Science X Newsletter Monday, May 11

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for May 11, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Scientists use shape-fixing nanoreactor to make a better fuel cell catalyst
- Sodium selective DNAzyme sensor
- Why shaking hands matters (even when it's with a robot)
- Best of Last Week – A quantum shortcut, a ten-engine plane and cell phones that bother babies in utero
- Scientists show 'breaking waves' perturb Earth's magnetic field
- Researchers seeking to make computer brains smarter by making them more like our own
- Algorithm to distinguish reflections from photos taken through windows
- Neuroscientists pinpoint neurons that help primates tell faces apart
- High-performance 3-D microbattery suitable for large-scale on-chip integration
- Massive southern invasions by northern birds linked to climate shifts
- New application of classic algorithm uniquely identifies individuals based on their bacterial 'companions'
- Superhydrophobic glass coating offers clear benefits
- Gene found that is essential to maintaining breast and cancer stem cells
- DNA with self-interest: Transposable element conquers new strain of fly
- Bioprinting in 3D: Looks like candy, could regenerate nerve cells

Astronomy & Space news

	Scientists show 'breaking waves' perturb Earth's magnetic field The underlying physical process that creates striking "breaking wave" cloud patterns in our atmosphere also frequently opens the gates to high-energy solar wind plasma that perturbs Earth's magnetic field, or magnetosphere, which protects us from cosmic radiation. The discovery was made by two University of New Hampshire space physicists, who published their findings in the online journal Nature Communications Monday, May 11, 2015.
	The cosmic evolution of galaxies Our knowledge of the big bang has increased dramatically in the past decade, as satellites and ground-based studies of the cosmic microwave background have refined parameters associated with the very early universe, achieving amazing precisions (though not necessarily accuracies) of a few percent. Unfortunately, our knowledge of what happened after that - from those first few hundred thousand years until today, 13.7 billion years later - is very much a work-in-progress. We know that galaxies and their stars formed out of the cooling, filamentary network of matter from that early era. They re-ionized the hydrogen gas, and then continued to evolve, and collide with one another as the universe steadily expanded. Distant galaxies are faint and hard to detect, however, and although observations have made excellent progress in piecing together the story line, astronomers have turned to theory and computer simulations to try to complete ! the picture.
	Impending Pluto visit is the first encounter with a new class of worlds​ After an epic journey across the breadth of the solar system, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is finally nearing its destination: the Pluto system, a staggering 3 billion miles from Earth. In December, after a journey of nine years, the spacecraft was brought out of hibernation for the last time in preparation for its rendezvous with the dwarf planet the week of July 12.
	Ceres animation showcases bright spots The mysterious bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres are better resolved in a new sequence of images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on May 3 and 4, 2015. The images were taken from a distance of 8,400 miles (13,600 kilometers).
	LightSail team prepares for tests of mylar space wonder The concept of LightSail—spacecraft designed to propel through space on beams of sunlight— pushed through by nothing but the pressure of sunlight—has been around for years but this month made special news because the project to make it happen is becoming far riper for takeoff. Carl Sagan chatted about this idea of solar sailing on a 1976 talk show, and the idea moved into more significant phases and hard work. Since the talk show, Prof. Sagan founded the Planetary Society; Bill Nye joined, and said in a video that they are about to realize Prof. Sagan's vision. LightSail now has a 32-square-meter sails using extraordinarily thin mylar, said Nye, the Planetary Society's CEO.
	European space agencies inaugurate altered-gravity aircraft ESA, France's space agency CNES and the German aerospace centre DLR inaugurated the Airbus A310 ZERO-G refitted for altered gravity by running 12 scientific experiments this week.
	Getting the low-density supersonic decelerator (LDSD) vehicle to test altitude In June NASA will conduct the second flight of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) test vehicle from the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) located on the Island of Kauai, Hawaii.
	Image: Chaos on watery Europa Jupiter's moon Europa is brimming with water. Although it is thought to be mostly made up of rocky material, the moon is wrapped in a thick layer of water – some frozen to form an icy crust, some potentially pooled in shallow underground lakes or layers of slush, and vast quantities more lurking even deeper still in the form of a giant subsurface ocean.
	Comet Lovejoy does the polar plunge Lots of towns hold a polar plunge fundraising event in the winter. Duluth, Minnesota's version, where participants jump in Lake Superior every February, might just be the coldest. Comet Lovejoy's a season behind, but sure enough, it's following suite, diving deep into the dark waters of the north celestial pole this month.
	Powerful new radio telescope array searches the entire sky 24/7 A new radio telescope array developed by a consortium led by Caltech and now operating at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory has the ability to image simultaneously the entire sky at radio wavelengths with unmatched speed, helping astronomers to search for objects and phenomena that pulse, flicker, flare, or explode.

Technology news

	Algorithm to distinguish reflections from photos taken through windows It's hard to take a photo through a window without picking up reflections of the objects behind you. To solve that problem, professional photographers sometimes wrap their camera lenses in dark cloths affixed to windows by tape or suction cups. But that's not a terribly attractive option for a traveler using a point-and-shoot camera to capture the view from a hotel room or a seat in a train.
	High-performance 3-D microbattery suitable for large-scale on-chip integration By combining 3D holographic lithography and 2D photolithography, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated a high-performance 3D microbattery suitable for large-scale on-chip integration with microelectronic devices.
	Why shaking hands matters (even when it's with a robot) There's new evidence that shaking hands really does matter when it comes to striking the best deal in negotiations.
	Researchers seeking to make computer brains smarter by making them more like our own In what marks a significant step forward for artificial intelligence, researchers at UC Santa Barbara have demonstrated the functionality of a simple artificial neural circuit. For the first time, a circuit of about 100 artificial synapses was proved to perform a simple version of a typical human task: image classification.
