Science X Newsletter Thursday, Mar 31

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for March 31, 2016:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- All for one, one for all: Hippocampal and cortical neurons oscillate both individually and as a network
- MEMS technology adapted into super-sensitive gravity detector
- Zika virus structure revealed, a critical advance in the development of treatments
- Measuring the magnetization of wandering spins
- L1551 IRS 5: A curious case of a young and active binary star
- Hydrogen oxidation and evolution reactions in fuel cells slow down because of hydrogen binding
- Andromeda's first spinning neutron star found
- Flat boron is a superconductor
- Proving the genetic code's flexibility
- Do cancer cells synthesize the parts for new cells or scavenge them from the environment?
- Heat and light get larger at the nanoscale
- A fossilized snake shows its true colors
- Sweet tooth? Flies have it too: New study shows how they know what to eat and when to stop
- Neuroscientists identify brain circuits that could play a role in mental illnesses, including depression
- Underappreciated protein plays critical role in RNA regulation and male fertility

Astronomy & Space news

	L1551 IRS 5: A curious case of a young and active binary star (Phys.org)—L1551 IRS 5 is a young binary star, only about half a million years old. Due to its proximity (about 450 light years away) and its high activity, the system has been intriguing astronomers for many years. Malcolm Fridlund of the Leiden Observatory in Netherlands, studying L1551 IRS 5 for almost 40 years, is one of the scientists fascinated by this object. He has published more than 20 scientific papers regarding this topic, and the newest one, which appeared online on Mar. 22 in the arXiv repository, summarizes his efforts to better understand this curious system.
	Andromeda's first spinning neutron star found Decades of searching in the Milky Way's nearby 'twin' galaxy Andromeda have finally paid off, with the discovery of an elusive breed of stellar corpse, a neutron star, by ESA's XMM-Newton space telescope.
	Mile-high Mars mounds built by wind and climate change New research has found that wind carved massive mounds of more than a mile high on Mars over billions of years. Their location helps pin down when water on the Red Planet dried up during a global climate change event.
	Planet formation in Earth-like orbit around a young star The star TW Hydrae is a popular target of study for astronomers because of its proximity to Earth (only about 175 light-years away) and its status as an infant star (about 10 million years old). It also has a face-on orientation as seen from Earth. This gives astronomers a rare, undistorted view of the complete protoplanetary disc around the star.
	Journey to the center of our galaxy Peering deep into the heart of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a rich tapestry of more than half a million stars. Apart from a few, blue, foreground stars, almost all of the stars pictured in the image are members of the Milky Way nuclear star cluster, the densest and most massive star cluster in the galaxy. Hidden in the centre of this cluster is the Milky Way's resident supermassive black hole.
	An oasis in the brown dwarf desert—astronomers surprised, relieved A new paper published this month in The Astronomical Journal by astronomers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) reports a wellspring of new brown dwarf stellar companions, throwing cold water on the entire idea of the "brown dwarf desert," the previously mystifying lack of these sub-stellar objects around stars.
	Laser cloaking device could help us hide from aliens Two astronomers at Columbia University in New York suggest humanity could use lasers to conceal the Earth from searches by advanced extraterrestrial civilisations. Professor David Kipping and graduate student Alex Teachey make the proposal in a paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
	Inflatable space habitat to be tested on the ISS Space habitats have long been an object of fascination for thinkers, dreamers, and engineers. Science fiction is littered with space habitats, whether in books or movies. And their designs have ranged from titanic, uber-engineered types to fanciful, organic types.
	Russia launches cargo ship to space station Russia on Thursday launched a cargo ship to the International Space Station on an unmanned mission to resupply crew currently in space.
	Image: Anechoic foam covering to simulate the endless void of space These spiky foam wedges, seen here in ESA's Maxwell test chamber, cover the walls of facilities that simulate the endless void of space.

Technology news

	MEMS technology adapted into super-sensitive gravity detector Scientists have found a way to adapt a system often found in smartphones to create a super-sensitive detector capable of measuring minute changes in gravity.
	Microsoft pitches smart chats with computers (Update) Microsoft wants you to talk more with your computer—and have more useful conversations.
	Maluuba researchers try algorithm on Harry Potter text (Tech Xplore)—When have you heard this before: Machine learning advances the collective intelligence of humans... a lot has been written about machine learning vis-a-vis computer applications, the Internet of things, and in time people may become more and more familiar with a company called Maluuba. They have something they refer to as "machine intelligence technology."
	Lithium hoarding behind failure of promising new battery Ever worry that your cell phone will fade when you need it most? Or that the same thing will happen when driving your electric car? Lightweight lithium-sulfur batteries could be the answer, holding two times the energy of those on store shelves, but they often fade and won't hold a charge for long. Through the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), scientists at DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory identified one of the reasons behind this problem.
	Expert warns relying on expert navigation systems causing us to lose ability to navigate (Tech Xplore)—Roger McKinlay, former president of the Royal Institute of Navigation in Britain, has published a Comment piece in the journal Nature warning people about the dangers of relying on automated navigation systems. He suggests that because of huge infrastructure costs, sat-nav technology will not be able to replace human abilities any time soon which means that people will need to keep their skills honed.
	Affordable Model 3 is Tesla's biggest test yet The promise of an affordable electric car from Tesla Motors had hundreds of people lining up to reserve one.
	Augmented reality mapping out tech's next mind-bending trip Virtual reality is a trip, but an even wilder ride could be around the corner as mind-bending startups and technology trendsetters try to emblazon the world with interactive holograms that enlighten, entertain and empower us.
	ORNL surges forward with 20-kilowatt wireless charging for vehicles A 20-kilowatt wireless charging system demonstrated at Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has achieved 90 percent efficiency and at three times the rate of the plug-in systems commonly used for electric vehicles today.
No plans for killer US military robots... yet Robotic systems and unmanned vehicles are playing an ever-growing role in the US military—but don't expect to see Terminator-style droids striding across the battlefield just yet.
