Science X Newsletter Tuesday, Jan 20

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for January 20, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Sonic booms in nerves and lipid membranes
- Laser-generated surface structures create extremely water-repellent metals
- Researchers find mountain climbers from hierarchical societies have more success and more deaths
- Probing the deep history of human genes and language
- Harnessing data from Nature's great evolutionary experiment
- Beijing team proposes effortless phone charging with light beams
- New cancer-fighting strategy would harden cells to prevent metastasis
- Researchers open 'Pandora's box' of potential cancer biomarkers
- Burying beetles hatch survival plan to source food, study shows
- Kennewick Man's DNA likely that of a Native
- X-rays unlock secrets of ancient scrolls buried by volcano
- 'Fight or flight' response control center for the heart found
- New signal amplification process set to transform communications, imaging, computing
- Warming climate likely will change the composition of northern forests, study shows
- Living longer, not healthier

Astronomy & Space news

	Image: Venus Express snaps swirling vortex This ghostly puff of smoke is actually a mass of swirling gas and cloud at Venus' south pole, as seen by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) aboard ESA's Venus Express spacecraft.
	Ocean floor dust gives new insight into supernovae Scientists plumbing the depths of the ocean have made a surprise finding that could change the way we understand supernovae, exploding stars way beyond our solar system.
	Google aboard as Musk's SpaceX gets $1 bn in funding The private space exploration firm SpaceX said Tuesday it had secured a $1 billion investment that could help founder Elon Musk's plan to build a satellite Internet network.
	NEOWISE—a yearlong look at the sky NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft discovered and characterized 40 near-Earth objects (NEOs) in the first year after the mission was re-started in December 2013. Eight of the discoveries have been classified as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), based on their size and how close their orbits could come to Earth's orbit.
	Elon Musk wants to bring the Internet to Mars Truly a man for all seasons, Elon Musk's next big thing is to build an internet for when people start arriving on Mars.
	NOAA's DSCOVR NISTAR instrument watches Earth's 'budget' The NISTAR instrument that will fly aboard NOAA's space weather-observing spacecraft called the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), is going to measure the Earth's radiation budget.
	Are aliens watching old TV shows? You've probably heard the trope about how aliens have been watching old episodes of "I Love Lucy" and might think these are our "historical documents". How far have our signals reached?
Video: The future of manned moon exploration This 8-minute film gives an overview of the past, present, and future of Moon Exploration, from the Lunar cataclysm to ESA's vision of what Lunar exploration could be.

Technology news

	Beijing team proposes effortless phone charging with light beams "Hurry up, my phone's dying." A familiar wail heard on the move. Cutting-edge smartphones pose charging headaches faster than the smartphone owner likes, with their powerful multicore CPU and GPU cores, screens, high-speed wireless network interfaces, energy-expensive apps and continuous sensing tasks. Can a light beam ease the charging exercises to effortlessly charge a smartphone? Three researchers think so.
	Japan to sell talking robots that won't try to make sense (Update) The scientist behind a new talking robot in Japan says people should stop expecting robots to understand them, and instead try to chime in with robotic conversations.
	Offshore wind capacity in Germany passes gigawatt mark Germany's offshore wind capacity more than doubled last year as investors warm up to the technology, reported Reuters. The increase was from 915 megawatts (MW) at the end of 2013 to 2.35 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2014. As such, reported Paul Dvorak in Windpower Engineering and Development, "The German market for offshore wind energy projects broke through the gigawatt barrier in 2014.
	Boy, 13, builds Braille printer with Legos, starts company In Silicon Valley, it's never too early to become an entrepreneur. Just ask 13-year-old Shubham Banerjee.
	Solar plane set for landmark round the world flight A plane with the top speed of a homing pigeon is set to embark on a landmark round-the-world flight using nothing but the sun's energy to power it, organisers said Tuesday.
	Microfluidic device allows researchers to predict behavior of patients' blood cells Patients with sickle cell disease often suffer from painful attacks known as vaso-occlusive crises, during which their sickle-shaped blood cells get stuck in tiny capillaries, depriving tissues of needed oxygen. Blood transfusions can sometimes prevent such attacks, but there are currently no good ways to predict when a vaso-occlusive crisis, which can last for several days, is imminent.
	Wearable sensor clears path to long-term EKG, EMG monitoring Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new, wearable sensor that uses silver nanowires to monitor electrophysiological signals, such as electrocardiography (EKG) or electromyography (EMG). The new sensor is as accurate as the "wet electrode" sensors used in hospitals, but can be used for long-term monitoring and is more accurate than existing sensors when a patient is moving.
	New privacy concerns over government's health care website The government's health insurance website is quietly passing along consumers' personal data to outside websites, just as President Barack Obama is calling for stronger cybersecurity protections.
	Twitter buys India mobile phone startup ZipDial Twitter said on Tuesday it will buy Indian mobile marketing firm ZipDial, reportedly for $30-$40 million, as it looks to tap one of the world's fastest growing mobile phone markets.
	Researchers develop cheaper and simpler radar-absorbent material A radar absorbent material (RAM) that can operate over a broad range of frequencies and incident angles, is simple to manufacture, low cost, robust, and thin enough for conformal applications like aircraft cloaking has been developed by researchers at Queens University Belfast (QUB).