	Fixstars announces six-terabyte Solid State Drive The world's first 6TB Solid State Drive (Fixstars SSD-6000M) is accepting orders and it will be shipped to customers in the United States in late July. That's the news from Fixstars, which has announced a 2.5" SSD with a capacity of 6TB. The announcement on Thursday said it was the world's largest 2.5-inch SATA SSD. The Fixstars SSD-6000M will use 15nm flash memory packed into a 2.5″ form factor. Read speeds are expected to be up to 540MB/s and write speeds of up to 520MB/s for sequential access.
	Self-driving cars getting hit in California Four of the nearly 50 self-driving cars now rolling around California have gotten into accidents since September, when the state began issuing permits for companies to test them on public roads.
	Bioprinting in 3D: Looks like candy, could regenerate nerve cells The printer looks like a toaster oven with the front and sides removed. Its metal frame is built up around a stainless steel circle lit by an ultraviolet light. Stainless steel hydraulics and thin black tubes line the back edge, which lead to an inner, topside box made of red plastic. In front, the metal is etched with the red Bio Bot logo. All together, the gray metal frame is small enough to fit on top of an old-fashioned school desk, but nothing about this 3D printer is old school. In fact, the tissue-printing machine is more like a sci-fi future in the flesh—and it has very real medical applications.
	China's smartphone market contracts in Q1: IDC China's smartphone market contracted in the first quarter for the first time in six years with Apple becoming the top vendor, researchers said on Monday.
	Things to know about accidents involving self-driving cars A small fleet of self-driving cars is maneuvering through traffic in California using an array of sensors and computing power. Drivers are required to be along for the ride, but much of the time, they keep their hands off the steering wheel and brake and gas pedals.
	San Francisco commuters snub public transit for $6 bus ride The compact city that inspired ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft is offering a new way to get to work: fancy $6 big-bus rides with spacious seating, free Wi-Fi and attendants who deliver snacks.
	Teens probably won't like self-driving cars, but their parents will If consumers have their way, self-driving cars will enable parents to keep tighter reins on teen motorists. A survey conducted by the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University reveals that people are soundly in favor of putting parental controls in high-tech cars of the future. One thousand people, aged 18 to 70, were polled to learn which freedom-foiling attribute they deemed most important.
	The Playboy centrefold at the centre of computer science The November 1972 issue of Playboy magazine is the magazine's best selling issue of all time. This is not because of the articles, but due to the proliferation of one iconic image from the magazine: that of centrefold model Lena Söderberg.
	Turns out the answer to virtual reality sickness is right in front of your face Virtual reality (VR) equipment has tended to be cumbersome and expensive, all heavy headsets and awkward gloves. Until recently it's been beyond the reach of the home consumer, but with the appearance of Oculus Rift (since bought by Facebook), Microsoft's HoloLens, and even DIY options such as Google Cardboard, it seems VR is coming to a living room near you soon.
	Tests with Sandia's Davis gun aid B61-12 life extension effort Three years of design, planning and preparation came down to a split second, a loud boom and an enormous splash in a successful impact test of hardware in the nose assembly of an unarmed, mock B61-12 nuclear bomb.
	Mirror, mirror on the wall: Smart mirrors boost sales Imagine a fitting room with a "smart" mirror that suggests jeans to go with the red shirt you brought in. It snaps a video so you can compare the image side-by-side with other colorful shirts you try on. It might even show you how the shirt will fit without you having to undress.
	Computer sciences' RoboCanes win RoboCup US Open 2015 The RoboCanes, the University of Miami's team of autonomous soccer-playing robots developed by students and faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences Computer Science Department, won the 2015 RoboCup US Open - claiming victory for the first time since entering the competition in 2012.
	Google acknowledges 11 accidents with its self-driving cars Google Inc. revealed Monday that its self-driving cars have been in 11 minor traffic accidents since it began experimenting with the technology six years ago.
A glance at digital elements being embraced by stores Retailers are testing high-tech elements in stores, from virtual dressing to interactive shelves. Here are three trends that shoppers will see this year:
US cyber commander says hackers to 'pay a price' The US strategy of "deterrence" for cyber-attacks could involve a wide range or responses, potentially including the use of conventional weapons, the nation's top cyber-warrior said Monday.
	Mischief makers prompt Google to halt public map edits Google on Monday said it is sidelining its crowd-sourced map making tool to implement a way to prevent bogus edits, some of which have proven embarrassing.
Smartphones among top gadgets for Americans: survey Smartphones are now used in 72 percent of US homes and have become the third most owned electronics item for Americans, a survey showed Monday.
	Former Israeli premier Barak joins biometric start-up Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has joined the board of a local startup that specializes in biometric identification technology.
Electronic security tag for protecting valuable shipments In collaboration with its EU project partners, VTT has developed an electronic security tag, which can used to protect valuable shipments and enhance product safety in the future. By using a security tag equipped with sensors, the sender and the recipient can ensure, for example, that the packaging of the product has not been tampered with and that the product is genuine. Previously, printing techniques have been applied to integrate electronics into plastic labels only, but with the VTT methods it is now also possible to produce more environmentally friendly paper-based security tags.
	Technical, economical and environmental advantages of energy hybridization The project HYSOL is entering into the demonstration stage in order to see the technical, economical and environmental advantages of using a hybridization of solar power with fossil and renewable fuels.
Ex-Satyam chief gets relief in 'India's Enron' case An Indian court on Monday suspended a seven-year jail sentence handed to the former chief of outsourcing giant Satyam over a $2.25-billion accounting scandal dubbed "India's Enron".