	Resolution in FBI-Apple case prolongs larger legal battle The FBI's victory in breaking into a San Bernardino killer's iPhone without Apple's help merely prolongs a battle over how far the government can go to examine private messages, photos and other files.
Hon Hai's Q4 net profit dips as smatphone demand slows Taiwan's tech giant Hon Hai said net profit dipped in the fourth quarter, hit by a slowdown in demand for smartphones as key customer Apple warns waning sales of its iPhone.
	Silicon Beach: LA tech hub where the sun always shines Better known for its palm trees and celebrities, Los Angeles is also emerging as a tech hub, with its so-called Silicon Beach area offering a sun-kissed alternative to Silicon Valley.
	Lawrence Livermore and IBM collaborate to build new brain-inspired supercomputer Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) today announced it will receive a first-of-a-kind brain-inspired supercomputing platform for deep learning developed by IBM Research. Based on a breakthrough neurosynaptic computer chip called IBM TrueNorth, the scalable platform will process the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses and consume the energy equivalent of a hearing aid battery – a mere 2.5 watts of power.
	Scientists develop novel system that recovers energy normally lost in industrial processes Each year, energy that equates to billions of barrels of oil is wasted as heat lost from machines and industrial processes. Recovering this energy could reduce energy costs. Scientists from Australia and Malaysia have developed a novel system that is designed to maximize such recovery.
	Grieving father begs Apple, enlists hackers over son's iPhone A grieving father in Italy has written to Apple's chief executive Tim Cook to beg him to unblock his dead son's iPhone so he can retrieve the photographs stored on it.
	Ice wall at Fukushima plant switched on, but will it work? The operator of Japan's destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant switched on a giant refrigeration system on Thursday to create an unprecedented underground ice wall around its damaged reactors. Radioactive water has been flowing from the reactors, and other methods have failed to fully control it. The decontamination and decommissioning of the plant, damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, hinge of the success of the wall.
	Photovoltaic cells are to be combined into one device with electrochemical energy storage systems Whether fair weather or foul, sustainable energy supply must be independent of natural fluctuations of renewable energy sources, such as sunshine. The coupling of "green" energy sources with reliable energy storage systems is fundamental.
	Should we 3D print a new Palmyra? The destruction at the ancient city of Palmyra symbolises the suffering of the Syrian people at the hands of the terrorist group known as Islamic State (IS). Palmyra was a largely Roman city located at a desert oasis on a vital crossroad, and "one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world". Its remarkable preservation highlighted an intermingling of cultures that today, as then, came to stand for the tolerance and multiculturalism that pre-conflict Syria was renowned for -– tolerance that IS seeks to eradicate.
	How robot explorers are making the finds of the future Gone are the days when archaeology was just a whole load of sand, dust and bones. These days the real explorers are all about the robotics.
	Study shows best way to reduce energy consumption We know adjusting the thermostat, using blinds, opening windows or using electronics such as a heater or air conditioning unit has an impact on the amount of energy consumed in homes. But a new study looks at which of these is the most efficient when it comes to saving power.
	Researchers continue to pave way for improved battery performance testing Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have demonstrated that the design and placement of a tiny measurement device called a reference electrode enhances the quantity and quality of information that can be extracted from lithium-ion battery cells during cycling.
	Can smartphones answer your call for help? If you're depressed and suicidal, a victim of rape or domestic violence, can your smartphone's personal assistant answer your call for help?
Review: Samsung monitor features wireless charging for your smartphone I'm all in favor of eliminating clutter on my desk.
Netclearance seeks foothold in mobile payments Does a small San Diego startup stand a chance in the mobile payment market competing against the likes of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay?
	Encyption debate isn't going away The fight over encryption isn't going away just because the FBI has figured out a way to glean the data off the iPhone used by a San Bernardino attacker.
	Mashable raises $15 million to expand video The online news site Mashable said Thursday it raised $15 million in a funding round led by Time Warner's television operations, as part of its efforts to expand video offerings.
UK-US nuke waste deal to help fight cancer Britain will team up with the United States and European partners to exchange its nuclear waste for material to be used in the fight against cancer, Prime Minister David Cameron will announce Thursday.
The challenges of integrating new energy-saving systems in occupied buildings It can be extremely challenging to integrate technologies using renewables sources such parabolic trough solar collectors (PTC), a biomass boiler, a cogeneration unit based on the organic rankine cycle (ORC), an absorption chiller and a cooling tower. But this challenge is even greater when these energy reduction systems need to be coupled to an existing and occupied building.
	Engineers develop smart conveyor rollers for the factory of the future Conveyor systems are used in many different places: mail-order firms, parcel delivery services, factories, airports, to name but a few. To improve the speed and reliability with which goods are transported to their destinations, engineers in Saarbrücken are currently developing smart conveyor rollers that communicate with one another. The drive systems specialist Matthias Nienhaus from Saarland University is collaborating with partners to turn the motor inside every drive roller into a sensor. When the conveyor is running, the drive motors continuously generate data, which allows the rollers to be precisely controlled and thus respond to changing operating conditions. These intelligent roller conveyor systems can identify new routes if a fault arises or can flag up certain conditions, such as when there is space in a box for more cans. The project partners intend to test the system at a large distribution centre.
Red Cross brings solar panels to Gaza clinics A project sponsored by the international Red Cross on Thursday installed solar panels at 32 health-care clinics in the Gaza Strip to ensure that vaccines remain refrigerated in the power-starved territory.
	France's Bouygues, Orange delay decision on possible tie-up France's telecom giants Orange and Bouygues said Thursday they had pushed back a decision on whether to go ahead with the sale of Bouygues Telecom to Orange, sending Bouygues shares sharply lower.
	Fantasy sports sites to halt college contests Two major fantasy sports operators said Thursday they would suspend contests involving teams and athletes from universities as part of an agreement with the governing body for college athletics.

