify that a conserved gene—translin—works as a modulator of sleep in response to metabolic changes.
	Hormone at key developmental period may point to origin of type 2 diabetes in kids A new study led by researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) reports that the presence of leptin - a hormone secreted by fat cells that is critical to maintaining energy balance in the body—inhibits the prenatal development of neuronal connections between the brain and pancreas. The findings could help explain the origin of type 2 diabetes, particularly in children of obese mothers.
	Neuron type-specific gene loss linked to Angelman syndrome seizures The gene UBE3A plays a critical role in early neurological development. If UBE3A is overexpressed - or if the enzymatic function of UBE3A protein is hyperactive - autism ensues. A lack of functional UBE3A causes Angelman syndrome (AS), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe developmental delay, motor deficits, absence of speech, and, in most cases, epilepsy. Prevention of seizures in AS model mice by restoring UBE3A after birth has proved largely unsuccessful, indicating that the timing of gene expression is also important.
	'Clogged-up' immune cells help explain smoking risk for TB Smoking increases an individual's risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) - and makes the infection worse - because it causes vital immune cells to become clogged up, slowing their movement and impeding their ability to fight infection, according to new research published in the journal Cell.
	Findings in humans provide encouraging foundation for upcoming AIDS vaccine clinical trial Some people infected with HIV naturally produce antibodies that effectively neutralize many strains of the rapidly mutating virus, and scientists are working to develop a vaccine capable of inducing such "broadly neutralizing" antibodies that can prevent HIV infection.
	First virus genome analysis gives new insights into Brazilian Zika outbreak The first genome analysis of the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, which has been potentially linked to the birth condition microcephaly, offers new information on how and when the virus might have entered the Americas.
	Research shows potential for emergence of new Ebola virus that causes disease in humans New research at the University of Kent has highlighted the potential for the emergence of a new form of Ebolavirus.
	High-throughput screen identifies potential henipavirus drug target The closely related Hendra and Nipah viruses (referred to jointly as henipaviruses) are deadly cousins of the more common mumps, measles, and respiratory syncytial viruses, all members of the paramyxovirus family. Henipavirus outbreaks are on the rise, but little is known about them, partly because research has to be conducted under extreme level containment conditions.
How much sugar is in your child's fruit drink? Researchers from the University of Liverpool and colleagues from Action on Sugar have assessed the sugar content of over 200 fruit drinks marketed at children and have found them to be "unacceptably high".
	Botswana study shows 96 percent rate of viral suppression for patients on HIV drugs Botswana appears to have achieved very high rates of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression—much better than most Western nations, including the United States—according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues in Botswana. The findings suggest that even in countries with limited resources where a large percentage of the population is infected with HIV, strong treatment programs can help make significant headway against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
	For doctors behaving badly, which state's the best? Team finds wide variation What happens when doctors misbehave? The answer depends a lot on which state they practice in, a new study shows.
Florida braces for Zika: officials Florida, with its wet, mostly subtropical climate, should be fertile ground for the Zika virus, but is ready to fight hard to fend it off, officials said Wednesday.
Drug resistance adds to India's tuberculosis menace After three years of battling tuberculosis, a disease that claimed the lives of his father and younger brother, Sonu Verma, a patient in northern India, hopes a cure for his illness may be within reach.
Researchers find worries about elderly falls lead to preventive action Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering conducted a survey on falls among the elderly and discovered that Americans are very worried about an elderly parent falling—and that this worry leads to action.
Inflammatory pathways could be key to resolving heart disease and depression link Heart health scientists are working to establish therapies to combat the physical link between cardiovascular disease and depression.
	Lowering the risk of infection with grapes Nearly 35 percent of Americans—about 79 million—are obese, putting them at higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and bacterial and viral infections. Natural compounds, called "phytochemicals," found in fruits like grapes and strawberries may help reduce these risks.
	Study tracks how we decide which groups to join Researchers have used high-definition video cameras on the roof of a large indoor stadium to track how strangers formed groups.
Tuberculosis still a major international killer Tuberculosis: Many Australians believe it was eradicated years ago – but the grim reality is that TB is still a major world-wide killer, responsible for 1.5 million deaths a year.