Plan to bury uranium in Utah scrutinized as decision nears In a barren landscape of scrub just off a major Utah highway, a 10-foot-deep pit the size of about 75 football fields could soon house a kind of nuclear waste that grows more radioactive for 2 million years.
	Le Monde launches morning edition for mobile devices French newspaper Le Monde is bucking seven decades of tradition of being an afternoon daily to start offering a morning publication—but only on mobile devices.
	'The Witcher 3' takes a cue from 'Game of Thrones' "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" isn't shying away from its name.

Medicine & Health news

	Neuroscientists pinpoint neurons that help primates tell faces apart How do primates, including humans, tell faces apart? Scientists have long attributed this ability to so-called "face-detector" (FD) neurons, thought to be responsible for distinguishing faces, among other objects. But no direct evidence has supported this claim.
	Rift Valley fever virus' proteins imitate human DNA repair factors A potential mechanism to combat diseases caused by haemorrhagic fever viruses has been discovered by researchers at the University of Montreal's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. These diseases present a dramatic risk to human health as they often spread quickly and kill a high percentage of infected individuals, as demonstrated by the recent Ebola outbreaks. Effective treatments such as vaccines and drug therapies are not available for many of these infections since the outbreaks mostly occur in developing countries with limited financial resources. Moreover, the genomes of many haemorrhagic fever viruses mutate rapidly, enabling them to quickly adapt to potential drug treatments and evade the immune system.
	Team identifies potential new targets for cancer treatments An international consortium of scientists led by a group from the University of Leicester has announced a new advance in understanding the mechanisms of cancer and how to target it more effectively with new treatments.
	Antibiotic-resistant typhoid detected in countries around the world There is an urgent need to develop global surveillance against the threat to public health caused by antimicrobial resistant pathogens, which can cause serious and untreatable infections in humans. Typhoid is a key example of this, with multidrug resistant strains of the bacterium Salmonella Typhi becoming common in many developing countries. A landmark genomic study, with contributors from over two-dozen countries, shows the current problem of antibiotic resistant typhoid is driven by a single clade, family of typhoid bacteria, called H58 that has now spread globally.
Odd genetic syndrome suggests increased blood vessel resistance could cause hypertension The culmination of two decades of research, a new study reveals the genetic causes of a curious, rare syndrome that manifests as hypertension (high blood pressure) accompanied by short fingers (brachydactyly type E). Six unrelated families with the syndrome come from across the globe - United States, Turkey, France, South America, and two from Canada - yet share mutations that cluster in a small region of phosphodiesterase 3A (PDE3A). Functional studies imply the mutations change resistance of blood vessels, an underappreciated mechanism for regulating blood pressure. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest new directions for investigating causes of hypertension in the general population.
	Researchers discover how cocaine, amphetamines disrupt the brain's normal functioning In a major advance in the field of neuropsychiatry, researchers in the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health & Science University have illuminated how cocaine and amphetamines disrupt the normal functioning of the dopamine transporter in the brain. This discovery paves the way for developing treatments that could blunt the effects of cocaine and amphetamines in patients who are addicted.
	Disrupting cancer pathway could enhance new immunotherapies Understanding how to overrule a signaling pathway that can cause treatments to fail in metastatic melanoma patients should help physicians extend the benefits of recently approved immunity-boosting drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors to more patients.
Repurposed anti-cholesterol drug could improve treatment-resistant anemias Each year, between 25 and 35 children in the United States and Canada are diagnosed with an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome called Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA), according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although rare, this syndrome causes a deficiency in producing red blood cells that is devastating for patients and their families. The only treatment, other than blood transfusions, is glucocorticoids—steroids that cause unwanted and even dangerous side effects, including stunted growth, osteoporosis, cataracts, and glaucoma.
	Large-scale meta-analysis discovered ten new genes that tune cholesterol levels An international research consortium has discovered ten new genes underlying blood lipid levels. This large study, published today in world's leading genetical journal, the Nature Genetics, was led by researchers at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland and Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki. In this study the DNA of more than 60,000 individuals was examined to discover genetic variants associated with cholesterol levels.
	Starved T cells allow hepatitis B to silently infect liver Hepatitis B stimulates processes that deprive the body's immune cells of key nutrients that they need to function, finds new UCL-led research funded by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.
Computer simulation accurately replicated real-life trauma outcomes A computer simulation, or "in silico" model, of the body's inflammatory response to traumatic injury accurately replicated known individual outcomes and predicted population results counter to expectations, according to a study recently published in Science Translational Medicine by a University of Pittsburgh research team.
Study sheds new light on low-light vision, could aid people with retinal deficits Driving down a dimly lit road at midnight can tax even those with 20/20 vision, but according to a recent UC Irvine study, the brain processes the experience no differently than if it were noon. The same study also reveals how quickly the brain adapts to vision loss, contradicting earlier research and opening the door to novel treatments.
	Gene found that is essential to maintaining breast and cancer stem cells The gene and hormone soup that enables women to breastfeed their newborns also can be a recipe for breast cancer, particularly when the first pregnancy is after age 30.
	Scientists link brain protein to binge-drinking behavior Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered that a brain protein has a key role in controlling binge drinking in animal models. They found that deleting the gene for this protein in mice ramped up alcohol consumption and prevented the brain from signaling the rewarding properties of alcohol.
	Scientists find a single molecule that controls the fate of mature sensory neurons Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered that the role of neurons—which are responsible for specific tasks in the brain—is much more flexible than previously believed.
	Congress approval rating tanking over poor choice of words U.S. Congress approval ratings are at record lows. Now a new study suggests that this may be partly due to a decline in the use of warm, agreeable language in the House.