Medicine & Health news

	All for one, one for all: Hippocampal and cortical neurons oscillate both individually and as a network (Medical Xpress)—In dynamic neuronal networks, pervasive oscillatory activity is usually explained by pointing to pacemaking elements that synchronize and drive the network. Recently, however, scientists at The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel studied synchronized periodic bursting that emerged spontaneously in a network of in vitro rat hippocampus and cortex neurons, finding that roughly 60% of all active neurons were self-sustained oscillators when disconnected from the network – and that each neuron oscillated at its own frequency, which is controlled by the neuron's excitability. The researchers say that neuronal oscillations are widespread in the brain, not only in processes that require timing but also observed over natural activity characteristic of many areas – and that their realization that single neurons operating in default mode with no relevant input tend to oscillate may be important in deciphering the a! ctivity in these areas. Similarly, they state, the ability to couple and create large ensembles of synchronized oscillations will be important to understand how the activity spread to larger areas.
	Zika virus structure revealed, a critical advance in the development of treatments A team led by Purdue University researchers is the first to determine the structure of the Zika virus, which reveals insights critical to the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines.
	Inherited gene changes take years off life expectancy, study finds Scientists have identified DNA changes that can cut a person's lifespan by up to three years.
Could a new class of fungicides play a role in autism, neurodegenerative diseases? Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have found a class of commonly used fungicides that produce gene expression changes similar to those in people with autism and neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease.
	Brain appears to have different mechanisms for reconciling sight and sound A new UCLA psychology study provides insights into how the brain combines sound and vision. The research suggests that there is not one sole mechanism in the brain that governs how much our senses work together to process information.
	Study reveals brain region crucial for using boundaries to navigate Imagine a room or a landscape or a city street. Part of what differentiates that scene from a face or an object is the fact that it has boundaries, and University of Pennsylvania researchers Joshua Julian, Russell Epstein, Jack Ryan and Roy Hamilton aimed to parse out which part of the brain helps perceive those borders. What they learned, through two experiments involving transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, is that this function falls to the occipital place area, also called the OPA.
	Neuroscientists identify brain circuits that could play a role in mental illnesses, including depression Some mental illnesses may stem, in part, from the brain's inability to correctly assign emotional associations to events. For example, people who are depressed often do not feel happy even when experiencing something that they normally enjoy.
	Do cancer cells synthesize the parts for new cells or scavenge them from the environment? Cancer cells are defined by their ability for uncontrolled growth, one cell quickly becoming two becoming many. "It's a fascinating process," said Gary Patti, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. "Imagine creating two copies of yourself every few days instead of just maintaining the one you have. In the past 15 or 20 years people have become really interested in how a cell does that."
	Scientists discover a missing link between tau and memory loss Scientists have long known that the protein tau is involved in dementia, but how it hinders cognitive function has remained uncertain. In a study published in the journal Neuron, researchers at the Gladstone Institutes reveal how tau disrupts the ability of brain cells to strengthen connections with other brain cells, preventing new memories from forming.
	Scientists work their magic on 'shrunken finger illusion' What happens when you rest a chopped ping pong ball on your finger and look at it from above? Experimental psychologists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have shown that our visual system fills in the bottom part of the ball, even though we know it's missing. This makes our finger feel unusually short, as if to compensate for the 'complete' ball. The findings indicate that the completion is due to our visual system, not our imagination.
	Aging diminishes spinal cord regeneration after injury Older Americans are increasingly active, and this lifestyle shift has contributed to the rise in average age of a person experiencing a spinal cord injury. The changing demographic calls for a better understanding of how aging impacts recovery and repair after a spinal cord injury. To this end, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and University of British Columbia (UBC) have now determined that, in mice, age diminishes ability to regenerate axons, the brain's communication wires in the spinal cord. The study is published March 31 in Cell Reports.
	Mom's smoking alters fetal DNA A study of over 6,000 mothers and their newborn children—one of the largest studies of its kind—solidifies the evidence that smoking cigarettes while pregnant chemically modifies a fetus' DNA, mirroring patterns seen in adult smokers. The researchers also identify new development-related genes affected by smoking. The work, published March 31 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, suggests a potential explanation for the link between smoking during pregnancy and health complications in children.
	Brain study reveals how long-term memories are erased Vital clues about how the brain erases long term memories have been uncovered by researchers.
	Study reveals the possibility of curbing synapse loss in Alzheimer's Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital show how brain connections, or synapses, are lost early in Alzheimer's disease and demonstrate that the process starts—and could potentially be halted—before telltale plaques accumulate in the brain. Their work, published online by Science on March 31, suggests new therapeutic targets to preserve cognitive function early in Alzheimer's disease.
	Fights are won and lost in the brain Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have found that a deep-brain structure called the habenula contains two neural circuits that work in a complex interplay to influence whether a fight will be a win or loss.
	Study discovers link between celiac disease risk and a noncoding RNA Researchers have identified a common variant in a non-coding RNA that may contribute to the intestinal inflammation that occurs in people with celiac disease. The findings point to a possible new risk factor for developing celiac disease in people with celiac disease risk genes.
Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery offers viable option for select heart patients Patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve repair or replacement (mini-MVR) have similar outcomes as patients undergoing conventional surgery and also experience shorter hospital stays and fewer blood transfusions, according to an article posted online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Seasonal influenza vaccination during pregnancy may reduce risk of stillbirth Seasonal influenza vaccination may guard against stillbirth, a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online suggests. Researchers in Western Australia analyzed data from nearly 60,000 births that occurred during the southern hemisphere's 2012 and 2013 seasonal influenza epidemics, and found that women who received the trivalent influenza vaccine during pregnancy were 51 percent less likely to experience a stillbirth than unvaccinated mothers.
Doctors are failing to help people with gender dysphoria Doctors are failing to help people with gender dysphoria, argues a leading doctor in The BMJ this week.