	Nerve injury appears to be root of diabetes-related vision loss Diabetes-related vision loss most often is blamed on blood vessel damage in and around the retina, but new research indicates that much of that vision loss may result from nerve cell injury that occurs long before any blood vessels are damaged.
New solutions needed for diabetes management among older Native Americans Older American Indians face barriers accessing health care, but little was known about whether or not these barriers relate to management of type 2 diabetes—a major health concern in Native American communities.
	Depression subtype may put seniors at higher risk for cognitive decline Serious and escalating depression in the elderly may almost double the likelihood of dementia, according to a study led by UC San Francisco, and could be an independent risk factor for cognitive decline, rather than just an early symptom of it.
	Does SMS messaging really help the medicine go down? Mobile health solutions or mHealth encompasses all of the technology and software that combined with mainly smartphones, provide individuals to measure, record, monitor, analyse and report the state of their health. The ultimate aim of course is to keep people well and to help them to get better in the event of illness.
High serum omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that high serum omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations are linked to a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
	Tissue imaging mass spectrometry detects early lipid changes in acute kidney injury University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have made a microscopic snapshot of the early renal lipid changes in acute kidney injury, using a laser-scanning method called MALDI tissue imaging to localize the changes.
	Researchers discover 'Holy Grail' of cancer treatment Researchers are developing nanotech "smart packages" to target and destroy cancer cells more efficiently and reduce side effects.
New simulation reveals degeneration of knee cartilage in overweight people over time Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease in which the articular cartilage protecting the joint starts to degenerate and wear off over time. The main risk factors of osteoarthritis are advanced age and overweight-induced significant stresses on the knee joint. Current imaging methods such as MRI and X-ray provide information about the thickness and composition of the cartilage, but they do not provide a quantitative estimate of the patient-specific risk of osteoarthritis or its progression.
	Researchers uncover factors associated with hospital deaths in the oldest old Despite the rates of hospital deaths in England declining, nearly two-thirds of people aged 85 and over, and more than half of people aged 95 and over still die in hospital, new research has found.
	Losing weight with a high-protein diet can help adults sleep better Overweight and obese adults who are losing weight with a high-protein diet are more likely to sleep better, according to new research from Purdue University.
Study examines patients' willingness to pay to fix facial deformities How much would you be willing to pay to fix a facial defect? A new study published online by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery examined that question.
Economic analysis of PSA screening, selective treatment strategies Can prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer be cost-effective? A study, commentary and author interview published online by JAMA Oncology examines that question.
	Genetic changes that cause autism are more diverse than previously thought The types of gene mutations that contribute to autism are more diverse than previously thought, report researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in the March 24 online issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics. The findings, they say, represent a significant advance in efforts to unravel the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
	Prenatal steroids reduce risk of brain bleeding in preemies Prenatal steroid treatment reduces by half a premature baby's risk for a severe form of brain hemorrhage after birth, a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found.
	Simulation study shows that pandemic swine flu had a minor impact in Finland Researchers have used modeling to estimate the true impact of infectious diseases, such as swine flu, when underreporting can mean the surveillance from time of the pandemic can miss the vast majority of infections that occur in the population.
Experts make breakthrough in cleft lip and palate research Leading scientists have identified an important gene that is associated with cleft lip and palate.
	FDA outlines standards for anti-abuse generic painkillers (Update) Federal officials are encouraging generic drugmakers to develop painkillers that are harder to abuse, the latest in a string of steps designed to combat abuse of highly-addictive pain drugs like codeine and oxycodone.
	Cancer cells show resilient nuclear rupture repair, but expose weakness in doing so As different cells penetrate through tight, confining spaces within tissue, they often deform, causing their nuclei to rupture under the associated stress. A new study led by Cornell University engineers finds that cancer cells have a resilient ability to repair themselves, but the nuclear deformation and rupture can compromise the genomic integrity of the cancer cells, which could drive further cancer progression.
Signs of stress in the brain may signal future heart trouble New research shows that individuals with a greater degree of activity in the stress center of the brain also have more evidence of inflammation in their arteries and were at higher risk for cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke and death, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session.