	First cancer-promoting oncogenes discovered in rare brain tumor of children and adults Researchers have identified three genes that play a pivotal role in the brain tumor choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC), a discovery that lays the groundwork for more effective treatment of this rare, often fatal cancer. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists led the study, which appears today in the journal Cancer Cell.
	First-in-class antibody mixture shows clinical activity against Tx-resistant, advanced colorectal cancer Patients with advanced colorectal tumors without mutations in the RAS genes derive substantial benefit from anti-EGFR therapies; however, the disease eventually progresses, leaving these patients with few alternative therapeutic options. Over the last decade, some of the mechanisms driving resistance have been identified, but despite intensive research, treatment options available for patients have not improved, Tabernero said.
Certain treatments for childhood cancer may increase obesity risk later in life Childhood cancer survivors - especially those whose treatment included brain irradiation or chemotherapy with glucocorticoids - are 14 percent more likely to be obese than their healthy peers. The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital study appears today in the journal Cancer.
	Are increasing cases or increasing diagnoses responsible for the 'autism epidemic?' An interesting new study was recently published in the British Medical Journal about the 'autism epidemic' we have been experiencing in recent years. The Swedish authors of the study used data from children born between 1993 and 2002 to compare time trends in the rates of the autism symptom phenotype (i.e. the symptoms upon which a diagnosis of autism is based) and registered clinical diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder.
Both standard and aggressive treatment provide similar benefit in reducing atherosclerosis Treating both low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol with statins and blood pressure with calcium channel antagonists reduces harmful coronary plaque, according to a new study presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2015 Scientific Sessions in San Diego. The study found aggressive medication therapy does not provide additional benefit compared to standard cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering therapy.
Parents' decision-making in HPV vaccination of daughters analyzed Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases, with more than 70% of sexually active people getting the virus at least once in their lifetimes. Persistent infection with some HPV strains can lead to cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women, as well as to head-and-neck and other types of cancer and anogenital warts in both men and women.
	One gene closer to helping sufferers of rare genetic disorder A new study has separately confirmed and significantly built on recent research, identifying mutations of a gene that causes the uncommon but potentially fatal Adams-Oliver syndrome.
	Smart microchips may optimise human vision To date, chip-based retinal implants have only permitted a rudimentary restoration of vision. However, modifying the electrical signals emitted by the implants could change that. This is the conclusion of the initial published findings of a project sponsored by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, which showed that two specific retinal cell types respond differently to certain electrical signals – an effect that could improve the perception of light-dark contrasts.
	The answer to tackling superbugs could be more superbugs Hard-to-kill bacteria or "superbugs" have become a major problem for hospitals. Between 5% and 12% of hospital patients in the EU are thought to acquire an infection during their stay, with many caused by bacteria such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff) that are resistant to antibiotics.
	How cancer tricks the lymphatic system into spreading tumors Swollen lymph nodes are often the earliest sign of metastatic spread of cancer cells. Now cancer researchers and immunologists at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have discovered how cancer cells can infiltrate the lymphatic system by 'disguising' themselves as immune cells (white blood cells). The researchers hope that this finding, which is published in the scientific journal Oncogene, will inform the development of new drugs.
	Nurses cut stress 40 percent with relaxation steps at work A study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that a workplace mindfulness-based intervention reduced stress levels of employees exposed to a highly stressful occupational environment.
Why quality childcare is important for low-income children High-quality childcare can help close developmental gaps in children from low socio-economic backgrounds, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.
	Why excess iron can be dangerous Iron is a most versatile element. It is essential to many of the enzymes that are the engines for life, and in mammals is also used to carry oxygen on hemoglobin in blood. Remember Popeye and his spinach: all that iron made him strong.
	Study links father's age and risk of blood cancer as an adult A new study links a father's age at birth to the risk that his child will develop blood and immune system cancers as an adult, particularly for only children. The study, which appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found no association between having an older mother and these cancers.
Most women are unaware of new guidelines for pap test frequency, study reveals Women know that Pap tests are a useful screening test for cervical cancer, but according to a new study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, most of those surveyed are unaware of the updated screening guidelines for the appropriate frequency of Pap tests in low-risk women. Nearly half of women were unsettled by the idea of spacing out Pap tests and reported that they planned to continue annual testing despite the change in recommendations. Results of the study were presented earlier this week at the 2015 American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in San Francisco.
Project to fight dengue fever proves a sustainable success A University of Kansas co-sponsored effort to engage communities to fight the mosquito-borne infectious disease dengue fever in poor Costa Rican villages has proven so effective, residents are continuing the programs on their own after the project has ended.
	New technology helps surgeon build a better shoulder Don Schiel was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 20 years ago and has lived with debilitating joint pain for the last decade. He worked telecommunications jobs in Boulder and Westminster until six years ago, when the pain disabled him.
Online fat acceptance and the body beautiful Media and healthcare institutions have long commanded that the ideal and desirable body shape should be thin. If you are fat are you irresponsibly risking your health? Will you ever be able to look or feel beautiful? Will you truly enjoy citizenship? New research published in Journal of Gender Studies explores the cultural and political marginalisation of fat women and their perceived moral failure to be healthy. It follows the rising tide of the online fat acceptance (FA) movement and their strategies for challenging societal conventions of body image and beauty.
	Investigating nutrition in young children with autism In New Zealand one child in every 100 is diagnosed with a condition on the autism spectrum. It can be a stressful time for families coping with the reality of this diagnosis.
	New treatment option for subtype of aggressive lymphoma An international team of researchers, including Lukas Kenner from the Clinical Department of Pathology at MedUni Vienna, has discovered a specific combination of mutations and new gene fusions, which are heavily implicated in tumour growth in patients with a particularly aggressive subtype of lymphoma (ALCL). The findings, which have now been published in the leading journal Cancer Cell, could lead to new targeted treatments for this disease and even to successful treatment of other types of cancer.