	Landmine detector that uses pulse induction to improve sensitivity Collaborating researchers at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and the Samsung Thales Corporation have developed a landmine detector that uses pulse induction to improve sensitivity. Their device is particularly effective for detecting deep mines, which standard metal detectors would miss due to the distortion effect of their transmitted current.
Researcher discusses electronic cochlear architecture Researchers have developed an architecture and digital implementation of an electronic cochlea with an acoustic fovea and address event representation using field programmable gate arrays. Prof. Andreas Andreou of Johns Hopkins University in the US talks about his group's approach to bio-inspired technology, like the work in this recent paper.
	Google Glass was a product looking for a market The announcement that Google is to halt sales of its Google Glass augmented-reality spectacles has been interpreted by some people as the end of a pilot project and the start of a new phase of product development, or by others as indicative of failure.
	Is social media the weak link in the fight against cyber attacks? Improved cybersecurity for governments and the private sector is expected to feature in US President Barack Obama's annual State of the Union Address delivered on Tuesday night (US time) to Congress.
	Wearable sensor promotes safer driving Fujitsu today announced the launch of Fujitsu Vehicle ICT FEELythm, a new wearable sensor product that promotes safer driving. Intended for use in the transportation sector, FEELythm will initially be sold in Japan from February 2015.
	New technology that identifies users vulnerable to cyber attack based on behavioral and psychological characteristics Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. have announced the development of the industry's first technology for identifying users vulnerable to cyber attacks based on the ways they use their computers, such as their e-mail and web activities. This will make it possible to implement security measures tailored to individuals and organizations.
	The first public lighting system that runs on solar and wind energy Ramon Bargalló is a researcher belonging to the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Barcelona College of Industrial Engineering (EUETIB) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). In collaboration with the company Eolgreen, he has developed the first autonomous industrialised public lighting system that works with solar and wind energy.
	Facebook's free-access Internet is limited – and that's raised questions over fairness Despite the importance of the Internet to contemporary society, according to the ITU only 42% of the world's population are online. That leaves 4.3 billion people without the Internet, of which 90% live in the developing world. African, Asian and Latin American nations have some of the world's lowest rates of Internet use, where barriers include afforadability, lack of infrastructure, perceived lack of need and linguistic barriers.
	Yahoo CEO poised to make fateful decision on Alibaba stake Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is facing her biggest business decision since she left Google two-and-a-half years ago to lead its struggling rival: how to manage Yahoo's most valuable asset, a 15 percent stake in Chinese Internet star Alibaba Group worth nearly $37 billion.
	Study shows cities with more transportation options most resilient Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver studying how the region would react to a sudden spike in gas prices, found those living closest to their work, in areas with more compact street networks and better multi-modal infrastructure, would be more resilient than others.
	Facebook aims to curb news feed 'hoaxes' Facebook said Tuesday it would step up efforts to limit circulation of bogus "news stories" in user feeds, saying it is an annoyance for members of the huge social network.
	IBM 4Q revenue continues to sag, 2015 outlook disappoints IBM's fourth-quarter net income dropped 11 percent as revenue in most categories continued to decline, and its outlook for the year disappointed investors.
US settles case over fake Facebook page The Justice Department has reached a $134,000 settlement with a New York woman after federal drug agents used information from her cellphone to set up a fake Facebook page in her name, a tactic that raised privacy concerns and led to a federal government review of the ruse, according to court papers filed Tuesday.
	Netflix reels in 4.3M more subscribers 4Q; stock surges Coming off its best quarter yet, Netflix is hoping to hook millions more Internet video subscribers with the lure of original programming as the company tries to build the leading network for the digital-streaming age.
Hewlett-Packard introduces eight new business tablets Hoping to give a boost to its mobile-computing business, Hewlett-Packard unveiled eight new tablets and related products Tuesday aimed at educators, retailers, health care workers and other professionals.
Microsoft buys text analysis startup Equivio Microsoft seems to like something about Israeli data-analysis startups.
Y Combinator report shows difficulty in diversifying tech workforces As much as tech firms talk about diversifying their workforces, and as much as venture capitalists talk about funding more women and people of color, there is one glaring and persistent problem - not enough women, blacks and Latinos are signing up for the tech industry.
China's Alibaba makes first investment in Israeli firm Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has made its first investment in an Israeli company by funding start-up Visualead, a provider of QR code technology, the companies said in a statement Tuesday.
	Survey: Trust down at 2009 levels after unpredictable year Trust in institutions has fallen to levels not seen since the financial crisis, after a year that produced the twin Malaysia Airlines disasters and the conflict in Ukraine, a global survey found Tuesday.
Nintendo to discontinue Club Nintendo rewards program Nintendo is discontinuing its Club Nintendo rewards program and will replace it in the U.S. with a new customer loyalty program at a later date.
	Romanian who claimed he invented world's first jetpack dies A Romanian inventor who claimed he beat the Americans to make the world's first jetpack and went on to design and build dozens of vehicles, calling the modern-day car "a disgrace," has died aged 81.
	Switching to energy efficient electrical appliances EU-funded researchers have developed an online software platform to help household appliance designers make their products more energy efficient.
	Johnson & Johnson tops 4Q earnings expectations The strong dollar and stiff competition for some products squeezed Johnson & Johnson in the fourth quarter and it missed Wall Street expectations for revenue, triggering a rare sell-off of its shares.