Questions over safety of whole body electrical stimulation It's time to regulate the use of whole body electrical stimulation, argue doctors in The BMJ today, after treating several people for muscle damage at their hospital.
Study confirms link between diabetes drug and increased risk of bladder cancer The diabetes drug pioglitazone is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, finds a study published by The BMJ today. The findings suggest that the risk increases with increasing duration of use and dose.
	CDC expands range of Zika mosquitoes into parts of Northeast Federal health officials say the mosquitoes that can transmit the Zika virus may live in a broader swath of the U.S. than previously thought—but that doesn't mean they'll cause disease here.
	Fat tissue in energy saving mode Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have discovered brain cells that not only tell hungry mice to search for food, but also to limit blood sugar use by the brown fat tissue. This could ensure the survival of mice when they cannot find enough to eat.
	New potent nanodrug to combat antibiotic-resistant infections A research team led by University of Arkansas chemist Jingyi Chen and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences microbiologist Mark Smeltzer has developed an alternative therapeutic approach to fighting antibiotic-resistant infections.
	Video: Tiny cars help infants' cognitive development Infants constantly explore their environments, toddling and crawling around while at the same time laying the cognitive foundation that they'll use for learning later in life. But how can parents and doctors foster that kind of development in infants with mobility issues?
	Study finds schizophrenia risk better predicted by deviation in intelligence from family The degree to which an individual deviates in intelligence from their family is a more accurate predictor of schizophrenia development than the individual's intelligence alone, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University in Sweden.
	New clues identified in childhood cancer syndrome Children with the inherited cancer syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are prone to developing brain and nerve tumors as well as myriad other medical problems, including autism, epilepsy and bone defects.
Eye-tracker technology shows children with autism fixating on the mouth during emotional conversations Where do your eyes focus during a conversation? An innovative study by University of Vermont researchers reveals that for children with autism spectrum disorder, the answer depends on how emotional the conversation is.
	New study shows divide between rural and metro food prices Victoria is probably Australia's most populated state, with the least number of areas that could be regarded as remote. Yet a new study reveals that Victorians living in non-urban environments pay more for healthy food than their urban counterparts.
	From virtual reality to noise control—how to manipulate the senses to relieve pain The next time you habitually search your bathroom cabinet for some pain medication, you may want to consider playing a video game first. Research has shown that psychology plays an important part in how we experience both acute and chronic pain – and that painful sensations can be manipulated by what we think and feel.
	Sun protection poor for NZ secondary school students A University of Otago study that involved unobtrusively observing the sun-protective practices of students and staff at the sports days of 10 Dunedin secondary schools last summer has found them sorely lacking.
	Researchers urge arthritis patients to give up smoking to help them live longer University of Manchester-led research has found new evidence to suggest that, not only is smoking associated with earlier deaths in those with rheumatoid arthritis, but also those who stop smoking dramatically reduce their risk of earlier death, as published in Arthritis Care and Research journal.
Do awareness days make a difference? Yes, at least one Break out the brochures: World Autism Awareness Day is just around the corner. As is World Health Day, World Dolphin Day, Earth Day, World Lupus Day, and the list goes on and on. One federal catalog includes 212 separate health-focused awareness days.
	Know your bugs – a closer look at viruses, bacteria, and parasites "Stop the spread of superbugs," "15 superbugs and other scary diseases" and "Superbug bacteria found in tested hotel rooms" are headlines we often read or hear about. But what do we mean when we say "bugs"?
Handheld surgical 'pen' prints human stem cells In a landmark proof-of-concept experiment, Australian researchers have used a handheld 3D printing pen to 'draw' human stem cells in freeform patterns with extremely high survival rates.
'Cancer gene' twice as likely to be defective in children with autism A large study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found that a gene whose role is to suppress cellular damage from environmental stressors is nearly twice as likely to be defective in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and that the deficit is also present in their fathers.
	Urine test improves prediction of high-grade prostate cancer An experimental urine test that detects genetic changes associated with prostate cancer identified 92 percent of men with elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels who had high-grade cancers, according to a study published today in JAMA Oncology online.
	Short overnight fasting linked to increased risk of breast cancer recurrence In patients with breast cancer, a short overnight fast of less than 13 hours was associated with a statistically significant, 36 percent higher risk of breast cancer recurrence and a non-significant, 21 percent higher probability of death from the disease compared to patients who fasted 13 or more hours per night, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers.
	3-D 'mini-retinas' grown from mouse and human stem cells Stem cell science has progressed so that researchers can now share recipes for making human retinas—the part of the eye that is sensitive to light. The first protocols enabled the generation of retinal cells in laboratory plates and more recently as complex tissue in the form of tiny eye-like cups. Researchers in Germany now have another efficient way to make 3-D retina organoids, which mimic the organ's tissue organization, from mouse or human stem cells. Their version of "mini-retinas," published online on March 31 by Stem Cell Reports, offers new perspectives on retina growth, injury, and repair.
	Imitating movements could help Alzheimer's patients Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer's Association. There is no cure and no way to slow or prevent the illness. But, patients can still benefit from both physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and researchers are learning that mimicry may be a useful tool to help them regain lost abilities.
For young adults, sleep problems predict later pain problems For at least some groups of "emerging adults," sleep problems are a predictor of chronic pain and worsening pain severity over time, suggests a study in Pain, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).
MicroRNA controls growth in highly aggressive B-cell lymphomas A recent study by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine showed that a microRNA called miR-181a dampens signals from the cancer-driving NFκB protein pathway in the most aggressive large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). By reducing NFκB signaling, miR-181a controls tumor cell proliferation and survival and could be the target of novel therapies. The study was published in the journal Blood.
	New method measures the risk of type 2 diabetes in blood Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found a new type of biomarker that can predict the risk of type 2 diabetes, by detecting epigenetic changes in specific genes through a simple blood test. The results are published today in Nature Communications.
Remote eye gaze tracking as a marker for autism A study to be published in the April 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that eye tracking can differentiate children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from children without ASD but with other developmental problems (non-ASD).