New population genetics model could explain Finn, European differences A new population genetics model developed by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health could explain why the genetic composition of Finnish people is so different from that of other European populations. The results of the study were published in this month's issue of Nature Genetics.
	Therapy aids in quelling negative thinking Believing that worrying about a problem can help overcome it may be the trigger that sets off much more serious anxiety disorders, recent research suggests.
	Reasons why survival rates of extremely premature infants differ by hospital Extremely premature infants born at 22 to 25 weeks of gestation have low rates of survival, and many of those infants who live have severe or moderate neurodevelopmental impairments. Thus, clinicians and families face the extremely difficult decision to either provide active, potentially lifesaving treatment at birth, or just provide comfort care. Furthermore, a wide, unexplained between-hospital variation in survival and impairment rates leaves it unclear whether treatment will be in the infant's interest.
New study reveals 40 million deaths a year go unrecorded—mobile phone data collection could crack the problem In a sobering finding for global health authorities and governments around the world, a group of leading epidemiologists say two in three deaths globally – or 40 million people - go unreported. And one in three births – another 40 million people – go unregistered.
	Advanced MRI scans could help predict people at risk of schizophrenia New scanning methods which map the wiring of the brain could provide a valuable new tool to predict people at risk of schizophrenia, according to a new study.
	Short-sightedness becoming more common across Europe Myopia or short-sightedness is becoming more common across Europe, according to a new study led by King's College London. The meta-analysis of findings from 15 studies by the European Eye Epidemiology Consortium found that around a quarter of the European population is short-sighted but it is nearly twice as common in younger people, with almost half (47 per cent) of the group aged between 25 and 29 years affected.
Dine with a light eater if you want to consume less How much food your dining companion eats can have a big influence on how much you consume, a UNSW Australia-led study concludes.
	New blood tests, liquid biopsies, may transform cancer care A new type of blood test in the U.S. is starting to transform cancer treatment, sparing some patients the surgical and needle biopsies long needed to guide their care.
	Ion pump gives the body its own pain alleviation A small ion pump in organic electronics is giving new hope to people suffering from severe nerve pain. Researchers at Swedish Linköping University (LiU) and Karolinska Institutet (KI) are the first in the world with technology that can stop pain impulses in living, freely moving rats using the body's own pain relief signals.
	Advanced viral gene therapy eradicates prostate cancer in preclinical experiments Even with the best available treatments, the median survival of patients with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer is only two to three years. Driven by the need for more effective therapies for these patients, researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) have developed a unique approach that uses microscopic gas bubbles to deliver directly to the cancer a viral gene therapy in combination with an experimental drug that targets a specific gene driving the cancer's growth.
	Dopamine signals the value of delayed rewards Dopamine is the chemical messenger in the brain most closely associated with pleasure and reward. Recent scientific advances now shed light on precise roles for dopamine in the reward process.
	Method for determining possible stress marker in blood samples A research collaboration between the universities of Oslo and Aarhus has resulted in the development of a new method with diagnostic potential. The new method that combines phase extraction with an enzymatic reaction may eventually be used for an improved and faster screening analysis of isatin as a potential indicator of stress and neurological disorders.
Frequent trips to ER are powerful predictor of death from prescription drug overdoses With rates of prescription drug overdose at an all-time high, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that among individuals who visited the emergency department, the risk of subsequently dying from prescription drug overdose increased markedly based on how many times they visited the ER. Relative to patients with one or fewer trips to the ER in the previous year, the risk of dying from prescription drug overdose was five times the rate for those with two visits, 17 times for those with three visits, and 48 times for those with four or more visits.
	Acute kidney injury linked to pre-existing kidney health, study finds Physicians treating hospitalized patients for conditions unrelated to the kidneys should pay close attention to common blood and urine tests for kidney function in order to prevent incidental injury to the organs that help cleanse the body of toxins, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests.
	Patients more likely to get HPV vaccine after electronic health record prompts A new study finds that a simple reminder via electronic health record systems may go a long way in encouraging patients to get the HPV vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine has the lowest completion rates of any other vaccine.
Some immigrants and refugees in Ontario at higher risk of psychotic disorders Some refugees and immigrants have a higher risk of psychotic disorders, with immigrants from the Caribbean and refugees from East Africa and South Asia at 1.5 to 2 times greater risk than the general population, according to a large study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
	Mediterranean diet plus olive oil or nuts associated with improved cognitive function Supplementing the plant-based Mediterranean diet with antioxidant-rich extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts was associated with improved cognitive function in a study of older adults in Spain but the authors warn more investigation is needed, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Examination of nondisclosure agreements in medical malpractice settlements A review of medical malpractice claim files at an academic medical center found that while most settlements included nondisclosure clauses there was little standardization or consistency in their application, according to article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Increased risk of neuropathy in patients with celiac disease Celiac disease, which results from a sensitivity to gluten, was associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk of neuropathy (nerve damage), according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology.
Ethicists propose solution for US organ shortage crisis The United States has a serious shortage of organs for transplants, resulting in unnecessary deaths every day. However, a fairly simple and ethical change in policy would greatly expand the nation's organ pool while respecting autonomy, choice, and vulnerability of a deceased's family or authorized caregiver, according to medical ethicists and an emergency physician at NYU Langone Medical Center.
	Ease of weight loss influenced by individual biology For the first time in a lab, researchers at the National Institutes of Health found evidence supporting the commonly held belief that people with certain physiologies lose less weight than others when limiting calories. Study results published May 11 in Diabetes.