	Simulator determines most effective urban measures aimed at increasing bicycle use within cities Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona researchers have developed a computer simulation model which helps city officials decide which improvements can be made to increase the number of bicycle users in the city. The model compares different actions and determines which sets of measures are the most adequate according to their impact.
	Photometallization allows production of the entire circuitry on touchscreens in one step When users operate their smartphones, tablets and so on, they do not give a second thought to the complicated electronics that make them work. All that concerns them is that they can happily swipe and tap away. To make the touchscreens work, they are provided on their surface with microscopically small electrical conductor tracks, which detect the position when touched with a finger. At the peripheries of the devices, these microscopic tracks merge into larger conductor tracks. Until now, several production stages have been needed to create them. The researchers at the INM – Leibniz-Institute for New Materials are now presenting a novel process that allows microscopic and macroscopic conductor tracks to be produced in one step.
Engineers to fine-tune 'cold spray,' a next-gen 3D-printing technology for astronauts Engineers from Trinity College Dublin are leading a four-year, €500,000 European Space Agency (ESA) project to fine-tune 'Cold Spray,' (CS) – a revolutionary, environmentally friendly technology that deposits materials onto engineering components. The fruits of their labours will be seen on spacecraft in outer space as well as on a variety of household applications and on the transport vehicles we use every day.
Man charged with helping run website selling drugs, guns A Washington state man was charged Tuesday with helping run what investigators call one of the most sophisticated and widely used criminal marketplaces on the Internet.

Medicine & Health news

	Common gut microbe might curb multiple sclerosis risk—at least in women A common gut microbe might curb the risk of developing multiple sclerosis—at least in women—suggests the largest study of its kind published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
	Too much sitting can be deadly—even if you exercise, review finds Regular exercise doesn't erase the higher risk of serious illness or premature death that comes from sitting too much each day, a new review reveals.
	'Fight or flight' response control center for the heart found An animal study led by Johns Hopkins investigators has uncovered what controls the ability of healthy hearts to speed up in response to circumstances ranging from fear to a jog around the block.
	On the ups and downs of the seemingly idle brain Even in its quietest moments, the brain is never "off." Instead, while under anesthesia, during slow-wave sleep, or even amid calm wakefulness, the brain's cortex maintains a cycle of activity and quiet called "up" and "down" states. A new study by Brown University neuroscientists probed deep into this somewhat mysterious cycle in mice, to learn more about how the mammalian brain accomplishes it.
	Team sheds light on genetic mutations in autism disorders Recent research has linked autism with a lack of "pruning" in developing brain connections, but a new Dartmouth study suggests instead it is the excessive growth of new connections that causes sensory overload in people with the disorder.
	Study indicates exercise sharpens the young adult brain Regular physical activity improves brain function even in young adults considered in their prime and at the height of cognitive ability, according to a new University of Otago study.
	Researchers find a novel signaling pathway involved in appetite control A new study has revealed important details of a molecular signaling system in the brain that is involved in the control of body weight and metabolism. The study, published January 19 in Nature, provides a new understanding of the melanocortin pathway and could lead to new treatments for obesity.
	Researchers open 'Pandora's box' of potential cancer biomarkers A new analysis opens the door to discovery of thousands of potential new cancer biomarkers.
	New cancer-fighting strategy would harden cells to prevent metastasis Existing cancer therapies are geared toward massacring tumor cells, but Johns Hopkins researchers propose a different strategy: subtly hardening cancer cells to prevent them from invading new areas of the body. They devised a way of screening compounds for the desired effect and have identified a compound that shows promise in fighting pancreatic cancer. Their study appears this week in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Men and women process emotions differently, brain study shows Women rate emotional images as more emotionally stimulating than men do and are more likely to remember them. However, there are no gender-related differences in emotional appraisal as far as neutral images are concerned. These were the findings of a large-scale study by a research team at the University of Basel that focused on determining the gender-dependent relationship between emotions, memory performance and brain activity. The results will be published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
	Walking groups come out trumps for boosting overall health without side effects Risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, depression and other life-threatening conditions can be reduced through regular outdoor walking in groups, according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
	Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is linked to reduced risk of heart failure Evidence already exists for the beneficial effects of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol on the risk of developing a number of heart conditions; however, the role it plays in the risk of developing heart failure has been under-researched with conflicting results.
	New 'microcapsules' have potential to repair damage caused by osteoarthritis A new 'microcapsule' treatment delivery method developed by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) could reduce inflammation in cartilage affected by osteoarthritis and reverse damage to tissue. The research was funded by Arthritis Research UK and the AO Foundation.
	New study suggests urban living may be overrated as risk factor for asthma Challenging the long-standing belief that city dwellers suffer disproportionately from asthma, the results of a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study of more than 23,000 U.S. children reveal that income, race and ethnic origin may play far more potent roles in asthma risk than kids' physical surroundings.
	Researchers make breakthrough on new anesthetics For the first time since the 1970s, researchers are on the verge of developing a new class of anesthetics. According to a study published in the February issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), a new approach to identifying compounds may lead to the next generation of anesthetics.