Heart attack patients getting younger, more obese Despite increased understanding of heart disease risk factors and the need for preventive lifestyle changes, patients suffering the most severe type of heart attack have become younger, more obese and more likely to have preventable risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session.
Mammograms: Another way to screen for heart disease? Routine mammography—widely recommended for breast cancer screening—may also be a useful tool to identify women at risk for heart disease, potentially allowing for earlier intervention, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session.
	Tuberculosis to be tackled using crowd-sourced computer power The University of Nottingham is launching a new study to address tuberculosis (TB), one of the world's most deadly diseases, supported by IBM's World Community Grid—one of the most powerful and fastest virtual supercomputers on the planet.
	Common plastics chemical BPA linked to preterm birth Higher concentrations of the common plastics chemical and environmental pollutant Bisphenol A, or BPA, in a pregnant mother's blood may be a contributing factor in preterm births, according to a new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
	Couples' pre-pregnancy caffeine consumption linked to miscarriage risk A woman is more likely to miscarry if she and her partner drink more than two caffeinated beverages a day during the weeks leading up to conception, according to a new study from researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Ohio State University, Columbus. Similarly, women who drank more than two daily caffeinated beverages during the first seven weeks of pregnancy were also more likely to miscarry.
Sequence features accurately predict genome-wide MeCP2 binding in vivo Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of California-Davis (UC Davis) are combining in vivo experimentation with computation for highly accurate prediction of the genome-wide binding pattern of a key protein involved in brain disorders.
	Guidelines developed for preschoolers with cystic fibrosis (HealthDay)—Guidelines have been developed for the care of 2- to 5-year-old children with cystic fibrosis (CF). The clinical practice guidelines were published online March 23 in Pediatrics.
	Marker IDs more lymph node mets in endometrial cancer (HealthDay)—In apparent uterine-confined endometrial cancer, the addition of indocyanine green (ICG) and near-infrared imaging to pelvic sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping with isosulfan blue (ISB) improves detection of lymph node metastasis, according to a new study. The findings were expected to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, held from March 19 to 22 in San Diego.
	FDA approves cinqair for severe asthma (HealthDay)—Cinqair (reslizumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat severe asthma among adults 18 and older.
Study adapts proven community health worker model for outpatient setting Penn's Innovative Community Health Worker (CHW) model, shown to reduce admissions and lead to better health outcomes for hospitalized patients, can now be used in outpatient settings, according to a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine in the journal Population Health Management.
No increased heart failure with incretin-based drugs Incretin-based drugs, a type of medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, do not increase the risk of being hospitalized for heart failure relative to commonly used combinations of oral anti-diabetic drugs, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
What's the relational toll of living in a sexist and heterosexist context? Relationships, and especially romantic relationships, are central aspects of our social lives and primary sources of support. For sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, bisexual, and queer) women, relationship quality may be hindered by the multiple oppressions they experience, such as sexist and heterosexist discrimination, as well as internalized sexism and heterosexism (i.e., incorporation of negative dominant societal attitudes and beliefs about women and sexual minority persons). Feminist-relational theories posit that experiences of oppression and resulting feelings of marginalization and powerlessness may fuel maladaptive relational schemas, such as silencing the self, which in turn harms relationship quality. Silencing the self occurs when an individual prioritizes the needs of others over their own in order to avoid conflict and maintain relationships with others. Women may be particularly susceptible to engaging in this restric! tive way of relating because of their gender role socialization as second-class citizens.
	Report: Longstanding decline in TB cases has stalled For the first time in more than two decades, the rate of newly diagnosed tuberculosis cases is not dropping, U.S. health officials said Thursday.
Children with simple skull fractures may not need hospitalization Challenging the longstanding practice of keeping all children with head injuries in the hospital overnight, new research from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital suggests that patients with simple skull fractures can be sent home safely if they have no evidence of brain injury and no neurologic symptoms.
	Scientists create bacteria in lab with 'minimal' genes needed for life (HealthDay)—Scientists are closer than ever to cracking the hidden code of life itself, having engineered a synthetic bacteria with a "minimum" number of genes needed to support its existence.