Team approach to cardiovascular practice addresses challenges Building teams that include advanced practice providers can help cardiovascular practices meet the challenges of workforce shortages, an aging patient population with growing complexities in care, and a payment system in transition, according to a new health policy statement by the American College of Cardiology released today.
Study shows increased cardiorespiratory fitness may delay onset of high cholesterol Men who have higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness may delay by up to 15 years increases in blood cholesterol levels that commonly occur with aging, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Study may suggest new strategies for myelodysplastic syndromes treatment A study revealing fresh insight about chromosome "tails" called telomeres may provide scientists with a new way to look at developing treatments or even preventing a group of blood cell disorders known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
Breaking through the blood-brain barrier The bacteria that sneak past the brain's defenses to cause deadly bacterial meningitis are clever adversaries. Brandon Kim would know. The biology graduate student at San Diego State University investigates the molecular tricks bacteria use to convince their host that they are harmless and cause disease.
	Researchers shed new light on cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome New research findings may shed new light on the potential cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
	New cause discovered for arterial stiffness, a contributor to cardiovascular disease Increased vascular stiffness has been identified as an important part of hypertension in aging adults. Previous studies of aortic stiffness have focused on changes in structural proteins that alter the properties of vascular walls causing them to become rigid. Now, a research team led by scientists at the University of Missouri have determined that smooth muscle cells, which line the interior of vascular walls, are a major contributing factor to vascular stiffness, one of the major causes of hypertension. Researchers believe that results from their study could help provide new possibilities for drug treatments for the disease in aging patients.
	New research implicates immune system in Rett syndrome New research by investigators at the University of Massachusetts Medical School suggests the immune system plays an unsuspected and surprising role in the progression of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder affecting children. Immune cells known as macrophages are unable to perform their normal function and are instead amplifying the disease. The finding, recently published in Immunity, points to the immune system as a promising target for slowing the progression of Rett syndrome.
	Toddlers understand sound they make influences others, research shows Confirming what many parents already know, researchers at Georgia State University and the University of Washington have discovered that toddlers, especially those with siblings, understand how the sounds they make affect people around them.
	Losing streak: Competitive high-school sports linked to gambling The soft signs of compulsive gambling—high energy levels, unreasonable expectations, extreme competitiveness, distorted optimism and above-average IQs—are often the very traits that characterize competing athletes. However, precious little research is available on the prevalence of gambling among athletes and the relevant warning signs.
	Narrow misses can propel us toward other rewards and goals Whether it's being outbid at the last second in an online auction or missing the winning lottery number by one digit, we often come so close to something we can "almost taste it" only to lose out in the end. These "near wins" may actually boost our motivation to achieve other wins, leading us to pursue totally unrelated rewards, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
80 percent of cervical cancers found to be preventable with latest 9-valent HPV vaccine The new 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine, can potentially prevent 80 percent of cervical cancers in the United States, if given to all 11- or 12-year-old children before they are exposed to the virus.
	Combined radiation and hormonal therapy improves survival in node-positive prostate cancer A new study finds that men with prostate cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes, who have a significant risk of dying from the disease, can benefit from the addition of radiation therapy to treatments that block the effects of testosterone. The findings imply that the almost half of patients with node-positive disease nationwide who this study found had not received combination therapy were not receiving the treatment that could best control their tumor and possibly save their lives. The report from investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and the American Cancer Society has been published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
	New research finds walnuts may help slow colon cancer growth A new animal study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, led by Dr. Christos Mantzoros, indicates that a diet containing walnuts may slow colorectal tumor growth by causing beneficial changes in cancer genes.
For children with autism, trips to the dentist just got easier Going to the dentist might have just gotten a little less scary for the estimated 1 in 68 U.S. children with autism spectrum disorder as well as children with dental anxiety, thanks to new research from USC.
	'Not just a flavoring:' Menthol and nicotine, combined, desensitize airway receptors Menthol acts in combination with nicotine to desensitize the type of nicotinic receptors found in lungs and airways that are responsible for nicotine's irritation, say Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) researchers.
	Researchers identify gene responsible for hypertension and brachydactyly Individuals with this altered gene have hereditary hypertension (high blood pressure) and at the same time a skeletal malformation called brachydactyly type E, which is characterized by unusually short fingers and toes. The effect on blood pressure is so serious that—if left untreated—it most often leads to death before age fifty. After more than 20 years of research, scientists of the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), a joint cooperation between the MDC Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now identified the gene that causes this rare syndrome. In six families not related to each other they discovered different point mutations in the gene encoding phosphodiesterase-3A (PDE3A). These mutations always lead to high blood pressure and shortened bones of the extremities, particularly the metacarpal and metatarsal bones. This syn! drome is the first Mendelian hypertension form (salt-resistant) not based on salt reabsorption but instead is more directly related to resistance in small blood vessels ().
	Environmental concerns led to jump in cost of asthma inhalers: study (HealthDay)—Federal action to protect the ozone layer has resulted in a dramatic increase in the cost of asthma inhalers in recent years, according to a new study.
	Concussion may hurt school performance for a while (HealthDay)—Children and teens recovering from a concussion may experience difficulty with school work until they fully recover, a new study suggests.
Spinal stimulation system relieves pain without tingling (HealthDay)—The Senza spinal cord stimulation system has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic back pain without the tingling sensation that characterizes more traditional pain-relieving methods.
	Lasting atopy risk in females with neonatal vitamin A Rx (HealthDay)—Neonatal vitamin A supplementation (NVAS) is associated with increased long-term risk of atopy in females, but not males, according to a study published online May 2 in Allergy.