Study finds addiction associated with poor awareness of others Developmental psychologist Maria Pagano, PhD, found adolescents with severe alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems have a low regard for others, as indicated by higher rates of driving under the influence and having unprotected sex with a history of sexually transmitted disease. The findings also showed that they are less likely to volunteer their time helping others, an activity that she has been shown to help adult alcoholics stay sober.
	New recommendations link better sleep to improved concussion outcomes A national group of sleep and brain injury specialists recommends specific steps to test and develop sleep-related treatments to improve the outcome of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The recommendations, developed by a University of Maryland School of Medicine sleep specialist, along with experts from medicine, the military and private industry, appear online ahead of print in the journal Neurotherapeutics.
	The right stuff? Hospital readmission penalties approaching for nursing home patients A significant number of older adults are not ready to go home when they leave the hospital. About one-fifth are discharged to one of the nation's 15,000 skilled nursing facilities for rehabilitative care. With new federal legislation set to penalize both the hospital and skilled nursing facility if rehospitalization occurs within 30 days, clinician-researchers from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and Regenstrief Institute highlight potential problems with the new mandate.
	Cold-adapted attenuated polio virus—towards a post-eradication vaccine With only 74 cases reported worldwide in 2015, poliomyelitis eradication is in sight. However, polio vaccines will be required for the foreseeable future to prevent re-emergence of the disease, and such vaccines need to be safe, effective, cheap, and easy to deliver. A study published on March 31, 2016 in PLOS Pathogens reports the generation of promising new cold-adapted vaccine strains that are unable to multiply at the temperature of the human body and therefore highly unlikely to cause poliomyelitis in humans.
	Hepatitis C virus uses Netrin-1 to hijack host cells Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small, enveloped virus comprising an RNA genome encased in a protein capsid and surrounded by a lipid bilayer containing two glycoproteins. Acute infection can cause hepatitis but the virus usually persists as a chronic infection of the liver where it can cause inflammation and, eventually, hepatocellular carcinoma. How HCV subverts hepatocytes to turn them into virus-producing factories, has remained unclear.
Type 1 diabetes linked to 3-fold increase in risk of epilepsy People with type 1 diabetes have a three-times increased risk of developing epilepsy later in life, concludes research published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
	Less than one percent of millions of Google e-cigarette searches focused on quitting smoking Electronic cigarettes have significantly increased in popularity over the past decade, leaving the public health community to play catch up in terms of trying to understand the motivations and habits of e-cigarette users. A study of Google search trends led by researchers from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and San Diego State University as part of the Internet Tobacco Vendors Study shows a significant jump in the popularity of the words "vape" and "vaping," and a decline in searches related to vaping health and smoking cessation, according to a new report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
New insights into the cause of neurological symptoms in mitochondrial diseases Mitochondrial diseases - which affect 1 in 5,000 people - encompass a spectrum of disorders with an array of symptoms. Many patients with a mitochondrial disease experience neurological symptoms, including intellectual disability, childhood epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder, but why dysfunctional mitochondria - the powerhouses of cells -lead to these sorts of symptoms has been unclear.
	Born to run? Study suggests love of exercise starts in the womb Baylor College of Medicine researchers have discovered that female mice that voluntarily exercise during pregnancy have offspring that are more physically active as adults. The research appears in The FASEB Journal.
New insights in cancer therapy from cell death research Researchers in the group of Prof. Dr. Peter Vandenabeele (VIB/UGent) show that killed tumour cells can serve as a potent vaccine that stimulates the immune system to prevent the outgrowth of cancer cells. This finding opens novel perspectives for the use of necroptosis as a part of immunotherapy and for the screening for novel or existing cancer drugs that induce this type of immunogenic cell death.
	Key regulatory role for mysterious olfaction molecule OMP New research from the Monell Center reveals that olfactory marker protein (OMP), a molecule found in the cells that detect odor molecules, plays a key role in regulating the speed and transmission of odor information to the brain. The findings solve a 30-year-old mystery regarding the function of OMP and increases understanding of how the olfactory system integrates information to transmit accurate data about odors and the messages they contain.
	Widely cited prostate-specific antigen screening publications influence biopsy rates and associated complications While absolute rates of biopsy and post-biopsy complications have decreased following several benchmark prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening publications, the relative risk for each patient continues to increase, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers.
	Motor learning tied to intelligent control of sensory neurons in muscles Sensory neurons in human muscles provide important information used for the perception and control of movement. Learning to move in a novel context also relies on the brain's independent control of these sensors, not just of muscles, according to a new study published in the journal Current Biology.
	New study implicates unusual class of circular RNAs in cancer Cancer cells are notorious for their genomes gone haywire, often yielding fusion proteins—mash-ups of two disparate genes that, once united, assume new and harmful capabilities. Exactly how such genome scrambling impacts RNA, particularly the vast and mysterious world of non-coding RNA, has been largely unexplored.
	Brain cancer: Two essential amino acids might hold key to better outcomes The altered metabolism of two essential amino acids helps drive the development of the most common and lethal form of brain cancer, according to a new 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). The findings suggest new ways to treat the malignancy, slow its progression and reveal its extent more precisely.
	Infections of the heart with common viruses A review article has been published in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design which provides an overview of therecent literature discussing the different clinical forms of heart disease resulting from virus infections including the prognosis, and current therapies. Many common viruses causing respiratory illness, including enteroviruses and influenza viruses among others, have the potential to infect the heart and initiate an immune response to the infection. These viruses can also produce mild to lethal cardiac injury.
	Proteins associated with schizophrenia hang around longer than previously thought The discovery that a particular protein doesn't just give cells a job but also sticks around to tell them how to do these new assignments could provide insight into schizophrenia, as well as a neurodevelopmental disorder, according to a new study by a Drexel University research team.