Hospitalized for pneumonia? Your risk of cardiovascular disease is higher Your chance of having a heart attack or stroke increases significantly if you have been hospitalized for pneumonia, according to a paper published today in the influential JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association).
	Study advances knowledge of relatively unknown blood-borne bacteria Haemoplasmas are a group of blood borne bacteria found in a wide range of mammals, including domestic and wild cats, and can cause severe anaemia. The findings of a new study have significantly advanced researchers' knowledge of immunity for these pathogens.
Use of IVF procedure for male infertility has doubled; not linked with improved outcomes The use of an assisted reproduction technique known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) doubled between 1996 and 2012, although compared with conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF), use of ICSI was not associated with improved reproductive outcomes, according to a study in the January 20 issue of JAMA.
Working collaboratively may help reduce medical errors Medical students who worked in pairs were more accurate in diagnosing simulated patient cases compared to students who worked alone, according to a study in the January 20 issue of JAMA.
Stem cell transplantation shows potential for reducing disability in patients with multiple sclerosis Results from a preliminary study indicate that among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (low intensity stem cell transplantation) was associated with improvement in measures of disability and quality of life, according to a study in the January 20 issue of JAMA.
	BPA exposure during pregnancy causes oxidative stress in child, mother Exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy can cause oxidative damage that may put the baby at risk of developing diabetes or heart disease later in life, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's journal Endocrinology.
Iodine deficiency in pregnant women impairs embryonic brain development Pregnant women in Austria commonly suffer from an iodine deficiency. This may have a negative impact on the development of their unborn child's brain. These are the key findings of a joint study by the Endocrinology and Metabolism Unit at the University Department of Internal Medicine III together with the University Department of Gynaecology at the MedUni Vienna and AGES, which have now been published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
	Donated embryo leads to stem cell line that generates nerve cells University of Michigan alumna Brooke Kendrick and her husband Stephen were ready to start a family.
Two Nigerian cities hit by bird flu Thousands of chickens have been culled in southern Nigeria after the discovery of bird flu in some poultry farms, the local health authorities said on Tuesday.
	Unlocking the kidney riddle in newborns Researchers are closer to understanding why babies born with smaller kidneys have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
	Don't count on oxygen causing lung cancer What causes cancer – and what can be done to prevent it – is one of the biggest questions in research – and although we've come a long way to answering it, there's always more to learn.
	Daily quiet time to improve new mothers' health A quiet time scheduled every afternoon could improve the health of newborns and mothers in maternity wards according to researchers at McGill University.
	Genetic changes in Ebola virus in West African outbreak could hinder potential treatments Researchers have tracked the genetic mutations that have occurred in the Ebola virus during the last four decades. Their findings, published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, identified changes in the current West African outbreak strain that could potentially interfere with experimental, sequence-based therapeutics.
	Coffee may be associated with a lower risk of malignant melanoma Both epidemiological and pre-clinical studies have suggested that coffee consumption has a protective effect against non-melanoma skin cancers. However the protective effect for cutaneous melanoma (malignant and in situ) is less clear, according to a study published January 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	Hunger hormone in infancy may link to lifelong obesity risk Our subconscious motivation to eat is powerfully and dynamically regulated by hormone signals. The gut-derived hormone ghrelin is one such key regulator, promoting appetite through its effects on neurons in a small region of the brain called the hypothalamus.
	Research gives new hope for restoring cells in damaged brains and spinal cords What motivates Penn State scientists and their students to devote countless hours trying to solve tough research mysteries? For Gong Chen, a biology professor at Penn State, the answer is rooted in a desire to help relieve the suffering of patients and their loved ones.
	Immunotherapy inhibits heroin effects in research animals Immunotherapy could have a place in the treatment of substance abuse in the future. A specific antibody can reduce the acute effects of heroin, according to a new experimental study at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
	Fat and sugar-heavy diet harms your brain – and makes you keep on eating Do you eat only when you're actually hungry? Many of us eat even when our bodies don't need food. Just the thought of food entices us to eat. We think about food when we see other people eating, when we pass a favorite fast-food restaurant, when we see a scrumptious snack near the check-out at a convenience store. In addition, we're the targets of sophisticated advertising techniques designed to keep thoughts of food and the pleasures of eating almost constantly in our minds.
How to attack and paralyze myeloma cells Multiple myeloma is a malignant disease characterised by proliferation of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow and typically accompanied by the secretion of monoclonal immunoglobulins that are detectable in the serum or urine. Increased understanding of the microenvironmental interactions between malignant plasma cells and the bone marrow niche, and their role in disease progression and acquisition of therapy resistance, has helped the development of novel therapeutic drugs for use in combination with cytostatic therapy.
	Dog-human cooperation is based on social skills of wolves Dogs are man's best friend and partner. The origins of this dog-human relationship were subject of a study by behavioural scientists from the Messerli Research Institute at the Vetmeduni Vienna and the Wolf Science Center. They showed that the ancestors of dogs, the wolves, are at least as attentive to members of their species and to humans as dogs are. This social skill did not emerge during domestication, as has been suggested previously, but was already present in wolves. The researchers have published a summary of their results and present their new theory in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
PCOS affects one in 10 women, may be linked to other serious diseases Despite its name, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) isn't actually a disease of the ovary.
Young Asians at greater skin cancer risk in Australia New research from the University of Adelaide shows that young Asian Australians could be placing themselves at greater risk of developing skin cancer by engaging in "dangerous" sun behaviour.