Men with high estrogen levels could be at greater risk of breast cancer Men with naturally high levels of the female hormone oestrogen may have a greater risk of developing breast cancer, according to research by an international collaboration including Cancer Research UK published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Unlabeled stimulant BMPEA in sports supplement combined with exercise likely caused stroke β-Methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), an amphetamine-like stimulant that has been found in dietary supplements marketed to improve athletic performance and weight loss, could be to blame for hemorrhagic stroke in a patient who took the supplement before completing a vigorous workout. The case report, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, is the first to suggest a connection between BMPEA and exercise-induced stroke.
When a company drops a controversial ingredient, they're not doing it for your health Last month, Pepsi announced they were dropping aspartame from their flagship diet drink in the US.
Memory task-specific encoding by neuronal networks in the human hippocampus Winner of the Philip L. Gildenberg S&F Resident Award, Mark R. Witcher, MD, presented his research, "Memory Task-specific Encoding by Neuronal Networks in the Human Hippocampus," during the 2015 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting. Witcher is the neurosurgery chief resident at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
5-aminolevulinic acid trial to correlate intraoperative fluorescence intensity with histologic cellularity Winner of the Stryker Neuro-oncology Award, Darryl Lau, MD, presented results from A prospective phase II clinical trial of 5-aminolevulinic acid to correlate intraoperative fluorescence intensity with histologic cellularity during the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
Targeting cancer therapy with phosphoproteomics Winner of the Louise Eisenhardt Traveling Scholarship Award, Teresa Purzner, MD, presented her research, Quantitative Phosphoproteomics for Targeted Cancer Therapy.
Survival of patients with cerebral metastases after stereotactic radiosurgery Winner of the Leksell Radiosurgery Award, Deborah C. Marshall, recently presented her research, Survival Patterns of Patients with Cerebral Metastases after Multiple Rounds of Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), at the 2015 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.
The myth of restenosis after carotid angioplasty and stenting Winner of the DePuy Synthes Cerebrovascular Section Resident/Fellow Award, Karam Moon, MD, will be presenting his research, The Myth of Restenosis after Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting.
Enhancing cosmetic outcomes after surgical treatment of meningioma-associated proptosis Winner of the Synthes Skull Base Award, William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD, FAANS, presented findings from the study, Outcomes after Surgical Treatment of Meningioma-associated Proptosis, during the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
Delays from pain diagnosis to SCS treatment result in higher health-care use post-implantation Winner of the William H. Sweet Young Investigators Award, Frank William Petraglia III, presented his research on the relationship between the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to block pains signals and the amount of time elapsed between diagnosis and implantation.
New hope in central nervous system injury Winner of the Young Neurosurgeons Abstract Award, Abdullah H. Feroze, B.S., presented his abstract, entitled Neural Placode Tissue Derived from Myelomeningocele Repair Serves as a Viable Source of Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells, during the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
Long-term positive results from device to sand away severe calcium in coronary arteries After two years, patients treated with orbital atherectomy, a device that sands away severely calcified plaque in the coronary arteries prior to stenting, continued to show positive results, according to new data from the ORBIT II trial presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2015 Scientific Sessions.
Experts denounce WHO's slow Ebola response (Update) A UN-sponsored report on Monday denounced the World Health Organization's slow response to the Ebola outbreak and said the agency still did not have the capacity to tackle a similar crisis.
Institutional factors play role in cardiac rehab referral rates after angioplasty Hospitals in the Midwest were more likely than others to refer patients for guideline-recommended cardiac rehabilitation following angioplasty, possibly because more rehab programs are available in the region, according to original research and an accompanying editorial published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).
'Top 100' papers in lumbar spine surgery reflect trends in low back pain treatment What are the most influential studies on surgery of the lower (lumbar) spine? The "top 100" research papers in lumbar spine are counted down in a special review in the May 15 issue of Spine.
	Mass murder, mental illness, and men Mass murders in the United States are rare, but they receive a lot of media attention and are the focus of an ongoing controversy regarding the link between mass murder and mental illness among the perpetrators of these heinous acts, almost always men. The mental health problems most common in mass murderers and why men at risk are so difficult to identify before they can carry out mass killings are discussed in the compelling article "Mass Murder, Mental Illness, and Men" in the peer-reviewed journal Violence and Gender.
Minnesota jury hears opening statements in right-to-die case Prosecutors said Monday they'll prove that a national right-to-die group assisted in the 2007 suicide of a 57-year-old Minnesota woman who suffered from years of chronic pain and showed signs of depression.
Global health leaders call for global biomedical R&D fund, mechanism In advance of this month's World Health Assembly and the G7 summit in June, world leaders should consider the establishment of a global biomedical research and development fund and a mechanism to address the dearth in innovation for today's most pressing global health challenges, according to Bernard Pécoul, from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland, and colleagues in an Essay published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
Public health approach to reducing traumatic brain injury: Update from CDC Ongoing efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the population impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are documented in the May/June issue of The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America.
School segregation still impacts African-Americans' minds decades later As the nation observes the May 17 anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that ended racial segregation in public schools, a new study has found that desegregated schooling is tied to better performance for certain cognitive abilities in older African American Adults.
Group B Streptococcus breaches the blood-brain-barrier Bacterial meningitis is a life-threating infection of the central nervous system. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of meningitis in newborn babies and can cause severe complications in those that survive the infection. GBS must cross the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) to cause disease but it is not clear how these organisms breach this barrier.
A fine-tuned approach improves platelet generation from stem cells A low platelet count can occur as the result of a variety of medical conditions and as a medication side effect. Platelet transfusion is often required for individuals with a critically low platelet level. Currently, the primary source of platelets is volunteer donors. Unfortunately, donated platelets have an extremely short shelf life and can be in limited supply.
Different bird flu strain detected in Indiana backyard flock Bird flu has been found in a backyard poultry flock in northeastern Indiana, and it's the first time the specific strain in question has been detected in the central U.S., animal health officials said Monday.