	Total medical costs of $16K for IFN-based antiviral tx for HCV (HealthDay)—The total medical costs associated with interferon (IFN)-based antiviral treatment among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection average €14,559, with a mean cost of €38,514 per sustained virological response (SVR), according to a study published online March 18 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
	Maternal obesity tied to increase in child behavior problems (HealthDay)—Maternal obesity is associated with a small increase in child behavior problems, according to a study published online March 21 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
	Protocolized handover process sustainable for reducing errors (HealthDay)—A protocolized handover process correlates with a sustained reduction in the number of errors for children being transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiac surgery, according to a study published online March 21 in Pediatric Anesthesia.
	Double reporting valid for reducing error in diagnosis (HealthDay)—Double reporting, which refers to the interpretation of radiological investigations by two observers with arbitration and consensus used to settle discordant reports, seems efficacious and cost-effective, especially for mammography, according to a review published online March 21 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
Health experts call for improved TB care for refugees Refugees traveling across countries in Europe must have better access to Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics and treatments in order to prevent a rise in new cases of the disease, according to experts writing in the European Respiratory Journal today.
Pandemic vs. endemic vs. outbreak: Terms to know Understanding epidemiological terms such as pandemic, endemic and outbreak can be confusing, especially as more news emerges about Zika virus and dengue fever.
Scientists engineer vaginal lactobacillus to express neutralizing HIV-1 antibody fragments A normal, predominant bacterial species of the healthy vaginal microbiota can be engineered for potential use as a novel protective agent against HIV-1 transmission in women, according to a new publication from scientists at Osel, Inc. and their collaborators. The authors describe the engineering of Lactobacillus jensenii to stably express broadly neutralizing antibody fragments against the HIV-1 virus in an advanced online publication of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, entitled "Expression of HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody Fragments Using Human Vaginal Lactobacillus."
	Global team aim for faster, more effective TB diagnosis As World TB day (24 March) marks global efforts to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem by 2035, Oxford University researchers, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), will lead a new worldwide collaboration called CRyPTIC to speed up diagnosis of the disease.
	Detection and treatment of aneurysms bring challenges Whether an aneurysm appears as a ballooning and weakened artery in the brain or in the body's biggest blood vessel, the aorta, the results can be serious—even deadly.
	Need for more screening of baby boomers at higher risk of carrying hepatitis C Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary detective Sherlock Holmes once noted that "the little things are infinitely the most important." It's a belief that investigators at the University of Alberta obviously share. Whether they're seeking to understand the tiniest forms of life, taking small steps toward major breakthroughs or influencing students in subtle but profound ways, U of A researchers and educators are proving that little things can make a big impact.
Microbide embraces data sharing in Zika fight Microbide Limited, an Irish clean technologies company, has signed up to the global Statement on Data Sharing in Public Health Emergencies and today published its studies demonstrating the larviciding capability against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles mosquitoes using a number of the company's biodegradable antimicrobial formulations.
Drugmaker Novartis settles with US over China bribe claims Swiss drugmaker Novartis said Thursday it had reached a deal with US authorities to pay $25 million (22.4 million euros) to settle claims that its Chinese units bribed healthcare professionals to boost sales, including with family trips to Niagara Falls.
France reports lone case of mad cow disease France has confirmed an isolated case of mad cow disease in a five-year-old cow that died in the northeast Ardennes region.
Experts call for global drug policy reform as evidence shows 'war on drugs' has harmed public health and human rights Fifty years of drug policies aimed at restricting and criminalizing drug use and minor possession have had serious detrimental effects on the health, wellbeing and human rights of drug users and the wider public, according to a major new report by The Lancet and Johns Hopkins University in the US.
Children with autism need intervention over a long period of time 9 out of 10 preschool children with autism still have major difficulties within the autism field at school age, despite having received early intervention. A majority of the parents stated that the children do not receive sufficient support at school. A new doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy explored these issues in a study where children who had received an autism diagnosis between the ages of 2 and 4.5 years of age were followed up after 8 years.