	Optogenetics makes sterile mice fertile again Scientists from the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar) in Bonn, an Institute of the Max Planck Society, have succeeded for the first time in controlling the function of sperm by optogenetics. They inserted a light-activated enzyme for cAMP synthesis into mouse sperm that lacked the endogenous enzyme. Sperm of these mice are usually non-motile, and the mice consequently infertile. After stimulation of these sperm with blue light, they produce cAMP, start to swim again, and are even able to fertilise eggs. Using optogenetics, the scientists are now able to control not only the influx of ions into nerve cells, and thus their activity, but also signalling pathways in other cell types.
	A very personal perspective on Dengue fever Leah Katzelnick was all set for a career as an anthropologist until she contracted dengue fever. She was in hospital for a week with severe symptoms. It changed her life. She is now working on a new perspective on dengue fever which involves mapping the complex interaction between different strains of the virus, based on similar work done by Cambridge experts on flu.
	Study rates migraine medications (HealthDay)—The best medications to use if you suffer migraine headaches are listed in a new study.
	Google Glass technology less reliable than paper ECG (HealthDay)—Google Glass technology for remote electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation is significantly less reliable than paper ECG, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
	n-3 fatty acids cut nonesterified fatty acid, T2DM link (HealthDay)—Nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) are associated with type 2 diabetes, and the association is modified by n-3 FA levels, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Diabetes Care.
	Electronic alert cuts proportion of IV proton pump inhibitors (HealthDay)—An electronic alert triggered on order of intravenous (IV) proton pump inhibitors (PPI) can decrease the proportion of IV PPIs ordered, according to a research letter published online Jan. 19 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
	Dyslipidemia, high BP prevalent among US youth (HealthDay)—About one in five children and adolescents had adverse lipid concentrations, and one in ten had borderline high or high blood pressure (BP) in 2011 to 2012, according to research published online Jan. 19 in JAMA Pediatrics.
	Viral load at delivery in about 13 percent of women taking HAART (HealthDay)—Among women who initiate highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during pregnancy, 13.1 percent have detectable viral load (VL) at delivery, according to a study published online in the Jan. 20 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Supreme Court sides with Teva in drug dispute The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. in the company's high-profile patent dispute with rival firms over the top-selling multiple sclerosis drug.
New hope for understanding sudden cardiac arrest New biosciences research at the University of Kent could point the way to greater understanding of the heart mutations that cause sudden cardiac arrest.
	Researchers prevent type 1 diabetes in lab In new research published in Endocrinology, Thomas Burris, Ph.D., chair of pharmacological and physiological science at Saint Louis University, reports that his team has found a way to prevent type I diabetes in an animal model.
Portable stimulator being tested on Parkinson's patients Parkinson's disease is a slowly degenerative neurological disease that is expressed as impaired motor control, tremors, stiffness and, in later stages, problems with balance.
Study calls for new global standard for safe drinking water and sanitation A new study conducted jointly by The Water Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine calls for a new global standard for improvements in household drinking water and sanitation access.
Unexpected turn in diabetes research Years of diabetes research carried out on mice whose DNA had been altered with a human growth hormone gene is now ripe for reinterpretation after a new study by researchers at KU Leuven confirms that the gene had an unintended effect on the mice's insulin production, a key variable in diabetes research.
	Breakthrough may impact flu vaccination An analysis of 10 years' worth of data on human influenza B viruses has shed new light on the pathogen which can cause the seasonal flu. Findings from this study could help make flu immunization programs more effective; by better targeting vaccines or by eventually eliminating one of the flu lineages completely.
	New antibodies for cancer treatment Out of a library with billions of artificial antibodies, researchers have identified ten that can possibly prevent cancer tumours from growing.
Bariatric surgery can benefit some obese children and teens Bariatric surgery—as a last resort when conservative interventions have failed—can improve liver disease and other obesity-related health problems in severely obese children and adolescents, according to a position paper in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, official journal of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
	Muscle weakness studies suggest possible therapeutic strategies A recently published study by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher and her colleagues suggests potential therapies for central core disease, a condition that can delay development of motor skills such as sitting, crawling and walking in affected infants.
Lung transplant patients do worse with lungs from heavy drinkers Lung transplant patients who receive lungs from heavy drinkers are nearly nine times more likely to experience a life-threatening complication called primary graft dysfunction, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.
China's aging population poses challenges, but policy changes can help While the rapid aging of China's population is thought to condemn the nation to a dismal future, past policies on education and new policies to improve health and foster internal migration could ease the challenges posed by an older citizenry, according to a new study of the impact of aging on China's future.
	Current nutrition labeling is hard to digest Current government-mandated nutrition labeling is ineffective in improving nutrition, but there is a better system available, according to a study by McGill University researchers published in the December issue of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
	Study challenges best way to position women during childbirth New research is challenging what many obstetricians and physician anesthesiologists believe is the best way to position women during labor. According to a study published in the February issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists® (ASA®), the traditional practice of positioning women on their side, with hips tilted at 15 degrees, during labor does not effectively reduce compression of the inferior vena cava, a large vein located near the abdominal area that returns blood to the heart, as previously thought. In fact, not until the degree of tilt reached 30 degrees did blood flow only partially increase in patients, the study found.