	U.S. autism rate unchanged at 1 in 68 kids: CDC (HealthDay)—The autism rate among school-aged children in the United States has held steady in recent years, but it's too early to determine whether rates are stabilizing, according to a federal government report released Thursday.
	Omalizumab effective for chronic spontaneous urticaria (HealthDay)—Omalizumab is effective in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) symptoms and angioedema unresponsive to high doses of antihistamine treatment, according to a study published online March 24 in Allergy.
	Non-surgical management of rectal cancer increasing (HealthDay)—Use of nonoperative management (NOM) of rectal cancer is increasing, but primarily in disadvantaged patients, according to a study published online March 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Neuronal heparan sulfates play role in amyloid pathology (HealthDay)—Neuronal heparan sulfates (HSs) modulate brain amyloid-β (Aβ) clearance and aggregation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to an experimental study published in the March 30 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
	Reactivation of HSV described in patient after cataract surgery (HealthDay)—In a letter to the editor published online March 24 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, a case of reactivation of herpes simplex virus (HSV) uveitis is described in a patient with unexplained persistent elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) following intraocular surgery.
Study: Timing matters for hormone therapy Ever since a landmark federal clinical trial gave menopausal hormone therapy a black eye almost a generation ago, critics have argued that the results overstated the cardiac dangers for newly postmenopausal women.
Are consumers ready for telemedicine? Is health care going the way of Uber? Though it may sound far-fetched, seeing a doctor could move in that direction if telemedicine gains more acceptance, according to health technology experts.
Scientists issue report in Cell on advances in basal cell carcinoma An article in the journal Cell by top scientists from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Mayo Clinic in Arizona details how two relatively new drugs are helping patients with basal cell carcinoma.
Study: Amateur football hits linked to later-life difficulty A preliminary study by Boston University researchers shows a link between the number of hits a player takes in youth, high school and college football and the development of cognitive difficulties as an adult.
Investigators identify new pneumonia epidemic in Beijing Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections began rising in Beijing last spring, and by December, this pathogen was found in more than half of hospitalized children suffering from pneumonia in that city, according to investigators from the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China. Now these investigators predict that this epidemic will likely continue well into 2016, and possibly longer. Their data may help clinicians slow the epidemic. The research is published February 24th in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology.
Novel vaccine strategy produces rapid and long-term protection against Chikungunya virus The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted through mosquitoes and causes fever and joint pain that can sometimes become severe and disabling. Outbreaks of the virus have already occurred in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and in late 2013, the virus was first seen in the Americas with the number of cases dramatically increased. No vaccine to prevent or treat this virus currently exists.
	Medicare opens new push on hip, knee replacement From Akron to Tampa Bay, from New York City to San Francisco, Medicare on Friday launches an ambitious experiment changing how it pays for hip and knee replacements in an effort to raise quality and lower costs.
Two-fold higher risk of concussions for NFL players during colder game-days, study finds NFL players had a two-fold greater risk of concussions and 1.5 times higher risk for ankle injuries when games were played at colder temperatures, a new St. Michael's study has found.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors enhance immunotherapy in lung cancer models, researchers say Several new immunotherapeutic antibodies that inhibit checkpoint receptors on T cells to restimulate the immune system to target tumors have been approved to treat advanced stage lung cancer and melanoma; however, only 20 percent of lung cancer patients show a response to these agents. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have identified a class of drugs that improve the activity of immunotherapeutic antibodies by stimulating the movement of T cells into a tumor and enhancing their activity.
	Diabetes meds vary in safety and effectiveness, study shows (HealthDay)—A study of nearly a half-million people with type 2 diabetes shows there are pros and cons to nearly every form of drug therapy for the disease.
	'Listeria on rye'? Many U.S. deli meat slicers cut corners on cleanliness (HealthDay)—The next time you sidle up to the deli counter for a sandwich, you may want to think about how often the meat slicer gets cleaned.
	Infants born prematurely may show less interest in others Attention to other people is a fundamental role for social cognitive development in the early stages of life. However, infants born prematurely show a different attentional pattern.
Natural killer cells help to drive inflammation and insulin resistance In obesity, the body's immune system can treat tissues as if they are suffering from a low-grade chronic infection. This obesity-induced inflammation is an important contributor to insulin resistance, a condition that can progress into type 2 diabetes. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have pinpointed a major inflammatory role for "natural killer" (NK) immune cells in abdominal fat—a type of tissue strongly implicated in insulin resistance.
	Could a computer tell you when your time is up? Statisticians, computer scientists and medics from the University of East Anglia are launching a new project to predict how long you will live.
High numbers of patients in poorer countries are missing lung cancer tests and treatment Severe inequalities exist between countries regarding the availability of an essential lung cancer test and a drug which together can improve outcomes for patients through a personalised approach to treatment.
Children with cancer to get new gene test Children with cancer at leading hospitals across the UK will be offered testing for genetic mutations in their tumours as part of a new initiative to begin to personalise children's cancer treatment.
Barriers to contraception for indigenous Maori teenage mothers A new study from the University of Otago, Wellington, has found that there are health system barriers for young Māori mothers when trying to access timely contraception.
IVF ban lifted in Costa Rica—a success for reproductive rights? The lack of access to reproductive rights in Latin America can have unanticipated consequences. The Zika virus outbreak, for example, highlights the need for reproductive rights. So does the alarming number of triplets, quadruplets, and quintuplets born as a result of Costa Rica's 16-year ban on in vitro fertilization (IVF).
	Affordability and eligibility were the biggest barriers for Californians without health insurance Two-thirds of the Californians who didn't have health insurance in 2014 were actually eligible for coverage, but many did not enroll because of the high cost, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education.
Poland's top political leaders support total ban on abortion Poland's prime minister and the powerful leader of its conservative ruling party both said Thursday they support a total ban on abortion.
	Drive to reduce 999 diabetes calls in East Midlands starts Over 400 potentially avoidable 999 calls related to a diabetes complication are made every month across the East Midlands, according to figures.