Poor root fillings can be the result of stress and the economy Only half of all root fillings that are done in the Swedish public dental service are of good quality. The reason that dentists accept technically poor root fillings can be that they feel root fillings are difficult, associate them with stress and frustration as well as that a good quality root treatment often takes longer than what the dental care tariff allots as compensation. A new doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy has explored these issues.
	Air pollution increases risk of death in Gothenburg People who live where there are high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of dying prematurely. Air pollution levels in Gothenburg have, however, decreased by half in the past few decades. A doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy has compared the link between air pollution and mortality in 7 500 men.
WHO: Yellow fever outbreak kills 178 in Angola The World Health Organization says the worst yellow fever outbreak in decades has killed 178 people in Angola.
Insured Texans lack clear understanding of their health insurance plans Texans who bought their own health insurance were less likely to understand basic terms and how to use their plans compared with those who have Medicare, Medicaid or employee-sponsored health insurance. That's one of the findings of a new report released today by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF).
New analysis: 'Obamacare' coverage costs rising Expanded health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's signature legislative legacy, will cost the government more, according to an official study released Thursday. Still, on balance, the measure more than pays for itself.
Most kidney transplant recipients visit the emergency department after discharge More than half of kidney transplant recipients will visit an emergency department in the first 2 years after transplantation, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that efforts are needed to coordinate care for this vulnerable patient population.
	Potential for misuse and diversion of opioids to addicts should not overshadow their therapeutic value Opioids are very effective for treating some types of pain, such as cancer pain and postoperative pain, but not for other kinds of pain like chronic low back pain. An increase in the number of opioid-related deaths among addicts has led to the current movement to restrict opioid prescribing by state and federal authorities. While a laudable goal, these restrictions threaten to block their use for safe and effective pain relief when medically indicated. A new Editorial, "The Pendulum Swings for Opioid Prescribing", calls for physicians to speak out as a voice of reason in their communities, and is published in Journal of Palliative Medicine.

Biology news

	What do we really know about Dino DNA? Ever since finding that soft tissue can preserve in dinosaur fossils, paleontologist Mary Schweitzer has been asked the "Jurassic Park" question – will we ever be able to find original dinosaur DNA? And if so, could we someday recreate these awesome animals?
	Forming patches boosts bacterial life Natural systems such as grasslands form clusters, or patches, that bolster resilience under stress. Experiments show this same behavior can be modeled in bacteria with several important implications for creating survivable environments for threatened or endangered species, MIT researchers have reported online in Nature Microbiology.
	Moving microswimmers with tiny swirling flows Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a way to use a microscopic swirling flow to rapidly clear a circle of tiny bacteria or swimming robots.
	Female fish develops male organs and impregnates self (Phys.org)—A female cichlid hybrid fish has been observed to have grown male reproductive organs, impregnate itself and then to have offspring, a team of researchers in the U.K. are reporting in a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. They call the process 'selfing' and suggest it is very rare in vertebrates.
	For the perfect eggs, roundworms use small RNAs All multicellular organisms that reproduce sexually rely on eggs to support early life. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Ludwig Cancer Research used the tiny roundworm C. elegans as a model to better understand how eggs enable embryonic development, using only the materials already present in them. Their study, published March 24 in Cell, uncovers the role small RNAs—a type of genetic material—and helper proteins play in fine-tuning egg development.
	Embryo development: Some cells are more equal than others even at four-cell stage Genetic 'signatures' of early-stage embryos confirm that our development begins to take shape as early as the second day after conception, when we are a mere four cells in size, according to new research led by the University of Cambridge and EMBL-EBI. Although they seem to be identical, the cells of the two day-old embryo are already beginning to display subtle differences.
	You can thank diverse yeasts for that coffee and chocolate Humans have put yeast to work for thousands of years to make bread, beer, and wine. Wild strains of yeast are also found in the natural fermentations that are essential for chocolate and coffee production. But, as new genetic evidence reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on March 24 shows, the yeasts associated with coffee and cacao beans have had a rather unique history.
	Fighting high anxiety with fly anxiety Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of all brain disorders, and yet there's been little progress in drug treatments for anxiety in more than 50 years. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on March 24 suggest that studies in flies might help to elucidate fundamental mechanisms underlying anxiety and point the way to new anti-anxiety treatments.