	Poor social integration = poor health There are many benefits to being supported by a strong social network. But can having more friends actually make you healthier? New research from Concordia shows that social relationships affect not only our mental but also our physical wellbeing.
Connection between childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders seen at cellular level In a new study published online in Biological Psychiatry on January 16, 2015, researchers from Butler Hospital identify an association between biological changes on the cellular level and both childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders. These changes in the form of telomere shortening and alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), are important in the aging process, and this new research provides evidence that psychosocial factors—specifically childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders— may also influence these cellular changes and could lead to accelerated aging.
Gene therapy-associated cancer incidence depends on vector design National Institutes of Health researchers have uncovered a key factor in understanding the elevated cancer risk associated with gene therapy. They conducted research on mice with a rare disease similar to one in humans, hoping their findings may eventually help improve gene therapy for humans. Researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of NIH, published their research in the Jan. 20, 2015, online issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Findings do not support chlorhexidine bathing in ICUs Once daily bathing with disposable cloths with the topical antimicrobial agent chlorhexidine of critically ill patients did not reduce the incidence of health care-associated infections, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 44th Critical Care Congress.
	Patients satisfied with shared appointments before mohs Sx (HealthDay)—Patient satisfaction is high for shared medical appointments (SMAs) for preoperative consultation regarding Mohs micrographic surgery, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
	Physicians hit barriers in making cancer referrals (HealthDay)—Many physicians report encountering barriers when referring cancer patients to specialty care, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of Cancer.
	Few patients fill high-intensity statin rx after CHD discharge (HealthDay)—Only about a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries fill a high-intensity statin prescription after discharge from hospitalization for a coronary heart disease (CHD) event, according to a study published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	Bullying linked to lower urinary tract symptoms in children (HealthDay)—For 8- to 11-year-olds, bullying is associated with lower urinary tract symptoms, according to a study published in the February issue of The Journal of Urology.
New Sri Lankan health minister vows to help kidney patients Sri Lanka's new health minister said a mystery kidney disease that has ravaged farmers in part of the country for two decades will be given top priority under the newly elected government.
Nigeria nearing six months without single polio case Nigeria was on Tuesday awarded $8.1 million in funding for a final push to eradicate polio, as it nears six months without a case of the disease.
New research defines role of long noncoding RNAs in inflammation Inflammation and immune system activation are complex processes controlled by elaborate signaling pathways and hundreds of genes that are turned on and off in response to external stimuli such as bacteria or viruses. A class of molecules called long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are now emerging as important regulators of inflammatory gene expression and potential targets for novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics, as described in a Review article in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR).
Revolutionary back surgery technique for children with scoliosis The Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center (CHU Sainte-Justine) affiliated to Université de Montréal is now the first institution in Québec, the second in Canada and among the world's top ten to perform a revolutionary back surgery technique in children with scoliosis. The number of such surgeries performed worldwide so far is less than a hundred. Unlike any other technique, this one enables children of seven years of age and up to 14 years old to gain a straight spine, with no limitation of movement. The intervention is performed at CHU Sainte-Justine by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stefan Parent, who also carries research with the aim of identifying those children at-risk of major curvature progression who are likely to benefit from the new surgical technique. Straightening the spine by leveraging the child's growth
Men who live alone run a greater risk of dying prematurely after stroke Men who live alone have a considerably greater long-term risk of dying prematurely than other patients. This is shown in a doctoral thesis that followed 1,090 stroke cases in western Sweden.
Tracking the flu with data The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently declared a flu epidemic in the U.S., with the virus appearing in 46 states so far. Many people have stayed home sick, while officials have announced that this year's vaccine is not as effective as in years past. Alessandro Vespignani—a world-renowned statistical physicist and the Sternberg Distinguished Professor of Physics who holds joint appointments in the College of Science, the College of Computer and Information Science, and the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern—and his team in the university's Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological and Socio-Technical Systems are utilizing large amounts of data to model the spread of the virus and predict when the outbreak will begin to taper off.
Aboriginal women address high rates of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in remote Australia One in eight children born in 2002 or 2003 and living in remote Fitzroy Valley communities in Western Australia have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a landmark study has found.
Researcher contributes to work finding shared pathways for psychiatric disorders Nancy Buccola, MSN, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, CNE, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing, contributed samples used in a study reporting shared genetic risk factors and common pathways for schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. The results are published online January 19, 2015 in Nature Neuroscience.
	Does gestational diabetes affect the therapeutic potential of umbilical cord-derived stem cells? Multipotent cells isolated from the human umbilical cord, called mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs) have shown promise for use in cell therapy to treat a variety of human diseases. However, intriguing new evidence shows that hUC-MSCs isolated from women with gestational diabetes demonstrate premature aging, poorer cell growth, and altered metabolic function, as reported in an article in Stem Cells and Development.
	Patients actively warmed during surgery still experience hypothermia, study finds Body temperature decreases during the first hour of surgery, even when patients are actively warmed with forced air, reports a new study published in the February issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Furthermore, patients who experience the most hypothermia are more likely to require blood transfusions.