	Feds close insurance loopholes on preventive care From contraception to colonoscopies, the Obama administration Monday closed a series of insurance loopholes on coverage of preventive care.

Biology news

	Massive southern invasions by northern birds linked to climate shifts With puzzling variability, vast numbers of birds from Canada's boreal forests migrate hundreds or thousands of miles south from their usual winter range. These so-called irruptions were first noticed by birdwatchers decades ago, but the driving factors have never been fully explained. Now scientists have pinpointed the climate pattern that likely sets the stage for irruptions - a discovery that could make it possible to predict the events more than a year in advance.
	Study shows bats adjust the gape of their mouth to zoom field of view of biosonar A team of researchers with Tel Aviv University has found that at least one kind of bat (the Bodenheimer's pipistrelle) is able to zoom in on information it receives from its biosonar, by adjusting the degree to which it stretches its mouth open. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes the experiments they conducted with bats and how it is that mouth stretching is able to help the bats.
	Using CRISPR, biologists find a way to comprehensively identify anti-cancer drug targets Imagine having a complete catalog of the best drug targets to hit in a particularly deadly form of cancer. Imagine having a master catalog of such targets for all the major cancer types and subtypes. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today publish in Nature Biotechnology a method of compiling just such a catalog, using the revolutionary gene-editing technology called CRISPR.
	New application of classic algorithm uniquely identifies individuals based on their bacterial 'companions' A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies—known as the human microbiome—have the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like a fingerprint.
	DNA with self-interest: Transposable element conquers new strain of fly Transposable elements are DNA sequences that are capable of changing their genome position by cut and paste or copy and paste through the enzyme transposase. This ability can be harmful for hosts if transposable elements destroy functioning genes, but it can also bring advantages. From an evolutionary point of view, transposable elements diversify the genome and open up chances for adaptation.
	Researchers obtain precise estimates of the epigenetic mutation rate University of Groningen scientists have obtained the first precise estimates of how often epigenetic marks that influence gene activity appear or disappear in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, a model organism in plant biology. This paves the way to a deeper understanding of the importance of epigenetic changes in plant evolution. The work is published in the week of 11 May in the online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
	Tortoise approach works best—even for evolution When it comes to winning evolutionary fitness races, the tortoise once again prevails over the hare.
	Dying cells can protect their stem cells from destruction Cells dying as the result of radiation exposure or chemotherapy can send a warning to nearby stem cells. The chemical signal allows the stem cells to escape the same fate, University of Washington researchers report in the May 11 issue of the journal Nature Communications.
	Researchers investigate an enzyme important for nervous system health Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), working closely with researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have mapped out the structure of an important protein involved in cellular function and nervous system development.
	India's endangered lion numbers increase Wildlife experts welcomed Monday census figures showing India's population of endangered Asiatic lions has increased in the last five years in the western state of Gujarat.
	Humans, livestock in Kenya linked in sickness and in health If a farmer's goats, cattle or sheep are sick in Kenya, how's the health of the farmer? Though researchers have long suspected a link between the health of farmers and their families in sub-Saharan Africa and the health of their livestock, a team of veterinary and economic scientists has quantified the relationship for the first time in a study.
	Vaccine field trials for deadly 'foothill abortion' cattle disease expand Thanks in part to researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, cattle ranchers in California, Nevada and Oregon are one step closer to having a vaccine available to treat a tick-borne bacterial disease—commonly known as foothill abortion—which kills cow fetuses.
Scientists breed beef rich in the beneficial fatty acids associated with fish oils Chinese scientists have reared beef rich in the beneficial fatty acids associated with fish oils. The study in Springer's journal Biotechnology Letters also highlights the scientific challenges that remain.
	Massively parallel biology students: More than 900 students co-author genomics research paper The list of authors for an article on the comparative genomics of a fruit fly chromosome, published online May 11 by the journal G3, runs three single-spaced pages. Large author lists are the norm in high-energy physics, but a novelty in biology. What is going on?
	Water fleas genetically adapt to climate change The water flea has genetically adapted to climate change. Biologists from KU Leuven, Belgium, compared 'resurrected' water fleas—hatched from 40-year-old eggs—with more recent specimens. The project was coordinated by Professor Luc De Meester from the Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation.
Robot pets to rise in an overpopulated world University of Melbourne animal welfare researcher Dr Jean-Loup Rault says the prospect of robopets and virtual pets is not as far-fetched as we may think.
	Long-term study on ticks reveals shifting migration patterns, disease risks Over nearly 15 years spent studying ticks, Indiana University's Keith Clay has found southern Indiana to be an oasis free from Lyme disease, the condition most associated with these arachnids that are the second most common parasitic disease vector on Earth.
	For the first time, scientists tag a loggerhead sea turtle off US West Coast Fifty miles out to sea from San Diego, in the middle of April, under a perfectly clear blue sky, NOAA Fisheries scientists Tomo Eguchi and Jeff Seminoff leaned over the side of a rubber inflatable boat and lowered a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle into the water. That turtle was a trailblazer—the first of its kind ever released off the West Coast of the United States with a satellite transmitter attached.
	Vineyard habitats help butterflies return Washington wine grape vineyards experimenting with sustainable pest management systems are seeing an unexpected benefit: an increase in butterflies.
It's a happy Mother's Day for endangered right whales For marine biologists at the New England Aquarium, it's a super-sized Mother's Day.
	Studying indoor microbial ecology means sampling in public restrooms "Ok, Clarisse, you stand guard and I'll go in. Just… make sure no one comes in after me."
	Sheep benefit from grazing spring crops Scientists have used a computer modelling program to determine the benefits of grazing sheep on spring wheat crops instead of pasture.

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