	Human ancestors explored 'out of Africa' despite impaired nasal faculties In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, according a recent study published in PLOS Computational Biology. Unlike our protruding external nose, which has little effect on improving air conditioning performance, other hominins (including australopithecines) were endowed with flat nasal features and faculties to improve air conditioning.
	Researchers make a major cavefish discovery in Thailand Researchers from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have identified unique anatomical features in a species of blind, walking cavefish in Thailand that enable the fish to walk and climb waterfalls in a manner comparable to tetrapods, or four-footed mammals and amphibians. The discovery of this capability, not seen in any other living fishes, also has implications for understanding how the anatomy that all species need to walk on land evolved after the transition from finned to limbed appendages in the Devonian period, which began some 420 million years ago.
	Land bridges linking ancient India and Eurasia were 'freeways' for biodiversity exchange For about 60 million years during the Eocene epoch, the Indian subcontinent was a huge island. Having broken off from the ancient continent of Gondwanaland, the Indian Tectonic Plate drifted toward Eurasia.
	Team documents some of the first steps in the process by which a stem cell transforms into different cell types How do neurons become neurons? They all begin as stem cells, undifferentiated and with the potential to become any cell in the body.
	Researcher improves crop performance with new biotechnology With the world's population exploding to well over 7 billion, feeding the human race is getting even more challenging. Increasing the yield from crops such as wheat, maize, rice and barley, is paramount to growing enough food.
	Microbe with stripped-down DNA may hint at secrets of life Scientists have deleted nearly half the genes of a microbe, creating a stripped-down version that still functions, an achievement that might reveal secrets of how life works.
	Why testing lemur color vision is harder than it looks Elphaba the aye-aye is not an early riser. A nocturnal primate with oversized ears, bulging eyes and long, bony fingers, she looks like the bushy-tailed love child of a bat and an opossum.
	Stopping malaria one mosquito at a time Anthony James doesn't dislike mosquitoes. He just doesn't want them to transmit malaria.
	New methods of enhancing efficiency of genetic engineering in mice and rats A group of researchers led by Tomoji Mashimo, Associate Professor, Institute of Experimental Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University and Kazuto Yoshitomi, Assistant Professor, Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems developed two new gene modification methods: lsODN (long single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide) and 2H2OP (two-hit two-oligo with plasmid). These methods use CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) -Cas systems and ssODN (single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide).
	Reaction previously believed detrimental for photosynthesis proves to be beneficial Finnish researchers have demonstrated that photoinhibition of photosystem I, which reduces the effectiveness of photosynthesis, is actually a plant's self-defense mechanism against more extensive harm. The research was funded by the Academy of Finland.
Study finds vast diversity among viruses that infect bacteria Viruses that infect bacteria are among the most abundant life forms on Earth. Our oceans and soils, and potentially even our own bodies, would be overrun with bacteria were it not for bacteria-eating viruses—called bacteriophages—that keep the microbial balance in check.
	Damage-signalling protein shows parallels between plant and human immune systems A protein that signals tissue damage to the human immune system has a counterpart that plays a similar role in plants, report researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).
	Study provides new knowledge for managing tree-killing bark beetles Outbreaks of the southern pine beetle can't be stopped by its main predator, but risks to forests from this tree-killing insect can be predicted with a simple, inexpensive monitoring program, according to a study by Dartmouth College and other institutions.
	Japan fleet returns from Antarctic whale hunt A Japanese whaling fleet returned home Thursday from its annual Antarctic hunt, the government said, a trip that angered environmentalists and nations opposed to the slaughter.
Killer fungus invades Europe n invasive pathogenic fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) is a threat to European salamander and newt biodiversity. Bsal was originally discovered in the Netherlands because it caused mass mortality in salamanders and drove the infected populations to local extinction. Subsequent laboratory trials showed most European salamander and newt species die quickly after infection.
	Baby rhino found in Indian forest nursed back to health Wearing a red and grey-striped blanket, a 12-day-old baby rhinoceros is bottle-fed by keepers at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in northeast India, after being found alone in a remote forest region.

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