ASCO names Cancer Advance of the Year The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for the first time announced its cancer Advance of the Year: the transformation of treatment for the most common form of adult leukemia. Until now, many patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have had few effective treatment options. Four newly approved therapies, however, are poised to dramatically improve the outlook for patients with the disease.
High-dose statin may protect heart surgery patients' kidney health Acute kidney injury often arises after major surgery because the kidneys can be deprived of normal blood flow during the procedure. The use of contrast media, or dyes, can contribute to this problem.
Staff at psychiatric hospitals often face threats of physical violence In a survey of 348 workers at a large psychiatric hospital, 99% of the staff reported verbal conflict with patients, and 70% reported being assaulted during the previous 12 months. Verbal conflict with other staff was also high, at 92%.
Equation helps identify global disparities in cancer screening and treatment Disparities in cancer screening, incidence, treatment, and survival are worsening globally. In a new study on colorectal cancer, researchers found that the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) can help identify whether a country has a higher mortality than might be expected based on cancer incidence.
	Hearing-aid intervention helps individuals gradually adjust to devices When individuals wear their hearing aids for the first time, they are flooded with sounds they have not heard in months or years; yet, previous research has shown that not all new sounds are welcomed. Ambient noises such as air conditioners, wind and background conversations can be painful, irritating and difficult to ignore, causing some individuals to stop using their hearing aids right away. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has developed an intervention that helps older adults gradually increase their hearing-aid use and satisfaction with the devices.
VA settles more retaliation complaints by whistleblowers The Veterans Affairs Department said Tuesday it is offering relief to more than two dozen employees who faced retaliation after filing whistleblower complaints about wrongdoing at VA hospitals and clinics nationwide.
Education aids understanding, reduces stigma of facial paralysis, study shows A little bit of sensitivity training can help people form better first impressions of those with facial paralysis, reducing prejudices against people with a visible but often unrecognizable disability, new research from Oregon State University indicates.
Metabolic enzyme is upregulated in patients with non-small cell lung cancer The majority of lung cancers are classified as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Even with early detection, the 5-year survival rate for patients with NSCLC is less that 50%. Compared to the surrounding tissue, cancer cells have increased energy demands to maintain rapid proliferation. Cancer cells have been shown to alter their metabolic profile to meet the increased demand in energy.
Use of sedation protocol does not reduce time on ventilator for children Among children undergoing mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure, the use of a nurse-implemented, goal­directed sedation protocol compared with usual care did not reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 44th Critical Care Congress.
Study of rare ovarian cancer featured in ASCO 'Cancer Advances' annual report A groundbreaking TGen-led discovery of the likely genetic cause of an ovarian cancer that strikes young women and girls is featured today in the annual report of the American Society of Cancer Oncology (ASCO).

Biology news

	Harnessing data from Nature's great evolutionary experiment There are 3 billion letters in the human genome, and scientists have endlessly debated how many of them serve a functional purpose. There are those letters that encode genes, our hereditary information, and those that provide instructions about how cells can use the genes. But those sequences are written with a comparative few of the vast number of DNA letters. Scientists have long debated how much of, or even if, the rest of our genome does anything, some going so far as to designate the part not devoted to encoding proteins as "junk DNA."
Predators, parasites, pests and the paradox of biological control When a bird swoops down and grabs a caterpillar devouring your backyard garden, you might view it as a clear victory for natural pest control.
	Study shows lions got distemper from dogs originally but now there are other carriers (Phys.org)—A study conducted by an international team of researchers has led to evidence that suggests lions in Africa originally got distemper from domesticated dogs, but now it appears there are other unknown carriers. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the team explains the data analysis they undertook covering distemper infections in a park in Tanzania, and how their findings help better understand how infectious diseases jump between species.
	Caring and sharing is monkey business Chimpanzees, much like children, can learn to be kind by observing and experiencing the kindness of others, according to new research by the University of St Andrews.
	Implanting complex multimodal fibers into the spinal column The human brain's complexity makes it extremely challenging to study—not only because of its sheer size, but also because of the variety of signaling methods it uses simultaneously. Conventional neural probes are designed to record a single type of signaling, limiting the information that can be derived from the brain at any point in time. Now researchers at MIT may have found a way to change that.
	The importance of the position of cell nuclei for a correctly formed retina We perceive our environment mostly with our eyes: the visual system delivers about 80 percent of the information processed in the brain. The retina contains all the neurons responsible for transmitting visual information to the brain. At the Max Planck Institut of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, scientists discover the importance of the position of cell nuclei for a correct formed retina.
	New method for analysing RNA sequence data identifies new subtypes of cells A new method for analysing RNA sequence data allows researchers to identify new subtypes of cells, creating order out of seeming chaos. Published in Nature Biotechnology, the novel technique developed by scientists at The European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) represents a major step forward for single-cell genomics.
	Burying beetles hatch survival plan to source food, study shows Young beetles pick up sensory signals from adult insects to increase their chances of being fed - and shorten the odds of being killed instead.
	Living longer, not healthier A study of long-lived mutant C. elegans by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School shows that the genetically altered worms spend a greater portion of their life in a frail state and exhibit less activity as they age then typical nematodes. These findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that genes that increase longevity may not significantly increase healthy lifespan and point to the need to measure health as part of aging studies going forward.
	Scientists identify important mechanism involved in production of mosquito eggs Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes have contributed to the death and suffering of millions throughout human history, earning the mosquito the title as the world's most dangerous animal. Even today, several devastating mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus) continue to rage.