New network launched to address diabetes complications A new national research network was launched today to transform the health outcomes of individuals with diabetes and its related complications. It will be led by two of Canada's top researchers in the field and includes researchers conducting leading-edge health and biomedical research at nine institutions across the country.
'Revolutionary future' for contact lenses—drug delivery, disease monitoring and more Imagine contact lenses that can deliver medicines directly to the eye, slow progression of nearsightedness in children, or monitor glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Those are some of the emerging advances in contact lens technology reported in the April special issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.
Experience in Afghanistan highlights plastic surgeons' role in combat trauma surgery Especially with improved chances of survival from severe combat trauma, plastic surgeons play a critical role in managing injuries sustained in modern warfare, suggests an experience at a combat hospital in Afghanistan described in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Ibuprofen doesn't increase bleeding risk after plastic surgery Patients are often instructed not to take ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before or after surgery because of increased bleeding risk. But available evidence suggests that ibuprofen does not increase the risk of bleeding after plastic surgery procedures, according to a research review in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
EU project aims to cure type 1 diabetes The number of children in Europe and the USA with type 1 diabetes is growing by four percent each year. A group of European researchers has now joined forces under the leadership of the Goethe University, with the goal of sparing affected people from lifelong insulin therapy. They plan to develop three-dimensional cellular structures of insulin-producing cells (organoids) in the laboratory and to work with pharmaceutical industry partners to develop a process for their mass production. The European Union is providing over five million Euro over the next four years to support the project. The first clinical studies on transplantation of organoids are planned after that.
Journal issue charts global course for healthy aging A new supplemental issue of The Gerontologist contains 12 articles that expand upon the major themes of the landmark World Health Organization (WHO) "World Report on Ageing and Health" released in late 2015.
	Improved patient outcomes linked to specific health IT resources in hospitals The number of health information technology venders has increased from 60 to more than 1,000 since 2008. However, many scholars have expressed concerns that such services are flooding the market without proper development, making hospitals more susceptible to adopting dysfunctional IT systems that are not geared toward the original goal of improving patient care. Now, a University of Missouri School of Medicine researcher has identified three IT capabilities hospitals should have that lead to higher rates of employee productivity and flexibility. The researcher said greater employee productivity leads to improved patient care in U.S. hospitals.
18 go blind after cataract surgery in Brazil Eighteen Brazilians were left blind after surgeons apparently used unsterilized instruments during a cataract treatment campaign in an industrial suburb of Sao Paulo, officials said Thursday.
	Guidelines updated on duration of dual antiplatelet Tx in CAD (HealthDay)—The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines has updated the recommendations regarding duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The updated practice guideline was published online March 29 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Experts welcome report calling for radical reform of the Medical Council of India A landmark report calling for radical reform of the Medical Council of India is welcomed by leading doctors in The BMJ this week.
Protease-activated receptors differentially regulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a family of G-protein-coupled receptors that are primarily expressed in cells of the vasculature and known for their involvement in regulation of vascular tone. These receptors induce endothelium-dependent relaxation via production and release of a potent vasodilator, nitric oxide (NO), and therefore, play an important role in the function of the endothelium. Disruption of endothelial function can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. There are four members of the PAR family, PAR-1 through -4, and unlike traditional receptors, which are activated by coupling with a ligand, these receptors are uniquely irreversibly activated via cleavage by serine proteases that expose a neo-N-terminus, which acts as a self-activating peptide. PAR-1, -3 and -4, are directly activated by thrombin, a serine protease responsible for platelet aggregation, end! othelial cell activation, and other important responses in the vasculature. PAR-2 is activated by trypsin-like enzymes and can respond to thrombin only through transactivation by PAR-1.
Cardioprotective effects of lysyl oxidase inhibition Heart failure is a progressive condition, where structural and functional alterations of the ventricle limit the ability of the heart to either fill or eject blood. There are approximately 550,000 new cases of heart failure each year with a prevalence of nearly 5 million; most patients die within five years of diagnosis. A prominent characteristic of heart failure is the adverse alteration of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The heart's size, shape, and function are regulated, in part, by the composition of the ECM. The major structural component of the cardiac ECM is collagen, which is produced by fibroblasts. Lysyl oxidase (LOX), also produced by fibroblasts, is a collagen cross-linking enzyme. Cross-linking makes collagen fibrils resistant to degradation and promotes collagen deposition. Although cross-linking is necessary for normal collagen formation, increased LOX expression is associated with fibrosis in the heart. Further, ! cardiac LOX is elevated in failing human hearts and reduced LOX expression is associated with improved function in heart failure patients, suggesting that excess activation of LOX may play a causative role in the progression of cardiac failure.
	Helping young adult cancer survivors adopt a healthy lifestyle A healthy lifestyle is especially important for young adult and teenage survivors of cancer, and how health behavior messages related to diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption are developed and presented may impact their effectiveness in this population, according to an article in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (JAYAO).
	FTC accuses Endo, other drugmakers of antitrust violations The Federal Trade Commission has accused several drugmakers of violating antitrust laws, via agreements the commission said delayed the U.S. launches of cheaper generic versions of two popular pain treatments.

Biology news

	Starvation as babies makes bees stronger as adults A lack of adequate nutrition is blamed as one of many possible causes for colony collapse disorder or CCD—a mysterious syndrome that causes a honey bee colony to die. Parasites, pesticides, pathogens and environmental changes are also stressors believed responsible for the decline of honey bees.
	Illuminating the inner 'machines' that give bacteria an energy boost Scientists at the University of Liverpool have tracked how microscopic organisms called cyanobacteria make use of internal protein 'machines' to boost their ability to convert carbon dioxide into sugar during photosynthesis.
	Sex of a baby? Ancient virus makes the call The sex of human and all mammalian babies may be determined by a simple modification of a virus that insinuated itself into the mammalian genome as recently as 1.5 million years ago, a new Yale University-led study has found.