	India's tiger population jumps India, home to most of the world's wild tigers, on Tuesday reported a 30 percent jump in numbers over four years in a rare piece of good news for conservationists.
	Are Asian citrus psyllids afraid of heights? New study may provide clues for stopping them The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, was first discovered in Florida in 2005 and in Puerto Rico in 2007. Since then it has caused billions of dollars' worth of damage by spreading a bacterium which is responsible for citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing), the most serious disease of citrus in the world. However, scientists from Puerto Rico and Florida have discovered that the ACP doesn't do well at high elevations for reasons that are not yet known. Their research, which may one day lead to clues about the insect's vulnerabilities, is published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
	Lab develops protein-based vaccine for insect-borne virus Vaccines developed using proteins rather than live viruses can help protect animals and subsequently humans from insect-borne viruses, according to Alan Young, chief scientific officer for Medgene Labs, an animal health company that develops therapeutics and diagnostics, including vaccines.
	New research finds Takahe have African cousins New research from Massey University suggests that our Takahē have African cousins and that our Pūkeko are getting friendly with their Australian counterparts.
Twist1: Complex regulator of cell shape and function Transcription factor Twist1 is involved in many processes where cells change shape or function. Thereby, Twist1 is crucial for embryonic development, but has also been implicated in cancer progression. However, the precise contribution of Twist1 to these processes is under much debate. Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München describe a new mode of action: a short-term, transient activation of Twist1 primes cells for stem cell-like properties. By contrast, prolonged, chronic Twist1 activity suppresses stem cell-like traits. These results, published in the journal Cell Reports, help to unravel seemingly contradictory observations and illuminate the complexities of transcription factor action in regeneration and tumor progression.
Silk-weaving ant study sees new behavior A James Cook University Professor's study of silk-weaving ants is promising to change our understanding of how all creatures work together.
	Saving the little Aussie battler Efforts to save the koala should focus on the availability of habitat and food resources under a changing climate, according to a University of Queensland researcher.
Drugs from dirt: Scientists develop first global roadmap for drug discovery Rockefeller University scientists have analysed soils from beaches, forests, and deserts on five continents and discovered the best places in the world to mine untapped antibiotic and anticancer drugs. The findings, published in the open-access journal eLife, provide new insights into the natural world as well as a road map for future drug discovery. The scientists now want to collect more samples from unique environments such as caves, hot springs, islands and city parks. They will continue with their citizen science effort, Drugs from Dirt, inviting the public to submit samples.
	Climate change does not bode well for picky eaters In a part of the world that is experiencing the most dramatic increase in temperature and climate change, two very similar species of animals are responding very differently. New research published today suggests that how these species have adapted to co-exist with one another might be to blame.
	Mapping the maize genome Positional cloning is a genetic mapping technique used to pinpoint the location of specific traits of interest, such as disease-causing genes or mutations, within the genome. Very simply, this map-based technique involves crossing mutant individuals with wild-type individuals and examining the offspring in order to localize a candidate region in the genome for the mutation. By identifying genetic markers that are linked to the trait, progressively more precise areas on a chromosome are defined until the gene is identified.
	Mysterious goo blamed in San Francisco Bay Area bird deaths The death of 100 birds in the San Francisco Bay Area has baffled wildlife officials who say the creatures' feathers were coated with a mysterious substance that looks and feels like rubber cement.
A chemical modified version of the second messenger cAMP Second messengers are small molecules that transmit signals in the cell. A single second messenger typically interacts with several signalling proteins. "Even though this may give the impression of promiscuity, the interactions are in fact highly specific" Assistant Professor Rehmann from the University Medical Center Utrecht explains. "It is just that one second messenger functions in multiple signalling pathways. This is not a problem, as its concentration is tightly controlled. But it probably turns into a problem if we would flood the body with a drug just mimicking this second messenger. What we need is a drug influencing only one process."
	'Citizen science' reveals positive news for Puget Sound seabirds A new analysis of seven years of bird sightings by volunteer birdwatchers from the Seattle Audubon Society has found positive trends in several Puget Sound seabird species that had been in historic decline.
	Biggest fish in the ocean receives international protection Whale sharks are among the largest living fish in the world - weighing up to 40,000 pounds and 40 feet in length. They are also so docile that humans often swim with them without concern, snapping photographs of their incredible size.
	Organic and conventional milk—comparing apples to apples? Consumers perceive that organic cow milk differs from conventionally produced milk and that these differences justify the premium price for organic milk. In a review published in the Journal of Dairy Science, researchers in New Zealand found that the differences between organic and conventional milk are not so straightforward.
	In the face of imminent arrival of avocado plague, scientist undertake preventive measures From Asia, the red ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) has proved its damaging potential in Florida, where it attacked different varieties of trees of the laurel family, including avocado, resulting in death.
Leading microbiologist warns of killer fungi's increasing threat A leading microbiologist has warned of the increasing threat that killer fungi poses to humans and the environment.
Public attitude toward tiger farming and tiger conservation The wild tiger Panthera tigris is considered critically endangered, and it faces unprecedented threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of prey, and continued illegal poaching for trade of tiger bones for traditional medicine and skins for ornamentation and collection.

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