New tools allow rapid ID of CRISPR-Cas system PAMs CRISPR-Cas systems are widely heralded as a new generation of genetic tools. But development of these tools requires researchers to identify the protospacer-adjacent motifs (PAMs) that unlock each system's functionality. A new set of techniques expedites PAM identification—and early testing finds that many CRISPR-Cas systems actually have multiple PAMs of varying strength.
	Underappreciated protein plays critical role in RNA regulation and male fertility A protein once thought to be of little consequence has been found to be a central player in processes ranging from male fertility to early embryonic development, according to a study published in the March 31 online issue of Cell by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
	Sweet tooth? Flies have it too: New study shows how they know what to eat and when to stop All animals, including humans, love sweet food, particularly when we are hungry. But if you're someone who never turns down dessert under normal circumstances, try wolfing down six donuts as a scientific experiment. Even the moistest, most velvety piece of chocolate cake will seem a lot less appetizing—and you will likely eat less of it.
	Strong effects of climate change on common bird populations in both Europe and US Scientists have shown for the first time that common bird populations are responding to climate change in a similar pronounced way in both Europe and the USA.
	A programming language for living cells MIT biological engineers have created a programming language that allows them to rapidly design complex, DNA-encoded circuits that give new functions to living cells.
	Technical advances in reading long DNA sequences have ramifications in understanding primate evolution, human disease Technical advances in reading long DNA sequences have ramifications in understanding primate evolution and human disease.
	Proving the genetic code's flexibility A, C, G and T - stand in for the four chemical bases that store information in DNA. A sequence of these same four letters, repeating in a particular order, genetically defines an organism. Within the genome sequence are shorter, three-letter codons that represent one of the 20 regularly used amino acids, with three of the possible 64 three-letter codons reserved for stop signals. These amino acids are the building blocks of proteins that carry out a myriad of functions. For example, the amino acid alanine can be represented by the three-letter codon GCU and the amino acid cysteine by the three-letter codon UGU. In some organisms, the three-letter codon UGA, which normally signals the end of a protein-coding gene, is hijacked to code for a rare genetically encoded amino acid called selenocysteine.
Mystery of broadbills' wing song revealed Waking up to the bubbling melody of a dawn chorus is one of life's simple pleasures, but not all birds indulge in vocal displays of virtuosity. Some, like hummingbirds, produce exotic buzzing sounds as their wing feathers vibrate while they bustle around. Fascinated by several wing-singing species, Richard Prum and Christopher Clark from Yale University, USA, were keen to expand their repertoire of birds that produce song with their feathers.
Scientists discover way to improve effectiveness of antibiotics Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have discovered that antibiotics can continue to be effective if bacteria's cell-to-cell communication and ability to latch on to each other are disrupted.
	New tumbleweed species rapidly expanding range Two invasive species of tumbleweed have hybridized to create a new species of tumbleweed that University of California, Riverside researchers found has dramatically expanded its geographic range in California in just a decade.
	Freezing plants to predict the fate of the Arctic Global warming means much warmer winters in the Arctic, with more rain and icing. Researchers are working to understand what that will do to plants that have evolved to overwinter under a thick blanket of snow.
Designing gene therapy Scientists at EMBL have increased the efficiency of a genome-engineering tool called Sleeping Beauty, which is showing promise in clinical trials of therapies for leukaemia and lymphoma. In a study published today in Nature Communications, they reveal structural information that they hope will ultimately result in better patient outcomes.
	Snottygobble hacks up propagation mystery Local researchers have unravelled the germination secrets of WA's strangely-named snottygobble tree (Persoonia longifolia R.Br.), thereby opening the door for the species to help rehabilitate WA's landscape.
	New bacteria from anammox wastewater treatment Removal of nitrogen from wastewater is crucial to maintain water quality. A novel wastewater treatment technology based on "anammox" bacteria, capable of removal of nitrogen compounds anaerobically, has greatly improved this process. After a decade of operation of a full scale anammox reactor, researchers of the Radboud University and BE-Basic have studied the microorganisms in that a reactor and found unexpected diversity in this man-made system, including some "microbial dark matter". The work, published on March 31 by the journal Nature Communications, can help improving the performance of anammox reactors.
'Homing turtles' go back to familiar grounds A James Cook University study has found turtles released back into the wild almost always return home—even if they have to swim more than 100km or have spent more than a year away.
	Virus evolution differs by species of mosquito carrier A new study on how the West Nile virus evolves in four species of mosquitos shows that viruses accumulate mutations in their insect carriers that reduce how well they reproduce when passed on to a bird host. Viruses carried by one of the tropical species were best able to maintain their reproductive fitness and thus spread. The study, published March 31, 2016 in Cell Host & Microbe, could lead to new strategies for predicting and preparing for future viral outbreaks.
	Harlequin ladybirds are conquering the world at great speed The arrival and subsequent dramatic increase in the number of the invasive alien harlequin ladybird in many countries has been met with considerable trepidation by the scientific community.
	New genus of treehopper named after Selena Quintanilla, the queen of Tejano music Insects known as treehoppers vary wildly in form, sporting many different shapes and colors.
	Want to know where threatened species live? Look to the clouds Much of our planet's biodiversity is concentrated in hotspots, such as tropical mountains, where knowledge about the habitats and distributions of species remains too uncertain to guide management and conservation.
Bat-killing disease found in Washington state, first in West A fungal disease that has killed millions of bats nationwide has spread to Washington state, the first time white-nose syndrome has turned up in the western United States, federal wildlife officials said Thursday.
Pakistan city announces rat-killing bounty after infestation Authorities in Pakistan's northwest announced a bounty for killing rats after receiving hundreds of complaints of rodents infesting the region's biggest city.
Practices at wildlife markets in Lao PDR endangering both biodiversity and human health Wildlife markets in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) illegally trade in high volumes of protected species and animals that can host dangerous pathogens, reports a new study from an international team of leading wildlife health professionals.

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